More Hiking

Never enough hiking for this bored collie.

I've been taking her to this cemetery on the hill. Note that the traditional Korean graves are built in mounds, this is how the ancient tombs of the Silla dynasty were built also, except those are big enough that you can walk through them. I haven't visited those yet, but I really want to. I think it's about 5 hours away from my town though.

Here's a cabbage field a little ways down the mountain, this morning I saw several Koreans walking down the mountain carrying enormous green cabbage. Probably to go make kimchi with. 

Additionally, I saw these Jindo dog parents and PUPPIES on the way up. The parents were tied up but the puppies were just loose. Sadly, these dogs are probably livestock and will end up in soup come summer. They're very pretty though. Jane was scared of them because they barked at her. 

And lastly, Jane made friends with this little Schnauzer-like dog. 

Yesterday Jane met a little Shitzu that had a coat, a sweater, a long braid alongside it's face, bows at the top of the braid, and rainbow hair clips that were strategically placed to look like eye brows. What's more -- it was a boy. 

Parks in Korea

When I was researching coming to South Korea with Jane, I was concerned that there would not be many parks in the cities, or at least parks where she could be off leash. But I feel very lucky to have been placed here in Yongin City, where there are many parks and mountains to hike, all within a five or ten minute walk from my apartment.

This morning I took Jane to a field/park five minutes away and we played frisbee. I was worried that Sunday might be crowded, but as most Koreans go to church on Sundays it ended up being a great time to go.

I walked Jane around this park last night after returning from Seoul and it seemed rather busy. There was a Korean boy throwing a baseball there and he told me Jane was very cute. I asked him if he liked dogs, and he said, "Yes, but my mom hates them." Jane gave him a few licks and we departed.

After being in Seoul last night, I was so glad I didn't get placed there. It is the most crowded city I have ever been in. New York is crowded, but not like Seoul. You feel like you are standing in line while walking anywhere, and I have yet to see any grassy parks... or grass at all for that matter. I can't imagine living in Seoul with a dog. I think it would be just awful.

However, I saw a man in the subway with this dog last night:

And my two thoughts were: What would PETA think? And, Jane is cuter.