My Chu-sok

... Otherwise known as the Thanksgiving holiday here in Busan, Chu-sok fell on September 24th - 26th. Such a good time for a holiday because that gave everyone a five day weekend. Sweet. Yet during this time, most Koreans were off visiting family, and having special meals. Because us foreigners could not join in the festivities, we decided to have our own special meal to celebrate the Korean Thanksgiving. We searched for turkeys, or duck, or some kind of giant bird that would still fit in my toaster oven, but with no avail. All we could find were chickens, so that's what we settled on. Here's a picture of my awesome toaster oven with the birds inside.

It's tricky living in Korea without having much connection to things going on back at home. Bringing everyone together for a thanksgiving meal helped lessen that feeling of separation from our own culture. Held at Becky's apartment, those attending were Adam and Leta, Becky's co-worker Ann, Becky and I. Ann brought the mashed potatoes, Becky made the veggies with cheese sauce, and Adam and Leta brought the dessert. Overall, it turned out to be a great time (I was impressed with my toaster oven... I didn't know if it could do the job!).
Living out here in Yongdo (an area in Busan) where there are few foreigners, and few people who speak English, life can seem lonely if I don't get out and do stuff. I'm beginning to see more and more the value of friends and family. I know there's that saying that 'you don't know what you have until it's gone', and I think it's quite true. Living at SSU I was close to friends; even if I didn't go visit them I knew that they were right there. There's something comforting in knowing that people you care about are nearby. Community is no longer that dreaded 'C'-word that is over used and annoying, but has become an important aspect to my life. The Thanksgiving meal was a great way to bring us all together, even just for a great meal. Before this blog turns into too much of a hallmark card, I'd better leave it at that (I really just wanted to show off the chickens!).

trash and treasure

This post is mainly to show you the layout of my apartment. It's basically a box with a kitchen, a bedroom, and a living room all wrapped up in one, with a bathroom/laundry room on the side. But Check it out...So I've been here in this apartment, this room, for about three weeks now, and its finally come to a point where I'm comfortable. When I moved in, it felt like the smallest place ever, and it was incredibly dirty. The first few nights I woke up with a sore throat, probably from dust inhalation. But anyways, I've added a few things and cleaned it up a little bit.

-one man's trash is another man's treasure-

So when I first entered the apartment, it was fairly empty. There was the table, the bed and the tv. Now, I'm not saying that I need stuff to live comfortably, but if there was a choice in having a furnished apartment, and not having one, I would definitely choose the former. In this next picture you'll see some of the highlighted items I got to make my apartment feel a bit more homey.

The desk, the little table, and the couches were picked up, not at a store (I don't make that much here!!), but on the side of the street. These pieces of furniture were garbage, probably being replaced by newer items.
Sprite's slogan "Image is nothing, thirst is everything... Obey your thirst"; I don't think that they showed that commercial over here, because image is definitely not nothing. I don't want to generalize the population and suggest that all Koreans are obsessed with their image, but in my experience it seems that the culture is geared towards the importance of people looking their best. For instance, there are mirrors scattered throughout the city, both little and big. I have seen maybe one in five people continue to walk past the mirror without checking themselves out and ensuring that they still look good. It's funny to see the amount of people looking into the back of their cell phones, trying to see if their hair is still good. Also, there's plastic surgery advertisements everywhere. It's not just the ad that's worth commenting about, but beneath these advertisements is a mirror. So people are to look into the mirror, judge themselves, and then look a little higher towards the model in the plastic surgery poster... disgusting.
Anyways, so as I took my newly acquired pieces of furniture home and washed them off outside (they were garbage after all), it was amazing the amount of dirty looks I got by people walking by. Maybe they were more confused looks rather than dirty ones... but it seemed that no one understood why I wouldn't just buy something new. I can understand how people who live here and have some extra money would rather buy new pieces for their home. But as for me, these stray pieces of furniture work out great. If I needed a new chair, and I didn't mind that someone sat in it before me, I'd have no problem finding it.
Although I understand the need to upgrade to newer stuff, it feels like such a waste to have so many perfectly good items sitting on the curbs. What can be done about this? While the Korean people turn the other way while walking past a dusty coffee table, the foreign English teachers visiting the country are thinking "Sweet! A new coffee table for my place!" Perhaps we just need more people who are unfamiliar with this culture of image.

Geez.... Time for an update!

Alright! So I officially have the internet in my apartment now. And, I officially have an apartment (goes well with my internet). I also have a job, and a salary, and a toaster oven; hopefully this blog will address all the newness that follows with moving to a place of my own in Korea.
It was on September 12th when I finally settled into my apartment (pictures to come). In most English academies when a new teacher comes to fill the older teacher's position, he literally does that; replaces the old teacher in almost every aspect. Even my teaching schedule still has 'Jeremy' on it where 'Chris' should be written. I moved in on a Wednesday morning to an apartment that was not much to look at. The wallpaper was 'off white' a little bit more than it should have been, and the place smelled like moth balls (apparently there was a problem with mold..). The apartment, when first stepping through the door, had its kitchen on the right, its bedroom on the left, and its bathroom and shower straight in front. Yet, there were no walls dividing the different rooms (the bathroom has a glass sliding door); it was all in one room. This is what is called a studio, and it is the most common type of apartment that is offered to a foreign teacher.
So, after getting my place, I went to my new job. Now, I don't know how most schools work, but I think that mine is unique. There are four other Korean teachers who work at my school, and their job is to teach the kids English grammar. They speak a little bit of English, enough to understand if I have any issues in the classroom. These teachers each have their own class that they teach during the 2:10pm to 8:30pm day. My job is to teach each of their classes once a week. So, without going into anymore details, I teach 29 classes per week, and I only see one class more than once. Almost every class that I teach, I only see them once a week. That equates to about 200 students (learning their names is difficult).
Unfortunately, with this many students and seeing them so rarely, it's difficult to develop any type of personal 'student-teacher' dynamic. It makes it challenging to chart their individual progress, because they seem to all blend together with the once a week that I see them. But my job really isn't very difficult. I'm hired because I know English and have a good western accent, and lets face it, because I'm white. The parents want to know that their kid is being taught by an actual foreigner. So whenever there is a parent who comes to the school I must be present, just so long as they can see me and know that their child is learning from a white kid.
My neighborhood is... Korean. By this I mean that there are no foreigners in this area, at least none that I have seen. Usually, when you walk past another white guy you kind of look at each other and say "hey, what's up?", just for the fact that you'll be understood. It's pretty funny. But anyways, in my area there are no Outback Steakhouse's, or TGIF's, or any of those western food places. There are however Korean barbecue places and traditional Korean markets all over the place. All I have to do now is learn the language...
So there's a bit of info about where I am, and what I'm doing. It seems that I daily come across some issue, or some contrast to the culture that I'm used to that makes me want to blog about it. But I'm done for now.
Here are some pictures of the Busan Aquarium - it was awesome.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54147&l=ab75f&id=517865133

Small face, big eyes

That my friends, is the definition of cute. This is what I was told by one of my students. The attitude towards one's image here is so funny. In class one day the kids were to do this collage about themselves. So while flipping through the magazine, they would point to every woman they could find and say "ugly... ugly..." (but it would be more like "uh-guh-lee"). Only the old men, and the cartoons with big eyes get the favored title of 'cute'. It's odd because you see a similar concern about image in adults too. If there is a mirror to be walked past, whether it be ten inches or ten centimeters, almost everyone that I've seen will stop and check themselves out... It's funny. And hey, we may do this back home and I've just never noticed it, but those who I've seen were very obvious in doing it. Anyways, just an interesting thought.
So, Becky and I are headed to Busan! Our contract to work at Haeundae Beach turned out to be a contract to work near Pusan university instead (communication errors I guess..), but this seems like a good thing... Haeundae was SO packed, and since I visited all I've heard is negative things about it. Though a busy place in the summer, it's supposed to be empty in the winter. The cold winds that come off the ocean make it a harsh place to live in those chilly months. And it is one of the most expensive areas in Busan as well... So, we head to the cheaper, more student oriented life near the university. We leave in two days, and actually start teaching in early September.
How fun was 'How Fun English Camp'? Well, I must say it has both positives and negatives. I've really enjoyed hanging out with the other native teachers I've met, as well as the T.A.'s. And the food has been great. Because there are hardly any western options I've been forced to dive into the local food, and besides kim chi (and those odd mini hotdogs), I really like it. Yet the one overarching issue that seems pervasive among the western teachers is this wall that has been placed in between 'us' and 'them'. This is an issue that'll be talked about in later blogs I'm sure, but I wanted to mention it quickly here. It seems like the staff here have this idea that they need to protect their own interests by placing a divider between the Korean people and the foreigners. Thus, we teachers are on a need to know basis, and it seems like we never need to know. I wonder if there is this overarching mindset passed down through generations that makes Koreans feel like they need to protect their identity or way of doing things from outsiders. Is there still a spirit of oppression among them? I don't know. It might just be at this camp (and probably is just at this camp) that the westerners are told "you wont understand because you're not Korean". And although this is true, after running into a few westerners who have been here for years, some who are even married and are settling down here, it seems like there is no way to be truly accepted as a local if you were not born here. (Disclaimer: this is just my experiences here at this camp. In no way am I generalizing any other part of Korea to be of this mindset.) And it's not the end of the world that westerners are restricted on how far they can enter into the Korean here (at How Fun), but it does pose a problem with building any type of community or friendship. I just think it's too bad that we can't click a bit more with the staff here... they seem like really cool people.
Anyways, hopefully this post doesn't jump around too much. It's late and my mind isn't on any one topic. For more pictures check out:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38693&l=d04e1&id=517865133

The meaning of pilgrimage...

The word pilgrimage seems to be one of those words that often escapes definition, at least one that is more specific. And as I learned in May of this year, the reasoning behind the journey for each individual is usually quite subjective. As I walked this trail called St. Cuthbert's way, a path that dates back to around the middle of the 7th century, I pondered the possible reasons that I would want to walk this 100km trek from Melrose, Scotland to Lindisfarne England. My reasons are many but they wont be discussed in this blog. Instead, I'll give you the run down on a bit of the history of St. Cuthbert and this trail according to "The Scottish Borders" brochure.

The life and progress of St Cuthbert has provided the inspiration for this route to be developed. St Cuthbert started his ministry in Melrose in about 650AD. After a period at Ripon, he came to Lindisfarne to be Prior. While here, he became famous for his healing powers. He was appointed Bishop of Linisfarne, and for several years travelled widely, preaching the Gospel.

He spent the last part of his life on Inner Farne island in retreat, died there, and was buried on Lindisfarne. Eleven years later his coffin was opened, and hjis body was found to be perfectly preserved, which led to his beatification. In the following centruy the Community of St Cuthbert was responsible for the Lindisfarne Gospels, perhaps the greatest work of art of the Anglo-Saxon period.

- The Scottish Borders Council; 2007.

I hope these videos will play ok for you, and give a brief glimpse of our trip. They are in order, so if you are one of the pilgrims viewing, start from here moving down. That way you get our walk in order... Enjoy.

The island of Iona... it was so beautiful.


To be that man who walked a thousand miles and falls down at your door...


St. Cuthbert must have been in shape...


Of the bus, onto the trail


The darkest woods and the greenest fields


We near the end of our journey.


Credits