What I Am Not Going To Miss......

As my last entry shows there are a lot of things that I will miss from Korea. But there will also be things I definitely won’t be sad to leave behind. There’s no denying that Korea has a way of getting under your skin and teaching in Korea is an easy life to lead. The job itself isn’t greatly challenging, the accommodation is free and the pay is fantastic, and by and large you can adapt to living in South Korea without major incident. Unless you have a tendency to fall over and injure yourself that is. Nonetheless, there are some things about living here that drive me a little bit crazy. From blaming a lack of understanding on “cultural differences,” to unscheduled schedule changes, to the fact rock, paper, scissors is THE ultimate decider, there can be some hiccups along the way.

Number one on my list of things I am not going to miss is Christina. If I had a Christmas card list it’s fairly safe to assume that Christina wouldn’t be on it. To be honest, with the schedule changes and constant academy glitches I can almost write that off as bad management and poor organisational skills, but with my ankle injury she has outright lied to me.

괜찮 아요? 아니 a million times over!

On 2^nd April I went back to the hospital to get a new prescription of painkillers, but this time I was taken by Soon and April two of my adult students. My doctor was the one who had barely glanced at me at the previous appointments. So imagine my surprise when he opened his mouth and spoke English to me. I know that I am the foreigner here and in order to make my own life easier I should have learnt more Korean, but surely his job would have been easier if he had spoken English to me in the first place. Since thanks to Christina and her “mistranslations” I didn’t walk on my ankle when I should have, I didn’t have any physical therapy, and I didn’t have pain medication and anti-inflammatory drugs. I have no idea why Christina “mistranslated” these things to me, and despite the fact she is potentially the best Korean at English in Hongseong I am under no inclination to have a discussion with her about it. Sure, it was a step in the right direction when I started getting the right treatment, and it turns out my googling was correct-it is a high ankle sprain, but all this could have possibly been avoided if the doctor had catered to his patient rather than his pride, and Christina had spared a second of her time to ensure her commodity (me) was healthy and mobile.

I am not going to miss the hospital. I have made eight trips to the hospital since I tripped over, and one time I left with a burn on my leg from the hot packs I was being treated with during the physical therapy. Aside from been scarred, I had the pleasure of being told my injury would recover more quickly if I lost weight, because I am “too heavy” apparently. I am sure my slow recovery time has nothing to do with Charlie neglecting to tell me not to walk on it at all after my first visit. I am sure my slow recovery time has nothing to do with my ankle being sat on by a 14 year old. I am sure my slow recovery time has nothing to do with lack of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs for the first month. I know I didn’t help matters with my refusal to let this injury slow me down completely, and also the fact I fell over on the train and landed on my ankle definitely didn’t do me any favours, but I reject the notion that my weight is an issue. For starters, I have lost a lot weight since I arrived in Korea, I am happy with my body image. They are called hips, I am sure they were covered somewhere in anatomy class.

As so many of my blog entries may have suggested I am not a huge fan of all the schedule changes I have had to put with. You may have picked up on this, I have tried to be subtle. To be sure, it’s a very nice feeling when the kids are visibly saddened by the news that they don’t have my class, but the amount of large minute changes that occur is astounding. Just one example, last Friday my manager told me three of my classes were cancelled and I could go home after dinner, and just as I was walking out the door one of the classes was back on. This all took place in under 15 minutes. Unlike Christina at least the current manager sometimes tries to offer an explanation. However, the whole set-up is made awkward by the fact many of the students seem to have a better grasp of English then he does. In some ways I worry that this year may have had a detrimental effect on my work ethic. Time wasted making worksheets and planning activities for classes that never take place does decrease the time I am willing to spend preparing. More crucially, I get no say in who goes in what class and when I do make a suggestion it’s more often than not ignored, leaving me with a group of students who can have a high level conversation and a couple of students who can barely answer what they had for lunch (Rice, kimchi, soup) or dinner the previous night (wait for it….rice, kimchi and soup!).

One thing I am definitely not going to miss is the religious awakenings that occur from time to time-usually early in the morning. As in being woken up by religious people who try to “enlighten” me and are seemingly not deterred by the fact I don’t speak Korean. No fear, we have an Engrishee pamphlet here somewhere. Some of you are probably wondering why I still answer my door after all the hassle I had with Mr “no-key” Landlord, but in Korea there is a tendency to keep hammering on your door until someone answers or it falls off its hinges, which ever comes first.

I am not going to miss the celebrity status that comes with being a 외국인 (foreigner) in Korea. Of course I am going to miss the perks, especially “service” and the freebies on the train when someone wants to try out their English. But I not going to miss being stared at everywhere I go. I am not going to miss the ignorance, or the assumption that I am an American or a Russian. (Being asked if you are Russian in Korea is a bit of a double edged sword-because it often means they think you are beautiful, but it also means they think you are a prostitute).

The amazement that I can handle spicy food or use chopsticks can wear a bit thin after a while. But being told that because Koreans use chopsticks they are better at doing things with their hands was a concept I found difficult to stomach. Apparently it makes them good hairdressers. I have some students that suggest otherwise. There is a bit of a Korea is number one mentality that I find really quite ugly. I am all for national pride, in moderation, but being asked if we have boiled eggs in England, seriously? “No sorry, Korea has the monopoly on hens and water.”

I am not going to miss the shuffling sound of the black and white flip-flops or “slippers” on the tarmac.

I am definitely not going to miss the spitting…..

But as I was writing this list I realised that the list of things I am going to miss is much longer, and in many ways more substantial. Don’t worry, I am not planning on caving into my students requests for me to stay out here, I am just glad to be leaving while I still like the place.

What I am Going Miss.....

I have been excited about the fact I am going home soon since January. According to my calendar it looks like the countdown started when I had 14 weeks left, and today I have less than 3. In a mere 20 days I will be boarding a plane and heading home with a bag full of memories and a head filled with mixed emotions.

I am returning to an awesome family and an incredible bunch of friends, but April is bittersweet for me because this chapter of The Adventures of Viro (Che Ji Yeon) and Jo (Jo Sun Jin) is coming to an end. Sure there will be plenty more chapters in the future, but for now there will be no more Shabu Shabu sessions, no chats until the early hours of the morning and no hobbling around the shops of Hongseong or Myeongdong. She will be heading back to South Africa 11 days before I leave, and I just want to say I am grateful for all the good times, and for all the support she has given me this year. It has been awesomeness squared.

In some ways I am going to miss Seoul Hagwon. Not necessarily the schedule changes though. One good outcome of my injured ankle was that it generated the invite to have lunch everyday in the kindergarten. It has served as a sharp reminder of me just eleven months ago fresh off the plane, dropping food all over the place, and unable to believe how cute the kids are. While the last one still applies I have just about recovered from the jetlag and for the most part I have mastered the metal chopsticks. I have learnt so much this year, and seen a good portion of Korea and much of that is thanks to Rachel and Paul. My 10 hours a day spent in the Seoul Hagwon have passed a lot quicker thanks to our lunch time chats, and I am sure there will be a kimchi related reunion when they go back to the UK in 2010.

Like I have said on numerous occasions, I am going to really miss my students, yes even the one who sat on my foot! My adult students have really grown on me (admittedly part of me resented having to give up my lovely lie-ins), and I will definitely miss the varied discussions that take place far too early for my frazzled brain. From car accidents, to alcohol blackouts, to test tube babies, they have definitely given me a small insight into Korean culture, and hopefully I have taught them a few things too. Last week they took me to Namunjae off the coast of my province and treated me to some very good food. As my next blog entry will show, they have also helped me out with my hospital appointments, and they ensure I get to the hagwon in the morning by picking me up on their way.

I am really going to miss Korean food. As well as the lunch in the kindergarten I also eat a Korean meal for dinner with the director of my hagwon, his nephew and the manager of the English academy. All of them wolf down their food before I get a chance to sit down, and the manager is under the impression that I just arrived in Korea, as he feels the need to describe the food to me before I eat it-and by describe I mean point to and say what it is, but specify that it’s Korean-“Korean fish,” “Korean soup,” “Korean mushroom” and so on. On the plus side many Koreans find the ability of “foreigners” to handle “spicy” food amazing, and are genuinely impressed if you like kimchi and can use chopsticks. I am going to miss the fact you can get restaurant food delivered for free to your door on actual plates which get collected an hour or so after-no need to wash, no need to tip. Most of all I am going to miss eating out and getting free food (thanks to Viro) or getting dessert as “service” (Canmore).

I am going to miss the train rides. I love train journeys, even the ones that lead to me getting insulted by sojued up old Korean mean. To be sure, there have been some delays (not that they show up on the boards), but the rail system here is cheap, easy and clean. If you don’t mind the stink of dried squid that is. My biggest complaint is that the last train back from Yongsan to Hongseong is at 8.20…which means a trip to Seoul tends to involve an overnight stay or an early return home. I am going to miss being on a train or subway and not understanding what it being said around me. It’s very easy to tune out the chatter around you when you don’t understand the language. Note-this doesn’t work when a 16-24 year old woman is whinging into her mobile. I am not going to miss the handheld TV’s that half the population of Korea seem to own and watch on the train, without earphones, at full volume. I am not going to miss being told to be quiet by a middle aged man because apparently “Korea is quiet,” while his wife smacks gum louder than the laws of physics allow and his kids watch the last episode of 꽃보다 남자 (Boys over Flowers). This may or may not have actually happened.

I am going to miss my crapartment, well the freedom that it represents, not so much the horrible smells that seep through the vents when anyone cooks in the building. Also, I am not going to miss the never-ending building work that has troubled my sleep since I arrived. Most importantly I am not going to miss the fear I feel when I approach my building thanks to the creep that harassed me back in January. But I am going to miss the fact it’s my own place, and I can do what I want when I want, including blaring my tunes at all hours of the day and night. I am going to miss the ondol (underfloor heating) which is a glorious idea and definitely made coming in from the snow welcoming. I am going to miss the fact everything is within hopping distance, though thanks to my ankle injury I have a new found appreciation for carpets in bathrooms, or at the very least railings.

I am going to miss Korean pop music and the fact the children remember the English lyrics better than they can remember the most simple of phrases. “I’m so sorry but I love you” (Big Bang). “Baby one more time” (Jewelry). “Nobody, nobody but you” “Tell me, tell me” (Wondergirls). “I gotta be a bad boy” (Rain). These are just some of the lyrics that plague every English classroom in Korea at some point. It can get old very quickly, but I am going through an “I’m going home soon so everything in Korea is great phrase.” I am not going to miss the Korean versions of English songs-the Korean version of Craig David’s Insomnia by Wheesung is not good.

I am going to miss checking out Korean guys…there I said it! But I am happy that I have some Rain to keep me happy in the UK.

I am kind of going to miss the obsession with mirrors. From what I have observed, if it doesn’t move it needs a mirror on it. Even mobile phones can serve as mirrors. In public bathrooms you can check yourself out as your use the toilet because more often than not there is a mirror on the stall door. I am fairly certain that the minute a girl reaches puberty in Korea a mirror is surgically attached to her hand. Based on my experiences in bathrooms at least one member of a group of secondary school age girls should have a pair of straighteners in her bag. Although, now I have a fringe of my very own, I can almost appreciate the disconcertingly high number of mirrors, almost….

As you can see I am going to miss so many aspects of my life in South Korea, but I can honestly say that one year is enough. There are so many other countries I have yet to experience, and I haven’t fallen in love with Korea, I have merely grown very fond of it. That’s not enough to sustain me for another year. I will take away some amazing memories but I ready to start my next chapter. I am ready to trade in the kimchi for some roast potatoes.

One foot in North Korea...

I should have taken advantage of my relaxed schedule before January and visited Jeju Island. I would have liked to have gone back to Seoraksan National Park. I could have avoided this whole mess if I hadn’t done the penguin dance-although I did look good doing it. I shoulda, woulda, coulda, but I didn’t/won’t be able to/can’t. Honestly though, I have no real regrets because what I have done with my time in South Korea has been incredible and exceeded my expectations. However there was one thing I had to do before I came home and that was visit the DMZ, and I managed to do that on the 28th March. For those of you who haven’t heard there was a bit of a war between the North and South of Korea way back in the 1950s, and thanks to the lack of a ratified peace treaty it has kind of never ended. The result is the most heavily fortified frontier in the world, the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which is two and a half miles wide and 155 miles from coast to coast, located around the 38th Parallel. That “line on a map, nothing more” I wrote about way back in August. Not going to the DMZ would have been like not trying kimchi, not doing a temple stay, not visiting four other countries while I was “in the area” and not doing the penguin dance….very un-Jo.

Not deterred by the fact Kim Jong-il was planning on flexing his isolated military muscles by launching a hotly contested missile/“communication satellite” four of us left Hongseong on the first train into Seoul. Not deterred by the fact I was on crutches and Jun had sat on my bad foot the day before the USO tour we joined two bus loads of people and made our way to the DMZ. It was worth every inflated won and I thoroughly recommend it if you are in the area.

Two members of the Hongseong posse are relatively newbies to this weird and wonderful land, and I found myself on the defensive for some of the day. To be sure, I have had plenty of days when the first flight out of here wouldn’t have been soon enough, but I came here with an open mind, and I have strived to make the best out of what have been some challenging situations. Defending South Korea made me realise just how much this place has gotten under my skin, and it made me so glad that I came here. It also reminded me that if you want to pull something apart you are always going to find a loose thread. English teachers are easy to replace out here, and once you have come to terms with the fact that working in a hagwon is essentially well-paid glorified babysitting the more fun you will have with it. Life is too short to bitch about something you can change so easily. If you can’t take the kimchi- put the chopsticks down, get your arse off the floor and try teaching somewhere else. What can I say, pain makes me cranky....

Ok, so back to the DMZ tour. The early morning train meant we got to see the sun rise over the mountains that surround Hongseong. Me and Viro came over all Korean with an impromptu photo shoot on the train, and I finally got a shot of my favourite sign (see above-yes I know it’s pronounced Shill-ye-won!). After arriving in Yongsan, and getting quizzical looks from all passer-bys, pretty certain Koreans on crutches remain indoors until they are healed, we made out way to Camp Kim where the office for the USO is located. An elderly gentleman helped us out with directions-it’s pretty amazing how far a sprinkling of Korean can get you, and after 11 months of teaching here it becomes so much easier to understand Konglish. A disappointing coffee later and we were on our way, with a tour guide who sounded like he was still slurring from the previous nights soju, but entertaining nonetheless. The barbed wire that lined the river as we got closer and closer to the DMZ served as a stark reminder of the division between the two Koreas.

Our first stop was for a briefing about the DMZ, and offered our first proper glimpse into North Korea. A yellow line on the ground signalled where we could and could not take pictures, though we did have to gently remind Killian of this fact! Apparently we were lucky in that the yellow dust from China didn’t obscure our view into the bleakness that is North Korea. The guide told us about the battle of the flagpoles. In the 1980s the South Korean government built a 328 ft flagpole, in response the North Koreans erected a 525 ft one. North Korea is the proud owner of the tallest flagpole in the world. I am sure that it was worth it. Next stop was a lunch break-bibimbap or bulgogi…at jacked up prices, but delicious all the same. Apparently my crutches served as a handy conversation piece, and an elderly American felt the need to ask me when I would be settling down and getting married, much to the chagrin of his wife and son.

During the 1970s South Korea discovered four incursion tunnels dug by North Korea in an attempt to launch surprise attacks on Seoul, our tour included a trip down the third one discovered-the “Third Tunnel of Aggression.” Discovered a mere 27 miles away from Seoul it certainly puts the alleged poisoning of the North Korean national football team into perspective. Following the 1-0 loss in Seoul last week, the North's football association said the act was part of Seoul's "moves for confrontation" with Pyongyang. Sure…and the tunnels really were coal mines. First off, we had to watch a propaganda video listing details of the confrontation between the two Koreas and making some rather bold claims about how the DMZ is essentially paradise on earth due to the lack of inhabitants. Thanks to my crutches, I wasn’t able to tackle the 300 metre long tunnel, though I did get to rest my aching leg and catch some rays in the peace and quiet.


The highlight of the tour was Panmunjeom which is home to the Joint Security Area, the only place where the North and the South actually connect. We entered Camp Bonifas (named after a U.S. Captain who was killed by North Korean soldiers during the Axe Murder Incident of 1976…over a tree) and our tour was taken over by the U.S. Army. We were given a lecture that skimmed over a few issues, but essentially outlined why this area is so significant. Then we had to sign waivers which reminded us that we were heading into a very unpredictable area, and could result in death or injury (bit late for that). We were driven to the JSA, where I was greeted by my favourite sport-stairs. The lift was out of order, but there was no way I was going to let stairs stand in my way. The Military Demarcation Line runs right through the centre of Panmunjeom, and the JSA was built smack bang on the middle of it. We were being watched by a North Korean soldier and reminded not to make any gestures towards him. It definitely made the atmosphere very tense. A feeling that was maintained until Killian tried to walk around the wrong side of a ROK (South Korean) soldier and got halted with some seriously cool taekwondo moves.



We then made our way into the Military Armistice Commission building, half of which was built on the North Korean side of the demarcation line. The picture above is of me and Viro on the North Korean with our fierce looking ROK soldier who gave Eugenia a fright after she accidentally put something on one of the tables and he leapt into action! Me and Viro were the last to leave the building, and as we made out way back down to the buses I managed to snap this picture…….



…..says it all!

We were then taken to a South Korea/US guard post, and we were afforded a closer look at Propaganda Village (a uninhabited village on the North side of the MDL, which until 2004 blared out North Korean messages-largely consisting of anti-Western propaganda). We were again reminded of the seriousness of the situation-surrounded by North Korean guard posts on three sides. As our U.S. Army tour bus made its way back to the original bus we passed the Bridge of No Return, which served as the port of exchange for POWs in 1953. It literally was the point of no return, once you crossed it into one country you couldn’t go back.


A sombre tour, but worth every won. As we made our way back into Seoul, and then onward to Hongseong if felt like we were returning from a foreign country, and in a way I guess we were. The bright lights and modernity of Seoul made the DMZ seems so much bleaker, and I can honestly say in the 11 months that I have been here I have never felt the tension between the North and South, even with this whole missile debacle. My thoughts were interrupted when I managed to fall over as we were trying to exit the train, again landing on my bad ankle. But I am glad that I managed to go, and hopefully my children won’t be able to-because all this would have stopped.

11 Months of...Culture Shock!

Even though it’s been nearly eleven months since I stepped off the plane at Incheon International Airport, South Korea still has ways of leaving me very bewildered. Strangely, the bigger things I have just come to accept, from last second schedule changes, to the lack of helpful health and safety signage. Those annoying “no-win, no fee” companies would have a field day in Korea. “This week I ended on my arse in the lobby of Seoul Hagwon after my crutches did the splits on the wet floor. There was no warning sign in sight. Save your Kimchi managed to get me 1000won (50p) in compensation. I bought gimbap.” No, it’s the smaller things that still puzzle me. From serving Tabasco sauce and pickles at every slightly “western style” restaurant, to suggesting I go to the hospital every time I have a cold. I asked one of my adult students about the latter and she explained that one time her mother “endured a cold and it turned into pneumonia.” By “endure” it’s possible she meant her mother never rested and continued to both work 12 hour days and be the sole carer for the family. She also said that the Korean health system is very cheap. I countered that it’s free in the UK and if you went to the doctors with a cold (Korea doesn’t have an equivalent to your local GP/doctor) you would be laughed out by the receptionist and possibly fined for wasting valuable daytime TV watching hours.

More importantly, what is the doctor going to give you for a cold that you can’t buy in a pharmacy? A stern and condescending look? A prescription of kimchi and soju three times daily? Or is Korea harbouring a secret cure for the common cold that it’s refusing to tell the rest of the world about? Judging by the amount of colds I have seen “endured” in this country it’s unlikely. Perhaps if the country wasn’t so anal about sick days and the fact they require a doctors note/all your limbs being severed/death, it would be less of a problem because you could take a couple of days to rest and recuperate. The same would be true if covering your mouth with your hand when you sneeze or cough became a common part of etiquette.

Last week was a first for my time here in Korea. I had a schedule change with an explanation. Thankfully because of my leg I was already sitting down. Ok, I said I had come to accept them, but I meant in a "admit they are going to happen kind of way!" Not that "I have to like them!" Apparently my lessons were too short and the parents had complained, strangely though it was just my lessons that were too short, so the change in schedule only saw my lessons being made longer. I noticed on Thursday that with the first class of the day the kids can’t get from their school/piano hagwon/maths academy in time so they are around 10-15 minutes late for their first class, which is with Yu (the manager). However, instead of moving the start time later, the time has just been added on to my class. I am sure that there is some very flawed logic there. Though why the parents just can't be told that the English monkey is unable to perform to the best of her ability at the moment, and quite frankly doesn't care that you want an extra ten minutes without your children, is beyond me. I am home in just over a month, so my reservoir of enthusiasm and energy has run dry. There's only so much a girl can do with her leg propped up on a chair, only able to use 10 percent of the board, and without books or resources before she gets very frustrated with it all!

Crutches in Korea.

This weekend I was supposed to go to Gyeongju with Adventure Korea for one last trip with the tour company. However, yesterday I fell over and damaged a ligament near my ankle. I am currently on crutches. Considering how clumsy I am it was bound to happen eventually. The bonus of it happening here is that I get an amusing story to go with it, and I got to see that the kids are as attached to me as I am to them.

I met up with Viro after my adult class in the morning and we went to our new favourite café-Canmore-home to freebies galore and some interesting décor. As we were leaving I was joking around on the stairs (penguin dance), when we got to the bottom I stepped awkwardly and went over on my ankle. I sat there panting on the floor for a while as Viro looked on helplessly-partly due to me screaming “Don’t touch me!” before continuing to pant. An impatient Korean woman walked past and gave us such a dirty look, despite the fact it was obvious that I was in pain. Viro took me to the nearest doctor who happened to be a paediatrician. She got to experience sweary in-pain Jo. The doctor told me I should get to a hospital, have an x-ray-and probably see a doctor for grown-ups. I didn't have my insurance card on me and I was pretty certain that I had just sprained it so I got a taxi home and packed a bag for the trip. But when I saw my ankle, it was very, very swollen, and tried to walk to my hagwon, I realised that it wasn't alright.

I asked Charlie (the Korean English teacher) if he could take me to the hospital, and we took a taxi there. Bizarrely in a country where the taxis beep you every five seconds it was weird how they all seemed to vanish when we needed one. The receptionists panicked when they saw me, but thankfully poor Charlie could translate. The doctors x-rayed it and found out my ligament is damaged. I am not entirely sure how, but looking at the x-ray my bone is being pushed out of place by the swelling. So now it's in a splint, bandaged up and I am on crutches. The hospital seems to still be under construction because I was placed in a room full of odds and sods, and everyone who walked past came to nose at the crazy foreigner, and her hilarious attempts to use crutches. A shot in the arse later, and I am on my slow way. We grabbed a taxi back to the hagwon, eventually-the sight of Charlie in the middle of an intersection sighing and yelling “taxi” and “진짜!” will hopefully never leave my memory bank!

We got back to the hagwon and I had to teach all day as well as cover Christina’s lessons for the second day in a row. This is despite the fact I was clearly a bit woozy from the pain medication, oh and unable to stand up! I didn’t mind the teaching so much as the fact I had another day of combined level classes, which I had to control from a chair. Christina took my prescription sheet and said that she would be back before I finished, of course she wasn't and so I have no medication even now! She rung me today to say she couldn't move (she couldn't move?!) and she will hopefully be round before midnight with my medication.

I am gutted that I couldn't go on the trip, as I won’t get another chance to go to Gyeongju and I have already written off plans to go to Jeju Island. Thankfully Killian has gone in my place and he will give me the money which is very handy as medical care isn’t free in Korea.

The kids were so concerned when they first saw me on crutches, even the older kids, it was so cute! Andy looked like he was about to cry and when I asked what was wrong he just pointed at my leg. I had to improvise, more than normal, as I was sat down the whole day. Normally I am so active in my classes, so it was a real challenge. Still I got a few giggles with “What’s in Teacher Jo’s bag?” “Oh a shoe!” In one class we needed to erase little white boards and I hadn't been able to buy tissue, so I just cut up the sock I had no use for! But my favourite moment was when the more advanced students tried to figure out the English name for “crutches” we had everything from fake legs to imitation legs (these kids know their words!) thrown about.

I have to go back to the hospital on Wednesday and hopefully by then the swelling will have gone done and I will be crutch free for the rest of my time here.

Jo Does Japan Part Two.

Kyoto. 29th December.

Picking straight up from Part One, the next day I caught the train to Kyoto…eventually. Korea definitely does train stations better than the Japanese. Although the Shinkansen was more comfortable than the KTX, albeit bloody expensive, the lack of helpful English signage meant I needed help to figure out what platform I needed to be on. Aside from the fact the English Tourist Information Centre at Kyoto Station was closed for the holidays, I preferred Kyoto to Osaka immediately.

I checked into the hostel, despite the crappy directions-why do hostels always assume you have a compass or an innate sense of direction-“Get off the bus and walk west.” After dropping off my bag I started checking out the sights straight away. I was waiting at the bus stop when a bus pulled up and the driver asked me where I was heading, I told him Kinkakuji. He told me to get on and then he chased down the bus I needed. The problem was that the bus I needed would pull away just as I got near the doors, but my friendly driver would just let me get back on his bus and we’d try again at the next stop-around 5 stops later I managed to get on the right bus.

Kinkakuji or Rokuon-ji Temple-or the Golden Pavilion, was absolutely stunning. Despite the hoards of people snapping pictures too, I could still envision it being a peaceful and beautiful place. It seems when I am alone I visit lots of temples-case in point Taipei. My next stop was Tenryu Temple, aka the Temple of the Heavenly Dragon (picture above), which again was very beautiful, and visitors have the added bonus of being allowed to see the inside of the temple too. Plus it was my first sighting of women in kimonos! The combination of the stunning garden, brisk cold air, and understated yet picturesque buildings made the experience very lovely-and surprisingly I didn’t really mind the fact I spend most my time in Kyoto in some kind of temple or shrine. Behind this temple there is a bamboo grove where I managed to get a couple of good pictures-including one taken by an old man on his knees. (Bless.) After the bamboo grove though I managed to get very lost, I stumbled across some shrines, found the main road, and then ending up in leafy suburbia-with proper houses, cul-de-sacs, and a very confused Jo. Just as it was getting dark I found the main road again, and managed to find a bus stop and get back into central Kyoto and back to my hostel after going to another closed attraction.

I should mention the vending machines in Japan. I didn’t managed to get any pictures of one, but they are impressive-not just hot and cold drinks in cans-like the ones in Korea, but cigarettes and alcohol too….I tried to imagine a similar thing in the UK and all I could see was baying mobs of teenagers with hoods and crowbars.

Kyoto. 30 December.

This was the day I got snap happy with the camera. I was very lucky with the weather too-it felt like spring and was surprisingly warm, though obviously my warm is your arctic temperatures! I took advantage of the nice weather and walked to the train station from the hostel and popped into my first Temple of the day, Nishi Honganji Temple which was undergoing major reconstruction work.

Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan for eleven centuries and was devastated on countless occasions by wars, fires, and earthquakes, but the city was spared from the firebombing during the Second World War. As a result it is one of the best preserved cities in Japan, with 2000 Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines, palaces, and gardens. I certainly made it my mission to visit as many of the most famous ones as I could, particularly on this day it seems.

My next stop was Kiyomizu Temple (above and below) which is famous for the fact not a single nail was used in its construction. This is all the more impressive when you consider that the temple is supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain. The views of Kyoto from the veranda were very beautiful and the temple is well used both by locals and tourists. It was also an odd sight seeing Westerners in Kimonos, but each to their own I guess.

The bus system in Kyoto is extremely efficient and easy to use, making sightseeing very simple. I just followed the stops and visited all the sights I wanted, when I wanted. (No, I haven’t got a job for the tourist board of Kyoto) There were two Temples very close to one another that I visited next. Chion-in Temple and Shoren-in Temple. They were both incredible. Chion-in had Koreanesque stairs (it’s all about the stairs) and a massively impressive gate. But I would move into Shoren-in Temple tomorrow if only for the garden (Two pictures below). It once served, briefly, as an imperial palace, and I had it almost entirely to myself. I think being alone for four days had driven me slightly stir crazy, and I had a bit of fun with the 10 second timer on my camera. Good times.

If you have a spare bit of cash, or you just happen to be in the area and want a nice romantic place to visit I recommend the garden at the Heian Jingu Shrine. The beautiful garden definitely served as a friendly reminder of how alone I was feeling. So to cheer myself up, I fiddled around with the ten second timer some more and drained the battery of my camera.

Next, I went to Ginkakuji-or The Silver Pavilion, but I should have turned around at the entrance when I saw the “it’s currently undergoing reconstruction and there is bugger all to see” sign. I then walked around the outside of the Imperial Palace, the park was very much about trees and rocky paths. The sunset through the trees was very fitting though after the day I had. I tried to see some Geishas in Gion but it wasn’t to be, instead couples dressed in Kimonos were being followed by tourists trying to take their pictures as though they were celebrities.

31st December 2008.

I checked out of the hostel, and caught the bus to the airport. I probably could have done a bit more sightseeing but Japan is very expensive and I was pretty content just to chill out at the airport and people watch. From my brief visit to Japan I would definitely want to go back there in the future, but I think I should stop travelling alone. Maybe it’s simply because it was the holiday season but on this trip I was very conscious of how alone I was. It’s not that I am sick of my own company; I think it would just be nice to share the memories with someone else. Still, it’s not everyday you get to be in Japan-unless you are Japanese I guess-and it was a great way to end 2008.

Jo Does Japan Part 1

A last minute booking meant my plans were all very last minute, I wasn’t even able to buy a travel book. Unfortunately, since it was the holiday period I couldn’t find a hostel online in Tokyo, so instead I went to Osaka and Kyoto. It just means (when I have lots of money) I will have to go back to Japan, so it’s not all bad.

Because my flight was at 9:45 in the morning on 27th December I had to spend the night before in a motel in Seoul. For around £15 I got a gorgeous room all to myself, complete with en suite, a computer with access to the internet and a massive plasma screen television, oh and of course it had ondol (under floor heating). For around £15 a night in Osaka I got a tiny room, a TV with no English shows, a foot heater in a room with single glazing (see above)….oh and the website said shared bathroom-I didn’t realise it meant with the rest of the neighbourhood, I mean hostel. It is fairly safe to say that Korean Love Motels (free condoms and bad porn channels anyone!) have slowly destroyed the backpacker in me!

Osaka. 27th December

There are three things you should know about me when I travel. First, I like to plan, or at least have a vague idea of where I am going. This is very difficult without a guide book or in the case of Kyoto when the tourist information centre is closed for the holidays. Second, I don’t like asking strangers to take my picture. It only reinforces the fact I am alone. Third, I don’t like eating out alone. It’s a feeling I am slowly conquering, and if I have a book to read –see the first point-it’s easier to deal with. There probably are other factors too, such as if I can’t sleep I fidget, and I have a tendency to babble if I have been alone for too long. Oh, and I hate asking for directions and I get agitated if I screw up when I am the leader. But hey, no one is perfect.

I had hoped to find a guide book in Osaka so I wasted half a day looking for a book shop (I managed to find a guide book for Germany in Spanish, but nothing relevant for this trip.) When I went back to my hostel that evening there was actually a copy of the Lonely Planet guide there. So I spent the evening copying out the bits I needed into my notebook. I pretty much winged Osaka, which is definitely a new experience for me on the travel front.

After giving up on the quest to find a travel book I hopped on the subway to Osaka Castle (picture above). Like all good castles it had a moat, so I was impressed. Originally built by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, it’s safe to say the castle has been rebuilt a number of times following fire, natural disasters, and the bombings during World War Two. Not as impregnable as he first envisioned I am guessing. There was an interesting museum inside with the obligatory miniatures of “what the castle looked like, probably.” But the real treat was the 8th floor viewing deck where you can see the grounds and the sprawling nature of Osaka, as well as the surrounding mountains. Oh, and a Giant Ferris Wheel. I spent the evening walking in Tenjinbashi-suji, the longest shopping arcade in Japan at 2.6km. I just soaked in the atmosphere and window shopped.

Osaka. 28th December.

My first stop was Tennoji Zoo. In my entry that day I wrote in my journal that “I think I hate zoos.” Although I have to admit I did like the one in Taipei. What can I say, I am a walking paradox. While I appreciate that zoos are often vital in ensuring the survival of many species of animals, I just hate seeing wild animals in tiny, lifeless enclosures being forced to move around for spoilt children and their parents who tap impatiently on the glass. At this zoo one pig had more space than the polar bear, I know the ice caps are melting but that’s doesn’t mean enclosures have to replicate reality (it’s not as if real ice is made of plastic).


My next stop was the park next to the zoo which had an abandoned feel to it in the cold. I saw my first of many Japanese Gardens, and I was very impressed. It was extremely well kept and felt serene and peaceful. The Lonely Planet guide had mentioned when things were closed over the holiday period, so to avoid disappointment I skipped over those entries. Unfortunately, it didn’t mention that the Open Air Museum of Ancient Japanese Farmhouses (hey, I like old things!) was closed, a fact I would have also found out if I had been more observant at the subway station. I guess it was all good exercise though.

I ended the day at the Umeda Sky Building, which has been dubbed a “space age version of the Arc de Triomphe.” It was definitely the highlight of Osaka for me, particularly as I arrived in time for the sunset over the city. There is definitely more individuality in Japanese architecture than in Korea. Plus, spending a couple of hours on the subway made it very apparent that Japanese fashion is a lot more interesting and edgier than Korean fashion-at least in my eyes.

Next stop was Kyoto, as you'll see in Part Two.

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.

5 Months-Time for some K-Pride

Wow, what happened to September? It flew by faster than most of the “power walkers” who casually stroll along the river outside my apartment. Before I know it I will be back in the UK planning the next stage of my life, missing kimchi, bowing to shop assistants and miming out what I say to people. I know I still have seven months to go, but if they go as quickly as September did I might get time sickness.

On my first trip to Seoul I was sitting outside Yongsan Station when I was approached by the crazy safety pin lady, who wanted to try out her English, insult me and give me safety pins (hence the name). Apparently from afar I am ok looking (accompanied by a grimace face) but up close I am beautiful. Aah the insult covered compliment, my favourite kind-from far away you look like a dog, but once I get close enough that I can see my reflection in the whites of your eyes you are a princess. She was the first in a couple of Koreans who have proudly told me that Korea has four distinct seasons. She then gave me a couple of safety pins and said, ominously, that I might “need” them.

I was a bit sceptical about these “four” seasons…but distinct is the word. One day it was more hot and humid than an obese person’s armpit and the next it was jacket weather-well not for me (what’s Korean for “Seriously, I don’t get cold!”) but you get the idea.

I realise that with all my rants about the hagwon and my apartment (which now has a lovely new boiler-which I am under strict instructions to “no touchee”) I haven’t mentioned some fundamental aspects of Korea which have made my time here so enjoyable. So here are some of the highlights:

Food: Sure, I jokingly bitch about the amount of rice, fermented vegetables and soup, but Korea has dibs on the healthy food factor, which may explain the new slim line Jo. (That and the fact teaching burns off calories faster than September.) Eating out is incredibly cheap, from the small restaurants to the street vendors you can get a great meal, with free refillable side dishes for well under a fiver. Yesterday I had tuna bibimbap for £2, and it got me moaning so it must have been good. It’s all about the sound effects.

Service: I have absolutely no idea how most small businesses last in Korea, since when you buy something the owner normally tells you to wait and pulls out something for free-“Service.” Sure my freebies aren’t as big as a pair of trainers, but I am going to miss the ones I do get.

The never-ending beauty of this country: This weekend just gone I took a trip to a virtually untouched part of Korea’s countryside and it was incredibly beautiful and scenic. It’s so nice getting away from the gaudy architecture (you could drop in any city in Korea and I wouldn’t be able to tell you where I was) and experiencing the fresh air and sheer splendour of South Korea.
The friends I have made in Hongseong: Rachel, Paul, Viro, Jen and now Lesley (I hope it doesn’t come to you leaving) I have been so lucky here and just want to get all sentimental and say thank you!

Random Observations of Korea (ROK) part 2.

Ok, before I blog about Thailand I just wanted to write a bit more about my observations of Korea and also mention some more of the kids and some of the crazy and hilarious things that come out of their mouths!

I was walking to the train station today to buy tickets for my trip to Gwangju and during the twenty minutes walk I was reminded of some of the things I love, hate and just don’t understand about Korea. (I realise that some of these things apply to other countries too, I don’t mean to generalise they are just my observations.)

Love: At the start of the main road leading up to the train station there is always a gaggle of old Korean women selling various fruits and vegetables along the pavement. It is a proper little community and reminds me of farmer markets back home. I love knowing that the money is going to the person who made the product rather than a faceless corporation that packages carrots to within an inch of their very being just for the sake of being wasteful. Although talking of wastefulness, I have noticed that many things in Korea are overly packaged. There is a huge emphasis on recycling though, and it’s very common to see often retired men pushing ox carts down the street laden with cardboard they have collected.

Hate: Spitting. No exaggeration, I heard/saw 6 men hawking up the contents of their throat and spitting it out onto the street on my little walk. I probably would have less of a problem with the whole concept if it didn’t come with sound effects. Even some women are comfortable with “hhuuucckkkk”ing up their lungs and plopping the contents onto the street, into the bathroom sink etc. Every morning I am regaled with a chorus of various throat noises-I spent my first couple of weeks searching around the apartment for what sounded like a dying animal. Yet, it’s considered rude to blow your nose at the dinner table! In a country where 90% of the food (if you exclude the rice) is spicy!? When I hear the hocking sound though, I can’t help but shudder to my very core. Surely it would be better for people to stop eating/smoking what’s making them need to splatter the pavement with phlegm.

Just don’t understand: This woman I saw might just have been the village odd job-but she was carrying two umbrellas. (No, I am not obsessed with umbrellas honest!) One was up to protect her from the sun, and the other she was just carrying…either she’s just extra cautious, or well I don’t know. It’s similar to the river power walkers who feel the need to wear visors at 9 o’clock at night!

Ok on to the kids, so today I realised that I was being a tad bit too ambitious when I expected my grade 4 class (11 in Korean age, 10 in Western) to spell 3 letter words. This was even with me prompting them with phonics and at one point gesturing frantically at the board where I had written the alphabet. “Number one, pig…..P I G.” Still I have identified a very crucial problem and in my next lesson I will start trying to remedy it. Deon and Joo-Joo kept wanting me to call “sleepy” as a word, so to give them a bonus point I called number 16: “Sleepy” Deon slept it “sleey” and Joo-Joo yelled at me for “help.” Repeat to myself three time, “they are not beyond help, they are not beyond help…..”

I had to give Grade 3’s cute little Cathy a bear hug today. Fely and me conducted question time with the kids-how are you? How’s the weather? And so on. When Cathy was asked “how are you?” she responded in Korean, Fely translated it as “lonely.” Bless her, as she was leaving I gave a hug and it seemed to cheer her up. Despite some very loud tantrums (she’s probably a Korean version of me!) she’s on my list of kids I want to smuggle home in my suitcase!

Grade one provide the most giggles though. I was teaching them occupations the other day, and I sincerely hope that if my house is ever on fire I am saved by a “fire dryer.” Joyce tried to convince me her older brother (Jerry from Grade 3) is a pack-horse, when I asked her what he does-“Is Jerry a doctor?” “NOOOO.”  “Is Jerry a student?” “Nooooo.” Grabbing my phone, which has an English-Korean/ Korean-English Dictionary she frantically typed away producing “pack horse” with a very smug look on her face. It’s incredibly cute though when the girls get concerned if I am not wearing my glasses. They certainly make my time at the Hagwon very entertaining.

I must be doing something right too, because some of the Middle School students I used to teach have requested me back as their teacher. Jo Teacher indeed!