May I just say...

... that I love running in Korea.  Seriously, I do.  I doubt that there's anywhere else in the world that's as enthusiastic and uplifting to roadside runners as Korea is.  I feel like a genuine rock star every time I run here. 

It all started last year when a few friends and I decided to start training for a half marathon.  Since we're all hagwon teachers and we don't get off work until late, we couldn't start our nightly runs until around 9 PM.  The first few runs I thought that it was odd at the sheer amount of people who would stop for us on the street and clap and cheer us on.  I figured that the majority of them had to be somewhat intoxicated as they were leaving a restaurant or bar late in the evening.

Things only got better during the World Cup.  I began sporting my Korean soccer jersey, to support Korea- but mostly to get more people to enthusiastically cheer for me while on our jaunts.   We would run the dark alleys of Pohang and every time we'd come upon a group of Koreans we would all shout, "Dae Han Min Guk" and everyone, I repeat, EVERYONE would reply with a "clap-clap clap-clap clap" in unison.  There would also be cheers, thumbs ups, and high fives.  It.was.awesome.

Tonight my friend Claire and I decided to run a few (ahem... four) miles to get some hangover soup (I'll have to have a separate post dedicated to the stuff).  I wasn't sure if we'd get any attention this time.  It was late, dark, and we were running a different route.  Luckily for me, a few minutes in we were cheered on by a group of men leaving a soju bar.  About a half a mile later a man working a parking booth took the time to stand up, wave at us frantically and give us a thumbs up.  From then on we were unstoppable.  Groups of men, women, and children held up their hands for high fives and congratulatory pats on the back.

I only wish that it could be the same in the States.  Having consistent support from strangers makes my run so much more enjoyable and I find myself wanting to run for a longer period of time.  Back home I ran hard because I was scared that if I stopped I was going to get shanked in the kidney- and that was in broad daylight.  I remember running around my university neighborhood in Tacoma, carrying a can of pepper spray and a pocketknife in my sports bra.  Baby steps people.  Baby steps.  Until that day, I'll keep the glory runs of South Korea.

Post Script.

"The Last Samurai" is BAMF.  Like, in all senses of the acronym.  I've never watched it before tonight and believe you me, it's fantastical.  It's a little "Dances with Wolves" mixed with a dash of "King Arthur" with the heart pounding adrenaline of "Gladiator" (The end of the movie reminds me of the scene between Hugh Grant and Billy Bob Thorton in "Love Actually") .   I'm still wiping the sopping tears from my eyes.  Ugh.  I hate heartbreaking bittersweet movies. 

I only have one complaint, and it's a small one.  It would have never bothered me if I didn't now possess a katana sword of my own, but the zingy "sch-liiiing" sound that the sword makes when it's unsheathed is soooooo not right.  It's not supposed to make any sounds at all.  I was so into the movie, but every time they sheathed or unsheathed their swords it just made me cringe and took me out of the movie for that brief instant.  I guess it would've made a lot of people confused if they didn't have the "sch-liiiiiing" sound, but hey, whatev. 

On another note, the boy and I have concluded that it would pretty much suck to be a horse in a war film.