The States, Revisited

airplane cars cold love Christmas pizza Chicago imagine family revise Wisconsin turkey pie drink friends return football lime  cry yes watch  homegrown miss think wish no come bring hugs grandmother go guns comfort  Minnesota remember hold identification stay train wait talk watch fries share visit cheese beer  Seattle drive write drink eat listen pizza sit go airplane 

See the pictures here.

Kimchi

The semester has ended and the count down is on! Six days and I'm on a plane! Before I take a time-out from Korea though I have a few more things to share...

While North Americans are preparing their turkeys, anticipating football games, and scoping out their game-plan for "Black Friday", Koreans (more accurately, Korean women) are getting ready for one of the most important tasks in preparation for winter, 김치를 담그다 or kimchi making!

Just about every family makes their own kimchi, using their own "secret" recipe. They may make it several times a year, but the main time is late November to early December. It happens at this time of year mainly for historical reasons. Years ago, before refrigerators, kimchi would be made in mid to late December when the temperatures reached freezing so that they could safely store and enjoy the kimchi throughout the winter months when fresh vegetables couldn't be found. Traditionally it was kept in huge clay pots stored underground, but of course things have changed. Kimchi is now usually stored in a special kimchi refrigerator (trust me, it starts to smell after a certain age) and it can be made earlier, when the weather is a bit warmer. Though the time and storage have changed, I believe the rest of the process is about the same. Women of a family gather or women and their friends gather and take on anywhere from 50 -100+ cabbages in a day, and we aren't talking little heads of cabbage, these are napa cabbages, which are considerably bigger. To put it in perspective, they quarter them to make them manageable for the kimchi making process.  I've been lucky enough to partake in this tradition a few times, so here's how it's done...

It's actually a three day process. I've only taken part in the third day, but from what I understand, this is what happens... The first day you clean and quarter the cabbage then set it to soak in salt water so that it pickles. The second day you set the cabbage to drain. Then comes the third day...

On the third day you...

1. Make the red pepper paste. The basic recipe includes: red pepper, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, salt, rice paste, carrot, onion, leek, etc.

Most of the ingredients

Mix them all together

Keep mixing!

2. Put your gloves on and spread the paste on each individual leaf. Yes, every single leaf gets individual love and care :)

Applying the red pepper paste.

3. Wrap up the cabbage and put it in a container. Wait a day or two for it to ferment and enjoy! Of course, eat some while you're making it also. In my opinion, fresh kimchi is the best.

Finished kimchi

My Korean cooking, with fresh kimchi...

That's all I've really got. Here are a couple articles if you have a few minutes to procrastinate. See most of you very soon!

South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)..the entire country pauses...

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/asia/south-korea-exams/index.html

Canada gives asylum to gay Korean

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/asia/south-korea-exams/index.html

Korean Autumn

The last few months have flown by and I've been terrible at blogging and keeping in touch in general, so I'm going to take this opportunity to catch you up on what I've been doing.

In September was the "Korean thanksgiving" Chuseok. I celebrated with my neighbors/Korean family, the Hongs. I helped out with the entire two day process of making food, honoring the ancestors, and eating too much. It was great, but unfortunately I don't have any pictures. However, a few weeks later when we had another long holiday weekend, I went with Mrs. Hong and stayed with their daughters in Seoul. It was a lovely weekend. We ate at their uncle's tuna sashimi restaurant, went to Everland (a theme park), and went to the top of Namsan tower, which I amazingly had never done before.

Honu, the cutest little devil^^

The women of the Hong family.

 The fall (and second) semester of the Korean school year is a fun, but busy time. There are a handful of holidays, field trips, school festivals, and usually some special cooking days related to the harvest season. For me this entailed the district English festival and our school's festival. Thankfully didn't have to do anything for the English festival this year except provide moral support, but the school festival was a bit different. Last year I helped the kids finish up their production of the musical "Scrooge". Unfortunately it didn't go so well, so this year I wanted to do better. I asked months in advance  if I would have to prepare something with the "English drama" class and for months and months they said no. Well, about a month before the festival they said I should prepare something. Luckily, I got to do it with a Korean teacher. We chose "The Country and the City Mouse", adapted it for a bigger cast, and were blessed with some fabulous "mice" who were able to memorize their lines in a week! In the end it came out about as well as I think an English play for a non-English speaking audience can be expected to.

A building in the city and "a man" 

The mice

The next thing that came up was Halloween! As the foreign teacher, I'm taking every opportunity to teach my culture and relive my childhood, so we definitely celebrated. In each of my classes on that day we learned a bit about Halloween, made masks, and played some games. The kids had fun and are still trying their luck with the phrase "trick-or-treat" :)

Mummy wrap 3rd grade 

Mummy Wrap 1st grade 

First graders with their masks

We had a party for ourselves as well!

In the past couple weeks things have been pretty quiet. I did one hiking trip with a friend to a mountain called Naejangsan. It was a rainy weekend and unfortunately most of the leaves had fallen, but there were still throngs of people. It was supposed to be the peak leaf viewing time for this area, so it was a festive event. The base of the park was full of food tents and entertainment and the mountain itself was overcrowded with Koreans in their very professional hiking gear. It may not have been the peaceful time in nature we had hoped for, but it was a a good experience and still nice to get out. The picture at the top of this post is from that day. 

I think that's about all I've got for you at the moment. I may squeeze in one more post before the snow flies, but we'll see. If not though, hopefully I'll see you in the good ol' US of A! I've got my ticket booked for Dec. 23 - Jan. 25th, so just counting down the days :) 

If you want to see some more photos and some videos, follow the link on the right side of this page.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

This is India...

As most of you know, I spent the last month in "Incredible India"! and an incredible experience it was, but not in the amazing, marvelous, take your breath away sense, rather, it was astonishing, dizzying, and unbelievable. How it is all held together, I still don't know and I wonder if anyone does. India is a place full of color, diversity, men, scents, tastes, men, motorbikes, cows, men, buses, pigs, cars, women, children, and huuuge extremes. It keeps you on your toes, holds your attention, and demands all the energy you have. If you slack off, you risk losing your place, space, direction, money, or anything else... as the locals say, "It's India, anything can happen."; and that can be bad or very very good. It was the most challenging trip I've ever been on, chalked full of lessons, opportunities, and experiences I will ponder and hold onto for a lifetime. There is far more than can be said in this little blog, but I'll give you a brief recap and leave the rest to the photos (follow the link on the right). 

I arrived on July 23 and was met at the airport by my good friend Kishan (met in the CZ) and his friend Mayank. Within an hour or so we were at a posh party in the center of Delhi (it was Kishan's last night in Delhi before he moved to his new university). In the early hours of the morning we got some food, a brief nap, and then headed out to the foothills of the Himalayas to meet up with Jacqui (my good friend from time in CZ and SK) and her sister Angela in a city called Rishakesh (where the Beatles went to meditate). It would have been a great place, but there was a pilgrimage in full swing and the pilgrims were rudely mesmerized by foreign women. After two days of harassment we fled to the mountains, where Kishan and Mayank left us. After a few days of chilling in the rain clouds we headed back to Delhi where Esther (a friend from SK) joined me and Jacqui and Angela departed for home after several months of travel. 

When Esther arrived, I was fairly useless to her and hating India. I had been sick with one thing or another for about the first two weeks...passing out, throwing up, and everything in between. She was patient though and as my health improved, so did my attitude. We first headed east to the holy Hindu city of Varanasi and then on to Bodh Gaya, the place where Buddha obtained enlightenment. Our original plan was to head to the Himalayas, but on our return to Delhi we found that the monsoon was in full swing and the lower mountains were flooding and having landslides. Rather than risk it, we visited the government tourist office (I'm fairly sure it was the real one and not one of the many fakes...) and made a plan to head west into Rajasthan.

Rajasthan is an amazing and impressive place bordered by Pakistan, full of ancient sites, mountains, parks where tigers still live, holy sites, and the Thar desert. We spent our time in the Thar desert, visiting Jaipur (the capital), Jodhpur (with a beautiful fort), and the pleasant town Jaisalemer, known to tourists for the opportunity to camel trek. We spent about seven days between these cities and did do some camel riding for one evening. The highlight of it all, and possibly the whole trip, was sleeping in the desert under the stars. It was truly stunning...after this we took two overnight trains to get to Mumbai, whose major center seemed a world away from everywhere else we'd been. For better or worse, we didn't see much, but spent most of the four days just walking around and enjoying all of the good restaurants and cafes. A long way from the pollution, mud, begging children, and nagging touts of our introduction to India near New Delhi railway station, we finished our trip with a celebratory (and expensive) coffee at the famous Taj Mahal hotel (where the Queen, celebrities, Presidents, etc. stay), in a 19th century British tea room; the two economic ends of India have absolutely nothing in common except their nationality and that they reside in the same location.  

At times it seemed like the month would never end and I have to be honest, tainted by the sickness, I seriously contemplated going home early, but I'm glad I stayed. Though I barely scratched the surface of all that India holds, I got a grasp of the diversity, immensity, and incredible atmosphere of the place and learned more than I have in a very long time. Though there are so many places I haven't been, I feel very confident saying, there's no where that's quite like India and in the end, I would go back again. Enjoy the photos, they say much more than I could ever. 

40 Days and 40 Nights

Today was about the second or third time I saw blue sky in the last month. When the monsoon began in mid-June, the sun was banished, dry shoes became a thing of the past, and our best friend became our umbrella.If you are in certain areas of Seoul when a big shower hits the water will come up to your ankles as it patiently waits for it's turn to enter the sewer and no matter where you, your umbrella will do little to keep you dry. Those are only the major showers though, most of the time it was just a steady flow of rain. Some areas had some flooding, but here in Jeonju, among the mountains, we've been quite alright; though there was a time my co-teachers and I contemplated building an ark, but then we realized there is a church shaped like one across town, so if needed, we could just go there. However, as the rains subsides, there isn't much to celebrate: the "dog days" officially began on Thursday.

The dog days are "the hottest days" of the year. The first one, on July 14, is Chobok. The second, Chungbok is ten days later, and ten days after it, follows Molbok, which is the third. On Chobok, it is Korean custom to eat either dog soup or a spicy chicken soup (dakdorae tang) to help you prepare for and maintain your health during the hot weeks of August. Luckily, I was invited to the Hongs' and Mrs. Hong and I made dakdorae tang! We rubbed the chicken, onions, and potatoes with red pepper paste and more red pepper then added welsh onion, kimchi, and water and let it cook for about an hour. While it cooked we made some salad, cucumber kimchi, and got the soju and other side dishes ready. When it was perfectly done we had a feast under the fan, as we sweated the sweet spiciness in the heat. It was fantastic! Now there's not much to do, but wait as the last of the clouds are blown out and the heat, humidity, and cicadas of August settle in.

Outside of the weather, July has passed in a flurry of filling out applications, obtaining visas, and planning, planning, planning. School ended about a week ago and next week is summer camp. I've planned and (almost) fully prepared, a Harry Potter camp! Even though I have minimal knowledge of the wizard world, it was fun to plan and I think it's going to be a hit. We'll make wands, cast spells, stir up some potions, play some Hogwarts inspired games, and watch a movie. Then, at the end of the week, I'm off for the adventure of a life time! to India for a month :) I'll write more when I return. Take care and stay cool!

Hot hot heat

Welcome to summer!

It rolled in here without any warning and is here to stay. I've heard Korean summer goes something like this...right now it's the rainy season, so will rain for 3-4 days, be nice for 3-4 day, rain, etc. until sometime in July when the sticky, humid heat will set in, after which it will be typhoon season, and finally we'll reach the respite of autumn. It sounds like some crazy weather, but really it's just nice to wear dresses and flip flops and get a bit of a tan, however scandalous that might be...

So for this post, I'd just like to wrap up a few odds and ends...

First, I want to add an addendum to my earlier blog on the drinking culture here. I received some responses about it and just want to clarify...while there is a distinct culture here and there can be social pressure, especially in work cultures, not everyone is just drinking all the time, most drinking is "healthy" and responsible, and there are a good amount of people who don't drink and it's ok for them. I actually have a handful of friends who don't drink for various reasons and they are A-OK! Now that that's settled...

I just had a visitor! My lovely sister, Chelsee! She was here for about two weeks and it was soooo very good to see her. With the help of my friends the Hong's, I really had a chance to experience Korea and had a pretty good time. We saw my city, the sea, the mountains, a couple cities on the coast, the DMZ, and, of course, spent a few days in Seoul. We also tried lots of Korean food, got a chance to see some traditional music, visited my school, and met up with my friends. Outside of the fact that she got a little sick on the last evening, it was a good time. The best part though was just spending time with her. When she left it made me a bit home sick, but that's not necessarily a bad thing and it always comes and goes. For those of you who have Facebook, you can check some pictures there.

Lastly, a month or so ago, I went our bi-annual "culture experience trip", which is part of the program I work through. We went to Jeju Island of the southern coast of the Korean peninsula. It's more-or-less the Hawaii of Korea. I was a little skeptical about how amazing it would be, but I was impressed and pleasantly surprised. I'll just leave you with some pictures of that to give you an idea of what it's like.

Keep it cool!

Children's Day

Today, May 5, is Children's Day in Korea. The schools are closed and children are running the streets being indulged with candy, new toys, trips to amusement parks, parks, movies, and anything else that fills their fanciful minds. As a teacher enjoying the day off because of this holiday, I feel I should write something about these wonderful little monsters and their lives. 

Before I came to Korea I had never worked with children, however, I've spent the last nine months teaching, eating lunch with, and playing with them. I now feel I know a thing or two about them and in addition, they have taught me an incredible amount about Korea, myself, and so many other things. I'd like to take a few minutes to share a bit about Korean kids' lives and then share a few of my favorite or more interesting moments since I've been teaching here. 

English teacher's in Korea always end up discussing Korean children's lives and comparing them to the lives of children in our home countries. Usually the conversation revolves around the role of education and extra-curricular activities in children's lives and how this structures them. For example, in the USA, most children go to school from 8-4ish, have some extra-curricular activity or a part-time job, and sleep between 8-11pm depending on their age. On the whole, I believe it's safe to say that American's value a well-rounded life of school, sports, music, art, work, etc. Korea is quite a bit different. 

A typical Korean child's day can look something like this:

Jee-hoon's Day, age 14, first year middle-school

6:00 - wake up, eat breakfast, often study

8:00 - go to school

4:00 - finish school and go to hagwon (private academy) for math

6:30 - finish and have a snack/dinner

7:00 - go to second hagwon for English

10:00 - go home, do homework 

11:00 - play games

12:00 - go to bed

Now this is not every Korean child's day, but it is fairly typical and high-lights the main differences. Korean education is very heavy on academics and testing and, past elementary school, has very little focus on music, the arts, or sports, unless you go to a special school that emphasizes those. Korean children also have a very long day. They wake up early, they stay up late, and in the middle they spend 90% of their time studying. Usually the late night hagwons pertain to kids that are in middle-school and above, but I do know of students as young as nine who have lessons at 9pm. I don't know about you, but that's when I went to bed. To add to this, they also often either have school or go to hagwons on Saturdays. 

Then there is testing...Testing begins early and the importance of it only increases as children get older. Elementary school is similar for all (I believe), but when children are in sixth grade they take a test and often have interviews in order to be placed in level appropriate middle-schools. The climax of the testing experience is the test for university placement, which is something like a national event. As the test nears special "good luck" food" (sticky rice cakes, so the knowledge sticks to you) is sold and on the day of the test the streets are quieter and there is an air of tension in the air. It's almost as if the country is holding their breath, crossing their fingers, holding their thumbs, or whatever they feel they must do for it to be a success. Last year, the test's usual date fell during the G20 conference that was held in Seoul. In order to avoid any possible distractions because of the special arrangements and to enable the students to attend, the test was rescheduled. 

The children I work with don't seem to have such stressful lives, which can probably be attributed to their age (elementary) and the rural location. I only have a handful of students that are able to attend hagwon. This means their lives are a bit less stressful now, but the reality is, is that it will probably hinder their future possibilities. While all of the studying often seems like madness to an outsider's point of view, there is a is a logical explanation. South Korea has a population of  roughly 50,000,000 people and, according to Wikipedia, is about the size of half the size of Minnesota. This creates a highly saturated and competitive job market. To "get a good job and get ahead" students need to have the best test scores, go to the best schools, speak the best English, etc. Is it good? Is it bad? Is one system better than the other? It's hard to say and worth debate, but then again, every time I find myself discussing it the conversation comes back to the point that I am part of the system...is it wrong? am I helping? am I being a hypocritical? I don't know, but it's paying the bills...

Here are a couple links to show you more about Korean children.

PBS Video clip (thanks to Brandon Walters for sending this to me!) 

Korean English Newspaper Article (Joongnang Daily)

And now something more up lifting, some memorable moments with the little ones:

3rd grade Student: (through translation) "Teacher, on pizza their is Imsil cheese. (the most famous cheese in Korea) How do you make pizza in the USA without Imsil cheese?"

Kindergarten Student: "Teacher, why are your eyes blue?"

Sometimes we play soccer: 

Student 1: "Teacher, me Ronaldo."

Student 2: "Teacher, me Park, Ji Sung." 

Me: Ok, ok (laughing) can I see the ball?

They pass it and I juggle a little bit.

Students: "O wow teacher! Good good! In USA play soccer?"

Me: "Yes, in USA girls play soccer."

Students: "OOOOoooooo...."

(They do in SK too, but not widely. They have a good national team though. Special academies...?)

Teaching 1st and 2nd grade by myself:

Me: "Ok kids let's go over there and play a game." (Mostly I just gesture over there, make a circle, and say "game!").  I go to turn the light on in the adjoining room. When I turn back around I see one kid show his chest, the next moon all of us, and the third kid whips it out! I was baffled. I didn't know if I was shocked or just wanted to laugh. I just went and got a Korean teacher.

Student: "Teacher. Candy." and hands me a sucker. 

Student: "Merry Christmas teacher, I love you!" and hands me a card.

One day I played a game with my third graders. The winners got candy. Instead of just eating it, they each broke their candy in half and shared it with the other team. 

Student: (in Korean) "Teacher, speak Korean." 

Me: No

Student: Yes, just hello.

Me: No

Student: Please....

Me: Anyeonghasseyo (hello in Korean)

Students: just laughing...teacher...ha hahahaha