tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77721202222701079792024-02-07T12:55:17.401+09:00The Jeju Big SwimThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-57747699624294243452012-07-20T17:55:00.000+09:002012-07-20T19:15:43.046+09:00Getting The Message Out There<div style="text-align: justify;">
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What i really like about being able to come back to Jeju and participate in World Environment and Island Summer School is that it provides a platform; a platform where i get the opportunity to get people thinking about, talking about, and engaging with the issues. This year i'll give a presentation and workshop on some of the problems affecting our seas - acidification, rising sea temperatures, over fishing, pollution, and so on. It's an opportunity to get people thinking about why they should care.</div>
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Jeju Big Swim will again be a part of the World Environment and Island Summer School program. As a platform, Jeju Big Swim has enormous potential to promote environmental education and raise environmental awareness. </div>
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Whilst i am enormously grateful for the support given by WEISS, for Jeju Big Swim to reach its full potential there is a need for a passionate and committed individual or group to take it to the next level. It will take a lot of work as 2010 and 2011 JBS team member Sung Mi can attest to ~ liaise with community groups to raise participation levels, seek sponsorship, market, publicise and promote the event to the media and the public, arrange and organise entertainment, and the million and one other things that go into making such an event. </div>
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Jeju Big Swim has the potential to be big - an annual event whereby dozens, hundreds, thousands of people swim for the environment. Jeju is just the start. Just imagine - a Seoul Big Swim, a Pusan Big Swim, a Mokpo Big Swim, a Pohang Big Swim ..... Get your togs on! </div>
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Huge potential indeed!</div>
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Sherrin </div>
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<br /></div>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-71681628472385378922012-07-19T16:48:00.000+09:002012-07-19T17:00:16.335+09:00JEJU BIG SWIM 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbEEcENSO-zc_UtAzDDIjV0B7jwA4HDaXajGlhwIb4IcvaROvy27sG0n-GPvGLWqTUdTtr5VZoog2kMW9OS9xqDrbjhuwaFgWxEY2t3gTmDhm84RWp-wW2lIJSsgD1zDAwZJvKQEgtjlf/s1600/_%EC%84%AC%ED%8F%AC%EC%8A%A4%ED%84%B0-%EC%88%98%EC%A0%95.JPG_-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbEEcENSO-zc_UtAzDDIjV0B7jwA4HDaXajGlhwIb4IcvaROvy27sG0n-GPvGLWqTUdTtr5VZoog2kMW9OS9xqDrbjhuwaFgWxEY2t3gTmDhm84RWp-wW2lIJSsgD1zDAwZJvKQEgtjlf/s320/_%EC%84%AC%ED%8F%AC%EC%8A%A4%ED%84%B0-%EC%88%98%EC%A0%95.JPG_-2.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
I have been invited, once again, to participate in this year's World Environment and Island Summer School. Though not finalised i believe i'll be presenting a paper and conducting a workshop. I'll also be swimming. There is a 1km swim scheduled for Saturday, July 28th at Udo or Biyangdo Beach (not sure on the details yet!), and a 1km swim on Sunday 29th at Kimnyoung.<br />
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If there are any swimmers out there come along and join in. You can facebook me at the Jeju Big Swim Community page or at "Jeju BigSwim". I'm also at Jejubigswim@gmail.com. Even if you don't swim, tell your friends and come along to show your support. This is a great opportunity to be an advocate for the sea - believe me, Mother Ocean sure needs it!<br />
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<br />The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-64861908473943088142011-08-12T11:51:00.000+09:002011-08-12T11:51:37.465+09:00Gang Jeong - No Navy BaseLast year when i swam around Jeju i swam through some water that tasted very fresh and salty - completely different from everywhere else where the water smelled of sewerage, dead, rotting fish and/or oil and fuel. I swam into the little harbour and was surprised at the lack of detritus i had commonly encountered in most harbours - plastic bags, bottles, cans etc. I remember commenting to Steve and asking where we were. When he checked our chart he said we were in Gang Jeong. Gang Jeong had the cleanest water in Jeju!<br />
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And this is where the powers-that-be have decided to build a naval base.<br />
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I have seen with my own eyes the terrible state of the sea around Jeju, the result of pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction.<br />
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Nevermind that Jeju is a designated "World Peace Island" and the building of a naval base means no one will take that designation seriously - a missed opportunity. Jeju has a reputation for being 'natural' and 'clean'. Instead of building on this branding, the powers-that-be have chosen to destroy the last of Jeju that really is natural and clean - a missed opportunity.<br />
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From an environmental, a social and a tourism perspective Jeju will lose so much more than it will gain.<br />
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Please go to <a href="http://www.savejejuisland.org/Save_Jeju_Island/Welcome.html">http://www.savejejuisland.org/Save_Jeju_Island/Welcome.html</a><br />
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The sea belongs to us all.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Police at Gang Jeong</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Protesters and police</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Police guarding the lane way leading to the protest site</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the site</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Protesters are living in tents</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading down to the site</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Protest Thursday 11th August, 2011.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gang Jeong - under threat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No Naval Base!</td></tr>
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The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-38627219308679101082011-08-09T08:37:00.000+09:002011-08-09T08:37:43.534+09:00World Environment and Peace Summer SchoolOn Saturday i was a panel participant for the 2011, 11th Peace Island Forum. It was a great opportunity for me to share some of my first hand knowledge of the ills impacting our oceans. Then yesterday i gave a two and a half hour presentation to a group of 8 students titled "The Environment and the Individual". <br />
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We started the session with some fun ice breakers before getting down to the main agenda. I showed several TED Talks (with Korean subtitles) and asked the participants to note down the issues that impacted on our oceans. Students then worked in pairs to make a list which they displayed to the rest of the class on a large sheet of butcher paper (provided by Big Swim team member Eugene - thanks Eugene!). Participants were then divided into 2 groups and told to choose what they felt were the 3 most important issues and justify their choices to the rest of the class.<br />
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Then each group spent time discussing what they, as individuals, could do to help solve the problems they had identified They then presented their ideas to the class.<br />
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My role was only that of presenter and facilitator. When some of the ideas or solutions presented seemed a little abstract i tried to get the students to think in more concrete terms. For example, one group suggested "provide environmental education". I then asked the hard questions such as what is environmental education? How can you, as an individual, provide it? To whom? By problematising the solutions presented and thinking critically about how to enact change at the level of the individual, students were able to see that they, as individuals, have the power to create change for the better.<br />
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I had a lot of fun and i hope the participants did to. If anyone would like to hold their own workshop i'm happy to pass on my resources. Please get in touch ~ jeju big swim (all one word) at gee mail dot com.The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-86363945791978375062011-08-07T14:08:00.001+09:002011-08-07T14:11:48.166+09:00Team Jeju Big Swim 2011The Jeju Big Swim team is growing. It's also changing. Of course there is team member Sung Mi who worked so tirelessly last year and without whose efforts, Jeju Big Swim would not have happened. And that is definately the case again this year.<br />
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Sung Mi was supposed to have flown off to Mongolia today however the trip has been cancelled thanks to cyclone Muifa. Mongolia's loss, but definately our gain!<br />
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We have team member Eugene who has got our web site up and running in both Korean and English. Thanks to Eugene's efforts the day's events, schedule and other relevant information is all in one place (www.jejubigswim.com).<br />
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We are really lucky that Mr Kim Cheon Dae has joined the team. He is the president of the lifeguard team who swam with me on the last day of last years Jeju Big Swim. Mr Kim is very committed to making Jeju Big Swim a community event and is excited about its potential to foster environmental education and awareness. Mr Kim is liaising with the marine police, coordinating the kayakers and is responsible for swimmer registrations. He is also dealing with the safety issues and sorting out the logistics of the swims.<br />
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We are a very small team - but we are hoping that from small things, big things will grow. <br />
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We have received support from several people. My university, Southern Cross University, provided free gym and pool membership so that i could train.<br />
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Mr Lee, from Mr Lee's Bike Shop, is supporting JBS by providing a 50cc scooter - with all the running around we've had to do it has been worth its weight in gold. A huge thankyou Mr Lee!<br />
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We are still looking for someone who can act as translator and manage our Korean blog and Facebook page. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Lee and the 50cc scooter outside his shop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-75443396223152777502011-08-07T12:02:00.026+09:002011-08-07T12:15:20.078+09:00Korea - Land of the Last Minute I have spent the past month wondering if i was going to make it to Jeju to participate in Jeju Big Swim 2011. Despite telling them that my participation was not 100% confirmed, Southern Cross University still provided me with free access to the gym and pool so that i could train. After an anxious wait, the World Environment and Peace Summer School finally came through with a return flight from Brisbane to Jeju. I received flight confirmation details on Wednesday afternoon. I had one night to pack and get myself sorted before i had to leave for the trip to Brisbane.<br />
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When i finally arrived in Jeju i was a little (a lot!) disconcerted to find that only the Jeju Big Swim concert event had been organised. However, my arrival seemed to be the catalyst needed and since then it's been a mad scramble to pull it all together. A series of desperate phone calls very late on Sunday night culminated in Sung Mi and i, at 10.30pm, sitting in a norae bang attending a rather bizarre "emergency" meeting convened by the team member responsible for community participation. We were greeted with half empty whiskey bottles and long speeches. It was quite clear that if Jeju Big Swim 2011 was going to happen, then we were going to have to do it ourselves - and pretty quickly at that. As i don't speak Korean most of the work fell to Sung Mi who has been doing a great job.<br />
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But today Sung Mi flies off to Mongolia and won't be back till swim day. Lucky for us, on Thursday, Mr Kim Cheon Dae stepped up to the plate. Cheon Dae is the head of the life saving group i swam with on the final day of last year's JBS and was at the meeting on Sunday night. He is organising to have sea kayakers accompany any 10 km swimmers, sorting out safety and swim logistics, liaising with the marine police and so on. Mr Kim Cheon Dae totally gets Jeju Big Swim and has even agreed to be our media spokesperson.<br />
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A huge thankyou to Mr Kim Cheon Dae. The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-15942230725289170332011-08-01T17:03:00.000+09:002011-08-01T17:03:13.363+09:00Jeju Big Swim 2011Jeju Big Swim 2011 will be held on Saturday August 13th. This year it is a community event whereby everyone can participate. Once again, Jeju Big Swim is an official event of the World Environment and Peace Summer School.<br />
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This year there will be many ways to participate. There will be a 50 metre swim for kids and beginners, a 1 km swim and a 10km. There will also be an opportunity for non-swimmers to walk instead of swim.<br />
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We've had great support - World Environment and Peace Summer School provided my air ticket, Southern Cross University provided free pool and gym membership so i could train, and Mr Lee, of Mr Lee's bike shop here in Jeju has given me a scooter to use while i'm here.<br />
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The web page is slowly coming together at www.jejubigswim.com thanks to Eugene and Kenny. We've also fired up the Facebook Jeju Big Swim community page and (Korean) Cyworld will be operational soon (thanks Kenny!).<br />
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Jeju Big Swim is the result of a lot of hard work by the Jeju Big Swim team. More about the team coming soon......The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-32942177253981868362010-10-29T10:30:00.000+09:002010-10-29T10:30:08.329+09:00SWIMMING AROUND JEJU ~ WHAT I SAW.....<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While i was swimming around Jeju i wish i had a swim cam. You know - a camera attached to my head so people could see exactly what i could see. If i had such a device the seas might be cleaner than what they are. I knew the sea around Jeju wasn't great; you just have to visit any beach to realise that. Nevertheless, i really wasn't prepared for the reality of what i saw. As i don't have a swim cam, i will just have to tell you.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The water i swam through smelled. And it smelled bad. Sometimes it smelled of sewerage, sometimes it smelled of oil and fuel, and sometimes it smelled of dead rotting fish. In some places it smelled of all those things together, like at Hengwon and at Pyeoson. Rather ironically, the only place where the sea DIDN'T smell bad was near Gangjeong, where the powers-that-be want to build a Naval base. The waters around Gangjeong smelled (and tasted!) like the ocean should - clean, "fresh", and salty. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I swam through a lot of garbage. Sometimes Steve had to call out so i wouldn't swim headlong into a plastic bag or an empty oil container floating in a pile of muck. But what was more disturbing was just how much garbage was under the surface, distributed throughout the water column as far as i could see. In too many places i would look down and see ramyeon bowls, drink cans, ice cream wrappers, cigarette lighters (!), foil and plastic packaging, plastic bottles and bottle caps, plastic forks and spoons, chopsticks and chopstick wrappers. I saw frightening amounts of polystyrene foam, hundreds and hundreds of paper cups, and thousands of plastic bags, in every state of deterioration from whole bags to small fragments. And i saw plastic, plastic and more plastic. I was shocked and saddened to see small schools of fish eating it. Of course they will die.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHTzc14xxXYRQcUw2-d1V9q23oiRIuCuvc5-Epjmrmz0d30HQ71HnxegwPRB311sy8pfN3iXFm2_0a3kr-3JcUBNOkgBuS9CMfek_jkXbeot04yGgfgYItfL_pNgY3bloxA3WrDuIHWpa/s1600/Alicia+rubbish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHTzc14xxXYRQcUw2-d1V9q23oiRIuCuvc5-Epjmrmz0d30HQ71HnxegwPRB311sy8pfN3iXFm2_0a3kr-3JcUBNOkgBuS9CMfek_jkXbeot04yGgfgYItfL_pNgY3bloxA3WrDuIHWpa/s320/Alicia+rubbish.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming at Hamdeok Beach with plastic bag, can, polystyrene foam and other detritus<br />
(Photo Alicia Cabezuda)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talking of fish, i didn't see a lot</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. And what fish i did see were all very small. One effect of overfishing is that the fish in affected areas don't survive long enough to grow into big, healthy breeders. The result is a less resilient fish population that matures younger, is smaller and weaker, and produces fewer eggs. Sad to say, Jeju has over-exploited and very depleted fish stocks.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When you experience Jeju from the sea, as i did, it soon becomes apparent that there is very little of Jeju's "natural" environment left. Evidence of habitat destruction is everywhere. It was very rare to not see a road, a building or a harbour all along the coast. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Pyeoson Beach is representative of the kind of habitat destruction i'm talking about. It is often referred to as "tourism development". If you go there you can see that this area was once an estuary surrounded by sand dunes. Sand dune estuarine areas are home to particularly rich and diverse eco-systems. It has been completely annihilated. The creeks and streams have been built over and are now drains whilst the sand dunes have been flattened to make roads, carparks and picnic areas. All the plants and animals that made up that eco-system are no more.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Probably the most upsetting thing i saw during the whole swim was the way hundreds and hundreds of people picnicking on the grass at Pyeoson made no effort to take their rubbish with them when they left. To get to the beach to swim i had to walk, literally ankle deep, through the previous night's litter - pizza boxes, take away food containers, plastic bags, plastic bottles, broken glass, ramyeon bowls, drink cans, empty cigarette packets, ice cream wrappers, and so on. </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It is this mindset and behaviour that The Jeju Big Swim hopes to change.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sherrin</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-13483108534610960172010-10-27T10:19:00.030+09:002010-10-27T14:25:21.258+09:00IT WASN'T JUST US ~ Part 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikoQUomkMakUBRaqkbv1u4Or16lNqiLltCq9xJsqcmf39R22dKpbTSpF7JryzgGFdJJv_UA1a-NMxkDHIjO8yUes7Daw7Cv8efArzq5eaV2QmcG7oJZ-6X1BTBTGwv4ztbUl4SilFO_SQT/s1600/Kimnyoung+sea+swim.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rf4FLZeF8cH0d23S9M3_TCN1xWk0oAxE9Khk21tgLmPxySr1BDVd8XzcrTutUesFSPpIPpeLS8StgDBijsL72sztF-NXuH-c26__Yxj312hxnAJV-efi-LxuXrtiCVaFA-VRQLXhdL15/s1600/Kimnyoung+sea+swim.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">IN THE BEGINNING.......</span></strong></div><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The Jeju Big Swim - what an adventure! But everyone needs to know that though i swam, and Steve kayaked, it wasn't just us. So here's a rundown on what it took to make The Jeju Big Swim.</span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">In the beginning i didn't know if i really could swim around Jeju. I'd read about a guy, Martin Strehl, who had swum the Amazon. His swim inspired me to think seriously about swimming around Jeju as a way to raise environmental awareness. Martin Strehl was older (and fatter!) than me so i figured that if he could swim the Amazon, then maybe i could swim around Jeju - but i wasn't sure. So Arni Highfield and his family, visiting Jeju on their yacht <em>Jade, </em>offered to help me find out. Accompanied by Arni in a dinghy with the dinkiest outboard i've ever seen, and dodging some humongous jellyfish, i swam from Kimnyoung Harbour to Kimnyoung Beach, a distance of just over 2 kilometres. I knew then that swimming around Jeju was a do-able project.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></p><p align="justify"></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I started training in the Ramada Hotel Sports Centre pool with help from swimming coach Kim Hyo Jin, and eventually met Steve Oberhauser, a white water rafting, mountain man from America, and soon to be the owner of a pretty, two-person, bright yellow sea kayak. The Jeju Big Swim Team was born.</span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Web pages, blogs, Facebook and Twitter are essential to a project like ours. However, being completely clueless about such things it was Justin Nalepa and Nicole Erwin who finally got us sorted. Justin and Nicole are STILL getting us sorted! And Lisa Caraway, despite crossing 3 continents, made our webpage. We finally had a presence on the www! Kenny Kim was in charge of the K-blog. He started off posting translated material we emailed to him but before long he was taking the material himself, translating it, and posting on the K-blog.</span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">In the beginning Sung Mi was our media liaison person. But soon she was contacting people about money and sponsorship, setting up meetings and acting as translator. Sung Mi has been in on The Jeju Big Swim since the beginning and she has done a fantastic job. </span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">As interest in the project grew Sung Mi, by this time taking final exams, was struggling to keep up with everything that was going on and we realised we needed a dedicated translator. Jisu joined the team - and we are so glad she did! Jisu's skills lay not just in her English language abilities, but in the way she could communicate in a way that culturally, both Koreans and us foreigners could understand. Now that's a skill!</span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Jessie Dishaw put together an Open Mic night for us. People came and that event not only helped spread the word about what we wanted to do, it raised over 400,000 won. </span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Major sponsorship was proving elusive so we were ecstatic when Prof Koh and Kim Miran invited us to swim as one of the official events of the 2010 <em>World Environment and Peace Summer School</em>. Under the umbrella of such a great organisation and with their promise of substantial funding we finally started to believe that The Jeju Big Swim would really happen. We were especially heartened when KCTV presented us with a cheque for 1 million won. After more rejections than we cared to think about, we had finally found a Jeju business willing to do more than just pay lip service to Jeju and its environment. </span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">However, as we were to find out, that was just the beginning. Jeju girl, Hong Sunyoung, though living in England, put the word out to all her Jeju friends. They rallied to our cause providing us with in-kind practical support and much needed safety equipment. Jeju business woman Ra Jung Im not only put her office at our disposal for meetings, but spent considerable time, energy and money to provide us with distress flares. Yang Gi Jung gave us a first aid kit and Nuri Mart contributed snacks and drinks. Mr Yang of the Samyang Family Mart provided us with several Cass beer bags that proved extremely useful for stowing our gear on board the kayak.</span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Father Jerry Cotter demonstrated tremendous support for us by leading a "Blessing of the Fleet" ceremony attended by many supporters and well-wishers and the media. </span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The media started to take an interest thanks to friend and 해남 Lee Han Young in Seoul, and Sung Mi did a great job organising and coordinating all the interviews. In support of my training i had been given free gym membership by the generous people at the Ramada Sports Centre however a rather serendipitous meeting with Sarah Crivelli and Suzie Grace on Samyang Beach at just the right time got me out of the pool and training in the sea. I was getting fitter, i had the full support of my school, and start day was fast approaching......</span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sherrin<br /></span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="justify"><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div></div>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-62673769804200366162010-09-13T01:24:00.010+09:002010-10-13T16:49:40.963+09:00Poem by Chai Ba-da<em>(Note: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ji</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">su</span> translated this into English and Steve edited <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ji</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">su's</span> English translation.)</em><br /><br />Challenge<br /><br />Challenge is something beautiful<br />Although there is failure, the challenge itself is beautiful<br />It is the mightiest courage god gave to man<br />What other gift is better?<br />It is the mountain of hope one follows in spite of the pain and challenge<br />Do not give up<br />To fulfill the dream, accept the challenge<br />Beautiful people accept challenge<br />The confidence will allow one to stand up again after the fall<br />Who will give more courage and happiness?<br />Man exists because of challenge<br />Challenge, challenge, and challenge again<br />For the great challenge<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Chai</span> Ba-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">da</span>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-16906208923934364142010-09-13T01:21:00.022+09:002010-09-29T21:46:26.909+09:00THE JEJU BIG SWIM'S FINANCES7,010,083 Won. The Jeju Big Swim received in donations.<br /><br />3,519,093 Won. <em><strong>The Jeju Big Swim currently has in the bank.<br /></strong></em><br />3,490,990 Won. The Jeju Big Swim spent. This is how:<br /><br /><u>July 29th</u><br /><u></u><br />050,000 phone Sherrin<br />100,000 phone Steve<br />150,000 phone Sung-mi<br />000,500 bank fee <em>-Receipt</em><br />027,000 sun lotion <em>-Receipt</em><br />088,560 E-Mart <em>-Receipt</em><br /><br /><em>(416,060; 416,060)</em><br /><br /><br /><u>July 30th</u><br /><br />010,000 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(10,000; 426,060)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>July 31st</u><br /><u></u><br />003,000 muffins <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,300 fruit <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,000 food<br /><br /><em>(13,300; 439,360)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 1st</u><br /><u></u><br />030,000 pot bing su <em>-Receipt</em><br />040,000 galbi dinner <em>-Receipt</em><br />003,000 food<br />010,000 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(83,000; 522,360)</em><br /><em></em><br /><u></u><br /><u>August 2nd</u><br /><u></u><br />005,000 dry fruit <em>-Receipt</em><br />004,430 yogurt <em>-Receipt</em><br />030,000 Mrs. C<br /><br /><em>(39,430; 561,790)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 3rd</u><br /><u></u><br />045,000 samgyatang dinner <em>-Receipt</em><br />020,550 Nonghyup grocery <em>-Receipt</em><br />030,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />000,500 bank fee <em>-Receipt</em><br />010,000 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(106,050; 667,840)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 4th</u><br /><u></u><br />008,600 taxi<br />003,500 food<br />010,000 gas<br />014,790 food<em>-Receipt</em><br />010,000 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(46,890; 714,730)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 6th</u><br /><u></u><br />003,000 cake<br />026,000 lunch <em>-Receipt</em><br />030,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />010,000 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(69,000; 783,730)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 7th</u><br /><u></u><br />030,000 Sherrrin's minbak<br />016,000 guk <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,600 breakfast <em>-Receipt</em><br />000,500 bank fee <em>-Receipt</em><br />008,960 Nonghyup grocery <em>-Receipt</em><br />012,000 sun hats<br />007,760 food <em>-Receipt</em><br />010,000 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(90,820; 874,550)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 9th</u><br /><u></u><br />022,000 lunch <em>-Receipt</em><br />060,000 Sherrin's minbak (2 nights)<br />001,700 PC Bang<br />017,100 food <em>-Receipt</em><br />010,000 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(110,800; 985,350)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 10th</u><br /><u></u><br />100,000 Seogwipo<br />005,700 Dunkin Donuts <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,540 GS25 <em>-Receipt</em><br />001,800 Family Mart <em>-Receipt</em><br />010,000 samgyatang <em>-Receipt</em><br />008,800 Paris Baguette <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,000 fruit<br />020,000 doctor<br />010,000 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(166,840; 1,152,190)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 11th</u><br /><u></u><br />030,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />010,000 doctor Sherrin <em>-Receipt</em><br />004,300 doctor Sherrin <em>-Receipt</em><br />003,000 bath<br />005,000 lunch <em>-Receipt</em><br />006,000 gas scooter<br />015,000 taxi Mr. CBD <em>-Receipt</em><br />050,000 overall transportation Sung-mi<br /><br /><em>(123,300; 1,275,490)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 12th</u><br /><u></u><br />030,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />004,300 doctor Sherrin <em>-Receipt</em><br />039,460 E-Mart <em>-Receipt</em><br />000,500 bank fee<br />050,000 phone Sherrin <em>-Receipt</em><br />004,000 gimbap<br />013,300 food <em>-Receipt</em><br /><br /><em>(141,560; 1,417,050)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><u>August 13th</u><br /><u></u><br />030,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />005,000 galbitang <em>-Receipt</em><br />004,500 peaches<br />004,300 doctor Sherrin <em>-Receipt</em><br />008,800 Family Mart <em>-Receipt</em><br />014,400 Paris Baguette <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,000 bakery<br />002,690 gas scooter<br />003,300 food<br /><br /><em>(77,990; 1,495,040)</em><br /><em></em><br /><br /><u>August 14th</u><br /><u></u><br />030,000 Sherrin's pension<br />001,500 Family Mart <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,250 eggs, peaches <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,600 Family Mart <em>-Receipt</em><br />004,000 food bakery<br />006,000 T-Money <em>-Receipt</em><br />205,000 business cards<br /><br /><em>(257,350; 1,752,390)</em><br /><em></em><br /><br /><u>August 15th</u><br /><br /><p>030,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />003,200 bakery<br />014,540 food <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,400 gas scooter</p><p><em>(53,140; 1,805,530)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 16th</u></p><p>007,200 Paris Baguette <em>-Receipt</em><br />010,900 Paris Baguette <em>-Receipt</em><br />053,000 E-Mart<br />030,000 Sherrin's minbak</p><p><em>(101,100; 1,906,630)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 17th</u></p><p>014,040 food <em>-Receipt</em><br />001,000 Jungmun Beach shower</p><p><em>(15,040; 1,921,670)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 18th</u></p><p>040,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />005,900 Paris Baguette<br />005,000 peaches<br />004,100 doctor Sherrin<br />001,000 gimbap<br />018,010 food <em>-Receipt</em><br />005,950 gas scooter</p><p><em>(79,960; 2,001,630)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 19th<br /><br /></u>035,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />025,000 dinner<br />022,260 Hanaro Mart<br />002,500 drinks<br />002,000 plastic bags<br />003,200 Sandasoo<br />050,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />004,900 taxi<br />016,000 food<br />003,500 GS25<br />026,350 Hong Mart<br />006,500 Paris Baguette<br />000,500 bank fee<br />005,500 PC Bang<br />002,400 GS25</p><p><em>(205,610; 2,207,240)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 20th</u></p><p>007,000 sunglasses<br />004,600 taxi<br />002,900 Pocari Sweat<br />005,500 PC Bang</p><p><em>(20,000; 2,227,240)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 22nd<br /><br /></u>005,000 buses<br />014,200 Paris Baguette<br />018,820 Hanaro Mart</p><p><em>(38,020; 2,265,260)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 23rd</u></p><p>045,000 dinner<br />027,000 sea sickness patches<br />034,000 food<br />005,000 energy drinks<br />052,000 key shop<br />010,000 gas scooter</p><p><em>(173,000; 2,438,260)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 24th<br /><br /></u>018,270 New World<br />040,000 fuel<br />034,000 fuel</p><p><em>(92,270; 2,530,530)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 25th</u></p><p>004,300 doctor Sherrin<br />016,610 food <em>-Receipt</em></p><p><em>(20,910; 2,551,440)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 26th<br /><br /></u>015,000 doctor Sherrin<br />017,710 food <em>-Receipt</em><br /><br /><em>(32,710; 2,584,150)</em></p><p><br /><u>August 27th</u></p><p>001,400 doctor Sherrin<br />006,500 antibiotics Sherrin</p><p><em>(7,900; 2,592,050)</em></p><p><u><br />August 28th</u><br /><br />167,460 LOOSE CASH<br /><em>(Note: In Sherrin's possession at last report for finances, money will be either spent on The Jeju Big Swim related matters, or deposited back into the account.)</em></p><p><em>(167,460; 2,759,510)</em></p><p><br /><u>September 3rd<br /><br /></u>005,320 food <em>-Receipt</em><br />003,170 gas scooter<br /><br /><em>(8,490; 2,768,000)</em></p><p><br /><u>September 6th<br /><br /></u>053,000 concert set-up meeting</p><p><em>(53,000; 2,821,000)</em></p><p><br /><u>September 9th<br /><br /></u>300,000 last day set-up, food, concert</p><p><em>(300,000; 3,121,000)</em></p><p><br /><u>September 13th<br /><br /></u>058,200 last day lunch for preparation</p><p><em>(58,200; 3,179,200)</em></p><p><br /><u>September 19th</u></p><p>111,290 Sung-mi communication fee</p><p><em>(111,290; 3,290,490)</em></p><p><br /><u>ADJUSTMENTS<br /><br /></u>030,000 Sherrin's minbak<br />037,000 Lunch, August 8th <em>-Receipt</em><br />010,000 Sung-mi transportation, August 8th<br />002,000 PC Bang 2 nights, August 8th<br />007,800 Food, August 8th <em>-Receipt</em><br />015,210 Food, August 8th <em>-Receipt</em><br />050,000 Food, September 4th and 5th <em>-Receipts</em><br />048,490 LOOSE CASH<br /><em>(Note: In Sherrin's possession at last report for finances, money will be spent on The Jeju Big Swim related matters, or deposited back into the account.)</em></p><p><em>(200,500; 3,490,990)</em></p><p>-Steve</p>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-60360012640472892902010-09-13T01:19:00.012+09:002010-10-13T16:39:33.359+09:00DAY 44 COMPLETE (LAST DAY!)The last day!<br /><br />Together with three <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Jeju</span> lifeguards, the crew of 4 swam 3 kilometers from just east of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sarabong</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Samyang</span> Beach to hordes of media. Unfortunatly Sherrin wasn't able to swim the last 51 kilometers of the original planned route. An achievement nevertheless.<br /><br />A concert marked the end of our journey.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518248379901464530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILEDZym-meNMLadjwbdJO-dBrgIKqgyC2w-dLnOL1WveSi0gX3rOw1gqaDnVYfSQlOOktjgjBaD7mJnDW60LMSFskr0gF-XLmvW9keZKgfE5fM8Wwwe0iwY1myPKrjA2n1odr-6S9abGs/s400/%C2%BB%C3%A7%C3%81%C3%B8_229.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerR9Lxtt9kHDE6mNYL9Sn2NcfB2NuguvOnxYS7TbNC5JgEoxc_DX8oypZD09mCzu9RZTmNAHjiYOcAbu2sGZdKmgrzudJjva_5p4ZUU1q7aV5qxNChDPsB8Yr1DxpKnfeCsrPcixUyaPn/s1600/%EC%82%AC%EC%A7%84+167.jpg"></a><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518248002383132402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIYauXoQ1elxG9R-X1bpmUA2nr8X5tpzQjDXdGyusELctBzMj6sX7pO_Xr-dbuSR3vxKRJmIXTLD5YjWNfDnZFSSDeaD67I5zySFRf_IFfysNBhshpOf9oRlPZLCdWj6tyg0CujvdG44Q/s400/%EC%82%AC%EC%A7%84+178.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VvaLClHuun2XeJ-Ecak5e79BZ4nFru8RrI14CAC2zmr4bk0H_AUyDDE64eewpqLDLv9MhfTb_mQ8tKeRNT9BAc9h5xIZIn0esSXVQwPRm8NpU425oGCDSFWCYklYqz5xtykIbol2h99i/s1600/%C2%BB%C3%A7%C3%81%C3%B8_181.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518247831168010498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VvaLClHuun2XeJ-Ecak5e79BZ4nFru8RrI14CAC2zmr4bk0H_AUyDDE64eewpqLDLv9MhfTb_mQ8tKeRNT9BAc9h5xIZIn0esSXVQwPRm8NpU425oGCDSFWCYklYqz5xtykIbol2h99i/s400/%C2%BB%C3%A7%C3%81%C3%B8_181.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_y05sL49qcbaIL5JHbxDAliHILi1QysXgLxXv33ZiG58pvuXFIT42zwgqr-g2wE8H9XWVLmyMptrgMPh1Y6-Zc93g36WzrHuIKFfLAPlCrfAsp7PCUXBG02Qy-A04qIG7Re1NfR17_57q/s1600/IMG_4821.jpg"></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2h95AVWS2o8oA8FgW3ErELa79wakFNFIeDn28WtKVv5FNiibpd9aWkD_jdFIATa-6zA0OHm6BYf7Loi1Rr-qHl0tBuXnQWn-sSqY_GbpNgZR0tZQeFRT6eCnFnj87TeuUIpRykCV_agc/s1600/IMG_4832.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518247435689508306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2h95AVWS2o8oA8FgW3ErELa79wakFNFIeDn28WtKVv5FNiibpd9aWkD_jdFIATa-6zA0OHm6BYf7Loi1Rr-qHl0tBuXnQWn-sSqY_GbpNgZR0tZQeFRT6eCnFnj87TeuUIpRykCV_agc/s400/IMG_4832.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><p>-Steve</p>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-28589516988273030242010-09-11T17:40:00.008+09:002010-10-13T16:34:21.766+09:00UPDATE ...Although the sea and wind provided terrible swimming conditions, thus none took place, the kayaking conditions were ideal and I finished the last stretch out of a harbor more than 5 kilometers west of Iho Beach to Samyang Beach - a grand total of 19 kilometers from 2 to 5:30 p.m.<br /><br />A BIG THANKS to Mr. Lee (bike shop owner) who facilitated the kayak getting in the water at the entry spot.<br /><br />I have met some of the purest, most genuine people on Jejudo. Mr. Lee is one of them.<br /><br />Sunday's plans are the same as stated in the entry for Sunday's plans. We are swimming the last 2 kilometers from Hwabuk Harbor to Samyang Beach, entry at 2 p.m., arrival at 3.<br /><br />CONCERT IS AT 6 P.M.!!!! See below ...<br /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-53782494047654963462010-09-10T11:56:00.030+09:002010-10-13T16:36:11.281+09:00KAYAKING: DAY 43 COMPLETESaturday, September 11, 2010: The kayak officially made it around the island.<br /><br />There's something magical about kayaking alone for 19 kilometers in 3.5 hours, with the wind at my back, a strong tide carrying me forward, watching airplanes take off and land on the runway stretches adjacent to the sea, paddling past <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Tapdong</span>, past <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Jeju</span> City Harbor, and being greeted by a magnificent rainbow en route to a safe landing at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Samyang</span> Beach.<br /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-53315076092755185932010-09-10T11:56:00.016+09:002010-09-10T23:42:59.583+09:00Sunday's concert at Samyang Beach (6 p.m.)<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515210142871976178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaECY2GK6qvH7cgc7pkKXqfVSuPdH3w7Sb7R2ZBFVnwrOXlDAXF-sF0pfzYyxkHvp1Efyfi1d2XM7fzlU9WP8jRIGib2KReggIHDBvxq_4C2tUP8JFBCKwMnztf0dAId0LzIqGqcVmxau/s400/jaydi.jpg" /> <div><div>All are encouraged to attend this free concert to celebrate the conclusion of The Jeju Big Swim.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Who: Boos Music Records'<br />P to the Lee, Jaydi, and Mulan<br /><br />Where: Samyang Beach, on the grass next to the Lighthouse restaurant<br /><br />When: Sunday, 6 p.m.</span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br /><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">What: a mix of new age, acoustic, electronic, peaceful, and popular music</span></strong></p><p><br />Here are three video clips:<br /><br /><a href="wlmailhtml:%7B8EE41C28-F684-404A-986B-B8AEC221160E%7Dmid://00000145/!x-usc:http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do?clipid=26582199">http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do?clipid=26582199</a><br /><br /><a href="wlmailhtml:%7B8EE41C28-F684-404A-986B-B8AEC221160E%7Dmid://00000145/!x-usc:http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do?clipid=26591415">http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do?clipid=26591415</a><br /><br /><a href="http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do?clipid=26582200">http://tvpot.daum.net/clip/ClipView.do?clipid=26582200</a></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515210032250206866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivoVfacVtOVprqEepoo468m8-ZYcejKbkhJ0wek5IUYymaZo4s3W7GMNu-VSevRQHnsCkbazbEFMHOP2huREQQworZWo1KkNPY3Mqq7XU9m-EP5-SApZFQ6GYcGTIxAC_YbQTWW9v4bpv/s400/PtotheLee.jpg" /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-91522738300144466642010-09-10T11:55:00.012+09:002010-09-11T01:18:52.310+09:00Environmental Notes ...This is just my opinion:<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span> happens to be, based on potential, I think, one of the most beautiful places in the world. "Potential" is the key word. In reality, I can't wait to get back to pure nature in the secluded mountains of the Blue Ridge, and am counting down the days.<br /><br />Back to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span>. There are two things (and an additional minor note), that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span> could do in the future to live up to its slogan image of "The World Comes to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span>, and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span> Goes to the World." For the world (outside of Chinese, Japanese, and mainland Koreans) to come to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span>, there have to be reasons. And, tourism may be the only thing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span> has in the future.<br /><br />The island has three main environmental positives: UNESCO sites of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hallasan</span></span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Seongsan</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ilchulbong</span></span>, and the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Geomunoreum</span></span> Lava Tube System, many diverse beaches, and the ever popular <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Olle</span></span> courses. The main problem is these are not environmentally pristine. They're dirty. However, this can be solved.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju's</span></span> beaches are definitely worth visiting. Each one offers something another doesn't. But, for world travelers to come and spend money, the beaches need to be clean and pristine. It can't be that hard for the government to invest money in infrastructure and equipment to make this a reality. Industrial sand sifters exist! And I've worked on smaller ones with an ATV having a pull-behind attachment 13 years ago out of high school working for my hometown's Department of Public Works at my local beach. This is not new technology. Having garbage cans at every beach, that are artistic and ergonomically fitting to the landscape are a must. It is possible to keep the beaches clean and year round! True there is going to be garbage washing up on the beach daily. It needs to be picked up every day before it becomes a part of the sand. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span> could have a real slogan it could be proud to tout to the international (outside of the Asian region) audience, something like "Diverse and pristine, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span></span> offers 30 of the world's best beaches." Word of mouth spreads fast.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Olle</span></span> courses are fast becoming trendy. But pure nature outside of Korea doesn't have thousands of empty plastic bottles and plastic shards to offer reflective hikers. It would probably take thousands of people a long time to adequately clean the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Olle</span></span> trails to a level of international standards, where some day a European is going to tell their friends, "I spent one week hiking <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju's</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Olle</span></span> trails and I didn't see one piece of litter. The nature was incredible." Now that is a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">pipe dream</span>. Too many people in a small space. Keeping the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Olle</span></span> courses clean is the biggest problem. Subtle, yet well thought out and placed refuse containers, are again, a must. I am fascinated how collectively prideful Korean people are, but, collectively, not about their own environment. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Olle</span> courses may have to move toward some classier markers, as well.<br /><br />The pit toilets at the UNESCO sites must go. You cannot ask a fat European man or a high-class debutante to honestly squat at a UNESCO site. If international tourists are what the island desires, international toilets (at least throne, pit toilets) are what it needs to provide. It's as simple as that. Also, there are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">enough </span>horses on the island, calcium lime or its equivalent has to exist here. Have a worker spread it down at least once a week, preferably more. The UNESCO sites need to be clean. I've doubled over a few of the 100 or so times I have entered a pit toilet on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hallasan's</span> hiking trails from stench.<br /><br />I find oftentimes <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span> is like an American teenager. It has no identity. It's debating its next henna <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">tattoo</span>, or piercing, or sultry piece of clothing, yet with no thought to the future, just instant gratification. I've heard the cruel moniker "peasants with technology" label from international travelers. Rise up <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span> people. Take more pride in your land. Travel. Realize that Korea is less than 1 percent of the world's population and it may be shocking the other 99 percent may think a lot differently than you have been taught. Travel will reciprocally also offer an opportunity on how to improve the future of this island's tourism.<br /><br />International tourists will come if there are reasons. Find ways to make this happen, instead of saying they are already here.<br /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-57510544245277928742010-09-09T11:02:00.021+09:002010-10-13T16:46:43.588+09:00Saturday and Sunday's final stretch ...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515037689991184882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJ_CSwlbXZHyZlW65AKtU6bL8OB6HmKff4OMOlwdRn16Kp3E72A_a93QwqbZwxpdKC302kXfjfSKnBQ8D1hA9KOL6LG6EqTiDrOx9MKzQ2y96HEzritPQtREfaqtHgK9lbmY75Gnc5u-3/s400/IMG_0219.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />We - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sherrin</span>, Sung-mi, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ji</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">su</span>, the vivacious Young-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">lim</span> myself, and four other Koreans (named later), plus two other Koreans working close, but not directly, in the meeting space - were present Tuesday night to finalize plans for Saturday and Sunday.<br /><br />It was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Sherrin's</span> 52<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">nd</span> birthday Tuesday and after the meeting, close by, we ate galbi tang at a "famous" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Jeju</span> restaurant.<br /><br />On Saturday, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sherrin</span> is going to drive me, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">kayaker</span>, to my last point of take out for re-entry and I will paddle to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Iho</span> Beach to meet the "New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Jeju</span> Swimming Crew" at 1 p.m., I believe.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515037575707946690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaR4P2fTDGgWH96rYNSCInKAvWjNMo_gtWaIyH7vQCbsdz777tnAwDFFl1Z9eT74cB3ReWVaHic2kNjM92JjBi_IRqAGdcxd28VC5iYqIsxpd25N0xpDPu7ngYLPjfTmwEgmSB8m8uZi5O/s400/IMG_0221.jpg" border="0" /><br />From this point, weather permitting of course, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Sherrin</span> will swim from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Iho</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Dodu</span> Harbor (a distance of 2.25 kilometers), and will relay off to Mr. Lee <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Jeong</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">hun</span> from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Dodu</span> Harbor to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Yongduam</span> (4 kilometers), who will relay off to Ms. Park <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Hyeon</span>-ha and Ms. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Cho</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Yun</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">jeong</span> from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Yongduam</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Tapdong</span> (1.75 kilometers). Meanwhile, Mr. Kim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Cheon</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">dae</span> will be swimming all legs, the entire 8 kilometers. I will accompany for the duration.<br /><br />All four members, apparently, are swimming for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Jeju</span> City Hall Swimming Club, although Mr. Kim is the president of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Jeju</span> Sea Swimming Club. All four are lifeguards. On Sunday, we will all get in the water just east of Sarabong and head to Samyang Beach arriving between 2 and 3 p.m.<br /><br />A concert is scheduled for 6 p.m., - everyone is invited!<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515037445670288802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSez2JYJFY3-aKiIONnopY6v00Y15Tkr_SOZVuYCt24Phc-G5Ji_D6sZ3E00m0wcezpmmZ0jcIg1rVUJ_rdzbVseh-WPTFwHwCa-gWAn57wl8XRWE7YBu66sBu6Ql2f294VEhSYU711nu/s400/IMG_0201.jpg" border="0" /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-14571811301342263182010-09-05T17:49:00.023+09:002010-10-13T16:44:09.293+09:00KAYAKING: DAYS 36 and 37 COMPLETE<em>I went from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Chagwido</span></span></span></span></span> Harbor to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gwakji</span></span></span></span></span> Beach (23 kilometers) on Saturday afternoon/evening, and bright and early Sunday morning I managed another 11 kilometers from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gwakji</span></span></span></span></span> Beach to a harbor a few kilometers west of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Iho</span></span></span></span></span> Beach.</em><br /><br />If The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Jeju</span></span> Big Swim was a novel, the storyline is basically complete and it could be sent off to the publisher's press in a few days.<br /><br />There are just a few more small chapters to write about Saturday's journey and Sunday's arrival and concert at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Samyang</span></span> Beach.<br /><br />Everything that follows - whether it be extra money support for environmental action or education, additional media attention, or another repeat attempt next year (with different characters, I presume) - is for now, a future addendum or an entirely new story to be written.<br /><br />The climax of this current adventure was our arrival at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Chagwido</span></span> Harbor on August 23rd. After 11 days of inactivity, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Sherrin</span></span>, myself, and Sung-mi met <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">KCTV</span></span> at 12:30 p.m., Saturday afternoon for a television news story before I paddled solo turning the northwest corner of the island.<br /><br />A solemn, peaceful, non-stop cruise into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Gwakji</span></span> Beach awaited me for a bit more than 5 hours. I wish I had the pictures of this stretch, but words will have to do. And I was so far offshore, there was really nothing worth taking a decent picture of coming up to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Biyangdo</span></span> while passing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Jeolbuam</span></span>,<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Yongsu</span></span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ri</span></span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Yongdang</span></span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">ri</span></span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Geumdeung</span></span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">ri</span></span>, and the tandem, white-sand beauts of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Geumneung</span></span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Hyeopjae</span></span> beaches. I continued and went by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Ongpo</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">ri</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Hallim</span> Port, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Hansu</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">ri</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Suwon</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">ri</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Gwideok</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">ri</span>. Just getting by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Hallim</span> Port, a police boat cruiser came in close, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">and shouted</span> "Hana?" (meaning One?") I gave an affirmative grunt. One minute later, one of the two deficient English-speaking officers yelled, "Hey!" and gave me a thumbs up.<br /><br />Under dusk, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Gwakji</span> Beach appeared and I landed at the most eastern stretch of sand, set up the tent, made some phone calls and texts, and worried about getting up at 6 a.m., to continue onward.<br /><br />I made my way to the off-beach center of makeshift markets and found <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Pocari</span> Sweat, cheese and crackers, and corn chips, as the older male owner was dutifully being served dinner by his wife. I hope young Korean women realize this is not how it works in the rest of the industrialized, non-Confucian world.<br /><br />I tried to get some sleep in the lumpy sands of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Gwakji</span>, but was beset by other problems of the distant cell phone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">ringtones</span> blaring the most intelligent Korean pop music, fireworks, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">soju</span>-fueled arguing. I thought to myself there must be more to life than this. Immediately, I was more homesick than I had ever been in the last two years. Sleep occurred at some point.<br /><br />Awoke about 6 a.m., off in the kayak before 7, and struggled east. On my right was the picturesque coast road between the beach and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Hagwi</span>, where I was forced to stop at the harbor due to an oncoming strong wind and the tide going in the wrong direction. I called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Sherrin</span> and Sung-mi about 11:15 a.m. They picked me up and took me to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Iho</span> Beach to film for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">KBS</span>-produced show to air the following weekend.<br /><br /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-76643204283809878872010-09-05T17:48:00.007+09:002010-10-13T16:25:49.019+09:00Nearly There.....The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jeju</span> Big Swim reached <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Chagwido</span> on August 23rd. Since then, work commitments, inclement weather, a nasty infection in my foot (that has now moved to my knee) and the difficulties of maintaining such a high level of fitness now I'm back at school, has meant that Steve kayaked by himself this weekend to get as far as [a few kilometers west of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Iho</span> Beach] - that's a huge [34] kilometers! (He's kayaking, so I get to blog!)<br /><br />Our plan to finish The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Jeju</span> Big Swim is for me to meet Steve at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Iho</span> Beach next weekend and together, in company with a group of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Jeju</span> lifeguards and swimming instructors, swim the relatively easy final stretch back to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Samyang</span> Beach, arriving some time in the afternoon. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Jeju</span> Big Swim will finally wrap up with live music on the beach starting about [6 p.m.]<br /><br />We hope all our supporters will come along and party.<br /><br />We are still working out the details and logistics, but we'll update here as it all comes together.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span style="color:#ffffff;">- </span>Sherrin Hibbard</span>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-48355211119892971292010-09-02T10:41:00.016+09:002010-10-13T18:19:45.995+09:00Phase 2 is in the planning stages.My thoughts:<br /><br /><strong>The most important thing.</strong> The goal – one of many – is to raise environmental awareness. How is that going to happen? It already has, but two main ideas: 1) I just finished balancing the books and as a team, we have only spent what our main sponsor, The World Environment and Peace Summer School, has given us – 2,500,000 – and what was donated in-house (200,000) from team members. Translation: We have more than 4,000,000 Won in The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span> Big Swim bank account, which is EVERYONE’S donation, from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">KCTV</span>’s 1,000,000 to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gwaneumsa</span>’s healthy offering, to the 10,000 given to us on the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Seogwipo</span> docks. It’s all there and we have bandied the idea of using 100 percent of the money toward environmental educational program(s). 2.)<br /><br /><strong>How to finish?</strong> We are having a meeting tonight (Thursday), and will work out the logistics. We are getting a relay team – including members from the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span> sea swimming club – all Koreans, I believe. The more people involved, the better. The more Koreans involved, better times two. The more Jejudo Koreans involved, better times three. Relay is really open for interpretation. One person may swim 1 kilometer, the next 2 kilometers, any amount, in any order toward completion. Maybe during the last stretch, we can get all the participating relay members, led by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sherrin,</span> to swim into <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Samyang</span> the last 1 or 2 kilometers together.<br /><br /><strong>Health.</strong> Personally, for the swimmer (and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">kayaker</span>), finishing the project, as stated above, retains our overall health.<br /><br /><strong>One more thanks. </strong>Our last donation that came in was from Kim <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kyoung</span>-ho. Thanks for the support. While relaying this information in an e-mail, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ji</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">su</span> wrote, "Bless this man. Really."<br /><br />-Steve<br /><br /><em></em>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-69129551364920648942010-08-29T19:15:00.003+09:002010-08-29T19:33:16.461+09:00DAYS 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 REST & WORKThe next possible chance to get in the water will be Saturday, September 4, 2010 during Day 36 of The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span> Big Swim.<br /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-60567667159357491622010-08-28T04:30:00.005+09:002010-08-28T07:59:14.365+09:00DAY 29 RESTWell, I wrote too soon.<br /><br />The weather for Saturday, August 28, 2010, has strong winds, heavy rains, and 2- to 6-meter swells, making swimming and kayaking virtually impossible, and the Coast Guard instructed we could not go.<br /><br />If an order is given in Korea, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">disobedience</span> results in something akin to a beheading (and we would not be stupid and go out in this weather).<br /><br />Although - I'm currently writing this at 8 a.m. - looking at the sea from my window in Samyang, it looks really, really, really, really calm.<br /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-56640659893664147712010-08-27T01:35:00.010+09:002010-08-27T04:19:56.232+09:00DAY 28 RESTQuestion: Why are all these people so happy?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglkXV3iFuTtFPCj1t98fM5vElYK87Sf9zVcG7ed6-eSoj1aZS35lDW6B6U2WUURdOqsz1Sox4_8M_jTPrEPi7nygURidFBB3GAQGeM-qL5A4FLHTKPC5ppVfpkhuE0jiM5XToPWOYui-I/s1600/IMG_4199.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509758950409534770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglkXV3iFuTtFPCj1t98fM5vElYK87Sf9zVcG7ed6-eSoj1aZS35lDW6B6U2WUURdOqsz1Sox4_8M_jTPrEPi7nygURidFBB3GAQGeM-qL5A4FLHTKPC5ppVfpkhuE0jiM5XToPWOYui-I/s400/IMG_4199.jpg" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamn6jE_7inxb_k5OsgOTUEGGcWQYx4QLiXxGVOMRLatt7SLvbD2rjEJ6QPbbWaS66ILXnwKm_dzv5kUnrYXFfwePXBhKafJpUEIBJQ12NIqZyRaoaV-KtqRjzE9UGkKeSvCWvh_1GweZ6/s1600/IMG_4202.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509758769602736002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamn6jE_7inxb_k5OsgOTUEGGcWQYx4QLiXxGVOMRLatt7SLvbD2rjEJ6QPbbWaS66ILXnwKm_dzv5kUnrYXFfwePXBhKafJpUEIBJQ12NIqZyRaoaV-KtqRjzE9UGkKeSvCWvh_1GweZ6/s400/IMG_4202.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDwvDAJ4FGGGq_jBSlc6eY_Hmb3pnjlvBQ1eA5GueO3t4KsPDCk6LhvmffnododxEVAA5Q3CF6ne2BSM5VZFLmEQca4gQh-aeuAf1O4O1gvgGI0s2H9HV06UawfiT6CTtdlT9WQHdLQzC/s1600/IMG_4230.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509758559001955202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDwvDAJ4FGGGq_jBSlc6eY_Hmb3pnjlvBQ1eA5GueO3t4KsPDCk6LhvmffnododxEVAA5Q3CF6ne2BSM5VZFLmEQca4gQh-aeuAf1O4O1gvgGI0s2H9HV06UawfiT6CTtdlT9WQHdLQzC/s400/IMG_4230.jpg" /></a> <div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7qbNif4Ex6lLiyt698hNmPZeS0DAJJa-miFzumnpTO3XvjWXxL_tG6AugyC3KX8F5BT_FK76uJFYBwe-_D81zz-eGuNEM6CnTfZ7oEJkG_OFQNrC5YH0bxZR6ydioTcMc1J9APTY_RQr/s1600/IMG_4181.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509758359714501154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7qbNif4Ex6lLiyt698hNmPZeS0DAJJa-miFzumnpTO3XvjWXxL_tG6AugyC3KX8F5BT_FK76uJFYBwe-_D81zz-eGuNEM6CnTfZ7oEJkG_OFQNrC5YH0bxZR6ydioTcMc1J9APTY_RQr/s400/IMG_4181.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Answer: The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span> Big Swim starts again early Saturday morning from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chagwido</span> Harbor (and the blog is fully updated, check out all the pictures from the last few posts and newly written DAY 24 NOTEBOOK)</div><div>.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Stay tuned.</div><div></div><div></div><div>.</div><div>Today is Friday, August 27, 2010.</div><div></div><div></div><div>.</div><div>Thanks for all the pictures, Sung-mi! Can you talk yet, Ji-su? What's Kenny doing? </div><div></div><div>.</div><div>-Steve</div></div></div></div>The Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-562829372553151182010-08-26T07:35:00.005+09:002010-08-26T17:30:46.196+09:00DAY 27 RESTBy the end of Sunday, we could be at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gwakji</span> Beach.<br /><br />What's new: I updated the blog entry for DAY 24 SUCCESS, and there is a guest blog by Eugene. Please read both. I'm updating pictures for these Thursday night.<br /><br />I will write a lengthy post for the DAY 24 NOTEBOOK tonight (Thursday) and when I do, the blog will be current.<br /><br />Today is Thursday, August 26, 2010 for Day 27 of The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jeju</span> Big Swim.<br /><br />We are resting.<br /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772120222270107979.post-57111192071311873582010-08-25T06:35:00.002+09:002010-08-25T06:35:45.323+09:00DAY 26 RESTWednesday, August 25, 2010.<br /><br />Rest.<br /><br />Preparing for a long, successful weekend.<br /><br />-SteveThe Jeju Big Swimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14282368830368023052noreply@blogger.com0