Seoul Done right

Seoul is the capital of Korea and holds all the lights and excitement that you expect from a major city. It is everything I imagined it to be. But it can also be incredibly overwhelming and draining and before this last weekend, I was yet to spend a really great weekend there.

Some of my favourite districts in Seoul are Myeongdong (for the shopping), Itaewon (for the food and foreign markets) and Insadong (for the real tourist in me). I've only seen a fraction of what Seoul has to offer, but I often find myself coming back from Seoul feeling exhausted and unsatisfied. This weekend however, was awesome.

We set off late Saturday afternoon on the 2 hour bus ride it takes to get there. We stayed in my favourite hostel so far, Big Choi's in Hongdae (another favourite for night life) and after dropping our bags off, we were on the underground headed for Itaewon. Here we grabbed a *really* quick bite to eat and then head to the theatre to watch 'Wicked'. I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The set was perfectly done; the costumes were spot on and the cast was flawless. It was part of a famous story I had never heard and so enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. After the show ended we made our way to a Saffa bar in Itaewon called Scrooges. Here I was greeted with bokke jerseys and afrikaans accents - I could not have been more in my element. They had the SA - England rugby match on, and I got to watch our boys run on and sing the national anthem at the top of my voice with friends and random South Africans. It was awesome. I then continued to enjoy the game (which we won) with an ice cold Hunters Dry and some Spring Bokkies. For those who don't know, you can't really get ciders in Korean bars so the Hunters were a real treat!

After finding some food on the street we ended up on 'hooker hill' at a little bar called Friends. We were practically the only ones there and proceeded to make friends with the lovely bar-lady, Grace, who fed us an unending supply of cheese puffs and made sure we were well looked after. She was a real gem. They played some old music for us (our request list seemed to go unnoticed) and we jammed all night, dancing like fools and laughing till it hurt. We eventually crashed into bed around 5.30. It was truly an awesome night and proof that when you least expect it, magic happens.

The next day saw hangovers and sleep deprivation and so after a yummy real burger at Retro Mamma's in Hongdae, I set off home. I needed my bed, and sleep.

Although Monday brought the typical Seoul hangover, I can't help looking back and smiling. Although intimidating and busy and crazy, Seoul is an awesome place where Koreans and foreigners come together and where you can often find just a little taste of home. It also proved another thing; often it's all about the people you're with, rather than the places you're at.

Thanks guys for a truly memorable, wicked adventure in Seoul :)

The Wicked crew

Happy Birthday, Buddha

Wow. This post is WAY overdue and I really do apologise. Things have been a bit crazy lately but it's time I post a little more :)

So the weekend of the 26th of May saw the roads full and everyone in Korea heading to the beach, or anywhere really. It was the much anticipated long weekend (we were given Monday off) and I had my bags packed and ready for Namhae: my escape to the island!

We set off with a tour group in Korea called "Adventure Korea" and spirits were high that early Saturaday morning as we anticipated a weekend filled with 'fun in the sun'. The journey there was MUCH longer than we expected. The bus was delayed due to traffic in Seoul and it was only around 16:00 that we arrived at our first village.

The view from our house - village 1.

Here we were to spend the rest of the day participating in farm experience and enjoying the beach. The farm experience turned out to be half an hour of trying to slip into disgustingly hot plastic boots, so we could walk behind an ox in a muddy paddy. We nominated Meabh to be the chosen ox driver and lived vicariously through her ;) A rather drunk ajoshi throwing mud at people meant we decided to skip the rice planting, suck down some yummy noodles made by the villagers and head for the beach!

The sexy orange boots

Meabh taking one for the team

The beach was nothing like I've ever seen before. Was a pebble beach with icy waters, nestled between boulders. Was quite the hike to get down but was really good to relax and mess about a bit in the water. Okay on the edge of the water. Will and Adam were the only ones willing to swim out. Before we knew it, it was time to hike back and enjoy the dinner our house mother made for us, and then head to the 'bonfire' and karaoke they had prepared for us. Although there were activities arranged for us, we were all pretty tired and day 1 came to a pretty early end.

I like to call this one: Pebbles and the Poser

One of the really special things about this village was the home stay. A Korean family had opened up their home to us, and cooked both dinner and breakfast for us. We had some pictures with our house mom the next day and she was the perfect example of how warm and welcoming Koreans can be. We loaded back onto the bus ready for day 2. Before we left, the mayor of the village came and gave us each hand wrapped gifts of soap - one of the products they are known for. That was a really special experience and something we really weren't expecting!

House mom!

The second day saw us at Boriam Temple, on Mt Geumsan, which was beautifully decorated with lanterns in celebration of Buddha's birthday. We hiked down the mountain, enjoying some well deserved ice-creams at the bottom before heading to village number 2 for lunch! Our accommodation was right on the water's edge with an awesome view - it made up for the less than ideal bathroom situation. After lunch we were bundled into kayaks and set off to explore the ocean (or so we like to think). Nicola and I were soon left behind with no real knowledge of how to kayak. This lead to some screaming, frustrated-wave punching, and lots of laughs. Once we were able to gain some kind of control of our kayak (yeah keep telling yourself you ever had any real control of the thing) we met up with the rest of the group and made our way back to shore. Was a very interesting experience :) The rest of the day was spent shore side, soaking up some sun before going for a DELICIOUS meal of galbi (kind of like a braai - Korean style) and having a few drinks at the beach bonfire. Apparently the sea and sand takes it out of you as we were all asleep fairly early again that night.

Some pics of the day...

Boriam Temple

View from the top

View from our room

The next day was sadly the last, and we were up and eating muffins and yogurt (the first of which I've had in Korea) before being taken for some sea fishing! Our whole group (9 of us) were able to fit on one boat and spent roughly 1.5 hours out on the sea, trying to catch fish. Was a really cool experience and one that I didn't expect to enjoy so much. I caught 8 fish and just thoroughly enjoyed being on the water. We had to head back however to get packed in time for a lunch of fish and sashimi (made from the fish we had caught) before loading onto the bus for the (much shorter) trip home. We had a bit of a wait in Daejeon, so found an Italian restaurant called Eat Me which was really delicious and a great way to end the weekend! 

All in all it was an awesome weekend away filled with things I would never usually do. For those in Korea thinking of doing a group tour like Adventure Korea - be prepared for a very school tour type schedule and delays which can be frustrating but also very friendly staff who really do want you to make the most of your time away. I don't know if I'll do a tour again but it was good for the experience.

Open yourself up to Korea and you will find yourself surprised and amazed at all it has to offer.

So thanks for the birthday, Buddha. It was great!

When lines are crossed

Maybe you've had something awkward at work happen? You break something, a coworker is being inappropriate with you or you just need some time off. These challenges are normal and bound to happen. But place a language barrier on top of these scenarios and you have one very different situation.

I had something happen to me on Friday with my 3rd grade girls and although I'm all about the sharing and being open in my blog, this is one thing I think I'll choose to go easy on the details with. Basically, I look different to what these kids are used to, and this combined with childish curiosity and a need to test the foreign teacher, I felt a line was crossed and was made incredibly uncomfortable and emotional. Now I have heard that Koreans are not always comfortable with displays of emotion so I sat at my computer, holding back tears and wondering what they hell do I do now?

I've said it before and I'll say it again; the one thing I miss most about home is being able to communicate. And in this situation, I was really torn and anxious. I knew the issue needed to be brought up and addressed to prevent it happening again but who do I speak to and how? What is the procedure here? After a weekend being distracted by the beauty of Korea (blog on that to follow at some point) and asking the advice of friends, I knew walking into school yesterday that I needed to speak to someone. My coteacher is an incredibly warm and understanding person and so chose her as my first point of reference. I managed to get what I needed to say across to her and the kids were spoken to. Although relieved that it's all over, I can't help looking back and being frustrated with the whole situation. I have no way of telling if I was properly understood or not and what the kids were told. In an already awkward situation, I had the added issue of not knowing how to deal with it in an environment where I'm an outsider and largely unaware of 'how things work'. Which brings up another point I've been thinking about lately - where is the line between accepting the different culture I'm immersing myself within and being taken advantage of.

The situation with my 3rd grade girls went beyond cultural/childish curiosity. They were out of line and would never have acted that way with a Korean teacher and that is one of the biggest issues here. I am a big advocate for picking your own battles, especially here. There are things that I have accepted a lot easier than I thought I would; the spitting does not bug me as much as it used to; the stares and questions can be ignored, the noisy eating over-looked, the last minute changes at school can be dealt with etc. I try never to forget that I am the foreigner here, I am an outsider and chose to come here therefore I need to be the tolerant one. But there also comes a point when you need to stand up for yourself and expect to be treated with a little more respect. I got to that point with these kids on Friday, and I feel that's okay. I know a lot of people are going through similar things to me and finding it incredibly difficult to be in an environment where we are so foreign and everything in turn is so foreign to us. And we do need to learn not to sweat the small things and just go with the flow. But when lines are crossed and we are made to feel uncomfortable for the mere fact that we look different, then that is not okay.

I'm glad I got this sorted and my advice to anyone coming into this is although things feel awkward and you never quite know how to bring certain issues up (even asking for leave feels awkward to me) you need to communicate as best you can. They do care, the teachers are there for you in most cases and you will feel more in control if you address the situation which is stressing you out. Goes for anything in life but here especially.

Don't ever be afraid to stand up for yourself.

Having said all this, and realising that not knowing the situation might make this seem all a bit more dramatic than it is, know I'm fine and this was just a note on a hurdle I overcame this week which might help someone else out there :)

Peace.

A waygook on a mountain

Sobaeksan is the kind of mountain where you hear the wind before you see it; where the sun sets the forest on fire at sunset and where you can be completely alone with your thoughts. Allow me to get really metaphorical and philosophical with this post - it's what I had to focus on during the 6.5 hour hike.

The Mt Sobaeksan group :)

I'm not a hiker. The longest hike I've ever been on was probably at my Uncle's Holiday farm in the Freestate, which was a slow and easy 2/3 hours. And that was 3 years ago. It was only once I started the long walk up Mt Sobaeksan that it hit me - 'what the hell are you doing?' These people are serious and so is this mountain. There came a point about 45 minutes in when I nearly turned around, but got some encouragement from a friend and pushed through, all the way to the top. It might not sound like the biggest deal to a lot of people but to me, this is a huge accomplishment. I was SO proud of myself for overcoming the urge to give up and the view from the top was well worth the effort. I also bumped into the kindergarten teacher from Hwadang at the top with her daughter, Audrey, who is in my 6th grade class. She was so beyond excited to see me and after many 'so good to see you', 'oh Brownin wow' 'I love you's' and a naartjie, I felt like I was on top of the world. But I still needed to get down haha. Coming down was much easier and I moved a lot quicker, put my iPod in and actually enjoyed the scenery rather than being focused on how tired I was.

Me at the top :)

Both on the way up and back down I lost everyone as my pace is much slower than theirs, but I was never alone. A really nice Korean man caught up with me at one point and asked about me, where I'm from and what I do here. I could see he was trying to encourage me and it was a special encounter. I also had a couple kids stop and say 'fighting' or 'pighting' as they pronounce it, which is a strong form of encouragement. As I type this I can imagine you all must be thinking that I was probably crawling up the mountain to draw such attention but it was really just Koreans being their friendly selves...and probably slightly concerned about the waygook with the red face ;)

Once I got over the negative thoughts, the silence really gave me time to think. And this is where I get mushy ;) This hike was really symbolic, I feel, of my whole Korean experience. There have been times in the past 2.5 months where I wanted to give up, to throw it all in and come home - take the easy way out. And there are many more of those times ahead I have no doubt. There were times in the beginning that I felt completely isolated and alone all the way over here in a country so foreign, so intimidating. I feel out of breath and tired of trying. But then a bit of encouragement from a friend or a smile from a stranger reminds me that everything is going to be okay and I really should just enjoy the journey. I love Korea, I love the life I'm making for myself over here. But that doesn't mean there aren't any challenges. On the hike, I felt myself comparing my speed and fitness to the others which really got me down, and I do the same here. I look at other people adjusting so well and feel embarrassed that I still get homesick sometimes but it's like everyone said on the hike - your pace, your journey. At this point I feel like I'm at a rest stop - catching my breath, enjoying the view, soaking up some sun :) I know I still need to get to the peak and damn that road is rocky but I can do it. Coming down the mountain and just really stepping back from everything and enjoying nature in all it's beauty reminded me to do the same here. We all live for the weekends but I must not forget to enjoy the kids, the teaching and the little quirks that come with it. It's far too easy to wish our lives away, to wish we were on the bus home already instead of taking a deep breath of mountain-y goodness. And believe me, I know that before I can say 'kimchi' I'm going to be on a plane home, a bag full of memories and wondering where the hell the time went. I know this is really metaphorical and soppy but I did warn you ;) And really, with that much time on my hands I was bound to do some creative thinking. The feeling of accomplishment I enjoyed at the bottom of that mountain will be nothing compared to what I'll feel 30 years from now, telling my kids about my time in Korea. Man, it's exciting. And I wouldn't change a thing :)

Here are some more pics from the hike:

Nicola and I blowing bubbles in celebration :P

Nics and I won the 'flair' award for this hike. Nic and Norb - assah!

FIGHTING! At the peak, trying not to get blown away. 

View from the peak. Breathtaking. 

Danyang is a beautiful area and this is some of the beauty which surrounded us on the hike

So all in all, the hike was an incredibly rewarding experience and I'm so glad I did it. Don't expect too many more hiking posts though...you know, other things to do and all ;) Which might include paragliding this weekend so stay tuned :D

There is thunder in the air and man it makes me think of home!
Love and miss you all, always.

Musings, Gaga and sunshine

So it's Children's Day in Korea tomorrow (May 5th) and the kids are running wild, being given the day off basically, allowing me the time to catch you up on what's been going down.

I've found myself struggling against my own thoughts this week. I feel like I've been in a constant fight against the homesickness and often found myself wishing to be back home and for things to be easy. On the way to school today I was really thinking about why I came here; not in the woe-is-me, whhhyyyy (screams pathetically) way, but because I think it's important to understand my motivations for being here and what that means for the journey I'm on. And the only answer I can really come up with is that I wanted to challenge myself, to really prove that I can do something like this. There was also the obvious reason of wanting to travel as much as possible. As I was waiting to be picked up for school, all these thoughts running through my head, I saw my co-teacher pull up, the biggest smile on her face for me, and instantly I knew why I was here. For all of this; the ups the downs, the people the stories, the kids and the learning (and teaching), the mountains, the food, Korea and all it has to offer. Felt I needed to start this post with that because you're on this journey with me, so you should at least get a peak into the way my mind works (won't show you too much though, you would run screaming).

So, the exciting stuff :) I found myself sitting amongst a bunch of flashing headbands and heart-shaped wands, screaming Korean youth and crazily dressed Westerners and Koreans on Friday night (April 27). Where was I? The Lady Gaga Monster Ball concert.

My friend Danielle and myself

The concert was amazing. I have to admit that I am not "gaga for Gaga" and went to the show for the experience more than for her. But I think that point was exactly what made it so great for me. She is a true performer and was there to please the crowd and spread her message of freedom, pride and let's all not give a damn attitude. And she delivered. And because I had minimal expectations, I sat back, enjoyed it, and did not feel disappointed at the end.

We were far from the stage but the effects were still great!

Seoul did not end there for me though. The next day was spent shopping in Myeongdong, the most popular shopping district, and I was able to find some nice summer clothes and....wait for it...my long awaited iPad!! I felt a bit insecure buying something so big (I may have gone home and curled up in the fetal position, questioning my choice), but I've wanted one for ages and decided to treat myself (I will admit that I wouldn't have gone through with it before getting a little reassurance from my mom that I wasn't being irresponsible). We left Seoul that afternoon which I think is the best - travelling home on Sundays are never ideal as I feel I waste half of my day. This way I was home in Jecheon by Saturday night, ready to enjoy the rest of the weekend :)

School is going well; both my co-teachers seem to really have embraced me and we get on really well, communicating as best we can through the language barrier. Mr Jo has the same taste in music as my dad I've discovered, and have promised to give him some SA music to listen to. My kids are fun, although I must admit I am starting to doubt whether I can hold their attention for the rest of the year. There are only so many times we can play Super Mario and Pass the Ball. A few of the men at both my schools seem to have a little bit of an attitude towards me, some pretty much refusing to acknowledge my presence which is hard and has bugged me a little bit this week but it's something I just need to take in my stride. Maybe it is in my head too. This post was interpreted by an 'excuse me' from one of the teachers. I don't think I've explained this yet; I work in the main office and staff room, and the desks are arranged in the middle with the school secretary to my left, Vice Principle to my right and art teacher opposite me. So I don't have my own classroom or own office. I like it sometimes because people are always around, but sometimes I wish I could put some music on, eat something, take a nap or Facebook stalk in peace ;) But I digress. This teacher (I was never told anyone's names and just call everyone teacher - but I do want to find a way to learn all their names) I refer to as 'Lovely-Teacher' when I speak to my family. She had called me over for some bread/cake thing and conversation. She really is lovely, often taking me for a walk around the school grounds to stretch my legs and her English is great so we have full conversations which I love. She is just another example of Korea taking me in her arms and letting me know I can make it here :)

Here are some pictures of the school hike we went on (April 27).

The 4th grade class - my best ;)

The art teacher and myself - we also manage to have great conversations :)

A shot of the valley in which my school is located. I work in an amazing area!

I had a very weird experience yesterday. I walked into my apartment and as I stepped into the bathroom I realised that stuff had been moved; my shower shoes had been used, my bucket and other bathroom appliances were not where I left them. Someone had been in my apartment. I can only think that they had to fix or check something as the floor was wet, and although  I know there was no malice to the visit, it shocked me. I had left my iPad out, laptop, clothes etc. Nothing was taken (as a South African, this is the first thing I checked) and that was the most surprising part. So although I felt like my privacy had been invaded and still think I should be informed if people will be in my apartment, I was reminded that back home, this would have been a very different and much more upsetting experience.

Best news of all is that it looks like my family will definitely be visiting me at the end of June - I am beyond excited and have gone full travel agent on them, checking out love motels etc for them to stay in and planning their itinerary in my head. I do hope they are prepared for all that Korea has to offer ;)

This weekend I'm off on a 5-hour hike (knowing me, this will be a whole day event and search parties should only be sent out after the 9th hour) in Danyang.

Mt Sobaeksan is part of the Korea National park

Hopefully I will make it here :P

The hike will be followed by a lekker braai with Danielle and her South African neighbour and some other Saffas, so am really looking forward to that. And Sunday will be spent on the roof of a friends house, for a girly day filled with nail polish and gossip. Bliss.

The more I sit here and type this out, the more I want the weekend to come already. So goodbye friends, hope you enjoyed the post (note the pictures!!) and have a rad weekend.

Lots of Korean hugs and kisses
xxx

How music saved my life

I think we can all agree here: music is awesome. It connects you to people, times and places like nothing else. I know I am not the only one who listens to a certain song and is transported right back to a place; the memory so vivid it sometimes brings tears. Shakira's 'Waka waka' never ceases to make my heart fill with pride for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in SA. I remember the feeling of pride and excitement and there have been times where I have shed a tear in the memory of the seeming unity South Africans shared during that time. There are songs which remind me of being with the boys in Europe or road tripping around the Eastern Cape last year. I love the feeling music brings, the memories it holds.

But music took on a whole new meaning when I left home. My iPod literally saved my life. Without the sound of my favourite bands to drown out the silence and isolation I initially felt, I might have gone crazy. Even my dad told me to put my iPod in and try to relax when I was freaking out about being left in my apartment. I spend a LOT of time thinking in the car to and from school and this has struck me on a number of occasions - how music affects every part of my life. I might not be able to sing particularly well or play an instrument; I might not be the most clued up music lover but the appreciation I have for it is vast. And there are times when I think that if someone walked in on me shaking it to some Roxette or belting out to Adele I would want to die but that's what makes me happy on the inside :) So what if you don't like my music - I do!

For anyone thinking of taking on something like this, take your music. Do not leave without something you can put on to drown out the world. Or silence in my case. I play my music every morning (also a defense against getting a song like the 1st grade "I eat apples and bananas every day" stuck in my head) and have now discovered the beauty of live audio streaming to listen to the radio stations back home. I have South African music, accents and adverts blasting through my room now - I love it!

As someone's Facebook status said once: Turn on the music to tune out the world.

Songisan Mountain Weekend

Hi all!

Hope the weekend was great. I thought I would write a quick post about mine...there will even be photos (mostly not mine haha). Above is the Golden Maitreya Statue from Beopjusa temple - a really beautiful and quite famous (according to my co-teacher) temple and National Park. The mountains around us are, I believe, called Songisan. This was a picture taken by my friend Sue during an "Instagram" competition between some of the hikers. How hipster of us, I know. It is a massive statue above a museum in the actual temple part of the park. Unfortunately the weather had decided to not be cooperative and it was cold, rainy and miserable. But that did not deter us! 

The statue in contrast to the surrounding area

David, Nicola, Meabh, Sue, Me, Esti, Estelle and Will

Here the group is (minus Kevin who was off somewhere and Leah who was taking the shot). Although I was initially a little apprehensive about walking in the cold rain, it was a special experience. Was nice to be out in nature and the trees really provided quite a bit of cover and protection from the rain. The path we chose was not too strenuous and we walked beside a river for quite some time which was beautiful. We were low on time so the hike was not what was originally planned but enjoyable none the less. Korea really has a peace and serenity about it which I think comes from the temples etc but it gives it such a special feel. When we reached the top of a hill we came across a small temple and Esti started singing "Don't stop believing" by Journey; Mother Nature was obviously not impressed as the wind started howling every time she started up. Was highly entertaining. We came back into the little town sopping wet and hungry but proud of ourselves for not letting the rain ruin our fun. We went to a local restaurant and had some yummy bulgogi and mushroom stew. We dragged our wet bodies through a Family Mart, collecting cookies, coffee, beer, chips, chocolate and anything else in our paths and headed back to the room where we spend the night talking rubbish and playing a Mafia game - something I highly recommend doing. 

Coming from someone who is not very athletic, the Korean hiking trails have hooked me. I will push myself to try and conquer as many as I can while I'm here. Again, learning new things about myself and trying new things all the time. We were back in time yesterday to chill out and get some dak galbi for dinner (my favourite Korean chicken dish) and although my legs feel tired today, I'm glad I accomplished something this weekend.