A 2013 To-Do List

I was inspired by Sofia's Journal and so decided that to go forward with this blog in this new year (which has already passed January!!!), I'd like to add my to-do list as well.

Ahem, here goes:

- Leave Korea without being too sad.  Aiming for grateful, happy and excited for the future, instead.

- Keep an inspiration notebook with ideas, quotes, articles, pictures--anything that brings positive energy into my life.

- Wake up early.

- Find employment in the US doing something I am excited about.

- Give back to the community.

- Hike mountains around NY and NJ with DH.

- Be a good auntie to Emily and to Nephew 1 & 2 making their debut soon!!!

- Continue German and/or Korean language classes in the US.

- Make a Korea scrapbook.

Taking steps towards a better year in 2013.

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A Jeju Christmas

Last night we arrived home from three days on the southern island of Jeju.  We snagged this deal back at the end of August when we saw that tickets were about $75 per person R/T, taxes included.  What's more is it only takes an hour by plane, and truth be told, we got to Jeju faster than it takes us to get to the other side of Seoul by subway!

Jeju Island is yet another much-talked about location among Koreans, one I wasn't sure would hold up to its nick-name "The Hawaii of Korea", but I have to admit, it is a uniquely beautiful place.  I'm planning to post more details about the trip/hotel/transportation/what the island is like in December in my next entry, but for now some pictures for your viewing pleasure of Christmas on Jeju Island.

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The last Friday before Winter Break...

I just walk out of the classroom like....

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Merry Christmas Everyone!

Every foreigner in Korea knows about this blog by now, but if you're not up to speed, you'll be doing yourself a favor by taking a look right now:

http://kikinitinkorea.tumblr.com/

Temple Stay

Snow everywhere on the temple grounds.

Orientation and Temple Etiquette--teaching us Chasu hand position.

One of two Yebul services we partook in at the temple. 

Food offerings to the Buddha.

Usually the statues in temples are gold, however in this modern temple hall, the artist chose white.  These particular ones were designed by the same guy who made the King Sejong statue in Ganghwamun Square.

Striking the temple bell after sunset. 

Greeted by a beautiful new day after our 4am service and 108 prostrations were completed.

Pre-meal chant of gratitude before eating our monastic meal.

Food is eaten in silence by the monks so as to show appreciation for every grain of rice.  There was quite a ritual involved in distributing the food and cleaning up afterwards.  Not a single morsel of food should be left over.

Hiking up the fortress during our walking meditation Sunday morning.

Group photo of all the KEB Temple Stay participants.

Living like a monk for 24 hours

This past weekend I had the opportunity to live like the monks of South Korea.

A photo with our Seunim after a morning walking meditation around the fortress.

KEB Bank (once again) gave its customers a chance to explore Korea on their dime and offered a weekend Temple Stay at Jeongdeungsa Temple on Ganghwa Island, located on the north western coast of the ROK.  Even though I was super excited to get chosen to participate, it was really David's strong interest in Buddhism that got me to sign up. 

After the excitement of winning passed, I had mixed feeling. The weather in Seoul has been brutally cold, in the negatives and snowing for the last couple days and this temple, located in the mountains even further north than Seoul, was guaranteeing a frigid weekend ahead.  I had been sick the week before and on top of that, from reading several blog entries, I knew that it wasn't necessarily a relaxing weekend that we had signed up for.  We were going to be expected to participate in the full program, which included going early to bed (9 pm) and waking up early (4 am), 108 prostrations (special bowing technique), keeping a silence code during monastic meals and community works.  Not to mention several sessions of meditation, which I don't know if you've ever tried meditating, but  it ain't that easy.  

I wasn't ready to be so devote but I was curious. And as it was a FREE opportunity and likely a rare one considering my days in Korea are limited, I decided to shake off the doubts and just go for it.  And I'm so glad I did.

The temple grounds were so beautiful covered in a clean and sparkly snow.  And our rooms were super warm (so much warmer than my apartment in Seoul!) and the food organically grown and delicious.  Every experience was new and without getting all cliché here, I have to say, I could truly enjoy this weekend and left the temple grounds feeling lighter and yes, more peaceful.  I didn't go there expecting to be enlightened, but it opened my eyes to a very different kind of life.

Jeongdeungsa Temple is the oldest temple in Korea dating back to 381 AD.  It's a beautiful place made even more beautiful by the newly fallen snow.

 The only downside to the experience, in my opinion, was some explanations were lacking. I would have liked a little more background information about Buddhism itself and the meaning behind certain ceremonies that we partook in. All in all though, the experience is definitely recommended for anyone who is curious about Buddhism, even just the cultural aspect of it, as well as people looking to escape to a secluded place in nature.   I'll probably put up another post with more pictures and details from the temple stay shortly but for now you can check out the following link for more info on Temple Stays (in English) in Korea:   http://eng.templestay.com/.

Sunrise at the temple during our Community Works time.

Thanksgiving Abroad

Yesterday was my fourth consecutive Thanksgiving, and my fifth Thanksgiving collectively that I've celebrated outside of the US.

My first Thanksgiving abroad back in 2004, I spent sitting in an office with other fellow Americans who were traveling with me at the time and eating home made chocolate chip cookies and going around the table and saying what we were grateful for.  Skip ahead to 2009, my first Thanksgiving abroad on my own and I remember how much I really wanted to cook and share the holiday with my new family.  All the effort of hunting down food items that were not easily found in German supermarkets and cooking a way too expensive turkey whom we named Tod.  The food was gobbled down happily by my now in-laws, but never the less, it didn't quite feel like the holiday I had hoped to create, because to them it wasn't a tradition that had any back story or memories attached to.  

The next year, I decided to downsize and opt for a chicken instead of turkey and cook potatoes and carrots instead of any fancy sides.  Last year in 2011, I cooked a pumpkin pie from scratch (because canned pumpkin is impossible to find), and skipped the meal altogether.   This year, with my limited kitchen (a hot plate and a microwave) I decided there would be no pies and no bird of any kind -- just a grateful, happy heart.    

The American I was five years ago would never have imagined myself spending Thanksgiving day eating Vietnamese noodles in a Korean shopping mall while being serenaded by Mariah Carey and other pop versions of Christmas songs as I did this year.

 I do miss Thanksgiving and the atmosphere of the holidays in the US, but being abroad has given me a chance to celebrate holidays in different ways.  In Germany I got to experience a Christmas season that feels like it lasts from September to December, including a month long celebration of Christmas markets.  In Korea, I got to celebrate holidays that I never knew existed, like Buddha's birthday, Children's Day and Chuseok with holidays still to come like Lunar New Year.

So I missed out on a fifth American Thanksgiving, but I'll be back next year.  Until then, wishing everyone a happy holidays in the US and in Germany, as they  kick off the Christmas Market season.

My Thanksgiving meal 2012 at Little Saigon, Vietnamese Pho--(photo property of foodspotting.com).

These are a few of my favorite things... (Korea Edition)

Some things I love about Korea...

1)  Korean kids 

Although I loved working with adults when I was in Germany, working with Korean kids has been an unexpected joy for me.  Maybe I'd be singing a different tune if I had been placed in a middle school, but elementary school kids are so much fun to work with.  They are curious and open and give you so much undeserved love.  I adore the kids at my school and I think that leaving them will be one of the hardest parts about saying goodbye in February.

2)  The work day

Despite having to be at school from 8:40 - 4:40 each day, my contract requires me to work only 22 teaching hours (of 40 minutes) per week. That leaves you with a lot of time to prepare classes in school (and not have to worry about taking work home with you) as well as plenty of free time to study, work on personal projects, play board games with fellow teachers and/or zone out on Facebook.  This is clearly a borderline good thing, but overall this job is pretty low-stress.

3)  Soups & Stews Galore

This is not a job perk, however it is a huge and wonderful being-in-Korea advantage.  I love all the different Korean soups and jiggaes.  They are satisfying and intensely flavorful.  They are also totally within budget.  You can make a cheap meal of it for 5,000-7,000 won.  You can attempt cooking them cheaper at home if you like, but I think it's a pretty good deal.  Two people can eat a very filling meal for about 10,000 won or $10, 8 euros.

The stews are served boiling hot and are a welcome relief from the cold weather.  Yummy.

4)  Seoul Subway

Seoul has the very best subway system I have ever used, hands down.  NYC, Nuremberg, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Athens, Rome, Paris, London--some come close, but none of them has the accesibility, the cleanliness AND the cheap ticket factor.  You can get anywhere in Seoul using one of  7-8 lines.  Best part of it all, a ride costs only 1,050 won (less than $1/1Euro).

Get from one side of Seoul to other for about a $1.

5)  Service aka Free Things

The Koreans call it Ser-bi-suh, we call it free stuff.  Korean shops and restaurants like to treat their customers and their foreign guests to free things.  Whether it be face masks and samples at the numerous skin care/make-up shops, or free soups or dumplings to accompany a meal, or free trips to the DMZ for foreign customers at their bank, Korean customer service is pretty top notch.

6)  The cuteness factor

Some foreigners despise it, but I really like all the cute things you can find here in Korea, particularly in the stationary shops.  My style of dress hasn't conformed to Korean-ness but I do find myself taking a liking to it.  While I probably wouldn't actually wear a matching couple outfit, they are fun to spot Korean couples wearing.  

A blog with some cuter couple clothing:  http://koreancouplesfashion.tumblr.com/

7)  Convenience

I can't speak for the rest of Korea, but Seoul is convenience capital of the world in my book.  The subways run every five minutes, many shops are open late hours, 24 hour convenient stores are literally EVERYWHERE--(I kid you not, there are four 7-11's, and two Mini-Marts within a two block radius from my apt.).  And while language is definitely a barrier, it isn't one that can't be overcome.  The Korean government has supported the efforts of a 24-hour volunteer translators service that you can call at any time to help you find directions and/or translate in a situation if you can't get your point across.  1330, a number every foreigner needs in their phone.

8) Autumn
Spring brings an explosion of cherry blossoms, Summer brings waves of humidity and unbearable heat and Autumn brings a cool breeze and trees flooding the streets with amazing yellows and reds and oranges.  I've missed the intensities of the colors back in DE.

Autumn in Banghwa.

 "So, if Korea's so great Diana, why aren't you staying another year?" 

Fair question.  There are a lot of great things about living in Korea but let's be honest, there isn't any place on earth that's a field of daisies, so next post I'll talk about the unpleasant, unexpected aspects of living and teaching here in the ROK.

PS.  For anyone browsing here on my blog, feel free to message me or leave a comment if you have any questions about teaching with EPIK.  I'd be happy to help.

East Side of the ROK

Seorak mountain, like Nami Island, were places I heard were 'must visits' in Korea.  This particular mountain, while not the tallest in Korea, is an incredibly beautiful one, especially during Autumn.  Apparently droves of 135,000+ Koreans hit the trails EVERY weekend during peak season at this one mountain alone.  As Autumn is dwindling to an end, and the leaves are becoming sparser and weather colder, we decided to  make our way there before it was too late.  Seorak is one of those places you have to see to believe.  An awe-inspiring place that despite the pounding of thousands upon thousands of Korean and foreign feet that trample on its ground yearly manages to keep its astounding natural beauty.

We woke up at 4:30 am to prepare for and get ourselves to the Express Bus Terminal to catch the first bus from Seoul to Sokcho, a small seaside town.  The ride took about 2.5 hours, much shorter than is advertised on the bus schedule on the internet (they said 4+ hours!).  From there we took a taxi (although buses are available) for 20 minutes to get to the base of the mountain.  The taxi ride cost us 4,000 won ($4) and I had my first real-life Korean 'conversation'!  Normally, I practice Korean with people who speak English well or in a classroom setting, but I decided to test the waters with my non-English speaking taxi driver.  He was pretty nice.  I tried asking how long the trails were to hike and some other small talk which resulted in me understanding only 30-40% of what he responded, but never-the-less, still felt pretty proud of myself^^.

Below are some pictures from our Seorak experience.  I highly recommend it to anyone in Korea and I want to let people know it is worth the trip even if you can only stay one day like we could.

The entrance to the park with loads of Koreans posing with the bear.

The Unification Statue of Buddha: he's huge!  Just look at the size of that woman underneath him.

Even though many leaves have already fallen, there were still splotches of vibrant color  everywhere.  Amazing!

A view from one of the peaks:  DH standing proudly.

If you look closely those green  patches are very tiny trees.  I'm scared stiff on a cliff!

Korean flag flying high on a cold windy peak.  A park ranger chilling in his parka on top.

The biggest 'miracle' of this trip was finding a secluded area virtually people-free.  We hiked a short trail to a series of water falls and there was almost nobody there.  If you have ever been to Korea, you know that solitude is a rare commodity here.

Before leaving the park, clouds covering some of the jagged peaks.  Seoraksan, gorgeous rain or shine.

Just some advice for fellow travellers: Book your return ticket when you get to the station! Our trip was fairly smooth all the way around, but one thing we didn't forsee was that buses going from Sokcho back to Seoul would be sold out.  We arrived at the bus station at 5:00pm, but couldn't get a ticket for a bus until 8:00pm.  We managed to make it back to Seoul, but it could have been tricky if we had shown up any later.  

Toilets are beautiful too.

This past weekend we visited Suwon, a smaller city outside of Seoul. Suwon is well-known for its fortress, a UNESCO world heritage site, and less known for being 'the mecca of the toilet culture movement'.  Ex-mayor of Suwon and the founder of the World Toilet Association, Mr. Sim Dae Juk, built his house to resemble a giant toilet bowl. This park and his former home can be found a little ways outside of the main city area.  If you're a toilet lover (?), interested in quirky things and happen to find yourself in Suwon with some time to spare, it's worth the visit.  

Upon entering the park, we were greeted with this lovely mural of behinds, 똥 (poop) and toilet paper. 

 

I couldn't get a good picture on my camera, so this is from the internet, but this is Mr. Toilet's House.  Where the man, the legend, lived before he passed away.  The building is now a museum.

Sim Jae Duk, otherwise lovingly nicknamed Mr. Toilet, was a real man whose love for toilets started at birth as he was born in his mother's outhouse.  He believed in making the world more beautiful one toilet at a time.

They showed toilet pictography from around the world.

The toilet is a place where deep thought can occur, as believed by Mr. Sim.

Some other sculptures from the park.

Oh, the love of a mother.

Want to visit the Toilet House?  Here is a little more information:  http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/visit/mr-toilet-house-turned-toilet-museum.

EDIT:  BBC just covered the Suwon toilet theme park this past week, check out the video!!! 아싸!

Be careful what you wish for...

...because it just might come true. 

Summer is behind us now, and the weather has suddenly gotten really cold!  Not fleece and parka cold, but cold enough that I feel totally unprepared for the winter months looming near.  Lord help us all if it is anywhere as near as extreme as this past summer was.

In other news, today my Co-T approached me about contract renewal for next year.  This is a question I knew was coming, but now that my official answer has been given, I have mixed feelings. My co-teachers have been really fantastic, wonderful friends and colleagues to me.  We might not have always agreed on things in the classroom, but as people they have only been helpful and caring. I know that as a foreign teacher I am totally replaceable, and this job, to be honest, is not really a good fit for me, but nevertheless the thought of leaving still makes me sad.

On the other hand, I'm relieved that I only have a few more months here.  Come March 1,  2013,  I'll be ready to get on the plane and head back to the US and begin anew, hopefully this time, staying put for a little while longer.

In the mean time, there's still Autumn to enjoy and the 'famous' fall foliage, part II of DH's green card/visa process, Christmas on Jeju Island and much more to come.  Korea's not over yet, so trying to enjoy what each day brings.

Signs of autumn at our photo shoot along the Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul.

남이섬 - Nami Island

The Chuseok holiday is flying by with cooler days and lots of sunshine.  The best thing so far has definitely been our trip to Nami Island this past Sunday.  Being a pretty touristy destination, I had reservations about going as it was 2.5-3 hours out of Seoul.  I thought it might be overrated and I thought it might look similar to most everywhere else in Korea, but Nami is worth the time it takes to get there.

The tiny moon-shaped island is located in the middle of Cheongpyeong Lake in the Gapyeong area of Gyeonggi-do (wow, that's a mouthful).  Made famous by a K-drama (Winter Sonata) that I knew very little about, the island is a great place to get away from the hectic city life for a while.

Some photos...

We started our trip with a Zip-Wire ride from the mainland to the island.  Fun, but a bit pricey and over much too fast.

Happy DH after zipping over the lake.

Some artwork on the island:  meant to represent motherly love and affection.

Some more artwork:  colorful elephants everywhere.

Even dead leaves have a bit of charm on Nami.

Beautiful Cheongpyeong Lake.

Though biking around the island is popular, walking it is even more enjoyable I think.

Even the trash cans are a bit cheesy.

The leaves just starting to change colors.

The most photographed spot on the island.  The DH and I.

Want to visit?  A shuttle bus travels daily from Insadong, although reservations are required, otherwise you can take the Seoul Metro to Gapyeong station, grab a taxi or walk the 2.5 kilometers and either zip your way over like we did, or ride a ferry (8,000 won for foreigners/10,000 won for Koreans).