Korea's national past time

So I didn't do anything too exciting this past week. I did go hiking again. It's a good way to stay in shape. Koreans don't seem to believe in switchbacks. Their trails go straight up the mountain. They make for short, but very, very intense hikes. If they didn't have tae kwon do, hiking would be the national sport of Korea. Actually, I guess it's better labeled as a past time. Everyone loves to do it, especially the older generations. They get all decked out with their professional walking sticks, huge sun visors, hiking boots, and nylon pants and jackets. 70% of Korea is mountainous, so there is no shortage of places to hike. There's even a national park that lies within Seoul city limits. It's to the north of town, but I'd like to out there one of these days. My trail is literally 5 minutes from my house.

I do have one critique. For all their hiking expertise I don't understand Korean hiking etiquette. People here don't seem to want to to stand aside when I want to pass them. I tend to hike pretty fast and so catch up to people. In the U.S. most people stand to the side for a brief second so that they can be passed and not cause the person behind them inconvenience. Not here. You have to wait for an opportunity to pass if you want to get around which sometimes takes awhile. I don't know. Maybe it's rude to pass someone in the first place.

Moment of the week: Seeing the ocean from my neighborhood mountain. It was difficult to see, mind you, because of the haze, but it was still pretty cool.