Introduction to the Stars of GEPIK

Just what the heck do we teachers end up teaching out here in Korea?

As for GEPIK we are given a set of books for each grade. There is the teacher's guide (in Korean and English) and the student book, which is full of pictures and writing activities.

But there is one part worth mentioning, and that is the star characters inside the book. I did not take pictures of the books due to fear of copyright blah-blah.

However, we don't just use the books in class. Accompanying our lesson are videos.

To get an understanding of all this let me break down what a typical lesson looks like:

Sample of a Lesson:

1. Each lesson is broken down into 4 parts. So day 1 of class goes over the first part, and so on. Here for you are those parts.
2. Look and Listen: Children look at the video screen. A cartoon is shown where there is a dialog of the lessons main point. For example: "I Can Swim." Lesson will feature the characters swimming and speaking the lines.
3. Listen and Repeat: Students look at a still screen and repeat the dialog. Usually the lines refer to what was said in the the "Look and Listen" section.
4. Let's Chant / Sing: There is a chanting session or singing session. Chanting turns out to be more fun than singing due to that songs are very cheesy.

5. Look and Speak: This is where the characters come to life. But often the English that is spoken is not clear and is spoken fast. Also the production of these videos comes out very cheezy. A lot of times the kids and myself laugh at the videos. I found this blog that seems to poke fun at these videos, but I still give the government credit for trying. This part is also the most important because it is where we find our stars.

6. Let's Write: This part is just writing exercises that are usually very quick.

7. Role-play: Here students watch a short cartoon that has a cute story and then are asked comprehension questions afterwards.

The Stars of GEPIK: Taken from the 5th grade book, most of the characters live throughout the whole series.

• Jinho
• Nami
• Mrs. Smith
• Bill
• Ann
• Joon
• Peter
• Zeeto (my favorite but is in the 3rd grade book.)

Look and Speak: Live action English at its best!

• You don't have to take off your shoes. This video lesson highlights a cultural difference between Korea and the West. And that is indoor shoe-wearing. It's a big no-no here in Korea. When I went over this lesson with the kidlets, they had shocked faces at the thought we westerners keep our shoes on. Featuring: Nami and Ann.

• Mismatched Voices: What should a kids voice sounds like? High pitched and cute right? But maybe not for all kid's voices, especially if that character is a male. Take a look and see how not only do the high pitched voices sound wrong, but also at the placement of the words. Featuring Peter and Nami.

• Adults using English: Often times you see the characters parents having conversations. They got the voices right, that is they sound like adults. But again the voice over is totally off cue. Hey does anyone think the Dad isn't bad looking? (just kidding) Featuring Jinho's parents.

• Awkward Moments: Speaking a foreign language is awkward enough, but hey let's make it more awkward by creating moments that are strange. In this clip Joon (boy on the left) talks about Peter's sister and there is an awkward feeling between them. Featuring Joon and Peter.

I think you get the gist of it all after watching those videos. As a teacher you end up seeing these clips about 4 times a day and in some cases 8 times a week. Sometimes I go home and I find myself singing the song of the day.

What always leaves me wondering is where they picked of the western actors. Because they shot these videos in Korea, so I wonder what these kids are doing here.

And remember this is Elementary school level. I don't know if Middle or High School kids get the same stuff but with older actors / characters?

There you have it the characters that I get to know here at school. I hope this introduction gave you a light hearted feeling. Sure the government has room to improve with the quality of their material but for the meantime it makes for good culture shock.

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Ch ch ch changes

March must be the golden month at teaching facilities in Korea, because for me it means a new coteacher and a manipulated schedule.

These past few days I have been sitting back waiting for these changes to come in. As is the custom, I have found it better to let information come to me than seek it out. Of course I go looking for answers when it is necessary.

A new coteacher, I feel, is like getting a new captain for a ship. If I were the crew member then I would want to know if my captain is going to steer us clear of danger.

Day 1: First Impressions

New coteacher arrives. First impression is all right. Turns out she taught English in Daegu for three years and has experience working with foreigners.

But our meeting was very brief, as she spent most of her time getting briefed about the classroom with my ex-coteacher.

From this small bit of information and meeting I feel that she will know what to do and that communication won't be so difficult.

But I am apprehensive because we didn't spend time talking. On monday classes resume and her and I did not go over what we will do. Sure there is the book to start teaching for the classes, but usually each lesson doesn't fill the whole class time.

If she is relying on me to have a rock solid what-to-do plan for next week, then she better rethink that. I have the lesson plans ready to go, but as for how we teach it is up in the air.

I am guessing it will go something like this, where we start the class and figure out what to do as we go along.

Of course though I am worried about what she expects from me. Does she expect me to teach everything and she just do something now and then? The ideal situation I feel is that we share the teaching time and keep it fun and interesting for the kids.

Ah well I guess it is another just wait and see scenario.

Revised Schedule:
My schedule didn't change much day to day. It is more like they made little shifts here and there. Let's take a look. Keep in mind the schedule for all of this is from 9:00 - 4:30 pm (each class is 40 min long).

Monday:

• 4-1
• 4-2
• 4-3
• 3-1
• No change here.

Tuesday

• 5-1
• 5-2
• 5-3
• There use to be a 3rd grade class at this time but no more.

Wednesday

• 6-1
• 6-2
• 6-3
• 3-3
• There use to be no 3rd grade class and just planning time.

Thursday

• 5-3
• 5-2
• 5-1
• 5-4
• This 4th - 5th grade class is new, so that means we will be teaching an extra helping of older kids.
• But generally the class hours for Thursday haven't changed.

Friday

• 6-1
• 6-2
• 6-3
• 3-2
• 5-4 (After lunch)
• Activity class
• Change here is the 3rd and 5th grade slots. Friday remains to be the busiest day.

As you can see these changes aren't that big, compared to if I were still at the hagwon. There you get an entirely new schedule.

Certainly my new coteacher will have concerns of her own for starting her new job. From what I gathered our Principal isn't the nicest guy out there towards the teachers. Also I wonder if she finds our classroom to be a technological downgrade, due to that we have an old big screen TV, chalkboard (some classes have an interactive white-board) and no classroom computers. If so then maybe she will work hard to get the class upgraded! (I need a faster computer)

Anyways I am going to try my best and go with the flow. Get to know her and the style in which she teaches. I am a little scared because I am still new to teaching and don't have all my skills yet, so I hope she can see this when we teach together.

We will see. ~

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Anniversary Date

One year.
So it was last Friday that BK treated me to a special night out on the town, for our one year anniversary.

Our destination was the North Seoul Tower, a famous spot on Korean dramas and a site you can usually see when you are around central Seoul. I was looking forward to it.

I realized as we got out of the subway station that I don't have many night shots of Seoul. Therefore, before we headed up the hill to the tram I took some shots of the scenery.

To get to the North Seoul Tower you have several options. You could walk up the winding road, take a bus or ride the Namsan Cable Car. Guess which one we did?

We rode the cable car of course! In this picture you can see the cable car's station where you buy the ticket and board the car. I was excited because I recently watched the Boys Before Flowers episode where the main characters ended up spending the night in the cable car.
Riding the cable car was exciting as you were lifted up above Seoul and could look out onto the city. But the ride was rather short lived and before you know it your at the top. After you get off you walk up a flight of stairs to come upon the North Seoul Tower all lit up. (Sorry my camera and my freezing hands were having a hard time with night shots.)

Built in 1969, and opened to the public in 1980, the tower measures 236.7 m (777 ft) in height (from the base)

There are several options of what to do when you get to the Seoul Tower, and it depends on what level you decide to hang around.

At the very bottom: B1f

• Ticket Booth
• Walk around where you can get outdoor views of Seoul
• Souvineer shop
• Cafe
  

Bottom Middle:

• Food court
• Cafe
• Internet
• Panoramic views by a window. This was where couples sat with each other to gaze out the window. BK and I did the same.
  

When we were done drinking tea (me) and hot choco (BK) we used our elevator pass and went up to the Observatory part of the tower. Again sorry for the blurry photos.

This is a circumambulatory room where you work your way around enjoying the scenery. This area and the ride up the elevator reminded me of going to the Empire State Building, which I also did at night time. Except the Seoul Tower's observatory deck is enclosed.

As you walk around each window has on it a city's name that is located in the direction which you are looking. When I came upon San Francisco's I was very excited and homesick.

There are actually two parts of the observatory, for the first floor (the one pictured) has the names of faraway cities. The second part has the names of places in Seoul and Korea on the windows.

Also at this level are some fancy restaurants including one that rotates. I would love to catch a meal in that place, because there are so few rotating restaurants left.

We made our way back down to ground level where we had dinner at the Plaza Restaurant. OOoo romantic~
After our night out at the Seoul Plaza we got into a taxi and made our way to a really nice hotel. Known for its luxurious rooms, we were in for a treat. I think all I cared about was that it had a bathtub.


When you enter hotels here (in this case, yes it was a love hotel) you usually go through a veiled entrance way. Not always, as there is a front door from the street. But if you were to drive in you can park and no one will see your car inside.
The next day we headed over to Apgujeong to get lunch at our favorite place Butterfinger Pancakes. Of course the wait was long, but I think worth it.

Pancake, hashbrowns, eggs, bacon and sausage for me.

Waffle, egg, potatoes, and bacon for BK.

The food was great and the date the night before was awesome as well. It was by far the best night date I have had in Seoul. I would like to come back during the daytime and when it will be warmer out.

All in all, if you have done everything else in Seoul then make your way to the N. Seoul Tower and see the sites.

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Kim Jong Il Eharmony

The best part is when he defends his English skills.

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Graduation Ceremony

March is just around the corner, which means a new semester here in public school teaching land. This is the time of year when the kids graduate up one level. So it was goodbye to the 6th graders last week.

It was obligatory that I attended the graduation ceremony. This occurred the day after Wala Wala died so my mood was kind of somber. Anyways it was interesting to witness the Korean way of graduation from Elementary school. Although, I can not remember what my graduation was like back then. I think we just went to a ceremony in the cafeteria had some cake and went home early.

The students, teachers and family were put into the assembly hall room, which is next door to the English room.

The kids wait patiently...or not.

Here my current co-teacher comes to take her seat. Flowers were for the students.

The ceremony consisted of the Principal's giving lectures followed by intermittent clapping and bowing.
That kid on the left there, he always slept in class. Also some awards were handed out to the brightest students.

As I watched I tried to see if any of the students were shedding tears. Not all of them will move on to the same Middle school. But I couldn't really find any teary eyes. I think they were mostly feeling a sense of dread, seeing how it is that in Middle school they will be the newbies and the testing is harder.

I will miss them and hope they do very well at their next school. It would be great if I can see them again when they are more grown, but I don't know if that will happen.

Congratulations!

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Rest in Peace

Sunday, February 22nd 2009.
Here lies Wala Wala. (Under that pile of rocks on the right)
Beloved fish.
Forgive your master for what she hath done. Be at peace under this tree.

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Koreans Going Vintage

In high school most of the clothing I wore was from thrift stores. In fact this trend of mine lasted through college until my last few years.

This Korean Times article focuses on how places inside Seoul are catering to the desires of young folks looking for that one-of-a-kind.

I am very curious as to what these shops will have and would really like to go see them.

The market may seem chaotic at first, with the maze of stalls that look eerily similar and the narrow aisles jammed with people. A musty scent fills the air, while stalls are overflowing with heaps of used clothing, bags and shoes. (Pay close attention since some ajummas were spotted sleeping on top of their wares.)

Ooo, sleeping ahjummas....now that has to be worth the trip!

It seems that the article highlights how you can find vintage brand names. I would be more interested in searching for something that is vintage from Korean culture. Not a hanbok, but more like something kitsch that was left over from the budding pop-music generation of the early 2000's.

Thrift store shopping is all about looking at everything and finding something that calls out to you. Then taking it home and realizing it is just an old piece of junk.

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The Worst Thing in the World

Wala Wala is dead.

I had a bug problem.

Yesterday I had a pesticide guy come and he sprayed my house with a mist. I put Wala Wala outside in the hallway to be safe.

But today I was cleaning his tank and accidentally put him in his other bowl. Big mistake! It was exposed to the toxins.

So when I came home from work there was no happy Wala Wala.

I AM SO SORRY WALA WALA! Please forgive me~ ><


God, what a tragedy!

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1 Year

Today marks my one year anniversary with BK.

I know in a previous post I mentioned how he gets angry easily.

Let me say people that there is more to him than just that, and he is NOT angry all the time and is for the most part a patient and kind boyfriend.

• Helps me so much with living in Korea.
• Listens to me when I need to talk to him.
• Generous
• Caring
• Warm
• Funny
• I feel safe with him.

There you have it just a short list of the many reasons that I love BK. Thank you BK for a wonderful and meaningful year!

So one year in counting and I hope for many more. I love the man and I am happy to be by his side whenever he is happy or not.

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Nooooooooooooo!

Holy Crabapples!

In March I am getting a new coteacher. My current one is leaving to teach grade 3-2 at the school.

At first I was a little surprised but then felt like it confirmed my suspicions. Working here you can't really sit back and relax and expect it will always be the same. Especially, now that the kids are moving up a level and a new semester is going to start.

I have no clue who the new coteacher will be but here are my heartfelt wishes:

• Creative and fun.
• Works together during the lesson and doesn't leave me randomly.
• Communicates fairly well.
• Desire to get to know me.
• Alert me of new events early enough (a very hopeful wish)

Either way I guess it will help keep things interesting here at my job.

Who will they be?

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Girl and Boy Scouts at School

It is nearing graduation time at my school. The 6th grade kids have been preparing for their ceremony.

Lately, though, I have seen many students dressed in Girl Scout and Boy Scout uniforms. I guess they too are having ceremonies. They look so cute in their uniforms and it makes me nostalgic for the days when I was a Girl Scout.

I am curious though what these kids do and how it is different from what the GS kids do back in America.

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Good or Bad Image?

This video describes a popular video on youtube of a woman in Hong Kong airport going crazy over missing her flight.

It caught my attention because I feel it is going to add on more stereotypes of older Asian woman. They don't bother to check what it is she is yelling or a statement from her as to why she grew hysteric, besides missing her flight.

Plus I think missing a flight from one foreign country to the next is something to go crazy for, because taking international flights is a daunting task in itself.

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A Walk Around

Last Saturday, I woke up a bit early and got my American phone calls out of the way along with other chores. It was Valentine's Day and so I expected that I would meet up with BK soon. However, he called to say that he needed some time at home before coming out here. Also, he was in a tiff because he was trying to help me send money to America, but the Internet banking site was giving him grief. (He gets angry easily.)

So I told him to go eat his bop (rice...it was lunch time) and to cool down.

But I needed cooling down too. When he gets angry, like that, it kind of scares me. I think it is because I am a sensitive person. So I really didn't want us to be in a bad mood on Vday, of all days.

With nothing really on my schedule, till BK would come, I decided to find something to do. I connected with a friend I made at the Winter Camp. He lives in Geumcheong, which is just one train stop away. Now, don't get in silly ideas people. He is the kind of guy that teases you for pleasure. In other words, friendship is all I am looking for...period.

I decided to contact him via facebook.

He has two dogs so I suggested that he take them for a walk and that I come along.

The weather was pale gray and a bit cold, not exactly leisure walking weather. But when you got something bothering you mentally (BK's eruptive anger) you kind of want to vent off some steam.

Don't get me wrong, BK is not angry all the time. And when these episodes occur usually after about 30-60 minutes he realizes what an ass he was and apologizes. I have learned to be patient and not take it personally. When we talk about it he tends to lean on that Korean's are easily angered, and well he is Korean. Which, is not all together made-up. Sometimes you do get the sense that Korean people have a hot and flashy temper, that you don't want to get between.

Anyways, back to the walk.

I usually just whisk pass Geumcheong when riding the train, so I never really thought of it as a stopping place.

My friend said that there is a river park nearby and we should go check it out.

However, he didn't really know how to get there. So we ended up taking a longer walk than I expected.

What made the journey interesting is that our walk was landscaped by scenery not all too pretty. It was mainly industrial shops and junk yards. You could see welders welding inside one shop, while another had a lady sanding down a door.

Imagine, if you will, that our path was like an elongated loop. So when we turned around and headed back in the other direction we walked pass even more dirtier industrial shops. This time they had grimy dogs chained up out front to bark at passers-by.

Sorry that I didn't take a whole lot of pictures. I have the tendency to not take out the camera if my fingers could get cold.

But when we were passing under a very large and tall highway I couldn't help but take a few shots.

It's not like I've never seen structures like this before, it was just that it's grandeur was overwhelming.

I would like to go back there and get better shots, someday.

Well after that we headed back to the train station and sad our goodbyes. I felt a lot better, after my walk, and could approach BK with a clearer head. Also, it was interesting to see a different side of Korea, the dirtier side that is.

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An Essential Video

If you are considering entering Korea and being a part of the education system here, whether public or private, then please watch this video. Which I originally found out about through Kimchi Icecream.

It highlights the education "culture" and business here and how intense it all is.

Let me remind you that the children, the younger ones, do not really want to be bussed around and going to school at all hours of the day. I would bet even the teens, although may benefit their test scores, probably would rather be doing teen stuff than being stuck inside a classroom.

According to the video Korea's English ability is the worst amongst Asia.

Who is responsible? The students or the teachers?

Which leads me to my next point about this video. That there weren't too many foreigners pictured, I mean Foreign teachers. I think it would have been beneficial to get our opinions and experience listed within the context of English education in Korea.

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Wala Wala News

Tales From the Fish Tank

Wala Wala is happy to report that Momma got him a lovely new fish tank, last week. This one provides him with a lot of swimming room and even a heater.
He thinks the gravel is somewhat too tiny and would prefer some attractive large smooth pebbles or marbles.

Also he likes that there is a plant but would rather it be alive than plastic.

Since he doesn't really know what is in Korean tap-water he appreciates that Mommy went out and bought some expensive water conditioning formula.

Otherwise, Wala Wala is not feeling that lonely due to having Momma around to keep him company.

He says Momma is doing well these days, although he sees her doing too much cleaning about the outer-tank environment.

Also he is looking forward to his first visit with BK, who is always making that strange device ring.

Blub-blub~

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Seonyudo Park

Love is in the air, what with Valentine's Day steadily approaching and our 1 year anniversary. Good feelings and warm heartiness have been my mood lately. Although, some of the kids at school were a little too feisty this week.

BK has been less inclined to trek it out to where I live, so we have been meeting in Seoul on the weekends.

Last weekend we met at Hapjeong station, which is near the Han river.This trip included a visit to the Seonyudo Park. The weather was mild and leaning on the cold side, due to being near the river. But it was a clear enough day to enjoy the scenery.
After doing some reading about this place I can tell you that it has both historical and modern history.

Historical:

as a popular spot for seonbis (gentleman scholars) to immerse themselves in composing poetry and painting. During the Japanese occupation, most of the rocky cliffs were extracted to reinforce the riverbanks against floods and for construction of the Yeouido airfield.

Modern:

In 1978 it housed the Seonyu Water Purification Plant and once an area of industry (i.e. not pretty to look at.) This plant closed in 2001.

It was transformed into an public park in April of 2002.

The Park Includes:

• Four gardens, including aquatic plants
  
• Elevated paths.
• Concrete leftover from the Purification plant
• Water Play area
• Small amphitheatre
• Rusted Valves as public sculptures
• Hangang exhibition hall
  
• Basically it was a site of industry but turned into a space that tries to glorify the water purification process.
  

Although, while we were there I had no clue the significance of the grounds and that it had an exhibition hall. Neither did BK, but we seemed to enjoy poking about and wondering what was what.

With the history of the park aside, just getting a nice panoramic view of Seoul makes for great scenery.

Hehe, I caught him while he was turning around.

Seonyu Bridge:

Seonyugyo (Seonyu bridge), which links Hangang river’s Seonyudo Park & Yangwha Area with Seonyudo is made of environmentally-friendly wood. The arch-shaped bridge, also known as a Rainbow Bridge, gives out an exotic light every evening. The bridge is one of the beautiful night views of Seoul.

This bridge seemed to be the main attraction. Before you cross it, to the left, is a deck like area where you can look out onto the Han River. Also on the railing people have inscribed their love to each other. I did the same with my trusty purple pen and took a really great blurry photo of it.

As you walk up the bridge you look out across the Han River. This time of the year is great to catch site of migratory birds. I think these were some kind of geese and not swans.
And of course more views of the city, here we can see the "63" building.

After you cross the bridge you can take the stairs and enjoy the park. Here families and couples came out for picnics, fly kites, fishing and I guess whatever you can do at a park.

One interesting thing I noticed is a 7-11 placed in the middle of the park. I told BK how odd this looked and he just said "Why?!!" haha I guess it makes sense to him.

Love Shadow

We walked near the Han river and around the kite flyer's, then sat and watched some teams play soccer. But it was starting to get colder out so we headed out of the park.

On our way out we crossed a bridge to get over the highway. This bridge was covered and so the light was pretty nice.
We hopped on a bus and went to Sincheon, where we came across this store that sells foreign goods. They had the usual pasta sauce, pasta and cereal, but I think their selection of hair and face products was pretty decent. Still the prices were high.
Can you guess where this terribly blurry shot was taken?

I will give you a hint, it is where couples go....and its not a love motel.
I really enjoyed this day because it was nice to get out in nature. Again it looks like a great place to revisit in the spring or Summer, and I think I should take a closer look at the work they put into cleaning up and creating this park.

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Korea Hot Wave in Japan

Way back when I was in college (ok it was only 3 years ago) I used to ask myself this question:

Do Asian cultures share from each other?

Meaning does Korean culture spill into Japanese or Chinese and visa versa? (In a modern day sense)

I think we know some of the answers to these questions, because we can see dramas and characters influenced from Japan here in Korea.

But I caught site of an article that states how it is advertising Korean pop and historical culture to the Japanese.

For thirty minutes, the first broadcasting will be made at 9:00pm...through the program an independent bank 'Gogo Star' and a musical 'Lunatic' will be introduced in detail. Also advertising between the programs will be Korea Sparkling which contains Taekwondo, Korea's representative contents, with Korea's beautiful tourist attractions.

Oh boy, Korea Sparkling was mentioned.

Now, I don't know the exact answer to this social question. And I don't want to start writing a bunch of stuff without actual research.

But all I can say is that the process for which a culture packages itself and delivers it to another country, is very fascinating.

Among us expats there is the feeling that the Korean tourist board does a poor job of packaging Korea and selling it to other countries. Mostly, because as expats we have a different and unique understanding of what makes Korea attractive to others.

So this arcticle must then be showing us Korea's interest in attracting Japanese tourists, using popular icons along with their historical traditions. I wonder if it is working, and whether it is having a positive affect on Korea's image amongst Japanese.

Korea Hot Wave, which will be broadcasted every Tuesday for 2 months, will introduce Korea's music, animation, and characters with sketch of the spots and interviews of related people. Also it will be conducted based on various Korea's contents like tourism, foods, events, and festivals.
With the program, Korea's contents industry has been expecting that another Korean Wave will be formed as well as forming cultural interests of Japanese by introducing upgraded Korean culture in Japan.

Okay look at that last sentence. "...another Korean Wave will be formed..." What is this and what do they mean? Who knows~??

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Gyeongbok Palace Revisit

All the way back in June 2008 BK and I went to Gwanghwamun and had a look at Gyeongbok Palace, but we didn't go past the first part. To do so you have to buy tickets and also need time.

Seven months later BK took me back to Gyeongbok palace and bought us tickets so we can see the interior.

When we arrived there was a ceremony occurring, for it was the changing of the guard. We didn't stay for the whole of it and so just caught the beginning.


When I was in Japan I made a mental note of the stylistic differences I saw between Korean traditional structures and Japan's.

The most noticeable difference is that Korea's structures are more colorful and ornate. The Japanese seemed to keep their traditional structures more simplified, less colorful and not as ornate.

I think for these reasons alone that I appreciate traditional Korean architecture.
Of course though looking at these structures there is more than meets the eye. I am talking about the historical significance of this site.

In 1911, the government of Japan demolished all but 10 buildings during the period of Japanese occupation, constructing the Japanese General Government Building for the Governor-General of Korea in front of the throne hall.

After you walk through the main gate you see this majestic structure.

Called: Keunjeong-jeon, the royal throne hall is Korea's largest surviving wooden structure.

I couldn't help but feel like I was walking through the steps of history. My imagination was flowing as I thought of all the dignitaries who walked this path before. Do you see those stone tablets along the path? They are meant to demarcate a person's rank, and how close they can stand towards the palace. Cool huh?

Throne room:
BK has a peek inside the building~
Other structures near the main hall.
After you go pass the main hall you come to an exit out of a wall. This leads you to the outer gardens and towards other structures within the compound.
As you walk further on you encounter a lake with a bridge. This is the Hyangwon-jeong area, known for a hexagonal building in the middle of the lake. Oops didn't get a picture of that.
Further inward you come to another palace grounds compound. This area has been recently restored and open to the public for a period of time.

As present , the courts of Heungnye-mun Gate, the East Palace, and Taewon-jeon Hall are under full restoration

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to open to the public five restricted areas at royal palaces in Seoul. Taewonjeon and Geoncheon-gung of Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace),

It is also the site where the Empress was murdered.

Unveiling the past: The restored Geoncheonggung Residence in Gyeongbok Palace, northern Seoul, opened its doors Thursday, for the first time in 98 years. This was once the private quarters of the last emperor and empress of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), and where Japanese assassins murdered Empress Myeonseong. Men armed with traditional Joseon military gear open the gates in an inaugural ceremony Thursday.

So if you are in Korea I would suggest taking a look at this new restored section and feeling some history lurking about. Besides I think it is a good idea to visit historical sites during different seasons.

BK and I enjoyed seeing the sites, except for one part where an Ahjussi nearly ran me over. Otherwise it was a great way to spend the day together and forget about whatever it was that was troubling us.

After visiting the palace grounds we walked over to Samcheong-dong, and caught a bit of Italian food for dinner.

I hope to come back to the palace during the blooming parts of spring, so to get another look and feel for the compound.

All in all, it was just good to finally see a complete historical area of Korea. Thanks for taking me BK~

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When a Fish Looks You in the Eye

Emart has a pet section, which consists mostly of fish and rodents.

I pass by this section whenever I am in that area. Today, it seemed was the day I didn't come home empty handed.

Looking at the betta fishes I came upon a purple one stuck in a bowl with other fish. I know bettas like to live alone so I felt bad for it. As I looked at it I noticed that it perked its fish-head up at me and was checking me out!

At that point I realized if a fish is going to look you in the eye than you probably should take it home.

And that is what I did!

I now have a new friend in my home who I have to learn how to take care of..haha.

Since I got my little guy at a supermarket I don't know how healthy he/she is. But out of the others which were there he/she looked the most active.

And so pretty!

What to name him/her??

I just hope to give him/her a good home and clean water.

hehe

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More Than Just BBoy

Did you know that Korean b-boys have been winning the international competition known as "Battle of the Year".

I bet I am late to the game with this, but thought it was important to bring up on my blog.

For starters I became aware of this after watching the brilliant documentary:
Planet BBoy (Director: Benson Lee)


It is not that you SHOULD watch this movie it is that you MUST watch it. Especially if your an expat.

Why?

Embedded between all the beat-box music and dance moves is a little story about one of Korea's dancers. He comes from a poor family in the countryside. Within this vignette you get a glimpse of what the Korean male suffers as a son and man in Korea.

When watching the part where he is sitting next to his father and hearing him speak about how he wishes his son would become a professor or Doctor, you can clearly feel the tension. Also the scene highlights family values within Korea.


You know I don't even think my description does it justice. All I have to say is that since I live here in Korea I understand the feelings that were shown during these scenes. And I think I even understand BK's role in his family a bit more now.


Gee, all from watching a b-boy movie!

Anyways Korea has won this competition many times, just check out the stats.

Battle Of The Year 2008
Best Show: Top 9 (Russia)
Final Battle:
1. Top 9 (Russia)
2. T.I.P. (Korea)
Semi Finals:
Top 9 (Russia) vs. Smokemon (France)
T.I.P. (Korea) vs. Formosa (Taiwan)


Battle Of The Year 2007
Best Show: Turn Phrase Crew (Japan)
Final Battle:
1. Extreme Crew (Korea)
2. Turn Phrase Crew (Japan)
Semi Finals:
Extreme Crew (Korea) vs. Legiteam Obstruktion (France)
Turn Phrase Crew (Japan) vs. Funk Fellaz (Germany)


Battle Of The Year 2006
Best Show: Vagabonds (France)
Final Battle:
1. Vagabonds (France)
2. Last for one (Korea)
Semi Finals:
Vagabonds (France) vs. Drifterz (Korea)
Last for one (Korea) vs. B-Town Allstars (Germany)


Battle Of The Year 2005
Best Show: Ichigeki (Japan)
Battles:
1. Last For One (Korea) The crew in the movie.
2. Ichigeki (Japan)
3. Gambler (Korea)
4. Phase T (France)


Battle Of The Year 2004
Best Show: Break The Funk (Italy)
Battles:
1. Gambler (Korea)
2. Fantastik Armada (France)
3. Stuttguard (Germany)
4. Break The Funk (Italy)


Battle Of The Year 2003
Best Show: Fire Works (Japan)
Battles:
1. Pockémon (France)
2. Expression (Korea) 3. Gambler (Korea)
4. Fire Works (Japan)


Battle Of The Year 2002
Best Show: Vagabond Crew (France)
Battles:
1. Expression (Korea)
2. Vagabond Crew (France)
3. Deep Trip (Switzerland)
4. Top 9 (Russia)


Battle Of The Year 2001
Best Show: Visual Shock (Korea)
Battles:
1. Wanted (France)
2. Team Ohh (Japan)
3. HaviKoro (USA)
4. Visual Shock (Korea)

In the movie, the Korean crew had a first-place battle against Japan, and naturally they took it very close to heart.

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Determined to Pass

Well an 68-year old Korean woman has been trying really hard to get her driving license. Found this through CNN.

Goodluck!! Fighting~~!! k k k k

A 68-year-old South Korean woman this week signed up to take her driving test once again -- after failing to earn a license the first 771 times.

The woman, identified only as Cha, first took the written portion of the exam in April 2005, said Choi Young-cheol of the Driver's License Agency in the southwestern city of Jeonju.

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Joy would like to start the group

Open Call

Would like to start the group:
"Not-go-drinking-and-eat-galbi-foreigner-group." Or "Not-go-drinking-because-there-is-nothing-to-do" Group.

Or

"Would-like-to-find-a-cafe-that-is-not-smokey-and-hang-out" Group.

"Foreigner-meet-up-group-that-does-not-complain-about-Korean-people." Group.

Party of one, please.

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Laundry Etiquette

Maybe you don't have this memory but I do. As a child, living in South Florida on 1 acre of land, I hung fresh laundry on a line. Although a chore, it was one of my favorite ones because I enjoyed trying to get everything on the line without anything overlapping. After everything was dry it was time to collect it in a wicker basket. And so it was that I learned how to take care of laundry at an early age.

Then comes the time when you leave your family's house and have to do all the steps by yourself. Living in dormitories during college is a great starter for learning the social etiquette that comes along with communal washing machines.

When sharing laundry facilities often times you run across some drama:

• What to do when there is washed laundry in the machine you need to use?
• If you move that person's laundry where do you put it?
• Is the timer right?
• How many machines can one use at once? Is using all the machines greedy?
  

Moving to Korea means that you may face these same questions, but with the language barrier you have a whole new problem.

For the lucky ones out there who have their laundry machine neatly tucked inside their office-tel, then these Korean Laundry Etiquette tips won't be much use for you.

For the rest of us who live in accommodations that are less fortunate, where we have to share the laundry facilities with other, then please take in these words of wisdom.

Incidents:
I am going to start off with two incidents that occurred while I was doing laundry in my building.

1. Using both machines / Taboo:
Since it has been winter I have a lot of sweaters that I wash. After finding my clothes full of fuzzies I decided that it was best to separate my sweaters from my regular batch of clothes. This means I need to use two machines (or one machine...one at a time). But I'm American, and I want to use two machines! haha

I took my clothes over to the machines and filled them both up. But before I was able to close the lids and press the buttons a guy came over. He had about 3 shirts in his hand and maybe some towels. After noticing I had filled up both machines he started speaking to me and gesturing. I did not know what he was saying, but I figured it had to do with my use of two machines. So I said "Gwen chan ai yo" or "okay, okay" and took out the sweaters and put them in the other machine.

He seemed pleased and loaded up the machine. But the tone of his voice and attitude when he talked to me was very unpleasant. I know I was being selfish and using two machines, but you don't have to freak out about it. In the end, I couldn't really say much back to him because of my lack of Korean. So it was that I learned to look out for other people when I want to use both machines.


2. Mixing with somebody else's clothing/ You might as well have signed a pact with the Devil!
When I came home from Winter Camp last month, I was really tired. But I needed to do some laundry. So I gathered my clothes and brought them to the machines. Without really looking I put my stuff inside, added soap and pressed the buttons.

After the time was up I came out of my room to see an Ahjumma (40-50'ish woman) standing over the laundry machine.

At first I thought she wanted to use the machine and so was taking my clothes out. So I rushed over. But then I realized the expression on her face read more like something must have pissed her off.

It turned out I had put my clothes in on top of hers, without checking first. She was really upset! And was doing the usual Ahjumma yelling at me. I was surprised and felt very ashamed. I said "Mian ham ni da..." (sorry) many times. But she just did that typical Ahjumma clicking of her tongue.

She figured that I didn't speak Korean and finally gave up yelling at me. And so she fished through the laundry pulling out her stuff and scoffing at the fact that I had jeans in my wash. Then she put her stuff in the other machine and washed them for a 3rd time. No wai-guk germs for her !!! haha

I wasn't mad at her for yelling at me, although I wish she wouldn't have freaked out.

I learned a valuable lesson: Check the bottom of the machine before putting laundry inside.

So here are some valuable etiquette rules I have found out:

• If you are going to use all or most of the machines, make sure no one is around.
  
• Check to make sure it is empty before putting your stuff in.
• Be quick to unload, or someone will come and do it for you without care.
• People in your building, when walking by, will give you 2nd or 3rd glances at the sight of a wai-guk doing laundry. Pay no-mind and continue on.

How to Use the Washing Machine:
Let me remind you that there are no dryers, that is done on an elaborate drying rack. Also everything on the machine is in Korean. So you gotta be careful when pressing those buttons, or you could wash your clothes on a destructive cycle.

At first site it looks pretty daunting and complicated. Also you ask yourself why there are so many choices?

To make life easier for you I made a little diagram in Photoshop. Also, I didn't use BK to translate the buttons, I used the dictionary on my cell phone.
Guide to using a Korean Washing Machine:
Review of the Buttons: Use the picture to understand my references

A Button: This turns on the other buttons. It does not make the machine run. That is a separate button. I would say it is like the on switch to your computer.

B Button: This does start the machine to wash your clothes. PRESSED after you make your choices.

C Button: These are your cycle options. Going from top to bottom these are your choices...

1. Regular Cycle (I use this to wash everything but my sweaters, takes about 48-58 min depending on your load size.)
2. Unsure (My translator comes up with something very worn. So I guess this would be a super-cleaning cycle?, All I know is that I don't use it.)
3. Scour cycle (Hmmm .... scour doesn't sound pleasant... I don't use this one)
4. Wool (Used for sweaters and delicates, it only uses cold water.)
5. Bedding (Cycle choice for washing quilts and bedding. I don't know if it uses hot or cold water.)

D Button: Within each kind of cycle are certain washes. This button highlights which ones will happen in the cycle you chose. It is a progressive thing, for example from top to between it goes from rinsing to washing to rinse and then drain. You don't really need to mess with this after you pressed the C button, since it presets itself.

E Button: This button has pictures of measuring cups next to it. I don't mess with this button either and just leave it alone. I don't really know what its function is.

F Button: Hot or Cold? I usually always leave it on Cold. I think if you want hot you have to change the hose connected to the machine.

G Button: The timer. Do I really need to explain? One thing though is check it often, because it seems to take longer than you think.

Washing Whites: If separating is your thing, then I would press the on button and leave it at the regular cycle.
Washing Colors: Same for whites, I guess just double check hot water is not going into the machine.
Sweaters / Delicates: Turn on and select the Wool setting using the C button, don't touch anything else and turn on.


Well, that should do it for the tutorial on how to use a Korean washing machine. Again remember every one's machine may not be like mine.

Finally, when doing your laundry and interacting with other people in your building try to remember that they more than likely have the upper hand. So get along with your neighbors, despite that they may act unfriendly.

Goodluck~!

Bonus!~
A video of the music the machine plays when done washing:

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Coex Revisit

Yesterday, I went up to COEX to do some shopping and browsing. BK was busy playing basketball and having an appointment with his coworkers to watch Volleyball, so I was on my own.

I'm pretty sure that just about every foreigner-teacher goes to COEX more than once or twice. The more we go the more we are able to navigate our way around the maze that is this mall, and find our way to the stores that we enjoy. There are also many places to eat inside the mall that offer more than your usual Korean cuisine.

So come with me as I revisit COEX and take a look at what I saw this time.

A chest for sale in a window display~

I went inside the Hyundai Department store's food level, where there is a food court, deli and supermarket.

Inside the supermarket area is a section dedicated to "world" foods. I saw food mostly from Japan and America. Some of the American goods were surprisingly a shelf of Organic brand products. It was like they took a slice of an health foods store and put on their shelf. But the prices were really high.

These flavored salts caught my attention and reminded me of my family's favorite salt seasoning Herbamare.

When seeing these displays of foreign goods put in their own section of the supermarket I couldn't help but recall a similar situation back home. For example, at the supermarkets back home there are usually a few aisles dedicated to "Asian" foods, or "Latin" foods. I can imagine people of those origins going to that supermarket and seeing these aisles and feeling how inadequate they represent their foods from back in their country. Thankfully if you live in a large city you can find specialty markets for Korean, Chinese or Latin food. So I guess it goes the same for an American living abroad, your national products are put on a shelf, in a special section and highly priced.

Moving on, like I said one of the best aspects of COEX is that you can get a bite to eat that consists of familiar foods from back home. One great example of this is the On The Border restaurant.

Or you can try out what is offered inside the food court, which does have a Sbarro pizza counter.


COEX is of course a busy place with all ages of people coming and going throughout its halls. Yet, I would say the majority of mall goers are teenagers. This is true for any mall, so why should it be different for Korea?

Therefore you can find teens in groups milling about the mall giggling as they go along their way. While I was there yesterday there was a talent show going on. I am unsure whether the participants on stage were teens but they gathered such a crowd.

I finally came to my favorite store inside COEX, which is called Ani Land. Inside is a great collection of Ghibli character toys and also cute stationary store items.



A very popular activity here in Korea and Japan (likely the same in other parts of Asia) is taking pictures with your friend inside photo-booths. But these are not your regular photo-booths, for after you get your picture taken you can spiff it up with hearts, cute backgrounds, angel wings and other digital add-ons.

I tried to figure out how you pay and how to operate one of the photo-booths but for the life of me didn't understand what to do. Plus, this photo-booth operation was next to an arcade and the gun-shooting noise was a little too much. I figured I would come back with BK and we can get some cute pictures together.

Another great place to visit inside the COEX is the Apple Store or as this place likes to call itself the A# Shop. A mecca for Mac and iPod lovers it houses Macbooks, iPods and the gear you need for both. Hint!!: They were having a sale on last year's model of Macbooks...looked really great!

I picked myself up a screen cleaning kit, due to that my Macbook's screen has been getting a little grimy lately. I did however, contemplate buying the new iPod Touch 16 Gigs because my iPod Touch from last year is only 8 gigs and is sometimes not enough. But I didn't...might as well use the money for something else.


Well after the A# shop I got a bite to eat and browsed around a bit and then went home. I did find what I was looking for, although I can't reveal what that is because it's a secret. (has to do with my anniversary with BK)

The weather is a bit warmer than usual which helps one get over their winter grumpiness.

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