Bikes

One of the most memorable moments I have with my coordinator (she's the person who takes care of anything I need, since I'm a helpless foreigner) is the first time we met. She picked me up and I had in tow; one large backpack, one large tote bag, and my over sized plastic bike box. We somehow crammed the bike box into the back seat of her car and headed out. After the introductory conversation dwindled, I asked, "Are you wondering what is in this large box?"

She replied, "Yes."

I answered, "It's a bicycle."

She commented, "Oh, I just thought you really liked clothes."

I wasn't sure I was making the right choice when I chose a bike over another suitcase of clothes. I had heard there might be trails to ride, but I didn't know if I could get to them, or if I'd have time. The only thing I did know was, I couldn't bare the thought of living 1+ year bike-less, so I took the chance. It was one of the best decisions I have made. Not only has my bike been a tool for me to explore areas of Seoul and fostered an understanding of the distances within this city, it has more importantly contributed to the improvement of my health. Believe it or not, I ride more in Korea for exercise than the total commuting and exercising I did over the last year I was living in Portland.

I thought I'd share a few tidbits I've collected thus far from my cycling adventures:

What a tool.

After gathering my wits and settling in a little, I cracked open the box and got her up and running. I lucked out because my school put me in an apartment 600 meters from the city's massive bike/ped trail network. Once I figured out where to get on it, I started exploring. I also met up with a group of foreigner mountain bikers who meet every Saturday. They've shown me a few spots I can ride to without an automobile. One of my most frequented places is Umyeonsan, it is a small mountain just south of the city. When I got to Korea, the weather was nice for riding and it stayed that way until almost December. And then the snow came...

Open for the winter.

Coming from the NW USA, I'm not particularly use to dry snow. I am use to the snow that falls and instantly starts to slush up, making transportation difficult, especially on a bike. The snow we had in Seoul this winter was very dry, so even at a good pace the bike can handle well and stop relatively quickly. It also helps that only the die hard Koreans go out for a walk in the snow, so there are less people to maneuver with.

No one else.

One thing I really like about the Korean recreational cycling culture is it's lack of competitiveness. Most of these people--albeit riding on really, really nice bikes--are not out to race anyone. It's more of a leisure activity for them, which makes the atmosphere very positive. There are a few spots around town where vendors bring a variety of goods to sell, bike stands, and pumps for everyone to use. I've heard about this catching on in Portland recently. I think it's not only convenient, but many of these places also serve as gathering areas for trail users to congregate.

Coming soon to Portland: part carts.

I've been told the current president of Korea has a reputation for creating a lot of public spaces. While mayor, he championed a project to remove a major artery in Seoul and restore (kind of) the stream previously covered by the highway. In my time here, I've noticed many improvement projects happening all throughout the existing trail networks, and a number of places where new trails are being added. I can understand the public's resistance to these costly projects, but the people are obviously turning out to make use of the infrastructure.

One of my favorite bridges to cross is the Jamsu bridge. Originally the lower deck was the only part of the bridge, but at some point the upper deck (Banpo) was added. As you can see, bikes and pedestrians have received a generous amount of space compared to the car lanes. Unfortunately, I'm told this bridge goes under water during heavy rains.

A novel separation.

One day, as I was walking to class, I noticed a bunch of students dressed up in helmets and pads on the field. I tried to learn all I could about what was going on, but I didn't get far. As much as I can tell, a group of bike enthusiasts came to our school with a pack of bikes in tow. They strapped helmets on some students and sent them around an obstacle course. Pretty cool P.E. activity to say the least.

Safe routes through the playground.

Cycle track.

Another addition I have noticed to Seoul's bike infrastructure, since I arrived, is to the subway system. They've begun connecting the bike cars on each end of some trains. The cars essentially have standing room only, and provide seatbelt straps to fasten bicycles. Currently these cars are only in use on Sunday, but during the rest of the week, bikes can be stored on each end of the regular trains. This is a major step forward, since I heard in the past bicycles were not allowed on the trains unless one or two wheels were detached and the bike was carried. In concert with the train upgrades, many stations have installed bike tracks along the side of station stairways.

700CMX.

An interesting community I stumbled across one chilly winter night ride is the 700CMX/trix gear/whatever you call it fashonistas. Any night of the week, they can be found on the south side of the Banpo/Jamsu Bridge pulling off their stunts. I must admit, they're quite impressive. They can hop onto a park bench and pop off with a bar spin, twirl around on their back wheel, do 180s, etc. Their tricks are almost as cool as their bikes.

Last but not least, it's hard to make a visit to the Han River Park or Seoul Forest without noticing the abundance of tandems for hire. We took it upon ourselves to spend a few hours one Saturday afternoon trying one out. It was quite amusing. Not to mention, we were riding a Lespo brand bike.

The new track bike.

What is contemporary art?

I'm on a roll now. Two in one week...

We recently paid a visit to the Seoul contemporary art museum which is south of the city. It's in a strange location; nestled just outside some mountains to the south of the city, next to a zoo, an amusement park, and who knows what else.

Me.

Once safely inside the museum grounds, there is plenty to see along the walk to the front doors. Many statues, some moving, are placed haphazardly throughout the grass, creating the classic contemporary art museum feel. Inside, the central entry room consists of a spiral walkway circling a permanent museum fixture. The installation (sponsored by Samsung) is a 20 or 25 meter high tower of Samsung TV's. The TV's play a series of clips in a loop which made me feel like I was seeing the 20th century in a museum.

Where's my skateboard?

Scaling the beast.

At the time of our visit (no longer, sorry) the guest exhibit featured Korea's artist of the year, Kiwon Park (박기원). He uses space as his medium and makes encompass the space. It's all kind of like glorified interior decoration.

There were three main installations from Kiwon Park, one consisting of large blow up squares, stacked and placed to create a large transparent wall among other things.

Pillows and wires.

Next door to the blow up wall, there was a room full of wire, unraveled to make miscellaneous piles throughout the room.

Art deco.

Third, and in my opinion the masterpiece of the exhibit, was a room covered wall to wall with blue vinyl squares. This was my favorite part of the museum. Sometimes for me art is difficult to embrace because I feel oblivious to the artist's train of thought. In this case, I didn't know what he was thinking, but I could still feel an emotional reaction.

One big pool.

Do I need a swimsuit?

I'm not much of an art museum goer. I have difficulty keeping my attention span longer than the length of most hallways in them. Fortunately this visit was quick enough for me to leave without feeling too drained. Before this visit, I only had a vague idea of what contemporary art is, that's still true. But at least I can now say I've been to a place where they keep it.

63 Building

All alone.

Lately I've been a bit tied up at work, thus pictures have been stuck in their folders waiting for attention. One of the monuments I regularly enjoy on my the bike route along the river is the 63 building. According to Wikipedia, the structure stands 249 meters (817 feet) off the ground and was completed in 1985 for the 1988 summer Olympics.

All hail...

The 63 building was the tallest in Asia for a while and it still sits as a major landmark in Seoul. The subway system tends to disorient one's sense of direction and altitude, but if you're lucky enough to see either the 63 building or Seoul Tower or both, it's easy to collect the proper bearing.

...the Mighty Creation.

On one particularly fine Saturday afternoon, in honor of a visitor, we decided to make the trip over to Yeouido and ride the elevator to the top. Since it turned out to be a sunny, yet hazy Saturday afternoon, the expensive elevator ride wasn't all that appealing. We decided to admire the building from the ground level instead.

One of my favorite things about this building is it's late 20th century facade. I think the most obvious characteristic is the color; it's practically gold. No one today would build a solid gold(ish) color building, Howard Roarke is dead. That style is definitely from the 80's. It also has very smooth lines, which I find different from today's architecture which is often an attempt for more complexity.

Man created nature.