Breaking the Silence

Writing a blog is difficult. I give credit to a man like Sherwin Jones who has blogged continuously for so long. He has given so much to the community and to anyone who visits Gyeongju. I give credit to my sister-in-law Julie who has started her first blog, "The House of Brown." It brings me such joy and hearty laughter to read about my brother's family that I wanted to start back up.

Time has moved so quickly. I left the blog sometime after visiting Japan to get a new Visa for work in Korea. Since then I've taught two semesters at Gyeongju University, enjoyed approximately 4 months vacation, went back to Cambodia and Thailand, visited new friends in the Philippines, sold the "Screaming Carrot," received my first gold medal in a wrestling tournament, quit smoking and started again, ran several hundred kilometers, biked a bit (including a 190km two day trip), had a temple stay, found the gym, lost the gym, started teaching corporate folk, taught English Camp in Jecheon, found the most perfect Chinese girl (Eleven is her English name), interviewed and hired 20 faculty, seen Hana grow-up-ish, talked to a mentor Dr. Cathy Akens, ignited my desire to see my family, and the rest is Star Wars like hyperspace blur.

Japan and Back

Wake up at 6AM. Taxi 5 minutes to the bus terminal. Drink a coffee out of the coffee vending machine. Get on the bus. Little over an hour later I get off the bus in Busan, Gimhae Airport. Board the Busan Air flight, small airbus with 3 seats to each side. 50 minutes later I'm landing in Fukuoka, Japan. Like going Miami to Orlando.

Convert my green bills for some fat beige bills. Wonder where all my green bills went... check again... 1, 2, 5... just five pieces of paper. It's going to by tight.

Shuttle to domestic terminal. 20 meters to the subway. Down. Size up the kiosk and step to the screen. Where's the English button. Gotcha. Okay... F-something something-machi... don't see it. Hit a button, another button, another button, panic as people behind me are looking onward with disdain (only perceived...disdain does not exist in Japan). Bingo. Subway... show the ticket make my confused lost face and a man points to a train and says "Okay." Okay is international and transcends borders, languages, cultures... everyone knows okay. Okay is better than yes. Yes can mean I don't understand. Yes can mean I give up so go away. Yes can just be polite. Okay is always okay, it is the real yes.

Train, 9 stops... or maybe 6. The subway doesn't seem as nice as Seoul's. But this is not the capital. Walk out and up. Hit the stoplight turn right. Walk till I see the Yahoo Dome, home of the Softbank Seahawks one of Japan's greatest baseball teams. Notice a Gap near the Yahoo Dome and smile that I just had a visit with the Samways. To the Korean Consulate. Closed for lunch. Walk around the nice neighborhood surrounding the consulate. Beautiful houses, Mercedes, BMW, and Harley Davidson... and great gardens with wonderful trees. Police tell me no pictures as I snap one.

Kill an hour walking around the adjacent shopping complex to the Dome. Then to the Hilton hotel. Then back to the Consulate. Drop off my passport pay 4,500 yen... expensive. Lose one of my paper bills. "Come back on Monday at 10AM." So I got the weekend. Walk for 3 hours till I find a guest house.

Guest house is full. Pretty girl says don't take off my shoes... shoes go back on. Says she can call another guest house for me. She does, makes a reservation for me, and I walk 30 minutes. It's nice, people are nice. Explain I'll stay one night.. if it's nice I'll stay longer. She asks for me to tell her if there are any problems. I walk into a small room 3 meters square or so. 2 sets of bunk beds. It's what I want. Cheap, clean, comfortable, and dorm style allows meeting people.

.... TBC

A busy week

Gyeongju University is on a march to Globalization. The president is currently in Switzerland working to build bridges with universities to create exchange programs. She will then visit Italy. Here at the White House, a term of endearment toward the newly painted white dormitory that houses 18 of our 60 foreign professors, we held an intensive English camp to prepare 120 students for 3 months in the Philippines.

I've now mentioned FIU as a potential school with a vibrant multicultural community, and internationally recognized school of hospitality management. The focus of our school here is tourism. We shall see if this fruits.

Things were a bit crazy with the students living in the bottom two floors, dining in the basement/cafeteria, and studying on three floors. We survived as did they. A few came down with illness, or just flat out gave up and went home. Stressful learning a second language, about to leave home, a home that is foreigner cautious and many never leave there surroundings.

The professors and our "captain of the ship" gathered frequently. Shared coffee, and talked about this or that. Sometimes we talked about the future, the present, or philosophy. Other times we made jokes at the expense of each and all. Those who worked hardest slept for minutes at a time. It's a nice atmosphere. Management that listens, is concerned, and willing to help you achieve your goals.

In the down time I've explored more mountain bike trails. Found some trails with flow.. that can be biked up... as well as down. One of our colleagues and his wife are cooking dinner tonight, myself and another will join. This is the pace of things.

Hiked the mountain bike up the mountain across the street. Then rode her down. A colleague said it couldn't be done. It was a black, or double black diamond comparable to skiing. So i did. Nearly broke my leg. Walked over a couple ledges after that. Came down faster than I went up... Could have done it a couple times. Back at it tomorrow.

Also some pictures from the green tea experience in Jecheon with the Eomimo group I had been volunteering with since October last year.

Why drink green tea?

Korea, Japan, and China have a green tea culture. Korean green tea is soft. The leaves are smaller, milder, and the movements by in the tea ceremony are soft. The right hand represents positive energy, and the left hand negative energy. Thus the woman covers her left (negative) with her right hand... and the man does the opposite. Each hides their thumbs. We bow.

The tools are laid out before us. A washing bowl, three cups, three wooden saucers, the tea pot contraption, the green tea ceramic piece, the wooden spoon, the top holder, a white finely made cotton cloth, and a large silk fabric red on one side blue the other that can cover the little tea table. We cover the tea table with the red side up to protect everything from bad spirits and energy. (Like the Korean flag, everything is in balance).

We poor hot water into one of the dishes, and softly into each of the others. We are cleaning. We poor this out into a ceramic basin to the side of our tea table. Then we carefully wipe the cups, (hanna, duel, say, nei) Again (turn, wipe, turn, wipe).

Ready. Green tea jar top comes off, and onto the top holder (everything has a place.. everyone has a place). 2 small wooden spoonfuls, or was it three. Then the hot water. Now we prepare the tea cups. Using one hand, but not the other. Fingers belonging in certain positions, and gestures choreographed. My partner is a 7 year old boy. He is doing most the work as his mom clicks photos and keeps saying let the foreign teacher... Moms.

We finally get to drink at some point. And we drink. Tastes soft. Now the Tea Ceremony Master tells us how we should drink. Much gets lost in translation. But the first sip is to be slow. The second sip is to grasp the taste. One's face looking in a certain manner that says, "ahhh wonderful, and I reflect on my life as I've never tasted tea quite so good as this." Or that's what I got. And the third is hardcore one-shot. Maybe not her words exactly.

Later we talk to Christina. She explains that a long time ago the legislative elite drank tea together... particularly when somebody came to visit your home. It was a way to show hospitality (hospitality being very, very, very important). It was also a way to sit face to face with people of different ages (maybe classes). As one does not drink alcohol facing somebody of higher position, or greater age than oneself.

So the 7 year old and I drank our tea face to face. He couldn't do that if he was drinking soju.

Jecheon to pick up the bikes.

I took the bus to Deagu... transfered and off I went to Jecheon on Friday. Met Matt at 7:30 for a morning ride. Introduced to his playground. A stage to jump, an elevated horseshoe shaped bench... and over rolling tombs to get there.

After participating in a traditional green tea ceremony I managed to get my bikes to the Bus Terminal. I was able to put them under the bus in storage... with my 50lbs backpack... what a pain. Then transfer buses walking one terminal to another... with my 50lbs backpack... what a pain. Then walking from the bus terminal to the Kei Suk Sa (3-5km) pushing two bikes... with my 50lbs backpack... then up the hill. the same hill people have taken taxis from across the street to avoid walking. The same hill ol' Henri stops twice to rest. Albeit he is 64, and I'm half his age. It's done. Bikes are in the basement. I've got one more method of diversion at my ready. Technically more... mountain riding, down-hilling, city cruises... possibly intercity cruises.

Pictures of me in a grooms Hanbok to come... for now the ride.

Cooking without butter

Staying with Matt and Tristan, having proper kitchens, reminded me the pleasures of cooking. I haven't put bacon into a pan, or had a pad for that matter in two years. Hit Home Plus. Three hours later I'm having American beef with mushrooms and onions in a red wine sauce... and an egg for good measure. Spices are somewhat limited. Salt and black pepper. Not even ground pepper. And everything gets the olive oil treatment having no butter. Now my 1o cans of tuna and 3 jars of peanut butter are looking anxious about their job security.

Finished the second week of teaching. Classes are going well. A mixed coffee was readied with a cup at my computer station in the classroom. Either this is the way teachers are treated, or I benefited from someone's absent mindedness. I think it may be the former. I remember buying coffees, and now they are provided. I remember carrying out the trash, and now it is handled. I recall straightening, tidying, and cleaning on hand and knee... now there are staff for that. There is also free time.

Free time is a bless to some, and others a curse. I've found time, as noted, to run. I walk the city frequently and at great length with camera in hand. I hope to have my mountain bikes and motorbikes here in the next week.

Shortly I'm heading to Jecheon to volunteer at the Eomimo "Green Tea Experience" on Saturday. I hope to hit the mountains for a sunrise bike ride with Matt. I'd also like to take a an afternoon ride to the lake. Should be a fine weekend. Then, I'll come home and cook something in oil on Sunday.