I REALLY need to get a new camera.....

A couple weeks ago I lost my camera at a school park. We had decided to go there to sit in the soccer field and have a beer or two. It turned into a case of beer and a couple bottles of soju. There were a couple people running around the track and we were giving them the hand-off with dixie cups of beer instead of water, marathon style. Anyways, after that bout of debauchery, we all seemed to make it home, except for my camera. Awesome.

I have been to one of the strangest places I've ever encountered in my life this weekend. I'm kicking myself now for losing that camera. I will try my best to describe what has indefinitely scarred me for life.

Daniel (Bravo) and I decided to hit up the herbal market Saturday morning. I'd seen it advertised on an old tourist subway map. It was about an hour away by train in a little town called Jegi-Dong. Considering we got the idea to go here from a tourist map, I expected to see a foreigner or two, but we were the only ones I saw all day.

Just like any other open air market in Korea, it was crowded. Thousands of people milling the streets, motorcycles flying down the sidewalks, the old ladies not even flinching. The air smelled like fresh tea or raw fish, depending on which isle you were walking down. There were hundreds of vendors boasting their offerings. If the vendors aren't yelling out their prices, they're taking a nap in the middle of the chaos. I had to laugh a couple times. With all the people and noises and smells, these ladies were able to pass out among their vegetables and sacks of rice.

Being an herbal market, and not foreigner friendly (nothing in English), we really had to smell things and look closely to figure out what we were being offered. Dried flowers and peppers, tree barks, roots, raw ginseng and garlic, dried sunflowers bigger than I ever saw in the midwest..... The strangest thing we saw were bags of live bees. Bees. Live bees. Huge bees. Craziness. There were large pieces of the honeycomb inside and 50 or so gigantic bees crawling about inside. I wish I could have asked what the purpose of buying the bags might have been. Collect your own honey? Bee sting therapy? Either way it was cool to see.

While we were wandering the fish market, we came across two giant tanks. Squid, sting ray, shark, octopus, huuuuge fish. I feel right at home with that, because markets like that are all over Korea. But these two tanks were filled with something I don't see often. One was filled with turtles. They were really big and swimming around, the spotting on their shells was something I'd never seen before. They were cool to see, but meh, turtles are common. The other was almost to the brim with hundreds of frogs in it. Not dead. Just sitting there, not hopping away. If you're a frog leg connoissuer, you can pick up a little bucket and take your pick. I'd never seen so many frogs in one spot at the same time.

Among the fresh fruits and produce, there is a big part of the market for all things meat. I've been contemplating vegetarianism since I moved here and now I'm pretty sure meat is no longer an option for me. There were butcher stands galore. Whole carcasses were lined up and you could pick the cut of meat or bone you desired. Seeing the pig heads, chicken heads, and huge raw bones was a little stomach turning, but I know it's my own fault. I eat meat, I shouldn't be scared to see what it looks like before it's formed into a patty and put onto my bun. I kept walking, taking it all in.

Then I saw one cultural difference in Korea that I just don't understand and never will. Inbetween stands, there was a small butcher shop. Baby goats stood in one big cage, and underneath it was another cage of medium sized white dogs. They looked a little like golden retrievers, but were probably muts. I thought for a second "awwww puppies!" and then that quickly dissipated and I realized they too, were on the chopping block. In the display case next to the pig hooves was a whole skinned, roasted dog. I didn't look at the whole thing. I wouldn't have looked in the first place, but it took a few seconds for the images to register. In Korea, some people eat dog. It isn't a popular choice, but if you look hard (or stumble down the wrong market road), you can find it. The dog's feet were the part that really mad me sick. It made me think of my old dog back home. When I was younger I used to smell his feet sometimes. Odd, but hey, so was I. They always smelled like cut grass and gym shoes. Seeing this dog's feet skinned and roasted, I just couldn't imagine who would have the heart to hurt an animal like that. Especially an animal that just wants to be thrown a ball or curl up in your lap. Then I looked back at the cage of dogs. They were all huddled up one on top of the other, sleeping, or trying to sleep. Did they know they were next? Did they see it happen to others? My Korean friend Lee tells me eating dog is something only the old people do. I hope this is something that dies out with their generation.

Overall, this was an amazing way to take in some Korean culture first hand. The sights, the smells, both good and bad, were eye opening and memorable. We bought some dried fruit, fresh apples, and nuts. Pretty safe choices, but seeing the dog kinda ruined my appetite for the rest of the day/my life.

Now....about getting a new camera....

Cheers