IAAF Marathon Men Final

I have taken this day easy on. I had been still a bit tired of last day, but I really wanted to see the Men Marathon in Daegu. So I had make my way down to the Memorial Park, which is around 15mins walk from Main Gate.

It had been a bit busier as the week before when the Women Marathon had been on. Not sure if it is because Kenya is running for its World Record. Indeed he had been running and also has won, just one minute slower as 2009. I guess it is pretty good in his age, as he was also three minutes faster as the second place behind him. While I been watching the race I meet the Team Doctor of Ethiopia. I was surprised to hear that he is a doctor, as I thought he would be a trainer.

I walked into town after the run to see if any activities been held but everything has been taken down. Only SK had it stand for free calls. Not sure if they had many visitors on the last day of the games. As nothing happen I decided to travel to Apsan Park and see if I can see anything on the bottom of the park, but only been things on the top so I just gone back to the dorm.

I knew today would be fireworks on, so luckily my Javanese friend ask me if I like to join her to the stadium to watch it from the outside. This had been a good experience to watch the games from the outside the stadium, nearly every Korean got out their smart phones and watched the games on it while it had been inside.

Daegu has done a great job for the games, as a first time holder of Athletic Games in its country. It has hold a few marathon and half marathon in Daegu, but on this scale. I am sure they did a fantastic job.

Demo Run

It has been the last day of holiday before the university would again start. This time just in a new country and new campus. This was the day where we shall relax and show our best on the next day to represent not only KNU but our home university in a positive manner.

I do not like to be late for my class, so after dinner my friend and me had taken the campus map and our timetable and did a small demo run of our modules on where we need to be and which building and maybe to try to find more short cuts on the big campus. We had done a small stop at the Student Union where we had a look around and found a book store downstairs so we decided to purchases also some paper. I bought one book and one small paper book, as the book only had five indexes but I have six modules. So I decided to take the small booklet for Korean language.

The day had nothing more special on over, excluding that in the afternoon while being in down town to help my fellow colleague to sort out his mobile phone, I received at the IAAF stall the offical wear as a gift. I really wanted one of those, as all shop keepers and bank staff wear them.

IAAF Games

I had asked my buddy to come to university if he did not mind to show me on how to use the special washing machine in the laundry room. Afterwards I had made my way to the city centre and to see the IAAF stand to ask if there had been any tickets left. There had been still a few left but only in the Premier seat from 80.000 Won to 100.000 Won (up to £70). So I decided to purchase the 100.000 Won ticket, which is seated at Finish Line and front row plus a meal in the Premier Lounge. 

The ticket office told me on how to get to the stadium via the subway, but still without Korean you are just lost as all station name on the information board are in Korean language. Good that Korean people are willing to help and show you the way to the correct train. By boarding on Line two I had meet elderly people who guided me onto the train and let me seat in the special seat (for elderly and disabled). The person who greeted me was once a day in 1947 an exchange student in Germany and was very happy to talk to me in German. He told me about his culture shock experience, that he did not understand any German only just the few basic words. He needed to learn also quick German and still was not able to answer the right question. His professor taught him well and he had been able to improve his language. Despite only being twice in Germany, the second time in 2006 for the World Cup he speaks very well German language.

Our way has change as his entrance to the games been in Gate 5 and mines for Gate 11. I had made myself to the gate and was looking forward to see the “super” stars in real when they will run for the 100m. It had been my first time to see those kind of events live from the stadium and especially a World Champion Ship same as on Saturday watching the marathon run for 2 ½ hours. If nothing is planned for 4^th September I will attend the last marathon of men in city centre.

It was also a special highlight when South Korea was running 1500 meters in the stadium; as the part I had been in was South Korea corner only a few French and US supporters.  The crowd has gone crazy when Kim was in lead but unlucky had been over taken in the last meters before the finish line.  The second special highlight what everyone has come for and the stadium had filled up full for the 100m run of Bolt, but unlucky he had a false start and with the new rule he had been send home.  They can be lucky that Blake also from Jamaica has won the race on 100m under 10seconds.

I have stayed a bit longer to get a close up picture of Blake as he passed by the press, TV and radio station for an interview. In the background I could hear his friends talking that Bolt was back to normal and knew he couldn’t do much about it.

I was one of the last one already to leave the stadium and try to make my way back to the university and knew that the bus No. 937 will take me to Main Gate. I could take the shuttle bus and subway to city centre and would have a wider option on busses, but it would be a longer way to get back to university and twice expensive. While I was looking for the correct bus station, I had asked some young people for the way, but instant a middle age couple had helped me whose English was much better. They come from the area, but as they use the car they would not knew the bus. They asked me to come with them to their village (=”dong”) and there might be a bus to the university. They had been very friendly to me, to spend their valuable time for me to get me home. As in their part of town was no bus to the university they decided to take me home. They know on how it feels to be alone in another country, as their son is in Tokyo working.  I actually did not know it will take another 20km to the university from their house, but it was very kind of them.

So if you coming to visit Korea just be aware Korean are shy to talk to tourist as they believe their English isn’t good. Give them some time to think and speak and they will be able to help you; do not rush as you have all the time in the world. They may don’t have time as they need to go to work and other business, but they will try the best to help you and will not leave you alone in a foreign country.

Daegus' Festival

I had an amazing day as the start of IAAF Games here in Daegu. I had woken up very early at 630am just to get a good spot to view the marathon. My new roommate had joined me for the games, so I did not been totally alone there.  It had been a great experience to watch the runners straight in front of you, and having Japanese supporters behind you who made all the time noise when Japan and other nations passed by. The local camera man also had pointed on me before the run has started, so I might had been shown across world TV or only Daegu we don’t know.

The run finish good in time with a full team win of Kenya, but our bet been Ethiopia and Japan second.  Ethiopia was doing very well in the beginning, but they fallen behind later on.  We only stayed until the Chinese fellow has arrived as we needed to go back to our dorm to move to another dorm.

After I managed to move all my things from A to B and from Floor 5 to Floor 5, I had been greeted by a resident also from Beijing who does his full degree at KNU and we meet one more person from Malaysia. He was free, so we decided to go with his buddy for some lunch and visit later on down town.  I guess it was a good idea to visit down town, as so many activities recently take place there.

In the memorial park near City Hall was a Family Festival sponsored by Equality Gender and Family Ministry and stands been holding by local schools.  We had some great fun with some off those students, such as from Daegu Girls’ High School where we have played with fire, an elementary school where we have tried to solve a puzzle and some middle school children to help them to change the school policy by voting yes or no. Even though they did not speak fluent English, we managed on somehow to solve the language barrier between three nations.  I repeat again, but it is important to know Korean language to communicate freely and understanding on what they like to tell, especially on the third highlight of the day.

As the event has closed down, it already been 5pm we decided to head back to city centre and seen a group just standing and looking at something that’s going to happen. I just quickly asked a guy on what is going on and he said it is a flash mob. So I said why not shall be a cool idea, and then suddenly we started to dance to Korean K-Pop. I was not sure in the end if it actually was a flash mob or a professional dance group just having fun in city centre.  At least it was fun to dance along the song that I already had posted in “94 days before”.

It is always fun to explore Korean culture day by day, just join in when you are by any chance here don't be afraid it is just an amazing experience to be part of something. 

94 Days Before

I just recently again have taken a look on the IAAF website and have encounter that it is only 94 days until it gone start, which would be the 27th August 2011. These shall be an exiting time when I also will be arriving with all the other sport fans, and I would be not easily spotted that my actual aim is to come to study. In the days when I will arrive; I hope to manage to get inside the stadium if tickets are still available to purchase or find a good spot for the marathon run.





This is the official song for the event, when the whole world will look up to Daegu and people who may never heard of the city will it see it on the television screen and come up here to visit. The positive aspect for myself or anyone else who has little knowledge of Korean language, shall be able to communicated in various language in this 9 day event. I shall inform you, if this would be the actual case. 

In the mean time I will "let go for tomorrow" and contiune my preparation for S Korea. On this would be in later stage a blog article appearing or why do not contact me if you have any question to ask? 

Did you also already played with the interactive map on the "About us" page? Give a try and let me know what you think.