On Saturday, we headed back to the Gongju fortress to get out of Daejeon for the day. The winds and grim sky made it less scenic this time around. However, we proudly conquered "the great wall of Korea" by walking around the entire perimeter. Countless kids on Saturday field trips screamed hello, boosting our celebrity status for the day. Ha, ha. I also acquired a new rap name - Baby Bamboo. Watch out Lil' Kim.
All of the kids and our coworkers eagerly asked why the five American teachers were sporting multiple layers of green clothes. Jesse promptly pinched everyone not wearing the vibrant kelly green and reminded them of the beloved holiday known as St.Patrick's day. In all fairness, Jesse said he told the coworkers in detail last year and they should have remembered ; ). Needless to say, I don't think anyone cared too much about the holiday.
My students did like the elementary idea of "a lucky day with shamrocks and rainbows." My favorite response was from a young chap named Sam. After my picture description of St. Paddies Day, Sam followed suit with a doodle of his own. He threw up his hand and his purple, teddy bear notebook with the etched in code, "F13." Sam blurted, "Teacher, teacher...like unlucky day F 13 opposite?" Ha ha ha, sort of, Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. Oh funny kids.
At night time, we were greeted by cotton balls of snow. The flakes were unbelievably poofy and large. So while I'm naturally adverse to snow in mid-March, I could not help but admire the picturesque backdrop it gave to our Tuesday outing. We tromped to a nearby western-bar called "Texas" for festivities. There were few others in the joint, but we brought a solid group of 12 to make our own fun. Luckily, they had Guiness party sets including 4 beers with dried squid or nachos and a free shirt for 36,000 won. Sure that is about $9 a Guiness, but we took a hit for St. Patrick.
The best "green" outfit came from our hysterical Korean coworker Elin. After the pestering and pinching at school, she tried to find something green to avoid evening pinches. Alas, she showed up in style, rocking a green Christmas tree headband with twinkly lights. Nothing could be more respectable.
Most of the night entertainment spawned from an adult version of truth or dare. Everyone holds a fork or chopstick. One person asks a question, shouts a number from 1 -10, and everyone points to the most likely culprit. The person who asked the question has their fork pointed at number one and you follow the consecutive fork points till you reach the number called. The loser wins the title and has to drink. This got out of hand with awkward questions like, "Who is the biggest pooper?" Thanks Jake.
Everyday we troll the streets and brush off the countless stares from head to toe. But the biggest shocker is how frequently people point and blurt out, "Waeguk-in" or "A FOREIGNER!" The only place I don't hear this phrase 20 times a day, is if I happen to be on a day trip in Seoul. It is amazing how acceptable this outcast designation is here. I feel like if I pointed and yelped "foreigner" at passerbys in the US I get wacked with a purse or at least spit on. I suppose the unbelievable homogeneity of our city makes it more understandable.
While it used to bother us, we've adjusted to this as a normal occurrence in our lives. Jake has developed a new tactic of telling people on buses he is Chinese, Japanese, or whatever ethnicity seems more unlikely at the moment. They always looked flustered and rattle on. It's comical.
Grading diaries and essays is a regular part of our job. It is often difficult to navigate the errors and it truly highlights some of the complexities of language; specifically the major structural differences of English and Korean. I often sit stumped trying to unscramble and make sense of the young ones efforts such as "succulent plant store is go to buy." But alas, these pesky notebooks bring us loads of daily laughs. A recent "winner" has prompted me to post a blog. It all started with a puppy named Dambi...
First I received a cute diary about a girl who loved her aunt's dog Dambi. And about 2 months later another Dambi entry appeared. "Do you remember Dambi? I hope so. This weekend took a hike with Dambi. I love Dambi. She is playful. But my father don't like Dambi cause Dambi has had make a shit on his car." I tried to teach her that poop was more appropriate. FYI: Very awkward body language was involved.
Jake's recent winner was a compare and contrast essay comparing adults and children. ...will finish shortly.
With March first off, we decided to take a weekend trip to the east side of the country. Gyeongju is rightfully nicknamed "the museum without walls" and has countless sites to wonder at around town or further off in the mountains.
We arrived in the afternoon on Saturday and marveled at gigantic tumuli tombs jutting out of the otherwise flat landscape of the small town. Further along, we found ancient temples, ponds, observatories and more. Numerous sites dated back to 751, when the Silla dynasty reigned. Ancient objects such as crowns were excavated from the ponds and tombs to attest to the history. We enjoyed a luxurious meal of ssam bap for lunch with over 28 side dishes of vegetables, fish, and meat to wrap in a leaf of one's choosing. The town didn't exactly have a hopping nightlife, but we managed to find a London pub and some cards to pass the time.
Sunday morning, we were pleasantly surprised by sunshine and warming temperatures. Unfortunately, the city bus tour was full, so we had to navigate the local bus lines for our excursions. The first stop was Bulguksa temple which was created by Prime Minister Kim Dae-Seong to honor his parents of the current life. This world heritage site highlighted the skilled craftsmanship of the Silla period with each intricately carved pagoda, painted mural, and decorated roof. After a treacherous bus ride up the mountain we arrived at Seokguram Grotto; Kim Dae-Seong's temple for the parents of his former life of course. Atop of the spectacular mount and inside one of the modest temples was a brilliantly carved stone buddah for all to see.
The last big plan was to visit the sea on Monday, but the rain would have none of it. So we bidded Gyeongju farewell. While I wished it was cherry blossom season, I feel content with the amount of beauty we got to take in.
Here are some shots from around Daejeon. Recently, we ventured to the new art museum exhibit titled "Fragile." Everything is made on delicate materials. The most resonant display was a silhouette of a boy soldier literally burned into paper. The large clay statues emulating suicide and guilt were also moving. While 1/2 of the exhibits were interesting, the other half appeared to be made by highschool students. It wasn't quite as cool as the previous "Universe" theme which had numerous interactive, space activities. Regardless, it was worth 5,000 won.
Another day trip included a jaunt along the river walk to the National Science Museum near Expo Park. Sadly, this museum was a bit too kid oriented. Yet, the astrology robots, slanted gravity house and earthquake maps made it an enjoyable visit. Don't forget to put your dog in the "PET" garbage can - ha, ha - I'm not quite sure what that means.
The next pic is at the Shisha House. It's a local bar in Gungdong near Chungnam University. This cozy spot is one of the few places in town Jake can find a microbrew.
The laugh out-loud shot is me at Kraze Burger. You may notice a gigantic teddy bear at my side in the booth. No, that isn't an amazing Valentine's day gift, but rather an everyday decoration at a burger joint in too-cute Korea. Another highlight of this otherwise ordinary restaurant is their "health" menu. Thank the calorie gods cause their healthy burger includes the following stacked: burger, double cheese, bacon strips, lettuce, tomato, burger, double cheese, bacon strips, tomato (no bun, duh!)....with a side salad. Live life balanced and well ; ) Right.
The last few weeks we have been keeping busy. January 13, 14, and 15th marked the Lunar New Year in Seoul and an extra Monday off of work for us - wahoo! Jake and I headed to Seoul for a Valentines day weekend. We met up with my friend Derek who is relocating to Taiwan soon. That night, we found an underground bar with cement tables and wire fences. It was reminiscent of a jail and I questioned the location. However, the music selection was refreshing and a nice change from K-pop jams.
The following day we rendez-voused with Sabrina for some sightseeing excitement. To Jake's dismay the much anticipated Mexican restaurant was closed along with numerous other eateries for the New Year. We ended up eating handmade mandu's at a minature shop near Insadong - not Mexican, but still delicious. Later, we strolled to Gwanghwamun Plaza where we surprisingly stumbled upon a large parade and festival. Check out the pictures for dancers, drummers, kites, Mozart, and more!
The highlight of the weekend was the theatrical show NANTA. This Stomp-like banging bonanza takes place in a Korean kitchen. The head chef, manager, handsome guy, sexy girl, and nephew create a hysterical dynamic through bickering, butchering, and battling. This nonverbal show captures a handful of cultural quirks and uses audience interaction to keep the laughs rolling. I highly recommend catching it if it comes to your town.
Yesterday, we checked out Bomunsan Mountain in Daejeon. We recently got some new neighbors to add to our circle of friends and Forest came out with Jake and I for the hike. The mountain is across town, but totally worth the trip. The bus drops you at a cross-way. You feel like the city disappears behind you and you fall into the countryside. A slender road winds up the hill speckled with local restaurants run by elderly buddhist Koreans. It is peaceful and all are welcoming. We had some homemade bibimbap (rice with local mountain vegetables) along with the side dishes. After fueling, we began the journey up. The day was marvelous with the temperature close to 50 degrees while surrounded by snow covered grounds. It felt like Christmas all over again. The pictures capture the views from the two peaks we climbed to. The sun was bright, but a vague overcast blurred the skyline. I must warn you, we had a brief run-in with some mountain lions, I mean cats, that kept us entertained. Plus, the hills were slick ice patches and the boys had some comical sliding contests on the way down. Luckily, I only bit it once. All in all, it was an excellent journey.
