Carbonboy's Blog - April 2007

April 2007

Garlic is King on Namhae Island

Namhae Island produces most of the garlic for Korea and it seems that there is more than could possibly ever used. However, Koreans use garlic in just about everything. More photos of the garlic fields coming.

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Gastroenteritis

I've been slow to post much of anything of late as I caught a miserable cold from a beautiful Korean woman that I was sitting next to on the flight back to Korea (the mask she was wearing gave me a hint that she was not well).

After dinner, I moved to another row of seats (odd to have empty business class seats, but such was the case). Too late!

It took me a solid three weeks to fully recover from that, although I was functional in about one.

Then just when I'm feeling better, I wake up with a horrible headache and body aches, and by the evening all the symptoms of the flu.

My first reaction, I'm in Asia, so it must be Bird Flu. That's how bad I felt!

After some research, I determined it was a bad case of the "stomach flu" which is not really a flu but caused by any number of other viruses one might happen to ingest.

It doesn't surprise me as I've been eating a lot more local foods lately.

Three days of symptoms (each day feeling a little better) and hoping for recovery by Monday Morning. We'll see.

We take our good health for granted. I can't wait to get it back! And I think I'll be sticking to the menu at the Hilton for a time.

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Rockin' at 60

After a 2004 release of Trampin , being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a 2007 tour including NYC, LA and much of Europe, it is safe to say Patti Smith has come out of retirement!

To launch the tour, she released a new rendition of the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter.

I'd love to see her in Paris or Amsterdam and may just buy tickets.

Here's a photo taken on April 5, 2007 at Bruce Springsteen's Music for Youth Concert. Click the image for a larger view.

Welcome back Patti.

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April 29, 2007

Namhae Island

So this is the view from my room at the Hilton Golf Resort. We are definitely out of place here, but who cares - it's absolutely peaceful here.

Did I mention I love old boats?

The beach on Namhae - Songjeong Beach before the tourist invasion.

BBQ at dusk - in a farmer's field near the resort.

And after the BBQ, time for a little fun!

April 22, 2007

The Road to Namhae

OK, I'm not in Busan anymore, but on the Island of Namhae staying at a new Hilton Golf Resort (darn, I don't golf). Why, well it is just the nature of the assignment. This is a peaceful transition from bustling Busan but not for everyone (except maybe golfers with lots of cash). Pictured above are three of the five bridges one crosses to get to the island. I cross all five twice daily on my "most scenic" commute.

It's a different world here, and the contrast between the wealthy at the resort and the poor farmers is somewhat discerning. Yet all the farmers seem quite happy. The stone-lined tiered rice fields here are unique to the planet and demonstrates how hard past farming generations worked to produce food. I look forward to just capturing these impressive fields photographically.

On my journey to Namhae, past the fourth bridge, I find a festival of sorts. These guys created an incredible sound and rhythm, and those long streamers on their hats were spinning perpetually. I wish I would have captured this event on video. More photos on the Road to Namhae coming when I recover!

April 7, 2007

Gimhae City and Eunhasa Temple

Our hosts at Korean Air took us on a local tour of Gimhae City this week after successfully completing our work a day early. In the center of the city is this beautiful park that just happened to have the cherry trees in full bloom. Click here, or on the picture for more on this city. better known as the name of Busan's International Airport.

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Eunhasa Temple is midway up the Sineesan Mountain overlooking Gimhae City. The entire temple was burned in the Japanese invasion of 1592 and then rebuilt in 1629. As with many temples, the wood we see today would not have survived over the centuries without renovations, and a major one was completed here in 2004. Click here, or on the picture for more photos of this temple, one that is not found on the tourist maps.

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Korean Kid Invasion on my Daily Walk through Dongbaek Park

Part my my daily routine when returning to the Westin is a walk around Dongbaek Park past the APEC House and then to the north end of Haeundae Beach and back. Here's a few "People Shots" I captured on my last walk, granted they are somewhat "little" people.

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