Bring on the Birds

Hello everyone! So I just spoke to my brother on G-chat and discovered that Minnesota is apparently expecting some winter weather this week? All I can say to that is a big I'm sorry to hear that, as well as an apology in advance for what I'm about to talk about: the wonderful spring weather in Korea.

I hope you've all had a good week despite the snow, as you're hopefully entering your post-hibernation phase of the year. I can't believe Easter is right around the corner - sadly Korea hasn't jumped on the Easter bandwagon like they have the Christmas one - there are no fake plastic or chocolate bunnies lining the store windows, there isn't a surplus of jellybeans or pastel wrapped chocolate in the grocery stores, nor are there Cadbury eggs for purchase near the registers - it's a sad reality that I'm trying my hardest to accept. Luckily my mom brought me a little caramel chocolate treat for Easter (the Easter bunny doesn't really do transcontintental treks) so at least I have a little piece of home waiting for me this coming Sunday. I'm not sure what my plans are yet for Easter, but they will definitely involve church and chocolate, in no particular order.

Speaking of weekends, let me begin by telling you about last Friday, as it was full of surprises and new experiences. I had about eight million teacher moments on Friday, beginning with my second period class where the second (eighth) graders had to write poems about their feelings in relation to someone or something close to them. My very creative students had a range of subjects they decided to write about, from the odd random food item (one wrote about kimchi: "I feel happy when you are on the table. I feel sad when you are gone") to a pet to an American pop singer (one of them wrote about Flo-Rida: "I feel happy when I listen to your music. I feel sad when you don't sing.) One of them wrote some very sweet things about me ("I feel happy when Gina is in English class. I feel sad when Gina isn't in English class) and yet another one wrote about himself ("I feel happy when you are happy. I feel sad when you are sad.") They were funny to listen to, but the best part was being able to see the kids show off their creativity and (in most cases) wit by using English - something I don't get to see as often since I'm responsible for teaching straight up dialogues and phrases. It was great to see them applying English without following the book or answering my questions.

My next teacher moment came after lunch, when all of a sudden five of my former students walked into the teacher's office. I only got to spend a semester with last year's third (ninth) graders, before they graduated in December and began high school this past February. Apparently on Friday they got back from a field trip early so they had some free time to walk down the road and visit us at school - it was so fun to see them again! They all looked a little taller, most had different hairstyles, and they looked sharp in their new uniforms. I asked them about their new teacher (who happens to be a friend of mine) and got lots of compliments to pass along to her. I thought about how strange it must be for those who have been teaching for a long time to see their former students all grown up and how much I always enjoyed visiting some of my old teachers. Now I know how it feels to be on the flip side.

Aside from my teaching duties on Friday, I also found some time to slip away and walk down the path a little ways to take pictures of the beautiful cherry blossom trees that line the walkway to the school. The trees are so pretty, and they make such a nice addition to the spring weather. I've seen my school in all seasons now, and I think spring and fall are definitely the two prettiest. I've included some pictures for you to drool over. Just a few more weeks until you can enjoy spring too, don't worry. Oh, fun fact for you. I've always associated birds with springtime...but in Korea there appears to be a lack of chirps announcing the coming spring. It didn't seem odd to me until I thought about it the other day - I don't ever see or hear birds. I don't remember the last time I saw a squirrel or a chipmunk. Where are all the animals? I must have been spoiled growing up in the Midwest, or else Korea has a strange animal hibernation rotation.

The last teacher moment I'll tell you about was when I was leaving school on Friday (after I received an impromptu Korean lesson from the art teacher...and realized I had been saying the informal version of a verb to people older than me, which is a no no....oops.) I was walking down the street to the bus stop, when I was suddenly stopped by a woman who had just gotten out of her car. To my surprise, she asked "Are you Gina?" When I said yes, she introduced herself as the mother of two of my students (whom I had just discovered were brother and sister the day before, actually.) I remembered that the same student (her daughter) had told me her mom was an English teacher a few weeks ago. My next surprise came when the mom said she had been wanting to meet me and she wanted to apologize to me because she thought her daughter was rude to me last year. In truth, her daugher, Sun Yeong, had actually been a bit of a troublemaker for me (not terrible) as an eighth grader last year, but this year I've noticed a great difference in her behavior, such as her newfound participation in class, and her willingness to speak to me outside of class. She has quickly become one of my favorite students, and I was so happy to be able to tell her mother so. I explained that I understand middle school is a difficult time, (hence the bad behavior) and that since last year I've noticed a positive change. I also told her that I really enjoy teaching her daughter, as well as her seventh grade son (both true!) We chatted for a little while longer, then said goodbye as I had to run to the bus.

As I thought back on my first parent-teacher conversation I was once again so thankful to be at the school I'm at, as it is small enough that I'm able to get to know my students (and learn their names) on a personal level. I was also pretty glad that Sun Yeong's mother is an English teacher. But back to the students: though their names are still such a challenge for me, I've just about gotten all of them down, and I love seeing the look of delight on their face when I remember their names. (This accomplished feat is actually due to many hours spent 'studying' students, and I hope to goodness that no one ever reads the Post-It notes I have stuck to my clipboard, as I have all the student's names written in tiny print with little memory triggers such as 'chipmunk face' next to the names. Good thing I have messy handwriting.)

Those were my three big teacher moments last Friday - I left work that week feeling so lucky about my students and my school - I know other teachers have had problems or issues with theirs, but mine seems to be the best combination of every factor. I'm excited that I have an extra year to spend with them still.

After school that day, I headed to the pool for my usual workout...but there was a twist. I know you're on the edges of your seats right now. When I was at lap swim the night before, I was approached by a woman who had introduced herself to me earlier that week. Her English was okay, so she was somehow able to communicate to me that she was part of a 'club' at the pool, and that this club wants me to join them. She said they meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for an hour. I realized that was what I had observed Monday evening when I saw a group of people in the far lane wearing matching caps, swimming in circles. I said I can't come Wednesdays, but that I could give it a try on Friday. I planned to swim a bit on my own first, and then give the 'club' a try.

Sounds interesting, right? Well, interesting is a good word but fun might be a better one. The club has a 'leader' (whom I wasn't allowed to swim in front of, even though I could have gone ahead of him, and I was really careful to not get too close to his feet) and about 10 other adult swimmers who all get together. We did about 1800 meters, including a warmup swim, a few small sets, and some drills. Though I didn't feel very challenged, I liked the opportunity to try some different drills and sets that I wouldn't normally do on my own, and though the English level was pretty minimal all around, the people were all very nice to me. I had fun.

But. I haven't told you the best part yet, the part which my friends probably won't ever let me live down as long as I'm in Korea. What is the club's name, you might ask? Well, I read the Korean name on everyone's matching caps, and though I was pretty sure I had translated correctly, after double checking with one of the other English speaking swimmers, it was confirmed that the club's name is indeed called...WaterBird (물새) Club. I am a WaterBird. After all my years of swimming I've been a Splash, (I swear, that was our name - check the sweatshirt) a Marlin, a Scarlet, a Manta, and a Phoenix. Now, in the next chapter of my swimming life destiny had called me to be: a WaterBird. And WaterBird I shall be. (I might add that this name generated a variety of jokes among my friends last weekend, the most popular one being 'when are you going to swim with your flock again?')

Unfortunately, Monday I didn't fly south (Sokhom's joke) with the birds due to not feeling that well - the change in the seasons as well as 'yellow dust' from China (true story - the wind blows from the west) tends to create sinus pressure and congestion, so I'm taking it easy this week. I'll flap my wings again tomorrow night.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend and that you get to enjoy some time at home with your families and friends. I'll be missing mine but at least this year will beat last year's Easter, when I stayed in Green Bay and spent the entire weekend writing a final paper on the 20th century Japanese invasion of Korea. Actually, the year before I did the same thing on Easter weekend...except the paper was about the ancient Roman occupation in Spain. Somehow I associate Easter with history these days - maybe I'll have to go to a museum or something on Sunday just to keep the tradition going. Happy Easter weekend everyone, and remember to think warm spring thoughts to melt all that snow!

P.S. I bet you thought my title was about spring.

Mom and Brent take on Korea.

Hey everyone!

I was busy all day every day last week due to the arrival of Mom and Brent, who came to Gwangju on Monday afternoon. I rushed to their hotel after school to meet up with them, and each day after that - woke up, went to work, then played tour guide until it was time to go to sleep again. Busy but fun.

I don't know how apparent spring is back home, but in Korea it's in full bloom - literally. This past week we've been treated to the famous pink and white Asian cherry blossom trees - my first time seeing them. They're beautiful and fun to spot - they make everyday, typical parts of the city into an extra special experience. But it's not just cherry blossoms - all over the city the trees, bushes, and other flowers are starting to bloom and blossom. Also, the temperature is at that wonderful, cool but not quite hot yet in between feeling, which makes walking around and everyday errands much more pleasant. All in all, spring in Korea is wonderful.

As for me, I'm still K-Popping away - I've found it makes pleasant company while I make my PowerPoints at work (listening through headphones, of course) and now for my extra class (read: no co-teacher) my kids know they can convince me to let them watch a music video or two at the end of class, provided that I include some sort of English reference or lyrics discussion after. I'm having more and more fun with each passing class, and my friend Sokhom and I are already lamenting over how sad it will be to have to say goodbye to our third graders (ninth graders) at the end of this year. Can't think about that yet.

This past week I introduced Mom and my stepfather Brent to Gwangju - they basically got to see most of the highlights of my Korea life in one week: we walked around the city to some of my favorite places, we ate delicious Korean food each night, they came to my school and met my co-workers and my students, they got to meet some of my friends, and on the weekend we took a short bus trip to do some sightseeing. Just before he left, Brent said to me "I can see why you love it here so much, and I think you made a really good decision to stay another year." (That may have been misquoted a bit...but you get the general idea.) As I headed home after saying goodbye, I thought about what he had said, and realized how much I really do love it here. I know you've heard all of this before, but now I can honestly say that I have a full, complete, wholehearted love of Korea, boy bands and all. I was proud to be able to show off some of what Korea has to offer, though I know living here for two years still won't really scratch the surface.

So, what did my visitors do to introduce themselves to Korea? Well. Monday after school I raced over to their hotel and we commenced with our reunion hugs and 'I can't believe you're here's!' After that we hopped on the bus to head back to my apartment and drop off a shopping spree's worth of clothes, books, and random items that my mother lovingly picked up for me back home. (Thanks again Mom!) Their introduction to Korean cuisine began with pork barbecue, where my friend and I taught them the proper technique of grilling the meat at your table, then wrapping it up in lettuce leaves, adding the extras, and popping it in your mouth. They got the hang of it pretty quickly.

The next day we were all very grateful to my school for giving me the afternoon off, as I had no classes. This enabled Mom and Brent to actually come out to the little town I teach in, where we first went to lunch with my lovely co-teachers, then headed back to school so they could tour the building and meet my students. Well, I'd say 'meet my students' is an understatement. 'Got mobbed by my students' is more accurate. In case you don't know, my stepfather is nearly 2 meters tall, which is synonymous with 'giant' by Korean standards. The excitement of seeing three foreigners at once, two of them being over six feet tall, was almost too much for my kids to handle. It was so cute to see them come up to us and try to speak - we got a lot of 'how are you's and 'HI!'s. We had a small crowd all around the school as my co-teacher gave us a tour, where I got a kick out of watching some of my smaller students dare to come stand next to Brent - some were literally half his size.

At school, we also had tea with my principal, vice principal, and co-teachers, where we discussed my plans for the rest of their visit. At hearing this, my vice principal decided to personally take us to one of the areas we had been planning on visiting. She took us out to a beautiful natural garden and pavilion, which we learned was built in the sixteenth century for the yangban (rich and elite) scholars to study and write while enjoying the beautiful natural scenery. A good time was had by all, and we lucked out with having a personal tour guide, sporting high heels the entire time.

The rest of the week passed by quickly, and mostly consisted of me rushing over to the hotel after school, then the three of us trooping out to walk around and explore, and of course, try another delicious traditional Korean meal. I was proud of them for adapting to kimchi so quickly. However, we were all pretty wiped by the end of the week - I kept them busy each day by sending them to museums, (which I actually haven't been to yet) visiting a traditional spa, (couldn't wear them out too much) and on Friday they successfully 'conquered' all 1187 meters of Mudeung Mountain. Friday night we had a wonderful dinner at First Nepal, the necessary visit every foreigner to Gwangju must make, with three of my friends from out of town who came in to meet them.

We had a really nice day on Saturday, when we took a trip about an hour and a half south to Boseong, home of Korea's famed green tea fields. The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful, and the walking was pleasant. The green tea fields are a top tourist destination in southern South Korea, and rightly so. There are steps and walking trails leading up to the top of the rolling hills, from which you can see the nearby coast (see picture) and scenery. As it was a Saturday, the area was busy with couples and families - Mom and Brent got to marvel firsthand at the Korean women's ability to trek up hiking trails in killer high heels - I still don't know how they do it. For their last dinner in Gwangju, we treated ourselves to galbi ribs, which is marinated pork rib that you grill at your table, then employ the lettuce wrapping techniques that Mom and Brent had perfected by the end of the week. They even helped me grill the meat and kimchi.

Sunday was our sad goodbye, but not after we had finished our comprehensive tour of Gwangju by heading across town to Sangmu, one of the newly developed areas of town - they could tell the difference between Sagmu's widely paved, modern streets and the older, more traditional parts of town that they had seen the past week. We visited the May 18th memorial museum, which commemorates the 1980 democracy uprising that happened in downtown Gwangju as a protest against the increasingly oppressive military dictatorship. More on that later, as the anniversary is coming up soon, but anyways, the museum and surrounding area is the actual site where the police held hundreds of protesters from the uprising in containment for many months. Though a grim part of Gwangju's history, it's the city's claim to fame as a proponent for democracy. It was very interesting, despite some issues with our impromptu tour guide. The most significant one being...he didn't speak English. That didn't stop him though, did it? Oh, no. He kept dragging us around, speaking in a random mix of Korean and Japanese ("hana, dul...san" - 1, 2 in Korean, 3 in Japanese) as we politely followed him, nodded as if we understood, and read the English signs for translation and interpretation. It was a great time. However, the weather was beautiful, it was interesting to learn about, and fun to explore a new part of town, so we enjoyed it. We decided to take a break from Korean and enjoy a nice Western restaurant for lunch, before taking Gwangju's one and only subway line across town back to their hotel. When I said goodbye I said I wasn't sure what country I'd be seeing them in again, but we decided we'd figure that out eventually. Again, it was sad to see them leave, but we were all so grateful for the time we had together.

This week I'm recovering a little bit from playing tour guide, and hoping to head out to Mokpo on the weekend to see some friends and hopefully more beautiful spring landscapes. My next upcoming trip will be the first week in May, when I have to head up to Seoul to take the GRE test, but then I'll have the rest of the week off due to Children's Day, a national holiday where apparently amusement parks and all things 'kid' are jam packed. I'll be headed out to the northeast coast with Sara, since it's a pretty far distance to cover in a weekend trip - this way we'll have a few extra days to do some exploring. We were considering leaving the country to go to a nearby country, but since there is so much of Korea to cover, why would we leave?

One last thing I must mention: though spring is in all it's glory right now, it's a bit strange for me because I feel like my internal seasonal clock is off a bit. In Korea the school year starts in March and officially ends in December, with a break from the middle of July to the middle of August. The past four years I've been finished with school by the middle of May. Needless to say, I'm not feeling the typical end of school spring anticipation that I'm used to...it's quite the opposite. I still have three months of school...and thirty degrees in temperature and humidity rise ahead of me. I'm not sure how I'm going to react to that yet, but I can assure you it already feels weird. Feel free to think of me slaving away while you're outside enjoying your barbecues and weeks up at the cabin this summer. (Yeah, I know...I don't really 'slave away' ...but still.) I realize this is all a part of being a 'grown up' now, since work doesn't end for summer vacation like school does, but still - I sense a rough transition ahead of me.

I wish you all a wonderful spring - congratulations for surviving yet another midwestern winter - as you begin to emerge from hibernation, and I hope you have some time to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather! Goodbye until next time, a date of which I can't really guarantee - it all adds to the suspense. Love you and miss you all.