To the ajummas that I met in Gongju,
To the parents of Clara, Olivia, Angela & Ken - thank you so much for introducing me to kalguksu - the lunch treat was chong-mal mashi-isseoyo!
First, a big Gamsa-hamnida to Ms Kim Gyeong Ae, tour guide for the Gongju City Tour
for letting me join the tour bus even though 1. I didn't have any reservations and 2. the bus was pretty full already;
NEXT, for breaking the ice by introducing me to the Korean tourists on board the bus - thanks to you, I was able to chat with the children on the tour;
THIRDLY, for taking me under your wing and showing me how a non-Korean speaking tourist could appreciate the attractions at the Songsan-ri tombs and the Gyeryeongsan Natural History Museum;
NEXT, for breaking the ice by introducing me to the Korean tourists on board the bus - thanks to you, I was able to chat with the children on the tour;
THIRDLY, for taking me under your wing and showing me how a non-Korean speaking tourist could appreciate the attractions at the Songsan-ri tombs and the Gyeryeongsan Natural History Museum;
AND FINALLY, for sharing with me a bit of your life ( remember how we tried to recall the first few lines of Eliot's Wasteland and discussed the meaning of "April is the cruelest month"?)
Thank you also to Ms. Oh Myung Ja at the Tourist Information Centre for your kind offer of coffee on a cold autumn morning while I was waiting for the city tour bus; PLUS for giving me, not only some colourful brochures about Gongju but also a lovely CD on the place.
To the parents of Clara, Olivia, Angela & Ken - thank you so much for introducing me to kalguksu - the lunch treat was chong-mal mashi-isseoyo!AND for showing me how Korean parents are willing to go all out for their children's education ( you forked out 10,000 won so that your little ones could play with clay and make coiled pots at the Ceramic Village)
And to my kind-hearted ajumma at the yeogwan, thanks for the lovely sweet potato - it was the perfect way to ending a great day in Gongju!
Gamsa-hamnida!
An ajumma who visited Gongju
Source of photo of Gongju Fortress: http://tour.chungnam.net/ctt/ptal/comu/02/comu.02.001.read.jsp?aSeq=23066
Source of photo of Gongju Fortress: http://tour.chungnam.net/ctt/ptal/comu/02/comu.02.001.read.jsp?aSeq=23066
6 comments:
Annyeong, I will be visiting Gongju in October. Can you let me know where did you stay at? I am having hard time to look for suitable place to stay for 2 nights in Gongju ._.
Any advice is highly appreciated, kamsahamnida! ^^
Hi Kok Wah,
Thanks very much for visiting my blog & posting your question. I'm excited that you're going to Korea in autumn and visiting Gongju. Unfortunately, I didn't note down the name or address of where I stayed while in Gongju. All I remember is that it was behind some shops on the main street.
If you click on the map on my posting on Going to Gongju ( dated 3 Sept 09), it's behind the buildings on the main street between the Gongsanseong Fortress and the Cathedral. Within easy walking distance of the market ( lots of small eateries within) and the bus terminal to go to Gapsa.
Here are two other suggestions:
1. English website (http://gongju.go.kr/)
2. Visit this website: http://tour.chungnam.net/ctnt/engl/tour/03/tour.03.001.read.jsp?aSeq=23066
Scroll down past photo no 3 for tips on where to stay ( posted by David Deeds in 2007)
Hope this helps! Please drop by again to tell me what’s Gongju like now. Happy discovering Korea!
Warm wishes,
Ajumma
ajumma.. u must b 1 very lucky traveller : u get half a zuchinni, policemen cum tour guides, n here - coffee, tour bus seat w/o reservation, etc. hahaha.. or u cud b 1 very nice person dat ppl can warm up to instantly :)
i hope i will hv the same lucky star shining on me wen i m finally there..
-Mary-
Hi Mary,
Maybe it's luck or the fact that the Koreans are very kind and hospitable people who are particularly helpful towards solo female travellers attempting to speak Korean.
I learnt to read Hangul, plus say basic phrases like "Where's the toilet?", "Please write down the price" and "Can you point the way to the tourist information booth?"
Recommend you learn some handy adjectives such as "expensive, lovely, hot, spicy, difficult, far". Don't worry about grammar.
Many thanks for all your comments!
Regards,
ajumma
Ahnyeong Ajumma..
My pleasure :)
In fact i hv purchased a Lonely Planet Korean Phrasebook with 3500-word 2-way dictionary and a Everyday Korean Dictionary by Thorlin & Henthorn. (Arghh.. struggling..)
I also go to BusyAtom youtube to learn Korean and use Google Translator (wish i cud slow-mo the female voice tho, haha). Hate to admit this, but m not doin too well. A short phrase or a word or two here and there is ok but to have a conversation.. nope, not yet. Haha.
-Mary-
Hi Mary,
Thanks for the tip on the BusyAtom youtube. Have to check that out soon.
Is there any short course on Korean which you can attend before your trip? I did such a course and it was useful. Then again, there are lots of websites now offering language lessons - check out KBS and KTO also.
Don't worry about not being able to string sentences together. Usually body language, facial expressions, drawing, and the general context will help make clear what your short phrases or words mean.
Happy learning Korean!
ajumma
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