So, I was looking back at all my blog posts and realised that I hardly ever talk about the city that I live in. Then I started thinking about why that is and realised it's because I hardly ever get out in the city that I live in. But despite a lack of knowledge about the city and things to do, I love it anyway, so I thought that I would make a blog to talk about why.
Let me start off by answering the most obvious question; the question that I get asked over and over again by the people who don't live in the city. Where is Cheongju? Well, it is in Chungcheongbuk-do, the most central province in Korea and the only land-locked one. It is in west of the province, a 45 minute busride from Daejeon and an hour and a half from Seoul.
When I heard that I would be living in Cheongju, the first thing that I did was to delve into my trusty Rough Guide to Korea. What I found was not particularly heartening: "Cheongju is best reserved as a convenient base for visiting th surrounding area, or to take in the urban pleasures of shopping and drinking." While I was rather interested in shopping and drinking, it did not seem like the ideal place to be based. But after a couple of months here, I have decided that I rather like it. Here is why:
Westerners: There seem to be an abundance of us here! And not just any Westerners either. I have bumped into rather a lot of South Africans randomly in bars, and I thoroughly enjoy the brief conversations and reminiscing of home that I share with them before we both head off in whichever direction.
The Koreans: I have had a number of different experiences with Koreans in different places. I have been stared at by ajumas on the subway in both Seoul and Busan; I have been worked over by salesmen in Yongsan; and I have been shouted at by a number of Koreans all over the place. But I rather like the Koreans in my area. Sure, I get stared at every now and then - it is bound to happen when you are the only white face in a crowd of Koreans - but it is not the glaring, insulting, "what the hell are you" kind of stares, but the fascinated, curious, "what is your story" kind. I have come to know some of the Koreans in my area well, and am greeted with a wide smile from the lady behind the counter whenever I walk into my favourite Mini Stop or have a quick conversation with the tall gangly man at the supermarket as he practices his English on me. I am always made to feel welcome rather than outcast or used, and I think that comes from the city being one of the smaller ones.
It's small, but not too small: One of the things that I hate about going to Seoul is the number of people who surround you all the time. In Cheongju, there are areas that are crowded and busy and you can get your dose of shopping in and have a choose between more than three movies at the CGV, but there are also areas where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and just relax. Yongam-dong, which is my particular area is one of those. And while it has it's disadvantages of being ages away from anything fun and exciting in the city (far from Shinae, far from Chungdae, far from the bus terminal) it also means that I am not being shoved around 24/7, and I can take a nice stroll down the street without having to worry about bumping into too many people.
These are just a couple of the reasons why I like Cheongju. But I also like it because, despite what the book told me, there are some things to do here that are slightly more interesting than the Early Press Museum and the flagpole in the centre of Shinae. What are some of these things you may ask?
Shinae. While the book talks about the flagpole located in the centre of the shopping zone, it mentions nothing about the shopping zone itself. The first time I went to Shinae, and I have been there a number of times by now, it wasn't the shops that I was entranced by. It was the atmosphere. It was two weeks after I arrived in Korea, and I was walking down the street with Phillipa, Rowena, Georgina and Meghan and it suddenly struck me - I was in Korea. It happened as we were walking under strings of bubled lights that had just come to life between carts selling all numbers of food and cellphone accessories. It is something that I have never quite forgotten, and though the feeling has never struck me quite as hard while walking Shinae's street since then, I think that it is a must for newcomers to the city, even if you aren't a fan of shopping. I would recommend going in the evening when the lights will be lit because the atmosphere is just not the same without them.
Chungdae Jungmun. While I know that I talk about this all the time, and it seems like just a place where I go to drink, it's more than just that. A lot more, in fact, since I am not a big drinker at all. Once again, it is more about the atmosphere of the place than the bars themselves. After a week spent using broken English almost 90% of the time, it is good to walk into a bar, even if you do not know anyone there, and be surrounded by people speaking the language that you are used to. After a couple of minutes, the stress from the week that you didn't even realise had built up is gone as you start talking to people and the language flows as freely as the Western alcohol that you cannot find at other bars in the city, Southern Comfort being my relaxant of choice. Of course, it isn't just the bars that attract people in the area. Great restaurants also sprinkle the streets if you care to look hard enough - an Indian restaurant called Hungry Eyes hides on the second floor of a building near the entrance, a building that you would never go into unless you knew the wonders that awaited within; Pearl Jam's burritoes have no competition and an awesome kalmegi place is hidden down some back streets. Walk down the street laden with cards advertising restaurants and between carts selling even more jewellery, accessories and food and you may stumble across some other gems like the batting cages that I saw once, but have never found again.
Sandangsamsong. Though I have yet to venture on the hike that the fortress awards, this spot is beautiful and good for a picnic even if you aren't in the mood for a long walk. I am sure that one day I will get up the energy to adorn my walking shoes and take a hike along the fortress that is supposed to yield incredible views of the city, but until then I am happy to just go there in my shorts and sandals and relax on the lawn, watching the children playing and occasionally taking part in a game of frisbee or soccer or the blowing of bubbles.
Swan lake. I have heard about a lake in Yongam-dong where you can rent a paddle boat for half an hour at a time and take a romantic boat ride on the small lake. I have yet to try this, but it is definitely on my list of things to do in the city.
I am sure that other people have other things that they love about Cheongju and that they love to do in the city, and I encourage you to share them with me, because while I love the city that I live in, there is still much exploring that needs to be done!
Let me start off by answering the most obvious question; the question that I get asked over and over again by the people who don't live in the city. Where is Cheongju? Well, it is in Chungcheongbuk-do, the most central province in Korea and the only land-locked one. It is in west of the province, a 45 minute busride from Daejeon and an hour and a half from Seoul.
When I heard that I would be living in Cheongju, the first thing that I did was to delve into my trusty Rough Guide to Korea. What I found was not particularly heartening: "Cheongju is best reserved as a convenient base for visiting th surrounding area, or to take in the urban pleasures of shopping and drinking." While I was rather interested in shopping and drinking, it did not seem like the ideal place to be based. But after a couple of months here, I have decided that I rather like it. Here is why:
Westerners: There seem to be an abundance of us here! And not just any Westerners either. I have bumped into rather a lot of South Africans randomly in bars, and I thoroughly enjoy the brief conversations and reminiscing of home that I share with them before we both head off in whichever direction.
The Koreans: I have had a number of different experiences with Koreans in different places. I have been stared at by ajumas on the subway in both Seoul and Busan; I have been worked over by salesmen in Yongsan; and I have been shouted at by a number of Koreans all over the place. But I rather like the Koreans in my area. Sure, I get stared at every now and then - it is bound to happen when you are the only white face in a crowd of Koreans - but it is not the glaring, insulting, "what the hell are you" kind of stares, but the fascinated, curious, "what is your story" kind. I have come to know some of the Koreans in my area well, and am greeted with a wide smile from the lady behind the counter whenever I walk into my favourite Mini Stop or have a quick conversation with the tall gangly man at the supermarket as he practices his English on me. I am always made to feel welcome rather than outcast or used, and I think that comes from the city being one of the smaller ones.
It's small, but not too small: One of the things that I hate about going to Seoul is the number of people who surround you all the time. In Cheongju, there are areas that are crowded and busy and you can get your dose of shopping in and have a choose between more than three movies at the CGV, but there are also areas where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and just relax. Yongam-dong, which is my particular area is one of those. And while it has it's disadvantages of being ages away from anything fun and exciting in the city (far from Shinae, far from Chungdae, far from the bus terminal) it also means that I am not being shoved around 24/7, and I can take a nice stroll down the street without having to worry about bumping into too many people.
These are just a couple of the reasons why I like Cheongju. But I also like it because, despite what the book told me, there are some things to do here that are slightly more interesting than the Early Press Museum and the flagpole in the centre of Shinae. What are some of these things you may ask?
Shinae. While the book talks about the flagpole located in the centre of the shopping zone, it mentions nothing about the shopping zone itself. The first time I went to Shinae, and I have been there a number of times by now, it wasn't the shops that I was entranced by. It was the atmosphere. It was two weeks after I arrived in Korea, and I was walking down the street with Phillipa, Rowena, Georgina and Meghan and it suddenly struck me - I was in Korea. It happened as we were walking under strings of bubled lights that had just come to life between carts selling all numbers of food and cellphone accessories. It is something that I have never quite forgotten, and though the feeling has never struck me quite as hard while walking Shinae's street since then, I think that it is a must for newcomers to the city, even if you aren't a fan of shopping. I would recommend going in the evening when the lights will be lit because the atmosphere is just not the same without them.
Chungdae Jungmun. While I know that I talk about this all the time, and it seems like just a place where I go to drink, it's more than just that. A lot more, in fact, since I am not a big drinker at all. Once again, it is more about the atmosphere of the place than the bars themselves. After a week spent using broken English almost 90% of the time, it is good to walk into a bar, even if you do not know anyone there, and be surrounded by people speaking the language that you are used to. After a couple of minutes, the stress from the week that you didn't even realise had built up is gone as you start talking to people and the language flows as freely as the Western alcohol that you cannot find at other bars in the city, Southern Comfort being my relaxant of choice. Of course, it isn't just the bars that attract people in the area. Great restaurants also sprinkle the streets if you care to look hard enough - an Indian restaurant called Hungry Eyes hides on the second floor of a building near the entrance, a building that you would never go into unless you knew the wonders that awaited within; Pearl Jam's burritoes have no competition and an awesome kalmegi place is hidden down some back streets. Walk down the street laden with cards advertising restaurants and between carts selling even more jewellery, accessories and food and you may stumble across some other gems like the batting cages that I saw once, but have never found again.
Sandangsamsong. Though I have yet to venture on the hike that the fortress awards, this spot is beautiful and good for a picnic even if you aren't in the mood for a long walk. I am sure that one day I will get up the energy to adorn my walking shoes and take a hike along the fortress that is supposed to yield incredible views of the city, but until then I am happy to just go there in my shorts and sandals and relax on the lawn, watching the children playing and occasionally taking part in a game of frisbee or soccer or the blowing of bubbles.
Swan lake. I have heard about a lake in Yongam-dong where you can rent a paddle boat for half an hour at a time and take a romantic boat ride on the small lake. I have yet to try this, but it is definitely on my list of things to do in the city.
I am sure that other people have other things that they love about Cheongju and that they love to do in the city, and I encourage you to share them with me, because while I love the city that I live in, there is still much exploring that needs to be done!
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