Chungju-si

Since I've been here in Chungju, I have almost daily compared this city with thoughts and pictures in my head of my own hometown, San Antonio, Texas. It's much smaller--about the size of Waco or College Station, if you're familiar. I ride to work in a mini-van or sometimes a large charter-like bus, but just when I start to enjoy the ride, it's over: The commute is little more than five minutes one way. I've ridden in a taxi from one side of town to the other and when I do, I get the same feeling. Though that ride is a bit longer, it only costs about 3,000 won, which figures at about $2.40 USD. You can't get out of downtown San Antonio to my dad's house on that dime! As I look out of my sixth-story window, I can almost see all of Chungju, or at least the half that faces me. It's a little deceiving, however, because on Sunday drives, the city seems to keep going and going and going... But even my longest drive yet only lasted 30-45 minutes and encompassed almost if not all of the outskirting farming villages. That time would have been my ride to work back home! At the request of one of my young readers, and after much procrastination of my own, I have decided to compose a sort of picture essay of the city, to help you, in her words, "better imagine [my] surroundings."

A map of the greater Chungju area, though unsure of the scale

The view from my window. Waking up to sunshine and mountains is a beautiful thing!

A look at my apartment building (tall one on the right)

View from the corner where I stand every morning to catch my ride to work

As seen during the day and at night, the street I walk on every day to get either to the market, the store, or the PC Bang (for internet access, yay!)

One of the streets on my walk to the store

One of my Sunday drives, this time headed to the Chungju Dam.

The skyline in the morning