Japan pictures

I just posted some pictures I took when my family was here, and when we went to Japan.

I went to Kyoto with my family for 3-4 days, so I got to see a lot. It's reputation is true, it's a beautiful city. Japan seems more westernized than Korea and more accomodating to tourism (especially Kyoto). I think there are more high rise apartments in Korea. I stayed with my family in a hotel, so I didn't have the opportunity to make too many cultural generalizations, or try the Japanese nightlife. Like Korea, it seems like drinking is heavily involved with social occasions.

One thing that caught me by surprise is the way some Japanese people say "yes." It's "hie" in Japanese and is sometimes sharply shouted, contrasting with the Korean yes, which is "ney" and is often softly and much more slowly pronounced.

"How would you like your steak?"
"Medium, please"
"HIE!"
[momentary pause and startled look on my face where I want to ask if that is okay before I remember the waitress said yes]

Cultural field trip

Yesterday rocked. I joined the 3rd grade middle school students on their field trip to Buyeo, a small cultural city. I wish there was a field trip every week because I don't have to teach and can just hang out with the students and the teachers. The kids didn't have to wear uniforms, and got to act like kids. Which means I also get to act like more of a kid, as if I need an excuse.

First we went to a pottery place, and one of the potters did a demonstration, spinning the wet clay on a round surface with one hand and shaping it with the other. I couldn't understand anything because it was in Korean, but at the end I think he asked for volunteers because all the students started saying my name. So I gave it a try, and the kids and I laughed as the pot soon became pretty disfigured.

Next everyone got to make cups or bowls or whatever you wanted out of clay. I sat down with the students because I didn't want to miss this. My cup came out better than the pot.

After pottery it was lunch time. And on a Korean field trip, that means Soju time. After the pottery place we went to a museum, but after taking pictures with the students, I joined some of the teachers for makoli (rice wine). Then we went to the set of a famous old drama TV show, where I was feeling pretty good because of the alcohol, great weather, and all around good time.

I think I played my cultural cards right, because today I was invited to go to lunch with some of the male teachers, and there weren't any English teachers there to help with the language barrier. We attacked our kalguksu (noodle) dish like only Korean men can. I try not to think how soon this experience will be ending, because I'm going to miss days like these.

Brad gets the rock star treatment

My family visited me last week, and came to school with me for a day. The girls loved my little brother Brad because of his blond hair. He was having a great time too. Having a whole school full of Korean girls go crazy over you and tell you that you're very handsome... why didn't this happen to me during high school?

The girls all want to meet him...

As the day went on, the disruptions in the hallway became louder and louder, and eventually we had to put Brad in the principal's office. That didn't stop students who really wanted a picture.

My family is coming to Korea!

I'm meeting them at the airport tonight. We'll stay in Seoul and then come to Gyeryong tomorrow afternoon. I had hoped to spend the entire weekend with them in Seoul, letting them get adjusted to the 13 hour time difference and different culture. But my host family wants to show them around Korea on Sunday, so that's the plan. My brother will make a big splash at school on Monday when he joins me in class. Imagine what a school full of Korean girls calling you handsome can do for an American high school freshman boy's ego. Only good things.

Next Wednesday I'm going to Japan (Kyoto) with my family because my school has midterm tests next week. Sweet.

North Korea and South Korea breakdancing

Soldiers at the 38th parallel DMZ breakdancing. If only real life was like this. via Kottke

'Purple' Woman Joins Race for Seoul Mayor

Via Seth Godin, this article is an interview with a woman running for mayor of Seoul. She describes herself as a "purple cow," which Godin has talked about in his latest book, The Big Moo. People who are remarkable enough to stick out like purple cows have the greatest chances of changing things. She likes changing things, and so do I.

The last Fulbright conference

Last weekend I went to Jeju-do, the island off the southern coast of Korea. It's billed as Korea's Hawaii, but really... it's kind of like Charleston, S.C. temperature-wise. It was supposed to be a momentous occasion- the Spring Fulbright Conference, the last time everyone on the program would get together.

Back during orientation, we looked ahead to the Jeju conference with wonder, awe. "Who will have dropped out? Who will have been sent home? How awkward will the conversations be with people I haven't talked to since August? How much will this crazy country have changed me?" These questions were on all of our minds. Jeju was supposed to be a turning point. But it didn't have that feeling of finality. No tearful speeches from Korean teachers that I've gotten used to at every transition point so far. Most of us ETAs don't see many other ETAs very often anyway, just our close friends. And we still have to teach for three months. So, it just kind of happened. I guess it only makes sense that since we've all been on our own we'll have to deal with getting ready to go on our own.

Jeju was great, don't get me wrong. These pictures with flowers prove that much. Forest and I got there early Thursday night (we didn't have to be there until Sat afternoon) so we helped Henry teach Friday morning and then went to lunch with his vice principal. The VP bought us so much meat. I ate raw beef- complete with a raw egg yolk mixed in... maybe salmonella and ecoli cancel each other out. When we met up with the rest of the ETAs it was great. I love the excitement of having 70 people I can talk to together. Quite the opposite of my town. We went to singing rooms, we drank traditional Korean wine, and we talked about what we're doing next year. We lived it up.

Advice

My friend Beth did a lesson about giving advice. Her 2nd year high school students wrote messages to the 1st year students. Sometimes I wish I could teach high school students. One of them wrote:

"Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."