My Daejeon Weekend in 25 Easily Digestible Points

1. This weekend I went to Daejeon. It’s the fifth largest city in Korea with a population of about 1.5 million. Its known to be the science and technology hub of Korea and so, understandably, the only reason I went there is because I've taken quite a fancy to another English teacher who works in the area - and I mean really English, like with the odd accent you can't understand and everything!

2. Joe, the English man (englishmaninsouthkorea.blogspot.com), is a charming sort of bloke so naturally picks me up from the subway at 9pm already smelling strongly of rice wine. The reasons for his early celebration having to do with the Daejeon teachers just finishing an additional three week training course for two hours everyday after school. I would have needed liquor as well.

3. I meet the Daejeon crew who are all nice, amusing or odd (a lovely combination in my books). I seem to make an alright impression. I make much better first impressions when my audience is already half pissed.

4. After staying out too late to catch the subway all the way home we wake up the next morning in time to go out for lunch with Joe's co-teacher, the Guv'nor. A native Korean who spent his younger teenage years in Utah, the Guv'nor speaks in fluent un-accented English and is a man whose ability to find you what you need in Daejeon is matched only by his wicked taste in food. We feast on some delectable Korean-Chinese food just outside the city limits. The Guv'nor agrees to take us out next time to another one of his top ten restaurants in Deajeon.

5. The Guv'nor is kind enough to take us to Expo Park where there is a dinosaur exhibit that Joe assures me he has free tickets for. But when we arrive at the ticket booth they wrangle 24,000 won out of us for entrance. Which would have been fine if the museum wasn't...on to the next point!

6. The museum was shite! There was a 3-D experience that consisted of standing in front of 9 posters with some blue and red glasses. Joe's yelp of surprise and quick jump back as he realized the large (15 feet) plastic dinosaurs moved was priceless but short lived. Nearby children jumped on a 10 foot high inflatable triceratops. Our inability to play in the children's sandpit where you could dig up bones (due to ageism) or play on little tricycles (due to Korean height restrictions for children's toys) soon ended our visit.

7. We then decided to wonder around Expo Park. It was an eerie experience. The Guv'nor had told us it had been losing money ever since it was built and we soon understood why - it felt like walking through a ghost town. I was buoyed to continue by the site of a roller coaster in the distance. Joe continued to be displeased.

8. On entering the amusement park section of the Expo we were greeted with more of a crowd- but not much. Joe gets a picture with a person dressed up in a pseudo-tele-tubby costume. The only difference being that this large headed green creature has a sour face and is holding a large brown plastic liquor bottle. He interacts with the children all day by chugging from his bottle and nearly falling off benches. They familiarize the kids early with drunkenness in Korea.

9. I practically have to drag Joe over to buy tickets to the roller coaster as he makes every detour imaginable to distract me. Joe doesn't like roller coasters, and while I'm usually scared of such things as well making Joe scared makes me happy and distracts me from my own fear. I keep on repeating the word 'dinosaurs' to indicate that he owes me.

10. Joe is a really good sport about it in the end- which makes me nervous as we buckle in. It’s a small roller coaster by most standards but it scares the crap out of me. The only reason I seem okay is because Joe is yelling through every twist and turn and loop-da-loop in the seat next to me.

11. After the ride and some ice cream we decide to find out where we can get the double bicycles we'd seen people on earlier. The bicycle-built-for-two looks a bit like a rickshaw to Joe. Two bicycles are welded together side by side and incased within a frame with a basket on the front for smaller children to sit in. There are two steering wheels but only the driver's side one works. We choose the blue one.

12. Joe drives first while I take pictures (including one of a confused Korean child on top of a giant plastic crocodile). We shout 'hello' back at the Korean teenagers that wave at us. Joe enjoys jerking the wheel wildly to jostle me around in the midst of my shots and because of the open frame I feel like I'm going to fall out every time.

13. Then its my turn. In Canada I never got my license and it clearly shows. Joe tries to steer from the passenger seat numerous times. We switch again.

14. Unable to drive I direct which path we should take. I goad Joe in the direction of the 93 meter tower (Expo '93) in the center of the park. Around the base of the tower is a wide circular area of sleek stone with a sharp drop off (moat style) about ten feet from the tower. And because I tell Joe to stay away from the edge he widely steers towards it...don't worry this is not where the crash happens.

15. Ready to punch the Brit he graciously allows me to steer again. As I change my spot the English man decides to become a Jamaican bobsledder. He starts pushing the bicycle contraption as I peddle readying himself to jump on. Due to my bad driving skills and poor nerves, from the antics of a limey bastard, I take a sharp turn around an on coming obstacle.

16. The counterbalance of the rickshaw bike is completely thrown off due to my missing partner. The rickshaw bike lurches...it tilts...it comes down hard on its side directly on top of me!

17. Joe is quick to respond and lifts the rickshaw off my trapped leg. I take a second. I feel pain- that's good right? I avoid any major injury and escape only with a few bruises on each leg and a scratched ankle. The bicycle had toppled in what seemed like slow motion giving me enough time to move myself mostly out of harm's way.

18. A bit guilt ridden the Brit agrees to steer us back. We discuss our plans on returning our rickshaw which has sustained some injury, including a bent pedal, torn sign, and dislocated front carriage, we decide on the 'dump and run' scenario. We walk as quickly and inconspicuously as possible toward the front gate.

19. Limping along, ;), we explore the famous Daejeon arched bridge and make our way to the nearest subway to meet up with friends coming in from Wonju. We take a couple more wanker shadow picture along the way.

20. We meet Jakub and the Safers of Wonju plus two new Canadians! (though I think I meet some ill will when I sighed dejectedly that they were Canadians, yet again, from the Greater Toronto Area.) We ate at a nice little corner restaurant which suited Jakub's dietary needs (really? you can't eat spicy food and you come to Korea?...he's lost about ten pounds since he's been here).

21. We exchanged some gossip, retold my near death experience and talked about their plans to undertake a two hour hike up a mountain at 8am the next day...would we like to join them?...ummm, no- we point to our footwear, chucks, as a pathetic excuse.

22. After some final drinks the mountain keeners leave and we head to the apartment of some of Joe's Deajeon friends. After a football match no really cared for anyway, its seems both teams are widely hated in Britain due mainly to the fact that both teams are really good which is something not tolerated in the U.K, and some drinks we head out for the night.

23. We head out to a dance club called Cocoon. We dance the night away and mingle with a few Koreans and show them our North American style dance moves which involve lots of hip movements, droppin' it likes it’s hot, and a version of the Carleton a la 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'.

24. We again wake up late and have to head out to make sure I can catch a bus going back to Chuncheon. We stop in the old downtown area for some eats. We buy spicy chicken from some street vendors and then we hit up the best bakery in Daejeon. This is the first time I see any Easter decorations in Korea- the bakery has a nice Easter display set up. When Joe buys his food they give him an egg. Not knowing it was hard boiled I refuse to have it cracked on my head fearing Joe wants to ruin my awesome plaid shirt.

25. We soak in the sun- finally the first signs of warm weather to come- while eating our bread. We end our time together buy taking, what is becoming, the traditional picture, of our Chuck shoes side by side. I'm stuffed in a taxi to the bus terminal and there ends my weekend.