HIGHlight of Spring

For several weeks a wayward winter has been wafting back and forth across Daejeon with enough of a bite to keep most of us battling with head colds and bundled up like Eskimos. I was first in line at my school to come down with the flu, but was determined not to let it floor me. In an effort to rise above it, I took myself to the nearest mountain for a hike. By this time, the cold and crisp March had given way to an aspiring April and I decided it was time for some fresh air and a new outlook. So, I boarded a bus bound for Bomunsan (Bomun Mountain), a place referred to as Daejeon's natural city park. Perhaps I departed at an unusual stop but I did not see any crowded city park nor the paved pathways my compatriots had confirmed in their accounts of previous visits. What I found was an idyllic outcropping at the edge of this incredibly-alive city. A place I was sure I could indulge in an afternoon of solitude, serenity and scenery. So, I set out in my usual pace and even with my congested condition, I scaled the steep and rugged stairway to the summit rather quickly and claimed victory as mine at more than 457 meters above sea level.
On my winding way up, I stopped to check a map to see which of the two peaks I was destined to reach first. As I pondered over the pictorial plat, a genial gentleman appeared and seemed to be trying to give me directions. We engaged in a first round of verbal gymnastics before he finally took my elbow and lead me to yet another sign I could not read. However, he was adamant about helping me ascend this urban foothill, and managed to flag down four friends to assist. Each eager to dole out their directions, they did so enthusiastically, but entirely in Korean! As my eyes played ping pong, darting from one speaker to another in this Korean chatter box, a quizzical look had frozen on my face, and it was at that point that the gracious guide and his Korean cohort proceeded to escort me all the way to the top of this metropolitan mountain.
This generous gentleman spoke about as much English as I do Korean, but for the last 150 meters of the hike up, and the whole 457 meter-descent, my new friend, Yung-jun and I coaxed, cajoled and communicated with each other about everything under the sun while over the entire city of Daejeon. Although my idea of a quiet walk in the woods turned out to be more of a meeting of minds on a mountain, my original goals were met -- I found Yung-jun to be a breath of fresh air, and the culmination of the climb to offer a new outlook on why I am here in Korea.