Good morning!
How are you all doing? As always, I hope you had a great weekend! I am broadcasting live from my floor mat at the present moment - people in traditional Korean homes sleep on the heated floors (in the winter) on their floor mats, then store them away during the day. I decided that my desk didn't have enough space to spread out all of my books and things that I wanted to organize (anyone who has seen me study knows that I'm a spreader.) So I busted out the surprisingly comfortable floor mat and set up shop, spreading books and notebooks to my heart's desire, and propping my computer up on the small little table desk that the art teacher at my school gave to me. It's a nice working space.
I know I usually have much to say about my crazy busy weekends, but this time I'm pleased to report I took a bit of a rest this weekend and stayed in Gwangju for the weekend. I was busy studying last week to catch up and prepare for my Korean class on Saturday (my friend and I started mid-level in the second session, so we had to learn all three of the previous chapters in addition to studying the fourth - it was manageable but time consuming.) We studied Friday night for our vocabulary test on Saturday morning, which was a relief to get over with.
Saturday after Korean class I enjoyed a nice afternoon reading, relaxing, and then later meeting up with friends for dinner at First Nepal. Sunday I slept in and planned to do absolutely nothing (can you plan to do absolutely nothing or is that an oxymoron?) I spent the morning organizing and taking care of some things on the computer, but by early afternoon I found that I was getting antsy, so I took off to go check out a new cafe that I read about in the Gwangju magazine (more on that in a bit.) The cafe was on the other side of town, so I enjoyed looking out t
he window during my bus trip and seeing a new part of my city in the fall colors. I even saw the World Cup Stadium and a neat park that I noted to check out later. The cafe, called the Marco Polo Cafe, was a fun place that doubled as a travel agency. The couple that has been running the travel agency for years decided to branch out and start the cafe, stocked with travel books and pamphlets for guests to enjoy (the majority of them were in Korean, but there were some English ones) and a public large screen computer for travel fanatics to plan out trips while caffeinating themselves (dangerous, I know.) Their service was excellent (30 percent off for foreigners) and I enjoyed flipping through some Lonely Planet guidebooks, which of course made me want to to go absolutely everywhere in the world. I chatted with the owners for a bit, who had lived in the Phillipines for a while before returning to Korea, and then left, promising to return with some friends in tow. I topped off my Sunday night on my floor mat, working and watching a movie before turning in around 10:30. It was a really enjoyable, relaxing day, and I realized how many more things there are to see in my city that are just as much fun as the downtown area. I had been getting into such a routine that I needed to stir things up, and I'm so glad I ventured to a new area. This weekend I'm planning to do some more exploration before going away on Thanksgiving weekend.
he window during my bus trip and seeing a new part of my city in the fall colors. I even saw the World Cup Stadium and a neat park that I noted to check out later. The cafe, called the Marco Polo Cafe, was a fun place that doubled as a travel agency. The couple that has been running the travel agency for years decided to branch out and start the cafe, stocked with travel books and pamphlets for guests to enjoy (the majority of them were in Korean, but there were some English ones) and a public large screen computer for travel fanatics to plan out trips while caffeinating themselves (dangerous, I know.) Their service was excellent (30 percent off for foreigners) and I enjoyed flipping through some Lonely Planet guidebooks, which of course made me want to to go absolutely everywhere in the world. I chatted with the owners for a bit, who had lived in the Phillipines for a while before returning to Korea, and then left, promising to return with some friends in tow. I topped off my Sunday night on my floor mat, working and watching a movie before turning in around 10:30. It was a really enjoyable, relaxing day, and I realized how many more things there are to see in my city that are just as much fun as the downtown area. I had been getting into such a routine that I needed to stir things up, and I'm so glad I ventured to a new area. This weekend I'm planning to do some more exploration before going away on Thanksgiving weekend.
So, since I don't have much to report for today I'll tell you a little more about Gwangju and what I do around here when I'm not jet setting (bus setting) off to other places on the weekends. Gwangju is a city of about 1.2 million, and it has a great foreign community. It is known as a sort of cultural hotspot in South Korea, with many museums and art galleries. There is even a street downtown known as Art Street, where artists h
ave galleries that they both work in and sell their art in. I'm not much of an art aficionado, but I enjoy wandering down Art Street and poking in all of the little shops and workshops to admire handmade crafts, jewelry, and art. (The picture is a performance I caught on Art Street the other weekend - the entire street is a walkway under the white lattice archway you see in the left of the picture - at night it lights up)
ave galleries that they both work in and sell their art in. I'm not much of an art aficionado, but I enjoy wandering down Art Street and poking in all of the little shops and workshops to admire handmade crafts, jewelry, and art. (The picture is a performance I caught on Art Street the other weekend - the entire street is a walkway under the white lattice archway you see in the left of the picture - at night it lights up)
The main foreign community of Gwangju draws from the GIC, or Gwangju International Center. The GIC library, made up entirely of volunteer donations, has a great selection of travel books, history books, fiction, classics, and nonfiction. The GIC is where I take my Korean lessons every Saturday, for a reasonable fee, and it also sponsors many programs such as field trips and cultural talks each week. The purpose of the GIC is to create a gathering place and network for both foreigners and Koreans, and I must say they do an excellent job at providing opportunities for people to enjoy and interact with each other. They also put out the online Gwangju Blog, which provides updates and notices for upcoming events.
The Gwangju Blog is how I found out about the local book club that meets at a different coffee shop each week. I have always wanted to be in a book club, and I jumped at the chance to be involved. There are about 12 of us, all English teachers, who enjoy getting together each week to discuss the book that we all choose together. Last month we read Little Bee, by Chris Cleave, which was an interesting novel about UK immigration and the Nigerian oil wars. For this month we just started Nothing to Envy, by Barbara Demick, an enthralling book about defectors from North Korea and what they experienced while living in communist North Korea - it is fascinating, well written, but incredibly disturbing to read about what has been happening up there.
Speaking of reading material, the GIC puts out a monthly magazine, called the Gwangju News, (where I found the article about the Marco Polo Cafe) which contains great articles on things going on in the Gwangju community, places to visit in Korea and SE Asia, politics, movie reviews, and much more. It is produced entirely by volunteer editors, writers, and copyeditors. I offered to do some editing/proofreading for them via e-mail; something I have been enjoying each month (yes, like mother like daughter.) It's been fun to help out and contribute to something I enjoy reading each month.
On my very first weekend here, when I joined the GIC, I picked up the August edition of the Gwangju News and saw an advertisement asking for volunteers to teach English on Saturday afternoons at the local girls orphanage. Having volunteered with children in the past, I thought it would be a good idea to check out and give a try. It is only for an hour each Saturday, so it doesn't take up much of my time, and they ask that you try to make it at least two Saturdays each month, as most people like to travel on their weekends. I have met some really nice people through volunteering, and I have had fun getting to know the girls. It is not as much about teaching English as just spending time with the girls.
In September the orphanage received a donation from a Korean celebrity, and they spent a few weeks talking about options and deciding what best to use the money for. One of the decis
ions was to invest in painting a mural on the side of the activity room. It was a fun project that lasted a few weeks, and we were able to g
et the girls to help out with each stage, from tracing projections on the wall to painting the wall. The volunteers had fun with it as well. The mural theme was Dr. Seuss' Oh The Places You Will Go; meant to inspire the girls to follow their dreams. The girls stay at the orphanage until they are 18, and then they are on their own. However, since most of them have limited schooling and English skills, it is difficult for them to get a job, let alone attend college. One of the main volunteers told me that through various fundraisers and work they have been able to support one of the girls who is now attending university. Voluntee
ring at the university has been a great Saturday afternoon activity - I have met really great people who are also donating their time and efforts, and I'm happy to be able to help put a smile on the girls' faces, even if we have a limited communication barrier (which we definitely do!) Now that I am grounded for the next few weeks due to Korean class, I'm glad I will be able to go the orphanage every week, since I will have to miss nearly a month for my winter vacation in February.
ions was to invest in painting a mural on the side of the activity room. It was a fun project that lasted a few weeks, and we were able to g
et the girls to help out with each stage, from tracing projections on the wall to painting the wall. The volunteers had fun with it as well. The mural theme was Dr. Seuss' Oh The Places You Will Go; meant to inspire the girls to follow their dreams. The girls stay at the orphanage until they are 18, and then they are on their own. However, since most of them have limited schooling and English skills, it is difficult for them to get a job, let alone attend college. One of the main volunteers told me that through various fundraisers and work they have been able to support one of the girls who is now attending university. Voluntee
ring at the university has been a great Saturday afternoon activity - I have met really great people who are also donating their time and efforts, and I'm happy to be able to help put a smile on the girls' faces, even if we have a limited communication barrier (which we definitely do!) Now that I am grounded for the next few weeks due to Korean class, I'm glad I will be able to go the orphanage every week, since I will have to miss nearly a month for my winter vacation in February.
So, between studying for Korean class, attending weekly book club meetings, editing articles for the Gwangju news, and volunteering at the orphanage, on top of going to the gym nearly every night (too cold and dark out to run in the mornings now) I keep myself pretty busy. It's a fun community to be a part of; there is never a lack of things to do. I feel so fortunate to be living in such a fun, vibrant city, and even though I have to make myself slow down sometimes, I always look forward to jumping right back into something, be it editing or volunteering or studying. The only thing I'm not liking about my business is that it is all going by too fast. I have been in Korea for three months now - 1/4 of my time is gone! Where did it go? Yikes.
Alrighty, time to leave my cozy warm floor and get ready for work - I wish you all a great 
new work week! Stay warm and safe - I heard about the crazy snow/ice storm that hit MN hard this weekend. Find yourself a warm, cozy coffee shop with a great book - I can assure you I'll be doing the same over here when the weather gets chillier. It's nice to know that some things provide the same comfort no matter where in the world you may be. Take care, love you and miss you all.
new work week! Stay warm and safe - I heard about the crazy snow/ice storm that hit MN hard this weekend. Find yourself a warm, cozy coffee shop with a great book - I can assure you I'll be doing the same over here when the weather gets chillier. It's nice to know that some things provide the same comfort no matter where in the world you may be. Take care, love you and miss you all.
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