Mid-March Blues and Yellows

Today was the first day I felt well enough to go to yoga in two weeks. Today was a beautiful day, a mid-April day. How can it be mid-April already? The afternoons are so warm here now, sunny and breezy. When I looked at my calendar I almost cried because there is so little time left. I'm ecstatic to be healthy (or almost healthy) again and I plan to stay this way for the rest of the grant year (knock on wood).

A lot has happened since mid-March but most of it involved me coughing, sneezing and oozing. The highlights include: seeing Lee Seung Chul live in concert with my host sisters! Lee Seung Chul has been popular for ages. His most recent single and one of my favorite noraebang songs is My Love. When my host sisters found out he was coming to Gumi they booked our tickets immediately — my first time ever as a VVIP. We were maybe 15 rows away from the stage and had a great time singing, dancing and waving flashing wands. At the end of the concert several ajummas (ladies of a certain age) stood on their chairs and refused to leave the hall, yelling "Oppa! Oppa!"(Oppa is the word Korean women use for an older male friend. Literally translated its meaning is close to 'older brother', but the word is equally appropriate when used to address an older boyfriend.)

At the concert these flashing star wands are almost obligatory.

The week after the concert the cherry trees blossomed letting us know spring is finally here to stay. I visited the Geumosan trail with my host mom to admire the flowers and take some pictures.

Just as I was starting to feel better it was time to fly to Jeju for our Fulbright Spring Conference. Weather there was windy, cold and bright. It reminded me a lot of San Francisco. It was good to see all the other ETAs again, even people who I hadn't spoken to since the last conference, and we had a great time exploring Jeju island. Unfortunately our last evening I got food poisoning, so getting back to school after conference was quite difficult. 

View from Halla Mountain in Jeju.

Catching up with friends :)

It was extremely windy and cool all weekend.

After several doctor's visits I'm finally over everything except some lingering allergies. I had been feeling down, thinking how much time I wasted being sick. However, looking back now I can see how many fun moments I've had in the last month despite feeling under the weather. It's an important lesson to remember as this grant year rushes to a close, often we are doing more than we believe. It's also a good reason to keep recording, here on the blog or in my journal, because sometimes it provides a more honest perspective than my memory.

CHRISTMASTIME IS HERE

Though Christmas has come and gone I wanted to share a few of the photos from my time at home (which you can read more about here). For the first time I had a good excuse to photograph every detail of our Christmas celebrations and I really enjoyed it.

The winter house.

Hot cocoa and cookies by the fire.

Christmas Eve with family and the second smallest Christmas tree ever.

Christmas Morning — coffee, fruit and baked pecan french toast.

Every year our family walks to the beautiful Como Conservatory to see the Christmas flower show and every year it's gorgeous.

Of course, most of the time I was home Minnesota was having record low temperatures, as low as -26F, with one surprising 40 degree day thrown in. We still managed to have a lot of fun though with walking, skating and playing games indoors. We also went to see the movie Frozen which was one of the best disney movies I've seen in a long time. It had a lot in common with the classic childhood cartoons that lived and breathed on plentiful singing and comic characters.

KOREAN WINTER: may you take many good things in the new year

I celebrated the start of my first Korean winter and the end of my first Korean semester by going home. As part of my contract I am only allowed to be in the U.S. for 14 days and I wondered whether the hours and money spent traveling would be worth it. However, I celebrated Christmas away from home once before, three years ago now, when I was studying abroad in the Netherlands. Three years ago when I met my dear friends from South Korea and three years ago when I said goodbye to all of them on New Years Day for what could have been the last time. It was a beautiful Christmas that year. I was staying with a friend in Vienna, had arrived with her in Vienna by night bus the morning of the 23rd. That day we went to every Christkindlmarkt in the city before traveling to her parent's house for Christmas Eve at their Catholic Church. Yet as lovely as it was I promised myself it would be the last Christmas I spent away from home.

That's why this year found me tucked away in St. Paul, sleeping, hanging ornaments, and helping my Dad prepare the Christmas pudding. My 14 days at home were entirely unexciting and in that way, quite perfect. I napped, drank tea, played cards and napped again. I was able to see some friends from high school and re-read The Golden Compass. It was all so peaceful I could hardly muster myself to leave. I had known that leaving again would be difficult. I was not prepared for the difficult happiness of returning, of hearing my host mother's voice on the phone in Incheon airport — "baliwa bogoshipo; hurry come, I miss you."

There are some moments, said Mrs. Dalloway, "exquisite moments...such as might stay a diver before plunging while the sea darkens and brightens beneath him." My brother has written a paper on Mrs. Dalloway, a book I have yet to read, but am starting now at his recommendation. I read his paper on the flight from Tokyo-Narita to Seoul-Incheon. It must have got me thinking because, sitting down on the provincial bus at 6:50 am, I felt such a moment as Mrs. Dalloway describes. Not as soon as I sat, but when, after beginning to move, the lights of the bus finally flickered off illuminating in the windows the dull-gray moving picture of the Korean countryside. I felt a sudden peace and excitement in the misty Han river, the blue glow of lights around the driver, the quiet breathing of passengers falling to sleep, and the warmth of the soles of my boots resting on the heater so that, though I have never understood people who prefer nighttime to the day, I hoped that the dawn might take its time.

The moment quoted from Mrs. Dalloway comes as said lady enters her house after buying flowers. For her also there is the sudden darkening of the world around her and below that the sense of the familiar. I had believed that my leaving Korea was a clear trade, that by seeing my family again I would make myself both happy and sad — happy at the time, but with a renewed sense of our distance on my return to Korea. I was unprepared to be accosted by a similar sense of joy in reuniting with the things that make up my Korea. Like Mrs. Dalloway entering her house, like someone in a suddenly darkened room I am discovering again what has become familiar, discovering the shape of my home in Korea. It is larger and more solid than I imagined — full of buses, phone calls, moments lost and moments gained.

SNAPSHOT NOVEMBER

This November I’ve been getting closer to my host family, my students and my friends here in Korea. Some of these moments I have caught on my phone, others not. Here is a sampling of the moments that have brightened my November days.

1. At Seonsan market with my host family my youngest host cousin became obsessed with this blanket. He wouldn’t leave it alone until the family bought it for him. Then he tried to carry it on his head through the whole market. When we finally tucked the blanket in our shopping bag he had to open the bag at each stop to make sure his blankie was still there.

2. A few weekends ago I went to Gwangju to see some friends and teach a lesson for the Korean Bridge Initiative (a non-profit that provides free English lessons for motivated, low-income students). The students were amazing — so intelligent and kind. Afterwards some students and teachers went out for lunch. Speaking with these students whose interests are so diverse and dreams so big encourages me to keep working hard on teaching everyday.

3. There is one coffee shop that I go to regularly in Gumi. I know both the baristas there very well by sight. Though we rarely talk, we have a rapport based on the smile and nod. Last time I was there one of the baristas brought me this latte and explained — it says “HI” to you. Perfect treat to make me smile all day.

4. November is also the time for our school field trip. I went with the second grade students to Geumo Mountain where we hiked and looked at the autumn leaves (단풍). My students had a lot of fun yelling in English and complaining that they were tired. I wish I could spend time with the students and teachers outside of class setting more often.

5. After hiking a mob of second grade girls came over and started asking me questions about the U.S. and about my life. The conversation ended with us taking many, many pictures together (though I only managed to snag this one where everyone is covering their face).





November can be a tough month as winds pick up and the sun sets sooner. I know I am giving thanks for heated floors, lemon tea and absorbing Korean Dramas. What are you thankful for this month?

LIFE IN GUMI: OH SO SLOWLY

This last week or so has been relatively uneventful — a lovely dose of home life for me. So what have I been up to? Mostly planning my lessons. Post-midterms I resolved to get my classes in line, both in terms of discipline and content. For me that means planning my lessons further in advance and planning those lessons in step with the other English teachers. This makes it easier for me to gauge what vocabulary to use and what needs to be covered. On the other hand, this method constricts me to two or three lessons per section which will take some getting used to. Right now my first graders are learning about advice, my second graders are learning about environments and my third graders are learning about congratulations. Things are, in fact, going quite well right now — something I’m glad I can finally say about teaching.

Not that it has been so bad, but that finally I think I’m doing a pretty good job (or at least a more consistent job). Of course this has only been for about a week and I know there will still be many ups and downs to some in this first year of teaching, but still I am pleased. Especially as there was a point not long ago when I was despairing over ever disciplining my classes effectively. However, in the last week I’ve made an effort to change my ways and it has been both easier and more pleasant than I imagined. I think I felt as many young teachers must — I didn’t want to be too harsh, to appear mean ... I thought I might feel bad for disciplining students. In actuality I don’t feel bad for keeping order in my classroom — I feel empowered and I think my students do too. A classroom with order and structure (in whatever form) is a comfortable classroom and one where learning can take the fore.

Besides school I’ve been, well, living. I finished another chapter of my Korean textbook and am almost done with another. A new coffeeshop, Gusto, opened in our neighborhood (did I mention the darth of cafes was my only complaint about the area?) and I’ve been several times. Once I went with my host family to celebrate my first paycheck. They asked me if in America we have the “first paycheck ceremony.” They explained “For your first paycheck you  - to your parents,” “give?” “Yes, you give your parents...what is the word?” Then after some family discussion, “You give your parents underwear.”

I asked my parents if they want me to mail them some delicates, but they declined.

Last week I also watched my first Korean film (shocking, I know). 완득이 (Wan Deuki, English title: Punch) follows the relationship of high school 2nd grader Wan Deuk and his meddlesome homeroom teacher with the nickname Dung Zoo. Funny at times, touching at others and occasionally both at once, Wan Deuki was just what I hoped it might be. The film develops a full cast of quirky characters all of whom have some part to play before the end. However, what I really love is that the film's resolution delicately brings the film to a close without miraculously curing all of Wan Deuk’s ills. I would so like to say more, but would rather encourage you to watch the film yourself and, if you do, to let me know what you think in a comment (the film is on Netflix under the name Punch).

Otherwise, I’ve been playing with my host cousins, keeping up with the dramas and sleeping copious amounts. It’s still very pleasant here is Gumi, though cool — dare I say, cold — at night.  Enough that we’ve already had the floor heating on a few times — just once was enough for me to know that it’s the best thing in the world.  I also had my first meeting with my NKD mentee (North Korean Defector). With the help of a translator we planned what day we want to meet and  what we want to cover at our meetings. From now on we will meet once a week to study English, and a little Korean, together. My mentee is a girl, only a little older than I am. After our meeting we went to drink juice and eat toast. We found out we both like the Batman movies, hiking and Korean noodles which is, I think, a lot to start from.

Playing Uno with the host cousins. I showed them the game during Chuseok. Now when they come over they ask right away, "우노 해요?" (Play Uno?)

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

A short photographic tour of our neighborhood.

Our house snuggled between apartment buildings. Both my host parents are fond of gardening.

A pumpkin-covered rooftop.

Walking near the middle school.

Our middle school, hiding behind the trees.

Looking out at an intersection from fountain park.

Underpass.

MILESTONES: ONE MONTH IN GUMI

I just read a blog post by my good friend Anna who is now studying yoga in Mysore, India. We both studied English Lit at Hendrix, but we also both needed a second major to round out our interests. Anna is an amazing writer and I would encourage anyone interested in India or travel in general to read her blog, balancing the world. Her meditations on life in Mysore capture the sounds and smells of that specific place, but also the general feeling of traveling. Living in a foreign country one can feel frustrated or lost — always on the cusp of inclusion but never included, always listening but lacking understanding. I've heard other Fulbrighters mention this feeling as well, a kind of malaise of communication. I myself have been lucky in that my family and the teachers at my school speak English admirably well.

This last week and a half I have felt more included than ever before: I visited my co-teacher's home and played with her 3 adorable children, brought home Baskin Robins and ate it with my host family to celebrate my first month in Gumi, met up with a Fulbright friend for coffee and gossip, and attended orientation for mentoring a North Korean Defector. It's been a very busy time as my relationships here begin to blossom.

My co-teacher's daughter and harmonica.

The first time I met my co-teacher she told me "Not all days will be good, but every day I will be with you." At the time it was highly reassuring and now, a month later, I know that she meant it. We share an office together at school, taking coffee breaks between our classes. We've also been taking walks behind the school when we find the time, but going to meet her family was a new step. My co-teacher has a daughter who is ten in Korean age (8 in American age) and two twin girls who are 2 in Korean age (20 months in American age). Since my co-teacher and her husband both work her mother stays with them during the week to take care of the twins. The twins talk to each other in a secret whistling language no one else can understand. One twin is a little stronger and more confident. She tries to take my earrings. The other twin is a little smaller, a little warier. She cries when her grandma is far away. Yet she's also musical, always burbling in her strange language and tapping her feet. Their older sister is in elementary school but seems older, acquiring some maturity from caring for her sisters. She loves swimming and riding her bike. I stayed overnight and hope to go back again soon.

Afogato: vanilla ice cream, rolled in almond slivers, smothered in an espresso shot.

Last weekend marked an important date — the anniversary of my first month in Gumi. I had hoped to get out a bit and hike Geumo Mountain. However, it stormed most of the weekend ruining my outdoors plans. Instead, on Saturday I took a train to the nearby Gyeongsan to visit my friend Sophia. I ended up meeting her host family then going out for coffee/desserts. We meant to do work while drinking coffee (in fact I meant to catch up on blogging) but instead we talked the whole time filling each other in on our own situation in Korea and those of our friends. It left me refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the week before Chuseok.

Sunday I ventured into Daegu for the North Korean Defector volunteer orientation. A North Korean Defector is (according to the South Korean Government) someone who has left North Korea, but still has some tie there such as an occupation, a home, a family and does not have any other citizenship. According to South Korea's Ministry of Unification, since 2008 almost 3,000 people defected to South Korea each year, the majority of them women. This number has fallen to almost half in 2012 most likely due to the death of Kim Jong-il resulting in stricter border control (to be clear, this is secondhand information from my orientation coordinator at the Hana Center).

Since arriving in Korea I have attended several talks about North Korean defectors (during and after Fulbright orientation). What motivated me to volunteer, though there are so many reasons to do so, was that on top of all the practical difficulties of arriving in South Korea from the North, these people often face exploitation along the way. There are several routes to get to the South, but the most commonly used route is by foot and bus through China, then a combination of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia into Thailand. Once in Thailand the defector goes to the South Korean Embassy and announces that she is a North Korean defector. Then she is kept in custody of the Embassy until paperwork is finished at which point she is sent on a plane to South Korea. In South Korea she is immediately picked up by South Korean intelligence officials and thoroughly interviewed — both to gain information and to ascertain that she is not a spy.

However, for many women this path ends, or takes a long detour, in Northern China where many women become subject to sex trafficking or forced marriages due to the imbalance of the sexes in this area. This also means many women arriving in South Korea arrive with half-Chinese children whose status' are particularly difficult to ascertain.

Our role as volunteers will be to act as mentor and English tutor for the defectors now living in Daegu. Each teacher will be assigned a mentee to meet with once a week for English lessons. However, on top of these English lessons we are encouraged to meet outside of 'class' time and have fun as a way of promoting cultural exchange. There will also be a fun group event each month that we are strongly encouraged to attend. Though it will be difficult for me to meet too often due to the commute time to Daegu I still hope I will have the opportunity to get to know my mentee and make her feel a bit more comfortable in her new home.

On my way home, feeling pleased with myself for successfully taking the train to Daegu, I picked up a pint of Baskin Robins for the family. (Baskin Robins is wildly popular here.) Seeing their happily surprised faces was great, but eating mint chip and quarterback crunch together was even better.

PHOTO STORY — 8/20/13

Today was hectic and wonderful, but most importantly filled with photo opportunities, so, until I can write a full post on teaching, let me tell you about the other parts of my day.

This is the view from a back window at my school, Gumi Shinpyeong Middle School. I am not in the least bit over my honeymoon with the Korean landscape. Every time I walk by a window I catch my breath.

Here is my desk at school. I share an office with my Fulbright co-teacher in the English hallway. I worried it might be lonely, away from the other teachers, but people are often dropping in to use the printer or just say hello. Every day after lunch we have coffee together with one of the other English teachers. I really appreciate the teachers here letting me into their routines and relationships, even with (and despite) my pitiable Korean skills.

Here is my view walking home from school. It's only a 5 minute walk but I get to survey Gumi and the surrounding mountains as I go. Between trying to get on my feet with teaching and getting to know my host family I haven't explored Gumi much yet, a fact I hope to change very soon. Tomorrow I should be opening a local bank account and I plan to purchase a bus card as well.

 This evening my host family and I went to Geumo Mountain and walked around the lake there. Geumo is famous for the obvious beauty and because of this a little holiday town has grown up there complete with a mini theme park and hordes of cute restaurants.

We stayed late enough to see tired families heading home and college students heading out for the night.

Tomorrow is another day of teaching, wish me luck! ~ Josephine

PRELUDE

Just a quick update to say I'm teaching my first classes tomorrow (terrified screams ensue). In reality I'm probably as prepared as I can be at this point.

I will be teaching various classes from all three grades of middle school tomorrow — nothing too demanding since it's my first time meeting the students. The plan is to introduce myself and my class rules for about one third of the lesson. The other two-thirds will be spent having the students construct paper journals that they will write in for the rest of the semester. Then each student will decorate the cover of his or her journal with a cartoon describing his or her self, their likes and dislikes as well as personal traits. I hope this will be a fun activity and that reviewing the cartoons later will help me understand my students and their English abilities a bit better.

In other news, today I made kimbap with my family and then painted my nails with one of my host sisters, both of which were a lot of fun. In my family it's pretty customary to jump into lounging clothes (read pajamas) as soon as you get home from work/school/hagwon and I think I will never ever go back to wearing real clothes at home.

GUMI (구미) — TURTLE TAIL CITY

Tuesday I found out that I am going to spend the next year of my life in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. Gumi is a suburban town of about 300,000 people and is known as Korea's industrial center, the home of both Samsung and LG. Happily for me, Gumi is only a 30 minute bus ride from Daegu (the 4th largest city in Korea) where one of my friends, Sophia, was placed.

Being in Gumi means I have all the community of a smaller town, but with all the opportunity of a large city. One of my main requests for placement was the ability to travel and Gumi is connected to all the rest of Korea through the rail and express bus system. I can be in Seoul in 3 hours and Gwangju in 3 and a half. I was excited to find out Gumi is also the home of Samsungwon orphanage, birthplace of Kkoom, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of Korean orphans through outreach and education. I want to use this opportunity to bring service into my life in Korea in a big way.

In Gumi I'm going to teach at a public, co-ed middle school of about 700 students. Until I am actually at the school I won't know more about the actual number of students I'm teaching or my teaching schedule. However, I'm already envisioning the many art projects and activities I want to work into my lessons. I also won't know whether I'm teaching from a textbook and what my homestay family is like until I actually arrive in Gumi.

In my year I hope to develop my independence through writing and traveling. I hope to develop my humility, my generosity, my perseverance through working with my students and volunteering. But I also hope to be watchful for the unexpected moments and events which can be more transformational than anything I myself could plan. So I am excited to discover what Gumi has in store for me.

As I write this I am, of course, sitting in a cafe eating a delicious 컵빙수 (batbingsu in a cup). This one is ice, rice cake (yum!), red beans, pinneaple, peach, and condensed milk — delicious. We just got our stipend for the next week so I can afford to escape Jungwon again. Not that the building is so horrible, but with 4 hours of Korean class each morning and lesson planning to look forward to all afternoon a change of scenery is not just welcome, but necessary. I've tried a couple of the cafes in Goesan now and I admire this one for its large windows and acoustic 90s music.

Today I have a special mission. Besides catching up on my blogging I need to memorize a speech for Korean class. This speech is 20% of our grade based on fluency and intonation. I've been doing pretty well with accuracy, but speaking on the spot is not my strong suit. Just glad this is memorization and not improvisation. Wish me luck!

문반구 (Stationary Store)

Went to the stationary store today and spent the last of my stipend for this week. Success.

VOCAB QUIZ

Patbingsu (sounds like poppingsu) has been popping up in my posts lately and I've been meaning to do a food blog soon, but you'll just have to settle for a post all about patbingsu because it's delicious and I am obsessed.
Patbingsu is a magical Korean desert served only in the summer time at cafes and ice cream shops. Patbingsu has four main features to recommend it:
1. Patbingsu is made up of many sweet things put together in one bowl.
2. When your patbingsu arrives at the table you mix all the ingredients together by stabbing them with your spoon.
3. Patbingsu is mostly shaved ice so it's practically healthy.
4. Patbingsu is made to be shared.

Above is a photo of my patbingsu in Donghae. Patbingsu also comes in a huge range of flavors. This patbingsu was mint chocolate chip which meant it was made of shaved ice, mint ice cream, whipped cream, tiramisu, and a mixture of oreos and sweet cereal. The basic make up of any patbingsu is shaved ice, ice cream scoop, plus one to two other sweet toppings. A more traditional patbingsu includes red beans, fruit and sometimes mochi (rice cakes). I have yet to eat a patbingsu with mochi in it, much to my sadness. Besides mint chocolate, I've tried green tea and mango with green tea as the clear winner. Now I just need to sample them all before fall rolls around.

AT HOME

A New Feeling of Soda

My Room 

My wastebasket (the top says "The little bears are living well today")