My Daily life

Quick update:

It's been five months since I've been in S. Korea.  I cannot believe how fast the time is going.  For those of you who don't already know, I plan on staying here at least another year.  Life is good.  It's such a great fit for me.  One day, I look forward to having my house in the woods (see below), drinking some tea on the front porch with my knitting, but I have time for that. haha

Right now I think I'm meant to be here.

Sometimes I think, "Woah!  This is not where I pictured I would be at 29 years old," but I am embracing every minute of it and  I am so grateful to be having this experience.  As the quote I read yesterday stated, "My life is right now." Life cannot be planned. . it can only be lived.  I understand that more now then ever.  I never wanted to live my life with any regrets and I am just happy that I have the opportunity to make my fantasies of traveling and living abroad a reality.  That's where my true passion lies.  

As far as my job goes, I will be starting to teach preschool this week, so I have the "new job" jitters.  It's been a hectic week, observing preschool and working my full schedule.  I have been exhausted.  I look forward to the new schedule though because I will be working earlier and getting out earlier (9:30-3:30 on T and TH and 9:30-5:30 on M, W, F).  It will be so nice to get back to a regular schedule instead of a second shift schedule that I have been working the last 5 months (12:30-8:00 or 8:40).  I wasted my mornings and then stayed up too late watching TV, going out to eat with friends, or wasting time on Facebook.  

Saying goodbye to some of my afternoon kids.  

The mouth on that sweater is a pocket..

Aren't Korean kids the cutest?  The girls were absolute sweethearts.  

Wish me luck with the preschoolers tomorrow.  I also start Korean language lessons tomorrow. . it's about time, right?  I was all gong-ho (is that how you spell that?) in the beginning but I didn't make the time to study with my schedule.  The first class I went to was also not very good and it took up my whole Saturday commuting back and forth, so I gave up.  In fact it was in Gangnum (the area of Seoul that Psy's song is about).  I do better with a structured class. .at least to get a handle on the basics.  The language is soo different.  I have managed to learn how to read, thanks to one of my Korean coworkers and I-phone apps but my speaking skills are still non-existent. Surprisingly, it's quite easy to get by here without learning the language because so many Koreans know English, or at least the basics.   Needless to say, I feel like an idiot for not even trying.   

There are lots of changes, but all positive.  

This weekend I just spent time getting ready for my week ahead and I signed up for a few excursions.  The weather is getting warmer so I am looking forward to doing lots of hiking.  Back in December, I signed up for a hike in Seoul around the Fortress Wall, but it was 0 degrees and soooo bitter, so it never happened.  I signed up for that same hike this Saturday, so I'm pumped.  There are so many great ways to meet new people, like groups such as Seoul Hiking Group, When in Korea (WINK), or Adventure Korea.  It's been amazing making connections and new friends from all over the country with foreigners and Koreans.    

~xoxox

  

Jeju-do

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!  I know it's a little late, but better late then never, right?  I have to be honest, I was nervous about missing the holiday season when I left at the end of September.  It's my favorite time of the year and it was hard to imagine being away from my family.  Honestly though it was easier than I thought because it didn't feel like Christmas here at all.  There were random Christmas trees decorating the department stores, but that was about it.  The Christmas spirit is definitely missing here in Korea.  Even children don't get excited for it.  If they get presents, it's usually just one thing.  There are no special foods that are eaten on Christmas either.  Of course it could depend on the family, but in general when I asked my students what they ate they said just regular food.  Although, a few students mentioned they eat cake on Christmas. . . probably a cake from Baskin Robbins, since those are the most popular here.

These statues can be found all over Jeju Island.  They remind me of the famous statues from Easter Island.

I did have a week off for Christmas so I took advantage of the time off and signed up for a trip to Jeju with the tour group called WiNk, or Discover Korea.  This group is extremely popular among the foreign community.  They offer everything from ski trips to DMZ tours for extremely affordable prices.  It's very cheap to travel here with or without the tour groups.  I love the groups because I always meet great, like-minded people.  I already feel like I have a network of friends to go visit in S. Korea and Indonesia.  I am constantly learning something new from everyone I meet.  For example, one of my friends I met at the DMZ told me about I-herb.com, which is a website that sells Western organic and natural foods.  A lot of baking items, like flour or oatmeal, are considered international foods here so the prices are ridiculous, but on I-herb I can order them for the same price as in America.  I can also find seasonings and spices that you cannot find here.  When I get my next pay check I am stocking up my cabinets.

http://www.iherb.com/

It even has free delivery.  For those of you that have ever lived in a city where you didn't have a car to drive to the grocery store, delivery service for groceries is the best.  They do that a lot here, but many of the websites are only in Korean.  I have to work on that. . .Rosetta Stone is happening this week.

Anyways, I digress.  I went to Jeju Island on the 28th of December and came back on January 1st.  Jeju is an island located off the southern coast of S. Korea.

Everyday was jam packed with some type of adventure.  It was still cold but our pension was so warm with the floor heating.  (I haven't had heating in my place yet, so I am used to feeling like I am winter camping in my own apartment).  We slept on floor "pads," but it was the best sleep I've had since I've been here.  We hiked all over the beautiful island.  I was surprised how many other people were also out hiking, because of the snow and ice that littered steps up to some of the mountains or temples.

This was about a 20 minute hike up to the top of the mountain where there was a Buddhist Temple.  As you can see there are no hand rails and many of the steps were icy.  There were people of all ages hiking up the mountain.  The older people put me to shame.  A lot of older people are hardcore hikers here.

On my way up to the top of the mountain that you see in the distance

The Buddhist Temple at the top.  It was literally built within a cave at the top of the mountain.

The landscape is just beautiful wherever you go on the island.  We walked all along parts of the shoreline and saw images like the ones below.  Jeju, like Hawaii, was created by a volcano, so the landscape is very unique.  It's an extremely popular tourist site here in the summer because of the beaches and all of the Natural Heritage Sites.

The shoreline in Jeju.  It's hard to tell from this picture, but the water was a beautiful tiel color.  I cannot imagine how beautiful it is in the summer.  Apparently, people cliff dive off here.

Popular activities in Jeju include skydiving, cliff diving, horse back riding, the beaches etc.  There is a lot to do on the island for both the nature lover and the non-nature lover.  We did a little of both.  Loveland was the most unique tourist attraction we went to.  I stupidly didn't know what to expect, despite the name.  So, when we got there I was a little surprised by the blatant sexuality, because Koreans are very private about their affection towards one another.   Holding hands is the only public display of affection that is acceptable.  Sometimes you see young couples that cannot seem to keep their hands off each other, but the older people are very offended by it.  

Anyways, Loveland is essentially a "sex" sculpture park.  Some of it was outright hilarious.  I found it particularly entertaining when I was walking behind some couples in their 50s or 60s giggling at all the sculptures.  The ladies were even making sexual noises to add to the experience.  Hilarious and a little awkward.  I saw another side to the typically conservative Koreans.  

   

This guy was packing and so was his dog.  Many of the sculptures looked like Disney characters, which added to the awkwardness.




Loveland:  This was mild in comparison to most of the sculptures.

Another big tourist attraction on the island is the Trick Eye Museum.  They have these all over S. Korea, but everyone is different.  It's pretty unique and with the right group of people it can be a really fun time.  

Doesn't she look like Jennifer Lopez?  Random American stars will pop up around Korea, but most Koreans don't know who they are.

Jeju is very famous for their tangerines, which are in season in the winter.  We got to go out and pick them, but it was bloody cold.  They were delicious though.  They combine their tangerines or mandarin oranges with chocolate, which is one of the most popular items bought by the tourists.  

Jeju is also very famous for the women divers that come from here.  It's a tradition that is being lost, because the women in their 60s and 70s made so much money they sent their daughters to college and now there is no one to carry on this historic tradition.  There is still a small group of women left though, but once they are gone the tradition will be lost as well.  The youngest are in their 50s and the oldest are in their 90s.  They wear a wet suit now, but historically they did it nude.  They still do not wear any type of snorkeling gear.  It's a tradition that grandmothers passed down to their granddaughters   They began training them when they were about 10 years old in shallow water or pools until they learn how to breath properly.  Once they develop how to hold their breath they train them how to dive in the ocean to catch all types of seafood.  We met one of these woman.  She was amazing!!  

The woman in the tiel sweater works at a restaurant during the day but also dives for seafood.  She actually showed us a bunch of stuff she caught, which she cooks in the restaurant.  She told us how her grandmother trained her when she was a girl.  On the wall are photos of the Jeju woman divers.  

Overall, the trip was amazing and as you can see from my pictures I had a great time and saw a lot.  All of my pictures are posted on facebook, if you want to see more.  I made life long friendships with some people and made some amazing memories that I will never forget.  I am loving life.  

I am still amazed and thankful for the kindness I receive whenever I go here.  On the way home from the trip I almost got stuck in Suwon, which is about an hour and half from where I live.  It was snowing hard and no taxis were to be found to get us to the subway.  Thank goodness for an older Korean couple who drove us to the subway station or we would have been stranded on the side of the road.  I made it to the subway in the nick of time. . .catching the last subway of the night.  I got to the last subway stop on the line North, which is still about 30 minutes away from where I live.  I was thrilled to have made it that far North.  I knew I would end up having to take a taxi or something to get home the rest of the way, but I needed to get cash out first.  As I exited the subway and started looking for an ATM I was approached by a Korean guy who asked if I needed help (in English of course).  After a long day of travelling, I had no cash left and my phone was dead.  I explained my situation and he told me he was also going to Bucheon to visit his parents.  He immediately took my bags (but not in a "I'm going to steal them kind of way") and escorted me to the bus.  His English was really good and I think he just enjoyed practicing especially since he said he studies by himself for up to 16 hours a day!!!  Anyways, he was a major blessing that night.  I might even go so far as to say he was my guardian angel.  

I have to say most American guys could learn a thing or two from Korean men.  Chivalry still exists here. I could get used to it.  It's definitely an adjustment for me, since I am so used to being independent, but it's considered an insult if you don't let a guy help you.  This guy on the subway insisted on holding my bags, scanning my transit card for me, and escorting me to my apartment building.  He didn't once try to put the moves on me, or even ask for my number.  It was sincere kindness. In America, I would never let someone hold any of my bags, but things are really different here.  It's the safest place I have ever traveled to.  I feel a hundred times safer here then I do back home.  

It's a really common here to see men holding their woman's purse.  I have to admit it was weird at first,but it doesn't phase me anymore.  My friend's boyfriend, who is American, actually got reamed out twice by Koreans when we were in Jeju, because he was not holding his girlfriend's bags.  Being American he didn't think twice about her lugging her own bags.  My friend had to translate for him and she said it was embarrassing because one of the men actually told him he needs to learn how to respect women.  He went on to say that American guys need to learn to take care of their women and that he should be ashamed of himself.  There still are some chivalrous men in the U.S., but they are definitely a dying breed.  

More to come. . 

DMZ

About two weeks ago I signed up for a DMZ tour.  This tour was on the top of my bucket list of things to see in S. Korea.  Let me just say, I knew very little about Asian history before coming here, even though I am a history teacher.  What little I know I learned from my art history classes or from books that I've read.  I recognized how bias our education system is after going to school for history education and working on social studies curriculum for a school district, but there aren't going to be any big changes anytime soon.  Many educators are not willing to steer away from tradition as I saw firsthand.  It's sad that our country still has a very isolated view on the world, even though our economy is undeniably intertwined.    In our history books we learn about isolationism prior to WWI and how that ideology prevented many Americans from wanting to get involved in WWII. I think that mentality still exists after all these years even though we are more reliant on other countries then ever before.  It isn't going to change, but many people are extremely naive as to how we are connected to the outside world.  For those of you who have never travelled all you have to do is turn on the news in another country to see how differently they view the world.  When I lived in Italy I saw lots of International news coverage. The same is true of here.  S. Korea recognizes how what happens in America effects them, or what happens in China etc.  

I love that European, Asian, and even Canadian cultures tend to think more globally.  Their children don't know all the little details about American history, for example, but they know the basics.  Even my 8 year old students followed the United States election and knew who the candidates were, for example.  It's pretty amazing.  I am always surprised by the information that they know about Western cultures.  They learn from a young age that America helped them against the North Koreans and Chinese invaders during the Korean War.  Among the older population many of those memories are still fresh.  They lived through it.  I cannot imagine the horror that many of these people faced.  Thousands starved or died as a result of the Korean War.  The war is technically still going on, but people don't walk around in fear here.  Is it a concern?  Of course.  December 19th S. Korea will vote in a new president and the candidates have different views on what to do about the "North Korean" problem.  From what I have been told from Koreans many older people prefer the more "conservative" candidate who does not want to attempt relations with N. Korea.  Many of them still do not trust N. Korea because of the horror they went through.  The younger generation, however, is more willing to attempt some sort of relations with the N.Koreans. I don't hear anyone though talk about wanting to reconcile with N. Korea.  After all these years they view themselves as separate.  Plus, South Koreans know that if they were to unify they would have to "shoulder the burden" of the North and their economy would suffer, just like what happened after East and West Germany reunified or when the Soviet Union collapsed.  Time will tell what will happen to the fate of North Korea.  I forsee something happening within my lifetime. . like North Korea collapsing or getting morphed into China.  Who knows.  I am definitely not an expert on the issue.  

Mini history lesson: 

Korea is the only divided country in the world.  After the Korean War (June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953), South Korea and North Korea established a border that cut the Korean Penisula roughly in half.  Stretching for 2km on either side of this border is the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).  

    

On my tour we drove all over the area around the DMZ.  We got to go inside the 2nd and 3rd tunnel, which went in for what seemed like a mile.  It was so musty and damp inside the tunnels.  The last tunnel was found in 1990.  These tunnels were dug (more like exploded with dynamite) by the South Koreans.  They were made in an attempt to sneak up on the South Koreans and attack.  They even put fake coal inside to make it appear that they were working in "coal" mines.  Any geologist could tell you though that there is no coal in these areas.



At one spot we watched a video on the brief history of the DMZ.  It was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen.  They glazed over the war and focused on the DMZ as a wildlife conservation area. Totally weird especially when you consider how many boobie traps and mines there are within the region.

Need I say more?

The first stop was the Freedom Bridge.  You can see in the distance there is a wall with lots of notes and ribbons.  On the other side is N. Korea in the distance.

The ribbons at the end of the "bridge" written to loved ones in N. Korea.  On the other side in the distance is N. Korea.

The people are not allowed to have contact with anyone in N. Korea.  There was  one president who attempted to repair the relationship with North Korea and people were allowed to see their families at the border.  It's happened rarely since the DMZ has existed.  Our tour guide told us a few years ago the South Koreans could visit restricted areas of North Korea through tour groups.  He said he went and it was very clean and organized from what he saw. . but of course they want to show outsiders that everything is great.  Well, a woman from one of these tour groups left the restricted area and was shot down by the N. Koreans, so S. Korea immediately put a stop to any tours once again. 

This is the view of the Freedom Bridge from the Observation deck.  The bridge to the left is N. Korean territory.

 Do you want a souvenir?







Observation Deck looking into S. Korea.  You can see the Industrial Complex where the N. and S. Korean's meet for talks and some remote apartment complexes in the distance.  We had to stand behind a line to take this picture.  No one is allowed to go up to the binoculars to take photos.  Security is very strict along the DMZ.  You can see the soldier in the right hand corner.  He was watching closely to make sure people were following the rules.  




Barbed Wire surrounds all the fencing




This is a peace monument in the area where the Battle of the White Horse took place.


During the ten days of what is now known as the Battle of the White Horse, the hill ahead would change hands 24 times after repeated attacks and counterattacks for its possession.  It was one of the most intense position-grasping battles for a small hill during the course of the Korean War.  Afterwards they say the hill looked like a threadbare white horse.  Each arm represents the two parts of Korea and inside is a relief of a horse running.




A monument for all the soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of the White Horse.

The mountains in the area are so beautiful.  I cannot wait to do more hiking when the weather gets nicer.

P.S. Did I mention it's bloody freezing in Korea?  Well, yes.  It's bitter to the bone.  I was grateful I went the weekend I did, because it was cold enough but the following weekend it was almost unbearable.

More to come. . . . Life is good.  I learn something new everyday.  

I finally think I got this blog figured out

So, it took me a month to work out the kinks with my blog, but it's officially live. I got it figured out tonight finally, thanks to my friend Trit.

It's been a month since I wrote my last post.  I feel a lot more settled now.  I went on a mini shopping spree this past month.  The shopping is soo much better here then in the U.S.  They have amazing clothes,accessories and shoes.  The quality I find is also a lot better then anything we have back home.  The only thing they don't have as much of an abundance of is nice household stores.  I finally found a nice one the other day in a mall nearby but usually the blankets and sheets are ridiculously expensive and ugly.


My job is a job.  Everyone is nice and my boss is a really good guy, but I live for my weekends when I can explore more.  Last weekend, I went to Isadong, which is a historic area of Seoul.  They have all sorts of hand crafts and museums in that area.  It's the same area I went to go see the famous palaces in Seoul.

Last weekend, I also spent time with a girl I sat next to on the airplane on the way here.  She took me to an area outside of Seoul called Paju which has a mock French village called Provience and a huge art village.   It was too cold to walk around the French Village so we went to a ceramic place and painted pottery. I painted a mug and wrote Bucheon on it in Haguel.  I had Lena's 15 year old niece help me do the writing.  She was such a talented artist.  I wish I took a picture of her mug she painted.

Tomorrow I am going to the DMZ, so it's always something interesting.  I will post about it soon.  I will probably post pictures on Facebook before I get to write about it though.

So far, everything is going really well.  I am so grateful I am able to have this experience.  This is living.  I am soaking up the culture as much as possible.  Recently, I started back at yoga three days a week at a studio in the next building from my work.  It's so relaxing and the people have been so nice. I don't understand what they say, but since I've done yoga before I can figure it out.  It's amazing how much you figure out just through observation.  It's how I survive here.  Watch and learn. haha.

Randomness

Products that Koreans love:

Mirrors:  Many women are obsessed with looking in the mirror.  It freaks me out how much they look at themselves.  Is it sad I don't care that much?  I figure I look at myself enough when I get ready in the morning.  Today when I went to go check out at a restaurant there was a mirror near the cash register.  I watched about three girls check themselves out in it before they walked out the door.  Strange.  If a mirror is not handy they use their cell phone "camera" to fix their hair.

Wire rimmed glasses:  I heard they think they make their faces look smaller.  Many people will even wear fake glasses.

Pencil cases:  This is one of the most important items a student has.  They come in abundant shapes and sizes.  I've seen everything from really cool metal boxes to stuffed animal pencil cases.  I equate their significance to the labels on kid's clothing back home.  It signifies their style, but it also shows where their values lie.

Cell Phones:  I dare say the Koreans love their cell phones more then Americans.  They especially love the camera option.  It's so common to even see older men and women checking out their cell phones.  Samsung is a Korean company so the Galaxy is the phone to have here.  Iphones are really popular here too though.

Live thus far

So, I finally broke down and decided to start a blog.  I was reluctant about it but it really is the best way to let you guys (family and friends) know how I am doing.  Hopefully, I can keep up with it.

It's been a month since I came here and things have gotten considerably easier.  I am all settled into my place and just waiting for my first paycheck so I can go out and splurge on a couple of things for my place, like a toaster oven, a heated blanket etc. My place is an efficiency but it's home and it has everything I need.  I've been browsing on craigs list for some used stuff like a space heater (because heating is ridiculous here) and a phone. I actually found an I phone to purchase today online and will get it next Sunday in Seoul.  I am so pumped to finally be connected to the world.  It will be so useful to have the internet on my phone.  Not only can I use it to look up words online but I can also check the subway map, bus schedules etc.  I also opened up a bank account last week and got my alien registration card....I'm feeling like I officially live here now.

The people here are super nice.  I feel so much more comfortable here than I did when I lived in Italy.  I feel like I relate to Koreans more than Italians and many Americans.  Their general manner and personalities are more like my own.  There aren't the machismo men that I so hated about Italy.  The only time a Korean might act upfront is when they are totally wasted.  That's normal, right?

There are also a large number of foreigners here in Bucheon, due to all the hogwans.  I have meet some awesome people already that have made my experience so much better.  They have been a real blessing.  Foreigners really look out for each other here.  It's great to have that. Just last night, my friend Trit and I were getting a sandwich in Dunkin Donuts (yes, they are here) and we saw two Americans and we just started talking.  We showed them around since they are new to Bucheon and we'll prob end up getting dinner this week.  That's just how it is here.  I love that.  I wish it was more like that back home. . but when everyone speaks the same language I don't feel like we reach out to strangers in the same way.

My job is going well too.  I am getting the hang of everything but I still have questions.  My Korean coworkers and fellow foreign coworkers have been very helpful though.  I teach at a Hogwan, which is private after school academy.  These kids all take English in school, but since Koreans understand how important it is to know English for a good job they spend loads of money sending their kids to Hogwans like mine to teach them better English.  Many of my students also go to Korean, Chinese, soccer, tae kwon do, dance, etc. . .hogwans.  They don't have much free time, to say the least.  I cannot imagine.  However, it's a welcome change to see how much the people here value education.  You don't see the "trashiness" you see in America.  It isn't cool to not care or act stupid.  You just don't see anything like that here.  There are poor people, don't get me wrong, but not "trash."  I hate the mentality back home amongst some people that it's ok to not care about school or education.  I feel like many people take our public education system for granted.  Public education is the rock that made America what it is.  How can people forget that?  Ok. . I'm off my soap box.

More to come. . .

Random fact from Korea: 

You never write people's names in red because it means they will die or that they are dead.  I'm just staying away from red pen in general.