A Walk to Peace Park

1. Looking towards New Mokpo from Gatbawi
2. Walking back from Gatbawi
3. Gatbawi Rocks
4. Looking towards boats and Gatbawi
5. Peace Park
6. Konglish
   

Sunday Afternoon: I slipped on my warm attire for the journey into the shop filled streets beyond my familiar neighborhood. Out into the great unknown of little Mokpo, South Korea. My journey takes me south towards the sea. The more you get out the more you feel you own the streets. That was the main purpose of this particular adventure.

The first thing you notice when you walk down a busy street in Korean or any Oriental city is that it is packed with shops and restaurants. You can probably picture it in your head, neon signs and bright colors everywhere, that’s what it is really like. In Mokpo and many other cities you sea this interesting blend of cultures. It’s a colorful mixture of East and West. For example you may find a Dunkin’ Donuts next to the local Korean restaurant. The blend between Western and Eastern is often quite comical. This often culminates in Konglish, the often confusing and grammatically insane Korean form of English. ON my first big journey into the streets of Mokpo I had to take a double take at a business with a bright orange sign reading Hot Dog Coffee. My first reaction was a reaction in my stomach just imagining the crazy combination. After looking inside I realized it was a little café that specialized in gourmet hot dogs and coffee, (still a strange business venture). Other forms of Konglish may include the following: The men’s restrooms reading man rather than men. A coffee place claiming World Best Coffee!

Not long after taking off from my apartment I realized the weather forecast for the day was bogus. The weather was at marvelous fifty degrees, at least. The prior week and been freezing cold, so the ability to shed layers was a blessing. The destination for my walk was Peace Park. Along the way I felt more comfortable with the sights, sounds and inescapable secondhand smoke. Thirty minutes later I arrived to Peace Park and the oceanfront.

Peace Park is jam packed with screaming children and hordes of Koreans out for walks or family outings. It’s more of a carnival atmosphere with game, food vendors and armies of children on bikes and little electric cars. The full length of the waterline at the park is flanked by a boardwalk which is also packed full of people. Among this mass of people I am the one that sticks out the most. The only other foreigners I saw were from Southeast Asia and India. I walked the length of the boardwalk taking everything in while avoiding obstacles like children and zigzagging bicyclists. My next step was at the end of the boardwalk, the Gatbawi Rocks.

Gatbawi Rocks isn’t much, merely some sandstone that has been eroded by the ocean. The Koreans think of it as more of a big deal, a natural Korean War memorial so to speak. The rocks somewhat resemble Korean War era helmets. At Gatwabi you could say this is a point where Old Mokpo and New Mokpo connect. They are very distinct places, I haven’t ventured to Old Mokpo yet. This is where I got my first distant look at the other half of Mokpo. All in all it was a good feeling to go out and explore on my own. I recommend getting out to all other ESL teachers or prospective teachers.