Weekend Report: TKD, BBQ and Getting Lost

The weekend started bright and early on Saturday morning as I was silently freaking out in my kitchen while chopping vegetables and marinating chicken. I'd invited a crowd over to my place for a housewarming BBQ on the roof and I was having the normal pre-party panic that a) nobody would show up b) too many people would show up, the police would be called, I'd get deported c) the cat would escape d) it would rain (nope, clear skies) e) someone else would also have a BBQ on the roof at the same time and we would have to battle it out.... Well, you know how it is.

With everything more-or-less prepared, and with time to spare, I headed down to a nearby university gymnasium to see a TKD competition. Or so I thought. I'd been invited by my TKD instructor and as I arrived, I noticed that the parking lot was crowded with those painted up TKD vans that come and pick up all the kids for their classes. The gym was full of kids in their gear, and just about every school in Mokpo was represented (a lot of people). In the middle of the gym, about a dozen guys were doing a sort of acrobatic TKD set to music. Really neat. Like, three guys would stand on top of each other holding boards and a fourth guy would run up and do a backflip and kick all the boards. Rather impressive. But... I couldn't stay too long, since I had people coming over.

The theme of this party was "Song Titles" and everyone had to come dressed as one. A brief (incomplete) listing of the ones I remember:
Jen: Shiny Happy People
Monique: Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Randi: Harajuku Girl
Me: Doll Parts
Stu: I come from a land down under
Tony: Turning Japanese
Warren: Leave Virginia Alone
Shannon: No Woman, No Cry
Richard: Earl
...
Most people just did what I did and slapped a few bits onto their normal clothes so that they wouldn't look too weird if we had to go wandering around in public. Props to the guy who came dressed as "Love Shack" (name escapes me) and especially Cathy and Alex who did a dual costume as "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots". Really fun.

Oh, and there weren't too many people, there was enough food (there was tons to drink), and everyone cleaned up after. It did get a bit chilly on the roof after a while, so we headed into my apartment. It was kinda hot with so many people in there (had to keep the door closed because of Jakob - who was an absolute sweetie all night), so we went off to the P-Club to finish off the evening.

The next day, I got up ridiculously early (again) and decided (once Stu and Melisa had wandered off to start their days) to go for a long scooter ride - you know, instead of doing the dishes. Stu had told me that I would find some nice countryside if I followed a certain road and then turned here, then there then wherever. Right, I decided.... I'm off to get lost.

After the urban confusion of Mokpo, I found myself on a 2-lane road, heading towards Muan. Still, there were cars passing me and it wasn't a leisurely drive at all. I decided, on a whim, to turn up a smaller concrete road. I followed that road as it twisted between rice paddies, past farms, past confused children waving at me, past small, far-flung traditional homes... and then it ended - turning into a dirt path that wound its way through some trees and up a hill. I turned off the engine and was absolutely engulfed by silence (a rare commodity here in Korea). I hopped off the scooter and started walking up the path. There were so many trees and strange fruits and flowers - growing wild and densely (also rare in Korea). I passed an orchard that hadn't seen a human hand in a while, almost jumped out of my skin when a wood pigeon took flight from two feet away from me. I felt like I was on another planet -- tons of butterflies fluttered around me, making me feel like I was entering a truly enchanted place. It was so amazing. Towards the end of the path, I could spot the familiar colourful painting and roof design of a temple or shrine. I kept walking towards it, alerting two (chained) dogs who started barking. There was a small house near the shrine but, even with the barking of the dogs, nobody came out. I went right up to the doors of the shrine, trying each one, but all were locked or jammed shut, and the screens were papered so that I couldn't even see in. I hope that I can find that place again one day!

I walked back to my scooter and hopped on, still not sure where I was or where I was going. I continued for a few more kilometres and found my way back onto the 2-lane road. I spotted a brown "tourist destination" sign, directing me to a Lotus Pond, so I decided to see what it was all about....

It must be an impressive site when they are all blooming, since the lotus pond seems to be the size of about five football fields. There's a crazy lotus shaped building in the middle (looks a bit cultish) with a greenhouse inside (and that's the only place I actually saw any lotus blooms), and a restaurant (closed) where you can get lotus food products. I'd like to go back there too, during lotus season (whenever that is....).

I eventually found my way home, once again following small concrete paths until I could get back to Mokpo. It occurred to me that, although a motorcycle will allow me to go further, my scooter permits me to travel on tiny paths, like to the lost temple. And, since I am going slower, I can really experience the places that I am riding past - you can literally feel the humidity when you pass by rice paddies - and it reminds me of when I rode my scooter from Suncheon to Mokpo - real freedom and adventure. How lucky I am.