Kaleidoscope...

Oeamri Folk Village of Asan

2008-01-19T07:38:00.000+09:00

On Saturday, I went with my friend Gillian from Australia and Grace from Korea to the Oeamri living folk village in Asan.

Asan is the town next to Cheonan city. We were lucky enough to get a ride with Grace in her car. Bonus!

At the entrance of the village is the village totems, carved from cherry wood. They are believed to protect the village and provide good luck under the Shamanistic belief systems that many traditional Koreans ascribe to.

Despite the chilly weather (evident in the frozen water in the stream!), it was a beautiful day to be outside and appreciate traditional Korean architecture and way of life.

The Folk Village is interesting because it has preserved its traditional way of life. Most Koreans live in the fast-paced rat-race cities, but they still remember their roots and culture at places like the Folk Village.

The quaint straw-and-wood bridge leads to a village of about 50 straw houses (belonging to peasants) an 10 tiled houses (with Oriental-style "giwa" roofing) belonging to the nobility class which is called the "Yangban" in Korean.

It is called a "living folk museum" because local residents still live in many of the houses (although storming into their homes to take photos is discouraged!)

So I tried my hand at some traditional Korean games, and pounding rice with a giant mortar and pestle.

The village is located just under Seolhwasan mountain, which provides a lovely, rustic backdrop. Water flows around the village in artificial waterways, which provide water to the houses. I tried preparing cloth for a blanket by pounding on it (photo below), but this seemed like much too much work for a good night's sleep!

The folk village is also a popular location for Korean movies and TV-series, which use the houses and gardens as backdrop. You can imagine princess and princesses relaxing on the raised platform, and servants chattering in their quarters at the back of the house.

This picture shows a brightly-painted screen used during wedding ceremonies.

So, the traditional houses are made with paper walls and mud ceilings. Whoever decided that paper was a good insulator against -18 temperatures, should be shot!

It was a great trip, ended off with some delicious Korean food: Samgyeopsal, which is like Korean-style bacon in lettuce packages with red bean paste.

Thanks, Grace, for being such a gracious tour guide! (-; I'm sure translating 101 farm implements from Korean into English is not easy!

Korean random acts of kindness

2008-01-11T11:35:00.000+09:00

Now, you know, I haven't always been very flattering about the people whom I have come to work with. Korean culture, their Confucian (confusion?) code and zombie-style work ethic have made me question what good I could ever do in being here. But today I reflect on just how Koreans have warmed my heart. It has made my stay here far more pleasant, and carried me through the difficult time that I have had recently.

Like my former high-school students who are off to university this year. They email me regularly with news about their life, relationships, worries. They take the effort to keep in touch, despite their imperfect English. It means a lot to be able to continue the relationships we started through the medium of e-mail.

And my Korean friends from church who go have coffee with me and talk so sincerely and hold my hand (Korean-style) and I feel like the only culture barrier between us is of my imagination. They don't find treat me like the mutant I can feel surrounded by pint-sized caramel-skinned dolls.

My adult classes (both my beginner and intermediate class), care for me so individually. They say "beware of cars" in this one-horse village, have parties for me when I feel homesick and treat me like a friend rather than someone who they pay exorbitant amounts to learn English from.

My grade 1's, who say in their little snatches of English "teacher don't go!" and are genuinely devastated about imminent departure. Starting my work hours with them every morning or afternoon has been an absolute delight.

I love the handwritten notes from my kid's moms delivered by their kids. Note the decorative cards and letters. Note the origami-style folds.

Random gifts from my kids. From the cute (stuffed toy animals, slippers, jewelry) to the bizarre (weird things made from ginseng, dried seafood, undecipherable skincare products), each one is appreciated because its a sign of their love and generosity. They do "shopping" at our school as reward for good work, and often buy us things with their "shopping dollars", despite the fact that all the goodies belongs to the school anyway!

The owner of Paris Baguette who always greets me with a friendly "Hello Jenni" and basically learnt his entire English vocabulary so he could always speak English to me in his shop. Not to mention my birthday cake from him. And my three other birthday cakes from students.

When kids say "Teacher is very cutie!!" Everything from my hairstyle to my furry shoes to my pink cheeks have been considered very cute(y) or beautiful by students and random villagers. The fame! (-; My naughtiest grade two boy basically composed a song to me which goes: "Teacher, your hair is like honey..!" He's eight, I think its still allowed!

The Koreans from my church have tried their best to reach out to, and befriend me, despite the fact that I always made a beeline for the other white-skinned foreigners. What was I thinking? Now I feel like I have a lot in common with many of the Koreans, but mutual shyness kept us distant for a long time. Oh well, I guess you can't learn all your lessons in one year.

Also, for this bus-hopping foreigner, being offered a lift by Koreans in any situation is a big deal. (Wow, driving in a car!) I never ask, because it could become rather exploitative (the Koreans all have cars and the foreigners don't). But they volunteer out of their own with thoughtful regularity.

Oh, and I love when the Koreans say that my accent is actually clearer than the Americans! Of course, I know this, but try to convince them. Because as we all know, the USA is the country of Shakespeare, Pope, Swift, Bronte, Austen, and even J.K. Rowling. (-; It is only through their incredible largess that the rest of the world can use "their language". Ha.

Probably my last month in Korea will be when I most strongly appreciate the warmth and compassion of the Korean people. Its not a bad way to leave.

Winter Wonderland

2008-01-09T10:39:00.000+09:00

Late December and early January in Korea have been scenic and freezing.

With temperatures hovering between 2 and -5 degrees, it was only a matter of time before the snow fell, and then failed to melt. This happened dramatically as I was returning on Sunday from a weekend in Seoul with Sunny. You can see the snow starting to fall at the train station in the picture above.

So my village of Shingye-Ri was transformed into a winter wonderland, with snow both fresh and white.

The little river froze over.

And I braved the cold to try to get some action snow pictures.

My kids enjoyed the cold by playing in our school's bright colored ball pool. Aren't they cute?

I love how the traditional houses have snow collecting on their roofs.

The farmlands were also made unfarmable by a thick layer of the magic white stuff.

Not only does the snow look gorgeous, but it is fascinatingly powdery to touch, yielding beneath my fingertips. It was only a matter of time before I started making snowballs, and having no one to throw them at, threw them at trees and walls, like a kid.

You can see the tree outside of my apartment, dusted with falling snow, like icing sugar.

On the weekend in Seoul, I went to Insadong, an artsy shopping street which is the heart of traditional Korean crafts.

They even have a Starbucks, written in Korean traditional script.

Insadong has beautiful traditional houses, screens and delicious Korean food.

I bought a backpack-full of traditional crafts and gifts in Insadong, so perhaps, if you are good, you will receive a gift from this fascinating place.

I had to brave the snow to make it to church on Sunday. The steps of the Nazarene University were slippery under the falling snow.

Korea truly does have four distinct seasons, now that I've been in Korea for nearly a year, I've had the privilege to experience all of them.

So long for now - until we meet again.

2008-01-01T09:46:00.000+09:00

Semper Fidelis

A tribute to my friend Liam Jordaan

Who died in a car crash

Driving from East London to Knysna

3 October 1982 – 30 December 2007

It starts with a heart as numb as ice
That turns to shattered glass.
It will end with the romance of eternal rest.
Stretching memories to last.
But while the ice is still on the wound
Let me pen a teary tribute
To the man who taught me : Semper Fi
And lived his creed: Always faithfully.

I once was a fool of peace, of sweet soft words that fall soothing like the rain. But now I release a savage beast, that stalks the ground where he could not remain.

It started like a lifeboat, in a sea of smiles
It rescued me from falsehood in deceptive times
It reeled me in, thought it was right
That he should be God revealed to me that night.

But no longer will I say the kind, tender creed of gentle goodbyes that rock no boats. It is an insult to his memory not to rage and tear and want to stop the spilling over of yesterdays.

It ended on a quiet morn
That took me away, took me far north.
If I had a diviner’s foresight I would have clung and cried and fought
Instead of waving weakly and waiting out the barren year
And relishing the reunion that was ripped when it drew near.
Terminal goodbyes
Terminated.

If I regretted my love
Regretted voicing each misguided part,
Now I am redeemed
Knowing that he could depart
Still wearing that cursed banner of my heart.

The sand and the water run the Ocean’s course
Sharing fleeting moments on an East Cape coast.
But sand runs dry and salt water slips back into the Ocean's path.
So we could not cement our bond,
But followed where we believed the current bore us
To remain or break free was not our choice.

Beautiful creature, struck so short in years! Can’t the sand and sea run together one more time before he disappears?

So instead of wise things, things that count
We whittled away God’s gift in foolish ways.
Loving and fighting and hurting and helping
And failing together to live up to what we were trying to be.
Dancing in, a happier year in a loaned house
We ransomed our hearts
Till the last.

But no longer will I let my anger rest beneath the brim. When I should’ve broken up those broken-down East Cape roads to stop him.

It ended with goodbye to one mistake
That drove him to the end of his earthly chain.
Then from that car, Liam was snatched away
To watch the wretched machine from his new heavenly plane.
Where he feels peace, knowledge, restraint
He leaves me with nothing except empty threats and tired replays.

So while I do not share his view from space
I'm isolated in my own disgrace.
Who knew what feelings we reconciled?
As loved brother and sister of the Chosen Child.
To calm the storm
To balm the great big chapped wretched debris of my heart.

His God, my God, what do you say about what transpired?
Do you delight in setting mortals up with hope and horizons and then to deny it?

He was a man of exquisite, gentle truth
He planted a seed, to flower, but the tree had no time to grow.
He will not be left in darkness, but will give birth to light
Always as faithful as the first who fought the good fight.
Semper Fi.

Korean election day - 19 Dec

2007-12-22T00:22:00.000+09:00

So Wednesday was a freebie vacation for me, because it was the Korean presidential election. I spent the morning having coffee with my friend Julene, who has a heart for international ministries and for reconciliation and for Africa - who has, alas, gone back to her hometown in the US for the next couple of months. It was a spiritually enlightening conversation for both of us.

In the afternoon, I went to Italy Hair to have highlights put in my locks. They had done this about six months ago without the trauma usually associated with foreigners at Korean hair salons. But this time the stylist started slapping on peroxide indiscriminately, and I felt my heart sink into my socks.

So after a lot of furious gesturing, they realised that the resulting luminous carrot-orange was not the color I had in mind. They were very kind and apologetic and offered to fix it "service", which means, for free.

So rather than risk more highlight-horrors, I chose a light golden brown. As you can see, the result was rather nice, and of course, they styled my hair into Korean-style sumptuous spiral curls. If only I could get this effect every morning!

In the evening I attended a small party with my Intermediate Adult class. It was at Annie's house, a globe-trotting Korean who showed us all fantastic hospitality. She put out a delicious spread of seafood, sushi, kimbap, sausage, salad and real cheese! The cherry-on-top was that she had found some South African red wine at E-Mart, and this was supposed to help me feel less homesick. It was definitely good medicine for that.

So Annie (in the purple shirt) is going to South America in January, as this is the only continent she hasn't visited yet. She also told me about her intriguing cross-cultural romance, but I will just leave it at that. Annie is a great role-model and her Korean name means "talented at languages." She is certainly living up to it.

Wesley (in black and yellow) is a die-hard English student, who has recently got married. He and his wife are expecting their first child, so I think they are experiencing a lot of excitement and nerves. Wesley has been called a perfectionist, but I think he is just a hard worker who has high standards for himself. I guess you have to aim for the moon, if you want to reach the stars.

Jin-Ho (in black clothes) is usually quite quiet and respectful. He is a bachelor who seems married only to his computer and the ladies in my class take every opportunity to tease him about finding a wife. He also loves cleaning cars and said that if he ever did volunteer work, he would do laundry work in a disaster area. (He also likes pizza very, very much.)

Hyun-Joo (red shirt) is a mom of two young kids and she has a lovely jazzy voice. She wants to study English at university and become an English teacher for Korean kids. I think she will make a great teacher, because she is very caring and able to express herself well in English. She is looking forward to sending her kids to Kindergarden so that she can have some peace and quiet at home!

All in all, I had a lovely evening with my class and appreciated their concern for me. They really helped me to see how hospitable and warm Koreans can be. I know it can be intimidating for Koreans to speak to foreigners, but when they reach out to us it definitely makes coming to Korea worthwhile.

Korean wedding weekend fun

2007-12-09T09:28:00.000+09:00

So Saturday was Calvin's wedding. He was in my Bible Study when I first arrived in Korea and he's a lovely guy. A whole bunch of church friends went to his wedding, which was in a little chapel in the middle of nowhere. Now, unfortunately the Koreans sometimes do a "Western style" wedding, which is like a bad impression of what they think an American or English wedding is like. So there is a white dress and a pastor, but it all happens quickly with slightly tacky edges.

For example, the wedding cake is fake except for the top layer, and they shoot streamers out of trumpets. And the bride comes down the church on a cart through the mist, which is pumped through the floor of the church ala phantom of the opera.

But Calvin looked trendy, and Angela looked gorgeous. And although I didn't understand much of the Korean message, it seemed very sincere.

And supporting a friend in making such an important step is of course, mandatory.

After having photos taken with the wedding couple, we went to the lunch buffet. The food was truly delicious, with Korean, Japanese and other Asian cuisines represented.

Then the couple took part in the intimate, traditional Korean part of the ceremony. They exchanged their tux and gown for bright red and blue hanbok. They then perform a series of gestures full of symbolism, that as Westerners, we do not truly understand, although it was beautiful to watch.

For example, the mother-in-law throws jujubes into the bride's skirt at this time, which means that they wish them to have many children. Jujubes signify riches, honor, and male heirs in Korea. There is also a lot of bowing to everyone, and the groom has to bow to the guests, to his in-laws and to his bride in an extravagant head-touching-the-floor style.

So now it is almost mid-winter and really cold. If you don't believe me, check out the ice-sculptures outside our downtown shopping centre, Yawoori. These blocks are solid ice! They have been left there for a couple of weeks, and show no sign of melting.

On Sunday I said goodbye to Betsy, our church musical star and close friend, who is going back to Redding, Northern California. Betsy is one cool chick, relaxed, creative and with no hang-ups. I will miss her a lot, but hope that my small attempts to teach her Xhosa and Afrikaans have left their mark!

So each Tuesday morning we have a "girls group" bible study at Starbucks.

In this necessary injection of sanity, we have been discussing how to live out our faith in a culture so different from our own. Its been really interesting hearing everyone's story. Although we are all English teachers in Korea, we come from very different backgrounds and countries. But what we have in common is that we are all trying to make a difference in Korea, and act as authentic Christians who are messed-up and flawed in a world that needs God.

You must be the change you want to see in the world. -Gandhi

The elephant song...

2007-11-23T00:00:00.001+09:00

I used this video song with my grade 1's in class today. They were in near hysterics! They wanted to sing it about six times. Now the tune is completely stuck in my head. If you teach little kids maybe you can use it too.

Trick or Treat in Shingye-Ri

2007-10-31T10:54:00.000+09:00

So autumn (or fall, as the Americans say!) is here, with temperatures plummeting and real colored leaves, red and yellow and gold. We don't get anything like the leaves here in South Africa. Truly stunning.

Shingye-ri is a small village on the road from Cheonan to Mokcheon, known primarily for a whole range of food and sausages made from blood (which I've avoided as much as possible!) Most of the kids who live in Shingye-ri come from poorer backgrounds, and most of them are very respectful and super-cute!

Even outside my window (below) the fall coloring of the trees are evident.

Shingye-ri is also really close to Independence Hall, the largest museum in Korea, and it is quieter and more picturesque than the big nearby city.

It has got lots of traditional-style houses called Hanok along with the big apartments that all the Koreans seem to live in. My boss Miekie and I are the only foreigners in the area (so we get lots of FAME and more than a little notoriety!)

I found a lovely short hiking route near my house, which starts at the Life-Long Learning centre, and courses through the nearby hills.

I enjoy taking walks there, its so quiet, with the smell of leaves and pine-cones and no one else in sight. My only other companions were the Korean squirrels and one large, red-ringed snake (?) which slithered across my path. Definitely a good place to escape from the surging mass of humanity that is Korea!

31 October was Halloween, which meant we had to desperately research what American schoolkids do for Halloween, since its a non-event in South Africa.

We decided on some traditional games such as bobbing for apples, and pin the hat on the witch, a Korean "ghost" game and the ever-popular candy treasure hunt.

As you can see, the kids really enjoyed it, although I thought some of the little kids were going to drown when their heads stayed under water until they had secured the apples!

One of my grade 2 kids has the English nickname "Jack". He was thrilled to discover that the pumpkin lights are known as Jack-o-lanterns. He said to me "Teacher - I am from Halloween!"

Happy (Korean-style) Halloween!

Everland... an epic battle of courage and cowardice.

2007-10-04T00:25:00.000+09:00

Let's just say I will never use metaphors like "I felt a rollercoaster of emotions" or "Life is a rollercoaster" lightly again...

So this is the last of the unforeseen holidays, a Wednesday sneaking up right out of nowhere, on the coattails of Chuseok.

After much persuasion, including being handed "The Bryson Ultimatum", I decided to join Betsy, Steph, Jackie, Erik and Matt on a trip to Everland, the biggest amusement park in Korea and my kids' favorite vacation spot.

Everland is a short subway trip to Suwon and then a hefty bus ride out of the city and into the mountains. It's a beautiful part of the country, with the leaves starting to change color. However, it was the man-made marvels that were on our agenda for the day.

Everland was decorated in Halloween theme with pumpkins and bats galore. It's a massive labyrinth and has even been rated as the 4th most visited amusement park in the world. So despite being a Disneyland knock-off, its certainly not second rate.

Now for a culture note about Americans. They get out of the womb and straight into a rollercoaster chair. These adrenalin-hungry thrill-seekers have long out-screamed the natural terror one could be expected to feel on death-defying rides. They are quite blase about it. I've seen pulses racing faster in a sleep clinic.

The Koreans aspire to American entertainment standards, but us Africans are a different breed. We don't really like for our feet to leave the ground. We get our natural fixes from things like muggings, high-jackings, murder and violence. So amusement parks haven't caught on in a big way, and I've never felt the need to get high on anything other than life. But that was all about to change.

We approached a low-key rotating ride called "Championship Rodeo." It starts off quite calmly, a gentle introduction. Jenni was happy. Then it picks up speed.

All of a sudden it is trying to throw its passengers from their carriages in a dangerous, psychopathic fashion. My friends throw their arms up and scream excitedly. I tried to join in, but only a slow dying moan escaped from my mouth.

As I curled up in a fetal position, I heard Matt commentating happily beside me "Oh, this ride is messing up my hair" or "The ticket lady isn't dancing very well." as if he expected me to be able to respond when i was trying to stop myself from gagging or passing out, or jumping from the cart.

My introduction to the land of the brave was not at all flattering.

Undaunted, we went on the "Eagle's Fortress", a seriously impressive rollercoaster with all the necessary turns and falls. During this ride, I managed to let out a few proper screams, which definitely helped. At least it lets you know you are still alive. But I still couldn't quite whistle a happy tune or simply remember my favorite things... I still felt pretty wretched.

The next ride was the "Columbus' which is a huge Viking-type swing ride. This one definitely leaves your stomach in the air while the rest of your body is rapidly descending. Erik kindly said "It helps to open your eyes"and I was naive enough to believe him and thus got a crushing view of us screeching towards terra firma at a 45 degree angle with a truckload of Koreans. Surely Columbus had it much easier than this.

So with adrenalin coursing in my veins and a glazed-over expression in my eyes, I went to explore the rest of Everland. I discovered all kinds of innocent, peaceful rides which of course none of my hard-core friends had wanted to go on. I really liked Aesop's village - it's very child-friendly and magical, with lots of nooks and crannies for kids to explore and non-traumatic games and adventures. I was still waiting for my own PTSD to wear off.

We went to a perfectly un-scary "Haunted House" ride where you shoot ghosts with laser guns. Another room in the haunted vein lifts up entirely and turns around 360 degrees, very "Harry Potter", and pretty cool in a mind-bending sort of way.

Everland also had this crazy Abba-style band, which performed Western songs in a mildly embarrassed manner. Although the singer was Russian, this is a good career option for Westerners who don't get into the English teaching business. Everland likes its performers as blond and Caucasian as possible. In a big auditorium they had all kinds of dancing - Spanish and Irish tap and acrobatics.

As night fell over Everland, we got swept up in an incredible light parade. Different floats represented various fairytale, and I could not help but wave at the characters on top of them. For me, it's quite easy to be as mesmerized as a child in a land of costumes and make-believe. Kudos also for the people I was with, who had a healthy store of child-like enthusiasm for Everland. Consequently we could all merrily regress together.

After the light show, we went on a calm, classic merry-go-round ride and then did some souvenir shopping. I bought a bat Alice-band which my students think is very "cutie", and take turns wearing at the hagwon. On the late-night trip back we tried to come up with titles for my creative writing proposal. Topics ranged from the ridiculous to the sublime..but unfortunately never reached the sublime. But it certainly made the trip go a lot quicker. Everland was another novel experience for me, a quick lesson in introspective psychotherapy and in every way unforgettable.

Chuseok in the misty mountains...

2007-09-26T10:58:00.000+09:00

This weekend and the first merciful three days of the week have been Chuseok - the Korean high holiday and somewhat akin to American Thanksgiving. In other words, the Koreans thank an unspecified deity for the harvest and celebrate by eating special foods like rice cake, gathering together at the home of their parents or grandparents and bowing to the ancestors. The Korean kids say its pretty boring for them, but its a few days off school, so who's complaining?

Having no ancestors or relatives anywhere in Korea, I decided to join Martie, Tina and Cor (the Van De Wilt crew) and a couple of their South African friends: Sigrid, Gabi and Lebogang for an all-South African affair, no substitutes accepted.

On Saturday we travelled to Soraksan, the famous mountains right on the North Korean border. Despite our fears for crazy Korean vacation traffic, the trip only took about three and a half hours. We stopped in Sokcho, the last outpost before the wilderness, to buy some supplies and then headed for the Sorak Youth Hostel where we would be staying for three nights. The Hostel looks motel-ish and bland from the outside, but the traditional Korean rooms were very cosy and the location was unbeatable, mountains on every side and a river running so close to our room that you could fall asleep to the sound of it. We made our beds on Korean matresses on the ondol floors and had a quick communal nap.

Now one fantastic thing about being on vacation with a bunch of South Africans... is the food. Perhaps it comes from our church-bazaar culture, or from a long tradition of carrying supplies accross the mountains during the Groot Trek, but the Afrikaners can't simply get fast food from a Korean kimbap shop. We prepared meat, fish, salad, barbecued veggies, the works on the equipment from our self-catering room and on the BBQ outside the hostel. It was "chop en dop" time in the Korean mountains.

It soon became anextended sociable affair of making food together, listening to jokes and drinking red wine. (they now even have one brand of good-as-gold Stellenbosch red wine at a supermarket here..sheer bliss!), playing cards and just taking it easy as night set over the mountains. One of the best finds of the trip was cheap-cheap local prawns, which were pan fried to a beautiful pink.

The next morning we left the sanctuary of our hostel and went to where the action was - the Sorak National Park. Soraksan is a misty craggy mountain set just next to the coast and rising up from green hills. After a fair walk from our hostel through the area, we entered into the lush green forests..along with about 1000 other Koreans. To say that Soraksan is popular is an understatement. Everyone from geriatric ajumas in rediculous bright pink hiking suit to a toddler strapped to a weary mom's back was hiking through Soraksan.

We bought some mielies (corn) from an ajuma and went to look at the Buddha statue and temple in the park. Soraksan is a holy mountain to the Buddhists, so there are many temples, but my SA friends were a little templed out, so I didn't get to see as much as I otherwise would want to.

What we did get to see were spectacular views: we bought tickets to go on the cable car up to the Gwongeumseong Fortress, 700 meters up into the mountains. The short 5 minute cable car trip was dramatic and exciting. You get a whole new perspective on the park, with its tall, ancient forests, the temples lying below you, the wet hills around you and the sharp jagged peaks beckoning you to them.

Gwongeumseong Fortress was a refuge for King Gojong during the Goryeo dynasty (1254) or so the story goes. From the cable car we walked to the peak.. where piles of stones mark the Korean flag flying on the highest point. From the top there is a panoramic view of Sokcho and the East sea. When you get close to the edge of the cliff (as I love to do!) old Korean ajuma ladies yell at you to get back. Surely they don't want to lose too many foreigners to the misty mountains.

On Monday we decided to go to Kanseong, a Lonely Planet recommended beach/lake town even closer to the North Korea Demarcation Line. I spent a lovely day just relaxing on the white sand, playing in the water and reading my courtroom/murder mystery novel.

After another evening of chatting, mountain air and obscenely-named card games, it was time to pack up and come back. The journey home was less glamorous. It took double as long as it did to arrive, as we decided (unwisely) to head through Seoul, where 25% of Korea's population were trying to get home after their celebrations, all on the same highway. But we got home in one piece in the end, a little ragged, but happy for the break.

Of course we have only had a taste of Soraksan and I hope to go back there in the early winter, when it truly lives up to its name of "craggy snow mountains". But Korea is such an incredibly beautiful country hidden beneath a dirty urban veneer. I will try to remember that downtown Cheonan or central Seoul may be the economic heart of Korea, but its certainly not what makes this country breathe.

How good to be with my people again - to speak my language and remember who I am. Their humour, their stories, their perspectives, remind me that I am not as alone here as I sometimes feel I am. It was the best way I could possibly be refreshed.

All Hope Abandon - Ye who Enter here!

2007-09-19T11:13:00.000+09:00

Ahoy!

The Jolly Roger is flying 'neath a strong wind and there be the taste of salt and rum on my lips. Goin' to class, I took me eyepatch and pegleg and threatened misbehavin' students with my cutlass and hook (although not simultaneously.) I shouted "Avaste ye bilge rat!" to a boy who confused his verbs. I measured the gangplank for those landlubbers who hadn't completed their homework. What is the meaning of all this? This hearty wench is celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day today.

So why don't you join in the chantey and encourage a draught? Savvy ?

Each year on September 19th, thousands of buccaneer-wannabes and gentlemen/women of fortune gather together to use the lingo that immortalised literary pirates like Long John Silver and Jack Sparrow. TLAPD is a parody holiday created to celebrate the incomprehensible language of our romanticized and much-maligned sea-thieves. So my lilly-livered lads and lasses had to work smartly today, and much a yo-ho-ho was shared by all, although we were low on grog.

By the powers, my hagwon captain didn't spy me engaging in any mutineering or I might have received the black spot, forfeited my pieces of eight and be
sent directly to Davey Jones locker.

Let me end this TLAPD post with a quote from the immortal Guybrush Threepwood, nerdy, ineffectual pirate who sings:

"You say you're nasty pirates, scheming, thieving bad bushwhackers?

From what I've seen I tell you, you're not pirates - you're just slackers!

A pirate I was meant to be - trim the sails and roam the sea!"

Resentment vs Forgiveness?

2007-09-15T09:47:00.000+09:00

So I'm learning all about Jesus' idea on loving your enemies: the hard...very hard way.

The Koreans hate and resent the Japanese for the way they brutalised them in recent (and ancient) history. Being in Korea has given me time to unearth some strong and unloving feelings towards people who I think have done me injustice too.

Being on my own, I've allowed these feelings to fester, to grow and to be righteously justified. I don't want to love these people. In fact, I want nothing better than to plot their demise (even if I won't ever act on these ruminations) and remind myself just how badly I've been screwed over. Oh, how much fun bitterness can be.

So Jesus' ideas on love and forgiveness will always be crazy to us, because we can't see how it would benefit us. Yes, he always expects us to serve others, not ourselves. He always expects us to show integrity when no one is looking.

So I went back to the Greek and found that Jesus wasn't just talking about some schoolboy sissy enemy. He uses the Greek word echthros which means "to hate" as in "adversary, enemy, foe, hate, detest,abhor." When was the last time someone really abhorred you?

Jesus was even talking about the people who actively try to hurt you. When they persecute you, when they try to bring you harm by supernatural curses, when they threaten, mistreat and abuse. Yes, Jesus has covered His bases.

Lets face it, I'm never going to be able to conjure flowery warm feeling towards people who show me even a sliver of this. So waiting for the furry reunion is futile. Rather I've made myself act in a way that is 100% contrary to how I am feeling. I've started with a smile and a kind word, a genuine inquiry. I have a long way to go. I try to pray for them, that they will be healed and that they will prosper. I think that I am crazy for doing this, but I do it anyway.

God does something cool here. He gives me some positive feelings towards this person. He helps my unforgiveness. No social niceties can manufacture that. We can't try to forgive someone. I think only Jesus is licenced to forgive. But God gives us his forgiveness when we act loving and obedient.

One thing God didn't call us to do: He never called us to love selectively.

“Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

I sure as hell don't want to share in that fate.

Birthday weekend in Cheonan...

2007-08-27T00:25:00.000+09:00

On Friday night, we went out to the Red Rooster in Cheonan to celebrate the last embers of my birthday. This pub is very "rustic cafe" for those of you from Stellenbosch...and they serve watery Korean beer in big green bottles. Well after arriving with Cara and Matt, and scaring the Koreans off from a big corner table (sometimes it helps being a foreigner), I wondered if anyone else was going to turn up.

Luckily, I was wrong. Most of my foreigner friends from KNU church put in a showing... cool kids like Betsy, Jackie, Jo, Martie, Tina, Cor, Steph, Kim, Erik, Jason, Byron, Adam and Elisa, Gordon, Alfred and a couple more made the table burst at its seams. I got a good dose of red wine and interesting conversation, and I stayed over at Cara's place. Saturday morning was MacDonald's breakfast with a side order of real Americans, the hairdresser for some non-traumatic highlights... "eye-shopping" at Yawoori, and pasta for lunch with Betsy and Kim. I watched "Stardust" with Cara at the movies and then we went to Jo's place for girl's night with delcious salady-type food and some dancing in Jo's sweltering lounge.

I think I've milked this birthday for all its worth. But it was good while it lasted.

Happy birthday to me..!

2007-08-22T10:06:00.000+09:00

So Tuesday, being the 21st of August, 2007 - was the occasion of my 25th birthday (although that makes me 26 by Korean years.)

I wasn't planning anything spectacular, as it was a regular hagwon teaching day, but my kids really rose to the occasion. Although Koreans don't traditionally celebrate birthdays much (Many of them use the Lunar Calender which means that your birthday changes every year! Very confusing...), I got plenty of cards and presents..and no less than three and a half birthday cakes!

So Tim, one of my grade four's set the tone with his chocolate cake with tea icing. (It had cherry tomatoes on it - which is normal for the Korean palate and really bizarre to me...) Later I got a vanilla cream cake from my local Paris Baguette owner (how cool is that?) and in the evening, one of my beginner adult ajumas brought me a chocolate cake. It was great, because it meant that I had a cake for each of my classes (and I got to blow out the candles and be sang for three times!) I also got a mini mousse cake from one of my high schoolers today. Man, I'm glad I didn't buy any cake for my students. If any of you out there are still thinking about birthday presents for me, stay away from anything sweet and creamy.

More SA music...

2007-08-20T21:53:00.001+09:00

You've gotta love Johnny Clegg - international music spokesperson during Apartheid and able to blend Zulu and English together so seamlessly in his songs. A good song to practise your gumboot dancing to.

When you miss home...

2007-08-20T21:24:00.001+09:00

This song is by Jak De Priester, its called "Sally Williams Naugat." In addition to having lost the love of his life, this song is about all the strange things you miss when you lose your love: like sharing nougat from the Spar, and Sunday breakfasts, Tuesday night cheap movies, fake-leather seats, foamy coffee, sms and DSTV.
Anyone from South Africa (whether they lost love or not!) can totally relate.

Paju English village

2007-08-17T11:08:00.000+09:00

So today, instead of the usual grind of class time phonics and reading, we went to Gyeonggi English village on a field trip. The place is modeled on a quaint sort of Koreanised nineteenth century streets of London. Very different from the rest of Korea, that's for sure.

So the kids have to go through "immigration" and answer some English questions, after which we walked with them past the castle gates to the various role-play shops, post offices, banks and city hall. We ate a suitably Western lunch, where the Caucasian-looking waitress addressed us with "vat do you vant...?" which made me realise that not all the employees of the English village come from English-speaking countries!

We watched "A Long Time ago in Africa" theatre show which was fun for the kids and reinforced the vocabulary they have been learning. The English villages in Korea have been criticised for not being authentic villages, but merely simulations, and because they are so expensive to build and maintain and entertain the kids rather than educate them with useful English skills.

However, if the English village helps our kids to picture a world where not everyone speaks Korean and thus inspires them to study English and travel abroad... then it is fulfilling an important function.

Icheon pottery village

2007-08-15T10:32:00.000+09:00

Today was Korean Independence Day, (hail, the once-a-month public holiday!) and I boarded the bus with Cara, Stephenie and Suzie bound for Icheon, home of Korean pottery both ancient and modern. (If Adam and Elisa have gone there FIVE times, its got to be good, right?)

Icheon is famous for its traditional Goryeo and Joseon porcelain. We got to the Icheon Pottery village and started wandering around the 300+ pottery shops and exhibitions. Then we got fortuitously recruited by some brave Koreans and followed them to a back room where the pottery was being made. I got to play with a wet wad of clay on the wheel, which I find extremely therapeutic (beat that clay! pretend it is your enemy!) I decided to make a curvaceous vase with some help from my very patient Korean potter-teacher and I think it turned out rather nicely.

After making the vase, I etched a Korean-ish design onto it and added some paints for color. It will now be fired and delivered. Since all the instructions were in Korean, I really have no idea what color it will come out when its finished. (Black flowers and pink leaves weren't exactly what I had in mind?) We had lunch at a delicious traditional Korean restaurant in the village and then did some more pottery window-shopping. I bought a set of three miniature Korean jade-colored vases, which I think are lovely. No use buying any of the really big porcelain pots, unless you want suspiciously heavy carry-on luggage on the plane! (Apparently people have been smuggled out in some of the human-sized kimchi pots...)

D-War (Jeju in the movies)

2007-08-14T06:58:00.000+09:00

So on Friday I went to see the Korean-American movie called Dragon Wars, or D-War (디워) for short. It is based on a Korean myth about an Imoogi or giant evil snake that can turn into a dragon if it eats the chosen girl who has a dragon mark on her shoulder. So the Korean myths were fascinating but there was a bit too much high-tech monster fighting scenes for my taste. However, it showcased Korean scenery and had spectacular aerial shots of Jeju island. So it was awesome to see the spots where I had been on vacation in the movies! The giant snake first appears from Jongbang waterfall, which is surrounded by high rocks and pours out directly into the sea. So here are some more of my pictures of it...(unfortunately I didn't see the dragon.)

Initial thoughts on the Harry Potter series.

2007-08-12T09:49:00.000+09:00

What a ride it has been for those of us who have "stuck with Harry Potter until the very end"! I feel quite stunned, having just cast aside Deathly Hallows, to see how a children's book a decade ago has grown into something so emotionally powerful and complex.

I think it took a mother like J.K Rowling to write a story that hinges on Lily dying for her son. So Harry Potter is not so much about the power of dark magic, or white magic or as many have claimed - "the devil", as it is about the power of love to sacrifice and to sustain.

The whole series is driven by its convincing characters. I love how Hagrid tries to find the best in everyone ( monsters, dragons and giants included) and how we discover in Book 7 that Albus Dumbledore, far from being a flawless advisor to the hero, has his own dark history and issues. But characters have a habit of getting a life of their own, getting bigger than their authors intended. (Witness the famous example of Athur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.)

As the series draws to a close, the star of the show, is not Harry, who lives happily ever after. It is maligned and misunderstood Severus Snape, who left me spending most of the series wondering "is-he-good? is-he-bad?" and desperately hoping he would be redeemed. Each time Harry appeared popular or confident, Snape was crushingly reminded of Harry's father, James, who bullied Snape at school and who obtained the one thing that Snape cared about: Lily. The most difficult evil to conquer is the evil that resides inside yourself: Snape does this by protecting Harry, by the unrequited love he held for Lily that quenched his malice. His Patronus was a doe, like Lily's. She was his happiest memory and his protector too.

When Snape whispers "Look...at...me..." He sees Lily's gentleness in Harry's identical green eyes. Harry reciprocates this silent acknowledgment when he tells his kid, Albus Severus... "You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts, one of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew." Harry had more in common with Snape than he ever knew. And perhaps I identify more with the Severus Snape's of the world than the dazzling Harry Potter's of this world.

The Harry Potter series is finished. It was magic, in every sense of the word.

She's pregnant! ;-)

2007-08-03T10:14:00.000+09:00

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37 v 4

So when I arrived in the little village of Shingae-ri, to teach at a small private English school, I didn't know a soul on the Asian continent. But luckily these two people, my teaching colleague Natalie and her husband and IT-fundi Dave, were there to show me around, teach me the ropes and be my sanity in the crazy Korean adventure. Hailing from the Mother City in South Africa, the Stevens' couple are some-what unconventional, but entirely God-centered and two of the most awesome people you could ever get to know.

So Natalie and Dave have been trying to get pregnant for four years...and its finally happened, here in Korea! On Friday, the doctor confirmed that Natalie is four weeks pregnant. 29 March 2008 is the expected date. So Natalie is glowing at work (but apparent feeling wretched this weekend...) and Dave is floating so high he needs to be anchored down with a rope. You can see them holding the photos of the bundle of cells that is the beginning of their baby.

So Nats and Dave are leaving my school at the end of the month but I know wherever they go next, God will bless them for being such a shining example to everyone around them - and to me. And I recon its going to be one helluva kid.

Waterfalls and teddy bears

2007-08-02T07:34:00.000+09:00

I woke up in my God-sent room and easily found the Hiking Inn in Seogwipo, where the very helpful owner was able to suggest some sights that he thought I would enjoy. So with the sun still scorching up above as ever, I went to the Jeongbang waterfall, an easy walk from my hotel.

I love waterfalls. I love how their sound and majesty drown out all other noise. The Jeongbang waterfall is special because it is one of a handful of waterfalls in Asia which run directly into the sea. It was stunning. After walking in the water and getting thoroughly soaked, I sat on the rocks and read, just taking in the sound of it. In the distance, a greenery-covered island loomed - looking like something out of the Caribbean.

After the waterfall, I caught a bus to Jungmun resort near Seogwipo, an flashy tourist area with five-star hotels that made my mouth hang open. Of course, staying in one of them would have cost the price of my entire vacation, but it was still fascinating to see how the rich and famous (and honeymooners - everywhere honeymooners!) live it up in gold-accented foyers and private gardens and beaches. One of the hotels (Lotte) is designed to look like the Lost City in South Africa, but I recon the original is better.

So in Jungmun I went to the Teddy Bear Museum, as somewhat of a sceptic. I'm just not that into teddy bears. But it was one of the most unique museums I've ever been to. The original teddy bear was created in honor of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, and ever since then, teddies have been quite naturally suited to satire, and in copying famous people. The first exhibition called "History" included scenes from 1908 England, the Titanic, The Beatles, Howard Carter uncovering the Egyptian Tombs and Space Teddies. Many of the bears move and dance around their displays. For children of all ages!

The second floor is called "Art" and has teddy bears recreating scenes from Western art, such as the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, The Kiss and Van Gogh's self portrait. There is also a teddy bear picnic garden and a teddy bear shop, where I bought myself a Jeju teddy bear to take home.

These two photos show the destruction of the Berlin Wall and Disneyland.

I took a long confusing walk/climb down the hill to the Jungmun beach, which they evidently hide from us plebs who don't stay at one of the resort hotels. The scene from the top of the hill was beautiful. The beach itself was warm and fun, if a little crowded with Koreans trying to make friends. "Are you on honeymoon?" "Oh no?" "Why, alone?" The swimming was good though, as I had the deeper water all to myself (the Koreans don't swim but bob up and down in their inflatable tubes as big unbroken waves roll out against the sand).

In this sticky, moggy, gluey humidity, its tough getting out of the water.

As dusk fell I went back to the Hiking Inn. There was another waterfall that the owner recommended, and I was happy to see this in the cool dark of the evening. It is called Cheonjiyeon falls and its the first photo on this post. The whole park is lit up spectacularly at night (but unfortunately my camera couldn't capture any of its night-time magic!) You are supposed to be able to see a face in the falls when it is lit up at night, but this may be another fanciful Korean Rorschach . The park is beautiful too, gentle-running water, dramatic rocks and colored lights which really accent the natural foliage. The water was full of fish of all sizes, visible under the water, even in the dark. The time spent there, just watching people and watching the waterfall run its course, reminded me of Hogsback, far away in South Africa.

After an enchanted night I slept peacefully in my room and spent my last couple of hours in Jeju supporting the Jeju tourist economy with a sudden spending-urge. So aside from the Jeju teddy bear, I bought myself Jeju perfume (which smells like the citrus plants and subtropical flowers grown here) a moonstone bracelet and a Harubang stone frame for a choice Jeju vacation photo. And chocolate! Jeju's unusually flavored chocolate - read: pineapple, tangerine, cactus, green tea, chili - is delicious! So Jeju isn't just a big Korean hype, it's an awesome natural treasure-trove and well worth a visit.

Ferry to Udo Island

2007-07-30T09:01:00.000+09:00

On the second day of my Jeju solo adventure I caught a bus from Jeju city to Seongsan harbor on the East side of the island. At Seongsan port I took a ferry to Udo, the small, rural ,cow-shaped island that is supposed to offer spectacular views of Jeju.

Being the only Western tourist on the ferry, I soon attracted some fans. The ferry was an exhilarating 11 minutes of clear sky and sea-spray. Udo island is as unspoilt as few places in Korea can claim. There are actually small multi-colored houses spread over the island, and about 1000 people make their livelihood off the products of the sea and a couple of tourist shops. The atmosphere was sleepy and serene.

We walked around Udo, stopping to look at the cliffs which jut out over the ocean, and the green pastures where many horses and cows were grazing. Two of the best views can be seen at Udobong peak and the Udo Lighthouse. I got to see the famous female divers out in the ocean, dipping underwater to find abalone, seaweed and shellfish. In Jeju, more than the rest of Korea, women are valued because they are able to support their families in this unusual manner. I like how they are called the "Mermaids of Jeju", its a very romantic description for a bunch of tough-as-nails country ajumas.

I swam at one of the quiet, beautiful beaches on Udo. After that, I took the ferry back to Seongsan and went up Sunrise Peak. After a hot and sticky walk, we were able to take in a view of green mountain, plummeting rocks and undisturbed sea. Not sunrise, but well worth it at any time of the day!

From Seongsan I took a bus ride to Seogwipo city, on the bottom of Jeju island. But there was no place in my chosen inn! Sunburnt, tired, sweaty and out of ideas, I practically walked into a motel which was about as desperate for a customer as I was for a room. Fortunately it was cheap-cheap. And the room was comfortable and cool, if you discount the frilly pink decor.

Despite Jeju being surprisingly un-English, the Koreans seem really eager to help tourists find their way. Its also amazing how much you can communicate with a handful of Korean words and a willingness to mime. I ate some Jeju seafood, which I didn't really like, and retreated to my room, where I slept like the dead.

101 things to do in Jeju on 1000 won...*

2007-07-26T10:11:00.000+09:00

*1000 won = R8

The title of this post refers to the somewhat inauspicious start of my Summer holidays. I decided to spend 3 nights of my treasured vacation week in Jeju island, the Korean honeymooner's paradise. No honeymoon here, I was going solo. The day before my trip, I ignored the warning Korean messages on the ATM and typed in the wrong pin. So time to go to Jeju, and Jenni can't draw a cent from her account. The banks were closed and I left for Jeju with a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. The flight was about 45 minutes in a little squashed Asiana plane from Cheongju airport (which surely rivals my hometown airport in EL as the world's least impressive airport!)

Arriving at Jeju, it felt like the Eastern Cape in terms of weather, beach and foliage. I felt right at home. On Jeju airport I met the first of many Dolharubang - the stone guardians that litter the island with their round flat faces and monkey-arms. In Jeju I was able to find an sympathetic bank and explain my dilemma. The bank manager apologised profusely (when it was obviously my fault!) and I got the money I needed. No begging on the beach-front for me!

I managed to find and check into the Milano Crown Hotel in Jeju city and felt like royalty. But Jeju city is kind of Korea-slummy, as port cities go. Very little English spoken, but lots of Chinese and Japanese to accommodate Far East tourists. So, like a good Korean tourist, I went to see Yongduam dragon-head rock. This rock really does look like a dragon (but I was always one for Rorschach tests!), and the jagged rocks and calm blue sea made it a dramatic setting.

Next, I went to the Jeju Culture and Nature museum and got to learn a bit more about the Jeju-Koreans. I saw and read about the diving women of Jeju (dressed in their off-the-shoulder diving suits). It seems like the life of your typical Jeju person is still much more connected to the earth and the sea than other Koreans. Clearly not an easy lifestyle to follow in a such a modernized country. I spent some time walking through the gardens of the museum, and looking at the flowers, huts and pots that formed part of the outdoor display.

As night fell I took a bus home ... except that it took me in the opposite direction. I ended at Samyang beach - beautifully lit up, and had a quick swim under the stars. After that, I followed the advice of Tourist Information and went to check out the Jeju port summer nights free concert.

On a big outdoor stage, a Korean orchestra entertained a very receptive crowd (clapping, commenting, singing along) with some traditional Korean songs and sentimental Western ones. I got myself "adopted" for the night by a Korean family now living in Macao. They came to sit with me and chatted to me and said "Lets enjoy the music together", which we did. I was so touched by the genuineness of their kindness that it left me close to tears. After the concert we spent some time walking and chatting through Jeju and then they took me back to my hotel. Truly some of the nicest people I have met. Random acts of kindness can change the world.

Thus ends the first day of my holiday. And I wasn't taking it alone. Not only did I get to meet some wonderful people, but I had God as my constant travel companion. When I think of all that can go wrong because of my foolishness, my shyness, my temper, or the mistakes of others, I remember all that went right because of Him. Today He has blessed me. He has not forsaken me. May I remember Him in the noise and the chaos, as much as I remember him now, in the stillness.

Comrades reuinted

2007-07-19T11:48:00.000+09:00

I'm stoked as a well-tended fireplace to have my long-time partner-in-crime, Sonet Roodt, aka Sunny visiting in South Korea for a month. She's substitute-teaching at a hagwon and working for Yonsei Baptist Church in Seoul.

So I was happy to show Sunny around Seoul on Tuesday. This was easy, since I have extensive knowledge of Seoul geography and I never ask for directions. Instead I listen for the suburbs to call to me and then follow where they lead. Luckily Sunny wasn't standing for any of it. We did some shopping in Itaewon "the epicentre of sleaze in Korea" (much beloved by me) and I was able to visit the hallowed "What the book?" English bookshop on Hooker Hill. After that we had time for a quick visit to the nearby War Memorial and then Korean dinner.

So Jenni has always felt uncomfortable about the mega-churches in Korea (and elsewhere). Where the cost of the latest technology and most impressive sanctuary could feed a small African country. Where the church takes (and demands) so much time from its members, that they have almost no time to spend with other people, or with God, for that matter.

But Sunny loves Yonsei Baptist (with its +10 000 members, with its 100 Billion won new buildings) and she has found it both supportive and spiritual. Perhaps this is another area where I need to leave behind culturally-critical lenses and look beyond this church's gleaming gloss. Perhaps they are being blessed by God for doing something very right? It could be.

Philippians 1. 18 "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached."

Are you happy? (Or: Daecheon Mud Festival)

2007-07-15T07:50:00.000+09:00

It's been five months in Korea. Five months of culture shock, new food, new friends, new travels. Just hair-stand-on-end newness. Nothing South African at all in a country that speaks one language and shares one cultural identity.

I feel right out of Gulliver's Travels, a stranger in a land of midgets! Where the rules operate so differently from my own - sometimes I'm the hero and sometimes I'm the freak. Like Gulliver, I don't know whether to marvel at what I see or idealise what I have left behind.

The Koreans ... their insane work ethic..and even more insane alcohol-work ethic... their refreshing openness, and shocking directness. It's easier to learn English words than to learn how to use them in a Western context. And just learning the English words is an uphill battle.

One thing I really admire about Korean culture is how young Korean guys treat each other. Teenage boys show such public affection for each other, hugging and walking arm in arm - surely the rest of the tough guys out there can learn something from Korean gentleness!

On Saturday we went to the famous Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon beach. So the mud from this area is supposed to have many minerals that are good for your skin. But aside from that, people are always looking for an excuse to get muddy, so the mud fest would probably be popular even if it was just ordinary sand stuck to your face!

As I arrived in the bus, I was able to watch a procession of Korean musicians playing traditional Korean drums. There was a definite carnival atmosphere. It seemed as if every white-skinned foreigner had crawled out from under a rock to attend on Saturday.

Now, so many drunken, loud, near-naked mud-covered foreigners can be a scary, scary thing. But we found our little spot on the beach among the masses. The sea with perfect - warm water and glimmering sunlight. Time to get muddy!

So we walked in the mud bath and painted ourselves with mud paint. And the mud felt pretty good on my skin. (So perhaps the Boryeong tourism board didn't invent the medicinal properties of the mud entirely!) It dried into a white ghost-like chalk. After the required five minutes of mud on skin (to soak up all the goodness), we went into the stunning ocean, to wash off and swim. Swimming out far enough provided some escape from the madding crowd. Mud Festival was an awesome, crazy experience.

Now for the five month assessment:

Am I happy being in Korea? Happiness is such a temporary state, so influenced by the events of the day. Now its weekend, so I'm happy. Monday morning, I probably won't be. Life can't really be based on such fickle changes of mood and entertainment. Living in a country that is this foreign requires a certain amount of flexibility in the definitions. There are days when I miss home, and the lingering unease of disconnection from South African family and friends.

But I think I've learnt how to make Korea work for me. I've learnt the value of friendship, and the value of God-ship (the character of God), which is infinitely higher. I'm learning (the hard way, and the easy way) to rely on the Source, not on people.

Am I joyful? Am I at peace? Without knowing tomorrow's plan, I can only rest in the life He has given me, in the place He has put me, and the opportunities He has provided for me.

May He continue to hold my Korean adventure in the palm of His hand.

The magic of Shin seiki Evangelion

2007-07-05T00:57:00.001+09:00

In 1995, a clinically depressed Japanese writer by the name of Anno Hideaki wrote 24 episodes of anime for a struggling company called Gainax. This series, in English called "Neon Genesis Evangelion" went on to become the most influential piece of anime of all time.

And I think it the best thing since pirates.

Evangelion is definitely not for children. Its graphic, brutal and emotionally disturbing. It draws on the psychology of Freud and Jung, the philosophy of Nietzsche, Sartre and Kierkegaard and the religious symbols and traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism. Some of the intertexual references in it are so subtle that they feel like the writer's secrets.

NGE allows you to be a voyeur into the dreams, ambitions and fears of the Japanese people, while seriously questioning some of your own assumptions as well. This soliloquy by Rei Ayanami (in Haiku form) is from one of the later episodes. Rei has reason to feel more than usual teenage angst...she's not exactly human..and about to face her origin.

What bliss to come back from a hard day's teaching and watch Evangelion on my laptop - furtively trying to trace the clues Anno has left behind.

Gyeongju- museum without walls

2007-06-25T11:36:00.000+09:00

On Saturday morning I caught the early bus to Gyeongju. Being a history and culture nut, I really wanted to see this famed city, home of the 1000 year old Silla dynasty. So the three hours of bus-time solitude was welcome. I couldn't take my eyes off the view - despite the industrial progress and all the dirty cities, Korea is still covered in green woolly mountains, as green as a child's coloring picture. I was happy to arrive without incident and to meet up with my fellow South-African, Martie and her Australian friend, Georgia.

After last weekend's train trip to Seoul and this weekend's bus solo to Gyeongju, I feel like Korea is my oyster, as far as travel is concerned. That's saying a lot for someone as directionally-challenged as myself .

So shortly after arriving, we went to the East sea (the Japan side of Korea, not the China side of Korea), to a place called Bongi beach. There we saw the Underwater Tomb of King Munmu. The legend is that he wanted to be buried in the East Sea so that he could turn into a roaming dragon that would protect the coast from invaders... lets just say it put us off swimming at that spot! There were many people burning incense and offering candy to his spirit there, so obviously they take the idea of King Munmu prowling around quite seriously. We ate some expensive fish soup (and tried a sea snail snack..which was less than appetising).

After our beach adventure we went back to central Gyeongju for more tombs! Seeing dead people is about as much fun you can have! So many of these Silla-dynasty kings are buried in these huge green grassy mounds. (They look like a scene out of Lord of the Rings). Each has a story attached to it, like the king whose body fell from heaven and landed in five parts, so each part was buried in its own special tomb! The kings are also protected by animal guardians, usually represented by stone figures. Pretty creepy...

Just around the corner from the park, was the traditional Korean-style house where we would stay overnight. It really made me feel as though I'd finally arrived in the "picture-postcard ancient Asia" buried somewhere beneath the crazy traffic, laptops and spitting teenagers.

With the rain falling, we headed to Bulguksa temple and wandered through the forest. Mount Tohamsan was considered a holy place by the Buddhists, supposed to ward off Japanese invaders. We chased butterflies, birds and frogs through the mist, never encountering any other people. Truly an enchanted place.

Returning somewhat soaked, we spent the rest of the evening being warmed up by some fantastic traditional Korean food and red wine drank out of copper bowls. (Not a expected coupling!) Then back to our Korean bungalow with its paper and wood blinds where we could fall asleep listening to the sound of the rain.

On Sunday we went to Yangdong folk village, which has buildings dating back to the 16th century alongside villages in which people live very much the same way as they always have (except some now have satellite discs stuck to their thatch roofs!). We walked quietly among the vegetable gardens and rice paddies.

From Yandong folk village, we hitched a ride on the back of old blue bakkie (truck). Nothing beats clinging on for dear life as you speed through the Korean country-side, wind blowing through your hair, with the Korean driver yelling at you (??) and my Aussie tourist friend trying to get me to take photos of her simultaneously. Exhilarating stuff!

We spent some time in central Gyeongju enjoying the unique architecture of the city before taking the bus back on Sunday night, munching walnut cookies and reflecting on all too short a visit. There are so many things I still want to see in Gyeongju: Mt Namsan and the Gyeongju museum ... I've barely scratched the surface of the place. So another visit seems on the cards in
the near future. I will keep you posted!

"Ek kan met hulle toor!"*

2007-06-23T00:11:00.001+09:00

*Afrikaans for : I can do magic with them / they're magic / they're eating out of the palm of my hand.

So this week I feel really blessed to be teaching the kids that I do. Here in the village, kids don't have much opportunity to get a good education or get into the really good schools. So, of course, I hope our little hagwon can help with that in a small way. These are the photos of my elementary school students (all the ones who weren't camera shy!)

I guess everyone thinks their kids are the cutest. But I love how creative mine are becoming. I love that they are starting to have fun in English. I like it when they laugh at my jokes. Or bring me random presents of kiwi ice-cream and rice cakes and letters and art. Jesus loved the little children - even when they were naughty, when they were irritating, when He had to repeat the A,B,C's to them fifty times (OK, so I'm transferring here.)

I hope I can do a little of the same.

Seoul sisters

2007-06-17T09:16:00.000+09:00

On Saturday I planned to go to Seoul with Martie, Cor, Kuyng Jung and their Australian friend Georgia. Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men fall before 200 dawdling high school girls being loaded into and out of the bus on the way. Suddenly the time of the bus journey doubled. And Jenni missed her train to Seoul. Sad Jenni.

Rather than go home, and plot the murder of high school girls everywhere, I managed to buy " a ticket, any ticket!" on a later train to Seoul. 5 brownie points for me for making it to Seoul on my ace. There I met Cara and we took the Seoul subway (its like a black hole.. you could stay in there forever) to Insadong. Finally meeting up with my original crew, we did some window shopping in the street markets and then had organic coffee at a coffee shop. I love the little winding streets and pretty restaurants and of course, its an awesome place to buy Korean gifts for friends; ornate chopsticks, silks, fans and such like.

We then went to Itaewon and booked into a semi-dodgy, but cheap motel. Itaewon is called "the foreigner ghetto" with good reason. Its the only place in Korea that has so many white, brown and black skins! Jenni from the Shingeri hamlet (foreigner population: 3) stares at the foreigners more than the Koreans do. (Do I really look as strange?) Whether you're being checked out by the Pakistanis, or accosted by the street vendors trying to sell you a suit, or ducking out of the way of the African-American basketball players (in full uniform, nogal), Itaewon is great for international food and the fruitiest foreigners to even populate a single suburb.

So next was a house party at Cor's German friend Andrea. She has this sweet roof on her apartment overlooking Seoul. We made it just in time for sunset. It was a clear day, and the view was spectacular. The German food (lots of potatoes!) and Soju-punch were just what the doctor ordered. Got to meet lots of new German and Austrian people, which is pretty easy for us South Africans to relate to. They drink a lot, eat similar food and we can even understand each other's language. And Martin brought his grandfather's homemade Schnapps. (Lumka! You can get drunk just from inhaling the fumes!)

Then it was out on the town in Itaewon. We visited the most liberal street in Korea, first for some Humus and pita and then for some beer at the Queen bar. The street was packed with all sorts of men, women and men-pretending-to-be-women doing things that most of conservative Koreans would really frown on. Luckily I'm not a really conservative Korean.

Slept for a good four hours in the motel before being woken up by some Korean men returning at daybreak and announcing it to the world! So I Seoul'd out and took the early train back to Cheonan, making it in time for church. A night on the town and praising God in church the next morning...just shows you: you can do it all, with a little luck and liberal use of eye drops...

The Click Song

2007-06-09T04:57:00.000+09:00

I've been regretting not bringing more South African music with me to Korea.

So this is for all my Xhosa-practising friends. You guys are doing great!

There is a famous Xhosa song called "Qongqothwane" or "The Click Song" in English. It was first sung by Miriam Makeba. It uses the "q" click, which is the cork-popping sound made with your tongue against the roof of your mouth.

The words go something like this:

Igqirha lendlela nguqongqothwane.
Igqirha lendlela nguqongqothwane. (x2)
Sebeqabele gqi thapha yi hayi nguqongqothwane.
Sebeqabele gqi thapha bathi awu nguqongqothwane.

(The witchdoctor of the road is said to be a black beetle.
It has come by a steep mountain, this beetle.)

To hear this song, as well as the other Xhosa clicks (the 'x' and the 'c'), please follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mwh9z58iAU

Trust me on the sunscreen.

2007-06-03T10:37:00.000+09:00

So Saturday I got my first taste of a Korean beach with Jackie, Betsy, Adam and Elisa, Jason and Houston. The weather was perfect and the beach, practically deserted. Having summer in the middle of the year is a great idea!

We had some good tofu-and-clam soup and swam in the pleasantly cool water. Afterwards, it was time to explore the rock pools and marvel at how the ocean had cut almost perfect steps into the surrounding rocks. I looked out over the wave-less, calm sea and wondered about sharks. I looked at the seaweed and hoped it wasn't the same kind we ate so regularly.

Of course, my local beach in Buffalo City (Nahoon beach) isn't covered in mist from the evaporating swamps! Or Koreans carrying each other into the water without anyone protesting. Or ajumas under umbrellas. Or women in high heels and wet jeans. Or nifty beach mats with incorrect English, asking "Do you want to plat with me?" We soaked up enough sun to prevent SAD until winter. And none of us got horribly burnt.

But it was a good day. We lay like corpses in the back of the bus during the three hour ride home. I had to hold myself back from asking "Are we there yet?" at each stop.

So, I'm happy that I'm slowly starting to explore different places in Korea (especially the beautiful and uncrowded). But I'm also happy that I'm meeting and making friends with some interesting, intelligent and open-minded North Americans. Life is full of happy surprises. Clearly they export their best.

Sunday I became a member of K.N.U International English Church. I had to earn this by a rather traumatic process of shaking hands with everyone in church. I still think that women should never shake hands unless they are wearing pinstripes in the corporate world. Now that I've finished my lifetime hand-shaking quota on Sunday, we will have to find some other way of greeting. (Remember, you need three hugs a day to survive, and eight to thrive). As a member of the church, I am hoping to make friends and influence people... at least as far as their opinions on dancing are concerned.

Baseball, Korean-style

2007-05-30T11:33:00.000+09:00

Korea really embraces all things American, probably in the hope that the Americans will protect them next time a neighboring country comes invading. So you increasingly find American restaurants, brands and forms of recreation popping up in the cities.

Cricket is a game of timing, tactics, skill and grace. Its as English as the language itself. And just like with the English language, the Americans have packaged it into a quicker, flashier and more commercially successfully form: baseball.

Baseball comes just after snail racing in popularity stakes in South Africa, but I was happy to join my church crew for my first baseball game in Daejeon on Saturday.

Fortunately, there were one or two avid fans among them who could explain the gist and the rules of the game to me. Its like rounders, only with adults playing it.

Now there is an urban legend in the cricketing world that a couple of West Indian cricketers made a pile of money playing baseball. They came back to cricket because ''there was no challenge in baseball!''. It seems to me that baseball players don't know how to hit a ball. Its no wonder that our team (the Hanwha Eagles!) only scored about three runs in the entire game. (I think the other team scored 5 or 6, and won.)

So instead of traditional American hot dogs at the baseball, the Koreans were eating "sausage on a stick", which is made from some sort of unidentifiable meat that Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler would be proud to sell. The snacks that were identifiable, usually come animals with tentacles. And while the Americans shout "bring in the relief pitcher!", the Koreans do perfectly synchronized dances in the stands.

I was just starting to get into the game (especially the 'slow motion' Mexican wave of the Korean crowd) when it was over. After two hours, the Americans start complaining about how long the game takes. Clearly, they haven't sat at Newlands for five days of glorious sunshine, cricket and intermittent sleeping. You just can't rush art, guys.

A pirate I was meant to be!

2007-05-27T10:52:00.000+09:00

En Garde! Touche!

Oh, that is so cliche.

So, one of the most normal things I did in Korea was watch "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" at Yawoori, our downtown cinema last Wednesday. With the lights dimmed and the sound blaring gloriously in English, I almost forgot I was in Korea. (You don't notice the Korean subtitles after a while..) Of course, after the movie, I had to fight my way through the droning Korean masses, and the illusion was shattered.

Now, I love pirates. I enjoyed the terror of reading "Treasure Island" as a child. I grew up playing Monkey Island. I even wrote a killer paper on "The Discourse of Piracy" in which I deconstructed pirate culture using Foucault and Derrida and other convoluted theorists.

I love Betsy's endless string of pirate jokes.

"What's a pirates favorite food?"

"B...arrr...beque" etc.

I love pirate insult sword fighting and pirate songs. When someone says to you: "You're as repulsive as a monkey in a negligee!", what bliss is there in quickly retorting: "I look that much like your fiancee?" I love talking like a pirate on "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." (remember - Sept 19!)

So I quite naturally embraced Captain Jack Sparrow and the rest of the undead pirates from the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

So what was this one like? The consensus seems to be that it was written for someone with Attention Deficit Disorder: the plot changes every five minutes. After a while it doesn't matter who they are fighting, you just sit back and watch the pretty graphics and wait for the next punchline from Jack Sparrow. (Remember when Elizabeth says: "There will come a moment when you will have a chance to do the right thing." Sparrow responds: "I love those moment. I love to wave at them as they pass by.") But the script writers were remarkably inept, considering how much money and material they had at their disposal. Perhaps they just got a little carried away. (More fighting! More monsters! More twists in the plot!)

But was a soothing two and a half hours all the same. All the escapism I could wish for.

Hey, it was Pirates. There was no way it was going to be bad.

How we dress up God

2007-05-24T07:53:00.000+09:00

So today was a sweet (and rare) holiday for me. I decided to pay homage to Buddha on his birthday. Not for any personal religious convictions, but more out of a sense of curiosity for a religion that oozes peace from all pores.

So we went to Taejosan to see what festivities were taking place there.
Luckily, my fellow travelers were not discouraged by the downpour that coincided with our visit. (Koreans melt in the rain, but foreigners don't.)

We made lotus flower lanterns and listened to the hypnotic temple music. A simple, unhurried worship was taking place beneath our flashing cameras. So, what Buddhist ever started a war? Come to think of it, what Buddhist even annoyingly pushed a pamphlet into your hand? What Buddhist tried to convert you with a maniacal look on his face?

Much of the action was taking place around three big golden statues in one of the temples. Now, I know Exodus well enough to realise that golden statues = idol worship. The rich decor and intricate details fascinated me, but at a guarded distance.

I love the beauty of the statues, but I don't like the idea of worshipping them. Because people inevitably make God into the image of themselves. And we have little imagination when it comes to the sublime.

So the Buddhist dress their deity in shining gold and adorn him with a face of peace and wisdom. For us, (Western) (Christians),we dress God up through the way we pretend Him to be 1) easy to understand 2) easy to follow and how we present ourselves to be 3) in sublime control 4) all-knowing and 5) superficially happy.

It makes our "product" - our God, look good - right? So we play this game of pretence, wear the gear, speak the lingo and do the moves that gets us a spiritual stamp of approval.
And that's how we dress up God: shiny as an Easter Egg, and disappointingly hollow.

Why do we do this to something that can be as mystical as silence, and a joyful as a mountain drenched in rain..?

History lesson in Konglish

2007-05-15T10:54:00.000+09:00

On Wednesday, I went to the Independence Hall of Korea.

On my way into the huge park, I picked up a brochure. It promised that:

"you would be joyful in full of emotion and fun" and I entered with trepidation.

In a series of fascinating exhibitions, I got to see "our modernization to be achieved by us!" and "boldly even at the Korean people's severest ordeal and much "boastful Korean tradition to overcome the national disturbances". So while Korean brochure writers clearly do not lack passion and patriotism, they quite often lack subjects and past tense.

The Independence Hall commemorates a lot of Japanese gore - and while the Japs were no doubt cruel and oppressive, I was surprised that people are comfortable remembering violence in such a graphic form. (Come look at our decapitations! Enjoy the eye-gouging! Let your kids play in the torture chambers!)

In South Africa, the end of racist violence is only about 13 years old. Seeing the Independence Hall makes me wonder how we will commemorate some of the darker chapters of our dark history. I don't have much faith in history. Since its likely to be only the story told by the victors, I think they might as well choose the version that would lead to the least animosity.

So its suits the Koreans to remember that they were the victims. It bonds them together. It allows them to remain aloof. In South Africa, its a little more difficult to build monuments to the cruelty of the Afrikaner. That's because in South Africa, victims and perpetrator still share office space. It's difficult to "rise up in liberation" against your colleagues.

So for me its refreshing to be in a country that doesn't mince its words when its talking history.

Even if its still slaughters English while doing so.

The bus

2007-05-11T11:06:00.000+09:00

Korea is a country which is difficult to pin down in writing. It is contradicting in a way that can make your head spin.

First, there's the mind-blowing technology alongside a paddy-field mentality. 300km per hour bullet trains leaving everyone still on"African time" in the dust...

But to maintain this slick, synchronized technological marvel demands a few extreme measures. At the bottom of the public transport pyramid is the bus that takes us plebs from Mokcheon into Cheonan City (for the necessities like groceries, Starbucks coffee and intelligent conversation!) Because of my regular need of these three things, I've thrown in my lot with a dubious (if cheap, and regular) form of pubic transportation.

1) Confucius say: the bus is never full.

There is always place for one more. "Standing room only" is a misleading term, as you will probably find yourself supported by the knees, legs and heads of various passengers. Koreans have no sense of personal space, so when the final 10 pm bus comes past..everyone and his geriatric grandmother has to be on it. Korea has a large population and on some Sunday nights, I believe that they are all sharing a bus with me.

2) Ride the roller coaster on your way.

As the bus races around precipitous turns at the speed it needs to to be on time at the next stop, you start feeling the floor shifting under you. When it turns right, you are thrown right, when it turns left, you are thrown left (generally into many other people!) and when it stops passengers skid forward out of their chairs and into the standing passengers or across the floor. Foreigners fare much worse than locals, who have generally learnt how to "surf the bus" since they were in elementary school. It helps to put your arms out and pretend the bus is going over waves - but I still find myself wondering "should the floor be moving this much?"

3) Oedipus complex in bus drivers.

Bus drivers have a low status position in Korea. But they set the tone on the road. They have the biggest er.... vehicles. With this they are able to exert their authority on the minions who travel by foot and by car. Korean drivers hoot as their birthright and it doesn't matter who has right of way. This is definitely a "mine is bigger than yours" economy.

4) We are the rudder.

When the bus is very full, Korean bus drivers often shout at their passengers as they are driving along. I image its something like "lean to the left" or "lean to the right" as we go around sharp curves. I suspect that this is the motion that stops our bulging bus from falling over, but I would prefer if this remains an untested theory.

5) All's well that ends well.

Despite all this, I am happy to be in a country where there is public transport, where you don't have to carry a knife on the train and where a single girl like me has the independence of being able to take myself almost anywhere on my own. So I salute you, the humble bus, long may you continue to provide me with unmitigated adventures...