Insanely awesome weekend

This weekend, I went on a trip with Adventure Korea, an adventure tour company for foreigners. On the itinerary was rafting, camping, visiting the DMZ and bungee jumping (but this was an option that only a few people decided to participate in)...do you think I took the plunge? Read on to find out...

We left early on Saturday morning, and after a long 7-hour bus ride up the coast of eastern Korea, we finally arrived at the Hantan river for our rafting trip. Most of us have rafted some pretty serious rivers back home, so when we saw the calm, un-intimidating river, we were less than impressed. But, we made the most of the trip, singing songs, starting water fights and stopping every twenty minutes to splash around on the shore and make slip and slides out of our rafts. Despite the lack of serious white water, we had a great time. After hiking a ways up to our buses, we washed off and headed to bungee jumping site.

We were a little behind schedule as we pulled onto the bridge where the bungee jump was, so the guide (his name is Young) told us that half of the people who wanted to go would go that night and half would go the next morning. I was relieved because I really wanted to do it, but I was way too freaked out to do it then, and I thought having a night to get up my courage would be helpful. Yet, just as the first group got off the bus, Young changed the plans. "How about everyone who wants to bungee gets off now? If we can fit everyone tonight, we won't have to come back tomorrow. But if we can't fit everyone, then we will come back." Great!! It was now or never, so I got off the bus, but at that point I really didn't believe I was going to do it that night.

To jump or not to jump?

Hilary canon balled it...and scared the crap out of us all!

Best pic of the weekend

I waited on the bridge, as the bravest of the group climbed up to the platform which jutted out above us. As the first few people took the plunge, I watched nervously as they fell almost 200 feet from the bungee platform. Person after person screamed with the thrill of the jump, which made my heart pound even harder! After about an hour, they told us it was time for the second group. It was going faster than they had anticipated and we would be finishing everyone tonight. Now I was really, really nervous! A couple of girls backed down because they just weren't ready, but I knew I HAD to do it, or I would always regret it. When I got up the platform, I became so nervous and nauseous that I thought I could throw up. On top of that, I hadn't had a chance to use the bathroom, so I was nearly positive I would pee my pants when I jumped! The bungee guys looked at my paper work and got me rigged into the ankle cuffs that would be keeping me from falling to my doom. Though I couldn't believe I would feel safe with just some stuff around my ankles, it was surprisingly sturdy and I knew it would be ok. Finally, after about 30 minutes of waiting so nervously, it was my turn.

I'm committed...peace out y'all!

moment of truth

Before I knew it, I was ushered to the edge of the platform and the bungee guy hooked me up to the cord and checked that I was all secure. I waved to my friends down at the bottom and took a deep breath. I still couldn't believe I was doing it! I hobbled to the edge of the platform and the guy said, "OK, you go on 4...1, 2, 3." "Wait!!" I screamed. I thought at that moment that I could turn around, but the thought quickly passed because I knew I was going to do it. "PIGHTING!!!" I yelled, the korean's way of saying "let's go kick some butt." Again, the guy began to count. This time, I went on 4. I bent my knees and dove out head first, falling for what seemed longer than it was. As I got close to the water, the cord caught and shot me back up, where I hovered weightless for a moment. I screamed and screamed and screamed, and then swore a little, but it was the best adrenaline rush I've ever experience.I was soooo happy I did it. The hardest part was all of the anticipation and then the moment before I actually jumped, but once I did it was insanely exhilarating. So yea, I can't say I won't be doing that again! ...and I didn't pee my pants either!

It's a little blurry, but that's meeee

After the bungeeing was finished, we headed to a Korean guesthouse where we were served a delicious traditional meal. We got settled into our rooms (which were both cozy and bug infested) and then enjoyed drinking, talking and singing around a bonfire for the rest of the night. At about 1 a.m. our guide took us out to play the "bravery game." The guest house we were staying at was only about a mile from the DMZ, so just by walking across the street and up a big hill, you can view the lights of the North Korean watch towers. Doing it at one o'clock in the morning makes it "bravery." It was fun, but I don't think it took a whole lot of courage.

Bonfire

Showing off my guitar skillz

The next day we actually went to the DMZ. We passed through the secure military zone and were not allowed to take any pictures (though at that point we were still on the South Korea side). The only point when we were actually in the de-militarized zone (neutral territory which is technically both countries) was when we went about a mile down into the 2nd Infiltration Tunnel. This is one of the four tunnels that was dug by North Koreans during the Korean War to invade South Korea. We walked through the tunnel for about 30 minutes until we reached the point where it was closed off, and I was happy to turn around as it was very creepy and claustrophobic down there! We went to several other areas of the DMZ, but that was by far the coolest.

Under the DMZ

North Korea did not build this for 6 foot American girls

Soldiers outside of the tunnel

Mountains of North Korea

Awesome pic of the DMZ gate, my friend Steph took this

It was an incredible, exhilarating weekend. Though I know I can't go jumping off of bridges or tunneling into communist countries every weekend, I certainly want to keep up the excitement. This weekend we're camping on a beach for the 4th of July and heading to the Mud Festival next weekend. As usual, can't wait!

The "F" Word

Lately, all of my friends in Korea seem to be using the "F" word a lot, and it's really starting to get to me. It seems like every time we get together, people can't stop saying it. So I'm sorry that I skipped a week of writing, it's just been difficult to reflect on what I've been doing here, when I'm constantly bombarded with that annoying "F" word: future. Wait- what did you think I meant?

Though I am still having a great time in Korea, playing in volleyball tournaments, enjoying the beach and starting to wrap up classes for the semester, I'm also spending a lot of time planning. Some of it is really exciting and some of it I would rather not be thinking about just yet.

The exciting news is that Alexis and I have booked an adventure trip in India for the first leg of our post-Korea backpacking trip! Sooooo excited! We'll be going on a 20-day tour of India with the same company I went sailing with in Greece. They are called GAP Adventures and I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to have an active, cultural experience and meet lots of cool people while your doing it. And thanks to my friend Jon who works for GAP and got a good discount, the trip won't break the bank. Anyway, we'll be flying to Delhi on August 30th, then touring to many different cities in Rajasthan- Jaipur, Udaipur, Pushkar- then to see the Taj Mahal in Agra and finally to the longest continually inhabited city in the world, Varanasi. It's going to be an incredible experience, full of good food, culture and people. And there's no need to worry about us; we're preparing to get all of our vaccinations, insurance, and we will be in the hands of a very reputable tour company. I can't wait!

GAP Adventures, Roam India Tour

(http://www.gapadventures.com/)

After India, we'll be heading to Thailand for my second visit and Alexis' first. We'll spend time in Bangkok, then travel to Sukothaini in the north, and then head to the island of Koh Chang for some R&R which I'm sure will be much needed after 25 days with our backpacks. After Thailand, off to see Angor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world, in Cambodia and then to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Vietnam. That will be around October 10th, and Lex will head home while I plan to stay a little bit longer. Possibly have some more friends meeting up with me there, but if not, I'll be doing a 2-week UNESCO volunteer project in the Sapa Valley region of Northern Vietnam, teaching English. It's going to be the adventure of a lifetime!!

Alright, I'll write more about the "F" word in blogs to come, but for now I'm just going to focus on enjoying the present. I'm sure after I leave Korea, I will really miss it! There are many exciting events coming up, so I will have a lot to write about again soon. Next weekend, I'm going on a rafting and camping trip in the Gangwon-do province, about 4 hours north of here. We will also be touring the DMZ (so long as their are no security issues with the evil step brother, you know who). The following weekend is the 4th of July and we'll be camping and bonfire-ing on a beach near Busan. After that, it's the biggest weekend of the year for foreigners in Korea, and it just so happens to be my birthday! It's the Boryeong Mud Festival and thousands of people go to this beach and get covered in mud, and party it up for the weekend. It's going to be one hell of a birthday!

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why they call it the present."

- comic on Nan's fridge, thanks!

Teaching in Korea- Progress Report

My main purpose of coming to Korea was to teach, yet I realize that I haven't written a whole lot about it in my blog. There have just been too many exciting adventures in my free time, that I haven't gotten around to it. The last time I wrote about my teaching experience, I told you about all of my challenges and how I was being taken advantage of my school by teaching completely on my own (against the contract) and without any teaching materials or curriculum. I vowed to keep a positive attitude and make an honest effort, and that's exactly what I have done.

The last four months of teaching have been really challenging, but it has gradually gotten easier and I am finally enjoying teaching on my own (mostly on my own, now). The major turning point came when I finally stood up and made my voice heard about the difficulties of teaching 4th grade alone. Although I didn't want to "give up," I realized that the communication gap was too large for me to be effective on my own. The 4th grade level is too low and to sit and listen to a native English speaker for 40 minutes straight, without any Korean, was just too difficult for them, hence the behavioral problems. I spoke up to my co-teachers (which I had already done, but this time I was much more insistent) and they suggested I write a letter to my Vice Principal fully explaining myself. When he read my letter, he was fully convinced and realized that it would in fact be much more effective to co-teach for 4th grade. He agreed, so long as I would still teach 5th and 6th grade on my own, which I happily accepted.

So, I have been co-teaching on Mondays and half of Tuesday with a young, energetic teacher named Jolie and the collaboration works great. Jolie is there to teach and translate in Korean, and I still serve my role to teach listening and speaking as a native English speaker. It really is very effective, and I can tell that the students are happier, more at ease and much better behaved in a situation where they understand whats going on. Plus, the co-teaching situation not only helps the native English speaker, it also helps the Korean English teachers improve, which is really needed in most public schools.

Now with my improved 4th grade situation, I have more time and less stress so I can be better prepared to teach alone. I 've learned a lot from my last three months of teaching and now have very good systems in place for my 5th and 6th grade classes. I pretty much use the same formula for every class; a 5 minute introduction, 10 minutes to review and present new information in an interesting way, 15 minutes for the main lesson, and 15 minutes to practice with games or activities. The biggest lesson I've learned is the simpler the better. I now focus on one or two phrases for each lesson, and even if it is too easy for the high level students, it still serves as a fun way to review, as well as practice listening to and conversing with a native English speaker. Though they've always thought my class was fun (I've played games through out the whole semester), lately I can tell my students are really understanding things better, and they are much more confident and happy because of it.

Just to sum up a few things I've learned about Teaching ESL in Korea (alone):

- Simple is better; stick to one or two key phrases and your students will have a much better experience
- Sometimes it's OK to give up; When things in the classroom are repeatedly not working, you need to make a change. Otherwise, you are doing yourself and your students a disservice.
- Play games! As long as you keep your students learning and speaking English the whole class, then the more fun, the better.
- ESL students will love you; If they have behavior problems, it's probably not that they don't like you, but rather they just don't understand you.
- Positive reinforcement is essential; make a reward system and stick to it. I have a group sticker chart, where teams can earn candy.
- Keep a positive attitude. There will be good days and bad, but if you keep a positive attitude and a smile on your face, the bad will be few and far between.

Finally, I don't think I could have turned this into such a good experience without my own conscious effort to keep a positive attitude. It can be really hard living in a foreign country when you don't speak the language and you can't even communicate with your co-workers. There are a lot of foreigners in Korea who probably get out of bed in the morning expecting the worst, and that's what they get. This year I've made a new effort to make a positive experience out of every morning. For me, that involves eating a healthy breakfast and drinking a nice cup of coffee while I check the news back at home. Then, on my way to school, I listen to podcasts, which are my new obsession!! If you own an iPod, you can download hundreds of thousands of podcasts on any subject right from your itunes for FREE. On the way to school, I listen to "self help" podcasts which sound corny, but they are really amazing. My two favorites are "The Daily Boost" and "Motivation to Move" and they are 10 minute long, positive thinking podcasts that really help me get pumped for my day.

Here's a list of my favorite podcasts, if you are interested:
- The Daily Boost
- Motivation to Move
- NPR: Wait, wait, don't tell me
- Nutrition Diva
- This American Life
- Stuff You Should Know
- NPR Storycorps
- The Moth

Teaching my afterschool class

One of my favorite fifth graders on Music Festival Day

1st Graders girls AND boys perform at Musical Festival
(4 boys to be exact!)

Green tea trip and things on my mind lately

This past weekend we hit the three-months-left-in-Korea mark. I can't really believe that I've been here for 9 months and made it through three-quarters of my time here, it just feels like it all went by too fast. Now, with only three months left, I'm constantly thinking about what's next. The thought of leaving the comforts of life here are a little scary: my great apartment, a fairly easy job, good money, culture, food, interesting people, etc. At least I know that my travels after Korea will provide enough excitement to get over it pretty quickly. With all of this thinking and anticipation, I've come to one conclusion: stop it! Stop worrying about what's three, six months down the line, and enjoy the present. Enjoy today and the next three months, and the rest is going to work itself out. I'm happy here, so I might as well soak it up while I can!


That being said, Lex and I have continued making checks on the "To Do" list. A week ago, we went to the green tea plantation in Bosung, and although we spent approximately 8 hours of the 24 hour journey on a bus, 10 sleeping, and only 6 actually experiencing the sights, we both agreed that it was totally worth it. We left on Friday right after school and hopped on a 4-hour bus cross-country (yes, you can make it across the entire country in less than 4 hours). At about 10 o'clock at night we were dropped off in a quiet, little village and planned to catch a cab to a near by hostel. But when we saw that there were several motels right around the bus station, we decided to check them out first. We picked the one that had the most cars, thinking that it was probably the most popular with the Koreans (always go where the locals go). Turns out, the place looked nice and new and they offered it to us for only $30 for the night! Happy as Koreans eating kimchi, we settled into our comfy little room- complete with a real shower! -and got some much needed rest.



On Saturday morning we were up early and at the green tea plantation by 9:30 a.m. Our first stop was to get a green tea latte, which was so delicious, and we then spent the morning wandering around the plantations and taking in the luscious, green rolling hills of green tea. It was truly a unique sight. I think my friend Rebecca described it best when she said it looked straight out of Alice in Wonderland. And unlike in Busan, we were the only foreigners at the plantation (actually we hadn't seen any others since we left Busan), so we had a lot of children and even some adults coming up to us curiously and trying to practice their English. It was fun. After a few hours of exploring, it was time for lunch and we were excited to check out the specialties dishes. We settled on green tea sungyupsal. Sungyupsal is korean barbeque with pork and you basically cook the pork on a grill and then wrap the meat in a lettuce leaf, adding sauces and different types of kimchi. This meat was doused with green tea powder and all of the sides and sauces incorporated the plant as well. It was everything we expected and more. The only thing that could make our experience any better was topping it off with some dessert. You guessed, green tea ice cream! After a long morning full of lots of sight seeing, stair climbing and indulging, we headed back on the bus and made it home just in time to go out on Saturday night. It was the perfect little trip and coming back on Saturday actually made the weekend feel so much longer!








On the way home, we got to talking again about leaving Korea. We talked about things at home that we were excited to have again (good sandwiches, English signage, cheese), about things we'll miss from Korea, and then we realized something that was pretty much inevitable; we had probably picked up a few new habits that we would be taking home with us whether we liked it or not. Here is the list we came up with, just to prepare you all so you're not so surprised by any slightly odd behavior.




8 Korean Customs I'm Likely to Take Home with Me (sorry couldn't think of 2 more to make it 10):


8. Adding an "ee" to the end of many words such as changee, beachee, fishee, etc. It has become so ingrained in us to use these words or else we won't be understood.
7. Not speaking during meals. Koreans tend to be very quiet when eating (so long as soju is not involved).
6. Sharing meals. Koreans share everything, and food is no exception. From sandwiches to meat dishes to even, I kid you not, soup, Koreans put their food in the center of the table and share. And I've come to really like it that way!
5. Thinking most food that doesn't have red peppers or wasabi is bland. There's even a bakery in my neighborhood called Bland!
4. Not tipping, oops! This is one habit I know I better break at home, but I will sincerely miss the days of keeping my extra dollar at the bar or not having to factor in the tip when eating with large groups at restaurants. It sure is nice!
3. Using scissors instead of knives at meals. That's right, at a table in Korea you will find that each person has chopsticks and a spoon, and a communal pair of scissors is used to cut the meat. Sounds strange, but we've decided that it's a great thing!
taking my shoes off in the house
2. No shoes allowed. Taking off my shoes and slipping into a nice pair slippers when entering a home, school, and even many restaurants is a comfy and greatly satisfying habit that I would really like to hold on to.

And the number one habit that I will have trouble parting with when I arrive home from Korea is...

1. Bowing! The bow/head nod has become so ingrained in me that I often find myself doing it to western friends and vice versa. We all agree, it's gonna be a tough one to break. So before you decide to laugh and make fun of the weird, awkward habits I picked up in Korea, remember habits are easier to form than they are to break. Have a little sympathy and patience, it could take at least a year!