Hwasan Elementary does not have central heating. Someone told me that the temperature changes quickly here. I can't figure out exactly how that is possible, or discernible. It goes from freezing cold to more freezing cold quickly.
The heaters were broken or turned off for a few days here in the English Lab. It was in the vicinity of freezing. We take our shoes off when we get to school and put on our indoor slippers. This does not help fight the cold. Though some of the kids wear over sized gorilla, or bear slippers... they look quite warm. I question if the kids can take their teacher seriously if I wear large bear feet.
The practice of taking off shoes before entering restaurants, or even the locker room at the gym carries challenges. Koreans manage to jump into their shoes like an elephant into a cup of water with ease. It defies physics but they do it. Mean while I fall all over people, or trip over myself. The area for taking off shoes is never large so agility is needed to dodge the people coming in, or going out.
On another note, I finished "State of Fear." Pretty good book but sometimes I felt like I was taking a correspondence course. Now I'm reading "Congo." I'll finish it tonight... thankful my neighbor has a decent size collection of novels. I'm not making headway on my Columbia History of the World, but its there just in case.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Hiking
Saturday and Sunday I went hiking. I didn't bring the camera with me, which in some ways was nice. To take a picture is a process. 1) Take off my gloves 2) Dig for the camera bag 3) Unzip and remove the camera 4) stow camera bag 5) power up camera and wait 5 seconds 6) take a picture or two 7) turn camera power on again because it turned off due to below freezing conditions 8) retake the same picture because it didn't take the first time 9) take out camera bag 10) stow camera 11) put on gloves 12) rub hands together until feeling returns.
It was pleasant enough to just enjoy the scenery. But I don't want to lose my readership. How many readers would read a newspaper without pictures-- and that's the news. Who is going to read a travel blog without pictures? Who is still reading? Case in point. I'll get some pictures soon.
After I climbed Gotchison the first time I blogged about how there is usually a reward at the end of climbs. Waterfalls, unique rock formations, incredible vistas... ect. I mentioned that at the top of Gotchison there is fixed workout equipment. I have hiked a few other trails 3 of 3 lead to more workout equipment. Dip bars, suspended elliptical, suspended twisting machine, pull-up bars, parallel bars, sit-up stations, push-up stations. There is a segment of this population committed to health/exercise/wellness.
I climbed Gotchison this time at a much faster pace thanks to my hiking partner Son Hyeong. He speaks mostly no English but was able to say things like, "Rocky Balboa," "No pain. No gain." "Goooooooooood." The courtesy of the people often times can be overwhelming. For example after the climb I was dusting off my shoes, because I did not want to get his truck dirty. Son Hyeong I think misinterpreted this by thinking my shoes were nice and I didn't want them dirty. He pulled out gloves, a frozen cloth, got down on his knees and started cleaning my shoes. I was embarrassed by this, but he was insistent. This is a typical gesture I find.
I happened to come across a deer-like animal. The head was more broad and it didn't give off any sense of cute like other deer I have seen. It was few hundred pounds, big. Maybe pregnant. It came down the mountain like a mountain goat, but less agile. Stumbled at the bottom 4 meters from me. Got itself together and ran. One other Korean witnessed this. Judging by his reaction it was a pretty big deal to see an animal like this, and this close. The Korean was hooting and slapping his hands together. Excited as a gorilla he was. I told my Korean friends about that, and they were very envious. My co-teacher who likes food quite a bit wondered if it tastes delicious.
It was pleasant enough to just enjoy the scenery. But I don't want to lose my readership. How many readers would read a newspaper without pictures-- and that's the news. Who is going to read a travel blog without pictures? Who is still reading? Case in point. I'll get some pictures soon.
After I climbed Gotchison the first time I blogged about how there is usually a reward at the end of climbs. Waterfalls, unique rock formations, incredible vistas... ect. I mentioned that at the top of Gotchison there is fixed workout equipment. I have hiked a few other trails 3 of 3 lead to more workout equipment. Dip bars, suspended elliptical, suspended twisting machine, pull-up bars, parallel bars, sit-up stations, push-up stations. There is a segment of this population committed to health/exercise/wellness.
I climbed Gotchison this time at a much faster pace thanks to my hiking partner Son Hyeong. He speaks mostly no English but was able to say things like, "Rocky Balboa," "No pain. No gain." "Goooooooooood." The courtesy of the people often times can be overwhelming. For example after the climb I was dusting off my shoes, because I did not want to get his truck dirty. Son Hyeong I think misinterpreted this by thinking my shoes were nice and I didn't want them dirty. He pulled out gloves, a frozen cloth, got down on his knees and started cleaning my shoes. I was embarrassed by this, but he was insistent. This is a typical gesture I find.
I happened to come across a deer-like animal. The head was more broad and it didn't give off any sense of cute like other deer I have seen. It was few hundred pounds, big. Maybe pregnant. It came down the mountain like a mountain goat, but less agile. Stumbled at the bottom 4 meters from me. Got itself together and ran. One other Korean witnessed this. Judging by his reaction it was a pretty big deal to see an animal like this, and this close. The Korean was hooting and slapping his hands together. Excited as a gorilla he was. I told my Korean friends about that, and they were very envious. My co-teacher who likes food quite a bit wondered if it tastes delicious.
Eastern Country of Decorum
Lately time has quickly converted to activity. I only have a few minutes to update the blog before classes start. I need time to prepare because I have my first and second graders first thing in the morning... you really can't go into battle with the children without a game plan. Downstairs in the main office two sided copies are being made with images of clothing, clothing word searches, and practice lines to write the words... today's lesson plan. I was able to exchange a quick Korean word with one of the teachers. Even "Hello" or "Anangasayo" pleases a Korean. Today I tried asking about his condition, "Kibunee cha wa?"
The Chinese many centuries ago remarked something similar to, "to the east is the land of decorum." Downtown in Jecheon there is a sculpture of 10 foot high books entitled... Modesty, Affection, Courtesy, and Knowledge. The fifth book lays horizontally across the other four. The fifth book is entitled, "Humanity." The foundation for humanity were the pillars, Modesty, Affection, Courtesy, and Knowledge (Knowledge was emphasized by spacing it apart from the other foundation books). The message was subtle, and very different than the messages we find in the United States.
The Chinese many centuries ago remarked something similar to, "to the east is the land of decorum." Downtown in Jecheon there is a sculpture of 10 foot high books entitled... Modesty, Affection, Courtesy, and Knowledge. The fifth book lays horizontally across the other four. The fifth book is entitled, "Humanity." The foundation for humanity were the pillars, Modesty, Affection, Courtesy, and Knowledge (Knowledge was emphasized by spacing it apart from the other foundation books). The message was subtle, and very different than the messages we find in the United States.
Monday, December 29, 2008
New Schedule
Winter break is upon us, and I have a new schedule. I work in a special English language education center within an elementary school. As I understand it this is a program paid for by city and provincial money. Intended to assist students in hardship areas. A large percentage of students take private lessons, one on one, or at a private school. This program brings resources to the students. Kids do not need to worry about transport, because this is an after school program with first classes starting at 2pm, and last classes ending at 7pm.
With school no longer in session, I am working a more normal schedule of 8:40am - 4:40pm. I go from school to the gym across the street. The gym is part of a larger facility that includes swimming pool, outdoor basketball courts, outdoor racket courts of some type, indoor squash courts, a convention center, and an outdoor stage. Multi use facility.
The free weights section is not very big, but enough. I am probably the 2-3 largest man in the gym. Koreans like the machines that you stand on and it vibrates, I'm not sure what it works out. There are also belts that shimmy and shake that are connected to a motorboat engine... or something. I think I've seen these in movies from the 50's and 60's.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
East Coast
This weekend marked the start of Winter Break. Parents from Hwasan Elementary sponsored a dinner (not pictured) for the teachers Friday night. The gesture was very kind and showed the appreciation and regard that families hold for their school teachers. Saturday was a day trip to the coast. A time for the administration to show appreciation for what I'm told was a challenging semester. The teachers, I included, enjoyed the trip. Here are a few pictures from our sushi meal, and the beach we visited. A snowball fight ensued immediately after stepping foot onto the beach. Also, we stopped at a school to visit their English center.... I'll upload those pictures soon.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
A short entry today because I have run out of time before class. Christmas was nice. Dinner with 5 Koreans and one other American. I got a haircut, that was my big christmas gift. The streets were lively as most people had christmas off. Here are some pictures.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Dinner and Alone in a Collectivist Country
Korean style restaurants typically offer one meat and an array of sides. For example, the duck place serves duck and 8-10 sides. The pig place offers multiple cuts of pork and 8-10 sides. And the cow place offers different cuts of beef and 8-10 sides.
Side dishes may include a salad like dish, kimchi, garlic and hot peppers, marinated onions, leaves to wrap your meat, a root vegetable, and a broth soup (sometimes it is the broth of the remainder of your meal (duck stew)).
When in a traditional Korean restaurant you typically eat on the floor, and cook in the center of the table over small wood, or charcoal grills. Western style is sitting on chairs at a high table, and having a menu to select food. Korean style there is only once choice, How many servings?
All this is to say that twice I have eaten alone in a Korean style restaurant. Both times I was invited to join another table. Once with a group of researchers and professors in the school of oriental medicine. Having more education they spoke enough English that communication was possible. Then I was invited by two men aged 29, and 35. They hardly spoke a word of English. What I did understand is in Korean culture people should eat together. Much of anything was lost in translation, but dinner got along well enough. All Koreans seem to have a Korean-English translator service linked to their cell phones. Often times when trying to speak or search for understanding a cell phone is brought out and they will display Korean characters with an English definition.
Side dishes may include a salad like dish, kimchi, garlic and hot peppers, marinated onions, leaves to wrap your meat, a root vegetable, and a broth soup (sometimes it is the broth of the remainder of your meal (duck stew)).
When in a traditional Korean restaurant you typically eat on the floor, and cook in the center of the table over small wood, or charcoal grills. Western style is sitting on chairs at a high table, and having a menu to select food. Korean style there is only once choice, How many servings?
All this is to say that twice I have eaten alone in a Korean style restaurant. Both times I was invited to join another table. Once with a group of researchers and professors in the school of oriental medicine. Having more education they spoke enough English that communication was possible. Then I was invited by two men aged 29, and 35. They hardly spoke a word of English. What I did understand is in Korean culture people should eat together. Much of anything was lost in translation, but dinner got along well enough. All Koreans seem to have a Korean-English translator service linked to their cell phones. Often times when trying to speak or search for understanding a cell phone is brought out and they will display Korean characters with an English definition.
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