Thanksgiving

Last Friday all the ETAs were invited to celebrate Thanksgiving at the residence of U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Miss Kathleen Stevens. I volunteered to go in early and help with the preparations. Needless to say, by the time I'd arrived much of the work was finished, so a few other ETAs and I were left to marvel at the Ambassador's residence, a hybrid of eastern and western elements that combined, make for an architectural masterpiece.

Next topic of conversation: yummy food. Thanks to hired catering - I feel so spoiled - I ate all the traditional Thanksgiving food, and more. To cap off the hearty meal, a group of talented ETAs volunteered their time to put on a concert for the rest of us. I was overly impressed - and a bit jealous, to be honest - by their tremendous talents. Of all the performances - which ranged from Bach to the Beatles - I can't decide which I enjoyed the most, Shosty, more formally known as Shostakovich, or the timeless classic "No Scrubs" by TLC. Needless to say, Thanksgiving dinner went extremely well, presumably for all the ETAs, but more importantly for my stomach.

Country Living

Now that four months have flown by, I've gotten well into the habit of things. By habit, however, in no way do I mean teaching M-F, 9-5, and then relaxing at home on the weekends. The structure of my weeks (and weekends) has become rather "fast-paced," ironically enough, given that I work in a town of less than ten-thousand people.

My students are magnificent, and it's great to be a teacher when the students are highly motivated to learn. Earlier this week I taught a lesson on economics to my third grade, which consisted of students having to use several phrases such as, "How much is that...", "What do you want?", to name but a few. One student in particular - who I'm sure will be a very successful financier in the future - was highly engaged in every sense of the word. The class ended with him bombarding me with questions regarding place values, which of course was due to his great interest in capital.

"What's after a hundred?" he would ask.

"Thousands."

"And after that?"

"Ten Thousands.

When I got to quadrillions I figured he would stop asking, but he was still curious! What a kid.

Aside from teaching I've been doing quite a bit of traveling. October was a busy month, hence the lack of blogging, which I feel terrible about. On October 9th I went all the way down to Gyeongju for the first of two Fulbright conferences. It was nice to get out of Hwacheon for a time and see my fellow ETAs, who all expressed similar concerns about their schools and homestay situations. To get to the bare bones, it's safe to say that once you get past the "mystique" of living and traveling in a foreign country, it sure can present itself as quite a challenge. In my case, because I am no exception, I've had to work past not speaking the language and not being able to communicate all that well with my homestay family, as well as the school staff. I consider myself rather lucky, however, that my homestay speaks even a dose of English.

The week following the conference, I went to Donghae and Samcheok, both located on the East Coast where I got to see the ocean once again. The original plan was to take a ferry to Ulleung-do, a tiny island territory from which you can see Dokdo, the pile of rocks that has been the reason for many disputes between Korean and Japan. Due to complications with our transportation, however, we ended up visiting a quaint little village in Donghae, and a sculpture park in Samcheok with a very interesting theme.

On Saturday the 24th, I attended the "Grand Mint Music Festival," an indie music festival in Seoul boasting an impressive lineup of Korean as well as international performers. Originally I had planned on going hiking at a nearby mountain, until a friend of mine informed me that the Korean "Radiohead" would be performing. In disbelief, I conducted a bit of research only to discover that they did in fact sound like the Korean Radiohead. The festival was great, but short, as is every weekend. The feeling of being in such a large city barely sinks in before I have to head back north to my small town.

Every week since the concert I've made my way down to Seoul, including to celebrate Halloween, which was a blahst!!!! A few of the ETAs and I got together and had a Halloween party, complete with pumpkin carving and creepy crawlers. Before I continue, I must introduce the concept of a DVD Room. A DVD Room can basically be called a movie theater large enough for 4 or 5 people. It can be compared to the average theater room in the US. Naturally, on Halloween night, I recommended that we watch "Drag Me to Hell" at a local DVD ROOM. In Sam Raimi's horror films, he has been known to successfully inject his viewers with heavy doses of fear through the use of terrifying story lines not to mention impeccable cinematic techniques.

This past weekend I traveled to Daegu for my friend's birthday. Daegu is Korea's third largest city, and notably so, as it boasts many similarities to that of Seoul and Busan. I took the KTX, Korea's famous speed-rail system, for the first time. Despite the speedy travel, the ride down to Daegu was surprisingly smooth. One of the things that I found in Daegu, which I also find in Seoul and Busan, were numerous underground shops that seem to last for miles. One could spend an entire day simply wandering underground, and find everything he or she needed.

That's all for now, but I will update soon!

Birthday, Busan, Buseoksa, Bulgeoksa

Birthday. Busan (Second only to Seoul, the second largest city in S. Korea). Buseoksa (a temple with interesting legends), Bulgeoksa (Korea's most famous temple), Seokgurahm (One of Asia's most elaborate and beautifully crafted Buddhas), among other sites. These are but a few of the adventures I've taken in recent weeks.

I have many more pictures that you can find posted on my Picasa Web Albums at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jrios2009

On my birthday, my school bought me a delicious cake that I very much enjoyed. The weekend of, my host-family also threw me a birthday bash. It was truly an unforgettable series of events, and I will never forget this past birthday in Asia. Several friends and fellow ETAs attended, and the food was more than satisfying.

The following weekend, I accompanied the family on a road trip to Busan, a port city, and South Korea's second largest, next to Seoul. The purpose of the trip was my host-mother's niece's first year anniversary celebration, which in Korea, as is in other countries, is quite a big deal. To start off, there was a delicious buffet, which I, my stomach, and my host-family, thoroughly enjoyed. Shortly after, there was a performance by the restaurant party entertainer, who was very talented. She performed many stunts and engaged the crowd with jokes and songs. The host-family's relatives in Busan were very kind, and they asked me to give them a ring the next time I'm in town.

Below are some images from my most recent adventure to the southern part of South Korea, namely the towns of Youngju, Ahndong and Gyeongju. The trip was organized by our local Education Office, in an effort to provide foreign English teachers with exposure to historical Korea. Most of the trip, for me at least, was spent marveling at the sight of various temples, Buddhas, and most of all, the rich Korean culture embodied in all these historical monuments. Even after having visited several temples in my time here, I am still fascinated at the fact some of these structures are over one-thousand years old!

Above: Buseoksa Temple

Bulgeoksa Temple

Bulgeoksa Temple Main Entrance

This is me at a traditional Korean village, tying a slip of paper - noting my life dreams - onto a rope surrounding an ancient, mystical tree. I'm not sure what legend holds, but let's hope it has something to do with making dreams come true.

The First Two Weeks

I am living in Cangchok, but am teaching in Yuchon, a neighboring town. My first few weeks of teaching were mainly spent getting to know my colleagues and students, as well as setting the foundation for a healthy classroom climate. I focused mainly on getting used to my schedule, and also on figuring out the most effective and efficient strategies for approaching lesson planning and implementation. In short, the past few weeks consisted of me getting adjusted to the school, and the school - it's staff and students - getting adjusted to me.

Yuchon is terrific. With the exception of a few teachers, the majority of the staff at Yuchon Elementary School speak little to no English. This has made for many awkward conversations, things getting lost in translation, etc. I never know whether my bows are appropriate or whether I am bowing too much, or whether I am supposed to say something, or say nothing at all. However, they have accepted me with open arms, and the kindness that I've received overshadows the difficulties in communication. Still, I will strive to learn Korean so that I am able to further develop my relationship with the school staff and students.

The structure of the Korean workplace is very different than that of America's. While both are largely hierarchically based, positions and titles in Korea are of much more importance in a uniquely different way. For example, in the mornings as I step inside the Gyomushil - a "teacher's office" of sorts - I must "insa"(bow and greet) the staff in the following order: the Vice Principal, Teacher department head, the Office Assistant...etc. The higher in power one is, the greater the level of respect they demand. If this ritual were to be incorrectly staged, it would be offensive and detrimental to one's relationship with that person.

At Yuchon Elementary School I teach grades 1-6, adding to a total of 78 students. The students have been a true pleasure to teach so far. The town I work in is largely agricultural, and therefore many of my students come from a farming background. In conducting a diagnostic to measure the students' English ability level, one of the questions was, "What does your mother do?". The top responses were: Farmer, Teacher, and Business Woman. My students bring such a high energy-level and excitement to learn into the classroom, which has largely added to the wonderful experience I've had here so far.

Placement: Hwacheon, Yuchon...Cangchok?

My host family, is on the left and my Co-teacher and her husband are on the right.

This lovely home, built by my host father's uncle, is where I will be staying for the remainder of the year. The inside is just as nice as the outside.

My living quarters

Dolgone, the family dog, is very lively and to my astonishment feeds on people food!

Mind, Body and Seoul

The American Ambassador to Korea, Kathleen Stevens, welcomed us at her residence for a much anticipated American barbecue. She is in fact, the first female American Ambassador to Korea, as well as the the first to speak fluent Korean. I only spoke with her briefly, but her presence in itself spoke great lengths of her achievements. Also at the barbecue was U.S. Congressman Mike Honda (Ca-15), who addressed us all the while sipping on a chilled Budweiser. The event itself was a great success, not only because I was able meet Ambassador Stevens, U.S. Congressman Mike Honda, and other imortant figures, but because I feasted on, or rather inhaled, excess amounts of delicious American food. Hot dogs, hamburgers, tater tots galore. That is not to say Korean food isn't tasty, just very different.

After the barbecue, some friends and I walked five minutes to Seoul City Plaza where the Korea Philharmonic performed on the eve of Korean Independence Day to celebrate 64 years of independence from Japan. Not only did they pay tribute to many classical and operatic greats, but they managed to include a mixed variety of Korean music as well. It was terrific.

This is on the morning of "Yonsei Day," which is not a Korean holiday, but rather the day all the ETA's are shipped off to different parts of the country. My entire year in Korea will begin to fully unfold on this day. My experience here was a bit surprising, however. While many ETA's got to meet their Principal and Vice Principal, I was welcomed by my Co-teacher and her husband. A wave of relief washed over me, and the anticipation and anxiety of meeting my Principal and Vice-Principal was assuaged.

Intense English Training Camp (IETC)

This is a yearly 1 day-2 night camp organized by the members of the Kangwon English Yard (KEY) Club. The objective of the camp is to bring together several of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) and the KEY Club members and to provide Kangwon University students with the chance to improve and polish their English-speaking abilities.

The camp was a lot of fun! Below are the photographs I took during my weekend there. Enjoy!

Somewhere between Seoul and Chuncheon

A family enjoying a nice weekend camping trip.

Along the river were tents for the public to stay in. Some Fulbright ETAs thought it would be a camped out in these for the night. We feared we'd leave them behind in the morning, so I volunteered to search for them. After 20 minutes of walking, I abandoned the mission and hoped that they'd brought their alarm clocks.

The campsite was full of these roofed dining areas.

We introduced our group members to PB&B! It is quite rare to have this in Korea, so we were thrilled at this opportunity.

Group Five posing for the camera!

One of the Key Club members jumping off into the water.

Hello 승현!

Splish Splash!!

Some of the Key Club members having fun in the sun.

On the left is my language partner 지은! She does her best to help me with my Korean. I on the other hand don't do much. She speaks English so well!

The peace signs are a very common pose when taking photographs.

My fellow group member 주 cooking up a storm!

These were some friends making a funny pose at the end of the night!

Week 4

Come back soon!

After this hike, we hiked for two more hours to the tallest peak in Songnison. That route was a bit more rugged, and so we did not take many photographs!

We made it! This is Emily and I on Munjongdae's peak. We experienced very heavy winds!

And here he is!

This picture was taken by an incredibly nice Korean man who we spoke with for quite some time.

We are almost there!

There were several temples along the way to the mountain top.

The above picture marks the beginning of our 10 mile hike. My friend Emily is on the left.

This is the largest Buddha statue in S. Korea.

An image of the village at dawn.

Many things have happened since last weekend. Since we've been studying so hard for Korean Language Classes, our Orientation Coordinators planned a weekend trip for us to Songnisan. The word songi means "escape from the vulgar," which is pretty accurate because it was rather beautiful and relaxing. Here are some pictures from our trip. Enjoy!

So much to catch you up on!

Let's just say the first week has been rather eventful, with the exception of getting sick on the second day! (haha)

Last Sunday we arrived at Incheon Airport and met up with the Fulbrighters coming from Los Angeles. We then proceeded to take a bus to Chuncheon, South Korea, the city hosting our Orientation. More specifically, we are staying in dormitories at Kangwon University. On a side note, Kangwon University is housing many of the participants in an International Taekwando Competition held nearby. It is comprised of competitors from across the globe.

What with the incredibly busy schedule, I've had very little free time to post blogs. I've made a resolution to post at least once a week, so please bear with me! :)

As I mentioned, on the second day I came down with a very upset stomach. It was not a pretty picture. Unsurprisingly, the Korean government suspected I had H1-N1 - The dreaded Swine Influenza. Thank goodness it was only a scare, and up to this point all is well.

The rest of the week consisted of highly-intensive Korean language classes, so so cafeteria food, and late night study hours. In the first classes, the instructors spoke only in Korean. Fortunately, this lasted for the first week only, and they now seem to be speaking a slight bit of English. We also had multiple workshops aimed at preparing us for the weeks to come. The workshops undoubtedly assuaged many of my fears and concerns.

This past weekend was so much fun! To begin, Friday we went for an excellent hike. It was incredible. We got to the top of the mountain and we could see all of Chuncheon! Tomorrow we will see Harry Potter, which I am so excited about. Aside from this, I have been eating great food (outside the cafeteria of course). Korean food is actually very delicious. I guess it's safe to say that cafeteria food is just mediocre everywhere.

Talk with you later!

Texas!

The trip was a huge success! I was able to see my family before leaving for South Korea. I am very relieved!

[This was their Mini Yorki Casey!]

[I was able to see my Grandma! (on the left)]

[These are my two younger cousins. Not so little!]

[I stayed with my uncle, aunt and cousin.]

Before heading off to South Korea, I paid a visit to some of my family in Texas! Here are some photos from my trip!

Hi Folks!

Summer break is rapidly approaching. Only one day left 'till graduation! Tomorrow is the final day of my undergraduate career and a new exciting year awaits.

In posting and updating this blog, I hope to share many of my experiences with all of you. I am a novice blogger, so please, bear with me!