Kid Alert at Hwaseong Fortress

There is a good chance that upon visiting one of the many palaces or fortress in Korea, you will find Koreans in period costumes. My yoga buddy, Mr. Choi, suggested we visit Hwaseong Fortress after yoga class yesterday and it was just a short bus ride away. I had been to the Fortress many times but not near the South Gate.


It is also a popular place for field trips for children. We saw so many and I was again amazed at how well behaved the kids were. There were no parents chaperoning, only the teachers and they easily kept the kids together.







I'm always looking up in the pagodas to see the amazing talent of the Korean people. I find it so beautiful.

More kids!!

This group was really bold and came up to us saying, "Hi." along with the usual questions: where are you from? They were so excited to talk to me. Choi asked me if this happens a lot. He was pretty amazed at the attention. I told him it happens more in Suwon than in Seoul.

They loved to pose for me.

They were having so much fun and it was a beautiful day in Suwon.

They sure weren't camera shy. As we left, we decided to get a cheeseburger at the local Lotteria (like a McDonald's). After we were done eating, Choi got up to leave and was surprised to see me taking the tray. I told him you had to throw away your garbage. He never knew that and had always just left it. He said I was more Korean than him.

We waited for a bus which took awhile because Choi was not sure which one to take. Finally, the right one came after he talked to a nearby teenager. I got on the bus followed by the teenager and Choi waved me on. I panicked not knowing where the bus went and when to get off.

The teenager stood right next to my seat and finally I saw my apartment building. I wasn't sure when to get off but he told me and made sure I got off just fine. Apparently, Choi had enlisted this young man to see me home without informing me. I was grateful and now I'm not scared to take the city bus.