Soccer Players below the Prayer Flags

After saying good-bye to the elderly guesthouse couple in Lashi village, we traveled to Zhiyun Monastery. Typical of Tibetan monasteries, rainbow bands of prayer flags welcomed us, fluttering in the breeze. Beautiful stonework, similar to the style I saw at the guesthouse, adorned the walkway.

With around 74 young monk apprentices, the Zhiyun Monastery was not tranquil. These saffron-clad youngsters took advantage of the flat space to play some soccer.

Entrance to the Zhiyun Monastery

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Baseball, Seoul Style

This past week, I went with some friends to a baseball game in Seoul. The subway took us directly to the entrance of the stadium - very handy indeed. We had already purchased tickets (thanks to a Korean-speaking colleague), so we entered the shorter line, where I showed the reservation on my phone to the man in the booth. We saw some trying to "scalp" tickets; I presume those seats were a a bit more than ours, which cost less than $7. 

There were no "Racing Sausages" or guy to go down a slide with a home run, but there were cheerleaders. The "Wave" even went around a few times.

Some of the snacks and drinks available right outside the stadium. Gimbap, dried squid or fish, anyone?

Food/drinks could be brought in, or you could buy some inside. A large bottle of beer could be purchased for less than $3. No bratwurst though. With the affordable prices and convenient locale, baseball is an event that is actually open to families. 

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Shopping in the Sports Stadium

This is one sports stadium that the women frequent more then men. Although it was built as a stadium for the 2002 Soccer World Cup with a seating capacity of over 66,000, it now houses a 10-screen cineplex, a large discount shopping store, and numerous smaller shops. 

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Even they have to sleep

This cricket field on an early Monday morning was a stark difference to the scene yesterday, when the area was the scene of at least 8 different teams all crammed on the area. I guess even die-hard cricket players have to sleep and work!

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Soccer Net - or Water Polo?

Above are two pictures of the Gandhi Nagar Cricket & Sports Club. It is a favorite spot for young men who spend countless hours playing the country's favorite sport - cricket. During heavy rains the sports field tends to flood. Looking at the goal net reflecting in the water, one might wonder if they're looking at a water polo field instead....

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Morning Snack

After sleeping on the cricket playing field of the neighborhood sports club, this cow decided to enjoy a breakfast of plastic, old food, and other rubbish. Crows and the cyclist also seem to enjoy the tranquil morning - before the crowds and heat takes over.

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