Japan: Round 2, Part 1

I have to say, I was pretty nervous about taking my parents to Japan (although, of course I didn't tell them that). When we first came up with idea of going, I thought it was great because I thought, why would you come all the way over to Asia and only see Korea? Korea is great and all, but there are a lot of other must-see places right next door. I had already been to Japan over the holidays, and based on my first experience in Tokyo, I started to question whether or not they would like it (after having already purchased the tickets). There were a number of reasons why. First of all, Tokyo is insanely big. It's home of the world's busiest subway station and crosswalk, the public transportation map looks like an intricate spiderweb, and you couldn't even make a dent on the city in three days. On top of that, Japan is expensive. Really expensive. Still on top of that, people rarely speak English, though English signs are everywhere (thank God!). For all of these reasons, I was pretty nervous about the trip. Yet, remembering how fascinated I was by the culture and how insanely cool and edgy the country is helped calm my worries. In the end, it turned out great. Although our adventure in Japan got off to a rough start, it was amazing after all and I was so glad not only that I got to take my parents there, but also that I got to experience the awesome city of Tokyo again.

It was a quick and easy hour and a half flight from Busan to Tokyo, and we arrived in Tokyo by 2:30 on Friday afternoon. The hard part was over...or so Mom and Dad thought. I knew that we had one more obstacle to get over; getting out of Shinjuku train station and finding our hotel. Getting out of Shinjuku train station? Even in a foreign country, how hard can it be to get OUT of a building? Just look for the exit or follow the people leaving your train and you'll find it, right? WRONG. Shinjuku station is the biggest, craziest mess of a subway station that you could possibly imagine. It's spans across at least 10 city blocks and is 5 levels high from the underground tracks, up to several above ground railways. It's what some people refer to as a "clusterfuck" (pardon my language, but that really is the best word to describe it). After approximately 20 minutes of lugging our bags up and down stairs and through crowded corridors, we finally wound up at the West Exit. CRAP! "Our hotel is east of the station, we definitely need the East exit," I told Mom and Dad. We all agreed that it would just be best to get in a cab, no matter how round-a-bout of a drive it was. Turns out, our cab driver didn't even know how to get to a hotel in the same area of the city we were in! He tried looking the address up in his map book of Tokyo (seriously bigger than a yellow pages phonebook), but couldn't find it. Even after calling the hotel, he was still driving around in circles.

At this point (especially if you know my Mom) you may be thinking, were any of you freaking out?!? Actually, we all remained pretty calm, even Mom, but I could feel the underlying panic that could have ensued at anytime. If anything, I was just feeling that all of my worries about them not liking Japan were already coming true. But, alas, we finally arrived at our cute little hotel, and aside from Dad almost mistakenly paying $100 for the cab ride, we made it there unharmed, and in one piece.

From there, the trip just got better and better. Just as we arrived at the hotel, the rain and fog that had covered the city as we flew in over it, was dissipating. As soon as we went up to our room and re-energized (beer was not involved this time, but would be shortly), we were off to our first stop at the famous Meiji Shrine near the equally famous Harajuku neighborhood. The stark contrast between the beautiful, old shrine, empty due to the rainy afternoon, and the hip, crazy, crowded shopping area of Harajuku provided a great introduction to the type of place that Japan is; A country that holds tight to it's past, while at the same time embracing and pioneering the newest trends and technologies.

After seeing the shrine and walking around Harajuku it was about 6:30, and I had planned to take Mom and Dad to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant that I had scoped out last time I was there. Unfortunately, the building where the restaurant had once stood was now a construction site, and finding a place to eat is not easy in Harajuku. It's more of a cafe/clothing type area. So, I suggested that we head to Shibuya to see Shibuya crossing and go to a spot where I was sure we would find our sushi. Mom and Dad agreed, but not before taking our beer break, we were long overdue for that.

We hopped on the subway, two stops to Shibuya and exited out into the world's busiest intersection; it is said that approximately 3 million people cross it everyday, and if you've ever seen pictures of bustling Tokyo streets, I guarantee this is the place. We made our way across the intersection and as our stomachs growled in anticipation of dinner, I promised we would find something just up ahead (secretly I didn't really know if we would find it). Sure enough, about two blocks down the street, fate brought us right to our conveyor belt sushi restaurant. It was like being a kid in a candy store, only this candy store had a really long line to wait on! That was okay by us, and we sat with mouths watering as we watched the sushi go round and round, waiting to get our chance to dig in. Finally, we got to the front of the line, and then it was heaven on a conveyor belt! Fresh, delicious sushi whizzed by and we giggled with joy as we grabbed each lovely little plate, opened wide and washed it down with refreshing beer and sake. The icing on the cake- the entire feast only cost $50!!







Stumbling out of the restaurant, stomachs full, heads a little hazy from the sake, I had one last idea for the night. A Japanese tradition that I knew Mom and Dad just had to try; a photobooth session! In Japan, young people always go to photobooths to take pictures with their friends during a night out. They take goofy pictures and then decorate them with bright, tacky, glittery designs, it's pretty hilarious. Mom and Dad happily agreed, but as soon as we got inside the booth, Dad said, "I don't know, I think this stuff is for girls." I told him it was too late, and he better just smile, so he did. The pictures turned out so funny and one of the best souvenirs from the trip; I know I will cherish mine forever.




After our photo session, we headed back to crazy Shinjuku station, which was still packed at 10 o'clock at night, and we picked up some more sake and snacks and went back to the hotel. We hung out, watched some funny Japanese TV, and called it an early night. There was a lot more in store for our Japan adventure, and we knew we would be needing the energy for it.

Adventures with Mom and Dad in Korea

It's Monday afternoon and I'm sitting in my classroom feeling happy, sad and exhausted all at once. Mom and Dad's highly-anticipated trip to Asia has come to an end, and I have to say it was better than I ever could have imagined. We had such a good time sightseeing in Korea and Japan and experiencing the culture of Asia. This week, I'll give you a recap of our week in Korea and next week I'll write about Japan because there is so much to say! But first, I've made a little list of 10 things I've learned from this trip about traveling with parents.This list should be especially helpful for those of you living in Korea, and hoping your parents will visit, despite the fact that they've never been to Asia, or any other country for that matter, on their own. Here goes...


10 Things I Learned About Traveling with Parents in Asia

10. Not everyone is an adventurous eater. My mom loves ethnic food, but to my surprise, unidentified fish in spicy fermented sauce was just a little too much for her to handle.
9. Be prepared to constantly be saying, "I don't know, that's just the way it is." There are many things in Asia that you just have to accept as "different."
8. Sharing an apartment with your parents for several days is a valuable bonding experience. Watching "Dancing with the Stars" together on your laptop will only enhance that bond.
7. Anytime something goes wrong, just play it off as a "cultural experience." Whether the food is too fishy, you're stuck in the world's busiest subway station, or the only available toilet is a hole in the ground, you can explain that it's all part of the cultural experience.
6. When traveling from Korea to Japan, make sure your parents understand the exchange rate. In Korea, 10,000 is worth $10 but in Japan its worth $100. Although Japanese cab drivers don't usually take tips, they might not refuse a hundred bucks.
5. Beware of the allure of chanting monks. You may find that your mother is drawn to the beautiful sound of chanting monks. If you hear any monk music while hiking in the woods, be sure to keep a close eye on your mother, or before you know it she may run off and join the monkhood.
4. Adult Diapers may be required. When traveling in places with more exotic food such as Korea, you may find that your parents (in my case Dad's) stomache don't agree with the food. Rather than go on a tour of all of the public restrooms in town, you may just want to bring along some absorbant undies. ;)
3. BYOTP- While you may find toilet paper in classrooms, subway stations, or even hanging outside on the exteriors of buildings, you probably won't find any in the bathroom. It's essential to BYOTP, especially if you've already forgotten the adult diapers.
2. Beer breaks are essential. Schedule at least 3 beer breaks daily to refuel and reenergize your parents.
1. And finally, I learned that when your parents come to visit you can give your bank account a rest!! Be like a kid again and let the rents pick up the dinner, hotels, train tickets, heck even have them buy you socks on the street! Thanks Mom and Dad!!


OK, that was all in good fun. If it sounds like we had quite an adventure, then you're right, we did. After eagerly waiting for weeks for my parents to arrive, and even fearing that everything would be ruined due to swine flu taking over the world, I finally went to the airport last friday to pick them up. They arrived looking tired but happy to see me and excited to begin the adventure. I brought them to my apartment where they would be staying for the week and Dad immediately hopped on the bed, ready to pass out for the night. This was unacceptable to Mom and me, as we really wanted to go out have the first taste of Korean food. Fortunately, Dad was a trooper and got up. We met my friend Alexis and then set out to a korean bbq restaurant where we grilled delicious beef, sampled kimchi and drank aged soju, until finally calling it a night.



The first weekend was filled with sightseeing around my city, Busan. Our first stop was Jagalchi Fish Market, which is a rather shocking and exciting introduction to Korea, as you get to see the people, food and customs all in one, busy and fishy-smelling place. For lunch we had a delicious meal of fried red snapper, soup and vegetable dishes, cooked for us right on the main street of the market. We then headed to Busan Tower where we got a glimpse of the city from a birds-eye view. We headed back to my place around 5pm to refuel before going to a temple, but Dad was completely drained and decided to call it a night. Talk about the early bird special! So, Mom and I headed to beautiful Beomosa temple for Buddha's birthday celebration, where we witnesses thousands of worshippers and monks hanging beautiful, bright lanterns all over the temple grounds. It was a truly unique experience that only occurs once a year, so we were both really excited. The following day, we took a ferry ride around Busan and went to another beautiful temple on the cliffs.







On Monday, I went to work from 9 am to noon and my school was nice enough to let me leave as soon as my classes were finished. We had Tuesday off for a Children's Day, a national holiday in Korea, so we were taking a trip to Gyongju, the historical city which was Korea's capital during the Silla Dynasty. We hopped on a one-hour bus ride to Gyongju and made our way to the charming traditional Korean guesthouse where we would be staying. For grand total of $30, we slept on the floor of a tiny, one-room Korean cottage. Though it may have been a little shocking at first, Mom and Dad ended up loving the place. That day we visited many natural and historicals sights around Gyongju, and to my delight they loved everything. Dad was especially fascinated by the architecture of the massive palace temples, and Mom was of course into all of the Buddhist history. That night we had dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant where we were served many, many small plates as well as Korean milky rice wine infused with Ginseng. Dad and I loved it, and although Mom wasn't in to the strange tastes, it was still quite a good cultural experience. The next day we did more temple sightseeing, and went to the top of a mountain to see a buddhist statue in a cave. It was a great little trip that we all really enjoyed.







We got back to Busan on Tuesday night, and I was anxious and excited for school on Wednesday because Mom and Dad would be coming with me. After a brief introduction ceremony in my Principal's office, Mom and Dad came up to my classroom where I was teaching 5th graders a lesson on "Welcoming a Tourist." They greeted Mom and Dad with a loud and enthusiastic, "Welcome to Gumjung Elementary!" It was really cute. The class was fun and I think both parents and students had a great time, so I was satisfied. For lunch we had the best meal possible, bibimbap! It's a favorite korean dish, of mixed rice, vegetables, meat and sauce, so I was really glad they got to try that. It was a fun-filled day, and I was really happy that I was able to show them what my day to day life is like in Korea. We spent the next day and a half trying restaurants, shopping and hiking and then it was finally off to Japan on Friday! More on that next week!


Pics are up!!! http://picasaweb.google.com/lcurrie711

They're here!

Mom and Dad are finally here in Korea and we're having a great time!! After 20 hours of traveling and successfully avoiding quarantine due to swine flu (thank goodness!), we reunited at the airport and it's been go, go, go ever since. Mom is really loving the buddhist culture and it's the perfect time to experience it as this weekend is Buddha's birthday. Dad is enjoying the food and getting a kick out of Korea and their design decisions. Tomorrow, we head to the city of Gyongju to see some Korean history and get a more traditional experience.

Yonggungsa Temple, Buddha's Birthday celebration

I'll give a full, detailed update after the trip, but right now I'm exhausted!! Much love from all of us in Korea! Annyong!

The road less traveled...

As much as I disapprove of the bombardment of advertisements on the internet, I have actually benefited from the targeted advertising on both Facebook and Google. Each of these sites can detect words and topics in your profile and email, and they advertise according to your "interests." Though 98% of the time its useless junk that I don't click on, once in a blue moon something catches my eye that I find really useful. In fact, I first found out about teaching in South Korea from a Facebook ad.

The other day, I was on Google mail and there was a link to a NYTimes article. The catch phrase was something like, "Frequent Flier: Going to Every Country Before the Age of 35." Naturally, I was very interested in a person this ambitious, so I went to the New York Times and began reading about a man named Chris Guillebeau who traveled to 100 countries before the age of 30. The article spoke about his experience with traveling and volunteering, and briefly mention his blog and self-created social movement called "The Art of Non-Conformity." Now this was something that really caught my interest, so I went to the website and continued reading. In fact, what I found was so interesting that I read for over three hours.

Chris' blog tells the story of his life, volunteering in Africa, traveling the world, and being self-employed for his entire adult life. The social movement which he calls "The Art of Non-Conformity" encourages people to do what he's done; not to conform to the expectations of society and instead find a unique way to fulfill their dreams and help others while they're at it. That's not to say that he thinks you have to be different. He just wants to inspire people to do exactly what they want to do in life, and to truly live out their dreams while making a difference.

I am completely compelled by this idea and I've always wanted to do unconventional things, rather than take the safe road. It's not even about conforming or not, it's about doing what makes us happy, despite what others (friends, family, society) expect of us. If you love your 9-5 job than that's great, but if not, why not try to make a living doing something more alligned with your passions?

So far in my life, I've done things that I love and things that I don't love, and I've learned to make changes to improve my situations, rather than accepting something that doesn't make me happy. But, now that my contract is ending in four months, I'm really starting to think about what's next. I know it will include travel for a little while, but I will definitely be back home in time for the holidays. After that, I'm not really quite sure. What it comes down to in the end is, what will make me happy? Though it may be somewhat idealistic to think that I can attain the perfect job or be self-employed in this economy, I fully intend to take on the challenge. Maybe I'll start my own business, maybe I'll work at a non-profit for a cause I'm passionate about, maybe I'll keep traveling and helping others (if I can figure out how to afford that). Right now, I just don't know. But, when I do figure it out, my goal will be to do something that makes me happy, helps others and allows me to make a decent living, because that's what matters. Not what other people think. It's people like Chris Guillebeau that remind me that it is okay to take the road less traveled, and if you do, it might just make all the difference.


Further reading:

The NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/business/21flier.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

To see the blog go to: www.artofnonconformity.com

If you're really interested in this stuff (because it's definitely not for everyone) I recommend reading his manifesto "A Brief Guide to World Domination." Let me know what you think!

My new Korean loves...

Spring is here and love is in the air. Yes, I am officially in love. With about ninety people. Ninety wonderful, tiny, Asian people.

Two weeks ago a bunch of us found out about the opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage in Busan and we were really excited to actually do some volunteering here in Korea. The orphanage just happens to be right up the street from my school. It is run by a nice old couple and their children, and they house 90 orphans from the age of one month to five years old.

I was a little nervous going for the first time because I didn't know exactly what I was going to experience. Would it be sad to see the children? Would they be well cared for? Would the adults be receptive to foreigners coming for two hours (the limit for visiting) or would they resent us for not doing more?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the building and the grounds seemed very bright and happy and the smiling faces of the adults who greeted us told me I didn't have to worry. We met the family and signed in, and then went outside to the playground when we heard the pitter-patter and squeel of about 20 kids coming out to play. The children were mostly three and four years old and they were all dressed in matching red and navy gym suits, and they all (or most) looked very happy. We began playing with the kids and although some were shy or only interested in the shovel and sandbox, they all opened up pretty quickly. I immediately became attached to a beautiful little girl who was clearly part Korean and part Caucasian (I found out her mother was Russian). After a while, half the group took those kids for a walk and some of us went to the nursury to play with the babies. They were also delighted to see us and immediately began climbing all over us. They were just so fun to play with and hold and it really gave me such a sense of euphoria to be around them (don't worry Mom, I don't want any of my own for a long, long time...actually, you were probably getting excited)! Anyway, at the end of the two hours it was dinner time for the babies, and although we were sad to leave them, we knew we had to go and it was the perfect time to leave while they were distracted by yummy rice porridge.

playing outside

the little ones!

she's precious...and loving rice porridge!

Yesterday, I went back for a second time with Lex and Kate and I couldn't wait to see the kids again. When we arrived, we heard that the older kids had gone to the park and we were directed to the babies (yay!). We went to the two year old room and the moment we opened the door, 9 smiling two year olds came running over to us, with arms stretched out wide. The caretakers chose three children and told us to take them outside and play because they are too little to go outside in a group, they need one-on-one attention. When we got outside, I tried to put my little guy, Min Ji, down but he would not let go of me. He immediately began to cry at the thought of having to let go of me and I spent the next hour trying to get him to smile. We realized that they didn't get much one-on-one love and it was something that they craved so much. It made me really sad to realize this. I began to wonder if it was such a good idea to be coming for such short amounts of times and then leaving. I wonder if this could create lasting impressions and perhaps they would grow up to have some form of seperation anxiety.

Why so sad, Min Ji?

this guys always a happy camper

As the morning progressed and we took the kids back in to the nursery, Min Ji relaxed and began laughing and playing and climbing all over me. He was interacting with the other kids and just seemed to be having a really great time. By the end of the two hours, he was sitting against me like a lounge chair and just dozed off, so tuckered out from all of the playing. I had to wake him up for lunch and the caretakers gave us bowls of rice to help feed them. Min ji LOVED the porridge and I told him he was the number one eater of the day, not sure he understood though! Finally, it was time to go and we laid out floor mats for the bigger kids and put the smallest in cribs, shut off the lights and lullaby-ed them to sleep. Once again I left feeling completely happy and re-energized by the presence of such great little humans.

Though it was hard to realize the issues that the orphans will inevitably grow up with due to their unfortunate lack of parents, I learned a valuable lesson; Sometimes it's easier to avoid looking at sad situations, but if you can give just a little bit of your time, you can do something to improve them. Even if you can't do much, do something. These kids need any and all of the love they can get, even if it's not as much as they want or deserve. At least they can count on me to be a consistent visitor for the next four months!

happy Min Ji!

...and tuckered out

post-lunch naptime


look at that hair!

Check, Check, Check! And fun with ICEA...

Taekwondo- check!
Dress in traditional Korean clothing- check!
See the cherry blossoms- check!

I have gotten right to work on my Sixth Month Countdown To Do List, and last weekend I was able to knock off quite a few things on the list! Here's a recount of how it all went down...

One of the luckiest things that has happened to me in the last few months was being invited to a group called the International Cultural Exchange Association (ICEA). One day in February, I was feeling a little down and overwhelmed at school and on the way home I had to stop in an art supply store to pick up some things for my classroom. I had my headphones on and was going about my business as usual, when a Korean guy about my age tapped me on the shoulder. Usually when this happens its someone just wanting to say a friendly hello or practice their English a little. But this guy said in perfect English, "Hi, do you mind taking off your headphones?" I was suprised at his fluency and I took my headphones off and said hello. He introduced himself as CJ and told me that he was a university student and the president of an organization called the ICEA. He began explaining how it is a group for foreigners and Koreans to meet and exchange culture and practice our languages. When he asked me to join, I was so happy because I had been looking for something like this the entire time I'd been in Korea and believe it or not it wasn't easy to find. Suddenly, due to complete chance, the opportunity fell in my lap!

So far we've had three meetings and they've been so much fun. Each foreigner is matched with a Korean buddy and my buddy is a guy named Edwin (Korean name is Gi Hyun). He is 25 and in his senior year in university, due to the fact that Korean men have to serve two years in the army. Anyway, he's really cool and has great English because he lived in Toronto for a few months. I also got Alexis and my friend Scott to join and they have cool buddies as well. In fact, Scott's female buddy thanked me several times for "bringing the most handsome foreigner in the ICEA."

Not only is the group great for meeting people, but it has also allowed me to fulfill many of the goals on my Six Month Countdown To Do list. The first activity was to go to Beomosa temple for a hike and picnic. Our buddies made delicious Korean food and we saw the cherry blossoms as we made our way through the temple and up the mountain. Then, this past weekend we had a jam packed Saturday, with a Traditional Korean dress fashion show in the morning followed by Taekwondo in the afternoon. It was so much fun! Trying on the traditional dress (called Hanbok) was amazing. Even for Koreans, it is rare to dress up in Hanbok (mostly at weddings and maybe Korean Thanksgiving) so it was special for them too. After having a hilarious fashion show, we ate lunch and then went to a Taekwondo studio down the street. We were there for about 2 hours and got to see a demonstration by two level-5 black belts and learned different moves and formations of Taekwondo. It was such a great day, definitely one of my favorites yet in Korea.

Spring is in full swing now and I am continuing to make plans to accomplish all of my goals in Korea. Next weekend, a fellow Cornellian will be visiting me from Seoul and he is signed up to go shark diving at the aquarium. Yes, he is willingly going to jump in a tank of man eating sharks, and hopefully I'll be there to witness the insanity (and take pictures, of course)! There are a few more festivals in April that I want to go to and before I know it, Mom and Dad will be here! Only three and a half more weeks! Can't wait!

First of a zillion group shots

My buddy Edwin, proud of the picnic he prepared

Wearing Hanbok!

I wish this was my camera! Great shot...

Taekwondo- this guy did a kick over us and broke the wood...
I'm the 2nd butt in from the right

Lex and Me

Level-5 Black belt demo

Hello, my name is Ta-jeong

This semester, I not only have my regular 22 hours of teaching in which I have no co-teacher or curriculum, but I also teach an after school class. They decided that the after school class would be for the high-level English speakers because the in-school English classes are very basic and some high-level students don't get a chance to learn anything new. So, about 20 students interviewed for my class and I was able to pick the best 10 students. The class is twice a week, for an hour and a half each session, which makes for a lot of planning! I thought that this would be daunting on top of the planning I already have to do, but the class (called English Club) turns out to be an absolute delight. There are 10 girls in English Club (yup, no boys made the cut) and they are all great, dedicated students. It's definitely my favorite class to teach and one I know I will miss when I leave.

So, last week, my students asked me if I could give them English names. Having spent a lot of time memorizing their Korean names (which are very difficult to remember), I was a little reluctant. For example, So-young, Se-young, Sun-young, Tae-yun and Yu-jeong are just a few of them. But it's very popular to have an English name for when you travel abroad or meet foreigners and my students wanted me to be the one to name them. I told them that I would create a list of my favorite names and they could choose from the list, but on one condition; they had to return the favor and give me a Korean name. The excitement in their eyes to hear that I wanted a Korean name was unbelievable and I think they were way more excited about that than getting a name for themselves.

We decided that we would pick the names the following week in class. In the meantime, I saw the girls in the halls and in my regular English class. One of them told me they were still trying to think of my Korean name, but they already knew part of it would be "jeong." Personally, I thought that was not the prettiest of Korean names, but I wouldn't ever tell them that and of course I went along with it.

The next week, at the end of class I wrote all of the English names I had come up with on the board. Each girl immediately gravitated towards a name, and they surprisingly didn't fight over any at all. They chose Kelly, Eva, Emma, Hannah, Jenna, Courtney, Sasha and a few others that I can't remember right now. At first no one wanted Sasha, but when told them that Obama's daughter was named Sasha, one girl decided she had to have it. Anyway, it was so cute and I think the girls felt a sense of pride that they had really earned their names because they have improved their English so much this year.

At the end of class, one of my favorite students, Yu-jeong, reminded me that they still had to give me my Korean name. She stood up to formally present my name to me. "We chose the name Ta-jeong for you because it means "kindness" in Korean. But Jeong is the most important part. We wanted you to have Jeong in your name because our school is Gum-jeong Elementary and we always want you to remember us." At that moment I suddenly realized that I really care about these students and it is going to be so hard to say goodbye to them. I was very touched by the thought that they put into my name, and just as they felt a sense of pride as English students, it gave me a sense of pride as an English Teacher in Korea that I am doing a good job.

The experience also showed me how much I'm starting to love teaching. Though there are a lot of difficulties I face here, I really like the job and the results of my hardwork are definitely paying off. Now, I know that no matter what situation I'm in at school, whether I'm dealing with a problematic student or frustrated by the lack of communication, I can remember that moment and remind myself that it's all worth it in the end.



It's springtime in Korea!!...