A delicious dinner party

Sometime earlier this week, Violet (the woman whose wedding I attended in December) asked me to come to her home for a small house warming party. I told her I would absolutely love to go! I purchased a book before I came to Busan about Korean culture and tradition and I remembered reading about what to do if invited to someone's house. It seemed there were a million things I had to remember and I didn't want to offend anyone. But Violet and her husband, Zach, are young, so I knew they wouldn't be too upset if I did something wrong.

I arrived at Violet's studio apartment with Stella and Julie, my co-teachers at school, and first thing is first... must take off my shoes when I enter a home. She had made us spring rolls that we could fill with delicious meat, veggies, etc and then dipped in a bean paste. It was so good! Violet offered me a fork, but I was having a surprisingly good day with chopsticks, so I was able to navigate my way through the food just fine.

After we ate, Zach poured us all wine. Now, I know there's some kind of tradition and a sort of rhyme and reason to how drinks are supposed to be poured, but I think they kind of skipped on the rules so I wouldn't be embarrassed. I tried to be respectful by holding my cup with two hands and I believe I was then supposed to pour the drink for him, but Violet did instead. Then we ate fruit and cake and watched videos from their wedding and honeymoon. It was such a fun night! Here's to hoping I didn't embarrass myself too badly...

Adventures in Geoje-do!

My friends and I decided to mix it up and go to another city to see what it had to offer. We chose to go to Geoje-do, an island near Busan. A bridge was just completed sometime last month, so we were able to take a 14 dollar round trip via bus instead of a 40 dollar ferry ride. The trip was only about an hour and a half and we got there and back fairly easy. While there, we went to an abandoned amusement park that closed down several years ago. We wanted to see it for ourselves, take some pictures and get creeped out. Read more about the park and what happened there:

http://www.nileguide.com/blog/2010/08/28/8-abandoned-theme-parks-abroad-open-for-exploration/

Anyway, we asked around and eventually got directions to it. After walking up monstrous hills and asking for a little more help, we found the entrance and "snuck in."

Upon entering, we stopped immediately in our tracks when we saw other people there. It was at this point we began to fear for our lives when we saw these people were also holding guns. I decided to turn around and forget about the entire thing, but Kavita (the girl who went in first with me) started to talk to the seemingly nice gentlemen. Turns out, it was just a giant game of tag with BB guns. They were more than willing to stop what they were doing for a while to let us explore and they even wanted to stop and pose for pictures with us.

It was bizarre walking through the park which has been left to mother nature's mercy. Trees have started to grow around the rides and the paths are barely walkable. I don't know how much of the story is accurate, but it was still fun to walk around. It's strange that it has been left for abandonment, seeing as it's not far from town (once we knew where it was, it was easy to see from different parts of the city). It would be interesting to return to Okpo Land in 10 years to see what kind of shape it's in.

Hurricane Busan?

I can't really explain the cold here. It doesn't snow which is nice. But it's windy. And it's not "oh, that was a sudden gust of wind!" It's "oh my gosh, the wind is stinging my face and blowing at me no matter which direction I walk, how is this possible, get me into shelter where I'll probably be just as cold." I feel like the bone-chilling cold has taken a toll on my body in a number of ways. And I've admittedly become a hermit as of late. To say I'm excited for the summer is an understatement.

But being a hermit wasn't all that bad this weekend. I saved some money, which I desperately need to do with my trip to Hong Kong coming up so quickly. And I got to do something I felt pretty good about. There's a group here in Busan called ATEK- The Association for Teachers of English in Korea. They put on all sorts of events and coordinate volunteer opportunities throughout the city. With the help of the organization, I was able to spend time at the boys orphanage here in Busan on Saturday. About 15 other volunteers and I went to "Boys Town" to spend time with the kiddies. We split into two groups, one group played basketball and the other did crafts. I cheered for basketball, I didn't play it, so I stayed with the group that made crafts. The little boys came in and my heart instantly melted- they were SO CUTE. Every month, they learn new English words, and this month's topic was weather. So we went over some basic words with them, then they made some groovy sunglasses to wear. We played a few games with them, brought out the play-doh and then gave them snacks. It was a small time out of my day that I would have otherwise spent sleeping. I think the little ones genuinely enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to spending more time with them in the future.

Happy 2011!

A new year already? I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was ringing in 2010 at home and preparing for my last semester of college. Now I'm living in Asia with no idea where my life will take me next. I hope this update finds each and every one of you healthy and well!

It's been a pleasant few weeks since I updated last. I spent new year's with a lot of great friends here in Busan. We had the day off on Friday, so a few friends and I headed to the Busan Aquarium. I hadn't been yet and it was fun to walk through. Although I'm not really a fan of sea life, it was still enjoyable.

The kids are on winter break now. I believe they'll return to school in February or March from what they've told me. So we've had a few class changes. I now have a one-on-one class with a new student named Zanobia (exotic, right?) She's going to university in Seoul in March. She's from a small town right outside Busan, but while she's on winter break she's staying with her aunt here in the city. She's so interesting to talk to. She paints and plays a traditional Korean instrument, though I forgot what it's called. She said she came to our school so she could have conversation with a native English speaker, so I'm going to look forward to just talking with her as well. She's already taught me so much.

Happy 2011, everyone!

Christmas time in Busan

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas! It was a little odd being away from home this holiday season, but it was made easier with great company.

To be honest, it didn't really feel like Christmas. I had to work on Christmas eve and I didn't have the usual traditions that remind me it's close (like putting up the tree, etc). On Saturday morning I was able to wake up and skype with my entire family while they opened the gifts I sent them which I really enjoyed! They sat me in the corner and for a moment it felt like I was right back home. When my mom asked if anyone else wanted a piece of dessert and I said, "I do!" it felt like it was possible to just reach through the screen and grab it. The best part was convincing my brother to eat some of the dried squid I sent. He did not enjoy it whatsoever.

For dinner on Christmas night, about 30 friends got together in Hauendae for a buffet. It was delicious! So many choices and all western food. Finally able to use a fork. And the free wine wasn't too bad, either.

I hope this post finds you well. Merry Christmas to all!

More tension

I think to myself... There have been thousands upon thousands of foreigners that have come to South Korea to teach English and I know I'm not the first one to keep a blog about the experience. How many posts have been titled "tensions rise in Korea," or something along those lines? Go to CNN.com right now and you'll see about 10 articles with a slightly varied headline.

All of this comes from the attack from the North that happened back in November. I wrote about it shortly after it happened, thinking nothing would come of it. But today, tensions rose again as South Korea held a military drill (ok, I don't know the exact term or lingo). The North said this was grounds for war which absolutely blows my mind, but more-so breaks my heart.

What if there is war? I'm registered with the consulate, I would receive word and I assume I would be asked to leave the country, which I would. But what brings tears to my eyes and a heavy feeling in my heart is the fact that all the Korean people living here have nowhere to go. So what, I get on a plane back to America? Well this will still be going on here. I could go through my entire year without war breaking out and I would return home and these people would still have to deal with the constant threat of attack.

When will the violence end? Why is it still happening 50 years after the Korean war "ended?" And how are these people so brave to deal with it their entire lives?

I've been here for about 4 months now. I'm terrified at the thought of war on the peninsula. But the Korean people are so unconcerned with it.

No people should be accustomed to bloodshed.

Love is in the air

I went to a wedding this weekend which was an interesting event, indeed. I don't really know how to explain the weddings. I think I would compare it to a Vegas-style ceremony. The whole thing seemed somewhat rushed. It started almost as soon as we sat down. I wouldn't say it was as intricate or emotional as Western weddings, either (although I have no idea what anyone was saying). When we first got there, we got to take pictures with the bride, who is my director at school. Her name is Violet and she looked absolutely beautiful! I got a little teary-eyed when I saw her. Such a stunning bride.

We went into a big room inside a building used just for weddings, in a nutshell. It had several different rooms that all looked the same, all used for the same purpose. It was very open and it didn't feel private. There were a few songs sung to the couple then Violet and her husband bowed to both of their parents. They also poured the champagne and cut the cake (with a katana) but they didn't eat or drink it. Then the both of them walked out and some funky music was played. The couple came back and took group pictures, first with family and then with friends. My co-workers and I were the only "way-gooks" (foreigners) in the picture so I'm sure we'll stick out like sore thumbs. We didn't know what to do, so we just smiled dumbly at the camera. We all got tickets to a buffet so we went and ate with other people, presumably coming from other weddings. Violet came in to greet everyone after we ate and she was wearing a traditional dress called a "hanbok," again she looked beautiful!

It was different compared to Western weddings, no doubt about that. A co-worker of mine told me that there are still traditional weddings in Korea, but they are far less common and they involve roosters (no joke). But I'm happy I got to experience it! Something I was hoping I would during my time in Korea.

Alix and I put together the gingerbread house my mother sent to me. It didn't taste good, but I think we did a fine job constructing it!

PS. Wondering what to get for a wedding gift? Money. I believe about 20,000 - 30,000 is standard. Maybe a little more or less, depending on the situation. You'll get a white envelope at the wedding where you can write a congratulatory message and slip the cash inside.