title	Working at Samsung, and Geumosan Mountain, Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea - 24th June 2012
intro	For the first time since 2008, Nosher's off abroad for work. This time it's to South Korea and the industrial city of Gumi in Gyeongbuk province, for two weeks working at Samsung. It's an intersting gig in a large office complex, with an even larger canteen which seems to hold about 1,000 staff at a time - oh, and everything for lunch really does come with kimchi, and there are fruity vinegar drinks available from a machine afterwards. There's also airport-style security going in and out, with x-ray machines and everything. This sadly means that photography is forbidden as even mobile phones have to have their cameras taped over. The hotel, meanwhile, is in the middle of what amounts to a huge industrial estate made up of a few electronics mega-corporations - including Samsung and LG - and a whole heap of small industrial business units. On the up-side, there are a few restaurants on the road and there's a convenience store right opposite which sells beer. Which is just as well, as the local TV is pretty appalling (and it's nothing to do with the language barrier), although as it's generally nine hours in the office followed by two or three catching up with London, it doesn't really matter that much. Besides, there's always BBC 6Music on the internet. Anyway, during the two weeks there, the only real time off is on the two Sundays, but there's a chance for a catch up on the Saturday night of arrival with a beer in downtown Gumi with Chris and Hyosoo. The first big trip is up the nearby Geumosan Mountain, which at 976 metres doesn't sound too high, but it rises pretty much straight out of the flat alluvial plain in which Gumi lies. Hyosoo, who's with Nosher and his showing him the Korean ropes, and Chris from work who's stayed on for a couple of days to help hand over the reins, decide to climb it as a Sunday activity, with Chris having already done it the week before. The total hike is about seven kilometers, followed by another two or three walking back towards Gumi, which combined with some fairly vertical scrambling, is intensly hard work. However, the view over Gumi from the top of the mountain is worth it, and the various Buddhist temples and interesting features on the way add to the enjoyment.
imgp4137	An Air India 777 sits on the stand
imgp4139	A Korean Air on the apron at Gatwick
imgp4140	Air India, with Gatwick control tower
imgp4142	At Incheon airport
imgp4144	A traffic marshall outside Incheon airport
imgp4146	Funky bridge on the way to Incheon City
imgp4147	Loads of signs all over a building
imgp4151	Wibbly buildings
imgp4152	Some sort of food production
imgp4154	A DVD shop
imgp4155	The snack shack
imgp4156	At the bus station
imgp4158	The bin cleaners appear
imgp4159	A dude pushes a big wheelbarrow around
imgp4160	Bus station shopping mall
imgp4162	At the bus station services
imgp4163	The bright lights of Gumi
imgp4165	Loads of neon
imgp4168	Chris and Hyosoo
imgp4170	Korean street food
imgp4172	More street food
imgp4173	We continue on the quest for Hite or Cass beer
imgp4174	Another pop-up snack van by night
imgp4175	Chris in a bar somewhere
imgp4177	A street view from behind teddy bears
imgp4179	A urinal with an ash tray and ice
imgp4180	Outside WaBar
imgp4181	Another late-night food place
imgp4183	Gumi back street at night
imgp4186	A first look in daylight at Gumi city
imgp4187	It's a fairly grim view from the hotel window
imgp4188	At the start of the Komosan hiking trail
imgp4189	Chris photographs our route before we set off
imgp4190	Curious stone mounds, like beehives
imgp4193	Several large stone "cairns" are dotted about
imgp4195	Chris has a drink
imgp4196	Chris and Hyosoo on the trail
imgp4198	Yaksaam temple
imgp4199	A Buddhist bell at Yaksaam Temple
imgp4200	Chinese calligraphy and ornate painting
imgp4203	A seated Buddha
imgp4206	Hyosoo and Chris walk through a temple gate
imgp4207	Temple art
imgp4209	The God of the North Wind plays a lute
imgp4213	A flight of stone steps
imgp4215	Another impressive temple interior
imgp4218	Curious pock-marked "moai"
imgp4219	A row of praying Buddhas
imgp4220	Surveying the scene
imgp4222	A view down the valley to Gumi
imgp4224	Walkers on the path
imgp4230	Some dude does some moves in Doseongul Cave
imgp4231	Hyosoo and Chris negotiate the narrow path
imgp4232	Sometimes is a real effort to pass
imgp4233	Crowds in a cool glade
imgp4234	A picnic at hanging rock
imgp4237	Chris and Hyosoo on a rock somewhere
imgp4244	Chris and Hyosoo at the top of Geumosan Mountain
imgp4248	Nosher at the top of the mountain
imgp4250	Hyosoo roams around
imgp4251	Offerings of water are made
imgp4253	Chris stands out on an outcrop of rock
imgp4256	Hyosoo looks out over Gumi, one kilometre below
imgp4261	Hyosoo tops up our water stash at a spring-fed tap
imgp4268	A Buddhist temple defended with razor wire
imgp4269	We take a break
imgp4271	Back at the bottom, there's a picnic in the river
imgp4277	The statue of some dude by the lake
imgp4279	A small green car covered in pompoms
imgp4280	A back alley
imgp4282	We stop for a full-on Korean lunch
imgp4284	We get stuck in to a good spread of Korean food
imgp4285	Outside, a new-but-retro bus trundles around
imgp4287	Korean restaurant signs
imgp4290	A look back at the peak just climbed
imgp4291	Back in the hotel room
imgp4292	Industrial estate action
imgp4295	The Gumi Century Hotel, on the right
imgp4304	A giant bowling pin
imgp4305	Another light-industrial back alley
imgp4306	A row of harware shops
imgp4307	A pile of power tools on the pavement
imgp4308	The whole area around the hotel is like this
imgp4309	Looking down the street to the hotel
imgp4310	A one-way street
imgp4311	Some dude actually visits one of the shops
imgp4313	A whole stack of fans and ducts
imgp4315	A wet street in the evening
imgp4316	The Gumi Century
imgp4319	Nosher's local restaurant
imgp4331	The Family Mart over the road, source of Cass Red
imgp4343	Samsung's factory looks like it's on fire
imgp4350	The film "Source Code" is going on somewhere