Daedunsan Hike-Watch Out For The Spike!

Winter has reached the shores of South Korea complete with snow, minus temperatures and ajummas concerned about my health because I don’t get cold. With still no sign of a new schedule I have been making the most of the weekends.

Last Saturday (6th December) I went hiking with Adventure Korea at Daedunsan, a provincial park in Jeollabuk-do. It is described in the Lonely Liar as “one of Korea’s most scenic mountain areas” and for once the guide book gets it right. The rocky peaks offer spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. Plus the combination of steel stairwells, cable bridges and rocks along with the terrible duo of snow and ice made for an interesting day of trying to stay upright. Some of us didn’t have suitable footwear so at the lunch stop we had to purchase crampons (spikes) for the bottom of our shoes. More on those babies later.

This was my third trip with Adventure Korea, and while each has been thoroughly enjoyable, my one complaint is the way in which they rush you. Fair enough the guides have a schedule they want to stick to, but particularly on a snowy, rocky mountain peak 878 metres above sea level, being told “hurry up” is almost as annoying as being told to “be careful” after you have fallen over.

We took a cable car ride over half way up the mountain, and then got to experience the stairs-the never, ending amount of stairs! It disconcerting watching middle aged Koreans bounce down the slippery stairs with the agility of mountain goats, leaving a waft of a soju cloud behind them, as you huff and puff up the stairs like an obese person at a bakery.

On the way to the top we got to experience a 50 metre long cable bridge seemingly balanced on two rocky peaks. One of our guides thought it would be funny to shake the bridge, which ultimately saw my friend Maja and her friend Erin head back down to the bus. Then there was a very steep stairway, check out the picture, before we reached the peak.

After a brief photo opportunity at the peak we had to start the climb down, spikes on. That’s when the trouble started. My spikes refused to stay on no matter how tight I had them and while the trek down started easy enough we were soon led into a ravine, and that’s where the real fun started. Suffice to say rocks, ice and spikes are not a good combination, as the below picture shows. I was frustrated with the spikes, and had to keep readjusting them and doing them back up, so I was towards the back of the group, on my own when I took a tumble and did this to myself. Ouch!

An hour later we were twenty minutes from the bus, I befriended a lovely Canadian guy, who had much longer legs then me-our conversation meant I kept up with his pace-an act that saw me in agony for the next two days as my legs have become accustomed to not doing much. We were the first back to the bus though, even though I lost a spike towards the end of the hike. Good times.

But the trip served as a reminder for how much beauty Korea has to offer, and how much I enjoy hiking (at my own pace!). Also, how clumsy I am!

Three Year Plan and Randomness!

There has been no more news on the schedule front and the builders on Level 5 seem to be pulling that worldwide builders code stunt of “we can drag this out for a couple more days for the extra cash.” The last couple of weeks have just been spent relaxing in Hongseong, trying and failing to catch up on some sleep, and planning the next few weekends. As the last blog shows too, I have also been using this time to consider my future.

So here a concise version of my three plan:
One year doing a PGCE.
One year becoming a qualified teacher.
One year volunteering/TEFLing/travelling in South America.

In the first two years I hope that I can learn Spanish, and learn how to drive. Not at the same time though since I am not The Stig. I am currently trying to figure out where to do my PGCE. As I only have the internet as a resource it’s hard to make an informed decision. Out of the four universities I am considering I have only been to one of the cities, once, for a Cat Empire gig, so I am taking a stab in the dark and all I am hitting is hot air.

Aside from missing the kids I used to teach I am also missing out on the free school dinners. This means I am not getting my daily fix of rice, kimchi and soup, and this makes me a little bit sad. Since I was getting fed at school my kitchen is lacking certain utensils, for instance a toaster, a microwave and an oven. To be sure, most Korean homes don’t have an oven-which is why my Christmas dinner is going to be a very delicious curry, but since I am limited to food that can be either boiled or fried, my diet is pretty dull and crap at the moment. Plus, to my surprise I actually miss kimchi! When you eat out in Korea you are served about a gazillion delicious, refillable, FREE side dishes to accompany your meal and as I have mentioned in previous posts, it’s really cheap to eat out in Korea. But despite all the travelling I have done, and my fiercely independent nature, I am still not comfortable eating out alone. Plus with all the side dishes eating out it South Korea is definitely a group event.

Last weekend I stayed in Hongseong, and I was reminded how much Koreans like to stare. I nearly caused a car crash on Sunday, and I know it was not because of my stunningly beautiful features, rather I was being stared at because I was “gasp” not Korean! I had got to the stage where I no longer noticed all the slack jaw staring, but I was in a funny mood on Sunday so I was very conscious of the cars slowing down to get a closer look (no, I didn’t have anything on my face!). You are constantly reminded how insular South Korea can be when you are pointed at in the street and called a 외국인 (foreigner). Really, crap, I hadn’t bloody noticed, cheers for letting me know.

The never-ending building work next and around my apartment block continues to be, well, never-ending. Unfortunately, there’s not even a routine for me to work around, so one day I could be woken up at 7am but the next day nothing is done. But on the plus side it does give my landlord ample opportunities to scowl at me.

Well that’s enough randomness for today.

Seven Months Down, Five To Go

I realised today that my schedule hasn’t changed this month, and while that’s one of the things I wanted to happen while I was here, I did mean a schedule with a couple more classes and students. I have also discovered that I am far more productive when I have less down time. Essentially, aside from all the wonderful adventures I have had on the weekends and the fun stuff I get up to some evenings I have done bugger all with my weekdays.

I have spent a lot of the time “thinking” about what my next move should be, and the problem with having too much time is that it’s easy to get distracted. Like I predicted, Jo plus boredom plus shops equals a significantly dented bank balance, but also another stamp in the passport, so not all bad.

I am considering doing a PGCE when I get back home, but once I start researching my options I end finding other things that look appealing, like my bed. If I was a computer, my setting would be hibernation. But I am very aware that time is moving at a ridiculous speed, so I should get serious. Even though I have been doing the equivalent of one workday over an entire week November has sped by faster than an ajumma at a rice cake sale.

As my Mum would say, I am so laid back I am horizontal. It no longer annoys me that I have to find out information about my job through my students. I do miss my younger students though, so I have taken to annoying my former colleagues by popping down to the third floor and distracting grades 3 through to 5.

So I will spend a little bit longer wondering if I should become a history teacher, then I will decide that I should and then I will probably change my mind again. We’ll see. I will throw my blog open to you the readers though, if you have any questions for me ask away-it will give me something to do!

22 Hours in a Temple.

I will be the first to admit that I am as spiritual as a tea spoon, but I have visited so many temples now that it was only fitting that I should do a temple stay while I am here. Me, Rachel and Paul went to the Lotus Lantern International Meditation Centre this weekend just gone (22-23 November) and experienced a slice of Korean Buddhism. The stay was co-ordinated by two Russian monks, and the centre belongs to the Korean-Zen school of thought.

Our journey started in Hongseong, we took the train into Yongsan, the subway to Song-Jeong (line 5), a bus to Onsuri (a bleak looking town on Ganghwa-do, a small island just off the northwest coast of South Korea, and close to the border of North Korea) and finally a taxi to the Centre. There was only one building on the grounds that looked like the traditional wooden structures that dominate the majority of temples, but even upon arrival at 2pm it was clear this was a quiet and peaceful place. The three of us were the only people on the Temple Stay program, apparently in the summer groups of 30-50 people attend the centre, but we were glad that this was going to be a more personal experience.

Here’s what we did for 22 hours:

Saturday. 2pm-4pm-Arrival. We were assigned rooms, Paul eventually got a room to himself, and me and Rachel shared. The ondol (under-floor heating) was on the whole time we were there, which was handy as it was cold outside, and in true traditional Korean style we were sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor. If anything it was too hot (you know what I am like!). We were given some rather fetching grey uniforms to wear for the duration of our visit. There was also a group of Koreans on a retreat at the centre, they kept a constant supply of green tea going and quite possibly had elastic bladders.

4pm-Orientation-one of the Russian monks gave us a small tour of the main shrine and a talk about the history of the centre. To begin with he gave off a vibe as though he didn’t like the intrusions (“before it was peaceful and good, and we had no visitors”), but later he seemed more relaxed (“this and that,” “whatever”). He also showed us the etiquette for the prostrations (bowing) and chanting.

5pm-Dinner. All the food at the centre is donated, and the one rule is that you eat everything on your plate. As it was rice and vegetables, that was not really a problem!

6pm-Evening Chanting. During all three sessions I just kept up with the bowing and didn’t attempt the chanting. The temple provides a folder with all the chants written out in English, but it was hard enough bowing, head to the ground, let alone keeping with the chants.

6.30pm-8pm-Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation. The centre is fairly new, so the room we went to next had a nice big screen that came down from the ceiling, but a rubbish sound system. Surely if you are going to go for hi-tech gadgets, you go for the good ones! We watched a short advertisement on Korean Buddhism, which seemed to be largely highlighting the beauty of Korean temples, and the sojued up state of smiley, happy westerners at festivals. At least that’s the message I took away from it. Our friendly neighbourhood monk then demonstrated how to meditate. Essentially you sit very still and breathe normally. You have to clear your mind and try and count to 10-counting on the exhales only. It’s very difficult as your mind just works overtime and you don’t even realise you have spent 5 minutes singing songs in your head. This was one of my favourite parts of the weekend, despite the fact I couldn’t stop swallowing and felt like my throat was seizing up. Good times!

After 20 minutes of mediation we went back to our rooms and got ready for bed. Due to the Koreans on their retreat morning chants had been moved forward an hour, to 3am….eek! So me and Rachel had a 9pm feast of digestive biscuits and went to sleep.

Sunday, 2.40am-Woke up, definitely not my idea of a good time, but once we were up it wasn’t too bad.

3am: Pre-dawn (pre-pre-dawn!) chanting and 108 prostrations. We got to the shrine a little early to bag a spot by the heater-which me and Rachel regretted 20 bows in, as we over-heated! In between bows we removed layers, and we all managed to have a good early morning work out!

4am-4.30am: Meditation-in my case this was an exercise in not falling asleep!

6am: Breakfast in absolute silence-not that I had much to say at that time in the morning. We had quite a lot of free time in between each activity, Paul tried to get some more sleep, Rachel read, and I sort of dozed and wrote in my journal. Me and Rachel also waited for the sunrise-but the effect was spoiled by the trees.

7.30am-Walk to a shrine with the other Russian monk, the comedy monk! 10 minutes into the walk he had warmed up into his routine and was telling us that Korean style of meditation was too strict as a result of the Japanese occupation and bastardisation. He also told he had a nickname for his abbot-Nazi?! But he got most animated when he was talking about the British movies he liked to download-from James Bond to Hot Fuzz. It’s a hard life!

Between 8.30-9.30am we drank tea with the comedy monk, and he kept us entertained as he told us about Korean Buddhism.

9.30am-copying Sutra. This is was fun. We traced three versions of the same sutra-in Chinese, Korean and English. Bizarrely it didn’t feel like we has nearly been up for 7 hours already! Plus it meant we get a free personalised souvenir!

11am-Mid-day Chanting. I think that the sessions in the shrine were the only time I felt a bit uncomfortable, largely due to my lack of beliefs.

11.30am-Lunch, after which we packed up, got back into our civilian clothes and were given a lift back to Onsuri.

It was definitely an interesting and good experience (don’t think enlightening is the word!) It was very chilled out-you could never say waking up at 2.40 in the morning is relaxing though! It’s definitely something I only need to do once though and I am glad that I did it.

Taipei....Made in Taiwan!

Since my schedule has officially had enough changes to qualify for the Guinness Book of Records I figured I would make the most of my free time. So I booked myself on a flight to Taipei, Taiwan for a three day weekend and I am extremely glad that I did. With so much free time on my hands I have been spending my wages down town in Hongseong on stuff I don’t necessarily want or need, so it made a lot more sense to travel to a new place and spend money there instead! Like with Hong Kong I thoroughly recommend Taipei as a travel destination, it has museums, temples, delicious food, bustling night markets, beautiful gardens, a lush zoo, a fabulous transport system and the tallest completed building in the world (at the moment)! Oh, and the weather was nice and warm, oh and dry too!

Friday 14th November.
Once I arrived in Taipei I went straight to the hostel (Camels’ Oasis) and dropped my bag off, and then I got stuck in with the sightseeing! The Metro (MTR) in Taipei is very comprehensive and all of the major sights are accessible from it. I particularly liked the above ground lines, as they are a great way to sightsee and catch glimpses of Taipei 101 and general city life. Plus the EasyCard saved a lot of time, effort and money. I was most impressed by the queuing at stations, and the waiting until others have disembarked before getting on. If you have ever experienced the subway in Korea you will understand why, the chaos and death stares from impatient ajummas are a story in themselves.


My first stop was the National Palace Museum, home to lots of ancient Chinese artefacts. Bizarrely every room I went into was populated by a tour group of Koreans! Perhaps it’s because I tune into the language, but I definitely notice Koreans more readily when I am outside of South Korea now. I then moved onto the first of five temples that I visited, Bao-an Temple. Temples in Korea are extremely beautiful, but there is no denying that aesthetically they tend to look the same after the first two, so the temples in Taipei offered a nice contrast. Spirituality is very much alive in Taipei as most of temples were full of worshippers rather than tourists, and the temples house a range of Taoist, Buddhist and Chinese folk religion deities too.


Across the street from the Bao-an Temple was the Confucius Temple (see above), where I was lucky enough to get a free guided tour from ones of the helpers, who explained many of the features of the quiet, simple temple. The Greatest Master (as he is seen by many Chinese) wanted his disciples to think for themselves and study the world around them. As a teacher he sought education for more than just the elites and as a result of his work his birthday is celebrated as Teachers’ Day.



Of course I had to visit Taipei 101. Did I mention that it’s currently the tallest building in the world? 101 floors, 449 metres tall (not on a mountain likes some towers I could mention!), and lights that are colour co-ordinated depending on the day, what more could you want!? It was dark by the time I made it to the tower, but the views were still breathtaking. The outdoor deck was open on the 91st floor making me very aware of the fact I was literally as high as the clouds! I particularly like the thought behind the architecture, a mix of the modern and the traditional. It mimics the traditional pagoda shape and is split into eight sections. This is significant because eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese. The tower literally towers over the rest of Taipei, so you never really feel boxed in by skyscrapers.

Saturday 15th November.
The best thing about the Metro is you can plan your day based on where things are in relation to Metro stations and which line they are on, it makes decisions a lot easier. My first stop was the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, where I was greeted by “Johnny B. Goode” blaring out of some speakers. This immediately put me in a good mood, you all know how much I love Back to the Future! From the grounds of the Hall you get a really great view of Taipei 101 (I admit it, I am little bit obsessed). Sun Yat-sen was one of the founding fathers of modern China. I was once again lucky with my timing and caught the changing over of the guards, lots of twirling and stamping, but not a patch on Prague!

I then went to two temples in quick succession. First, possibly the most used temples in Taipei, Longshan Temple (see above). There were lots of people making offerings to their deities, and a lot of incense being burnt. It was also a good place for me to sit and people watch for a while. The next temple, Tien-ho was literally in the middle of a busy shopping district, you just walk down a busy street and there is the entrance to a small, but charming temple. I avoided the shops that surrounded this temple, though Taipei does look like a bit of a heaven for shoppers.



The Botanical Gardens were very lush and green, and they felt very tropical with all the palm trees. Again it made a nice contrast with the autumn colours of South Korea, and seemed like a nice place to get always from the stresses of city-life. Right next door was the National Museum of History, which was less about history and more about ancient Chinese art. There was a good exhibit on coffee houses though and the impact of western cultural and Japanese occupation.

A ten minute walk from the MTR Zhishan station found me in a gorgeous hill-top park with you’ve guessed it, another temple (Hueiji Temple)! The temple was striking, perhaps more enticing than the view of Taipei from the top of the hill, which again demonstrated the sheer scale of Taipei 101. My next stop, as the sun went down, was the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. The monument is surrounded by a massive park and the Hall and statue are very grandiose and seemed almost fitting of a President whose life and politics are now under scrutiny from both historians and Taiwanese politicians figuring out the directions Taiwan will take.


After a quick shower and change of clothes back at the hostel, I headed out to the Shilin Night Market, home to a wide variety of food and street vendors. This was perhaps the one place I missed having company, as I haven’t quite mastered the art of eating out alone. Plus because of the nice weather the food stalls and streets were overcrowded with people. But it was definitely a feast on the senses-particularly the stinky tofu, which I didn’t brave.

Sunday 16th November.

I was rudely awoken by the person in the bunk below me in the hostel. His alarm was My Sharona, and after he let it run for the tenth time I got up, packed my bag and checked out. This was the same idiot who asked me why I was going to bed so early on a Saturday night!? With the clouds as dark as my mood at this point I headed straight to the zoo. Thankfully after a light drizzle the weather perked up, and so did my mood when I saw how nice the zoo was. The layout was easy to navigate, the enclosures looked like some thought had gone into them and there was real ice in the penguin enclosure not rocks posing as ice! I wandered around for a good three hours before heading back to the centre of Taipei and on to the airport. One gorgeous sunset from the plane later and I was back in South Korea.

I am so glad that I took the opportunity while I could, and I would thoroughly recommend a three day weekend in Taipei if you ever get the chance.

A Weekend in the Nineties......I mean Daejeon.

The very first weekend of November was spent in the city of Daejeon (not to be confused with Daecheon-which is a beach town in the same province, Chungcheongnam-do). Despite the fact everyone always gets off the train in Hongseong there isn’t a direct line between Hongseong and Daejeon, So on the Saturday morning we caught the train up to Cheonan and then got another train back down to Daejeon. The best thing about this was the omelette and cheese slice toast we grabbed in Cheonan. 맛있어요! Oh and the umpteenth conversation me and Rachel have had about food we miss from home!


When we arrived in Daejeon we took the subway to the World Cup Stadium to watch Daejeon Citizens vs. Daegu FC. The stadium wasn’t exactly bursting with fans but there was a pretty good atmosphere, even from all ten of the Daegu fans! Plus, tickets were only a fiver, which meant we could enjoy the match with a can of Cass and some noodles at half time. Yep, I am living on the wild side over here. We discovered that most of the players would have a good career as K-Drama actors or Olympic divers. For some of the game it felt a bit like being at a boyband concert, there was a small group of screaming school girls behind us who felt the need to yelp at the most ridiculous times. Nevertheless, it was a pretty entertaining match even with the game ending in goalless draw.

We had a nice chilled out evening once we had found a motel near the main train station. We ate out at a delicious Japanese restaurant, drank steamed milk, watched Body of Lies at the cinema and had another beer at a quiet bar. One of my pet peeves with bars in Korea is the fact you often have to purchase안주-a side dish to accompany the alcohol. If you don’t buy a side dish you can be refused service as it’s seen as the same as a cover charge. We just ordered the cheapest fruit dish on the menu-which turned out to be tinned peaches in ice. Korean drinking culture is a very sharing one, from the 안주 to the “one-shot” with the soju to the fact you can’t get a simple mixer (vodka and coke etc.) you have to spend £35 buying the whole bottle of vodka. All this is great if you are in a big group and plan on getting nice and merry, but it’s not so fun if you just want a quiet drink because that normally leaves you one option-beer.


On the Sunday we took a trip back to the nineties, 1993 to be exact, when we visited the Expo Park. Lonely Liar puts a nice glossy spin on it when it describes the “space-age pavilions” of the park, maybe they would have been space age in 1893, but even with, or perhaps because of, S Club 7 and Bon Jovi blaring out of the speakers (!) the Park felt dilapidated and unloved. You definitely got the impression it was a popular place in its hey-day (emphasis on day), as there were more toilets than you could ever want just waiting forlornly for the coach loads of people that will never come. Getting to the park and the Science Museum opposite served as a reminder that South Korea doesn’t get a lot of English speaking tourists, like in Gwangju there was no English signage for the buses and the confusing signs and maps gave the impression that buses stop in places that they don’t. Nevertheless, once I had eaten (I was very hungry that day) we managed to make it fun, and the autumn leaves gave the rusted up park some much need colour.

Update on my schedule-I am still only teaching the three one-on-ones Monday to Thursday, and as far as I am aware still getting paid the same amount. Obviously I shouldn’t complain about this too much, but in the back of my mind I know that my schedule will change again any minute. So it feels like I am constantly on edge. November has flown by so far though and I am nearly at the seven month mark. I guess I am just taking away different skills from this experience than I was expecting to.

What bloody schedule?!

When Christina dropped the encrypted bombshell a couple of weeks ago that as of November I would no longer be teaching Elementary I made a bit of a joke out it.
Step One: No classes.
Step Two: No apartment.
Step Three: A field trip to the airport with all my belongings and my passport, “we are off to see the planes.”
On Monday I was ready to skip straight from Step One to Step Three. Warning, in this entry I will ramble, and I will rant...and I will not apologise for that.

To be sure, as I have mentioned on this blog, my Elementary schedule wasn’t overly fabulous to begin with. But I was starting to make progress, even the boys in Grade Five were better behaved, and the kids in Grade Three were finally warming to me. Over half my battle had been due to the fact my schedule kept changing, and so I couldn’t get into a proper routine with the kids. Oh, and not to mention that the department hadn’t been told the students that Fely was gone. I was always suspicious of that, so imagine my “surprise” when I arrive to work on Monday to see that she’s back and taking over my classes.

Trying to get a straight answer in this Hagwon is a lot like trying to fasten your shoelaces with your hands tied behind your back. So Fely telling me she was back because the kids kept asking for her didn’t exactly calm my fears and paranoia that I was going to be fired for my teaching not being good enough or something equally bogus. “Hey Timmy, you know how much you miss Hammy the Hamster? Well, we’ve raised him from the dead just to shut you up!”

I was told to call Christina, who did nothing to soothe my fears, she just told me she would talk to me “later.” It turns out that my director is opening a new English and Maths academy on the fifth floor of the building. Over the last couple of days I have been given slightly more information. Apparently the manager of the Elementary department “has no need for a foreign teacher.” Read: she has no need for a foreign teacher who can’t speak Korean. Though unless she had a problem with the job I was doing, I don’t really see how this is an issue. I was hired as an English teacher, not to be her new best friend. Last week Grade Three made me laugh when they showed such shock and pity that I couldn’t speak Korean, bless.

I am so fed up with the whole situation right now. Yet, I know I should be enjoying this time while it lasts. I am still teaching my three one-on-ones, a task which amounts to two hours of work a day. At the moment I don’t have to work Fridays. Christina has no idea when the new academy will be open, or when I can expect a new timetable, and I will still be paid the same wage. Obviously I am not arguing with this logic, but I didn’t come to Korea to sit around in my apartment wasting the days away or blowing all my hard earned cash on crap I don’t even want.

The burning question I have had over the last couple of days is “Why the *beep* was I hired if there isn’t a job for me to do?” Seriously, is that good business practice? My schedule and workload has been so haphazard and inconsistent during my time here, that I wouldn’t be surprised if I was asked to work on reception for a couple of weeks. “여보세요, 서울 학원. 네, 네, 네.” Job done.

More than anything, I would have preferred to have seen out my teachings with the Elementary kids and then gone home to the United Kingdom thinking that I made a slight difference to some of the students. Now I won’t be able to have that because I will have to start again with a new bunch of students. Who knows how long it will be before that changes, and I have to move to the second floor of the building (which is empty) to teach parrots how to say “Welcome to Seoul Hagwon. Fred the Fly…..” oh wait….

I guess all I can do now is wait and see what this new schedule brings, and hope I don’t end up broke by the end of the week. It looks like I will have to spend more time with Christina. While it will be a nice change from the stony silence of the “Third Floor,” and I am glad she can communicate in English, I have a feeling it’s going to be a rocky relationship.

I don’t think I can be arsed with anymore of all this change though, my patience has worn so thin it would win America’s Next Top Model merely on the merits of its cheek bones. Meh……

We are sold out of Seoul/Soul jokes........

As I will explain in my next entry, I have a lot of free time on my hands so you can expect lots of updates. First though, I want to take a trip down memory lane and tell you about a trip I took a whole 2 weeks ago. On 18-19 October me and Viro met up with Rachel and Paul in Seoul. Once a month Rachel and Paul have a session in the capital city for the kindergarten, I meet them once they have finished and we explore Seoul. It’s a good way to experience the city, and slowly but surely we are seeing all the major sites, museums, and Yongsan Motels!

This weekend was no different. We went ice-skating at Lotte World, we went shopping in the malls of Dongdaemun (minus Paul who went to the cinema), we checked out some free art galleries, we explored a palace (Deoksugung) and we went to Chongdong Theatre for a traditional Korean cultural experience.

Ice-skating was good fun, and surprisingly I managed to stay upright. For any of you who have seen me on dry land you know this was no mean feat! Plus since it was the second time I have been ice-skating for around seven years, so I was chuffed! Since May, Rachel and I have promised ourselves a shopping spree in Dongdaemun, home to cheap malls and pineapple sticks. This weekend was that spree, though Viro spent the most. I should mention that despite any weight I have lost I am still considered “large” by Korean standards, which is why I am half grateful for “free size.” Some things are just ridiculously small, but the fashion at the moment seems to be baggier clothes which fit ok on me. I felt a bit violated when trying to buy a belt, but all of us were pleased with our purchases and Dongdaemun (which is the Great East Gate) looked beautiful all lit up when we made our way to the subway station.

We met back up with Paul in Yongsan and went to our new favourite motel, characterised by hard pillows and a Christmas tree in the lobby. Located on the edge of the red light district, but just a minute away from Yongsan station and 30,000 won a night, it’s become our regular motel when we visit Seoul. After a quick fashion show of our new clothes, (the motel is worth it if only for its mirrors!) we watched some Simpsons and went to sleep.

Rachel had booked us tickets for the theatre on the Sunday afternoon, so to fill time before the show we checked out the area around City Hall. I visited Deoksugung palace earlier in the year, but I still think it’s an impressive palace and it has the added bonus of the changing of the guard ceremony. It’s always nicer when you experience a place with other people too. We also went to the Seoul Museum of Art, free admission and lots of modern art. Before we headed to the show we grabbed some food at a cutlet restaurant, none of us braved the “spawn of kimchi,” though we all wanted to know what it was! 

The show, Miso (Smile), was really interesting, a combination of traditional Korean songs, dance and instruments meant to capture the various emotions that a woman experiences when she is in love. I have to say I particularly enjoyed the drumming and the fan dance, and probably didn’t fully appreciate the underlying message. Definitely recommend it though.

After that action packed weekend we grabbed the train back from Yongsan. It was packed, so we only managed to get one seat. Me and Viro found ourselves a spot on the floor of the café carriage (number 4 on both the Saemaul and Mugunghwa) and didn’t leave it until we got back to Hongseong. Definitely another weekend for the “good times” pile!

Since my next entry will be about the Hagwon, just wanted to say now, I am very pleased and relieved that Obama is going to be the next President of the United States.

Chungcheongnam-do-Good Times!

So, essentially I have been feeling inadequate as a teacher, I am fed up with all the schedule changes, and I losing my patience with the whole mess. I don’t want to dwell on this negativity too much though, and hopefully things will turn around soon. I have some very good friends here in Hongseong, and some very supportive people in various locations around the world who put up with my woes and worries despite the many miles separating us. I know how lucky I am and I am more grateful than most of you will ever know. You will be pleased to read that this last week has been an improvement, and hopefully things can only get better from here on in. I think it’s a shame that my time at the hagwon probably won’t be remembered with a warm, fuzzy glow, but it’s safe to say that my weekends will.

As I mentioned in my last entry, the weekends have definitely been a handy distraction from my nightmare of a job. Since I arrived here, the other British teachers at my hagwon, Rachel and Paul, have let me tag along with them on a lot of their weekends away, all of which have been great. Even Daegu despite all the rain and being hit by a scooter on the pavement (it was worth it just for all the steamed milk)! The last couple of weekends have been no exception, and with the added company of Viro in both Haemi and Seoul, my spirits have been lifted and the good times in South Korea just keep rolling.

Saturday 11 October, Cheonan, The Independence Hall of Korea.

Between 1910 and 1945 the whole of Korea (for you non-history or common knowledge buffs this was before the North/South divide!) was annexed by Japan. The Imperial Japanese Army was brutal to both the Korean people and Korean culture and society. Korean women were forced into sex slavery and kidnapped for the Japanese army as “comfort women.” Human experiments took place on live Koreans and the army burnt down Korean villages, temples and palaces. The Korean language was banned and there was complete censorship of the media. In addition, the confiscation of land, food and cultural assets, forced name changes and Imperial education were just some of the war crimes that Japan commited during this time. This period is often seen as a shameful part of Korea’s recent history and has led to a strong rise in anti-Japanese sentiment and Korean nationalism. The Independence Hall of Korea is essentially a massive demonstration of this, mingled with the hope of a North and South reconciliation. Lots of museums, free entrance, quiet monuments, a giant sign for some toilets and of course the obligatory stairs made for both a reflective and enjoyable day out. It was also the day that me and Rachel proved once and for all that women are better drivers. Ok, me not so much, but Paul had the most crashes in our little vehicle!

Sunday 12 October, Haemi, Seosan Haemieupseong Fortress.

A short bus ride out of Hongseong with Rachel, Paul and Viro saw us in the small and not so quiet town of Haemi. Not so quiet because unbeknownst to us there was a Military Heritage Festival taking place inside the Fortress grounds. The Festival provided some good entertainment though and if it hadn’t been taking place we certainly wouldn’t have met some sojued up old Korean men later that day.

Haemi Fortress was built between 1417 and 1421 to protect against invasion from Japanese pirates. It now serves as one of the best preserved sites of Joseon era Fortress architecture. A lot of the historical importance of Haemi Fortress comes from the fact around a thousand Catholics were executed there after the Byeong-in Persecution of 1866. During this time the presence of Christians was equated with the threat of foreign intervention in Korean culture. In a crackdown to prevent foreign “contamination” French missionaries were executed as were a large proportion of native converts. At Haemi, Catholics were hung on trees for their beliefs by their hair. The fortress and the fine company made for a nice day out, and it was a good place to enjoy the last of the warm weather and sunshine until next year.

Torture-it's not big and it's not clever.

Before we headed back to Hongseong we grabbed a bite to eat, seafood barbeque (“I am not too keen on seafood,” I said after we sat down). We were surrounded by two groups of elderly Korean men who were a bit sojued up, and keen on trying out their English. When you drink with Koreans it’s a “one shot” culture, essentially everyone says cheers and takes a shot together and you can’t leave a glass empty. So, me and Viro watched as Rachel and Paul sunk the soju like true Koreans. As one point Paul and his gentleman friend linked arms and Paul ended up with the residue of the shot of Soju on his head! Then we went back to Hongseong, headed to the bowling alley (look for the building with the giant pin on the roof) and did a bit of bowling. Good times.

Next time on “The Travels of Jo” Ice capers in Seoul, six month reflections, and a moan about something random no doubt!

I Can't Get No Satisfaction.......

My hagwon keeps making it more and more difficult to fully enjoy my time in South Korea. Last week was probably the most challenging and stressful week that I have experienced here. It was buffered by two very enjoyable and memorable weekends (one in Cheonan and Haemi, and the other in Seoul), and I got to speak to Helen on Thursday as well have a conference call with my Mum and Claire last night. Nevertheless, last Friday I was sick to the back teeth of the constant crap I have to put up with at the hagwon and the lack of support I get from the “department.” Today there are rumours that come next month I will no longer be teaching Elementary at all, though who or what I will be teaching instead is a mystery. I guess I won’t find out until two seconds before it happens, so there’s not a lot of point in worrying about it.

I try to see the positive in most things and regardless of how frustrating the circumstances are I do try to tackle the problems I face head on. Yet for some reason I am finding it increasingly hard to do at the moment. Maybe it’s half way blues, maybe I just can’t be arsed anymore, or maybe I have been messed around too many times. Suffice to say something has to give. I don’t want to just live for the weekends, even though I will take away a lifetime of memories from the ones I have had so far. I want to be a good teacher, but as I receive no guidance, curriculum or consistent schedule I have to resort to trial and error and hope that the students are learning despite my stumbling efforts.

For some reason the kids haven’t been told that Fely has left the hagwon. Every day last week and today I have faced a barrage of “Where is Fely teacher?” from Grade 3 and 4 who for the most part don’t appreciate Jo Teacher’s style. Actually Grade 4 have been fine, it’s Grade 3 who conducted a survey in Korean to demonstrate how much they prefer Fely Teacher. Elementary Manager ignores the kids when they ask her, which (excuse the paranoia) seems a bit suspect-I mean why not just tell the kids? Being told today in secret that I will no longer be teaching Elementary next month has further fuelled my paranoia. I just don’t understand why the hagwon point blank refuses to tell me what’s happening, it’s so infuriating.

To be sure, with the constant changes I will never get bored at the hagwon, but I am starting to run out of patience and I am questioning how valuable this current experience is. I am sure that this feeling will pass and I might (sharp intake of breath) get to experience a whole month of stability-with no changes to my schedule, and no more building work, but at the moment there is more tunnel than light, and I am just counting down the days until the weekend.

Schedule Change Part 102

To be sure, if I had updated my blog every time my schedule changed I would put facebook status update addicts to shame. (XXXXX has just blown her nose. XXXXX only has 6 hours until home time. XXXXX has just updated his status. And so on.) In years to come the pronoun “I” will be obsolete and people will refer to themselves in the third person….all the time. “Jo is talking rubbish again” or “Jo watched the latest episode of Heroes and thought that as a scientist Suresh probably wouldn’t have used himself as the first human test subject.”

The latest schedule change is one I hoped would never happen, and knowing my luck it will be the one that lasts the longest. As a bit of a back story Fely left the hagwon last week. This not only means I am going to be that little bit more isolated from my Korean co-workers, but also that I am the only one teaching Grades One through to Five. Apparently, there are not enough students to maintain a full schedule for both me and Fely, and since my contract means I have to work 6 hours a day unfortunately Fely had to go. On a more positive note, San (the painfully quiet Korean English teacher) said more to me yesterday than in the last two months since he arrived. But, to be honest, nothing will compensate for losing Fely as well as for the monstrosity Grade 5 is going to become if the train wreck that occurred yesterday is anything to go by.

My new schedule is as follows:

Grade One/Two 3:00-3:45 Monday to Friday.
As I mentioned before, a hagwon is primarily a run for profit organisation rather than an educational institution. Thus it seems that Henry has been kicked out for not being smart enough and I have been given a combined class of grade one (Jenny and Joyce) and grade two (Harry and Tracy). They are being taught from different books so I am trying to get the grade two kids up to the same level as my two favourite girls. Despite the fact Tracy feels the need to call me fat every time she sees me (I should mention she’s a chubby little child herself, who feels the need to try and bite my hand when I try and give her a high five) the class is still one of my favourites. Harry tried to be the class clown by swinging on his chair, calling me Pig Teacher (seriously!) and swearing at rest of the kids but I kicked him out of the class once and he’s been fine ever since.

Grade Five 5:50-6.35 Monday, 3:50-4.35 Tuesday to Friday.
Wow, what a nightmare! Previously grade five was split into two sets, I loved teaching the top set, and I tolerated teaching the bottom set because I only had to do it twice a week. Now I am the only English teacher they have been combined into a class of eleven boys and one girl, and to be honest it’s going to either make me a stronger person or lead to me having a nervous breakdown and locking myself in the cupboard! Yesterday my top set was pretty well behaved, but Gangster Ghaphield (Ghaphield 2) egged on by Cliff was a royal pain in the arse. I have a rule, when you want to answer a question just put your hand up and I will pick you. None of that whiny “pick me, teacher” crap. Normally, the kids cotton on to the rule pretty quickly, though Jason in grade 4 still spends most lessons shouting “teacherrrrrrr WHY?” Bless. Ghaphield 2 was shouting at me in Korean, banging his book on his desk and generally causing a racket. I was pointedly ignoring him, and after about 10 minutes he was tiring himself out and starting to settle down. At that point the Elementary Manager burst in and started screaming at the kids-even I started looking sheepish. While I was grateful for the back up, her screaming gave Ghaphield 2 time to recharge his batteries and continue being the devil child. I was heartened by the fact Brady and Christian (previously troublemakers) had never worked so hard in their lives. But, the treatment the only girl (Ivy) receives is horrid and aside from kicking all the boys out (which I have been contemplating) it’s an uphill struggle.

Grade Three 4:35-5:20 Tuesday to Friday.
Grades Three and Four are currently being taught out of the same book, Fun Fun English Phonics, which was planned and written by someone who has not only never studied or taught English, but also by someone who has a very warped idea of how children learn. The premise of the book is a story about Fred the Fly and the adventures he gets up to. So for instance
In the Sand.
Fred the Fly plays in the sand with six seals.
But he is going under the sand.
“Where is the sun?” Fred says.

This is teach the kids the sound for the letter s. But most of the kids just memorise the 4 lines, and think “job done” next. Instead of teaching the kids phonics in conjunction with useful phrases, questions and words, I have three books of Fred the Fly nonsensical crap to get through. Joy.

The children in Grade Three are the epitome of Korean school children competitiveness to the point where I refuse to play games with them. The venom in their eyes if things don’t go their way is scary, and the amount of tears is ridiculous-that’s just the boys.

Grade Four. 4:35-5:20 Monday, 5:50-6.35 Tuesday to Friday.
There are some real gems in Grade Four, but the best student (Pink) and her best mate Sally both left last month-which means following the return of Joo-Joo there are now three girls and nine boys. With the introduction of scary Jo Teacher most of the kids are great-though only five of the kids do well when we have a test, so that’s something that I need to work on. It’s tough having such a mixture of levels in one class, but for the most part it is fine. Plus getting the kids to self police works surprisingly well.

After these classes I have my three one-on-ones with the Grade Six students.

Angela 6:40-7:20
Angela is the strongest of the three, and I can get the most conversation out of her. The books I teach the three one-on-ones from are probably even more rubbish than Fun Fun English. They look like someone took a bunch of Korean articles, put them through a translator word for word and made it into an “article” before writing some inane questions about said article. I tend to focus on getting the kids talking rather than reading, and get their views on what’s going on in the world around them-which is generally lots of tests.

Sonia 7:20-7:50.
Originally Sonia was one of the weakest students in the class, but one on one she has been flourishing. I think it’s just because she has grown in confidence around me rather than anything I have specifically done. Plus the way she sees it, is that if she just talks to me and asks me questions for 30 minutes she doesn’t have to do any actual work….little does she know that she is!

Brandon 8:00-8:30.
Brandon bless him just sticks to the book, and it’s hard to get much more out of him than one word answers-“fine” but I think he’s just at that age! He gets the most animated when he has to tell me he can’t come to my lesson because he has a test. It’s nice to feel wanted!

Still next week will probably bring something entirely new to contend with, so we will see.

A Whirlwind Weekend in Hong Kong.

To be honest I am not usually a massive fan of big cities. Some people love the anonymity, variety and fast pace that living in a big city provides. As a rule big cities are where you find the good jobs and best money, so people often have to sacrifice clean air, open space and a more relaxed outlook in order to survive or prosper. On my three weekend visit (3 October to 5 October) Hong Kong really impressed me, and has left me gushing about how great it is. As clichéd as it sounds, Hong Kong provides a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, with all the resulting contradictions. Plus, the skyscrapers in Hong Kong didn’t feel like they were overwhelming me (which is the impression I was left with in New York, or more specifically Manhattan), and despite the fact the city is geared largely towards the financial world and shopping I had an absolutely incredible time.

I was very lucky in that I had a fabulous tour guide, Alice, my awesome room mate when I was studying at Washu. Even though we only had a short three day weekend she made sure I saw all the major sights and made sure I had a great time, and for that I am so grateful. All weekend there was a level one typhoon warning (level 8 is the typhoon) which meant lots of rain and mist, but luckily the weather was gorgeous on the Saturday.

On the Friday we went to Victoria’s Peak on Hong Kong Island. It was windy and misty, but I could still appreciate the impressiveness of the skyscraper laden skyline. I liked the individuality of most of the buildings. We then went to Times Square and some of the shopping malls around that area. Seriously, there must have been a shopping mall on every corner, and everything was ridiculously cheap. I have no idea how I am going to get everything home next April.

On the Saturday Alice had to work for a while so I went to the Harbour in Kowloon and admired the skyline from a whole different perspective. We went back there in the evening and watched the 8pm lights and laser show-the buildings are lit up and the skyline is displayed like some really expensive Christmas decoration, but it sure looks good! Earlier in the day I got a ferry over to Wan Chai to check out the Reunification Monument (from 1997 when the British gave Hong Kong back to China) and the statute of the Golden Bauhinia, the symbol of Hong Kong. After the return journey on the Star Ferry, Alice’s friend Nora met me and took me to the Hong Kong Museum of History, and provided a more human telling of the history of Hong Kong. I get bored reading all the signs, and like Alice, Nora is lovely so it was really refreshing. Alice took me clubbing in Central, along with Nora and 4 other friends. It was a really good day!

On the Sunday we (Alice and I) checked my bag in, despite the fact it was tiny, to save me carrying it around and to give us more time sightseeing! I felt a bit daft checking in such a small bag, but when I got back to Incheon and saw how small some of the bags were on the conveyer belt of doom I felt a bit better. We got on the bus and made our way to Ngong Ping, Lautau Island to see the big bronze Buddha statue and the temple there. The weather had taken a turn at this point, but I was very fortunate in that it cleared once we reached the temple, and we managed to get some good photos and our fortunes told before getting the bus back to the airport and saying our goodbyes. The plane was then delayed for 3 hours because of the typhoon winds, but I was still on a natural high from having such a good weekend.

Food wise I got to experience sushi, fish balls, hot pot and pig ear…I loved the first three, the pig ear not so much! There was so much choice in Hong Kong, something I always miss in Korea. I do like Korean food but sometimes it would be nice to have Chinese, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Italian or Mexican (could go on) food without having to trek to Seoul and spend a lot more on food than I am used to out here. But if you ever make it to Hong Kong make sure you have a hot pot. Basically in the middle of the table there is a simmering pot of stock-you can pick a couple if you have a big group who can’t agree, and you cook the ingredients (variety of meats, dumplings and vegetables) yourself. It’s delicious.

One of the biggest drawbacks to working in a hagwon is the limited amount of time off I get. As I have said before, I get 8 days off as holiday in this 12 months-as well as public holidays. Hagwons don’t have summer holidays or winter holidays so while I am here I don’t have a couple months off to sample the delights and beauty of Asia. I am extremely limited in the travel I can do outside of Korea as a result, but I am so glad I got the chance to see Alice again and visit Hong Kong.

Simply Seoul.

“We are tough on slogans, tough on the causes of slogans.” As said by Bill Bailey in his Part Troll stand-up routine when discussing how to describe Britain to foreigners. “Oh and we have nectar points.”

I realise that with all my entries about the kids and my apartment woes I have neglected to write about one of the subjects closest to my heart-travel. I really should blog about the amazing places in South Korea that I have been to so far. But I also wanted to introduce you to the fascinating world of city slogans in “Korea Sparkling!”

The slogan for Seoul is “Hi Seoul, Soul of Asia.” Apparently the logic behind it is thus:

The name combines the greeting "Hi" with the name of the city "Seoul,” and the new brand aims to convey a friendly image of Seoul to the global community, and to promote harmony and unity among Seoul citizens. (That’s a lot of pressure to put on a greeting and a place name!) Since "hi" is a homophone of "high,” the brand offers a new vision for Seoul and reflects the city's commitment to make Seoul one of the world's leading cities.

At least once a month I go to Seoul, the nation’s capital city, and whilst the concrete jungle has its highlights I definitely wouldn’t call it the “Soul of Asia.” That would be a lot like calling “Oxford the hugs and kisses of Europe” because of the O (hug) and the X (kiss). The only time I would ever feel warm and fuzzy in Oxford would be if I was dressed in a bear costume.

With a population of over 10 million Seoul is one of the largest cities in the world. The city is considered one of the financial and cultural centres of East Asia, but I think the self proclaimed title the “Soul of Asia” may be stretching things just a little bit. While I appreciate and enjoy the combination of both the modern and the traditional that Seoul offers, I would be wary of claiming any city the Soul of Asia, or even narrowing it down-“Soul of East Asia” or “Soul of Korea.” Fair enough, for centuries Korea has been caught between its two big brothers-Japan and China, and now wants to step out of the shadows and onto the world stage. But it’s not going to achieve that through crappy slogans.

One of my pet peeves of big cities is the amount of travelling time spent on the tube. When it feels like half your day is spent underground and you have to climb the stairs to street level eyes squinting at the sun like a mole, it’s not the nicest welcome to a new place. The Metro in Seoul is everything you want from an underground transport system, it’s clean, efficient and easy to use once you figure out where you need to go. Mobile phones here are incredible-you can plan your route on it and get the shortest route and time it will take-all without going on the internet. Annoyingly they can also be used on the underground, but that generally only a problem when an old lady’s phone is ringing and she realises she’s never seen a mobile phone before. Getting from place to place in Seoul cheaply does require spending a couple of hours a day underground. Admittedly, sat in a carriage surrounded by Koreans does allow you to make some acute observations of Korean underground etiquette, from the pushing and shoving by those getting on as you try to get off, to obsession with gadgets with large numbers of people watching the TV on their phone.

Despite this, once you arrive at your destination generally you will find something beautiful or interesting in Seoul, so it is worth the hassle. On my first visit to Seoul Rachel and Paul took me to Seoul Grand Park home of the zoo, which is surrounded by mountains and greenery, just on the outskirts of the city. Even from the centre of Seoul, you are only around an hour away from the true beauty of the Korean countryside and lion cubs!

So far I have been to two of the five palaces in Seoul (Changdeokgung see above and Deoksugung see below), and they were both outstanding examples of traditional palace architecture, despite the determined and successful attempts by the Japanese to burn them down. Deoksugung also shows the influence of the West on some of its architecture and it is right in the centre of Seoul, so you can see the modern skyscrapers dwarfing but not overshadowing the traditional.

Shopping wise there is so much choice, from the multitude of bargains at Dongdaemun, to some of the brand names at I’Park (Yongsan Station) and COEX Mall, to the market on the streets of Insadong. When you get hungry there are infinite restaurants and street vendors selling delicious food, though largely you take your pick from Korean food or……Korean food. In Itaewon there is a great Indian buffet…sooo good (drool! Thanks Viro for introducing me to this fabulous place!). The Seoul nightlife I have experienced so far is limited to Gangnam and Hongdae but both areas had a lot to offer, not least for the synchronised hip-hop dancing. Plus once you get tired of clubbing, you can always play a game of pool or 5 in a cheap billiards/pocket ball joint.

South Korea has so much to offer, and isn’t a typical tourist attraction for Westerners. While I don’t think Seoul will ever be the “Soul of Asia” it is definitely worth a visit or two or three.