가스 폭발 » encore
A few months ago I wrote about a gas explosion (가스 폭발) that took place not far from my academy. Earlier this week a student from one of my evening classes reported that a second explosion rocked a neighboring apartment sky-rise last weekend. He said that the parents of the family went out to buy groceries and left their three children in the care of the children's grandparents. The gas line was left on without anyone's knowledge, and when the grandfather went to light a cigarette it caused an explosion that killed three of the five family members present. I don't know the details of who died or if the others were seriously injured; regardless though, it's a very sad event.
I also saw a string of emergency vehicles - two ambulances, two police cars, and three fire trucks - parked along the 장랑천 bridge two nights ago for an unknown reason. Why is it that the news I hear from northern Gyeonggi-do tends to be so negative? Part of it is no doubt my limited ability in Korean but, as a commuter town (or "sleeper city" as they seem to be called here in Korea), there probably isn't much reason for Uijeongbu to make the news otherwise. Back in the United States the city is best known - although not really - as the backdrop to the M*A*S*H series and movies. Or maybe for its army bases depending on who you ask. Uijeongbu is famous among Koreans for the dish budae jjigae (부대찌개; army base stew) to the point where city officials have asked the dish to be renamed to Uijeongbu jjigae. Unfortunately, they haven't had as much success as the Jeonju government has in promoting their regional dish, Jeonju bibimbap (also known as 골동반; goldongban?). Then again, is it any wonder when one is a hodgepodge dish and the other is royal court cuisine? I've had Uijeongbu budae jjigae but didn't experience Jeonju bibimbap during my brief stay in the city ...