Snowy Gwangju

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January 16th 2011

Published: January 16th 2011

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Dinner

With Cloe

I have returned to South Korea. This time, I will be residing in the sixth largest city: Gwangju. Two weeks in, I have seen the pedestrian downtown, walked most of Sangmu, visited some local attractions, and have signed up for yoga classes.

I flew out of Atlanta on New Year’s Day (a day that saw Michigan—and other Big Ten teams—get embarrassed) headed to Seoul, with stopovers in Phoenix and Los Angeles. After leaving my house 36 hours earlier, I pulled up to the Gwangju Bus Terminal where my new boss, her sister, and a new work colleague waited for me. Following quick greetings, we were on our way. I went grocery shopping, settled into my new apartment, and slept the rest of the afternoon. That night, I was invited out to dinner with the English teachers and the director’s family. We ate delicious samgyupsal (thick, fatty, pork meat from the stomach) and drank soju (traditional Korean alcohol). The rest of the week I settled into the city and enjoyed Korean bulgogi (Korean BBQ) and duck. Gwangju is known throughout Korea for its food, so it has been great going out and tasting what the city has to offer.

Dinner II

Bonnie and Sella

Downtown Gwangju is big, and the main points of interest are located in the pedestrian downtown—a large section where clothing stores, restaurants, and bars are located. Easiest way to get there from Sangmu is by the city’s subway (though buses run there). The city’s subway is a one-track system consisting of 19 stops that runs from east to west, forming almost an arch as it runs through the city. The subway costs about 1000 Won (about a US dollar). The pedestrian downtown runs from the Geumnamno 5-ga stop to the Culture Complex; however, most of the foot traffic is found between the Geumnano 4-ga station to the Culture Complex as this is where most of the best shops and eateries are found. Within this area, several foreign bar have set up shop (for example, the German Bar and Speakeasy) along with various cafes and markets.

Sangmu has most of the new buildings in town, and where I do my grocery shopping: E-Mart, Lotte Mart, and a personal favorite for bread, Paris Baguette. The May 18 Memorial Park is in Sangmu, and a climb to the top of the hill, the three-level pagoda provides a nice 360-degree view

Duck Soup

of the city. I made the short climb yesterday, while snow fell. The park was empty, and I was the only one making the walk. Though freezing, the city looked beautiful covered in snow.

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