Suwon with Juwon

A few weeks back I was on my way home on the train from a long night in Yeoju when the girl next to me reluctantly started talking to me in English.  She was very nervous to talk to me, but she wants to improve her English and probably thought what better opportunity than this blonde-haired dude who almost certainly speaks English.

Her English is pretty good already (she's a university student studying biomedical engineering, aka way over my head), but she wants to improve before a trip to New Zealand next year.  So I gave her my email and told her she can send me questions, just correspond and/or we can meet up and talk.  Plus, she can help me with my rudimentary Korean.

So late afternoon Saturday I headed off to Suwon to check out the Hwaseong Fortress with her as my guide.  Built in the 18th century, Hwaseong was build by King Jeongjo of the Josean Dynasty to honor his father Prince Sado who was murdered by being locked inside a rice chest by his father the king.

My rice chest experience sans the rice, thankfully.

After checking out the fortress and patrolling the grounds, we headed off to dinner.  She gave me the option of choosing where to go, but I deferred to her expertise with Korean food.  We ended up at a small restaurant eating gamjatang, which is one of her favorites and her mother's specialty.

Juwon

Side dishes: radish kimchi, soup with some sort of pressed fish and blood sausage (sundae) and salty pork.

Gamjatang - potatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers and pork bones in a spicy broth.

It was a good day.  I made it home by 9:30 or so, went to bed early and woke feeling quite refreshed on Sunday.  I was tempted to watch the Badger game live, but I held off because quite a few GEPIK people were going to watch the game on tape delay at Sam Ryan's in Itaewon.  I made it just in time to see David Gilreath house the kickoff and start what was a fantastic victory over the nation's top team.  What a day!  It would have been a great night in Madison that I'm sure of!