a final reflection

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

This past year has not been simply a page in my life, but an entire chapter. As I mentally and physically prepare myself for returning to a place which I call home and yet, feels slightly unfamiliar to me, I have to stop and think about how my life has changed and the people who have had a hand in changing it.

I have been lucky in my life to have had many opportunities to travel the world, and to have parents who understand and nurture my desire to explore and experience. Every time I see a new country, however short or long the period, when I leave that place I feel like I leave a piece of myself behind. And now South Korea, a country which, a year ago I knew nothing about and would probably only give a passing thought, holds the biggest piece of my heart.

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”

First, I am extremely grateful for my EPIK friends. Without you, with whom I was able to share observations, fears, and concerns, I cannot imagine adjusting to a new country as well as I did. You were my support network, and you allowed me to really embrace a culture I had no prior tie to. We shared stories, adventures, and passing moments. We also had a lot of fun together, didn't we? ^_^

Once arriving in Korea, I did everything I could to expose myself to the new culture, to keep busy, to make friends. I took Korean lessons, learned salsa, practiced yoga, and even learned Tae Kwon Do. Through these experiences I made such wonderful memories and met such wonderful people, that I wish I could walk up to each and every one of them and tell them how glad I am to have had them in my life. The friends I've made in Korea - who have been so patient with me and our language barrier, who have always made me feel welcome - will be extremely missed.

The reason why I had a smile on my face at work every day for an entire year? My students. Kids whose names I may not remember, or can't even pronounce. Kids who touched my heart with every little effort they made. Their enthusiasm gave me enthusiasm. Even the mischievous ones are special to me, maybe even more so! I wish I could have fully expressed to them how much I am going to miss them, and how much I hope for their futures to be bright and happy. My co-teachers too, who were always so patient with me no matter how hectic their schedules were. These were the people I saw day in and day out, without fail. I can't imagine not seeing them like this again.

I am SO excited to go home, and seeing friends and family. But I am equally sad about leaving this life behind. I was afraid when I began, afraid of unforeseen challenges, afraid that I would hate it. I should've been afraid of leaving.

To the people I am returning to: be patient with me, please. I will probably talk about my experience a lot. This should be natural, as it has been my life for an entire year. I cannot pretend it didn't happen. I only wish that I could've shared it with you.

"I am not the only man to seek his fortune far from home, and certainly I am not the first. Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination."

All that's left to say is: Thank you.

This Is Andong!!

This is what happens when you accidentally piss off a South Korean Spartan.
Wait, rewind...

A few weeks ago my friend Hyolee invited me to her hometown of Andong. Andong is very famous in Korea for its yearly Mask Dance Festival held in September/October. Last year when I had arrived to Korea, there was talk of going but because we were in the midst of the swine flu crisis, the festival was canceled. After that I had no real interest in going to Andong until I met Hyolee. Andong is also really famous for Hahoe Village, claimed to be the oldest traditional village in South Korea.

So one Friday night, Hyolee, her boyfriend Lloyd and I took a late bus to her town, and stayed at her mother's house. Meeting Hyolee's mother was a blast. She was very eccentric in her mannerisms, upon first impressions see seemed to be unapproachable, even scary; but once she warmed up to you, she was extremely warm-hearted and nice. She was especially fond of Lloyd, Hyolee's Australian boyfriend, and upon our arrival, the first thing Hyolee's mom did was to call Lloyd over so she could greet him, and didn't even bother to greet her daughter first!

Hyolee's mother operated a restaurant in the middle of a traditional market, so the next day we went to visit her there. The city of Andong is a small enough place that once Hyolee took me out on the street and pointed out the direction to the market, her house, the bus station and downtown, I basically knew where I was and how to get places. At the market we checked out a lot of seafood on display, including some exceptionally large octopuses (!) and also stumbled upon a street dedicated to bosintang, Korean dog stew! On the street they had buckets of dog meat... and dog skins. It was extremely mortifying to see at first, and hard to walk through. But there was a lady at one shop who was in the middle of chopping some meat... and she let us take pictures. And although I can never imagine myself eating this soup, I understand that the practice has been in the Korean culture for centuries, and lately its mostly the older generations who continue to eat it.


After visiting her mother, Hyolee, Lloyd and I made our way to the bus station to catch a bus to Hahoe Village. On the way we ran into Lloyd's friend Dave and his group, who we had heard were visiting Andong at the same time. Due to this chance meeting, we made our way to Hahoe Village together and spent most of the day together.

No, this isn't Bosintang... it's our lunch, Andong Jimtak aka chicken!!

At Hahoe Village, we saw a traditional mask performance. The performances were broken up into parts, and since it was all in Korean, a lot of it went over my head. However, one memorable performance was one of the butcher and his cow, where during the performance, the bucher chopped off the cow's abnormally large testicles and tried to sell it to the audience! hahaha


After this performance we wandered a bit through the village. The village itself is relatively small but it is easy to get lost wandering through... it's also surrounded by Nakdong River, which winds around it in an "S" shape, creating a yin/yang symbol effect. On the east side of the village a boat takes you across the river to a cliff, and after a short 10 minute hike, you are granted an insanely beautiful view of the whole village.



After some relaxing frolicking time and a visit to an old fertility tree (which may have inadvertently knocked me up...^^), we made our way back to Andong. Our new (and some old) friends were in Andong for a birthday, and had plans that night to stay at a boathouse so they could go wake boarding the next day. Lloyd and I decided to meet with them that night and crash their party. We had a pretty good night, and spent the night on the boat as well.



All in all, my visit to Andong was extremely fun, memorable, and relaxing! And what's more, Hahoe Village was recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage site!

a girl, a backpack, and an island

So, my trip to Jeju Island was, in one word: awesome!

At first, I was slightly anxious at the thought of traveling on my own. Traveling wasn't new to me: figuring out bus schedules, seeing sights, meeting people at hostels/guesthouses... but traveling alone was a new challenge. I viewed it as another way to push myself, to see what I was capable of.

The week leading up to it, I sort of kept "forgetting" about my upcoming trip. But soon, Thursday rolled around, and after getting the okay to leave work early after the kids took their finals, I headed home, finished packing, and went to the airport via express bus. My flight was delayed by half and hour, and after a cute text from Hyo Lee checking on whether I got to the airport okay (she's my Korean mom/travel agent) and a 45-minute flight, I landed in Jeju.

Jeju-si and Hallasan

Thursday night I stayed in Jeju city, which was about a 10-minute bus ride from the airport. Yeha Guesthouse was minutes away from the bus terminal (very convenient) and one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at. Everything was so clean and nice (showers were big/private, rooms were well equipped), and there was a living room/kitchen area, and free breakfast (with eggs!!). Before I even left the check-in counter, I had met a Chinese-British guy named Will who was looking for someone to eat Heoktweiji (흑돼지) with, which was a black pork, a Jeju specialty. Basically it was served Samgyepsal-style, but the black pigs were native to Jeju. At the guesthouse I also met two other Chinese people: Karen, who was visiting from Hong Kong, and Yi Yeom, who was a civil servant in China on some sort of exchange program in Korea. Yi Yeom spoke Mandarin, but Will and Karen spoke Cantonese so it was really interesting to hear so much Chinese!! The funny thing was that Yi Yeom and I didn't understand each other, so instead we communicated in Korean!

I had planned on hiking Hallasan (Mt. Halla - the tallest mountain in Korea) the next day, and Yi Yeom and her friend were considering going. However, it didn't work out (not only was the hike 8 hours long, but we had to get up super early for it), so instead I went with a Korean girl named Sohee (서희). We got up at 5:30am, caught a bus from the terminal, and began our trek at 7:30am at Seongpanak Trail, which was 9.6 kilometers long!! We stopped briefly for Kimbap and Ramen at a shelter, and arrived at Baengnokdam Peak (1,950m!!) before noon. On the way up we got to see some roe deer, and the view at the top was breathtaking. Currently it's monsoon season, so I didn't really see much blue sky the whole trip, but being up on the mountain with the clouds surrounding you with mist really made me feel like I was on another world. However, I didn't forget that I was in Korea, and in Korea cell phone service is everywhere, so I actually video called Hyo Lee from the top!!

Sohee and I at Baengnokdam, a crater lake at the top of Hallasan

To get back down, we hiked the Gwaneumsa Trail (8.7km) which took about another 4 hours. This trail had never-ending stairs, which made me glad I didn't hike this way UP. However, the view on this trail was definitely better than Seongpanak, we saw a ton of ridges and valleys and there were also some cool bridges along the way.

We finally arrived at the bottom at around 3:30pm... which meant we had hiked 18.3km in 8 hours that day. Pretty successful, I'd say! Ever since Jirisan it had been a goal of mine to hike the top three mountains in Korea, and so far, I've gotten to the peak of the top two! On the walk down, Sohee and I kept passing the same people, and one of the guys gave us and another hiker a ride back to Jeju-si. After splitting with Sohee I took a bus headed east to Seongsan-ri, to my next motel.

Seongsan Ilchulbong, Manjanggul, and Seogwipo

My motel was right at the bottom of Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak), which was one of the top sights in Jeju. However, when I got to the motel, it was nowhere to be found. There was so much FOG that I literally could not see it! If the guy at the front desk hadn't told me my room had a view, I wouldn't have known. Because of this, I wasn't anticipating much. I was also planning to hike at sunrise, since that was the popular thing to do, but the man had convinced me that I wouldn't be able to see a thing. So I slept in a little bit (much needed, after Hallasan), and didn't head out until 10am the next day. The crazy thing was, around 9am, I looked out the window, and there it was!! It was like freezing water in my face, such a shock how big it was, how cool it looked, especially considering the blanket of fog the night before! The hike was a short 20 minutes, and at the top was another crater. It was definitely harder to see than Hallasan, but I was glad I was there. Too bad it was so cloudy so I couldn't see the backdrop of blue sky and ocean.

The view of Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) from my room.

Another view of Seongsan Ilchulbong

A note on the weather: because it's currently monsoon season in Korea, and Jeju gets a TON of rain, it was supposed to rain the entire weekend. Luckily, outside of a few drops here and there, it wasn't so bad, and everything still looked beautiful to me. Some people mentioned what a pity it was that I was there during the rainy season, but honestly, this added to its charm. Yes, blue skies would've made for better photos, but the mist and fog was just a part of Jeju, it gave everything a sort of mysteriousness and other-worldliness that really made me feel I was somewhere else.

After Seongsan Ilchulbong, I hopped on a bus headed back west, toward Manjang Cave, which was part of the Geomun Oreum Lava Tube System - the longest lava tube system in the world. (If you haven't guessed, Jeju is a volcanic island, Hallasan is a volcano...) On the bus I met another solo Korean woman headed there so we went together. Her name was Jung Eun (정은) and she was from Seoul. Jung Eun's English wasn't so good so we conversed in Korean... by this time I was really enjoying meeting random people and finding out about their life/where they were from, etc. Manjanggul was really impressive, the entrance to the cave looked so small; halfway down the steps there is a HUGE temperature drop and once you get inside you realize how big the cave is. We were only allowed to go 1km into the cave, and at the end there was a 7.6m high lava column, apparently the largest in the world (I really like visiting things that have some sort of status as something-in the world...) Overall I was pretty impressed by how big and scary the cave was (there was really little lighting), and I could only imagine how much scarier it would be without the lights.

Entrance to Manjanggul (Manjang Cave)

After Manjanggul, Jung Eun and I headed back toward Jeju city - she was heading back to Seoul and my destination was Seogwipo, a city on the south coast of the island (Jeju city is on the north coast). Jung Eun and I split, and at Seogwipo, with walking instructions from Erica, a fellow EPIKer living in Jeju, I made my way to Jeongbang Waterfall.

Jeongbang was by far, my favorite part of Jeju. It was the only waterfall in Asia that went directly into the ocean, and after all the walking I had done so far, I took off my hiking boots and soaked my feet in the ocean water. It was sooo refreshing, and the waterfall was so beautiful. If I lived in Jeju I would go there SO often, just to enjoy the view.

Jeongbang Waterfall

After Jeongbang I was sort of short on time... I had the option of checking out another waterfall - Cheonjiyeon, and/or going to see the Oedolgae Rock. Since I'm actually returning to Jeju in a few weeks with my Taekwon dojang, and Cheonjiyeon was on the itinerary, I decided to check out Oedolgae. At Oedolgae I met a Korean family who was on vacation in Jeju, one woman and her son actually lived in Houston, and her son was born there. Oedolgae was pretty cool, except again, I couldn't see the view behind it, which was too bad. Oedolgae has a lot of stories associated with it, one about a general dressing it up to scare away invaders, one about it being an old woman..

Oedolgae

Jungmun and Sai Guesthouse

By now it was getting pretty late and I still hadn't met up with Erica, who was in the area. I caught a cab to my last guesthouse, called Sai Guesthouse, on the Southwest coast of Jeju. It was sort of in the middle of nowhere, but on an Olle Trail, which are scenic coastal walking trails that Jeju is famous for. The people at this guesthouse were so nice and friendly. Apparently they don't get a lot of foreigners, and since Hyo Lee booked it for me, she had called ahead and given them the heads up. So they were actually nervous about my arrival. When I got there, even the guests knew who I was, cause I guess the staff were talking about the foreigner who was coming that day!! They seemed a little relieved that I spoke Korean, and also I think not actually looking like a foreigner (aka blond hair, blue eyes) made them more comfortable.

Sai (사이) Gueshouse

Book cafe on the 2nd floor, Barista making coffee

I couldn't have dinner at the guesthouse because I had plans to meet Erica, so the manager of the guesthouse, Sang Sik, drove me all the way to Jungmun Beach (which was a good 10 min ride) where I met Erica, her Jeju friends, and we headed to a beach party for a surfing competition that was going on that weekend. The beach party ended almost immediately after we got there however, and so we got some fireworks and just lit them on the beach. One really funny/traumatizing thing was watching Erica with the fireworks!! She was having too much fun, haha, and played with them like she was Harry Potter. Soooo instead of pointing the stick up, she pointed it out, and almost set a tent and a car on fire in the process!!! We were laughing so much my sides began to hurt.

Unfortunately, I had to leave pretty early since I didn't know if the guesthouse had a curfew. Back at the guesthouse, I drank a bit and chatted with the people who were staying there. This is my favorite part about traveling in Korea: meeting people. Its an awesome opportunity for me to practice my Korean, which was why I preferred staying in Korean guesthouses as opposed to ones that were meant for foreigners. The people there were so nice and friendly. With almost everyone I met that weekend we exchanged e-mails or phone numbers.

The last thing I did in Jeju was head to Hyeopjae Beach Sunday morning. It was way too foggy to see anything, but it was nice and relaxing to walk around. I went there with another guest from Sai, who wanted to introduce me to his cousin in Seoul, haha.

Before I began this trip, I wondered if I was going to get bored or lonely. While there were a few times where I was bored, it was surprising to see that I never really felt lonely. It was really fun wandering around alone, with just your backpack, and interacting with strangers. I had also never packed so LITTLE for a trip before!! I think I really enjoyed the life of a simple backpacker. I didn't want to leave Jeju by the end, I just wanted to keep going, see what else there was to explore! It was a sad wake-up call to remember that I had a life to get back to. The weekend truly felt like a dream, like I was in another country completely. While I was sad to be leaving, I have the trip with my Taekwon dojang to look forward to, and I'm so glad I'll get another chance to go back.

Backpacker Kat? Haha

i couldn't tell you why i haven't been able to keep this blog going. maybe it's because i've been so busy this past year, with teaching, meeting friends, taekwondo, salsa, yoga, hiking. the fact of the matter is that i do have enough time on my hands to write in this blog. so why haven't i?

i've done a lot of reflecting and experienced so many things... some i try to jot down in my private journal, some i bare for all in slightly vague ways through my facebook and twitter accounts. but i haven't done the detailed update, breaking down all the different places i've been and things i've seen. when i was in greece i detailed everything (unfortunately), in both my private journal and my public blog. i think the difference here is that im not so much a traveler... as i am simply, a resident. i'm living and working here, and in the same way that i assume my daily life in boston or new york may not be so interesting, maybe i think that of my daily [korean] life.

however, no matter how mundane a day in my life here can be, ive also done things and challenged myself if ways i've never thought of before. is it possible to be walking down a street in a city you've lived in for over 10 months now, and still be so surprised at where you are that it takes your breath away?

some days i know i'm ready to return home. i miss my family, i miss my friends. but other days i am reminded of how much of this world i have left to see; i think about the people i've met that i'm not yet ready to part with.

tomorrow i will begin an incredible adventure. i'll be traveling to an island off the south coast of korea, alone. no matter how many countries i've been to, how many things i've seen, there hasn't been a time that i've traveled somewhere completely alone (barring a 24 hour trip to macedonia to invalidate my visa). i am half excited, and half scared for this journey. i know it will be incredible, and i'm looking forward to the challenges that will be presented to me as a solo traveler. no doubt i will meet people on my journey, and i even have plans to meet up with a friend. but for most of the trip, it will literally be me, the island, and a backpack. not to mention the tallest mountain in korea..

so far, my time in korea has been wreaking havoc on.... my feet.

in taekwondo class, we practice barefoot. all the "stepping" (bouncing up and down) and kicking we do... i am starting to get calluses!! and in salsa i spend about 2-3 hours dancing in my (slightly tight) salsa shoes doing spins and whatnot. and to top it all off, i have to stuff my poor feet in HEELS on weekends!!! luckily i don't wear heels so much anymore. but lately, my feet are definitely not looking pretty =(

it surprises me sometimes just how happy i am with my job. there are some bad days.. but most of them stem from the work environment, the colleagues, the communication problems, and simply the differences in culture. but one thing has never failed me, and that has been what i feel when i'm with my students. yes, there are the handful of "bad" kids... the ones that give me grief, the ones that are rude, the ones that don't listen, the ones that no matter what, i'll never be able to truly help. even these kids hold a place in my heart. at the end of the day, it is because of these kids that i want to become a teacher.

im somewhere between a "teacher" and a "friend" to these students. they dont see me that often so i dont have to discipline them, i don't have to give them grades, and i don't have to be mean (even though i choose to. i dont like leaving the discipline up to my coteachers). maybe to everyone at this school i am not considered a "real" teacher. maybe not even to myself, at this point. but sometimes it surprises me how attached i get to these kids, whose names i can't pronounce or don't even know. when i think of them my heart fills up, and when i think of the future i wonder what theirs will be. i wonder if they will ever visit america, will they ever think to contact me if they're ever in new york. and i hope deep down that they will. that i won't become a faded memory in their lives as time goes on, because they won't be a faded memory in mine.

i know that kids back in the states wont be the same way. there is an innocence about these students, a lightheartedness, a different type of relationship they have with their teachers that maybe doesn't exist in middle schools in brooklyn. here, teachers give students a ride home after school. they take their homeroom out to a movie on the weekends. students have their numbers and text them freely in the evening. a teacher in korea, means more than what happens inside the school building. the profession is well-respected (and deservedly so). a teacher can even take away a student's cell phone privileges for an entire month. of course there are some things about the school culture i may not understand and may not even agree with. but as a whole, being in this environment, seeing these kids every day, seeing them remember something i told them weeks before, seeing them make the effort to say something to me in english, and watching their eyes light up when they understand something... this is what i get up for every morning.

being korea

According to Wikipedia (and many other, more reputable sources), there are three phases of culture shock.

Honeymoon Phase. "OMG!! Look at the TREES! KOREAN TREES! WOW, even their toilets are different! Check out all the lights! Noraebang, HELL YES!! This place is AWESOME!!!!!!!"

Negotiation Phase. "Ugh. Why can't my teachers just be upfront instead of speaking so ambiguously? How come no one actually PLANS AHEAD in this school? Why can't these scooters follow the damn traffic signals!"

Adjustment Phase. "Ah, you don't know the difference between annyonghi kaseyo and annyonghi kyeseyo? Tsk, tsk, newbie. You gotta get somewhere? I can tell you exactly how to take the bus, what to tell the taxi driver, and no fewer than three landmarks nearby. Dude, you just squat and pee, that's all there is to it..."

We talked about culture shock before I left for Greece, and we talked about culture shock after I arrived in Korea. Whether or not I truly felt it, I'm not sure. Yes, I've experienced all three emotions, but not at strong levels. When I get annoyed at something, it's not simply because it's different from America, but because it's annoying. If it happened to me in America, I would be just as annoyed.

There are supposedly three outcomes after the adjustment phase:

• "Some people find it impossible to accept the foreign culture and integrate. They isolate themselves from the host country's environment, which they come to perceive as hostile, withdraw into a ghetto and see return to their own culture as the only way out. These Rejectors also have the greatest problems re-integrating back home after return. Approximately 60% of expatriates behave in this way."
• "Some people integrate fully and take on all parts of the host culture while losing their original identity. They normally remain in the host country forever. Approximately 10% of expatriates belong to this group of Adopters."
• "Some people manage to adapt the aspects of the host culture they see as positive, while keeping some of their own and creating their unique blend. They have no major problems returning home or relocating elsewhere. Approximately 30% of expatriates are these so-called Cosmopolitans."

I don't like to categorize myself or generalize my experience, but I can safely say that I am neither a rejector nor an adopter. I am not yet sure if I am a cosmopolitan. However, one thing I've noticed about my relationship with Korea, is that I am extremely patient with it. Where some native teachers would complain about bureaucracy and the constant changes in our contracts, I passively wait for them to sort it out, and go from there. I'll say it again, I passively wait. I don't remember being this passive before, ever in my life (Okay, maybe when I was younger, but definitely not when I was in college). Maybe it's because I am strikingly aware that we are guests in this country, that we have no right to demand anything from it, or to declare that we deserve something simply because we are "better." I sympathize with my co-teachers, who have to deal with us, and have so much requested of them from higher authorities; people who don't know what it takes to control a classroom.

Not that I don't still get annoyed, which I do. But I am actively trying to find a compromise. Instead of bitching and moaning about something, I try to find a way to move forward and still be happy.

When people complain about something authentically "Korean," I think, "this is the way it is, there's no point in arguing about it." Life is life no matter what country you live in, and just because you're "Western" and feel worshipped by your school and the government, doesn't mean that you have the right to say what should and shouldn't happen in a country that's not yours.

Do these opinions make me an adopter? or a cosmopolitan? Either way, I am continuing to feel lucky for this opportunity to immerse myself in a country that is not my own, to see that while some things change from culture to culture, other things are true no matter where you are. Let's revel in our differences, be happy that they exist, and try to value each other for it.

I'm a horrible blogger.

I used to be much better about blogging. Apologies for my lack of updates.

Not exactly sure what I should be updating about... if you're my close friend and/or if you have Facebook, you probably already know how I've been doing. So instead, I'll just do some random fun facts about me/Korea for those too lazy to stalk me.

1. I've been learning Korean. I think I'm learning a lot for a beginner... its honestly easier for me because I have a background in speaking an Asian language.. and Korean is very close to Chinese, so the prounciation is easier. One thing I've been able to enjoy a lot here is the sense of anonymity. Because I am Asian, I can blend in pretty well and if I'm walking around with headphones I don't get too many gawkers or stares.. (unless my students see me, in which case I'll know they go to my school and I can wave hello) I've been mistaken for a Korean on multiple occasions but it doesn't bother me as it gives me an opportunity to practice my Korean.

2. The Daejeon Office of Education is offering all Native English Teachers a chance to learn Taekwondo, so I've signed up!! I'm pretty excited for it but I haven't started classes yet. The one negative thing about it is that the studio is very close to my house, and therefore, very close to my school. The son of the owner is actually one of my students. I'm not sure how many students at my school take Taekwondo, but I'm sure it will be interesting for them to see me make a fool out of myself...

3. I'm going on a Temple Stay this coming weekend. I'm pretty excited about it so maybe afterwards I'll have the time/concentration to write a blogpost about the experience. Basically a temple stay is when you visit a Buddhist temple and spend a night there with the monks. You get to see how they live, and participate in meditation activities (some in the wee hours of the morning...) and take some time to think spiritually about your life.

4. School is going well... I'm getting the hang of working with all my teachers, fitting in to the culture of the school(s), and planning lessons without procrastinating. There are still the random spontaneous schedule changes or lack of communication/info... but I try to just go with it and take all things in stride.

5. One random fact about Korea that I found very interesting and cool... is the many ways that it's environmentally friendly. I just learned about what composting was about a few months before I left, but they do that here, everywhere. You're required to separate your garbage, aside from simply the recycling, you also separate your food trash. There is a separate bucket for that outside each building and they collect it in order to make feed for livestock in farms or something (don't quote me on that). Also, in most grocery stores and also large shopping markets, they charge you for plastic bags and they're also very stingy with it... it encourages you to bring your own or simply not use a bag.

Seoul (10.02-10.04)

A little belated, I apologize. But here is my update on my trip to Seoul. =)

It was an amazing time - Seoul is huge and beautiful and crowded and packed full of foreigners. Actually, when I first arrived at the station, walking out onto the street I got so excited because it was such a bustling city... it reminded me of home! Sometimes when I've been away from a city for a while, seeing crowded sidewalks and people rushing to get to where they need to go makes me nostalgic. Not that Daejeon isn't a city; it's crowded here as well and congestion is a nightmare... maybe it was just the fact that I was in Seoul that also got me excited. However, by the end of my weekend I was extremely happy that I did NOT live in Seoul and I was very excited to get back to home sweet Daejeon.

(Friday)

We arrived in Seoul at around 5pm... had just enough time to get to my hostel in Hongdae, drop off my stuff, and help my two friends find a motel to stay in. We tried to do some exploring and check out this electronics market, but by the time we got there it was already closing, so we headed back to Hongdae for some dinner. Hongdae is an area by Hongdik University (Hongdik Daehakgyo) that has a ton of bars and clubs. That night we went to a bar and then a club called nb2 (or noise basement, I'm pretty sure..). It was fun but the club was extremely packed and I did not enjoy getting pushed around so much.

(Saturday)

The next day, we woke up, grabbed some breakfast/lunch, and headed to Insadong to see the National Palace (Gyeongbukgung). Because it was Chuseok, admission to the palace and the museums inside were free. The palace was huge and had a backdrop of some pretty hills... after walking in, it was like stepping outside of Seoul and back in time. We took some photos with guards, explored/played, and visited the Folk Museum (also for free). Apparently there was a pretty lake somewhere on the grounds, but we missed it. =(

After that, we went to the open market in Insadong. They sold a lot of crafts and souvenir items there, I was tempted to buy a lot but I knew I would have tons of time to buy things for my friends and family back home. We walked a lot at this time: from Insadong all the way south toward Myeongdong and Namdaemun Market (I know this means nothing to you if you don't know Seoul, but trust me: it's a bit of a walk). We passed this bridge with a small stream under it, with a stone path, benches to sit on, and rocks to climb. This must've been my favorite place in Seoul. It was so random, I didn't expect to see it in such a busy and crowded city... it's times like this - when out of nowhere you see something that's a part of nature exist somewhere you never expected it to, and to be able to peacefully step away from the sound of horns honking and foreign languages and the footsteps of millions of people heading this way and that, and instead listen to the sound of flowing water... okay I'm getting philosophical on you, so I'll stop!


Myeongdong and Namdaemun Market is a shopper's paradise. Especially a bargain shopper. Especially a bargain shopper who does not mind buying fake designer goods at dirt cheap prices. There is just so much around you. The area is a pedestrian strip, with many reputable clothing stores around (i.e. Forever 21 - biggest one I have ever seen and the only one in Korea... needless to say, I will be back there soon), and then vendors with their stands on the street selling watches, purses, jewelry, hair clips, FOOD, etc... it's definitely a stop on everyone's list when they visit Seoul.

Myeongdong

Following this, we met up with some friends in Itaewon - the "foreigner" district with tons of international cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant and my friend Chriselle got to take a picture with a famous actor who owned the restaurant (first thing every Korean told me when I mentioned his name.. "Did you know he's gay?!".. still a taboo in Korea but awesome that a celebrity came out and is still famous). Itaewon is great if you're missing home.. but the minute I stepped out of the subway system it was like I wasn't in Korea anymore. There were foreigners everywhere. I love traveling and I love meeting people from all over the world, but for me, living in Korea feels different. I don't want to be around foreigners all the time. I want to meet Koreans, make lasting friendships, share in their culture. So I guess Itaewon wasn't my favorite stop in Seoul.

That night I was planning on going up to Namsan Tower but it ended up raining when we got there... so that was out. Instead we walked around an empty Myeongdong (completely different without all the stands and crowds at night), and found a shady cafe/bar to chill at for a while. Then back to Hongdae where I got to see some old orientation buddies before I called it a night.

(Sunday)

Our train was scheduled to leave in the evening on Sunday, so we had plenty of time to explore all the outdoor markets. Tried hitting up Dongdaemun but it was half closed since it was the Sunday after Chuseok... Myeongdong and Namdaemun though were open and busy as usual so I spent my afternoon haggling with my two friends for cheaper prices and cutting deals with the shopkeepers. Purchases of the day: a bag and sweater.

All in all, my trip to Seoul was great. I got to see some old friends from Orientation, which was all I really wanted to do. I'm looking forward to going back for more shopping, hanging out, and hopefully visiting some old friends from the US who are living there now.

well, it's about that time.

This week is going to be an easy week for me since there are midterms at my school and Friday marks the beginning of the Chuseok holiday - the Korean version of Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to it because I'm going to Seoul that weekend... it will be pretty void of native Koreans (all traveling to small villages/towns to visit their families), but a ton of EPIK teachers that I met at orientation are planning to head over there. I'm looking forward to seeing what cultural events they have lined up, and if the stores will be open at all on Saturday.

Since I have no classes this week and no need to plan any lessons (if I were smart, I'd be planning future lessons anyway...), I guess it's about that time to do some reflecting on my time here.

Culture shock?

It exists... I don't know if it's had much of an impact on me, though. I want to say I've settled in nicely. Honestly, living abroad in Greece may have prepared me. Greece and Korea are totally different countries but it's surprising how many things here remind me of Thessaloniki. For example, the showers? I'm used to showering in a 4x4 bathroom with no shower curtain and the mirror and sink right next to me. Small apartments? I shared one with another person. Foreign languages, signs, miscommunication... it's probably easier for me to adapt here because, well... everything's Asian. It doesn't necessarily look foreign to me, and more importantly, I don't look foreign to them. It's interesting when Koreans realize I am in fact, not Korean... they get a kick out of it, I think. I had been curious to see what they think of the fact that I'm of Chinese descent, but overall, everyone has been super nice and friendly... and they enjoy it when I practice my Korean with them.

One thing I have thought about here is how my fellow, non-Asian friends are adapting to Korea. Because I don't get stares or people pointing to me, I feel pretty inconspicuous at times. If I did, would I be adapting as well as I am now?

Teaching

For the people who knew me at Northeastern, I would say that planning lessons is a lot like planning workshops. Except I'm planning them every week. And instead of the very organized breakdown (I'll be in charge of this part, and it will take about 8 minutes, you be in charge of this..), it's very touch and go here. I am becoming very flexible with changing my lessons at the last minute, or putting something together 10 minutes before my class. I don't know if these lessons are helping my students, honestly. I'm torn between planning a "fun" lesson, and actually teaching them something. I think I've been able to incorporate both but it's been hard to determine the students' level of understanding. Most of the time, they just pretend to understand. This makes me wish I saw them more than once a week.... and that I wasn't hindered so much by school curriculums and co-teachers.

My co-teachers are great, but that's another interesting part of lesson planning. I work with so many of them, and they all have different styles. One will be on top of it all, e-mailing me frequently, checking to see we're on the same page. One will give me the lesson that morning, and I'll just wing it until I get the hang of it. One will just defer to me so I'll have to put the entire thing together. Throw in a language barrier and it makes for an interesting work environment.

Friends

I'm very happy with the group of friends I've made here. Honestly, without that type of network and support system, I can see people here having a hard time. Not only do we share school stories, lesson plan ideas, and meals... but we're sharing this new experience together (not to sound corny, haha). Again, makes me think of my last experience abroad, and how much the people around me impacted it. As much as I wish my friends and family back home could share this with me... at the end of the day, I can say one word to a friend here and they'll know what I mean.

K-pop

I don't know if I expected this to happen, but I am actually getting into K-pop!! Haha, it is just toooo catchy. A co-worker at my school gave me some popular songs, and I've been hearing them everywhere I go, and thinking, "Oh! I know this song!" Before you know it, I'll be able to belt out these tunes at noraebong... just you wait.

eleven days in

Hello friends and family =)

So, it has been eleven days since I arrived in Daejeon. I didn't count the time I was in Jeonju for Orientation because honestly, we were all coddled during that time - everything was done for us and it didn't really FEEL like I was in Korea. Since then, however, I have moved into my new apartment, I have begun teaching, and I have been exploring Daejeon whenever I can.

All in all, I am extremely happy with my city and my schools. I have a great social network of fellow teachers that I hang out with most weekends, either going to dinner or trying new things (more about that later). I have SIX co-teachers (seven if you include the Japanese language teacher I work with), which makes lesson planning a little difficult, but we are working it out, slowly. As for my students, it varies throughout the day. Once day I will have a difficult class, but the next time I have them, they're different. I've only had most of my classes once or twice so far, so I'm keeping an open mind. They way I feel about it, is that for these students, they see new English teachers every year, and they won't warm up to a new one right away. After a few weeks, they might start to open up more, after seeing me every day and interacting with me. Already, I've noticed that every day is better than the day before, in terms of interacting with students. I'd have to say that at Sungduk, my most difficult classes are two 2nd years, and at Jaun, its the 3rd years. Which makes sense, as the older they get, the less likely they are to care about learning a language they barely use anyway.

I've put up photos of my apartment on facebook, so you can check that out there. It's not very big, but it's big enough for me. When I first moved in, it was a MESS, but after an entire day of cleaning and supply shopping, its definitely become more home-y. I am obsessed with keeping the floor clean (because Koreans sit on the floor all the time, and my only table is a "floor table" that's only about a foot off the ground, so I'm always on the floor), so I vacuum my floor at least once a day.

This past weekend was a very Korean weekend, haha. On Saturday, I went shopping downtown for some random house things with a friend, and that night, we met up with the "Daejeon crew" (this is what I'm going to call everyone I met at Orientation because we had "classes" together and now try to get together every once in a while) and went to this places called News.. its basically a booking club I guess? What you do is the guys and girls come in separately and you have to order these expensive drinks and snacks and the waiters come around and take the girls to other tables to chat up with guys... and you can decide if you want to stay or go back to your own table. It's almost like speed dating, except the waiters take care of everything.... haha. Very interesting and awkward. Don't worry Mom and Dad - I did not participate in this part of the evening ;-) However, on stage there were these crazy performers, sometimes a DJ, or a solo singer, or this crazy dancer with this huge bobblehead on. Yeah, kind of hard to explain - you really had to be there!!

To try and give you a glimpse of what this place was like, here are some pictures: (ALL photos in this post courtesy of Melissa P. - I did not break out my camera at all this weekend!)




On Sunday, about the same group of people (a little less than the night before) met up for lunch, and we went to a jjimjilbang!! A jjimjilbang basically translates to "hot room" and its a Korean spa... you walk in to the girls or guys' locker rooms and everyone's basically just hanging out, walking around naked (gender segregated, of course). At this particular jjimjilbang, it cost us 6000 won (under $6), and there is no time limit. Inside, there was a public bath area, with showers and steam rooms, and jacuzzis of different temperatures, with about a hundred women just showering together, including children and grandmothers!! It was a little awkward at first, and we sidestepped the public bath. We were all given the same shirt and shorts to wear, and walking into the unisex common area, there is this big open space where u can grab a mat and sit and hang out, maybe watch the movie on the projector, take a nap, eat some snacks, etc. They had a game room, gym, restaurant, massage room, manicures/pedicures, snack bar, pc room, and areas with human sized cubbies that I guess you crawled in to nap. And there were about five or six different saunas with different themes and temperatures. One smelled like cinnamon, which I enjoyed a lot. Another was the "salt" room, and the floor was littered with rock salt and had a huge blanket over it. Another was just for women, and it had these heating lamps on the floor that I guess you laid on to relieve cramps. They also had the "ice room," where you could go to cool off, and lastly, they had this SUPER HOT sauna, that was - I'm not kidding - 109 degrees celsius!! I couldn't believe how hot it was in there, I was only in it for about five minutes and I started to get a headache. Meanwhile, we overheard some of the ajummas and ajossis (old ladies and men) complaining that it WASN'T hot enough!!

A really cool thing we did at this spa was something called "doctor fish." Basically there was this pool with tiny fish in it, and you dip your feet in and the fish eat the dead skin off your feet. It was so weird!! I couldn't stop twitching the first five minutes, cause I could feel their tiny mouths on my skin... after a while it just felt like the tingling you get when your feet fall asleep. We paid 3000 won for half an hour (a little under $3), and my feet actually felt pretty smooth afterwards!





Finally, after hearing that our guy friends explored the public bathing area in their locker room (I actually had a random laughing fit in the middle of one of the saunas, thinking about our friends frolicking in the nude - "we weren't frolicking!!"), the girls decided that we must try it as well. After getting over the initial awkwardness of being naked in a room with a hundred other naked women, we explored the different jacuzzis and steam rooms, including this one that would shoot a strong jetstream of water on your back (kind of like water massage), another room where you could rub bath salts on yourself, a room for foot baths, and an area with cold water - including a section where the water was literally as cold as ice!! It was definitely an interesting experience, and four hours later, we all emerged feeling completely relaxed and refreshed.

However, now that the weekend is over, it's back to work! Tonight I am signing up for Korean language classes at Chungnam National University, one of the schools close to where I live. This will give me even less time to unwind after teaching during the week, but I'm really excited to improve my Korean!

Peace&Love,

Katherine

My schools

I've got some downtime so I thought I'd write about the schools I'm teaching at.

I'm teaching at two different middle schools, Sungduk Middle School, and Jaun Middle School. They are both very close to where I'm living, which is called Sinseong-dong. Sungduk is only a 10 minute walk away from me, and Jaun is a 10 minute drive, or 15 minute bus ride. I haven't ridden the bus to Jaun yet, I've gotten picked up and dropped off the only time I've been there.

I'll be working at Sungduk on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with five classes each day. I'm teaching the 1st and 2nd grade in the middle school (which translates to the 7th and 8th grade), seeing the second grade once a week, and the first grade twice a week. At Jaun, I'm teaching four 3rd grade classes on Wednesday, and three 2nd grade classes on Friday. Each class is 45 minutes long, and there are about 30-40 students in teach class.

Sungduk is an older school, at the top of a hill, and is currently under construction. I officially start teaching on Monday, even though I've been to the school already. The interior looks like a cross between modern and traditional design. For example, the wooden floor and sliding wooden doors look like the interior of an old Asian house... but on the fourth floor there is a brand new English Lab complete with a touch screen blackboard, and virtual studio (which I cannot wait to use!!). I am so baffled by the breadth of technology that is offered in Korea, and especially in its schools. Jaun Middle School is actually near a military base, so the school is for children of families working for the military, or government. Jaun also has an English Center, but it's not as pimped out as Sungduk. However, it makes up for it by being basically, a brand new building, with huge hallways and all new furniture, desks, etc... and a super friendly and outgoing staff.

Onto the staff...the teachers at Sungduk are a lot older than me, there is only one teacher who is close to my age, and she's a year older. Most do not speak English well, or are just afraid to speak to me. There are three teacher offices, and the one I'm in has three out of the four co-teachers I'll be working with. They're really nice and friendly, but they're also very, very busy. At Jaun, I think there are three teacher offices as well. The two co-teachers I work with are in my office, as well as four or five extremely friendly, enthusiastic, young, outgoing teachers. Their English is very impressive, and they take every opportunity they can get to speak to me. When my co-teachers are busy, there's always one or two other teachers in the office that want to chat. I've noticed they've even started speaking English to each other in the office, in an effort to include me. I can't wait to get to know these teachers better.

All in all, I'm very happy with my schools. I haven't begun teaching in Sungduk yet, so I'll hold off on an update about classes and students.

Finally, an update!

Hello friends and family!

I am in Korea safe and sound and have been here for the last ten days. I apologize for waiting so long to update my blog, but everything has gone by so quickly and I’ve had so much to do; I knew I wouldn’t have time to write everything I wanted to. So I saved it all for when I finally made it to Daejeon.

To start, the total travel time from New York to my orientation site at Jeonju University, in Jeonju City (including wait time) was about 27 hours!! Jeonju University is a really nice university. I don’t know how old it actually is, but they were in the process of building new dormitories, and we got to stay in one! The facilities were really nice, and we were fed a lot during that week of orientation. The one downside was that it was EXTREMELY HOT the entire time (except for a few days).

Honestly, orientation feels like a blur. We were busy from the moment we got up in the morning, up until dinnertime – with lectures, meetings, Korean lessons, etc. I attended about 14 lectures total, ranging from things like the Elementary School curriculum, to classroom motivation, and to adjusting to life in Korea.

I also met a lot of wonderful people! My roommate, Chriselle, is awesome and I’m so sad that we are no longer together (she is in Gyeongbuk, a nearby province). The first night we arrived, we went out to a nearby bar and had soju and beer. I have gone out almost every night, to explore downtown, hang at the local bar, or go to norebong.

On Sunday we had a bit of a respite, for a field trip to a Hanok Village (traditional village) and Keumsan Temple. I was one of the class representatives for the group going to Daejeon, so I got to mix a HUGE pot of bibimbap for lunch! (Jeonju is famous all around Korea for their special bibimbap. To see a picture of me doing this in an article for the Korean news, click here)


Above is a photo of some of my new friends, with the dormitory building in the background. We were all spending so much time together that it was hard to believe we only met days ago. Honestly, it felt like freshman year all over again: living in dorms, going to the dining hall together, going to class. And yesterday when we finally had to leave each other and go to our respective cities, we were saying goodbye like it was the end of freshman year! The last ten days was truly an amazing experience, and I hope to see many of those people again.

After the end of orientation, we all boarded our buses, and the Daejeon group (almost 70 of us) went to meet our co-teachers. Our co-teacher is like our lifeline in Daejeon: they help us settle in, they introduce us to our school and our city, and they also help us with things like getting an Alien Registration Card, a cell phone, and utilities. I have two co-teachers because I will be working in two different middle schools: Louise and Ms. Shin (or Hyun). They are so sweet and nice. One of the first things they told me was that my apartment isn't ready yet (the old teacher moves out on the 31st), so I was going to stay with Louise for a few days. I didn't mind because I actually expected much worse.

Louise is in her 30s and is married and has a four year old son. Their apartment is SO NICE, and they have been so welcoming and hospitable!! So far she's paid for all my meals, and tries to make sure I'm comfortable constantly, and tomorrow she's taking me and another teacher to visit a nearby temple. Also, another co-teacher is taking me to see a soccer game!!

Tonight a bunch of the EPIK teachers got together for dinner. It was really nice to see some familiar faces, even though it's been only a day since we split up... being in a foreign city and especially for me, not really having my own place yet, really throws you off... so seeing everyone and sharing stories really made me feel at home.

So while I'm not completely settled in yet, I am definitely being well taken care of... so no worries!! I will update my next post with more info/pictures of Daejeon and (hopefully!) my new apartment. Until then, be safe, and love you! =)