Christmas and Coex

Merry Christmas! (Better late than never, right?) I spent my first Christmas away from home relaxing and Skyping with my family. Shout out to my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and sister for the awesome gifts! They really made it feel like Christmas :)

Although we had to work Christmas Eve, it was a fun day -- the school hired a Santa to deliver presents to each class, so the kids were all abuzz about that. And in the afternoon, we had a mini-celebration: we made Christmas cards, I taught some carols, the kids drank hot chocolate, and we made Christmas lists for Santa. Some things my kids asked for were Legos (duh), Ninjago, a reindeer, and of course, a smart phone. It was a nice way to leave for vacation.

Christmas is a fairly big deal here, even though a lot of people still work. Korea is mostly a non-religious nation, but it's about 30% Christian (and about 20% Buddhist). Still, the stores had huge Christmas displays, carols were playing in the taxis, and traffic was hectic as people rushed to visit their families for the holiday. It's a watered-down version of what you might have seen in the States.

Elementary classes start back up on January 2, but there's no kindergarten in session until the 10th. So, I'll just be teaching a mini-kindergarten class for kids whose parents signed them up in the mornings, then double elementary in the afternoon. It sounds easy, but honestly I'm a little stressed out about it because I'm responsible for more planning.

Anyway, my break has been great so far -- equal parts relaxation and adventure. My friend and I went to the Coex Mall, which is a HUGE underground mall in Seoul. Within the mall, there's also a movie theatre, Kimchi Museum and an aquarium. We got lost no less than seven times, but eventually found a restaurant we were looking for, then the aquarium. (It was really huge.)

The cool thing about the Coex Aquarium is that exhibits are based on themes. The first theme is Our Land, Our Fish and went through the different ecosystems of Korea and all the fish that thrive here. One of my favorite features was a sign that declared a near-extinct fish as "the most delicious fish among all the fish species." That's a pretty bold statement, and a little inappropriate for an aquarium(?).

The second theme was Fish's Wonderland and seemed like something that should be in an eccentric billionaire's house and featured on MTV Cribs. Here's a refrigerator that has been turned into an aquarium and a phone booth aquarium, with a bonus Christmas theme for extra strange points!

And I couldn't help but wonder if these fish knew how close they were to certain death... 

Some of the coolest things to see were the sharks, stingrays, jelly fish, and the vibrant tropical fish. I also got to touch a starfish! It was an interesting aquarium, and I really enjoyed the trip.

A few other things I've done over break:

• I got my nails done! This was my first manicure in Korea; it was a quick, streamlined process, well done, and inexpensive. Something I'll definitely have to do again :)
• I came to the theater. I saw Les Miserables. I cried like a baby.
• I've been doing some research on job possibilities for next year -- maybe staying here, maybe heading elsewhere.
• I've also been doing some in-depth research on Korean alcohol and subsequent hangover remedies. I'll let you know if I make any headway on that front.

Tomorrow, I''m headed to Gwangju for my first Korean wedding! My old friend Mr. Kim (from the 2009 summer camp) is getting married! I can't wait! Hope you all had a good holiday!

A shortcut and a long way down the road

It's almost Christmas Eve here! Ah! Although it would be nice to have the day off, I think tomorrow will be a very exciting day at school. One of the English teachers took off for the good ole U.S. of A. last night, so we'll be down one foreigner, but we have lots of fun stuff planned! Oh, and election day was this week; South Korea elected its first female president! More on that later...

It did snow here Friday, so Bing Crosby has been singing in my head ever since. After school Friday, I took a bus to Gangnam in order to catch the subway to Sinbundang, where one of my friends just moved. HOWEVER, after a long week and a very stressful day, I was lulled into a magnificent sleep by the unusually calm bus driver and awoke unaware of my location. 

I was 90% sure I hadn't missed the Gangnam Station stop, but then I heard the announcement (this particular bus didn't have a TV screen or LED readout with the stops, eek!) and it said something something "yuk," which means "station." I didn't think it said Gangnam, but as long as it was a station, I could find my way there, I supposed. 

I jumped up and got off the bus. I found myself in Yangjae, which looked like every other part of Seoul: crowded streets with bright neon lights. I consulted my Jihachul (subway) map app, which might be the most useful app I've ever used, and discovered I hadn't missed Gangnam, but I had found an awesome shortcut! All's well that ends well -- I ended up being closer to my friend's stop and made it there in record time.

We met up with a few of her coworkers and had some amazing beef and roasted vegetables with our bottomless beer and soju. One of my friend's coworkers is in her late 30's and is a certified teacher from Canada. She is traveling and teaching with her husband (who also dined with us) since their daughters are now grown. 

Since maybe my sophomore year of college, I have been so worried about wasting my time. I get anxious thinking about staying in one place too long and not doing all there is to do in the world. When asked about how long I'll stay in Korea, I usually say I'm not sure, but I plan to move on because there's so much to do and so little time. 

As is customary, this question came up at dinner. I gave my typical answer about how I would like to stay, but time is a factor. My friend's coworkers laughed in my face. They have daughters my age and are just now starting to see the world. This was a bit of an epiphany-moment for me. Why not stay here another year? Why not do a year in Japan or Saudi Arabia? A year's a year. I guess we'll see...

Anyway, I luckily made the last subway home and spent Saturday decorating my apartment, reading, watching the BBC's Sherlock, and relaxing. Today (Sunday), I slept in and made a trip to Gangnam for Christmas cards and books. I also bought some cool socks and make up, then lingered in a cafe with a soft pretzel reading one of my new books for awhile. Overall, it was a really nice weekend, but nothing novel to report (hehe, literature pun!).

Merry Christmas Eve!

Pro basketball in Anyang

It's was a busy week with the weather changing, kindergarten conferences, an open house, and winter break preparations. Luckily, this week we have Wednesday off for national elections, then it's Christmas!

Although I do work Christmas Eve, I have off a week starting Christmas Day! I can't wait to open my presents and watch my family open theirs. Stores here are all playing Christmas music, too. This will be my first Christmas away from home, but I plan on staying busy over the break and having plenty of Skype dates. Should be a nice vacation!

Anyway, this weekend, I went to a Korean professional basketball game with some friends. It was extra fun because my friend had to buy my ticket since he lost a bet we made one weekend. (He was convinced Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz was from Kentucky. Like candy from a baby; a fool and his money, etc.)

The arena was A LOT smaller than I expected, and we actually walked on the court to get to our seats (only four rows from the floor). Apparently, the Anyang KGC Pro Basketball Club is no Lakers. 

As you can see at the top of the photo, the coaches got big ass banners like the players. Credit where credit is due. I can dig it.

And I don't know if you can tell from this photo, but one of the coaches is actually an American. My friend said each team has a translator for the non-Korean players and coaches. What a tough/interesting job!

We all found our seats just after tip off and immediately made our allegiances clear, well except for one of my friends who just clapped whenever anyone made a basket (guess my friend's gender, quick!). Personally, after much research, I chose to root for Anyang because 1) that's where I live, and 2) I couldn't read/pronounce the other team's name. Their superior jerseys and home field advantage sealed the deal. I'm officially an Anyang KGC Pro Basketball Club fan. Deal with it, opposing team!

Anyway, the game play was a little scrappy, and the black players on each team were by far the best in the paint, but the Korean point guards and forwards held their own. (It was NOT like Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes in Space Jam, but I can't say the thought didn't come to mind.) The game was definitely less physical than its American counterpart, but the speed and shooting were comparable. 

Although the level of play was more like a mid-high college team, the atmosphere was similar to that of an NBA game. Except for the cheerleaders wearing sweatshirts with rubber ducks, that is. 

For some reason, I don't see this making it's way back to the states... There were a lot of fun mini-games during breaks, though. Never a dull moment! Overall, the game was a blast; and the home team won to boot! It's absolutely something I'll have to do again.

Let it 눈! Let it 눈! Let it 눈!

Hey! I'm excited! Sorry about the overabundance of exclamation points! We had our FIRST SNOW Tuesday night and arrived at school Wednesday morning to see a dusty blanket of snow on the playground!

Then, we had our SECOND SNOW on Wednesday! Hard to believe it went from sunny to this in about an hour... Starting around 10, it began snowing steadily and continued for the rest of the day. I'd say we got more than four inches by the time we left around 6.

Things were pretty hectic at school; a lot of the teachers are sick right now and all the buses were running late because of traffic and accidents. This is one of those times I wish everyone didn't have to take off their shoes every time they enter the school. Taking wet snow boots off 300 kindergartners, then putting them back on at the end of the day is no small task.

I quickly (maybe within five minutes of walking through the door?) learned the word for snow -- 눈 (noon). "Laura Teacher! Noon! Noon! Snowy day!"

The kids could hardly control their excitement! 

Okay okay, us teachers were pretty excited, too...

We thought we'd make it through today (Thursday) with no snow, but NOPE. We got our THIRD SNOW today starting mid-afternoon until we left at 6. What a crazy week! Three legitimate snow storms in three days!

What is this, Michigan?!

Underfloor heating: A scientific examination

Happy December everyone! It's officially cold as shit! This means two things in Korea: ondol and kimchi-making. Let's talk about ondol (pronounced on-dole).

Ondol can refer to a few different things, but the one I'm talking about is the modern day heating methods employed in Korean buildings. As I've mentioned before, Korean traditions such as taking off your shoes when entering a building hearken back to the days when people ate, slept, and sat on the floor. The Koreans were also among the first people to heat their floors, back about 1000 years BCE.

The logistics have changed since then, but the general idea is the same: heat the floor from underneath, which heats the air. This concept can be seen, or felt I guess, in all schools and apartments, and even in the heated seats on the subway. 

In my apartment, there's a knob that I can turn to control the temperature of the pipes beneath the floor. Right now, I have it set to just below 20 degrees Celsius, which is about 66 degrees Fahrenheit. A red indicator lets me know when the temperature of the pipes dips below that temperature, turning on the ondol. 

Usually, I leave the knob at 10 degrees (about 50 F) when I go to work, just to get in the habit so the pipes don't freeze. Then, when I get home, I crank it just above 20 so the light comes on and the ondol heats up. After about 20 minutes, the floor is noticeably warm and 20 minutes after that, the air in the room is warmer. Typically, I run the ondol for about an hour, then switch it off before I go to bed. Another teacher at my school runs hers all night, but it gets pretty hot (and expensive) if you run it too long. 

Pros: 

Cold toesies? Just put your feet on the floor!

It heats the room evenly and gradually.

No bulky furnace or other contraption.

Coming out of the shower to a warm floor is one of the best things a foot can experience.

You can do this when you get cold ---

Cons: 

There's no specific heat source that you can stand near for a quick blast of heat.

The heating system doesn't naturally ventilate the room, like central heating does. This can make odors linger and can foster mold growth.

You have to be careful what you leave on the floor. Bad ideas: chocolate, chap stick, butter (I'm assuming...). Good ideas: socks, sweaters, yoga mats.

Pirates:
On an unrelated note: this week I read that pirates wore eye patches to keep one eye adjusted to darkness when going above deck. They would just switch the eye patch back and forth as the lighting changed so they could see easily right away. I tested this concept last night when I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night -- it worked. Try it! Cover one eye while the light is on and your shins will love you forever!

Doctor fish and garbage soup

Ah! It's almost December! I can't believe how quickly time is flying. I hear it snowed in Michigan already -- no such luck over here, but it's almost time... It's been pretty consistently cold, though; it usually hovers around the low 40s and high 30s, but occasionally has dipped below freezing.

With snow in the not too distant future, I've been busy checking things off my pre-hibernation to do list. One thing I've been interested in since hearing about it in 2009 was a "doctor fish pedicure." The so-called doctor fish is a type of Middle Eastern fish that sloughs off and eats dead skin (insert violence/flesh-eating/Middle East joke here). The fish got its nickname because it was first used to treat people with psoriasis. Circle of life, indeed.

Now, there are cafes and spas throughout Asia where customers can pay to put their feet into pools of doctor fish and contemplate why the practice is illegal in the U.S. while being feasted upon. This weekend, my friend and I visited one such cafe in Gangnam (yes, the place from the song).

We each bought a drink, helped ourselves to some free bread(!), and paid the $2 fee for doctor fish. There were two small pools up on a raised platform, and luckily we read about the protocol online: we had to wait for an employee to come rinse off our feet, then we could put our feet in for around 15 minutes.

One pool was semi-filled with tiny, non-intimidating fish. This wasn't going to be as hard as I thought... As a very ticklish person, I was totally comfortable with the size and scary factor of those fish. After the briefest hesitation, we put our feet in and and it was dinner time! If you didn't look at it happening, it felt almost like the tingling that you feel when your foot falls asleep; it wasn't painful or tickling. If you looked at it, however, it felt like weird fish were crawling on your feet and eating your skin. So, I tried not to look at it.

My friend had done this before in Thailand, so she decided we should step up our game and try the second pool. There were twice as many fish and they were three times as big. And as we walked along the edge of the pool, the fish followed our movement. It was not heart-warming. 

All I could manage was putting my heel in. The resulting frenzy was... well, pretty freaking gross. 

Here I am keeping my cool as the big fish chomp at my heel. Although it was unnerving, it wasn't actually painful. I could definitely feel what was happening and looking at it was disgusting, but it just felt like a lot of little mouths nipping at my foot. I'm glad I at least tried the bigger fish, if only so when I do this again I can cop out of it by saying I've already tried it. Pride intact. To do item: checked off the list.

We finished off our exciting day with a trip to a bookstore with a major foreigner section. BOOKS! Then, we got some Korean barbecue (sam gap sal) and met up with some friends for drinks at a hookah bar and karaoke (no rae bong). 

Around 5 a.m., we found a 24-hour diner and had a soup called budae jjigae, which literally means "army base stew," but my friend introduced as "garbage soup." During the Korean War when food (especially meat) was scarce, South Korean soldiers and citizens used to use the U.S. Army's discarded pork, hot dogs, and Spam to make a red pepper stew that is now served with Ramen noodles, too. It was pretty delicious and a fitting end to a day/night of random fun.

Some Fall photos

Today one of my co-teachers had to leave school early, so I had both first grade classes combined in one room. It was a little crowded, but it's so much more fun to play games with twice as many kids! Here they are working on their "rainbow words" which is really just a tricky way to get them to write their spelling words multiple times -- they get to write them in different colors.

On the left is one of the students who has an American dad and Korean mom. Check out these sweet character hoods. It's getting so cold, and I can't wait to see more of them!

The Cherry five year olds were being goofy for the camera. They all turn on the charm whenever someone points a cell phone their way, so it's hard to catch them standing still!

These are two of my absolute favorite students. THEY ARE THE CUTEST. Their names are Mason and Jacob, and they have the best personalities. They're both so energetic and happy, but really smart too! Here, Mason's putting on his shoes because it's time to go home.

This sign is how I found my new apartment my first few days here. This has to be the most accurate depiction of a child's barbershop experience ever.

Fall is here! Also, Koreans only seem to buy cars in white, silver, and black. It took me awhile to realize why the roads looked so strange -- there are no colorful cars whatsoever. The Fast and the Furious meets Fifty Shades of Grey.

I know I need to start taking pictures of my food, but other than that do you guys have any other photo requests? Let me know and I'll see what I can do^^ (Korean smiley face). My cell phone camera isn't spectacular, but it gets the job done!

Four things Koreans do better

Well, I finally got to try Taco Bell in Korea. As good as it was, it just wasn't the same as good old American Mexican fast food. Sometimes it seems like everything in Korea is just a little bit different from it's American counterpart -- from the cars and driving style to clothing and personal space. 

Some of the differences are frustrating (for example: monoculturalism to the point of racism), some of them are bewildering (no public trash cans, just people hired to clean up litter), but a lot of the differences turned out to be better ways of doing things. They're not just different or worse -- they're better.

Here are some of the things I think Koreans do better than Americans.

1. Brush their teeth

Koreans brush their teeth three times a day, without exception. This means most, if not all Koreans keep a toothbrush and toothpaste at work or school to brush their teeth after lunch. At school, even the kids have their toothbrushes stored in the classrooms. After lunch, they all crowd into the bathroom together for a mini-toothbrushing-party. 

Also, when I first got here and had to get a medical checkup, the dentist made sure I brushed my teeth at least three times a day.

Side note: All that extra work might not be paying off because Korean toothpaste doesn't contain fluoride, for whatever reason.

But it does come in some interesting flavors including: pine, charcoal, green tea, and a mysterious tiger herb that I suspect Charlie Sheen might like...

2. Stream TV

In South Korea, anyone with a smart phone (read: everyone over the age of 12), can watch live TV for free on demand. On the subway, at least one of the people on either side of me is always watching some Korean drama on his or her phone. Many taxi cabs also have live television steaming to small TVs that resemble GPS systems. In both instances, the video quality is superb, as well.

3. Dispense tape

Okay, this might not change anyone's life, but this one invention is so simple and yet so effective. Take a look.

So when you turn the knob on the right, the gears spin, turning the tape and delivering it in pieces cut by the plastic spokes. 

This is perfect for schools because there's no blade involved, it's large enough that kids without fine motor skills can operate it, and it's waste-proof since it comes out pre-cut in perfect pieces. 

It seems like such a mundane invention, but this changes the way we do crafts at school. Tape isn't something only teachers can use here -- which is a bigger deal than it sounds like. It fosters self-reliance and allows teachers to focus on things other than repairing ripped papers. It's simply genius. 

Anyone want to start manufacturing these in the U.S.?

4. Squat

Oh, the Kimchi squat. The perfectly-executed Korean squat requires the person's butt touch his or her Achilles' while the feet remain flat on the ground. Try it (but while no one's around, because you will fall). 

Every day, I see people showcasing their squatting skills: from my students to grandmas on the street selling vegetables to my boss at work. The adjummas -- Korean grandmas -- can squat lower than I ever could, even in my softball catching heyday. They do it to work on the ground, while eating a snack, waiting for the bus -- whenever!

I remember the first time I saw the squat: It was in 2009 on Wando Island and our bosses were outside the building talking. One of them, a spry 40-something named Mr. Kim, was squatting so low it looked like his butt was touching the ground. I asked him, "What are you doing?" To which he replied, "I take a rest." Yes, folks, the Korean squat is a position of comfort and relaxation.

Doesn't this look comfortable? Like a day at the spa...

Indeed, Korea boasts some pretty ingenious improvements for efficiency's sake, even things as simple as putting to-go fast food cups in little bags so they're easy to carry. Don't get me wrong though, there's plenty of things America does better, and Taco Bell is at the top of that list.

The DMZ: Part two

So this is a follow-up to my first post about my tour of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. As I said, the first half of the tour included visits to the Third Infiltration Tunnel, Dorasan Observatory, and the Dorasan train station. 

The second half of the tour took place at the United Nations Command military post Camp Bonifas and the Joint Security Area, which is another name for Panmunjom, where neither North nor South Korea have administrative control. This is also the village where the Korean Armistice Agreement was negotiated and signed in 1953.

When we arrived at Camp Bonifas, we were immediately boarded by U.S. Army Private First Class Martinez, who was to be our tour guide. He stumbled a bit through a brief itinerary before alerting us that this was in fact his first solo tour. His very first tour, with a superior as back-up, had indeed been that morning. 

Although I expected to hear some complaints, everyone clapped and laughed along with him as he settled into his new position. Maybe it was a desperate need to relieve some tension, but everyone seemed to be supportive and light-hearted about his rookie status. Perhaps we missed out on a few tidbits of information or a perfectly-scripted speech, but his genuine excitement and nervous improvisation were a fair trade, in my opinion. He joked about getting "Tour Guide" tattooed on his back instead of the machine guns his pals were sketching out. Oh well, not a bad gig, all things considered.

We got off the bus and joined another group in a large auditorium on the base. There, U.S. and South Korean (Republic of Korea, or ROK) soldiers supervised as we all signed waivers which stipulated, "The visit to the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom will entail entry into a hostile area and possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action." The waiver also listed things we weren't allowed to do, including: take photos of anything ever (unless we were told we could), make any sort of gesture toward the North Koreans, make any kind of strange faces or expressions, go anywhere we weren't directed, attempt to get anyone's attention, speak to anyone not on the tour, wear white after Labor Day, or swim less than 30 minutes after eating. 

Once we signed over our first born, a veteran tour guide took the reins and gave a brief lecture on the history of the JSA and Camp Bonifas. Although it was a lecture about history supported by a Powerpoint presentation, it was anything but cheesy. The man knew his stuff, too; I have never heard anyone talk so quickly. PFC Martinez certainly has a lot of growing up to do.

The first place we went was  the Freedom House, which holds facilities for meetings and exchanges. After another reminder that North Koreans would be watching and filming us, we were taken outside to see the main North Korean building, Panmungak, and the small, blue conference buildings along the Military Demarcation Line. 

Here, ROK soldiers stand guard because of the tour. They are not required to stand there 24 hours a day -- just during tours and when any talks or meetings are held in the blue conference buildings. Note: They stand partially behind the building in order to obscure themselves as targets and so they can discreetly signal back when needed. This is the only place along the DMZ where North and South Korean soldiers stand face-to-face.

Dealing with tonsillitis and a fever sans cowbell

One week ago, I woke up Monday morning with a tickle in my throat that progressed to swollen tonsils and a high fever by that afternoon. After one of the worst nights of my life, my VP said I could go to the doctor early and come in a little late (I believe one of the other teachers was giving the VP a play-by-play as I complained to her). That the VP insisted I come in late was surprising to myself and all the other teachers as Korean schools RARELY give sick days. This is because both the Korean and foreign teachers are under yearly, salaried contracts, so we get paid whether we teach or not.

At the hospital, I found out I had tonsillitis and got a prescription for some antibiotics. Even more shocking, the VP graciously gave me the rest of the day off, so I went home and proceeded to sleep more than 20 hours. I didn't feel much better and still had a fever. The next morning (Wednesday), the VP insisted I go to a different hospital and even sent one of the school bus drivers to take me there. This hospital was much better and the doctor seemed more experienced, except that he was so surprised when he looked in my mouth, he actually said, "Wow!" out loud. This made me a little nervous. He said the infection was so severe that if I were Korean, he would have taken out my tonsils right away. My first surgery in a foreign country? No, thank you.

Anyway, he wrote me a prescription for some (better?) medicine, and I was on my way again. The bus driver was really sweet and gave me his phone number for when I was finished; so I called him up and butchered some Korean, and he took me home again. The next morning, I was feeling better so I went to school, but after one class, the VP canceled my kindergarten sessions and asked a Korean teacher to assist in my afternoon class. I can't get over how helpful and kind everyone was. I feel very grateful.

In all, the VP gave me an unprecedented two days off and kept texting me to check in. It was really thoughtful and I'm thankful for all she and the other teachers did. A few of the other teachers picked up any of my classes that weren't canceled while I was gone. I felt guilty, but I don't think I would've gotten better were it not for the rest they afforded me (I ended up sleeping more than 40 hours out of the 48 I was home).

Overall, having a severe tonsil infection and fever to start the week couldn't have gone better. I feel bad knowing the VP and administrators might not have been as understanding or helpful were it another teacher who was sick, but I can't be anything but appreciative for how they treated me.

Today, I finally feel 100% -- no lingering stuffiness or coughing from before the tonsillitis, either! And it's just in time, too: My student loan repayment begins today! Oh hello, adulthood, where did you come from?

The Demilitarized Zone: Part one

I had been looking forward to this weekend for a long time. Ever since coming to Korea for the first time back in 2009, I had wanted to visit the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. At long last, Saturday morning, I experienced the DMZ in all its eerie glory.

My friend and I booked a tour through the USO in Seoul. The cost was about $90 and we had to reserve our spots at least a week in advance, as many of the tours sell out. (In fact, both the Saturday tours were sold out that day, despite less-than-ideal sightseeing weather.) 

With our reservation receipt, I received a dress code so extensive it reminded me of my Catholic high school, where we had a choice between only two kinds of shoes. Nothing could be seen as threatening or used as propaganda against the U.S. by North Koreans. Realizing this made me a twinge uneasy.

Uneasy but excited, I woke up early Saturday morning to a steady downpour of rain that refused to let up all day. We took a bus and then the subway to the USO office and made it there by 8:30 a.m. After having our passports checked, we (about 35-40 foreigners from the U.S., Ireland, and other countries) loaded onto a tour bus. There, we were given necklace passes identifying us as USO tour participants and our passports were checked again. I'm not sure why they checked our passports multiple times, but I've been told Korean citizens aren't allowed to go on the USO tour. 

Our tour guide was a Korean man who adopted the English name Vincent. As is par for the course, it was impossible to tell how old he was (maybe 15, maybe 37?), but he said he has been on this tour "hundreds of times." He began by giving a brief itinerary of the tour: We would start with the Third Infiltration Tunnel, then visit the Dora Observatory and Dorasan Station before lunch; after lunch, we would go to Camp Bonifas, which is part of the Joint Security Area, for a tour given by the U.S. military.

Our first stop was the third infiltration tunnel, which is one of four tunnels discovered (so far) that the North Koreans dug in anticipation of an attack on the capital of Seoul. Vincent explained that although the ground around the tunnel is completely composed of granite, there is coal powder coating the tunnel walls because the North Korean soldiers feigned digging for coal as an excuse when the tunnels were discovered. Vincent, and later that night my friend Ethan (who served his military service at the DMZ), laughed at this excuse, saying the North Koreans were terrible liars and a few other choice adjectives*. They also like to point out that all the evidence of dynamite blasts point toward the south, making it obvious who was doing the excavating.

*I should note here that any animosity South Koreans have toward North Koreans is directed explicitly at the soldiers and those in power leading up to and during the Korean War. Now, attitudes seem to be a mixture of apathy and "I wish we could all just get along, but oh well," which is also a bit apathetic now that I think of it. Mostly, they (I'm over-generalizing for simplicity's sake) just don't think about North Korea. They certainly don't think of them as much as Americans, and specifically those in the U.S. media, seem to. There are very few South Koreans who are legitimately afraid of North Korea. Which begs the question: If they aren't, why are we? But I digress... To the tunnel of love!

Donning bright yellow hard hats, we trekked the entire length of the tunnel, occasionally awakening the contortionist within due to low ceilings or to squeeze past those heading the opposite way. At the end of the tunnel, there were barricades and strict instructions about where you can stand. No photography was allowed anywhere near the tunnel, but that was especially enforced at the end point. There, I was able to peer through a window and actually see the Military Demarcation Line, which is the exact boundary line separating North and South Korea, and is surrounded by the Demilitarized Zone. It was quick, but surreal.

We trudged through the rain and back onto the bus for our next stop: the Dora Observatory. This is an observation point situated on top of Dorasan (Dora Mountain), from which you can usually see two North Korean villages and a propaganda village, which was set up by the North Koreans to flaunt their "prosperity" to South Korean and foreign tourists, but was discovered to be completely fake and uninhabited. Again, there were restrictions regarding photography, and our view was honestly not great due to the rain, but here's a photo of me (taken from behind an unmistakable, bold yellow line, as directed), with North Korea in the background.

After the observatory, we visited the Dorasan Train Station, which was the last stop on its line before North Korea. The railroad hasn't been operational since 2008, but is also famous for hosting former president George W. Bush back in 2002, where he gave a speech about solidarity between the U.S. and South Korea.

Like the tunnel and the observatory, the station was not as physically remarkable as the history and events it has come to represent to the world. It was sobering to be in the presence of such history and to imagine the things that had been thought, said, and done in each of these places.

Although the rain was logistically inconvenient, it added a layer of eerie quiet that I appreciated as I attempted to take in everything we saw and heard. I was also thankful for the bus rides between sites and the time these rides afforded for digesting all the information -- sensory and otherwise -- being thrown at us.

After lunch, we took the bus to the United Nations Command military post Camp Bonifas in the Joint Security Area just 400 meters south of the DMZ.

As this post is on the border (no pun intended) of being excruciatingly long, I will write about the JSA and Camp Bonifas in a second post. Apologies for my wordiness! Thanks for your patience!

Mothers' Participation Day

Well, in the past week I have survived the intense scrutiny of North Korean soldiers and more than 300 South Korean mothers visiting Jayon Kindergarten for Mothers' Participation Day. I think it's safe to say I can do just about anything.

I'm still working on my post about my trip to the DMZ -- it's been difficult trying to articulate everything I experienced there -- but with Mothers' Participation Day finally over, I'll have much more free time to devote to digesting the experience.

Mothers' Participation Day was actually a two-day extravaganza on Friday and Saturday that we've been preparing for all month. I was only personally responsible for six 30-minute sessions: my three five-year-old classes were split in half based on the mothers' availability. For these sessions, I had to plan a complete English lesson including three songs and at least two activities. When they pitched this to me back in September, I thought: No big deal. I do this every day.

Wrong.

I had to pre-plan every single word I was going to say down to which student I would call on for each turn of every activity. And the activities had to involve the mothers. And each kid had to be called the exact same number of times, because the moms would be counting. Oh, and they better be able to do what I call them up to do, lest the mother be embarrassed in front of the other mothers. And they better not have to wait too long for their turn because the moms would definitely complain about that. The moms would take a survey at the end of the day and also complain if I didn't look professional, if I talked too fast, or if they didn't think their children could understand me. These were the conditions I knew about beforehand.

During the lessons, I found, I would also have to adapt with kids and their mothers who did or didn't show up, unplanned and unannounced. As an extra obstacle, they also threw in a videographer, who had to get certain kids on camera because they ordered a DVD. So if the videographer came into my classroom, I had to scrap the plan and call on the kids with DVD stickers on their shirts, while still keeping in mind that everyone get the same number of turns and in a fair order. It. Was. Stressful.

Also, these were the pressures placed on those of us who had each class for 30 minutes and who received our instructions through a translator. I can't even imagine the pressure put on the poor Korean kindergarten teachers. It was visible on each of their faces up until the Thursday before. I don't know how, but they all managed to cover up their anxieties and put on an Oscar-worthy show for the mothers, even though the day before the VP had been yelling at them about their windows not being clean enough. I really thought one teacher was going to cry at school.

In the end, we all made it out alive -- at least until we hear about the feedback from the mothers tomorrow... I'll let you know how we did! For now, I'm going to chalk it up as a win and get back to my Kindle. Happy three-month anniversary to me!

Halloween and scarier things... Korean moms!

First of all, I'd like to apologize for my radio silence this past week. I now realize taking a break from writing after foreshadowing my trip to the DMZ was poor planning, but this has been the most hectic week yet. (I will definitely be writing about that experience as soon as possible.) From what I hear, in fact, this might be the busiest, most stressful week of the school year for us.

It's a bit of a perfect storm around here as two major events and a handful of deadlines all fell in the same week. First of all, as you probably know, Halloween was this Wednesday.  Besides the foreign teachers dressing up in costumes, we were also put in charge of all decorating and celebration-planning.

For the actual kindergarten classes, we had a regular day; but the extra kindergarten classes in the afternoon were combined for Halloween festivities. We had about 25 six year olds together to make masks, ghosts, and pumpkin crafts; play party games, and go mock trick or treating. These special classes are usually the most stressful of the day because there are no Korean teachers around to help with discipline or explaining things that are confusing. This craziness was amplified exponentially by the number of students, the party atmosphere, and the outrageous sugar intake. It was fun, yes, but the planning and execution was very taxing for myself and my co-teacher.

Immediately after the special kindergarten class, the elementary kids began to arrive. It's tradition that these kids come in costume and they've been buzzing about it all week. The same co-teacher and I split the first graders into two groups for regular class, but for Halloween, we combined them for crafts and decorating their candy bags....

"Laura Teacher, go to hospital!"

So I was pretty sick Monday and when I came in just as bad Tuesday, the Vice Principal strongly insisted I go to the hospital. After the regular school day, another teacher took my tutoring load and I headed to a clinic. Another teacher recommended an E.N.T. clinic specifically for sinus issues. She even drew me a map and wrote the doctor a note that listed my symptoms and said "give me a shot and medicine."

I was really tempted to withhold the note in order to avoid a shot in the butt. But, I gave the note and my Alien Registration Card (which apparently has my insurance information) to the receptionist and settled into the packed waiting room. I was anticipating a long wait, but was pleasantly surprised as people were quickly ushered back and forth from the waiting room in record time.

It was soon my turn and I was pointed back to a room filled with machines that reminded me of old movies in which the computer takes up a whole room. It was just one room; the doctor sat there while patients were brought in one by one. I sat in a dentist's chair and the doctor asked if I spoke Korean. Upon my answer, he asked some questions about my symptoms in English, then sprayed stuff in my throat and nose and poked around a bit. He told me he would give me three days' medicine and then he said, "It is finished." It took less than two minutes.

I was directed into a small limbo room where a nurse gave me a heat lamp/gun to hold up to my nose and mouth. Maybe breathing in warm air helps clear the sinuses? I have no idea, but it turned off and I was good to go. I paid less than three dollars and grabbed my prescription.

Afterwards, I took the prescription to the pharmacy I had visited Monday after school and waited about ten minutes for my pills. They were packaged in tear-away baggies designated for morning, lunchtime, and night. She even separated the lunchtime ones since I would be taking those at work. Oh, and the super cute pharmacy ajumma (grandma) wrote "Lunch" on the bag for me.

Overall, being sick here has been easier than being sick at home: doctors and medicines are cheaper, there are more choices, and offices seem to be run more efficiently (based on this visit and my trip to the hospital for my medical exam back in August). The big downside for me, however, was that I didn't know what was happening most of the time. I don't like that I'm taking medicine that I have no information about. But, since I got the prescription, I have been getting better every day, so I guess I'll just keep taking the mystery medication and hope for the best!

In sickness and in health

So today was pretty miserable due to my headache, extremely runny nose, and Korea's general lack of Kleenex. For some reason, I've found most people and places consider napkins or toilet paper to double as a nose-blowing receptacle. It's convenient, but a little rough on the nose.

The kids seemed to pick up on my low energy and were fairly calm; I didn't have too much prep work to do, either, so I was thankful for that. I did find myself feeling bitter about the responsibility and obligations that come with being a grown-up, instead wishing I could go home early or take a nap under a table somewhere at the very least. This full-time job thing takes some getting used to...

Luckily, another teacher recommended a pharmacy to me and even escorted me there after work. Pharmacies are really common here (I've counted five within a two-minute walking radius of my home) and are like American drug stores without the cards, food, and office supplies. They have everything from specialized medicine to bug bite cream to vitamin C-laced drinks.

Anyway, at the pharmacy, I butchered some Korean phrases while pointing to where it hurt, and the pharmacist fired away: "Common cold? Nose? Head? Throat?" She came back with a box and I mimed, "Will this make me sleep?" She flitted away again and came back with a combo pack of day and night medicine (it's color-coded and everything). A week's worth of day and night pills was less than $6. Also, I should note at this point that I just took one of the nighttime bad boys so if this gets weird, my apologies.

Another strange medicine-related thing I've noticed: it is quite common and unremarkable for Koreans to visit the hospital. Your foot hurts? Go to the hospital. You coughed once? Go to the hospital. Fever? Hospital. In fact, when I was here in 2011, a friend of mine went to the hospital for a fever and came back with an IV bag she carried around the rest of the night. The other teachers urged me to go to the hospital today, but we'll see if I can fight this with some hot soup and quality (read: drug-induced) sleep first. Not that I'm afraid to get a shot in the butt, but I'd like to avoid it if at all possible.

I have to get better quickly though because this weekend my friend and I are supposed to tour the DMZ, and there's Halloween fun to be had in Seoul! I hope you are all staying healthy as the weather changes!

I'm getting sick, and my brain can't think of a title

Mission: internet -- accomplished.
Mission: weekend off -- postponed.
Mission: Halloween costume -- still in the giraffe-ting stages, but the rest of the costume isn't a tall order.

Despite purposefully not making plans for this weekend, I ended up going out with some friends last night and am paying for it today. My semi-cold that's been sticking around evolved into a full-blown illness today. So I'm going to try to get some sleep now.

Allow me to make up for not writing more with these gems from the Halloween store I visited today. You are welcome.

Gotta watch out for those darn puuk rackers, especially the ones with the blue mustaches.

Why the blackface, Korea? WHY?!

Moving on up

Success! I am finally unpacked and moved into my new apartment! Some of the upgrades include: hot, cold, and warm water on demand; space for activities/house guests; better location; HUGE closets; neighbors who are teachers at my school; nicer and more helpful staff; and did I mention water? It was quite a stressful move, but now that I'm settling in, I feel much better about this place. In fact, I could live here for a few years... Just kidding, Mom. (But seriously.)

The only thing lacking is the internet (coming Saturday) and a desk and chair, which seems superfluous, but I don't have anywhere to sit and eat besides the floor. I could also use a chair to reach my clothes in my super huge closet. It's that big. You could fit all the gay guys from Glee in there. Actually, that would make me really happy. I wonder what they would sing to deal with their predicament... I'm sure it would be magical.

Before the big move, I attended a couple of festivals in Gwangju, as planned. The Kimchi Festival was a great experience. My favorite parts were making the kimchi -- with one-on-one help from an adjumma (grandma/kimchi guru) -- and tasting white kimchi in the form of a kimbap roll. (I'll add pictures later.) It was a bit sour and a lot less spicy; it was delicious!

The kimchi I made is safely sealed in my (super huge) closet, fermenting away. I'll let you know how it tastes in a few months!

I'll be sure to write more when I get internet at home on Saturday!

Excessive violence and a new address

My internet has been hit or miss this evening, so I'm going to make this quick.

At school, we've been having a problem with a handful of kids (really one in particular) hitting, kicking, and all-around being too rough with each other. It's fun until someone gets hurt -- then it's trying to explain who hit whom in broken English with tears and snot running down your face -- which is decidedly less fun.

It's gotten to the point where we don't know what else to do. The VP is going to sit down both our classes on Monday and have a talk with them about why they're here and our expectations. I guess it couldn't hurt, but she hasn't asked us what to say or what rules we have in place; and I hate not knowing what's going on... it seems like the interpreted versions of conversations are always so edited. Also, her primary concern is attendance (aka money), which doesn't really align with our values at this point. I guess we'll see what happens.

Other than the rough housing during break times, I've been loving school. I don't know what it is, but some days I just feel like a real teacher. And man, when a student finally gets something -- it's just so thrilling. I bet they think I'm crazy, how excited I get over things that must seem so little to them. It makes me want to be a better teacher, if only to get more of these moments.

Currently, I'm busy packing up all my stuff because I'm getting a new apartment Monday! The school administrators and I have been in a month-long battle with the landlords over my water issues, resulting in the admins finally breaking their contract in order to move me. The good news is I will (probably... more than likely... it couldn't happen twice, right?) have water! The bad news is I have to move out of my apartment before school and I can't move into the new place until after school the same day.

So I'll essentially be homeless for a few hours during the day, but the other teachers have been really helpful. I don't know what I would've done without them. The few hours I'll be in town this weekend will be spent packing up my stuff and hauling it over to their apartments, but it'll all be worth it to take a real shower Monday night! I'll actually be living right across the hall from one of the other teachers and a floor below another -- not sure if that'll be good or bad; only time will tell.

Tomorrow, I'm headed back down to Gwangju for the Kimchi Festival and other assorted goings-on. I can't wait! Since I bought a train ticket earlier this week, my travel will be much easier, but it also means sticking to a schedule, which can be stressful. So instead of stressing out, I'm going to get some sleep now, and be a happy camper/traveler tomorrow!

North Korean noodles and quiz bowl after-effects

It's Tuesday, and it's already been a long week. This weekend, I went out with some friends in Seoul and got to eat a lot of good food including more Korean barbecue and North Korean-style noodles called naengmyeon. Overall, I think naengmyeon was a totalitarian success: the cold broth dictated the great flavor of the dish while the beef violently oppressed the crunchiness of the pears. The meal was a little short for my taste, though...

Since my friends were older and preferred lesser-known places, we spent Saturday evening jumping from bar to restaurant, eating and drinking like only Koreans can. They also took me to a traditional Korean market where so many people were gathered with the same mission. It was nice to have three Korean tour guides, as opposed to just trying to figure things out.

After such a nice weekend, Monday was a bit rough. The kids all seemed to have their heads on backwards after our two-day week. This was especially true for the elementary students because another teacher and I put on a Quiz Bowl activity day for them on Friday.

We spent the past month preparing for the Quiz Bowl by each focusing on one storybook; mine was The Lion and the Mouse, based on Aesop's fable. Then on Friday, we played a total of four games with the two classes combined. It was a lot of fun, but very exhausting at the same time and it thrust the kids out of their routines, which I think we're paying for now.

Teaching in general seems to be getting more stressful. I'm not sure if I'm putting more pressure on myself or if the kids are just getting used to me or what, but it's been a tough few days at the front of the classroom. One of the most difficult things for me is just having a clear goal in mind. I have no idea what my endgame is at this school or with these classes. Hopefully this week I can take a beat to figure that out and refocus my energy and my lessons.

In other news, my school signed a contract for a new apartment for me! My water has been acting up since I got here, and we've been going back and forth with the landlord about what the issue is so they decided just to end the lease and move me. I'm excited to move -- I'll be in a building with two of the other teachers -- but nervous for any new problems it might bring. I guess we'll see on Monday when I move!

I'm also looking forward to this weekend because I'm going back down to Gwangju for the Kimchi World Culture Festival! Yay kimchi!

May 18 National Cemetery

As I mentioned previously, over Chuseok vacation I was able to visit Gwangju and a few historical sites. For me, the most striking was a memorial we visited Monday morning on the north side of the city. The site is officially called the May 18th National Cemetery and was built to honor those who died or went missing during the democratic uprisings of 1980.

Our incredible experience was completely due to our tour guide: upon our arrival, we had gone to the information booth to ask for a pamphlet or whatnot and this man ended up being our personal English-speaking guide through the museum, monument, cemetery, and other sites. In fact, he attended the university where the protests began in Gwangju and gave his first-hand account of the events as we learned about them. He even gave us a private room to watch the English version of the history video played in the museum. We later found out he is an English teacher and just volunteers at the monument on the weekends and holidays, which I think speaks to the pride he takes in this piece of history.

Okay, here's my humble, abridged understanding of the history (read more here): Talks of democracy had popped up in South Korea for many years, but the assassination of authoritarian President Park Chung-hee in 1979 brought new fervor and urgency to the movement. The succeeding leader imposed emergency military law, shutting down the universities, banning any political activities, and taking control of the press.

Gwangju in particular was a hotbed of unrest due to past injustices mostly based on the city's location in the resource-rich southern province. The declaration of martial law further instigated the people of Gwangju, especially the students and professors at Chonnam National University (where our tour guide was a student at the time).  As a result, they gathered peacefully at the university gates on May 18 to demonstrate and rally against the martial law. (Note: the Gwangju World Music Festival was held at this university; I walked through those gates.)

As the number of protesters grew, paratroopers were sent to Gwangju to suppress the rebellion and they quickly turned to violence, using clubs and bayonets on the unarmed citizens. The first civilian death was on May 20. His is the first grave in the cemetery. As word of the violence spread throughout the city, a parade of people, cars, and buses converged on the troops and were met with tear gas and weapons. 

On May 21, the army was ordered to open fire on protesters outside the provincial office. Later that day, protesters began raiding police stations and army vehicles in order to arm themselves. As the peaceful protesters evolved into a militia, the troops retreated into the outskirts of the city and blocked off its supply routes and communication lines, leaving the people cut off from the outside world.

Our tour guide pointed out that at this time, the regime that was in power purported the events in Gwangju as an outburst of communist supporters, distorting the facts and watering down the violence. To this day, the numbers of the dead and wounded are disputed; "official" reports put the death toll just under 200, but some sources estimate between 1,000 and 2,000 people were killed over the 10-day period.

 Gravestones mark the tombs of those killed in the massacre. There are also gravestones (sans tombs) for those missing. In a building off to the side, a portrait of each known victim is displayed.

A huge source of (rightful) pride for the Korean people is that as the blockade drew on for seven days, the people came together in every way. Food was shared with nothing expected in return, committees formed to take care of the sick and wounded, and apart from the police and army supply stations, there was no looting or crime -- even the banks were left unscathed.

Finally, on May 27 the army gave the civilian militias an ultimatum: disarm yourselves or we will attack. The Korean people stood for what they believed and were soon overtaken. More than 1,300 people were arrested and held responsible for the uprising, including seven people put to death and 12 life sentences.

As the Korean people learned the truth about the events in Gwangju, the president's legitimacy wavered. Calls for democracy continued, and seven years later the country held its first election.

It was surreal to hear about such historic events from someone who witnessed them first hand, but it was an honor to learn about the courage and pride of these people. It's an experience I will not soon forget.

The memorial was designed to look like two hands holding an egg, a symbol of new life.

Since the powers that be long denied the atrocities that took place in Gwangju, this memorial and cemetery was only built in 1997. Until that time, the bodies were carried in trucks to mass graves, then placed in a municipal cemetery. At long last, the victims have been acknowledged as such and are honored for their bravery with this memorial, cemetery, and museum in the city for which they fought.