I'm a Journalist!

Recently, I was asked to write an article for my school's semester magazine. Well, I guess it's not so much a magazine as a really thick collection of essay's by students and teachers. But I got to write the English Teacher article, so I felt pretty honored. I thought maybe y'all would like to read it, so here it is.
Oh, and just to clarify, there are two Korean words in my essay. The first is "mi-guk-in" and it means American. The second is "ah-jum-ma" and it means married woman, but the connotation is old, cranky, pushy woman. And once again, I'll throw in a few random Korea photos.
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It’s All About Who You Know
Korea is a country with a vast and rich history which, in comparison to that of my own country, makes the United States seem like a mere infant in the history of the world. It is a country steeped in tradition while on the cutting edge of technology, design, fashion, and medicine. It is a land littered with the remains of war and broken monuments that stand as a testament to Korea's ability to rise above. A land covered in high-rises, seeking to share in the glory of the mountainous landscape. Korea is a country sitting at the edge of a wall of communism while remaining one of the most peaceful places in the world. This list may stand to reason why a 미국인 like me, who did not previously have any interest in Asia, would so quickly have fallen in love with this country. One may think this is why, but it is not. What makes Korea so great is its people.

I can recall with perfect clarity the first day I spent on my own in Seoul. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was desperately seeking out a place to use the Internet and make a connection with home. Most everything was closed, and I reluctantly entered a fifth coffee shop, expecting the owner to yet again give me the symbol of the “X” to indicate there was none available. After a brief game of charades, the shop-worker figured out what I needed and moved quickly to make sure I was taken care of. He sat me down, connected me to the Internet, and then went to get my drink. He came over periodically to check on me and even brought me a free cookie. I now have a strong friendship with everyone who works there, with some of the frequent customers, and even the owner. But it was that initial encounter which made me first realize that Koreans are not run-of-the-mill people.

It never ceases to amaze me that Koreans seem to be the busiest people in the world, but they always seem to have the time to help someone. And the fact that they would go out of their way to help someone from another country, well, that just amazes me even more. That one connection in that little coffee shop has turned out to be the slow construction of my Korean family. That one act of kindness has provided me with close friends that I call brother and sister, a Korean “fill-in” dad, and many young high school students who look up to me as an older sister.

But the kindness doesn't stop there. Here at Gyeseong, I have met some of the warmest people that I have known in Korean. People who drop everything to help me when I lock myself out of my apartment, people who take the time to get to know me, and my dear friend (one of the smartest people I know), who not only educates me on the history of Korea, but on the history of my own country as well! And let’s not forget the students! Ah, the students! This is my fourth year teaching English, and I have been around students from all different countries, but I have never met any students that impress me more than my 2nd and 5th graders. They are geniuses with incredible senses of humor and imaginations that will take them anywhere they want to go.

Then there are the people that I meet just walking down the street. The ones who catch on to the fact that I look a little lost and they stop to ask if I need help. Not only do they do their best to tell me the directions, but more often than not, they take me by the arm and walk me there themselves, even if it’s in the opposite direction to where they are headed.

Korea is not without its creepy people, like the occasional person standing behind me in the subway line who tries to start a conversation with, “Where are you from? Do you like me?” Or the occasional 아줌마 who pushes me onto or off of the subway and then engages me in a staring contest. But the United States is also not void of its colorful personalities, so I do not, in any way, judge Korea by these strange people. They are few and far between, and the good far outweighs the bad. Rather, I choose to see Korea through the eyes of a kind coffee-shop worker, a hopeful student, a knowledgeable friend and co-worker, or the new friendship that is waiting just around the corner.

Ah, Korea...Part 3. The finale...maybe.

Someone should give me a job as a people watcher! I think I'm pretty good at it, considering this is my third blog on social observations. But, I also have to thank my great Korean friends who graciously supply answers to my never-ending plethora of questions. And once again, enjoy the random and totally unrelated pictures. Let's begin, shall we?


Age Matters: This is a society that honors and cares for the elderly. Respect for the elderly is taught and expected.
-As age is a major determining factor in the level of respect you receive, it is not a rude thing to ask a person their age as soon as you meet them so you know where you stand with them.
-Older brothers and sisters have special titles. The same title is used with close friends that are older. But there is no term for the older sibling addressing the younger; they only use the person's name.
-When eating as a group, no one takes a bite until the eldest at the table has started.
-The youngest pours the beverage, beginning with the eldest down to the youngest. Usually no one pours for themselves because you should anticipate the needs of others.
-On the subway and bus, young people immediately give up their seats for the elderly.
-This being said, I have met some great old people, but man, most of them are cranky! But really, given the history of the country, they've been through a lot!
-Young people have fantastic posture. Some old people are hunched over like the letter r.


Language
-The spoken language is extremely difficult for me to understand. There are pronunciations that I am just plain not used to hearing. There are silent letters at the end of syllables. OK, so they're not silent, but they have a glottal stop that I can't hear. Think about the word "bike." When you say the word, you release a little tiny breath after the k. This doesn't happen in Korean. Try it again with no air, and you can start to understand the problem with hearing Korean.
-There are three letters that look like and sound like a mixture of b and p. I can't seem to hear the difference, no matter how hard I try.
-My pronunciation will always be wrong. I am always being corrected after thinking I have said something perfectly.
-I understand this issue because, unlike many Americans, Koreans are such a homogeneous society that they are not accustomed to hearing their language with any accent other than their own. I'll learn to deal.
-Hangul, on the other hand, is magic. It is the written language and it is fantastic! It's so easy to learn and makes so much sense. I was able to learn it quickly because of great teachers, and it has opened a whole new world to me. It has helped me immensely in my classroom. I have also gained more sympathy for those in the States who are illiterate, and a better understanding of my students both here and in the States who can read a word just fine, but don't have the foggiest what it means.


General Societal Observations
-"Have you eaten dinner?" is the equivalent of "Are you doing OK?"
-I have yet to see a junky car. There are many junky delivery trucks, but not cars. Probably due to the area I live in.
-Walking paths have random exercise equipment placed here and there along the path. You'll see men and suits and women in heels stopping for a quick chin-up or calf-raise.
-Girls hold hands, boys hold hands, drunk men hold each other, no one seems to mind. I think it's quite sweet that the men don't have to be all macho and scared of each other. People in general seem to walk with their arms touching each other. Very sweet.
-Koreans are not short. They are the tallest of all the Asian people groups. Most of my Korean friends are my height or taller than me. Major misconception.
-Men carry women's purses for them. This is a strange phenomenon.
-Kids go to school 210 days a year. Over twelve years of schooling, this equates to one extra year longer than American kids. No wonder!


More Random Observations: Just wanted to break it up a little.
-Shop-workers greet you, then hover behind you fixing everything you touch. I don't know why they do this, but it makes me feel like I am a nuisance and I end up not buying anything! It's so aggravating!
-Our 9-5 is their 7-ish a.m. - 8-ish p.m. The general rule is get there before the boss, you had better greet the boss, and then stay until the boss leaves. I can't imagine how annoying this must be for the people at home cooking a nice dinner waiting for their spouse!
-I asked for a smoothie once that was half mango, half yuja. I was looked at as though I was crazy! This seemed to be a trend everywhere. I found out that mixed food is seen as lower class. The king ate all his food separated, and this tradition has been subtly carried on.
-You should remove your shoes when you enter a home because the heat comes from the floor. If you wear your shoes, you are walking where people eat and sleep, and this is very rude.
-The answer to every food question: It's good for your health. Koreans are big into healing through diet, which is great, but sometimes a bit excessive. EVERYTHING is labeled "for the well-being life" or the equivalent. I just can't bring myself to believe that a waffle filled with fluffy, sugary stuff is for my health!



Well, there you have it, folks. I have come to the end of my notes! Thank you for indulging me. Now, I am off to find new and exciting topics for your reading pleasure. Annyeong!

The DMZ

1943 - The U.S., China, and Great Britain forcefully remove Japan from Korea and divide it into two sections along the 38th parallel. The South to be ruled by the US and the North be ruled by the USSR until they were strong enough to be independent.
1949 - At the request of the Korean people, the US withdraws.
1950 - North Korea attacks the south. The US and 15 other countries join forces with South Korea to push back the communistic aggressors. Seoul was recaptured in September, but by October, China joined the fight for North Korea and the war was renewed.
1951 - After the UN and US rejoined the fight, North Korea was pushed back to the 38th parallel. North Korea suggested truce talks.
1953 - The Korean Armistice was signed and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was created.

This is the historical backdrop for my trip to the most dangerous place in all of Korea...the DMZ. It is a four-kilometer-wide border between North and South Korea. And since the two countries are still at war, this is the most hostile and heavily-guarded border in the world...

My friend, Tamra, and I were fortunate enough to go on a USO tour with my friends, Joe and Delaine Albert. We began at 6:15 in the morning and had to stop at another base to pick up more people. We weren't permitted on the second base because Tamra and I didn't sign out. Instead, we stood outside and waited in the cold for the bus to return.

After a lengthy journey north, we made it to Camp Boniface and the JSA (Joint Security Area) The JSA used to be an area where North and South armies could move about and interact freely until 1976, when two American officers were brutally axed to death by the KP (North) guards for attempting to trim a tree that was on the southern side of the JSA. One of the men was Captain Boniface. After the incident, the MDL (Military Demarcation Line) was created to keep the two sides absolutely separate.




At Camp Boniface, we were transferred to another bus and taken to a room for a debriefing, to pick up our guest badge, and to sign a form that basically said we understand that we could possibly die. It was a little strange. The officer gave us a quick background of the area, and then told us all the things that we could and could not do. Basically, everything to keep us from getting shot! Just so you know, smiling in these pictures was a very strange feeling.





Next, the military transport took us across the southern border of the DMZ. The first stop was Freedom Hall. This is an American/Korean shared building situated just feet from the MDL. We stood on the steps, listening to the officer tell us that in the two towers just behind him, in North Korea, guards were at this moment taking our pictures. For what purpose, he didn't know. But it would be a good idea not to point. Behind him, and in this picture, was the MDL, the little white strip of cement that separates North from South, Communism from Democracy. And behind that, North Korea. It was so surreal. If you look at the spot halfway between the front and the back of the blue buildings, you can see the small MDL strip.

The building on the left is where he took us next. It was a small room with overtly nothing special. Me and a few other people went to the far side of a large table in the middle to create more room. The officer then told us that those on the far side of the table were currently standing in North Korea. What?! He said it was the only time that would ever happen without us getting shot. We were standing in a room where daily joint meetings are conducted between the North and South. The microphones on the table were recording twenty-four hours a day, so we should watch what we say. We were then told that we had freedom to move about the room, even to take pictures with the guards, but we were strongly advised not to touch them.


Me just realizing that I'm standing in North Korea!













Joe and I nervously standing with one of the guards.
















Tamra trying out for the ROK army.















The table where joint meetings are held. The left is the South and the right is the North. You can see the microphones I mentioned in the middle.




My left foot is in South Korea and my right foot is in the North. How amazing!










After a brief stop for bulgogi, we went to a look out area called OP Dora. It's a point at which we can see 17 kilometers into North Korea. A box was drawn on the ground to limit the area where we were permitted to take pictures. It was a strange concept, but everything is extremely protected here. From the lookout point, after paying the 500 won to use the binoculars, I could see Freedom Village and Propaganda Village at the same time. Freedom Village is where select South Korean families who have a long-standing residence in this area are able to live a farming life in relative safety, and are also able to make a pretty substantial income. Propaganda Village is situated just north of the border and truly lives up to its name. There is a 150 meter tower with the world's largest flag that is so large it has a drag wind of 300 pounds. There are hotels and homes, but they are all hollow. No one lives in them. They are only there to show the South Koreans what a "good life" they would have if they crossed over. Up until a few years ago, there was a loud speaker that would broadcast wonderful things across the border everyday, trying to get Koreans from the south to defect to the north. Currently, 30 KPR troops are there for the sole purpose of raising and lowering the flag.


The final stop on the tour was aptly named the Third Tunnel. This was the third tunnel discovered being dug by the North Korean army south of the MDL and in the direction of Seoul. It is estimated that, had an invasion taken place, 30,000 troops could have passed through in one hour. It was about 1,200 meters in length, two meters high, and two meters wide. The sides of the tunnel were painted black so that the North Koreans could say that they were simply mining, but seeing as there wasn't even a trace of coal or ore in the tunnel, it was not a well-thought-out lie. We were only able to traverse 230 meters or so, but it was still pretty amazing. Again, no pictures allowed.


This was a monument built to symbolize the hopeful reunification of the two Koreas. I have to admit that it wasn't until this point that I even contemplated whether this was something the Korean people wanted. I grew up knowing only the separation, so the thought of bringing them together never occurred to me. I started asking my Korean friends and even my students, and heard the same from all of them, that it's a controversial issue. One person in their 20's told me that the older generation hopes for reunification, and the younger generation does not. Some students want it because they feel bad for the separated families, and some students said they know there will be a civil war and too many people will die. One even said that it's not a good idea because the North is so poor, and the South will become poor trying to build them up.

On Sunday, I went in search for the human side to this issue, and what I saw disturbed me. Currently, millions of families remain separated. Many long for the day where they can bow in respect to their father, or kiss the grandchild they've never met. Many will die before ever getting the chance. Those in the North are so brainwashed that they have no idea what they are missing. If you do a GoogleEarth search, you will see the city of Seoul lit up with life at night, and the city of Pyongyang completely dark. The North is forced to worship a father who is dead (though they are told he was just carried away by cranes) and a son who robs them of their health and their minds. The South is free to worship as they wish. In the North, a man can be shot if it is rumored that he ate an onion from the field he works (I almost said "his own field," but everything belongs to the Dear Leader). I don't know what to feel about this issue, but recently I started teaching English to adults who have escaped from North Korea. One of my students wears a bracelet that sums it all up. It says, "God Loves North Korea." The reunification I hope for is the one between God and His people. He created them, He loves them, and He wants to see them reunited to Himself.

If you want to learn more about this topic, here are a few good videos.
Welcome to North Korea. At about the 30 minute mark, you can see some of the places I visited.
The Real North Korea
Famine In North Korea
Korean Families Reunite
Korean Families Reunite
One more reunion video. Get a kleenex.


What an amazing experience. Though I live in a country that is still officially at war, I feel very safe at every moment of the day. And those from the States that are reading this, I hope you once again remember what a great country you live in! And for those of you with opinions on the current war, maybe the situation here will provide a different perspective.

Ah...Korea Part 2

Sometimes I look at the amount of time that passes between posts and it makes me a little scared to think of how quickly time is flying by here! I have officially completed one half of my contract. I've been here for six months. All in the same moment, it feels like I've lived here a lifetime but just arrived yesterday. But I digress. Let's continue with the vast abyss of cultural insights that my advanced skills in people-watching have afforded me. (Plus a few more random, unrelated pictures.)

How about one that I just noticed? Holy cow, the greeter at the bank wears a gun! In plain sight! And yes, he's the door greeter, not the security guard. He's the nice man that helped me pay three bills at the automated machine and sat and talked with me about his time in Virginia teaching tae kwon do. No wonder there's no crime here. They know they'll get shot by the greeter!

Confucius Say...
Though Confucianism is not overtly followed today, its centuries of influence have left an indelible mark on Korean society. Some of the remaining mindsets are:
-Women are born the weaker sex. It is the man's job to make them stronger by making their life more difficult. In the ancient past, the men actually assigned tasks as though the women were slaves in order to break their weakness. Interesting how they never thought the women reached the state of strength. The result today: The woman is oppressed for most of her life by the man, but suddenly turns in her later years and takes it out on the man. These couples are very difficult to deal with on the subway! Other remaining results are:
-Women embrace this role and idolize the puny, undefined, muscle-free body, while men should have muscle definition to demonstrate his role as the strong one.
-Me to my class: "Why do you think I always say, 'Ladies first'?" Steve, my second grader, "Because women are weak."
-This antiquated dichotomy of the sexes has also led to extreme double standards as far as behavior is concerned:
-It's perfectly fine for men to be publicly drunk, even for the boss to be drunk with those he is in charge of. It's the job of the newest hire to stay sober in order to take the boss home.
-On the other hand, women are not to be drunk...anywhere...ever. They are thought of as, uh, not very good names, if they do so.
-Men can smoke. Many do.
-Women are not so smoke...ever. I have a friend who smokes but she hides it. One day she was accused of smoking by someone else. Her job was threatened if she ever did it again. The man who threatened her job, her boss, smokes.
-Obedience without understanding. The result: You can never question or go against authority. This leads to situations like Monday being off on the calendar all year, then being told that you no longer have Monday off. You are not allowed to ask why. Deal with it.

The Presence of the Church
According to recent poles, the country is almost equally split between Buddhism and Christianity. This is quite amazing considering the relatively short time this country has had a missionary presence. I would have to say, though, that the Catholic church has a much stronger presence than the Protestant church. The reason for this? I have no idea. But, what I've noticed is:
-The proselytizing amongst some Christians is very in-your-face. It can border on very rude and offensive. One Korean friend told me that her teacher in her private Catholic school told her that she was going to hell. She said to herself in that moment, "I believe Buddha"
-Another Korean friend thinks this is due to the fact that the first missionaries here were works-based. So sometimes maybe the relationship doesn't matter as much as accomplishing the task
-But it's not all bad news. The church here is strong and, for the most part, full of compassion. They reach out to the terrified refugees of North Korea and extend the hand of friendship to Japan, a country guilty of so many wrongs against Korea, in the name of Christ.
-Another of my Korean friend's thoughts on why some Christians here are so zealous is because of North Korea. It is not long ago that they felt the hand of communism, and the refugees here are also painfully acquainted with absolute control, so it's quite understandable that when they experience the freedom of Christ, they want to share it with all they meet.

I realize that this is a rather heavy post, so I leave you with one last cultural observation to lighten the mood. Korean food causes bad breath. Like something has died. This is probably because most of it was already fermenting when it went in! I also just learned that all this fermented food causes cavities faster than sugar!

Stay tuned for Ah...Korea Part 3! Yes, there's more!

Ah, Korea...Part 1

Though my official title here is "teacher," I have been a student of Korea for five months now. Everywhere I turn, there is something new to learn, a new observation to be made, a new aspect of the culture to be taken in. I have always had a hobby of people-watching, but here, it has become a sport! I've been taking notes here and there whenever something strikes me as, well, notable. Whether it causes a huge smile or causes me to shake my head in disbelief, these are the things that make me say, "Ah, Korea." I've also included a smattering of unrelated pictures for your visual enjoyment.


Transportation
-There are lines on the road, but they are merely a suggestion. They mean nothing. Absolutely nothing.

-Red lights have pretty much the same level of significance. I saw my bus stop for one a couple times, but only for a second. I think maybe the gear shift stuck or something. Red lights are just something pretty to look at.

-Police cars and ambulances have sirens and flashing lights, but I'm not sure why. No one ever moves out of the way for them.

-The sidewalks are made from bricks and are split into two sides; one for walkers and the other for bikes and motorcycles...yes, motorcycles. I've been almost hit by a delivery motorcycle a few times while walking on the sidewalk listening to my music. Oh, and no one ever stays on the side they are supposed to. The two colors are pretty much like the lines on the road.

-I've found that while taking a bus or cab, it's best to just look down a pray.

-Pedestrians have absolutely no rights whatsoever. What your mama told you about looking both ways before crossing the street, do it!

-Koreans drive on the right side, but they walk on the left...no, wait, on the right...no, the left...no, the....GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!

-While on the subject of walking, it's a good idea to never trust the line of trajectory. If you think you can make it around someone because they are veering to the left, just wait, they'll be in your way soon enough. Seriously, it's like they can sense someone is coming up behind them and they step in front of you just at the wrong moment. This happens to me most frequently when shopping and in the subway station.

-Ah, the subway. At certain times of day, there are so many people that I have to wait in line while three trains pass before I make it on there. And there is no "excuse me" in Korea. It wastes too much time. Just push your way through. Ugh, the touching! Click here for a video. Not filmed by me, but it's in Korea, and it's typical.


Fashion
-Anything goes. Any pattern, any stripe, any color, any combination, any time.

-Men here have a great sense of fashion (okay, not all but most) and I've become a huge fan of most of the haircuts. Also, most of the men's clothes are extremely well tailored, and usually a little tighter than we're used to in the States, but most men are skinny, too.

-There are these things called "fish suits" (our name for them, not theirs) which are men's business suits that someone poured a big 'ol bucket of shiny all over. They are most entertaining when worn by old men trying to hold on to their youth. But they're also not so horrible when worn in the right way. They totally wouldn't fly in the States.

-Women wear high heels ALL the time! Seriously, I've seen women walking the track in them, walking their dogs, running. There's even a surgery to scrape down the calf muscles to make their legs look smaller since the muscles are so "big" from heels!

-Image is everything. Mirrors are everywhere. As told to me by a Korean, it is a mirror society, I am what you say I am, therefore, I have to impress you with my looks. This being said, eating disorders are a major problem in Korea. Image is a much bigger issue than it is with us. We would be considered vain if we were "caught" in public checking on our looks; we have to go to the bathroom for that. But here, you are expected to make sure you look good all the time. We even have mirrors in each classroom. And I've seen little kids, four and five years old, checking if everything was in place.

-You must be skinny, you must be skinny, you must be skinny.

-The glasses here are SO cute! Much more variety.

-The necklines on women's clothing are very high and the shirts are very baggy and flowy because of modesty (or so they say), but skirts, which are worn every day, are extremely short. I've also been told that short skirts and high heels do not disappear in winter. I don't know how they do it! But I know why they do it!

-White skin is highly valued. (Woo-hoo, I finally fit in!) There are commercials for skin-whitening creams during every station break, and some women cake on the white powder so thickly that it's almost Halloween-like. There are some of the highest SPF ratings I've ever seen. I went shopping for some today and couldn't find anything lower than SPF 47. And though some wear enormous visors to keep the sun from hitting their faces, I've also seen women (because it's mostly a woman thing) hold up purses, jackets, pieces of mail, their dogs, anything that will keep the sun from turning their faces the same shade that most people in the States would pay for.

-Not surprisingly, plastic surgery is HUGE here. You can even get a discount if you do more than one procedure at a time! It's pretty cheap too. The two main surgeries are noses and eyes, but running close behind (no pun intended) is a surgery to scrape down your knees so you can wear the coveted short skirt.

-The double eyelid is also valued. For us, it just means that when we open our eyes, you can see the crease. This is looked at as a sign of beauty here (my double eyelids are my most common compliment here), and if you can't afford the surgery, you can always buy the eyelid glue. Seriously! Click here to see a video of the craziness.

-While it is sad that Koreans don't value their own beauty and are always looking for ways to be a little more Western, I have to admit that it does feel good to be stopped by complete strangers telling me that my eyes or my brown, curly hair is beautiful. Though I hope I repay more compliments than I am given because Koreans are beautiful, beautiful people.

OK, I'll have to save the rest of my dissertation of Korean culture for the next blog. Upcoming topics are "Confucius Say" and "Religion." Until next time!

Sometimes You Wanna Go Where Everybody Knows Your Name...

Ediya is my "Cheers." A place that I can walk into and see the friendly faces of people that are glad to see me; people who invite me to sit a while and tell them all of my day's adventures; people that I could listen to for hours and never think once about where the time has gone. Ediya is my home away from home; the place that makes me love Korea.


My story of Ediya begins the very first day I was left alone in Seoul. Because of the business nature of my neighborhood, my area is littered with coffee houses (mostly coffee/hoff, but that's a different story). I didn't have internet in my apartment, so I wandered around trying desperately to find a coffee house that had free internet access with the purchase of a beverage. Most places were closed on a Sunday, but I wandered further down the street and saw this place that I had never heard of, Ediya, was open. I was greeted in Korean with the kind smile of one of the very few employees of Ediya named Min. I walked up to the counter and said, "Internet?" and got a confused look. Then I said, "Computer?" and it all came together. I ran home to get my computer, not realizing at that moment what an amazing story had just begun.

I would go to Ediya in the beginning at least three times a week to use the internet. I would have gone more, but it was getting expensive and I didn't want to look TOO lonely. Each time I went, Min would try out another sentence in English, until very soon we were carrying on complete conversations. A great friendship was formed, and because of Min's kindness, the floodgates were opened to an ever-widening river of Korean friendships. Soon thereafter, I met SuJin, another employee. Min was having trouble getting his point across one day, and brought SuJin over to help. My friendship with her was instantaneous. Then there's Mr. G, the manager of Ediya. He doesn't know any English, but we communicate with a lot of hand motions and laughing. He's quite stoic and fatherly with me, but he's a softy.


Min and SuJin are always thanking me, and I have no idea what I have done for them. It seems as though every time I am in there, they are doing something else kind and selfless for my good. For instance, I told Min that I was ready to buy a cell phone. He said, like he always does, "Whatever you need, I will always help you." And next thing I know, he's taking me to the cell phone store with a friend of his that he said could speak better English. I found out later that the friend was really the owner of Ediya! These two people, one of whom I had known for three weeks, and the other I had just met, took hours out of their Saturday night in order to help a foreigner in need! Jason, the owner, also became my friend. That day, he asked if I would just sit and talk to him in English so he could practice. I even gave him his English name! We haven't seen each other since, but we've communicated through Min and I've talked to his adorable daughter on the phone. Also, when I started to learn how to read Korean, Min willingly took on the job of my ever-so-patient teacher, and Ediya became my classroom. He spent hours with me, kindly correcting my mistakes and boisteriously praising my acheivements. I believe I could write a novel filled with the kindnesses shown to me by Min and SuJin. I can't ever thank them enough.

One of the groups of friends that I gleaned because of my time at Ediya is a group I call "my little high school friends," though I shouldn't call them little since one of them stands head and shoulders taller than me! During my second or third time at Ediya, I was sitting and typing away when the person next to me said, "Excuse me, I would like to ask you a question. May I talk to you in English? I would like to be your friend." This person was Vincent, a junior in high school. We must have talked for at least an hour. He had two friends sitting with him that were not so eager to use their English because they were a little embarrassed, but Steven eventaully warmed up to me and freely speaks to me in his broken English. Now I meet Vincent, Steven, and their friends all the time when they come to study. We sit and talk about culture, student workloads, travel, and about anything in general. I've given quite a few of them English names (at their request, of course). Vincent keeps me updated on his major tests (he's super smart!), and I'm trying to convince him to go to Harvard. He even called me last week because one of his friends didn't believe that he had a friend from the United States.


One rainy night, they asked me if I had eaten, and I said no because I didn't have any food and didn't know how to order. We all ended up going to a bib-im-bap restaurant (on me because I'm the oldes; that's how it works here) and sharing a few different kinds of bib-im-bap. These guys crack me up! I get a text from one of the members of the group at least once a week saying, "Are you coming Ediya tonight? My friend wants speak you English."


Back to Min and SuJin. Man, they are the greatest! Back in April I spent the day with SuJin and she even bought me dinner! I blogged about that if you want to go back and read it. And Min always astounds me by the way he's willing to drop everything to help me. I don't deserve them. One night, as I was talking to Vincent, Min walked by and I asked him was he was holding. Next think I know, he runs out the door and comes back with a duplicate of what he was holding. It was soup. I had simply asked what it was, and he went and bought me one so I could try it! Vincent and I shared it (it's a Korean thing), but Min gave me the chopsticks and Vincent the fork. Go figure! He sat down with us and also gave us a bag of kimchi and brought us water. Before I knew it, I was eating dinner in Ediya!


Another thing I love about Ediya is how it can turn an ordinary night into a great memory. There are many times that I have to pass Ediya while walking home from the orange subway line, or just wandering my neighborhood. I'll walk by the coffee shop and Min will be sitting on the patio with Mr. G and I'll go over, just to say hello, and end up staying a few hours. Or they'll see me walking by and I can hear them announce to the room that I'm there and I get a mass greeting (like Norm from 'Cheers', hence the title). What a feeling! And I can't even number the times where I'll be sitting and sipping on tea and Min will come over and ask, "Have you eaten dinner?" which is the Korean equivalent of "How are you doing today?" If I answer with no, he'll ask why, and I'll say "mu-la-yo" (I don't know). He'll laugh and then return with a piece of cake or a bagel and sit and chat with me. On another day, I stopped by to say hello to SuJin. She wanted to give me a free drink because "the boss was out." I told her she didn't have to. Just then, Mr. G came back in and told SuJin she should give me something for free. I said, "Why do you want to do that? I don't mind paying." He said something to SuJin and she started laughing. She said that Mr. G said, "It's because we all love you." Aw!

Min and SuJin came over to my apartment in the beginning of the month because every time I mentioned that I cooked dinner, they would say, "I would like to eat the food that you make." So I had them over for spaghetti and meatballs. They quite overwhelmed me with gifts; a beautiful cake from SuJin and a bottle of wine from Min. And he wasn't at all offended when I told him I don't drink! They never stopped telling me how much they liked my food, especially the garlic bread! We laughed all night and had a wonderful time.

In the beginning, I would go to Ediya for the internet; now I go for the people.


Why am I writing this blog on this particular day? Because today marks the break-up of my Ediya family. I found out some time ago that SuJin will be leaving Ediya soon because she will be going back to school in the fall. There is the possibility of her working weekends, but she's not sure. Then I found out a while back that Min was hired for a pretty amazing full-time job and today is the day he starts his job. It also happens to be his birthday. Full-time work is the only true job security in Korea, so I'm very happy for him, but a little sad that my two favorite Koreans won't be at Ediya to make me feel like a million bucks when they announce my arrival or to make my heart light up with their smiles and conversation. I'm going to miss my fun girl-talk with SuJin while she makes a latte, or the way she laughs every time I ask for a mango-yuja flatccino. I'm going to miss the way Min turns a simple muffin into a special creation, or the way he says goodbye that makes me think these people were genuinely glad to see me today. This is, by no means, the end of my time with them. I am sure we will do things together because Min would like some more help with his English, SuJin wants more Italian food, and they promised to take me to norebang. But it's not going to be the same at Ediya without them. I guess it's just you and me, Mr. G!

Happy birthday, Min!

Odyssey of the Mind

OK, a little bragging is in order. In my last entry, I mentioned briefly that some of the students and the principal were all in the United States at an Odyssey of the Mind competition. For those who don't know what that is, I'll just let their website tell you: “Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from Kindergarten through college.” I've grown up around this all my life. I think Anneli may have been a part of it at one point as well. That being said, well...THEY WON! And I don't mean we won one of the categories or our division. Those amazing Gyesong Elementary students swept the whole thing! They are the World Champions! They competed against schools from thirty other countries...and won! One of the students is in my class. His name is Jason. He was back yesterday, but there were news crews at the school interviewing, so I didn't see him. But today he brought is metal to English class and told me all about how great it was. I could tell that he is so proud of himself, as is the rest of the school. I have some pretty amazing students!

I wanted to post some of the pictures from the Gyeseong website, but it wouldn't let me, so if you want to see them, just click on the purple Gyeseong and it will take you there. In lieu of that, here's a picture of the banner the school put outside of the building the day after they won in Iowa.

Hey, MG, this blog's for you! (And all the other teacher's in my life.)

Disclaimer: This may very well be the longest entry yet, and for that, I apologize in advance!

I've officially been here for three months now (coincidentally, the same amount of time I spent teaching in Spain) and I thought it was high time for you all to see where I work. The name of the school is Gyeseong Elementary (pronounced kay-song). It's also in the Gangnam area where I live. It's about a 35 minute walk from my apartment, and 6 minutes if I get a taxi driver who knows how to use his GPS. The school was founded in 1882, but this building was built only about three or four years ago. It is a private Catholic school that is partially funded by the government. I've heard that families have to pay upwards of $15,000 per year to go there. It is considered to be one of the top schools in all of Seoul. It is mind-blowing to see the types of enrichment these students are exposed to. They take the most amazing field trips. In fact, there are a bunch of 5^th and 6^th grade students in New York right now at Odyssey of the Mind.

The English program here is unique from almost all the other schools in the city. I've heard from fellow foreign teachers that they have their students once a week for forty minutes, with a total of about 400-700 students. Some have to cart their supplies around from room to room as there is no classroom for them. Most classes are thirty students or more. Most foreign teachers have to co-teach with a Korean teacher...who usually doesn't speak English all that well. And no offense to the city of Seoul, but the English curriculum developed by the city that the English teachers are required to teach is really pitiful! But here at Gyeseong, the students are seen by their English teachers three to four times per week (depending on grade level) for forty minutes each period. The students are taught using standard grade-level American anthologies (Treasures, to be specific). We are required to give them homework every night and a journal assignment once a week. The student classes are capped out at thirty, but we further divide those thirty into three levels (approach, on, beyond) and the English teachers work in teams of three so that the students can be divided up into groups of ten according to ability. I have a total of eighty students, and I think I finally have all their names down!

Listen to me rambling on! Let's get to the pictures. You know that's what you all want to see anyway!

Here's a couple shots of the beautiful building, at least from the place where I enter. I suggest clicking on the second picture to make it larger so you can get a better idea of what it looks like.

This is a piece of sculpture sitting in the courtyard/soccer area. It looks like it belongs in an art gallery, and I don't get what it's doing at an elementary school, but I like it!

This is Gyeseong's version of the “yellow bus.” Most kids in other schools have to find their own way since it's not at all common for the students to come to school on a school bus. But here at Gyeseong, they take a coach.

This is how the parents express their appreciation for their child being chosen to attend this school. Yes, I said “chosen.” There is a lottery drawing to make it into the school. There are four classes per grade level and thirty students per class, which is a total of 720 students. When there is a vacancy, names are drawn to see who gets in. It happens one day a year, and I hear it's quite the hullabaloo. If I had to guess, though, I'm sure there would be a way to get your child's name to the top of the pile...

I've been doing a speaking test this week, and one of the topics was “tell me about your parents.” This was mainly for my interest. But I found what I had suspected all along. Here's just a brief list of the jobs these parents have, and, thus, the reason their children can attend this school: doctor (the most common answer), prosecutor, business owner, music producer, announcer (“My mom is very well known!”), dentist, ophthalmologist, engineer, computer specialist, etc.

There was a science day a few weeks ago. Making robots was just one of the many projects. Yes, they work.

Matt and Julie, here's the school gym. This is the teacher's team playing volleyball against the other schools. We beat all the schools in Gangnam, but didn't quite make it as Seoul champs. The back wall has a set of bleachers with padded seats, and the other side that you can't see is the stage. Below the gym is the cafeteria, which I didn't take a picture of because there was never a really good time. I try not to look like too much of a tourist in my workplace!

Wondering what the grade-level classrooms look like? This is it. It's a third grade classroom. If you look closely at the second picture, you'll see a large screen in the middle. It's a Smartboard, Scott. Seriously! You'd love it. Every single classroom has one. The English classrooms had them as well until some teacher in the past ruined it for us and let the kids play games all the time, so they were removed. The writing boards are actually white boards that are green and are on sliding panels. There's a third one that covers the Smartboard. The teacher you see in the corner is Brendon. He is seriously one of the smartest people I've met here in Korea. I co-teach an advanced English class for teachers on Tuesdays, and he's my only student. We cover a wide arc of topics; anything from Oprah to Iraq. I never have to write a lesson plan because we just talk and every once in a while, I'll help him find the word he's searching for. He'll never admit that his English is any good, though. I'm very grateful to teach this class because Brendon has become a good friend in the process.

This room is a workout facility for teachers. The Korean teachers can use it any time of the day, whether it's lunch time or when their students are with us. We English teachers have to wait until we clock out at the end of the day. One of the many double-standards that we've come to live with here in Korea. There is also a teacher's lounge that I wasn't able to take a picture of. It's nothing like the teacher's lounge in the States. It has massage chairs, quiet music, and dim lighting. Yes, a room for taking a nap! (But we English teacher's can't use it.)

Katie, Here's the library. In the top picture you can see the check-out counter with Sister Mag in the special corner where she keeps a fantastic stockpile of American DVD's (for grown-ups and kids). And in the lower picture are all the books. On the left is the isle where the English books are kept. Both sides are full, as well as a reference section and a non-fiction section near the door. But I'm sure that's not the first thing that interests you as you view the photo. What's that kid doing in the blue suit, you ask? Each grade spends an entire week taking ice skating lessons! Some students just go in their uniforms, but some parents like to deck their kids out in the latest speed-skating fashions. Only in Korea!

Hey, Bill, here's the orchestra room. A few times a week, I can hear the students practicing near my office. They are absolutely amazing! The only drawback is on Tuesdays when the taepyeongso group gets together. There isn't a wall strong enough to block it's noise. Think about a duck that is slowly being murdered and refuses to die. I am convinced that there is only one song that this instrument is able to play. You can look it up on YouTube if you want to...or not.

And Jill, I thought you might want to see the computer lab. There are two of them in the school. I'm not quite sure the extent of what they are learning, but it's a pretty cool looking room.

I can't remember who was into science the most, but this is the science lab (sorry, I couldn't use my flash, so it's kind of hard to see), and a dance studio on the 4^th floor. There are also some rooms that didn't make it onto my camera. There's a large auditorium, an amazing staff meeting room, several religion classrooms, and the principals office is pretty spectacular. I'm not sure you'd be a fan, Dana, since it's full of pretty flowers and jade pottery. The leather couches are pretty sweet, though!

And for my ELL gang, here's the English office for the nine of us teachers and our director. My cube is the one with the bright screen. Our office computers are all networked with the classroom computers so we can make all our projects here and then send them to the server to pull up in our rooms.

Most schools here in Seoul are trying to set up English Zones. This is the one that we have in our school. There are the six classes here plus three more around the corner. Mine is the first one with the purple door.

And, finally, here's my classroom! The top picture is the view from the door looking in. My fellow MG-ers, you'll be happy to know that the Word Wall has been carried to Korea. I service second and fifth grade, and I have a separate Word Wall for each of them. I was actually told by the VP that he liked the idea but didn't think there was enough room for all the words he expected them to learn. I've also carried over the idea of the card system, which works like a dream and is praised my the VP, though he thinks my punishments should be much harsher. Below is the view from the windows. I feel like I have the largest computer monitor known to mankind. It has a swivel neck and everything! I love this room! Oh, and I hope y'all don't mind, but I also borrowed the MG pledge, except they say, “In Ms. Kataja's class...” I have them say it to start every class. They really like it, and boy, do they let me know if I forget!

This is the view out my window of the lovely soccer field, the courtyard, and though you can't see it for the trees, there's also quite a monumental monument for St. Mary, complete with a fountain and fish pond.

And this, my friends, is what I have to wear every day. Outdoor shoes are not allowed, but tacky slippers are completely permissible.

The school serves lunch for all students and teachers (at about $3 a meal). No student in Korea ever bags a lunch. The food is surprisingly good! It just so happened that the day I decided to take a picture, it wasn't all that aesthetically pleasing. Mind you, it was still really good, just not pretty. And yes, there is kimchi and rice at EVERY meal.

Here are two of the music practice sessions. This is one of the many violin rooms, but there are also clarinets, flutes, piano, cello, viola, and whatever else you can think of. Even two amazing drum rooms where the students learn to play the bak, the traditional drum of Korea. I am really impressed by what the school offers as far as teaching tradition. There's the drumming, the annoying horn, folk dancing, and even Korean etiquette classes to learn interaction, ceremonies, and traditional Korean dress.

Here's a picture of some of my students doing an activity where they had to write down their daily schedule and then relay that information across the room to someone who had to write it down correctly. It was a really fun activity that incorporated reading, writing, listening, and speaking. But I was the one who learned the most, I think. I was astounded to learn what these kids have to do in a week. Most go straight from school to some sort of academy every night, whether it's English, math, science, or sports. They usually don't go to bed until midnight or even later. They have academies on Saturday and Sunday, and they even wrote things like, “Saturday, 8:00-10:00, free time, read a book.” They have to schedule free time!

As much as I miss my students back home (Scott, Sharon, Mike, Katherine...say hello to them for me, please!) I love the kids here just as much. They are really amazing and have wonderful personalities. We talk about the strangest things, and I almost never have a behavior issue that isn't handled in about five seconds (Heaven forbid I give them a “very good” instead of “excellent” in their evaluation card! It's quite a handy threat.) Any they are always saying things like, “I put a corporation mark for the words of Clark say.” And then in the next sentence, they use a word like pandemonium!

I've also started learning Hangul, the written language here (click on the word if you want to see what it looks like). I really think that it has made me a better teacher in that I can understand where their mistakes are coming from and I can even spell things out phonetically in Hangul when they don't understand.

This is the English team that I work with. In the top picture, the two on the left, nearest the front, are the other two members of Team B (my team) and we work with 2^nd and 5^th. We get along great and work really well together (just like back home!). At the head of the table is Sister Rosa, the principal of the school. In the bottom picture is the whole team again. This was on Children's Day, a day where all schools and work places are closed so parents can take their children out for a day of fun. But where was I? School. Why was I there? The school decided to celebrate Father's Day...on Children's Day! Gotta love Korean scheduling! So we decided to make the best of it and wear our funny Korean visors and blinding staff vests.

This doesn't have much to do with the inner workings of the school, but I think it's so funny how Mickey Mouse has permeated the society here, so much so that he is used in decorations to spruce the place up. Though we would find it cheesy, in Korea “Mickey makes it better.” Here we have Mickey as a book return, then Mickey surrounding the school as pewter plant holders, and finally the large version of the Mickey plant holder. And who is that inside the shape of Mickey's head? Oh, it's Jesus. What!?

So, MG, there you have it. This is the place that you so graciously allowed me to sail off to. If you would like to see more, you can go to the school's web site. It's www.gyeseong1882.es.kr. While you're there, you can click on the icon of the TV and watch a video of the school in English. I just watched it for the first time a couple days ago, and it's pretty good. Also, at the bottom of this blog you'll see two videos. The first is one of my students, Claire, playing a Mozart piece that she's currently memorizing (she was VERY nervous). Next to that is a group of students practicing the bak; six of the students are mine. And Bill, do you see the thing on the left that looks like an enormous drum? Well, it's an enormous drum! I've been dying to play that thing!

One final note: I know it's different than an American school, but if you are at all tempted to be jealous of life as a teacher in Gyeseong, remember one thing; Friday may be your last day of school, but I'll be teaching through the summer! ...And while you're on that wonderful summer break, don't forget about me! I'll still be blogging and I'd still love to hear from all of you!