Weekend in Andong
These days, going outside requires a daily pep talk with my inner voice.
Me: I don’t want to do this.
Inner voice: Â You can do this! Â You did it yesterday.
Me: Â But yesterday it was -1 degree in the morning. Â Today it is -3.
Inner voice: Â You are wearing two pairs of socks, tights under your pants, two thermal shirts, a sweater, hat, gloves, scarf, and fleece coat. Â Let’s go.
Me: Â But it’s so cold at the school. Â The bathrooms and hallways are like a meat freezer.
Inner voice: Â You’re such a wuss.
Oh wait, that’s not my inner voice, that’s Jared. Â Somehow, despite being born and raised in Australia, he has special heat-generating properties that allow him to emerge in a shirt, thin sweater and coat. Â If it was a few degrees warmer, he’d probably be in shorts and thongs.
Luckily, the afternoon sun still makes an appearance, rendering outdoor adventures possible. Â So last Friday we caught a train to Andong after work. Â Andong is about 2 1/2 hours away, and is famous for being the place where Queen Elizabeth spent her birthday in 1999. Â Every tourist hotspot boasts that they were the proud hosts of the Queen. Â The Soju and Food Museum has a special glassed-in display table covered with wax replicas of the foods she was served. No photos allowed.
Like Betty, we too visited Hahoe Village to view the famed Mask Dance. Â Once a year there is a Mask Dance festival, but if you miss it, the village puts on a show once a day, three times a week.
People actually live in the village, though I presume they remove their masks in the privacy of their homes. Â They also don’t bat an eye at the Koreans and foreigners alike who prowl their streets, snapping photos of everything we encounter.
And I bet the Queen didn’t take the scenic route from the information center to the village, where we found these:
Andong was an inspired choice for a weekend away. Â I even got a sweet new pair of gloves for only 3500 won. Â (See above photo.)
These gloves will become a mandatory part of my outfit, particularly as this weekend marked the start of the snow season here in Gangwon-do. Â I noticed photo albums on the school website of students and teachers decked out in snowsuits, wearing skis and clutching poles. Â Warning bells are going off in my head – I won’t be surprised if one of the next teacher’s excursions involve cold-weather gear and a ski lift. Â Better triple up on my layers.