Summer Englishee in The Mountainsee

It's amazing how much you can learn about yourself and the world that you live in when you spend 5 days at an English camp in the mountains in Korea. With the reality that my school rejected to keep me for another year and that I cannot pinpoint why, I entered teaching the mountain camp with the attitude of a free spirit. I figured this may be my last time out there and I should make it a good experience. For my classes I figured I would try my best to teach them English at the same time making sure they were having fun and learning. So it was that camp proved to be a heartwarming experience.

Without further ado I bring you the adventures from Summer Camp 2009.

Girls pose for a picture on our way to camp.

My sleeping cabin.

Flora

My teaching cabin (They put my class in this cabin...the regular classroom was being used as a room for the cleaning staff.)

My accommodations...this time I brought a mat to put under the blankets.

Flora

Kids run out of the lobby to go to their cabins to change into swimsuits so to go boating and fishing.

Kids get training for boating~

Fauna~

Fauna~

Kids go fishing using nets. It was rainy this day so a bit cool for this summer activity.

The boating begins~

A lot of excitement.

Somebody was too cold to keep fishing.

The kids found this book in the lobby. It is a book of bunny suicides. I read the publisher's page and found out the author is English. Title: The book of Bunny Suicides. The kids loved this book and some parts were a bit too gruesome but overall very creative.

On Wednesday we found a Toad leaping and crawling near the building. We were all fascinated by it (teachers)...which meant we had been at camp for a while.

Talent night~

Kids loved finding the bugs at camp, capturing them and showing them off to us teachers. I wasn't' too scared by what they caught and was fascinated too. Some teachers found it cruel the way the kids played with the bugs, especially the boys. But I concluded they are boys and that is what boys do.

Mountain scene~

This was the "cool" boy at camp...i.e. popular boy.

Frogies!

Last day of camp in the morning. Kids are tuckered out from learning English and being at camp.

On the last day we decided to have one big event for the kids instead of teaching our individual classes. Some teachers were organizing a scavenger hunt. I helped out by creating a lower level scavenger hunt sheet. I went to the office to make copies. The head director greeted me and asked if I were coming back for Winter camp. I told her my story of how my school didn't sign me on for a second year and she frowned. She told me that I was a really good teacher and will be sad to see me not at the camp again.

It was as if the skies had opened up and handed me a gift. Meaning I have been waiting all my time here in Korea to hear a Korean person tell me that I am a good teacher and mean it.

I didn't kiss ass either to get that praise. I really tried to teach the kids, be patient and provide them quality care. For the low level class I went slower and made sure they were on the right page. For the higher level class I challenged them more with quizzes and comprehension checks. Throughout camp kids would come up to me and say "Geography!". I was the Geography teacher. hehehe

I really have an open heart now towards kids and teaching them English. I know there are times when we (teachers) get stressed and tired and don't want to deal with the kids. But I feel that I can no longer blame them. Saying, "Oh this class is so hard, the kids are so slow" just won't work for me. I feel now no matter the kids it is my duty to be patient with them and be their teacher.

Anyways, camp was great. It was really rewarding to unplug for a while. Behind the cabins was a creek that helped one relax.

I wish I could come there again and again, but that means I would need to find a Gunpo City job somehow. Well we will see!

For now I feel fulfilled with my abilities at teaching and excited because SUNDAY I go to America for vacation!

See you there!

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Off to Summer Camp

Well I am off today to go to summer camp in the Mountains. Last time I spent it during the winter time and it wasn't so bad. Kind of a relaxing in the mountains feeling combined with children running around.

I will be unplugged so don't expect any blogging. When I come back I will be packing for my vacation to California.

Anyways have a good week everyone.

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Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival

On Saturday JH and I went to COEX to check out the International Cartoon and Animation festival. I got excited for going considering that back in San Diego the Comic Con was going on and so was thinking that this might be similar.

Despite that the experience wasn't full of costumed anime and manga maniacs, we still had a great time. Here for you is a picture journey through the festival.

There were some models showing off what I think was Pucca clothing. It was a little freakish to see these gals make intentional cute poses.

There were many cartoon booths throughout the festival hall, many of which were familiar.

Most of it wasn't very recognizable for me, but I could tell the kids were enjoying it all.

A lot of the booths were selling off goodies. Here is a popular item these days, which is fake bread or pastries that actually carry a pseudo scent of bread.

Here and there you could get your picture next to over sized cartoon characters.

There were a lot of spaces set up for contests and games, giving the underage plenty of fun things to do.

American cartoons were represented here and there. Spongebob is very popular out here, in case you didn't know.

At one booth JH found a computer to play some games.

So cute!

There was a section where cartoon and other artists set up little booths to sell and promote their works.

The fun part was that behind the booth you could see the artist making their crafts right there.

A wall with post-its and hand written messages.

One area was set where you could make cookies and have them baked. It was free but to do it you had to sign up early.

Entering the adjacent section of the festival.

There was a stage where they were presenting some animators.

This back area section had more artists set up that were available to sign their works. I was impressed to see some lines formed for these artists.

One exhibit area showcased different South East Asian cartoons.

Further back we went the more less crowded it became. We found one area where you could do some drawing. I spotted the only costumed festival goers the whole time drawing at a table.

Do you know who this is? The name starts wit an "H" and is suppose to be Seoul's new mascot.

There was even a section set up for illustrative drawing with a Wacom tablet. I wanted to join in but the participants seemed glue to their seats.

We finished up the cartoon and animation festival and while we tried to exit ended up in a separate exhibit featuring Korean folk crafts and traditional wares.

It was a fun experience and I enjoyed it even though the place was crowded with children. If you still got time today (Sunday) is the last day.

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Doki and Nabi

;)

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Back at the National Art Museum

On Sunday JH and I went to the National Art Museum in the Yongsan area. Sometimes you need to go see the art.

On the way I saw this sign on the bus. For those who can read Korean...you know what it says. :)

Followed a path towards the museum's restaurant entrance.

Chicken Ceasar Salad for myself.

With a side order of squash soup.

Fried rice for JH.

Ha! It's been one year and I am back at the museum~

Growl~

We started out going through the exhibits which begin in the Prehistoric time. This was fun as JH and I had a mini debate over Korean and Japanese arts and how the two resemble each other during this age.

Gold earrings.
Silla, 6th century, gold

Neolithic pottery

Mirror with accompanying mold.

Incense Burner
Baekje, 6th-7th century, gilt bronze, H. 61.8cm; National Treasure No. 287; Anonymous temple site at Neungsan-ri, Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do Province source

Roof or Wall tiles~

Crown and Belt
Silla, 5th century, gold and jade, H. 27.3cm (crown): National Treasure No. 191; North Mound of Hwangnamdaechong, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province Crown source

Cups

Ten-story Pagoda of Gyeongcheonsa Temple
Goryeo, 1348, H. 13.5m; National Treasure No. 86; Gaeseong, Gyeonggi-do Province source

Pensive Bodhisattva or Pensive Prince
You can tell a Bodhisattva from a Buddha because Bodhisattva's usually have a crown, jewelery or other embellishments on them...signs they have yet to be enlightened. Source = Korean Art History Course in College
Three Kingdoms period, gilt bronze, H. 82.9cm, W. 37.6kg; National Treasure No. 78

Traveling scripture~

Mirrors~

Ornamental knife worn with hanbok

Hairpin

Hairpin.

Ceramic Goryeo dynasty

Ceramic Goryeo dynasty

Ceramic Goryeo dynasty

Kundikas~

Similar to Kamandalu, Kundika is to collect pure water. It is a water pot, pitcher[5], a pouring vessel with a spout on the side but without a handle.

It has a long neck, above which rises a slender tube-like mouth that functions as the spout. Another spout is attached to the shoulder, with a small removable lid. Water filled through the covered spout on the shoulder can be poured out through the tubular finial. Kundikas, made of bronze, celadon and unglazed stoneware are held around its neck while pouring. Unlike the kindi, it is filled through the wide spout at the side while the pouring is done through the neck.

In Hindu iconography, the kundika appears as a godly attribute of Brahma and Siva. Lord Siva is Kamantaludharan. In Buddhism, kundika is one of the eighteen holy vessels held by a Buddhist monk. It is the attribute of Avalokiteswara. source

Jar
Porcelain with an underglaze iron painted design of plum and bamboo; Joseon, 16th century, H. 41.3cm; National Treasure No. 166 source

Apparantly because of Japanese invasions during this period the use of expensive and hard to obtain cobalt blue underglaze was replaced with the cheaper iron underglaze.

And wait what is this? Why it is a 3-D puzzle of Dokdo!!! haha

And model of a Turtle Ship.

Hope you enjoyed that voyage through the museum. It was great to get summersed in Korea's art historical past.

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A Quiet Moment

After school today I went over to Pyeongcheon, which is about 3 subway stops on the way to Seoul.

I like to go to this area to get a sandwich from Subway and sometimes stroll over to the Central Park, which lies between Pyeongcheon and Beomgye.

Today it seemed was a great day to go to the park and zone out. As I entered through the pathway I heard the soft sound of accordion notes playing in the distance. Following the sound I found this old man sitting contently playing his accordion. I decided this was where I would stop and chill out, so I took a seat not too far from him and enjoyed the scenery.

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Jackpot

On top of the usual benefits one receives when they finish a job in Korea it appears there are some other bonuses coming my way.

Apparently in January the city government changed the housing allowance to 600,000 Won a month, which is an increase from 400,000. My school has been receiving 600,000 Won to pay for my house ever since, but my house only costs 400,000 because it is a sh*t hole. Pardon my language

Therefore the school has been storing away 200,000 every month since January. My coteacher found out about this and informed me that I should receive the missing money before I finish. This is exciting news but I am only going to believe it 80% because it may have already been put into may bank account. Considering there were at times mystery deposits, but from what I recall they were never really that big. HAHA! Update*** Just got a call from my coteacher and she said that it won't work for me like that, because I never chose the option to take the money pay for the house myself. Instead the school pays for the house with a deposit from the city. Anyways it's not happening. Ah well.... but I still get the next bonus.

The other bonus is airfare. Since I signed on to this school while living in Korea they didn't have to pay for my flight over here. The way flight tickets go with Korean contracts is that if you work 6 months then you have earned your flight to Korea. Then if you work the remaining 6 months you earn a flight home after you finish your contract.

So I was presented with the offer to either take a money sum of the tickets or receive a round trip ticket at the end of my contract. As of right now I am not sure which to take because it depends on whether I will get a job in November or later on in the winter. So far the cash option looks nice because I could always use it later on to buy a ticket anyways. Or use it to get through living in Korea without a job while I am job hunting.

Hitting the job market again in Korea is a bit more interesting this time, for it seems the game rules have changed. I will get more into that later. For now I should work on getting my TESOL certificate completed.

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How Do I Get an Asian Girl?

Well I don't really need to worry about this because I am not looking for an Asian girl. But if you are a guy and you are looking for an Asian girl here is a funny video.

However, I don't think this guy knows what he is talking about.



And some variety

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Partial Eclipse

Feeling that cosmic power today as South Korea experiences a partial eclipse. Jeju-do is getting more of it and Japan should have 100% as I heard from a 6th grader in my summer camp class.

Speaking of which I should get back to teaching it ...haha!

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Dinner with the Family

In between all this job stuff I managed to meet JH's Mother and Sister last Saturday. JH and I have been together for about 3 months now and I have been asking him if I could meet his family. Also it seems like he has been talking a lot about me around his house and so they were starting to become curious.

Whenever you mention to other expats that you are dating a Korean guy usually one of the things they ask you is whether or not you have met the parents and how did it go. It is perceived that Korean families don't take it too well that their sons or daughters are dating a non-Korean. After the outcome with my ex I have come to realize that there really is no way to tell.

I was a bit nervous when I first heard that JH had made an appointment for us to meet. But on the day of our meeting my mind was too busy thinking about my contract that the notion of meeting his family didn't seem to sway me very much.

We met for dinner in Apgujeong in Gangnam at a Shabu Shabu place. For those unaware a Shabu Shabu place is a Koreanized version of a Japanese cuisine. Basically what you have is a pot of boiling water in the center of your table. You can chose to order a variety of foods to go in that pot to cook. Choices range from seafood, ham to beef. Usually they all come with mushrooms and sorted vegetables. This particular Shabu Shabu place was quite fancy with many dipping sauces than usual.

It was pouring down rain when we picked up his Mom and Sister from the subway station. They seemed excited to meet me. However their English skills were pretty low and I sputtered out the little Korean I know to help them get to know me.

We got to the restaurant and waited to be seated. It was that in between time where you don't really know how to act. I played it cool and joked with them as they spoke Korean. JH helped translate what everyone was talking about.

At the dinner table I was quiet throughout the meal as everyone ate. I got the usual question of "Can you eat kimchi?" and awe that I can function using chopsticks. Looking at JH's Mom and Sister I could tell their family is a petite skinny type of people, unlike my ex's which were on the plump side. Towards the end of the meal I warmed up more and joked about JH towards his family. They seemed to enjoy my humour. I felt a bit relieved that he has a sister instead of a brother. Hopefully we can go out more together and bond in that sisterhood kind of way. Of course learning and practicing Korean more would help.

It was time to leave and his sister took off to meet her boyfriend. We took his Mom home and were offered to come inside but we felt it was too late and would rather come and see the house when it is daylight.

Overall, it went well and wasn't such a big deal. From what I can tell they seemed open minded about their son and brother dating a foreigner. But I know to keep that open ended and see what they think as time progresses. I am going to find them something cute from America and bring it back as a souvenir for them. ^^

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It's Final

The answer is:

They are not going to renew my contract, so they will be looking for a new teacher.

Kind of a little shocking and scary when I first heard it. But given all that happened within the last year I guess I didn't exactly fit their idea of what a foreign teacher ought to be.

Ah well~ All I have to say is that I know the result and that means I can move on. It also means I don't have to plan past October for my special class.

But it also entails that I will be looking for a new job and usually there aren't that many available to start in November. Therefore I am faced with some new opportunities in life.

Here is a short sketch of what is running around in my head.

• Must be at an elementary school. No private school unless it is idealistic.
• Stay within Gyeonggi-do (the province surrounding Seoul). Look for placement in Bundang, Guri or here in Gunpo. (Preferably close to Seoul).
  
• Do not sign unless I see the house and agree it is suitable.
• Could take the free ticket home to America (in November) and visit family, but will want to return to Korea. That means I would have to pay for my flight back.
  
• Stay in Korea on a tourist visa until I find a suitable job...might not be till February. Where would I stay?

All in all this is exciting, disappointing and a little scary all at the same time. I know I need to learn from this and when I walk into my new job I will try to do my best.

For now I am realizing how much I am going to miss the kids at this school and hope I didn't let them down.

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School's Out for Summer

I know in my last post I sounded like I was whining and griping about my job. When in reality it is a great job and I should be thankful for it.

In some ways I am really insecure when it comes to people evaluating me. Even when I worked at the summer camps (back in America) they would do session check ups on our performance and I occasionally had mini hissy fits.

What I am trying to say is that I shouldn't blame Korea or Koreans for my insecurities. Honestly I want to do this job and I want to do it well.

So to keep our minds off of this stuff let's look at some pictures I took from 6th graders during the last day of class before summer vacation.

Folder graffiti~

"English is funglish with full of excitement. You ask and I answer, you talk to me and I reply. I give and you... In English, everyday conversation becomes new experience with..."

View from the school window~

Later on in the day we received ice-cream in a bag, which was pretty darn good.

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Soon

As we were dashing out of the classroom today to make it to the dinner party my coteacher informed me that the Principals and all the teachers will gather tomorrow to have a meeting about my renewal.

I took it as good and bad news. Kind of a slap of truth. I didn't know all the teachers would be there. At this point it is all subjective.

So at the dinner party my mood was a tad sour as I thought about how unfair it is for them to talk about me and my performance without first hearing my side of the story. Again this was noticed by my coteacher who may or may not take it with her to the meeting tomorrow. I know that if she feels like she doesn't want to work with me any longer she can push her opinions about me.

I know she is a good person but this is about the workplace and her ideals of what makes the right Native English teacher may not match with her perception of me. I wish I could just explain to her that not knowing the result of my contract renewal decision makes me really anxious and nervous. But we have been so darn busy I haven't been able to tell her this.

Next week is our school's summer camp that I have to teach alongside my coteacher. This weekend I will try my best to just not think about what is going on at the meeting.

In my opinion I feel like I did a good job. I never took a sick day, except for those small times I left work to visit the doctor. I always showed up to work on time. I have worked hard at lesson planning for the advanced class. At times I was a bit robotic and boring during the regular classes but I have recently tried to be more chipper and helpful.

Once again I know it is all subjective and depends on how other people feel. I wasn't the foreigner who gleefully spilled everything about my life and country to every coworker at school. I mostly kept to myself and did my job. If this image is something they have grown to distaste than there is nothing I can do any longer.

For me I only care about staying at this school because it is the easiest option. Instead of finding a new school and facing a new set of conditions staying at my current school means I know what to deal with. Plus I love the kids and know I will miss them. In addition, if I really fix up my attitude I know that I could work really well this coteacher. But if I am told they don't want me to renew then I will join the chopping block gladly.

If they come to the conclusion that they want me to renew then I will demand the housing change. And we will see what happens then.

Meanwhile I have these two summer camps to get through then it is off to California for vacation!

By the way, I discovered today that my umbrella has holes in it, which does not help during monsoon rains.

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Stay Calm

School is wrapping up the 1st semester and the kids vacation is on the horizon. So the students are a bit antsy to get out of school and live their childhood before Mom sends them to various hagwons.

As for me I am getting antsy too waiting for my vacation and my contract discussion time. Next week will be the summer camp bonanza at my school and my coteacher told me during that time she will prompt the contract decision to the Principal. But the actual meeting where we all decide probably won't happen till the end of August, when everyone returns from vacation.

It seems, though, that with the notion of my contract and my work performance up for scrutinizing I have become a bit paranoid. I think this is because at the hagwon I was told so many backwards things and they kept on contradicting themselves that I have grown to not trust my Korean counterparts with things like telling me the truth and knowing the real story.

Everyday it seems I go over in my head the conversation I wish to have with everyone when they ask me if I want to stay another year. It goes something like this:

Me: I won't sign the new contract unless you find me a new house.
Them: I'm sorry Joy, we can't find you a new house unless you sign the new contract.
Me: Well that is too bad because I have a hard time believing you will find a nicer new house after I sign.
Them: What do you mean?
Me: I mean that let's say I sign the new contract but then you come to me and say that there are no new houses available in the area and it can't meet the housing budget. What would happen to me? I would have to live somewhere unsuitable, right?
Them: (Quiet looks at each other)
Them: Okay we will see what we can do.

And then there will be a period of where I won't know what is going on. All in all I hope it goes more proactive than that. I mean they don't have to put the key money down on a new place before I sign, I just want to go look and see what will be available before I sign up for a whole year.

Unfortunately this is causing a lot of anxiety within me, which makes for an unpleasant coworker. I am trying my best to not let this crap take a hold of me so that I can continue to do the job at hand. But everyday I seem to show signs of my stress and I can tell its upsetting my coteacher.

For today, once more I am trying to trick my mind into thinking that I should just focus on the work needed to be done and that the contract stuff will happen when it happens.

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Japan's Love Hotels

A quick link here to a BBC report of love hotels in Japan. Apparently despite their recession many are visiting the love hotels. I thought it would be a good read considering there are many parallels to Korean love hotels when you read the article. Although I have yet to see some hotels out here with touch screens at the entrance.

Steve Mansfield does not like the phrase love hotels. He prefers "leisure hotels", pointing out that what goes on in his premises happens in every other hotel in the world.

Whatever they are called, Japan's short stay hotels remain busy with customers.

The Japanese may have cut back on many things in the downturn - but not on a few hours to spend alone with a loved one.

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Oh No! What Could It Be?

Look Hun there is a peacock in a tree.

Well all be darn!

You don't see them birds around these parts.

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Rainy Memories

Hearing the rain pour down in torrents made a spark go off in my head. It made me wonder why I hadn't noticed the rain so much last year. For some reason I seem to be more fascinated with the steady amount that is pouring out of the sky this year.

As I was just doing a drawing and listening to the pouring rain in the background I realized why I wasn't as fascinated as I am now with the rain last year. It was because I was working at the hagwon till 7:45 and was so exhausted I hadn't the notion to notice mother nature's fury.

I guess this all led me to wonder how I survived at the hagwon. This was during my first months here in Korea and I was experiencing so much. Mostly feeling tired and stressed out from the job. I recall constantly not knowing what to do or whether what I was doing was keeping my bosses happy.

It is one whole year since then and the rain reminds me of how far I have come. Although life can never really reach perfection this insight shows me that you can at least make progress.

Of course, though, I know these rains will bring the mosquitoes.

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Anmyeondo Part 2

For part 2 I will highlight what we did for the rest of Saturday and Sunday. After lunch we checked into our Pension. After walking through the front door you are greeted with a pink and floral design on the wall.

The place had a kitchen equipped with a stove, fridge and rice cooker. There were cooking utensils there too.

Cozy...

The water ran very hot from the pipes, which was something I would have been more grateful for had it been winter time.

A large screen TV with Internet access.

Out on the porch JH spotted a frog and got frightened, but I found it to be so cute! I nicknamed it Mr. Frog and teased JH the whole time. I wanted to pick it up but JH had none of that.

A look at the pension building. The owner Ahjumma (middle aged woman) was very excited to have a foreigner stay at her pension. She said the other renters were curious about me. She was a fun lady who asked JH a lot of questions. I told him to tell her that most of the foreigners had gone to the Mud Festival. She retorted by telling us that she knows some people who went to the Mud Festival and got sick.

The pension was set right into the countryside. It was great to hear the sound of crickets and frogs in the summer afternoon.

A Dip in the West Sea (Yellow Sea):
We went back to the beach but by then it was raining. Nevertheless we came this far and weren't going to leave without a swim in the West Sea. So with some coaxing JH got me in the cool water and finally we swam around. It felt so freeing to swim in the water while it was raining. Also I realized how long it had been since I swam in a natural body of water.


Dinner:
After swimming and taking a short rest we set up for dinner. The pension allows its tenants to rent a grill and use a picnic table. So it was that we made galbi for dinner, which came out great. What you see here are our side dishes plus a bottle of "sweet" soju, which is low in alcohol.

JH was the master chef, with a little help from the Ahjumma.

We woke up on Sunday to torrential rain and wind. Our checkout time was 11am and so it was that we left our little slice of heaven.
We returned to my neighborhood and later on had some patbingsu for dessert. Now I miss that place and quietude it offered. I know some find the rainy season bothersome but I like the cool rain showers and pitter patter on the window. Ahhhhh summer~

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Blogging and Community

I was contacted last week to take part in a survey for someones graduate dissertation.

The question of whether digital communication via blogging is making old forms of communication disappear is an interesting topic. Since it is a striking issue out here in Korea where many expats blog about their life I think it is important that you too take part in this research.

I haven't given my full response yet, but hope that it materializes soon. I would like to shortly say that I feel blogging is the stepping stone for people to gather together in the future. As I know by experience meeting most of the other expats out here by first finding them on the Internet.

To get your mind started I copied the following from this person's blog.

Today’s archives are rife with personal diaries and papers which allow us a glimpse into the past. But, what of the archives of the future? How many people today actually keep a pen and paper journal or write letters home? In the future, what will the ‘foreigner’ community in Korea look like… when a foreigner meets another foreigner will they still experience ’should I wave and say hello or should I not’ awkwardness? will foreigners still be greeted wtih random ‘HELLOs!’ from strangers as they walk down the street? will foreigners still be helping each other to track down ‘good’ cheese? These are just a few of the issues that have been discussed in numerous Korea-related blogs and they have helped to shape the expat community, composed mainly of native English teachers, in Korea. How will future generations of expats living in Korea reflect upon these issues unless Korea-related blogs are archived in some manner? A failure to preserve blogs may create a black hole of information for future generations of archives users.

So go to their website and take the survey, for I am sure they will appreciate it.

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Anmyeondo Part 1

Every now and then you got to get out of town. Go somewhere and be a tourist or a wondering traveler.

For JH and I wanted to have a mini vacation together before I go off on my big vacation to America. So with some quick planning he made arrangements for us to go to Anmyeondo.

However, before going I wasn't fully aware of our destination. Just knew that it would take around 3 hours driving to get there and was on the west coast of Korea.

So it was that we left early Saturday morning and headed down south, following the GPS unit in the car.

We split the driving and I took over the last leg of the trip over to our destination.

When you drive through Korea, or ride a bus or train, you pass through many mountainsides and farmland. Whenever I go down the highways of Korea I am amazed at how much is still left undeveloped. However, I am grateful that parts of Korea are still not modernized.

We arrived at our Pension, but were too early to check in. So we headed to the beach first. (A Pension in Korea is a stylized type hotel...kind of like a resort or condo. Except the room you rent varies in size and theme. But basically from my perspective it is what a normal house or dwelling should be unlike the high rise apartment buildings dotting the horizons everywhere.)

You will see more pictures of the Pension later for now enjoy the outdoor facilities...a grilling and eating structure...

And a lovely swing...

The Beach:
Anmyeondo beach and area is famous for its sunsets, beautiful sandy seasides and a National Recreation Forest full of a

rare kind of wild pine tree called "Anmyeonsong" growing only on the island.

In other words it is a slice of paradise. The beach wasn't too far away and we arrived in the morning time when it seemed just locals were there before the tourists set in.
It felt exhilarating to be back at a beach. The smell of suntan lotion mixed in with sea salt on the wind brought me back to my youth when I played on the shores in Florida.


We walked around a bit and I became so excited at the amount of beautiful seashells laying about. I was surprised they were still there and no one had plucked them from the sand. But it was low tide so the seabed was exposed and people were more interested in the live sea creatures to be found.
We walked back to the car to change our shoes to sandals. While on the way a police hovercraft came scooting about the beach. For why we didn't really know, but it certainly made quite the spectacle.
In the parking lot area there were bathroom facilities, an open area where you can wash off sandy feet and shoes, along with a make-shift mart and an entrance to the forest.
We headed back to the beach this time prepared with a beach ball and a bag to put collected shells in.

I couldn't help but keep my gaze downwards, for besides the seashells there were also many sea creatures. It was like I had walked into an Aquarium. But really it was just the tide pools.

I think whenever anyone approaches the shoreline at the beach they walk in and get that first feel of the water. I was surprised to notice that the water was a bit cooler than expected, but still quite nice.

JH's slippers were float able... haha

Since it was low tide there was some bedrock exposure allowing for beach goers to get an eye popping view of sea life. Walking up to the rocks you could tell something was alive about it because it made a kind hissing sound. I determined it was due to the sunshine drying up the creatures and barnacles that lived on the rocks.
Looking at the tide pools you noticed sea shells moving, due to that they still had their sea creature inside.

I feel it is always fun to see starfish in real life. They can be such a magical site to behold. It was getting close to lunch time so we headed inwards for a bite to eat. Of course this being an island the selection of restaurants mostly catered to seafood dishes. I am not much of a seafood person. But we were able to enjoy a few dishes without that being a problem.

Lunch:

The restaurant we picked was outdoors protected by a mosquito screen.

JH picked out a noodle soup called 칼국수 or Kalguksu. Noodles in broth with clams or oysters...see I don't know my seafood very well. JH ate the oysters while I enjoyed the noodles and veggies. It tasted very fresh and delightful.


After lunch we checked into our Pension and did some more things. But you will have to see that in part 2. For now I hope you can hear the sound of the seashore and know what a treat it was to go to the West Sea.

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Speed Dating Beijing

Awesomeness! The wheels in my mind were spinning about dating Koreans. ^^

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Agra Food Interview

AgraFood the

monthly magazine published under the government budget. The name is Korea Agrafood (www.agrafood.co.kr) and it has contained articles about agricultural products and its export. There is a content about people who live and like Korea.

Contacted me via email requesting an interview by me via email. I figured why not and just recently replied with my answers. I have to say I am a bit ashamed I couldn't name the Korean names of my favorite Korean dishes. So looks like I will try to jot it down the next time I eat it. haha

Here for you are the questions and answers...enjoy!

1. Could you introduce yourself? - and your profile

Hello my name is Joy Iris-Wilbanks I am a 27 year old woman from San Francisco, California. However I grew up in Florida and have lived in California too. I graduated from San Francisco State University in 2007 with a degree in Art. I enjoy living in Korea and have been doing so for a little over a year now.

2. Why do you came to Korea?

On New Year's Day 2008 I made a New Year's resolution to come and teach in Korea. At that time I was working at an insurance company and felt like my life was not very meaningful. Also I have always had an interest in Asian culture and traveling. I had never been outside the country and really wanted to explore. In addition I had previous jobs where I was with children and found that to be more enjoyable than office work. So I combined my two passions and decided to teach in Korea. I chose Korea because out of my other choices (China and Japan), Korea seemed to over the most benefits and appeared to be a clean and safe country.

How long have you been?

I have been hear since May 2008.

3. About Korean food.

1. What';s your favorite and what kinds of Korean food do you hate?

Unfortunately I have not memorized all of Korea's food names. For me my favorite is Lamb galbi because it is so unique. But I also enjoy the "pizza" or pancake type food. I really enjoy panchan (side dishes) because they offer a great variety at the table. Also I think Korean soups are very good and healthy. When I feel sick I no longer make my chicken soup but go out to a Korean restaurant and order Jook or other soup. The Korean food I hate are the foods sold in the carts on the street. I am skeptical of the food quality. I really don't like squid or octopus so anything with a strange sea creature I don't like.

2. Do you really enjoy Korean food?

Yes I really enjoy Korean food. It is very healthy and covers many food groups in one meal. I can tell Koreans have a long standing tradition with their food.

3. Is there any Korean food you can cook?

Unfortunately there is not, but with some time I would like to learn how to make a simple soup with tofu.

3. experience

None?

1. What is you first impression about Korea or Korean culture?

My first impression of Korea when I came here about a year ago was that Korea is a very well developed country. I was amazed to see sky high apartment buildings. As for the culture I found it interesting to see how everyone talk boisterously during meals and that Koreans are very curious about Westerners.

2. Are you hanging out with Korean friends?

I have a Korean boyfriend and I spend my weekends with him.

3. In your opinion, where is the best part of Korea- for sightseeing and eating food.

I feel the best part of Korea for sightseeing and eating food is near the Insadong area called Samcheondong in Seoul There you can get a glimpse of old style buildings while also getting a feel for unique cafes in Korea. Also nearby is a famous palace which is very amazing. All in this neighborhood I feel are many unique places to experience Korean food and sightseeing. Every time I go I find someplace new and feel very relaxed. I highly recommend this part of Korea.

4. Future

I am nearing the end of my 1 year teaching contract so I am up for resigning. I would like to continue living in Korea and at my present school. The only way they can keep me if they provide me a better house. Unfortunately for English teachers our housing situation is often degrading. Now that I have been here a year I feel I deserve a quality home. Also I would like to explore Korea more and see the sites around the country. I haven't been to Busan or Jeju-do so it would be nice to see what is down there.

5. Last

Thank you for giving me this interview I hope it shows other people that foreigners living in Korea have a good time. We love to explore new places and find out what is going on in Korean society.

Could you tell me your opinion about Korean food and culture?

Korean food combines many different spices and ingredients. Whenever I eat a Korean meal I feel I can taste so many different things. I for one am not really fond of Kimchi but many foreigners like it. For me I can't handle the spiciness. I am constantly amazed at how fresh everything is prepared and cooked. I can tell Koreans value fresh food and meat. Also I enjoy Korea's seasonal fruits and vegetables. While shopping I can tell what is popular by all the ahjummas standing around the fruit or vegetable bins. I think Koreans see their daily meals as a way of providing comfort for all in their family.

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Different Shades of English

After my Korean class on Wednesdays a few of us go out to dinner together afterwards. At first there were about 10 of us but then participants in this free Korean class started to dwindle and it was down to just us sticklers.

We would pick a different place to eat at every time and usually it was a non-Korean cuisine.

The interesting part of our meals were the conversations. In particular I think this is what is most enjoyable about living in Korea. That is meeting people from different parts of the world.

At our last get together after class I met with a South African, New Zealander and a Britain. One of the conversations we had was about how they can't stand teaching "American" English.

For example Americans call the device where water comes out of in a sink the "faucet" but for the others at my table they called it the "tap". The South African when first hearing it called a "faucet" here in Korea that it was some old English word that nobody uses and so taught it that way. She corrected it for her students thus teaching them to call it the "tap".

I found this conversation amusing because it shows how English speaking people have different words for the same thing. It is really fun to sit down with non-Americans and share these differences in the English language.

What happens most often, I notice, is that the non-Americans end up complaining a little bit about the American usage for certain things. Certainly I heard this kind of griping during our dinner. The British guy said he refuses to use American words.

As for our students I think they mostly know about American English. Therefore it may be a good idea to do a lesson comparing English spoken across the globe.

All in all, I always have a fun time calling the hood of the car the "bonnet" and the trunk the "boot."

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Tumbling Down

It must be that time of the year when everything comes tumbling down. For us at school it means tests and preparations for summer camp.

Also I enquired about my contract review and my coteacher said she will ask the Principal about it during our camp time, which is the 20 - 24th. But she expects he won't be ready to talk about it till after summer vacation...which is at the end of August. Whatever! I know what I am going to say so bring it on!

And after a lot of looking over tax documents and getting frustrated I used TurboTax to fill out my tax forms. Now all I have to do is mail it in and see what happens. (eFile-ing failed)

Lately I have been patiently waiting for my vacation in California which is coming in August. I start thinking about it and can't stop.

Well those are the updates for now...if my blogging seems sporadic it is because of all this stuff going on.

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Din Din

I have been trying lately to make myself dinner more often than eating out. I think I am doing this mostly because my appetite has lost interest in eating Han's Deli and "spaghetti" over and over.

I use to do a lot of cooking back in college to save money, so it is not like I don't know how to cook. A few weeks ago I made a chicken dinner that turned out pretty well. I used Jiffy cornbread mix from Hannam supermarket and taco seasoning to coat the chicken.

I was bit too nervous worrying about not cooking the chicken enough that I think I overcooked it in the end. It still tasted pretty good.

Those are "Spanish" olives in that salad!

The next day I shared the left over cornbread with my coworkers. They were pleased, so now I think I will get around to making banana bread and share that with them.
If I am not cooking up something "western" I put together a quick remyeon and rice meal. Eating in saves money too!

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Trivia Time from Chris Round 3

Here we go again....let's see if I know anything.

31. McDonalds, Burger King, and Dunkin Donuts are just a few well-known American food places with many locations across Korea. Name three well-known food franchises from America that you cannot find in Korea (without a military base pass, at least!).

In and Out Burger, Checkers (Florida), Jambu Juice...it's a franchise and owned by Starbucks...the smoothies come fast...fastfood.

32. What is the approximate percentage of alcohol in soju?

Enough to rip the guy out of me.

33. One of the tallest buildings in Korea, known as '63' ('yuk-sam') was once the tallest building in Asia. Until it became known as '63', what was the three-letter name of the building?

Dunno

34. Cell phone stores are everywhere, but only three cell phone companies provide service to those thousands of phones. Name the three cell phone companies.

SK, uh uh ah darn

35. Where is Wolmi-do?

Some Island...

36. Dokdo is ours! Or so Korea says. The only way to get to Dokdo from Korea's mainland is by a ferry from what island?

Womi-do only taking a guess.

37. The 2008 beef protests started shortly after a report from a Korean TV show? What was that show called?

>< ?

38. If you're here teaching English at a hagwon or in the public school system, you're probably on an E-2 visa. Which visa would you need if you wanted to be a college professor?

Same...no????? Professor..hrmmm

39. You're taking a taxi to meet your friends, and you ask the driver to drop you off at the 공원 입구 (gongwon ibgu). What or where is that?

Oh for Pete's sake!

40. How many baseball teams are there in the Korean Baseball League?

And to think I actually watch them...uh uh maybe about 6 teams

41. There are several dynasties and kingdoms mentioned in Korea's history. Name two dynasties or kingdoms.

Silla, Paekjae

42. In 2000, the Korean language was revised to make Romanization easier despite some protests from the Korean people (surprised?). What did they change? Bonus points: Named after two of the linguists that helped create it, what was the previously used system called?

Wow... I think you need to get some rest Chris...try to wing it like the rest of us.

43. Approximately how large is a 평 (pyeong)?

I'll Show you mine if you show me yours.

44. Who or what is 막걸리 (makgeolli)?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-h

45. One of Korea's most famous leaders, who is on the front of the manwon (10,000 won) bill?

King Sejong

(Banging head against the wall)... ask me anything about what school children like and I am all on it!

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Dancing Inmates

OMG!

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Red, White and Blue

Back home in America people are celebrating Independence Day. Maybe not every last American but I am sure most of them.

For me I have been without JH this weekend due to that he had a business trip in China. Yesterday I thought there was another Tomatillo taco gig going on downtown, but after I got there and saw no one around realized I had the date wrong. So one thing led to another I ended up at Kristen's to chill out.

As for today I am having another chill out day. But I am enjoying this Independence weekend by listening to A Prairie Home Companions July 4th Special and feeling like one cozy American.

The whole thing though makes me miss my family and my country. Yet I end up feeling like I appreciate America more than I ever did when I lived there.

What happens to be the most interesting part of all this is when I am out and about around other Koreans watching as they go by without a recognition of my country's holiday. Which makes sense, I wouldn't expect them to care about every country's major holidays.

Ah well..

Happy Birthday America!

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Louis Vuitton Soundwalk

Have you ever heard of a Soundwalk?

Perhaps not. But let's think about this for a moment. Imagine if someone walked you through their neighborhood describing every detail including sounds and scents.

Via the podcast To The Best of Our Knowledge segment "Sense of Place" I went to this website that features very lovely soundwalks by some enchanting voices.

Take the time and use your ears for a moment and listen to these soundwalks. If you have extra time then take a listening to that podcast as well. Both are very enlightening on our sense of place and home. Something as an expat I wonder and think about often.

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Plush Orange Lounge Chairs a Story

This story begins when I first moved into my Office-tel building. My office-tel is cheap and that means that the hallways and residing decor looks cheap and used. In some ways this is positive, for example I can put out my little bag of trash in front of my door until I am ready to dispose of it properly, and no one complains.

But within the chambers of my office-tell hallways lay another tale. When you exit the elevator you are greeted with an open space where the walls are covered with a wall paper picture of a lovely forest. An image that mocks the rest of the surroundings. In this space were plush orange lounge chairs. Four of them to be exact and they faced each other two by two with a small ash tray stand and table in the center.

From time to time I would see other residents sit on the chairs and enjoy a smoke. Never did I really consider it a concern until I thought of what would be the results if someone left their cigarette on the couch potentially causing a fire. But time went on and there were no fires.

Last month, however, I started to notice this trend with the orange plush lounge chairs. At first it was just one young lady but then sometimes there were more. For awhile there I would walk out of my building to go to work and notice a young 20-ish woman sleeping in one of the chairs, and not a lite sleep either a deep snoring sleep too. My first thoughts were maybe she was in a fight with her boyfriend and she got locked out.

But then I started to see her more often. Plus I started to see her when I left my home and when I came back. This made me wonder why she was still there. I made the conclusion that maybe she was stalking her ex boyfriend and was waiting for him to come home. Indeed, there were times when I saw her talking to another man and their conversation sounded serious.

I would see this gal frequently and wondered if she had a home or a life for that matter. We never really exchanged words, but sometimes I felt like giving her a thing of ramyeon to see if she would take it.

Then one day I was leaving for work and the situation with the lounge chair area was different this time. There were 4 girls there of the same age and an Ahjosshi was quite fiercely yelling at them and trying to pull them off the lounge chairs. A lot of bad Korean words were exchanged, but as I got into the elevator so did the other girls. We went our separate ways and I never saw them again.

I figured that these gals had nowhere to sleep at night and perhaps not enough money to hang out in jimjilbang or wherever else, found our lounge chair area and decided to use it as a place to crash.

But I guess it wasn't too long before one of the tenants or the building owner got fed up with it and did something about.

When I came home that day the plush orange lounge chairs were gone. Now there is just this empty square space with the forest wallpaper blaring away.

I kind of appreciate this event because I didn't really like the lounge chairs, considering tenants used it as a smoking spot which stunk up the hallways.

But when seeing the empty space I am reminded of those gals and wonder where they ended up and what they were doing all that time. All I know is that I will likely never get the answers.

Anyways, RIP plush orange lounge chairs.

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