Gyeongju World

Last week was the school  picnic week. The second-graders went on a three-day-long picnic to Everland (an amusement park) in Seoul. The rest of us went on a day trip to amusement parks in the area. First-graders to Woobangland and third-graders to Gyeongju World. I went with the third grade because Jung Mi-gyung want me to be in her group. She is afraid of amusement park rides, but decided that she wanted to go on all of them. But the other teachers are always too "cool" or too afraid to go on the rides, so she needed a riding buddy. We even managed to impress the students with our fearlessness. Mi-gyung taught me the phrase:

이것 나는것 안무서워요?
Aren't you afraid of this ride / Isn't this ride scary?

I asked the students that when we ended up in line together. Of course, if they asked me back, I said "아니요!" No!

The weather was really perfect. And the next day was the "radiation rain" day, so we were really lucky. I guess radiation rain would've spoiled the mood of the picnic.

Bwhahahahaha! A few pictures after the cut.

Our (teachers') lunch. We busted this out first thing upon arriving. I personally thought 10:30 was a little early for lunch, but whatever. As soon as it was finished, the teachers wanted to commence with the drinking, but it was agreed that 10:30 IS a little too early for drinking. So they had to wait for 11:00 or something. This is the point where Jung Mi-gyung and I made our escape.

A magical fox in the kids' section. Gyeongju World has "areas" in an obvious Disney Land rip-off. They jsut aren't as snazzy-looking. Still, I thought there was some good atmosphere.

For instance, the biggest (and only good) roller coaster had an impressive Disney-esque exterior and waiting line, including this giant armoured pegasus statue.

The roller coaster, a hanging/bottomless roller coaster, is called the Phaethon. This is the exterior of the waiting area. It also played spooky music and had skulls and weapons inside to make kids more nervous. As one student dryly put it, "The ride is not as scary as the build-up."

Besides riding the roller coasters, octopus, Viking ship, and the dreaded Tornado, Mi-gyung and I also rode the ferris wheel. Except I shouldn't say "also." When I asked students later, they reported that the ferris wheel is one of the scariest rides. Really? Just cause it's high? That's crazy. The students told me that because I live in America, where Disney Land is, I must be used to scary rides and therefore not impressed with Korea's offering in that department. I told them Disney Land is not actually that scary. Although it did help me get over my fear of waterfalls and abominable snowmen. 

Another shot of the park from the ferris wheel. That coaster you see is the Phaethon.

Mi-gyung is afraid of heights, so she was nervous about going on the ferris wheel, but she said our conversation made her forget her fear. I took her picture, but she wasn't smiling, so she asked me to redo it. Even so, I like this one. She looks a little badass.

That's more like the real Mi-gyung!

And me.