Korean Funerals

This weekend, a member of the high school staff's wife died after a 10 year battle with cancer.  Dionne and I have worked with Mario, so we thought it would be appropriate to venture to the hospital in Seoul where the funeral was being held.  I felt like it was a rare opportunity to look deep into Korean culture, so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in observing how Koreans honor their loved ones.  It was surprisingly similar to what we're used to in Iowa.

Instead of having a visitation and a funeral, they have a visiting period of three days.  So, imagine a three day visitation.  Christian funerals are held on a special floor in the hospital where they died.  We walked into the basement of the hospital and found the room where we needed to be.  Outside the room were huge floral wreaths with messages printed on huge ribbons hanging from the wreaths.  We removed our shoes and were instructed to sign our names in the guest book.  Next, we were handed single white flowers with a black ribbon tied around the stem and shown into an empty room with a wooden alter.  Because they do not view the body, a picture of Mario's wife was on the alter.  We placed our flowers on a pile of others' flowers.  Then, we stepped back and prayed.  Once we were finished with our prayer, we greeted Mario and two of his wife's brothers.  The whole situation lasted maybe two minutes.  There were no long winding lines like American visitations, possibly because we were there at 8 pm, or maybe because the body lays in wait for three days instead of two or three hours, giving people much more time to pay their respects.  There is no church service like we would have in the U.S.  After the three days have passed, the body gets buried in the family burial plot which are often in the mountains because they are still considered sacred land.

Next, we were ushered through a hallway and into a fellowship room with about 12 long tables set up with sporadic groups of Koreans dressed mostly in black eating.  If we hadn't eaten kimbap on the bus ride to Seoul, we would have been fed a huge Korean meal with all of the trimmings.  Instead, we munched on fried vegetables, cherry tomatoes, oranges and mixed nuts as we talked and observed those around us.  We stayed for about half an hour.  When we got up to leave, we went to the table where the administration from two of the Kyunghwa schools were sitting to say goodbye to Principal Suh.  She was so concerned about how we would get home and offered to drive us to the bus station!  We assured her that we would be fine.  As we walked out and said goodbye to Mario, he was also concerned about us getting home.  Once we convinced him that we would be able to catch a bus, he thanked us again for coming.  Then his nephew retrieved our shoes and we were on our way.

As I write this, I am struggling with what to say about the experience.  So many things about the experience were very indicative of Korean culture, but also very similar to the funeral practices I have experienced in the U.S.  I am continually blown away by how two cultures so far apart, and so different on the surface, can be so similar in the strangest ways.  But, just as I marvel at those similarities, I marvel at the big differences too.  Today during lunch, we were talking about the funeral and Toni told us that single, engaged or pregnant women do not traditionally attend funerals.  I don't really understand why, but this is still practiced!  One of the teachers at the high school is pregnant and when she tried to arrange going to the funeral, other teachers wouldn't let her go!  I guess the things that are different are REALLY different...

Phone Fiasco

Last weekend, I tried to call Maria.  I got some recording that said my phone was not set up to make outgoing calls, per my request.  I thought that was weird, so I tried to call Diane.  Same thing.  I was not pleased.  Since it was Friday night, there was nothing I could do about it until Monday.  The lack of phone service made for an interesting weekend trying to coordinate a meet-up with Diane, confirming my language exchange with Yeeseul and offering up my couch to Maria.  My phone could receive calls and texts, but not being able to make calls and send texts felt pretty paralyzing.

Monday morning, I brought my phone to Hyunjoo to see if she could help me fix it.  She called my cell phone company and after some research, she asked me if I had done anything to change my bank account information.  DUH.  Before Christmas, I had to close my first bank account and open a new one at a different branch of the bank to enable me to wire money home.  Since my cell phone bill is automatically deducted from my bank account, I hadn't paid my phone bill in three months!  They had been sending me texts to tell me such vital information, but of course, since they were in Korean, I assumed they were spam texts.  Oh Noelley.  (I love that they don't shut down your service, but just disable your ability to make calls...  So Korean!)

So, Monday after school, I traipsed down to the E-Mart building to visit my phone company with a handwritten memo in Korean to present to the phone company worker.  With a few clicks of a mouse, a phone call to Hyunjoo, and a swipe of my debit card worth three months of phone service, my phone was back in business.  Nice.  Today, as I prepare to meet Diane for our weekly adventure in Seoul, I am extra thankful to have a fully functioning phone!

Back Into the Swing of Things

School started two weeks ago today.  Getting back into the 8-5 schedule took a little (read: A LOT) getting used to, but now I've gotten to a point where I feel like we've been in session for months.  A few changes have occurred in my school life.  I'm still adapting, but things are still just as amazing as they ever were!

I had been teaching the class with the higher level English speakers, but this year, Dionne and I switched so that the students would be exposed to different teaching methods and styles.  So, now I teach the lower level of students.  Teaching the lower level students also means that I have a co-teacher for every class.  It is nice to have another teacher in the class to help facilitate activities, explain points (though the students seem to rely a little too much upon the impending translations) and help keep the students in check.  They also provide me with some valuable feedback.  Having another teacher in the classroom definitely takes some getting used to (and is, at times, a bit tough), but in the long run, this will make me a better teacher and it is fun to get to know a whole new set of girls at every level.  That being said, they must have revised the way they split the classes because about a quarter of each of my classes are comprised of students I had in my classes last semester...  I enjoy having a couple of students in each class who are used to the way I teach and my personality. 

My first lesson in each class was spent introducing myself since I hadn't taught many of the students.  I gave them time to ask me questions and boy did I get some doozies!  Here's a sample:

• Are your eyelashes real?
• What is your ideal type? (meaning what do you look for in a boyfriend)
• What is your skincare line?
• Why is your hair short? / Why do you hate long hair? (they think that since I have short hair, I hate long hair...)
• Do you have a boyfriend?
• How did you get so tall? / What did you eat to make you tall?

My favorite situation, though, was the following line of questioning:
Student: What is your skincare line?
Noelle: I use a special washcloth.
(Student nods, blushes, says something in Korean, covers her face and repeats the Korean inquiry to Ji Hye, that class's co-teacher)
Ji Hye (laughing): She thinks you're beautiful and wants to know if you've had plastic surgery!
Noelle = flabbergasted 

Apparently, though I have yet to see it, Diane and I were on t.v. when we were at the women divers' show in Jeju.  Grace (one of our co-teachers) and several students have told me that they were watching t.v. when, all of sudden, there was Noelle Teacher.  A couple of students were extra excited to tell me that they saw me on t.v...  One day, I unlocked the door to our classrooms to shrieks of, "Noelle Teacher (sounds like Tea-cha)!  You.  On t.v.  Jeju Jeju!!!!!!!!!"  I think they were more excited about it than I was :)

I started teaching an after school class four times a week to nine first grade students.  Today was the second day of the class and I can already tell that I am going to LOVE this class!  They are adorable.  I printed out questions on small strips of paper and made them answer the questions to get a piece of candy (today I brought in leftover candy canes and they went bonkers over them!).  My favorite answer:

Question:  Are you a morning or a night person?
Student: Night person.  In vacation, I stay up 4 a.m., sleep to 2 p.m.  2 p.m. I wake up.  Eat.  Watch t.v. Eat. Play computer game.  Eat.  Talk to cat.  Eat (by this time, the whole class joins in a chorus of EAT as she says it... Delightful).

So, I've decided that it's nice to be back into the school routine.  Having (essentially) six weeks off was nice, but I'm glad to be back to a sense of normalcy, routine and adorable interactions with students, teachers and my old pal, Principal Suh.

Spring Break - Round 2: Jeju

For three of the four years of my college career I had pretty unforgettable Spring Break experiences with some of the best sorority pals a girl would ask for.  I was just getting used to the idea that Spring Break was no longer a reality for me...until I realized that I'm a teacher.  Spring Break still exists!  Hurrah!  Diane and I took full advantage of our two weeks off by spending the latter part of our break on an island off the southwestern coast of Korea called Jeju.  It is often referred to as Korea's Hawaii.  Even though the temperatures weren't tropical caliber, it was a nice getaway to new surroundings before plunging back into a new school year.

Since we left the Monday after our all night excursion in Hongdae, we were still wiped as we boarded our short flight from Seoul to Jeju.  However, upon arrival to this lovely island, experiencing jacket-free fresh air, lush surroundings, grass, (and green grass at that), and palm trees, we felt instant rejuvenation.

We arrived at our hostel, Tae Gong Gak Inn and Guesthouse (if you ever go to Jeju, STAY THERE!!!  It's amazing!), after a long bus ride to the other side of the island.  We were warmly greeted by the innkeeper Peter.  [For those of you who know Carl Anders Helander, this man was a Korean version of him!  It was uncanny and delightful!]  Peter and Sylvia (the innkeepers) took care of any question we had or reservation we needed, .  They delighted in helping us plan our day trips, suggesting where to eat and getting to know us.  It was the perfect place to stay!

After an early dinner, we walked to this fresh waterfall.  Notice that Diane is standing on a rock :) This picture just doesn't get old...

Our first full day, we got a pretty late start.  We began our day with an awesome lunch of hairtail fish soup and grilled mackerel.  We weren't overly excited by the hairtail fish soup but the texture and crunch of the mackerel was so good that we picked that fish clean.

I called this "Demolition Derby"

Next, we went on a submarine ride to get an up close and personal look at the fish that live around the island.  In order to get to the submarine, we had to ride a shuttle boat out to where the submarine would start its journey.  Diane and I were two of four foreigners on the submarine trip.  The men in charge of herding people from place to place showed us to the front of the line.  While we were waiting for our boat to arrive at the submarine, a frantic young Korean boy came running over to me, asking (in Korean) if I had seen a blue coat.  Homeboy was freaking out and I had no idea what he was saying.  Diane had been sitting on something and pulled it out from under her and lo and behold, it was his coat.  Fast forward 10 minutes.  We were now on a different boat and waiting in line to board the submarine.  The frantic boy (now quite calm and charming) was standing in line right behind us.  He started asking us questions in impeccable English.  He told us he was 12 years old and his English name was John.  He was so cute and quite the conversationalist!  As we were climbing into the submarine, he said, "I think this look very ... funny."  He melted my heart.  Presumably, since we were special foreigner guests, we were told to sit in the front of the submarine... pretty sweet seats!  The fish we saw from the submarine were pretty cool, but nothing tropical or super amazing to spend time writing about.  What was more cool, to me, was riding in the front of the submarine and watching as we descended into the depths of the water.  So cool!

Immediately upon exiting the submarine and getting back on the boat that would transport us back to shore, I was tapped on the shoulder by little John.  He asked me a barrage of questions about our time in Jeju, teaching, America, etc.  The icing on the cake was when he asked me for my phone number!  What a charmer!

John!  Cutest 12 year old ever

Right in the middle of our conversation about who knows what, John's grandmother came over and pointed out a huge swarm of seagulls following the path of the boat.  John immediately halted our riveting conversation and screeched "CAMERA!!!" as he began snapping shot after shot of the seagulls.  Then, his grandfather gave us some french fry shaped chips so we could feed them.

I had that 'gull eating out of my hand...literally :)

After several attempts, so did John.  (My face is not staged, I'll have you know...)

That night, we ate an awesome dinner of black pork that is a Jeju specialty as well as a Jeju variation of three layered pork belly meat.  'Twas tasty.  Then, we went to a waterfall that is specially lit up at night. 

As we were gearing up to leave the waterfall, I noticed a Korean man taking a picture of the group with which he was traveling.  I offered to take the picture so that he, too, could be in the picture.  Despite my offer being in English, he began to explain some photo requests in Korean.  He didn't stop when I gave him a bewildered "I have no idea what you are saying to me" look.  Luckily, between his accompanying gestures and Diane's Korean vocabulary, we were able to understand what it was he wanted (though I can't remember now...).  As I was snapping their pictures, he continued to talk to me in Korean until a young girl in the group yelled, "She's a foreigner!"  Everyone started laughing and he profusely thanked us as we walked away after giving them back their cameras.  Later on, toward the end of our time in the waterfall park, we ran into the group again and the man asked us if we were walking back to our hotel.  When we said yes, he looked super impressed.  I have no idea what was so impressive about us walking back to our hotel, but it gave us a good laugh.

The next day, we shared an all day taxi tour with a Canadian teacher and her mom.  Our taxi driver's name was Mr. Go and he was delightful.  He was a bodybuilder (and wasn't hesitant about showing us a picture from a bodybuilding competition in which he was sporting a chiseled bod and a Speedo..  Yikes.) and was eager to practice his fairly impressive English skills with us.  Also, he insisted on following us around, explaining things and taking pictures for us at any possible Kodak moment.  (And when I say he took pictures, I mean he did everything in his power to make sure we got the best possible pictures.  He was climbing railings, squatting, standing on fences where one false move could result in his imminent death...  Homeboy was d-e-d-i-c-a-t-e-d.)  He was so nice and so fun!  And, upon hearing that Diane enjoys listening to K-Pop music, he produced a pretty impressive mix c.d. that he played for the first part of the trip (the second part was an 80s mix - it made me feel like I was in a Rocky movie :) ) The day was spent touring around the east side of the island to various geological and other natural structures and various points along the coast.  There about 85 pictures of Diane and I standing in front of a significant place, view or point in varying poses - peace signs, thumbs up or awkward standing with big smiles.   I'll spare you and just show the biggies...

In front of the largest lava structure of its kind in the world, which is inside the world's second largest lava tube.  Eat your heart out A-How.

An action shot of Mr. Go taking a photo.  Intense.

These pictures were taken at a trick art museum...  There were probably about 30 reproductions of famous (and not so famous) pieces of art and locations that were painted to include something interactive.  They make for some real sweet pictures!

Jeju is famous for a group of old women who dive to retrieve seafood from a small cove.  Everyday, they put on a short demonstration and we went to watch.  As we arrived, we noticed a camera crew from what is basically Korea's version of PBS.  The film crew was following the daughter of a famous Korean actor  around to various tourist locations in Jeju.  There was also a small boy at the show who was completely enthralled by the little girl being filmed.  He kept wandering over to her, and each time he came over, she reached into her pocket and gave him a small piece of chocolate.  He kept coming over to talk to her, but I suspect he was using her for her chocolate :)  At any rate, this exchange was adorable to watch.  Once she stopped handing him chocolate, he lost interest in her and took an interest in Mr. Go.  From what we gathered, Mr. Go was not married or a father (though he did receive a curious amount of phone calls :) ) but the interactions he had with the most-adorable-Korean-boy-ever prove that he should indeed join the club known as Fatherhood.  When the women divers brought back an octopus, Mr. Go and the cute little dude were right in the mix, picking the creature up and waving it around.  This was quite easily one of the most adorable things I have seen in a really long time...  Aside from little John, of course!

Hustling for some chocolate...

Mr. Go takes over...

This kid was so curious... and delightful.

With the woman diver who caught the octopus.  She was real funny...

Our last day was spent in much the same fashion as the previous day.  Sylvia and Peter arranged for us to be shown around by Mr. Go again, this time for a half day on the west side of the island, ending with Mr. Go dropping us off at the airport.  We visited several points along the coast (including the one below that boasts rock formations that are somehow in the shape of hexagons) and other notable sights.  We also visited a green tea museum and experienced the marvel that is Mystery Road, a road in which your car coasts downhill though it appears to be traveling uphill.  Crazy biz.

Mr. Go stood on a corner like the one we're standing in front of to take this picture.  So hardcore.

This day got a little more interesting though.  The last destination on our day was a sex museum and collection of erotic statues and pieces of art called Loveland.  To our surprise, Mr. Go followed us into Loveland and not only looked around with us, but also proceeded to point out and explain what we were looking at.  If that wasn't awkward enough, we saw an inordinate amount of old ladies roaming around Loveland.  The three of us received our fair share of strange looks as we walked around Loveland together...  Nice.

Thus ended our Spring Break excursion to Jeju.  Before we left, we had already started planning our next trip.  It was so easy to be there and there was an endless amount of excitement to behold.  I loved it so much there that in the event that I grow tired of living and teaching in Gwangju but still have a desire to live and teach in Korea, I would consider relocating to Jeju...  So amazing!

Spring Break - Round 1: Meeting Diane's Pals and Packing with the Husteds

Much of the first portion of Spring Break was boring to hear about, unless you enjoy reading about how I slept until noon, watched stupid amounts of t.v. on the internet (watch The Big Bang Theory - sooo funny!!), didn't feel well (how is it that a little cold can make you not feel like moving?  I'll never understand) and ate lots of popcorn and oranges.  WOO HOO!  Big stuff, eh?

When I wasn't being painfully boring, this is what I was up to:

Packing with the Husteds:  Dionne, Scott and Jonah had been living across town in a really nice apartment that was too big for one of their friends rather than living in the tighter accommodations provided by our school.  The lease on that apartment was up at the end of February, so they had to move into a small apartment up the road from me until a larger, more family appropriate space opens up in May.  I spent a delightful afternoon helping them pack up their old apartment.  Hanging out with them is always delightful and this afternoon was no exception.  It's comforting to spend time with a family, though it makes me miss the witty banter I so enjoy with my family.  We had great conversations, a fine mixture of funny and serious, and once we were finished packing, we sat down to an awesome meal of lasagna and green salad, nicely complimented by a red wine.  I hadn't really been missing Italian food, but it was such a nice treat to have some familiar food in a family style setting.  Plus, Dionne is an amazing cook, so dining at the Husted's was a treat in and of itself.  During dinner, more delightful conversation ensued as well as many laughs.  I'm so glad to be neighbors (sort of...) with the Husteds.  I can only imagine the fun times in store over the next year and a half!

Insadong and Dongdaemun with Diane's friends from college:  Much like Jill visited me in January, Diane had some pals to show around Seoul in February.  Her college friend Nicki goes to graduate school in Australia, so over her break between semesters, she (and her friend from high school Michael) traveled around Asia for about a month and joined us in Seoul for one of the last portions of their adventure.  Also, when Diane and Nicki studied abroad in Japan for a summer, they became good friends with Eri, who now lives in Tokyo and works for Olympus.  We spent a day together roaming around Insadong and shopping in Dongdaemun and then ate at a fun barbecue dinner in Hyehwa.  Such a fun day!  It was fun to meet Diane's friends from another phase of her life.  They were delightful and so so fun!

Hongdae: No trip to Seoul would be complete without a raucous night of clubbing in Hongdae, so Saturday night, we indulged a little.  Maria and I went with Diane, Nicki and Eri, starting our night with a solid dinner and drinks at a Cajun restaurant in Hongdae.  Maria had on some pretty dramatic eye makeup that was attracting looks from men all over the restaurant.  We had a blast watching her make eyes with several of the guys in the restaurant.  At one point, the group sitting in the adjacent booth got up to leave and they started talking to us.  We learned they were on their way to a noraebong and wished them well.  A couple of minutes later, one of the guys from the table came back into the restaurant, approached our table and presented Maria with a bottled coffee drink.  Almost before she could even thank him, let alone talk to him at all, he disappeared through the door to rejoin his noraebong group.  So random.  Such is Korea. 

We made our way to the same club to which we went when Jill was in town.  We danced the night away from 12:30 to 5:30, experiencing several colorful moments with various fellow club goers.  Maria met a really nice Korean college boy of whom we all approve.  The rest of us tried to avoid getting too familiar with the plethora of intoxicated Korean men who were intrigued by our exotic foreignness. Once again, all I can say is:  Oh Korea.  At the end of the night, we were in line at the coat check when Nicki started conversing with the bouncer of the VIP section of the club.  He invited her to enter the VIP section and then tapped me on the shoulder and told me to join her.  We walked in and wandered around the seemingly deserted (given the time of the night) VIP section and found our way up some stairs to a private bar.  A couple of female club employees rushed over to us and started talking to us, commenting on how tall we both were.  It got pretty weird pretty fast, and just as I was suspicious we were being pimped out to dirty old men with an interest in tall women, they handed us bottles of water and showed us to an area that overlooked the still over-crowded dance floor.  We stayed there and danced a little more until Diane texted me, telling me she had our coats and it was time to leave.  Another night in Hongdae was thus conquered.  Holy cow, was I worthless the next couple of days after staying out all night, arriving home at 7:30 Sunday morning.  Ouch, but fun nonetheless.

Exchanging Languages

After witnessing Maren's strong command of Vietnamese, I was quite inspired to try my hand at learning Korean.  Usually when I get inspired to try something new, it quickly passes when the next inspiration comes along.  This, however, was more important than most of my short lived schemes.  While I have gotten along quite nicely here only knowing how to say hello, thank you and the names of my favorite foods and activities, not to mention not being able to read Korean, it was high time that I delved a little deeper into the culture, especially since I've decided to stay for (at least) another year.

A few days after proclaiming my desire to learn Korean to Jill, we ran into my friend Tara walking down the street.  She told me that a teacher at her school had approached her about giving English lessons to her college age daughter. Tara politely declined (though many native teachers do give lessons on the side, it is really illegal and could result in deportation if it is discovered), but said she would ask around to see if any of her friends were interested.  When Tara asked me if I would be interested in doing the lessons, I thought it was just the ticket to learning Korean - a language exchange.  I proposed this idea to Tara, saying that while I wouldn't be comfortable giving her friend English lessons and receiving compensation for said lessons, I would be more than willing to meet with her in a setting where we could speak English and she could teach me some Korean too.

A couple of weeks later, I received a Facebook message from Tara with Yeeseul's phone number, saying she was really excited by my proposition and wanted to set up a meeting right away.  I texted Yeeseul and we agreed to meet at a coffee shop.  We sat there for a little over an hour, talking and sizing each other up.  Yeeseul is 24 (in Korean age - probably closer to 22 or 23 with the difference in the way Korean's calculate their age) and is attending graduate school in Sports Medicine with a focus on Physical Therapy.  She hopes to spend some time working for a hospital or clinic in the US so she wants to brush up on and become more comfortable with her English.  Also, she has several friends who attend universities in the US and when she talks to them online, she can't understand their internet lingo and slang, so she's especially interested in acronyms like lol and omg and typical American college student slang.  For my half of the language exchange agreement, I am compiling a list of acronyms and slang terms to share with her and explain.  She makes a list of anything her friends say that she doesn't understand and I explain them to her.  (If you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to share them with me...)

I feel a little cheap about the lessons because of our agreement.  Basically, the way she practices English is by teaching me Korean using English.  Because of this, I try to throw in impromptu English tid bits during the Korean lessons so that she feels like she's learning something new too. I guess it is good practice for her English to be teaching me about her native language using her second language, but I still feel bad (it's part of my nature - if I didn't feel bad about something during the course of the day, I'd worry about myself :) )

Originally, Yeeseul wanted to meet two or three times each week, but now that she has secured a part time job at an English academy that will occupy her most week nights from 5:00 until 10:00 pm, we have decided to meet on Sunday mornings.  We meet at the organic coffee shop called Brown Story that Jill and I discovered on one of our walks around Gwangju.  The shop owner is starting to recognize us and it's fun to be a regular customer somewhere beside my duk boki stand in E-Mart.

Our first meeting was (predictably) a little awkward but now that we've grown more familiar with each other and met a couple more times, we've become good friends.  I genuinely look forward to our meetings, not only because she is a great teacher, but it's fun to have a Korean friend!  She's so sweet and we have a great time together.  One night we were so engrossed in our conversation and lesson that three and a half hours passed without us even realizing how long we'd been talking.  Our conversations remind me of conversations with my best pals at home - sometimes serious, sometimes funny, and always comfortable.  We talk about Korean culture, college life (she asked me if my sorority was like Legally Blond - I carefully explained the similarities and glaring differences) American culture and we laugh as I fumble to relate Korean pronunciation to English sounds.  She also laughs at the faces I make when I fumble through sounding out words.  She is, in a word, delightful.

P.S. I can now read Korean, albeit quite slowly, but I can also tell I'm improving.  The language makes soooo much sense.  It's fun to be able to read menus and not have to mime the specifics of what I want to order and to be able to read the station names on the screens in the subway without having to wait for the English to appear.  My next project is conquering the numbers.  Because they use different numbers to refer to money, dates, phone numbers and minutes of time (numbers derived from Chinese) than for counting things, age and the hours of time (pure Korean numbers), I have to learn almost twice as many...EEK.  But, I've made some real intense flashcards and I'm getting a (slow) handle on them.  HOORAY.

Also, this week marks me being here for six months!  I can't believe how quickly the time has passed!  Sometimes it feels like I just got here and other times it feels like I've been here for years.  My apartment feels more like home and less like temporary housing and everything becomes more and more second nature each day.  One year (and sometimes two years!) just doesn't seem like enough time to fully experience all that Korea has to offer.

Stay tuned for two editions of Spring Break escapades, just as soon as I get the pictures from Diane - my camera had a minor malfunction, but now we're back in business... just in time for the new school year to start :)

Words to Live By... And other musings.

For some reason, (I think because I don't have a bedside lamp and I can't be bothered to walk to the lamp store to pick one out, nor can I be bothered to get out of my cozy warm nest to turn out the overhead light in my bedroom once I'm done reading for the night) I've started listening to NPR podcasts as I fall asleep at night.  Lately, it's been Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me - The NPR News Quiz, which is, by the way, delightfully clever and amusing.  Check it out.

Anyway, Dick Van Dyke was on the particular episode to which I was listening last night and he sang the lyrics to the theme song of his longtime television show and those lyrics got me thinking. 

So you think that you've got trouble,
Well trouble's a bubble.
So tell ol' Mr. Trouble to get lost.
Why not hold your head up high
And stop cryin',
Start tryin'
And don't forget to keep your fingers crossed.
When you find the joy of living
Is loving and giving.
You'll be there when the winning dice are tossed.
A smile is just a frown
That's turned upside down.
So, smile and that frown'll get lost.
And, don't forget to keep your fingers crossed.

Aren't those just the most splendid theme song lyrics?

Now for a whole slew of stream-of-consciousness style thoughts on a myriad of subjects:

Either today or tomorrow, it will be announced which teachers will be selected to be homeroom teachers.  I suspect this is the reasoning behind many of the male teachers gathering around my desk neighbor's desk and whispering new developments.  It looks to me that they're gossiping like school girls and the sight warms my heart.

We had fresh strawberries at lunch.  They were sooo sweet and delicious.  I hope I can find a friendly man selling bags of strawberries off the back of a flat bed truck so I can enjoy them at home.  They're so spendy from the grocery store, and those back-of-the-truck produce men are much friendlier for my wallet.  :)

We just had church to wish the third graders well before graduation.  This is the first time I've seen most of them since December.  I should preface this by saying that my school prohibits the girls from altering their appearance in any way (no makeup, jewelry (except watches), and no hair dye).  In true rebellious teenager fashion, many of them decided to stick it to the man.  Instead of coming to their last day of school drunk or hungover like many of my high school classmates, they did the most drastic thing it seems Korean culture allows - dying your hair orange, gold (in an attempt to achieve California blond, I suspect), kool-aid red, etc.  Dionne hit the nail on the head when she described them looking like a forest of trees baring their fall colors.   I guess I don't have much to say about it since I, too, pulled a shock value dye job when I was their age.  Let's not forget the day I turned from blond to almost black in a matter of 20 or so minutes.  EEK.  Just another piece of proof that teenagers aren't really that different across cultures...

This week is the last week of the school year.  I've taught three classes all week.  Here's why: No third graders, no afternoon class Monday through Wednesday and no classes Thursday (graduation) or Friday (the remaining students meet their new homeroom teachers).  Bonkers?  Yes.  It's fun to be in the school atmosphere again, but I must confess that I miss the student interaction...  I'm looking forward to the new school year, except that whole lesson planning part.  That part is the things of which headaches are made.  Lucky for me, Dionne stumbled across a huge stash of English curriculum books from previous Morning English programs and Mr. Shin showed us a couple of books from his private stash.  The ideas are forming, now it's just a matter of those ideas translating into lessons.  The cycle begins.  Nice.

On a semi-related note, it feels funny to be starting a new school year in March.  Generally, I associate new school years with warmth, fall colors, new backpacks, clean notebooks and freshly sharpened pencils.  The last three, I can produce.  The first two just might take some getting used to.  But, if there's one thing I have learned to be during the almost six months I've been here (isn't that c.r.a.z.y.??), it's adaptable, sometimes with a capital A.

P.S. Today is my mom's birthday!!!  Today Kris turns 60.  She's a pretty young 60, and she and Bob are taking Sun City West by storm.  Huzzah!  Play a round of golf and eat some pesto today!  Hooray!

Jill in Korea - Vol. 3: Winter Camp

It is 1:37 pm on Monday.  This is my first real day at school since December.  I taught one class today (and by taught, I mean helped facilitate a game with Dionne to a group of 36 giddy second graders).  'Twas delightful.  This week is the last week of the school year and thus, shortened days for the students, no expectations in the classroom except laid back fun and no extras.  This leaves me lots of time.  If I were in the business of planning ahead, this would be the perfect time to plan my lessons for the ensuing school year.  But, we all know that's not my style, so instead I'm spending my time reading blogs, catching up on happenings at home via Facebook and e-mails, reading the pile of snail mail that was delivered to my desk after lunch, and drinking tea from a borrowed paper cup since I forgot my tumbler at home.  What a life I lead.

Behold - the last of the catch-up blogs, which also (sadly) means the last of the awesome photo documentary a la Jill (I'll try to be better, I pinkie swear!):

Since the bulk of what I do here is teaching, that was what I was most excited to share with Jill.  I was excited to show her around the school. have her meet my co-workers and experience firsthand my purpose in this country.  Jill was a more than willing participant and she fit right in.  Everyone loved her!

Before school each day, Chan Yang ordered lunch for delivery at the school.  This was perfect because not only did it give Jill a chance to try several different types of Korean food, but it was free!  It was fun to share a daily meal with Jonah, Mr. Shin and Chan Yang.  

All of the students who attended our two week Winter Camp were new students to us and will be some of the incoming first year students.  We tried to create a fun environment for them and I think they enjoyed themselves...  The first day was spent creating name tags and playing ice breakers like Two Truths and a Lie and untangling a human knot.  One girl sat next to Jill and told her all about her pet hamster.  They were fast pals.  The next day was devoted to teaching (read:  reviewing, since these girls seemed to be ahead of the curve) past tense and playing a quick game of Pass the Paper.  Wednesday was present tense day.  The girls created personal ads, as did Jill and I.  I should have written down some of the posters' contents - they were adorable.  The next day was future tense and we tried to play the famed elementary bus game of M.A.S.H. to predict their futures, but it didn't work out quite like I had hoped...  Oh well.  Much of this camp was trial and error with little time to fix the things that didn't work out well...

These two were a hoot.

My, what diligent listening skills they are displaying...

Giggling during the Bomb game later in the week.  These girls were such sweeties!

The last day of the week, we played a revised version of the BOMB game and baked chocolate chip cookies.  I measured out the ingredients and they mixed the dough.  It was fun to watch the girls cook.  Unfortunately, our toaster oven situation proved disastrous given my oven's apparent and surprising inability to bake a proper cookie.  Almost immediately upon inserting the cookies into the oven, it produced billows of smoke, a foul smell and instantaneously burnt (albeit gooey and delicious) cookie dough.  Rats.  Despite my oven's malfunction, Dionne's oven prevailed and slowly produced enough cookies for each students to enjoy one.  Jill and I tried to teach Chan Yang the wonders of eating cookie dough.  He was not a convert.  As I poured the horrid amount of sugar into the girls' bowls for them to mix, Chan Yang explained that we were making American Style cookies.  That distinction didn't stop Jill and I from ingesting cookie dough at any possible moment.  That is, after all, the best part of baking cookies, in my humble opinion.

Cutting chocolate for our cookies

This girl was one vigorous mixing machine.  Wow.

The other table hard at work - they were so cute to watch!

Jill's last day of camp was Monday.  We had the girls create their own categories for Charades and spent the remainder of the class time playing Charades.  The girls were pretty good and really creative.  It was fun to watch them forced out of their comfort zone.  Once each of the girls had a chance to act out the contents of their card, each of the teachers took a turn, including Chan Yang.  Awesome.

Chan Yang acting out his card while Dionne tries to figure out what he's doing with his hands

The girls were sad to hear that Jill would be leaving and I'm sure she will be the topic of many a question at the beginning of the new school year.  At the end of the day, the principal (who had come to school that day for this express purpose only) invited us into her office for tea, cookies and a chat.  She was so appreciative of Jill spending time at our school and extended an invitation for her to return anytime.  Then, to all of our amazement, she, the vice principal and Mr. Shin presented Jill with gifts of appreciation, including our school's clock (which was also given to all of the teachers as a Christmas gift) and a beautiful handmade traditional Korean mirror.  Jill was taken quite by surprise.

Tea in the Principal's office

Most of the campers and all of the teachers.  I like to think a good time was had by all...

The girls were sad the next day at camp when they realized Jill really wasn't coming back, but they soldiered on.  The rest of the week was pretty no big deal...until Friday.  We created a list of challenges for the girls to complete, some using English that they had learned over the week and others making the girls perform random tasks that Dionne and I thought would be fun (or at the very least funny).  We had them put together puzzles made from pictures of Justin Bieber photo spreads from Tiger Beat magazine that Jill brought, sing songs, whistle with a mouthful of crackers, unwrap chocolate wearing oven mits, and tell stories using flashcards, among other things.  My absolute favorite task was having them make another team a fruit salad with some pretty nasty condiments and then eating the salad that was concocted for them by another team.  Some teams were ruthless, making their fruit salad super spicy with mustard, pepper paste and vinegar.  Other teams were super sweet to each other, asking each other what they wanted in their salads.  It was, surprisingly, a pretty true testament of their personalities and character.

Winter Camp got me pretty jazzed for the upcoming school year.  More than that, however, getting the chance to share this chunk of my life with Jill was pretty dang special and I'm so thankful that she would take time out to come to Korea to visit!  Seriously, words cannot accurately describe how delightful it was to have her here!  It was just the taste of home, kinship, pure joy and uncensored laughter that I had (unbeknownst to me) been craving.  Thanks, again, for the magical time pal!

Jill in Korea - Vol. 2: DMZ-ing, Hongdae-ing, Jimjilbang-ing

Diane, Jill and I awoke at the ripe time of 5:20 am in order to ensure that we left the hostel promptly at 6 am so as to arrive at the USO by 7:00.  We arrived to the USO right on time after wandering around looking for a place to buy breakfast.  They are very strict about providing the correct documents in order to partake in the tour (you MUST present either a passport or valid military i.d.) and one guy from the group in front of us was unable to board the bus because he didn't bring his passport.  They don't mess around on this tour.  There's even a dress code!

The bus ride from the USO in Seoul to the DMZ was about an hour and a half.  The DMZ tour is comprised of several components.  First, we arrived at Camp Bonifas which is the United Nations Command post (it was known as Camp Kitty Hawk and Camp Liberty Bell before it was renamed in 1986 to commemorate a captain killed in a now infamous ax murder on the part of North Korean soldiers).  Upon arrival at Camp Bonifas, we were joined by an American soldier who would serve as our tour guide for the first half or so of the tour.  He was really intense, and rightfully so given the circumstances, but his lack of emotion and his cold demeanor took a little getting used to, especially given the bubbly personality of our USO tour guide.  We were made to sign an agreement that we wouldn't talk to, gesture toward or engage in any sort of verbal or non verbal communication with any North Korean soldiers or even in the direction of North Korea.  We were also under strict orders not to take pictures unless we were specifically told it was allowed.  Once we had all signed the agreement, we sat through a 20 minute presentation explaining the events that established the DMZ and the reasons for the present day high security environment of Camp Bonifas.

Following the presentation, we were taken to the Joint Security Area (JSA).  This area is where the Armistice Agreement of 1953 (the agreement that ended the war in a ceasefire) is enforced by both sides.  There are two big gorgeous buildings on either side of four blue buildings that are divided in half by small cement slabs.  The cement slabs mark the border between North and South Korean territory at the JSA.  As we stood outside the South Korean side looking across to the North Korean building, we were informed that this was the critical time not to make any gestures of any kind toward North Korea.  Why?  Because we were being filmed and photographed by North Korea in an attempt to score some propaganda or to capture footage of someone important who may or may not be part of our tour group.  It was eerie to be aware that we were being photographed simply because we were standing on a specific side of a cement slab.  There was a lone soldier standing guard outside the North Korean building across the way and I couldn't help but wonder if he believed in what he was doing and what his country and government stand for or if he secretly wished he could be on the other side.  North Korean men are made to serve 10 years in the military while women serve four years (if I remember correctly...).  It's so strange to think about how backwards North Korea seems and how together South Korea is given their close proximity and mutually nightmarish past.

After a spiel about the buildings between the two larger buildings and the antics of North Korean soldiers, we were ushered into one of the blue buildings.  This building is where officials from North and South Korea and different members of the U.N. coalition have negotiation talks.  This is also where tourists are able to step foot into North Korean territory.  This room is under especially tight security since it is accessible to both sides.  In the building with us were three South Korean soldiers who were at the ready to rip someone's head off at any sign of necessity.  They were real intense dudes and we were told we could take pictures with / of them but under no circumstances were we to touch them.  Pretty intense stuff.

That small sidewalk halfway between that patch of snow is what separates North and South Korea at this particular area

The North Korean soldier - I wish I knew what he thought about all day...

South Korean soldier inside the negotiation room

For the remainder of the tour, we were shuttled around on a bus with the American soldier pointing out and explaining points of interest and the stories behind them.  We went to two different lookout points where we could see North Korea, their propaganda village and a factory compound.  We also drove past the Bridge of No Return which is the sight of a POW exchange following the 1953 armistice agreement where soldiers from both sides were brought to the bridge and told to choose on which side of the bridge they wanted to live.  The catch was that they were never allowed to change their mind and return to the other side, hence the name of the bridge.  In an instant, these soldiers were made to choose whether they wanted to return to their families in the north and a guarantee of life under a repressive government or if they wanted to live in a free, probably prosperous nation, but never see their family again.  That's a pretty loaded decision to be making. 

The Bridge of No Return

North Korea - If you look at a picture of the DMZ and the surrounding area of a couple of km radius, you can distinctly tell where the line is because of the difference in lush plants and trees.  It's mind blowing.

There are still land mines strewn about in the DMZ

After we parted ways with our soldier guide, our USO guide took us to another spot of interest.  North Korea dug several tunnels into South Korea so that in the event of a North Korean invasion, several thousand troops would be able to secretly access South Korea in a matter of hours.  Four such tunnels have been discovered and there are rumored to be about 17 in total.  One of the tunnels has been excavated so that tourists can go inside and explore it, seeing for themselves how it would work for North Korean soldiers to venture through to the South.  We were given helmets and walked at a steep incline for the distance of a 20 story building laid on its side.  Once we reached the tunnel, we had to hunch our backs to keep from hitting our heads on the rock ceiling.  The tunnel went on for quite a while and at the end of the point to which tourists have access, we were able to look through a small peephole to North Korean territory.  The endpoint of our access to the tunnel was clearly marked with barbed wire, signs and a surveillance camera.  The area to which we were able to walk was only one third of the length of the tunnel.  The second third is filled with live land mines to discourage any North Koreans from putting the tunnel to use.  Yowza.  On the way into and out of the tunnel, Jill wondered aloud why we had to wear helmets.  Just as she made her remark, my back started to get a little tight, so I straightened it out as much as I could without being able to fully stand up.  Almost instantaneously after she uttered her comment, a nasty noise could be heard: the sound of contact between the rock ceiling and my helmet.  I hit my head at least 10 times throughout the course of the tunnel hike.  I now have a deep appreciation for those helmets.

Following our emergence from the tunnel, Jill asked our USO tour guide, a Korean college student, what her opinion was on the subject of reunification between the North and South.  Her answer was a bit astounding.  Basically, she said that of course in a perfect world, everyone wants reunification.  But, reunification isn't just that easy.  When you take two areas of similar geographic area, one that is underdeveloped, poverty stricken and barren, and one that is industrialized, modern and quite prosperous, it becomes the responsibility of the South to build up the North.  Our tour guide said that while reunification sounds like a nice idea in theory, she wasn't so sure she wanted to foot the bill.  What we found so interesting about this response was her pure honesty.  Jill pointed out to us that many Americans hold the same sentiment when dealing with problems on the home front - poverty, hunger, welfare, etc., but only the boldest people are willing to admit their gut instinct for not wanting to tackle issues - they don't think it's their responsibility to pay for it.  No one really wants to admit that they don't want to pay for other people to live better lives.  It doesn't sound politically correct and while there are plenty of people who could care less about being PC, there are also plenty of people who bend over backwards to remain PC at all times.  Rarely do you hear Koreans say something that isn't PC.  And yet, this young woman said, without batting an eyebrow, that it wasn't her deal.  The next Monday at school, my principal and I were talking about our trip to the DMZ and she and I had a fascinating two minute conversation about the situation.  She said she would love to see reunification but it's not that easy.  Many more resources, manpower and development go into reunification than simply breaking down the border and throwing some money to the North.  What would reunification mean for Korea in the short term as well as the long term?  Would they lose footing on the world stage because they would have to (to some extent) change their focus from production to rebuilding?  Would it be worth the inevitable sacrifices?  If you want to enter into a perplexing conversation, ask a Korean their feelings on reunification.  It's astounding stuff.

After a quick lunch, we made a trip to the optimist side of the reunification situation:  a train station that is all set to function once the border between the two Koreas is open.  This train station is fully functioning and would open up travel not only all over the Korean peninsula but also between Europe and Asia.  The only thing it needs is for North Korea to be open.  It's bonkers to me that they would build such an expensive symbol of optimism.  It just illustrates the paradox between the pro and con arguments for reunification.  Despite the logical and practical arguments for reunification, of course the ultimate goal is to reunite, no matter the cost.

After a rather intense afternoon of mind boggling political issues, we did a little shopping for our night on the town in Hongdae (a neighborhood in Seoul that is a popular nightlife destination for Koreans and foreigners alike, also the same neighborhood as our hostel).  Diane had not originally planned to go out with us after the DMZ, but after some persuasive arguments, Jill convinced her that she should stay in town and go out with us.  Maria would also be joining us and none of us had properly packed for a clubbing situation, so we hit up our old standby, Forever 21, for some appropriate attire.  After a delightful time getting ready to go out, including a raucous photo shoot, we left the hostel at almost 11:00 in search of a hearty dinner.

Watch out Hongdae - four ladies on the prowl...

We arrived at our restaurant of choice, ordered our food and drinks and had an awesome dinner - full of laughs, meaningful toasts, good food and bonding with the restaurateur.  By the end of the meal, we were ready to move the party to a noraebong (Korean style karaoke where each group has their own private room rather than singing in front of the whole bar - quite popular with all ages).  We still had half a bottle of soju on our hands so we decided to share with the handsome Korean gentlemen at the table next to us.  We all took the shot in unison and they thanked us from afar, showing little interest in talking to us.  Satisfied with our bold move and delicious meal, we asked our server where we could find the nearest noraebong.  We smuggled our own makgali (Korean rice wine - super smooth and very low alcohol content) into the noraebong and got down to business singing and having a merry time.

Within 10 minutes, there was a knock on the door.  We were surprised to see the three men from the restaurant standing outside the door to our noraebong room.  We still aren't sure how they found us, but we weren't too concerned about that.  We invited them in and, despite the language barrier, had a good time singing and talking.  We found out they were tattoo artists (what are the odds?  Many Koreans still find tattoos distasteful and until the last couple of years, the only place in which to get a tattoo was at a doctor's office or an army base - oh times, they are a changin'!).  After a sincere inquiry as to how much her desired tattoo would cost, one of the guys offered to give Maria a tattoo - FOR FREE.  We were all astounded at this generous offer, as were the other two guys and we made him sign several pieces of paper vouching that he was serious about his promise and would make good on the offer later.  We also took a picture for Maria to use as reminder when she went in for the tattoo.  Once our time at the noraebong was over, they took us to a couple of clubs.  We had a good time dancing and taking in the Hongdae nightlife experience.  We awoke the next morning (read: afternoon) and recounted the evening.  We were still baffled that we so randomly met Korean tattoo artists and had such a good time with them.  Maria was quite serious about getting this free tattoo so Jill and I set out with her in search of the shop so she could remind them of their agreement.  After much rigmarole, we were greeted by one of the guys and led to their shop.  They did indeed remember their agreement with Maria and there are plans in the works to make good on their promise.  No worries, Mom and Dad - no new tattoos for this kid, though after seeing their work, I am confident that they would do a good job.  :)

Proof.

Jill and our new Korean pals...

Jill and I had a pretty low key Sunday, ordering pizza, recounting our weekend and hanging out.  The next day was Jill's last day in Korea as she was due to fly out on Tuesday.  We decided to spend her last night in Korea experiencing one of the most Korean things a foreigner can do - a trip to the public bath.

We met Maria and set out for a jimjilbang (the Korean term for public bath) that Hyunjoo had recommended to me.  We walked in to the building and were greeted by Koreans of all ages.  For a Monday night, I was surprised to see how busy the place was.  We paid 8,000 won (a little more than $5), were given our jimjilbang outfits (matching orange shirts and shorts - the biggest size they offered since we're foreigners) and instructed to put our shoes in provided lockers.  We were escorted up to the second floor because we obviously had no idea where to go and were shown the layout.  The second floor was the women's bath and changing area.  This is where we disrobed, took the preliminary shower and took a nice long soak in one of several hot tubs set to varying temperatures.  Did I mention that this is all done stark naked?  I was surprised at how comfortable I was in a sea of naked Korean women.  It had been awhile since using public showers in high school, but that was what it felt like, with four hot tubs and a sauna thrown in...  All around us, friends were talking as if they were in a coffee shop, mothers were washing the backs of their daughters and old ladies walked around like they owned the place.  As odd as it may sound, it was a beautiful environment.  Koreans are not as outwardly affectionate with their children as many Americans seem to be, but seeing mothers and daughters of all ages bathing each other was a more intimate look into the intricacies of Korean culture.  It wasn't uncomfortable as I had worried it might be.  It seems so natural that people would enjoy a trip to the spa with their family and friends.  Not only did a soak in the hot tubs refresh us at our long night on the town, but it was awesome (and not in the generic overused-by-teenagers sense of the word) to experience this beautifully intimate portrait of Korean life.  The beauty didn't stop there.

The third floor was comprised of about six saunas, all set to different temperatures and with different minerals present.  (The other floors housed the men's bath area, a restaurant and an outdoor pool that was obviously closed due to the currently frigid climate.)  Since the sauna floor was co-ed, we wore our provided outfits.  As soon as we entered the sauna floor, a couple of old men expressed their positive impressions of our bravery in attending a jimjilbang and our ability to withstand the heat of the saunas.  Despite our language barriers, they were obviously impressed by our presence in the sauna and our unabashed willingness to talk to them.  Oh Korea.  We spent a good amount of time in each of the saunas, including one that was set so high that not only did you need a mat with which to sit in it, but there was also a woman stationed at the door to open and close it for the people entering and leaving that particular sauna.  It was in this sauna that Maria saw one of her students.  Her student was so embarrassed to have seen Maria in a jimjilbang (that had been one of my major concerns - running into a student or teacher on the second floor!  EEK!) but both Maria and the girl's mom assured her that is was no big deal.  We also spent some time in the common area between the saunas which included a snack bar, nooks for sleeping and an area in the middle for lazing about reading, talking or looking deep into the eyes of your significant other.  It was fun to observe the family dynamics present in this common area (and the saunas) as well as the ways teenage couples interacted with each other.  After feeling appropriately cleansed (I haven't sweat that much in a REAL long time!), we took one last shower and dip in the hot tubs before emerging from the jimjilbang with a new lease on life, and new insight into Korean culture.

Jill in Korea - Vol. 1: Monday - Friday

Jill's visit to Korea was so epic (or maybe my writing about it is so long winded :) ) that it warrants three separate posts - here's the first one.

We got back to Seoul after a smooth-ish flight situation (nothing happened that made us miss flights and we received all of our luggage, so I chalk it up to success!).  To make a long, boring story short, I would advise my dear readers to avoid flying through China, unless, of course, you are visiting China, in which case you wouldn't encounter the problems we did.  By the time we got through customs and claimed our baggage, it was about 10 pm.  This didn't worry me, since it doesn't seem too late, right?  Wrong.  We missed the last bus back to Gwangju.  Ordinarily, this wouldn't have been that big of deal, but we had to be at school the next day at 11 am and the last thing I wanted to do was sleep in an airport to catch a 6 am bus.  Instead, we opted for a taxi.  It cost more than I'm willing to admit, but it was totally worth it when you factor in the comfort of being home, the curbside drop off and the travel time that was cut in half.

Here is a break down of what our week consisted, minus Winter Camp which warrants its own post:
Monday:  We were tuckered out from our trip, travels and teaching so we decided to take it easy.  We went to E-Mart to visit my duk boki pals for dinner.  We split an order of duk boki and Jill also saw a skewer of vegetable, rice cake and what I'll call sausage, though I'm pretty sure it was not in fact sausage.  This skewer was bathing in a very spicy sauce, but we weren't afraid.  We weren't afraid, that is, until we took a bite from the skewer.  That is the first time since I've been in Korea that I felt as though I was a fire breathing dragon.  Wowza.  The rest of the evening was spent shopping for food at E-Mart since my cupboards were bare and watching movies.

Tuesday:  Jonah (Dionne's son who helped at Winter Camp) is an avid photographer, so Jill and Jonah talked shop during the school day.  Jonah told Jill about a camera lens he found in the famed Yongsan Electronics Market for real cheap.  Jill's ears perked up at the sound of acquiring cheap camera equipment, so we set off for some deals.  I had never been there before so I had no idea where we were going once we got to the area of town.  Jonah gave Jill directions, but we got confused and just ended up wandering around.  This market is huge, as in, 20 buildings housing over 5,000 shops.  Jill had decided before we got there that she probably wouldn't purchase anything so our adventure became a night of wandering aimlessly, taking in Jill's first taste of Seoul.  We stumbled upon a street of bootleg dvd tents and bought five dvds for roughly $7.50.  Not too shabby.  We had a very Korean dinner of soup and sides before coming home to watch our movies.  

Wednesday:  We ventured to Gangnam so Jill could experience the famed fish pedicure.  We sipped our obligatory lattes while we tried to plan our weekend adventure.  As this was my first hot drink at the Dr. Fish Cafe, I was pleasantly surprised to find their affinity for latte art!  All I could master in my days as a barista was an ill-fated accidental heart, so these works of art were particularly impressive to me.

After our lattes, we headed over to the fish tanks.  Since I've blogged extensively about fish pedicures in the past (see: here and here), I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  Let's just say, Jill is a giggler.

The fish - doin' work.

After the fish finished their business (Jill could honestly feel a difference :) ) and we did a little bit of shopping, we stopped for dinner.  We went to a place that looked really busy, which is an indicator that it serves good food.  We sat down and tried to order what we thought everyone else had, which looked really good.  After perusing the menu, we made what we thought was a delightful choice.  We also ordered beer.  Since I don't drink that often, I forgot that the beer here is served in huge bottles that usually serve two or three people.  We ordered two bottles.  We got a funny look from the waitress, but she brought out two bottles nonetheless.  When she arrived at our table, she had another kid with her.  They saw the look on our faces when we saw the size of the beer bottles, had a quick discussion between them and took one of the bottles away as they opened the other one.  Many minutes later, after many other customers who were seated after us had been served, we still hadn't received our food.  We soon understood why.  In Korea, many restaurants make their specialty dish in very large quantities so that they can serve it pretty much on demand.  Apparently, not only had we failed to order what everyone else was eating, but we also managed to order a dish that they don't often make because they actually had to cook our meal rather than merely dish it up like that of what everyone else had ordered.  Oops.  Whatever it was that we ordered (stir fried veggies, spam (!) and other meat...probably pork) was not a hot commodity, but it sure did taste good!

Next, we hit up my favorite dessert cafe.  We ordered some sort of cheesecake ice cream and a piece of cake to share.  What we received was definitely not cheesecake flavored, but rather some sort of chocolate fudge situation.  We decided not to make a fuss and just eat it.  A few minutes later, the server guy came over with our cheesecake ice cream in tow.  He assured us that the chocolate ice cream was merely a sample.  Sure it was, buddy.  :)

On the way back to the subway station, we decided to try out one of the media poles that are stationed every hundred feet or so.  These are the poles that give directions, news and weather reports and take pictures that can then be e-mailed to those who partake.  Of course, we did.

E-mailing our picture to Jill...

Thursday:  Since we had a very big weekend planned, we decided to stay in Gwangju Thursday afternoon and night.  We made a trip to the post office because we both had letters to mail and then we walked around the market and random side streets.  We happened upon what is now my favorite Gwangju cafe, a small, trendy hole in the wall called Brown Story that sells organic coffee, makes delightful lattes and serves lemon water.  I'm in love.  On the way to the post office, we had run in to my friend Tara and invited her and her fiance Joe to join us for dinner at our favorite shabu shabu restaurant.  Tara and Joe are planning to spend some time volunteering in Chile before starting a tour business in New Zealand.  Since Jill studied in Chile for six months, it was a perfect time for them to chat.  We had a great dinner with great conversation.

The shabu shabu spread

Friday:  That morning before camp, we booked beds in the Yellow Submarine Seoul Guesthouse 2.0, a hostel in a neighborhood known for its nightlife.  While there were several hostels in the neighborhood, I've always been a sucker for a good gimmick, thus making the Yellow Submarine the obvious choice.  We chose correctly.  About a 10 minute walk from the subway, it was in a quiet area, but close to everything we needed.  I highly recommend it!  Anyway, once we dropped our stuff off at the Yellow Submarine, we hopped back on the subway to meet Diane and Maria in Myeongdong.  Before we met Diane, Maria, Jill and I grabbed some street food to tie us over until after the show we were about to see.

Jill ate a corndog that was fried with french fries in the batter.  Awesome.

Duk boki (for Maria) and a plate of cabbage and mandu (for me).  Amazing.

We had plans to attend the famed NANTA! show.  (NANTA! is similar to Stomp!, but uses cooking utensils instead of industrial materials.)  It also involved audience participation.  In addition to claps, cheering and stomping, twice during the show, the cast came out to the audience to choose people to come do things on stage.  At one such point during the show, I was chosen to come up on stage along with an older man to try the soup they had just concocted.  Since the plot of the show is that the cooks are preparing food for a wedding banquet, they use these two people as the couple for whose wedding they are preparing the meal.  At the end of our time on stage, they made us walk arm in arm downstage while they threw rice at us.  Jill illegally took pictures of this monstrosity:

eating soup with my new husband :)

As the show ended, they projected our picture on a large screen at the back of the stage.  As we walked out of the theater, I was handed a keepsake photo of my onstage experience.  Delightful.  The show itself was quite fun and entertaining!  We really enjoyed it!

Our final stop for the night was dinner.  We enjoyed a dinner of chicken galbi which is chicken, vegetables and rice cakes all stir fried with some spicy sauce.  Then, they fry rice once the rest of the food is gone.  So good!  We made plans for the next night before we parted ways with Maria.  We called it an early night because we had to be at the USO at 7:00 am sharp for our tour of the DMZ.  Stay tuned for the rest of the story...

Jill and Diane imitating Korean picture taking culture

The whole group