Recap

In the time since the last events post (Nov.14), I:

• Went to a Korean “musical”: a traditional Korean story set to traditional music, dance, and drumming.  It was BEAUTIFUL.  I loved it so much I bought the dvd.   It is called “Miso,” and I guess has been running in Seoul for something like 9 years.   At this musical, I sat next to a girl who is a great new friend, Hannah.
• Went Christmas shopping in Insadong with Rebecca.  It was a day so cold we both had to buy cold-weather clothing while out (Rebecca, ear muffs; myself, a scarf).  I am so happy Mom sent my winter coats!  We had a nice day picking out items for our loved ones, and topped it off with Burger King and Starbucks. 
• Created a Thanksgiving of oddments with the aforementioned Hannah.  We had a great time!  It was fun just to have a guest in my home and cook together!  The best and most festive thing on the table was my garlic mashed potatoes!

normal looking on the outside ... inside, PURPLE!  shocking!

• Saw the new Harry Potter film on the US military base 3 weeks before it actually premiers in Korea (it premiered in the US long before!).  Being on-base, technically on US soil, was a fun novelty!  I od’d on popcorn and American candy, and had a giant Dr. Pepper.  The group that went to see it was a fun assemblage of Lisa’s friends from a Scottish Country Dancing group in Seoul.  One actually-Scottish lady was delightful!  Excellent accent and dry sense of humor.  And she had a new baby, so I was excited to talk to her about my sister’s baby and baby things in general, since I am estranged from all that by distance.
• Went to the Hyeri Art Village in Paju.  A trip down architecture-class memory lane!  Unfortunately, only the “oh!  I learned about that once!  But what did I learn…” memories.  I had lots of fun!  Lisa, I and another friend took lots of silly pictures and laughed a lot.  We ate at an Italian place there, which was the school cafeteria from a Korean drama I’ve seen!   

Stairwell down to a kids area in the drama-cafeteria building.  really cool!

 

• Had a lovely Western breakfast in Itaewon, and then Lisa and I went to an adorable cupcake shop in Hongdae.   

festive deer for my Ra.  it's been fun to watch Korea get progressively more Christmassy!

 

 

 

• Yesterday night Rebecca, Hannah and I (my Uijeongbu buddies!) got cheap Korean sushi, watched a Christmas movie and wrote out Christmas cards.  I really only watched the movie with the fat pile of cards sitting in my lap, untouched, but it was fun!  I am happy to have good friends nearby :).

 

Lordy!  I’ve done a lot more than I thought! Hooray :)

Mobot

Today my heart was in the Arctic.  I spent my first purely recreational afternoon at work after classes today.  For 2? 3? hours I watched every video I could find on youtube of Eskimo dancing.  I found several other videos of Barrow and watched them.  Inupiaq culture is very beautiful … Barrow has certainly gotten under my skin!  When 4:30 rolled around I had to remind myself that I’m in Korea!

Though Sara is leaving Barrow, I hope to return there again for a visit in the not-too-distant future.  I’d love to see friends’ faces, go to native craft fairs, and enjoy the true delight of being cozy inside again.  Though I’m happy for the benefits of her move, it is a little sad to lose that point of connection in Barrow.  But, I know I still have good friends there and would always be welcomed!  Happy thought.

Such dear fondness for a place I had several complaints about while actually living there, coupled with some recent feelings, has led me to the conclusion that no matter what our situation and however happy we might actually be, we are always looking for SOMETHING to complain about.  And by we, I mean me.  The more content, the more trivial the complaints, but they are there nonetheless.  

My complaint lately is isolation.  But isolation has also been my solace.  Not understanding the language that surrounds me everywhere I go, I take comfort in retreating into books and movies at home, or being with English-speaking friends.  Moving to a country where you don’t understand the language is like being simultaneously struck deaf, mute, and illiterate.  

The not-so-simple solution?  Learn the language.   I attempt it here and there, but I have not really hunkered down and given it my all.  I’ve got the survival language down, and as said previously, it is more relaxing of an evening not to have to bother with a confusing new language.   But, really I should try harder.  I know I should.  I know a few characters and can read a few important words already … if I were to apply myself I know I could get it!  Ha ha, sounds like the arguments I had with myself in college … “if I’m getting by so well without bothering, what could I do if I did try?”

Wishing you a Konglish Christmas!

Unfortunately for you, I am past the point of things being novel and so I keep forgetting to tell you about interesting and funny particularly Korean occurrences.  Konglish everywhere is still always entertaining.  And my students are a constant source of delight and Korean cuteness.  Though today, my fifth graders put me through the ringer!  The first 2 classes of them made me want to cry they were being so bad, and then the second 2 classes were so funny I had to laugh, and felt better.  

Oh!  Yesterday my third graders took an alphabet test.  I know they are young and still learning, and English is very difficult to learn, so I feel a bit bad for laughing at this … on the test, there were words with the first letter missing, and the students had to fill in the letter.  While walking around to sort of “police” them with my presence and make sure no one’s cheating, I noticed one boy put in an “M” for the word “robot.”  “mobot”!!  so funny :).  There were some other funny ones, too … gave me a little inward chuckle.   

Another complaint of late is that I don’t want to waste all the potential vacation time in winter, but I am not sure if I can afford to go anywhere.  I have made an elaborate plan for a trip to Japan, but making it happen is a little tricky.  For a trip to a place you’ve longed to go for a long time, you don’t want to have to skimp on travel time or money … you want to be able to take your time and enjoy everything.  So I am going back and forth between whether I should just take the trip with little money, or desk-warm for 2 weeks and save my vacation time.  OR take 1 week off and travel round Korea.  I have to decide really soon if I’m taking a vacation and notify my school, so it’s a little stressful.  Any advice from the peanut gallery?

I want to go to Japan!!!

Another post on the heels of this one ... talk to you soon!

kj

“Sorry I can’t, I’m sick.”

This is the target sentence for 6^th grade last/this week … and the theme of today for Kayla at home!  Feeling puny at home with the crud.  Getting coughed and sneezed on by students for the last couple weeks has finally taken its toll!  Hoping to get it out of my system today as sick days for teachers are not an option in Korean schools.  I think I am succeeding.  I am actually sore from sleeping all day!

humidifier in action, small mountain of kleenexes, WATER

I had a nice day yesterday.  Since I went to bed around 7pm on Friday night, I was well rested at 10am yesterday.  I cleaned my apartment top to bottom, cooked a pound of dried pinto beans to freeze, went on a lovely walk/to Lotte Mart/mandoo dinner with Rebecca, watched 2 movies, and made headway on the baby blanket I’m crocheting for Sam.  It was a nice day!  I also had a fabulous dream that morning, which put me in a great mood all day.  The crud didn’t take hold till about 10pm last night … so at least I had a good day before it set in.

Today was not much of a day.  I slept, woke up to skype the family, got medicine, drank half a jug of orange juice, slept again, ate and watched Harry Potter, slept through the whole second half of it, and here I am blogging at 9:30pm.  Hopefully I can still sleep tonight!

Blanket for Sam <3 <3 <3

Here's to a less phlegmy tomorrow!

xo, 

kay

Happy Pepero Day!

Today is Pepero Day in Korea.  Pepero is Korean Pocky candy … often with almonds in the chocolate, mmm.  On Pepero Day, you give candy to your friends and/or lovers.  I received a box from one of my fifth grade teacher friends last night, and a box and another stick from some students today.  It made me feel special!

Here I am with my Pepero:

this t-shirt reads: "I love you, but I have chosen Disco."  Konglish at it's best!

There are several similar-to-Valentine's-Day candy holidays in Korea.  White Day, Valentines, Pepero Day, and another my coteacher told me but I have forgotten. 

Yesterday, my fifth grade teacher –friends invited me to walk up to Namsan Tower and go to dinner with them.  It was great!  The weather was PERFECT for a nice stroll up a big hill full of Autumn leaves and ancient looking fortress walls.  

It was really nice to do some bonding with the teachers, too.  They have been incredibly nice to me right from the start, but the language barrier has been difficult and I have felt like a dull fish, not understanding or being able to contribute to conversation.  But, I feel like yesterday was a breakthrough.  Shared experiences are the best vehicles for beginning to understand each other.  

We walked up and they were impressed that I could walk quickly (haha … I tend to race up stairs/hills because I want them to be over quicker!).  I will admit that I also did not want to look like the fatty foreigner at the back of the troupe, so I kept up a quick pace.  We did not go up the tower (better for me as I’m broke), but we looked around and got some snacks at the top.  They love snacks, this group.  From day one they have used snackfood to express community and inclusion!  Haha.  

Next, we caught a bus to Myeungdong (a favorite shopping haunt of mine … also where I chopped my hair off on last year’s visit!) and went to a fish restaurant.  There was winter kimchi, in which the pickled cabbage is served in a bowl of frozen sauce (mashiso!).  Next was a clear shellfish soup, a stew-like white fish dish (bone-in, unfortunately), some pan-fried white fish, and of course the range of side-dishes.  Side dishes are big in Korea … anything you order comes with a host of small, flat white bowls containing various pickled and salad-like items.  

I have a bone to pick (heh, heh) with the fact that in stews and other dishes, the bones are always left in!  Maybe with certain meats, the bone adds flavor.  Even so, take it out before serving!  And fish bones?  Never good.  I spent a lot of last night’s dinner deboning my fish using chopsticks … not easy!  And in stews … the meat is surrounded by sauce and other items, so you assume it is safe to just shovel into your mouth.  But not so in Korea.  Ahh, well … at least now I know.  

After dinner we walked over to the Cheonggyecheon (manmade river in the heart of Seoul, have mentioned before) to see the International Lantern Festival.  Basically, several lantern displays representing various nations, mounted on stone boxes in the stream.  USA’s was the statue of liberty rendered in paper lantern.  The leaning tower of Pizza, Big Ben, and Brazil’s stone “Christ the Redeemer” statue were also featured.  My favorites were Korea and China.  China’s representation featured giant lotus-shaped lanterns and massive koi fish surrounding a house flanked by suspended strings of traditional Chinese box-lanterns.  It was lovely : ).  

Then we got coffee at a place called “Coffine,” where I was about to fall asleep!  Then home.  A lovely evening!  I got several photos with my cell phone, but I haven’t figure out how to extricate them from that house yet.  When I do, I will surely post!

Meaty updates on the Danyang trip and Halloween to come … sleepy, sick and busy this week, I have not been very productive (in any sense!).  

Happy Pepero Day!

Love, K

Danyang Trip

another placeholder ... planning some major blogging this weekend :)

Cheap Treats and Other

Tonight I got dinner, dessert, and tomorrow’s breakfast for 3500 won (little over $3).  I love Korea.  Dinner of tuna kimbap at the establishment means side dishes, including my favorite soup of hot water added to miscellaneous dried yummies.  It’s like savory tea, and feels so good going down a sore throat.  The dessert and breakfast came from a street vendor who makes goldfish:

Yummy pancake like things filled with mung bean or yellow custard.  3 for chun won (1000 won, 80 cents).  The ahjumma gave me four instead of three, so I ate two as dessert and the other two will make a nice breakfast, with some yogurt I already have.

After late night contractions yesterday, I am waiting for a baby.  Sara’s baby is on his way and I hope to have more to report there soon.  Being so far from home during such an important event has made me very homesick today.  But at work, today was a nice success.  This week I have gotten a lot of positive feedback about the extra efforts I put into my job and my attitude as a teacher.  It is always nice to be appreciated, especially in something you try very hard to do well in.  Also, I love my students and the other teachers so it’s nice to hear that they like me back :).  My kids are awfully cute.  

Walking home from kimbap carrying my bag of goldfish pancakes, I saw two fifth grade girls of mine walking the same way so I said hello and we walked together.  We made a little conversation and then I said goodbye to go into my apartment building.  One of the girls said “Teacher, goodbye!  …I love you!”  It was not my first “I love you” from a student, but it is always sweet (/sometimes awkward … especially from sixth grade boys).  Students can be so affectionate :).  I do so love children!

My Friday classes last week were gone to Lotte World (Korean theme park owned by a megacompany) and missed the Halloween party, so today we made up the parties missed.  It put me in a very cheerful mood despite homesickness and a big lack of sleep last night.  I think everyone had fun.  

The said lack of sleep led to me falling asleep while watching the Beatle movie "Hard Day's Night."  Which led to various Beatles appearing at random in my now-fuzzy dream.  Then, while groggy trying to wake up I could've sworn I heard a Beatle talking on his handphone going down the stairwell in my apartment.  Groggy afternap plus Beatlemania = curious.

Tomorrow I am going on a free trip to Danyang, to Handeumi Village.  It is a traditional folk village I believe, and we are also going to be out exploring nature a bit, hurrah!  However, this nature includes the Gosu caves … caves … hmmm, creepy.  I am hoping it will not be creepy.  I feel uneasy traveling when I am waiting to hear about family things, but the plans were already all made as I thought Baby would arrive last week.  it would be horrible to miss an important phone call because I am stuck in a CAVE somewhere!  Fingers crossed for info before I go, and a lack of creepy on the cave side.

BEDTIME!  I miss America and a lot of the people in it.  Far away hugs to you,

Kayla

Halloween

Halloween was so fun this year!  Because I got to celebrate it at school, it felt more festive than any other year to date!

During Halloween week, I took the last 15 minutes of every class to do a Halloween party!  It consisted of a 5-7 minute powerpoint on Halloween, monsters, costumes, decorating, and watching the intro to Disney's Halloween Treat (I watched many years in a row on the Disney Channel as a child - love it!), to give them a feel for the Halloween spirit.

my classroom.  my favorite part is the bats!  there were paper pumpkins, ghosts, and black cats spread here and there as well.

me and a fourth grader in front of the cobwebs

with my fifth grade teacher friends!  I am happy they were willing to be festive with me :)

So there is just a taste of the madness of my Halloween parties in class :).  All in all a great success.  The students had a good time I think!

Going out with friends was also great fun.  I was a rag-doll.  My face makeup ended up looking more scary than I intended, but I would say it's my most convincing costume ever!  haha.

I sewed a bandanna onto my dress to look like an apron.  I wore these items, plus white tights that had a bow pattern on them (Korean women wear these as normal, hmm), short red socks, and the heels that had pained me.  they did great on Halloween!

Lisa was herself as an anime character.  she had on crazy eye makeup and contact lenses to make her eyes look bigger

me and Dexter-victim Tony.  something was funny!

Ste, Tony, and I.  I think we look very Halloween here :)

The going-out silliness happened on Saturday night before actual Halloween day, so on Sunday Halloween we went for a nice walk.  The trees and the twilight put on their festive faces for us.

a very Happy Halloween it was!

Quick Midnight Thoughts

Listening to Bob Dylan across an ocean feels more romantic.  I love “Boots of Spanish Leather.”  But, Joan Baez’ version is more beautiful I think (thank you, Annie!).  Familiar music takes on a new feel in a very different place and time.  This is why our oldest loved songs are so special … they have gained the most flavor over the many years we’ve loved them. 

I have been meaning to write about how this experience feels a lot like being at college.  I can see why many come here straight after graduating.  College is a buffer from high school to real life, and Korea is a buffer between college and real life.  This job/lifestyle has a unique quality to it, which is very unrealistic in the American job market.  Easy hours, paid housing, travel, relatively-low workplace expectations, etc.  Having been out of school a few years working hard to get by, this life feels like it’s too easy … there must be some catch.  In fact, I have made more work for myself so far in part because I feel like since I am older, it should be harder than my previous jobs.  It is not logical, but it is linear!

All the learning and new experiences, meeting all the new people, feels like college time.  There is a greater urgency to reach out and grasp every friend you can (in both situations).  There is an urgency to understand everything right away, to get caught up on the things the others know and you’re missing.  Needing rest and home time as well as all this, I can only maintain this freshman’s urgency most the time.  But the commonalities make me remember my time at Western fondly.

I have been thinking about Barrow a lot lately.  (The grass is always greener …!)  I hold a sentimental place in my heart for each place I’ve lived.  There were many great experiences there.  Wonderful people, magically unique nature, cultural exchanges.  I missed the Arctic Cotton this summer and I am missing the blue twilights and Autumnal fogs going on now.  The extreme cold makes the home feel that much more cozy, and I also miss this sensation.  Fleece blanket on the couch with a cat (or mini-dachsund) in my lap!  Thought I griped at the time of doing this, I also miss bundling up to go everywhere.  That was also very cozy.  Fat coats, thick scarves, gloves and soft hats.  Stuffed in all that gear into an SUV to glide out to Ilisagvik.  Memories!

My mind lately is full of Halloween and anticipation for Sara’s baby to come.  She is in my thoughts and I will be so happy when the baby comes along to us safely!    

I still need to caption them, but there are various new-ish pictures on display at my site.  I will try to add more soon!

Love,

Kay

War Museum of Korea

Last weekend (10.2) I went to the War Museum of Korea, on a trip organized by my coteacher for Uijeongbu foreign teachers and their coteachers to attend.  It was fun!  My coteacher, Gina, went around with me and another friend and translated the plaques/gave information she knew about different events.  It was really neat to hear about a lot of the things in Korean history, especially from someone who could offer some cultural context.

The museum is for Korean wars alone, and was rather large!  Poor Korea has been invaded a LOT throughout history for its prime location between China and Japan.  Both counties frequently attempted to occupy Korea in order to gain easier access at occupying each other and taking over.  Korea was also invaded and occupied by Genghis Khan!

During the times of Genghis Khan and Yi Sun Sin, Korea was still unified.  It did not split into North and South until the Korean war.

A highlight of the museum for me were the exhibits on Yi Sun Shin (1545-1598).  Yi Sun Shin is a Korean admiral of the Joseon dynasty, who thwarted Japanese forces from occupying Korea and is considered one of Korea’s greatest heroes.  I first learned about Yi Sun Shin last year when I visited Korea, as I was staying on the southern coast in Yeosu, where Admiral Yi had a lookout station and oversaw the construction of Korean turtle ships.  Resultantly, MANY things in Yeosu are turtle-themed (including Hyangilam Buddhist Hermitage, one of my favorite places).  These ships were employed to amazing success in the battle of Myeongyang, where Yi defeated 333 Japanese ships with only 13 Korean.   

Turtle Ship!  16th century Korean turtle ship in a wood-block print dating to 1795.

Recreation of a turtle ship I saw at the museum.

After many attempts by Japan throughout history, Korea was forcefully occupied by Japan from 1910 to 1945 (though the occupation unofficially got its start in 1876).  In fact, some events leading to the occupation include an attack on Ganghwa island (location of Bomunsa temple, see) and the assassination of Korean Empress Myeongseong  at Gyeongbokgung (Palace I visited, see).  [**History is always more interesting when you can directly connect it to an experience of your own, such as having visited the location!**]  Japanese rule officially ended in 1945 at the end of WWII with the Allied bombing of Japan.  Korea harbors resentment towards Japan to this day for inflicting cultural oppression, forced labor (including prostitution), and many war other crimes on its people during this time. 

Of course, a major aspect of the museum is the Korean war.  Korea’s civil war occurred not long after the Japanese rule ended, beginning in 1950 and ending with an armistice in 1953.  In 1945 at the end of WWII, American officials divided Korea at the 38^th parallel according to governmental leanings and military allies.  The American-occupied south established democratic government, and the Russian-occupied north established a communistic government.  This divide and the atrocities committed during the war still effect Koreans today.  Many alive today were children during the war, their family members killed or separated from them permanently by the divide between countries.  The state divide and government choice has created the vastly different modern Korean culture in the North and South. 

As you enter the building, you walk through an outside columned corridor with large stone plaques dedicated to the many countries that assisted South Korea during this time.  Many other countries’ soldiers are represented in the columns at right, but the whole left wall is covered with the names of American soldiers who died in the war, listed by state.  There was also a room dedicated to the United Nations assistance during the war, which featured tributes to each nation.   

The room is round, and in display cases on the walls there are uniforms and flags for each county.  In the center of the room is a sculpture of a giant teardrop, composed of military dog-tags.  It is hung with barbed wire, and the flags of the nations which contributed the most to the war surround the base of the sculpture.  I found this room very moving and interesting. 

All in all, the war museum was a very valuable experience!  As you can see, there were many things which fascinated me :).  The above is all my paraphrasing of the bits of history I understood or found online ... so if anything is obviously inaccurate, please let me know.  I inserted links for further reading so you don't have to take my word for it ... if interested, please go to the links!

History is important and intriguing!

xo,

Kayla