Memoirs of a Kindergarten Teacher, pt. 3

For my third installment of my Memoirs of a Kindergarten Teacher series, I have a new kindergarten job to report on. Instead of teaching my own class of students, a class of structure and high academic standards, I am now a traveling kindergarten teacher, visiting approximately twenty-eight kindergarten classes a week, providing twenty-minute English lessons to students who understand practically no English.

Every twenty-minute lesson is structured the same way: I ask the students, "How are you today? Are you angry? (and I make an angry face with devil horns on my head) Are you sad? (I make a sad face and pretend to cry) Are you hungry? (rub my belly) Are you tired? (pretend to sleep) Or are you HAPPY?? (I put a huge smile on my face)" Then the kids are supposed to yell, "YES! HAPPY!" Then I ask, "How's the weather today? Raining? (NO!) Cold? (NO!) Cloudy? (NO!) Sunny? (YESSS!)" Often when I ask the kids how they are doing, the most common response is, "SUNNY!" Clearly some of these students are not understanding my question. But they are so gosh darn cute, so whatever.

Then I read them a book, having them repeat each word I read. Afterwards, we do a matching game based on the main vocabulary words we learn from the book. In an ideal class, the class's teacher will be sitting with the kids, helping them stay engaged in the lesson, and all of the kids will be participating happily. And sometimes I will get to teach this ideal class. However, more often than not, the teacher will be absent from the class, either literally or figuratively (by figuratively, I mean the teacher is physically present, but mentally she is focused on the screen of her smart phone and oblivious to the chaos being ensued by her students). When this happens, the students, who seem to think of me as more of a clown than an educator, run wild. And I mean wild. You think I'm exaggerating? After only a few weeks in this job, here are some of the things I have witnessed in this kindergarten jungle:

One boy pulled one of his slipper's off his foot and slapped his neighbor across the face. One girl pulled down her pants and shoved her bare bottom in the face of a classmate. Many students have run up to me and poked me in my private parts. One time all the students started chanting one word at me. I am not sure what this word was, but when I sternly said "Stop!" they proceeded to chant, "Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" Several students have broken into an ear-piercing scream for no apparent reason. One boy decided to just drop his pants to his ankles and grin at me. Kids wrestle. Kids do somersaults. Kids pull out the classroom toys and play. And all the while I am sitting on a tiny chair, saying "Shh! Quiet! Stop! HEEEEYYYY!"and finally resort to watching the clock until my 20 minutes are up. And literally, sometimes this will happen with their teacher present! I don't know if she thinks she is off the clock for twenty minutes and is purposely leaving all of the classroom management responsibilities to a man who speaks very little Korean, but if the class were to catch on fire, she might still be consumed by her smart phone (and eventually the flames!).

And this chaos leaves me with a dilemma: part of me wants to say, Whatever, I am still getting paid, whether or not these kids are actually learning. But as a professional educator who cares about teaching, I have a hard time not fulfilling the lesson, and I have a hard time letting these kids get away with such obscene behavior. But what am I to do? Well, I now know there are certain Korean phrases I need to learn, such as, "Be quiet! Sit down! Put your pants back on!" But if saying those phrases doesn't work, then what? Maybe I will resort to turning on a fan and closing all of the windows/doors in the classroom and see how they react. (for those of you confused by this statement, look up "fan death")

I don't mean to imply that this is how most of my classes are. The average class is somewhere in between the utter chaos and the class of angels. However, I do experience the chaos more than the serenity, and it makes me wonder what is expected of these English lessons.

Luckily I get to spend my evenings teaching well-educated scientists and businessmen who I can have intelligent conversations with. It provides much-needed balance to my life, the yin to my yang.

On a different note, in my last entry I pledged to find more to love about Korea. Yesterday, during a rock climbing excursion in the countryside outside of Pohang, an elderly couple slowly drove past us down the rode in a long tractor. The husband was driving while his wife was sitting on a stacked bundle of recently harvested rice grass. They were dressed modestly and had very weathered skin. They were born in a Korea entirely contrasting to what we live in today, an agrarian society where rice literally was the life source. A generation that lived through a Japanese occupation, a bloody civil war, a devastated country, famine, military dictatorship, and then modernization/westernization as fast as a blink of an eye. Despite the mad dash for the posh urban lifestyle of lattes and smart phones, this couple is continuing the lifestyle familiar to them. We waved to each other, and I found myself saying aloud, "I love that!" So there you have it, one more thing to love about Korea, the remnants of the old world, slowly driving by and waving from a tractor. It will be sad to see Korea twenty years from now when the old world is strictly just a memory or an exhibit in museums.

Fall has also been exceptionally beautiful, both with the autumn colors in the trees, as well as the soon-to-be harvest rice fields of gold and green grass painting the landscape everywhere outside of the city. Here are some photos I took recently:

The rice fields outside Pohang.

The rice fields outside Pohang.

The rice fields outside Pohang.

The rice fields outside Pohang.

Taken from Geoje Island, south of Busan.

Taken from Geoje Island, south of Busan.

Bogyeongsa Park
(Below-Right) Mary doing a handstand at Bogyeongsa

 

Posing on my new scooter

Taken at a temple in Gyeongju. 

 

And we're back!

Two months ago I wrote what I believed to be my last entry from Korea. I had a plan to spend only one year in Korea, then head home, plant my roots in the great city of Portland, OR, and begin my career as a high school history teacher. Little did I know that none of that would come into fruition, or not yet at least.

You see, at the heart of my gleeful adventures in this great country was a loving relationship I thought I could walk away from at the end of my year. I'm not sure I have ever been more blind to reality, because it turns out that the last thing I wanted was to walk away from something so beautiful. Three days away from Korea, my girlfriend and I were already talking about my potential return. It didn't take much for us to decide that this is what we want, so I booked a surprisingly cheap ticket back to Seoul and returned for another chapter.

I only plan to be here for five months until Mary's contract ends. Then, who knows where we'll go in this oyster of a world! Due to the brief length of time I have here, I could not find any contractual teaching jobs at a school. So instead I have found a handful of different sources of income, all involving teaching, but to a variety of ages and skill levels.

Every day, around 10am, I am picked up from my apartment by one of three people (all of whom are in the same family) and they drive me to a few different schools to teach 20 minute lessons to pre-K and Kindergarten classes. On average I teach the same 20 minute lesson to eight different classes. Usually this lesson consists of reading a picture book, having the students repeat each word I read. Then we follow that with a matching game relating to the book. It could not be an easier thing to teach! There are minor struggles of course, like the kids not knowing a lick of English, which makes classroom management tricky. But really, I am spoiled to have this job! And frankly I'm embarrassed by how much I get paid for this, but I am certainly not complaining!

For an hour an evening, four evenings a week, I go to the big steel factory to teach English to a group of 11 men and a woman who work in the head office. They all appear to be in their twenties, and their English is strong enough for me to have conversations with them. And that's really what we spend most of our time doing, having conversations. They say their biggest struggles are speaking and listening, and that's what they want to practice. So I facilitate some ice breakers, we play games, we have discussions about social issues, and we have fun. It is a very laid back atmosphere in this class, and so far I am enjoying it thoroughly.

One of the most fulfilling parts about teaching this class is I have an opportunity to ask Koreans real questions about their culture and country and get substantial answers. One day, I asked them to think of one reason they are proud to be Koreans. Two men answered that Korea has never colonized other lands. One man answered that 60 years ago, dozens of countries banded together to support South Korea during their turmoil and provide aid to help the country get back on its feet after the war. And now, Korea has brought itself to a state of being able to provide similar aid to other countries who now need it. And the general answer among the entire class is that 30 years ago, South Korea was still considered third-world, but through a unified effort to work extremely hard, both in school and in their careers, and despite having no natural resources or a large population, they have managed to build the 15th largest economy in the world.

So the kindergarten loop and the steel factory are the only two jobs I have started working so far, but I also have two former co-workers getting me set up with potential tutoring jobs, one to two teenage sisters, and one to an elderly man. Those jobs will provide a significant increase to my wages, so naturally I hope they work out! I also have set up guitar lessons with two friends of mine.

When I made the decision to return to Korea, the only things on my mind were returning to my girlfriend and finding work. When I arrived, I hit the ground running! But now that I've had a handful of days off (this weekend was Korea's Thanksgiving, providing most people with a five-day weekend), I am realizing that there is so much more for me to take advantage of than just spending time with my girlfriend and working. This is like a 2nd chance to do some of the things I didn't get to my first time around. I am working half the amount of hours than before, and I am finding myself wondering, What can I do to occupy my time? I haven't figured out a plan as of yet, but one idea I have is to designate some of my free time for learning. Perhaps I will sign up for an online history class, or buy some more history books to study on my own. I have always been interested in learning more about Buddhism, and recently began reading up on it. Maybe I will occasionally visit a temple for meditation to experience that aspect of the religion. I can also devote some time to learning more of the Korean language. Mary is currently taking a class, maybe she'll be so kind as to share what she learns with me!

And of course there is always exercise! Mary and I have a goal to spend more time slack-lining in a nearby park. For those of you unsure of what slack-lining is, think tight-rope walking on a strap that is about one inch thick. Obviously it's great for building balance, but also works out your core. And although I absolutely loathe jogging, I also hate how out of shape I am as a jogger. So I am trying to motivate myself to make jogging a normal part of my schedule. I'd better get in that groove soon, because once it gets cold, it will be extremely difficult for me to get motivated!

I plan to keep my mind open for more ways to experience Korea in a new light than before. I want to take advantage of this 2nd chance. I would like to find new things to appreciate about this country and the culture. My general feeling during my first year here was I like it here, but I don't love it here. I would like to find things to love. And I want to keep my mind open enough to allow myself to love and not just dwell on the "like it, don't love it" attitude.

Hopefully my next entry will include a report of new things to love!

Final Thoughts from Korea

Can you believe it, a year has come and gone here in Korea?! This will be my last entry from Korea, and I think it's fitting to reflect on the year. 

First, I'd like to reflect on the fact that this has been a year of firsts! That's what I came here for, new experiences. And new experiences are what I had! Of course, the big first is living outside of the U.S. Along with that came all the new food (first time eating kangaroo, snake, crocodile, cow intestines, pig ears, crab guts, silk worm larvae, and pig spine soup). Sitting on the floor in restaurants. Getting covered from head to toe in mud. Using a "squatter" toilet. Visiting a third-world country (Cambodia). Camping on the beach. Camping in a graveyard. Visiting a Buddhist temple. Playing paintball. Going to a communal bathhouse. Driving a scooter. Learning a new alphabet. Having an international group of friends. Teaching kindergarten. Participating in a flashmob. Spending Christmas without my family. 

There are some admirable traits about the Korean culture that I wouldn't mind America paying attention to, including their respect for the elderly; the sense of community and sharing, even among strangers (many times while hiking or rock climbing, nearby hikers/climbers would share their food with us before we've even interacted with them); the safety of this country and the fact that I have never once had to worry about being harmed or stolen from; the consumption of all parts of an animal, minimizing waste of a sacrificed life (though I bit into many questionable parts of an animal, at least I know it wasn't wasted); the hard-working nature of all people, and the sacrifice/dedication they all made to bring this country into the 1st world (they make Americans sound whiny!); their high respect for teachers (can I get an "Amen!"). 

There are also some traits about this society that I don't wish to spread to America, such as their attitude and prejudices towards other ethnicities; their ignorance of the world (I know Americans are also guilty of this, but on several occasions people were confused as to why my girlfriend wasn't black when they found out she is from South Africa...); the high rate of alcoholism (I had never before in my life seen so many drunk men stumbling down the street as if the zombie apocalypse had begun); the obsession with smart phones (again, I know Americans are guilty of this, but Korea brings it to a whole new level, such as putting smart phones in clear, waterproof casings so they can chat with friends while on a water slide). 

And then there are the silly aspects of Korean culture that just make me laugh (sometimes out of frustration), for instance, being cut in front of in many lines because I wasn't right up against the person in front of me (something I eventually learned to prevent); having to wear life vests on water slides, even though the deepest the water gets is 2 feet (most Koreans don't know how to swim, so they are quite cautious!); seeing one city block with 7 outdoor gear shops and no customers inside them; seeing 6 people working behind the counter of a coffee shop and still waiting several minutes for my drink; the general fear of the sun (on the hottest of days, you'll still see Koreans wearing full sleeves, long pants, a big visor, and sometimes even fabric covering their entire neck and face so as to keep the sun off of their skin); no room for improvisation or customization (when I tried to order a peppermint white mocha at starbucks, they told me I could get a peppermint mocha, or a white mocha, but not a peppermint white mocha. When I asked if they could put both peppermint and white mocha syrups into my drink, they told me I could get a peppermint mocha, or a white mocha, but not a peppermint white mocha). 

Possibly the most fascinating aspect of Korean life and culture is the generational divide between the young and the elderly. 60 years ago, this country was devastated by war, followed by famine and a long-standing military dictatorship. 30 years ago, South Korea was still considered third-world, and had a GDP comparable to North Korea. However, they have since pulled themselves up through hard work and endless studying, and have built the 15th largest economy in the world and are as technologically developed as the rest of the world powers. When I look at Koreans age 35 and younger, I see fashion, smart phones, luxuries, plastic surgery, new cars, stay-home moms, and lattes. When I see Koreans age 60 and older, I see weathered skin, the same floral patterned pants and large visors, women who are permanently bent over after 50 years of working in the fields, men slowly riding their beat-up bicycles in a wobbly, zig-zag pattern that makes me wonder how they haven't zagged in front of a moving car, and men and women planting crops in any undeveloped plot of land they can find. I can see that many values and mindsets have been carried on along the generations, but the differences in lives lived between the two age groups is probably more drastic than in most of the world. 

So as I've learned so much about a foreign culture and country, I have also learned a lot about myself and people in general. I now know what it's like to be an immigrant, one who knows very little of the native tongue, and has to figure out the customs and manners through trial and error and help from friends. I have learned how to teach students who are still learning English. Living abroad doesn't always have to be such a difficult experience. I have learned that I actually have more culture than I thought. Kids are kids, no matter where you go. I can work hard, and play hard, and still function. I can work at the worst teaching job in Pohang and still be a happy person. After several months of not eating good donuts, Dunkin Donuts doesn't seem so bad anymore.

I am sure people will ask me for highlights or favorite events/experiences, but I know I won't be able to narrow anything down. When I look back on my time here, I'm sure I'll remember MANY events, experiences, traditions, etc. like all of the festivals, going to Pohang Steelers games (professional soccer), rock climbing, playing soccer on Thurs nights, playing in volleyball and ultimate frisbee tournaments, dancing in the flashmob, eating pizza and playing Settlers of Catan on Sunday nights, camping in a variety of locations, weekend beach parties with half of Pohang's English teachers, snowboarding in the beautiful mountains, hiking past the waterfalls of Bogyeongsa, organizing a scavenger hunt that around 40 people participated in, scenic drives on my scooter, my weekend trip to Seoroksan National Park, my 3-day weekend in Yeosu for the World's Fair, and my holiday trips to Cambodia, Japan, and Hong Kong (and soon Malaysia). How could anyone choose a favorite or highlight among that list?! 

I guess the only honest answer to the question of highlights would be to say the relationships I built here were the ultimate highlight, since without those relationships, the experiences would not be so memorable. What really made my experience great was my friends from around the world who introduced me to Korea upon my arrival, who shared in new experiences with me, who listened to me vent about my horrible job, and make me laugh after a long week, who explored and adventured with me, who encouraged me to get involved with new things, and who made me feel comfortable and loved. And I owe a lot of gratitude to my girlfriend, who took my experiences here to an entirely higher level, with our countless adventures, weekend expeditions, endless athletic endeavors, and uncontrollable silliness. She opened my eyes to new perspectives, pushed me to try new things, brought out the child in me, and was the perfect companion for every occasion. She was the best thing that happened to me here, and she is the hardest part about leaving. 

My final thoughts are this: when I first decided to come out here, I had no idea what to expect. I wasn't pee-in-my-pants excited about coming to Korea, but I didn't feel bad about the decision either. I was coming mostly for the challenge and new experiences. In the end, I have absolutely no regrets. It was a year unlike any other I have had and will probably ever have. Though there are things I didn't get to do that I had hoped to do, I know I didn't waste my time here. I learned, I lived, I loved. What more could I want from an experience?! 

 My co-workers presenting me with a birthday cake.

 Teaching my kindergartners about how plants grow.

 Showing my kindergartners how much more flexible they are than me.

 Picnic in the park with my kindergartners.

 Enjoying the mud festival with my girlfriend, Mary. 

 Driving my scooter in style.

 Photo opp with the mayor of Pohang after Mary and Courtney convinced me to run a 10k with them!

 Best Star Wars costumes of the night!

 "Give it to me!" Pohang Volleyball Tournament

 Showing this Buddha how laughing is done.

 Enjoying a weekend at Seoroksan National Park.

 Enjoying one of many temples.

 Hanging out at the rocks with my good friend and climbing buddy (and one of the best friends a guy could ask for!) Courtney.

Trying to get past that ridiculously difficult section on the rock! Grrr.

Bittersweet: Never as Good as Sweet

I have a sweet tooth, period. Some people complain that some things are too sweet, to which I reply, "Impossible!" When I make chocolate chip cookies, I use milk chocolate, not that bittersweet or semisweet stuff you're "supposed" to bake with. Bittersweet? Semisweet? Liking those is like saying you only like to be mildly happy, or that you like your weather partially sunny with scattered showers.

I know you don't care to read about my culinary opinions, but I promise there's a point to all of this. For the first several months of being in Korea, though I was having a good time, the thought of coming home always had a 100% sweet taste in my mind, and I counted the months. But as I have had fantastic weekend after fantastic weekend, and more importantly, as I have developed meaningful relationships these last couple of months, the thought of coming home in less than two months leaves a bittersweet taste in my mind, and I don't find it enjoyable! I am still excited to return home, see friends and family (and dog) whom I love, be in the city which I love, eat the foods I love, and hopefully start a job that I'll love. And then I think about the people I love here, and how badly I don't want to leave them, and there's that bitter taste.

I've had great friends in Pohang for almost my entire experience here, I always knew I would not enjoy saying goodbye to them, yet I never dreaded my inevitable departure. But something is changing... Maybe it's that I am on the home stretch, and it's hitting me that the end is nigh. But I occasionally get emotional thinking about the goodbyes I have to make soon, and it's not what I expected to feel.

Many people here have told me that I will come home and regret not staying in Pohang, and will likely return for another year. I can understand why they would believe that, since it happens oh so often. Though as much as I am not looking forward to saying goodbye, I do still feel it's the right thing for me to return home and begin the next chapter.

So here I am with seven weeks left in this country. I think about the things I have done, and the things I have yet to do here. I know that if I departed right now, having left certain things undone, I would have no regrets, because I know I've made great use of my time here. But since I still have seven weeks, I'll make the most of them! I'm planning a trip to Seoraksan, Korea's most beautiful national park. I'll spend my birthday weekend at Korea's annual Mud Festival, where I will be rolling around in mud, playing mud games with all of my closest friends. I still have more rock climbing to do with Mary, Courtney, and whoever else can join. And who knows what else, maybe see a Korean baseball game, or explore the city of Daegu. I still have time and a sense of adventure, so as far as I'm concerned, the world is my oyster for these last 7 weeks!

Spoiled by More Fantastic Weekends

As I mentioned in my previous post, the weekends have been full of adventures, and things haven't slowed down since my last entry. Recently, I made another rock climbing trip on a mountain outside of Ulsan. Three friends and I woke up early and drove our motorcycles/scooters 2 hours south to the top of a scenic mountain which contained a rock face with over 100 climbing routes. We had a blast of course, and conversed with some Korean climbers who shared their food with us and invited us to join them on future climbing expeditions. I am thrilled to be able to climb real rocks after a year of climbing in gyms!

We also continue to have incredible beach days. Recently, a volleyball net has been installed on the beach, and the foreigner community can't get enough of it! We had a news crew filming us playing a couple weekends ago, and the city business bureau asked my friend to organize a city-sponsored volleyball tournament to promote beach activity! So on Saturday June 9, three friends and I will be competing, and winning, the volleyball tournament!

Last weekend was a 3-day weekend to celebrate Buddha's birthday. A friend of mine coordinated a trip down to Yeosu, on the southern coast of Korea, to visit the World Expo and surrounding areas. 7 friends and I took a bus first to Busan, where we had about 5 hours to kill before catching our next bus to Yeosu. So I got to explore Busan for the first time. We took cabs up to an old fortress on a mountain and walked around for most of that time. We got to see some old buildings that looked like old mansions or small palaces. It was such a treat seeing old buildings that weren't temples, because frankly, the temples all kind of look the same. (I'll post pictures below)

We arrived into Yeosu in the late afternoon. We found a small island close to the Expo and walked a bridge to get there. We ended up spending most of the evening on that island, walking the paths and sitting on the rocky cliffs by the shore, toasting the world with any positive thought that came to our minds.

Around 10pm, we headed back into town to find a place to sleep. We knew it would be hard to find a motel with the Expo going on, so we hoped to sleep at a jimjilbong (a large bathhouse that is a common place for people to sleep). Unfortunately, the one jimjilbong in town filled up while we were trying to get in, so we split up to look for a motel. We found one motel room, and tried to fit all 8 of us. We were woken up around midnight to the hotel manager knocking on the door, who realized we had a lot more than 2 people sleeping in there. At first we were worried he would kick us out, without refunding our money, and we'd really struggle to find a place to sleep. But because the people of Yeosu are apparently the kindest people in Korea, the man let us stay for a minimal additional fee, and then brought us extra blankets, toothbrushes, and a large bottle of water! This was just one of several examples of the people of Yeosu being incredibly kind towards us.

The next morning, we ventured to the World Expo. This year's theme was conservation of the oceans, and every country present provided information about their roles with the ocean. Most countries did a great job of making me want to visit, and some countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Angola had highly entertaining musical performances, but only one country (United Arab Emirates) mentioned anything about their roles with conserving their marine habitats. All the other countries just seemed to brag about how much fish they catch and trade with the world. All in all, I had a lot of fun with my friends there, but the event itself was slightly underwhelming.

We caught a bus to the nearby town of Suncheon that night to avoid the madness of finding a motel again. This time, we were successful in finding a jimjilbong to stay in. This was my first time in a jimjilbong, which I'm glad I finally had, since it's such a staple of Korean culture. It was a large building with a men's bathing room, women's bathing room, and a large co-ed common room where people sleep on floor pads. My guy friends and I were commenting, as we were soaking naked together in a pool, that a bathhouse would probably never work in America, since our society is so uncomfortable with showing our naked bodies to strangers, and even to our close friends. In Korea, however, this is nothing embarrassing or awkward.

Monday morning, we took a bus to the Sucheon Bay Ecological Park, which was located at a marshland. We walked along wooden walkways, winding through the tall grass of the marshes. It was a pleasant and peaceful experience. We then took a path up to the top of a mountain where we enjoyed hazy views of the marshes and nearby rice fields. While on the top of that mountain, we noticed a sign that said "Beach 4km", so like a moth to a flame we were drawn to the beach. We didn't realize that the trail became somewhat vague, and that the beach would not be sandy but muddy. On the way, I ended up sticking my whole foot into the mud, and then my friend Mary fell thigh-deep into the mud. We proceeded to wipe mud on our faces like tribal folks, and continue on our trek to the beach. Because of the mud, we realized we REALLY needed to find this beach to be able to wash off before catching a bus back home.

After walking along a very muddy coastline, we finally found a pier that we walked to the end of and jumped into the water. It was pretty mucky water, and several Koreans tried telling us not to get in the water, but we needed that mud washed off our bodies! I would normally listen to words of caution by locals, but since most Koreans don't know how to swim, I figured I could take their warnings with a grain of salt.

From there, we returned to the bus station and headed home. It was a long weekend of a lot of hiking, riding in buses, bonding with great friends, and sleeping communally. As I write this 24 hours later, I still feel completely wiped out and ready for a good, full night's sleep!

And in a few more days, the next adventure begins: The Busan Sand Festival, camping, and climbing on the coast!

The Fortress in Busan

The Island in Yeosu

The World Expo

Ukrainian Jugglers on Stilts at the Expo

Cambodian Musicians at the Expo

The Marshes in Sucheon

Rock Climbing in Ulsan

My Great Friend and Co-Worker Mike

My Great Friend and Usual Climbing Buddy Courtney

My Great Friend Usual Climbing Buddy Mary

With the arrival of spring, the possession of a scooter, and the blessing of great friends, my last few weekends have been blissful and memorable, to say the least. As I have mentioned previously, winter was just dreary. Despite the almost constant blue skies we had, the sub-freezing temperatures kept everyone in the comforts of their home or in the comforts of their favorite smoke-filled bars where everyone knows their name. I've not been one to normally suffer from seasonal affective disorder (or SAD), but winter was just a drag!

Luckily seasonal affective disorder goes both ways, and now that the previously dead landscape has undergone a major facelift with the most vibrant shades of green, complimented with the whites and pinks of cherry blossoms, nothing seems as bad as it did a few months ago. Top that off with friends willing to adventure around Korea, and I've got fantastic weekends! It's like in the Brady Bunch, how nothing seemed to get that family down, probably because the kids had 5 other fun-loving siblings to live with and a kick-ass maid who saved them from any responsibility around the house. That's how I feel in the current season. It's like spring is my Alice, and my friends are my rad Brady siblings. Oh, and I have a scooter, too!

Gyeongju, which is the next major town from Pohang, and the former capital of Korea, holds a cherry blossom festival every year when the beautiful trees are in bloom. My friends and I had heard so much hype about this festival that we absolutely had to experience it! So a few weeks ago, two good friends and I decided it'd be fun to drive out to Gyeongju on a Saturday afternoon, camp for the night, and visit the cherry blossom festival the next day. We had never camped in Korea, but were told that we could set up camp on any open plot of land. So we loaded up our scooters with a tent, stove, and other camping supplies, and drove in the direction of Gyeongju. I figured finding an open plot of land would be easy as pie, since there is so much countryside surrounding the region. What I hadn't anticipated was the fact that most of the countryside is occupied by farms. None of us felt comfortable setting up camp on someone's property, so we spent a good amount of time exploring and searching for a nice, unoccupied plot. We found a trail that we took our scooters down, and ended up in a nice, grassy field full of grass mounds. And these grass mounds had headstones on them. And we realized we were in an old graveyard. We were afraid it might be a bit insensitive of us to set up camp where other people's loved ones have been laid to rest, but the sun was setting, and we were growing impatient, and getting cold. So after a quick inspection of the grounds and finding that we were quite alone out there, we decided to just pitch the tent and hope we don't get in trouble (and hope for no zombie apocalypse). It ended up being a terribly cold and uncomfortable night with the three of us crammed inside a tent clearly made for two, but it was a worthwhile experience, and now I can say I have spent a night in a graveyard.

The next morning, we packed up our scooters and headed into town for the cherry blossom festival. What we came to realize was that it wasn't so much a festival as it was a bunch of people coming from all over Korea to gaze at the glory of Gyeongju's countless cherry blossom trees. (I will now refer to it as a "festival", due to the fact that it was only a festival by title and nothing else). There was a fairgrounds-type location, where most people were gathered, but no festivities or food tents or entertainers were present. So we strolled around the "festival", eating occasional greasy foods and enjoying the beauty surrounding us. We quickly grew tired of the crowds and decided it'd be better to enjoy the cherry blossoms from the road on our drive home. We took a long way home through the mountains where the wind blew cherry blossom petals like it was snowing with clear blue skies.

Last weekend was one that never stopped being happy. It began Friday night with a gathering of great friends at the beach in Pohang which is right in the heart of the city. A man had set up a mobile karaoke trailer at the beach, and many middle-aged Koreans were dancing and singing on the boardwalk where we were gathered. A few friends and I started dancing to the music off to the side, and the other dancers quickly grabbed us and pulled us into the center of their musical party. I ended up dancing with some ladies at least 30 years my senior, and I had a blast. I was then asked to sing a song, so I sang "My Girl" and busted out what few motown dance moves I knew. When the song ended, the karaoke host played "Dancing Queen" and asked me to sing it. I hardly knew that song, so luckily a friend joined me and sang the parts that were unfamiliar to me. My group of friends ended up singing at least a half-dozen songs and stayed there on the boardwalk until about 3:30am.

The next day, a good friend and I drove out to a very small town 40km NW of Pohang for some rock climbing and camping. We found out about a rock out there that has several climbing routes for us to enjoy, along with a good camping spot right next to it. So we loaded up our scooters once again with all our camping gear and found the rock. Though I have been frequently climbing in rock gyms, I hadn't climbed real rocks since I was in high school. And a whole new set of challenges and fears overcame me while climbing this rock. On real rocks, you have to search for where to place your hands and feet, it's not perfectly clear where to go. And what's hard is trusting that you can grip the small ledges available to you. Having always struggled with a fear of heights, my biggest challenge was not having the strength or skill to climb these rocks but finding the strength to push through my fear. Luckily my friend was very patient with me and guided me through it all.

On Sunday, after camping and doing some morning climbing, we packed up our gear and headed back into Pohang. Some friends of ours were heading to a nice beach north of the city, so we met up with them there for a relaxed afternoon in the sand. After a delicious thai dinner, four of us went to a fancy coffee shop for some cheesecake and a round of our favorite board game Settlers of Catan (when I say favorite, I mean it's our sick addiction). No weekend, no matter how fun and adventurous, can feel complete without a round of Settlers.

More wonderful activities have filled other recent weekends, such as beach parties, hiking around waterfalls, and paintball. But I feel I've written enough for now. I only have 2 and a half months left here. Though I'll be happy to be back home in Portland with my family and friends (and dog!), I still have a lot I want to do here in Korea with my friends who I am not eager to say goodbye to.

Being Foreign in Korea

Being a white, straight, educated male in the U.S. means I've always been part of the majority or dominant culture. Being a white anything in Korea means I'm waygook (foreign), and very much a minority in a very homogenous society. For the most part, I am used to being different here, but a few recent events have made me think about being waygook in Korea.

Last weekend's beautiful, warm weather brought many of us to the beach for a day of games. We started with a full game of co-ed baseball. Within one inning, I realized we had attracted quite the audience of Koreans watching us with such enthusiasm and interest. They cheered after good plays, high-fived us after homeruns, and took many photos. I would understand this kind of interest in us if we were in a country where baseball is not played, but it and soccer are probably the two most popular sports here. So I came to the conclusion that Koreans just love to watch waygookens (foreigners) do anything. I won't try to determine why or what they must think, but after that baseball game, I did realize I have noticed we get a lot of attention from locals while doing any number of things.

Later that day, I was hitting a volleyball around with two female friends who were both wearing bikinis. A man walked up to us with a camera explaining he was with a news agency and asked to take photos of us hitting the volleyball. We told him it was fine, but thought it was funny since our volleyball skills were horrible that day! The next day, those two friends found one of the photos published in an article online. The photo only showed the two of them with a caption saying something along the lines of "Warm weather brought foreigners in bikinis to the beach." It confirmed our suspicions that it wasn't volleyball that attracted the photographer to us.

And speaking of photos, most waygookens, including myself, have the occasional experiences of random Koreans, usually in their teens or twenties, asking to have their picture taken with us. We don't know these people, and they never want to talk or get to know us. They just want us in a photo with them. We often joke that being waygook is like being a celebrity. We just get used to strangers excitedly saying hello to us or asking to take photos with us. By now, I never find it weird, nor do I hesitate to say hello back and pose handsomely with a peace sign in their photos. I'm sure when I return to the States I'll yearn for attention from the general public and wonder why I'm not getting it!

There are usually pros and cons to any situation. And being a waygooken also has its drawbacks. To me, the most prominent drawback is that any time I am in public, I am an ambassador for foreigners, and I feel tremendous pressure to represent "my people" in the most positive way possible. And that's a lot of pressure! And it's not like I wish I could be a buffoon in public without disgracing the waygook community. But sometimes being foreign means not knowing the norms, and I feel especially disgraceful when my friends and I are yelled at for unintentionally doing something wrong. I worry that they see us being disrespectful to their norms and assume all waygookens are just like us. And I think I have every right to believe that, since it happens in my own culture in the States. How often do Americans see someone of a certain ethnicity doing something "wrong" and pin that wrongdoing on the person's entire cultural group? It happens in America, the most culturally diverse country in the world. So in Korea, one of the least diverse countries, I can only imagine and fear the judgement made about all foreigners based on the actions of a few.

Sometimes I feel like I should provide Koreans with a culture shock, like taking my shirt off at the beach or a park on a warm day (while most Koreans enjoy warm days with long pants and full sleeves). I like to do some things that are against the grain while not being disrespectful, but rather entertaining and interesting. However, I often remind myself that I am an invited guest in this country. And like a guest in someone's home, I should be conscious of what's considered polite and impolite, even if it's weird to me. And I should always be conscious that when I am in public, many eyes are on me because I'm clearly different.

I don't want to temporarily dismiss my own culture while I'm here, and I do feel like most Koreans could use some exposure to other cultures. But I still want to respect their culture, and practice a healthy balance of mine and theirs.