Buddha's Birthday

This weekend is a huge event for some in terms of it being Siddhārtha Gautama's birthday on Saturday. Even as early as last weekend there were parades along the streets in Jeju-si, creating a traffic nightmare for those trying to get in and out of the city.



There were people of all ages participating in the parade, with many monks both young and old leading the ensemble. The little children dressed up as traditional buddhist characters were especially cute; too bad they had to suffer through the chilling winds.



There were many lit up floats and lanterns being moved along the streets. Otherwise it would have just been too dark to see anything.



A lady along the outside of the parade beckoned me, and as I came to her call, she handed me a paper flower. It was a nice gesture, particularly because there was a candy lollipop attached to the bottom; bonus!

For anyone looking to experience the festivities first hand, I recommend dropping by a buddhist temple, more specifically 약천사 (Yakchunsa) temple in Jungmun.

Follow the leader

Sunday, April 26th: Final round of the 2009 Ballantine's Championship

Having covered most of whom we wanted to in the first few days, it was time for us to track down the leaders and make sure we got enough coverage of them as well. Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands had built up an impressive lead over the first two rounds, but was quickly losing ground on Saturday going into Sunday.


Dropping from an impressive 9 under par to 6 under on Sunday, the change in his game was noticeable, despite being still two strokes ahead of the pack. Saturday was an insufferable day and many of the players in the top twenty dropped back three strokes or more.

Brian encountered some traffic trouble on his way out of Jeju-si, so I was going to meet up with him later on course; I arrived around 10:10 am and went immediately to the Media Centre for the daily update. Once I glanced over the sheet, I saw that Derksen's group had just teed off, so I got under way and headed out to the second hole.

I was a bit more prepared Sunday, having already endured the worst of the wind on Saturday. I brought along my toque, gloves and winter jacket, which I had already packed away for the Summer; guess I should never underestimate Jeju's unpredictableness.

I was taking mostly HD video footage of his group's performance, but took the odd video on my flip for blogging purposes. Here is Derksen's group on the 5th tee, which is my favourite hole on the course:



Dersken was grouped with Pablo Martin of Spain, and 강경남 (Kang Kyung-nam) of Korea. At the beginning of the round Martin was only two strokes behind Derksen, but he ended up tying for 11th, with an even score of 288.

Here he is teeing off on five:



Derksen wasn't looking great out there, but he needed to be great if he wanted to keep his lead. Many players were having a lot better rounds on Sunday than Saturday, and the pace was starting to pick up by the time Kang and Derksen were teeing off on the 8th.



Having met up with Brian on the 7th and Jim on the 9th, we all got together to share one last feast as the journalistic Triforce; it was the last time that Jim and Brian would be covering such an event together, the two legends who started it all here on Jeju.


When we got back out there, the giant screens were replaying Kang Wook-soon's eagle shot, which moved him one stroke back of the lead. The last few groups were coming up on the final holes and it was looking really close. Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño was in group 22 of 25, and was heading onto the 18th hole with a score of 4 under par and tied for the lead. If he birdied the hole, he could win it all:



Els was in the group just behind Castaño, but was two strokes back of the lead; even if he birdied the 18th he couldn't win, but it would put him definitively in third or fourth, depending on how the remaining two leaders played.



As Thongchai Jaidee, one of the leaders tied at 4 under par, approached the green on 18, everyone was holding their breaths; in much a similar scenario as Castaño, he could win the Championship with a birdie:



Kang Wook-soon, who was also tied for the lead at this point, missed his birdie putt, and so there was a playoff. The three leaders went back to the tee on the 18th to play for the title. All three made terrific shots, but Jaidee's and Kang's were within a few feet of the hole; Castaño landed just shy of the green on the fringe. Who ever made their putt would be the winner.

Castaño's putt:



Kang Wook-soon's putt:



Thongchai Jaidee's putt:



And so, Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand took home the title and the grand prize of €350,000.


It had been a long four days of play; Brian and I were both absolutely exhausted and knew of only one last thing we wanted to do before we left:



So with a glass of 17 old premium Ballantine's scotch, we made a toast to our endeavors: "To the good times." Cheers fellows.

Photos provided by Brian Miller

Ernie Els likes chocolate

I was sick on Friday, the second day of the tournament, but was back out there again on Saturday, which proved to be one of the coldest days in months. When I arrived at the golf club I was feeling unprepared, as the wind made the course almost unbearable at times; the players must have been even more baffled by the weather, I don't think the image of 'Korea's Hawaii' quite fits the bill.

After asking around, I managed to get a Ballantine's sweater to put on; it helped a lot, and was a nice addition to the Ballantine's hat I already had. We got to the course much later on Saturday, around 9:45 am, but soon found out that tee off was delayed due to fog on the course. Play resumed at 10:00, so we had time to figure out who we wanted to follow for the day and get out there.

Brian and I both agreed upon who we wanted to follow: Ernie Els, The Big Easy.


Despite the incredibly violent winds, Els was having a a pretty good round after the first few holes. Near the fifth tee is a small rest area, where they have snacks and drinks, as well as a heater; everyone piled into the small room to get as warm as they possibly could before getting back out on the course, even The Big Easy himself.

When he walked past Brian and I, I was surprised at first, but he went immediately to the service counter and was asking the attendant whether he had to pay or not to get a chocolate bar. She was quite confused at his request, but it was quickly resolved when a spectator stepped in and offered to buy the chocolate bar for him.



Brian and I were both very amused about the whole situation; it's not everyday that you get to see something as incidental as a professional athlete eating a chocolate bar amongst the gallery.



After he finished his quick snack, Els was back out there to tee off onto the 202 yard par 3. The view was impressive, with Sangbansan and the coast rising above the horizon; if the weather had been more co-operating I probably would have enjoyed it.

By this point in time, my fingers were numb and all I could think about was being warm inside the media lunch tent. On the next hole I decided it was time to put away my HDV camera, as the wind was just too much to get anything worth editing.

You can see for yourself as Els loses his hat to the wind on the 6th tee:



We moved quickly across the sixth and onto the seventh hole, trying to keep warm by moving. I started thinking about the worst conditions these players have ever played under, and whether this would have made the top ten; I've certainly never seen anything as fierce in my experience.



Els again on the seventh fairway:



His approach shot onto the seventh green was one of the best that I've seen during the tournament, and under such circumstances it's even more impressive.



Once his group has finished the hole, Brian and I decided that we had enough of the cold and wind, and headed back towards the Media Centre for another glorious buffet lunch.



The feeling of a warm room, good food, and a comfortable seat was bliss; I just wanted to stay there the rest of the day, but I knew we had to press on. Rather than joining back up with Els, we met up with Fred Couples and his group on the 18th green.



He wasn't having as good a day as Els and finished 5 over par for the day. His reaction to the winds explains it all:


When Couples had finished, we took our leave of the day, and meandered on over to the Ballantine's bar outside the clubhouse; nothing like a 17 year old scotch on the rocks after a long, cold and windy day of work.



I was praying that the weather would be better tomorrow, but somehow I knew that was asking too much.

Photos by Brian Miller

Be my Ballantine

With the Ballantine's golf championship being held this past week, I've been running back and forth across the course to get as much footage of the tournament as possible. The last week has been both hectic and adventurous, but I'm glad that things will be getting back to normal.

Now that I've got a moment to get back to my writing and reflect on all that's happened, I'll be giving a day by day account of my experience from the tournament.

Thursday April 23rd, Ballatine's Championship Day 1:

Another early morning for Brian and I. We get to the course in a cab around eight-thirty, and go through a some what lengthy process to figure out where we can get our press passes; turns out that you need a pass to get into the place where you get your pass...sounds silly, but that's how it goes sometimes, even in Korea.

When we finally gain access to the Media Centre, I was impressed at how well everything was organized; there were updates and statistics of every kind, and plenty of access to anything we could have wanted or needed. It was a significant difference from the tournament last week, which had very little information available in English or even accessible online.

Once we had checked the list of groups for the first round we learned that almost all of the ones we wanted to follow had teed off already, so we took a look at the course map and figured out our best option: to join up with Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, and Prayad Marksaeng on the 14th hole.

Graeme was Ballantine's Champion last year, and it seemed like as good as any place to start with our coverage of this year's event. Westwood was a new addition to the tournament this year, but was one of the big names invited to draw in the crowds to the exclusive Jeju golf club.

When we finally found them, Brian and I had already setup and got in position, ready for the action. At this point, Marksaeng was leading the group by a couple strokes, with Westwood just behind, and McDowell over par.

There were a few other photographers there with us as well, some with pretty impressive camera gear that Brian was definitely envious of. We exchanged a few hellos, and then proceeded about our task: trying to get some great action shots. The next couple of holes were interesting, with Marksaeng expanding his lead and McDowell slowly trailing behind.


By the 18th hole, McDowell was behind Marksaeng by five strokes. It was their 9th hole, as their group teed off on the 10th for the first round, so McDowell still had time to catch up with Westwood and Marksaeng.

Westwood on the 18th fairway hits a nice shot onto the green:



Graeme McDowell doesn't do so well, and lands in the bunker near the green on the 18th.



However, he does make an impressive recovery from the sand trap onto the green.



The group moves onto the first tee to complete their final nine holes, Brian and I take a glance at the leaderboard to see where the rest of the big names are at. We watch Westwood, MarkSaeng and McDowell tee off on the 1st, and then decide it's time to move onto to something else.



Brian spots a large gallery around the green on the 9th hole, and we move in to see what's got everyone's attention:



The course is very well kept and has an equally impressive background with both Hallasan and Sanbangsan along the horizon. We spot Korean sensation Seung-yul Noh, his ball lands in bunker on the 9th green; he makes the difficult shot look easy, getting his ball within a few feet of the hole.



At this point Brian and I are getting very hungry, and he's also got to be back to Jeju city for class in an hour, so we scurry off to the media lunch tent. When we get there we find the most glorious buffet waiting for us:



I make a few trips to the buffet table and enjoy myself while Brian crams down as much food as possible before bolting out the door for the clubhouse.

Later I attempt to catch up with Ernie Els but find that I've gone the wrong direction and am no where near where I should be. With my time running out, I get the shuttle from the golf course to the Shilla hotel and grab a cab home; Ernie will have to wait.

Photo by Brian Miller

오베라!

In one of the most exciting games of the year, and definitely Jeju's best game this season, No. 19 (오베라) Jobson Leandro Pereira De Oli, scored two goals and assist; it was the perfect way to mark Jeju United's 300th win.


Photo by Brian Miller

The only problem was that there was no one there to see it, except a few us of foreigners and maybe a hundred or two Koreans:



It was Wednesday, so the likelihood of anyone showing up from Jeju-si, or even Seogwipo, was very small.

There was a dedicated couple of kids cheering hard, whom only took a slight break during intermission; the regular guy with the drum wasn't there, but I guess his replacement showed up. The echoing from the drum was the most dominant sound in the stadium, and certainly helped towards our somewhat lacking cheering section.

We had our third string goalie in net, and he was putting on quite a show.



Jeju was coming on strong in the first, and scored their first goal with an assist by 오베라 (Oh-bay-lah)



Gwanju had some opportunities, but couldn't get past our keeper.



On a timely penalty shot, Jeju scored its second goal and was looking for more.



Our third goal came only minutes after Gwanju managed to get past our keeper. It was some beautiful footwork by 오베라 to get past their defenders and score.



It seemed like we were still celebrating our third goal when 오베라 struck again with a similar move, putting the game away.



I thought the victory music from star wars was a nice touch:



Well unfortunately it wasn't a K-league game, so the goals and the win don't really count for much other than towards the Peace Cup quarterfinals, which Jeju has a legitimate shot at; I'm not sure what the winners of the Peace Cup get, but it's better than nothing I suppose.

산방산 (Sanbangsan)

After going to the Haenyo festival the weekend before last, I finally had the chance to check out the buddhist temple that is built into the side of Sanbangsan.

It was an eventful day with the festival as well as checking out the Yongmeori Cliffs, but the best part was the few minutes we spent just chilling on the beach on the way to the cliffs.


It felt great, just lying there in the sun, enjoying the fresh sea air; it felt like summer, and that's exactly what I've been needing.

The temple isn't very far from the bus stop. You only need climb a few sets of stairs and show your registration card to gain access to the temple grounds and the sacred cave above.

It's a bit of a climb, but nothing you can't manage in an half hour or so. On the way up we spotted some buddhists ascending with their praying gear. They're many who come to the sacred cave above to pray there.


There is a small area for seating with fencing above to protect climbers and worshippers from falling rocks. From the ceiling of the cave falls droplets of water into a constructed fountain pool, where anyone thirsty can have a drink.

Supposedly the legend goes that a baby girl was found on the top of the oreum, and was then raised by the local people. She grew to be a beautiful woman and fell in love with another villager, but a Prince desired her and killed her husband in envy. She returned to the oreum and cried over his death, turning into stone, yet her tears continue to flow even now.

The view is absolutely stunning and worth the trip for its serene moments of solitude. Again, it's one of those things that is best enjoyed by exploring it yourself.

Photos by Brian Miller

Close...but no goal

Well it was a close game, but Jeju United couldn't convert any of its chances. They had at least five legitimate opportunities to score in the first half, and then lost almost all momentum when Ulsan scored in the final minute of the first half.

The second half looked very promising, but again, Jeju missed out on several chances. They scored a goal, but it was later called back for being offside. The same could have been said about Ulsan's goal in the first, as it was equally debatable.

The most exciting part was the final five minutes after they had their goal called back. Jeju was pulling out all the stops, but still couldn't manage to tie it up. Brian's photo pretty much sums up the match:


A very painful and annoying match to say the least. Their next game is on Wednesday at 7:00 pm in the World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo. The only problem is they're facing #1 ranked Gwanju, however, Jeju's first game at home was against Gwanju and was a 1-0 win for United. Hopefully our boys can keep them at bay once again and emerge victorious...

A Furey filled event

This past weekend was the 5th International Ultimate Frisbee Tournament on Jeju. With a series of games on Saturday and Sunday, several teams from Jeju competed against other teams from mainland Korea, China, Japan, and beyond.

For anyone involved with the event, it was also a time of remembrance for the late Nathan Furey, who was actively involved with the frisbee community. The team jerseys for Jeju were designed in his honour, with proceeds going towards his family.

On Sunday, I went to the final day of games at the arena near the Korea baseball hall of fame. When I arrived, the Jeju teams were waiting to start their semi-finals in the B division.

There were four divisions, A, B, C, and D, each categorized by the level of play of each team and organized accordingly. There were also games being held earlier in the day at another field complex out in Jungmun, but I didn't make it out to that. Our Jeju team won the C division there.

There were several other teams playing when I arrived, covering two of the fields within the arena complex.



I knew a few of the people competing in the tournament and went to greet and wish them luck as they warmed-up for their match. The weather was perfect for the tournament, a slightly overcast day with enough sun to keep it shining all afternoon.



T-shirts, frisbees, snacks, and beverages were also available at a nearby tented stand. T-shirts were selling for 15,000 won with 5,000 from each going to Nathan's family. They came in three different colours: black, red, and white, and two types of fabric: cotton and the air-coolant active wear fabric. Brian picked up a black one:



I opted for the more active wear in white. Here is the front design of the t-shirt, which is three silhouettes of Nathan from photos of his frisbee play:



Some kids from local schools showed up to watch the tournament. There was also some cameramen that came with them, following them throughout the afternoon.

For about an hour or two there was several different events held to show the kids how to play frisbee and the various skills involved with the game. Volunteers from the tournament participated in the activities with them.



It was a good way to get the kids more involved with the sport, since there isn't really any frisbee sports anywhere on the island besides the group involved with the tournament. The kids were throwing the frisbee to one another, doing sprints and attempting to catch them while running, and there were competitions for the furtherest frisbee throw.



All of the kids seemed really excited about it, especially when prizes were brought out. I estimate around forty or sixty children showed up, probably most from the area where I teach in. I thought I heard my name being shouted, but didn't see any of my students in my observations.



As the semi-finals started up, I grabbed my HD camera and took a position up on the exterior wall to get an overview of the matches. The closest to me was team Jeju Juno, whom was competing against team Zolla. It was interesting to see how ultimate frisbee is played, as I've never seen it in action before.



Team Juno seemed to be making some progress early on against Zolla and scored first to take the lead.



Zolla made a few attempts, but the defensive play of Juno was equally impressive and more than enough to keep their lead.



For a while, Juno had struggled a bit against their competition's defense, but definitely were doing better. Some very quick thinking and well timed throws/catches gave Juno the edge they needed to win.



It didn't take long before Juno had developed a big enough lead to run with and never look back, securing their spot in the B division finals.



The match between the other Jeju team in the semi-finals, Guambats vs. Jeju Hyojeong, was a lot closer. Guambats took an early 6 - 2 lead, but Jeju managed to come back tying it up in the final half, but the Guambats scored the final point to move onto finals.

It would have been awesome to see an all Jeju final, but things don't always go the way you want or expect them to.



All of our teams were wearing the red t-shirts. I'm sure there will be many leftover, so if anyone is looking to buy one, you can probably get one at Bagdad cafe in Jeju-si, which produced the t-shirts for the teams.



The final match of Jeju Juno versus the Guambats was a close one, with Guambats scoring first, however, not long after Juno was in control once again and won the match. It was a really well co-ordinated effort, and everyone was pleased with the results from the tournament.



There was a few group photos after the match and some closing ceremonies. Afterwards many people went out to Gecko's for some dinner and drinks. In all, it was a successful tournament and a great Sunday afternoon of fun and games. Congratulations to all the winners!


Photo by Brian Miller

Yongmeori Cliffs

Last Saturday Brian, Mike, and I walked along the shore from Sagye-ri to the Yongmeori Cliffs. It's not a far walk, maybe ten or fifteen minutes at most, but we stopped a couple of times to explore the beach and check out the infamous Hamel's ship.


Hamel was this dutch sailor/writer whose ship was destroyed in a severe storm and washed up on the shore near Yongmeori back in the mid 17th century. Hamel kept a journal of his stay while he was in Korea, and from what I gather, he and his surviving crew were taken back to Seoul, where they were treated "like Koreans", whatever that means.

There is also a section dedicated to the 2002 World Cup in Korea inside the ship for some reason. It's a very eclectic and strange museum that has just a bunch of different things mixed together. After we had our laugh, we exited the boat and grabbed a bottle of orange makgeolli and some 불닭. It was quite refreshing, especially sitting in the shade on a perfectly sunny afternoon.

Once those were finished, we headed back down towards the shore to the cliffs. There were plenty people walking about, and the trek around the shore was a bit difficult, but still enjoyable.


Brian got this great picture of the cliffs with Sanbangsan in the background. A few minutes later he almost lost his camera trying to cross a narrow path wearing only flip flops. He recovered, but was a little banged up.

The cliffs have many hollows and small nooks that look like they were once used for something, maybe to stow gear for haenyo or fishermen long ago. There are quite a bit of smaller ponds too, that look like they would be a nice spot to relax in on a hot summer day.


I was running low on battery power at this point so I didn't get much footage of the area, but it's almost impossible to try and capture something like this without just being there; like many places here on the island, it's an experience you need to see yourself to fully enjoy it.

It only takes about twenty minutes to walk around the whole thing, but if it's busy and you're stopping a lot, which you will be, then I'd definitely make sure you've got at least an hour to spend there.

Once you come to the end of the path, there is a set of stairs leading back up to the little tourist/shop outlet. From there, take an immediate right and you can walk up some stairs back to the bus stop in front of Sanbangsan. After we finished with the cliffs, we still had time to go check out the mountain shrine just above the buddhist temple, which is built into the side of Sanbangsan.

Last two photos provided by Brian Miller

More golf madness

I was searching for some Jeju weather updates for this week's KLPGA tournament and came across an interesting article by the Korea Times about the increase of golfers to Jeju:

Thanks to cheaper green fees and warm weather on top of the expensive dollar and cheaper won, many Korean golfers have decided to visit Jeju instead of going to Southeast Asian countries -- about 155,600 local golfers have already played the greens on Jeju.

This is from an article back in December, so I'm sure the number of golfers is even higher. There has also been a dramatic increase of Japanese tourists, whom are spending more due to the strength of the yen to the won:

According to its tourism association, a Japanese tourist spends an average of 1.9 million won per three-day visit, excluding airfare. The amount is much higher than Chinese's 690,000 won and Korean's 370,000 won. "A Japanese person spends more than five times what a Korean does these days," a vendor said.

Merchants are going all out to attract more visitors. They have requested that domestic air carriers provide more flights to and from the island and create more package tours for the region.

To cater to this demand, airlines have increased international flights to Jeju in the past couple of months. There are even more packages available through travel agencies:

Travel agencies are developing packages geared toward natural heritage top-notch hotels and more of the island's offerings, and are expecting over 3,000 more visitors in the first two months of next year.

It would be interesting to see how the results have fared thus far compared to last year, and to see how the rest of the year turns out.

Playing in the sand with 미셸위 (Michelle Wie)

Wednesday morning 5:55 am, I awake to the annoying alarm of my watch; I lie in bed for another few minutes, hoping that when I check my watch again I'll have another few hours of sleep. Finally I muster the energy to get up and proceed immediately to the washroom to try and force myself awake.

I open the bathroom door to the most frightening sight, Brian Miller dancing like an ecstatic madman. After regaining my senses I put on some upbeat music to get ourselves in the mood for an adventurous day. Whilst I prepare some eggs and bagels for breakfast, Brian tends to his hair, like the pretty boy he is.

With the clock ticking down, we grab our things and rush out of the door to meet up with our new colleague, Prof. Kim Gyong Ho. Together we ride out to the Sky Hill Golf Club, where the KLPGA's MBC Lotte Mart Ladies Open awaits us...and Michelle Wie.

It took a bit of convincing, but eventually the press give us the passes we need, and we're now free to roam about the course; I feel like someone has just given me the key to the chocolate factory.

It's an early morning, and a beautiful one at that. Sanbangsan is silhouetted through the fog as the sun begins to the dry the morning dew. I feel a sense of anticipation, the kind of feeling a golfer knows best, the feeling of unlimited possibilities and a terrain to be conquered.



I arm myself with my camera and begin to shoot at will, looking for that certain something that will establish the mood. Brian looks uninterested, he waits for his queen of golf. Around the practice green other ladies are warming up, looking to make their mark and earn themselves a title.

There is barely any other media around, a few men with cameras, but the day is still young and she has yet to arrive. I convince Brian to come check out some of the other players teeing off.



After roaming back and forth between the press room, starting tees, and the practice range and green, we finally spot her. At first there is not even a whisper, but a crowd is already forming. I look to Brian and we instantly know without saying a word to each other.



We both join in on the shooting gala, attempting to take some unique shot that is beyond the capabilities of any camera. She almost seems to emitting her own aura, and it's sponsor is nike: nike shoes, nike hat, nike clothes, and probably even her sunglasses too.


Brian and I move towards the starting tee, where a line of press is already waiting. Cameramen analyze the terrain, Brian and I get into position and silently wait.

She arrives along with her competitors and one by one they hammer their ball into the distance. The group immediately springs into motion, trying to beat the players to their next shot. The players strike again and all land safely on the green. Wie sinks it in one, earning a birdie.

The sun is starting to really heat things up; I'm glad I remembered to bring sunblock. Everyone approaches the next tee and the players get into position. Like an automatic slingshot Wie launches her ball over the horizon towards the great Hallasan.



Brian is quick to move into action and sprints together with the MBC camera crew to get ready for the next shot. She arrives on the green again in two, but goes wide on the hole to keep par.

We wait on the third tee while the group ahead plays on. Finally play is resumed, and the players continue their round. As we move up towards the hole, the players take their time in the approach, deciding how best to bridge the gap to the green.



The other two players strike first, landing safely on the green; Wie comes up short, landing in a bunker. Brian grins, he'll finally get the bunker shot he's been waiting for. I'm slower on the draw, and get there a little too late, but still manage to get some video as she fails to clear the sand trap in her first attempt.

Brian bids me well as the rest of the group continues onto the next hole. His time is up, he has to return back to the real world, leaving this fantastical land behind; I must continue my work alone.

Minutes later, after they tee off on the fourth hole, something happens; Wie loses her ball temporarily in some brush on the far-side of the cart path. A member of the crowd spots it under a nearby tree, completely blocked by branches and tall grass. They call for an official, and Wie has to drop the ball within two club lengths of its position, which turns out to be on the pavement of the cart path.


She drops the ball and it bounces several times, stopping directly in the middle of the path. The crowd looks on in amazement, no one could have foreseen anything like this. Calmly, her caddy hands her an iron, and she unloads one of the most powerful and impressive shots I've ever seen; there is not even a scratch on the pavement.

Unfortunately, her ball doesn't find as deserving a place. Once again she's landed in the bunker, this time she clears it easily landing just short of the green.



She finishes the hole with a double bogey and is slightly losing her pace in the round. The next hole is a 92 yard par 3, and everything goes much more smoothly. She keeps par, but will need more than that to take the lead.

With a few words from her caddy, she steps onto the next tee with a renewed sense of concentration.



Her efforts start to show, as she keeps par and has a few chances for birdie over the next two holes.



The eighth hole is a 124 yard par 3 and a good chance at improving her round.



She misses a six foot putt, but it doesn't phase her. As we move onto the ninth tee, I check my watch. I've got time enough for the hole, then I have to hand in my badge and glass slippers.



With yet another excellent drive, Wie edges past the competitors' shots and within one shot of the green on a par 5. Her next shot lands just shy of the green in yet again another bunker. I'm beginning to think that she likes playing in the sand. She chips it onto the green for an easy birdie, and finishes the front nine one over par.

I head back into the clubhouse and turn in my pass, catching a cab back home. I learn later that she finishes the day with a 77, five over par. I couldn't make it out for the second day, but she didn't make the cut for the final day. It's a shame she didn't make it into the final round, but it was a nice opportunity to get my feet wet, and prepare myself for the bigger tournament next week.

Amazing photographs provided by Brian Miller

Sagye-ri Haenyo Festival

This past weekend Brian and I made plans to go to the annual haenyo festival, held this year at Sagye-ri harbour. It took a bit of navigation, but we were able to make it there before the festival kicked off.

Our cab ride from Shinsikaji was about 12,000 won, which isn't too bad, but there are buses that stop at Sanbangsan, which will get you within a 15 minute walk of the village and harbour.

We strolled around for a bit taking photos and video of the coast and the boats in the port, when finally some festivities started to break out. Moving towards the tented area, there were an arrange of performances going on:



The first three rows or more were made up of haenyo, whom where already in their diving gear. Each haenyo had a number for their netting, as they were going to be competing against one another shortly.



I got some very nice video and hopefully audio of some pansori singing, which is this traditional singing accompanied by a drummer; it's quite enchanting and with the right setting is even more pronounced.

It was at this time that I realized my Flip video had died, which was the first time that it has ever happened to me. I guess it was bound to happen one of these days. Thankfully, it booted up again once I fully charged it at home.

Brian was able to get some astounding pictures, and so I'll be posting some of his work here in lieu of my regular video posts.

Once the performances had finished, there was about twenty minutes of this announcer talking in Korean. Which was very long-winded, even some of the Korean audience sighed with boredom.

All of a sudden, the haenyo started to gear up and into action. They posed for the traditional group shot with the sponsors and festival organizers, and then were off towards the dock and the open sea.


Camermen were swarming around the haenyo like vultures, each looking to get the perfect shot. I was obstructed multiple times and even bumped into, it's quite the aggressive sport, but hopefully I'll be a bit more prepared for any future occasions.

Once the divers had put on their masks and fins, they were off like a pack of manatees. I had my HD camera with me and I got quite a bit of the event with that, but who knows when I'll get around to editing it.

Meanwhile, Brian and I started looking for some snack food, as it was about lunch time and neither of us had eaten anything all day. We found this small shop making what they call "toast", which is a sort of ham, cheese, and egg ensemble smothered with ketchup; it was better than the alternative fresh sea food, at least in my opinion.

I don't mind eating cooked seafood, but find it very hard to enjoy, let alone eat, fresh seafood, unless it is sushi; the wasabi gets me every time.

In the midst of snacking down a sandwich I heard a siren erupt, like one you'd expect they would play just before bombs were dropped. Of course the contest must have been coming to a close, and this was confirmed shortly after when I saw Brian sprinting back towards the docks.

It was round two of fight for position and getting the best shot of the women divers as they were bringing in their haul. Some of them had a huge net full of snails, or oysters...it was something with a shell.


Some of them even had octopus, or other strange looking fish, which I can only assume were worth more points in the judging process.

After they had all finally brought their haul onto the pier, the judges started to weigh in on the results. Some haenyo looked to be arguing with some others, not sure what about, but complaining can always be expected when there is a competition and a prize on the line.

Apparently the youngest haenyo present was 44 and the oldest 66-67. I've been told that the reason there isn't as many younger haenyo is because it's such a dangerous profession, and normally women don't take it up until they're older. Coupled with the fact that it's not in high demand, the haenyo are slowing dying out.


Having taken quite a bit of video and pictures, Brian and I decided to move onto our next locale, the Yongmeori Cliffs. Mike joined up with us at this point and we started trekking along the shore and beach towards the rocks.

Photos provided by Brian Miller

A change in the game

Recently I've been asked by Marcie Miller to write for the newly established "Jeju Weekly" tabloid, whose goal is to bring more international recognition to Jeju as well as establish an English paper here on the island.

After meeting with Marcie and her associate, Prof. Kim Gyong Ho, this morning, we discussed several ideas about integrating my video skills into the upcoming Jeju Weekly website, and about writing articles for the paper as well.

The professor seemed quite pleased with the work I've done thus far through my blog, which I appreciate, so I will now be writing articles for the paper. I'll be using my accumulative knowledge to put together similar pieces on travel destinations and leisure/sport activities.

Brian Miller has also been recruited for his photography skills, and our first assignment will be to cover the KLPGA's MBC Lotte Mart Ladies Open, which starts this Wednesday. The tournament will take place at the Sky Hill Golf Club on Jeju and boasts 300,000,000 won in prize money, with 60,000,000 won going to first place. The course is a par 72 with 6,330 yards of play:


Apparently the world-famous Korean golfer Michelle Wie is competing in the tournament, so it should be quite a busy day with media, despite it being held during the work week.


Last time I remember hearing about Michelle Wie was this past summer, when she played in the CN Canadian Women's Open at my previous place of employment, The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. I had just finished a documentary DVD for their 100th anniversary before the the tournament, which was published along with a book about the club's history.

I remember when I found out about the RCGA choosing the club for the open, at the time I was raking bunkers for the grounds crew; everyone was really excited about it. It was the perfect way to celebrate their 100th anniversary, I'm just glad I could contribute something to the occasion.

United update

Jeju United had their second loss of the season this weekend against Daegu FC. Daegu scored their first goal on a penalty shot in the 42nd minute; Jeju tied it up about ten minutes later, and the second half was close, but Daegu managed to score again in the final ten minutes of play.

Their next game is this Saturday at 3:00 pm in Jeju-si at the Bus Terminal Stadium. The play against Ulsan, who have yet to get a win in the K-league this season and have only scored two goals; my money is on Jeju to win. See you out there.

Gogeunsan and the (not-so) secret Oedolgae

Today I finally decided it was time for me to check out the oreum I see everyday on my way to work: Gogeunsan. It's the closest oreum to my house, as well as within the Seogwipo region.

I've seen it many times from my old and new apartment, and have always been curious as to what exactly it was like up there. So after waking up rather late, I grabbed a drink and snack and scooted on up to the base of the trail.

It's only a two minute drive from Shinsikaji and easily located by following the signs. I was only doing about 30 km/h on the way up, as the road was too steep to go any faster. From the view at the base of the trail, I knew it was going to be even better once I got to the top.



There is a small parking area just opposite of the trail. At the beginning of the trail there is even a sign with some health statistics, explaining the length of the trail and the amount of calories you'll burn according to your weight class and time of completion; very helpful for anyone looking to get into shape.



About 150m up the trail is one of those random workout stops that Koreans like to have outside in recreational areas. This one had a sign explaining the effect of the stones on your bare feet; of course it was all in Korean.



Another 100m or so I noticed a sign for paragliding; yet another interesting and popular outdoor activity to do on Jeju. I've been informed that there are quite a few oreums to go paragliding from, Gogeunsan being one of them. The only problem being that the course required to do so is about 8-12 weeks, which takes up a lot of your free time.



For about 500,000 won you can enroll in the beginners level 1 certification of paragliding, gaining free access to their equipment during your training. After you've completed it, you can rent gear that you'll need to go out yourself. If you're just looking to try it out once or twice, you can do a tandem jump for about 40,000 won:

With many hills, both high and low oreums such as Yeongjusan, Wolrangbong, and Baekyagi oreum, areas near
(the) East Industrial road is particularly popular among paragliders.

Recommended paragliding places also include Geumak oreum, Dang oreum, Eoseungsang oreum, Jungmul oreum, Gunsan, Sancheondan, and Byeoldobong.

There are several schools that offer paragliding, but all of them are generally the same price for renting (around 50,000 won) and courses (around 480,000 won).

Once I got to the top, which was only another 100m or so, I was welcomed by a fantastic view of the area. It was a bit hazy out, but still warm enough to be enjoyable.



The trail leads around the summit of the oreum in a giant loop. If you walk for another minute or two, once you reach the top, you'll find a great picnic area facing Hallasan.



In the center of the oreum is a slight crater, covered with a grassy field.



Not much further down the path is the perfect launch spot for paragliding. There is a beaten path through the grass that leads down the steep slope facing the mountain. I sat for a moment to take in the view.



Continuing along the main path you'll venture through some woods, with sporadic open areas giving way to impressive views of the Seogwipo area. I could just barely see all of the islets through the haze.



The view of World Cup stadium and Shinsikaji is equally impressive.



On my way down the oreum I received a message from a friend who was at Oeodolgae, so I got on my bike and scooted down to the coast.

When I got there, I learned that they were down on rocks away from the main tourist spot, in a somewhat more secluded area. The area was a lot more busier than when I had visited previously and the gazebo, bridge, and walkway which they had been working on were now completed.

There is a narrow set of stairs leading down away from the walkway onto the rocks below.



It's quite the scenic location and is the perfect swimming hole, unfortunately it seems that come this summer it won't be as secret as it once was due to the recent upgrades.



The water level was remarkable low, and Rob even said it was the lowest he's ever seen it. Hopefully that'll change soon when the real rain begins.

On my way out, I decided to drive past the harbour to see if the newly built sailboat design bridge was open; it was not, so I continued on my way along the harbour.

The water in the port was extremely low as well. People were even down on the shore picking snails and other crustaceans.



As the sun started to set, I enjoyed a snack on the breakwater and watched the waves. I got back on my bike and headed home.

Another beautiful day on Jeju

When I woke up this morning I saw that it was once again another beautiful day on Jeju and surprisingly warm too. It was about 19 degrees out today (66 fahrenheit), and for the first time since I got here, I wore a tee-shirt to work.

Before I left for work however, I decided to relax up on my roof with a cup of coffee. The sights and sounds are enough to calm anyone; it's especially great for relieving stress.



Once I finished my cup, I suddenly got the urge for some outdoor activities. The first that came to mind was golf.

There are dozens of golf courses on Jeju, probably some of the best in Korea, but they don't come cheap. Similar to most places, it's cheaper to book a tee time during the week, but even that can run upwards of 200,000 won, especially if you're renting clubs.

Over the next few months it's my goal to at least try out a few courses on the island, preferably some with more affordable rates, but every now and then it's okay to indulge ourselves...right?

I'm not that good at golf, but the experience will help, and I'll at least be able to tell others what to expect.

In only two weeks there is the annual Ballantine's Championship which is held at the Pinx Golf Club in Jungmun.


If you're interested you can buy tickets online. They are 15,000-20,000 won per day (depending on the day), or 50,000 won for the whole tournament. If you're a Jeju resident, then it's even cheaper, but you'll need a Korean to do it because of the limitations to foreigners using their alien registration numbers online.


I've already got my ticket and I'm going to the last day of play with a few friends. It should be a very interesting finish, considering the players coming to this year's tournament:

Following the unprecedented success of the 2008 Championship, Ballantine’s are proud to announce an all star international player line-up for 2009. Leading the world class field will be the reigning champion, Graeme McDowell, defending his title against several mighty rivals.

New Ballantine’s Championship signings for 2009, Henrik Stenson, Fred Couples and the mighty Ernie Els will provide uncompromising competition for McDowell. The battle for the championship will ensure four days of enthralling play to impress the thousands of spectators converging on Pinx golf course between 23rd and 26th April.

I'll be sure to post some video and pictures (hopefully provided by Brian) of this year's tournament when I go. In the meantime, I'm going to look for some used clubs for sale and a driving range.

Jeju massacres

Jeju island has been the stage for many massacres over the years. The biggest and most well known was the Jeju Uprising of April 3, 1948:

Between 14,000 and 30,000 individuals were killed in fighting between various factions on the island. The suppression of rebellion by the South Korean army has been called “brutal”, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of many villages on the island, and sparking rebellions on the Korean mainland.

This past Friday was the anniversary of the massacre and there was an afternoon ceremony held in Jeju-si to mark the occasion. Not long after the first massacre, there was another incident during the Korean War:

On August 30, 1950, according to a written order by a senior intelligence officer in the South Korean Navy instructed Jeju's police to "execute all those in groups C and D by firing squad no later than September 6."

In March 1950, North Korea sent thousands of armed insurgents to resuscitate the guerrilla fighting on Jeju, but by this time the South Korean army had become particularly adept at counterinsurgency and quashed the new insurgency in only a few weeks.

Another not-so well known massacre is the Catholic massacre of 1901. Brian and I had heard about there being a cemetery on the island for the 300 or so Catholics that were killed, but had no idea where it was. Well thanks to Jim Saunders, we were able to arrange a guided tour from a priest the weekend before last.

Turns out the cemetery was actually moved to a new location, just outside of Jeju-si. We all met up at City Hall in Jeju-si and then took a car out to the cemetery together.



The entrance is very quaint, with a paved walkway and cherry blossoms decorating it. About a twenty metre walk and it opens up to hundreds of graves arranged row by row. They're kind of a cross between traditional Catholic graves and Jeju graves, having a somewhat rectangular and convex shape to them.



Thanks to some translating and research by Jim, there is a summary of the event:

In 1901, events came to a head when a combination of local politics, increased taxes, hostility toward the missionaries and their faith, and international intrigue led to a full-fledged revolt by native islanders and Confucian landlords, led by a native-born magistrate and backed by the Japanese, against the head tax collector sent from the mainland and Jeju’s Catholic community (who supported the tax collector), backed by the French. Native forces sieged and eventually took Jeju Fortress, slaughtering some 300 Catholics.

At the end of the paved walkway is a massive altar with what looks like a Jeju grave in the center, surrounded by angelic statues on either side. I've been told that there are even some bishops buried in the cemetery, and that if any Jeju Catholic priests desire so, they can be buried there as well.

Jim has also informed me that there is movie about the event, 이재수의 난 (The Uprising, 1999). I've been told it's nothing special, but uses many scenic locations from Jeju, including Abu Oreum.



Jim, with the priest and another friend, walked throughout the cemetery, learning of its history, while Brian and I took pictures and video of the site. Behind the altar is a large wooden cross; it's almost hidden by the nearby trees.



We probably couldn't have gone at a better time, the cherry trees and spring weather made for a great setting.



Once we had finished our tour, we got back into the car and headed back into town. Since it was so nice out, we decided to take advantage of the weather and get dropped off at Samseonghyeol.

특종!

More good news, the Lotte 7 Cinema under the World Cup Stadium is now open again. I've also learned that the whole waterpark for Waterworld is open as well:

Waterworld is back

That's right, Waterworld is back, and I don't mean Kevin Costner. For anyone on Jeju, particularly in the Seogwipo region, who appreciates a sauna and a swim, this is great news.

I've been there a few times and it has always been busy, which is not necessarily a good thing, but it shows that they're doing something right. They have some pretty impressive baths as well as an expansive range of saunas to use.


I was quite sad when I learned it had closed down a month or two ago, and was a bit surprised as well, because there was always people coming and going.

It was originally a theme water park as well, but when a kid drowned, they shut it down and just kept the saunas operating. It closed over a couple of months ago, and with it, all of the other outlets running underneath the World Cup Stadium, including a movie theatre and a state-of-the-art gym.

It appears as though the gym and saunas have now combined forces, as there is now access to both and now a swimming pool too. I first learned of this when an advertising agent dropped some pamphlets and coupons off at my hagwon earlier today; I am excited, as it's now only a five minute walk for me to get to a glorious jimjilbong.



For 250,000 won you can get a year membership that gives you access to everything; not bad. The regular admission price is probably still 7,000 won, and perhaps a separate cost for the swimming pool and gym as well.

I've also heard that the movie theatres may be re-opening soon as well. I'll update when I've got more information.

Water weather

As it's starting to get warmer and warmer here on the island, I've been discussing with some friends about getting into some more water related activities, such as surfing and scuba diving.

My main interest however is in capturing footage with my Canon HV30 camcorder. I'm interested in getting some footage of Jeju surfers and particularly some shots under water in and around the many islets that inhabit the waters here.

The problem with this is that I will require some sort of protection from the water, so that my camera will continue to function without getting salty water/air into its mechanism. Here's a professional water video housing kit designed by Ikelite:


The only problem is that the housing kit costs as much as the camera itself, if not more. There are certainly other options, but the alternatives seem a little too farfetched and beyond my skill.

Another option I've been thinking about is getting a digital camera that can also shoot video under water. The good thing with this option is that it will be a lot cheaper, and I'll finally have a digital camera to take pictures with.

One that has caught my eye is the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW which is shockproof up to 7 ft, waterproof up to 33 ft, freezeproof up to 14 degrees fahrenheit, and can withstand 220 lbs of pressure.

There are also floating straps available, so that if you lose the camera, it will simply float to the surface.

Looking even further, another option would be for me to get the water housing kit for my flip mino:


It looks quite functional and is certainly more affordable. I guess the only question now is how much am I willing to spend to get the kind of video quality I want? I guess I should start saving...

Draw

Well it's not a win, but it's not a loss either. Only a fraction of the crowd from the first game showed up today; it was a little disheartening, but we kept our spirits high, even after Gyeongnam scored ten minutes into the game.



The cheering section was particularly vibrant, especially with this one Korean guy beating the chants out with a drum. It definitely reinforced the chorus and helped organized everyone's cheering efforts.

After another twenty minutes or so, Jeju United finally took advantage of their chances and scored to tie the game up.



I think the first goal got Jeju United into the game and to be more focused, as they were looking pretty unorganized on the field, especially their defense.

There was quite a few injuries on both sides during the game. Our goal tender was subbed out late in the first half, which could have been the deciding factor in the game, but the second string tender managed to put forth a worthy effort and keep his team in the game.



Once the game had finished, a bunch of us went back to my apartment for an afternoon barbeque. I had made up some kebabs and marinated some steaks the night before; they were delicious.



The barbeque pit is on my rooftop and the view is spectacular any direction you look: islets just off the shore, orange groves and farms amongst the forest, and oreums, silhouetted by Hallasan, with the World Cup Stadium in the foreground. It was a nice relaxing evening, exactly what I needed.

Scootin' round the coast

Today Matt and I decided to go on our second war ride in the South; this time we ventured east, following the coastal trails.

After meeting with "Speed Racer" around noon, we kicked it out of town in high gear on the vista highway. The landscaping around the coast is just remarkable, we spotted many a rich summer retreats with fancy cadillacs in the driveway; palm tree forests, winding roads lined with orange groves, and secret coves with haenyo.

We stopped at this one inlet near Bomok harbour and it was crowded with haenyo.



There were at least a dozen of them just off shore between us and Seopseom island. I've seen them a few times before, but never in action; it was quite interesting. I took a few video clips while Matt laid down for a bit, soaking in the sun. The sea air always feels good, especially after a long week of working in a classroom.



Continuing along the shore, we passed by an even busier cove. We stopped again to take some more pictures and video, this time we got some closeups, as there were a pair of haenyo sorting their catch on the shore.

I didn't notice them at first, so it took me as a bit of a surprise. They didn't seem to mind us, or even notice us, when we stopped in for a few minutes.



We got back on the path and drove through a forest of palm trees. I noticed that there was another island offshore, which had a lighthouse stationed upon it.

After checking my map when I got home, I surmise that it must have been Jigwido island; a place that no one really mentions, and is so small that it probably doesn't even have anything other than the lighthouse, still, I thought I knew about all of Jeju's islets; another mystery solved.



As we were about to head back to Soggy, Matt heard the cry of the Blue Rock Thrush, his spirit guide. Not twenty feet up the road a male and female were both perched on the rocks, engaged in a staring contest of wits. He chirped, she flicked her tail, and they were off in a chase through the woods...how romantic.

It's the season where every living creature is going crazy for love, and we're certainly no exception.



Flowers bloom, birds chirp, bees hum, and we smile. It doesn't get any simpler or better than that. Matt and I got back our scoots and rode off into the horizon of this paradise getaway.