Proud of My Work

Before I ever left for Korea I was working at an Insurance Company in San Francisco. My boss was this kooky old Japanese man who lived by a lot of morals and codes. Have you ever watched Mad Men? The office was kind of like that, and even had old type writers.

While he was training me to be an Insurance Agent he would now and then pass on knowledge. This one time he told me that when you do a job you should do it right. You should do such hard work that when it comes time for you to leave (for whatever reason) the company should be sorry to see you go. At that time I was fresh out of college and with a small work history behind me. I tried my best at that job, but know I could have left it better.

His wise words have carried with me in Korea. As you know I struggled at the first few jobs I had here, then I started to get momentum and understood what hard work means. It doesn't just mean showing up on time, doing paperwork and being there. It means going beyond the call of duty and probably working more than you should.

At the job I'm leaving now I know I am leaving behind hard work. My colleagues and supervisors might not be exactly telling me, "We wish you could stay" but I know I've left my mark. Although the Vice Principal did say she was sad to see me go.

However, I'm proud of my work at this job because of what I experienced today. I was organizing my desk and getting things ready for the new teacher. Throughout the year I kept binders of my work so to keep a record and just in case things came to this. I looked through my two full binders of "worksheets" and realized what great work it was. I made 90% of the worksheets by scratch. The binder of "lesson plans" weren't just short pages with an outline of what to do, but detailed and lengthy. In the storage spaces along the walls were spread out five large plastic bins full of materials, I also made from scratch. In addition, I bought blocks, cards and other hands-on stuff for the students. I'm leaving this all behind for the new teacher, and hope they use it.

When I walked into this school to teach 1st Grade math I was left with scant supplies and lesson plans. I started from scratch and built up a curriculum that I think is effective. However, I know that there is room for tweaking, but that's for the new teacher to deal with.

Leaving a job feeling satisfied and proud is a really good feeling. In the end, I don't really need a supervisor to tell me "good job" because I saw the results in my students and work. If you are an English teacher here in Korea I would encourage you to put in more than you have been. You might think it's not worth it because of the salary and quality of your institution, but it will develop yourself so much.

Anyway, that's my thoughts on this last Monday at work! (Official last day is next Thursday...next Monday is a holiday).

Goodbye desk~

Goodbye chalkboard ~

Lentil Soup Dinner

Throw some of this stuff together, and chop up some vegetables....

Simmer it all in a large pot and combine with some liquids...

Presto! You get a delicious and warming soup for the winter. 

How I Celebrated my 31st and 4th Birthday in Korea

With good food and great friends, that is how you have a wonderful 31st birthday in Korea. Not to mention that it was on Chuseok and I spent the earlier part of the day enjoying the traditions Korea had to offer.

I met up with some great pals who were available during this holiday season to eat at a highly recommended Evergreen Pakistani restaurant in Itaewon.  Unlike other similar restaurants I have tried here in Korea the food at this one tasted more authentic. Since I have not yet traveled to these regions of the world, I can't really say what is authentic, but the Naan bread definitely took the bait.

One can't pass their birthday without blowing out some candles, and this year I put mine on top of a lemon custard tart thanks to Tartine. I was hoping to put them on top of some cupcakes, but those places were closed. However, the tart turned out more scrumptious than cupcakes.

I'm always happy to turn another age on my birthday and getting further away from my twenties doesn't scare me. I find at this age that I have a lot more wisdom and patience in me. Anyway, it was a fun birthday and I hope this gives you some ideas for yours if you have it coming up.

Chuseok Spectacular at the Namsangol Hanok Village

 Ok, as you know by now my birthday was on Chuseok this year, which gave me five days off and a chance to explore more of this great city. I chose to visit the festivities at the Namsangol Folk Village in Chungmuro, Seoul. For one I really enjoy this time of year when people come out to engage in their cultural traditions and two I haven't been to this site yet.

 I arrived out of Chungmuro station and made my way up a street towards the village gate. Along this path were street carts selling traditional snacks, cotton candy and typical street food. The wafting smells of burnt squid along with sweet sugary cotton candy wafted in the air as I passed through the gate.

The above is hobakyeot, or traditional pumpkin candy that is broken up into small pieces. Now you would think this is some kind of hard crunchy thing to eat, however once in your mouth it starts to melt and releases a tangy sweet taste.

 I arrived before the major crowds came pouring in, allowing me to explore and move about the area easily. Upon entering you see a courtyard with traditional games set up, TBS eFM broadcasting from their truck and a stage nearby with performances going on. Definitely this was the place to be to explore traditional happenings in Korea and to mingle with Korean people.

 The highlight of this trip was seeing the youngsters dressed out in their colorful hanboks. Boys and girls looked as cute as dolls with their brightly colored vests and flowing skirts. Above you see children trying their hand at the game of Tuho where you throw long sticks that look like arrows into a standing pot with three holes. If you have ever tried your hand at this then you would know how tricky it really is to get those sticks in one of the holes.

 Another traditional game is called Yut, where you have four sticks and give them a toss in the air. These sticks are flat on one side which determines the play of the game. You count the number of sticks that landed flat and rounded to determine how many spaces you move your piece on the board. I think kids get the most kick out of throwing these sticks, which have been used in the classroom for school activities.

I'm not sure if the above game is strictly a Korean traditional one, as "hoop rolling" or "hoop trundling" is found in other nations. But the basics are there consisting of a metal hoop and a hook like metal stick to push this thing along. However, this one's a tricky game where it takes a few practices to get the idea of how it works.

 Alongside the traditional games was a overhang set up with traditionally made woven materials such as shoes, baskets and brooms. Inside this area were too older gentlemen working away at making these items.

 For the most part I enjoyed this lovely day in Korea where people came out to celebrate their culture and create memories with their family. I took a path leading up towards the tower that winded it's way around the venues and admired the scenery.

 Expect another post including a drum dance and parade, as there was plenty more to share from this special occasion. Chuseok festivities should still be going on around these parts of Seoul, so if you want to still catch some of the fun then head on out there!

A Pension in the Woods

For my stay in Damyang I went straight for a pension. Sure I could have saved a wad of cash by staying at a hotel or min-bak, but I wanted to treat myself to a kitchen, windows and space. After doing some research and with the help of a friend, I managed to find this nice pension not too far from the Bamboo Forest and bus stops.

I found the 대숲향기펜션 and the owner gave me a discout to stay there three nights, so the whole thing cost 300,000 for three nights. It was a good deal and I was excited to have my own little space in the countryside.

The pension was broken up into a side kitchen area, living room area and then a separate sleeping room with TV. There was no bed and instead I used a matt and blankets. I didn't mind this as most Korean beds are hard anyways.

I especially enjoyed the large window in the bedroom and reflected on the fact that the space was overall bigger than my current house. I suppose you could say I played "house" for a little bit there.

Most pensions you have to deal with the partying that goes on by other people staying there. But this one seemed to have quiet guests who had their BBQ and then went inside. I woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and a lovely sunrise in the clouds.

The outside area had a lawn, pond and a cage with bunnies inside.

They also had a cute dog tied up all day nearby, which I felt a bit bad for. So now and then gave it some fresh water.

The surrounding area, which I frequented as I went from the pension to the bus stop down the hill, featured rice farms and other countryside-sights. For instance, one person kept large dogs inside a cage all day, who enjoyed barking at anyone or anything passing by.

If you are thinking of heading to Damyang or want to get out of the city life and have a country-side experience. I would highly recommend this pension. Even for one person it didn't feel strange and the location is convenient. The owner doesn't speak English, but her husband does. However If you can't speak Korean enough have a friend help you out.

For directions:

Take the KTX down to Gwangju train terminal. From there get to the Gwangju Bus Terminal and take the 311 bus to Damyang.

Ride it till it gets to the last stop, which is the local university. Get off and head up the hill till you get to a large intersection with stop lights. Cross this and the pension entrance area is the first left. Head up this street and it's at the end.

Seussical at the Haeachi Hall in Myeongdong

A good friend of mine, that I don't see very often, invited me to see Seussical the musical with her and her two sons. This would be my first theatre performance I saw (outside of school field trips) in Seoul, so I was excited.

If you don't know the stories by Dr. Seuss then maybe you ought to crawl out of that rock your living under. Actually, I don't know that many by him and mostly the more common ones. The show I saw mostly used the plot from Horton Hears a Who to weave together other stories from the Dr. Seuss collection.

The production of Seussical was put on by the members of the Camarata Music Company (CMC). An international group, with members ranging from 35 countries and having the "vision" to give high quality performances. Ryan Goessl is the general director and the cast included members with years of experience to those just having their first show.

All together it was a fun and whimsical production, and one that was especially amusing to the young folks in the crowd. It took place at the Seoul Global Culture & Tourism Center in Myeongdong. Tickets were from 15,000 to 25,000 depending on when you reserved them.

Watching the play I was suddenly reminded of the feeling one gets when seeing live theatre. There's a lot to take in from the costumes, set and voices of the actors on stage. Since the play was in English, there was a small strip above the stage displaying Korean subtitles. Otherwise, I actually found it kind of difficult to hear what the actors were saying as their mics often didn't work, or the live orchestra was too loud. However, the live music made the play have more of an authentic feel.

Act 1 was setting up the story about young JoJo and Horton discovering each other, but Horton was being teased by local jungle mates for talking to a plant. It weaved in many other Seuss stories, however I didn't really find myself familiar with them. It was mainly a story about keeping your beliefs and staying loyal to friends.

I have to say I enjoyed the second act more, mostly because it felt like the scenes were less of a tease and more pulled together.

It was an all together fun play to watch, and the kids in the audience had a good time. I think they could have tried a bit harder on the set decorations, but the usage of fun and comical props here and there were adequate. Costumes were bright and lively, yet maybe could have been more exaggerated in tone, since this was a Dr. Seuss inspired piece of work. There were times when they were singing in groups and the pair in front were so tightly packed next to each other that I couldn't really see the other actors behind them.

As having worked at a theatre camp in the catskills of New York, I can recall what it is like to learn and perform in a play. It's a lot of hard work and I'm sure these members had regular jobs to accompany this play.

In the end, the audience was pleased (including the little girl you see there) and that's what matters. That everyone has a good time.

Unfortunately I watched their last performance, but you can still catch other happenings by this group. Future events include, Chamber Singers, and other orchestral concerts. Or in general you can find other happenings going on at the Seoul Center.