A Day at the Orphanage

Saturday was a new experience for me… my first time visiting an orphanage. My expectations related closely to the old time movie “Annie” so I was curious to see how the comparison would be.

My friend Amy and I set out at 8am on the subway. The orphanage was a fair ways away, so we gave ourselves two hours to get there, although we were thinking that it wouldn’t take that long.

While we were on the subway, we noticed that it stopped at a station and we were waiting there for quite a while. Knowing that we had somewhere to be, we both became slightly anxious. All of the sudden there was an announcement over the intercom. When it was translated into English, we found out that the subway system was temporarily shut down due to a ‘casualty’ in the station ahead.

I had been told about these ‘casualties’ before I came to Korea, although this was the first time it was brought into my daily life. From what I’ve come to understand, Korea has a very high suicide rate and jumping in front of a subway train is fairly common.

I had very mixed emotions as we were all leaving the station (nobody had gotten to where they needed to go, so people were trying to find taxis). Part of me felt overwhelmingly sad for the person who did this; that they would feel so desperate to get out. However then I started thinking about all of the people who were angry that they couldn’t ride the subway and the poor train driver who watch this person jump out… how horrible!

Amy and I eventually found a cab that took us to where we needed to go and I tried to put the depressing incident out of my mind and look forward to the exciting day ahead.

When we finally arrived at the orphanage, I was surprised to see how well kept it was. There were three main buildings where about 100 kids lived and a nice yard with playing equipment. One of the girls took me on a small tour and showed me some of the rooms and dining halls etc. It was very nicely kept and had a very homey feel. Most of the bedrooms had about 4 kids in them and they all had their own bed and desk.

As I was walking around, the caretakers were very friendly and smiled and made me feel welcome. Due to the language barrier, it’s difficult to strike up a conversation with them, but I could get the feeling that I was welcome.

The kids seemed very interested in me when I arrived. Amy had been there several times before and so the kids know and adore her. Over the course of the day, they warmed up to me as well and it was so interesting to interact with them.

Our day was planned around a picnic in the park. When we got to the park with the kids, they were all sitting around in a common area with mats on the ground and benches. They were singing worship songs and there was a Korean pastor giving a sermon of sorts (all of it was in Korean so I really didn’t know what was being said). Because we arrived late, the worship quickly ended and the kids became very excited for the picnic.

The Korean picnic was much different from what I expected. Each person got a Styrofoam container of Kimbap (which is like a sushi roll except it has veggies, egg and ham instead of fish) and a cup of instant ramen noodles. It was interesting to see the dynamic because the kids did look out for one another and many of the older girls would carry the young kids around.

After lunch there were many games organized. Some of the leaders planned a bible game where the kids would find clues and then have to solve mysteries etc. Due to the language barrier however, I wasn’t able to participate in it. Amy, I and some of our Korean friends took a walk to the river and watched the kids play.

Although the kids are well cared for, they are not continuously monitored like kids back home. There were little kids running all over the place and just being free and nobody was telling them to be careful or slow down. I guess that’s the general assumption when you have so many kids to look after… they’ll learn to be careful eventually.

I was talking to Amy, who has gone to another orphanage before and she said that this orphanage is superior to the other one. She said that she could tell that this orphanage was Christian run because the workers genuinely cared for the kids and their wellbeing. These kids were taken many places, they had a beautiful outdoor area where they could play, they were well dressed and they seemed very content. Apparently that’s not the case for all orphanages in Korea.

I was lucky enough to meet a very special girl, Jane. She spoke English very well and we had a very nice conversation together. Jane is 14 years old and she lives at the orphanage. She shares a room with 5 other girls, but she likes it. She’s very interested in American music and movies and she hopes to go to America someday.

While I was talking to Jane, she mentioned something about her father and I became slightly confused. I asked her if she still saw her father from time to time and she told me that she didn’t. I was slightly perplexed that she would mention her father in the first place then and I think she could see the confusion on my face. Jane came to me and said “God is my father and he loves me so much… I am so lucky to have a father like him”. When she said that, my heart just melted. This little girl who has probably experienced so much pain in her life was able to find comfort, security and love. It’s amazing!

There was also this little girl named Daubby. She was about 4 years old and was head over heels for Amy. They had met last year and Daubby loved Amy. At the beginning she was a bit shy of me, but during the day she warmed up. Daubby didn’t realize that Amy and I didn’t speak Korean so she would ramble on and on and we would just nod, unsure of anything she was saying. From what I came to understand, Daubby has parents, but they can’t afford to provide for her so she lives at the orphanage. Apparently her parents come to visit her sometimes, but the orphanage is her home.

We played for a little while longer with the kids and then it was time to return back to the orphanage. Amy and I were dropped off at the subway station and we were wiped! Once we arrived home I hit my pillow and was out for quite a while… kids can be draining!

It was a wonderful experience to meet these great kids who don’t have the easiest life... They’re such loveable children and they’re so upbeat. Working with kids at my private school is so different from this: My kids are used to having everything handed to them on a golden platter—these kids are thankful for even the smallest thing, and my heart just goes out to them.

I’m hoping to return to the orphanage soon and spend more time with them.

Avalon's Global Village

Last Saturday was looked at as being a ‘dooms day’ of sorts because we had to go to work. Avalon was having a Global Village for the kids, which meant that there were various scenarios set up where the kids would speak English. The goal was to provide a fun afternoon for the students and also have them bring friends with the hopes of attracting new kids to the school.

Although I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy at the thought of working on a Saturday, my boss was generous enough to pay us for our time (which he didn’t have to do) and I was also curious to see how the day would pan out. The teachers organizing the event had expected about 70 students to show up, however they had planned for more just in case. Surprisingly, there were more than 300 kids that attended… it was quite the day!

The organizers did a great job preparing everything. They had an airport, a police station, a doctor’s office, a movie theater, a stationary store, a restaurant, a candy station… so many different settings where kids would use English and get great food and prizes.

Initially, I was responsible for greeting the kids and telling them the general rules for the day, then I was cotton candy maker, and finally I worked in the airport.

It was so great to see the kids having such a nice time and it was nice to know that all of the work that went into this event was well worth it. Although it was a tiring day, I was happy that so many kids attended because it means great things for Avalon.

ps- this is my boss--- he's a 'gangsta'

Wedding Bells

Saturday was a big day for the Avalon staff. It was the day of two weddings for two of my co-workers: John-Sook and Grace (both marrying different people). The weddings were roughly one hour apart so the timing was fairly rushed.

We arrived at John-Sook’s wedding first. The wedding hall was not similar to one in North America. There were many people crowding around in the large area but I later learned that there were multiple weddings happening at the same time, so these people were not all there for the same wedding.

The bride was seated in a small room with a fancy chair and people would stand with her and take photos. After a small while, everyone who was there for this particular wedding, gathered into the ceremony room.

This room was well decorated and looked very ‘wedding like’. The ceremony room stays decorated this way for everyone’s wedding… it is mainly a continuous circuit with people moving in and out on a regular basis.

The wedding ceremony began with the mothers walking down the isle and lighting candles. There was a lot of bowing and things said in Korean. Then the groom came and finally the bride. The ceremony did not last too long and it wasn’t as formal as a typical North American wedding (there was a fair amount of chatting and noise coming in from the main room).

One of my American co-workers surprised us all by singing a love song for the happy couple in the middle of their ceremony… it was very nice!

Before this ceremony ended, we had to rush out and make our way to Grace’s wedding hall.

Grace’s wedding was very similar. Her hall was a bit bigger but it was the same style as the previous one. This wedding was very crowded and it was slightly difficult for me to see what was going on. Grace’s wedding was a Christian wedding, so I could recognize many of the hymns they chose to sing…. although I couldn’t understand their Korean verses.

The ceremony wasn’t too long and after it ended we all went into a big dining hall for lunch.

This was a different custom than I am used to because it had a restaurant layout and you found a seat wherever there was an empty table. There were people from different weddings eating there as well so it was more informal than the wedding’s I’ve been to before (ie: no head table or speeches etc).

The food was very good and I sat with some co-workers so we were able join in some good conversation with one another.

I must say that I’m so glad that I was able to partake in the events of the day. It was a great experience to be able to observe different customs and share in the joy of two new marriages!

Acupuncture Adventures

Today I met Jasmin and we headed to an Oriental Medical clinic close to my house. I was going to try acupuncture for the first time in Korea and I was very excited.

As we entered the building, we had to walk to the second floor. The clinic was located across from a dance studio so hip hop music with a strong bass was booming loudly. The clinic was pretty full and we had to wait for a while to be seen.

I had an initial cousuultation with the doctor. He spoke a bit of English but Jasmin came in with me to help translate. He began by asking “how did you get here?” I was slightly confused and said that I walked from my house… Jasmin laughed. I didn’t understand why but she told me that in Korea, that question also means “what’s your primary concern, or what do you want treated?” After some discussion, we agreed that he would work on my lower back (I have really been missing my chiropractor the last few weeks here).

I was led to a treatment room and was surprised when I saw 12 beds next to each other and several ladies lying down with needles dispersed amongst various body parts. This was not the typical medical room you would find back home, but rather it had a fairly ‘communal’ feel.

I laid down on the bed and a nurse lifted my shirt up and pulled my pants down a bit to expose my back. The doctor then came in and put tiny needles in my lower back, on my legs and my ankles. They put a red lamp over me and I just laid there for about 10minutes and enjoyed the warm heat from the lamp. The needles didn’t hurt at all… they’re so small you can barely feel them.

After about 10 minutes, the nurse took the needles out and then put four suction cups on my back that were attached to this machine. She turned the machine on and the cups started massaging my back. It felt so nice and relaxing… very enjoyable.

That lasted about ten more minutes and then she removed those suction cups and placed two new cups on my back. These cups weren’t attached to anything but she used a ‘reverse pump’ to suck the air out of them and they were firmly suctioned to my back. Apparently this is really healthy and is supposed to help relax the muscles.

There is an option to do this where it draws out blood (it’s supposed to remove toxins) but I don’t think I can handle that.. . it seems a little intense.

The whole treatment lasted about 30 minutes and when I went to pay, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it only cost about five dollars! I’m writing this blog about ten hours later and I can honestly say that I’m feeling pretty good. Maybe acupuncture will be my new thing!

The Haeundae Sand Festival

This past weekend was the Haeundae Sand Festival. It was beautiful weather and the beach was packed! When I arrived at the beach I met up with Ross, Nicole and their friend. We wandered around and looked at the various sand sculptures… to say they were amazing would be an understatement.

One of the great things about having a festival so close to home is that there’s lots of familiar faces around. It was great to meet up with various people throughout the day and to be introduced to friends of friends.

In the evening, a group of us got together in my area and went to some bars on the beach. Eventually Ross and Nicole came back to my place to spend the night…. it was fairly crammed in my little apartment but it worked.

The next day, I met a new friend at a picnic. Jessi is an awesome person and I’m so glad I was able to meet her. She’s super upbeat and we have many things in common, so I have a feeling I’ll be seeing a lot of her over the next few months.

Jessi and I ran some errands and then headed back to the beach where we enjoyed the sculptures and went swimming in the ocean (my first time in Korea!). The water was cold but we played Frisbee which took my mind off of it.

Luckily, Monday was another holiday here so Jessi spent Sunday night at my place (she lives about an hour away) and the next day was another beach day! We enjoyed the warm weather, went to a small amusement park, and then sat on a patio and had drinks… I’m so glad summer is here!

I ended the day with a trip to the spa with a couple girl friends… the perfect way to relax and unwind and get ready for the week ahead.

Another Staff Dinner

Friday night was the scheduled staff dinner. We went to a Chinese restaurant very close to the school and enjoyed delicious food and drinks.

Shortly after the meal, my boss decided to have a small drinking game. Two people were selected as ‘representatives’ from both locations (the elementary school and the middle school). The goal was to drink the whole glass of beer while trying to swallow the least number of times. The winner got 60 bucks cash while the loser’s team had to down their glasses.

Well, unfortunately my team lost. Not only did we have to drink the beer, but we also had to eat a piece of rotting, fermented, stinky fish. This is apparently a Korean thing to eat, but even all of the Koreans complained about the smell and taste of the fish. When it was my turn to down the fish I didn’t think I would be able to do it.

The smell was unimaginable and it was difficult to chew which meant that I couldn’t just swallow and be done with it. I heaved quite a number of times and thought that I might bring up my dinner, but eventually I got it down… the awful taste lingered well into the night.

I don’t think North Americans are as competitive as Koreans…. it’s always an eventful night at the staff dinners!

Adventures in Gwangju

Friday night after work I got on the subway and arrived at the bus terminal where I met Dorrial, her boyfriend Eric, Amanda and Alex. We boarded a bus headed for Masan to meet up with Nicole and Ross (they’re the couple I met on my flight over here to Korea… We’ve kept in touch and enjoy doing things together).

We spent Friday night at Nicole and Ross’ apartment…. It’s huge! I’d say it was EASILY 8 or 9 times the size of my apartment, so I was slightly green with envy. The good news was that all 7 of us could sleep comfortably and prepare for our next day of adventures.

Saturday morning was an early wakeup at 6:30am. We got ourselves ready and were at the train station at 7:30 to catch our train. Nicole had generously researched and organized transportation to Gwangju and had discovered that there was a train that went there. Things got a little frazzled when we realized that the station in Gwangju had the same name as one in Busan and that the train we had tickets for actually went back to Busan. We were able to return our tickets and then made our way to the bus station to catch a bus instead.

The ride was a little over 3 hours but I was able to sleep for most of it…. Fairly unexciting.

Gwangju isn’t known for being terribly exciting, but we planned on going to a town called Damyang where there is a famous bamboo forest. I read some articles on it and it sounded amazing.

When we arrived in Gwangju it was time to board yet another bus to Damyang. Oddly enough, Dorrial ran into her friend from College so there was a very happy reunion in the bus station and then we set out for our last ride to reach our final destination.

By the time we arrived in Damyang, everyone was pretty hungry. We had been told that the specialty in this region is rice cooked in bamboo and DdakGalbi. There were several restaurants that were suggested to us, but when we sat down at one, we learned that lunch would be around fifty dollars a person! (This is very expensive considering most meals cost between 3-5 bucks).

As everyone’s moods were getting edgier due to the hunger pains, we went from place to place trying to find somewhere to eat.

Finally we found a restaurant that suited everyone’s tastes (and wallets) and we enjoyed a nice meal together. The thing about traditional Korean meals is that they come with many, many side dishes. Some things are totally weird, but others are quite delicious.

After lunch we walked to the bamboo forest and were surprised by the amount of people around. In all of the pictures I’d seen, it was this quiet oasis… I guess the popularity of the place has really caught on.

We walked around for a couple of hours and it was so nice to be able to soak in some natural sights (Busan is beautiful, but it doesn’t have much green at all). I was surprised to feel how smooth bamboo is. Also it was much cooler in the forest than it was outside of it…. Very surprising considering the fact that bamboo trees don’t have many leaves etc… they’re mainly long sticks.

After returning back to the city from the bamboo forest we needed to find two things: food and accommodation. We decided on finding a love motel first because then we could drop our bags off. I wasn’t too sure how this would play out because I’ve never used a love motel before.

For those of you who don’t know, love motels are used by Koreans to hook up (mainly because they live with their parents until they get married, and the houses are so small it’s hard to find privacy). For foreigners however, they’re a very affordable place to sleep rather than splurging for a hotel.

As we were walking down the street looking at the various love motels, a man started chasing after us and saying things in Korean. We eventually followed him back to his motel and he showed us the ‘large size room’. It was perfect for us… clean, spacious and perfect to fit five of us. We were all pleased with our accommodation and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner before drifting off to sleep.

Sunday was perhaps my favourite day of the weekend. It started out as a slightly negative situation when we arrived at the bus terminal. Our plan was to go see a temple that had many Buddhas and pagodas. It was apparently a beautiful sight to see. When we arrived at the bus terminal, we went to the information desk, told the woman where we wanted to go and she directed us to the bus stop where we should wait for our bus. Well we waited outside for an HOUR and the bus didn’t come.

By this point we were all slightly frustrated and agitated by the situation, so we returned inside the terminal and looked at some tourist information. This is where we found the information for an Ecological park just outside of the city. We returned to the information woman who had given us crappy information before (there was no other option) and we hoped that her directions would be better this time. They were!

We had to take two city busses to reach our end destination. The city busses are always overcrowded (see picture) and it feels more like a rollercoaster than a mode of transportation. Anyways, after a good hour and a bit of driving, we finally arrived at the Eco Park.

Walking inside reminded me of how much I missed the nature and greenery back home. The park was situation on the edge of a lake and there were boardwalks all along the edge where you could look out at the water and be surrounded by beautiful trees and ferns. The weather was absolutely beautiful and matched the feel of the park perfectly. I felt like I was a million miles away from city life! There were different things throughout the park; areas with different bushes and flowers. There were signs saying things at different areas but they were all in Korean—I’m sure they talked about the different plants etc. but I just soaked them up visually.

The park took about two hours to walk through and at the end we walked up a dirt road to get back on our bus. The bus rides were quite the experience. As I mentioned before they are jam packed, but on the way back I also realized that the speedometer didn’t work. So, not only are we zooming around these crazy bends in the mountains; I also learn that the busses themselves aren’t fully functional… so comforting!

We arrived back at the bus terminal in one piece, ate some dinner and then got ready to board our bus for the 3 1/2 hour ride back to Busan. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time on a bus, but it was totally worth it… so nice to get away. And the busses that go long distances are much more luxurious than the city busses.

One of the nicest things about Korea is how cheap it is to travel. Taking a bus in the city is only about a dollar and to get from Busan to Gwangju was only $14.50. You’d never get that back home!

All in all, it was a great weekend!