Dore the Explorer

China: Day 4

2009-04-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Day 4

Okay, this account of China has gone on far too long and I am getting FAR behind on Spring in Korea. With that in mind, here is my last day in Beijing in pictures and videos:

First, a stop at the Lama Temple - the most famous Buddhist temple outside of Tibet.

I’m not sure if it was a special occasion for the New Year, but tons of people were burning incense and praying. We strolled through the five main halls, snapped a photograph of a giant Buddha (got yelled at my security) and decided to move on to the next destination before frost bite set in.

Next stop, the National Olympic Stadium – aka “The Bird’s Nest”.

After watching the 2008 Olympics, this was a must see so soon after all of the work that China put into hosting the event. The Bird’s Nest was pretty fascinating to see up close, but long lines (and freezing temperatures) prevented us from venturing inside to get a different perspective. Instead, we walked around the park to see all of the new buildings constructed specifically for the event, and then tried out a new subway line that was also recently built.

Last on the agenda was the weird food market! We were hungry for some scorpions!

With an open mind I bit into the deep fried, seasoned scorpion that looked a lot like the ones you find back in Arizona, and I was pleasantly surprised. The worst part was that you had to chew it for quite a while, like the bad end of an asparagus. The flavor wasn’t half bad, but I don’t think I would go back for seconds.

Other possible treats that I didn’t partake in were locus, starfish, BIG scorpions, seahorses, crickets, various animal testicles and penises… I didn’t want to upstage Bear Grylls.

THE END

China: Day 3

2009-04-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

Day 3

The Great Wall! If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already ready my post on this amazing day. Hands down it was the highlight of the trip. What I didn’t mention in the earlier post is that we were on the wall for SIX hours!

To get to the wall we hired a cab driver to take us two and a half hours out of the city to Jingshanling. The agreement was that we did the 10K to another part of the wall called Simatai. The driver would meet us there and take us home.

At first I felt bad that he would have to wait for us, but when he picked us up at 7am his wife was in the front seat to keep him company for the day. It was a holiday, so I was happy to know we weren’t keeping him away from his family.

The 10K was only supposed to take 4 hours, but we were having such a great time enjoying the views, sunny weather and taking pictures that we stretched it to 6 hours. By the time we met up with the driver, we were exhausted and he might have been a little irritated with our lollygagging.

That night Rob reluctantly agreed to some Chinese opera, but in all reality it was not a variety show with a display of Beijing Opera. The Lao She Teahouse is pretty famous for these shows and has been visited by various world leaders and celebrities. Unfortunately, there was not photography during the show, so I have no visual images to display… the few I did snap were really blurry.

China: Day 2

2009-03-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Day 2

When you are in one of the largest cities in the world, with only 4 days to explore, sleeping in is not an option. With that in mind, we woke up fairly early to find a Chinese Tea House to visit for some morning tea and dumplings. The one we came across was called the Confucian Tea House, which happened to be up the road from the Confucian Temple.

We ordered a few types of tea to get a good sampling, and a very nice, but difficult to understand, woman taught us (or tried to teach us) everything about the different types. I was pretty excited about this since I take my tea seriously. Tea pots are beautiful and it was interesting to learn a little about the different types, why they are used and even the purpose of different tea cups (taller, narrow cups are used for more fragrant teas). There is a whole art to making the tea that includes rinsing and warming the pot with boiling hot water, rinsing the leaves (the first time you pour the water in you are supposed to dump it out! Who does that?) and even washing the tea pot with a paintbrush.

The other factoid that I am very aware of now, is that men and women are supposed to hold their cups differently (Who knew??)

Here I thought you just steep a bag of Lipton’s and call it a drink…

Once our bellies started sloshing around, we walked over to the Confucian Temple to educate ourselves on Confucianism.

Confucius was born in Shandong Province, south of Beijing, during an age of uninterrupted war. Confucius (551-479 BC) was prompted by the suffering around him to develop a practical philosophy built on the principle of virtue. He died unrecognized because no one would apply his rules of governance.
The temple was first built in 1302 during the Mongol Yuan dynasty. Around 200 ancient stelae stand in the courtyard in front of the main hall, inscribed with the names of those who successfully passed the imperial civil service exams.

(stelae)

Overall, the temple was pretty standard as far as temples go. There was a small museum in one of the halls that provided details about his upbringing and his struggles as he tried to win over followers.

After the morning lessons, it was time to SHOP! It was also an inspired idea because walking around temples in near-sub zero temperatures is not the best way to see China. An indoor shopping market is MUCH, much, MUCH better!

The Silk Market, more properly known as Xiushui, is one of the most popular tourist destinations next to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. The reason is most likely the abundant surplus of cheap knock-offs.

When we arrived I was not disappointed. Four floors of everything that you could ever want. I easily could have spent all day dickering and haggling with the shop owners, but they do close at 5, sharp. A song started to play over the intercom and everyone got very excited. It’s probably why I got such a good deal on my jacket! OR, it could have been that they were just really excited for the Lunar New Year. It happened to be a wise choice to visit that day since the New Year celebrations started that evening and the Silk Market was closed for the next two days.

As for the New Year celebrations, I can best describe them as being caught in a war zone. I have never seen so many fireworks in my life. We opted to grab a drink and stay as warm as possible before heading to the madness. As midnight ticked closer, we started walking towards the commotion. Moments before the new year we came across the drum tower and hundreds of people standing around a court yard, setting off fireworks. There was never a countdown, but it was evident when the commotion a few moments earlier turned into complete chaos.

Rob and I pushed our way to the front for a better look and before I could even get my camera out there was a bright flash, Rob jumped back and BANG! It took a moment to register that a firework (a loud one, not a pretty sparkly one) flew into Rob’s leg, ricocheted over to me and BLEW UP ON MY FOOT! I couldn’t feel my toes for a while and I started getting really scared. My shoe looked fine but when the feeling came back I thought my toe was broken.

Since the party didn’t seem to be slowing down, but rather amplifying, we began looking for a cab to take us home. The Great Wall trip was planned for the following day and our pickup time was 7am, just a few hours away. Like New Years in the states, cabs are hot commodities after midnight and we had no luck. Instead we wandered the streets, dodging the random fireworks being set off in the middle of the street every 20 yards or so. By 2am we were headed down the road that lead to our hostel and I was thankful for the cold that numbed my throbbing toe. We finally did catch a cab and he drove us the last 100 yards to the hostel door.

Pretty good for Day 2 of the Tour de Beijing, and a great way to welcome the Year of the Ox!

China: Day 1

2009-03-19T01:34:00.000-07:00

Day 1

I could tell it was going to be a memorable trip when we got to the airport about an hour before the international flight and were told by the attendant that we were too late. With a little persuading, she made a phone call and said we needed to hurry. After cutting in front of a long line at security and running through the terminal, we made it moments before taxing out to the runway…where we sat and waited for half an hour for ice treatment (it had snowed the night before).

The flight was only two hours and we arrived before 11am, leaving the whole day for sightseeing.

First on the agenda was The Forbidden City.

Officially known as the Palace Museum, this is a grand monument to the emperors who ruled from its halls over a period of almost 500 years. The symbolic center of the Chinese universe, the palace was the exclusive domain of the imperial court from its completion in 1420 until the last of the emperors was forced to abdicate at the beginning of the 20^th century. The modern world intruded in 1949, when the public was finally admitted through the palace gates.

The last emperor, Pu Yi, ascended the throne at the age of 3 in 1908, but his brief reign was brought to an early end in 1912 by a new Republican government. The young ex-emperor continued to live in the Forbidden City until ejected in 1924. He was later imprisoned under the Communists, until Mao granted him amnesty in 1959. He died in 1967 after working for 7 years as a gardener.

The hostel we stayed at was conveniently right around the corner from this famous landmark, so we set off on foot. A 10 minute stroll and we were standing at the Meridian Gate.

Once inside we spent a few hours roaming the various side alleys and halls… and probably didn’t manage to see more than half of it. It really is a huge, impressive place to see.

When we were sufficiently frozen from meandering, we made our way through a little hallway and stumbled across a very recognizable landmark.

Who hasn’t seen this place before?

Tian’an Men Square is the world’s largest public square and the final resting place of Mao Zedong.
Mao proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949 from this Ming-dynasty gate, where his huge portrait still hangs.

Seeing a dead guy decomposing in a crystal casket (that he has been in since 1976) didn’t sound very appealing to me, so I passed on that attraction. Plus, I am apparently the only oddball in China who doesn’t want to see some dead guy… and lines are rumored to be massive.

What did peak my attention was the flag ceremony that is performed every day at dawn and dusk. We got there just in time to join the masses that shared my idea and then we waited. When I couldn’t feel me feet, fingers or nose, a large group of soldiers finally appeared under Mao’s portrait and goose-walked across the street to the flagpole. It was freezing, but a great thing to witness. These guys had everything timed down to the millisecond and took a lot of pride in their country and duties.

After warming up at the hostel for a bit we headed out (the huge group of us) for a roasted Beijing Duck dinner!

The most memorable part of this was when I actually ate the head of an unfortunate duck…which happened to be pretty unfortunate for me, too.

Something about crunchy skull bones, eyeballs and brain goo that wasn’t appealing to my sophisticated palette… weird!

The Great, Great Wall

2009-03-13T02:13:00.000-07:00

Over the Lunar New Year (January 24-27^th) I traveled to Beijing for a quick 4-day tour de China. A friend of mine, Dr. O (seriously, that’s his name), organized the flight and accommodation for a group of 13 expats. The itinerary was completely discretionary and we were able to explore at our own leisure.

Like most people, the number one thing I wanted to see in Beijing was the Great Wall. Unlike most people, I didn’t just SEE the wall, but I actually WALKED 10K of it! I was a little reluctant booking the 2 ½ hour taxi ride there…since it was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the city. I could only assume that it would be colder in the rural area we were headed (something that would worry any desert rat, like myself).

My concern was ample enough for me to splurge (if you consider less than $20 for a nice, knock-off) on a snazzy new snowboarding jacket from the Silk Market, a large indoor (indoor = warm, YES!) flea market packed with everything from clothes to jewelry to silly souvenirs like Mao paraphernalia and chopsticks.

With the risk of freezing to death partially mitigated with the purchase of my new jacket, I agreed to make the journey.

We arrived early enough so the sun didn’t have enough time to melt the frost and the air was nippy; however, there was no snow on the ground so things were looking up. After breaking a sweat just climbing up to the wall, I felt a lot more confident about the challenge ahead. The first view from the wall was amazing...

And it only got better.

We took our time, stopping to take hundreds of pictures along the way. This truly was the highlight of my trip to China, so I will just let the slideshow speak for itself. Like usual, the camera didn’t do justice…but you get a good idea.

For the curious, my 10K partner is Rob, from Diamond, Ohio. He lives and teaches in Gyoha, like me. He is the one who introduced me to Dr. O and invited me on this unforgettable trip. Without him, I would not have this awesome story to tell!

For the shopaholics, my purchases at the Silk Market expanded far beyond the snazzy, warm coat. I also bought some beautiful Jade jewelry (since China is know for its Jade), some cute “Diesel” jeans (I tried them on right in the middle of the market! The lady just held up a sheet and I dropped trou), a silk shirt (because I was AT the Silk Market- duh!) and a giant paintbrush. I know the giant paintbrush is an odd purchase, but it’s something I really wanted. Korean and Chinese calligraphy is beautiful and I’m hoping to master the art (or dabble in it)

6 Months Down... 6 Months to Go

2009-02-25T23:39:00.000-08:00

I’m back!

Sorry for the lag-time, but things have been surprisingly busy since Christmas break. I taught and “accelerated” Winter class during January, which killed my nice break on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The class was far from accelerated, but some of my favorite kids were there to ease the pain.

In addition to the Winter class, the school has kept me busy over the last few weekends with training (5 months into the job… ) and our annual English Concert. The training was totally worth the 3-hour trip into Seoul. Okay, not really, BUT afterwards we visited the Olympic Park and some Neolithic huts that were pretty cool.

We even spotted some suspiciously-American looking natives…

The English Concert was also a lot of fun! I was responsible for New York (the same class from my Halloween posting).

We were able to pick any song, but management strongly encouraged selecting something that is older and well known. The Beatles, ABBA and cheesy pop ballots, like the one from that movie with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, are extremely popular here. With that in mind, I decided to turn back the clock with The Beach Boys, Surfin’ USA. The kids forgot to sing once they were on stage, but at least they looked cute in their outfits!

Honestly, the costumes were ridiculous… here are some other classes and their outrageous ensembles.

I think this was that story about a troll that lives under the bridge...

Snow White, obviously.

Dancing Queen... A BIG crown pleaser.

Other than that, I have been staying busy with a group of foreigners from other schools that I found that living in Gyoha. Last weekend we went snowboarding. It was only my second time EVER, the first time was six years ago. I was not surprised when I came home with a bruise the size of a cantaloupe on my hip. Although I had fun, I’ve decided that snow sports are not my thing. I couldn’t even make it off the lift successfully until my third try… I’d take surfing or rock climbing over falling down an icy mountain any day, but we did look cute.

If you’re thinking, “where did Dore get that super cute, totally authentic, snowboarding jacket that makes here look like a professional BAD ASS?” The answer would be CHINA. That’s right, I took a break from all of the fun in South Korea to celebrate the Lunar New Year (also known as the Chinese New Year) in Beijing, China. It was a quick 4-day trip, but I had a blast. Obviously there is plenty to write about just on those 4-days, so please be patient. I finally downloaded the pics and am working on it whenever I can... here is a BRIEF preview of things to come:

Some other places I’ve visited over the last month have included the War Museum, Seoul Tower and the 63 Building. The War Museum was interesting because you could climb up into the planes and tanks. It was also crazy to find out how close North Korea was to taking over the whole peninsula.

Anyways, the tower was also fun to see, or not see in my case. There was so much fog that we couldn’t go up or even see the top. I’ll just have to make a second trip there- maybe when my mom comes in MAY!

The 63 Building is the tallest building in Korea, but pretty short compared to other tall buildings around the world. Heather and I went just to visit the Sea World Aquarium. It was your basic aquarium, but they did have some otters that were really amusing. We probably sat and watched them for a good 30 minutes .

(Broken Camera = No Pictures to commemorate the moment, SORRY!)

Apart from all of the sightseeing and working, I have just been enjoying myself!

Okay, I think that sums up my extracurricular activities to give you an idea of what I’ve been up to. I have also started planning the next leg of my great adventure. I am considering getting my yoga-teaching certificate in India when I am done here. Instead of touring the country for a month, I would be at a school learning about yoga… but I am indecisive and am just toying with the idea. I would love to hear what you guys think I should do!

Within the Walls

2009-02-04T04:01:00.000-08:00

Manila is rich in faith and culture, much like Zach (if you can consider Texan a culture…). One of Zach’s missions while in the city was to scope out Intramuros, the former center of religious power during the Spanish colonial period. When the Spaniards arrived in Manila, they declared the area the new capital and surrounded it with 8 feet thick and 22 feet high walls; hence, the name that literally translates to “within the walls”.

Behind the walls there were a few beautiful churches and lots of weddings going on. The first church we stopped at was the Manila Cathedral, the largest Catholic church in the Philippines. They had just finished one wedding and another one was about to start. As far as I could tell, it was your typical Catholic wedding with large families, about 14 bridesmaids and a long train.

Down the street were some shops and another Catholic church, San Agustin. I liked this one a little more than the first because it was smaller and more intimate (it had also been through hell and was rebuilt countless times, which is why there were two buildings).

The most interesting detail I found at this church were the floor tiles that appeared to be headstones... spooky!

Further down the street we happened upon a random parade. Welcome to Manila!

The next morning Zach went off to church and I had a chance to explore the city alone. One thing I’ve realized about myself is that I can be very happy when I am on my own and following my own agenda (only-child syndrome, perhaps?). I strolled all along the main street, down to the aquarium that wasn’t open yet and to Rizal Park.

Prior to the trip, I had no idea who Jose Rizal was. After stumbling across a somewhat morbid memorial, I did a little homework and found out that he is considered the Philippine's national hero. The monument depicts some of the final moments of his life, much like the Stations of the Cross.

The Stations of Rizal were as follows:

In the middle of the Stations is his actual execution. Rows of larger than life bronze men are lined up with guns pointed. There are two firing squads; the first squad is Filipino native infantry, backed by Spanish troops to shoot both Rizal and the first row of men if they failed. Rizal is center stage with his hands tied and two bullet holes in his back.

If you are intrigued enough to do homework, read up on Rizal and what he did to deserve such a tribute.

Manila - Markets & Mausoleums

2009-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Despite being dirty and a little seedy, Manila had some interesting places to see. We spent two full days roaming the city and the highlight for me was the Divisoria Flea Market.

Most people are turned off by sprawling crowds of people that are pushing and yelling. Personally, the experience of shopping in South East Asia is defined by chaotic markets like this. When we first arrived there were hundreds of umbrella covered stands and stalls packing the narrow streets. Everything from knockoff glasses to textiles and fruit. Abueng and Zach couldn’t handle the masses, so they cut out early.

Evania and I had found our shopping Mecca and offered to meet up later. With so many deals to be found and haggled, I could have easily spent the whole day roaming the streets. The downsides to people-packed markets are the pick pockets and purse snatchers. With that in mind, whipping out the new camera (that‘s right, I upgraded to a new Nikon Coolpix S550) to capture the moment didn’t seem like the best idea. I managed to snap a few quick ones, so this will have to do.

Three hours flew by and by the time we needed to leave, Evania and I were completely submerged in the masses and there was no end in sight. We decided to best plan of action was to pick a direction and stay the course. This ended up taking us through the “produce” department in the market. Pineapples, coconuts and lettuce heads were piled up from the floor. Eventually, we came to a clearing and hailed a cab to take up to our rendezvous with Zach and Abueng. Most importantly, I had acquired two new dresses, a shirt, swim shorts and a cute purse to carry my spoils, all for less than $20 USD.

Another Manila highlight was a visit to the Chinese Cemetery. Like any big city, there is a substantial Chinese community and in Manila there is enough to constituted and entire city for their dead.

We took the elevated train there; a fun experience and eye opening to see that women and children have their own designated car. Not sure why exactly, but I like to think they are just being chivalrous since it was the first car. From the train it was a short walk past strange food stalls, caged roosters (no doubt some promotions for the evening cock fights) and dozens of barefoot children playing with fireworks.

At the cemetery gate we paid a guy to give us a quick tour of some of the more notable mausoleums. I forget the guide’s name, but his dog’s name was Justin. Together, they were the caretakers for a handful of graves. Justin was a little spooky and reminded me of some animal out of a Steve King novel (actually, they whole place reminded me of The Langoliers, or one of those creepy books). The weirdest thing he did was growl and become aggressive towards anyone not on the tour.

Some memorable and things I learned from the guide is that the men were always buried to the right of their wives. If the husband had a mistress, he would be buried between them (obviously, because otherwise it would be weird). On the outside of the mausoleums there were usually two lions. The right lion’s pay was always resting on a ball, to represent the man. If the spouse were not deceased yet, there would be a red sign reserving their spot.

Most of the mausoleums were over the top with ornate decorations and some even had toilets and air conditioners. The caretaker said this is because the families visit weekly or monthly (usually) to spend time honoring their loved ones and ancestors. One of the air-conditioned graves even had a Mahjong table set up on the second floor for the family to play during their visits. Walking through all of the graves was eerie. An empty city for the dead just seems wasteful and frivolous to me, but you can’t take it with you, right? At least there were many beautiful statues and strangely picturesque images to capture.

A Volcano in a Lake, in a Lake, in a Lake

2009-01-30T21:38:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of Manila was getting out of it for a day. It was a cramped, three hour ride in the back of a little truck, but we arrived safely and with plenty of time to see the volcano that we had set out to see.

A volcano in a lake, in a lake, in a lake.

The Philippines is not all sandy beaches and palm trees. The islands are diverse and include an array of places to discover from caves to rice terraces. On one of our first days in Manila we decided to venture over to Tagatay to see the Taal volcano (mostly after many prompts from yours truly about the amazing volcanoes that make up the country). For those of you who know me well, geology is my favorite subject that I didn’t study, specifically vulcanology. I am obsessed with volcanoes and was really excited to visit such an active one.

From the city center we hopped on a modified tricycle and headed towards the first lake.

After the tricycle ride, we had to take a tiny boat to get to the volcano. Again, Abueng was a little nervous with the water, but I think she was still happy to be there.

We got pretty wet on the ride over, but it was quickly forgotten once we got to the island and saddled up on our horses.

It took some tuff negotiating, but the horses were the fastest way to the top. My horse’s name was Cybershot!

From the top you could look down at Vulcan Point, "the world’s largest volcanic island within a lake on an island within a lake on an island.”

There was also evidence of some geologic activity with a twinge of sulfur in the air and in the water. I was very excited to see that because everyone knows, Geology Rocks! (I will never get tired of geology humor)

The way back was just like the trip there, but in reverse. Instead of the tiny truck, we were able to hop on a bus for the ride home and I even got to try some Buco pie (Buco = coconut). I’m a giant coconut-NUT, but I wasn’t terribly fond of the Buco pie. The thing that threw me was that it was fresh coconut… not something usually found in the desert or South Korea for that matter.

Anyways, I would have to say this day was one of the best days on the trip. It is difficult for me not to have a GNIESS day on a volcano (tee-hee!).

Partying & Puka Shells

2009-01-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

Boracay Continued

Like I said before, two days was not enough on this beautiful island. New Years Eve was a blast at Cocomangas, where if you drink 15 shots, you are rewarded with a really ugly t-shirt.

As an indicator for how the evening went, I am now a proud owner of one of these ugly shirts. To be honest though, between shots 11 and 15, things got a little fuzzy and it is quite possible that I had some help.

The first shot was a Canadian Prairie Fire, which is tequila with a healthy dose of Tabasco sauce. It tasted like hell. My favorite shot was called the Screaming Green Lizard and was made of Kailua, Baileys and Green Crème de Menthe (I know this because it is written on my cool new shirt).

After that, I just remember a lot of dancing, a brief count down and waking up on my friend’s porch with close to a billion mosquito bites.

The next day there wasn’t much time to recover. I wanted to squeeze in everything that I possibly could before catching my plane later that afternoon. A quick bit to eat and wardrobe change into my swimsuit, and I was on the road to Puka Beach.

Puka Beach is on the other side of the island, but is much less crowded than the trendy White Beach. There were only a few local kids swimming and playing in the sand when we got there. The water was crystal blue but a little harsh as the tide was on its way in.

I took a final swim, perused the street vendors for some last moment souvenirs and enjoyed a few minutes sipping on a coconut.

Now that I’m back in cold, snowy SK, I am really missing Boracay… guess I’ll just have to go back with more time!

Island Hopping

2009-01-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

Boracay can be summed up with one word, Paradise. From my first glimpse of it from the airplane window, I knew it was a mistake only planning to spend two days there.

For the geographically challenged, Boracay is a tiny island about an hour south of Manila by air (don’t feel too bad… I had never heard of Boracay before booking my ticket either). To get there, we took an equally tiny airplane to Caticlan (a nearby, larger island), and then a 15-minute boat ride to Paradise. Walking on the tarmac and riding in a puddle jumper was a bonus for me. Something about little planes with less than 20 passengers screams, “I am going to a remote location, way off the beaten path… If I get lost, don’t come trying to find me!” Who wouldn’t be excited about that???

Two days was not a lot of time, but I managed to cram a lot of fun into the few hours I had. One of the highlights was an island hopping trip, where we took a bangka out for a good part of the day to explore caves, snorkel and eat!

Abueng even ventured onto the boat, which I was impressed with since she never learned to swim. Personally, I have no idea what that would feel like, but I imagine being surrounded by water would be a little intimidating. Especially with the weather we had, the waves were pretty big and there wasn’t a dry seat in the house (I promised Abueng that we would find a pool somewhere in Illsan so I can give her swimming lessons ASAP).

Anyways, the first stop on the boat was just off shore to snorkel. I quickly jumped in the water and transformed into Dory (the fish). Ironically enough, remember the scene in Finding Nemo where Dory is stung by jellyfish? Well, my transformation was so uncanny that I too became a jelly magnet. Shortly after diving in I felt my arms and ankle burning, but in true Dory form I said to myself, “Just keep swimming…”

It wasn’t terrible and no one had to pee on me, so I still had fun! Snorkeling is one of my favorite beach activities! Obviously, scuba diving is even MORE fun, but I haven’t had a chance to try it, YET. While we were swimming around I saw a ton of fish, sea urchins and I even found a starfish!

Crystal Cove was the next stop. It was a little island with some interesting rock and seashell mosaicked buildings and cool caves! The first “cave” was more like a blowhole with a spiral staircase to get into it.

The second cave was my favorite because you had to crawl on all fours to reach it. At the end of the tunnel it opened into a roomy nook with a great view of the ocean and some nice spots to strike a pose!

Once we were back on the boat, it was a short trip to lunch! The boat stopped at an adjacent island where we dined on traditional Filipino food (pork, chicken, rice and fruit). Yummy!

After waiting 20 minutes, it was safe to get back in the water and I didn’t hesitate. Meanwhile, the other passengers on the boat not swimming had a chance to enjoy a fresh coconut (one of my favorite things about tropical areas). I was amazed at this guy who pulled right up to our boat on his surfboard-looking rig, balancing numerous coconuts and a machete. Crazy talented and entrepreneurial if you ask me.

Between the rough waters and cloudy sky, everyone on board opted to return a little early to shore. I didn’t argue because next on my agenda was a massage on the beach (my first massage EVER). I figured it would be a great way to get me geared up for some New Years Eve celebrations… and did it ever.

To Be Continued…

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

December 31, 2008

I am currently sitting at Nigi Nigi Nu Noos, a bar on the white beaches of Boracay (Philippines), jotting down a little note for later publication. I am sipping on a mango daquari and I’m not at all concerned with my lack of wifi. Instead, I am taking a timeout from all of the group activities for a little “Dore Time.”

This last year, 2008, has been so amazing and I could only hope for an equally stellar year in 2009. Thinking back on everything I have seen and done this last year overwhelms me with gratitude for all of the blessings in my life. My health, family, friends and good fortune have always been and will contine to be the things I’m most grateful for.

As a tribute to the last, unforgettable year, I have composed a list of the top 10 things I am most prod of. So, before 2008 slips away like all of those years before, here are the moments and achievements that brought me to this amazing beach and tasty cocktail:

10 Things I’m Most Proud of in 2008

1. Quitting my job to pursue my dream of living overseas.

2. Traveling to South Africa, alone and meeting new, great friends there.

3. Surviving and learning from a broken heart.

4. Finding my voice and using it, even at the cost of a good friend.

5. Making it to work, alone - via public transport, on my first day teaching in South Korea.

6. Cage diving with blood thirsty Great Whites in Gaansbaai, South Africa.

7. Jumping from the world’s highest commercial bungee jump.

8. Adding 3 new stamps to my passport: South Africa, South Korea, the Philippines

9. “Dore the Explorer” – I love writing it and I think people enjoy reading it! (Plus, I feel much more computer savvy, a former New Year’s “resolution”)

10. Surviving over four months without my parents within a 2-hour radius. I miss them, but my independence and confidence are growing in their absence.

In addition to reflecting on previous accomplishments, New Years is a time for setting benchmarks and goals for the upcoming year. If all goes according to plan, 2009 will be equally memorable. For this reason, my New Years goals (I don’t like resolutions) are ambitions and lengthy. With any luck, I’ll be 25/25 by this time next year. For the sake of full disclousure, some of these goals are repeats from the last year either because I didn’t get the opportunity to see it through or it is just a good goal that should permanently be on the list.

2009 Goals

Make one new, good friend

Train for high altitude hiking

Learn to scuba dive

Write a childrens book

Start a novel

Go rock climbing outdoors

See the Taj Mahal

Lay on a beach in Goa (India)

Learn more about Buddhism

Make it home for Christmas

Teach English at a Buddhist monastery in Nepal

Ride a camel in India

Do more yoga!

Learn to make and edit videos on the computer

Learn to create a webpage

Take a Korean calligraphy class

Learn to cook some Korean dishes

See the lantern festival in Thailand

Go to the mud festival in Korea

Take part in a winter retreat at a Buddhist monastery (one week of silence)

Ride an elephant in Thailand

Take a Korean quilting class

Be open to falling in love again

Make it to the base camp of Mt. Everest

Determine my next step…

On that note, I think everyone should take a moment to think about what they want to accomplish over the next year and then go do it! Gook luck and best wishes for a new year!

Happy 2009!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

As you might have guessed, Christmas is not a big deal in Korea like it is back in the states. I wanted to take a moment to share all of the winter and holiday scenes that I’ve encountered here.

First of all, on Christmas Eve we stayed at school late to tear down the fake tree and decorations. Obviously, since there was a tree to tear down, people DO decorate here; however, based on everything I’ve seen it seems as though Christmas in Korea was created at the 99 Cent store. Imagine tacky garland, tinsel and plastic jingle bells…

One of my favorite tributes to the season has been the properly deemed “party bus” that is decked out from the bus driver’s head to toe.

Another highlight was running into the man himself, standing outside the Samsung store (hopefully picking up presents). The rule is, if you see Santa on the street you have to stop and take a picture. He is not like one of those snobby celebrities who run from the paparazzi… he uses magic to disappear when he doesn’t want his picture taken, duh!

Seoul has done a beautiful job getting into the spirit of things with a great display of white lights (LED = planet friendly) outside of city hall. There is even an ice skating rink!

Finally, around the city and even in Paju there are sprinkles of lights. There has even been a bit of snow and heavy packages to really get me in the spirit.

As for the holiday itself, on Christmas Eve we played games with the kids and had Santa come hand out gifts to everyone. I got a ton of incredible pictures… unfortunately, in my Christmas daze, I left a bag that contained my camera on the bus last night. The silver lining is that I HAVE to buy a new camera before I leave for the Philippines ;) Long story short, the photos I would have shared are gone with the camera… but I did take a few on another memory card that was safely stowed in my purse.

Right now it is actually “Boxing Day” (which if you don’t speak Canadian or British, it means the day after Christmas). The parade of expats just left my apartment after a fun day of pot luck, charades and Christmas Vacation. We even had a little Secret Santa action going on!

Overall, not a terrible Christmas away from home… but since it was my first one away from home EVER, it did have some difficult moments. I am planning on being home next year at this time, so mark it on your calendars and get excited!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Ketchup

2008-12-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

Since giving thanks a few weeks ago, time has flown by and I am dumbfounded that Christmas is tomorrow! Even more shocking is that I have already been here for nearly four months! I have spent the last few weeks branching out and trying to meet some new people. As much as I appreciate the clan of foreigners that adopted me upon arrival, some new blood is necessary to keep things new and interesting. I now have my bearings and feel confident going out on my own to explore my own interests.

With the holidays approaching, I spent the last few weekends roaming the streets and markets of Seoul for the perfect gifts. Insadong has been my favorite destination since my first visit. It is a street of little shops and street vendors with everything from beautiful pieces of art to kitschy Korean souvenirs.

I found this tiny flower bud stand for my mom that I thought was unique!

In addition to shopping, I have been trying to get more involved in the Buddhist community in Seoul. I am really curious about Buddhism and look forward to learning anything I can. There are a few study groups that I have visited and last weekend I attended a winter solstice party! An added bonus is that I’m meeting some interesting and welcoming people. My favorite part so far is that the philosophies seem similar to things a therapist would tell you. So, it is basically like free therapy (remember, no health insurance in Korea). Here is a snippet from a book we are reading. It jumped out at me due to all of the good friends I have:

Do not choose bad friends. Do not choose persons of low habits. Select good friends. Be discriminating. Choose the best.

During one of my day trips of spiritual enlightenment and kitsch browsing, I happened to ask a group of American girls if the had seen a Tom N’ Tom’s around the area (this is a chain of coffee shops that I have fallen in love with due to their free internet and soft pretzels). Before I knew it the four of us were having dinner at a cute Italian restaurant. They are all teachers living in Seoul, out for the night to see Jump – a Korean martial arts comedy show. We ended up going to the show and having a fun ladies night out on the town.

From exploring Seoul to becoming familiar with my new turf in Paju city, I have met a number of other teachers living in my area. One girl is actually from Phoenix and lived about 15 minutes from me back home - small world. Wednesday is open mic night at the Frog & Toad, a foreigners hang out in Illsan. I have only made it there once since it is on a school night, but I had fun and plan to return.

Other than that, I have not been on any big excursions… laying low in preparation for the Philippines! I leave Saturday after Christmas and will not return until the next year!

90-Days Probation

2008-12-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

When I worked in banking, a wise man once advised me to keep interactions with newcomers to a minimum and never associate with them in a friendly manner until the 90-day probationary period has elapsed. While teaching in Korea I find this practice a bit unreasonable, considering the one-year expiration date on our contracts and visas. Instead, I gave the two new teachers an abbreviated 30-day trial period. It was hit or miss for a while… but now I am proud to introduce the two newest members of Team Oedae!

Heather was the first to arrive, to fill the void left by Sean Teacher (Sean has upgraded from Illsan to teaching on Jeju island – a visit will be on the agenda as soon as the weather improves). Heather is from Massachusetts, where she previously worked with Kate. Despite the insider information, she still made the journey here and I am excited that she did! Since I was still living in Illsan when she arrived, I offered to show her around. It turns out we share an obsession for shoes, art and liberal politics! She is a mere 4’10” but makes up for her height with cute shoes and a sparkling, outgoing personality. If you are interested in her take on Korea, check out her blog, Heather in Korea.

Elizabeth, from Texas (again, I’m trying not to hold that against her), was the next to arrive. Coincidentally, Heather and Elizabeth went to the same university in Florida but never new each other. Since college, Elizabeth moved around a bit and settled in Dallas near her family. The Texan in her is evident in her love for Jesus and GW Bush. She doesn’t let a little karaoke until 5am keep her from church the following Sunday morning, so I can respect that. Elizabeth has had a challenging start here in Korea. A few weeks after arriving, she was taken to the hospital for kidney stones. With a little painkillers and rest she was back in the classroom, but just this week she came down with the Korean Flu. It is inevitable that you will get sick within the first few months here due to germy little kids, but an especially nasty bug bit her. Now, because it is a cool thing to do, Elizabeth also has a blog called Krunk in Korea.

Check it out and let me know if you have any idea what Krunk means because I’m still a little fuzzy (both blogs are accessible via the sidebar to the right).

Kate and Sean are missed, but Kate will be returning after a visit with her family over Christmas and Sean is a short plane ride away!

What time is it?

2008-12-03T23:01:00.001-08:00

Pie Time!!!

In a crowded little town, thousands of miles away from home, a number of foreigners gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving and kick off the holiday season. Weeks earlier a frozen turkey was purchased at a the local Cost Co. for a whopping 60,000 won and care packages were sent from distant places filled with rarities such as candy corn and Stove Top stuffing mix…

When you are in a foreign city it is important to embrace the surrounding culture, but when the holidays arrive it can be very depressing without the familiar traditions and faces. To alleviate this gloom, the expat group collectively decided to throw a semi-traditionalThanksgiving dinner (on Saturday, since all of us had to work on Thursday).

Instead of Pilgrims and Indians, Americans, Canadians, Brits and Koreans alike shared this feast. Furthermore, in lieu of Plymouth Rock we congregated at my residence in Paju (a decision made solely on the basis that we have an oven… most apartments are ill-equipped to roast a turkey).

Thanks to Zach, the turkey turned out golden and delicious! We had everything from mashed potatoes with gravy to pumpkin pie. Despite the close quarters and lack of seating, I do believe that all 19 attendees enjoyed the festivities and left with very full bellies!

For those of you paying attention, "my residence in Paju" means that I have made the move from Illsan! I am now living with Zach an Abueng. You can get an idea of our place from some of the pics above. My room is on the other side of the wall that the yellow couch is on :) and here are some pics from the street. There's no place like home!

Thanksgiving Tribute

2008-11-26T22:34:00.000-08:00

Despite what Canadians and retailers believe, Thanksgiving occurs in November (not October or earlier). Likewise, Koreans also have no idea when Thanksgiving occurs or what it actually entails based on traditional American standards. That said, I have had a difficult time getting into the spirit of this holiday without the premature Christmas decorations lining store aisles and the staple French’s French Fried Onions and evaporated milk stacked high enough to make the aisle impassable.

To help me feel more at home, I have decided to blog about my family in a Thanksgiving Tribute!

My family means the world to me. Being so far away has, hands down, been the most difficult part about this adventure. Luckily, Skype has been able to keep me connected. I am able to call home at any time and my mom has even mastered video conferencing! Despite the amazing technology, until my teleporter is delivered (Santa has me on a waiting list), I am still going to miss out on family dinners and other get-togethers.

One of my many observations since coming to Korea is that I have quite a unique relationship with my family – we actually get along for extended periods of time and to go more than a few days without checking in means something has gone terribly wrong. Before I came here, I was dead set on moving to Seattle upon my return... but now I am seriously reconsidering. I feel overly blessed to have such amazing people in my life. To distance myself from them for this year is challenging enough.

On a lighter note, I thought I would share a little bit about my prior Thanksgivings. Jump into my time machine with me (stupid time machine works…still waiting on the teleporter!) to twenty years ago…

Do-doo-do-do Doo-doo-do-do Doo-doo-do-do

Since the beginning of my time (as far back as I can remember at least), my parents used to pack up the tents, then tent trailers and eventually the Airstream (those tin can-looking campers) for Thanksgiving in Rocky Point. This is the closest beach destination for us desert dwellers, and nothing kicks off the holidays like margaritas and a tan. Although unconventional, we always had a fantastic time with our friends that were our extended family before the real family started migrating to Arizona. Thinking back, I am AMAZED that my mom was able to pull a Thanksgiving dinner out of the Airstream’s kitchen (it was very small).

Thanksgiving in Mexico lasted until I went to college and the Airstream was sold…

Since then, Thanksgiving has taken on a more traditional itinerary. My mom and her sisters share the hostess title and the dinner location is revolving.

Now, back to the time machine to one year ago…

Do-doo-do-do Doo-doo-do-do Doo-doo-do-do

Last year sticks in my head because, compared to the prior Mexico Thanksgivings with many friends and little family, I had so much family that I ended up having 4 dinners! I started the day by booking my trip to South Africa, something I had been brewing over for the last month or so. The first dinner was at my younger sister’s house, which I normally don’t make it to due to other family obligations. Recent news regarding my biological father’s health prompted the decision to go. I figured it would be good to spend some time with that side of the family and I’m grateful that I did. Dinner was delish and after a few hours of gossip I was back on the road to my aunt’s house (on the other side of the valley).

Leading up to this day, there had been a lot of drama over the guest list and tensions were a little high. My parents were absent from this particular dinner because my dad had come down with shingles and the family blackballed him in fear of catching something (even though he was on medication and no longer contagious – drama, drama, drama). Anyways, I had a few great hours with my adorable cousins, grandma, aunts and uncles and then I was off again!

By the time I got to my sister’s house, dessert was being served and I was greeted with ANOTHER piece of pie. Incase you were keeping count it was my 3^rd slice of the day… not that I’m complaining, I love pumpkin pie! I spent a few hours playing with my beautiful, brilliant nieces and relaxing on the porch discussing the upcoming excursion to South Africa. Finally, I was on my way to my parents for an evening dinner AND more pie!

It was a hectic day of traveling, but the pie and company made every mile worth it. Like I said, my family means everything to me. I wouldn’t be who I am without them and I while I am half a world away, I want them to know they are in my thoughts and I am there in spirit!

Save a slice for me!

For those of you who are curious, my Skype name is doreab. Check out their website and say hello sometime! It is free to make calls computer to computer, all you need is an account!

Sweat, Tears and Dreaming of Hell

2008-11-19T05:11:00.000-08:00

By now, most of the leaves have fallen and I am entering my first “real” winter. This was brought to my attention yesterday with the announcement, “It might snow tonight.” For a normal person, this is probably a pretty standard statement. For me, a proud “native” and desert rat for 25+ years, I started to panic! Like any Arizona native will tell you, ANY weather is grounds for a state of emergency. A slight drizzle will send drivers into a snail’s frenzy on the freeway and I personally use it as an excuse to stay inside and watch a good flick.

Anyways, to bring us back to my present predicament… the mention of snow seems absurd to me and sends a CHILL down my spine at the realization that it isn’t even December! I have some fantastic autumn hiking pics that must be published before the first snow falls and someone finds me frozen on the sidewalk from the long walk home…

A few weeks ago, I had a chance to go hiking with a Korean hiking club (translation: 30+ Koreans that like to take long bus rides on an occasional weekend to booze it up while climbing mountains). This trip was to Deaya San.

The hike itself had its share of ups and downs, as well as my emotions. At one point, I was following the group and before I knew it we were scrambling up the sheer side of a cliff (scrambling = using anything from my hands, feet and my assigned Korean hiking guide, “Padju Man”, to get up this rock). I made it, obviously, to tell this daring tale… but at the time a whole wave of fear and panic washed over me. “I’m going to die in Korea, here on this mountain, and my parents will have to ship my mangled body back home” was my mental dialoge, verbatim. Once I was past the crux, I couldn’t hold it back any longer and I lost it for no tangible reason. I was on solid ground, intact without even a scratch. Well, like any respectable woman, I quickly dried my eyes, “manned up” and pulled it together to enjoy my lunch and a few photo ops.

I am still not sure what prompted the sudden outburst (probably the realization that I no longer have health insurance), but I will forever remember that cliff as Crying Rock (the picture does NO justice for the scale and sheerness...plus, I didn't want to get too close to the edge).

At that point, all I could think about was the decent. There was no way in (warm, beautifully sweltering and snow-less) hell that I was going back DOWN the Crying Rock. Fortunately, it was a loop and we were far from being finished. After our picnic lunch, the team proceeded up the mountain.

As we approached the very top there were ropes drapped down the rocks for assistance and I started to really enjoy this new style of hiking. It was like a giant, more periolous, jungle gym. On my way up I climbed using the rope like I was playing tug-of-war with someone at the top. On the way down, I rappelled (sort-of) like Indiana Jones! The summit was pretty incredible but weather was moving in, so we didn’t take too much time to catch our breath... but there was time for a victory pose!

The decent from that point got VERY challenging. Between the ropes and rocks covered in colorful, slippery fallen leaves, my pace slowed down substantially. Luckily, Padju Man was there by my side with his walking stick and an extended hand to help me over the tricky parts. We didn’t make it back to the bus until after sunset so it was a long day of trekking. On my way back to the bus, I decided that it was the BEST HIKE I’ve ever been on. The rope course, amazing scenery, sweat and tears made it fun, memorable and it left me with a great sense of accomplishment.

Padju Man (right)

Now, my recap of this adventure would be incomplete if I forgot to mention the noraebus on the ride home. Norae is Korean for singing and bus is… well, you get the idea. Asians love karaoke!!! My favorite part of this segment was the mood-lighting on the bus, like an awesome discoteche on wheels we were jamming out. The one problem with the noraebus was the fact that I was exhausted and only wanted to sleep…but that was nearly impossible since the music was head-splitting loud. Good thing I usually travel with earplugs so I was able to drown it out a bit and enjoy the atmosphere.

LP gone astray (BUSAN continued)

2008-11-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

The Lonely Planet (often referred to as The LP) has become my Bible and Korean survival guide. For anyone who has traveled abroad, you are probably familiar with the books. They have handy pocket-sized phrase books to get you through foreign places with awesome pick-up lines like, “Can you help me cross the street?” There are also the more practical phrases like, “Where can I find some [insert drug or food]?” and my personal favorite, “Slow down tiger!” Before I left for Brazil last year, Jessica gave me the Portuguese phrasebook with all of those little verbal gems conveniently tabbed with comments such as, “Something you should NEVER say”. Anyway, in addition to helping people awkwardly speak a foreign language, LP offers handy guide books with maps and recommended places to eat, sleep and see.

While in Busan, Kim referred to the LP Bible for activities. The plan was to visit a temple that was supposed to be a 15-minute walk from the cable cars. We successfully found the cable cars and enjoyed the ride up the hill.

Once there, we set off in the direction of the temple… or at least we thought it was the right direction. After a 30-minute walk to South Gate, the LP started loosing some credibility.

A sign in Korean mapped out our various paths from that point and none of them led to a nearby temple. To salvage the day, we scrapped the original agenda and decided to continue down a trail to see where it took us. This wouldn’t have been an issue, if all of us had prepared for a hike (instead of a short walk) and had eaten lunch.

Regardless of the ill-directions, the LP took us on a beautiful hike and the view at the end was worth the dehydration and discomfort.

BUSAN (formerly, Pusan)

2008-11-10T23:56:00.000-08:00

October 3^rd is National Foundation Day, or Gaecheonjeol. For Koreans, the day celebrates the foundation of the first state of the Korean nation back in 2333 BCE. For me, Gaecheonjeol means that I had a long weekend to venture outside of Seoul to the second largest city in SK, Busan.

The trip was a relatively short 3-hour train ride away, which basically crossed the entire country. When we arrived at the hotel there was a misunderstanding about our arrival date, so the concierge called a nearby hotel and taxi to bring us there. It ended up being in a more convenient location, right next to Busan Tower. The tower is an icon of the city and offers some great views from the top.

The first day there we spent roaming the city in search of a popular “Mexican” “restaurant”. I use both of these words lightly, since the restaurant was actually a closet with a hole in the wall to place your order and a few plastic chairs in the middle of an alley. When a car needed to pass, we had to stand up and plaster ourselves to the wall for them to squeeze by. The Mexican food was also questionable, considering the closet was lined with Pace Picante wallpaper… but there were jalapenos and Tabasco sauce!

After that, we strolled down to the beach to take in some PIFF action and to paddle in the Sea of Japan.

PIFF stands for the Pusan International Film Festival and it was full force during our visit. A red carpet and tents were set up along the beach to promote the movies, producers, sponsors, etc. The actual movies were being shown at various theatres all around town. We got tickets for “Disgrace”, staring John Malkovich. The movie itself was pretty depressing, but for my first international movie theatre experience it was really exciting! (For the curious, the movie was in English with Korean subtitles)

The Busan itinerary also included a trip to the fish market, which was full of everything from live squid to penis fish (they are really called this!). Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I’ll let them narrate this experience.

The one thing I will comment on is dried squid, stingray and cuttlefish. These are really popular snacks here, like beef jerky. I tried the squid and it wasn’t horrible, it was sweet like teriyaki but with a fishy flavor.

Another unusual snack here is Beondegi, pronounced “bom-dig-gee”.

It is steamed or boiled silkworm larvae that have been seasoned. Many street vendors serve it, but you can also find it in cans next to the tuna fish. On the street, you can smell it long before you see the actual vendor. It is distinct and the taste is not too far off. For me, the worst part was the pop as you bit into it (imagine Bear Grylls eating grubs). The texture was gritty, like an undercooked kidney bean. One was enough for me…

Before

After

We also took in a sunset cruise which gave us a great view of the skyline and iconic Oryukdo Islets.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

Boo!

Halloween holds a special place in my heart, especially since my BFF and I threw a Kick-A Halloween party two years ago.... Look at those sexy witches!

It was supposed to turn into an annual event, but her wedding took precedence last year and this year... well, it's difficult to plan a party trans-Pacific.

Anyways, Jess feels the same way about Halloween, WITCH is why she gave me some pumpkins to decorate with my kids before I left. Koreans don't really celebrate Halloween, with the exception on English Hogwans (schools like mine) that exploit the holiday in true American fashion. I will put some pics up of that this weekend, but for now I hope this can get you in a SPOOKY mood!

(notice how early the peace sing in pictures is taught?! kim-cheese!)

Jessica - Thank you for the pumpkins! The kids loved them and I loved having an excuse to break from the usual teaching plans! Happy Halloween!!!

FALLing in Love with Hiking

2008-10-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

With so many people living on top of each other in countless skyscraper apartments that lack any inspired architecture, it is no wonder that the Koreans in Seoul love their outdoor activities. Hiking is a very popular pastime here.

Compared to back home, hiking in Korea is much more recreational. The trails are crowded and at the bottom, and sometime even on the way up, there are restaurants and bars. In true Korean form, the trails are also lined with hiking fashionistas. The North Face and Columbia must be making a killing here, because everyone is decked out from their boots to the special pants, jackets and backpacks. If you just saw a lone hiker on the street, you would think that they were geared up for some serious expedition.

Last weekend Zach, Kim, Laura and I set out to take in some fall foliage at the nearby Bukhansan National Park.

It is a short tax ride from the subway, so it gets packed on the weekends when weather is nice. There are endless paths in the park, and I’m not sure which one we opted for, but I was winded before we got to the first set of restaurants. The thing about mountains in Korea is that most of them go straight up. Elevation-wise, they aren’t horrible, but the trail we were on was like being on a Stairmaster for two hours straight. Luckily, the leaves were beautiful so we made plenty of stops for photos and oxygen.

Zach and Laura made it all the way to the top, but Kim and I decided to have an apple and save our energy for the trek back down the hill. We weren’t far, but the trail was getting very crowded and my legs were Jello. Since it is so close, I will definitely return to conquer the mountain, but for my first visit I was pleased just to get out and see all of the amazing fall colors.

Seoul Searching Books

2008-10-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

The combination of sans-TV and daily bus commutes has given me a great opportunity to broaden my literary repertoire. I have already gone through all of the books I brought with me (half of a small suitcase…it would have been more if not for the weight restriction), and I have now moved on to borrowed books until my stock is replenished (Thanks Mom!). Most of the books were donated, courtesy of Miss KP (Kamsa hamnida!) and others were on my “to read” list back home.

Here is the list of books I’ve gone through so far. All of them were excellent and I highly recommend them!

Me Talk Pretty, David Sedaris
New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
Uglies, Scott Westerfeld
Pretties, Scott Westerfeld
Specials, Scott Westerfeld
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, David Sedaris
The Road, Cormac McCarthy
Falling Man, Don Delillo
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jean-Dominique Bauby
My Horizontal Life, Chelsea Handler
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Memory of Running, Ron McLarty
Changes, Ama Ata Aidoo
The Tales of Beetle the Bard, J.K. Rowling

1. David Sedaris is HYSTERICAL! I was given this book for my birthday and I am hooked. His books are collections of short stories about his childhood, relationships and growing up. I was really glad to be reading on my way here (SK) because I truly needed a good laugh after goodbyes at the airport and the first week adjusting to my new life.

2-3. New Moon and Eclipse are the second and third books of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. The series is claimed to be the next Harry Potter. In my opinion, I wouldn't say they compare, but they are engrossing and based in a fantasy world with Vampires and Werewolves. I read the first book, Twilight, while I was in Africa and I can't wait to get the forth book to see what happens next! In addition to the fantasy, this series is truly a love story that I can't get enough of!

4-6. The Uglies series is science fiction, which I usually am not a huge fan of. The premise revolves around a "Utopian" society where everyone is surgically turned beautiful when they turn 16 to level the scales and eliminate jealousy, greed, etc. The hippy in me loved the environmental message that it also brings up, since the new society was established after the "Rusties" (that's us) basically self-destruct due to our greedy nature.

7. Again, David Sedaris had me lol on the bus, in the subway and anywhere else I had a moment to crack open this book.

8. The Road did not impress me at first...but after having a few discussions with other readers I have changed my mind. It is dark and depressing, but brings about some interesting questions. I think if I was in that situation, I would have taken sides with the wife. If you don't know what I mean, read the book to find out! This is also coming to theatres soon or it is already out (but not in Korea).

9. I have avoided all things 9-11 since someone thought it was okay to start turning people's stories of loss and tragedy into movies. With that mindset, I started to read Falling Man which is a fictional account of the emotional roller coaster that one man experienced after walking away from the twin towers that day. Overall, I wouldn't consider it a must read, but form your own opinion!

10. This book was inspiring. It was written by a former editor of some women's fashion magazine. He suffered from a stroke and ended up with locked-in syndrome. This is when a person becomes completely paralyzed and is basically trapped inside their own body. He wrote the book while in this state and it offers some thought provoking questions and insight into his world.

11. Thank you Jessica for sending me this book for Christmas! I was lol on the airplane to and from the Philippines. If you have any morals, this might not be the book for you... but as the title suggests, there is plenty of sexy, raunchy stories that are sure to offend a certain crowd. Luckily for me, I do not belong to said crowd and found Miss Handlers accounts of one-night stands and men in general to be hysterical. I'm looking forward to reading her other book!

12. I finally finished it!!! The Twilight series has been strung out for me (compared to my co-workers who became obsessed and guzzled the books over a course of days). I do love the characters, and am hopeful that this is not the end for the Cullens and the Bella/Edward unit. PS- I saw the movie here... and it was not what I expected. Thoughts from fans??

13. I picked up this classic thinking, "It's a classic for a reason." I really didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a fast, easy read but it kept me turning the pages to find out more about Gatsby!

14. Again, thank you Jessica for a great read. This book is about a man who loses his parents and sister within days. He struggles with memories and flashbacks as he starts fixing his own life by riding cross country on a bicycle. It's not for everyone, but I liked it.

13.

One potato, Two potato…

2008-10-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

Growing up hasn’t dulled the excitement that comes from school field trips!!! Once a month the kindergarten kids go on a field trip, which means I do too!

I teach two kindergarten classes, Nevada and New York (the classes are all called different state names… I’m working on getting Arizona instead of Idaho, because honestly, Idaho??). Nevada is my favorite class when it comes to the younger kids. The class is made up of eight kids with very different personalities.

On this outing we visited a sweet potato farm. Basically, we hauled the kids out to this farm to dig up potatoes and then took pictures of them with their cache. The kids really enjoyed it, which brought about the inspired idea of introducing Vocational English Schools to Korea. We could “teach” the kids to make shoes or cheap trinkets, or perform other labor-intensive operations with only English instruction. I understand that this might be interpreted as a sweatshop, but if the kids are learning English I think the concept has some real potential J

After the kids got their fill of digging for spuds, they took a ride on a tractor and then it was time for lunch! The thing I found the most peculiar about this part of the trip were the lunch mats. All of the kids bring these little mats with their favorite cartoon characters to spread out on the grass before eating their packed lunch. To top it off, they take their shoes off before stepping on the mat, just like at home. It is Korean tradition to take off your shoes at most places and the picnic mats are no exception.

Overall, I think it was a successful day at the farm.

The Life - Chapter 1

2008-10-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the first chapter of highly anticipated chronicles of Zach. Enjoy!

The Life

Pivotal. Monumental. Once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Those are but three adjectives that have been used to describe the event. There are some whom refer to the event as, "The Beginning of a New Beginning" or "The Day the Definition of 'Amazing' was Rewritten" or "Hope....Realized".

Me? I merely refer to the event as "My Birth". It was nothing special for me. It was as typical as any birth that I've ever been associated with. So why have some people chosen to superlativise my birth...and along with it so many other events since that time that can directly be linked to my birth? Well, that's hard for me to answer. How 'bout I just tell you the facts, and then maybe you will be able to tell me.

The year was 1980. Jimmy Carter was president. He was finishing his term and preparing the office for the actor/president that was to follow him. I've had many friends, family, and other general colleagues tell me that if the great constitution of the United States of America did not directly forbid occupying the office of President by someone of fewer than 35 years of age, I would have been a shoe-in for the terms that were ultimately filled by Ronald Reagan.

Would that have been a good thing? Well, let me ask you this: would it have been a good thing for the United States not to have devoted so much money to the Star Wars missile defense program that never came to fruition?

At the tender age of 2ish, panic struck my family. Some could say that it struck me, too, but honestly, I was never afraid. I never gave it a second thought. I was too busy fighting the ailment that made an early attempt at my life. As it turns out, Spinal Meningitis was no match for me. My parents say that I almost died. My grandparents agree with them. Little do they know, however, that I was just unable to communicate with them and tell them that all was okay; I was preoccupied with a certain fight. Why do I not come clean and tell them now? Why do I not let them know that my life was in good hands that entire time? I'll tell you why. Its the same reason the elders in The Village did not come clean and tell the truth about 'Those Whom We Do Not Speak Of'. It would be bad for business; it would melancholize the script of my life.

I could continue with epic tales of my life. I won't though. It's not because I am afraid of boring you, though. Conversely, it is for precisely the opposite reason; I am terrified that you would never be able to read anything else. You would probably find everything else painfully boring after you read about my life. Because I care....I will spare you. Like I said, though, I'm not sparing you from having to read my story....I'm sparing you from having to read anything else AFTER you read my story.

Instead, I will skip ahead to the present. I believe that I have effectively left my mark back home. The United States knows who I am. At least, those that merit knowing who I am know me. And that's all that matters. You see, I don't do it (my life) for the benefit of those that do not matter. That would be pointless. I do it for the benefit of those that do matter.

Anyways, the significance of other individuals is neither here nor there. I just want you to know that I am living in South Korea now. Why? Because they wanted me. What am I doing? Nothing out of the ordinary. I wake up every morning. I change a child's life....for the better. I go home. I go to sleep. I get up the next morning and do it all over again. How do I manage to keep my head in the game every single day?

It's who I am.

It's who I am........

Team Oedae

2008-10-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have asked me about the people I work with, so I figured a “Team Page” was in order. The school, Oedae Language Institute, has four and a half other “foreign” teachers, expats, like me. Three are from the states (Kate, Sean & Zach) and the other (Abueng) is from Canada. The remaining half-foreign teacher is Andrew, who is Korean, from Korea (I think… ), but lived in England for a period of time so they consider him a foreign teacher. I asked some of the teachers to write a short blurb about themselves and how they came to teach in SK, but none of them are excited about the idea, with the exception of Zach.

Zach arrived in Korea just a month before I did, so we share the “newbie” title. He is from Texas, but I try not to hold that against him. I could give you a synopsis based on my impressions of him, but you should be able to draw your own conclusions from him. Zach has eagerly agreed to not only write a short bio, but rather a more extended and detailed, full biography. He is taking this very seriously and there have been whispers of memoirs… Regardless of format, I have agreed to publish said biography on my blog with limited censorship. Part I is currently in final editing stages and should be up shortly… Stay tuned!!!

Due to the other teachers lack of enthusiasm, their bios are based on my perception of them and whatever facts I have come by via conversations and salacious Oedae gossip.

Kate is the eldest foreign teacher as far as tenure goes. She is also the foreign teacher director, which means she is the one responsible for relaying all things decided in Korean. She is basically the spokeswoman for all of the other foreign teachers and it will be interesting to see the shift of power once she leaves next month. Kate has been living in SK for the last two years. She is originally from Massachusetts and is exciting to be returning home soon.

Sean will be leaving Team Oedae next month as well, to take another teaching job in Jeju (basically, the Hawaii of Korea… there are already plans to visit). He previously taught English in Japan, along with a number of other foreigners that I have been hanging out with. Sean is a Spanish major, so he has lived and studied in Spain on top of living in various cities from Vegas to Portland. Rumor is he even flung fish for some fishing company up in Alaska for a while (flashbacks from Pike Place Market come to mind…)

Abueng worked with Sean in Japan, so when their school went out of business they relocated to SK. She is originally from Toronto, Canada. Her plan is to work here for a year and save up money until she can return to Japan. She has traveled all around Europe and has even lived in both Germany and….INDIA (I am very jealous)!!! She dabbles in linguistics and is currently learning Japanese.

Andrew is, well, Andrew. I don’t know much about him besides what I previously mentioned. He is married and has two little girls. He is really into fashion and fitness (obviously… did you see the picture??). If his English improves, I might be able to offer a more captivating biography J

The Parks (Linda & Mr.) are the owners of the school. Linda is always smiling (except when she is regulating some unruly student or negotiating terms for cell phones or Taekwondo classes). She speaks English fairly well and essentially runs the school. No one is quite sure what it is that Mr. Park does besides handle the occasional bill. Mr. Park’s English is pretty limited, but I have concluded from our conversations that golfing is expensive here and E-mart (comparable to Wal-mart) is owned by Samsung. He is also a stellar car-parker. Spaces here are teensy and I was amazed when I first witnessed him maneuver the Kia minivan without a moment of hesitation.

Mud

2008-10-02T01:12:00.000-07:00

The evening after the temple visit a group of us camped on the beach, which was a short bike ride from the pension. I was VERY nervous about the ride with my big backpack, but it turned out to be NBD! The sunset was beautiful as we were riding.

By the time we got to camp it was getting pretty dark so we quickly set up the tents and settled in for an evening on the beach with fireworks and soju (a risky but rewarding combination).

When I woke up the tide was out and there were endless mudflats to explore.

Dave and I were the only ones brave enough to venture out into them with the mission of reaching another beach just down the shoreline.

It was fun until we started sinking up to our knees and then it just seemed problematic (camera + mud = tears). We were able to make it back to solid ground, but without shoes we didn’t make it much further...

The mud was really fun to squish around in and I am looking forward to the

Mud Festival next July!!!

Happy Chuseok!

2008-09-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

Just two weeks after I arrived was Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving (more or less). I was pleasantly surprised to find out the teachers got to celebrate with a 4-day weekend! Not a bad start to my Korean employment J Like Thanksgiving, traveling during Chuseok is not recommended since everyone is trying to get home to visit family and everything else is closed. With that in mind, we were able to arrange a mini-vacation to a nearby island, Seokmo-du.

The journey there was half of the adventure. The group met a few subway stops from my place, where we hopped on the first bus that took us about an hour outside of the city. From there, we caught a second bus for a quick 15-minute ride to the ferry! The ride itself was very short, but it is always fun being on a boat. Once we docked, there were a few shops lined up with delicious squid and plenty of other mysterious seafoods for us to ponder while waiting for yet another bus (the only one on the island!). From there, our pension (basically a B&B) was just up the hill. The pension was really pleasant, with a swimming pool, garden, picnic tables and an awesome view! We spent the first day just hanging out by the pool and relaxing after the scavenger hunt to get there.

The next morning some adventurous ones ventured back to the bus stop on bikes to get water and breakfast. I decided to take it easy and was happy that I did when they returned over an hour later dripping in sweat and exhaustion. The island is a little hilly and the ride was not as easy as they anticipated.

When lunch time finally rolled around I was feeling up to an adventure, so Rob, Bill and I set out to the same bus stop… only our plan included taking the bus there. While we were waiting by the road a truck came by and I figured it couldn’t hurt to try to hitch a ride. I held out my hand but they just drove by. Luckily, they stopped right after and backed up to meet us. We hopped in the back, grateful for the ride and the up-to-date Tetanus shots J He dropped us off right next to the bus stop where we found a pizza place still open, despite the holiday. Since our order was quite large, the pizza guy offered us a ride home. Overall, a great first experience in the world of hitchhiking!

Later that afternoon, the group ventured out for a little temple visit. It was my first temple experience and it was AMAZING! The best part was the outcropping up on the hill that had a Buddah carved into it.

A short climb to the top left us with another amazing view of the island and some insight into how seriously people take their worship and prayer.

On a totally different note, I also had my first Korean squatter experience! The picture should answer any questions that statement might leave you with…

Life in the City

2008-09-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks here flew by and I am getting adjusted to life here in South Korea :) I am teaching at OeDae in Paju City . The school is about a 30 minute bus ride away from Illsan, the city that I call home! My place leaves a lot to be desired, but the city offers so many things to see and do that I really haven't spent much time there. Here are some pictures so you can get an idea of the accommodations (my school director bought me the Hello Kitty pink bedspread as a welcome present)!

The apartment itself is conveniently situated right next to the subway stop and a short walk from the bus stop. There is also an awesome Lake Park that is right down the street. It is a huge man-made lake that has a singing fountain and a ton of other fun things to see around it. I haven't taken any pictures of it yet, so that will have to be another posting, another day :)

For now, check out these pictures from my building. They were taken from the hall where I catch the elevator (my apartment window looks out onto another building = not very exciting).

If you look close, you can see the Starbucks across the street that I frequently visit (bottom pic). Makes me feel right at home!

Pharewell Phoenix!

2008-09-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU to everyone who came out to bid me farewell before I embarked on my new adventure :) Devils Martini was a great way to celebrate the end of my banking career and it was great to see so many familiar faces there! To the FNBA crowd, thank you for making the last three years so memorable and special!

I also had a FABULOUS time with everyone at Salty's!!!

There were many reasons why I decided to make this move, but every one of you reading this were reasons why the decision was so hard to make. I cherish my family and friends and feel so blessed to have you all in my life. I already miss you and look forward to another celebration upon my return!!!

Also, thank you for all of the gifts, cards and very kind words! I really can not explain what your confidence and encouragement mean to me.

Jumping

2008-07-13T00:37:00.000-07:00

It is less than a week away from my 26th Birthday, and I must say, 25 was a year to remember. Last year at this time I hastily booked a plane ticket to Brazil, as a prelude to my quarter-century life crisis. I was reading books about joining the Peace Corps and seriously considering taking the plunge. Brazil was a test to see if I even liked being abroad. Traveling alone in a foreign country is a lot different than the trip to Europe with the family in high school. After two weeks in a world that I didn't understand (literally and figuratively), I fell in love with everything outside of my box that was waiting for me at home. It has taken me the last year to get up the nerve to finally do something about it, and the path was not exactly clearly paved. My 25th year is a memorable one due to all of the ups and downs, lefts and rights that have taken me to where I am (sitting on the floor in my office, since my desk is sold and half of my house is packed).

Korea seems like as good a place as any to start an adventure, and a year of teaching will give me time to figure out what direction I want to go in next. Over the next month I will be liquidating my life to jump into a world that I know nothing about - I can't even find a decent map of the town I'm moving to. Bottom line is that I have made the decision to go. In the bungee allegory, I have already paid for the jump and signed the waiver. Now, all I need to do is walk out across the bridge, take a deep breath and jump.

Bloukrans River Bridge (216 m), South Africa