Gandering in Gyeongju

Last Sunday, a group of us (Amanda, Derya, Amy, Jo, Sienna and myself) decided to go to the city of Gyeongju to tour and escape city life. The bus ride was fairly short, lasting only about an hour and when we arrived I was greeted with beautiful landscapes with actual GREEN (a colour that’s not very prominent in Busan).

The first thing we did was walk around Tumuli Park which is a beautiful park surrounded by these very high, green hills. I later found out that these hills are actually tombs of the rulers of Silla. One of the tombs was actually open for viewing and various royal artifacts were displayed… very cool!

Walking around was so peaceful. It was nice to see green everywhere and some of the leaves had already started to change. This reminded me of home, but it was a nice feeling.

During our walking, a group of tourists (Chinese maybe) say Sienna and I guess thought that she was famous because they all wanted pictures with her. It was quite humourous.

After leaving the park, we found a bicycle rental shop where we rented bikes for the afternoon. Shortly after getting on my bike, I realized that the breaks were not working (pretty much nonexistent). I asked the owner and he gestured that it was ok and there was nothing to do. Risking my life (maybe a tad dramatic) driving down the streets was quite exhilarating. We saw many different areas of Gyeongju and we stopped at Gyeongju National Park.

This park was also very beautiful. There were large Korean buildings around the river that looked so stunning in the afternoon sun. I had just purchased a new camera, so I took advantage of the sights to test out the special effects.

Of course, we took time to do the circle of heads shots!

Continuing on with our bikes we rode back to the area we purchased them and decided it was time for dinner. Traveling with six females, it’s dangerous to let anybody get too hungry.

We stopped at this cave-like restaurant where I tried Ddak Galbi for the first time. DELICIOUS!!! It’s chicken and veggies with rice cakes that’s cooked up in the middle of your table. It was spicy and sweet at the same time and very tasty. After we were finished the main meal, our server made us fried rice with the leftover sauce and an egg. It was interesting to watch him make it.

Our last stop was a cute little café where we had coffee and cake—the perfect way to end any outing!

On the way home, we took the bus and then got on the subway. We were taking the subway together and I was glad that my Korean friends were with me because I met a very interesting character.

This man was 65 years old and immediately started winking and smiling at me. He later told my friend in Korean that I have a beautiful face and very nice hips. He then proceeded to stand in the subway and make the shape of my hips (and curve of my butt) with his hands)… over and over.

Korean onlookers were starting to laugh because they are typically very reserved people. My Korean friends didn’t quite know what to do and I was in a mixture between turning red and laughing myself.

He continued on (in Korean) and I learned that he has been on TV adventure shows from all over the world doing various athletic things. Then he decided to take his sweater off so that we could see his muscles!

By this time I was laughing pretty hard… so random!

Finally, he posed for these photos. This was definitely a first in Korea.

Why I Love Korea

As some of you know, I’ve been having a little bit of a rough time in Korea lately. I’ve been battling homesickness and frustrations with cultural differences that I can’t seem to fully accept. In the beginning of my contract, Korea was a new, exciting place, full of adventure and awe, and now, 8 months in, I’m realizing that it’s not as exciting, but not quite home either. It’s a routine environment with daily obstacles that need to be overcome, and lately I’ve been struggling with it.

I was having a few days where I was getting weighed down by the daily difficulties of doing simple things and I realized that I don’t want to spend my time in Korea wishing I was somewhere else. I made the decision to come here and now I need to be optimistic and reflect on the blessings and positive aspects of my life here. So that’s what I did… I made a list of everything that I love about this place.

To begin with, I love the young kids that I teach. Although I don’t always have the patience I need for them, they are absolutely adorable. My youngest kids love to sing. I have learned that any negative feelings can be cured by just brusting into random songs. It really helps when the kids fight or are in bad moods. Also it’s cute to watch them all being ‘little teapots’ or the ‘muffin man’.

In another one of my classes, my kids always hide my eraser before I come in. They get so much joy out of watching me find it, that it makes my day. They don’t do it to be cheeky, it’s more of a game that allows them to have a good laugh before we get to work.

When the kids give me their snacks to try, they always watch in anticipation of what my reaction will be. Sometimes it’s weird squid flavored chips or sour candies, but they love to share and watch what ‘Laura Teacher’ thinks of the Korean treats.

Some days when I walk into the doors of the younger campus, my students will be waiting around in the lobby and they’ll run to me “Laura Teacher!” with their arms wide open wanting a hug. It’s the cutest thing and makes you feel good to be so loved by such little people. One of my students, Steven, wears this blue uniform that’s all decked out with a bow tie, vest, jacket… the whole nine yards. When he runs towards me, I can’t help but smile. Like a little blue Pillsbury Doughboy running towards me!

My friends are another huge aspect of my life here in Korea. I can honestly say that if I was living in a remote community and I was the only foreigner, I would definitely be back in Canada now. Having great people who I can relate to, depend on, and be a part of a family with has made a world of difference for me.

One example that I will always remember was when I was feeling a bit low to be away from home for my birthday, but four of my friends came over and surprised me first thing in the morning with a cake and party hats… so nice! Although I miss all of my family and friends back home, the people I’ve met here have definitely been a huge factor in making me feel more comfortable in Korea.

I have also had the pleasure of building relationships with Korean friends as well. In July I attended my friends Sora and Nicolai’s traditional Korean wedding. And I believe we are going to celebrate Christmas together this year. I have met countless friends at the local church I attend.

One person who I feel very blessed to know is Anna. She is an older Korean woman who is so wise and kind. My friend Amy and I meet with her for coffee weekly to chat and get to know one another better. She has enriched my Korean experience hugely and I’m sure I will remember her for my entire life. I liken our weekly meetings to the book “Tuesdays with Morrie” except in my case, it’s “Thursdays with Anna”.

It’s a well known fact that the cost of living in Korea is low, but the cost of going out to eat is especially so. Not only is the tax already in the prices, and there is no tipping, you can go out for dinner for around $5. Although this is something that feels normal to me now, I have to remind myself that this will not be the case when I go back home.

This is a huge blessing since I’m not a huge fan of cooking regularly for myself. Sure I’ll cook a few times a week but when it’s just for one person, it gets a little tedious. Being able to go out for a reasonably priced meal is very nice.

When I first got to Korea, I was a little shocked by the way produce was sold in the country. Typically there are markets set up where you can buy all of your fruits and vegetables. After I got used to the smell (as fish are also sold in these markets) I began to like shopping there. Then I discovered the trucks that drive around selling produce. So, you don’t even have to go to the market—the market will come to you!

This is a picture of what it looks like-- this particular truck is selling different rice snacks.

At first, I thought these trucks were warning of a national disaster of some sort because they have huge speakers on the back that are blaring things in Korea, but at a closer inspection, I discovered that they’re actually selling fruit and veggies. How great! It’s easy, cheap and convenient. And I learned that as long as I point to what I want and am not picky about it, the transaction can be done smoothly without a need for verbal communication.

Another positive aspect of my Korean adventure is the fact that I get to experience living on my own. During my university years, I lived at home so I never got to experience full independence. Although it can sometimes get lonely, I love leaving my apartment one way and coming home finding it the exact same way. I can do what I want, when I want to. It’s definitely a nice experience, and I think adjusting back to home life will be tough in June.

Costco is my life saver. When I first got to Korea I thought I would NEVER want to shop there because I wanted to embrace the culture and ethnicity of Korea. This changed quickly when I wanted a break from the Kimchi and a taste of home cookin’. Since coming to Korea, I have made MANY trips to my local Costco for various North American goodies. It’s such a nice thing to be able to get brands that I’m familiar with and to be able to shop around when I can actually read the labels…. Amazing!

Easy, accessible and cheap transportation is another amazing factor of life here. On my weekends I enjoy going to different areas of the country and this is as simple of hopping onto a bus. The fares are ridiculously cheap and because Korea is such a small country, you arrive relatively fast.

Taxis are also super cheap. A five minute fare will usually be no more than $2 and usually we’re in groups, so it’s very affordable.

It’s really easy to use public transportation in Korea. Also you can get pretty much anything you need by walking around the corner. I’m dreading going back to Canada where a car is required for almost anything.

In my family at home, I am known as the adventurous daughter, which is quite true. Over time though, I am beginning to learn that I am not that adventurous; sometimes I’m pretty boring. I believe that Korea is helping me to expand my horizons and experience new things.

An example of this would be a staff dinner we had a few weeks ago. My boss took us to a seafood restaurant where they grill the seafood on a BBQ right in the middle of your table. Now, I’m not a huge lover of seafood. I’ll eat fish, but I’m not the biggest fan. I usually don’t go near shellfish. This night, shellfish (and various sea creatures) were the only option. I decided to give it a go, since it would be rude not to and because I probably would never have the experience again. I ended up loving it! The food was quite delicious and I was so glad I tried it all.

Probably one of the biggest satisfactions for me is when I found a Korean who can speak English when I need help. Usually I go to a store and I have to play a big game of charades to communicate what I am looking for. On the rare occasion that I find someone who openly says “what are you looking for? Can I help you with something?” it feels like Christmas!

This experience has definitely taught me to be helpful to foreigners back in Canada. Experiencing how difficult life can be when there’s a language barrier has allowed me to recognize what it’s like for people on a daily basis. The people who have gone out of their way to help me have made a world of difference. I hope I can do the same for people in the future.

Thinking about my list reminds me of all the blessings I have here and all the people who have made it such a great place for me. Although I’m very excited to travel and eventually go home, I’m sure it will be difficult to say goodbye to Korea when that time eventually comes.

Lunch and Tea Party

Saturday morning was another event with the children from Garak Middle School. It’s a school that’s sort of out in the country and many of the kids don’t attend hagwons (private English schools) so they organize events for the kids to interact with native English speakers.

This Saturday was a traditional lunch and a green tea seminar. We each got paired with a partner and mine was Rex. He was a super sweet boy who had the best manners I’ve witnessed since being here in Korea. Ironically enough, Rex is good friends with Billy, who was my partner the last time I did an event. So I got to interact with them both.

Right away Rex introduced himself and shook my hand. Then when we entered the restaurant he pulled my chair out for me and filled my water glass. The restaurant was really nice (the best part was that we weren’t sitting on the floor!). All of the dishes were handmade pottery and the food just kept coming. Rex had learned all about the various dishes we’d be eating so he explained them all to me. Most of them were tasty. The whole fish smothered in hot sauce was something I was not too fond of, but the rest were delicious.

After lunch we went into the tearoom where two women were wearing traditional outfits and were preparing for the green tea demonstration. It was beautifully done. The whole demonstration lasted for about 7 minutes and was done VERY slowly. It was almost like a dance. Each movement was graceful yet distinct. I never knew making tea was such a process.

She first poured hot water into a bowl and then poured it into the teapot and each teacup. Then she dumped each one out. This was just to get the teapot and cups hot. Then she carefully measured green tea leaves into the teapot and poured water over them. Once it had brewed she poured it out into the cups very distinctly, going back and forth between the cups. Finally she distributed the cups and saucers to the other drinkers. The way they drank the tea was very specific as well.

From what I learned, drinking green tea is supposed to promote relaxation and aid digestion. The tea is supposed to be consumed in three sips. You hold the cup in your right hand and balance the bottom of the cup on your left hand. First you bring the cup up to your nose and inhale. Then you bring it to your navel and allow it to rest for a few seconds. You then take a sip of approximately 1/3 of the cup. Next you return the tea to your ribcage to allow it to rest, then you sip another 1/3. Finally you bring the cup to your chest and then you drink the last of the tea. By drinking in this way, it’s supposed to relax the whole torso.

After the demonstration, the boys set off to make us our own pot of tea. They took this very seriously and were determined to make the best pot! Billy even brought his stopwatch to ensure that it was exactly 2 and a half minutes that the tea steeped for. They explained their actions very well and I was so impressed by the effort and detail they put into the process. The tea was actually very tasty, but I can’t say that I felt that much relaxation from drinking it in the recommended way.

The last part of the day was spent walking through the gardens and interacting with our partners. In enjoyed getting to know Rex and I hope to be paired with both him and Billy for the next event.

Hong Kong- Part 2

On Wednesday morning, I set off for the ‘Hong Kong Island Tour’ I had previously booked. Alicia had to go back to work, so this was a nice opportunity for me to tour around and see the sites with another group.

The first stop on the tour was the Man Mo Temple. It was built in 1847 and was dedicated to the gods of literature and martial arts. Our guide showed us around and explained many of the things I had learned the day before. One interesting fact was that almost all temples have a door standing directly behind the main entrance. This door is usually closed. The reasoning behind it was that evil spirits might come into the temple, but they are unable to turn in either direction, they can only move forward. Therefore, if there is a second door there, it will prevent the evil spirit from being able to enter the temple. I thought it was interesting.

After the temple, we began heading up to The Peak, which is a famous sight where visitors can see Victoria Harbor and the South China Sea. We had to take a tram to get up to the top and I was so glad that we weren’t walking up. The total stretch to get up there is 373 meters! And it was a huge incline… you’d have to be in really great shape to do it on foot.

Looking over the skyline was beautiful. I was surprised to find such beauty in Hong Kong because I knew that it is so commercialized. I think the city did an amazing job at maintaining the natural beauty of the harbor while enhancing it with aesthetically pleasing buildings and skyscrapers.

Moving on from the Peak, we went to the Aberdeen Fishing Village and took a ride in a sampan around the harbor to get in some extra sights. We then arrived at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant for a Dim Sum lunch. The restaurant is apparently world renowned and was very ornately decorated. The lunch was good, but it didn’t have as much dim sum as I was hoping for. Overall it was tasty.

Our last stop on the tour was to Stanley Market where there are tons of vendors selling amazing things. I had to get used to bartering, because it doesn’t happen in Korea. Our guide taught us “Pandee” which means cheaper in Cantonese… I bought some beautiful paintings there that I love.

Returning home was nice. I met Alicia, we had a rest and then went out for Thai food. It was so nice being able to pick a style of food and know that there were options for it… so much variety! Our meal was so good; cashew chicken and pad-Thai. I ordered a coconut juice and they brought it out to me in a fresh coconut! I was a happy camper. If only Korea had a bit more culinary diversity.

After dinner Alicia and I joined her friends at the races. This was my first experience going to horse races and I was very surprised by the turnout. There were people everywhere and I realized that it was quite a social event. We began by looking at the horses and doing a small walk around and then joined her friends in the bleachers. I bet on a race but apparently beginners luck doesn’t apply to horse races (or not for me anyways) and so that was the end of that!

Thursday was more of an unplanned day. I didn’t book any tours for that day and thought I might use it to walk around and explore by myself. A few days earlier I was looking at a subway map and realized that the subway goes right to china! I thought that was too good of an opportunity to waste so I changed my plans to a China adventure.

Throughout my research, I learned that it will be very difficult for me to get a Chinese visa while in Korea. Having the boarder stamp my visa to get into China would make this ordeal so much easier, so it became a necessity. My concern was that I didn’t have a visa yet, and I was nervous that I would be turned away at the border. However people I spoke to told me stories of their friends applying at the border and getting in. I thought I’d give it a try.

I boarded the subway a little bit nervous, but the ride went quite well. It took just over an hour and when I got to the boarder, I could tell a difference. It wasn’t as easy to navigate around and I had to ask many people questions in order to find someone who spoke English.

Eventually I applied for my short term visa and was granted (yay!) and I crossed over in to Shenzhen China. Walking out was a little bit nerve wracking because I was immediately approached by all of these guys wanting to sell me things. I guess it was pretty obvious I was a tourist and I must have looked lost because I was alone and had never been there before.

I told them all I was not interested and kept walking until I was unsure of where I wanted to go. Eventually I asked one guy where the shopping centre was and in a matter of 30 seconds, I had about six of them around me “Missy, come to my store, I have good purses for you!!”.

They led me to the shopping district and I told them that I wanted to shop alone… no, that was not going to happen. I tried to get rid of them by walking into a random shop and pretending to browse, but they just waited for me to come out. Eventually, I said fine, show me your store. They did, but by that point I was so frustrated by the annoyances that I didn’t buy anything.

After their shops, I could finally browse by myself and I found some nice scarves, some jewelery and a purse. The tactics from one store to the next was completely the same. They give you a HUGE price and I responded by giving a very low one. They pretend to be offended and then we negotiate. Every time I would get the same response “Missy, I want to be your friend, so I will give you a special friend price… just for you!” Haha, it was entertaining though. By then end of the day, I felt like I could run one of those little shops.

An interesting thing about all of the fake merchandise is that it’s illegal in China. So, what the stores do is they have a few purses and then a bunch of catalogues. You look through the catalogue and pick out a few that you like. Then they radio another employee to drive to the warehouse and select the purses you’re interested in. The employee then runs them back to the store so that you can choose the one you like. It’s quite the illegal operation but I felt like it was a unique cultural experience.

Once I returned back to Hong Kong, I met Alicia at the apartment and we went to the city centre. She had a Cantonese language class and I had planned to watch the symphony of lights on the harbor front.

The Symphony of lights is a pretty large tourist attraction, so I felt like it was a must-do on my trip. I did some shopping before it started but got to the harbor front with plenty of time to spare. I was pretty impressed by the large crowd, seeing as it was a Thursday night.

The view itself was stunning, then the big lights became synchronized with the music lasers were added into the mix. It was pretty neat but I’ll admit my attention was wearing thin by the end of it. I’m glad I wasn’t planning on this being one of the best things to see in HK, because that would have been a disappointment. It was just ok.

Afterwards I took a stroll down the Avenue of the Stars and saw Jackie Chan’s star and Burce Lee’s star--- quite impressive!

When Alicia was finished with her class, we met up and went out for Indian food. That was probably the highlight of my night… so delicious! I’m beginning to learn that the things that make a place special for me is highly influenced by the variety of food. And Hong Kong had lots of it!

Friday was my last day in Hong Kong. I woke up early and went off on my final tour called “The Land Between”. It began by taking us to the Yuen Yuen Institute which is a religious complex that demonstrates the significance of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism to Hong Kong society. Throughout this part of the tour I would ask the guide questions about each specific religion, but he always gave some answer saying that the society is not very religious in itself and that they don’t care about differences… it’s very lax.

We learned that when people die, they are often cremated and then put in burial rooms in the complex. Their date of birth and death are labeled on a little plate and put in a shelf. There are hundreds of people in each room.

Also, when a person dies, there is a big ceremony that is conducted right after, a Chinese funeral. It is believed that you can purchase earthly possessions (in paper form) and burn them, and these things will go to the afterlife and your loved one will have access to them.

On the specific day we visited, someone had just died and the family had a big house, car, cell phone, cigarettes, ipod etc all sitting out waiting to be burned. It seemed like a very odd concept for me, but apparently they believe it and take it very seriously. Apparently the paper goods aren’t cheap either, so it’s quite an investment.

After the complex, we went to the Fanling Walled Village which was built back in the 17^th century. It was fairly interesting but I felt a little bit invasive staring into the windows of random people’s homes.

This tour was probably my least favorite because it wasn’t as interesting as the rest of the things I’d done. Also, I had a difficult time keeping my eyes open and every time we would ride the bus, I would pass out. An old lady came up to me and asked me if I had a rough night the night before… well just a lot of touring I guess.

After the tour I went out for lunch with a woman I met. She was from Australia and has travelled all over the world. It was really nice to get to know her and the best part was that we went out for Dim Sum—something I had been looking forward to since coming to Hong Kong. We spent over 3 hours talking and eating… so nice!

When I got back to the apartment, we had a rest and then went to the city airport check-in to get rid of my bags. It was very close and so convenient to be able to check in from the city, get rid of my baggage, and then take it easy until my flight.

Alicia and I went out for our last meal together: Cantonese fusion food. It was delicious, like everything else in Hong Kong. I ordered this lime smoothie, and it was lime and mint blended up… tasted like a virgin mojito… delicious!

Leaving for the airport was difficult. I’d had such a wonderful week and had gotten close to Alicia, it was sad to go. She was such a blessing and made my trip so much more fun than it would have been if I was travelling alone. I hope I can repay the favour someday.