Bamboo Blonde

Visa is is Visa go!

2012-01-30T10:28:00.000+09:00

After all these years of answering a childhood dream of traveling I can safely say that a little house with a white picket fence and a lawn to mow in the burbs of the USA would send me into a deep isolated depression. I have learned that I am an unsettled soul and exploration and adventure is the only thing that I find satisfaction and true happiness. It is true that I need to come back, from time to time, to be with my friends, catch my breath, re-energize and then off to another exotic corner of the world that challenges my world view. I may find in my new adventure that I have bitten off more than I can chew.

South Korea in my last 8 months was isolative, unchallenging, extremely frustrating, disappointing and boring. As I once boldly told a co Korean teacher last August as we were discussing the exclusion of foreigners from traditional Korean holiday festivities, there just doesn't seem to be much more for me to learn in South Korea. So, I began sending out my resume and filling out applications. For Saudi Arabia.

One month ago I received an offer for a position at an all female university in Riyadh, and I accepted. I was informed yesterday that the visa was approved and on its way back to me. By the end of this week I will be flying off to Saudi Arabia for an entirely new adventure.

The first question that popped into the readers head was probably, 'Will you have to cover'? Yes, I will. I ordered an abayya and a hijab online as soon as I learned the visa was approved. The abayya, which covers the body from neck to ankle and arms, must be black and full. Unfortunately, I will not be able to wear a form fitting chador decorated with bling-bling as is the fashion in Jordan. I will also need to cover my hair in most public places with a hijab. The hijab can be black or pastel colors. I like that they atleast allow variation with the hijab. I can have winter hijab and summer hijab. Yay.

I'm very excited about this opportunity to experience a part of the world so few have. It is a world I have only read about in books such as T.E. Lawrences, "Seven Pillars" or the movie, Lawrence of Arabia (much of his time was spent in Jordan, however). I also took many cultural anthropology classes regarding the Middle East. Unfortunately, those books are in storage in Asheville, North Carolina.

Saudi Arabia, as many know is a world where women can not drive cars, ride bikes or go out in public without a male escort. I will have to hire a driver when I need to go shopping or out to eat. At restaurants I have to sit in the family designated section and there is not such a section, I must get my food to go. My dress under the abayya will have to be long skirts (women can not wear pants) that go to the ankle and long sleeve shirts that cover the collarbone. In otherwords, I have to change my entire wardrobe.

Truman will not make the initial trip with me, unfortunately. After his rabies vaccination and a period of quarantine, once he passes the health certification, then I will begin the long, arduous process of having him imported to me. I am lucky to have a good friend take care of him until he passes this process and put him on a plane to me. I don't think I could live without him too long. He was a comfort in the isolated country of South Korea and will be a great comfort in the challenges of culture shock and differences in Saudi Arabia.

I am not sure what the internet is like in Saudi Arabia. I have been in communication with a few teachers there via blogs and forums and they all have assured me that Facebook, Gmail, Google+ and Skype are all in full access. I'm sure there must be some level of censorship since it is such a closed culture. I will find out soon.

If you read this and you are a female from the West who has lived in Saudi Arabia, any advice is appreciated.

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR! YEAR OF THE BLACK DRAGON!

2012-01-24T03:03:00.002+09:00

Out with the tumultuous year of the Rabbit to begin anew with the lucky Black Dragon!

Anticipation and Anxiety

2012-01-20T23:40:00.000+09:00

Coming back to the US has been a long over due necessity. The last 6 months of my time in South Korea was increasingly stressful and homesickness was a daily feeling. I longed to have a full conversation in English about events that my recipient also understood and had an interest in. Luckily, the two gentlement I sat next to on the plane from Incheon to San Francisco were socialable and wanted to talk. It was heaven. The first gentlment, an American engineer who is based out of Seoul and was on one of his frequent visits home in Pennsylvania was interested in my teaching career around the world. The other, a mature, Korean-American returning to his home in Texas from the New Year Holiday of which he spent with his family in Daegu, we discussed Korean history and politics.

Since being home, and staying in the heartland just outside of Kansas City with my childhood friend, the anxiety has disappeared and my days filled with catching up on who is doing what in small town Kansas. It has also been filled with catching up on my Western food intake. My best friend bakes cookies and homemade meals daily. Last night, lasagna. This past Sunday was a full Thanksgiving meal followed by pumpkin pie and tarimisu.

My mornings here are passed with saying good-bye to everyone as they leave for work or school and then I gaze out the back to the singing birds, the wind bending the pine trees and the long corn pasture that meets the horizon miles away. I love this open country. I feel free. Here, there are no ultra skyscrapers halting my view of the endless, boundless landscape. At night, there are a billion stars just like Sagan promised and a hand full of coyotes howling at them. In the day, as I drive down the high way, the Dixie Chicks song, "Wide Open Spaces" fills my head and I think this is where I may return once I satisfy the Indiana Joanne inside.

I have a week left here in the States before heading off to what is probably going to be the most challenging adventure I will ever have. This adventure will challenge every weakness and call upon every strength I have as my world view will be completely turned upside down. For one year, I will know what it is to have sand in my hair and feel the glearing heat only upon my face. And I will be surrounded constantly by boundaries and limitations. And there won't be wine.

2012-01-08T10:37:00.001+09:00

“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” –Jim Rohn

And big change is coming for me. Stay tuned.

Anyanhasayo, South Korea: USA here I come!!

2012-01-04T18:49:00.001+09:00

Its over. I'm done. My chapter in South Korea is at a close and a new chapter begins. Where you ask? I will divulge that when I have the visa in my warm, live hands.

AUR-EV-OIR SOUTH KOREA! ITS BEEN...INTERESTING.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! ITS 2012!

2012-01-01T15:09:00.000+09:00

I hope 2012 is better than 2011 for everyone.

Christmas Spent

2011-12-25T20:13:00.001+09:00

Christmas Loot: an original my professor made for me. Professor Jo, Haeng Sub at Hongik University

Christmas Loot from my Buddhist friend, Michelle.

Christmas Tarimisu from Hyundai Department Store

Practicing my brush painting.

The owner of a local coffee shop made this. Its a phone charm, but I find its a beautiful tree ornament.

Hard to find, expensive, California old vine Zinfandel. Buttery currents. Gorgeous.

Practicing my orchid.

My homework: Cherry Blossoms.

Lazy Christmas cat.

Christmas in Hwaseong, South Korea

2011-12-25T09:10:00.000+09:00

Its been a fairly great week in Hwaseong. I have made good friends through the Thursday English class gathering and each class is a new story in its self. This past week, the sole male student, Brian, his English name, brought oyster fritters with ponzi sauce. They were soooo delicious! Lee, a female student who owns a chicken farm brought me a dozen freshly laid eggs. She runs a purely free range, organic chicken farm and is very proud of it. I have yet to visit but plan to before long. Lee presented the eggs explaining that that was all she could afford to give for Christmas. I think food is a perfect gift for every ocassion, particularly in these times. I was gratefuly to Lee and I plan to make Deviled Eggs for next weeks New Years Eve class with them.

We decided to have the last class this year as a New Years party and everyone will bring a food item. In addition to the Deviled Eggs, I will also take a bottle of pink, sparkling wine from California. I look forward to my students New Years Eve party.

This past week was my last Chinese painting class and I am sad about that. I loved going to that class every Monday night with my best Korean friend, Michelle (English name), who is also a student at my Thursday night class. Michelle is by far one of the most wonderful people I have ever met. Her English is limited but she is not afraid to speak English. She is about 5 foot tall and absolutely beautiful. I call her Jackie O. because she's just gorgeous and dresses so beautifully. She is also quite talented in Chinese painting and passionate about it. It was she who realized I had an interest in it also and helped me sign up for the class at Hongik University. Michelle also presented me with a Christmas present.

My only wrapped Christmas present was given to me by a Buddhist. A beautiful, Jackie O. Buddhist. On Friday, Michelle visited my classroom and brought me a bag filled with gifts and a huge, cylindrical sack as she wished me a Merry Christmas. I brought them home and put them under the tree. Today it is revealed that she bought me two new paint brushes, paint, a blanket to lay my pictures on while painting and a huge supply of special cotton paper. She told me she had visited Insadong the previous night which is where one must go for the proper Chinese painting supplies. She went for me and I am so touched. Michelle is the most wonderful person I've met here in Korea.

Yesterday, I had a facial in Apgujeong then shopped for food items at the Hyundai Department store. It is this store that I can find high quality fresh fish, and western provisions not found elsewhere in Korea. I bought a bottle of Kenwood Zinfandel, ricotta cheese, Italian bottled tomatoes and a tiramisu cake. My Christmas will be spent eating spaghetti bolognese with ricotta, drinking Zinfandel, listening to Christmas music and painting.

I have great plans for New Years Eve with a good friend. I'm sure it will be filled with good food, GREAT wine, and fabulous company. Life is good.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY SOLSTICE AND HAPPY NEW YEARS TO ALL PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD! I HOPE 2012 IS BETTER THAN 2011.

Signs its time to move on.

2011-12-14T17:28:00.002+09:00

Today was not a good day in South Korea. For months I have expressed to my co-teacher my concerns of safety and discomfort in the hell hole that is my apartment, and for months, to this day, she and the administration refuse to acknowledge my concerns and refuse to do anything about them. For the past six months my experience here at this one room apartment has been of strangers trying to enter my apartment in the middle of the night, neighbors coming home drunk at 3 a.m. yelling, laughing, talking in the hallway, and bed bugs. All of which my school refuses to do anything about. No offer of a double lock on the door. No offer of extermination and cleaning of my belongings. No offer of speaking with the management, whom I pay 50,000 won a month for management fee, to clean my belongings and eliminate the bed bugs. No offer what so ever. And they have flat refused to move me to another apartment.

I am so angry and so ready to leave this country that so blatantly hates foreigners and has such disdain for Native English Teachers. I was expressing this to another co-NET and she sent me this article which is an interview of a local university student. She was asked about her opinion of foriegn English teachers working in Korea, and her view reflects that of most Korean teachers I have worked with. All of them dislike foreigners and there have been many articles written on the racism and xenophobia here in South Korea.

Read the article, and be sure to read all the comments. The comments are the most interesting.

Let me say for the record, I have made efforts to learn Korean. I have traveled all over South Korea and have seen many of their historical sites and visited many pre-historical sites. I have read many books and publications on Korean history and pre-history. I have gone hunting for artifacts and given a presentation on the pre-history of Korea to other expats. I have made efforts to communicate with my co-teachers and Korean members of the local community. All of these efforts have been for not as Koreans have no interest in forming genuine relationships with foreigners. My efforts include a local community English class focused on teaching women, however, I have allowed a few males into the group at the insistance of my female students. This is a free class. I make zero from this class. I was an effort to connect and make a difference in the lives of Korean women who are not as advantaged as Korean men in business.

There. I've beat my own drum. But I will not be accused of being narrow focused during my time here in Korea. I came here for the culture experience and to see the historical sites. I sat in the lunch room at my school for six months and no one would talk to me. I am not invited to teachers dinners or outings. THAT is how Korea has treated me.

Incidentally, President Lee and his co-horts would do well to read Amy Chua's book, "Day of Empire". It is the most tolerant nations that become the most economically powerful. I don't think the world will ever fear that South Korea (or North) will ever become an economic super power based on the high level of intolerance for 'others'.

Western Girls Survival Guide to Life in South Korea

2011-12-13T09:50:00.000+09:00

Chapter 2: So, you're the adventurous type and you want a global experience.

Go to Japan. Or Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Saudi Arabia. But if you insist on trying your hand in South Korea, there are a few things you should know.

1) If you're going to teach here understand your position and value: you are a quaint fixture at best. Something to gawk at, show off and then put on a shelf to be completely ignored. NETs are a necessary evil and nothing more, despite the fact that most Koreans after years of English lessons, can not speak English. No one at your school will talk to you on a professional level and certainly you will be ignored at social teachers dinners and outings. Mostly because the Korean English teachers can not speak English.

2) You are not going to get rich working as a NET in South Korea. You will make just enough to buy food and travel within South Korea. Before coming here you should have ample savings (or mom and dad) in case of emergency or for traveling outside of Korea. Or, for an emergency escape.

Also know that landlords are notorious for ripping off the foreigners, so don't expect that 900,000 won deposit back at the end of your service and your school will not help you fight for it. Anything that breaks down in your apartment, its your fault and you have to pay for it. Also, watch your bank account very closely while here.

Also know that you will be put in the smallest, cheapest possible apartment available in the area of your school. My apartment is the size of a bedroom with a bathroom crammed inside. I have one tiny window that half is glazed over, so there is little sunshine in the room. I have had neighbors attempt to get into my room in the middle of the night. There isn't any security on the building at all. Anyone can come in at anytime, day or night. There are not double locks on the doors and no one feels inclined to change that despite the middle of the night incidents. I have had my bike bag, folded chair and rugs stolen. I have also had bed bugs. Yes, nasty, horrible bed bugs.

School administration and your co-teachers have zero appreciation for any complaints you may register with them. They will mostly go ignored and will only cause you further isolation at your work place.

Understand the national health services well. Make sure you present your ARC each time you visit the doctor or they will overcharge you. It was researched that foreigners are often overcharged at doctors offices, clinics and hospitals between 20 and 30 percent.

3) Any thoughts of coming here and dating Korean men? Know that that is all it will be, dating for sex. Western women are nothing more than a sexual pursuit for Korean men. White women are referred to as the White Horse and riding it is most Korean men's fantasy (African and Latino women, you're a pursuit too, but I don't know the derogatory terms and I can not speak of your experiences). But an actual relationship has the chance of a snow ball in Hell. Korean men answer to their mothers and their mothers want nothing to do with Western women. Particularly if it means marrying their precious, pro-creative sons. Xenophobia is alive and well here and mixed babies are not well received. And sexism is nurtured by mothers and wives alike.

There is a joke that goes around and its something like this:

A Korean man's dream is a CEO job with a German company, a French villa and a Japanese wife.
A Korean man's nightmare is working at a Korean company, living in Korea with an American wife.

I have never been offended by that joke. I'm actually VERY proud of that joke. Keep up the good work, American girls. They simply can not handle intelligent women with independent minds. Of course, not many American men can either.

Also, be aware that most Korean men are married by the age of 30. If you're dating Korean men, count on ending up on dates with married Korean men, often. Infidelity here is a game and they all play it. Even the women are getting in on this game as they are tired of waiting at home for their husbands who are out with other women.

4) Dating Western men. LOL!!! Doubtful. They come here to date Korean women who are desperate to meet Western men. After getting to know Korean men, I can't blame them. But even on a social level the Western men are not responsive or supportive of their Western female cohorts. Its a phenomenon I simply find disgusting.

5) Bring your Big Girl panties. If you're young and have never left your country, you're in for a ride and there aren't any seat belts. If you're middle-aged, like me, it can be quite lonely and uncertain. South Korea, like the USA, is quite superficial and values the youthful look (they HATE wrinkles). Few recruiting companies hire over 40 and once here there are very few people over 40 to socialize with. Most NETs are green, twenty-something college graduates who have never even left their countries and in this horrid economy, desperate for a paying job. They want nothing to do with mature adults that are the same age as their parents. The expat community here is fickle and not united. There is little comfort in seeking support from your fellow expat Americans unless you hang out at the expat bars.

6) Also know that there are American, Canadian and British recruiting companies. Many of them practice discrimination in age and nationality. Few hire over 40 and Canadians hire Canadians, British hire British and American hire American. The Korean companies hire young and cheap, and mostly American.

7) Bring lots of books, clothing (especially if you're full figured), toys (you know what I mean) and make friends as soon as you can. Form a posse as you will need a support group.

8) Take up a hobby while here. Korean lessons. Calligraphy. Join a hiking group.

9) And in all seriousness, if you choose to come here, understand that Culture Shock is real.

If you're coming here for the culture, you can get that online and in about an hour. In general, Koreans do not invite foreigners to their homes or to family holidays.

Perhaps after reading this, you, the reader, may be asking yourself, 'Why did the author move to South Korea'? One word, Dolmens. 40,000 of them. But I've seen them. So its time for me to head elsewhere. Off to filling out applications. Good luck!

Western Girls Guide To Surviving Life in South Korea

2011-12-13T07:16:00.002+09:00

Chapter 1: JUST DON'T FUCKING MOVE THERE!!

Expats Double Edge Sword.

2011-12-08T11:07:00.000+09:00

I just discovered this story today regarding a Korean woman executing a complaint against a Western man for lying to her about his marital status after a long affair. This has got to be the biggest pile of hypocrisy I have ever read. If Ms. A is able to do this to a Western man, how many Western women can make the same complaint against Korean men? I could, against at least two, if not 5, different Korean men.

And if Korea wants to make a big stink about this, as the Ilyo Sinmun and Financial Times has done, perhaps, the Keerogi sytem, "The Wild Goose" system, where the father stays in Korea while the family moves to an English speaking country, should be well investigated for encouragement of infidelity. I can tell you that I have ended up on dates with at least 5 married Korean men (unknowingly) who were not looking for a serious relationship (after all, Korean mom wouldn't allow a white girl into the family, would she?)

This story is a joke and while I do not advocate the actions of Mr. B, it is not illegal behavior and it is not behavior Korean men are immune from. That this story was public is ludicrous beyond words. Ms. A is not the first Korean woman to be used by a Western (or Korean) man and not the last.

Look in the mirror, Korea, before judging the Western men (again, I DO NOT condone their behavior as I have stated many times in previous postings). How many Korean men behave badly overseas? Besides, this is consensual between two adults. Welcome to the modern world.

Where's the Curiosity, Korea?

2011-12-05T18:58:00.000+09:00

3 weeks ago I joined a weekly Korean history and language class. Several weeks ago the coordinator asked me to give a presentation on South Korean history and I was so giddily, excited at the thought of sharing my information on pre-historic South Korea that I worked on my presentation for many days tweeking and perfecting the PowerPoint I created and checking my facts. I readied my South Korean stone artifacts like an elementary student excited about presenting her favorite toy at show-n-tell. I know, geeky. I am a geekazoid, no, a passionate geekazoid, when it comes to archaeology and particularly pre-historic archaeology. I actually couldn't sleep the night before, and when I did, I dreamt about my presentation. It was archaeological Christmas Eve for me.

I know. I know what you're thinking. Geek alert!! But I was happy.

The day that I was to present to the class was the same day as my 'coffee with Mr. Yi' as I like to call it. Once a week, my co-teacher, Mr. Yi, or, Hong Ho, shares coffee and conversation with me to keep his English skills sharp and learn new vocabulary. I like Mr. Yi. I feel I have made a true connection with him and a life long friend. Once Mr. Yi was comfortable in his classroom chair, coffee in hand, I took full advantage of my captive audience and imposed my presentation of South Korean pre-history upon him.

I had actually hoped that once he saw the presentation he would have something to add or correct perhaps. Or, shower me with compliments regarding my accurasy on Korean pre-history. [sigh] But, to my disappointment and utter shock, that was not the case at all. Mr. Yi sat through the presentation and like a good student posing a question here and there, even seeming genuinely interested as he asked the questions. However, there was a lack of true curiosity about the subject, which perplexed me, as this is the ancient history of his country. He was particularly weary when I told him that all humans came from the mother land of Africa and that his ancestors migrated eastward as my ancestors migrated westward. This didn't seem to impress him at all. As a matter of fact, I think he wanted to disagree and refuse to believe it. That was my impression anyway.

When I finished the presentation I asked him what he thought and he was honest saying Koreans have no interest in pre-history what-so-ever and only care about Korean history from the 3 Kingdoms era, forward to present day. He is speaking of the earliest historical days of Korea starting with the Koryo empire which was then divided into 3 empires stretching through atleast 3 dynasties to present day. These are the days of their "glory". These historical days are more defined where pre-history is abstract and unknown.

As perhaps you can imagine, I was a tad depressed by his disinterest. I know that there are many cultures who refuse to embrace the fact that we are all from Africa and that there is DNA proof of it (see Spencer Wells, The Journey of Man). Many cultures still hold tightly their mythological beginnings and perhaps that is true for South Korea whose beginnings are due to the Son of Heavenly beings, Dangun, who gave birth to the Korean people.

I don't know if that is the case for Mr. Yi. But I have the impression that few South Koreans question their origins and only have to offer that they are descendants of the Mongols, NOT the Chinese. Not a single Korean friend has had a curiosity about my artifact collection and that, unfortunately, includes my students. I can't express how sad and disappointed I am. Only one student has had a comment to offer and that was that I am lying about thier age and origins. Ouch! That hurt.

Luckily, my co-expat teachers were impressed with my presentation on Korean pre-history and the odd fact that there are over 40,000 dolmens (goindol) here. I have never had so much fun planning for and giving a presentation on the very subject I love. Sadly, I did not ROK my Korean friends with such information, but, I did impress my co-expat teachers, and that's good enough for me.

To Marry or Not To Marry

2011-11-25T15:46:00.000+09:00

This past week, the target language for the students to learn and practice was the future auxiliary verb 'will' and the future 'be going to'. Today, we practiced using the language through a game called "Change Chairs If...". The students form a circle with their chairs. One student stands in the middle of the circle and makes a statement using the target language. For example, a student states, "Change chairs if you are going to university" and the appropriate students get up and change chairs. The student left standing goes on to make the next statement. Usually, the statements are short and cliche as they were today. However, one statement revealed much about my students today.

My classes are not coed. I have 3 classes of all boys and 4 classes of all girls. My first class today was a boys class of 42 boys. There was the expected sentences of "Change chairs if you will play soccer" and other sports oriented statements. Then, a boy stood up and stated, "Change chairs if you will marry". Every single boy got up and moved to another chair. This happened in all 3 of the boys classes. Every boy got up, enthusiastically, and moved, claiming to plan for a future marriage. I was surprised by this. Usually boys scoff at the thought of getting married when they are so young.

My last class today was an all girls class of 37. We played the game of "Change Chairs", and of course, the statement came up. A young, adorable 16 year old girl shouted, "Change Chairs if you will marry". I was expecting a cattle herd rumble from the scuffle of feet and bodies sliding into chairs excitedly. Not so. You cold quite frankly hear a pin drop following that statement. I was shocked. Not a single girl got up from her seat. My chin hit the floor. After the initial shock, I stopped the game for a moment to ask them if it was true that none of them planned to marry and in unison they all exclaimed a very loud "No"! I then told them that all the boys had gotten up at that statement implying they all wanted to marry. All the girls began laughing and making statements in Korean that I didn't understand. Clearly, they were as amused at the claim as I was shocked at the entire matter. Times are changing. By 190 degrees it seems.

2011-11-17T20:43:00.000+09:00

OCCUPY EVERYWHERE, NOVEMBER 17TH, 2011.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION

2011-11-17T10:20:00.000+09:00

Occupy America. The Revolution is on. Our Permit is the Constitution.

Know your rights. Exercise and insist on your rights to Peaceful Assembly to protest

against the Oligarchy that has taken over America. We must stand together.

I'M COMING. WE'RE COMING. OCCUPY.

2011-11-15T20:39:00.001+09:00

What ever it takes, WE'RE COMING. SO, JUST STAND ASIDE.

Egg on my face.

2011-11-13T18:24:00.000+09:00

After all my ranting about the isolation of co-workers, naughty xenophobic male students and their male teachers, and living in the country, I must report some very touching experiences.

As I had reported in an earlier post, I had started calligraphy and painting classes. This is something I have wanted to do since falling in love with Picassos black and whites in Barcelona. I particularly loved his black and whites of bulls and bullfighters. But I have also admired greatly East Asian black and white paintings since I was a very young girl who often visited the Asian exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins museum in my hometown, Kansas City, Missouri. I fell in love with the scroll paintings of cranes, white faced Geisha, playful cats and moving dragons. I do not know the artist, but a Japanese artist had painted a black and white of a dragon that seemed to move on the very paper it was painted. Since, I've been intrigued, but, also very intimidated.

Although the English teachers, 7 of them, talk little if at all to me, the school nurse, a tiny, beautiful, intelligent, reinacarneted vision of Jackie Onassis, invited me to her calligraphy classes held at a nearby university. I thought I might go once as my impression was it was a token invitation. It wasn't. It was a sincere attempt to share her culture. Last week, my second class, I frustratingly continued to attempt black and white orchids and was able only due to her contributions of ink, brush and paper, as well as the professors patience for my inability to get the technique.

My friend, whose English name is Michelle, saw that I truly enjoyed my time at the classes and has spoken with the professor to ask that he allow me to stay for the remaining semester at a pro-rated cost. He agreed. My co-worker, friend, Michelle, has also arranged for me to have brushes and paper, and on Friday brought me a gift of mixing bowls and plates, as well as a plastic casing in which to keep my paintings. I was deeply touched by her thoughts.

Saturday morning was my first class at a local church for elementary aged children. Awkward as always, the first day is a wash, but, I learned much about the classroom, the children and my co-teacher, Karen. Karen is a student from my Thursday night class at the coffee shop. I had met Karen long ago when I first came to Bongdam. We met at the local Dunkin' Donuts. Karen approached me knowing I was an English speaker. Her abilities are quite good and we had a good conversation. But it would be another 3 months before Karen and I would speak again, and it would be at my Thursday night English classes.

Karen is very enthusiastic about learning English. However, as most Koreans, she is still quite self-conscious about speaking in public. I don't know why. Karen is by far one of the most intelligent people I've met here. She is one year younger than I and yet she is already retired. She was a successful trader in the clothing business for several decades, traveling all over the world in Europe and Asia mostly. She married but never had children. She does volunteer work now. It was Karen who had asked me to teach twice a month at her church, as I reluctantly agreed.

After class, I had a discussion with Karen, the pastor and the pastors son as they invited me to lunch with them. Over a hot bowl of noodle soup, kimchi and dukbolki (spicy rice cake), we discussed their upcoming missionary trip to the Phillipines and their need for English lessons. I expressed I wasn't sure if I knew anyone available, until they stated they would pay W50,000 an hour. Then, I knew exactly who to recommend. Me. I came to Bongdam with the understanding I would have an opportunity for additional income and that never came to fruition. Now, I have a chance to put a little extra money in my pocket. And while I may be an atheist, the pastor and his son are quite charming and this is a business deal.

So, it all worked out. Karma. Women looking out for women? I don't know. But its working out, despite the adversities I am experiencing from the other side of the pond. More on that another time.

Building Bridges on your own dime.

2011-11-10T20:11:00.000+09:00

Long ago in 1995 when I married my second husband (ex now) I made a point of inviting my oldest daughters, fathers family to the wedding. It was an attempt at building a bridge and in hopes of getting everyone involved to help raise my child in the most peaceful and collective manner. It was a small attempt, but it was more than they had ever offered in the form of building a bridge. I remember having my feelings hurt and ultimately my heart broken as the invitation was not only declined, but I was criticized and called "weird" by my own daughter for inviting her fathers family. By my own daughter. In an attempt to build a bridge. The scar is still there.

Here in Korea its hard for foreigners/outsiders to become immersed in the Korean culture, unless you are a white man dating a Korean woman. Koreans do not invite foreigners over to their house to join in holiday celebrations or family get togethers, as we do in the United States. On rare occasions they will invited us to join them at a restaurant for lunch or dinner. In the United States, we generally open our door to friends and co-workers to join us for holidays or weekend parties. One of my co-workers spent a month in the Western United States and was hosted by a family. He was shocked that the family actually invited him along on a family outing to Yosemite Park. He even seemed as though he was inconvenienced and appalled that they invited him along. I was equally shocked at his negative response about the invitation.

Here in Korea, getting to know co-workers or others in the community takes some navigating. I decided it would be socially beneficial to offer a free community English class geared mainly towards housewives or female business owners/workers. A "win-win situation" as Stephen Covey so famously penned.

I offer one night a week of free English at the local coffee shop. Its been a success and everyone enjoys themselves, including me. I look forward to it every week. But why is it that when you offer to build a bridge at your own expense, it is never enough? Someone inevitably complains that it is too long, or you are called weird for wanting to build the bridge at all. Or one night of bridge building just simply isn't enough.

I wanted to do this free community class. It was my idea. It was to be an hour and a half of English grammar/vocabulary and then conversation. The only thing I asked for in return was to teach me some target Korean. But that deal just wasn't enough. Students ask me to teach classes at their churches or want me to move the class to another night, or add an additonal night. No one offers any mention of compensation as they know I can not accept payment or I could lose my visa. I find this invasion extremely appalling and am shocked that anyone has the audacity to scream "more" free product please, particularly when the going hourly rate is W45,000.

When someone offers to build a bridge between two planes, and it benefits you, if only in a small way, accept it. Do not exploit it or cheapen it by asking for more. If free is not enough I might recommend the nearest academy which charges a shocking $1,000 a month tuition. My bridge is suddenly falling apart on my side of the plane. And I'm not at the moment inclined to try to fix it.

2011-10-09T18:52:00.000+09:00

Peace in Hangul

Suh-Tah-A-Cee = Stacy in Korean (Hangul)

Needed materials to practice Hangul Calligraphy...of which I suck.

What do you think this means in Hangul?

Tonight was my first Korean class at the Suwon Catholic Church. My co-teacher, Ms. Kang, volunteers there to teach immigrants Hangul, every Sunday. Most of her students are Phillipino. Today, I was not here student as her class is an advance class. I was assigned Ms. Ko, her given name, Seon Ok (Sahn Oak) who is a doctorate in Korean. This intimidated me just a little and I was expecting a hardcore, memorization style Korean teacher. So far, not so. But then all I learned today was the vowels and consanants of the Hangul language and pairings of the two. Quite frankly, pronunciation is difficult only in that I use facial muscles I don't use for English. Other wise, elementary.

My teacher was very patient with me as we practiced the sounds of Hangul for two straight hours. After which, my face was sore. So, I came straight home and opened a bottle of wine to relax and blog of my experience.

I'm so happy to finally learn Korean on a consistant basis. I always listen to my friends and co-workers as they speak Korean, so that I can understand pronunciation and hopefully, eventually, the grammatical sentence structure of Korean.

According to the FBI website, Hangul is the second most difficult language for Americans to learn. Finnish being the first (WHO learns Finnish?). I actually enjoy writing the language. Even before coming to Asia, I started practicing a formal form of Japanese and really liked the way it felt when I brushed it. I think Asian languages are beautiful when written in a calligraphic way.

I shall tap into my student resources in order to perfect my speaking and writing abilities for Hangul. Wish me luck.

Linguistic Feminism

2011-10-07T09:32:00.000+09:00

Openoffice.org offers software office products that rival Microsoft Windows. Openoffice is also compatible with Microsoft Office. The difference between the two is that Openoffice is free and Microsoft Office is expensive. Openoffice is not only accessible it is experimental as all users are welcomed to modify Openoffice products as long as they share the improvements with others. Simple, accessible applications. What I find phenomenal is that the originator has made millions off of a product that is free and accessible.

Granted the originator has not made the billions that Gates has made with a product that has nearly monopolized the market, but what I find in this is a story of ethics and karma. Strangely, it has inspired me to look at opportunities in a whole new light.

I strongly believe, despite the numerous times of betrayal, that women should support other women, whether they are stay-at-home mothers, business women, or both. We need to support each other. Its my opinion from experience that women are all to often against each other. Perhaps it is competition for the affections and attention of men. Whatever the reasons, I simply do not understand them and I refuse to be that type of woman. I want to be a woman who is supportive of my gender. Perhaps you are asking what does free software and feminism have to do with each other.

By offering a free product to the population the creator of Openoffice has largely made a monetary profit. I would also argue that he/she has also gained a great amount of respect while also inspiring others such as myself. I must say I have greater admiration for this person than I do for Bill Gates who is clearly in it for the profit. By this example I have decided to offer free community English classes to Korean women of all ages and backgrounds. I want to live my convictions, not just voice them and helping women in anyway I can is my target.

Yesterday was the first class and I have to say I was pleased and amazed at the turn out. Six women showed which I find surprising as I had to move the date at the last moment due to a teacher outing that of course I only learned of a few days before. No one seemed upset by this of which I'm glad of and many stated that other friends would be coming the following week.

The first class went so well. Everyone seemed to click well and its such a diverse class. There were women mostly in their 40s, all in various careers from school nurse, organic chicken farmer and music teacher. The chicken farmer, Lee, had just returned from living in Libya for 6 years. She and her husband left only 3 months before the conflict began. One other lady, Alma, had lived in France with her husband and family for more than 20 years, where all 4 of her children live now. There was a young mother, Lisa, perhaps in her late 20s, who had never studied English in school, but taught herself at home. An impressive bunch of ambitious and interesting ladies I would say.

All were very enthusiastic about learning English. My only cost to them is that they must teach me to speak and read Korean (Hangul). The school nurse brought me a book to study the consonants and vowels, and how to write them. This is the first thing one must do when studying Hangul as reading the language is helpful if you live here.

I decided the first class would be spent getting to know each other by asking questions of each other, recording the answers and then reporting to the group. It worked beautifully as not only did they answer the questions, the activity induced everyone to strike up real conversations, which was my hope. Everyone tried to not speak Korean and everyone did an excellent job. I had such a wonderful time getting to know each one and I feel as though I have already received my first payment. New friends.

Open Class: Fanfare and frustrations

2011-10-02T09:41:00.002+09:00

In South Korea, and I suspect many other countries, teachers are to give demonstration classes for evaluation twice a year. I had my first one this year, yesterday, and as usual in South Korea the fanfare surrounding it was overkill. My co-teachers, who usually completely ignore my class and what I do, made a large banner, bought drinks and snacks and printed my lesson plan that looked more like a brochure. My male co-teacher decided at the last minute that I needed a power point presentation. In his 'thoughtfulness' he changed all of my presentation and leaving out some crucial information. I was upset that he changed my lesson plan without discussing it with me and what my needs were. After all, I planned the lesson and I would be the one implementing it.

I also had a video by an American boy band called, "She said, I said" to show as the students came into class. It has been a huge success as the girls in particular are totally gaga over the boys in the band and they love the music. After watching the video I greet the class and then ask the name of the song. Unfortunatley, my co-teacher was trying to glue together the PPT at the same time and ruined that aspect of the class. Simply, he wasn't listening to me and my plans for the class. This is a huge complaint of mine as a foreign English teacher here. I feel as though we are not listened to and not taken serious by our Korean co-teachers.

I had made appointments twice before in the prior week to sit down and discuss the class with my Korean co-teacher and twice he dissed me. He didn't show up for the meeting. In the mean time he takes it upon himself to make changes only to discuss it with me at the last moment. I find that the male teachers in particular have little respect for female teachers, Korean or foreign, and the older male teachers are much worse than the younger male teachers. I have two older Korean teachers who never participate in the class and at times will even just leave the class not helping me with class management of 40+ students. The all male classes are harder to manage than the all girl classes. I have put my foot down and refuse to teach if the teachers leave my all male classes. Its just not possible as the disrespect for female and foreign teachers is perpetuated by male teachers which trickles down to the male students. I suspect that the older male teachers have even made efforts to undermind my class plans which adds to the challenge of class management.

I have managed to come up with creative ways to manage my classes as yelling and lecturing has zero effect. As a matter of fact, showing anger can backfire on the teacher and is a disservice to both her/himself and their students. But admittedly, it is hard at times not to show anger. Currently, in my class, if a student talks, sleeps or speaks Korean in English class, he/she has to perform a cheer I have written complete with pom poms. It works. Prior, the students would have to sing Frank Sinatra's song, "My Way", only replacing "My" with "Stacys". It worked too. Still, managing a class of that size is the hardest part of my job and I have to constantly change my method of class management. I've always said students are like criminals, we teachers have to stay two steps ahead of them.

Back to the Open Class, it was a huge success. I received the greatest compliment I think I could have received. Only 6 outside teachers attended and many of my co-teachers from Bongdam. Also attending was a teachers supervisor from the Hwaseong area. After the class we had a Q&A discussion where I explained my method and answered questions or responded to their critiques. They all had positive feed back, but it was the teachers Supervisors comment (who is an older, male Korean) that was the most complimentary. He said that it was an extremely organized class and was in the style that he would use should he ever teach in the classroom again. The comment that he would use my style/method was a boost to my teacher ego, I must admit. It also reminded me that even if I have a class that didn't seem to work or the students are making it difficult, those are not reasons to stop being a good teacher.

I usually dislike Open Classes. I think they are more of a facade than a lesson for the teachers. I think we can all safely say that teachers and students alike change their demeanor when others are watching. But this time I insisted as much as I could to keep it real (no rehearsing and little fanfare) so that the purpose of learning how to be a better teacher was maintained. Although the teachers that attended the Q&A responded in kind, I myself learned from this Open Class that I need not be discouraged so easily by hormonal teenagers or invasive co-teachers. This Open Class was the little wind I needed blowing behind my back as I had reached a point of teachers rut and frustration.

Following my Open Class was dinner with the English teachers and then a 3 day weekend. Next week the students have exams and I will not have any classes. I will use my time to re-examine my lessons and improve them so that every class is as successful as my Open Class.

Gaining Ground

2011-09-10T16:03:00.000+09:00

I'm on my third year here in South Korea. Its been a tough two years adjusting to living in a foreign culture. Much of what I have felt is the result of culture shock and isolation. It takes time to adjust and for the cloudy film of culture shock to lift so that you can see clearly and judge clearly. Many expats don't want to admit that they feel culture shock. I am disappointed that I experienced culture shock and I have to say that when I read a book by an anthropologist I read in a different light than before. You have to wonder how much of what anthropologists write is based on clouded judgements stemming from culture shock. I wonder how many go back years after they've written their books, reread them and think, 'How could I have written that'?

I have to say that I'm beginning to settle in nicely. It still feels isolative here in the country, but I'm starting to make some good friends here. My co-teachers and I have a great report and I very much like working with them. They've been very supportive as I have made many changes to how the class is taught and are even gettting involved in the class, which I absolutely love. My students are still a little confused by the changes and I've made some mistakes in the beginning. But, I'm learning and I'm adjusting to make this class become more effective and more enjoyable for my students and for myself.

A new coffee shop near to the lily pond has opened and is my favorite place to be outside of work here in Bongdam. The owner is a very young woman who, if not serving coffee, is working on crafty stuffed animals and purses that are colonial style. She herself wears a side braid and always long skirts as though she is a character in "Little House On The Prairie". She even has appley cheeks that are bright pink and shiny. She doesn't speak much English but we somehow manage to communicate without problem. I have decided to start a weekly community English class and she has agreed to let me have the classes at her coffee shop. I promise to teach the community women English for free in exchange for free Korean lessons. Classes start after the Chuseok holiday.

The next 5 days South Koreans will celebrate the Chuseok holiday. It is Korea's fall harvest holiday in which Seoul nearly shuts down so that families may visit their hometowns. Going anywhere is nearly impossible during this time, in or out of Korea. Flights are booked. The railway is booked. Hotels in smaller cities are booked. Small businesses are closed. If you're an expat you had better stock up on provisions or head to Itaewon for the weekend. Actually, I'll be heading for Seoul for the holiday.

Tomorrow I am invited for dinner at one of my co-teachers (Ra La) home in Seoul near the government district in Gwacheon. I'll stay the night and then Monday head to Hongdae for two nights where I'll shop, read books at the trendy university coffee shops and Tuesday my friend Ji Won will join me for a night of street food, noribang and soju. It will be a good Chuseok and I feel it will be a great year in South Korea.

Off Subject: For my Fellow Americans

2011-08-30T17:41:00.004+09:00

You have the RIGHT to film, record or video tape any public service worker while he/she is on duty performing their jobs. The First Amendment protects that right and NO ONE, not one police officer, can take that right from you. Pass it on.

"As the Supreme Court has observed, “the First Amendment goes beyond protection of the press and the self-expression of individuals to prohibit government from limiting the stock of information from which members of the public may draw.” First Nat’l Bank v. Bellotti, 435 U.S. 765, 783 (1978); see also Stanley v. Georgia, 394 U.S. 557, 564 (1969) (“It is . . .well established that the Constitution protects the right to receive information and ideas.”). An important corollary to this interest in protecting the stock of public information is that “[t]here is an undoubted right to gather news ‘from any source by means within the law.’” Houchins v. KQED, Inc., 438 U.S. 1, 11 (1978) (quoting Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665, 681-82 (1972)).

The filming of government officials engaged in their duties in a public place, including police officers performing their responsibilities, fits comfortably within these principles. Gathering information about government officials in a form that can readily be disseminated to others serves a cardinal First Amendment interest in protecting and promoting “the free discussion of governmental affairs.” Mills v. Alabama, 384 U.S. 214, 218 (1966).

Moreover, as the Court has noted, “[f]reedom of expression has particular significance with respect to government because ‘[i]t is here that the state has a special incentive to repress opposition and often wields a more effective power of suppression.’” First Nat’l Bank, 435 U.S. at 777 n.11 (alteration in original) (quoting Thomas Emerson, Toward a General Theory of the First Amendment 9 (1966))."

source: addictinginfo.

Pre-Historic South Korean stone tools

2011-08-20T10:35:00.001+09:00

Some kind of South Korean pre-historic weapon with remnants of bronze still on it.

Jagged edge of which I have never seen.

Is this a carved profile of a face?

Can you see where the stonesmith carved grooves? Very unusual.

One of two sockets where a bronze(?) staff/handle was infused.

The other socket.

Size in comparison to an average ballpoint pen.

South Korean spearhead found in Bongdam, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, 2011.

Sizing in comparison to a ballpoint pen. Roughly 3 inches in length minus the point.

I am a trail runner. I can't physically handle pavement, so where I live I must find a trail to run. All the trails in South Korea are on mountains, which makes for a very challenging and at times, a slow methodical run. When I ran in North Carolina I would often find arrowheads or other artifacts on or near the trail and this discovery has completely ruined my run. Now, instead of watching for tree roots, I watch for potential artifacts. Its a curse in a way as its hard to keep a steady pace when one is constantly stopping to check out a strange shaped rock. It also brings on strange looks from others on the trail. LOL!

I have brought this curse with me to South Korea and this past week I found a large, pointless, stone spearhead, probably late stone age. I also found in the same area a rather strange looking roundish, stone weapon. This round, manipulated stone has two sockets where at one time there was a handle of some sort and perhaps bronze decorations as there are still traces of the bronze o the stone. It also has a blade that is about 2/3rds around from side to side. Its very sharp and would do much damage to anything it came in contact with.

I'm pretty excited by this find as I have never seen anything like it. I have tried to search for catalogs online of South Korean stone weapons and found nothing like it. I plan on taking it to Seoul University Archaeology department to see if they can identify its age and purpose. Its really a very unusual piece. I'm going to the National Museum tomorrow to see if they have anything on display that is like it.

Yes, I'm an absolute anthro-geek. And I'm going back out tonight to search for more mysterious objects.

My trip to Busan, South Korea, August 2011.

2011-08-08T12:13:00.002+09:00

After nearly 5 hours on the Korail train between Seoul and Busan, I spent 3 nights and 4 days in the southern city of Busan, South Korea. The first pictures of Busan are of the Igidae National Park, which is a coastal walkway. It was quite beautiful, but I obtained a horrible sunburn. If you go to Igidae be sure to take sunscreen, water, and wear good walking sandals. You'll want to stop and wade or hang your feet in the cold water to cool off. The beach is a pebble beach. One part of my video is the recording of the waves tumbling the pebbles back and forth.

I also included a short video of my night boat trip along the coast of the city. Busan is quite beautiful at night and particularly as the sun is setting. You can see the mountain cameos behind the brightly lit buildings and neon lights. The moon was a perfect crescent moon complete with a nose and hanging perfectly in the sky just above the city like an ornament.

The second day was spent teetering around Haeundae and Gwanganli Beaches. They were so crowded that you could hardly walk along the sidewalk. There was a magic festival and a Korean rock festival. There were few foreigners to be seen. Most tourists were Koreans on vacation as the public schools are closed until mid-August. Haeundae and Gwanganli Beaches were too crowded for me.

I went to Seongjeong Beach at the recommendation of a volunteer at the tourist information desk in Haeundae. In comparison, Seongjeong is less crowded, true. However, it was still wall to wall umbrellas and even walking through was as difficult as the other beaches. I wonder if there is a word for quiet or tranquilty in Hangul.

The night before I left I had a huge meal of Galbi. Galbi is beef barbecued on a table barbecue of large brickettes. It is of course served with a hundred Korean side dishes. The kimchi at this particular restaurant was delicious. It wasn't too spicy and it had a hint of sesame, which I quite liked. There was also water kimchi which isn't spicy at all and quite refreshing on a hot summer day.

I stayed at the Queens Motel in Busanjin-Gu, near Seomyeon Station. It is the city center of Busan with mostly shopping. Seomeyon is also known for the street food vendors that are all over Seomyeon at night time. They serve everything from galbi to fish on a stick and of course, Hite beer.

Notes from the Classroom: A lesson in Rock-n-Roll and Fascism.

2011-07-25T20:08:00.003+09:00

I am currently teaching summer English camp. What that means is that for 1.5 hours each class I teach students English without a co-teacher. Although South Korean students are officially on vacation, students can elect to take classes offered during the vacation time. Many students are studying mathematics, Korean and English to enhance their skills for the Korean SATs. I didn't realize that the students are in school from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., rather than 7:30 to 10 p.m. You read that right, 10 p.m.

The education system in South Korea is by a wide margin more intense and a higher pressure atmosphere than public schools in the USA. Through out the regular school year, students are also obligated to attend classes two Saturdays out of the month. I have to admit I'm a real softy when it comes to this situation. I feel so badly for these students. There are few adults who could keep these schedules. So, with this knowledge I decided that summer camp would be as fun as I could possibly make it.

So far, we have played games, had a campfire while roasting marshmallows and sharing scary stories. They are working on a video project of reviewing a Korean restaurant with a partner and tomorrow will begin work on a 'How to...' video. Today, it was music. American music genres that excluded pop and Hip-Hop. I have no dislike for these two genres, however, the students I'm sure limit themselves to these genres daily. I decided that they should learn the roots of K-pop, A-Pop and Hip-Hop music.

In the past, introducing music genres that are "outside the Korean box" has never been easy. Koreans do not take well to change or for that matter, diversity, and American music is the great musical phenomenon of the world due only to its diversity. Were it not for the African-American culture, America would not have Rock-n-Roll, Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Pop or Hip-Hop. The contributions of the African-American community to the arts of the USA, in general, are immeasurable and I wanted my students to understand had it not been for these contributions, K-Pop would have never happened.

By 2 p.m. in the afternoon, my students are tired and indifferent. If I want their attention, I need to make them move in the first 10-15 minutes of class to get their blood and oxygen circulating. Sometimes, I do yoga. Sometimes, I use TPR, Totaly Physical Response, games, such as running to the board or racing around the room. Today, to fit the theme, they had to dance. Line dance.

Line dancing is, of course, out of trend, however, it still carries its American roots and class was about American music. So, I taught them the Cupid Shuffle. Its a great way to get their indorphins going and prepping them for a good attitude during class. It also teaches or reiterates prepositions of left, right, straight and the verbs to kick and to turn. The girls loved it and the boys secretly loved it. It also did its trick. It kept their interest for the next hour of class in which they mostly sat and listened to music.

The objective was listening and adjectives to describe music they liked or did not like. The ultimate goal is to write a brief review on an American band or singers single. They can not choose a pop or hip-hop song. We also learned the phrase, "Think outside of the box" today.

For the occassion I wore my Frank Paul shirt the features the Paul monkey with the hair and hat of Slash, the guitarist for "Guns and Roses", a rock band famous in the '80s and '90s. Its my favorite t-shirt and I wear it often. But no one has ever seemingly noticed or cared about it. Until today.

Student Anthony: Ms. Stacy, what is that?

Me: What is what, Anthony? (that's his English camp name).

Student Anthony: T-shirt. What is it?

Me: [a tad uncomfortable talking about the monkey on my chest] Who is it? Its' a Paul Frank monkey that looks like a rock-star named 'Slash'.

Student Anthony: Slash-y?

Me: No. NOT Slash-y. No Y. Just Slash.

Student Anthony: Slash-y.

Student ?: Slashy.

Student ?2: Slashy.

Me: LOOK, Johnny (his name isn't Johnny), its not Slashy, clashy, lunchy or slushy....its Slash! No Y sound on the end. One syllable. Slash. [raise eyebrows] [look over room]

Student ?: Slash...

Me: Right. Slash.

Student ?: Y!

Me: OK, students. [write "fascism" on the board], do you know what this means?

Students: [puzzled] No.

Me: [pulling out bag of chocolate Hershey bars] It means I have all the wealth. [draw pie on board with small sliver]. That's me with all my chocolate. The rest is all of you and you don't have chocolate. I own ALL the chocolate in this classroom. Mwahahahahahahahaha!!!!! [pause] Would you like some chocolate? [one eyebrow up]

Students: Oh, teacher. I love chocolate. Give me chocolate. [various rambles of protest].

Me: Say 'Slash'. [turning head to listen].

Student Anthony: Slash!

Me: Good.

Student Anthony: Y! [student after my own heart].

Me: Everyone, repeat! 'SLASH'!

All students: 'SLASH'!

Me: Slash!

Students: Slash

Me: Anthony?

Student Anthony: Give me chocolate? [pause] Slash!

Me: [waiting for the Y] [No Y] Everyone may have chocolate...

All Students: Yay!

Me: ...after class!

All students: Aaaahhhh......

Me: Mwahahahahahahahaha!

All Students: [laughter]

This is going to be a fun lesson.

Note: Koreans are known as the 'Italians of Asia'. Not only for their passionate moods, but also for their language.

In Hangul, the Korean language, vowel sounds always follow consonant sounds. So, when speaking English, Koreans will often add an Y or EE sound following a soft consonant, and an 'uh' sound following a hard consonant sound. For example: The English sentence, 'I will make lunch' is often pronounced by a Korean as 'I-uh will-uh make-uh lunch-y'. Koreans also combine the l/r sounds much like the Spanish do and the p/f sounds which is similar to the Spanish b/v combination. Asking them to seperate the two sounds is difficult for them and sometimes makes for a comedy in the classroom. The above exchange was all in good jest. They, my students, will often say "lunchy" just to get my goat, as they did in this exchange. I love it when they do this as it makes me feel liked by my students.

Hwaseong-Si updates: Questions from the field.

2011-07-13T12:01:00.002+09:00

Excerpt from Rango, starring Johnny Depp
Rango: [after some kids throw rocks at him] Hey! What was that for?
Priscilla: You're funny-looking.
Rango: Well? You're funny-looking too.
Priscilla: That's a funny-looking shirt.
Rango: That's a funny-looking dress.
Priscilla: You got funny-looking eyes.
Rango: You got a funny-looking face!
Priscilla: [small pause] You're a stranger. Strangers don't last long here. [walks away]

When I first accepted my position here at Bongdam HIgh school, I was, of course, thrilled for a new experience as well as working in a high school with 5 other English teachers. I thought for sure that high school level teachers would be more advanced and so more approachable and would approach me so that I would experience a more 'normal' working environment in comparison to my last. I have been proven wrong. Sadly.

The first couple weeks 3 of my co-teachers were curious about me and what I thought of South Korea. They would also make a point of approaching me and asking me if I wanted or needed anything. I hate feeling like a child in need of a sitter and I make a point of exhausting all resources before having to go my co-teachers for help. Maybe that is a mistake as now I feel as though I barely exist here. As a matter of fact, I feel even more isolated than I ever did at my previous position. I am beginning to think that on the whole native English teachers (NETs) are either just not taken seriously or resented. Or both.

I know the students are naturally curious about the NETs as they should be. It is the only exposure most of them have to someone outside of Korean culture and often treat the NETs like rock stars. I can't say I don't like the attention. I do actually. My students make me feel accepted unlike my adult Korean cohorts.

As I have stated before there is no way, outside of marriage, a western woman is going to be accepted, or even invited, in Korean society. I have long resigned to that fact. However, in a professional environment I would have expected things to be a little different. But so far, my experience shows otherwise.

Last week was finals week for the students and most teachers had few or zero classes. I didn't have any classes and neither did my co-English teachers. I noticed a couple times that they weren't around in the afternoons but had no idea why. However, yesterday afternoon one of them told me that the English department left early many times to go out together and "see a movie" and "go bowling". Which led me to the question, 'What department am I in'?

To say the least I was quite offended and it has added to my feelings of isolation and recent depression. I think of my three years in Asia, and going on my 4th, by far, this is the most difficult and I am at a loss for what to do. Often, other English teachers will just cancel my conversation class minutes before it is to start. Most of them just leave the classroom or sit in the back and not involve themselves at all. I don't think they see any value in the conversation classes and a few are clearly upset that I am throwing out the "memorize and repeat" dialogue system that was set up before I came.

I have read many news articles and blog articles regarding NETs who break contracts and flee the country to avoid paying back advances the schools made to them. This is by far the number one complaint South Korea has regarding foreign teachers. While I think that one should fulfill their obligations and that NETs should stick with their contracts, I am beginning to understand why many do not.

I am a mature NET. Most are twenty somethings straight out of college and have never left their States, much less travel to other countries, alone. I think teaching English abroad is a fabulous opportunity or career for anyone. Even naive, inexperienced twenty somethings. But to recruit them and expect them to behave professionally and maturely is naive of South Korea. South Korea is also not what one would call warm to immigrants. Few South Koreans have experience working with, much less socializing with, foreigners. Strangely I have had several Korean co-teachers tell me straight out that South Korea isn't particularly fond of foreigners and every day it is confirmed for me.

It is painfully obvious to me that even though my co-English teachers know English, they are not here to speak it, they are only here to teach it. I have yet to have a full blown conversation with any of them; just small talk and the occasional question that my answer has no follow up responses to. Often, I weigh whether or not I want to use the energy to attempt a conversation with them. I have gone days without having an interesting, full conversation with another human being since moving here.

I often think about the anthropologists who spent months or years immersed in a foreign culture where they speak little or none of the local language. Margaret Mead, how did you do it? How did Diane Fossey or Jane Goodall manage for so long with little or no outside contact, relying on a sole interpreter to relay their messages. What kind of anthropologist would I have made? What kind of archaeologist would I have made had I pursued my actual dream? Who am I and what the hell am I doing here? How can I blend if foreigners are not welcome? How can I learn anything about this culture if I can't break the bubble? What sort of stranger can make it here?

Surrounding my Apartment....

2011-07-02T19:57:00.002+09:00

My apartment in Hwaseong-Si, South Korea. Cozy is the word.

2011-07-02T18:57:00.001+09:00

A Pause From Global Travel, Please?

2011-06-27T18:51:00.002+09:00

AS a child I was raised in the Baptist church and it was there that I was told humans are the superior species. That God gave humans domain over all other living things on land and in the ocean. And as I grew older, the message morphed into that humans have free will with our world and other species and that we may do as we see fit in order to assure the survival of the human species. And so we did. We did as we saw fit to live as excessively as was our god given right with access to all resources in the world and to do as we pleased with them.

I would argue that a species who blatantly destroys the very environment that it lives in is no where near to superior. I would argue that what we have done to our very own environment is the epitomy of greed and ignorance. I would argue that a truly "superior" species would engage all intellects and science to ensure that the environment we depend on for survival is maintained, not destroyed. I would argue that if we were true leaders of this home called Earth, we would rule more responsibly and take care of the "inferior" species. But we haven't.

We've committed the gravest crimes against what is the very nature of this entire globe and we have done it willingly. Knowingly. Blissfully. And without any regard for the future of our children.

Please watch this.

Moments of acceptance are priceless.

2011-06-26T07:45:00.002+09:00

As humans we all want to feel a level of acceptance where ever we live or work. If we don't feel accepted, then we feel isolated and isolation is really not conducive to being human. As a white, western woman living in an Asian country, it is often hard to overcome the feelings of isolation. White men are more easily accepted, by Asian women, than white western women, and therefore benefit from the romantic relationships that are not accessible to white women. Western men easily find companionship whether it is paid for or througha legitimate relationship. They also easily assimilate as they learn the language through these relationships and have more exposure as they are more easily accepted into family circles. Western women rarely have this exposure.

Asian men rarely have a serious relationship with a Western women and in my opinion it is due to pressures from the mother. Asian mothers don't seem to care for white western women for daughter-inlaws and Asian men rarely deviate from what their parents, particularly the mother, dictate to them. Women, of all nationalities, are more apt to rebel against their parents in most cultures, especially in the matters of love. Men, not so much.

I've written a little about this before and I'm not really complaining now. I have resigned to the fact that Asian men in general lack the independence to deviate from their parents wishes and that if I want Asian, male companionship, then I pretty damn well have to settle for a married man, knowing nothing serious will ever come of it. I have no desire to be the other woman and so I no longer go out with Asian men. Besides, I'm nobodys White Horse.

So, that leaves little for male companionship here in Hwaseong-si. Korean women rarely seek a real friendship with an expat. My relationships with Korean women have been under the guise of learning English. In the two years here I've only once been invited to a Korean household for dinner and that was a young, unmarried co-teacher. What I"ve learned about Korean culture and holidays here in Korea, frankly, I could have learned back in the States or a cultural magazine (with the exception of Buddha's Birthday), which, frankly is how I learned about Korean culture here...a cultural magazine.

There are few female or male expats in the area. So, of late, I have felt quite isolated here in South Korea. However, I have experience moments of acceptance. Small they may seem, but for me, they were much needed acts of simple kindness.

Last week, returning home with my goodies from HomePlus on the bus to Hwaseong from Osan, a young girl insisted on giving up her seat so that I may sit with my heavy packages. That was a first for me and I was deeply touched. I said, "Kahmsamnidah!" to her and she responded with "You're welcome". It was so simple. A moment of another human noticing anothers inconvenience and acting on it. It touched me, deeply.

Yesterday, a similiar incident, on the same route, the same bus. A woman closer to my age, sitting in a seat on a normally very crowded bus, insisted on holding one of my grocery bags so that I may hold tightly while surfing the bus ride. Again, it may seem a small act, but it touched me in a very big way. Usually women of my age just stare at me. This is a first as well and it made me feel a little accepted. A little less like a blonde, immigrant.

I think of these two acts that touched me and I wonder if my own country men and women commit such acts for those in the U.S. who feel like outsiders. I hope that there are more men and women in the U.S. who feel empathy for immigrants than those who feel contempt towards them. Afterall, we are all of the same species, with or without legal papers, and we all seek the same things fundamentally. And of all the things we seek, it is but a moment of genuine connection that may ultimately be the most important. And even though there are 7 billion of us on this over stressed Earth, there seems to be so little of genuine connection. What have we become?

WATCH: Van Jones tells Fox News “You’re not America!” | Raw Replay

2011-06-19T09:57:00.000+09:00

WATCH: Van Jones tells Fox News “You’re not America!” | Raw Replay

I had to share this video. I don't know Trevor Jones but I like what he said. Everything he said in this video needs to be heard by all Americans and quite frankly, his message resonates with the world as we all need to be active and make the changes necessary for everyone to have a quality life. Please watch and leave comments.

Worst week ever in South Korea.

2011-06-19T09:05:00.002+09:00

I've had many challenges as an expat in South Korea. It comes with the territory of uprooting ones-self and moving 10,000 miles. The trials of culture shock and the uncertainties of living overseas are the hazards of making such a decision. Living in South Korea as a blonde, western woman I have had more than my share of ending up on dates with married men. I have experienced discrimmination and isolation. I still experience all of that. But this past week has been the worst.

First, my computer at work was attacked by a virus and wipped my c-drive completely clean. Of course I hadn't backed up my students grades. Luckily, I had updated hard copies which meant spending hours to re-enter 500 students and six weeks worth of grades. Also, the IT guy who fixed it didn't download all the programs I needed which ruined my lesson plan for class that day.

Next, I have underpaid my taxes, significantly. This means I will be spending my vacation in South Korea instead of heading to the States. I have a ticket to Jeju and I haven't been there yet. There is good hiking and beaches there. I will need a beachy vacation I think.

Yesterday, I went shopping at HomePlus for those Western provisions I can not get at the local store and when I returned home I discovered someone had been in my home. I noticed clothing had been knocked off the rack, the floor was wet and they had stepped on and crushed a box sent from home with hair products I can't find here. My silk scarf from Bali had been knocked on the floor, was wet and had been stepped on . My luggage was wet. I was livid.

I went into the hallway where men were working on the building waving the Bali scarf at them demanding to know who was in my apartment. No one spoke English. I called my co-teacher who called the real-estate lady who discoverd that the manager had given a key to the guy with the gas company without asking my permission. I was upset and demanded the reckless, inconsiderate boy with the gas company clean his mess and take care of my clothing. I also demanded to have all keys to my apartment and that no one was to enter my apartment without my permission ever again. My co-teacher kept telling me to "calm down" and I hate it when someone says that to me when I have ever right to be upset. She should have been yelling at the manager and the boy as wel.

Somedays I think to myself, 'what the hell am I doing here'. Every day I go to lunch and there is no one to talk to. Even the English teachers rarely converse with me and all those other teachers who had planned to have language exchange with me have not mentioned it again. I do want to learn Korean but it seems the only way to do that is to either pay $300 a month for lessons or get a Korean girlfriend.

There is only one other female expat near and the young male expats won't even acknowledge you when you pass them on the street and there are two that teach at the kindergarten school near by. I don't understand why they are so rude and they are rude to other female teachers as well.

Maybe it is time to make plans to work in another country. Malaysia was extremely friendly and the men as well as women were welcoming to foreigners. The population is extremely diverse and many speak English. I don't know where I will go next, but I think South Korea isn't going to get much better for foreigers and actually with the economy it will probably get worse. The country here is extremely isolated for a foreigner. Time to set my sights in another direction.

I forgot to mention that I also had my bike rack and bike bag stolen, as well as my pocket camera this past week. The value of all of that is about $325 should I want to replace them.

Touching Base

2011-05-24T17:26:00.000+09:00

My motivation to write this past year has more than waned. I lack the desire I once had to write about my experiences and I'm not sure why. I'm hardly bored and I'm hardly living the ordinary American life. Admittedly, it has been busy and is now beginning to wind down as I am adjusting to my new job and my new surroundings. So far, in two weeks time, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my co-teachers and my students. My co-teachers not only speak English, they are not running to avoid speaking with me. On the contrary, they have been most gracious in that they make a point of speaking with me at lunch and in the office. I have also received an amazing reception from my students.

I am truly enjoying high school age students. Although, sometimes, it is agonizing to watch the awkwardness and insecurities of teenagers, I enjoy their silly and even sarcastic attitudes. What I most enjoy about high school age children is having the chance to hear what they have to say about issues in and out of the school. I love to use debate in my ESL classes as it has been proven effective and the students enthusiastically participate.

I have nearly 900 students that I teach weekly. Most classes are gender separated which is strange to me, but I have seen the benefits, particularly in the girls classes. There are only a few co-ed classes and these are comprised of the more advanced students. The previous teacher arranged the classes so that every single class is a dialogue class. He scripted the dialogues from the assigned English book, the students memorize them and then perform them in class. This is the only aspect of my job that I hate. I have no idea why any ESL teacher would be gluttoness enough to design the classes this way. To sit and listen to 440 scripted mid-level to pre-intermediate ESL scripts every single week is insanity in my book.

I do think that dialogue has its place in the ESL classroom. But to enforce it every class and not have time to discuss the language with the students nor give the students any say in the script its self, I, frankly, find little value in. And this arrangement will change next semester.

As for my living arrangemets, the verdict is still out on that one. It is in a brand new building located only a block from my school. My apartment is less than half the size of my last apartment. So small that I can not do a cartwheel in it. There is only one window, which is what bothers me the most. I need light and this winter shall be challenging.

Trash and recyclables have not been arranged and there is a large pile in front. Although the manager left me plenty of hangers I do not have a closet or system in which to use them. So, my entire teeny, tiny "apartment" has a clothing explosion through out. Even Truman is quite bored as there are no nooks in which to hide, besides the book case on my desk. However, he has made "friends" with two crows outside our window who are not too pleased with his moving into the hood. I tried taking him to the roof and let him run around but he was paralyzed with fright. So much for a street cat he was.

Shopping here has proven easy. I have a Hanarro club just two blocks away and next to it are many restaurants including Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins and Paris Baquette. There are few western provisions to be bought at Hanarro which means I make a weekly trip to HomePlus in Suwon, which is just a 20 minute bus ride away. Suwon is also good for shopping for clothes, major coffee shops and tourist watching. In Suwon are several tourist sites including Hwaseong Palace. Here in Bongdam, I am close to Yungneung tombs and Yongja temple. I am also only about 30 minutes from the ocean and hot spring spas. Life here in Hwaseong is much more laid back than Bundang and strangely, fewer people stare at me.

Well, I'm off to dinner with my new friend, Mbali, who is from South Africa and teaching in a near by village. I think Shabu shabu is on the menu for the night.

2011-05-04T11:14:00.001+09:00

"For what it's worth: it's never too late or.... too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again." -The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

DING! DONG! THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD!

2011-05-02T15:23:00.000+09:00

So, Obama has secured his win in the 2012 Presidential race as he has just reported Osama Bin Laden is dead. The streets of New York and Washington D.C. are filled with jubiliant Americans who for the first time in a few years are feeling quite proud to be American and relieved that the alledged architect of 911 is dead and that justice has been served. It only took 9.5 years, the lives of more than 5,000 soldiers, a trillion dollars and the rapid decay of global diplomacy towards the U.S. to do it. Bravo, America. Bravo!

Hwaseong: My next frontier.

2011-04-21T14:45:00.000+09:00

I had thought of going back to the States for the summer and then returning for the fall session in South Korea. I've changed my mind as I have an opportunity to teach at a high school in Hwaseong and perhaps, some extra work teaching English to the city hall staff.

Hwseong City is about and hour and a half south of Seoul. It is an up and coming new city that is transitioning from a rural town to quite possibly a large resort area due to the construction of the worlds biggest Universal Studios them park, which is due to open in 2014. The high school I will teach has nearly 1,000 students and is only two years old. I'm excited about a new adventure, but honestly, a little nervous about living in a small town in South Korea, as I will be one of few foreigners there. At least until the Americans flood the area pre-theme park opening.

I accepted the position this past week and will move the first week of May. I have yet to make moving arrangements and have no idea how that will turn out, particularly after my experience of vacating my current apartment. I have come to the conclusion that all Asian landlords are as greedy as American republicans. When I moved in I was made to put down a 900,000krw deposit. No problem. A bit pricey I thought, but I had no choice. I am not a loud tennant, nor a tennant who holds parties or has many visitors. I hardly ever wear my shoes inside and I weight around 130 lbs. And yet my current landlord sees fit to hold 825,000krw of the deposit for repairs she/he claims are needed on the wooden floor. I, of course, am livid.

I am tired of Asian landlords screwing me out of my deposit. I have read this happens often to foreigners and not speaking Korean it is hard to make an argument. I complained to my co-teacher and once again she doesn't see the problem and thinks I should just let them have the money. I insisted on a meeting with the landlord and the owner and my co-teacher set one up. It was to be for 3 pm yesterday and I waited and waited until finally at 4:15 my old co-teacher and new co-teacher informed that they had gone to the meeting with out me. Again, I felt betrayed and I was quite livid. I told them I didn't want their help anymore as they only made excuses as to why I should just pay the landlord.

I'm not sure what I will do at this juncture, but I won't let them have that money so easy. I am beginning a letter campaign to the real estate office and the new owner. I am also going to seek legal advice on the situation as this is a matter of principle, not just money. I simply don't understand why I should pay for a brand new wooden floor when the wear and tear has happened over many years under many tennants. It isn't as though I had a flamenco party and I weigh 300 pounds and walk around in steel toed boots.

Apparently, this is the way it is here...screw the Waygook! So, now I'm moving to an even more isolated situation where I am once again the only foreign teacher. You can bet that before I move into this next apartment, I will take pictures and make sure a thorough walk through with the owner is done before I move in. These are the problems foreigners face when living in the most homogenous culture in the world. It isn't just Xenophobia we have to deal with we also have to deal with nefarious landlords and must realize that no one here is going to defend the waygook. It is my experience that they always stick together here. So how does a foreigner act in these situations?

Americans in particularl have to worry about that unjust stereotype of the "ugly American" when traveling. First, I believe only Europeans have this stereotype of Americans (and they have stereotypes of each other). Asian's have the stereotype of Americans that we are all rich. Both are dead wrong. Particularly these days. So with this knowledge, I don't give a damn about what the landlord or my co-teacher thinks of me at this point. If no one is going to stand up for you, you must learn to stand up for yourself. Especially if you are a female as I find Asian male landlords like to steal from female waygooks.

Aaaaahhhh, the joys of traveling and experiencing other cultures.

Yudanaka, Snow Monkeys and Onsan.

2011-04-17T18:11:00.001+09:00

I knew that as I was planning my trip to Japan that I had to somehow make time to visit Nagano as I have always wanted to see Japan in snow. Many years ago I saw a Japanese movie with a snowy, samurai scene and since I seeing snowy Japan was a must. While I did not see any true Samurai, I did make it to the mountains of Japan, however, I did not bother stopping in Nagano. Rather, I caught the slow train from Nagano to a small mountain village called Yudanaka.

The train from Tokyo to Nagano was like the others I had been on, modern, clean and comfortable, cushy seats in which to nap til reaching my destination. From Nagano to Yudanaka, however, the train was much older and I had more the feeling of a 1940s experience as the seats were church style isle seating and quite weathered. There is a conductor who wears a uniform very similiar to that of a 1940s conductor. The train itself slowly and loudly stops at every small town at which time the conductor sets off the whistle announcing our arrival and once again announcing our departure. The train was also not heated and the closer we came to the mountains the colder the train progressively became.

Yudanaka is the last stop. By the time we reached Yudanaka, which took about and hour and a half from Nagano, I was frozen and ready to get to my warm hostel. Yudanaka is a small, modern village with little coffee shops and traditional Japanese restaurants serving sushi to shabu shabu. I walked through the snow up the hill to my hostel, Shimaya.

Shimaya Hostel is owned by Ichiro Yomomoto and his wife. It is a traditional Japanese hostel with ratan floors and futon bed rolls. The futon bed rolls took some getting used to. However, the beauty of this hostel is the naturally fed hot spring onsans they have for the guests. There is one for females and one for males. They can be privately reserved in advance if you are modest or want to share the moment with a loved one. Onsan is perfect after a day of walking and hiking in the snowy cold of western Japan. It snows often and the wind is quite cold, so take plenty of wintery clothes and warm socks and boots.

The owners are beyond hospitable as Mr. Yomomoto gladly takes you where you need to go if it is not within walking distance. He also arranges for restaurant reservations if needed. My first night there I simply took advantage of the onsan after a wonderful meal of sushi at a small couple owned restaurant just down the street. The next day was about snow monkeys.

The hostel was full and there were several guests wanting to go to Snow Monkey Mountain. Japan is famous for its snow monkeys that live the luxurious life of hanging out in mountain fed onsans. These are small, caramel colored monkeys that live in the forested mountains.

Three monkeys playing

Two monkeys whispering...no doubt about the funny hairless monkeys.

Female puts a stop to the rough housing.

Then gives me a look of warning....

Put in time out.

They are obviously unaware of our gauking at them.

What a life, huh?

Monkeys looking at the monkeys looking at the monkeys.

Yes, yes, right there...aaaahhhh.

Seriously, in my next life, should Buddhists and Hindus be right about reincarnation, I hope to either come back as a stud race horse or an Onsan Monkey. The monkeys didn't in any way seem threatening to the people, as a matter of fact they seemed completely oblivious of us. Too busy with onsan and grooming I guess. There was an unfortunate disagreement between two male monkeys in which one monkey lost an ear. Yes, an ear. Harsh punishment in wild nature.

Yudanaka, Japan.

A "dormant" volcano in the distance.

Snow monkey mountain I highly recommend to visit. The Japanese forest in snow is beautiful, but with added animated snow monkeys living it up in onsan is quite something to see. Its a sleepy little town with little to do other than onsan, snow monkeys, hiking and good Japanese food. Next, pics of my hostel and the neighborhing town, Shibu.

A message of Love and Hope for Japan

2011-03-13T20:37:00.000+09:00

There are no words that can express the feelings I have for Japan right now. I can not take my eyes off of the television as this disaster in Japan unfolds and worsens. I can only hope that at this point the worst is over. This is by far the saddest disaster I have witnessed in my life time. I was so fortunate to see the beauty of Japan this past January and to experience the politeness and hospitality of the Japanese people. I just want to send out my love and gratitude for Japan.

Kyoto: Golden temples, Geisha and Green Tea

2011-03-06T10:44:00.000+09:00

As I was staying in Osaka, I decided to take a day trip to Kyoto rather than stay there. I decided this because the hostels in Kyoto were much more expensive than the one I was staying in Osaka which was Hostel Chuo Selene and getting around by train should be easy enough, and it is. The day I visited Kyoto, the weather was quite cold but sunny and the train ride only 45 minutes. I regret not staying in Kyoto as there is so much to see and do and one day is not enough.

At the train station there is a tourist information office that is quite size-able and staffed by those who speak Japanese, English, Korean, Russian and Chinese. I was impressed and Kyoto's train station is by far the best in Japan with shopping and plenty of Japanese as well as Western restaurants. There is even a spa on the 3rd floor should you feel the need for a foot or back massage in between trains. The lady at the information desk spoke English very well and was somewhat helpful as she drew on a map what she thought I could do in a day by taking the city bus. What she failed to tell me is that I could purchase a bus pass there for 5,000 yen and be on my way. However, I spent a good hour trying to find where to purchase bus tickets and once found the machine, I couldn't read it as it was completely in Japanese. This lack of a little detail set me back a good hour and a half.

Once on the bus I was on my way to the Geisha district known as Gion. In Gion, there are numerous small restaurants, tea houses and bars. There are also beautiful Japanese women dressed in traditional kimono, wooden shoes and hair in various shapes decorated with flowers and jewels. Gion is a very popular spot for tourists.

I did not take pictures of Geisha as I have read they find it quite rude and invasive and so I respected that. So, please excuse that there are no pictures of Geisha. But I can attest that the ones I saw were quite beautiful and I hope that the tradition of this art form lives on for a long time to come. Below is the main area in Gion in which Geisha are to be found, near the tea houses and restaurants where Japanese businessmen and tourists frequent.

Kabuki Theatre in Kyoto

After visiting Gion, I took the bus to a Shogun palace and then on to Kinkaju Golden Temple. Kinkaju is my favorite temple I have ever visited due to its beautiful zen garden as well as its astonishing golden temple.

Zen garden.

Zen garden at Kinkaju-ji Temple.

Khoi, of course.

Temple shrine with yen on the ground.

Sugar cake with gold leaf and imprint of the Kinkaju-ji temple.

Mijiyama: Island Shrine

2011-03-01T20:37:00.001+09:00

Stopping in Hiroshima, I thought I would stay a day, visit the Peace Memorial Park, eat the local faire and then move on to Osaka. But the girls at J-hoppers mentioned a small island called Mijiyama that I had never heard of and showed me pictures. I, for some reason unknown, was skeptical, but thought what the heck, I'm always in for an impromptu adventure. I took the hour long tram ride to the port and hopped a ferry to the island. My first site while docking...a beautiful, orange shrine post.

Floating shrine in Mijiyama Island, Japan.

The venture to Mijiyama was about an hour and a half from my hostel as the tram stops at every stop in between. Moving on, once the ferry ported we enter into the island and are instantly greeted by small deer that I would guess outnumber the human residents. The deer are quite small and obviously quite used to humans and are more like cute, furry little beggars than wild animals. While Mijiyama is obviously a tourist attraction, its not overdone. While attracting tourists the island has maintained a quaint, relaxing surrounding. The main attraction is the Mijiyama shinto shrine. The shrine, like most Japanese shinto shrines, is dawned in gold and orange, a color duo that surprisingly shines against the deep, green back setting of the pine covered mountains and deep green ocean floor.

Gate of Mijiyama Shrine in the back ground.

Stark orange wooden pillars.

Shrine and pagoda of Mijiyama.

Guards at Mijiyama.

The shrine its self is built on the water with in a small bay in which one is greeted by the shrines gate also built within the oceans brace. It appears at first glance to be floating. However, it is well suspended within the oceans sandy floor that is exposed each night with high tide, around 5 o'clock. At this time, one can walk through the gate and that is considered good luck. I was much too early for this.

Mijiyama is one of my favorite shrine/temples in my Asian explorations. Its bright orange and gold colors that are seemingly modern in this sleepy traditional Japanese community are eye opening and relaxing at the same time. Mijiyama is that traditional Japanese culture I was looking for. The community has maintained the art and integrity of Japanese culture with its arched bridges, high towering pagodas and guardian lions towering over tourists to remind them they are being watched and show respect to this holy place.

After a walk through the village and taking many photos I dared to wonder through the touristy shops and restaurants looking for souvenirs to take back to friends. Of course by noon I had worked up quite an appetite and couldn't by pass the signs for grilled oysters fished straight from the Mijiyama bay. I love oysters, raw, grilled, or fried, so I stopped at the first promising restaurant. The name of course was Japanese, and so was the business card, so I am unable to publish the name here. But the food was absolutely delicious and the service quick and efficient complete with many smiles.

Mijiyama is most definitely one of my favorite places to visit in Japan and unexpected find thanks to the girls at J-hoppers hostel.

Next port of call, Kyoto.

Grilled oysters and Kirin beer. Oh, and tea, of course.

Fried oysters. Oyishi!

Dessert of an American and fried green tea paste filled pastry.

Hiroshima: Peace and Okono Miyaki

2011-02-27T19:21:00.000+09:00

I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to Hiroshima. The train ride from Fukuoka to Hiroshima was about two and a half hours. I left late in the afternoon and did not make it to my hostel, J-Hoppers backpack Hostel, until 3 o'clock. In Hiroshima, there are trams from the main train station and the ride to J-hoppers was about 25 minutes. After a light lunch at a local coffee shop, I took the tram to the Peace Memorial Park.

Genbaku Dome at Peace Memorial Park

I am not a fan of war museums or even really, memorials. I had vowed to not attend the War Museum, or what was formerly known as the "American Atrocities Museum" in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam., even though I lived one block away. However, in my last week there, I felt I should attend. Everything I thought it would be it was. The entire blame was of course on the Americans (and America was brutal in its efforts to fight communism). I didn't know what to expect from the Peace Memorial in HIroshima, but at least, it is called Peace, rather than War.

Hiroshima is, of course, one of two cities that the United States attacked with atomic bombs in World War II and as an American I felt it was only proper to pay homage to this Peace site. The second city is Nagasaki, which I was unable to visit. Hiroshima, in its efforts to clean up and revitalize, raised every standing structure, except one, which is now the A-Dome, in remembrance of what happened.

I am not going to make this a political blog. I will let the eerie photos speak for themselves. I was impressed with the whole of the park. It was peaceful and the museum it self was fairly well done. The flow through the museum is easy and well directed for foreigners as well as locals. It was impressed that blame was spread, in other words, it was clear that Japan attacked the U.S. engaging in war. There was also a dedication to the Koreans who were oppressed by Japanese colonization and oppression and to those who lost their lives in the dropping of the atomic bomb. Again, this is not a political blog and I am well aware of my own countries play in this brutal attack. The very fact that the park is about peace, rather than war, tells me that Japan wants to recognize water that has passed under the bridge and it is the future we must all look to and to never let anything like that happen again. Well done, Japan.

Japanese pizza: Okono Miyaki.

After my tour through the Peace park, it was time to eat and I had been told to try the Okono Miyaki, a local favorite. Okono Miyaki, I like to say, is the "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" dish of Japan. First, a crep made on the grill, then, cabbage on top, then pork strips and any other meat you would like (I chose seafood), then a whole, fried egg, and a smoky, sweet barbecue sauce all stacked on top of each other, grilled. Then they serve it with a square knife to divide so that its small enough to eat with chopsticks. Tasty, but weird.

Next port of call: Mijiyama Island.

2011-02-26T21:10:00.001+09:00

JR Pass for foreign tourists.

Land of the Rising Sun

I have long wanted to travel to Japan and take the Japan railway from one end to another. This past January I spent two weeks traveling from the southern island of Kyushu, through the mid-West of Kansai and to the northern area of []. I wanted to see as much of Japanese culture as I could and my vision was something like this Sapporo commercial (No charge Sapporo):

My experience wasn't quite like this, of course, and frankly, in the regions I traveled, Asahi seemed to be more popular. I was raised on Sapporo which is made in the city of the same name on the most northern island of Hokkaido but, I did not make it that far. But I can't complain. I managed to cover 7 cities in two weeks starting in the port city of Fukuoka.

Fukuoka float

I stayed at the Guesthouse Kaine in a traditional Japanese room with futon on the floor. I must say at my age it takes some getting used to and I didn't sleep well the first couple of nights. The ladies that manage the hostel daily were extremely helpful and very kind. I highly recommend this place for solo female travelers not only for the helpful staff but its location. It is located just minutes from the main area of Fukuoka and most of the temple/shrine sites along the river. It very close to shopping and restaurants as well.

Japanese folk character on float in central Fukuoka

River canal in Fukuoka.

Kushida float

Float at Kushida Shrine

Kushida Shinto Shrine

The floats are used twice a year in a town race. The local men carry several floats in a race through the streets of Fukuoka (kind of like the bull run in Spain) during the festival of Yamakasa held for two weeks in the month of July. I was told there are often crashes where floats are broken and men are hurt. After the festival the floats are dismantled and destroyed with the exception of the Kushida shrine floats. They are displayed throughout the year at the shrine.

My favorite experience in Fukuoka was a culinary experience following a long morning of visiting shrines and temples. I couldn't find the Kushida temple and was getting quite hungry. I had seen several small restaurants in the shopping area and remembered one that had a very nice display of bento boxes they offered for lunch. When I entered through the small door there was a long, dark hallway with a stone path leading to the main area of the restaurant which was quite small. As I entered the restaurant area I noticed there was no one else there other than the 2 waiters behind the bar and the kitchen staff.

As I sat down at the counter I looked up to see that they were staring at me with a look of terror and curiosity. I had to keep myself from laughing. I grabbed the menu and noticed it was entirely in Japanese with no pictures.

I thought to myself, "This is going to be fun".

I looked at the nearest waiter and pointed at the menu and said, "You chose". I had to say it three times before he understood and pointed at himself and then looked at me with his huge, black eyes as if to ask, 'Me'?. I shook my head yes and said, "Yes, you choose. One or two"? He pointed at one and with a huge smile on my face, my said, "Fabulous! Number one it is". I had no idea what I had just ordered.

As I was sipping my tea I noticed that the two waiters behind the counter were simply doing nothing but standing there and staring at me while I waited for my food. Feeling a little uncomfortable I took out my "Lonely Planet, Japan" book and began to act like I was reading. I couldn't see anything because it was so dark in the room. But I kept on "reading" trying not to smile too big.

Finally, one of kitchen staff brought me a beautiful bento box filled with six different items; vegetable tempura, sashimi, cucumber tekka maki, a savor custard, miso soup, and a fabulous tofu salad that I couldn't get enough of. The fish was incredibly fresh and tasty. The tempura perfectly light and not greasy at all. The tekka maki refreshing. The creamy savory custard with a berry sauce on the bottom was strange to my taste, but surprisingly very good. It was utterly fantastic, near perfection. The meal was so good that it took me several minutes before I looked and saw that all 5 of the restaurant staff were standing there watching me eat my meal. I was waiting for someone to say, "You use chopsticks very well". And I'm sure they were thinking that, but lacked the English to say it. I smiled a big smile as I looked at them with chopsticks in hand and said, "Oyishi"!, which is 'delicious' in Japanese. They were surprised and delighted that I not only liked the food, but stated so in Japanese.

As I was finishing my meal and it was apparent to all concerned (the entire staff) that I thoroughly enjoyed it, one of the waiters brought over a small pot filled with my dessert. Now let me say that I love most Asian foods. If I can handle raw fish, and love it, there's not much else that I won't try and I think I have tried just about everything that isn't alive as I'm eating it. I also must say that I not much of a sweets person. I prefer salty or savory. As the waiter put the pot down in front of me, I knew exactly what it was. Sweet red bean soup with rice cake. The two Asian foods I have never been able to come to like. Rice cake is chewy like soft rubber and slightly sweet. Red azuki beans are made with sugar and most Asians love them. I can not fathom sweetened beans and I don't like red azuki beans. But I ate my soup and rice cake with a smile while making a point of saying, "Domo arrigato" several times and and even mustered an "Oyishi" once. They were delighted that I liked it. As I was leaving all five of the staff stood at the counter and waved good bye and yelling something cheerful in Japanese. It is a lunch I will happily never forget.

Back at Guesthouse Kaine I met a young French-Algerian, man named Michael who also teaches English in Bundang and speaks Korean fluently. He was making a visa run. I also met a young, American man, named Ray, from Indiana who had been living in Japan to study Japanese (which he spoke fluently) and East Asian History. He had just finished his undergrad and was also exploring Japan from the south tip up to Tokyo. It is people like Michael and Ray that I love about traveling. You hardly meet such interesting people in the suburbs of America, or many Americans who have traveled and learned an entire new language.

Fukuoka over all was a fantastic experience and would go back in a minute for the food and the hospitality. I think it was the perfect city to be introduced into Japanese culture.

Next stop, Hiroshima, the City of Peace.

Tale of the Turtles on Satang Besar

2011-02-05T17:38:00.000+09:00

All the thoughts of a turtle are turtle.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I travel I want to see as much as I can and experience as much as I can of the place I have traveled to. I am not a shopper (ok, souvenirs for friends and family), I don't care for nightclubs or sports. All those things can be done where I live. Where ever I go I want to experience the culture and geography. While staying at Basaga Hotel in Kuching, I was speaking with Brandon, the "boy-Friday" about what I should do and mentioned an article about visiting some of the islands off of the mainland. I mentioned one that specifically was for turtle conservation and that I was interested in learning about it. He got back with me later that day and arranged for me to meet a young man named C.K. who works for an agency that arranges such excursions for tourists.

After meeting with C.K. and he making the proper arrangements at a double occupancy price of $300, I found myself off to a small island about an hour away from the mainland, called Satang Besar. In all disclosure, the ocean is not a familiar place to me and I'm not always comfortable in it. I was raised in Kansas and you don't get anymore landlocked than that. But the very reason for traveling abroad is to be out of your element, to experience something completely new and face those things that frighten you. So, there I was, in a boat with a strange man in the middle of the ocean on my way to an island that had no electricity and technically uninhabited save for the rangers who stayed there during their shifts, to spend the night witnessing green and leatherback turtles nest. Yes, that's right, I paid $300 to stay on an island with no electricity, a shack to "sleep" in, no restaurants, bars or convenience stores, and to work.

I arrived on the island about 2 p.m. in the afternoon and my host had brought snorkeling equipment so that I had something to occupy my time until the night falls (that's when the turtles come...at dawn and all night long). I have snorkeled several times before and was just as uncomfortable then as I was on this occasion. The tide was low and the water shallow against the choral reef. It didn't take long to see that the reef was rife with sea urchins. I don't know which is worse, sea urchins or jelly fish, but on this particular day, it was sea urchins. The little black balls with poisonous stingers were everywhere and completely freaked me out. My poor guide was trying to navigate me through the sea ladden land mines stuck to the choral reef. I managed to make it back to the beach with just two scratches that swelled and took several weeks to disappear.

After my exhilirating experience of panic snorkeling, I rested amongst the palm trees in my surong drying off and took some beautiful photos of an impending storm to one side of the island while admiring the sunny side opposite. My host was in the outdoor kitchen making us some fabulous Malaysian cuisine. I know that as you look at these pictures you are now whistling the song to "Gilligans Island". I did a few times as I realized my situation...the only woman, stranded on an island with out electricity or modern appliances or a phone, with an ominous storm brewing.

The storm hit the island and I must admit I was a bit frightened. Thankfully, there was a generator that the rangers could use between the hours of 7 and 10 p.m. which added a little light but really not much comfort. My host was concerned that that storm would deter the turtles from coming to the island, as I was just, well, frightened. However, the storm cleared almost as quickly as it came and not only did the stars dot the dark night sky, lightening bugs came out in full to light up the forest that edged the beach. They were beautiful and I was in absolute awe of what was before me. But that was just the start of this awesome experience on Satang Besar.

Home sweet home...for the night.

The kitchen.

My host cooking up some wonderful Malaysian cuisine.

Ginger, bamboo shoots straight from the forest on the island.

A chili ginger seasoning that he added. Delicious.

One of two actual island residents. The other cat is shy.

Some ominous clouds making their way to the island.

The island is privately owned and has been a protected area for turtles for quite some time. No one can reside there. Only the rangers are allowed to stay so that they can monitor and transfer the eggs to the protected area.

Ranger re-burying the eggs in the hatchery.

The common area. Quite dark and damp.

The one light in my shack. I didn't do much sleeping.

Mama turtle laboriously laying her eggs. It takes about two hours for her to lay 80-100 eggs.

Egg hatchery where eggs are monitored, protected and counted.

Despite the strong storm there were a record eight turtles who laid eggs and there were two others who visited but didn't lay their eggs. This is evident by the tracks they leave in the sand. Tracks onto the beach and where they lay their eggs and then additional tracks back into the sea. The ranger is up all night waiting for each turtle to finish laying their eggs so that they can be moved to the hatchery for protection and monitoring. Unfortunately, I did not see any hatchlings during my stay. But I am lucky in witnessing and helping with the labor of digging up and moving the eggs.

I have to give a hand to those rangers who give up time to be with their families to stay on an island with little or no amenities or modern appliances. Its definitely roughing it. Turtle season I believe March through November and they come to the island several times a week to lay eggs. What a great cause and what a sacrifice on the part of the islands owner who could probably make a lot of money by building a resort there. These are good people doing a great thing and I am so lucky to have witnessed it. Thank you Brandon, C.K. and my hosts on the island. It is an experience I will never forget.

2011-02-05T14:53:00.000+09:00

In August of 2010, I vacationed in Malaysia. It was an Asian country I had not visited and I had various opinions, mainly how beautiful it was, and so I booked my flight. As I've told in previous posts Kuala Lumpur proved to be more for those seeking entertainment and that was not my agenda. So I booked a flight to Borneo as a friend advised me to and I can say that I regret not spending most of my time in Borneo. Borneo has everything for the geeky traveler like myself; history, anthropology, animal conservation parks and beautiful beaches. I think I did it all in Borneo.

One of my favorite experiences was at the Semenggoh National Wildlife Center in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia. The orangutans are semi-wild as they are fed and protected by the rangers at the forest, however, they are free to roam the forest and come and go as they please. The rangers are eager to talk to the tourists about the cause and their experiences as one showed me his scars he occurred when a female orangutan thought he was too close to her baby.

After viewing many of the orangutans playing, feeding and attending their young in the tree tops, a fellow tourist from Britain invited me to go along on a hike she had arranged with one of the rangers (which ended up costing me $30 of the $60 fee for the guide) through the forest. We didn't see any orangutans during our hike, but came across other creatures, most of which were found on the ground.

During our hike I became host to a leech on my big toe and didn't catch it until we were in the car headed back to the hotel. Yuck! They're hard to avoid as you can see them reaching out of the ground and from rotting tree trunks ready to spring on the next warm blooded host that comes along. Our guide was wearing "leech proof" socks and still managed to be attacked by three leeches that got under his socks. Ambitious little things they are. Ugh!

In Kuching, I stayed at the Basaga Residence Hotel. The location is a little off the beaten path but the staff are ready to take you where you want to go and to make arrangements to visit the sites in the area. I highly recommend this hotel as it has a real feel of Malaysia rather than a cold, sterile feel of a chain hotel. My only concern was the location of my room. As a woman who often travels solo, I would have much preferred to be in a room in the main building rather than in the wing that faces outward and in a dark alley-like way and there are no phones in the room. However, the room was simple but nice and the shower was located outside in the private courtyard. The tropical ambience is wonderful at this hotel but what really makes it a special place is the staff who always greet you with a smile and are very helpful.

Next, Satang Besar Turtle Conservational Island.

Culinary Adventures in Japan

2011-01-27T19:45:00.000+09:00

My trip to Japan, like most places, was to be about culture, history and the people. But this trip has taken on a path of its own as I make my way up towards the north. While one may think of Geisha, samurai, kimonos and Mount Fuji when one hears the word Japan, food seems to be every Japanese citizens focus and there is much more variety here than I had expected. My culinary goal of course was sushi. To feed on the local delights fresh from the sea and made by a real Japanese sushi chef. I have had that experience many times. However, I must say I have tried many new and unexpected dishes such as okono miyaki in Hiroshima. Okono miyaki is the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink dish of Japan.

Okono Miyaki is a crep made fresh on the grill, then topped with cabbage, bacon and your choice of seafood or beef or chicken. Then they grill it till the meat is done and the cabbage is soft. Then they fry an egg to put on top and then cover that with a barbecue style sauce and some bonito flakes. It is served to you hot and with a special knife in which to cut it. Its definitely a unique dish and an unexpected Japanese delight.

I love oysters and the oysters in Mijiyama were delicious barbecued and deep fried.

Today, I am in Yudanaka, just north of Nagano, in the mountains. It is snowing and I have spent a long day on the subway and train system of Japan, which can oddly wear you out and make you hungry. I asked my wonderful guesthouse host where to go to eat and he pointed me in the direction of a sushi restaurant. As it turns out, a Tokyo television crew is here filming the attractions in Nagano and have made their way here to Yudanaka. I am a Tokyo television star as they followed me around for nearly 2 hours filming me checking into the hotel and eating sushi at the local sushi eatery. Its strange to have someone filming you as you are trying different culinary foods and drinking beer. I do not know when it will be televised, or if I will make the cut, but I had my 15 minutes in Yudanaka, Japan.

I will post pics of all my foods and adventures in Japan once back in Seoul where my MacBook and my little Korean man, Truman, awaits me. Sai-a-nara for now.

Kansas to Kansai...the heart of the U.S. to the heart of Japan

2011-01-24T21:27:00.000+09:00

I am currently in Osaka, Kansai, Japan. The heart of Japan. I find it funny that the heart of Japan is called Kansai, while the heart of America is Kansas, or Kansas City. Kansai is known for its hard working people and so is Kansas/Missouri, the heartland. I have had a myriad of experiences that I will write in greater detail once back home in Seoul. But I must say that my experience so far has been one of learning to be patient when, frankly, there is no other choice and, that the people of Japan are relentlessly polite.

I am also finding that I have yet to taste a single Japanese dish that I didn:t like. I love Japanese food and have had quite my fill of it. While I may cuss the amount of walking required to see the sites here, I can say that I have no worries of gaining any weight despite the amount of food I have eaten here.

So far, peace monuments, okono miyaki, Geisha, a golden temple, orange shrines on water, and oysters to die for. Tomorrow, Tokyo for urbana, sweets and techno. Then onwards to Nagano and Saporro for snow, onsen and ice monkeys. I heart Japan.

2011-01-17T21:19:00.001+09:00

“I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.” - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button‚ movie

I am on my way to Japan tomorrow, for the first time. It is, yet, another dream destination of mine. But honestly, I can't think of single country in the world that wouldn't be a part of my dream...ok, maybe Somalia. The quote above most explains why I live the life that I do. Unsettled. Uplifted roots. I hope to see things that "startle" me. "Feels things" I've "never felt before". A gate to a new phase on life.

In 24 hours I will be experiencing a new culture. A new point of view. A different cuisine. A completely different geographical location at least every 2 days. I am training, of J-hopping, Japan via Japan Rail beginning in the south and making my way as far south until I run out of time and/or money. Which ever comes first. I want to eat sushi, drink sake, learn a little Japanese, relax in an Onsen, visit the temples, wear a Kimono, pay homage to a peace shrine, oggle at Mount Fuji and swim with ice monkeys. I am as giddy as a kid on Christmas Eve.

A note on current invents in the U.S.

2011-01-09T20:12:00.000+09:00

I do not know my country anymore. It is in my opinion that my country has been hijacked by right wing nuts who have an obsession with telling individuals how to live their personal lives while giving carte blanche to corporations and the richest 1%. The attempted murder or assassination rather, of a politician, a citizen, a woman, a mother and all for her vote on what seems to be the health care bill, is lunacy at its highest. Those who died include a 9 year old little girl who wanted to experience Democracy in action and a Judge who was a friend to Giffords along with 4 other innocent people. I feel I lack the appropriate words to respond to this event. I am angry. I am disgusted. I am tired of the inflammatory vitriol coming from the Right inciting violence against those that do not agree with their, questionable ideologies. I am exhausted by the lack of response from our Democratic representatives in both the House and the Senate to such insidious incision of violence from the other side of the isle.

I'm not a nationalist or some patriot. But, I admit I embrace the basic ideas of what were to make my country so "great" and it seems that those basic ideas are and have been for sometime under attack by the right wing parties such as the Republicans and the Tea Partiers. I think they have been more detrimental to America than Al Qaeda or the Taliban has ever been and proof of this is in the violence incited by the likes of Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Hannity and basically the whole of "reporters" on FOX News. I think what we are seeing happen in the U.S. is that similar to the political of Europe pre-Nazi Germany.

The Republicans are the enemy of the U.S. as they are the ones encouraging violence as a means to imposing their agenda which is a one party rule and the absolute sell of the U.S. to corporations which is Fascism. I think the Global Community had better be ready for a violent movement in the US which will ripple through out the world not only economically, but in ideas of individual liberties. The Republicans present a dangerous change not only in America, but through out the World as leaders everywhere will only follow suit. This attack on Giffords and her supporters is probably the tip of the floating iceberg headed our way...or the way of the U.S. The Republicans and Tea baggers will not change their rhetoric. They will not change their call for violence to out the first black President that they deem as a threat to the White, Christian, Male status quo that has ruled the United States for 234 years.

The Teabaggers are not interested in the implementation of the Constitution or they would have demonstrated against the entire 8 years of the Bush administration and their imposition of an expensive, illegal war, deregulation of the financial industry, Homeland Security and the Patriot Act which is as close to Orewellian law as America has ever come. The Teabaggers are impostors of patriotism and the Republicans are their funders. While it is the Republicans who call their supporters to violent resistance I believe the Obama adminstration is failing those who supported him by insulting the Left Wing voters and giving way too many concessions to the crazy Republicans in the House and Senate. In other words, the Dems are perpetuating the incendiary movement of the Republicans/TeaBaggers by not responding to their ludicrous demands and threats. It is time for a left wing third party to send a message to the incompetent Democratic representatives that we are sick and tired of the compromise they lay before an ignorant misinformed or ill-informed group of people who have no right to a leadership role in a Democracy.

The best reaction to the attempted assassination of Giffords, the murder of Judge Roll, a nine-year old little girl and 4 others who supported the cause, is for Dems to play the hardest Hard-ass role ever towards the Republicans and demanding that all mentally ill political Right Wing pundits be put out of business. Nothing less. No more compromise with the insane in the assylum. The Doctors must now make the decisions, not the patients.

I cannot properly express my condolences to the families of those who needlessly lost a loved one to an insane act of violence over political differences. I can only hope that the American people and the Progressive representatives in Washington D.C. hold ALL accountable for the heinous crimes committed on January 8th, 2011. I for one, will make every effort to never return to a country that has lost its sanity and holds no loyalty to those who truly care about it.

2011, Here we come.

2010-12-30T16:01:00.000+09:00

I just realized it has been 3 months since my last blog and that wasn't much of a blog entry. I'm getting too comfortable in South Korea. I've been here for over a year and a half and am feeling restless suddenly. I have four months left in my contract and while I must admit I have come to love living in South Korea, I feel as though I am stifled by the comforts of living here. I'm not growing. I love my students, but feel isolated at my current school with no one to talk to and a scarce expat community in Bundang that is saturated with twenty somethings. I've decided its time for a change.

The global economy is definitely shifting. Prosperity and power are shifting from the Western hemisphere and growing towards the Eastern hemisphere. South Korea has done well to keep its economic head above water and most of Asia seems to be pulling through much better than America or Europe. Actually, I fear America is ruined and one can see that this is true as American and European companies are moving into Asia and out of their mother countries. I must admit, I hold the same desires. I feel little loyalty to a country that has no loyalty to its people and has certainly never really served me. And, I have come to like Asia very much. However, to maintain competitiveness I have decided to apply for a masters program of TESOL which is in the U.S. I will have to return temporarily to begin the program and then back to Asia in the fall to resume a teaching position. I hope for South Korea, but am open to other countries. Perhaps, Malaysia or Indonesia. I haven't decided. But I'm at another crossroad in my life and I'm scared and excited.

2011 I hope to be a year of progress and absolute self-sufficiency. A Masters degree would be such a great accomplishment and probably necessary these days. A bachelors degree is last centuries high school diploma. Its also a little scary out here in an industry that is saturated with twenty-somethings fresh out of college and desperate enough for work they will accept low wages. The tides really have turned and the piper has called. Through the greed of Republicans and their 1% constituency, added with WikiLeaks exposure of America's government and corporate grave deeds, the corrupt and the innocent will now pay for its sins. I just hope I'm not taken with it.

This past year has been challenging, eye opening and great fun. I don't want to leave Asia and I'm not really. I'm just heading off to learn how to be a better teacher...in Asia.

More Melaka Pictures

2010-10-06T18:05:00.000+09:00

More beautiful pictures from Melaka, Malaysia. Dutch ship. Dutch gravemarkers.

Port city. Two wannabe pirates...aaarrrgghhh! And some Italian friends we met.

(I'm slowly figuring out iPhotos...so my apologies for the random photos)

Melaka, Malaysia: UNESCO World Heritage Site

2010-09-23T11:49:00.007+09:00

My original plans for summer vacation were to take a Trans Siberian train trip from Beijing, China, to Ulanbaatar, Mongolia, head up to Urkutsk, Russia and final destination would be Moscow, Russia, where I would catch a plane back to Seoul. My plans deteriorated as I learned that China had more than doubled tourist visa fees for Americans, from nearly $95USD in 2008 to nearly $200 as of May 2010. The straw that weighed my decision towards no was the Russian tourist visa fees for Americans which was right at $200 as well. For the record, there are no visa's required for Americans to visit Mongolia...as of yet. $400 in visa fees on top of additional expensive flight from Moscow to Seoul redirected my vacation destination.

I had been to Indonesia and have no qualms about returning. As a matter of fact, I had thought to return and see Java and Sumatran wildlife, but I couldn't book flight with AirAsia online from Jakarta to Jogyakarta and then off to Sumatra. After days of trying online and then speaking with an agent over the phone who wouldn't book my flight because of the bank my card was through, I gave up and decided it was destiny I not return to Indonesia. So, I set my sights on Malaysia, knowing very little other than that is where the Petras Towers are. So, after having problems with booking flights through a Korean travel agency, I straight booked online with Singapore Airlines, which is my favorite airline; they're just a bit pricey, but worth it.

So off to Malyasia it was, winging the entire trip after I arrived. My plan was to split 12 days between the mainland, Malaysia and Borneo, Malaysia. My first 5 days in Kuala Lumpur was a little too long. Kuala Lumpur is a growing city with a growing economy. New construction was everywhere and the tourists were too. I stayed in the Bukit Bintang area which is fairly touristy and that had a great number of options for restaurants, bars, shops and street vendors. While surprisingly there wasn't a Starbucks in sight, there was a Coffee Bean, the only evidence of a Western chain that I saw. There were many restaurants of different ethnic foods and all those I ate at were very good and reasonably priced. I stayed at the Anggun Boutique Hotel which was worth every penny I paid as far as location, comfort, cleanliness, unique decor (very Malaysian) and a great breakfast that was included in the price. My only complaint was the that the rooms are very dark and the lighting insufficient if you have poor eye site. You can see the website here at http://www.anggunkl.com/

As convenient Bukit Bintang is, there is little to do if you're not a man looking for a connection. The sex industry in Kuala Lumpur is as lively as it ever was and blatantly evident as it ever was with the number of shall we say comfort girls out and about and the men pursuing them. I had to get out and see the real Malaysia, i.e., geography, wildlife and culture, so a friend and I booked a tour to Melaka, which is an UNESCO World Heritage site located about an hour from KL.

What I understand is that originally, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to colonize Melaka to exploit and extract resources such as spices. After absolute rule for 130 years, the Dutch decided to take over and after a couple hundred years, the British took control and ruled until finally relinquishing power in 1957 giving Independence to Malaysia. It is the architecture and layout of the city itself I think that merited it a World Heritage site.

My friend and I toured with a couple from Italy and who had been all over South East Asia as well. They spoke little English but were very nice and tried very hard to speak English and get to know us. One point the Italian man brought up is that the Malaysian flag looks very much like the American flag, only with a crescent and a single star, rather than the fifty white stars on the American flag. Our driver didn't have an answer.

Notes from the classroom: A lesson in Asian foresight.

2010-09-05T12:18:00.005+09:00

These past two weeks I have had a new classroom, a new "co-teacher" and a new opportunity to be more involved as my new co-teacher isn't quite the micro-manager my last teacher was. I have made a point of greeting my students as they enter the classroom in these past weeks and have had time to make some observations. One that really stands out is that there are a disproportionate number of boys to girls. In other words, there are approximately 20-30% more boys than there are girls. So I asked my co-teacher about it.

Me: Ridia (her English name), have you noticed that there are more boys than girls in every class we teach?

Ridia: [broken English] Uh...yes, Korean parents like boy children...better.

Me: [startled look] What?!

Ridia: Korean parents like boy children more than girl children. [long pause and blushing] Korean grandparents like boy children too.

Me: [jaw dropping at this admission] Ok. And what happens when these boys grow up and want to get married?

Ridia: [nervous smile] They will go outside Korea.

Me: Well, they won't be able to find any wives in other Asian countries because they're doing the same thing. And I know Korean men can't handle American women, and Western men are marrying Korean women, so now what?

Ridia: [very nervous smile] I don't know.

While my co-teacher was clearly embarrassed at my observation, both of my co-teachers have two sons and no daughters. I also observe as they interact with the students and it is clear that they favor the male students over the female students and so I give most of my attention to the female students. I'm actually not shocked by the revelation that Asian parents prefer sons over daughters. I am more shocked that I didn't notice it before and that it is actually quite noticeable due to the large disproportion. But it's the year 2010, how are these numbers disproportionate? Surely, female infanticide is not still practiced. At least, we'd like to think it isn't. But not only is female infanticide still in practice, new forms of gender selection are available through technology.

When a women is confirmed pregnant, sonograms are used to monitor the progress and health of the fetus. However, parents to be are using them to decipher the gender of the fetus and in Asia opting for abortion if the fetus is female. I am all for a woman's choice, but gender selective abortion is appalling and should be stopped. What I find most appalling about this is that women are perpetuators of these practices. How can a woman decide that her fetus lacks value because it is female? Why do women tolerate these social practices knowing that women are needed as much as males to continue the species? And what did Asian societies think was going to happen in the future when their sons generations lacked female mates? And what other problems are presented because of this lack of foresight?

According to an article on buzzle.com at www.buzzle.com/articles/the-lost-girls-of-asia.html, this practice of gender selection in Asia has increased sex trafficking and bride abductions throughout Asia. It has also presented millions of men who are unable to find wives and are called "bare branches" or "Lost Boys" because they will not bare children and keep the familial line going. Perhaps this is poetic justice for misguided patriarchies who forgot the importance of women in the roll of society and family in their oversized egos. However, the rest of the world should be cautioned that with hundreds of millions of men who have no brides, they have nothing to lose.

Asia could learn a lesson in foresight, and, in the value of a woman.

Required reading for Asians, "Half the Sky" by Nicholas D. Kristoff. Get it. Read it. And make some changes for your daughters and countries sakes.

Below are links to information on countries who prohibit or have laws against sex selective practices:
http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/downloads/200904_sex_selection_memo.pdf

http://biopolicywiki.org/index.php?title=Property:Sex_selection

And if you want to get around sex selective laws in Asia...just move to the USA. http://www.slate.com/id/2188114/

Malaysian Conversations

2010-08-24T18:31:00.001+09:00

I travel as often as I can. It is my addiction. It is why I work and save so that I can get on a plane, or a train, and see a new place, experience a new culture, taste a new cuisine and to talk to people with different back grounds and opinions. I want to talk to women and men and the latter are always a challenge and almost always a disappointment.

I am a western woman. Mature. Experienced. Educated and in want of knowing others experiences, educations and cultures. When I travel it is for purposes of learning. I have no desire to spend my time in night clubs or bars getting drunk. I do not look for sexual encounters or a beach romance. I do not want to walk down the street and, in addition to being stared at, have men cat call, kiss, wave or say some stupid pick up line. I do not want to be groped, asked if I want to fuck or have strange hands on me uninvitedly. I do not want to have assumptions to be made about me based solely on my hair color or my geographical or national upbringing. What I want is to be treated like an intelligent human being who has a curiosity and willingness to understand other people and cultures, and it seems this is a challenge for men in most of the regions I have visited. Except Malaysia.

I never once felt uncomfortable around a man in Malaysia. All of the men I had contact with in both Kualu Lumpur and Borneo/Kuching, had the intellect and confidence to speak with me as an equal. I never once walked down the street and heard a cat call or kissing sounds. On the contrary, I had many interesting and intellectual conversations. Perhaps it is due to strict laws for the protection of women. Perhaps it is because Malaysia is a religious state. I think that, although the WAO (Women's Aid Organization) in Malaysia reports Malaysian women (this includes all nationalities) still lack equality, Malaysia has such great diversity that every day Malaysians must learn to work with others that are of another religion, nationality and gender. I am not an expert on Malaysian culture, but what ever the reason Malaysian men are doing a service to the tourist industry as many tourists are now Western women traveling solo.

SWF...Will Travel

Western women, actually of all colors, are increasing in numbers of going solo when traveling and they're traveling big time in Asia. Traveling solo for women presents many challenges and lots of pre-planning all in the name of safety. Its frustrating enough that men already have access to many aspects of culture that women do not, (or they are taking chances if they do), that women are harassed, groped, ignored or not taken seriously when traveling solo. And I can name several countries that all of the aforementioned have happened to me personally. But I can't name a single incident in which any of these happened in Malaysia and again on the contrary, my interactions were professional and intellectual. So, I have to put Malaysia on the top of my list of places solo women travelers should visit.

Now don't get me wrong, solo travelers of both genders should take precautions where ever they go. The point of this article isn't that Malaysia is significantly safer for solo women but that men in Malaysia seem to have a higher capability of connecting with Western women intellectually than say, South Korean men do, and South Korea is a very safe country statistically.

So, my fellow solo, female travelers, pack your sunscreen and bug spray and go see all the beautiful sites in Malaysia and maybe I will see you there. And Malaysian men, keep treating solo Western female travelers with respect and we will continue to spend our money in your beautiful country. Thank you, Malaysia.

One last thought: I quite frankly found Malaysian men to be attractive because of the way they handled themselves with tact and in a respectful manor. And as a free, mature Western woman, the intellectual level at which they spoke was also quite attractive. Sexy at times even.

Malaysian Moments....

2010-08-14T17:51:00.001+09:00

I am on day 6 in Malaysia. Five of those have been spent in Kuala Lumpur, the city known for the Petronas Towers, 3rd tallest building in the world now. I wasn't seeking any city life and getting out of Kuala Lumpur had been a challenge, but I managed. My friend Kate, who ended up traveling with me a bit due to some travel companion challenges, and I, managed to escape KL to see the tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands, situated about two hours away from KL. The scenery is quite beautiful, much more than I expected. The landscape is of 90 year old tea bushes covering the mountains of Malaysia with small, quaint Malay and other indigenous peoples villages situated among them. Still, I was not satisfied as I had come to Malaysia to see the famous wildlife.

So, here I am in Borneo, Malaysia. Borneo is occupied by several different countries, Malaysia located in the Northwest corner. Malaysia Borneo is known for its preservation of the Orangutans that were over hunted in Borneo, Indonesia. More on that interesting story to be accompanied by photos. Today I explored Bako National Park where there are many Probiscus Monkeys (that I like) and Macacs (that I do not like) with many other wildlife creatures. Once I am home in South Korea, I will upload these wonderful pictures and tell more of my wonderful trip there. Nature is why I am here and my plans are for the Orangutan sanctuary tomorrow and then an over night trip to Satang to see sea turtles lay their eggs and, hopefully, to see some hatchlings arrival into the world and into the sea. I've never been so happy or so privileged to be where I am and am quite jealous of those who live here.

So, I'm off to sip a beer and eat some local food to rest up for the next few exciting days I have left in beautiful Borneo. More later.

"I love Americans"

2010-08-13T18:59:00.000+09:00

As I dropped the two papers totaling 2,000 won into the homeless mans plastic basket who was sitting on the stairs at the Seohyeon subway station, I heard him say, "Oh...American. Thank you". I was a little startled that he knew I was an American. I didn't think much about it until getting home that night and realizing that this man knew I was an American by the amount of money I gave him. Most people, Koreans and other expats, throw in spare change, but it would seem that Americans have a habit to donating above the average amount, to the awareness of many homeless, and working, people.

This past week, during my trip in Malaysia, I have tipped a masseuse, several taxi drivers, a doorman and a rickshaw driver, all of which were slightly surprised and very pleased to have been tipped. And each exclaiming, "I love Americans". I am proud to say that first, Americans are known for their generosity. Hate the American government all you want, but Americans are soft hearted and quick to help those who are affected by war or natural causes. We also have an affection for the "little guys", the working people, the "grease on the wheels" if you will as it is our history of immigrants from everywhere looking for a chance to make a better life who have come to America. We are a nation of hard working immigrants, and so as we travel, we show our support for the working people by tipping them, to the annoyance of other nationals, even though this may not be a common practice in the country, such as Korea.

I understand that many other nations are quite annoyed that Americans tip setting a standard that other nationals may feel pressured to follow. But it is who we are, us Americans. We feel compelled to reward hardwork even though we ourselves may save a few dollars by not tipping, we can not help ourselves as it is in our blood. So, to those nationals annoyed by our...generosity, a light apology. However, do not cuss the American who is able to get a taxi in the rain as the taxi passes others by knowing the American will tip. Wouldn't you if you were a hard working taxi driver?

I must say it makes me feel proud as an American that as I travel I hear others appreciate our generosity and recognition of hard work well done. Makes me a bit puffy chested.

Updates, news, rants....blah, blah, blah

2010-08-04T20:36:00.000+09:00

When giving examples in the classroom of grammar points, I will often use "...blah, blah, blah..." to fill in the blank, rather than giving them the answer. It is, perhaps, the most memorized phrase in Asia and they love saying it. Thus, the "blah, blah, blah" in my title.

I have been doing my research on Western men in Asia/Korea. I have been reading blogs and forums and they are enough to make me want to shave my head, take a diet of all processed food and join a Buddhist nunnery as both Western and Asian men sound off on these forums and blogs and both complain about women of Asian and Western persuasions. Asian men think white girls think too much of themselves and that their female Asian counterparts are materialistic and controlling. Oddly, Western men think Western women are controlling, sloppy (i.e., don't wear mini skirts and high heels) and don't treat men "right" because they're too busy with their careers. I actually found a website (which I refuse to give ad time to) that for an annual fee of $9.95 the author will provide advice on how to get Asian wives, where to find call girls/prostitutes in both Asia and Eastern Europe. What a skank of a man.

Even stranger is that Asian women occasionally sound off on these forums or blogs, but the white Western women are dead silent. Asian women complain about Asian men not treating them with respect, but there are also Asian women (mostly Japanese) who complained about the sloppy, overweight white men with Asian fetishes. I found all of what I have read so far depressing and a lot of finger pointing, rather than individuals who look inside themselves and try to figure out why they act this way.

My opinions about this matter are:

Western men: its racist and sexist to narrow your scope to one ethnicity. I can safely assume that you failed at a relationship with a strong, opinionated, independent Western woman who simply refused to have your dinner on the table when you arrive home and rub your feet with salts. Get over your damned selves, you're not as special as you think you are. And the disloyalty displayed on all of the forums and websites I have read is disgusting and pathetic. Stop generalizing and demoralizing Western women, or women of any persuasion, shape, ethnicity, aesthetic level, etc. Its very unattractive and again, you are not the status symbols you once were. Nor are all of you as well endowed as you pretend to be....now admit it. And if you can't handle a strong, independent, opinionated, educated woman, fine. We don't want you either. It would be a miserable existence for both of us.

Asian men: Stop whining that Western women think too much of themselves. They don't. How do you know what a woman thinks anyway if you can't even muster the courage to approach her? Get some cajones, a spine, and let go of your mothers apron strings, and approach the girl you are attracted to regardless of her ethnicity. I don't want a man who can't even muster the nerve to walk up and get to know me. Why would I be attracted to that? Western women are strong minded and their world doesn't revolve around a man, nor are we looking for a man who keeps us in Louis Vuitton bags. Men are not the Sun. If you can't handle that reality, then you don't deserve a woman, period. Oh, and one more thing, Western women, particularly American, don't find married men attractive. So go home to your wife.

Asian women: Why any Asian woman would chose a fat, balding, sloppy, drunken man twice her age, (or not) of any ethnicity is a mystery to me. Not that aesthetics are number one for me, but age and self respect definitely plays into my decision of choosing a companion. Other than that, Asian women are my sisters, and I'm not going to let men divide us in a negative, competitive like verbal back and forth about who is better than who and who lives up to the stereotypes that men of all persuasions impose on us. Women of all ethnicities deserve the man they want..regardless of their ethnicity.

Western women: the two comments I read from women here in Korea were pathetic. I'm too embarrassed to quote them here as it was a plea to Western men to consider Western women expats in South Korea. Girls...please, Western men are just as bad as Asian men, or Latinos, or African men, or Middle-Eastern men. What it comes down to is that most men seemingly want a mother...i.e., someone who dresses them, cooks for them, does their laundry and tells them what to do. Go out and find a man who respects you and knows the definition, and isn't afraid of, equality.

I refuse to give exposure to the misogynist, racists, xenophobic websites that I have read on this subject. I like to think that if you ignore them, they will go away, or breed out. But if one of my readers insists on knowing, I will email you the source website, blog or forum. As for the blog I mentioned before where the Western man posts texts from Korean girls that he had sexual encounters with (allegedly), I have this to say: A local webzine, "The Three Monkeys" who publicized the address of this blog stated they did so for the value of the "play on the English language". Bullshit. There are so many other examples here in Korea, i.e., signs, t-shirts, that could be used to demonstrated the play on the English language, rather than giving light to a self-centered Western expats exploitation of young women here in South Korea. Its tacky and nothing more than an empty attempt by the author to stroke his own ego.

Enough on that for now. I'm losing my appetite.

More later....

Coming Soon...in a blog...right here....

2010-07-22T19:29:00.001+09:00

I have, in past blogs, judged harshly, Korean men, from the perspective of a Western woman. Now, I will be researching Western men in Asia, only to be fair and balanced. So, look out Western men in Asia, I will be reading your posts, asking you questions in bars, schools, expat get togethers and of course, reading your blogs, such as http://textsfromkoreangirls.blogspot.com/. Weeeeeiiiird and pathetic that a Western man must post texts of his female Korean encounters (are they real?, or just made up?) on a blog.

I look forward to this research as in the past, I have encountered forums/blogs of Western men who are blatantly and proudly, not only misogynistic and racist, but absolutely disloyal to their Western female counterparts due to our...embracement of independence and emancipation....how dare us.

Should be an interesting ride.

Nickel and dim-ing of Americans....

2010-07-13T21:06:00.000+09:00

Not long ago the number of Americans owning a passport was an embarrassing 18%. This was enough ammo for Europeans alone to barade us with insults and evidence that we had little knowledge of the world we were imposing our democracy on. As if Americans didn't have enough to worry about...such as high unemployment, unpaid mortgages, dwindling college funds and increase in college tuition, as of today, we now must contend with increasing fees on our passports.

According to a CNN report here:http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/07/07/passport.fees.hike/index.html?iref=allsearch&fbid=pNFHNIXWoRs

And the most insulting part of this is that if an American wants to renounce their citizenship, it is no longer free. Angry Americans must now front $450.00 to renounce their citizenship. Ain't that a bite in the ass of Freedom of Speech?

I, NOT a Robot...

2010-07-13T20:56:00.000+09:00

I have often felt that NETs in South Korea are not really here because SK wants them, we are here out of necessity and for no other reason. My feelings were confirmed this week by an article in the New York Times at this address: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/science/11robotside.html?_r=1.

I would link it, but the code on bloggerspot.com is not working. Anyway....

So, it is a matter of a few years before all of us NETs are run out by robots and South Korea may gain a reliable source of English, but will lose a rich resource of cultural exposure for their children. I find it amazing that the Hermit Kingdom mentality still strongly exists in this society but so hell bent on being a part of the global economy, while strongly maintaining a Korean stamp on....well, everything that comes into South Korea.

51st State.

2010-07-09T13:45:00.001+09:00

*****Update******

Its been a while since this has been resolved but I think an update is called for. The co-teacher who who arbitrarily and egregiously filed the report has apologized to me for not speaking to me first and has allegedly filed a new report stating the student was playing soccer when injured. However, I must state that I have not seen either of the reports, nor signed any report. The parents never filed any complaint or suit. The student half-assed apologized by writing me a letter in Korean. When the co-teacher asked him to apologize face to face, he refused. The school has also insisted that he be allowed to attend both my after school classes and English camp. I have insisted that a Korean teacher be present and that a "no playing in classroom" rule be imposed. The whole incident still smells badly and am thankful that GEPIK made an effort to assist in the situation, and that ATEK was there to advise me.

The list of reasons for teaching elsewhere are beginning to pile up for me. Between micro-managing co-teachers, Vice Principles who think NETs are a waste of money, married Kee-ro-gee men and now potentially, parents of students who are seeking to make money off their sons injury at school and perhaps tarnish a teachers reputation.

I teach after school classes as I have mentioned before. The classes are two periods long, each period being 40 minutes. Inbetween I give the students a ten minute break, sometimes 15, and they play in the classroom, usually a game of soccer as the English classroom is quite large. While I would prefer they didn't play so roughly or loudly, I think its good they are physically active and have a break to rest their brains and get their blood flowing. It is 15 minutes of screaming and running, but has its benefits. But that is all over with now as this morning I was informed that a student who attends one of my classes has filed a complaint against me.

Two weeks ago, my student, whose English name is Andy, sprained his ankle while playing soccer in the classroom with other students, during the break. My co-teacher, who was present for the entire situation, escorted him to the nurse. The student returned some 15 minutes later and participated in class. The next day he came to school with an ankle wrap and told me he sprained his ankle playing soccer. I knew at the time of the accident it was more serious than the school treated it, but that always seems to be the case here. Teachers and administrators down play many of the students illnesses and injuries, I have noticed in the past and I felt that way this time. But I have no authority here.

This morning my co-teacher informed me that Andy told his homeroom teacher that he sprained his ankle while performing a chore I asked him to do. This is not only a lie, but ridiculous as unlike the Korean teachers, I never ask students to do anything but sit down and listen. The Korean teachers often have the children perform tasks for them such as fetching water or paper from the first floor. I have asked students to get me water but also pay them 500 won to do so. If they say no, not a problem. If they say no to a Korea teacher, they get yelled at. Anyway, on this ocassion, I didn't request any student to do anything and my co-teacher knows that. But that didn't stop her from saying this situation is very serious.

Before today, no one approached me about this situation, and that includes the students homeroom teacher who filled out the formal complaint sheet. A complaint letter that no one will let me see or give me a copy of. When I requested a copy, my co-teacher stated that the homeroom teacher admits she made a mistake and apologizes for not discussing this with us first. She never apologized to me, nor has the student. So I can only assume that at this point, the complaint still stands and I don't plan to wait and see. So this morning I contacted my "representative" at GEPIK about the situation and also ATEK, Association for Teachers of English in Korea, which is an organization to protect teachers rights in Korea. I actually hope this is an over-reaction on my part. Because if it isn't, it will become one more reason to seek employment elsewhere, and I mean another country.

I am daily astounded at the lack of communication, organization and planning in Korean schools. I also do not understand why public schools require a TESOL certificate when the methods of TESOL are not only not used in the classrooms, but highly disrespected by the co-teachers and administration. I also think that GEPIK and SMOE and EPIK need to use more honest language when recruiting NETs to Korea as we are not "co-teachers", we are assistant teachers. NETs have little if any say in how the curriculum is taught as the Korean co-teacher has all the authority.

I also think that GEPIK at least, needs to be more supportive of their teachers as at the last teachers conference I learned that I am far from the only one with co-teacher issues and far from the only one who has been ignored by staff at GEPIK.

Let me make one point in that I never wanted to seek a teaching position in the United States because of the same issues presented above. Teachers in America are too often blamed for the poor performance of their students, rather than the students or parents themselves. Teachers are also sued for actually disciplining their students or making them suffer consequences for not doing their work, and I am not talking about extreme cases at all as I do not agree with corporal punishment. Much of this is due to selfish, uncaring and opportunistic parents. Such a price for people who make so little and work hard to make a difference in childrens lives.

I also understood that in East Asia such attempts at hurting someone or stealing from them was looked down upon in East Asian socities. I guess those days are over, perhaps due to capitalism and increase in materialism. The dissapointments are overwhelming.

Playing Catch-up: Various rants and plans

2010-07-05T19:43:00.000+09:00

“

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran

I would think Vietnam would well exceed South Korea in the tropical setting, however, while South Korea may not produce year round fruit, between the months of June and September, its a constant sauna here and must give the jingilbangs (hot sauna's) a ride for their money. Even in the monsoon season, Vietnam never felt so humid as South Korea does, which must put many a Korean in distress, or running for their hair gels and sprays. Like the Vietnamese, Koreans obsess on their tresses. I have yet to see a single Korean neighbor get on the elevator in my building and not fix their hair in the mirror. But, one must admit, Koreans have beautiful hair.

The Travel Bug has bitten...again.

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

I have been considering my vacation in August and originally, I began to plan for a Trans Siberian train trip from Beijing to Mongolia to Moscow. As incredible as it sounds, the total alone for the visa's to Russia and China (U.S. Citizens do not need a visa to Mongolia) is right at $400. That is a plane ticket to somewhere....not Korea. Only 2 years ago, the visa I purchased in HCMC for China was only about $90. Now, it is a whopping $200, plus or minus, which is more than double in cost. After I learned that South Koreans are only charged approximately $35-ish for their visa I took it as China not really wanting American tourists. Or, they simply have not been paying attention to the economic crisis in the States.

As for the Russian visa, it is $160.00 plus a few additional $20 fees for shipping and filing. Another $200.00. Or, in my perspective, another plane ticket somewhere exotic. So with this in mind, I am thinking I will change course. There are many countries I didn't make it to in SEA, so I am currently focusing on Malaysia and Java/Sumatra in Indonesia, where I can meet friends and see Orangutans in the wild. Or Fiji/New Zealand for a lone adventure. Planning is still in process, and I will have to invest heavily in sun protectant, but both prospects have me excited.

Dating in Korea:

Uhm, I understand cyberspace is filling up, and that webspace is becoming a hot commodity....so why waste the space? ^^ Or your precious time.

Teaching:

While I still have zero control in the regular morning classes, I have full control over the afternoon, after school programs. I teach Creative Writing and Conversation. In my conversation class I have decided to teach my students how to complain in English. For starters, I taught them about the origins and purpose of the Soap Box, as well as the idiom, 'on his/her soap box'. Then I had pairs come up with lists of things 'I don't like...', I hate....' and 'I don't think that...'. After practicing the language they each had one minute to complain about anything they wanted to, even me and my class. Only one student complained about my class/English and the others about their siblings or homework. It took a while to get them going but once they got the hang of it, they were off!

My writing class students are writing letters to President Obama sending condolences regarding the Gulf Oil Spill. I thought this would be a good opportunity to teach them about the democratic government in Seoul and to exercise their right to freedom of speech. They're a bit intimidated, but intrigued and excited about the thought of sending a letter to a President. I tried to think of a reason they would write President Myung Bak Lee, but for my lack of Korean imagination, I couldn't think of anything a 5th grader to write him about other than letters that stated hate for Kim Jung Il.

There are only two weeks worth of classes remaining and then I will prepare for English camp. My English camp is 3 weeks long and by its ends, I will be incredibly ready for a vacation. And I have begun marking the days off on the wall, like Monte Cristo, ready for my freedom. To spread my wings, which brings to the book I've been reading, "Pandora's Seed" by my second favorite anthropology star, Spencer Wells. Spencer Wells is a geneticists and anthropologist who was in charge of the National Geographic Gene Project, of which I had my mtDNA analyzed. The book is about the detrimental changes of adopting agriculture and abandoning our hunter-gatherer lifestyle roughly 13,000 years ago (depending on the region). He makes a very good point about the theories surrounding the increase in mental illness of our day.

Hunter/gatherers were small tribes who were nomadic, egalitarians who had abstract, independent though processes. Post agriculture, we have been reduced to nothing more than worker bees who were forced to give up independent thought process in sacrifice for the broader community...and rich CEOs of corporations too big to fail. We are also suffering from stimuli overload. Our social connections and environment are not suited for our biology. We are not made to have constant background noises or relationships that extend 150 persons. We are also not suited to sit in a cubicle for 8-10 hours a day without physical stimulation...such as exercise, or a high carbohydrate, sugar ridden diet.

Apparently, my genes long for the good ol' days of freedom and opportunities for creative thinking, immersed in a nomadic lifestyle...without customs agents or expensive visas. It is all I live for.

Two Different Tears

2010-06-16T19:47:00.000+09:00

For the past six months or so I have been taking my lunch at my desk in the English classroom. I decided this, not because I dislike Korean food (I do like most Korean foods), but because it was lonely sitting there amongst several dozen human beings and no one to talk to. But that isn't what this blog entry is about. This entry is about the decision of happiness and that of responsibility.

Yesterday, five female students who have been cleaning the classroom the past week performed a Wonder Girls, (Korean, female pop band), song titled, "Nobody But You", to earn a school sticker. I don't think they really cared about the sticker as much as they wanted to sing the song for me and use the Karaoke machine we have in the English classroom. They not only sang the song but tried to re-enact the dance from the video. It was such a lovely treat and we all laughed at the pauses and mis-pronunciations as the song they sang was in English. Following their performance I challenged them to sing another song by the same group the following day (today). They enthusiastically agreed.

At 12:10 today, as I forgot about the promised performance from my students, I turned on President Obama's address from the Oval Office regarding the Gulf Oil Spill. I watched as President Obama promised the American people that he would hold BP fully responsible for the spill by demanding a trust fund be held in the billions and distributed by a third party to those affected in the Gulf region. I can't help but thinking that this is but a band-aid remedy for a fatal disease that will long effect the southern States and those who live and make a living from the Gulf's resources. As I was watching, my eyes began to tear. Although I am angry at my country and particularly at my government, it is my home and I am torn apart as to whether I should continue my overseas journey or make my way back home and contribute in some way to help counter the multi disasters that have plagued it. Just as I removed my glasses to wipe away the tears my wannabe Wonder Girls came in the door to clean the room and fulfill their promise.

All five of the girls have very different personalities. There is the tall, maned diva who loves to be the front performer. There is the quiet one who chooses to sit the performance out. There is the sensible one whose English is better than all the others. And then there is the enthusiastic plain Jane who is the most sensitive of them all and it was she who caught me sobbing. She asked me if I was ok and "Why Obama speak"? I told her it was about the Gulf Oil disaster and she said she knew about it and told me she was sorry. I felt embarrassed and asked her if she and the others were ready to sing. She immediately gathered the other four girls who hopped up to the microphones, lyrics in their hands and immediately began to belt out loudly the Wonder Girls song, "Two Different Tears".

It was a bittersweet moment. My emotions torn as I realize I am watching my students sing and dance while sitting in a foreign culture, while my own country is imploding and taking so many good people with it. Lately, I have questioned if South Korea, with its lonely, Kee-ro-gee men, plastic, materialistic women and party-hard-expats, shadowed by a midget dictator, is the place for me to be. I feel restless. Here. Now. I feel it is time to begin planning for mine and Truman's escape to either another foreign land to continue my quest to see the world, or to return to my broken country where there are few if any choices for fulfilling jobs. In the mean time, as I try to make a decision, it is my students who will keep me smiling and remind me that innocence and hope remain in youth, a magical place I have privilege to only as long as I am teaching.

Men in Greed: Women with Brooms

2010-06-12T07:13:00.000+09:00

If you give a woman $1500 she will spend it on food to feed her family and education for her children. If you give $1500 to a man, he will spend it on booze and prostitutes to the detriment of his own family. Global statistics show these two statements to be true in all societies. Why this is not evidence enough that women should be in charge of the world and that man has proven himself inept to do so, not to mention the empirical evidence of war, corporate and governmental greed and the raping of the environment, I am not sure. I think that society secretly acknowledges this and that that is why the U.S. elections had a strong showing for female politicians.

As Samantha Bee below explains, men mess things up and the public votes the women to come in and clean things up.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Indecision 2010 - Primary Victory for Women

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

I also find it interesting that after centuries of white men exploiting all others in the U.S., i.e., non-white men, white women and all non-white women, and running the country into its lowest historical point, the public is open to an African-American to lead and clean up the mess left to him/us. Its nice to see the public recognize that the white male monopoly of the U.S. government, corporations and Wall Street is broken, but as Samantha Bee points out regarding these elections, how about taking us serious when things are going well. All criticism set aside, change is in the wind (thus the TeaBaggers) and I hope it is a force that can not be stopped. Mother Earth needs female intervention before another BP disaster happens. I can only hope these women can set aside their pettiness and partisan ideologies so that the real work can begin soon.

Koreans Acting Ugly

2010-06-11T22:23:00.000+09:00

My friend shared this on her facebook page. It is of Korean men on a talk/game show who loudly state their opinion regarding women who possess less than humble aesthetics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXh1cbYXM4A&feature=related

I can't say that I was shocked by the comments and behavior of the two Korean men. I was more shocked by the "beautiful" women's behavior. I found their behavior to be particularly, how shall I say...well, that of whores and I am ashamed that they are of the same gender. That they clapped after the first Korean man pointed out that they get "free" stuff and after he insulted the other women leads me to believe that they don't understand that if that is how those women live, by being kept by men, they are the equivalent of prostitutes. Perhaps, they don't care how others perceive them as long as they acquire the material things they want through their looks and well, probably sex. What an empty life that must be.

Women showing such a lack of support for other women is what I find most disturbing about this video. It perpetuates the discrimination and oppressions of women in society, the work place and even how they are treated as housewives and mothers. The "beautiful" women in this video are disingenuous as they are not thinking of the future when they themselves will age and their looks can no longer serve as a way to "survive". I suppose also that how people see them, and I'm not speaking of their looks per se, makes no matter as I personally find them to be quite unattractive due to their naivete and shallow perspective of others in the world. Who could possibly take them seriously or show them respect? These women have failed to take a long, honest look at themselves in a mirror.

I am, unfortunately, not surprised by the comments and behavior of the two Korean men. My experience and observations are, between the "wild geese" and other Korean men, they don't demonstrate much respect towards women. Which would explain the high infidelity rates, high divorce rates and the statistics showing women can not break the glass ceiling in the private sector here. This might also demonstrate why many Korean women are attracted to Western men...although, many Western men would probably share in the attitude of the two Korean men in this video.

For me, this has opened my eyes to the superficial environment I am living. What this video has done for me is forced me to re-evaluate my priorities as a compassionate, empathetic and open minded woman who doesn't want to lose herself in the cesspool of aesthetics or the imposition of patriarchal ideologies . Now I am looking inside myself and in doing so, have canceled my future appointment at the dermatology center. While my visits were mostly about maintaining a competitive ground with younger teachers, I have decided that it is more important to embrace dearly my values that truly count. I may have crows feet, by by god I earned them by living an interesting life of serving myself and not in servitude of a man.

I would really love to hear from Koreans on this subject. As an English teacher, I see this attitude about women in my elementary students, both boys and girls. Girls with low-self esteem and boys that show no respect for the opposite gender. I can only shake my head.

View from an Expats room.

2010-05-30T19:35:00.000+09:00

The past two weeks have been a guessing game for South Koreans and expats in South Korea regarding North Korea's response to the aforementioned South Korean report of the Choenon ship attack. I must say that for the first time since my arrival South Koreans seem worried about the tensions between the two Koreans and particularly between the two leaders, Kim Jung Il of the North, and Myung Bak Lee of the South. It's all anyone is talking about here. Korean and Expat alike.

According to my co-teacher Lee's two predecessors were soft on North Korea and South Koreans apparently had a higher comfort level with that diplomacy. Lee, on the other hand, has apparently taken a harder stance and showed no sign of changing his strategy or rhetoric with this last alledged attack on the South Korean ship. While the United States has vocalized their support for South Korea, and they are bound by treaty to do so, China is playing both sides of the fence, asking both sides to maintain calm while questioning the report out of South Korea. South Korea has cut most trade to NK and announced a less passive strategy to NKorean agressions, setting off a response from NK that any response is an act of war.

Kim Jung Il is dying, and quite frankly, I am hoping the little drag queen wannabe isn't wanting to go out in a blaze of glory. South Korea has come a long way and out of a history filled with war, colonization and opression, poverty and division. It has become an economic star in Asia and rebuilt a country after decades of repeated wars and external penitrations. It would be tragic to see another war on the Korean Peninsula after only a few short decades of prosperity, at least for the southern half.

As the situation intensifies and as the military planes and helicopters continuously buzz by my school and apartment building, from early morning into the late evening, moving from the south to the north, I think it would be wise to plan an exit strategy should I need to make a hasty departure.

As the SK Won falls, slowly, but falling, I think it would be wise to transfer any funds I do not need to live on to my American account. As the rhetoric heats up, the value of the SK currency falls and should there be a possibility of war, it could be worth very little. There is no alternative to this part of the plan.

Plan A is of course to register with the U.S. Embassy of Seoul here and follow their exit strategy here. Getting my cat Truman out may be a whole other challenge.

Plan B is to register with the Embassy and stay in South Korea.

Today I saw eight of my students at the shopping mall, wearing red horns and laughing. They were excited to see me and attacked me with a barrage of questions while snooping through my grocery bags. They wanted to come to my house and meet my cat. I told them they would scare him with all those horns. My students here make me feel more than wanted. They make me feel warm and needed. Something I felt little of in the United States. Here in South Korea, I feel a purpose and that's to learn and teach every day I am here. I love Korea. I don't want to leave and I don't want to have to go back to the States. Korea feels like home at least for now and I resent that a short, fat man who wears a pompadour and platform shoes can control the fate of my life. I think South Koreans feel the same way and that's why, atleast until now, they just ignored the crazy rhetoric coming from the North's government.

As I read the news I can only hope that this is all a bluff by a desperate, dying man who hopefully recognizes North Korea may be alone should they start a war leaving no legacy to this son, while the South will have many behind them.

North Korea freezes relations with South Korea - CNN.com

2010-05-26T06:50:00.000+09:00

North Korea freezes relations with South Korea - CNN.com

North Korea and South Korean tensions heighten after Coechon Ship report...

2010-05-24T13:20:00.001+09:00

Since I have been here there have been minor incidents of muscle flexing between the North and South Korea's. I have noticed movement of military planes and helicopters before coming from the south of SK moving to the DMZ area. However, last week was quite heavy and today Myung Bak Lee made the announcement that South Korea will suspend trade with North Korea and excercise more force in response to North Korean aggressions. Read more below.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/23/skorea.ship/?hpt=Sbin

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/05/20/korea.sunken.ship.us/index.html

As a U.S. Citizen, it might be wise to go here and register with the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.

All Night Long...

2010-05-23T14:14:00.031+09:00

Friday night was my friend Kates birthday. We decided to go out for a nice dinner at the Secret Garden, a floating restaurant on the Han River that serves good Italian food and an extended wine list. Getting there was fairly easy as the taxi driver knew right away the location we spoke of. Seoul has 17 floating restaurants to choose from. The Secret Garden had a beautiful view that made it easy to stay after dinner to order a second bottle of wine. The food itself was good. We ordered the five course set dinner with lobster and beef tenderloin. The service is excellent as usual. I think of all the Asian countries I have visited Korea has the best customer service in the culinary industry.

After dinner Kate got a wild hair and wanted to check out Itaewon. Itaewon is my least favorite area of Seoul. In my opinion, it is the seediest area of Seoul, dominated by strip/ "men's" clubs, bars, souvenir shops, prostitutes, pathetic drunk, horny men of all ethnicities, and traffic. I only go to Itaewon when I need to get a western food product I can not find at HomePlus. However, there I was in Itaewon on a Friday night, looking at my surroundings, thinking "what the hell am I doing here"?

We first ended up at a bar where Korean women worked the dance floor making sure no creepy man became a wall flower while an ahjummah counted the tickets behind the bar. Sex trafficking is alive and well in Itaewon. As a matter of fact, there are women of all persuasions and ethnicities for a perverted man's choosings. Asian, Russian, African...you want it its in Itaewon.

Once we had a fill of observing fat, drunken, desperate men drool over women much younger than them, we headed to a hole in the wall bar for a Guinness. Things were pretty much the same there and we left before finishing our beers, something I have never done when drinking Guinness.
As we wondered through the alley looking for a particular bar, we met a group of gay men on their way to a club to dance. They asked us to join them and we followed them to a tiny bar on a hill filled with mostly men and a hand full of women. Not two minutes after getting a beer, we were on the giant raised, slab of marble in the middle of the bar that made for the dance floor. I was surrounded by young Korean men and can they dance! Kate and I were having so much fun that we didn't realize what time it was. As my knees and feet were throbbing from pain, I looked at my phone which promptly told me it was 4:45 a.m. An all nighter...something I hadn't done since I was 20 years old, and here I am at 46 heading home as the sun rises.

After the old, fat, perverted men, exploited women, trash filled streets and police cars and lights dominating the scene, I doubt that I will return to Itaewon...unless I need a dance fix with my gay friends.

Buddha's Birthday: Lantern Festival

2010-05-19T21:12:00.000+09:00

Buddhist Monks working sand.

I am not a religious person. As a matter of fact, I'm an atheist. However, I have a respect and curiosity for Buddhism. I have read some philosophy and thoughts of Buddhism and I agree with much of it. But, I am no convert. However, I love visiting temples and I couldn't miss the Lantern Festival in Seoul this year. My friend Craig and I, after visiting the Korean Derby, headed down to Insadong to check out the Buddha festivities.

At first approach there was a large stage decorated with large lanterns and a group singing. Going further down the street were many white tents where visitors made Lotus Lanterns or traditional Korean paper. There were also various national Buddhist groups such as Thailand and Nepal. We stopped to try the Nepalese dish offered for 2,000 won and it was a dish of peas, carrots and potatoes in a spicy sauce served with a ringlet of sweet bread. It was delish.

Insadong is one of my favorite areas in Seoul and yet I had never noticed the beautiful temple there. Jogye-sa (sa = temple in Korean) is the head quarters for the Korean sect of Buddhism and had a wonderful education center as well as a beautiful temple. There were many people at the temple gathering lanterns to carry in the festival and anyone could join in. So my companion and I grabbed some lanterns and candles to carry. I had to sneak off to see inside the temple. After, we grabbed some vegetarian delights to snack on before the march. Craig and I never found out where to go to join in the march, so we ended up just watching the parade and enjoying the lanterns and floats that came our way.

Gyeongju-si, South Korea....Silla Dynasty

2010-05-19T16:01:00.001+09:00

In the year 2004 I drove from Charlotte, North Carolina to the Missouri Illinois state line where a famous archaeological park is located, named Cahokia. Cahokia was the site of Woodland Indians from the 8th century to the 14th century. The Woodlands buried their dead and if they were nobels they were buried in earthen mounds. While there I volunteered to help with an excavation of the what was thought to be the site of the wooden fence that surrounded Cahokia and took roughly 20,000 trees to make. I worked along side students and professors from Washington University of St. Louis in the heat of July, battling mosquitos and digging in mud. It is one of my greatest memories ever and hope to volunteer there again as I still have a smoldering passion for archaeology and pre-history. So, you can imagine my excitement at the news of South Korea not only possessing 28,000 Dolmen sites, but mound burials in Gyeongju-si, on the south east coast of South Korea.

Gyeongju-si (si = city in Korean) has long been on my list to visit since arriving South Korea. There are many World Heritage sites in Gyeongju-si and one of them is the Tumuli Park, where there are numerous mound burials of kings and queens from the Silla Dynasty. The Silla Dynasty began roughly in 57 B.C. and continued until the 8th century when it was defeated by the Goryeo dynasty. The burial styles are more sophisticated than those of the Woodland Indians. First a wooden box style room is built around the burial for protection and then a mound of granite stones cover the wooden box. On top of the stones are clay and mud to form the mound. I think this burial form was inspired by the mountains that cover South Korea.

One other UNESCO World Heritage site is the Cheomseongdae, an astronomical observatory built by a ruling Silla queen in the 7th century and is one of the oldest scientific structures on Earth. Surrounding the observatory is a beautiful park with flowers and a large frog pond which was quite loud at night. The park also posseses several mound burials and are lit up at night giving them an erie aura of green and blue.

Across from Cheomseongdae park is Anapji Pond, a tranquil and beautiful palaces of red lacquered wood pillars, clay roofs and ornate ceilings of turquoise, blue, red and gold in Korean motif style, surrounded by a man-made pond, built in the 7th century. During the reconstruction of the pond many artifacts were found and are now on display in many of the open buildings, such as the boggled eyed dragon head above. The site was especially beautiful at night and was extremely busy. I found myself being addressed by many of the school children visiting there and at one point as many as 50 children all screamed in unison, "Hello! Where are you from"? All I could do was laugh and say "Hello" back as they boarded their bus. Although Gyeongju-si depends heavily on tourism as their main industry, I was often stared at and approached by locals wanting to practice their English and were curious about the blonde waygook. Most of them were children/teens, but also a few elderly men and women who were pleased to have foreigners visit.

Next up was a visit to Bulguksa Buddhist Temple and the Seogram Grotto of Buddha.

While visiting Gyeongju-si, I had decided to stay with locals and found a lovely place located out of the city, but not far from all the important sites, called Godo Guest House. There are only 3 rooms and my room was just right as it had a small kitchenette, a shower, television and out door patio area. The Korean couple who owned it, Su Ji and Hwon (can't remember the family name) were wonderful. Su Ji (sp?) was instantly helpful as she made sure I knew where everything was located and what bus to take to get there. Taking a bus in Gyeongju is relatively expensive. Each way, regardless of distance is 1,500 won and while the bus system is the only form of public transportation outside of a taxi, it isn't as efficient as the Seoul bus system. There are also zero Western restaurants in Gyeongju that I saw, so Korean is the only culinary option. Most of what I had in the main strip of Gyeongju was mediocre compared to what I have had here in Seoul. But after visiting the Bulguksa temple, I had the best Korean meal ever.

My second day in Gyeongju I took bus 11 to Bulguksa Temple, located on Tohamsan (mountain), Bulguksa, like all other Buddhist Temples I have seen, was quite lovely. The gardens were beautiful, surrounded by a beautiful pond full of large carp and khoi fish of grey, orange and white. Bulguksa is a popular site not only for foreigners, but for Koreans as well, and this day was no acception. When I first arrived it was quite sparse in numbers of tourists. However, as the morning aged, more and more people filed in filling up the park in a short time. School children, families, tourists everywhere, making it impossible to enjoy the intended tranquility of each temple. Photography was not allowed in any of the temples and I always try to respect the rules of spiritual centers. But not the locals and several were reprimanded by protective Buddhist nuns for doing so. Nuns, Buddhist or Catholic, seem the same in this role.

My morning meal had been 4 Maxim coffee sticks and 3 coconut cookies. By the time I had finished visiting Bulguksa, I was starving, but decided to go to the Seogkram Grotto of Buddha first. I had been told there was a shuttle to the Grotto, but I couldn't find any signs and actually said out loud "Please, show me a sign" out of frustration as I couldn't find a shuttle or sign for it. As I was turning in circles looking for a shuttle, 3 Korean women who spoke perfect English came up to me and asked if they could help me as they heard my call for a sign. Embarrassed, but thankful, I asked them about the shuttle and one of them went to ask the guard, who told her it came every 40 minutes. He also told her that I could walk up the mountain to the Grotto and that it would take me 15 minutes. I thanked the 3 women and decided to not wait for the shuttle, but to hike the mountain instead.

The guard lied, big time. You could make it up the mountain in 15 minutes, IF you were Lance Armstrong on a bike! The distance I guestimate to be about 1.5 miles straight up Mount Tohamsan. I was wearing my high heel boots, jeans and a sweater. It was about 75 degrees fahrenheit, but luckily, became cooler as I ascended the mountain. The air also became thinner and climbing winding stairs as opposed to winding trail and tree roots made no difference in effort. Had that guard heard the expletives assocated with his name...well, he wouldn't have been any happier than I was unexpectedly climbing a mountain feuled by Maxim and coconut cookies. >.<

Once at the top, I quickly bought some bottled water and a snack to keep me going until lunch. At the opening of Seogkram is a very large Buddhist bell that overlooks the mountains, really quite breath taking in scene. A father had placed his baby son on the "gong" and I watched horrified thinking he was going to hit the bell with it and his son. He didn't. But in retrospect, it would have been funny and a good photo op. ;)

Upon my ascent I felt relieved that I was near the Grotto and lunch not far away. Until I began walking up the mountain again, this time taking only 10 minutes to reach the top, where I sat to rest and drink my water before climbing more stairs and standing in line to catch a glimpse of the Buddha Grotto.

It is near Buddha's Birthday (May 19th) so colorful lanterns decorated the Temple and trails. After resting, I made I completed my pilgrimage of seeing the Buddha Grotto. Photos are not allowed so you will have to go here to see it. It is an awesome sculpture of Buddha sitting. Visitors can not walk up to or touch the grotto as there is a glass partition. Its smaller than I imagined, but still an impressive art piece as it is all carved from granite. After a short glimpse, I made my way back to the entrance to catch the shuttle bus.

Waiting for the bus I met a Korean woman from Seoul and we decided to have lunch together near Bulguksa Temple. There we had the best bibimbap I have ever had and was later told the southern region is where bibimbap originated. The bibimbap was not swimming in chili paste as I am used to getting. It was simple and the chili paste was served on the side. Of course there were a dozen side dishes such as kimchi and dried seaweed. The ahjummah (elderly ladies) who owned the restaurant were apparently happy to host a foreigner and made a pork, tofu soup that was absolutely delicious. The tofu, and I'm not a fan, was so creamy and had a nutty taste. The chili's in the soup were spicy enough, but not hot at all. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant as I would give it 4.5 stars.

Overall, I loved Gyeongju-si. It fulfilled my passion for history, archaeology and culture. The people of Gyeongju were helpful, friendly and generally happy to see foreigners amongst them. If you like Korean food, the bibimbap is what to have. If you don't like Korean food, you had better pack food with you.

Next Korean excursion...Gwangju-si and Coechon-si for a dolmen fix.

Vigo died and I'm too....tipsy to effectively blog.

2010-05-11T20:32:00.000+09:00

This past weekend the inevitable happened; Vigo died. Vigo was my original lap top that has traveled to every country I have been to, minus Canada. But who cares about Canada. Anyway, I had to go to Gangbyeon and buy a new computer. It was a great experience as one of the Korean geeks who helped me seemed so excited to help me so that he could practice English, that I got the best customer service ever in Korea. He was twenty four years old and his name was Hwon. Adorable! He looked like the middle Brady boy from the Brady Bunch and was as sweet as a Brady boy. He is on his way to the States in June and we talked about where to go, what to do, and my friends he can contact while there. Great experience.

Tonight, I was going to blog and download all my past pictures on my new computer, but....the co-teachers got me too tipsy on maekju (beer) to...well, frankly, care. It will have to wait until Friday or Saturday morning as I have too many plans until then. Tomorrow night, dinner with Craig, a Brit I've been dating for a while, and then dinner with an American friend on Thursday. Friday, I promise all the pics and goings on blogged promptly. So stay tuned for pics from Bali, Korea and Gyeongju-si.

Mystery Kitty, Musical Korea and Merry Students

2010-05-05T18:49:00.000+09:00

Since I have decided to stay in Korea for an indefinite time I have decided to put my priorities in order and topping that list is getting to know Korea better. My friend Craig suggested it would be a good start if we attended a musical festival called "A Beautiful Mint Life" last weekend in Goyang at the Goyang Aramnuri Outdoor Theatre which is northern Seoul. Easily it took us two hours to get there from Gangnam by subway which obligated, or trapped rather, Craig into seeing my most recent photos from previous goings on. We arrived around 1:30 and were of course confused by the Korean signs posted everywhere, so we wondered aimlessly until we came upon a sign with the festivals logo. Craig, who is British, guessed that 'beautiful mint life' was derived from a recent British term 'mint life' which I am guessing to be a positive take on things. Craig and I were the only waygooks anywhere to be seen at the festival...we felt special.

The tickets were a bit pricey at 44,000won each and only two stages. I have to say it was the most subdued musical festival I've been to but fit what was a perfect sunny day at 70 degrees fahrenheit. Koreans don't like sun because they don't want to tan or burn and everyone in the crowd of roughly 5,000 was covered either by their jackets or umbrellas as they sipped their sangria's or beers through a straw.

The music was mainly folksy emo, however, the last band was a wonderful Flamenco band whose lead Spanish guitarist was really very talented. Of course it made me melancholy for my days in Barcelona.

Sassy Kitty Photo Project

After setting my acrylic painting aside for the time being, I decided I needed a new project and for reasons I can not discuss at this point, I've been taking a Hello Kitty all over Seoul for a photo project I'm working on. The end product will be posted and will explain my reasons for it. First we took her to Namsan tower which was quite crowded due to the perfect weather. The view was incredible other than the bit of smog that was present. As we were leaving we noticed how many Korean women were wearing high-heels which must have been very uncomfortable while ascending and descending the mountain to the tower. After I took the picture, the two girls wearing high heels decided to try walking backwards as a better strategy. I don't think it made a bit of difference.

After a couple hours at Namsan tower we caught a cab over to Haibaejong to eat at a Chinese restaurant called Mao. Mao is my favorite Chinese restaurant here as they have fabulous Peking Duck, which is what we all dined on topped off with a TsingTao beer. Next a traditional tea house at Insadong where we entertained a dozen children there curious about the waygooks and their stuffed toy.

Children's Day

Today is Children's Day in Korea. It is a day when the parents and the nation show appreciation for children by giving students and children the day off so that the parents can spend quality time with them and teachers can have some decompression time...aaaahhhhhh. Fortunately, my Principle has decided to give us all a five day weekend. The next couple days I will spend in Gyeongju-si for a couple UNESCO World sites to add to my list. Today I am spending the day cleaning, packing and recovering from last nights outing with friends to an Irish-Korean bar named Dublins where we smoked hookah and drank beer. All that after a day of walking with my students up and down Tancheon River for a total of 3 kilometers.

I really enjoy my students. They challenge me every day to be a better teacher and a better person. I really enjoy watching them grow. This semester we have a new program that rewards the students for talking English with me and my gyopo co-teacher, Emily with stickers. So, Emily and I have zero free time as students are constantly lining up at break and lunch times to speak English with us and gain a sticker. The walk down Tancheon River wasn't any different. I was looking forward to a leisure walk with my students but it quickly became competitive with them to gain my attention so that they could earn a sticker. We still had a lot of fun and gave me opportunities to talk with individual students and get to know them on a more personal level. I even learned some of their names.

The Blue Team with a couple of my fabulous essay students....

The Red Dream The Dragon Team

This is Mina taking a picture of me as I take a picture of her.

Many of the students were syncronized with their classes by wearing the same color t-shirt, or flying flags with animated characters such as a dragon or rabbit. Many children had their faces painted with various characters as well and everyone brought a snack for mid-way down Tancheon. I had such a wonderful time with the students and I think they had a good time too. It was a great way to kick off the coming five day weekend.

The Great, The Good, the Beautiful of South Korea.........

2010-04-22T21:40:00.000+09:00

Well for beginners, Byung Han Lee. If you don't know who he is, he is a gorgeous Korean actor who is a national treasure and has made his American debut in G.I. Joe as well as the popular television show here called "I.R.I.S."   There are two intriquing movies I want to see of his, one about a fictional conflict on the DMZ and the other that seems similar to a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, I guess you would call it a kimchi western. ??? Unfortunately, I cannot find these movies with English subtitles anywhere.

Despite my bitching about working visas and the lack of foreign workers involvment in the class room, there are many things I love about Korea. There are many things I admire about Korea and the Korean people.

There is nothing I admire more than a people who stand up against bad government policies and ironically, I admired the protestors against big U.S. beef. Ironic only because I'm from the U.S. and it was a U.S. industry. Otherwise, as an American I can only admire any country and its people who exercise their full right to protest against what they perceive to be a wrong and especially to mega-monopolizing American companies. I am also impressed that most South Koreans can talk intelligently about U.S. government policies/events better than, say, 30% of the American voting population. (wink, wink, nod, nod) and they love Obama. Even my children love President Obama and I have been called Teacher Obama which makes me smile so big.

Beef galbi. First of all, the beef here is fantastic. Particularly the beef from Wanju. Wanju beef I think is better than the famous Japanese Kobe beef. It has an incredible flavor and they put zero seasoning on it. Galbi is a famous Korean bbq I had not experienced before arriving here (what up Korean-Americans...no Korean bbq restaurants in the U.S.?). I have yet to get the full marinade recipe from any of the locals, but so far, Asian pear juice is one of the key ingredients. After barbecuing the galbi at your table, you put the bite size bit of beef in a piece of leaf lettuce, add some chili miso paste, spring onion salad, fold and shove the entire thing into your mouth. Its soooo good and low in calories. Korean food in general is low in fat and high in omegas and vitamins. An unfortunate change in South Korea is the consumption of American fast food such as McDonalds and Burger King. The diet change in the past 20 years is so evident in the youngest generation as so many are very tall and some have challenges with weight gain. My apologies South Korea, for the rotten American fast food.

Muuk. I'm still on food and if you're a vegetarian you must try the muuk (sp?). Muuk is a dense, brown nutty flavored gelatin (stay with me) made from seaweed agar-agar and chestnuts. It is made in cakes and then sliced into a lettuce salad, mixed with a chili dressing that is to die for. It is also very nutritional and low in calories. Downside is trying to eat the slippery slices with chopsticks. Even the locals have challenges with that.

Transporation. South Korea is tops in the world for their transportation system. The subway system alone carries 8 million people through out Seoul every single day and it does it efficiently. Trains are hardly ever late. Signs and schedules are mostly in English as well as the recorded messages on the trains notifying riders of the next stop. For the most part everyone is quite kind and considerate of others on the train.

The bus system is as efficient as the subway system and the bus drivers are helpful even if they don't speak English. If you are not sure of your destination, ask the bus driver by just saying the name of your destination before getting on and he/she will let you know if that bus goes there as well as notifying you when the bus has arrived at that stop. The only time I took the wrong bus was when I didn't follow my own advice. The buses are also impeccably clean as is the subway system. I am still astounded at how clean this city is given the number and density of its population. Amazing. Simply amazing.

Taxi drivers. Inner Seoul and they are a hoot. Most taxi drivers in Seoul speak English well enough to understand what you need and some will try to carry a conversation on with you. I only suspect of being ripped off once, which, by global taxi standards is a miracle.    However, if you are outside of Seoul, most suburban taxi drivers have had little exposure to foreigners and may even refuse to take you. Don't be offended, just take another taxi. Taxi fares here are also relatively cheap if you compare them to other large cities such as New York, London and Dublin, which require a small loan.

The Geography. One of the reasons I chose South Korea is that I knew it was a peninsula covered by mountains, surrounded by ocean and with the four seasons. I had no idea of what to expect once here but I can say that I was and still am amazed by the respect Koreans show their country by keeping it impeccably clean and having a, although complicated but, efficent and effective recycling system. Better than Europes.

Korean fashion. I don't necessarily like Korean female fashion for myself. I just don't think its very becoming for my body shape. However, I like that Korea has a distinct, unique, modern style proving this country is hungry for creativity and thinking outside the box. The fashion industry here is definitely one to watch; afterall, they did get their own Runway show, "Runway Korea". I think Seoul will become the Paris of Asia in fasion. Even my fifth graders are aware of the growing industry siting Andre Kim to be THE Korean designer. On a side note: Korean men, while leaning towards metrosexuals do dress very well compared to their Western counterparts.

My students. My students make me feel more welcome than anyone here. There are days when I walk down the hall and feel like a rock star. I love the enthusiasm most of them have about learning English or telling me about South Korea.

Ahjummah. Ahjummah means old woman in Korean and that's how they address any woman who is married, with children or old. While ahjummah generally has a reputation of being somewhat rude I personally had only positive experience with them. They smile at me when I walk along the Tancheon river and on occasion tell me I am beautiful or pretty.   Ahjummah is also responsible for keeping South Korea afloat during the most challenging of financial times through small street businesses. They are also responsible for seeing that the children are well taken care of and are educated. Ahjummah rock in my book and as most women around the globe, do not receive enough credit for their countries successes. I say they should be a World Heritage treasure. Maybe I will start the Ahjummah movement!

Location. I love the accessibility I have to what ever I need. I can walk 100 meters and have access to a dozen restaurants, a gym, grocery store and at least 3 coffee shops.   And that's my front yard. My back yard is the Tancheon River which is quite beautiful. I can go there for a walk, or to watch the wildlife or the locals. Its beautiful and right now it is covered in cherry blossoms.

Last, but truly not least, my cat, Truman. I adopted him here in Korea and he is the most loving pet I have ever had.   He is glad to see me when ever I return home and whines so loud when I leave that my neighbors can hear him down the hall.

I love my life here and hope to stay for many years before returning to the States. I hope in that time to learn the Korean language and make many Korean friends so that when I return to the States to teach I can tell my students what a privileged life I had while here.

2010-04-22T20:10:00.000+09:00

Here is an article about SMOE HIV/Aids/drug test requirements. This article claims that KIS does not require these tests, however, week one at my current employer I was required to obtain a Korean health exam which included these tests. I was also 'encouraged' to take vaccination shots for Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B, a sexually transmitted disease, is apparently an epidemic in Asia, most cases in China, but South Korea has a high population infected with this disease also.

E-2 Visa for South Korea: Trials and hoops you will jump through........

2010-04-21T14:01:00.000+09:00

You can find a blog here about the trials and hoops you must go through should you apply for an E-2 visa. You won't be happy.