June 21 2009


Incheon

Nothing too interesting, just another stray and a theatre I've been trying to get more information on.

June 18 2009


Pajang-dong

This is across the street from where I went drinking with Andre.

June 13 2009


Airport Island

I followed Jim out to Airport Island intending to visit an abandoned sea village, but got stuck on the opposite end of the island at a beach party. It was a good time and I played some steel-toed beach soccer (before I nearly crippled one of the other players), then we barbecued a ton of meat and watched the sun set and the coast guard doing doughnuts in a hovercraft.

June 11 2009


Naeson-Dong, Uiwang

These photos are sort of an update on some old ones I took back when I started working here. The highrises are closer to completion after about nine months. Actually, it's taking more time than I would've expected.

May 21 2009


Cats

I took a few photos before we left for Incheon, in case I needed pictures with me of Millie and Buster.

May 26 2009


Couch Cat

The cats have systematically made a hole in the bottom of our couch through which they can crawl. Sometimes if Millie goes missing, we search everywhere until we remember this, and sure enough she's hiding inside.

May 21 2009


Buster's Third Birthday

Twice a year, the cats inexplicably get an extra large helping of supper. This time unfortunately we forgot sparklers, but the university next door was having some sort of festival and happened to set off some fireworks at almost the exact right time, terrifying the cats.

May 20 2009


Stray Cat

While out drinking with Andre, I saw this stray cat lurking around. I went over and he seemed friendly, so I hurried off and bought another tin of tuna. This guy was pretty healthy and much older than the last one.

May 17 2009


Lazy Sunday

We lied around in bed with the cats, and then went out for a walk and found a nice looking Buddhist temple.

May 15 2009


Pajang Market

Here are a couple things I saw on my daily commute. In order to transfer buses, I have to walk throught he busy market in Pajang-dong.

May 3 2009


Yeosu

There was sort of a long weekend so we decided to take a trip down south. There were several places we wanted to visit, the first being Yeosu in the far south, where my uncle worked as a teacher in 1996. I spent about three weeks visiting him in August, the absolute hottest time of the year. My memories of that trip are highlighted by too much seafood, hunger, and hideously humid weather. Returning in May and knowing what kind of Korean food I like were both very good.


Yeosu Family Land

Walking around, we found Yeosu Family Land, an amusement park with tons of rides but not much activity. There were manned ticket booths, and a couple rides were open while we were there. Of course nobody stopped us from crawling around. It didn't take long before we found the possible reason for so many rides being closed: two-year out of date safety inspections.

An additional interesting point about this visit was that I saw many of the rides I visit at abandoned parks, only in working (hypothetically) condition.


Odong Island

One of the things we planned to do in Yeosu was visit Odong Island, a small island connected by a land bridge to the mainland. There was a lighthouse that appeared to have an aquarium (which we discovered was just a big mural) and lots of nice scenery. I think I came here in 1996 but I can't really remember all that well. It was hot this day so I can only imagine the torture it would've been back then.


Abandoned Yeosu

Like everywhere I go, there were plenty of abandoned places in Yeosu. A large swath of homes and businesses seem to be getting cleared out to make way for a big new highway.

We also found two very large concrete silos (one pair each) along the water. I'm not sure what they were used for but they're not doing it anymore.


Yocheon

We spent the night in Yocheon, where my uncle used to live. Now it's been incorporated into Yeosu, and seems to be the modern side of Yeosu, featuring the highest concentration of highrises and city hall as well as a few other official buildings.

It's changed a lot since 1996 but I saw one or two familiar sights. This cow pictured here was the highlight of the video I made of Korea 1996 when I filmed my sister and cousins riding on it. The supermarket's closed now though.

May 4 2009


Yocheon

I woke up early in the morning and took a few photos on the rooftop. Probably most of the buildings you can see weren't here last time.

My memory is hazy of Yeosu but I remember one of the roads and the basic layout of the center of the city. A lot of other things such as all the hotels seem totally new.


Choeun Plaza

We caught the train up to Suncheon, a very short trip away, to investigate some unusual buildings. The first, seen here, is Choeun Plaza, an abandoned shopping mall in the middle of the city. Unfortunately it was locked up tight and there was no way inside, but I want to find out what the plans are for this thing in the future. Quite an impressive building in its size, larger than Nasan Homeplace, though probably not quite as long abandoned. Considering the location, it's surprising that nothing's been done about it, but when you consider how long Nasan Homeplace was left alone in Gangnam, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.


ColumBus

Our next stop was a pair of abandoned cafes up on a hill. We saw it on the way into the city on the train, but had no idea this was where we would end up. All I knew was it was a cafe shaped like a ship and another shaped like a soccer ball. After the plaza, they were both very easy to get inside. The soccer ball was sort of like a greenhouse and it was boiling inside. There was a cat living in the ship who we scared pretty badly.


Tongyeong

We arrived in Tongyeong late in the afternoon, which was just enough time to look around while it was still light out. Tongyeong was a great, lively area with lots happening. There was a memorial to a writer who died, a turtle ship, a busy fish market, the harbour, and of course Dongpirang.

There's still a lot more to see but we didn't have as much time as we would've liked.


Dongpirang

Dongpirang is a very strange hilltop community. A while back it was slated for demolition, and it sounds like the residents were being cracked down on. Then artists from around Korea came there and began painting the walls. Some of the walls contain elaborate murals, and others are minimally painted.

Anyway, this was enough to not only get the city to reverse its decision, but to declare Dongpirang a historically valuable site. Apparently the plan is to renovate the homes to improve conditions, and they have some sort of system worked out that as the elderly residents die, they will be replaced by artists in order to make a true artistic community.

A very strange little area, and probably the happiest ending any condemned neighbourhood could ever hope for. Provided they don't mind an endless parade of tourists coming through and taking photos.


Tongyeong at Night

At night we ate and drank, and went up to the top of Dongpirang to sit in the dark. Even then there were plenty of people walking through to see it.

May 5 2009


Last Day

On the last day, we went back to Dongpirang, and also crossed under the ocean in an underwater pedestrian tunnel. There's a lot more to do in Tongyeong and I hope to return there again soon.

May 9 2009


Undisclosed Location

Here are some photos from an undisclosed location that may or may not be underneath a claw machine.

April 18 2009


Suwon by Day

On Saturday Jung was sick so I went out on a walk alone and took photos of some of the massive apartment complexes around my area. Most of them are considerably older than my own, and their bare concrete design has recently been deemed officially unaesthetic. I wonder if they weren't originally designed like that with the intention that someday in the foreseeable future their clunky appearance would be used to justify their replacement.

I also visited a cat who lives in an alley behind a building. This cat is tied up on a leash and has his own doghouse and some plastic grating that I think is intended as a very cheap toilet. On two visits so far, I've shown up to find stuff moved around in what appears to be a deliberate attempt to mess with him. We try to visit him when we can. He's a jumpy cat but can be quite friendly. This visit, he rolled around on his back and bit my hand very lightly.


Suwon at Night

I went out to take nighttime photos with the tripod. But then I got distracted and took a bunch of photos of my face lightpainted with the flashlight.

April 12 2009


Cats

Just a few photos of cats and one on the way to work.

March 29 2009


Inlaw visit

Jung's parents, sister, and brother-in-law came over for the afternoon for lunch and home baking.

March 19 2009


Random Photos

Photos of some of the farmland I pass by every day, and the cats practicing their synchronised sleeping routine.

March 14 2009


Housewarming

Unfortunately this was our second attempt at having a housewarming, so a lot of people who showed up at the last one, when we didn't actually go to the apartment, didn't show up again. Actually, come to think of it, there was no overlap.

Anyway, Jung made hot dogs and nachos, and then we went up to the rooftop, then to Hwaseong Fortress, then a restaurant on the mountain side, and then I think another restaurant, and then half of the people left and four of us went back to the apartment to keep drinking.

March 8 2009


Department Store

Just a couple photos taken on an escalator.

March 1 2009


Hwaseong Fortress

I went out to Hwaseong Fortress and had a look around at some parts I'd never visited before. My coworker John met me and we shot some arrows and rode the trolley partway up the mountain.

March 1 2009


Apartment

Just a few long-awaited photos of the apartment.
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  • Please remember that these photos are all copyrighted to me. If you want to use them in any way, there's a 90 per cent chance I'll give you my permission, and be able to give you a copy with a higher DPI.
    Copyright Jon Dunbar 2004

    Photos taken by
    Nikon CoolPix 950
    digital camera.