Korea Saranghae

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend - mine was pretty low key, which was just what I needed to wind down a busy week. Today I'd like to educate you all a little bit on Korean teenage culture via YouTube videos. Are you ready?

So, this weekend I hung out with some friends, volunteered at the orphanage, studied, and did some reading. I also found myself spending a lot of time watching, of all things, YouTube. Why? If you know me well, you would know that I'm not generally a YouTube video kind of person - while I like to utilize it for lessons and a few clips here and there, I'm not like some of my friends who spend hours and hours just clicking randomly on interestingly titled videos (you know who you are.) So, how is it that I found myself spending a total of four or five hours on YouTube this weekend? One word: K-Pop. K-Pop, or Korean Pop music, is Korea's contribution to world pop culture. K-Pop is a fairly recent (the last fifteen years or so) generational wave of pop music, which really didn't have much of a history in Korea prior to the 21st century. Solo artists are usually less common, so K-Pop is concentrated on a select number of pop groups - either boy or girl bands, usually with three to six (sometimes more) members. From there, some choose do make solo singles, but they usually stay loyal to their group as well.

They are young, good looking, and talented in dance, music, and acting, but life isn't all fun and games for these groups. They typically have to sign strict contracts with their agencies, which basically signs over their lives - in many they aren't allowed to have relationships, especially with other K-Pop stars, and the contracts keep them on extremely strict schedules. Read more about these so-called 'slave contracts' here. Like the rest of Korea, K-Pop bands are extremely hardworking, but it pays off. K-Pop has been embraced in Korea, Japan, parts of China, and all over SE Asia. Recently some of the groups have become more popular on the international pop culture circuit - Big Bang just recently hit the top 10 album list in the United States. What's interesting about K-Pop is the image these groups present. To be honest, to me, the girls are a bit scandalous, due to their sweet and innocent looks coupled with fairly suggestive dance moves (complete with very very short skirts.) Of course, compared to some of the American pop artists they would seem quite conservative, but because Korean culture is naturally fairly conservative it seems even more shocking to see these girls dancing provocatively. The guys, however, have it all: the looks, the dance moves, and the songs. Their moves usually aren't too inappropriate, and they have a great stage presence. However, most guys or girls in America definitely wouldn't find themselves liking the K-Pop guys due to their lack of... let's say masculine appearance. They are usually pretty skinny, though very fit, but what's most noticeable is that the male singers typically dress in more cutting edge fashion than singers in the States, giving them more of a feminine...persona? Oh, and they usually wear eye makeup and have their hair spiked, dyed, or gelled in every which way. But let's move on.

Throughout my stay in Korea, I've become increasingly aware of K-Pop, as the songs (most with catchy choruses that have a few English words in them which allows us foreigners to recognize the songs and start singing along) blast in most stores, restaurants, and coffee shops. Also, my students manage to know just about every K-Pop song 

ever made, including the accompanying music video dance. The music videos are widespread on the Internet and on TV - at my school festival last fall every single song performance was a K-Pop song (lip synched) and dance. Hilarious. You know how people learn the dances to the Macarena or the Electric Slide, then they only do them at weddings? Well, here you learn the music video dance, then you find every opportunity you can to do the dance with all your friends who obviously know it also. Like, at school, randomly in the street, or, my personal favorite, at the bars (not when you're my students though - those are only the older kids who do it at the bars.)

Then there are the lyrics. I've found myself victim to K-Pop lyrics that I'm not aware of, so much so that I'm caught off guard when I say some key phrase that is part of a song, and 

then I have ten kids in unison singing the next line back to me. Example: if I say "you don't know?" I will hear "Shut up, Boy!" thanks to the girl group Miss A's song "Good Girl, Bad Girl." Yes, during class. We try to keep it fun. And if I want to talk about daily schedules, such as "In America on Thanksgiving we usually eat Thanksgiving lunch around 2 PM..." I hear "2PM? 2AM!" thanks to having two different pop groups called, respectively, 2PM and 2AM.

I've caught on to what not to say at this point, and sometime I like to surprise them by saying a lyric in response to something they just said...this gives me big points for keeping up with pop culture. Nevertheless, I didn't really know the difference (nor cared to) between ShinEE or Girls Generation or 2NE1 (get it - twenty one? Of course, there are only six members.) Wondergirls or B2ST (pronounced "beast," because the

 Korean pronunciation for the number 2 is "ee") until just a couple of weeks ago. The first day I met my new group of seventh grade students this year, as soon as I announced my name was Gina, I received lots of giggles, and had at least three or four kids per class say something about "black and white." I thought it was some weird commentary on my clothes, but I was wrong. It wasn't until I had some random kid start singing a song to me at my desk that I got clued in - it turns out while I was in India there was a breakout song called "Black and White" by the new singer artist G-NA. Yes, our names sound the same. That's when I decided I should do a little research to shield myself against unbeknownst lyric jokes, or to gather some ammo to surprise my kids with. I didn't need to look too far on Wikipedia - I discovered one of her songs is called "I Miss You Already." I call my co-teacher Miss Yoo. We are Gina and Miss Yoo. 

Anyways, this led to me paying more attention to the radio playing at the gym over the past few weeks - to either listen for G-NA's songs or just to listen to the songs in general so I could catch the English. Lucky for me, my friend Sokhom was into K-Pop even before she came to Korea, so she helped educate me on some of the basic groups and their songs. One night at the gym I heard a really catchy song, and when I asked Sokhom what it was or who performed it she didn't have an answer for me. Always the investigator, when I was at her place last weekend

 we decided to research them, based on the only three English words I knew from the song. After a couple of failed attempts on YouTube, I finally found the song. We watched it. Then we watched it again. And again. And again. We were hooked. Here's their picture. I know it's weird, especially if you haven't been surrounded by K-Pop culture for the past six months like I have. All furs, skinny jeans, fringe, spiky hair, and eye makeup aside, those boys are a good looking bunch. 

After watching the music video, I discovered there were more videos to click on that showed the boys in reality tv settings, much like some of our shows in the States. Luckily, there were quite a few with English subtitles, so I was able to follow along on most of them and realize that these boys were also really, really funny, in their own Korean way. 

Anyways, as you can see, one video link led to another...and before I knew it I had spent almost two hours on YouTube - shameful, I know. However, it has reaped its benefits this past week - if I mention to my students that I like MBLAQ they either A. start singing one of their songs, B. start doing the dance to one of their songs, C. a combination of both (my favorite), or D. smile and say, MBLAQ? They're thrilled that they can relate to me with this connection, and it's common ground for them (and me) to start a conversation, which is the ultimate objective for me being here in the first place. In this sense I like to think I've justified my YouTube time by calling it 'research' for school.

So there's your insight to Korean pop culture. Now I'm going to jump to the other end of the spectrum and talk a little more about my students, or more specifically, my students after they leave middle school. I've been corresponding with Yeong Ju, one of my former students who graduated last semester and is now attending ChangPyeong High School. Her e-mails, though they are wonderful to receive, sadden me because they are genuine proof of what a typical Korean high school student goes through in terms of a rigorous study schedule. Here is an excerpt from her last e-mail: "high school is so busy and tired...i must be wake up at 6:30 a.m. and go to bed at 2 a.m. i study at school until 10:30 p.m. and go to academy [private tutoring school] until 2.a.m.so , i'm very very tired..." Lack of sleep is the most common problem among Korean teenagers, and rightly so. If students ever get time off (they also go to school and academies on Saturday, and sometimes academy on Sundays) they are so tired that they would rather play computer games, watch tv, or just sleep.

The majority of Korea knows that it isn't right to keep putting these students through such a demanding schedule, so people are trying to change the system, but for now it's a sad reality - their lives are centered around studying, rote memorization, and focusing on whatever test comes next, be it the high school entrance exam, university entrance exam, or even just the unit test. The pressure for good grades is heavy on the students, put on them by their superiors, their parents, and especially themselves. I have one more video to show you (it's a little longer, just to warn you) that a friend of mine found on YouTube - it explains the situation better than I can. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpS2JJYfbZ8.

Now, I've talked about high schoolers - let's move to middle school, as I have direct experience with these little guys. Middle schoolers don't usually feel the heavy pressure until the end of their second year, but they typically attend one to two hours of Academy a few days a week - typically in English, math, and science - beginning in elementary school. As a result, my English classes usually have extreme ranges of first year students from those who can barely read the alphabet to those who can tell me they saw me on the bus reading a book last week (true story - I always read on my bus rides, and she did indeed see me on the bus.) The reason I bring this knowledge gap up is that my school recently started a program (quite recently - yesterday) called "Dream School," which is an extra after school (5 to 7 PM) program that consists of extra tutoring in Korean, math, and English. This means that some of my students spend 11 hours a day at school. However, my coworkers and I don't have to teach until then - other teachers from the area come to our school for those extra two hours a day. Dream School (by the way - this isn't a translation...they quite literally say 'dream school' with a Korean accent, so it sounds like 'duhleemuh suhkooluh') is a school board initiative to try and balance out the students who can't afford to attend Academies with those who do. I teach out in the country, and many of my students' families simply can't afford to send them into the city, where the best Academies are. Though Dream School may sound like a better solution for parents, I still think keeping kids at school until 7 PM is way too extreme. My kids, needless to say, are tired. I feel sorry for them, and try to make my lessons as fun as possible to give them a bit of a break from their studies. I know I've mentioned the school system before, but the beginning of a new semester has really put into perspective just how hard these kids have to work.

I've noticed the Korean drive for education and success plays out in every aspect of their culture, even into their adult lives. I see dozens of adults taking swimming lessons at the pool I lap swim at, all working on improving their strokes, (especially the butterfly - why anyone would want to swim that up and down the pool if they didn't have a coach telling them to is beyond me) in the streets people are always coming up to me to ask to practice their English with me, and every time I walk into the city library study room no one even acknowledges my presence by staring and/or giggling because they are so into their studies. This drive for constant improvement is even evident in their celebrities - the K-Pop groups I talked about work extremely hard under severe contract conditions. They practice, work out, perform at concerts, have recording and performance sessions, and are constantly on some sort of reality tv show or game show, plus, you don't really hear of them in trouble with drugs or alcohol, at least as far as I know.

In short, Korea isn't lazy. They have a lot of good things going for them - a fast growing economy, high educational statistics in test scores and results, and they even have their own little subculture of celebrity pop singers and rappers. It's an exciting time right now to live in Korea, and though I hate to always see my kids sleep deprived and suffering from their rigorous academic schedule, I'm constantly amazed at their intelligence, talent, and especially their ability to keep up a positive attitude. I appreciate every minute of attention they give me in class, even if they can't understand half of the words I say - that's not easy to do even when you do get enough sleep. Though I'm constantly learning about Korea and its culture, these past two weeks I have felt especially connected (through K-Pop, of all things) to my students, the most important people here to me. As I keep learning more about the academic pressure my students have to face, I'm glad I've found such an entertaining (and slightly obsessive) way to relate to them, and hopefully keep dreaded subjects like English fun - who knows, maybe next I'll learn how to play Starcraft. Just kidding. Hope you had some fun learning about K-Pop...I'll accept any confession e-mails from those of you who spent three hours watching K-Pop videos after reading this.

Take care everyone, have a wonderful rest of your week! Oh, and if you were wondering about the title - Korea Saranghae translates to I love Korea, and in 98% of every K-Pop song you will hear some variation of the word "Sarang," or love. It's even in the MBLAQ video - can you catch it? 

Korean Infusion: Gyeongju

Hello all,

I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update lately - I've been busy. Between planning lessons, going to book club, meeting friends for coffee, volunteering, and making it to the gym or pool I have a busier life here than I had ever imagined - but I love it. I think you'll be pleased with this belated entry however, and I even have a surprise for you at the end. Let's continue on, for all of you who just read the end and spoiled the surprise.

So, I could go on and on about how much I love it here, and what I've been keeping busy with, but that might get a little redundant for you. I've told you a lot about my life here, and most recently about my travels in South Asia. I also mentioned that when I returned from my trip, I was infused with a fresh love for Korea - it was clean, modern, exciting, and there was an endless supply of kimchi. I was excited to dive back into my Korea explorations, as I only had five months left to do it all, so I started as soon as I could, taking advantage of my three day weekend due to my school's birthday. (Lucky me for working at a school born on a Friday)

During the three and a half hour bus ride out east to the city of Gyeongju, I began a fascinating book about Korea at the turn of the twentieth century, during the time of the Japanese occupation. My mind was completely preoccupied with how far Korea had come since its days of occupation, as I zipped (more like a fast meander, as I was on a bus) through the rolling hills and beautiful scenery. However, when I arrived in Gyeongju, I had to move my thoughts back on the timeline about one thousand years in Korea's history. Gyeongju is a special place in Korea, most notably for its history, still existing sacred Buddhist temples, and unique preservation of the ancient capital it once was. It is a popular tourist destination, for both Koreans and foreigners alike. To better understand Gyeongju I have some history for you here: please bear with me...or just skip down a couple of paragraphs just like you skipped ahead to the end already.

Historically, Korea has been known as 'The Hermit Kingdom,' due to its desire to remain unbothered by foreign influences. As you may recall back from what your teacher might have said in your history classes, (this may be a little fuzzy because you were in between naps at the moment, of course) that hasn't worked out very well for Korea. Because of its strategic location, smack dab in between Japan, who tried to take over all of Asia not even a century ago, and China, who has dominated the North Asian continent for as long as history can remember, and also directly south of Russia, who has seen Korea as a tasty little addition to gain a warm water sea port for centuries past. Poor Korea - as a result it has been fought and disputed over, treated unfairly in foreign treaties, and even directly or indirectly occupied by the aforementioned countries at one time or another. But that's getting into more recent history here; I want to go back even farther to about the seventh century AD, when Korea was a peaceful, thriving, cultural jewel of Asia.

Around the time of Jesus Christ, Korea's history had been going strong for about two thousand years. In the beginning of the millennium  Korea (this is the entire Korean peninsula, not with North and South distinctions) was basically split up into three kingdoms (conveniently titled 'the Three Kingdoms period.') Each kingdom developed its own unique culture, but it wasn't until the three kingdoms were united in 668 AD by the Silla King Munmu (isn't that a great name?) that Korean culture really took off, centered around the Silla (pronounced Shilla) capital of Korea, Gyeongju. There was a thriving Buddhist culture, a flourishing arts culture, scientific development and discoveries, and an overall sense of peace and prosperity. Of course, all good things have to come to an end, and by 935 AD the Goryo (pronounced Koryo, where the name Korea came from) people to the north peacefully subjugated (yes, the books say it was a peaceful acquisition and surrender) the Silla kingdom, moving the capital to the center of the country. It wasn't until the fifteenth century that the Joseon kingdom was established, which established the modern day capital, Seoul.

Though Gyeongju has been sacked a couple of times, first by the Mongols and then by the Japanese, it has remained remarkably preserved and kept as authentic as possible. In the old center of the city, now a pleasant walking and tourist park, home and building owners weren't allowed to construct any tall or modern designs - all of that is saved for the new part of the city just across the way. The main attractions in Gyeongju are the old city center and walking parks, Anapji Pond, a pleasure garden and pond built by King Munmu himself, the new National Museum, and the Buddhist temple and shrines up in the nearby mountains. I arrived in Gyeongju early on Friday afternoon, had some coffee and checked into my hostel (recommended in Rough Guide Korea, and described as 'charmingly grubby' - they were right on the money.) Then, I was ready to start exploring and delve back into some medieval history.

My first adventure was to two of the most famous sights in Gyeongju: Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto. Both were important sites of Buddhist worship during the Silla kingdom, and have since been touched up and well preserved. I hopped on the city bus, fully equipped for ignorant foreigners with maps and English translations of the stops plastered on the sides - nice to know they think of us. I realized on the way up to Bulguksa that I probably wouldn't have time for Seokguram as well that afternoon, since the buses stop running in the early evening, but at least I would know what to do to get there the next day. Bulguksa was impressive - the biggest Buddhist temple complex I have ever been to - restored and set in a beautiful location on the mountainside. We weren't allowed to take pictures of the inside of the temple, but I was especially curious about Korean Buddhism now that I've learned more about Tibetan, Indian, and Sri Lankan traditions and customs, so I spent some time peeking inside, noting similarities and differences. Buddhism came to Korea via China in the 4th century AD, but due to a convergence of mixed beliefs and traditions, it developed into its own unique Buddhist sect, one that I plan on learning more about in the future for curiosity's sake. By the way, yes, that's a swastika, but no, it's not a throwback to Nazi support from the 1940s - the swastika is the traditional symbol for Korean Buddhism - it took a little while to get used to seeing it all over the place here. I spent a happy hour wandering in the sun, admiring the beautiful traditional architecture and enjoying the scenery.

After Bulguksa, indeed I didn't have enough time to make it to Seokguram, so instead I bused back to the old city center for a walk through Tumuli Park. What is Tumuli Park? Well, think of the word Tumuli, or just Tumu. What does that sounds like? Did I hear you say tomb-u? Yes, you're right. Ten points for you. Tumuli Park is, in fact, made up of tombs. But not just any tombs - these are giant, larger than life, grassy hill tombs that you aren't allowed to climb on, despite the enormous temptation to. Think of the Pyramids of Giza - why were they built? As tombs to honor the Pharoah. Same same in Korea, just the size is toned down a bit. (By the way, I don't know if I've talked about same same yet, but it's basically the running joke that English teachers always use to help teach a new word or phrase that is similar to something the kids already know, like the words nervous and anxious. For basic purposes, we just say same same. The kids love it, teachers love it, everyone laughs at it. My personal favorite useage of same same is when one of my kids tried to teach me the word 'lie' in Korean by shouting out "BAHNG SAME SAME LIYEEE!")

So, think Tumuli same same Pyramids...but smaller...and a lot younger. I reached the park at sunset, and had it pretty much to myself. In a sense, I suppose the tombs should have been creepy at night, but I mostly thought they were pretty cool. Luckily, one of the tomb's interior is actually open for public viewing (not the body itself, obviously,) so you can see how the tombs were constructed. I wasn't supposed to take pictures...but I did because I was the only one there, so feel lucky you get to see this: you can see how the body and possessions (many of the artifacts in the National Museum are from tomb excavations) were kept in a box like structure, which was then covered with piles and piles of rocks.

 I had a nice stroll and picture taking session until it got dark, and then I stopped to eat some ssambap, the regional special of Gyeongju. This is basically a compilation of rice, tons of pickled veggies, fish soup, seaweed soup, pork, and lettuce to wrap your meat in, along with soybean sauce, spicy pepper sauce, and some weird stuff that I didn't even touch after I tried it. Yes, this is all for one person - order with two people and you get double - I didn't realize what a meal it was until I sat down and ordered. Luckily, you're not really supposed to finish Korean meals.

After eating my fill of ssambap, I decided to take another stroll around my hostel area. After checking out a couple more tombs opposite Tumuli Park (guess they didn't make the cut for the park...I got to see them for free) This one even had the emblem of Gyeongju projected on it. I ended up stumbling into the modern city downtown, which was much like Gwangju's, but less crazy and more small town. I had fun walking around and looking at all the stores and coffee shops (my personal favorite: Le Tango du Chat.) ready to see some more sights bright and early. Though I paid for a shared room because I wanted to go cheap, I lucked out in that there were no other guests that night (it's off tourist season) so I had the giant room to myself.

The next morning I headed off to Seokguram Grotto, which is basically a small shrine and temple carved out of the rockface, high up near the top of the mountain that Bulguksa was on. Admittedly, I thought it was quite small and a quick sight to see, but I could definitely appreciate it for its serene beauty and prime location, hidden high in the mountains. It is actually considered one of the best examples of Buddhist art in Korea. I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but if you look at that hump of earth behind the top of the temple, that's basically where the Buddha's head is - it's quite large inside, and extremely well preserved. We had to be quiet and respectful as there were people inside the actual temple praying and giving offerings, so we just shuffled through, admired quickly, and went on our way.

After Seokguram, it was time for what I had come so far to finally see: the National Museum, second in prestige and ancient Korean artifacts only to Seoul National. I found out the museum itself was actually a museum complex, with an Art Hall, outdoor statues and relics, a children's museum, an archaeological museum, and even a special exhibitions hall. It was a nice sunny afternoon, and I walked around the complex to orient myself before touring the exhibits. I'm always a sucker for a good Buddha statue, and Gyeongju National didn't disappoint: the place was packed full of them. The archaeological museum was definitely my favorite, as it had many artifacts from the royalty of Gyeongju - pictured is the crown and belt that one of the old kings used to wear, and a golden sheath and dagger
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After the museum I visited Anapji Pond, the beautiful pleasure pond that King Munmu built and had stocked with fish and animals for his personal enjoyment (pictured) and finished with a walk through Wolseong Park. Both outdoor locations were the perfect setting for families to come tour, visit, explore, or just hang out at - I saw many picnics and kite fliers.

 I was satisfied with my trip and glad I had done it alone, so I could tour and explore at my own leisure. So, back to Gwangju I headed, but not before I picked up a box of hangwampangg, the special red-bean paste sweet bread (trust me, it tastes better than it sounds) that Gyeongju is known for, to bring to school on Monday for my teachers.

I will never forget that bus ride home to Gwangju, as it was the craziest emotional roller coaster ride of my life. As I settled back for my long trip home, Korea history book in hand, I realized that it was nearly the 19th of March, which would mark (my Dad's birthday, for one) my seventh month in Korea...meaning I only had five months left. Even though I could now check Gyeongju off my list, that meant that only one of many many cities I still wanted to explore was covered - in short, there just wasn't enough time to see everything I wanted to. As you know, I am here in Korea on a one year contract that is due to end August 20th. I was planning to spend the next year traveling and teaching around various countries and continents, with many programs and contacts in the works but nothing set in stone. About twenty minutes into the bus ride, I began to consider the thought of staying another year, though very cautiously. As I thought through it more thoroughly, it seemed the only thing holding me back was my dream to take off and travel at large after I had finished working for a year. Then I realized...I was already living my dream. I'm living abroad, I have a great job, amazing friends, (both here and those I still talk to back home who have been wonderfully supportive of me) I'm learning a new language and culture, I'm exploring a whole new country, and I've been lucky enough to travel outside of Korea as well. Though I hate to have money as a priority in my life, another draw was that the financial benefits of staying a second year would really put me in good shape with my student loans, travel budget, and future savings. I was already feeling heartbroken about having to leave my students and co workers, as well as my city. All of these thoughts were overwhelmingly spinning in my head at once, until all of a sudden it became clear to me.

I'm staying. I'm going to renew my contract and stay another full year in Korea. I've only told a few people, and I haven't even told my coteachers yet - I'm waiting until they approach me about the contract - but everything should be finalized within the next month. I have a few more options now for coming home, but for now I'm really not sure when I'll be back or what I'll do after Korea - I have a year and a half to decide now. Another surprise I received this week was learning that my two childhood friends Lauren and Emily are officially coming to visit me at the end of July. And of course, I'm eagerly anticipating the arrival of my mom and stepdad in less than two weeks. I can't believe they will be here so soon!

So start researching tickets to Korea, because I'm not sure if I can go for another year without seeing some of you. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend,  take care!

Settling Back In

Good morning folks (or goodnight to you, depending on which hemisphere you are in, I suppose)

Just a quick post this week, a little out of order. I'll get back to my weekly posting schedule next week, but I wanted to say hi and let you know how things are going back on the home front. In short, things are going well. Really well, in fact. I have a definite second wave of love for all things Korea, and this time I know what I'm doing as opposed to when I first arrived last August.

The realization that I have less than six months left here has really hit home - there are so many things left that I want to do here, and so many more places I want to visit - how will there possibly time for everything? Well, there probably won't be, but I would rather leave Korea with a desire to return than a feeling of satisfaction that I've experienced everything. For now, I plan to keep appreciating and trying to make the most of every day I have left here, but not going overboard and stretching myself too thin.

By now I've settled back into my school schedule, though the first few days of staying at my desk all day until 5 were kind of rough. We had an opening ceremony, which took place in the gym, where all the students gathered together and the new first graders (seventh graders) were 'inducted' into the school. Parents attended, there were some speeches I couldn't understand, and there was a lot of clapping. Also a really cute little toddler who tried to steal the show by climbing up the stairs onto the stage during the middle of the principal's speech - to her credit, she maintained her stage presence and kept right on speaking...which made it even funnier. There was also a teacher introduction, where we all had to stand in a line, then step out and bow, first to the students and then to the parents section. I had no idea this was coming, so it was good thing I wasn't first in line. I think I managed a graceful set of bows though, if I do say so myself. At least my kids cheered for me.

Speaking of the kids, after the first two days of just hanging out in the teacher's office due to diagnostic and orientation classes, I finally taught my first class last Friday and had a ton of fun. I was so much more comfortable with the kids this time, as they were with me. We talked about vacations for a little bit ("How was your vacation?" "Good" "What did you do?" "Played computer games, watched tv, and slept." Thrilling.) and then got started with Chapter 1. True to my procrastinating self, I didn't finish the PowerPoint for my first lesson until about 20 minutes before it started...but it still went well. We also had a teacher's dinner to welcome the new teachers (lots of raw fish...) where I had fun just observing the excited chatter among the teachers, and was able to pick up a few words and names here and there. Again, this time I knew what I was doing - such a contrast from my first teacher dinner when I was still trying to remember how to eat with chopsticks.

This week has been back to business - I've taught every day, and I went to my second school yesterday to meet the new principal, co-teacher, other teachers, meet the new first graders, and get started with the second and third graders. It was so good to see everyone again, and I'm glad to be back with my same schools. I feel like I'm one of the luckier teachers in Korea, as I have been blessed with two small schools - this makes classes much easier to control and gives me a great opportunity to really get to know the students, as opposed to some teachers who have huge city schools and can barely recognize all of their students.

Aside from school, book club started up again last night, I'm continuing to edit and proofread for the monthly Gwangju News magazineand my weekly orphanage volunteering sessions (pictured: a rare occasion when all the girls were working quietly last Saturday) are still going strong, so now I feel like I'm back in full swing of things. Also, I signed up for a gym membership again, this time for six months. I was against signing up for the gym in the spring at first, because I wanted to focus on running outside again, but I found myself really enjoying weight lifting and the pilates and yoga classes my gym offers. If I want to run outside I still can, but the gym is a nice alternative if I miss a day or don't have time in the morning. My friend and I see the gym almost as a nightly social activity now, as we've gotten to know the trainers, and enjoy trying to speak half English-half Korean with them...our communication usually involves a lot of hand gestures. We've decided that between the cultural experience and language practice going to the gym gives us, it's well worth the money.

Oh, one more activity to add to my list: I started swimming again! I found a pool that is really close by bus (only 10 mins away,) not crowded, and good locker room facilities. As it's 5 dollars each session (I don't have enough time nor want to spend the money for a monthly membership) I'm planning to go once or twice a week. When I first got back into the water (it's been a year since I've properly trained) I was worried I would feel awful, but I have to credit my daily weightlifting last fall for keeping my muscles pretty intact - not only did I feel like I remembered how to swim, I also felt smooth and relaxed. It was familiar and enjoyable, especially when I could make up my own workouts and go at whatever pace I wanted. I also made some new friends...the little old ladies who come for lap swim. They caught me while I was kicking, and stopped me, talking to me excitedly in Korean. I smiled and told them I don't speak Korean, (in Korean...I know that much) a little annoyed that they interrupted my workout, but that didn't deter them one bit. These ladies were on a mission: to find out if I was married or not. It took me a while to figure this out, as the miming and gesturing went from pointing to my finger (I thought they were remarking on how big my hands were) to motioning to an invisible person next to me, then back to me (I didn't really know how to take that one) to mimicking eating with someone (were they inviting me to dinner?) to finally saying, really slowly, "m-isss-esss, missesss." At this point, I wasn't sure if they were speaking English or Korean, so I spit out what I could tell them: my name is Gina, I teach at Changpyeong, and I live near HomePlus. Nope, not good enough. It wasn't until one of the old ladies grabbed her friend and started hugging her and making lovey-dovey noises that I finally got it - 'OH, MRS. = Misses!" Laughing, I told them in Korean that no, I don't have a boyfriend, (you have to learn this phrase pretty quickly in Korean when you come to Korea) therefore I'm not married (that part they were supposed to infer, but all the same I made a mental note to learn what 'married' is in Korean.) That satisfied them, so then they gave me a thumbs up for my swimming ability, and sent me on my way. I stopped kicking at the other end and went back underwater to avoid further communication, as I had a time constraint that day. It was nice to see them again when I went back the next week though.

So, that's been my past couple of weeks of returning to Korea - I'm remembering to speak and practice my Korean, remembering how much fun teaching is, and realizing how much I missed kimchi. Tomorrow (Friday) we all have the day off, due to the school's birthday, so I'm taking advantage of my three day weekend and heading to Gyeongju, the 'history town' I tried to go to last fall.

Ah, one more thing. I'd like to proudly display my most recent baking adventure: strawberry cake. Strawberries are in season right now in Korea, and these past two weeks I've been spoiled rotten at work with fresh plates of huge, ripe strawberries in the teacher's office. Since the school had some extra money in their English teacher's apartment budget this spring, I recently acquired a new bedspread, bookshelf, and baking pans, so I wanted to put the pans to use to show my appreciation. What better occasion to bake for than a birthday? That's right, to show my appreciation for my school, my wonderful and friendly coworkers, and for Korea's strawberries, I baked my school a birthday cake. The Korean writing says "Happy Birthday Changpyeong Middle School!"  Don't worry, I'll enjoy a piece for you.

Until next time, take care, stay warm, and think warm, spring thoughts!