Public Parks, the Alternative to McDonald’s Arcs
Article: Haanbi Kim
Editor: Grace Oh
Designer: Sarah Cho
Editor: Grace Oh
Designer: Sarah Cho
With the weather getting warmer and warmer, people are wanting the outdoors more frequently. And to relieve this stress from hot and sticky climate, people pack their bags and go to… the public park. Rather than using phones and watching television at home, exercising is proved to be a more fun and healthier way to spend time in the Summer.
Many people go out to public parks to ride their bikes and enjoy the wind and warm sunlight brought by nature. The Han River Park stretches for miles through the middle of Seoul and the metropolitan area, making it accessible for most people to exercise with a bicycle while enjoying the warm sunlight. However, public park not only serves as a purpose for bike riding alone, but other activities that also helps exercise and brings out one’s happiness and enjoyment. Off the bike and walking paths, there are grassy areas where families or groups of people pitch tents. During the summer, rows of tents are set up for actual camping. The grassfields are used for sports, such as soccer, and sometimes, volleyball nets are set up for people to enjoy team sports. People also jet ski or ride tour boats on the river, proving that there are plenty of other activities available for those who decides not to bike or walk. These activities serve as a better way for exercise, rather than exercising in a gym because it provides more interaction. When going out to public parks, families and friends socialize with each other more actively than they do in the household. This is particularly important for the upcoming years, as socializing face to face is not found as often as before, but more of socializing through media, such as texting/chatting or using social media apps on the phone. Also, using the phone too much brings back pain and severe headaches, which is never true for outside activities. Outdoor movement helps the body become healthier physically and emotionally active. For example, the arid, cool breeze of a public park is so much better than a sweaty gym room, full of artificial wind from the air conditioner. “I enjoy exercise at a public park because of the breeze and the fact that it is free space,” says Sunkyung Lee, who bikes regularly out in the Han River. Public parks in Korea also provide ways for commute and transportation. There are “water taxis”, which is literally a boat that does the task of what a taxi would usually do on road. This makes transportation more efficient and pretty exciting for those who are going to a destination across the river, especially because there haven’t been any expectations for such an unique idea for transportation. Public parks of Korea make a healthier, and enjoyable way for leisure and exercise. “So, instead of being trapped inside of an empty room, why don’t you leave your phone for a second and enjoy the outdoors of this spring and summer?” |
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