The Kimchi Life

2018 Olympics Are Coming to Korea

2011-07-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

The third time's a charm! When I first moved to Korea four years ago South Korea was in the midst of a bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. It was their second time bidding for the Winter Olympics, having barely lost 6 years prior to Vancouver to host the 2010 Olympics. They had lost to Vancouver by only 4 votes. Unfortunately in 2007 Russia beat Korea in its second bid by an even more agonizing 3 votes. This past week Korea tried for the third time to host the Winter Olympics. Success! And a landslide. Korea won it's bid with 63 votes, the most ever in a first round of voting.

The 2018 Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Pyeongchang is about 3 hours from Seoul, on the east coast. They do get a lot of snow. I went skiing there this past winter. When our bus left Seoul it was cloudy, but not snowing. Right as we got into the Pyeongchang area the snow started to fall we could see they had received 12 inches of fresh snow the night before. The mountains of Korea certainly can't compare to the Alps, or even the Rockies, but I guess the IOC thinks they're good enough for Olympic skiing.

Of course, skiing just accounts for a few of the winter events. In fact, most of the events do not take place on a mountain ski slope. Korea is especially proud of their strong speed skaters. Unwitting to most Americans, South Korea has a rivalry with the United States when it comes to speed skating. Didn't know that, did you? Apparently in one of the previous Olympics the American, Apolo Ohno, knocked a Korean down and cost him the gold medal. Of course it wasn't on purpose but it doesn't matter. Koreans remain very bitter about that moment. Mention "Apolo Ohno" to any Korean and they'll respond with a scowl. Especially the kids. I just think it's amazing that they know an American athlete by name. I doubt many Americans could name any Korean athletes. There might be one, however- Kim Yuna.

Kim Yuna won the gold medal in figure skating for South Korea in last year's Vancouver Olympics, winning Korea it's first medal in that sport and earning herself the devotion of a nation. Her face is plastered everywhere here. There's even a children's cartoon based on her. I know- crazy!

Last year South Korea won a total of 14 Olympics medals in Vancouver, 6 of those gold. It was Korea's best showing ever. Compare that 2002 when they won just 4 medals in all and they've come a long way. The excitement of the Korean people is palpable and they are ready for such a big event, not just as a city, but as a nation. I attended the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with my sister, Laura. They were so smoothly run it was amazing. If the Asian work ethic is any indication, I think the Pyeongchang Olympics will be just as organized and successful.

In 1988 Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics. That truly was a watershed event in the history of this country. It directly helped bring democracy to South Korea and was a coming out party for the country. Korea was no longer a backwater Asian country known for it's nasty northern neighbor and a war in the 1950's, but an up and coming nation capable and worthy of big things. It will be interesting to see how this next Olympics changes the country, 30 years later. Whether I'm still living in Korea or not, I know I'll be there!

Ziplining in Mungyeong- 2nd Publication!

2011-05-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

Here is the second story I had published in Groove Magazine. For pictures, follow the link HERE and download the PDF. It's actually a really cool looking spread. I'm quite proud. Hehe.

“Just walk off the platform. It’s fun.” Yeah right. One would think such a simple instruction would be easy to follow, but when that platform happens to be 48 meters above the ground and you’re about to fly over a ravine on a wire, compliance doesn’t come quite so easily, especially if you have a healthy respect for heights. That’s like saying to an arachnophobe, “Just pet the tarantula, it’s friendly.” Yes, such things are much easier said than done.

Thea's palms were sweaty with anxiety. That day she had tagged along with a large group of American soldiers to the zipline course. She was the last of the group to take the walk of faith and even though she had just witnessed ten people zip along the wire unharmed, what if she happened to be that statistical improbability -- an accident?

Having taken a pass on bungee jumping, and refusing to even contemplate skydiving with her friends, Thea was determined not to be left out on ziplining. She took a deep breath, walked three paces off the platform, and squeezed her eyes shut. Zzzzzzzzziiiiiippppp!! The written word does not do justice to the actual sound. Unlike the dainty zip! of a jeans fly, the sound of a pulley, weighed down by an adult human, sliding down a 13mm-thick inclined steel wire at up to 40 km/hr is unlike anything you’ve heard before. It’s a reverberation. Racing back up the line it whips behind any observer standing on the departing platform like a boomerang and blasts them with vibrations. Such is the effect that even though a ziplining person might already be 100 meters down the line, it sounds like they’re whizzing right by your ear. It’s a sound that denotes speed, exhilaration, power. The power to overcome fears.

Thea opened her eyes just in time to glide in for a landing. As she gingerly took the steps down off the landing platform her pursed lips loosened and spread triumph across her face. She’d done it. She hadn’t freaked out. She hadn’t backed out. She had conquered her fear and what’s more, "It was really fun!" she gushed. "And not scary at all."

One might call ziplining a “light” adventure sport. There’s no danger of going splat should your parachute not open, nor is there expensive training involved, such as with scuba diving. In some places ziplining is even used for the treatment of acrophobia, the fear of heights.

Kang Dong-Jun, a manager at Zipline Mungyeong, says his facility has not started programs specifically for that purpose. However, he sees people like Thea nonetheless conquering their fears every day. The best part of his job he says, is seeing the energizing effect that ziplining has on otherwise risk-averse people. “They smile and thank me afterward and tell me how much fun they had,” he says. “Some even ask for my phone number.”

As an adventure sport, ziplining gained popularity in the mid-‘90s in Costa Rica as an exhilarating way to see the beauty of the rainforest while having a softer imprint on the environment. Mr. Kang helped bring ziplining to Korea when Zipline Mungyeong opened in 2009.

Nestled amongst Korea's emerald mountains, Mungyeong's scenic locale makes the perfect place for an eco-friendly zipline facility. Zipline Mungyeong remains the only large professional zipline facility in the country and, with nine different courses, amounts to 1.4 kilometers of high-flying thrills. This culminates in a spectacular ride above the trees that reveals a panoramic view of the mountain forest and Mungyeong’s rice paddies below. Standing at the start one can barely see the landing platform 378 meters away. Whizzing through the trees like Tarzan is liberating, and yet one feels perfectly secure in their sturdy harness attached to a steel line that can support up to eight tons of weight. But is ziplining truly safe?

Mr. Kang chuckles and points to the photographs on the wall of laughing children in their helmets and harnesses. “We even let children do it. Over the past two years we have had over 50,000 visitors. I’d be lying if I said we’ve had no accidents. However, none of them have been the result of ziplining.” Turns out walking down a mountain trail is more dangerous than ziplining.

So what makes ziplining stand out from other adventure sports? Mr. Kang leans back in his chair and smiles as if recalling a pleasant memory. “The great thing about ziplining is that it’s not an individual sport like paragliding or skydiving. One can experience it in a group with family and friends. And anyone can do it. Grandmothers and grandfathers even come here.”

Grandmas? Well if they can enjoy it, anyone can.

April 14th- Black Day

2011-04-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Today is Black Day. Today also happens to be my birthday. But, it's not a black day because it's my birthday. It's actually a bright and sunny spring afternoon. Very representative of my sunny disposition. Haha!

In Asia, the fourteenth of every month is a special day. In Korea three of those days are primarily celebrated. February 14th is Valentine's Day, as we all know. On that day in Korea women give their significant others chocolate. The 14th of March is known as White Day. It's on that day that men reciprocate by giving their significant other candy. And April 14th, that's Black Day. This day is for everyone else.

Black Day is the day that single people commemorate their singleness. Single parties are held today. There's a speed dating party that I heard about that's happening today. There are 20 guys and 20 girls and you have 3 minutes to talk to each person. Every three minutes you switch. Apparently it's the new rage. I wouldn't know though, I've never been. The most famous way single people commemorate Black Day, however, is by by eating ja-jang-myeon.

Ja-jang-myeon is noodles with black been sauce, and it's eaten today because of it's color. It came to Korea about 100 years ago from China, and is now more popular here than there. It is the most popular home delivery food- much more so than pizza, chicken, and traditional Korean food. It also happens to be one of my personal favorite dishes in Korea. I know the photo may not look appetizing to a Westerner, but take my word for it, black bean sauce and noodles is so delicious! Although I am celebrating today, I won't be eating ja-jang-myeon. I don't need to and besides, it's my birthday. Tonight I am planning on having a night on the town with my friends and we will kick it off by eating some excellent Western fare: brick oven baked pizza at the new restaurant that opened down the road.

And what do all the people who are spoken for do on Black Day? Not much. Either thank God they're not single, or conspire about how they can be.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

2011-04-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write for awhile about what I like about Korea. Instead of making a list, I'll just highlight them one by one as I see fit. They will be in no particular order, but if I had to choose the best thing about Korea, it would probably be the dirt cheap and easily accessible health care. But that's for another day...

Today's thing that I love about Korea:

#1 SEO-BI-SUH

Last night I went grocery shopping and was reminded of the freebies that come with almost everything in Korea. They're called "service". The way a Korean would say it is "seo-bi-suh". It's one of those many English words that the Koreans have adopted into their vocabulary but changed the meaning slightly.

Often times a product like cereal or laundry detergent will have another "service" product attached to it. By attached I mean wrapped with clear box tape. Sometimes they're related, sometimes not. I've seen bowls taped to cereal boxes. That makes sense. The paper towels attached to my cereal, on the other hand, not so much sense. Nor does the Tony the Tiger visor a friend of mine received. Last night I had to choose between just a carton of milk and a carton of milk with pineapple juice taped to it. And what would you choose? Hell's yeah I chose the one with pineapple juice freebie.

If you buy a kilo of strawberries from the market after reaching the correct weight the vendor will throw in an extra handful, service. Or maybe you're paying for six apples, she'll give you a seventh, service. Seo-bi-suh permeates throughout all Korean businesses though, not just in the grocery store. I had the dry cleaner sew a button back onto my shirt, in addition to the blanket I had given her to dry-clean. How much did she want for the button? "Seo-bi-suh."

This week I went to the cellphone service center to get a new charger for my phone. Again. Seems like I need a new one every few months and I was pissed. The girl working there recognized me and serviced it. Guess who's not pissed anymore but in fact delighted that he got a free phone charger? Oh, and she offered me a bag of freshly popped popcorn from their popcorn machine. How random is that? I've also seen cellphone stores offering a 6-pack of ramen noodles to those who signed new plans. Sometimes if you have a long cross-country trip the bus company will provide a bottle of water for riders. Self serve coffee or ice cream is standard at nicer Korean restaurants. Health and beauty stores often give you free samples just for walking through the door.

Even at the sporting goods store: "Oh, you bought a hundred dollar backpack? Here's a menu of free stuff. What would you like?" "I'll take the pair of nice hiking socks, thanks!" Who can't use more socks?

Or how about this one: "Hey lady at the fried chicken restaurant. We just bought three chickens and a bunch of beers. You think you can service our dessert?"
"Sure, I'd be happy to."

It seems that food home delivery rewards with the most interesting freebies. The most exciting thing I got with my fried chicken was a Super Junior calendar. (Super Junior is a popular Korean boy band.) But my friends have scored much better. One friend got a badminton set with her pizza. Another, and I think is this the best, received a pet snail in a plastic cage with her pizza order.

Yes I do love seo-bi-suh. I know. It's just a marketing ploy to make customers come back. But you know what? It works. If I have to choose between giving my business to the phone center with popcorn and the one without, I'll choose the popcorn bribe every time.

Published!

2011-03-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

I finally have gotten published! The article I wrote about skydiving appears in the March issue of Groove Korea, an English language magazine for expats in Korea. The article is reproduced in my blog post on skydiving in February. And, to top it off, I have my first official assignment from the magazine- ziplining! I will be writing about Korea's largest ziplining facility for the May issue of Groove Magazine. One can download a pdf of the magazine or simply read the articles online HERE.

Catching a Bus in Seoul

2011-03-10T16:16:00.000-08:00

Before you read this, take a look at this VIDEO. Granted my experience was not this bad and this is Tokyo, not Seoul. But it was darn close...

At 7:23 this morning I scurried out the door in a disorganized rush. My bag over one shoulder and my smelly gym shoes in a paper bag in my left hand, and my coffee in a thermos in my right hand, I trotted down the hill outside my apartment. It's really steep. There's really no choice but to trot. Even if I wasn't late, it takes more energy to fight gravity and walk down this hill than it does to simply give in to physics. As I jog I try to slip on my gloves. Yes, it's still glove weather in Korea. This is the time of year that I become most homesick for my hometown in Virginia, where the daffodils have already bloomed and coat weather has turned to sunny warm jacket weather. In Korea we still have another good 6 weeks of winter. Last year we had a snow flurry in May; the first time I've ever seen snow in May.

7:27 I'm almost at the bus stop, but my legs can't slow down. I can't quit until I get there. Actually I'm not late; I'm early. I usually don't leave my house until 7:30 so I can catch the 7:42 bus. In recent days that commute has proven to be quite unpleasant, however. Yesterday I caught the 7:42 bus. Or, at least I tried. The bus was so jammed with people I couldn't get on. Nor could most of the other people at the 7:42 Bus Stop Club. I got to work 20 minutes late. Today is different, I'm going to be early. You know how when you commute to work, leaving just 10 minutes late can increase your commute time by 20 minutes? Similar concept here.

7:28 Perfect timing! I'm at the bus stop and the 401 & the 406 arrive just seconds after me. Mine is the 143. All the people waiting will get onto those buses leaving the 143 nice and empty. I look around and to my surprise the 7:30 Bus Stop Club looks exactly like the 7:42 Club.
The thing about Bus Stop Clubs is that the characters rarely change between buses. People have their schedules and they stick to them for the most part. The 7:30 Club should be different. But it's not. Apparently after yesterday's fiasco, everyone has had the bright idea to come early.

Yup, there's Velma. With her black thick-rimmed glasses and short fuzzy haircut she could have come straight out of the Scooby Doo cartoon except she's dyed her hair platinum blond. There's Velma's mother. And here come Talk-a-lot and her co-worker Quieter. There's Tough Guy. Red Beard. Handsome is also part of the gang, as is Tony. Tony is his real name, by the way; I actually know him. If I didn't though, he'd be Tall Guy. He's 6'3". Sometimes I wonder what nickname they've given me. Maybe it's Hot Stuff or Cute Guy. I don't' think so though. It's probably something like Marathon, or Long Commute. Since my stop is two away from the end of the line, I'm always last to get off the bus. Perhaps it's Sucks For Him.

7:33 The 143 arrives at last. It's three minutes late and the passengers look pretty distressingly squished. If I were still in America I would have resigned myself to tardiness. Having spent four years in country, however, I consider myself a semi-Korean, and my instincts have changed. But mainly I've also expended too much energy to get here early only to be late. Against all common sense the bus doors open and I make a break for it, jumping in front of the rest of the 7:30 Club members. Elbows out I charge the back door and squeeze into the crowd, pushing into people in my determination. Despite being twice my size Tony too, has joined the sardines. I suck it in, face outwards, and reach up to the door frame, standing on my tippy toes and pushing myself backwards inside the bus, allowing just enough room for the door to slide shut. "Nice move!" Tony croons with an approving smile, impressed with my moves.

With the bus at full capacity the driver still feels that it's necessary to blast the heat at full force. It's sweltering. I can't breath. I can't maneuver my arms to take off my coat or scarf. Fighting claustrophobia I take measured breaths and watch the city go by through the door window my cheek is smashed against. The bus comes to the next stop and the door slides open. Balancing on my toes I again push with all my might against the top of the door frame, fighting against the pressure that wants to pop me out of the bus like a champagne cork. No one gets off at this stop, I don't know why the driver insists on opening the door. Must be protocol. I suck in again and allow the door to slide past me, trying hard to avoid getting caught in it. I watched that happen to an old lady once. She screamed bloody murder. I have desire to make that kind of a scene.

The bus continues on its route, entering Namsan Tunnel 3- the third of three tunnels under Namsan Mountain, that sits smack in the middle of the city. Breathe, breathe. Just two more minutes until the Pressure Valve Bus Stop. Crap, there's traffic in the tunnel. I close my eyes and picture the beaches in Thailand. The heat certainly feels like I could be in Thailand. It doesn't work; I'll have to endure. Five minutes of hell later, the we reach the next stop, Myeong-dong- a shopping district with lots of upscale stores and more importantly for me, a lot of upscale store clerks who happen to be on my bus.

The door slides open and and the bus vomits humanity onto the sidewalk. Lest we get trampled Tony and I too plop out and step aside. Disheveled workers splatter out onto the sidewalk and briskly head off to work, straightening their ties and smoothing their skirts as they go. When the heaving has subsided we quickly jump back into the bowels of the groaning steel contraption before we get left behind.

The bus is still way too crowded, but at least I don't feel like I'm going to asphyxiate anymore. Just two stops later Tony and I acquire a seat and settle into our commute, none worse for the wear. Just another day in the world's second most crowded metro area- just behind Tokyo that is.

Skydiving in Korea

2011-02-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

“What the HELL am I doing here?” I focus on the rotors of the helicopter spinning a few feet above my head. Whoop whoop whoop whoop! Korea's green mountains rise up in the distance. Just below the horizon of mountains is...“Don't look down! Concentrate on the rotors.”

Above the roar of the helicopter, the icy wind biting my face, the instructor’s voice shouts from behind. "Are you ready?" I nod my head yes, just like we practiced on the ground. Nothing. My head nods again and this time, though I muster the bravest voice possible, it still trembles, "Ye-yes, I'm ready!" Another second passes. An eternity. It’s not my life that flashes before my eyes but the sequence of events that got me to the precarious position between heaven and earth I'm in now:

-The beautiful spring afternoon at the pub when Marty and I decided we’d go sky-diving to celebrate her birthday; two other friends, Brandon and Jemma, would join us.

-The pouring rain that preempted us from diving in June. And July. And September.

-My superstitious attitude that triggered me to almost cancel and refund a fourth attempt.

-The peer pressure from friends me that persuaded me not to.

-How even that very morning the Fates seemed to be working against us.

After a three hour jaunt from Seoul, soothing sunshine, a gentle breeze, and unusually warm temps for late October heralded our arrival at the tiny airfield in Jeollabuk-do. After receiving ten minutes of instructions translated by Jemma, the Korean friend who was jumping with us and who helped organize the trip, we four friends waited on the blue tarp and watched the commotion around the tiny prop plane. Forty-five minutes later the instructor announced we couldn't use the plane.

“What?!”

"Don't worry! We take helicopter. Not as high, but okay."

Since it was in honor of her by now very belated birthday, Marty naturally went first. No rock, scissors, paper here! We snapped photos and waved as she lifted off in the helicopter. As the dive team strapped the harness on me next and reviewed the instructions, the deep thumping of helicopter rotors drifted over the field. We craned our necks, scanning the great blue expanse, but to no avail; the helicopter was that high. Suddenly a puff of blue burst out into the sky. Marty's parachute! She survived!

After a few quick photos with an ecstatic Marty, I sit gripping the bar in front of me for dear life, the world below out the open helicopter door quickly shrinks and the air temperature plummets.

"Stand up!" the instructor commands. He maneuvers me around so my feet hang out the door while he attaches himself to my harness and pulls the straps tight. "Are you ready?" he yells. Confirmed with a nod of my head, he shimmies me farther and farther out of the door. My hands brace both sides, resisting, but the instructor prevails and then my whole body is dangling outside the craft. Damn legs are too short to stand on the landing skid. The only thing keeping me from falling is the man strapped to my back. Chin up, focusing on the whooping rotors, the icy wind roars but it’s not cold; cold is the last thing on my mind.

"Are you ready?"

"Ye-yes. I'm ready!"

My grip on the shoulder straps tightens and for the first time I acknowledge the ground almost two miles below me. The instructor grabs my forehead and pulls it back up where it's supposed to be. Finally it starts.

The thumping copter fades away. There's no drop of the stomach like on a roller coaster. It's just...falling. Faster, faster, faster. Brown fields rush up to meet us. The roaring wind deafens. Cheeks flap and lungs struggle to breathe. It’s so fast they can't even scream. As if to make up for it one continuous thought goes through my mind: "Ahhhhhh!" A tap on my shoulder signals to raise my arms. They lift without a thought. We plunge onward. “Will this stop?! Oh my god it’s LOUD.” Rapidly gulping the arctic wind I begin to hyperventilate in a panic. “Calm. Down!” Suddenly the sound of a whipping flag in the wind slices through the roar. The view jerks from the brown fields back out to the mountains. Instant calm. Relief. A silent moment of thanks.

"Are you okay?” the instructor exclaims in my ear. “It is fun?"

"Amazing!" My thumb pops up for added emphasis. Five peaceful minutes later friends below wave back. We skid to a landing. Pure. Elation.

Three Years and Counting

2010-04-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

On April 20th I commemorated three years in Korea. I can't believe it's been three years already. Time flies. On the one hand it seems like it was just yesterday that I was saying tearful good byes to my friends and family and heading off into the deep blue yonder. On the other hand, my life before Korea seems distant, hazy. I have decided to sign a fourth contract which will begin in August, thus guaranteeing another year here. My life here is good. I have a good job, great friends, and I'm enjoying living free of the complications of America. The economy back home is still not good so why should I fix something that isn't broken?

Since it's been three years since landing in Korea, I'll use this blog to reflect on my life here. One of my recruiting clients recently asked me what it means to me to "live in Korea". Here is what my answer to her was:

Living in Korea means...

Expanding my mind- I get to experience what it's like to live in a different culture, a different language, and a different part of the world. With that comes both joys and frustrations. I can get to see what life is like outside the States. I have seen other people's perspectives and have learned that there is more than one way to do things. To me, that is liberating. Obviously there are frustrating things like the language barrier, but I've had an experience that most people in the States will never have, and once I leave Korea, I'll carry it with me forever.

Travel- I've been able to not only see a lot of Korea, but have been able to travel to a lot of other countries in Asia. Travel is something that has always been a priority for me.

Financial Freedom- After three years in Korea, I will soon finally pay off my college, credit card, and car loans which amounted to about $40k when I moved here. I'm finally debt free, owe no one a dime, and can put all my money in my savings account. At the same time I've done that, I've still led a fun life and have traveled a lot. I work hard, but it's been worth it. Living in Korea dollar-wise I don't get paid as much as I would in the States, but I've been able to make so much more headway than if I lived there. Here I'm free of all the financial hangups that hold people back in the States- I don't pay for rent, a car, car insurance, health insurance, or significant taxes.

Excitement- There is something exciting about living abroad. Everything seems to be an adventure. You never know what's going to happen when you walk to the bank. There is also a sense that this is not my final destination. I will eventually move from Korea back to the States, and so I don't take anything for granted like I did in the States. I go out and see things, I utilize my time, and I enjoy it while I'm here. The States will always be there for me to return to.

People- I have been fortunate enough to have established a really good core group of friends- both foreigners and Koreans- that have become my family here. I've been lucky to surround myself with people that are so great. I know most people are not that lucky so I feel very blessed. The people I know here are a key incentive to staying.

Frustration- Living in another culture can be frustrating, especially when you don't speak the language. Three years later I still get frustrated when people don't do things the way that I expect and it can make me angry. But, then I put things in perspective, realize that things don't work the way they do back home, and move on. These frustrations could could be anything from the shopkeeper misunderstanding me, to the bank needing more documents to transfer money, to the late notice my co-teacher gives you about an upcoming event.

Homesickness- I do miss my home. Actually, I miss the people back home more than I do the location. Sometimes it is difficult. I have missed events such as Christmas and Thanksgiving and friends' weddings. I agonized about going to one of my best friend's wedding in June, but have decided not to go- a difficult decision that I might regret. I have a big family that has a lot of fun at holidays and I miss that. However, while my family was spending Christmas in cold Virginia, I was in Thailand. And they all said they'd rather be in my shoes. So, even though I miss things, I'm still having amazing experiences that family and friends will never have. I have also lost contact with some of my friends in the States. Others I have not. I believe those are your true friends though. The ones that don't depend on your close proximity to them in order to still be a friend.

So, in case anyone was wondering why, three years later, I'm still here. Those are a few. At this point, the thought of returning to the States gives me more anxiety than did the thought of leaving did three years ago. All the crap I would have to deal with when I return- buying a car, rent, health insurance, huge taxes, car insurance, finding a job, having to drive everywhere, paying for gas, the crime rate, expensive hotels, the higher cost of everything...I could go on. Yeah, I'm in no hurry to return home anytime soon. Sorry Mom and Dad, just not yet.

Ode to a Passport

2010-01-15T20:57:00.000-08:00

There's something intrinsically fascinating about passports. Whenever a friend of mine has their passport on them I ask to look at it. I love to see the stamps. Each country has a different stamp. Some unique, some not so much. I still think that the most interesting stamp I've received was the first one I ever got- from Honduras. It actually has the outline of the country on it. America's is pretty disappointing. It doesn't even say "USA". It says "U.S. Customs and Border Protection".

Whenever I travel one of the most exciting things is to receive the stamp in my passport. I'll go out of my way to ask them to stamp it if I don't think they're going to. And let me tell you, one of the most disappointing things is when they don't. I missed out on many stamps when traveling within the E.U. Visas are even more exciting. They look important and official. Plus they take up a whole page. Yeah, I know, I'm a nerd. Guilty as charged. But...I'm just giving voice to the sentiments of anyone who has ever traveled abroad. Whether they will admit it or not.

Travel is one of the most exciting things we can do as humans. When you step into a new country, and everything you see in books and on the television comes to life right before your eyes, it's incredible. Travel opens the mind and broadens one's sense of self. When you realize that there is more than one way to do something, it's amazing. Travel is like a door to new worlds, and one's passport is the key. A stamp, that's a memory, and proof of one's experience.

There's something comforting when I land in America and I witness a sea of blue books come out of purses, luggage, and back pockets. It's the first sign that reminds me I'm finally home. Likewise if I'm in a foreign country, waiting in the immigration line and I see a blue blue passport book with an eagle. It tells me "Hey, I'm not alone here. I've got company."

So, I dedicate this blog to my passport. After 10 years, it's finally time to get a new one. It took me to 4 continents and over 24 countries. We'll only see where the next 10 years take me! Well, I know the first stop...Thailand- February 12-27th!

Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Honduras (my first trip abroad)

South Africa, Ireland, USA

England, Germany, Taiwan, Italy

China visa (for the 2008 Olympics), Thailand, China stamp

Korean stamps and first teaching visa

Korea, Japan

second Korea visa, Korea stamps

USA, Korea

Spain

South Africa

Slovakia, England

Spain student visa

Slovakia, Egypt, Czech Republic

Extra pages

stickers from Egypt

Peppero Day

2009-11-16T04:47:00.000-08:00

On November 11th while America was honoring the sacrifice of our soldiers on Veterans' Day, Korea was celebrating Peppero Day. Peppero is a long stick biscuit cookie dipped in chocolate with just a little bit left at the bottom for you to hold onto it without chocolate melting in your hand. Simple yet ingenious. Not to mention delicious. What's even more ingenious is the marketing brain who invented a holiday just to sell their product.

On November 11th one is supposed to give a loved one or friend peppero. Kind of like Valentine's Day with out the mushy gushy love stuff. I get more peppero from my students on on Nov. 11th than I consume in the entire rest of the year. You should see the peppero displays they have in the stores. Balloons, ribbons, stuffed animals. Peppero boxes glued together to form giant hearts. In hindsight I wish I had taken photos of them. There's peppero of every size and flavor- classic chocolate covered or strawberry and vanilla covered. There's peppero sprinkled with almonds (my personal favorite). There's big thick peppero that's a foot long or there's classic peppero which looks like a preztel stick and is only 6 inches long.

Honestly, the next peppero marketing genious will start importing it to the States. I think it would be a hit. As I sit here enjoying my peppero I wonder...what's keeping them?

Change is in the air

2009-10-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

I hate fall. At least I used to. Until this year. For me, fall has always represented the end of summer. In September, summer dies a cold, melancholy death as winter begins to establish its chilling foothold across the land, and I HATE the cold. Having grown up under the hot and humid Virginia sun, I've developed an immunity to the heat. I don't sweat any less than anyone else, I'm just used to it and I don't mind it as much. On the other hand, having grown up under the hot and humid Virginia sun, I don't like being cold. I also hate all the layers of clothes I have to lug around to keep myself warm. In winter, getting dressed is a long chore. In summer, I throw on a T-shirt and some shorts and I'm out the door.
This year it has been different however. I've actually embraced fall this year. Even welcomed it. Maybe I'm tired of sweating on the way to work. Maybe I had a great summer and I took advantage of it so I can fondly say adieu to summer for six months. On the other hand, it might also just be that I think I look stocky and horrible in shorts and I really looked forward to wearing my nice fall jackets. Whatever the reason, I'm enjoying the change.

The mountain I gaze longingly at out my office window at work is now in peak fall color. The air is crisp and clean, but not yet cold. I can wear my jackets and actually be pleased with the way I look. And, I can walk to work without needing to take a shower once I arrive. I'm also trying to take advantage of the nice weather instead of lamenting that it's cold now.

I had a fantastic time with my two good friends Melissa and Eun Sang over Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving. Melissa lived (sadly her contract has ended and returned home just this past weekend) in Gangneung, a coastal town in eastern Korea. I had a five day holiday for Chuseok so Eun Sang and I traveled there to visit. We heaved and we panted and we trudged our way up Oseak Mountain to Daebong Peak- the third highest in South Korea. For our three hours of hard labor we were rewarded with a stunning view of the surrounding mountains to the west, and the shimmering sea to the east. Plus the fact that we had completed the hike an hour quicker than Melissa's coworker. We're not competitive though. It took about the same amount of time to climb down the mountain as it did to climb up it, and for that, we relaxed in the spa at the base of the trail head.

We drank some of the carbonic acid that flows naturally from a spring in the mountain. The naturally carbonated water settles the stomach quite nicely. In the sauna there is a carbonic acid pool where one can soak. It smells like rust and has the same orange tint as rust. And, oddly, even though it was physically room temperature, the acid made it feel like it was freezing. After ten minutes in the pool my skin began to itch and once I got out, if felt like my skin was boiling. All this is completely normal, apparently. Good thing I had Eun Sang there to read me the sign in Korean that said that.

This coming weekend I will be hosting my two best friends, Mary & Stacy, to dip some caramel apples. It took me over a year to get them to finally visit me up here in Davegoggae, as they lovingly refer to my neighborhood which lies in the far northern reaches of Seoul. (I'm only a few stops from the end of the subway, which finishes with Dangoggae.)
Maybe I'm maturing. Or maybe it's because I realize that this could very well be my last year in Korea and wistfulness has already set in. But I'm determined that from now on, I'm going to enjoy everyday for what it is. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Beach at Gangneung

Me and Eun Sang...swirling lights of a colorful fountain behind us.

My Little Getaway

2009-09-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

"What a fabulous day!" I thought as I laced up my hiking boots and walked out my door and onto the busy city street. "It's warm, not a cloud in the sky, and I got off work at 1:00. Life is good!"

I took off up the road outside my apartment, briskly walking past the sites of a city in motion. The sound of construction work got louder and louder until the noise of pounding jackhammers shook my teeth and vibrated the ground beneath my feet like an earthquake's aftershock. Construction ajushis (older men) yelled angrily at each other. I couldn't understand them so I put my own words in their mouths. "You stupid idiot! You're supposed to hammer the other sidewalk, not this one! How can you be so dense." Other city scenes filled my senses as I sped ever upward toward my mountain sanctuary.

The wonderful smell of toasting waffles filled my nostrils as I passed the waffle ajuma (older woman). This aroma, however, was quickly overpowered by the acrid smell of dead fish as I passed the fish monger next door. The dry cleaner donned nothing but a gray wife beater as he pressed his clothes, puffs of steam billowing up around him. I took note of the young man in a crane basket adjusting the phone wires above the street. Ajumas tending their convenience stores eyed me as I sped up the street and wound my way around the ajushis sitting in plastic chairs in the middle of the sidewalk outside these convenience stores. They loudly discussed matters of apparent great importance as they enjoyed their soju and squid flavored chips. "Prune juice! It does wonders! It's cut my toilet time down to only 15 minutes! I swear by it!" "No, that's for Westerners. Ginseng is still the cure-all magic root."

Children ran free. Taxis honked their horns. The watermelon man sold his melons out of the bed of his truck parked next to the sidewalk. "Watermelons! 10,000 won!" Fellow hikers coming off the mountain raised their eyebrows as they passed by me, sniffing at my lack of equipment. "Sorry, but I don't need gloves, a metal pole, a mesh shirt and a backpack just to hike. Boots, shorts, a T-shirt and maybe a water bottle if I remember, but I prefer to travel light."

All this I passed as I quickly made my way up the gently sloping street. The sights and sounds of the city slowly faded away as I came to the entrance of Bukhan Mountain National Park, against which the city of Seoul rests. The sound of some rather chatty hikers filled my ears but even this quickly died away as I zipped past them. A minute later and I was finally off the pavement on the mountain trail. Onwards and upwards I climbed. And then...not the excitement of babbling humans but the relaxation of a babbling mountain stream. Not thundering jackhammers but singing birds. Not dead fish, but a fresh breeze across my face. Not steel and concrete buildings, but beautiful green trees and mountain flowers.

Then I stopped and glanced at my watch- 15 minutes since I had left home. I stood still and listened. I closed my eyes and absorbed the peaceful quiet around me. Not a trace of Seoul did I perceive. In this city of over 10 million souls, one of the most crowded on Earth, I had found my getaway.

4:15

2009-06-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon, 4:15

Half an hour till I could go home.

Half an hour till I could get out of the school and into the fresh air.

Half an hour till my weekend began.

Half an hour till I had freedom.

Half an hour till…ring!...ring!

“Day-bid, uhh…please go to third grade. Class 3-2.”

Damn! What did I do? “Okay…what do they want?”

“Uhh, uhh. Just go. Not…bad.”

I walked to class 3-2. I hope this is quick. I wanna go home. What could they possibly want? Class 3-3 teacher saw me coming down the hallway. A big smile on her face, she excitedly motioned me to come quickly as she slid the door open for me.

As I walked into the classroom I immediately recognized that I had just stepped into another one of those bizarre, yet unforgettable Korea moments.

“Ahh! Day-bid!!! Come come! Mani tisayo- eat eat!!”

Four female teachers in aprons kneeled on newspapers on the floor in the middle of the classroom, hovering over two portable gas grills, barbequing up some meat. The desks were pushed together and five or six other teachers sat at them. The table was covered with an impromptu Korean Barbeque feast: lettuce for wrapping the meat, red pepper paste for seasoning, rice, sesame leaves, garlic leaves, tangerines & coffee for dessert and, of course, that potent Korean liquor- soju. Liquor? In a school??

“Day-bid! Sit down! Here!” The school manager handed me a tiny paper cup and poured me a shot of soju. I respectfully turned my head and covered my mouth as I downed it in “one shot” and then returned the favor. Liquor in school? Sure, why not? Americans are too uptight anyway.

I then spent the next hour stuffing myself with the delicious samgyeopsal meat (essentially thick bacon meat) wrapped in various leaves- lettuce, sesame, komchi- and washing it down with soju. Not that I like soju. It actually tastes like rubbing alcohol, but, in Korean culture, if someone doesn’t have soju in front of him, you’re supposed to fill up his shot glass. And they always are supposed to return the favor. Seeing as how Korean men love to drink and they were not only my elders, but my bosses, I was filling a lot of shot glasses.

Having spent an hour enjoying the meal with my colleagues, I decided it was okay to excuse myself and go home. Luckily, I was able to cleverly keep my soju consumption to a minimum and I walked home with just the hint of a buzz. Enough to make me smile at the generosity and kindness of Koreans, as well as the bizarre situations we sometimes walk into.

Taipei Part II

2009-05-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

For the international relationist in me, Taiwan is fascinating. As I said before, Chiang Kai-Shek and his Nationalist forces fled here after loosing the Chinese civil war to Mao Tse-tung and the Communists. It was here that Chiang set up the Republic of China (ROC). It was Taipei that held China's seat on the UN Security Council until 1971. In that year the United Nations recognized Beijing and the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the legitimate government of China and kicked Taiwan out of the UN, awarding the powerful permanent seat on the Security Council to the PRC and designating Taiwan as an autonomous region of the PRC. The United States did not switch recognition from Taipei to Beijing until 1979.

Despite being wholly autonomous from Beijing (Taiwan has its own embassies, government, passport, etc.) it is China's top priority to eventually return Taiwan to PRC sovereignty. Thus, China has threatened invasion of Taiwan should it ever formally declare independence. For its part, the United States has told Taiwan not do anything as foolish as to piss off China. Although Taiwan is protected by America's implicit threat to defend it in the event of a Chinese attack, the US has no desire make good on that threat. America's relations with China are far more important than that of Taiwan. Likewise, China has decided that it will bide its time in regaining Taiwan. It depends far too much on the American economic market than to risk war.

In the meantime Taiwan sits in limbo: neither able to declare its independence and gain official recognition on the international stage, yet unwilling to return itself to Chinese sovereignty. Thus Taiwan has settled for the status quo, which includes vying with Beijing for countries' recognition of their government as the legitimate government of China. Currently 23 countries recognize the ROC over the PRC, including the Vatican.

My friend Grant is a career soldier in the Taiwanese military. I asked him what his position on his country's situation was and he said that as long as China remained undemocratic he hoped Taiwan would maintain its independence. Although, it seems that reunification with China is probably an inevitability. The "One-China" policy is the single issue about which China cares the most. It has used its influence and sway to punish countries that do not hold to that policy. The more powerful China grows, the less willing countries will to raise their voices in Taiwan's defense. And, I must say, I don't want my own country going to war over Taiwan, as terrible as a Chinese takeover of the island would be.

I thought of this the three days I was in Taiwan. As I pushed through the hundreds of worshipers at Longshan Temple. As I stood on top of the world's highest building and looked down on Taipei. As I sat behind Grant on his scooter and we zoomed in and out of Taipei's traffic one warm evening. As we ate fried chicken on the Danshui waterfront and people watched I wondered, what would change if this were now "China" and not just "Taiwan"? Hopefully nothing. Afterall, Hong Kong seems to have fared well since being returned to China. Still, freedom is not something that you can touch. But it is something that you can feel. And the knowledge that that my friend's freedom lies so precariously in the balance made me appreciate mine all the more.

The main gate to Longshan Temple. The dragon at the top of this post is one of the many elaborate statues that can be found on its roof.

The scooter is to Taipei as the bicycle is to Beijing.

Above is the National Palace Museum. Unfortunately I was able to visit it for only about an hour. It is the world's greatest collection of Chinese art and spans 5,000 years. Chiang Kai-shek took the imperial treasures from the Forbidden City and carted them across mainland China during the Chinese Civil War before finally evacuating them to Taiwan. A good thing he did too. Otherwise they probably would have never survived Mao's Cultural Revolution when he destroyed all things relating to the old era. Thus, China's greatest treasures are not even in China. It is said that through all its movement, not one item in the 600,000 piece collection was broken. The museum is located at the base of a mountain. It is inside the belly of this mountain that the collection will be protected, should China ever attack.

The bridge at Danshui, a quaint seaside town 45 minutes outside of Taipei.

Taipei

2009-05-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

“Ouch! Ok! I get it: I need more sleep!” The misuse painfully prodded my right big toe. The pain I felt apparently told him I wasn’t getting my 8 hours. The problem was he had already demonstrated this on my left toe. This was Taipei , Taiwan , and I had escaped Korea for the four day weekend in order to get away from all my stresses and just relax. This foot massage was not the relaxing, tension reducing experience I had imagined. It hurt. And it tickled enough to make it uncomfortable. It was all I could do to keep from wrenching my foot out of the misuse’s hands.

“He says to relax,” my friend Grant informed me. He was getting his first foot massage too in the chair next to me.

“I…am...trying,” I said through clenched teeth.

Forty minutes later I was relieved to have the massage end. Nevertheless, despite the discomfort, it worked. My feet felt relaxed and the pain from walking around all day was gone. I won’t say that it was pleasurable, but it did do the job.

The Chinese are famous for their belief that foot massages can help heal the rest of the body. Nerve endings from all parts of the body- organs and muscles, end in the foot. According to Chinese medicine, if one massages these endings it will have a positive effect on the rest of the body. I don’t know if it works, but a massage every once in awhile certainly never hurt anyone.

Two of Grant’s friends met up with us after the massage and we walked through one of the night markets that Taipei is famous for. This particular one is infamously named “Snake Alley”. The Chinese also believe in the good medicinal effects of eating snakes. The alley is filled with restaurants offering snake dishes. Cages of snakes lined the walkway, and a man with a white boa constrictor shouted out, trying to entice people into his restaurant. An elderly woman strung up a medium sized snake and butchered in front of the crowd, peeling off its skin and pulling out its guts. If she was trying to make snake look more appetizing, it wasn’t working.

I’m always up for new experiences and so the four of us chose a restaurant and pulled up some

chairs beside a shelf full of bottles of Chinese liquor and ordered two bowls of snake soup to share. It was pretty anti-climatic. The broth tasted like fish and the snake…you guessed it…tasted like chicken. Except chicken that you have to pick off of hundreds of small ribs, like when eating a whole fish.

“Oh! This is snake penis alcohol,” Grant excitedly told me, pulling a bottle off the shelf. “You’re joking.” “Nope. Snake. Penis. Alcohol.” He pointed out the three Chinese characters. I know what you’re thinking and yes, each bottle had its very own penis inside. And no, it just looked like a long piece of ragged meat preserved in formaldehyde. I would have never guessed what it was. But, thanks to Grant, that small piece of knowledge merely added to the experience.

I met Grant on Couchsurfing.com and he offered to house me and show me around his city. He’s just a year younger than me and we quickly became good friends over the three quick days I was in Taiwan . He showed me around this, the capital and largest city in Taiwan .

For years Taiwan was only famous for its dilapidated buildings, pollution, overpopulation, and being dirty. Chiang Kai-Shek and his Nationalist forces fled here after loosing the Chinese civil war to Mao Tse-tung and the Communists. It was never meant to be a permanent capital city as he planned on quickly returning to mainland China and reclaim for the Nationalist forces. Because of this, along with the fact that he despised the local Taiwanese, considering them inferior to mainlanders, he never bothered to upgrade or develop Taiwan for the almost 30 years he ruled the country with an iron fist. He was hardly more democratic than the Communists he “saved” the island from.

Fast forward to the 21^st century and Taiwan is quickly changing. Sure, a lot of the buildings are still dilapidated and dirty. And snake markets still make great tourist attractions, but ritzy shopping malls and other development are popping up all over the place. This Asian Tiger, like South Korea, has pulled itself up from the dregs of authoritarian rule and is finally coming of its own. The future remains uncertain. Beijing is hell bent on bringing Taiwan- a rogue region in their eyes- back into its fold. But until that day happens, Taiwan seems set on reinventing itself.

To be continued...

The Chaing Kai-shek Memorial. Inside they copied just a bit too much from the Lincoln Memorial.

Chaing Kai-shek Memorial

Taipei 101

Taipei 101- a fantastic view from Grant's apartment

Korea strikes again!

2009-04-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Although I’ve been here two years, there is still this thing called “ Korea ” that occasionally occurs. Korea is said to have struck when something outrageous happens that would probably never happen back home. Having lived in this country for two years I’ve built up a healthy immunity to Korea . I don’t even notice things that would have been outlandish to me two years ago. Usually one must sit back in amusement and wonder and enjoy the show. This is exactly what I did yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday the faculty of my school was allowed to leave after lunch. It was a gorgeous spring afternoon. The sun was shining, the flowers are in full, vibrant bloom, and the air was warm. Being extremely tired because I don’t know how to go to bed on time, I decided that when I got home I would take a nap with my windows thrown open and the sun beaming in. And after that maybe I would go biking, or at least take a walk. But not so! Korea struck without warning...

Korea ’s first blow came in the seemingly benevolent form of a drop of water-falling on my face as I entered my apartment. Instinctively looking up I discovered water dripping from my ceiling. However, being a little too immune to Korea , I sopped up the small puddle at my feet and went about my business- doing the laundry and settling into my apartment. The racket of some kind of loud motorized machine that sounded like a pressure washer called to my attention that maybe dropping water from the ceiling is not something that one should ignore.

I went upstairs and informed my landlord and his wife. They are just like the stereotypical wealthy old couple one might find in Southern California or Miami. Skin that’s just a tad too tight for their age, spiffy, younger looking clothing, and for the Mrs., too much makeup and red lipstick. The landlord took a look at the water, which was coming through the light fixture, and disappeared.

The racket upstairs suddenly ceased and Landlord returned with a maintenance man. Back and forth they argued and discussed, examining the water.

“Well I didn’t do it!”

“Then where’d it come from?”

“You got me..”

“Is it coming from here…or here?”

“Let’s find out.”

Meanwhile, as the two men argued I continued my vacuuming. I had chores to do and I wanted to get them done before I took my nap. Besides, I couldn’t understand anything and they weren’t talking to me.

Maintenance Man grabbed my kitchen chair and stood on it wielding a blade. First he cut away the wallpaper on the ceiling (yeah- one of those things that no longer seems strange to me) and threw it on the floor. Then he cut a big square in the plaster. Dust and water fell onto his facing, and subsequently, onto my floor. The vacuum still in hand, I sighed in dismay yet also had to stifle the giggle that came as Maintenance Man spit and sputtered the plaster out of his mouth and rubbed his eyes. I’m not sure what he was expecting when he stuck his face immediately below the hole he was making in my ceiling.

After determining that this was not the source of the water he moved the chair to the entrance way, and began cutting yet another hole in my ceiling, throwing plaster everywhere. He stood directly under the light fixture, where the water had been coming from in the first place, and banged on the ceiling with his fist. CRASH!

I looked up to see Maintenance Man wincing and holding his head in pain. The light fixture had fallen from the ceiling and the only thing between it and the floor was his head. In addition to plaster and water, shards of glass now covered my floor. Maintenance Man’s temple began to ooze blood so I handed him some toilet paper- Korea’s all-use paper product.

After 30 more minutes of intense discussion and investigation Maintenance Man and Landlord seemed about finished wreaking havoc in my apartment. Water, plaster, glass, and bloody tissues were everywhere.

“Pee, pee! Do you have a pee?” The landlord asked me, waving his hand.

“Pee? Huh??”

Pee is the word for blood. I was totally confused, but, seeing as how there was a bleeding man standing in my apartment, this was not totally out of context.

“Uhhh, boom? Do you have a boom?”

“Oh! Broom!...no.”

Apparently the word for broom is bee, which sounds deceivingly like the word for blood. Hey, a new vocab word.

Landlord’s Wife dropped off a bee and dustpan. I started to clean up the mess, then thinking better of it, returned to hanging my laundry on the clothes rack. “Why should I clean this up? I didn’t do it.” My stubbornness paid off. Landlord’s Wife returned shortly with Cleaning Lady who dejectedly looked at her new project. On the outside I smiled sympathetically and said thank you. On the inside I thought "That's what you get for always scowling at me and never responding to my cheerful hellos."

Despite the chaos she had it cleaned up in a few quick minutes and was gone. Peace finally returned to my apartment I finished tidying my house. By that time my entire beautiful spring afternoon had been squandered and it was time for me to leave for an appointment. Finding my first pair of shoes soaked, I put on another. I snatched my bag and sunglasses and phone off my bed. As I walked out the door I laid down some neatly folded toilet paper and placed a sponge directly under the spot where the ceiling continued to drip…..drip…..drip....

You can see the water line in the corner. But this was a good chance to show you my map of Korea I made.

A rebirth, of sorts

2009-04-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally in the air! Despite taking several ski trips this winter, and spending three weeks in the States, winter seemed extra long this year. Seeing as spring is a metaphor for new life, I have decided to give this blog a new life of its own. We'll see how long I can keep it up.

This weekend the cherry blossoms were in full bloom- a surefire sign that spring has arrived. I went to bask in their simple beauty this past weekend. I used to love the seeing the cherry blossoms in DC every spring, so I’m glad that it is one aspect of America I don’t have to miss. Of course, this being Seoul, everyone and their grandmother was out on the beautiful Easter Sunday that I decided to see the blossoms. But the sun was shining and the weather was warm- a nice respite from this year’s drawn out cold winter. It was nice to see the families gathered together on their blankets, children running around with balloons and grandparents playing catch with their grandchildren.

It made me think of my own family, which all had gathered together in Colorado for this year’s Easter celebration. Knowing such reunions are happening without me make me homesick, but I that’s the price I pay for living abroad.

My school sits at the tip top of a huge hill, nestled against Bukhansan- the mountain and national park that dominates Seoul ’s skyline to the north. Every morning I walk to school, huffing and puffing as I hike up the hill. Yesterday morning I took a rest for a minute and turned around- the hill I looked at in the distance was gorgeous. Covered with flowering trees, it was almost all pink and white. Why, after seven months of hiking that hill, had I never noticed that view before? Actually, I think I had, it’s just never been noteworthy before, as it’s seemed dead and brown for most of that time.

It has also been fun learning the names of the flowers in Korean with my students- kay-nari, jindalae, and but-goat are the three most important- forsythia, azalea, and cherry blossom.

My 27^th birthday passed by just as quietly as Easter did. My fellow teachers and I enjoyed a cake and strawberries together that were generously provided by a friend of mine, and American Easter candy from my mother which conveniently arrived in the mail that same day. That same friend later came over and we had dinner together. It was not the most exciting of birthdays, but what can one expect on a Tuesday night a

nyway?

There wer even some fire breathers there!

Thailand Part II: Railay Beach

2008-02-20T07:25:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the belated second half of my story. I've been so busy. Blogging is hard to keep up with!

After Bangkok I flew to Krabi, and from there I made my way to Railay Beach, which is still on the mainland, but it's on an isolated peninsula and one has to take a longtail boat to it. Railay is divided between East and West sides. It's only a 10 minute walk between the two. My lodging was on the East side. There is no beach there, only a mangrove shoreline. The West side is where the beach was. I had really wanted to go to Kho Phi Phi, which is a 90 minute boat ride from Railay, but everyone told me it was very crowded and frankly, by the time I got settled in Railay, I didn't feel like uprooting myself and having to search for accommodations again.
Railay was pretty quiet, and not very crowded. Although I had five nights there, I managed to keep myself busy everyday. In fact, I only had one day that was totally devoted to the beach. And of course, I managed to burn myself to a crisp, as usual.

The sunsets from West Railay were absolutely gorgeous:

One day I took a sunset snorkeling trip. I had never been snorkeling before and it was pretty fun. The best part, however, was the sunset. After snorkeling for about two hours we landed on a beach to have dinner. As the crew set up dinner, we walked along the beach and watched the sunset. It was a bright rosy pink. Then, suddenly, a huge flock of what we thought were birds started streaming overhead. They were pretty high up but they seemed really big. This couldn't be a flock of herons, could it? Nope, they were bats! Giant bats- with 3 feet wingspans- heading out for the night. There were thousands upon thousands of them and they kept coming for a good 10-15 minutes. That was one of life's beautiful images I will never forget: standing on a warm tropical beach watching the rosy sun setting behind some mountain islands as a colony of giant bats streams overhead, and I can see the silhouette of a heron fishings in the shallows. Then we topped it off with a delicious dinner of seafood curry while a member of the crew entertained us by capturing and showing us large nocturnal crabs. Here is a picture of that perfect sunset. The photo doesn't even begin to give it justice. If you look carefully you can see many black smudges in the sky, those are the bats.

The most exciting part of my trip was scuba diving!!!! I finally fulfilled something that has been a dream of mine for a long time. Three weeks before I left for Thailand I completed a training course here in Seoul so that I wouldn't have to do my pool training in Thailand. I completed my open water training in Thailand and am now a certified diver! I dove off the coast of Koh Phi Phi, which is where my diving instructor in Korea told me was the best place in Thailand to dive. The water was so clear! Visibility was 20-25 meters (~75 feet). It is something else to be weightless in the water and see the multitude of organisms down there. You see more animals in one dive than you do a whole week in a national park back home. It is amazing to have a school of literally thousands of bright yellow fish encircle you as they pass by. And they all move in perfect unison. It's incredible! The colors of the animals encompass the rainbow. We even saw neon blue annenomes. It looked like they were glowing. We also saw two sharks. They were docile leopard sharks, and they just sat on the bottom of the ocean floor. I don't think leopard sharks even have teeth. Nonetheless, I can still say I saw a shark! (Oh, and they taste REALLY good too. I had a shark fillet as my last dinner in Thailand.) The pic is of me and my instructor, Lex.

One night I was sitting on the deck of a bar and the evening entertainment began right after I sat down. And I happened to have one of the best views in the bar. There were fire dancers, who were mesmerizing, snake charmers, who were crazy, and Mai Thai kick boxers, who were a little boring. (I was a little disappointed by them, actually.)

I went kayaking one day.

I almost killed myself hiking up a mountain and then down into it in order to see a lagoon. I literally had to lower myself down on ropes to hike down this path. I received a nasty scrape. The lagoon was interesting though. It was like being in a big teacup. The shear cliffs came straight down to a small pond whose water level rose and fell with the tides. I was there at low tide so there was tons of mud. People had even made mud figurines. On my last day in Thailand I went on an elephant ride through the forest.

Then it was back on a plane to Bangkok, and then Korea. My flight left at 11:30pm, December 31, so my New Year's Eve was spent on a plane. However, I got to Korea just in time to see the first sunrise of the New Year while I was on the bus back home. Can't say I've ever seen that before.

It was a great trip, and I will make it a point to return to Thailand one day.

The biggest spider I have ever seen in a web in my life! (It's leg spread was as big as my hand.)

Seafood salad and a coconut shake...Yum!

Thailand Part 1: Bangkok

2008-01-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

For Chirstmas vacation I traveled to Thailand for my first trip abroad. Finally, the title of my blog, "Asian" Adventures, fits. No longer simply "Korean" adventures. My sister's good friend, Molly, was kind enough to house me for the first leg of my trip in Bangkok. Molly is a US government contractor in Bangkok and she has a lovely apartment in the heart of the city.

Bangkok is like any other city: large, busy, polluted, too many people. Like Seoul, but even to more extreme of an extent, one can see the old and new side by side in stark contrast to one another. Along the Chow Phraya River that divides the city in two, one sees rusted tin roof shacks built right over the edge of the river. Colorful laundry dries on lines beside towering luxury hotels, where people pay prime money for posh suites that overlook the city.

The first day I was in Bangkok, I ventured out by myself and saw a snake show at the Red Cross where I saw lots of deadly snakes and got to hold a boa constrictor and saw them milk a poisonous snake. This is where they create all the anti venoms in Southeast Asia. Then I went to The Jim Thompson House. He is an American who revitalized the Thai silk industry in the 50's and 60's. I also went to the night bazaar where I bought my souvenirs, which is really neat.

One of the funnest things I did was to take a 50 cent express water taxi up the river with Molly. Public transportation in Bangkok is not good, and this is one of the best, and most unique ways to get around the city. I love being on the water as it is, but it provides a unique view of the city as you watch ornate temples and gleaming skyscrapers go by. Traffic on the river rivals traffic in the streets as longboats transport people, tour boats transport tourists, and huge barges transport goods up and down the river.

The Grand Palace was one of the highlights of my trip. The Thai architecture is gorgeous with its bright colors that sparkle in the sun and roof ornaments that look like griffins straining for the sky. The Grand Palace is a huge complex that includes Wat Phra Kaeo, which houses the Emerald Buddha. It's not really Emerald, it's jade, and it's kind of small, but it's very important in Thai Buddhism. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.

The king of Thailand is probably the most loved monarch in the world. His birthday, which is in early December, is a huge holiday in Thailand. Decorations honoring him still covered the city. When my plane landed in Bangkok we were greeted by huge signs that said "Long Live the King!" In Thailand the king has an almost demigod status. The people have a religious connection to their king, not simply a political one. In Thailand everyday has a color connected with it. Since the king was born on a Monday, yellow is his color, and everyone wears yellow on that day. Many have shirts with his emblem that say, "We love our king!". The Monday I was there about half the Thais were wearing yellow. It happened to be a holiday, however, and Molly said that on normal Mondays, 90% of the Thais where yellow. Despite his official designation as a constitutional monarch, the king is very powerful in Thailand. Nothing major gets done without his approval. Defamation of the monarchy is offense that will get one thrown in jail.

Later that day I went with Molly to Wat Pho- The Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The statue of the Reclining Buddha is 150 feet long and completely plated in gold. It's quite impressive. Though it was quite crowded it still managed to be a peaceful temple. Lined along the back wall of the temple are about a hundred brass buckets in which you drop a small coin offering in order to receive your wish or your prayer. One walks down the line with a cup of tiny half baht coins and drop them in each bucket one by one. The temple is filled inside and out with the constant soft sound of tinkling coins. It's very peaceful.

I then went across the river to see the Temple of Dawn- Wat Arun. At the center of the temple is a huge tower. One can climb some very steep stairs to get a good view of the city. At sunset I went back across the river to take some sunset photos. After doing some hunting I found the perfect spot on a dock. Some lady told me I had to pay 30 baht in order to stand there. I told her it wasn't her dock so she couldn't charge me. I finally coughed up 10 baht (30 cents) to make her happy and leave me alone. It worked. And I got some great pics too!

The above photo was taken in Lumpini Park on the Sunday before Christmas, where I saw the orchestra play Christmas carols . Molly is the one in green. It was odd being in a a hot climate during Christmas. Somehow seeing reindeer, ornaments, and Christmas trees in the 90 degree heat just didn't seem to fit. It was interesting to see how much the Thais decorate for a holiday they don't even celebrate. Christmas Day is not a holiday in Thailand. Even in Korea, where 30% of the population is Christian, they only get Christmas Day off. They don't celebrate Christmas like we do.

Christmas Day was spent wondering the city stopping by some sights I had yet to see. Then I had dinner with Molly and her friends. It was a delicious traditional holiday meal with a turkey and all the fixings; I ate until I thought I was going to die of gluttony. The people were quite interesting too, being that most of them were ex patriots. Between the ten of us we had been over the entire world. Including Afghanistan. Ex patriots are some of the most interesting group of people that I've met. I will write down my thoughts on them in another blog. To say the least though, the conversation was fascinating listening to the exchange of adventures people had had around the world.

The next day I took a flight to Krabi, which is a town on the southern mainland of Thailand, on the west coast. This is where the second half of my trip takes place.

A demonic guardian of the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew, the Grand Palace.

A flower in the Grand Palace.

Out side Wat Pho.

The steep stairs up the Temple of Dawn.

The view from Wat Arun. The Palace can be seen on the other side of the river.

December and Christmas: Part 2

2008-01-08T04:37:00.000-08:00

Then there was the presidential election. A man named Lee Myong Bok was elected. Don't know what his platform is or what party, just that he in the rival political party of the current president- Roh Moo Hyun. Elections in Korea are definitely a cultural experience, however. Besides the usual banner and people passing out fliers, they have flatbed trucks that drive around that are kind of like floats in a parade. They have makeshift stages on the bed of the truck along with a giant TV screen. Standing in front of the screen will be either a person with a microphone screaming the glories of their candidate, or, if you're lucky, a line of dancers wearing sweatshirts with a photo of their candidate, tights, and leg warmers, getting down with cool dance moves to a blaring techno candidate theme song. Perhaps this appeals to the younger voters? Stacy and I decided we were voting for candidate #1 though, because he had the happiest dancers with the coolest moves. Watching dancers in Korea leaves something left to be desired, to say the least, even the professional ones on TV.

Interesting to watch also were the rival candidate cheerleaders in front of E-Mart. They were all in a line facing each and politely took turns shouting their slogans. Then they would all bow low together and it was the other side's turn to yell their slogans. Apparently the actual candidates were not as polite though. They slung so much mud it made our elections look like child's play. I was informed that every single one of these people, by the way, from the cheerleaders to the dancers to those who merely passed out fliers is paid for their services. Unfortunately, I never got a photo of any of these things.

We had a new teacher couple arrive the week before Christmas- Barnaby and Jessica. They hail from England and have a 10 month old daughter. Jessica only works part time so she can care for the baby. Since I was living alone in a 2-bedroom apartment my employer moved me out and into a tiny one bedroom apartment. I was really angry at the time because I asked my supervisor at the beginning of October- yes, two months before - if I was going to have to move and she said no. Then we found out at the beginning of November that they were hiring a couple- still no mention of anything. Then, two weeks before the couple is set to arrive- "Uh, David, we need you to move." My immediate reaction was "No! Sorry. I asked you weeks ago, why are you coming to me now?" But I thought better on it. My new apartment is very cramped and small, but I've managed to make it comfortable and it's easier to keep clean. I'm actually happier here than in the old place. I also don't have to share it with anyone-I would have gotten a roommate again in February if I had stayed at the old apartment. I'll be glad when I'm entirely settled in though. I just got internet service the other day and still don't have a phone and some other essentials that I need-three weeks and counting. Nonetheless, things always seem to work out better for me in the end. This has been no exception.

Next blog: Thailand! Stay tuned!

Christmas and December: Part 1

2008-01-08T03:17:00.000-08:00

Hello all! My apologies for being delinquent on my blogging. Between Christmas pageants, trip planning, moving into a new apartment, and the regular old Christmas shopping, December was kind of hectic.

In downtown Seoul, along the a stream called Cheong-gye Chon they have set up many Christmas lights. Right in front of City Hall is the city Christmas tree and an ice skating rink. It only costs a dollar to skate! And I've not even been yet, dang-it! My friend Eric and I went down there before Christmas to see what it looked like. It's quite nice, actually. There are many commercial decorations here, just like in the States, (this Christmas tree is courtesy of Heineken) but Christmas is celebrated quietly by families here. Thirty percent of the population is Christian, so they do get the day off, but only Christmas Day. People work the day before and the day after and the only reason we have our winter holiday over Christmas is because of the foreign teachers. In Korea the students have all of January and half of February off before they go back for exams. It's the end of their school year.

In Thailand Christmas is not even a holiday. Which makes sense, as it's a Buddhist country. I was told that for Koreans Christmas is a time mainly to spend drinking with friends. It's not really a family holiday, as in the U.S., and it's certainly not as widely or enthusiastically celebrated. There is not the tradition of gift giving, as in the West. They do have Santa Claus for the small children, but many of my older kids (11-13 year olds) complained that they didn't get presents this year because their parents said they were too old.

We had a Christmas pageant for the preschoolers the day before Christmas break. One of my classes sang "Little Drummer Boy" and "Must Be Santa", the other class sang "Let It Snow" and "Holly Jolly Christmas". Now I can finally sing along to those songs too! Santa came around the school and handed out presents. It was fun. The pic below is of the parents rushing to the front to take a photo of the grand finale where all the kids in the school sang Rudolph and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. For my older kids in the afternoon I gave them short tests then candy and we played games. My oldest kids, the ones I like the most, I gave a cookie from my Mom's kitchen- which they thoroughly enjoyed, and a Reese's peanut butter cup that I had my family send to me from the States. Although it was a total waste of four rare and valuable peanut butter cups, I guess the laughs I got watching them eat them were worth it.

They had never tried a peanut butter cup before and I wanted them to taste American candy. I should have known that only an American can truly appreciate the wonderful mixture of peanut butter and chocolate. They took a bite of the cups and spit them out with looks of horror- like I had played a mean practical joke on them. "Ugh!!! Teacher! It's salty! It's not chocolate! It's salty! It's not chocolate! Ugh, ugh!!! Water! Water! Can I get some water?!", they all screamed as they wiped their tongues with their napkins, trying to get the taste off. "I told you it wasn't chocolate!" I was roaring with laughter. No wonder they thought it was a joke. Whatever. Lesson learned. They loved Mom's butter ball cookies though!

Many people ask what the weather is like. So far it's much like a normal winter in Virginia. We apparently had a cold spell that was well below freezing while I was in Thailand. Luckily I only caught the tail end of that! Since then it's been in the 40's. Not too bad. And we've not received any major snow yet. Only flurries.

Fall in Seoul & Seoraksan National Park

2007-11-20T02:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this was written on November 20, but I've just now gotten around to adding pics and posting it:

Fall has all but come and gone here in Korea. The trees are now bare of leaves and we just had our first snow last night. A thunder and lightening snowstorm, no less. Don't think I've ever experienced one of those before. It didn't amount to much accumulation, but coming from sunny Virginia, where our first "snowfall" comes in late December at the earliest, I'm not used to it. I think that means it's going to be a long, cold winter. :(

Stacy and I took a trip to Seoraksan National Park two weekends ago. Seoraksan (san means mountain, by the way) is supposed to be the most beautiful mountain range in South Korea. It lies along the sea in the extreme northeastern section of South Korea. It's about 4 hours away. Despite the fact that most of the leaves had mostly already fallen off, it was pretty spectacular. We went with Adventure Korea, which is a company that does organized weekend trips geared for foreigners.

The first day we hiked to the top of Ulsan-bawi. It is a pretty easy hike until you get to the last 300 meters or so. Then you have to climb stairs that go straight up the rock face. They are pretty scary. If I were scared of heights I would have never done it. The wind was so strong too! One huge gust came along and suddenly and almost blew me off the mountain! The top of Ulsan-bawi was especially windy and bitterly cold! But true to Korean form, there was a man selling hot coffee at the top.

The view is especially beautiful, though that day it was rather hazy. There are great views of the Sea of Japan (or the East Sea, as it's vehemently called here). It reminded me of just a year ago when I was standing on top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park with a very good friend, freezing my butt off in the biting wind, overlooking the ocean.

The next day we went to Inner Seorak, which is merely another part of the park. Ulsan-bawi is the main attraction of the park, so all people stop there. The trail there was crowded. We were the only people on the trail in Inner Seorak, however. This trail was more of a walk through a small gorge. It was very peaceful and scenery was even more beautiful than the previous day. The pine trees growing out of the granite stones are a typical Asian scene you might have seen in pictures or artwork before.

Action shots

Ulsan-bawi
picturesque tree

"Ulsan-bawi this way"

My friendly neighborhood mountain, all decked out for fall

To the north we see the smog over Seoul; clear skies to the south.
That black cloud moved over Gunpo later that week, by the way. Yuck!!!

Chusok

2007-11-06T04:27:00.000-08:00

So in my hast to write about the DMZ I completely skipped over Chusok, which was a five day holiday we had in the middle of September. Chusok, is the only real holiday where everyone takes off work. I was just talking to a man the other day who runs his own English school. Chusok is the only time of year he takes a break from his work. And then he'd rather work because it's stressful hosting family. He hasn't taken a vacation ever, by the way--in 20 years of working. That's the Korean work ethic.

Chusok is just like our Thanksgiving. The extended family gets together and has a big meal. Everything closes down. It's the one day of the year that people dress in their hanbok (tradition dress). All the older (30's) unmarried people I've talked to, however, hate the holiday and end up spending it alone or with friends as opposed to family. Since the relatives get together it's also the perfect opportunity to nag on nieces and nephews and grandchildren as to why they aren't married yet. So these people merely avoid the situation altogether. Ana, a teacher at our school, includes herself among their ranks.

The Friday before we had played tradition Korean games at school for the preschoolers and they all came dressed in their hanbok. Since they are not yet jaded by Korean culture they had a great time and were very cute. We played such games as spinning a top, hackey-sac, and tossing arrows into a bucket. True to kindergartners, they can't sit still for a picture to save their lives, thus the blurry pics.

I took the opportunity to explore parts of Seoul I hadn't yet seen. Stacy and I stayed in Tocheon, which is Tanja's tiny village she lives in. It takes her about an hour and a half by bus just to get to the nearest subway stop. I was at first skeptical of her calling it a village, especially living in Korea, one of the most densely populated countries in the world. However, once I saw the main drag, I was convinced. It really isn't just a small town, it's a village- surrounded by beautiful mountains and peaceful rice fields where the egrets love to congregate.

The next day of my Chusok vacation was used to go to Seoul Tower, which sits on top of Namsan which is in the middle of the city. We had a gorgeous 360 degree view of the city skyline at night. Here I am enjoying some junk art a little too much!

Chusok Day was spent at a traditional folk village with some friends. It's the same idea as a reconstructed colonial village in Jamestown or Williamsburg- old houses and people dressed in costume. What impressed me most, however was the traditional farmers' dance they did. I've dubbed it the ribbon dance because they had ribbons on their heads which they swirled around to the beat of the drums with a simple nod of their heads. It was very cool. If I can somehow attach a video of it here, I will, otherwise those of you on Facebook can access it their once I post it.

Extreme seesawing is also apparently a traditional Korean sport. Who knew? Two women jump up and down on a seesaw and fling each other so high into the air they can do acrobatics.

The pic above with the thatch house includes members of the "denim family", whose members numbered over 100 people- all with the same shirts. See, American families aren't the only ones that have gigantic family reunions where they all where the same thing. Their shirts, however, are considerably less tacky. The denim family also makes a cameo in the ribbon dancer picture. And yes, I do know the crazy girl below. That's Hadley.

Me, Marty & Karen

Cool horseback riding

Traditional Korean wedding

Dogs in hanbok. One day, I'll get a pic of white
dogs with their ears dyed purple. You think I jest!

The DMZ

2007-10-15T09:04:00.001-07:00

This weekend I visited the Demilitarized Zone with five of my friends: Stacy, Tanja, Art, Jason, and Paul. It was a surreal experience, to say the least. Nowhere else can you see as starkly the divide that separates the two Koreas. It is very stark and in your face. There too, one can feel the dislike and distrust the two sides have against each other. It would be hard to find a border between two countries that's more tense and more heavily fortified than the DMZ. And yet, there I was, a tourist snapping pictures and gawking at the other side. It definitely made for a surreal trip.

It took about an hour to get to the DMZ from Seoul by bus. Seoul is only about 65km from the North Korean border. We took the tour with the USO (United Services Organization), which organizes trips mainly for US military personnel and their families, but also civilians. I think it's also the only tour that's allowed inside the JSA. The actual tour began in the JSA (Join Security Area), which is administered by the United Nations. Though currently, only Korean soldiers are posted there. There are about 10 US soldiers that stay there, specifically for the purpose of giving tours. Up until 1976 soldiers from both sides could intermingle in the JSA. However, in 1976 a team of US and Korean soldiers went out to trim a tree that was blocking their view and they were attacked by North Korean soldiers with axes. Two of the soldiers were murdered in the infamous axe murder incident and it was then that a definite line was demarcated where neither were allowed to pass. Needless to say, the South did cut down that tree, but only after dispatching over a hundred heavily armed men, putting the entire nation on a war alert, having B2 bombers and attack helicopters in the air for backup, and having an aircraft carrier group ready just off the coast.
It was this line that you can see in my photos. The soldiers that are standing on the corners of the buildings do that so they can jump back quickly in case they are shot at. They are only there to guard the tour groups, however. The blue buildings are administered by South Korea, the silver ones by the North and they straddle the border. We then went into the main one where they often hold talks. Nothing describes the divide between the two Koreas more poignantly than that room. In the center is a table which sits length-wise on the border and each side literally sits in their country when the talks commence.

Guarding the door to North Korea was a very intimidating soldier. They wear the sunglasses to look more intimidating. We were told he was guarding the door against North Koreans coming in, but I'm sure it was more likely for stupid tourists who want to open it. We were also told that two North Korean soldiers were flanking the door just on the other side. Apparently one day, however, a South Korean soldier went to lock the door one night and the North Koreans on the other side heard him coming, whipped it open and tried to pull him through. Luckily he escaped, but ever since then locking the door has become a two man operation. And yes, we got to stand in the North Korean side of the room, so technically I've been to North Korea now.

We also saw what they call "Propaganda Village" across the border from a lookout. Thus named for the propaganda that up until a few years ago was blasted into the South over giant megaphones. It's a dummy village and no one lives there permanently. When South Korea erected a 100 meter flagpole in their own village, "Freedom Village"- Tae Sung Dong, the North Koreans erected one that was 160 meters. The flag itself is 30 meters long and weighs over 600lbs dry weight. People actually do live in Tae Sung Dung, by the way, farming the rice that they grow.

You see in the pics that the North Korean mountains are denuded of trees. They've been cut for firewood and they were never replaced. It makes for kind of an ugly vista, which is rather fitting considering what it must be like to live there.

In this pic if you look closely you can see the two flags facing off with one another across the DMZ. Since no man has stepped into the DMZ since 1953, wildlife has flourished in the 1km wide, 155 mile long strip. Many endangered species live there. If the two Koreas ever do reunite, there are plans to leave it as an undisturbed Peace Park.

This is the Bridge of No Return. At the end of the war the two sides put their POWs on either side of the bridge, which crosses the border. They were given the chance to cross to whichever side they wanted but once they did so, there was no returning ever.

We also got to go through what is dubbed the 3rd tunnel- the third of 3 tunnels that were discovered being dug by the North Koreans under the DMZ. Three of them were found in the 70's, one of them in 1990. Had it been completed, the tunnel we toured would have enabled 30,000 soldiers an hour to flood South Korea. How they would have accomplished this, I've no idea. We weren't allowed to take photos of the tunnel, but it was pretty unremarkable.

As I said in the beginning, the DMZ tour was one of the most surreal experiences I've ever had while traveling. As a tourist, I felt almost like a voyeur gawking at something that I should not have been allowed to see so easily. Here I was, snapping pics of the North Korean soldier across the way, and yet our military escort was standing right beside me, highlighting the very real danger. As a tourist I almost felt like I was being used as a pawn by higher powers by relegating North Korea into nothing more than a tourist attraction. It's kind of a big slap in the face if you think about it. (However, North Korea conducts its own tours of the DMZ.) We were definitely fed our share of propaganda about the evils of North Korea.

It was odd standing at the observatory, peeking into what is the most closed and secretive regime on Earth, looking at the people in the rice fields and wondering how different their lives must be, and seeing the two flags flying stubbornly across a very definitive border that divides what should rightfully be a single nation. It makes me angry thinking it over. This nation had been unified for centuries, surviving against all odds through wars and invasions and colonizers until it was ripped apart by the politics of the Soviet Union and the United States. From what I've discussed with Koreans, the possibility for reunification gets smaller with each passing generation. The elderly of course want nothing more than reunification. The generation that's my age, however, doesn't really care. Some of them don't even want it because of the hardship it would bring to South Korea. Afterall, the North is about 40 years behind the South in terms of development. And then you have an entire population that not only has no idea what it's like to live in a capitalist society, but has been brainwashed to think that the South is the root of all evil. Germany is still feeling the strain from its reunification. South Korea would take decades before it recovered. But all this is for another blog.

Today, as if to highlight the poignancy of it all, they tested the civil defense sirens. Apparently they do it every 15th of the month, but today was the first day I actually noticed it. Jenny, our boss, told us that it's done around the entire country at the same time. All traffic has to stop for 10-15 minutes. It was eerie looking out the window on a beautiful sunny fall day and seeing the usually busy street silent, except for the long moaning of the air raid sirens. It was a stark reminder of what lies only 65km away, and what that means for this nation.

So That Was a Typhoon??

2007-09-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

One of the disadvantages about not speaking Korean is that we have no idea what the heck is going on in this country domestically. We get bits of information from the English language newspaper that is delivered to school, but it has only a little information in it. I know everything that's going on in the States because I read the internet everyday. Art and I have no TV so the computer is my main form of entertainment. Even in Spain and Africa though, I could listen to the news on TV, so I always knew what was up. Here I know hardly anything. Case in point:

South Korea was hit by Typhoon Nari on Sunday. It hit Jeju and swiped the southern part of the peninsula. It seems it destroyed some parts of Jeju City that we visited over the summer and killed 14 people. We didn't realize until yesterday, however, after reading it in the newspaper, that the torrential rain on Sunday was from a typhoon. No one had a clue a typhoon was even coming! I wonder what else is going on in this country that I don't know about...

The photo is one of my favorite examples of what we've dubbed 'family portraits'. We witnessed this funny Korean phenomenon over the summer. Koreans will be all laughing and having a good time up until the point the cameraman says "Kimchi!" For Koreans this is the signal to go straight faced and look as serious as possible. Once the photo is taken they go right back to laughing. It took several tries before we got good at keeping our faces straight for this photo.

Please feel free to comment on my blogs, by the way. I do like receiving them and it lets me know that all this is being appreciated by someone! Thanks to those who do comment!

It's Always the Weirdos

2007-09-18T04:16:00.000-07:00

So it's been a month since my last post. Sorry for not writing anything. It's hard to keep up with this thing though and not much has happened in the past month.

Here's a story:

I went to the public pool a couple of the last warm weekends in August. There are several in the public parks along the Han River. Everyone lives in apartments (which don't have pools) so the public pools make up for it. An interesting incident happened one day at the pool. A Korean man, who was obviously mentally off, came up and started talking very loudly to me in pretty decent English. Immediately all the people sitting within earshot turned their heads toward me and gave me a look of sympathy. I actually laughed at the time because it was funny. After telling Tanja that she was very beautiful, and that I was too, for that matter, and then caressing our shoulders, the man would not leave us alone. He finally went into the pool and after we declined his gestures to join him, came back with a mouthful of water and spit it all over my back when I was trying to take a nap. Apparently he thought is was cute. Like I said, he was off. Instead he got two people screaming and cussing at him. That attracted a lot of attention and scared him away for about 15 minutes. He came back though, and before he could spit anymore water on me, I had the lifeguard escort him away.

As a foreigner in Korea, giving strangers free English practice is something you deal with. However, it's never cool people who come up and talk to you. It's always weirdos or old men. Another example: one night in Jeju the four of us were walking down the street and a man came up to us and began chatting with us. Then he followed us for about 20 minutes. At first, we thought he was going our way, then we did a complete U-turn because we realized we were going the wrong direction and he turned right around with us. We thought he was going to invite himself to dinner with us. Thank God he didn't. I would love to meet more Koreans, and I'm usually happy to oblige them in a conversation, but geez, I guess it's only the odd ones that have the courage to come up and speak to you.

So what else is new...?

I blew my nose on scented toilet paper two weeks ago. It made me sneeze and started a downhill snowball reaction. I've been coughing and sneezing and blowing my nose ever since. I'll never blow my nose on scented toilet paper again. Just not worth the risk.

My good friend Andrea is currently in town visiting. She's in Asia for the month traveling and visiting her mother and sister who also live and work in South Korea. It was really great seeing a familiar face from home. I'm going to see her again at the end of this month. Tanja also had a friend from home visiting this month. We took a sunset cruise on the Han River one evening. It was quite nice. The photos are from that cruise. The domed builiding to the right is the South Korean Parliament Building and the girl in red is Clare, Tanja's friend.

So here's a question: How do you tell a mother that her darling 6 year old son is a lazy liar who spends way too much time playing video games? That was my dilemma today. The answer is very subtly. I and Denis, my partner teacher, had to talk to a mother today who was worried that her son couldn't read and write. Turns out he does spectacularly at school, but when his mom asks him to to it at home he plays the 'stupid' card because he'd rather be playing Nintendo. She was quite surprised to learn he was so smart in school and I told her not to be afraid to push him more at home. The blunt part of me really wanted to come out today but I bit my tongue.

Next week is Chuseok, the Korean version of Thanksgiving. I'll try and let you know how it goes! The photo of Art, by the way, is why he never shaves his face; he looks like a child molester. Not sure what incited him, but thankfully it's already grown back.

Summer Vacation Part II: Jeju-do

2007-08-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

Jeju Island is the southernmost point of South Korea. It is it's largest island and is considered to be the "Hawaii of Korea". Though comparing it to Hawaii is a bit of a stretch, it is indeed a beautiful island with lush greenery, beautiful waterfalls, and clear water beaches. Unique to Jeju are its stone statues of bug-eyed men called dolharubang. They have acted as guardians of the island for centuries.

Art, Stacy and I arrived in Jeju City on Monday evening after a pleasant 5 hour ferry ride. Though the ferry was full, the city seemed like it was empty. There was a nice boardwalk along the seawall and a brand new huge Ramada Inn right next to it. It was a beautiful building, but there was only one person in the foyer and about 5 in the casino. It was actually kind of creapy how empty it was. And this was supposed to be high season?! Several bars we walked into were also empty.

The next day we waited for Tanja to fly in and then our group was finally complete. We then headed for the south of the island where we stayed the next 5 days.

We all shared one tiny room of our hostel. Our sleeping arrangements were cramped to say the least. The four of us shared double bed. How'd we do it you ask? We all slept the width of the bed and propped our feet on chairs. It was rather amusing actually. The "Monkeys in the Bed" song comes to mind.

While in Jeju we took full advantage of the beach, which was the only crowded place on the island. The water was a pretty aqua color- was nice and warm and fairly clear too. Jeju has several nice waterfalls. One of them empties right into the ocean. It's apparently the only on in all of Asia that does this. Standing by that fall was just gorgeous. The wind and mist that came off were so neat. There was a second falls that we saw at night, since they had it lit up. Twice we simply sat in front of it for hours sipping beers and chatting about life. So relaxing!

We also took to the water for a cruise of the coastline and the harbor of Seogwipo, which were beautiful. Then Stacy, Tanja, Mark, and I went parasailing. (I forgot to mention that Mark, Stacy's friend, joined us for 2 days.) Parasailing was amazing. It was so much fun! It's very quiet when you're up there with a nice breeze blowing on your face as you look down at the water. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it yet. Coming back to shore we noticed what we thought were small birds flying quickly just above the water. They flew for about 10 seconds, dove into the water then jumped out again. Then were realized they were flying fish! They truly do fly. They don't just jump.

One night we also had a great time at the noraebong. Art and Tanja did memorable renditions of Eminem. I sang Bon Jovi and Stacy and Tanja belted out Pink. If anyone ever visits me in Korea we will definitely do noraebong. It's one of the best times you'll have in Korea because it's a room where you sing only to yiour friends, not the whole audience, so you don't care if you sound stupid or not. Since most people can't hold a note anyway. We were there until 3AM.

On Saturday Stacy and Mark parted for home and Tanja, Art and I explored the eastern part of the island where we saw some lava tubes and Ilchulbang (Sunrise Peak) which is a cool volcano crater. Apparently good for watching the sunrise.

Sunday Tanja headed home early as she had an early flight. Art and I stuck around for a few more hours on the beach. Those hours cost us both dearly though. Right as I was sitting on my towel, looking through my camera lens to take a picture of the incoming waves, a huge one washed right up on us and all our belongings. It killed both our phones and soaked everything else. Luckily I had my camera in my hand and was able to raise it above the water, otherwise it would have taken that too, along with all my photos! Of course, if I hadn't been playing with my camera at that moment I might noticed the wave coming and been able to save our stuff in time. Whatever. I got a cool new phone out of it.
This is the World Cup Stadium in Jeju that was built for the 2002 World Cup. It's shaped like a giant sail. Quite impressive actually. Interestingly the Under-17 World Cup is going on in South Korea this month.

Summer Vacation Part 1: Wolchulsan National Park

2007-08-08T03:05:00.000-07:00

So last week was my long awaited for vacation. And it's already over. Funny how that goes. Art and I left on Saturday for the southwestern city of Mokpo. It was our jumping off point for Wolchulsan National Park. Wolchulsan is the smallest national park in Korea and my goal was to hike clear across it in one day. Which I succeeded in doing. It was only an 8 kilometer hike anyway.

After much huffing and puffing, and several stops, Art was able to finish the first leg of the trip which ended at the highest footbridge in South Korea. After seeing it in a travel book one day, this his bridge became the impetus for my visit to Wolchulsan in the first place. It soars between two mountain peaks about 450 feet from the ground. It was very pretty but still mildly disappointing. I was hoping for something along the lines of a swaying Indiana Jones rope bridge. Instead it was really sturdy and concrete. Nonetheless, it was worth the trip out there anyway.

I left Art at the bridge and then made my way down and then back up to the highest peak in the park, Cheonhwangbong. It was stunning. As high as that bridge was, I was looking down on it from the Cheonhwangbong. I was all alone on the peak and besides a nice breeze it was silent as I looked down on the world. I pulled out my phone to text someone and the beep when I pressed the buttons sounded like thunder. It was really quite startling.

After hiking back down from the peak I hiked along the ridge of the mountains, for the most part alone. There were plenty of beautiful vistas to take in and I took my time. On the other side of the park I dipped my weary feet in a cool mountain stream and then finally made it to the other entrance where I got a cab home. My whole trek lasted about 7 hours and by the end I was exhausted and so soaked in sweat I wrung it out of my clothes.

The next day Art and I made our way back to Mokpo. We wanted to see a "quaint" little village along the way called Gurim. We had to take a cab there and the driver looked at us like we were insane when we told him that. Finally he dropped us off in the middle of a tiny, sleepy town, shrugged his shoulders and said "Gurim, here you are. Suckers!" (I added he suckers part, but I bet he was thinking it.) He was quite right; there wasn't much there. We finally found the pottery cultural center that we wanted to visit but there was nothing there either. The two story visitor center that the website bragged about was indeed there. What the website failed to mention, however, was that it was still under construction. There was a gift shop, however, and the nice lady there called a cab for us. Back in Mokpo we were joined by Stacy who had taken a bus down that day, and then we went to the ferry terminal to buy our tickets to Jeju Island for the next morning.

When we got there we found that the ferry was leaving that afternoon at 3:30. On a whim we entirely changed our plans and left right there for Jeju. To be continued...

Boryeong Mud Festival

2007-07-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I and a bunch of the teachers went to the Boryeong Mud Festival. There were 8 of us all together: me, Marty (entertaining us with bubblegum), her boyfriend, James (who I mudwrestled), Sarah (on the beach), Tanja, Stacy, Art, and Jason. We had the time of our lives. It was the best weekend that I've had in South Korea to date. The annual festival celebrates the healthy mud that is found near Dacheon Beach, which is in Boryeong, which is on the west coast. It's a 2 1/2 hour slow train ride there. The weekend was shaping up to be a gloomy one, as pouring rain was predicted for both Saturday and Sunday, and we went down there not having accommodations. Everything worked itself out though.

The weather could not have been finer. Beautiful blue skies and a hot sun made for excellent beach weather. We also found a minbak (accommodation where you sleep on the floor) that only cost us $25 per person for both Friday and Saturday night, and was only a 3 minute walk to the beach. The weekend was spent playing in the mud and getting very dirty, rinsing it off in the ocean, then doing it again. We also had fun with the paparazzi. Yes, paparazzi.

Despite the hundreds of foreigners there, the newspaper photographers loved our group. Probably because we had a bunch of beautiful women who didn't mind playing for the camera. But still, there were plenty of other beautiful women around. And we had Art, who looks terrifying covered in mud. It was like a piranha feeding frenzy. One lonely cameraman would show up and then minutes later everyone else decided they needed a shot. They even told us how to pose for the picture. Actually, it got annoying after awhile, but we made good fun of it.

We had the best shellfish meal on Saturday night- a bucket of live clams. You dump them on the grill and they pop open when their done. So delicious! And, I tried songnakji. Yes, I ate live, squirming octopus tentacles. Don't knock it till you try it. It was amazing!

Coming home we missed our train out of town so we caught one an hour later. Consequently we lost our seats for the 2 1/2 ride, however, we did get a refund since standing tickets are cheaper. We also made the best of it. We all congregated in the no man's land between train cars and sat on the floor blasting our music, singing and dancing and drinking beer. It was hot as hell, and very uncomfortable, but we were having the time of our lives. I felt like we were the fun steerage passengers, like in Titanic when Rose visits Jack in steerage, has the time of her life, and decides that first class is really stuffy. Everyone else with a seat on the train was really missing out. Except for the 3 elderly Koreans sitting on the floor in the corner. They looked like they really regretted being cheap and not paying the extra money for a seat. We offered them our juice though, which they accepted. (They didn't want soju.)

Finally, to round out the perfect weekend, we all had dinner at the Dubu House which we paid for with our ticket refund. It was also our final meal with Sarah, who returned from 2 weeks in Bali so she could go to the Mud Festival. There were a lot of bittersweet tears, but she finally flew back home to the States the next day. Sarah's one of those personalities you run into that is so full of life that people just want to be with her. She'll be missed, but she's planning on returning come October. All in all it was determined by everyone that we could not have had a better weekend.

Busan

2007-07-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago was my trip to Busan. Of course I forgot my camera. However, Tanja was nice enough to share her photos with me. Busan is located on the southeast coast of Korea; basically on the other side of the country. Nonetheless, we took the high speed KTX train down there and it took just under 3 hours. South Korea is only about the size of Virginia. It's a pretty city, what little I saw of it. It's the second largest city after Seoul. It's got a nice setting on the ocean, which was good to see again.

The trip was organized by my recruiter, ASKNow. Which is an awesome recruiter. If anyone wants to come over and do this, I suggest going with them. About 50 people were there and we all slept on the floor in a hostel. A lot of Korean inns give you a thin mat/thick blanket that you sleep on, instead of having actual beds.

ASKNow had organized a scavenger hunt which was a lot of fun. We broke up into random teams of four with our names pulled out of a hat. I just happened to be good friends with two of my teammates- Tanja and Stacy. The fourth person, Ariana was very cool. We had to find and do a lot of odd things like find shells, get a photo with a cab driver, get a photo with a baseball bat, find and bring a Korean "friend" with you. (aka: some poor hapless soul you found on the street and coerced/kidnapped to come along with you). Our first task was to finish a bottle of soju together. Soju is the Korean national drink, being about 18% alcohol and tasting like rubbing alcohol. As you can imagine there were quite a few crazy waygooks (foreigners) running around town. We had only an hour to complete our tasks and the incentive was $200 to winning team. Not too shabby! Despite getting almost everything on the list, sadly we still lost by a wide margin. It was a lot fun though. Once I get the photos from Stacy I'll post them. She was the photographer during that crazy hour.

After the scavenger hunt they had dinner waiting at the hostel for us so we ate and then danced the night away at a club. It was a good weekend! Before all this, by the way, we spent the day on the beach. Interestingly, Koreans, and I think as a larger part, Asians in general, don't like taking off their cloths in public. Before the other waygooks got to the beach I was the only man with my shirt off and Tanja was practically naked in her bikini. Even in the hot sun and in the water they leave their clothes on. It's a very conservative society.

That Sunday was a bust because it poured rain all day long. July is the rainy season, so at least we lucked out with one good day.

That was last week. This past weekend I kept a low profile and didn't really go out. Tanja and I went to the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon and got some sun on Saturday. They have a pool party on the weekends in the summer. It costs 12 bucks to get in but they have good music and tons of beautiful people. Actually, people watching is half the fun.

Sunday I hiked my neighborhood mountain. It's finally beginning to get hot here. Not as hot as home; 86-87 degrees is probably the hottest it's gotten, but nonetheless, my shirt was soaked. Next week is the Mud Festival in Boereyong! Should provide some entertaining stories. One can only hope!

Explanation of Pics: 1) The hostel and a lot of the teachers.
2) My cool group, all with different expressions on our faces. It love that pic.
3) With our glove powers combined...
4) Me and Stacy's different ways to tell the kids to be quiet. Mine was borrowed from my elementary music school teacher, Mrs. Higgins. "Aaaaaaannnd Stooooop!" Some things you never forget. Laura and Michael I hope your remember her, because you're the only ones who'll get that inside joke. That photo took at least 4 takes by the way, and that was the most serious Stacy and I could get our faces.
5) One of the many injuries incurred during the scavenger hunt. Art claims a bicyclist ran into him. That picture was taken that night of. Believe it or not, it actally looked twice as bad the next day!
6) The beach.

Funny Story

2007-06-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

I hope this makes someone besides me laugh:

So I dislocated my jaw last week making fish noises with my preschool. We were singing "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" and we were on the fish when the right side of my jaw made a terrible crunching/popping/grinding sound and it hurt like hell right at the socket. It popped right back in, but I couldn't hardly chew for two days and a week later it's still a little sore. How's that for injury on the job?

PS If you don't know what a fish sounds like you need to use your imagination. Here's a pic of a new member of our neighborhood to commemorate the event:

Party Time!

2007-06-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

To make up for the lack of photos in the last posting, here are some from last night's partying. We gathered to send off Sarah, who has finished her year long stint in Korea. We partying until the sun came up and the metro reopened at 5:30 in the morning. A great time was had by all! Thanks to Tanja for sending me these pics!

From r-l: Karen, Marty, Sarah, Gabe, Stacey getting ready at a love motel. Karen, Sarah, and Stacey are all teachers at our school. Added to this pic is Jason, on the left, who is a teacher at our school.Chatting with Marty. I replaced her at SLP. She didn't like our school so she got out of her contract and currenty works at another hogwan.

Me and Stacey. Stacey is the new teacher who is replacing Sarah. She just arrived four days ago.

Sarah taking a puff off the hookah. We started the night off by going to a hookah bar.

Me, Shioban and Tanja. Shioban teaches at another school.

With Marely on the dance floor. She's another teacher at our school.

The Most Confucian of Societies

2007-06-21T04:23:00.000-07:00

So I haven't written anything in awhile because nothing too fascinating has occurred. And I don't have any photos to compliment this blog. I'll try harder next week. Promise. :-) The weekend before last I met someone who happens to be in the Broadway Asia rendition of The King and I. He offered me free tickets so I took him up on it and brought a friend with me. Pretty good! And it was neat to see someone I knew onstage. He was part of the ensemble so he didn't have a huge part, but nonetheless... The day after the play I tried to go hiking in Bukhansan National Park. It's a park that's on the north side of the city that encompasses some mountains and is actually partially within Seoul city boundaries. It's supposed to be a great place to hike but I couldn't find the bus that was supposed to take me there. Instead it turned out to be a rather frustrating afternoon. As a Korean would say: "Aish!!"

Last weekend was rather uneventful as well. I went to a neighborhood called Namdaemun. It's about five square blocks of open markets. They sell mainly clothes and food, but you can find a lot everything. Koreans are entrepreneurs at heart. I've been told that when someone doesn't know what to do with their life they just open a store. Consequently there are many duplicated stores. On my street alone, which is barely a quarter mile long, I've counted four barber shops/beauty salons, four convenience stores and thirteen restaurants. And that's just on my street! I guess these people who own their own businesses make a living despite there being so many duplications, otherwise they wouldn't do it, but they're certainly not rich. Consequently, there aren't too many big chain stores here. And ones that have tried to enter, like Walmart, end up failing. Though those that survive are extremely popular. Walmart had to pull out of South Korea last year which is refreshing, I think, because the E-Mart across from school used to be a Walmart. If I had to see that American conglomerate everyday, being on the other side of the world in Korea, I'd get sick.

Everyone is an entrepreneur though. Wrinkled old women sit on the sidewalk selling their lettuce and garlic they've grown themselves under the highway underpass. (When you don't have your own backyard, you use any available strip of soil you can.) Men go from subway car to subway car peddling the most random stuff: umbrellas, toys, knives, gum, bandaids, you name it.

Koreans work their butts off too. The lady who owns the convenience store beside our apartment is there everyday all day until midnight. No exceptions. And the people on the metro, you can just see how exhausted they are. All the people who get to sit down are usually asleep. And a lot of people work on Saturdays too. Several of the non-teaching staff members at our school come in every Saturday for part of the day. For what ungodly reason I can't imagine. I have no idea what they do that can't wait until Monday, but they're there, every Saturday.

I think Asians in general, and East Asians in particular, are very hard workers, which is why they are so successful. A lot of it has to do with them being a Confucian based culture. I've read that culturally Korea is the most "Confucian" country. Confucianism places the majority of its emphasis on hard work and education. And they do start their work ethic young! One of our preschool parents wants us to give the students--the 5 and 6 year olds--homework. We refuse. The children here already have no lives. We want them to keep what little childhood they do have.

I would hate to be a child in Korea. There is no summer break like in the States. They go to school year round with only one or two weeks off in the summer and the same during Christmas. They also go to school for half a day on Saturdays. On top of that they go places like my hogwan after school to continue their studies--so basically they go to school after school. How bad does that suck? All of my older students have at least one or two other hogwans they go to everyday, in addition to English. Plus they have sports and music lessons. The short of it is, when my students act up in class or don't do their homework, I generally let it go, because those poor kids are already in hell and I'm part of the cause

A hogwan, by the way, is a private school that specializes in teaching one subject-like English or math. They supposedly have some really odd ones though, like video game hogwan (specifically Starcraft) and Lego hogwan. Yeah. So I've been told.

On a different note...my summer is shaping up to be a good one! Next weekend I'm going to the beach in Busan which is in the south of the country. Two weekends after that I'll be going to the Mud Festival in Boreyong-it's a small town in the middle of the west coast. Then, two weeks after that is our summer vacation. My roommate and I are going to the southwestern part of Korea and Jeju Island. It all should make for a great summer and good blogging!

Phrase of the Day: Nail pope shee da! See you tomorrow!

Miracle Bridges and Birthday Parties

2007-06-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by. I've already blown by my one month mark and am well into month number two. Not too much exciting has occurred, which is why I didn't write last week.

Last weekend Tanja and I went to see the "Miracle Floating Bridge" over the Han River before heading to our Korean class. It was put up for a festival last month but will be taken down soon. It was pretty cool. It's a footbridge that floats just below the surface so you have to wade through a foot of water while walking across. It did make you feel like you were walking on water. The one gross thing about it though, was that the bridge caught a lot of trash and debris which they did not clean up. So the water was pretty dirty. Whatever. I haven't gotten a foot fungus [yet]. The other river photo is of downtown Seoul. The gold building is Building 63--the tallest building in Korea at 63 stories high. I went up it my 3rd day in Korea. The photo of the sign is a fun example of some of their brilliant English. At least they try.

This past weekend Tanja found out the World Beach Volleyball Tour was going on, so we decided to see the beautiful people play volleyball. It was great time. Perfect summer weather too. It was hot and we got some sun. We watched the women from China and Brazil duke it out. Unfortunately, we had to get to class before it finished, but we were rooting for Brazil. When we left they had each won a set.

This week is shaping up to be a great one work-wise. Yesterday we had a birthday party for one of my preschoolers, Min Suh. Birthdays are great because the parents bring in cake and tons of fruit and chips. The cakes here taste amazing. They're very light and not greasy. So much better than most store bought cakes in the States. Today was Korean Memorial Day so we had the day off. I went out and partied with some friends last night so I didn't do much today. And another student, Tae Hyung, has a birthday tomorrow! Woohoo!
Min Suh blowing out his candles. In the group photo from left to right: You-ah, the Korean teacher I sharet his class with, In-Young, Tae Hyung, Joseph, Seung Yun, Yoo Jeen, Min Suh, Ji Soo, Tae Sun, Star, me, & Danny. Then there's a cute pic of Tae Hyung, whose birthday is tomorrow.

Buddha's Birthday

2007-05-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Buddha's Birthday. It's a national holiday here in Korea and so we got the day off school. It's quite a cultural event. I went with my friend Tanja, who I met at Korean classes and whose name is pronounced 'Tanya', down to Bonguensa Temple to see what was going on. It's a very pretty complex that is like an oasis in the middle of the big city. It's been there since AD 794. The oldest building is only 150 years old though. It also has a huge stone statue of Buddha. It was pouring all day long, but we still enjoyed it.

This past weekend was the Lotus Lantern Festival, which is the festival that anticipates Buddha's Birthday. Thousands upon thousands of lanterns are made and hung up around the temples and the city with prayer cards attached. Tanja and I went to Jogyesa Temple on Sunday, which is where they were holding the Festival. I have to say, it was more impressive than Bonguensa just because the shear number of hanging lanterns makes a ceiling around the building. It's very impressive and beautiful. Jogyesa also has three gigantic gold Buddhas in their temple. They must be 30 feet tall. It's very cool.

At the festival there were also tons of tents lining the street with a lot of free cultural activities. I took the opportunity to make a paper lotus lantern of my own. There were also quite a few people dressed in hanbok, which is traditional Korean garb. Apparently there was a lantern parade too on Sunday night with over 100,000 lanterns processing. Of course I missed it because I didn't realize it was even going on until it was too late. Oh, well, perhaps next year. At the temple today they did have one of the rooms darkened and the lanterns were lit up, so I got a taste of it. All pictures you see with umbrellas, by the way, were taken today at Bonguensa Temple. Those sunny pics were taken on Sunday at Jogyesa Temple.

After a little research I discovered the significance of the lotus flower. It's a symbol of the Buddha. It's a fragrant and beautiful flower which grows in the middle of dirty mud ponds. Buddha was a perfect person in the middle of our ugly world. It also flowers and bears fruit at the same time, which reminds Buddhists of the law of cause and effect. Everything that one does has a repercussions so you must think through all your actions.

Korean Phrase of the Day: Pi-gah wah-yo! - It's raining!

I really do work...

2007-05-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

I guess it's about time I talk about my job, huh?

I teach preschoolers every day of the week from 10:00-2:30, then in the afternoon I have older classes. The preschoolers are 6 and 7 years old. The oldest afternoon children I teach are 13. I have to say, so far I'm preferring the preschoolers. This coming from the guy who has always professed to hate kids. They really are a good bunch. I have the largest preschool class, which is 10 students. And the are a handful, that's for sure, but for the most part they are excited to be there and enthusiastic to learn English. We teach in teams and the classes are split half the time between a foreign teacher and a Korean teacher. I work with Yeowah, who is like the super teacher of the school. It must the pheromones she exudes because the kids just fall into a lull and listen to whatever she says. It's amazing watching her work. I, on the other hand, spend a good portion of the time trying to reign them in so we can be productive. I'm getting better at it, though.

As far as language barrier, there really is none. The preschoolers speak excellent English. So well, in fact, that it makes me want to send my kids to a Spanish preschool once i have them if it'll yield the same results. We have a "No Korean" policy across the board in all of our classes and it's the preschoolers who comply better than their 13 year old counterparts. (Granted they are immersed in English for 4 1/2 hours 5 days a week.) Even when they're chatting amongst themselves during lunch about their cartoons it's in English. They just insert lots of hand gestures with each other. It's kinda cute. A normal preschooler conversation goes something like this:

"And then Young-soon go like dis! And den like dis. And den!...And den!...And den!...Boom! Pow! Bery bery big Kabooooom! Yeah!!! It was bery exciting!"

A lot of times I forget that English isn't their first language. They've even given me a nickname. They've converted my name, which they pronounce "Daybid Teacher", to "Baby Teacher". They get a real kick out of that. I admit, even I think it was pretty clever.

Elementary students are a whole nother bunch who I will discuss later. I just had really bad day with them yesterday. Tomorrow and Friday they face David Teacher's Dark Side. Muhahahaha. We'll see if I can deliver.

By the way. I added pics to the food post, just in case you've not ducked back down there to see them.

Korea's national past time

2007-05-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

So I didn't do anything too exciting this past week. I did go hiking again. It's a good way to stay in shape. Koreans don't seem to believe in switchbacks. Their trails go straight up the mountain. They make for short, but very, very intense hikes. If they didn't have tae kwon do, hiking would be the national sport of Korea. Actually, I guess it's better labeled as a past time. Everyone loves to do it, especially the older generations. They get all decked out with their professional walking sticks, huge sun visors, hiking boots, and nylon pants and jackets. 70% of Korea is mountainous, so there is no shortage of places to hike. There's even a national park that lies within Seoul city limits. It's to the north of town, but I'd like to out there one of these days. My trail is literally 5 minutes from my house.

I do have one critique. For all their hiking expertise I don't understand Korean hiking etiquette. People here don't seem to want to to stand aside when I want to pass them. I tend to hike pretty fast and so catch up to people. In the U.S. most people stand to the side for a brief second so that they can be passed and not cause the person behind them inconvenience. Not here. You have to wait for an opportunity to pass if you want to get around which sometimes takes awhile. I don't know. Maybe it's rude to pass someone in the first place.

Moment of the week: Seeing the ocean from my neighborhood mountain. It was difficult to see, mind you, because of the haze, but it was still pretty cool.

The Palace of Shining Happiness

2007-05-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my roommate Art and I went to see one of the royal palaces Seoul, called Gyeongbokgung, or the Palace of Shining Happiness. Most of the palace is reconstructed, having been destroyed by the Japanese and the Korean War. However, the complex is still pretty impressive, and they've only reconstructed about 40% of the buildings. The construction is pretty simple compared to European palaces, but the main buildings are extremely colorful with elaborate hand painted designs covering the structures both inside and out.

Unlocking the mysteries of Korean food

2007-05-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

One of the most common questions I get is what’s the food like? So here you go:

I’m glad I inherited my Dad’s taste buds, which require that everything be doused in hot sauce, because Koreans love their food spicy! The only spice they possess is hot red pepper, but they use it on everything. Their most famous dish is called kim chi. That’s fermented strips of cabbage covered in hot pepper sauce and it’s served at every meal. It’s really quite gross, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually. Did I mention that it’s served cold?

Koreans love their fresh seafood too. Outside nearly every grocery store and quite a few restaurants, just sitting on the sidewalk, are fresh fish tanks with all kinds of interesting sea life. Besides fish I’ve seen eels, crabs, sea sponges, every type of shellfish. Even a tank swarming with baby octopus. Actually, in E-Mart there was an octopus as big as big as volley ball. (That’s just his head, mind you, with arms he was a lot bigger. E-Mart, by the way, is just like a Wal-Mart, in fact they bought out all the Korean Wal-Marts. When I say grocery store, I’m referring to smaller Mom & Pop places.)

Despite the seafood I reserve most of my “what the hecks” for the school lunches. I serve and eat lunch with the children everyday. Sticky, sweet translucent noodles. Brown, tasteless gelatin cubes (mook). Black beans that are only cooked just enough so that your teeth don’t shatter trying to chew them. Small heaps of green vegetation, (seaweed perhaps?). I did, however, recognize the tiny tentacles as coming from either a baby squid or a baby octopus. Yup, everyday my students and I dive into a new culinary adventure. (Keeps my gastro-intestinal system on its toes.)

Okay, enough. Korean food isn’t that bad. A lot of it is actually very good. One of the coolest restaurants is an all you can eat buffet of raw meet. You cook it on hot skillets in the middle of your table- delicious! Koreans love their floors, and fittingly, there are many restaurants that seat you on the floor in front of low tables. Two of the other teachers took me to one such place dubbed the Dubu House- dubu is tofu. There I tried panjeon- kind of like a pancake with meat and veggies in it. It was probably the best thing I’ve tasted yet. Rice wine is great. Kim bop- like sushi- it’s egg, and veggies wrapped in sticky rice wrapped in seaweek. Hot pots are really delicious too—bubbling pots of everything that they place on the table in front of you. They ensure a hot meal for the entire seating too.

And of course, Korea has quite a few of the American fast food joints. McDonald’s & Burger King yes. But Baskin Robbins and Dunkin Donuts are even more popular, believe it or not. For the most part, Korean food is very tasty. We’re just going to have to have the chef work on those school lunches. Even the students hardly ever finish their food.

What the heck of the week: ppeondagi--boiled silkworm larvae. Sold on the street and believe it or not, probably smells worse than it tastes. I'll let you know when I'm brave enough.

One week down...

2007-04-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

I've been in Korea for a week now and am finally getting settled in. I had barely arrived when my roommate invited me to go out with some of the other teachers. I had been traveling for over 24 hours with little sleep, not showered and was pretty exhausted, but sure, why the heck not? We went bowling and that was followed by a small empty bar across the street. So that was my welcome to Korea. And it was a pretty good one.

I have a small apartment (of which I have attahed photos) which I share with a roommate who is another teacher at our school. His name is Art. He's an awesome guy and we get along great. I teach about a 15 minute walk away. I have preschool five days a week M-F from 10:00-2:30, then I have older kids the rest of the afternoon. After following the girl I'm replacing for four days, I just finished my second day of teaching by myself. Already I'm getting into the hang of it. The kids on the whole are pretty well behaved and all of the speak very good English, so there really is no comunication problem. The preschoolers actually speak the best since they have class everyday for the longest period of time. We do not allow any Korean in the classroom. The other teachers are all American with the exception of two Irish people and as I already mentioned, they are all very nice, fun people.

The city I live in is called Gunpo, it's just south of Seoul. It looks like a regular city with tall apartment buildings and lots of people. I live in a small apartment building. (See photo of it and my street.) I've attached a photo of Gunpo taken from a nearby mountain. Seoul cannot even be seen in it. The air is dirty, but I don't think it's any dirtier than say, New York, or downtown DC on a bad day. The people seem to be pretty nice thus far. I have gotten a little frustrated not knowing the language, but I'm trying to teach myself. Most people don't speak much English so I can definitely see the need for teachers. Most times it's easy enough to get your point across with hand gestures. I've ventured into the city twice. It takes about an hour on the subway to get to Seoul proper. Downtown Seoul is similar to Gunpo except with higher buildings and even more people. It has a lot of neighborhoods that all have their own flair and appeal, which I'll discuss a little more once I've done some more exploring.

Feat of the Week: Standing in a crowded subway train with no handhold, eating kim bop with chopsticks. (Kim bop is the Korean version of sushi.)

And we're off!

2007-04-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

My 24+ hours of travel begins in 12 hours. I better start packing! I have to admit, I'm more nervous than excited. It's a good nervous though, but I think it's beginning to hit me that I'm not coming back for a long time. My birthday/going away bash was a success. Thanks to everyone who came and to those of you who couldn't make it, I'm sorry you missed it. See you in South Korea!

Korean Word/Phrase of the day: Mek-jew two piong chu-say-o. (Two beers please!)