Tongyeong

Yesterday we hung out in our city all day long! One of my (H) fellow teachers was able to come along too. It was so great because Lyn knew what was going on in the town, and we were able to catch some amazing things!
We started the day climbing the goon-ham sun (mountain) and were able to get an amazing view of Tongyeong. There was a memorial to the great captain Shin, the man who saved Korea from Japan back in the day. This town was one of the sites of the many battles that he won. On our way down the mountain, we stumbled upon an archery competition. Lyn was able to get us up close and personal to the athletes, and it was pretty cool to see. Apparently archery is quite popular here, and they are good at it, too!
After we came back down from the mountain, we were able to watch a traditional Korean dance. The story was about a man who had a mistress; the wife and the mistress fought to the death over the man, and the wife lost. So, the man and mistress were married after they attended the wife's funeral. The dancing and music were spectacular. Next Lyn and I were able to get on the "flyfish," which is similar to a banana boat, for a ride in the ocean. It was very fun and I was glad that we didn't fall off! The cool water felt so good as yesterday was another hot day here.
The next attraction we visited was a large Korean Navy ship. We were able to board the ship and have a tour as well. It was so impressive and the officers on board were very nice to us.
In the evening B and I went to the festivities alone. We were able to see a sword show, where men performed moves and fought with the swords. We were so close and it was amazing to see. There was a big concert that started around 8pm, but there were tons of people and we didn't have a good view. It was a pop music concert, and we decided that it would be best if we headed home instead of watching it.
We came across so many people who wanted to talk to us yesterday. One boy's mom asked if she could take a picture with us and her son. So many kids walk up to us and say, "HI," hoping that we will respond. When we do, they are so excited and giggle and smile. We are very fortunate that everyone is so nice to us!
This Tuesday is the Korean Independence Day, so we have the day off. We are not yet sure what we will do, but will keep you posted.