The Same but Different

Budae jjigae - a response to so many...

2009-06-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

This entry is, for me personally, truly befitting the title of my blog - The Same but Different.

Budae jjigae (army base stew) is a famous Korean dish. But unlike Kimchi which is gaining immense popularity worldwide for its taste and its health benefits (or so the Koreans claim!), budae jjigae is famous for its strange origin and, quite honestly, sad story.

This dish came about soon after the Korean War when meat was a scarcity. The Korean people were largely dependent on surplus foods supplied by the US Army which primarily consisted of hot dogs and tinned spam (do you get untinned 'fresh' spam?). These meats were combined with red bean paste to create an almost traditional Korean soup. Due to the scarcity of all foods during these dire times any other ingredients available were added to 'beef up' the soup, including ramen noodles, beans, ground beef, peppers, onions, tofu, kimchi, garlic, and I'm sure, any other vegetables available. The sadder, almost perverse, version of this story that I have heard is that the impoverished Korean people were often forced to scavenge the bins of the US army bases for food, much of which went into this 'lucky packet' dish.

This is the sad story of Budae jjigae. But today, this remains a popular dish and many foreigners - encountering the dish for the first time and learning its humble beginnings - beg the question, 'If the Korean people are not impoverished anymore why do they continue to eat this dish?' It's a fair question and, after enjoying this very dish the other day in the school cafeteria, I answered the question, though my answer is arguably more personal than general in application.

I did not come from the wealthiest of households and often the fridge was on the bare side. What amazed me on many of these occasions was how my mother was able to pull out the two remains vegetables, an egg or two, a bit of rice from the cupboard and a few herbs and spices, and put together a nutritious and delicious meal that left me with a full belly and a content smile! And while I sat contemplating this the other day after lunch of budae jjigae (with a full belly and a content smile) I realised that I was missing my mom's cooking, and not her amazing curries but her budae jjigae!

My answer to the question, that in my experience has left many foreigners inconclusive, why do the Korean people continue to eat this meal? Today budae jiggae has little to do with its sad story and more to do with the fact that it's a tasty meal enjoyed by all.

Personally, the story and love for this meal in Korea is both the same and different as my love for my mom's cooking - a humble beginning but timeless taste!

Anyong-hi kyeseyo Pyeongtaek

2009-04-04T01:33:00.000-07:00

Pyeongtaek City, South Korea

I began this blog entry a few days ago while I was still in Pyeongtaek, I have now made my move to Gwangmyeong. The blog started 'Two more sleeps in Pyeongtaek', I didn't finish it that night and the following day changed it to 'One more sleep' and now I'm still in the process of completing it, no more changes though...

One more sleep in Pyeongtaek. I have just completed my first year in South Korea and first year as an English teacher at Pyeongtaek Girls High School. This has been one of the most exciting, rewarding and intense years of my life. As a vagabond I don't have a home, home is where I rest my head at the end of each day so Pyeongtaek has been my home for this very interesting year. In two days I will move to GwangMyeong. Its just a hop and a skip of a move but thankfully I'll practically be in Seoul now so my life outside of school should become a little more interesting.

But this post is about Pyeongtaek! Pyeongtaek is a relatively small city. It is jam-packed with restaurants and bars but has little else to offer. So yes, I have done my fair share of eating and beering over the past year.

The best part of my time here has been at school. This week has been sad, having to say goodbye to all my students, some of which I've grown very fond of. Building up to my last week it was a mix of emotions and I wasn't sure how i would feel saying my goodbyes. I'm glad to say it was sad, it reflects how much I enjoy my work. Below are some photos and videos I've taken over the year and during the last week.

The view from the outside of the school and the hockey pitch

Last Thursday night was my farewell dinner, we went to a Korean BBQ place just across the road from the school as a few of the teachers had to go back to work after the dinner. I wasn't complaining - I love Korean BBQ...I'm South African! Little BBQs (braais) are the center piece of each table and the meat is brought in raw. I like being able to cook to meat myself, its then chopped up and everyone tucks in. The little sections of meat are then wrapped up in a lettuce leaf with some red pepper sauce and a piece of raw garlic - superb! Of course the tables are very low, you remove your shoes at the entrance of the restaurant and you sit on little mats of the floor. Koreans, having lived like this their wholes lives, are quiet content to sit for an hour or two with their legs crossed, us Westerners suffer though. It can be painful after a while. I'm getting better.

The the uppermost photo is (from left to right) Soo-Hyeong, Lucy, Koo, James, me, Mie-Hye, Jiwon and Jenny (many Koreans assume English names!)

On Friday I almost missed my final class because I had to say goodbye to the principle. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've actually seen the guy but respect must be shown so James and I went and had tea with him in his office. James was there to translate, the principle was friendly enough and I had time enough to say my goodbyes to one of my favorite classes. It was one of Koo's classes and they're quite chatty with me. And Koo is quite a joker...

These are just some random photos and video to give you an idea of what it's like in class.

Below are some more random photos and videos taken during a Korean traditional music event in which our school and others in the area all played some tunes for our students! In truth I'm not the biggest fan of Korean traditional music. Most of it has a strange beat that I can't follow, the instruments are interesting though and I like that there are a lot of drums.

The annual sports day was a highlight and I laughed my head off throughout the event. I'm used to 'serious' and highly competitive sports days consisting of athletics in the winter and swimming in the winter. At Pyeongtaek High School its dancing! It answered a big question for me: Why, for weeks on end, we're girls dancing their free time away...why? This was serious!

After some sad goodbyes on Friday I was keen to liven my spirits. I met with my Canadian friend Joel (one of the last in the area) for some street food. Much of which I mention in this post is not particular to Pyeongtaek, as is the 'street food'. All over the country, in every city and even the smaller villages I have passed through, there are little tents dotted here and there and movable food carts (pojang macha), which all sell quite similar food and snacks, sometimes soju and beer. These tents are usually (wo)manned by an ajuma (an old married woman), a very friendly very old and very happy woman bustling with energy and warmth. This particular tent did not sell soju so Joel (a big soju fan) bought a bottle to bring along. To accompany our soju we ate gimbap (like sushi but wrapped in seaweed), ramen noodles and bokdo (a spicy rice noodle dish) - very yummy and very cheap!

Hidden down a back allay. this is the ajuma's makeshift restaurant Joel and I visited Friday night. Much of the roof was tin and cardboard but the food was great!

A few of the street carts dotted through town and the Korean version of biltong (beef jerky) - all from the sea!

The soju was quick and we headed downtown so I could take some photos of Pyeongtaek, I don't see me rushing back here but want to capture my first port of call in Korea! I got a few shots of the sights and sounds, the neon and the shadows and we found ourselves in the Pink Light District. These 'Pink Light Districts' are the same as the Red Light Districts we have in the West. Our mission was to sneak some photos but a bottle of soju, two tequilas and a White Russian later I was a wobbly, forgetful and stupid. I only got the one the photo before we chased out of the area by a pimp!

The story of these Pink Light Districts is very interesting and of course very sad. Like any prostitution in the world it is usually maintained through addiction. Here the addiction is plastic surgery and shopping and the girls get sucked in through credit card dept. The Pyeongtaek Pink Light District is one of the largest in the country and is the only one which has it's own union! If you wish to learn more click here...

The splash of neon of the main road through downtown Pyeongteak, summer shopping downtown and me outside the first bar or 'hof' I visited.

As said before, much of what I found fascinating or just different here in Pyeongtaek can be found all over the country. Two things I appreciated was the old folk who are constantly recycling and the small trucks that drive around advertising. The rear of these trucks are lit up with advertising and they'll have load Hangul (Korean) blasting as the slowly pass by.

We're all aware of the level at which Asian youngsters are addicted to computer games. You may recall the story that hit the news about four years ago of the Chinese kid who died after playing online games for three days straight. It is a serious problem here, online gaming is a intricate part of the culture and PC Rooms (Pishi Bang) can be everywhere. Form my apartment there was at least twenty a five minute walk away. These are open 24 hours a day and are usually quite full of kids and adults alike.

This is Harmony Villa where I lived, the snow which I woke up to a few months ago and my Elvis Cuts, my hairdresser around the corner.

Not too long ago Joel and I tried to embrace all of Pyeongtaek and we walked down to a reservoir in search of something to do. We did what any man would do after being stuck in a city for a few months...made a fire!

After all said and done I will conclude that I was very happy in Pyeongtaek. That happiness was mostly found in school. Pyeongtaek Girls High is a great school with great students and co-teachers. Pyeongtaek may not have been the most exciting place to be but it served me well and will look back fondly on my time there. I met some great people and made a few friends. I hope that Gwangmyeong brings me as much joy. Tomorrow is my first day of school. I'm settled in my new apartment - photos and stuff to follow. Wish me luck in my new venture! Here are a few pics of my new home.

Uncanny!

2009-02-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

I was searching for some pictures to put into a class presentation about 'school' and found an anime picture of some girls, their uniforms are uncannily similar to those of the girls at my school!

(taken from http://www.columbia.edu/cu/anime/)

Chocolates

2009-02-10T06:32:00.001-08:00

I realize that letters from students are developing a tendency to dominate this blog but I find them so amusing and endearing, and they have a way of perking up my days, making it all worth it. Today, exhausted and scramming to get a lesson together - as usual I only find out at the last minute of changes, today's being simply that I have lessons to teach - I get this pleasant little surprise, a letter with some homemade chocolates. What could be better?

In this particular letter it the modesty that amuses me!

Fairy Tales

2009-02-07T04:18:00.000-08:00

This winter (with the help from a fellow teacher - ta Katy), we studied fairy tales in our 'Winter Camp'. The kids don't get too much of a holiday here, it's all about school! And part of my job is to host an English 'winter camp' during their holiday. It's voluntary and only three students chose to take my camp! I wasn't hurt so such by the low turnout, I strongly appose the intense workload these poor kids are put under, but was happy to find the three girls in my camp are three of the best speakers in the school, are all quite mature and into Indie music (which helped)! So I got my wish - to have a nice relaxing two weeks with some cool students. Besides reading the The Brothers Grimm classics and watching The Brothers Grimm film the girls wrote their own fairy tales as the course developed and they were kind enough to let me put them on my blog. So Enjoy...

Chubby and the Circus

by Yaeseaul Yoo

There was a circus performing and there was a little boy who was drooling – his name was Chubby. Fascinated by the glittering circus parades he just stopped and stared. Monkeys somersaulted here and there. Clowns were juggling and giving balloons to children. On the carriage there was a beautiful dancing show girl and fancy musicians. The music was so joyous that everyone on the street swung their bodies, and there was an elephant, he exclaimed, “Come to Jumbo’s Circus! Here is every joy for you. If you guys come to see a circus there will be no regret.”

The little boy stayed there even that the parade had ended. It was very tempting, so he wanted to see that circus and Chubby ran to home directly and shouted, “I wanna go to the circus!” His mother was in the kitchen and making dinner. She greeted her son with a big smile. She tried to say something but he interrupted her.
“I do wanna watch the circus.”
She showed sadness but it wiped out soon, then she said, “That is not such a good place to go.”
“But I want to.” Chubby cried out again.
Then his father showed up and admonished to him, “What are you doing my son? You should not talk like that to your mother and never cut in when your mother is talking.”
Chubby became sulky.
“Go to the dining table,” his father said.
Chubby walked with a stagger. When he was about to sit on the chair, his mother asked him of he had washed his hands. Without answering Chubby walked slowly toward the bathroom. His father looked offended. He came back and saw mamu, he sighed and his father never missed his sigh. The little boy trifled with his food and picked out onion, spinach and green pepper.
“Eukk…”
Finally his father got angry with him. “You really burn me. What’s wrong with you Chubby?” he shouted.
“I don’t want to eat these things, it’s disgusting!”
“What” I told you, you have to eat them.”
“No, I don’t want to.”
“Do not talk back to your father.”
Chubby was almost about to cry.
“Don’t push him too hard,” mother told to father.
“Come here Chubby, don’t cry.”
But Chubby told off to his mother, “Don’t pretend that you’re having pity at me.”
“You fatty boy! Don’t talk to your mother like that.”
Chubby burst into tears and cried, “You can’t be my parents.” And he ran out.
Mother tried to run after him but father dissuaded, “If we just keep fonding him he will lapse from good manners, and he will come back when he become tired.”

Anyway Chubby ran and ran and he couldn’t help but stop running because he was very tired. Where he stopped was unfamiliar place to him but just scary. He could hear a cry that he never heard before and he could see anything at all because of deep darkness. He couldn’t find a star. He was exhausted and missed his parents. His eyes seemed that don’t know when to stop tearing. He fallen to the ground by something like tree’s root and his knee grazed. Fortunately he saw something bright. He followed the lights. He couldn’t recognise at first what that lights came from but soon he recognised that light was coming from the circus and he could hear music too. He did know how he can go back to him from there but really wanted to see it. ‘There is not such a good place to go.’ He could remember what his mother had told him but he couldn’t shake off temptation. So he decided to wander. There was very crowded. This place was beautiful. People singing and dancing, even animals! He wanted to look inside the tent. He took a glance at tent’s inside. He eyes twinkled because of the sausage. He felt like his leg is moving no matter what he were thinking. Getting into the food warehouse he was surprised by a lots of sausages. Without permission he had began to eat them greedily. Rustle. Chubby shrunk with fear. He looked around slowly. He could not find anything at all but he could hear rustling sounds again. Chubby wonder where that sounds came from and next he saw something moving. It was Chameleon.
It stuck out its tongue, “Hey kiddo, what are you doing here?” he said.
He just freaked out that he couldn’t say anything.
“Oh, you were stealing food weren’t you?”
“Please don’t tell anybody!” said Chubby.
“Oh yes, oh yes, of course, if you give me some flies to me I’d be glad to do it, did you understand?”
Chubby nodded, “Where is flies?”
“There,” and he smiled. “I can’t open that cage.”
Chubby twisted cap and it was opened simply. Flies flew, Chameleon snatched flies. It didn’t miss even a fly’s leg.
“Wow, you have really great skill of eating. You’re the real chameleon,” said Chubby.
“You are good at eating too.” Chameleon said with a shy smile, “We have a point of sameness.” They smiled at each other.
“My name is Lemon,” Lemon stretched out her short arm.
“I’m Chubby.” They shook their hands and talked for a while. ‘Circus is not a bad place as mom said’ he thought.

“Hey, actually I know more great place,” Lemon said.
“Great place? Where?” asked Chubby.
“I don’t know what exactly places name is but we can learn by opening that box!”
“How do you know that?”
“Because when circus’s manager, Jumbo opens that box he bring lots of new fresh and delicious food.”
Chubby smacked his lips, “It sounds delicious,” he said. He walked like a duck for the reason of his greedy stomach heading toward the box. When he open the box hardly there was nothing. “Here is nothing!”
“No, there you’re.” Lemon smiled darkly, and then kicked Chubby’s bottom. Chubby fell into the box. He became imprisoned. He tried to open the box from inside but all in vain. He could hear Lemon’s singing, “I catched a pig, I catched a pig…”
Chubby screamed for help but nothing happened. He was tired from creaming and crying so fell asleep. When he woke up he could see Jumbo. He tried to say something but what he said was just sounds like grunting. “Grunt grunt,” said Chubby.
“Oh greedy man, you have stolen my foods so you really need to make it up for me. Today you have to jump into the fire ring.” Jumbo said rubbing his gold ring on his hand. Jumbo had a thick eyebrow and eyes lashes. He had eyes looked like mackerel’s but he could blink his eyes. He had cane as long as his nose. He was elephantine more than Chubby was. He walked with two legs and he was wearing a suit. Having a deep breath, Jumbo said, “Have a hard day! Haha.”
And he was having a really hard day! He had bad water and food, smacked by trainer, he cried over and over again. But what people can hear is only grunting sounds. The time when pigs had to move toward other tent Chubby could see his parents. They were looking for him. Chubby tried to say here is but he grunted. Then he tried to go after them but Jumbo smacked his bottom again.

They were doing rehearsal. Chubby had to run again, he back was wrung wet with sweat. And he saw really really important that Jumbo was disgusted by mice. He was avoiding them. Finally, show has started. People were amused by cute tricks, marvellous magic and so on. In his turn Chubby ran not forward fire ring but the cages of mice. Crushing to the cage powerfully the cage was broken. Then, a number of mice rushed out, the audience were frightened out of their wits, starting rushing out. Jumbo started run. His face turned deathly pale, as white as a sheet with fright. He staggered and slipped over and over again. Being out of his senses, he couldn’t recognise his tale’s burning. “I can’t stand mice!” he screamed. Circus become chaos. All the animals were springing up and no one could stop it.

When Jumbo recognised his tale was burning, it was too late, he lost most of his tale. Jumbo began to walk with four feet and animals began to walk with two legs. Jumbo rubbed his bottom on the ground. He just extinguished the fire when he saw his tale was gone, he screamed, “NO!” and that was the last word that he could say because magic spirit had been dwelling in his tale. Animals became little children, they were spelled as Chubby. When spell gone so that Chubby became human again he ran to the house directly.

- The End -

Elizabeth and Julia - what happened between the two?

By Jieun Ham

In the early 17th century, in the peaceful kingdom of Netherlands there was a princess name Elizabeth. She had her long straight blond hair tied with a red rose ribbon and her voice was so sweet. Furthermore, she more curious than an other princess. There was no one who hated her, except Julia, her sister. Elizabeth’s family were her father king, mother queen, brother prince (who name was Handsome) and sister princess.

One day Patrick, a prince from neighbour kingdom, came and proposed to Elizabeth. Elizabeth saw his honest eyes and accepted his proposal. Julia was looking that scene from behind. Julia was jealous of Elizabeth’s marriage. Elizabeth informed this engagement when her family were seated in the evening. Her parents and Handsome congratulated her but Julia’s eyes’ were full of unyielding spirit. After that day, when Elizabeth dressed with BIG HUGE wedding dress, was walking across the palace’s hall, Julia dropped the banana rind in front of Elizabeth pretending a really celebrating expression. So Elizabeth tripped over, twisted her ankle. At that moment Julia said was not “Sorry” but “you should be more careful.”

That day after lying down in the bed, Elizabeth played a card with her brother. Her ankle was hurting deeply so that she could walk around the garden. Patrick came to Elizabeth’s palace, 3 days after that accident, to ask after the health of his princess. But she had already recovered and she was playing with her brother Handsome. However Patrick saw them, he thought Elizabeth committed adultery with very handsome guy so Patrick became angry at her. Soon after Elizabeth father introduced his family members. Then Patrick realised that he had had a mistake and apologised to his lover, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth found a fascinating scarlet ruby earring when she visited her sister Julia’s room. Elizabeth asked Julia to lend it to her for wedding ceremony. Julia agreed very meekly. Julia lent Elizabeth earrings after dropping a drop of poison on each of them.

On her wedding day she put on those earrings then she became crazy and ran away into the enormous forest. She lost her way when she managed to come to her senses. She found a canary bird whose legs were broken. She took care of it and it gave her magical necklace which showed how to go back to the palace and what had happened in the palace.

When she finally came back everyone welcomes her. But there wasn’t Julia. Patrick said, “CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) members had investigated. They found that Julia had poisoned your earrings that you had put on your wedding day. She is in jail now.” Elizabeth released Julia on parole. They became very friendly sisters. A happy wedding ceremony was finally held.

- The End -

Organ man and Jim

by Ah-Young Kim (Carole)

There was a boy named Jim live by the forest. He's parents were so busy to taking care of him, so he always wandered around the forest. One day, he decided to go deeper into the forest. Soon, he got lost, and have no idea about where he was. Sun went down; it was so dark around him that he can't even recognize the place. He kept walking, got lots of brush burns. Finally, he found a little cabin with lights on. He was so scared by the dark. He had no choice but to brake into the cabin. 'It might be some lumberjack's house.' he thought. He was exhausted, hungry, and missed his parents so much. Soon he fell a sleep on a cozy sofa.

Jim woke up to a sweet smell of tasty food.
"Boy, you're awake!" a strange voice came out of the kitchen. Jim was surprised, because he was dreaming about his home, own home.
"I'm sorry, sir. Yesterday, I got lost at the forest. Have no choice but to come in here." Jim slowly answered to the stranger.
"No, it’s fine. You’re welcome in my cabin! Maybe I can help you to find your home,” the stranger said. Jim felt relief, ‘I can go home now. I’m safe.’ Jim thought.
“Son, aren’t you hungry?” stranger asked.
“Yes sir. I’m very hungry,” He replied.
“I made some soup for you, would you like to try it?” the stranger asked him again.
“That would be nice, thank you.” Jim answered.
“Ok here I’m coming.” Then, some guy came out of the kitchen. Jim was surprised by what he looks like.

The man was invisible except his organs. He was wearing clothes but Jim could see the brain right through the man’s skull. The strange man reads Jim’s face and said, “Boy, don’t be afraid. I was cursed by a wicked witch.” Jim felt sorry for him so he wanted to help him to found his original skin.
“Can I ask you what happened between you and the wicked witch?” Jim asked.
The man shortly thought about the past and said calmly. “I was a photographer taking nature’s beauty. I came here 3 years ago to take pictures of course, but I was possessed by something and when I woke up I became invisible but my organs are not. I can’t go back to my normal life. I should always dress up heavy to go out, and I can’t do such things anymore. I came back here, built this cozy house, and live here all alone.”
Jim thought he wasn’t lying at him, but couldn’t believe the evil witch did such things to him.

After Jim finished the soup, he went back to his sweet home. He was happy to see his parents who had been worried so much last night. Jim told his parents about what he saw and what he heard, but his parents never believed it. He was kind of upset but he was happy still. Jim visited his new friend almost every day. Jim called the man ‘Morgan’ because it sounds like an ‘organ’. Jim always brought news paper for his dear friend Morgan. Soon, they became best friends. One day, when Jim visited his friend, the evil witch attacked Morgan’s house. Jim and his friend Morgan realized that the evil witch wasn’t a real witch. It was a wicked scientist disguised as a witch. The evil scientist wanted to have his masterpiece back. But he failed to kidnap Morgan, because they were out in the wood.

Jim worried about his best friend. He thought about the solution everyday, all the time. In the end, he decided to secretly pass into the evil scientist’s lab. He made the plan to break in. Jim brought that plan to Morgan’s house. They were scared but brave. On the very same day that they broke in to the lab, the lab was empty; it was a chance for them to get back Morgan’s skin again. All of a sudden the evil scientist came back to his lab. Jim and Morgan were in danger, when they were almost caught by the evil scientist. A shocking thing happened, the real witch from the woods helped Jim and Morgan to run away. They fainted out when they got home, and when they woke up in the Morgan’s house there was note for them. It was from the witch. Morgan picked up the note and read it loudly. “Um…Dear, Jim and Matt. The scientist ass is kicked by me. He pretends to look like me and freak people out. I can’t stand those things. I am not really wicked or bad. I’m protecting the woods and I show the way for people who are lost in the woods. The scientist drop my dignity all the time. Matt, I will give you back your original skin. I hope you like it. See you around. I’m everything, and everywhere. Hope your luck. Mararet.”
Jim noticed that his friend’s skin was not invisible anymore, and one more thing, that his friend had a real name ‘Matt’. “Wow, I can’t believe it. The witch was never a “witch.” Matt said.
Jim answered with a big smile, “I knew the witch didn’t do such thing to you. And I’m happy for you to get your own skin finally.”
Matt smiled too.

Matt came back to his normal life, he had a photo exhibition. Jim was invited at the very first time. They became great friends, and lived happily ever after.

-The End-

A Portrait - The Best Christmas Present Ever

2008-12-18T04:40:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I celebrated my birthday here in Korea. It was, to be honest, somewhat dismal without friends or family to share the day with. But the following day I received an awesome present from Liane in the post (including a Muse t-shirt!). Word got out to some my students that it was my birthday and I also got the sweetest birthday card ever - which I dedicated my last blog entry to, if you're interested in seeing it.

I've always been of the opinion that if you truly want to give something valuable to someone you should give your time. Time is surely the most valuable commodity we have, so to give your time to someone is to show that person you really care. That is why the birthday card, which was made by my students, meant so much to me - they put lots of time into it, they even laminated it!

A few weeks ago a shy student approached me and asked if she could take my photo. Without inflating my ego, this is common, students often come and ask if they can take my photo. But this girl, in her poor English, said she wanted to draw my portrait, so I happily obliged. I forgot about it as the weeks since have passed. I was expected a sketch on a flimsy piece of paper to one day be returned to me (which I would have gratefully accepted).

But today, she returned with a water painted portrait, framed and enclosed in a glass case which she gave me as a Christmas present - the sweetest present I've ever received! So much time...

And she is quite the artist too. I was lost for words. See below.

May I have the Jerked Cod please?

2008-12-14T02:45:00.000-08:00

Every so often I wonder, 'why don't they get a 'native' English speaker to do some proof reading?' - I read t-shirts, brochures, tourist guides and menus with appalling and laughable English. Try make sense of some of these items on the menu:

The best birthday card ever

2008-12-01T03:33:00.000-08:00

Well, these cards from students are almost deserving of their own blog! Not being much of birthday person I was happy to pass the the week before and after my birthday with a little secret. But late last week the secret was leaked by a friend who tutors Hyun A (one of my students) for extra cash while she studies.

My birthday was Sunday and Monday I walked into Hyun A's class to the loudest, 'HANA TUL SET (1 2 3)...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...' The class literally erupted into song, 'Happy Birthday' was followed 'Congratulations and Celebrations.' It made my day. Teaching has, of course, given me many irreplaceable and unforgettable experiences, but this was no doubt one I will never forget and never even attempt to replace.

I was then presented with a card and a gift, again completely unexpected. Below is the card (which is laminated!) It is surely the best card I've got from my students to date and possibly the best birthday card I'll ever receive.

Korean Tea and a very special note from a student...

2008-11-25T15:39:00.001-08:00

If you know me, you know I love tea! I drink too much tea, it's my final vice. And word has got around school of my love for tea, and somehow, of my insomnia too.

One particular student, a favourite of mine (she also loves Muse!) gave me a gift, a selection of Korean teas, along with a note, a sort of instruction manual. It was too sweet not to share:

Sick Notes

2008-11-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Fall is here...what a difference...

I can't speak on behalf of everyone (across the Western and African world) when I comment on the small differences I notice here in Korea, the small subtle differences that I enjoy so much.

One of the smallest differences with possibly the greatest impact on my life here is the squat toilet pictured below. It was a few months before I discovered normal toilets in the gym of my school. I'm a pretty open guy with a very tiny ego but I can't bring myself to ask one of the male teachers at school how to use this toilet. It's a workout, a balancing trick and forget about taking a newspaper with you! But that's a different story which I won't discuss further! Bottom line - I've found a toilet (at school) and now the only trick is sneaking past the girls playing badminton on my to the toilet!

You work it out!

The little difference I've enjoyed lately is the sick notes and excuse notes I get from students. Growing up in Durban and not being the most athletic young man, and not being the most actively involved student, I was happy when my mom was willing to write me a sick note to get me out of PE (physical education)...'Please excuse JC from swimming practise, he has a cold...' This was quite normal and relatively authoritative. For swimming practise, ear ache was the always great, indisputable and no 'actual' physical symptoms required!

A massive difference here, something I may have commented on before, is the total lack of sports in schools. My school, Pyeongtaek Girls High, is renown for hockey, it was a great AstroTurf and schools from all over come to train at our school, likewise we have a great team. Other than that though, there are no sports and if you're not on the hockey team you get 2 hours of badminton a month! Moreover, the girls are at school study from 7:30am until 11:00pm everyday including Saturdays. So there is no time for exercise. So, for me, a stark contrast there. I running two evening classes this semester - Creative Writing and Public Speaking - and on occasion a student won't make the class and write a little note themselves! I do like that, I would have loved to write my own sick notes! A subtle difference but one that I enjoy. Here are two such notes.

Teaching in South Korea

2008-09-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

I wondered how to encapsulate what it means to teach English to foreign students (here in Korea). Of course everyone's experience is different. But yesterday I was a little under the weather at school and I got a letter from a student wishing me well, in which she shared, in her limited English, this experience from her perspective.

some students and I on Teachers Day

Before I share this letter, my background: I've got a BA Degree in English and Philosophy and TEFL (Teaching English in a Foreign Language) certificate. The degree qualifies me (by Asian standards) and studying for the certificate proved valuable but walking into a classroom for the first time was overwhelming and I've come leaps and bounds, my students enjoy my classes, I can see the results of my work and I've earned the respect of my Korean co-teachers. I teach at a girl's high school in the relatively small (by Korean standards) city of Pyeongtaek about an hour outside Seoul. There are hand full of us native teachers here but one can go a few days without seeing another foreigner.

Lucy, mo co-teacher, and I in front of the class

Finally, I believe that my greatest challenge, and my primary objective, in the classroom is simply to get the kids to talk. The curriculum focuses solely on their SAT exam, a multiple choice reading and listening (the receptive skills), we - the native teachers - are here to focus on writing and speaking (the productive skills) which sadly, the students are sorely lacking.

This letter humbles, enthuses and inspires me: (typed as it's written)

To Mr Darne

Hello! or Hi!
That's all I can say in front of you.
I'm poor at English, and I can never even speak well
but, I thought I'm obligated to tell you something somehow.
So, I decided to write this.
though You're my teacher, actually, I don't wanna tell that as your student.
I just wanna tell you my saying as Korean and Human.
I've seen many foreigners in Pyeongtaek, Seoul, and somewhere in Korea.
Foreigners in Seoul are greeted by many Korean People.
but, I think foreigners in Pyeongtaek or small town are not.
and, I think Korean people living in small town feel awkward when they see blue eyes.
(but the other hand, they even don't care when they see people from Southeast Asia.
I think it's wrong...anyway)
So, sometimes you may feel that you're isolated in this world.
but, you know, they just need time to adjust to something or someone different to them.
So, I hope you don't misconceive and I I hope you understand.
Please, keep it up!

Well, actually, I wanted to tell this to my ex-teacher
cos she sometimes seemed to be lonely, but I had no courage.
So, when she was gone, I regretted so much.
I just don't wanna repeat it.

P.S. I heard you were sick
I think it's so lonely to catch a disease in strange land.
I hope you're fine now!
______________________________________________

Isn't that excellent?

Some students at Sports Day (quite unlike the sports day I'm used to!)

Buddhist Fate

2008-09-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

The short story below was written by a Korean Buddhist monk. It illustrates (though lightheartedly) the concept in Buddhism of inyon, sometimes translated as "relation and affinity," but here translated simply as "fate." This page is also designed to be a supplement for intermediate level study of the Korean language, as well as certain aspects of the culture.

The Table Clock

It is possible to have a sense of gratitude in one's heart1 when meeting someone2 for the first time. Out of the 3.6 billion people living on this earth, we are meeting one. One person out of the whole world represents the mind-boggling ratio of 3.6 billion to one. We simply must be grateful that fate3 has led us to meet this person. Even a person that causes us harm has been brought to us by fate. Out of so many people... This kind of relationship also seems to exist between things and people. Out of so many things in the world, one in particular comes to me.
One day last fall, upon returning from sunrise worship service,4 I found the door to my room open. It seemed that Sir Thief5 had paid me a visit. It turned out that only the things I really needed were missing. Apparently, the things I needed were also the things he needed. Even so, more things were left behind than were taken. I'm a bit ashamed of the fact that someone would see something of mine and think it worth coveting. Such things were never really mine; they came to me by fate, and when fate ran out they left me--no problem at all.
Several days later, I went to buy a clock. This time I felt I had to get one that was so junky that no one would want it, so I went to a clock shop in Chonggyechon.6 But, but, well who'd have thought! The clock that I lost from my room a few days before was there waiting for me. Someone was there talking to the owner about the price. When he saw me he was embarrassed and looked away. I was embarrassed, too. I gave him a thousand won7 and bought my clock back. If you think about it, we all have similar human faults... anyway, I'm thankful that by fate I was unexpectedly reunited with my clock.

Taken from: http://www.wright-house.com/korean/table-clock.pdf

Author unknown; translated by Stephen Wright, Ph.D.

Kimchi, Feet Eating Fish and Martial Arts Monks...

2008-09-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

When one considers teaching English in Asia, as so many are now doing, South Korea arguably tops the list of favorable destinations for many reasons, in short it has been become very popular. At a recent teacher’s conference I met American, British, Auzzie, Kiwi and of course many South Africa nationals all very happy here in South Korea.

Hello from the Korean Peninsula

But when one considers a holiday in Asia, sadly, South Korea does not appear atop many people’s destination lists. In truth I doubt many even think about visiting South Korea at all. China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and India all have a lot to offer and invest heavily in their tourist industries. Likewise we all know something of Chinese and Japanese culture and history, we all know of the stunning beaches and cheap massages of Thailand and Indonesia have to offer, the shopping in Malaysia and of the spiritual journey only India could offer.

So why South Korea? When Liane and I were planning a holiday in Asia, despite the fact that I was here in South Korea, we were determined to find somewhere else to meet for our holiday. But, our timing was not perfect, it was peak holiday season here in Asia and the Beijing Games was about to begin, tickets anywhere were doubling in price and eventually we settled on South Korea. In March of this year I visited Liane in New York, and of course, we had a great time, we did and saw so much…hey…we were in New York! We also visited Philadelphia and Washington DC. So I was determined that our time here together was fun-filled, diverse, interesting and action packed. Part of me was happy that we were choosing to stay in Korea, I’ve been here a few months now, but with so much studying, haven’t had the chance to see the country where I live – my Asian adventures should start here. Likewise, I was pleased at the opportunity to share with Liane all that I’ve experienced so far and show her where and how I live, bringing us a little bit closer.

Happiness is - Liane arrived on Wednesday afternoon. I woke early that morning, every other moment imagining where Liane could be – above the Pacific, approaching Korea, circling Seoul, descending! In anticipation I arrived at the airport way to early and wondered around eagerly, trying rather to concentrate on the woman’s doubles badminton – China v Korea – that the Koreans around me were so engrossed in. When her plane finally landed I doodled by the arrivals gate, anticipation at an all time high! Of course those minutes were hours! Each time the electronic doors opened my heart skipped a beat. Finally, they opened for her and the long distance between us, across Korea, the Pacific Ocean and the length of America, from California to New York, was dissolved a tight embrace! Someone had played a nasty trick on her and tattooed ‘I’m severely jetlagged’ across her forehead before she arrived in Korea. It took a good night’s sleep to clear it and Thursday morning we headed from my home in Pyeongtaek city into Seoul, about an hour by bus.

Thursday, 14th of August - our adventure begins...

Pyeongtaek marked on the map, and just above it, Seoul...

'Maybe...' There was a fair amount of planning involved which included many difficult English / Korean conversations. Korean people, like many other Asian cultures, are non-confrontational, to the point that they will never say an outright ‘no,’ they’d rather say ‘maybe’. In other words ‘maybe’ usually means ‘no’ but you can’t be sure. In short, before we headed out on our holiday, I knew only that we were ‘maybe’ about to embark on a very cool adventure all over South Korea (and a hop and skip into North Korea!), maybe all hotels were booked, maybe the buses would leave on time, maybe the sun would rise tomorrow morning! So into the polluted haze (Mostly China’s pollution I might add) of possibilities we headed!

Travel Tip - to those thinking of either coming to teach or just holiday in South Korea – Seoul’s subway is extremely broad. Pyeongtaek is on the subway line, in fact it extends much further, but it’s a two hour travel into Seoul, and that’s usually two hours of standing. Saying that, buses and some trains are cheap, W4000 by bus or train into Seoul, both about one hour travel. Generally speaking – US $1.00 = W1000 - some vendors even quote prices in dollars (to oeguks - foreignors!)

Kamsahamnida - Not only I have not had the chance to travel much due to the heavy study schedule but I haven’t had the opportunities to practice my Korean as my fellow teachers have, its poor to say the least. I mention this because it got us off to bad start. A bus into Seoul and scurry to find out first hotel, there I made an error, taking us Dongdaenum rather than Dongdaenum Stadium subway station. People in Korea do not use street names but rather landmarks for directions. I’ve never read a street name, just directions, ‘take Subway exit 5, walk 100 metres, turn left at the Family Mart, walk 250 metres and disco!’ So it can be confusing, especially if you walk out of the wrong subway station. The subway stations extend far underground and have many exits, so just getting the right one can be crucial! After wondering for a bit and me wondering if a nasty theme had set in motion, we hailed a taxi, he called the ‘translation service number’ after we agreed without words that the conversation was not going well! Soon we were heading toward Dongdaenum Stadium and our hotel! To that taxi driver, Kamsahamnida - Thank you!

Korean 'English' T-shirts are a big fad but it's believed that most Koreans don't know what they mean...who writes this stuff?

Travel Tip - English in Korea – my experience with English in South Korea up to our holiday was daunting. As a foreigner in Pyeongtaek I get funny looks and sometimes very long stares from elderly folk and young children. We are few and far between and still a bit of novelty. In school it can be frustrating, most native English teachers share my frustration with the English curriculum – it focuses solely on the SAT exam which is in essence a multiple choice listening and grammar test. The students get zero opportunity to practice writing and speaking and these skills remain undeveloped. That is why - I believe - we native speakers are here. Some of my better students’ grammar is better than mine, they correct me sometimes, ‘Sonsaengnim (teacher) JC, past perfect tense, ‘had’ before verb!’ was a correction to my sentence on the blackboard the other day. But, the same girl can’t ask to use the bathroom; she will just point shyly (toward the bathroom!) instead. But, we were pleasantly surprised on our trip, most people, including taxi drivers, receptionists and sales clerks have some very basic English which they are eager to use, and together with my even worse Korean where necessary, we got by just fine. The drive to spread English is also remarkable, the government is pumping more and more money into English education, bringing more and more teachers from abroad, likewise, subway and train stations are marked in English and Hangul (Korean), as I‘ve said, taxi drivers even have a translation service they can call on and whenever I called a national tourism number for advise I was quickly redirected to an English speaker. Bottom line, I wouldn’t let language influence your decision to visit Korea, you’re all good with a phrase book!

One funny but irritating thing – American English is considered the standard and is basically what is being taught, the kids are growing up pronouncing words with the American twang. I don’t mind it except sometimes my students don’t understand something I’ve said, then I realise why and put on a bad American accent and they all nod and go, ‘aaaahhhhh’.

We had a very busy itinerary, so not much time to enjoy our hotel room. That evening we went to see Nanta at the Gangbuk Theatre near City Hall.

Nanta is a Korean non-verbal performance about 3 chefs who begin they’re day quite happily preparing their kitchen only to be told, by their strict and sadistic manager, that they must prepare food for a wedding that afternoon and the clock is ticking. So the kitchen jumps into a frenzy.

The performance combines music and cooking (yes, they cook on stage) as the chefs use every conceivable kitchen utensil to create a beat all the while holding the audience’s attention with great comic performances. What fun! So much energy, absolutely great music, and through the most basic of communication - intelligent and universal comedy. After the show we exited the theatre into a much cooler evening and enjoyed a stroll through the sleepless streets of Seoul toward Deoksugung Palace and City Hall, hidden here by Korean Flag (on the eve of Liberation Day - liberation from Japan).

Liane outside the gate to Deoksugung

Friday, 15th of August

On Friday we had something special booked for the afternoon so the morning was ours to explore, with all the planning it was nice to have some free to spend at will. Seoul is an incredible city in that old and new architecture are so closely juxtapositioned. Our first stop was Deoksugung (gung – palace), a small palace in the centre of Seoul, a quiet haven surrounded by neon and sky scrapers.

The intricate shape of the roof tops against a backdrop of modern Seoul

Unlike the fairytale image of a palace a Westerner might conjure up, Korean palaces comprise many smaller buildings, quite spread out, each taking on a different purpose to serve the needs of the succeeding emperor. It was beautiful day, quite perfect to slowly wonder the palace grounds.

Liane in the palace gardens

Deoksugung was renamed so only late in the 18th century, Deoksugung meaning ‘the Palace of Virtue and Longevity’ to honor the spirit in pray for the long life of Emperor Gojong, the final emperor to take residence in Deoksugung. Emperor Gojong passed away in the palace in 1919; where he remained even after he handed the throne over the Emperor Sunjung who resided in Changdeokgung, a much larger palace and the then royal palace.

Junghwajeon - The main hall where Emperor Gojong conducted state affairs, held offical functions and received foreign envoys. This is the throne room, and behind the throne is a folding screen of the sun, the moon and five mountains. (My favorite part of every palace building is the the amazing ceilings)

The view from the front of Junghwajeon

As with all the palaces, the rooms appear sparsely furnished and decorated. It is my opinion that this is in fact how they appeared when in use – a minimalist Asian approach defined by an incessant need for perfection! Sadly, all the palaces in Seoul were burned down in the Japanese Invasion in 1592, all later to be rebuilt. It is very sad to think of thousands of years of history lost, something that troubled me even more so as we admired the palace’s beauty on Liberation Day.

Borugak Jagyeongnu (water clock)

The most extraordinary cultural asset of Deoksugung is the Borugak Jagyeongnu (water clock) devised during the Joseon dynasty, first made in 1434 to strike a bell every hour automatically. This remains the oldest and largest water clock in the world.

We were getting hungry and the heat of midday Seoul was hot on our heals. What was a dark and desolate entrance to Deoksugung the night before was the hive of activity as we found ourselves in the middle of the Liberation Day celebrations outside City Hall across the street.

After musing over some of the Liberation celebrations, which was heavily guarded by the riot police and army, we found a quite place to rest, eat and replenish. Time was already catching up with us and it was time to visit Son and her family at their home in Gangnam. We were going to Son’s Home to make kimchi!

Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish. Nay, it is the pride of Korea, and fast becoming a popular dish worldwide not only for its unique taste, Korean’s will tell you it has healing properties. Korean’s love kimchi and it is eaten with every meal. Kimchi is fermented vegetables, most popular is the cabbage variety, horse radish kimchi being my favorite. The fermented cabbage is combined with chives, onions, ginger, garlic, fish juice, sugar, salt and (lots of) hot pepper powder. It’s delicious.

A word about Korean food – since I have been in Korea I have never eaten so healthily. You rarely come across an unhealthy dish and it is quite refreshing. Although McDonalds and Kentucky have successfully infiltrated with Korea’s acceptance of capitalism, Korean food remains free of the ‘crap’ many of us happily consume daily! The dishes are rather simple alone but every meal comprises a multitude of side dishes, a soup and rice. In fact most Koreans eat kimchi, soup and rice three times a day! In my school cafeteria the food is just as healthy and varied, it’s great.

We were running late and Mrs. Son called to check on us! We were later met at the subway station by Mr. Son with a warm welcome, it had started to rain and Mr. Son didn’t want us to get lost down the many back allays which led to their home. En route we were met by Mrs. Son and two umbrellas. Already we felt…well…special. These were nicest people, a testament to Korean hospitality.

We joined a group of Japanese tourists who were in Seoul for a week learning Korean. They were great company and just as welcoming as our Korean hosts. We arrived just in time for lunch before the games begun. (Our second) lunch, as always, was great.

What's really nice after lunch...more lunch!

Hanboks and Changgo – After lunch we all had a great laugh changing into traditional Korean clothing or hanbok (Korean clothing most commonly worn during the Joseon Dynasty for festivals and celebrations). Liane originally asked for the green one but Mrs. Son thought she’d look prettier in pink!

Liane with the other girls

I don't know if it can be romantic!

Say 'Kimchi'

After much fiddling Mrs. Son eventually joined the men in our changing room to assist. They were more complicated than they look. Personally, I found it uncomfortable and silly, the pants could have fitted Father Christmas’s fat brother and the 2 million laces on the inside seemed a little over the top! Liane, of course, looked quite beautiful!

A natural!

Not so natural...

Liane with our teacher

'So this is the drum here...and I hit it with these sticky things?'

Dressed and ready to rock ‘n roll we were joined by our changgo teacher and together we learnt some complex traditional Korean rhythms. The changgo is the shape of an hour glass, each side producing a different pitch to represent man and woman. Liane seemed to get it quite quickly, me – only with a bit of a sweat. Needless to say we had so much fun.

The Art of Kimchi: We exchanged our hanboks for aprons and plastic gloves and joined Mrs. Son’s mother in the kitchen for our kimchi lesson. This dear old lady was 213 years old and has been making kimchi since she was only 4 months of age, she was the best, in short, she could kill a man with a piece of kimchi!

'Time to make my 15 billionth batch of Kimchi...cool!'

I’ve been told by my co-teachers that kimchi is an art, Mrs. Son and her mother were artists and teachers and they transformed their art into a simple and easy to follow process - Liane, now back in New York, has already made a successful batch of kimchi. Again, we had a great time, enjoyed the cooking, tasting and laughing.

Right - Liane and I and our finished products.
Left - the whole enlightened gang.

It was sad to leave such nice people who invited us into their home to share their culture with complete strangers. (We bought the kimchi we made to give to the monks we would be visiting the next day but then forgot it in the hotel fridge – so there’s a lucky and probably confused porter out there enjoying our kimchi!).

Gyeongbokgung- home of the Joseon Dynasty: Our day didn’t end there, despite the time, there was still much daylight left, the little that peaked through the clouds from time to time. And we were determined to make the most of every moment, so we headed up to Gyeongbok palace. Just north of the city centre, Gyeongbokgung was constructed in 1395 and served as the main palace during the Joseon Dynasty.

Right - Outside Geunjeongjeon (a mouth full of palace) - the throne hall
Left - The Throne (again backdropped by the Sun, Moon and five mountains)

Sadly, like much of original Seoul (Hanyang) the palace was mostly destroyed by fire in 1592 during the Japanese invasion, and many other buildings were dismantled by the Japanese, leaving only a few. In its heyday this palace was a complex labyrinth of 330 buildings, now just over a dozen remain which were rebuilt in 1868 by King Gojong. Since 1990 the palace is slowly being restored to its former glory – a massive endeavor and testament to the Koreans’ national pride.

Rain drops keeping falling on our heads: We wondered quite aimlessly, just enjoying the quiet, the architecture, each other and some ice creams, a third eye on the ominous clouds flowing over Mount Bugaksan, the backdrop of the Gyeongbokgung.

Left - Liane enjoys her ice cream! Cheeky!
Right - Mount Bugaksun in the distance

Before the rain hailed our goodbyes we got to see a few of the palace buildings. As with all the palaces the intricate roof tops draw my attention, every roof top appears decorated with gargoyles, I like that! Liane enjoyed the many tight passage ways between the buildings, imagining palace life, ministers, royal guards, the citizenry and royalty all running around about their daily business.

Left - Liane is no good at hide-and-go-seek - here caught in a doorway!
Right - Gargoyles await nightfall to play thier games

To the left - Liane and I on the steps of Geunjeongjeon

From where we are sitting we overlook the courtyard where all state affairs are held (and yes outside, why not!). Finally, before the rain got the better of us and the fleeting memory of a umbrella salesman just outside summoned out immediate attention we got to see the queen's main residence - Gangnyoengjeon - we were hoping to see a traditional Korean bed, which is made of stone, instead we surpised by a quiet and neatly prepared meeting room, 'Some bitter Korean green tea my queen?'

Left - Me consuting the palace map outside the Queen's chambers and wondering if it is actually the queen's chambers on the map?!?!
Right - what I assume to be the inside of Gangnyeongjeon!

What stole the visit for the both if us was the building below - Gyeonghoeru - which is a national tressure. This is an two storey open pavilion that stands in the middle of a large square pond. This was righly used for royal banquets and gives the illusion that it's floating in the pond.

Gyeonghoeru

Tea Time - Fatique was starting to get the better of us, we were in need of some tea and a hard floor to sit on (we're in Korea, chairs a treat unheard of!) and I read of a hidden secret round the corner. And when I say hidden, it was a secret, we hailed a taxi and after a number of calls to the tea house we were eventually taken down some rather interesting back alleys of this arsty farsty part of town (a hopa nd skip from the palace) then up a rather steep back alley to be met by the tea house host in true Korean style! I had the five flavours tea (sweet, sour, bitter, satly and pungent - your guess is as good as mine!) and Liane had the plum tea. The tea house was worth the search, it was quite beautiful and we used the time to relax and get mentally prepared for what lay ahead.

Liane and I swop teas...

In truth we couldn't tell which tea was which and so spent some time swopping. The plum tea tasted sort of...sweet but a little salty, I thought it was rather pungent whereas Liane liked the bitter taste!

Feet Eating Fish - refreshed and back on the subway we made our way down to Gangnam, an upmarket and viby part of town where were to visit Dr. Fish, a cafe-come-massage treatment-come-what a strange experience! After getting lost while following the simplest of directions we found another hidden gem - Dr. Fish.

Gangnam at street level

After a juice and some toast we were led to the pools, after removing and washing our feet we sat overlooking human traffic of the busy main road outside. And then, we dipped out feet into a pool of fish that, very quickly, sorrounded them and began sucking away the dead skin! Yes, these little fish we 'eating' away the dead skin from our feet (and Liane's legs!). At first it was an extremely strange sensation, we giggled awkwardly but soon adjusted to waht became a rather pleasant experience, and eventually the conversation turned to other things while the fish did their work...and made a meal of it.

Fish earning a keep...

Dr. Fish - Apparently this is becoming a popular treatment worldwide, these little fish suck, they have no teeeth and don't bite.They remove only the dead skin and clear your pores for better blood circulation. One can opt for a whole body treatment at a larger spas which offer it. The fish are also known to stimuate the acupuncture points and nerve endings to relax the body and ease fatigue - another day!

'Liane, where's your toe gone?'

'Eat little fella's eat...'

We walked our on fresh feet, although rejuvinated by the experience it was most definately time to head back to the hotel and get some much needed rest, I still can't believe just how much we did that day. Now, armed with our fresh feet, we were more than ready for the day that lay ahead, or so we thought!

Saturday, 16th August

Kyongju, and our bus stop (about a half hour from Golgul Temple which is high up in the mountains)

I can't say we were up early but we were up in time for...a brisk walk, a couple of subways, a long bus journey across most of the country to Kyongju (approximately 6 hours - it's a little country), a taxi ride and a hefty uphill walk to the little office of Golgul Temple. Of course, Liane - in her amazing way - fell instantly to sleep when we got on the bus, and me - in my highly irritating fashion - remained awake, slightly jealous but absorbed in books, map and thoughts, with music pumping through my head!

How does she do that?

We arrived a little late with only enough time to 'check in', collect our yellow vests (the student uniforms) and put our things in our rooms. Most of the buildings were quite traditional, and I guess if Buddhist temples have 'traditional' guest houses we were in one, men on the bottom and women on top. Liane was lucky in that she got her own room, I shared with a Korean, a Canadian and Pommie, all nice dudes! I enjoyed the fact that we represented four continents - that's what travel is all about!

A Buddha statue marks the entrance to Golgulsa

Golgulsa (sa - temple): Head Temple of Sunmudo - Golgulsa translates to 'Stone Buddha Temple' as it treasures the oldest historical Buddhist ruins and the only cave temple in Korea. Golgulsa is also unique in that it is the only temple in Korea where the monks train in Sumnudo, a Zen Martial Art. Sumnudo is a moving meditation through which one can attain enlightenment by harmonising the body, mind and breath - the three parts of karma. Golgulsa was built in the 6th century during the Shilla Dynasty. Although Sunmudo is considered a non-violent martial art it was banned by the Japanese during their occupation - these highly trained monks proved to a lethal threat during wars where every able-bodied man (including monks) was called forward to serve his country. The Grandmaster Jeog Un, Seol of Golgulsa has worked hard to rejuvinate an interest in Sumnudo, this important cultural and religious practise. (It was by chance that I chose this temple, how fortunate we were!)

Our sleeping quarters for the night

After checking in we had just enough time to it make back down the treacherous hill for dinner which was light and simple. It was also a brief oppotunity to meet the other students. Afterwards, luckily, we were given a chance to rest and let our food settle while we watched a short film about Sunmudo with all the other visitors, it turned out that there was also a large group of school kids staying at the temple. After the video it all began...

First we did 108 Bows to Buddha while the monks chanted. This was quite strenuous, you're sitting with your legs flat under your bum, first your put your head to the ground and your hands slowly rise above your head, then you rise up with your back straight. As a young child I'm sure I could have sat like this for hours, but I could see around us, all the 'Western' new-comers were struggling. Although it was quite meditative, it was difficult to concentrate, this zen practise is suppose to be a liberating experience, a time to reflect on your lives, acknowledge our mistakes and resolve to lead better lives, but the mild agony in my feet hindered me from clearly my head and focusing.

This was followed, to our suprise, by Sunmudo Training. This was again very strenuous, the positions were difficult to reach and even more difficult to hold. I quickly developed a deep sense of admiration for the monk who was teaching us, he went into the most ridiculous positions with the greatest of ease all the while calimly instructing us (in Korean unfortunately). Sunmudo is a combination of Zen-yoga - a still training and Zen-martial arts - active training. Grandmaster Jeong Un later explained that Sumnudo is a moving meditation, dispelling the belief that meditation can pnly be done in the lotus position. Liane and I was completely unprepared, both of us were still wearing jeans which just made matters far worse. We had two hours of training and by the end we were exhausted, we had a good work out though, pain was in the post!

Both these exercises, the 108 bows and the martial arts traing, were extremly interesting and I was humbled by the templestay expereicne already, so happy that, by accident, I had chosen the only temple that does Sunmudo training. After the training we went into groups and sat with the English speaking 'in-training' monks. Both the foreign monks were strangly french dudes. While we sat with him we learnt how we to do the morning worship or the sitting meditation and were explained the temple rules. Although it was only just after 9:00pm when we returned to our rooms, everyone was eager to get to sleep as we would be up at 4:00am for the morning worship. So we had a quick shower and sit the sack. Actually, I would have loved a soft comfortable sack to sleep on. In true temple style we slept on the floor!

Liane's private room

Sunday, 17th of August...4:00 hours (local time!)

Neither Liane and I slept well, both afraid that we wouldn't wake in time, the most important rule, it was stressed, is that we must not miss the 4:00am worship. Our alarm clock was quite traditional, you wake to the sound of a bamboo stick being knocked against a wooden block called a moktak which is sounded by a passing monk, slowly wondering the temple grounds and greeting the new day.

At 4:30 we joined everyone else, Buddhist scriptures were read, it was quite calming, and this was followed a sitting meditiation in which you sit cross-legged, or if you're a well trained and now flexible monk, the lotus position. Again, this proved quite difficult, it was only a half hour meditation but the pain was not only in the legs but in the mind too, so clearing the mind and searching for Nirvana was quite impossible! This was followed by a walking meditation, it was just getting light, everyone was deadly quiet and I quite enjoyed the the serenity and freshness of the early morning. Most of all I enjoyed the monk dog who lazily joined us for the meditations, he was so calm and Zen, quite enlightened I imagine!

Our breakfast bowls and utensils

Breakfast time - This was a highlight for me. Before breakfast we were joined by one of the English speaking monks-in-training who explained this intricate process to us. We would be joined by the Grandmaster so it was important that we followed this procedure properly. Unfortunately, the templestay did not offer many photo oppotunities, I felt it was inappropriate, most of the time, to be taking photos. But as said, this was a highlight for me, let me explain:

You are presented with four bowls, chop sticks, a spoon and two small pieces of cloth. The bowls are varied in size and fit into eachother when packed away.
Using only your thumbs you first remove each bowl from the other and place them on the larger larger peice of cloth in front of you that serves as a place mat.
Then the food is served, one bowl is for soup, one for rice, one for vegetables, including the all important kimchi, and the final bowl is for hot water.
Before we begin eating we take one peice of kimchi and rince it off in our soup and place it in the rice bowl for later.
Now we wait for the Grandmaster to begin eating. We were warned that the monks eat quite fast and that we must keep! So eat we did.
Once you've finished you can begin cleaning your utensils and bowls. Everything must be spotlessly clean, you clean your bowls using the washed piece of kimchi and the hot water. First you pur the water into the soup bowl and clean it, then into the rice bowl and finally into the vegetable bowl. Then you have to drink the hot water and the the kimchi! Nothing is wasted!
Finally a monk will come past once more and pour cold water into your water bowl. This is for the final clean.
After the final clean and wipe dry with the other piece of cloth the remaining cold water is collected by a passing monk which is inspected by the Grandmaster. The water too must be perfectly clean and clear. This water reflects your soul, dirty water dirty soul. But the monk was lenient on us and did not collect ALL the water, leaving some for us, including all the dregs, to drink up! My soul is quite clean, I'm suprisingly happy to report!

This was an amazing experience for me, I loved the whole process, how the water is used, how everything is left perfectly clean and how nothing is wasted. Its all very monky! After breakfast we had some free time, Liane went for nap and Chris the Canadain (who was also an English teacher) and I hiked up the stone buddha rock carving and one of the cave temples. It was still really early and there was no one up there. We sat up there for ages, chatting a bit and just enjoying the view. In truth this was when I felt my most relaxed and 'zen-like!'

The climb up to the rock carved Buddha (MayaTathagata) and the view from the top

The cave temple and MayaTathagata

Grandmaster Jeog Un

Tea Time - As relaxed as I was it was tea time - oh yes time for tea - Buddha was smiling on me! So Chris and I made our way back down and joined Liane and the others for tea with Grandmaster Jeog Un. I was excited for this, it was an oppotunity to discuss Buddhism with a Grandmaster, an Enlighened one. Once we were seated we were joined by Grandmaster Jeog Un who brought his own private stash of tea to share with us. He prepared the tea himself and a pot was past round. Grandmaster Joeg Un has a rather prestigious career, he achieved enlightenment in 1975, he is trained in traditional zen martial arts, he is the first grandmaster of Sumnudo, Chief Director of the World Sumnudo Association, has held various professorial posts at universities across South Korea over a period of 8 years and is well travelled. Today, he is Head Priest of Golgul Temple, and although still very busy, I think he is enjoying quieter and simpler days of temple life. Luckily, with his academic background and travels, he has a good grasp of English. This was an oppotunity for us to ask a Grandmaster questions, I was very humbled. Liane and I asked a lot of questions and the others joined in. He was very humble too, he enjoyed our questions and answered each question enthusiastically and to the best of his ability, he was relaxed and cheerful, surely taking time out of a busy schedule to sit with us. Again, I left so fortunate, as we got up to leave my mind had already filed this one away under 'unforgetable experiences!'

Some site seeing - After tea all us students made our way back down the hill to catch a bus. We were going to see some notable Buddhist sites including Ki Rim Sa, one of the largest temples in South Korea.

The Sea Tomb of King Munmu

The Sea Tomb of King Munmu - First we went to the beach and I realised it was the first time at the beach since I've been here in Korea. We were overlooking the East Sea and just beyond backline we could see the world's only underwater tomb housing the remains of King Munmu. The tomb is under a small groups of rocky islets, he was buried here by his son King Sinmun who was carrying out his father's final wishes. The legend goes that his spirit would become a dragon and protect the eastern shores of the Silla Kongdom from Japanese pirates. King Munmu unified the Korean penisula in 668BC. Much of King Munmu's life is shrowded in folk stories including the idea that what we were looking at was in fact his final resting place.

Liane and I with a backdrop of rice fields at the Gameunsa Site

The remains of the large Silla-era temple

Gameunsa Site - All that remains of what was once a great temple is two three-storey stone pagodos and some of the foundations. They were a little boring but we enjoyed wondering about, I almost stood on a snake, it was peaceful and the mountainous scenery and rice fields were quite pleasant. The temple was built by King Munmu but he died before its completion leaving his son, King Sinmun, to complete the work in 682.

These imposing figures are amoung six which seemingly guarding the entrance to the temple

Ki Rim Sa - This is a beautiful temple comprising many buidlings, we hardly had enough time to explore all of the grounds. Ki Rim Sa is well known for its water! Legend has it that there are five types of 'well water', three can be found here: Changgum (which strengthens the body and spirit, Myongan (clears the eyes) and Ot'ak is a clear but green water (the green comes from a crow - a lucky animal in Korea - I think the water brings good fortune).

Liane quenchers her thirst!

The Buddist Goddess of Mercy and The Clay Triad Vairocana Buddha (Nosina Buddha, Vairocana Buddha and Sakymuni Buddha)

Yaksajon (a pleasant little building!)

Some students gather...

A monk in prayer

After wondering the different temple buildings, of which we simply didn't have the time to see all, and sampling the different waters, with clear eyes,a strong body and spirit and some luck in the mix, we headed back to Golgulsa to say our goodbyes and continue on our journey.

It was still relatively early, for the last time we made our way down the almost vertical drop to the base of the Golgulsa site and headed to the closest bus stop, me - the Durbanite - carelessly doodling in the middle of the road with Liane - the New Yorker - begging me to please find a place on the tiny, if non-existant, curb. The moment for me, a special one, Liane and I together enjoying a stroll in a most arbitrary corner of the world, simply enjoying each others company and the scenery. We only had a brief journey to make - a 20 minute bus ride into Kyong-ji, a 2 hour bus ride to Busan, a subway to Busan Station and then we followed (a very well) hand-drawn map to our first 'Love Motel' of the holiday.

Busan (also Pusan as B and P are interchangable in Hangul)

Travel Tip: Love Motels - A word must be said about 'Love Motels'. Usually, a trip abroad, such as this, includes the booking of various hotels and other, hopefully, cheaper forms of accomidation a place can offer. I had booked two hotels for our time in Seoul. This actually proved unneccesary. Love Motels are everywhere and numerous and are most often bunched together. Love Motels don't take bookings, which is actually great - less crosscultural prework - and, because they are bunched together, you can compare a few before making your choice. Love Motels are cheap and, like the one recommended to us in Busan, come not only with the basic amenities, but with a massive flat screen television, broadband internet (in the room) and even a jacuzzi. Some, in short, are better fascilitated than the more expensive hotels. But, I must also advise caution, which I will later reiterate with a (now) comical antidote. They are called 'Love Motels' for a reason. Prostitution is 'legal' in South Korea and adultry is sadly high (as many husbands remain here while their families live abroad) and they need somwhere to go. Some Love Motels even quote 'by the hour' rates! On this note, it can be worthwhile to check out the rooms and ascertain for yourself if it's one of the 'better' ones.

Liane outside the Dong Yang Motel and the view from our window (if you squint you can see Japan!)

This motel was great! Our room was large and clean with all we could ask for, it had an amazing view and as I said, even a jacuzzi! It was nicely located and very affordable.

Busan is a great city and I wish we'd had more time to explore (but we were back on the road the following day). Busan, by comparison, is like the Cape Town / Durban of South Africa whereas Seoul is the Johannesburg (although there's no comparison there!) Where Seoul is New York or London, Busan is Miami or Brighton, still quite large but slower, quiter with a wift of that relaxing seaside feel. Saying that it has a lot to offer. Liane and I planned to visit the biggest bath house in Asia, here in Busan, we also wanted to go up the cable car to see a beautiful cityscape engulfed in mountains and enclosed by the ocean, we also wanted to visit one of its many popular beaches but time didn't smile on us.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at the motel (Thanks to Troy for his slighty drunk, rather rudimentory but absolutely perfect map!) and we took a moment to relax before heading into town for some food. Busan is also the largest port in South Korea and the cloest port to Japan, giving it a cosmopolitian feel and making it THE place to be for fresh seafood. We were advised to visit the fish market and, after a temple diet and junk food on the bus, this was our first port of call. We wondered for a bit, in absolute awe! The Busan fish (and 2 million wierd and wonderful sea creatures) market is amazing. Liane and I joked about the 'creatures' with big eyes (and no - not bringing truth to the idiom 'our eyes are bigger than our stomachs!), these were sea creatures that we had never seen before, or that our imaginations could ever conjure up. National Geographic need not explore the depths of the ocean, come to the market! This was, for the both of us, a highlight of our Korean holiday!

Some pictures of Jagalchi Sea Creature Market! And a picture of some of the wierd and wonderful!

The market, we soon discovered, doubled as a massive food court, you could choose your creature of choice and sit back with a beer or some soju while watching it move from fish tank to cutting board to cooker to your table. Liane and I relished in the atmosphere, we were quite at home, and I am certian not many tourists make it far as we had! I enjoyed that too, across from us sat two business men deep in soju and discussion plucking apart sea urchins all the while peering in our direction with quick bows of recognition, they too enjoying our presence. Although we couldn't tell Liane reckons we ordered a Flounder, she knows more than I do about this sort of stuff! How it was being prepared was anyone's guess at this point. Liane sat down with a beer while I observed the death of our meal. I didn't feel bad, not so long ago we were the food, the cirle of life was making a full turn here in Korea!

Liane and I tuck in...

It came barbarque style, the fish was grilled and served with hot pepper sauce, fresh whole garlic and leafy greens to wrap it all up in. It wasn't particularly daring on our part but we knew what it was and it was tasty. During the meal, with big eyes we took in the sights and sounds of this amazing market-come-food court. After the meal we decided to wonder the city a bit, now our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, we bought some mandu (dumpings) from a roadside foodstall and, finding ourselves in a small Chinatown, went for a second dinner of blackbean noodles which Liane was determined to sample here in Korea. Sadly the noodles weren't that great. A quick tip, Koreans make amazing Korean food, they appear slightly clueless when it comes to foreign food. After a second dinner our stomachs were well and trully larger than our eyes which were now closing on a very busy day. We headed back to the motel to get some much needed rest, it had been a very long day.

Of course Liane fell instantly into a deep sleep while I sat reading for a bit. Agitated by my inability to sleep I decided to wonder the streets a bit more and found myself in the strangest of places - the Russian neighbourhood where, from what I could tell, you go simply to find a Russian protitute! My female friends (native teachers) here in Korea have all metioned that, at some point, a Korean man has asked them if they're Russian. They are in fact propositioning them! From what I understand this began in Busan, which at some point, played host to many Russian sailors and resulted in a small community forming. Bored and a little scared I promptly made my way home to snuggle up to Liane.

Monday 18th of August

The meal at the fish market of yesterday I described (with zest!) as a highlight of our trip. I'm sure that - for any Westerner - a holiday to anywhere in Asia is largely defined by all the strange new foods you get to indulge in. Today was a day of travel, as we set out that morning little did we know, or a fish for that matter (still alive and swimming in a tank in a restuarant in a sleepy little town known as Yulpo Beach) that the day would end with a massive feist, far larger than or eyes and stomachs combined! That morning we had plans, too many plans in fact and it wasn't so much a timely negoitation taking place, but a negotiation of time and logisitics, as said there was so much we wanted to do. Finally, a little frustrated, we decided to first take our bags to the bus terminal which was relatively close to the bath house and cable car and judge our time from there. As it turned out there simply wasn't time, we had a fairly long bus journey ahead and we had to change for another bus halfway. It was clear that we were bad judges of time on this occasion because, by leaving Busan early, we hoped to have enough time to tour the tea farms of Boseong - our next destination. We enjoyed lunch in the Busan bus terminal before moving onwards.

A little place called Boseong...off the map!

Boseong Tea Plantations and Yulpo Beach - After a two bus journeys and a strange change in the middle (there were 2 bus terminals in the little town of Suncheon and we eventually relied on a taxi to connect the dots after which we waited in a little bakery for a bit) we arrived in the very sleepy town of Boseong. It wasn't what I expected, which was loads of tourists in town economically based on tourism and everyone rolling around merrily in tea, it was more of an industrial town serving the surrounding tea farms and, with a scratch of the head, I wondered where the beach was, all I saw was mountians! With no idea where to go Liane and I chose a direction and walked it and to our suprise we stumbled upon the motel we were actually looking for! This onmimous place only added to the 'one-horse-town feel! The Bosoeng Tourist Motel was a pleasant sight although it look like it featured in a poorly financed 'haunted hotel' film!

Bosoeng Tourist Motel and an expensive neon mistake

Yulpo Beach at dusk

It was late afternoon when we checked in and we were ready and excited for another culinary adventure. A little bird told us that Boseong was not the place for such things, and having missed the bus, we took a taxi for a somewhat long journey down through the mountains of tea plantations down to seasside village of Yulpo Beach - I had no expectations but was pleasantly suprised. Of course it wasn't the seaside mecca of tourism but slow and quiet and perfect for a walk on the beach and some sea air to prepare us for dinner!

The $60 Feast - After a nice walk on the beach we made our way back into town and randomly choice a restaurant. Being at the seaside we wanted seafood - it made sense - and for the first time (since I've been here in Korea) we went into a restuarant that essentially looks like an aquarium - loads and loads of fishtanks everywhere! In this particular restuarant it happened that no one spoke English, no English and ordering was a struggle. Eventually the chef appeared and we managed to communicate, 'You choose' and he pointed a fish and made a happy face, we smiled and returned to our table, in a private room - which was kinda cool - and waited in anticipation. It was during this wait that we gahered that the meal may not cost us 6000 Won but 60 000 Won ($60!) from what was said and written on a wall mounted menu. Anticipation reached a new level. Finally our 'raw' fish arrived and a variety of very yummy side dishes. I can't say I didn't want cooked food but it was delicious and plentiful. Liane and I marvelled at what was presented to us and tucked in. After we were very much full and content the fish was removed along with most of the side dishes round two replaced it! A massive fish broth made from the leftover fish accompanied by a whole new range of side dishes. We had to choice to to tuck in once more - it was good! Very good but a struggle! We had a great meal, a wonderful experience (and I now smile broadly at the thought of it - a perfect moment...).

Liane is ready...with feast no. 1

Quick hands on the bear...and feast no. 2

After dinner we rolled out the door (not before noticed one English word on the side of a tank - Piranah!) and hailed a taxi, we paid a little extra and the driver was kind enough to carry us one by one to our room and tuck us in!

Tuesday, 19th of August

Boseong Tea Plantations - We woke nice and early after a wonderful sleep, a little later our stomachs woke up! It was a perfect day and we were excited for a day in the sun. The motel reception was happy to hold onto our bags and we skipped to the bus station ready for the tea platations. If you know me, you know I LOVE tea, this was a very very special moment for me, my first time on a tea farm.

Korea Tea - Korea is proud of its tea heritage and large part of its non-industy based export economy. Tea also forms part of many traditional and buddhist ceremonies. In fact there is a tea ritual called Ch'a-rye (cha is hangul for tea) which is simply 'the drinking of tea!' Green tea is by far the most popular. I'm not too fond of Korean teas, they're all a little too bitter for my liking but saying that, I love green tea lattas and green tea ice cream.

The tea farms were very much like any beautiful scene one is fortunate enough to gaze upon - if only words...Liane and I met two two girls at the bus station who were also on their way to the tea farms and together we walked the fields of Mongjungsan Dawon (tea farm) which I beleive to be the first along a 'tea route' along the same long windy road that leads down to Yulpo Beach. With our travel buddies, we slowly made our way to the top of one particularly high hill to enjoy the views of tea fields and valleys beyond. After taking umteen photos we headed back down and enjoyed some green tea milkshakes at a little cafe at the bottom.

Here is the description of the tea farms on a Boseong tourist map I picked up (of only words!): 'The Boseong is place of treasure which proud thing is Tea plantation. If you driving along the road from Boseong-eup to Yulpo Beach about 8km in that time. You arrived at Botjae (hill). The view of Tea Plantation harmony with Deukkryyang Bay's fresh sea. Therefore, the scenery is very beautiful. (my work here is not done!!!)

Tea, tea everywhere but none for us to drink!

Above and to the left: Liane and I at Mongjungsan Dawon (tea farm)

Below: The view along the walk down to Yulpo Beach and a refresher stop

Liane and I wanted to see some of the other farms and also go back down to Yulpo Beach so rather than following the tour with the bus we hopped off somewhere along the route and walked down, occasionally stopping in for a refreshment of ice tea and soem shade. We soon realised though, that buses were few and far between, we had no intention of walking all the way to Yulpo Beach, it was hot and Liane's face was starting scrunch, so I was happy to hail a passing taxi which took us straight to our next destination - The Yulpo Seawater Green Tea Hot Spring Bath and Resort!

Green Tea Baths - Korea is famous for its bath houses and spas. Having missed in the big one in Busan we were pleased to have this oppotunity, and after such a busy holiday so far we were in need of and deserving a rest. But this rest was to be quite unique. The bath house was practically on the beach and while bathing I got to look out over the bay of Yulpo Beach. Of course there is mens and a womens section, so we split up and took an hour to relax in the hot baths. The men's section was made up of 6 pools in succession. Starting at one end the water was quite cool but got progressively hot, I forget the heat of the final pool but it was hot! The 5th pool was the green tea - it is a dark brown, foamy and quite aromatic, it felt really good but I was afraid it would stain me - luckily it didn't! The final pool was icy cold - here you clean off before entering the hottest ever sauna where the air was pungent with green tea. I travelled from pool to pool about three times, resting for much of the time in the green tea. The sauna was just way too hot and far too hot to actually sit down, the air was quite difficult to breathe but it felt fantastic. Of course you're nude and as the only Westerner in the bath house I was getting odd looks from everyone, especially from a few kids who just stared, it was a little off putting but took nothing away from the experience or the oppotunity to relax.

Travel Tip - There are bath houses, spas and saunas all over Korea. Koreans love their spas and larger spas cater for the whole family. Smaller saunas are open 24 hours and many travellers use them as cheap accomodation after a night out in Seoul before making the journey home. Like the Seawater Green Tea Baths we visited many are natually heated, at this particualt bath house the water is pumped from deep under ground but there are also natural hot springs all over the country. To experience Korea one must visit a spa, and when one is on a busy holiday it's the perfect way to relax and get your enegry levels back up again.

Liane and I met up again in the lobby and together we walked back to the little town of Yulpo Beach with a bounce in our step. We felt great, enjoyed the afternoon with a fresh perspective and exchanged 'spa' stories. We caught a taxi back up Boseong for the last time, collected our bags from the haunted but friendly motel and made our way to the train station wanting to save a few hours on travel time despite the expense of the train. And the train journey itself was refreshing, a little more comfort and space and who doesn't enjoy a train journey in a foreign land! (That's not a question!)

Motel from Hell - On our way back to Seoul I contacted the hotel I had reserved with the new knowledge that motels are so numerous, easy to find and simple to negotiate. The hotel I booked only had twin beds for us, I asked if they possibly had a cancellation and a double bed for us - no luck. So we cancelled our booking happy in the thought we could easily find a motel. Then a light went off above my head - On Thursday we would be visiting the DMZ (Demiliterized Zone between North and South Korea) and we had to be at the USO (US Army base in Seoul) at 7:00 that morning, so it made perfect sense to go straight there and find a motel close by. This was simple and we were successful although booking the room proved difficult and ended with me on the phone to who I think was the owner and who could speak some English. Something she said I didn't understand - if we checked out before 12:00 the room would cost us 40000 Won per night, if we didn't check out after 12:00 it would cost us 70000 Won per night. I assumed she was talking about our last day at the motel. Fast forward ahead to the next day when we returned from a day in Seoul and the front desk clerk indicated to me that we didn't bring our bags down to reception that morning...I don't know why...we got up to our room to find it hadn't been cleaned so I assumed they don't go in the rooms unless you take your baggage out. Then I got a call from the English-lady-person who enlightened me: Each day we had to check out before 12:00 and we could re-enter the room after 5:00 in the afternoon so they 'use' the room during those hours! We were apalled and disgusted and I told English-lady-person exactly that and that we would be out first thing in the morning and I want the rest of my money back NOW. I promptly went down to the front desk and got my money.

TRAVEL TIP - THE MAIN TRAVEL TIP - THE BIGGEST TIP EVER - Don't get a motel near an army base! Manky! I'll leave you to think about that one.

Backtrack to our arrival at the motel that evening, we got in and were happy to find a motel (at the point) so close to the army base, it was quite late, we went out for dinner and some drinks and back to Motel Manky and to bed!

Wednesday, 20th of August

Comics, Mandu, Sushi and The Drawing Show - Today was supposed to be a day of relaxation in Seoul, we had nothing special planned or booked for the day but were determined to make it to one particular restaurant for lunch, so that was to be our first stop. This place prepared 'molecular food', they cooked at a molecular level! Don't ask me? But it sounded too intriguing to turn down, one dish was an 'exploding apple' served at some ridiculous degree below freezing. We got there on time, wondered in the rain for a while trying to find the place only to discover they cancelled their lunchtime menu, they gave us a copy of the dinner menu, a set menu at 130000 Won person - no spank you! The little waitress that helped us couldn't stop giggling which disgrustled Liane somewhat, something that I'm quite used to now, us foreigners are quite the novelty sometimes! So back into the rain we headed and off to the Comicbook Musuem on the other end of town. It was a long travel and we were excited for something special. Our idiotic directions were off some (stupid) traveller's blog and we wondered the streets for ages - now in the hot sun - before getting directions and a 15 minute taxi ride to the museum. It too was a bit of a let down, both of us had high expectations, Asian comics are second to none, everyone loves Anima and we wanted to see just what the Koreans had to offer. Unfortunately there wasn't any English translations for us to read but in true 'Liane and JC style' we made the best of it, enjoyed eachother and the strangeness of being together in this wierd place - the pictures below say just that!

Cool huh?

Mandu!

From the Comicbook Museum it was off to another eatery that prmised something more that just food but an experience too. By now we were also starving. We were going to a sushi place that is served on little boats that sail past you while you eat. It sounded very cool. We got there a little early and it wasn't open yet but now we really starving. But, Buddha was smiling and we were back in Gangnam, home to the best mandu place in Seoul (as far as I'm concerned). Liane and I had been there before and despite the fact we were about indulge in a 40 minute sushi buffet session we were compelled toward the mandu heaven...

Now, still hungry - thankfully - we went for the sushi buffet. The sushi wasn't amazing but the little boats were cool and the chefs were friendly and entertaining, preparing the sushi and loading the boats right in front of us. I enjoyed the sushi and ate ALOT but there was way too much rice and we were told, after being 'caught' removing the rice, that we can't not eat the rice! So it was difficult to eat that much wiothout getting full on rice. But, as I've said, the experience was cool and we enjoyed the moment, chatting and eating, eating and chatting, and with all the bloody rice we ate, 40 minutes was ample time to full up without rushing to get our monies worth. I would even possibly go back...for more mandu (which I have done!).

Top Left - 'Our' Chef.
Above - Liane and I and a passing boat.
Left - The sailing sushi enthusiasts...

The Drawing Show - From the sushi place we headed uptown to the trendy and vibrant district of Hyehwa for our second dose of Korean theatre and this was to be another highlight for both Liane and I. First, the poor directions I was given through us off and we wondered about a bit, occasionally biting each other's head off, I tried a few times to contact the ticket agent and get better directions but she just said the same thing over and over...but after a little more searching in what seemed to be a mini Broadway (theatres everywhere) we found the place and got our tickets with enough time for a - now enjoyable - walk around and a cup of tea before the show started. I read about this show sometime back and was determined for us to see it. The Drawing Show combines painting and stage performances. In other words the performers paint while there perform! Both elements of this silent performance were spectacular, the comic element was unique and universal, the artwork was superb, interesting and so creative and the stage performances perfect! I can't descibe this show, I read the pamphlet now and it reads, 'But unfortunately, it is almost impossible to describe what Drawing Show is and more, especially when you have not seen it in person.' The artists' believe that contemporary art is only enjoyed in the finished product - which is kinda true - and the process of art of underappreciated - which is kinda true - and so The Drawing Show came to life. The acting and art work were so good in fact that it was difficult to tell if the performers were art students or drama students! Liane and I were captivated, we left speechless yet unable to stop talking about it! Again the Koreans had outdown themselves in the production of a silent and universal show, this is a true testiment to Korean creativity. Afterwards they permitted the audience to take a few photos...

Like The Matrix, no one can be told what The Drawing Show, you have to see it for yourself. Travel Tip - Quickly travel to South Korea and see this show!

After the show we headed back to our motel and had some more tea and headed back to the motel and into the disaster I described above! It had been another long day and we were happy to curl up in bed ahead of an early morning and a visit to the DMZ.

Thursday, 21st of August

It was our first early morning and a very early one at that but we were packed, ready to leave Motel Manky, and out of the door at 6:45 and sitting in the quite lovely USO Base American style diner just after 7:00 having signed in and shown thanks to the staff for keeping our baggage safe for us. I was over the moon to be biting into a 'typical' toasted sandwich loaded with every 'Western' breakfast food...I had bacon - even Buddha was smiling! After a hearty breakfast we boarded the coach and headed up to the border.

The Demilitarised Zone - The DMZ stretches across the whole of Korea, dividing the peninsula and cutting South Korea off from the rest of Asia. It is a 241 kilometre long and 4 kilometre wide stretch of hyper-militarised no-mans land. The Korean War started in 1950 and continued until 1953 when the Armistice was signed and the DMZ established. The Korean War was far more devastating and serious than I perceived, many nations were involved and it had the potential to lead to a third world war.

The satellite photo to the left demonstrates so clearly the economic imbalance between the two countries and the clear divide of the DMZ. It also serves as a testament to South Korea, a post-war third world country in poverty and suffering intense hyper inflation, they are now the 4th largest economy in Asia and the 13th largest economy in the world!

The DMZ Tour - We arrived in little over an hour at Camp Bonifas, a United Nations military base. We signed a waver and watched a short presentation by one of the UN Military personnel. From there we went by to Imjingak (Peace House) which serves as offices for the Red Cross and United Nations. Directly opposite it (about 300 metres away) is Tongilgak (Unification House) in Northern Korea. Peace House was originally one storey high, when it was rebuilt the North Koreans added a second floor to Tongilgak, when Peace House added a third floor, the North Koreans added a third floor! This sort of competition is everywhere, the North always trying to out do the South! Very strange.

Peace House (far left) and Unification House (left) just beyond the blue buildings

From Peace House we were taken into (looking at the picture of Tongilgak above) the blue building on the left. This building, and the ones either side) are half in South and half in North Korea and this is where the two nations meet. The picture below, this boardroom table is half in each country! I forget the actual name, but the first meeting held here was called something like the 'urine war' as both sides refused to leave, even for the toilet! I was fascinated by the room! And if you're wondering, the guard's stance and sunglasses are suppose to be intimidating. I don't think they're like the queen's guard in London, that's as close as I was getting for a photo! One piece of interesting trivia - in the photo above left, the guard standing right infront of the building looking over North, he keeps half his body hidden by the building so to be a smaller target should someone take a potshot!

The boardroom where North and South meet, me being a prick...in North Korea, yes I'm in North Korea, and Liane outside Peace House with another (dare I say) silly looking gaurd!

After being filled with many fascinating facts we headed closer to the boarder where we had a much better view of the DMZ and North Korea on the other side. We had a very good view of the 'Korean Propaganda Village' just the other side of the DMZ. This town was built by the North Korean government to give South Koreans and tourists a false perception of the North as though it is quite urbanised and not poverty stricken and suffering under an iron fist! The flag flying in the middle of the town is the twin of one flying in South Korea, and of course it is marginally higher and larger than the one in South Korea. Our tour guide mentioned some adventurer's magazine which is offering a $100 000 prize to anyone who can retrieve the flag. Another time perhaps! This town is actually barren, there is no one living there! But there is a also a factory just outside the town that was built by, and powered by, South Korea which serves as part of the peace building and reunification process, generating some work for the North Koreans where they build simply household items sold in South Korea.

A tribute to the nations that assisted the the South in the Korean War

Korean Propuganda Village with the North Korean flag slightly high(er)...

Liane posing with a US army man. He's not so cool is he?

Unfortunately we were prohibited from taking photos at many of the places we visited, for security reasons. Back on the bus we passed by the Freedom Village which is on this side of the boarder. This solitary farming village so close to the DMZ is financed by the South Korean government; its few inhabitants receive quite a bit of government aid for living so close to the DMZ, including free education for their children. They mostly farm ginseng (which is very popular in Korea, a very healthy and tiny root which takes 7 years to harvest!), and apparently the best Korean ginseng comes from this little isolated community. We didn't see anyone and couldn't take pictures!

Our bus then lead us to The Dora Observatory where again we couldn't take pictures. Form here we had a very good view into North Korea. There was a painted line in the floor (about 5 metres away from the observation deck) behind which we were permitted to take photos...of the wall in front of us and sky beyond! Looking over the wall we had a good view of the DMZ itself. Ironically, it has become Korea's best kept nature reserve, no one has set foot in the DMZ for over 50 years, it has abundant wildlife and the Korean governments plan to maintain it as a nature reserve if and when re-unification takes place.

Back on the bus we headed to our final destination - The 3rd Tunnel. The North Koreans have made various attempts to infiltrate South Korea by tunnel; they made it within 20 kilometres of Seoul on one attempt. South Korea has discovered seven tunnels so far and believe there are many more and argue that the North are still digging. Of course North Korea denies this. Although the intentions of the North are quite obvious they even took coal down into the tunnels to rub down all the walls giving the impression that it was a mining work - they weren't tunnelling to Seoul...they were mining to Seoul...right...The 3rd tunnel is 52 kilometres from Seoul. It was chilly and chilling.

Typical - if only she knew how much I wanted to wake her up at these times...I'm a good man!

Back on the coach and returning to Seoul after a long day Liane, of course, fell instantly to sleep leaving me to watch a film about the Korean War and reflect on all I had seen and learnt.

My afterthoughts of the DMZ Tour - I would most definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Korea, but more so to those intending to come and live and work here, it offers great insight into how the Koreans perceive themselves. I have asked a few Koreans if they view themselves as South Korean or Korean. The common response is, 'In Korea I am South Korean, outside of Korea, I am Korean!' The Korean War ended 55 years ago, 2 generations of South Koreans have grown up as 'South Korean.' The South Koreans have worked extremely hard to rebuild their country and create a national identity. Considering Korea's brutal history over the last few centuries it’s as though the notion of rebuilding is part of their identity. In a 'values' exercise I asked many of my students if they hoped for reunification and surprisingly the response was mixed. I expected everyone to desperately want the North and South to reunify. This is not the case, here is a generation of South Koreans who know what is happening in the North and look at their own culture and understand its freedoms. They also realise that reunification will have adverse effects on the new strong South Korean economy and this process will undoubtedly be one of sacrifice for them (similarly to the reunification of Germany). Those that were for reunification had grandparents who were still separated from their siblings in the North having not seen them or heard from them for over 50 years. One girl was quite honest - she wanted reunification but not in her lifetime!

Arriving back at the USO base, we collected our bags and went in search of a Motel for the night. We headed to Myeongdong, an upmarket and vibrant shopping district where Liane knew of a restaurant (she discovered on the net) that she wanted to try. We enquired at a few motels and eventually found an available room is rather nice motel. After checking in and taking a quick shower we headed out for a late lunch of Mul naengmyeon, a summer buckwheat noodle dish, it acually has loads of ice floating in it and the noodles are extremely elasticy, the dish is served with scissors tro chop up the noodles! After a late lunch we confronted the shopping mecca and after window shopping and walking through a very busy street market for some time we stumbled upon the restaurant Liane and I were looking for, here we were very happy, lots of mandu, mandu soup and mandu on the side! It was buzzing inside with locals, Liane had found us a hidden jem...on the New Times website!

A block of ice in my Mul naengmyeon and mandu for Asia!

After dinner we found a quiet little bar for a drink and floated back to our motel after another busy day in Korea. It was good to climb into bed and I think even I managed to fall fast asleep without much will!

Friday, 22nd of August

We woke to rain on final day in Seoul - and woke feeling quite accomplished and happy that the day was ours without strict plans and schedules to keep. We first headed National Museum of Contemporary Art which had a quite spectacualr exhibition of Korean photography dating from 1948 to 2008. The photograpy and art were cool but we were quite literally soaked by the rain. Although the gallery was 'in the city' it was in the country and it was a mission to get to. It made no sense and even less sense in the rain. We happily wondered the whole gallery while the rain came down outside.

Clouds pouring over the mountains sorrounding the 'hidden' gallery

Realising the weather wasn't going to give us a break we headed back out into it and up to Dongdaemun market, the other side of town and reasonably close to Myeongdong where, once again, the motel staff were happy to keep our bags for the day. Dongdaemun market is the largest general market in the country and quite amazing, you can buy a spaceship built in Mars in the 15th century is dig deep enough! Liane was a little chilly and we were mainly seraching for a jersey for her but sadly, nothing tickled her fancy. We found one chain of indoor shops that stretched for at least a kilometer, a thin corridor with mountains of clothes either side. We had one success at the market, Liane was quite eager for 'meat on a stick' pictiured below, a sausage coovered in chips...on a stick! It wasn't so yummy! After wondering the market and little fedup with the rain we returned to Myeongdong for dinner - a massive broth - and to collect our bags before finally catching a train back to Pyeongtaek. And, yes you guessed it, Laine slept and I took pictures to prove it!

Meat on a stick and Liane muching down on some sort of broth stuff...

Like clockwork!

We got home in good time, enjoyed a movie and enjoyed being home, dry and relaxed.

Saturday, 23rd of August

Our final day together - We once again had no official plans, we just wanting to hang out and share the day together but were awoken by a telephone call. It was my co-teacher James who desparately wanted to meet Liane and we were happy to oblige, Liane hadn't yet had the oppotunity to chat with a Korean person and I couldn't think of a better person, James is my co-teacher, my friend, my Korean father and my brother! We sit together everyday at school and discuss life, he is also 'responsible' for my happiness and is always saying...after going to the ends of the earth for me...'It's my duty!' Good guy. He came round and took us to lunch just round the corner from my place. We enjoyed some 'good' black bean noodles this time and we chatted about all sorts of things. We mentioned that we were searching for pottery (Korea is known for pottery) and James offered to take us to Songtan, a short drive away, where we might get lucky. Songtan is a small town just off a big army base in this corner of the country. We did get lucky and Liane found two really nice vases, one for herself and one for her folks. James dropped us back home and, with lots of day left, we headed into town to shop some more and give Liane an oppotunity to see the little city in which I spend my days.

At lunch with James

Liane and James outside my apartment

We walked downtown flat, not finding anything to buy but enjoying the ridiculousness of Korean fashion and the strangeness of Pyeongtaek's traditional Korean market where one can buy ANY type of meat. Luckily, on this occasion we didn't see any dog, a frightful sight imprinted in my memory on last visit to the market. We worked up a hunger and had some dinner before heading home to relax, chat and spend our last night together. I'm going to end there, the following morning Liane had a plane to catch, we caught a bus to the airport, Liane stayed awake - ta Laine - and we said our goodbyes.

To those that are reading with the thought of possilby visiting Korea, for a holiday or to teach, I hope this has persuaded you decide to come join me! I have a very uncomfortable couch that is yours if you want it, I'd love the company and the chance to show you some of this amazing country.

To my family and friends, now you know not to worry about me, see how happy I am here, and how fantastic this country is!

To Liane, my garden pea, thank you so much for travelling across the globe to visit me and spend most of your short holiday with me here in Korea. Together we collected some unforgetable memories in the most perfect solipsism!