Weekend in Busan

Sat. 7/6  Busan

This afternoon we headed over to Busan for the weekend.  Lee, the other Fairfax teacher, and her host teacher, Minju, joined us.  Busan is the second largest city after Seoul.  So lots of traffic and lots of people!  (Refer to the maps from the blog entry “School and Host Family Introduction” for a geographic reference.)

We stopped at Igidae Park first and hiked around a bit by the water.  The weather was really nice in the afternoon, which made Igidae a popular Saturday afternoon destination.  Finding a parking spot near the park was a challenge – similar to trying to find a place to park at Fairfax Corner on a Friday or Saturday evening or in DC any time!

View of Busan from Igidae Park!

Me and Lee

Me and Yeji

Hotel room in Busan

After our hike we went back into the city to look for a place to stay for the night.  We walked in and out of different hotels and motels until we found one that offered the best quality for the price we were willing to pay.  We found a really nice room!

I loved the translation of the sign on the door of the fire exit!

Sign on the fire exit door

After we dropped our stuff off at the hotel, we headed over to Haeundae Beach.  By then, the weather had turned a little cloudy but that did not stop many of the beach goers from enjoying the water and sand.

Me and Lee at Haeundae Beach

We walked around the beach for a bit and came across a full stage with seating set up right on the beach.  It turns out that the city of Busan was hosting something called World Camp this weekend, and tonight was the performance!  We stuck around to watch a few of the acts.  We got to see traditional dance performances from Indian, Thai, and Korean dance groups.  Here are a few videos from the Korean dance performance.  This particular performance told the story of Korea’s struggle against the Japanese invasion of the late 1500’s during the Joseon Dynasty:

After that we were were hungry of course!  Since Busan is right on the water, we thought some kind of seafood meal would be fitting.  We didn’t need to wander far.  Almost every restaurant on the market street boasted tanks full of the various fish and crustaceans caught that day – right in front of the restaurant to entice hungry passersby.  Here is our feast for the night accompanied by some makkeolli (rice wine).  Pictures courtesy of me this time! 

As my mom pointed out to me, it seems like all I have been doing since arriving in Korea is eating!  I just love to eat and everything has been fantastic and delicious – a completely different kind of eating experience for me – so I really want to share it with you :).  Also, for the Koreans, food and eating are a big part of the cultural experience, so I think they have been going above and beyond in making sure that I have the chance to experience all of the culinary goodness that is available here!      

After dinner we wandered through the markets and shops, took in the lively night life scenery of Busan, and caught a few more performances at the World Camp stage on our way back to the hotel.  Tomorrow morning we are heading to the spa!

Sun. 7/7  Spa Land!

Today we headed to Shinesegae department store to spend the morning at the spa.  A little note about Shinsegae:  It is officially the largest department store in the world and is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as such!  

If you think Tysons Corner is big, Shinsegae is even bigger!  The pictures that I took don’t quite do it justice – it has a dizzying amount of stores and levels. 

Bottom-up view

Bottom-up view

Top-down view

The spa is located in one section of the lower level of the department store.  Going to the spa is a very popular activity among Koreans.  Admission to the spa was only about $10 since we got there early!  The spa has a range of sauna and hot steam rooms, relaxation rooms where you can lounge on comfy chairs to nap or watch TV, as well as various natural spring water baths.  Spa Land also offers a choice of massage and body scrub services as well a few restaurants and cafes – all at an extra cost of course. 

After the spa we wandered around the department store for a bit.  Shinesegae has everything from clothing and home good stores to an ice rink, movie theater, book store, grocery store and even a golf course on the top level!  You would need a whole week or more just to explore all that Shinesegae has to offer. 

We headed back to Changwon in the afternoon and spent a quiet evening at home.  Yeji has started to teach me how to read and write in Korean.  The Korean language is called Hangul.  Right now I am learning the basic vowel and consonant character combinations and practicing the pronunciation of each.  I even made some flashcards!  Learning a new language – especially one with such a different alphabet – is a truly humbling experience.  I think this is good for me to know what it feels like again.  Learning a new language can be a very difficult and sometimes overwhelming experience and I am reminded of the feelings – and sometimes frustrations – that my students must feel every day.  But it is definitely fun to be a student again! :)

Korea Week 1

Wed. 7/3  Doeji, Dinos, and Kebobs – Oh my!

Here is Gyeongwon High School in Gimhae where I will be spending most of my time!  

Gyeongwon High School

Gyeongwon High School

This morning at school while the students and teachers were doing their final exams, I had some more time to work on lessons and presentations for next week.  Here is a picture of the teacher workroom where I am stationed.  

And here is my work space!  

The teachers who have desks in this workroom are the teachers who do not serve as homeroom teachers.  Homeroom teachers have a different workroom.  In Korean high schools, rather than the students moving from class to class, the students remain in their homeroom classroom all day and the subject teachers rotate in and out.  A student’s homeroom teacher is there to greet them in the mornings at 7:50 until 8:40 when their first class begins.  The homeroom teacher is also in charge of managing students’ behavior and providing discipline if necessary.

For lunch, some of the English teachers took me to a restaurant that serves doeji kalbi (grilled pork ribs).  My gracious hosts were of course worried that some of the food may be too spicy for me.  I assured them that, no, Korean food is not to spicy for me and that I love eating food such as kimchi!  They also wondered if I have had the experience of trying soju yet, which is a distilled, vodka-like rice liquor and the most popular drink of choice.  I said, yes, I have had soju before, but politely declined in partaking in shots of it during lunch J.     

After lunch we grabbed some coffee and then were invited by another English teacher, Yeongjoo, and her husband, Andrew, to see Jurassic Park 3D at Gimhae’s cinema.  Yes, Andrew is American J.  He is originally from San Diego.  He has been living and teaching English in Korea for five years now.  It has been a while since I’ve seen Jurassic Park, and watching it in 3D definitely provided for a whole new way of experiencing the movie! 

After the movie we headed to a part of town that is known for its wide selection of “foreign” food.  There are a growing number of immigrants here from various East and Central Asian countries drawn to Korea in part by the factory jobs available in the car industry here.  This particular section of town hosts restaurants ranging from Indian, Uzbek, and Moroccan to Mongolian, Vietnamese, and Thai food.  Our original plan was to try out the Mongolian restaurant.  I was anxious to see how Mongolian food in Korea compares to traditional Mongolian food but sadly the restaurant was closed for the evening so we chose Uzbek instead.  We had a delicious variety of bread and meats served in the style of what we know as kebobs. 

The kindness and generosity of the Korean people continues to amaze me.  What a great day!

Thurs. 7/4  Pa jeon and Makkeolli

Pa jeon

Happy Independence Day!  While I did not eat any burgers or hot dogs or see any fireworks today, it was still a fun day!  After exams were finished, a few of the teachers took me out for lunch for some pa jeon – looks like a giant, circular pancake consisting of vegetables and commonly seafood – and some makkeolli - a rice wine that is milky in color and a little sweet in flavor.  I’ve added a picture (once again courtesy of Google images) to give you a visual.  According to the Koreans, if it is a rainy day, pa jeon and makkeolli are the food and drink of choice to pass the day!  And rainy it was!

Hotduk

After lunch headed to Nampodong (outside of Busan) with another English teacher and her family.  Nampodong is her hometown, so she wanted to show me around.  Even though it was still raining, we walked through the street markets and shopping areas there.  Bought some cute souvenir gifts at a teeny-bopper shop and ate some yummy street food – fish on a stick, blood sausage, and hotduk (see Google pic), which are fried pancakes filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts.  Delicious! 

Another great day of good food and good company!      

Fri. 7/5  Gyeongju

Today we spent the day in Gyeongju with our teacher hosts as well as a few staff members from the Office of Education.  Since Gyeongju is such a highly valued and popular travel destination among Koreans, the Office of Education planned and hosted this trip for us.  Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla, under which Korea was first unified.  The kingdom of Silla ruled for almost 1,000 years from 57 BC – 935 AD.  Gyeongju is often referred to as “the museum without walls” because it hosts so many famous and historical sites.  If you are interested in reading more about Gyeongju, check out this site:  http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=255885

We had the chance to visit the Gyeongju National Museum, Bulguksa Temple, and Seokguram Grotto.  Here are a few of the pictures from today:

Gyeongju National Museum-

The Gyeongju National Museum hosts artifacts from the Silla Kingdom.

Divine Bell of King Seongdeok (a Korean National Treasure)

Bulguksa Temple-

Bulguksa was constructed from 751-774 to serve as the center of Silla Buddhism.  Though some of the temples were burned by Japanese invaders in 1593, some of the main buildings were reconstructed and restored from 1969-1973. 

Rub the golden pig for good luck!

Seokguram Grotto-

The Seokguram Grotto is a Buddhist stone temple located on Mt. Tohamsan and was built around the same time as Bulguksa Temple.  The Seokguram Grotto is considered to be one of Korea’s national treasures and was chosen as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1995.

Drinking from the mountain spring brings youth!

Samgyetang (stuffed chicken soup)

For dinner we had samgyetang – stuffed chicken soup with ginseng.  It was literally a whole chicken stuffed with rice, dates, and ginseng in each bowl!  The flavor was amazing.  Here’s another Google image:

Definitely had the chance to learn and see a lot today!  We called it an early night.  Heading to Busan for the weekend in the morning.  

School and Host Family Introduction

Mon. 7/1

Jet-lag got the best of me last night!  I could not sleep.  The upside – I had some time to update the blog.  And check Facebook.  And e-mail.  And read.  I am hoping that coffee and the excitement of the day will get me through… J

Office of Education

We were picked up at 8:30 this morning by our host teachers and taken to the Gyeongsangnamdo Office of Education.  Gyeongsangnamdo is one of the nine provinces that make up South Korea (see map below).  There we had the chance to meet some of the officials and staff members of the School Policy Division, specializing in English Education & International Exchange, who helped to coordinate this exchange.  We also had the pleasure of meeting the Education Governor of Gyeongsangnamdo (similar to a superintendent position, except he oversees the schools and teachers for the entire province).  We were encouraged to learn and enjoy as much as possible about Korean culture (and food!) during our time here.  We assured them that would most definitely not be a problem J

As we were leaving the Office of Education, our attention was drawn to a large sign on display at the top of the front steps.  The sign read “Welcome to Gyeongsangnamdo Office of Education Lee Braddock and Carrie Zill.”  Of course we had to stop and take a million pictures!  I don’t think I have ever had my name on a sign before!  The pictures were taken on Lee’s camera, so I’ll post some later.

Gyeongwon High School

After the picture-taking session, Lee and I parted ways to go to our respective schools.  The school where I will be spending most of my time is Gyeongwon High School, which is located in the city of Gimhae.  It is a public high school with about 1400 students and 70 teachers.  The students here are in the equivalence of 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grades.  I had the chance to meet the principal and vice principal as well as some of the teachers. 

For lunch, the principal, vice principal, and some of the teachers took me to a traditional Korean restaurant.  We sat crossed-legged on the floor at a low table and were served dish after dish of beautifully prepared food in all kinds of colors, textures, flavors, and smells.  It was a really fun – and delicious – eating experience.  At first they were concerned that I might not be able to use chopsticks very well, but I assured them that my travel experiences throughout Asia prepared me well J

After lunch we returned to the school and I was able to stop in on a few of the classes to say hello.  Here all of the classes are segregated into boys and girls classes.  I was introduced to a few of the girls classes.  As soon as I walked in I was greeted with resounding applause and excitement and a few cheers.  I told them that I felt spoiled – my students back home never greet me in such a way J.  I could tell that many of the students were very shy and hesitant to ask and answer questions using English, so we mainly communicated by translating through the teacher.         

Host Family

After school, my host teacher, Yeji, took me to her home where I will be staying for the next five weeks.  Yeji is young – only 24!  She lives with her parents, grandmother, and younger brother in an apartment in Changwon which is about a 30 minute drive from the high school in Gimhae.  Yeji’s father is also a teacher.  He teaches geography at a school in Changwon.  Her younger brother is in the military.  Military service here is mandatory for all males for two years after they turn 21.  Her family is extremely nice and welcoming.  For dinner we ate at a nearby restaurant that specializes in shabu shabu.  Shabu shabu originated in Japan and is cooked family-style in a hot pot.  Thin slices of meat and various vegetables are added to the hot pot to cook.  Once ready, you use your chopsticks to pick out the meat and vegetables and then dip them in any of the numerous dipping sauces available.  I unfortunately cannot take credit for the images that I have included below (thank you Google images), but I wanted to make sure to give you a visual.  Once again, a beautiful and delicious meal!

After dinner, my lack of sleep from the night before hit me hard.  I was out like a light by 8:00.  Good night!

Tues. 7/2

School

This week, starting today, the students are taking final exams, so their school schedule is a little different.  The students test in the morning and then go home by early afternoon – similar to how our last few days of school work.  So I won’t be working with any of the students the rest of this week.  I will have the chance to meet with some of the other teachers as well as some time to prepare lessons and presentations for the students next week.  Yes, the students will be coming back to school next week and the week after.  When I asked why the students come back to school right after completing final exams, I was told that the students come in order to start preparing for next semester which starts at the beginning of August! 

Here is what a normal day looks like for a Korean high school student –

Students arrive at school by 7:50am to their homeroom class.  Their first lesson begins at 8:40.  They have four lessons in the morning, then lunch in the cafeteria, then four more lessons in the afternoon.  After the afternoon lessons have finished, the students get a little break, eat dinner – again in the cafeteria – have independent study time from 6:40-9:00pm, and then go home.

The students I met yesterday were a little envious to say the least when I explained what our students’ schedules are like…

Lunch – Pizza with…potatoes?

So for lunch today, some of the teachers suggested that we have Western-style food – pizza!  It was pizza with a Korean twist.  We had potatoes on one kind of pizza and bulgogi (thinly sliced, marinated meat) on another.  Once again, delicious.

Clayarch Gimhae Museum

After lunch, Yeji and I went to the Clayarch Gimhae Museum.  This museum is unique in that it also provides studios and facilities for artists of all kinds to work, and then the artists' creations are displayed in the museum!  It is the only one of its kind in South Korea.  Here are a few pictures from the museum.