#126 Big Week in Daegu

[스티븐스 대사]

I was in Daegu last weekend to watch the opening ceremony of the IAAF World Championships and some of the early competitions on Saturday and Sunday.  The opening ceremony set exactly the right mood, and I especially enjoyed seeing two great singers I’ve heard up close recently, Sumi Cho and Insooni, captivate a huge stadium. 

Opening Ceremony of Daegu IAAF World Championships

The stadium itself is marvelous: it is tucked into the green hills of Daegu, and the warm atmosphere was perfectly complemented by the welcoming smiles of the Daegu volunteers eager to help out. 

Before the opening ceremony, our Embassy group went to the Hana Center in Daegu to visit with a group of university students originally from North Korea, as well as a group of North Koreans recently resettled in Daegu.  We made the North Korean specialty ‘dubu bab (tofu with rice)’, and later on, our Embassy staff sat together with the Hana Center group during the opening ceremony.

The sapsal-gae dog is the mascot for the IAAF World Championships, and as it happened, this was also the week that I brought my own two sapsal-gae to Daegu to join their cousins at the newly-built Korean Sapsaree Foundation outside Daegu.  I miss Mushim and Yeoyu at Habib House, but I am glad they have a happy new home where they will thrive. 

Bidding farewell to Yeoyu and Mushim… I will miss you!

The games themselves were terrific and the competition was intense.  We stopped by the warm-up track to meet American athletes and coaches on Sunday morning.  All expressed appreciation for the warm welcome from the people of Daegu and admired how well the games were organized.   

With American coaches and trainers at the warm-up track

So congratulations to Daegu Mayor Kim Bum-il and all the citizens of Daegu and the surrounding areas for organizing this great event.  And netizens, if you haven’t gone already, I suggest a trip to Daegu to catch some of the competition in person.  You’ll love it.