Picnic in the Park

On Saturday morning I met Megan and Kay for a lovely picnic at Yeouido park. Spring has sprung in Seoul and the park was blooming and blossoming with flowers and activity. We got to the park rather early, but we had decided on a breakfast picnic anyway. We found a nice grove of trees and settled in for a morning of chit chat, people watching and soaking up the sun. A lot of people were out riding bikes, walking and jogging. It was fun to watch people fall of their bikes.

Here is a picture of our early morning feast. I made banana bread and mini quiches.

Later in the day, I went to Xanadu Travel to get my visa for China. I am leaving May 2nd and returning May 5th and right now the plan is Beijing-Great Wall-Xi'an-Beijing. I might just stay in Beijing, but I'm still not sure what I want to do. Finally, I met up with Ashley for lunch at On the Border and then we headed out to Itaewon for a night out with friends and finished the evening with a batch of chocolate chip cookies at 3am.

Jeonju

This weekend Ashley, Mikel, Dani and I went to Jeonju for a cultural experience. We decided to do a tour rather than venture out on our own because it was only 40,000W for the entire weekend. After a longer than expected bus ride (due to traffic) we arrived in Jeonju around noon. Let me start off by saying that this weekend was absolutely gorgeous. Clear blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in the low to mid 70s. Once we arrived we climbed a bit of a steep trail and ended up overlooking the Hannok (traditional Korean) Villages. We were greeted by beautiful cherry blossom trees and a gaggle of volunteer guides. The guides helped us through the activities of the day, shared meals with us and practiced their English. Most of them were college students, but a few elementary students joined the bunch. One girl in particular, Jenna, took a keen liking to me and we ended up being buddies by the end of the day.

After we took in the view and snapped photos of the cherry blossoms we headed to our cooking class. We learned how to make traditional Jeonju bibimbap, which is a bit different from bibimbap in other parts of Korea and Jeonju claims to be the birthplace of the mixed rice and vegetable dish. We watched our instructor first and then we had a go of it. It was quite easy, but I realized a need for better chopping skills. I never knew how labor intensive bibimbap is, but the end result is quite tasty. We had quite a good time making our dishes and enjoying the fruits of our labor. After lunch we got a glimpse at a traditional wedding ceremony and the got the chance to walk around part of the village. Once our leisure time was finished we headed to Korean etiquette class where we got to dress up in traditional Korean hanboks. We learned that you should wrap it clockwise otherwise it could mean that you are a prostitute. We also learned the correct hairstyles for married and unmarried women. After dressing, we learned the proper bowing technique while wearing a hanbok and the two different bows used. When bowing to elders a more formal bow is used, but when bowing to peers the bow is modified a bit. I found this to be very interesting, but overall, the bibimbap making experience was the best! Once dinner rolled around we were treated to bean sprout and rice soup, it was quite delicious, but not as filling as we had hoped. After dinner we settled into our rooms in a traditional Hannok Village and we had a bit of free time before the musical performance. Once night fell we were treated to traditional Korean music courtesy of stringed instruments, a flute and a beautiful vocal performance. At intermission, we had green tea, rice cakes and various Korean snacks. It was a great way to spend an evening.

Sunday was a bit shorter, but we still managed to pack a lot of things into a short amount of time. We started the morning at a wine museum and then headed to a few souvenir shops. Jeonju is famous for it's paper products and I was tempted to buy a ton of paper, but refrained. After the shops we played a few games (tossing sticks into a bucket and the hoop thing where you have to keep it going without it falling over). At 11, we were escorted to a tea tent and shown how to properly prepare tea and how to behave during a ceremony. Mikel took the lead after our hostess showed us the ropes. The tea itself was delicious, but the experience was amazing. After we had tea we made flower rice cakes. Again, we had a gracious hostess who let me turn the second batch in the pan. These cakes are made from rice powder mixed with water, to create a dough, and then they are pan fried in sunflower oil. We added fresh flowers while they were frying and then they were dipped into a simple syrup. The end result was amazing! After this we had lunch (steamed pork, rice and a million side dishes) and then a few hours of free time which we used to check out a little arts and crafts market and enjoy the afternoon sun. This experience was truly the best I've had in a long time, possibly ever. I had the chance to partake in traditional Korean culture and I have never been so amazed by the people of Korea and Korea itself. I want to learn more and I feel like my last few months here are going to be jam packed with learning and more experiences.

The DMZ

A few weekends ago Lauren, Chris and I ventured to the demilitarized zone. This is the area between North and South Korea and it is heavily fortified. On the drive north barbed wire fences and camouflaged outposts lined the road. Some of the outposts were even maned with soldiers. Our first stop was the bridge at Imjingak, this is where the North returned some South Koreans and also where the families met after years of separation. At the furthest end (in South Korea) there was an altar filled with hopes, wishes and memories for those still in the North. The bridge was in the same area as a Peace Bell, a few monuments and a collection of rocks from battlefields around the world. Oddly enough, the rock from the Civil War was taken from the state of Nevada. Nevada became a state in 1864, near the end of the Civil War and as far as I know, no battles were fought there. The rocks were pretty cool though. Our second stop was the Reunification Village where we had lunch and Lauren and I got a bit adventurous as we ate tiny fish, eyes and all. After lunch we headed to the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel where we were able to trek through the long, musty tunnel. The climb up afterwards was not so fun, but it was quite interesting nonetheless. After the tunnel we headed to the Observation area where were were able to look into North Korea. We had to stand behind a line to take pictures of North Korea, but we were able to look into binoculars. Both Koreas have propaganda villages in the DMZ and North Korea flies a gigantic flag from atop their flagpole. The flag is so big and heavy that it doesn't really flap in the wind like a flag should. I heard that it cost around $100,000 to make that flag, not sure if that is correct, but I wouldn't doubt it. After the observation area we went to the Dorasan train station where trains leave weekly for Pyongyang. The station was very modern, brand new in fact, and it is the last stop in South Korea before hitting the North. We were able to stamp out passports and buy a ticket for the platform.

Changes

Although not 100% official by any means and given my track record with changing my mind a million times who knows but, I am planning on coming home in August. Financially speaking, this isn't the best move I could make, but education wise, it is. I really want to go back to school and get at the very least, my teaching certificate. However, since I have found an excellent program that would allow me to obtain my license and a master's in TESL, I want to start sooner rather than later. This also means that I need to take not only my GRE, but my PRAXIS. I can take the GRE in Korea, but with work and everything, I barely have the time to write in my blog let alone study for a test that could make or break me. I can't take the PRAXIS in Korea so I'd need to come home for a bit just to take that.

Korea has taught me many things and one of those is that I REALLY want to be an ESL teacher. It is not only rewarding, but also fun and challenging. My dad always told me that I'd be a teacher, but I tried to defy that as long as I could. To some extent, I'm still trying to find something to do rather than teach. However, the more I think about my time in Korea and the other opportunities I've had for teaching, the happier I am. Education truly (and the lack there of) makes this world what it is. I am happy teaching and I can't wait to learn how to be a better teacher and I'm really excited to embark upon a new journey.

Samcheok Weekend

Early morning subway thoughts: Early morning subway. Silence crossing the river. The train wobbles over the tracks. Screeching and shearing, metal on metal. Faint outlines of buildings peer out from the blanket of fog. Sun breaking on the horizon. Bright orange and yellow reflecting off the water crinkled like bed sheets.

The more I think about leaving Korea, the less stressed out I am. Money sill bothers me a bit, but I think I'll be ok as long as I start being more careful. Korea still amazes me and this weekend is living proof. Samcheok was more of a tropical paradise than I'd ever expect to find in Korea. My perception of Korea has changed drastically in the year my idea to teach here was conceived. Korea is a land of rolling hills and extremely friendly people and while I can't imagine leaving in four months, I also know that just like me, Korea will continue to persevere. This country is amazingly beautiful and all together breathtaking. This weekend I saw rugged, rocky coastlines. Blue waves out of fairy tales beating ceaselessly against coarse sandy beaches. I found a new appreciation for nature by hiking my way up a mountain, in the rain, to a gigantic cave that is literally millions of years old. It was so pristine and beautiful that I thought it was fake. Rocks forming right before me and rocks that have been around since the dinosaurs walked the Earth. Korea has been the stage of lots of firsts for me. My first cave, my first hookah bar, my first kimchi and my first time away from home longer than four months. Here I am, 23 years old living and surviving in a country where I don't speak the language and don't have a firm grasp on the customs, but I'm here learning and doing things I never imagined I would do. I am still in awe of the things I have been able to do, the people I have met and the experiences I have had. I am truly blessed.

Sometimes Korea reminds me of home. Times when I see a motel in the middle of nowhere with it's neon "Motel" sign written in English. Korea is more modern than I expected and English is almost widespread. Riding on a bus at night always makes me tear up because I know that I am en route to yet another amazing experience. Then I start to think about family, friends, life. I usually find more inspiration for writing when I'm on the go.

This weekend was amazing. We left Seoul at 7:10am on Saturday and headed to Samcheok. Once in Samcheok we decided to find a minbak (guesthouse) on the beach because it was a beautifully warm day and the beach was spectacular. After settling in and spending some time on the beach we headed to Haeshindang (commonly known as Penis Park). When we got to Haeshindang we were super hungry so we got ramen for lunch and the lady at the little store gave us some delicious kimchi and made our instant ramen for us. This park has many phallic statues that honor a woman who used to live in the fishing village. It was quite interesting to say the least. The park itself is situated on the top of a mountain that overlooks the sea, the view is breathtaking. It is worth a trip for the view if nothing else. After the park we headed back to Samcheok for dinner at Buona Pizza. It was quite delicious and followed by desert at Baskin Robbins. Later in the evening we sat on the beach with a few bottles of soju and talked for awhile. It was a great night. In the morning we asked our minbak owner to take us to Hwanseon Cave, on the other end of Samcheok. We called one of our Korean friends in Seoul to help us achieve this after the two of them talked we paid the man (who we lovingly called 'father' because he was amazing!) 30,000W to drive us. It was much farther than we expected, but he took us anyway. He even wore a suit (typical Korean man ^.^)!!! We spent a good 3 hours at the cave. We had a 1.2km climb up some pretty steep mountains, but it was a worthwhile hike when we reached the top. The cave was great and the view of the mountains, with the fog and rain, was spectacular. We had a really great time. We ended up taking a taxi back to Samcheok and eating at Buona Pizza once again then headed back to Seoul.
If you are in Seoul, buses leave Dong Seoul Bus Terminal every 40 minutes or so. It takes 3.5 hours to reach Samcheok from Seoul. Once in Samcheok, take the #24 bus to Haeshindang (you can't miss it...most people will probably get off here). This same bus will take you back into Samcheok as well. We stayed on Younghwa Beach in a minbak to the left of the bus stop...will update the information. The stop is 3 or 4 from Haeshindang.

Something New

This week has been tiring, but pretty amazing. Last Friday I bid farewell to 3 of my co-workers and it was a bit sad. Working with people for 8 months in a pretty close knit community makes for fast friendships. It is always hard to say good-bye to people, but everyone has to move on at some point. If we all stayed in the same place forever life would be dull and not the adventure it is meant to be. My new co-workers are great. I feel like we have all instantly bonded with one another and I'll be honest, I was worried that things would not be as good as they had been. This week was crazy because of the adjustment period, new kindergarteners, new classes and general chaos. I do believe that the next 4 months are going to fly by incredibly fast and while I'm looking forward to also moving on, I have begun to contemplate staying with BIS for another year. I am blessed to have this job, I have a great apartment, a fantastic boss and I love my students. It'll be interesting to see (for me at least) what will happen over the next few months.

This afternoon I went with Chris and Lauren (my new co-workers, they are from Denver and just got married in October) to a meeting with our recruiters, Adventure Teaching. I was reluctant to go at first because Chris and Lauren had mentioned that it would be somewhat religion based and probably something like a bible study/group. I don't consider myself religious, but I have been thinking about things like religion for quite sometime now. However, I still didn't want to sit around and read passages and everything (my stereotype, sorry). I thought it would be what I call uber-Christian and not what I really wanted to get into. I still went though because I'll try just about anything. I was incredibly relieved when I discovered that many of the people there had the same frustrations I have about church and religion. The basis of the group was to introduce a Missio Community. I'm still in the research phases, but one of the main things about a Missio Community is community itself. Its having a group of people who will help you out, share ideas with you and just be there for you when you need it. Its about sharing our passions in life and bringing people together in various ways. I'm very excited for this new opportunity and phase of my life because like I said, I have been grappling with ideas of faith and religion. I don't want to step overboard just yet, but I do believe that God has been more prevalent in my life than I'd like to admit. This is new, uncharted territory for me and I can't wait to learn more about this and also become part of something I truly believe in.

Thoughts

For quite awhile now I have been thinking my experience in Korea is more like a study abroad trip than the start of a career. Somehow, I still can't shake this feeling. While I am completely comfortable in front of a classroom and have embraced Seoul as my home, I keep waiting for a report card to show up. I spend the weekends like I would if I were in college. Usually this means going out to a bar or a club or it may entail hanging out at COEX. I'm still confused as to what all of this means.

The more I think about the time I've had in Korea, the experiences, the people I've met, the more I can see how I have grown. While I've always considered myself independent and mature, it is now more prevalent. I've gone to Japan all by myself, wandered around the metropolis that is Seoul and relied on myself to make friends (this in contrast to the "Laura Factor" at Ole Miss...she introduced me to pretty much everyone I hung out with). I don't even know where to begin start when I think back on the past 8 months (yes, it has been 8 months). I still feel like I got off the plane and while I say this over and over again, I truly discover something new everyday. Today, for example, I discovered that vegetable fried rice really doesn't contain many vegetables (meaningless discovery at best, but still).

I am thankful I have kept this blog because I think I'd forget the things that make Korea MY Korea. The little things that seem pointless in the moment, but they all combine into something wonderful. Snipets of what my students say, poorly written English signs, strange smells from the gutters and constant progress. Korea is evolving as quickly and as tirelessly as I am. One of my favorite things to do is to ride the subway at night and cross the river. The bright lights reflecting off the murky water of the Han River remind me of Christmas lights in the window and this somehow comforts me. Every time I cross the river, in the bright florescent lights of the subway car, I am home. I never thought I'd be at home in such a large city, but now I can't imagine not being around the culture, the hustle and bustle and the never ending options Seoul has to offer.