Blogs from Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, Asia
Andong Mask Festival & Seodaemun Prison
Published: October 31st 2010Asia » South Korea » Gyeongsangbuk-do » Andong
October 9th 2010
Hello everyone! This blog is to share with you some of what we've been up this past month. The first weekend of May we went about 3 hours south of Seoul to a city called Andong, where the 14th Annual International Mask Dance Festival was held. We went with a tour group through the Royal Asiatic Society - Korean Branch (RAS). There were only about 10 of us total on the tour, so it was always very nice and personalized. Also, our tour guide Jennifer used to live in Andong with a Korean family - so she had a lot of great information for us! As you can see from the pictures, the weekend was a nice combination of history (For example, we saw the oldest and biggest brick pagoda in Korea...) and festival (One of ... read more
August 11th 2010
Wanting to experience a more traditional Korea, I went to a town named Andong near the center of the country. The town itself is like most urbanized cities in this country, although smaller, but the draw was the nearby Hahoe Village, where the villagers still live by farming and the village maintains ancestral ties with Joseon Dynasty architecture, folk traditions, ancient texts. Temples and huts with straw roofs dot the streets. There's a river and hills that surround most of the village. Apparently this village really got noticed when the Queen of England visited during a trip to the country ten years back. It's registered as a UNESCO heritage site. The vast majority of the villagers have the surname Ryu. I walked the area for a while, and in the afternoon there was a customary show ... read more
July 1st 2010
Happy Canada Day to all you Canucks back in the mother land! The fact that no one knows this holiday here makes us miss home even more! The fireworks, the parades, the day off work! Today also marks the official 2 month mark until we leave Korea! But, that does not mean we are coming home! More on that later, but we will be traveling in Asia for 100 days before returning home in December! So what have we been up to the last couple weeks? Mostly, World Cup! Seeing as Korea actually has (had) a team in contention, there was a great atmosphere here! We bought Korea shirts and took to the streets and stadium as any proud Korean would do, cheering with the crowds "Dae Han Min Gook" (the great Korean people!). Alas, the ... read more
August 10th 2009
I've had quite a busy week. I've also decided to not wait for months on end to update my photos! It was a nightmare organizing them all, but I'm finally caught up. Anyways, I just got back from Japan yesterday, but that's for the next entry. Right before Japan, I went on a road trip through Korea with Malcolm and Louise, my British English Teacher friends. I was only able to go for two days or so, but it was still a lot of fun. It was really nice to get out of the cities and just explore. We didn't make any sort of itinerary and just "went with it", which turned out to be excellent. There isn't a whole lot to report, really. We just climbed into my car and headed north along the eastern ... read more
October 3rd 2008
www.maskdance.com Today I went with one of my co-teachers and her son to the Andong Mask Festival. It took 2 hours to get there and 2 to get home. I slept about 1 hour there and 30 minutes on the way home... The experience was incredible and I am very greatful to have such a wonderful co-teacher. It was such a beautiful day. The sky was clear and the sun was out... I had a really difficult moment after we had parked the car. We were walking and there was this little girl holding her dads hand and they were talking and I got hit so hard with a jolt of nostaligia and I missed my dad sooooo much. It was crazy. I had all of these flashbacks and I jsut wanted to pick up my ... read more
my liccle walk up yeongju little mountain!
Published: January 21st 2008Asia » South Korea » Gyeongsangbuk-do » Andong
January 21st 2008
well! im back in the town of bonghwa! and decided it was time for another little expedition! so off i headed with my music blasting in my ears in search of somewhere new to wander! One little hill led to another, and soon i found myself on a mission, to reach the turret in the sky!!! and what did i find when i got to this secluded little spot you might ask? well a badminton court, hula hoops with koreans in them!, running machines! and lots of people! all exercising with the best gym view in the world, and the toughest warm up of getting up there in the first place! so heres some pics of my little adventure in Yeongju the 'city' about 20 mins bus ride from me! im back to teachers class this ... read more
Andong international mask festival
Published: October 21st 2007Asia » South Korea » Gyeongsangbuk-do » Andong
October 9th 2007
Hey! hope your impressed ive actually remembered to write this twice in one week!! :) well this weekend I headed to Andong to meet with a few other english speakers! ayyayaya! I headed to Andong by bus from Yeongju, the city near to my town, the ride took about 40 minutes and wow do they travel in style, armchairs all the way!! on a bus!! iwas amazed!! It cost 4500w which is about 3 quid one way, and buses are regualr which is good :) When i arrived i headed to find a tourist information cos without a map and no korean reading ability fiding my way is interesting!! found the main site and met with my friends id made during training week before we were all shipped out! The festival was huge! big marquees everywhere, ... read more
October 3rd 2007
Hi everyone we went to the Andong Mask Festival. With the bus it was an hour’s drive to Andong. There you can find hundreds and hundreds of stalls selling food gifts, crafts and of course the famous Andong Soju. We saw Thailand and China’s Mask performance. The costumes in the Thailand performance were amazing-so shiny and colour full. The Chinese was a bit more disappointing. I thought they will have that famous dragon dances that wink his eyes. But in stead it was a few ladies that entertained us with some interesting dresses and butterflies. For lunch we had a big bowl of Korean soup and rice, very tasty and healthy. With full stomachs we browsed through the mask collection and stalls for the last time and later caught a bus home. ... read more
December 10th 2006
Realizing exactly what I was in for, minute by minute awkward translation, a pair of adorably giddy parents, screaming, crying, giggling boys, and freezing temperatures, I took my privates (korean kids I teach privately in their own house, secretly, "beyond" the law...2% chance of being deported for taking away hagwon/korean jobs)...up on their invitation for a weekend to Andong - farther north and west of Daegu in South Korea. The Cultural Capital of Korea, much like Kyoto - of Japan, I'm guessing. Although I'm exhausted from the trip, I feel full, whole, a true and curious visitor to Korea. I've always thought-complained (to myself) that Korea seems to be a family-centric country. Many people do not move out of their parents home until they're married, many business deals or job appointments seem to be based ... read more
Korean Thanksgiving, Part 1
Published: October 27th 2006Asia » South Korea » Gyeongsangbuk-do » Andong
October 6th 2006
After the conference ended, I decided (beforehand) that I needed to do some traveling. I hadn't traveled much outside of Yeosu and my little corner of the world, and since I was in Korea's far east (Gyeongju is about 4-5 so hours from me), I decided to stick around there a little longer. So, a fellow Fulbrighter (Colleen--she lives in Yeosu, too) and I headed north to Andong for a few days (a small town of maybe 150,000-- small town for Korea) and then to Busan for a few days more (the second largest city in Korea and on the far southeast coast). Andong was amazing because while we were there, they were hosting their annual Mask Festival, which comes only once a year. At this festival, they have dancing, food, tents of merchants, and all ... read more
