walking the dog

Walking a dog in Haebangchon can be quite the task. Not only is it all steep hills, which are icy in the winter and sometimes strangely oily the rest of the year, there is salt and chemicals on the roads, there are no sidewalks, and there are bits of garbage everywhere. Little pieces of bone keep popping up everywhere. It's making me crazy!!

I have certainly been getting a lot of exercise lately, though. There are a few ways I usually walk through the area. The paths through Namsan park are great, some paved/boardwalk style, some dirt paths (too muddy right now). There's also the maze of streets and pathways through the residential area on the side of the mountain. One of my favorite walks is going up to the ridge and down the other side where there are ways too narrow for any cars and so are usually quite quiet. I think in any other country that type of area might be a bit more dangerous? Here are some pics to show some parts of my walk.Going down.That's a little house on the right. It looks short because it is lower on the hill.Turn the corner and you get to...Looking down.Looking back up at the stairs.Go to the left. Looking down over a more traditional style home below.A view of Seoul.Going down again.And around a corner.And around another corner:More stairs. Around the corner:Here is another picture that I took at this point.
Down a ways to more stairs:And so on...
A couple more pics from walking around Haebangchon.

PETS

This is from an email that I received. Not sure who wrote it but I think it's great. :)

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE PETS, THIS IS A TRUE STORY. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T, IT'S STILL A TRUE STORY.
The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.
Dear Dogs and Cats: the dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food or dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out t the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
for the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the know or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the bathroom door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.
The proper order for kissing is: kiss me first, then go smell the other dog's or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.
Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door: TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:
1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.
REMEMBER, dogs and cats are "better" than kids because they: 1. eat less, 2. don't ask for money all the time, 3. are easier to train, 4. normally come when called, 5. never ask to drive the car, 6. don't hang out with assholes, 7. don't smoke or drink, 8. don't want to wear your clothes, or buy the latest fashions, 9. don't criticize with the "eye roll" or muttered remarks, 10, don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and 11. if they get pregnant, you can sell their children. :)

Runa

I'm trying to find a new home for Runa. She is such a sweet dog and if I had more time and energy I would try to convince the landlord to let me keep her. Also, I wish I could afford to send her home to Canada but it's quite a bit more than I can afford at the time (I was given a quote of 2,000,000 won, or a bit under $2000 Canadian). Very sad.
I am making posting for Runa on Animal Rescue Korea . If you don't want a big dog, they have plenty of other dogs listed that need homes, most of whom are in dog shelters. I don't want her to end up chained up all the time or stuck in a tiny apartment all the time.

If you are interested or know anyone interested, let me know.

[After her first bath at the vet. They put a cutesy little ribbon on her for some silly reason. Only in Korea?]