A Ski Trip with the Kids

This weekend I went on the last Hwacheon County Office trip. This weekend we accompanied students to Yong Pyong Ski Resort in eastern Gangwondo. The ski mountain is going to be used for alpine skiing in the 2018 Winter Olympics, which are being held in nearby Pyeongchang. I am pretty sure we didn't have access to that part of the mountain though because the part we skied on was rather small since it is so early in the season and most trails are still closed.

Skiing with my students was really, really enjoyable although I must admit that I was more than a little rusty. Luckily, my students and my friend, Rachel, were slow-skiers as well. The first day my students didn't even want to leave the bunny slope! They were all really scared of the bigger slopes.

My students!

One of my favorite parts of the Hwacheon Trip Program has been the opportunity to interact with my students outside of school. I believe these trips has significantly improved my rapport with my students in the classroom. They feel much more comfortable talking to me outside of class time and participate in class a lot more. It is often a struggle to get Korean students to participate in class. They are extremely shy compared to American students and are much more nervous about getting wrong. Therefore, having a few students who are always willing to participate helps a great deal.

I also liked that these trips gave me the opportunity to interact with students from all different schools in Hwacheon. Talking to students from the other elementary schools has given me a lot of perspective on my students' English abilities. My school is by far the largest elementary school with approximately five class of 25 students in each grade. Most of the other elementary schools have only one class per grade that has a maximum of 15 students. Despite the difference in school sizes I have found that my students English abilities seem to be much better than most of the other elementary students. This makes me feel really great about the work that my co-teacher and I are doing, especially since sometimes we feel strained to think of new ways to reach students.

I have really enjoyed all of the traveling I have been able to do with my students and am so glad I was able to participate in such a great program.

What I'm Thankful For...

In the spirit of the season I thought I'd write a brief post about what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving. It is inevitably a little weird not being home for big holidays but I've had a lot of time to reflect on the many things I am thankful for here in Korea. I don't know if being far from home makes me a little sappier or just spending less time feasting gives me more time to reflect but I felt inclined to enumerate some of the reasons I'm happy here in Korea.

1. My wonderful co-teacher SooJin. SooJin is the most caring, welcoming, warm and compassionate people I have met here in Korea. Every single day she works so hard to make sure I am happy in Korea. She is a beacon of sunshine and I love teaching with her everyday. I also appreciate how much she has welcomed me into her family. I love spending time with them and feel much more at home in Korea having her family around. Furthermore SooJin is really passionate about her job and cares about our students a great deal. The two of us are able to discuss strategies for reaching our lowest learners and ultimately, we motivate each other to continually strive to be better teachers.

SooJin cooking dinner for me at a restaurant

2. My placement has proven to be a perfect match. I absolutely adore all of my co-teachers and are continually stunned by their generosity and sincere efforts to get to know me and welcome me to Korea. All of the students and faculty at Hwacheon Elementary School have made my year so much brighter. Additionally, Hwacheon is unbelievably beautiful and I love walking along the river to school every morning with the mountains surrounding me. The opportunities to explore nature are boundless in Hwacheon and I've loved running, walking, kayaking and biking in the area.

The first snowfall in Hwacheon

My wonderful students making hand turkeys

3. I am unbelievably grateful for the unfathomable generosity of Koreans. I feel so cared for by complete strangers which is wonderful given that I'm half a world away from my family and friends and do not speak the language. I am consistently stunned by people's willingness to help me and their strong desire to make my time in South Korea an unforgettable life experience. Just today, I went to pick up cookies for a coworker at a local coffee shop and exited the shop with some free cookies for myself just because the owner wanted to thank me for coming and express how happy he was that I was living in Hwacheon. Then, this afternoon, my Korean friend JiHye's aunt welcomed me and two friends into her home for dinner. JiHye and the three of us were going to grab dinner in town but her aunt insisted that she prepare a meal for us instead. I had only met her aunt once previously when she graciously allowed me to participate in her family's kimjang this past weekend. The kind gestures and gifts are even more special because most of the people who reach out to me speak little to no English.

JiHye, Amy and JiHye's Aunt

The foreigners and JiHye's Aunt

4. My friends both here in Korea and back home in America have been so instrumental in my adjustment to my Korean life. I am so grateful to have had people on both sides of the world supporting me through my various cultural guffaws and struggles. I've also loved being able to make so many new memories in Korea with so many incredible individuals. I am so fortunate to be able to complete my Korean journey alongside great friends.

The other ETAs in my town

5. Lastly, I am so thankful for my family. I am so sad I cannot spend the day with you all and want to thank you for supporting me while I'm in South Korea. I feel comfortable being in Korea because I know I have a loving family to return to when I've gotten my fill of adventure for the time being. You mean so much to me and I am relieved that you are all safe and can be together this holiday season.

My cousins and I at my going away party

A Weekend of Traditions

This weekend I was fully immersed in Korean and American cultural traditions. On Saturday after teaching my North Korean Defectors about Thanksgiving I headed to the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with my fellow ETAs, the Fulbright Office staff and the US Embassy. When we arrived to the museum we were able to walk through all the exhibits, which was really interesting. We then were treated to a traditional music performance- they even passed out lyrics to one of the songs and had us sing along. After the performance and several welcoming addresses given by Mrs. Shim, the Fulbright director, US Ambassador Kim and the director of the museum we were able to eat. The food was absolutely delicious. We had turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pie and many other Thanksgiving foods. We also had some non-Thanksgiving American foods such as ziti and garlic chicken, that was much appreciated. It was so nice to be able to enjoy some American food while enjoying the company of my fellow ETAs. It is always so nice to gather altogether and share experiences. Living and teaching in Korea can sometimes be very trying because you always have to have your game face on. Since I live with a home stay family it is sometimes really hard to find time when I can completely have my guard down and be myself. Therefore, being able to spend time with other people who are facing the same challenges is extremely rejuvenating. It is so refreshing to be able to share stories and advice. Additionally, we all became very close during our seven-week orientation and don't get to see each other frequently because we are scattered throughout the country.

The feast

During the dinner several ETAs performed for everyone. The performances ranged from poetry readings to Irish Step Dancing to violin solos. I loved seeing everyone's talents. It will definitely be difficult to be away from home on Thanksgiving since my family has well-developed traditions. I don't think Thanksgiving will ever feel complete without watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and going to the movies. And Thanksgiving certainly feels incomplete when I'm not surrounded by my family. I really cherish the time we spend together and relish the joy we all feel from being silly together or engaging in some good-natured teasing. This dinner made the loneliness I will surely feel on Thursday much more bearable because I know it will be a shared loneliness and I know that there are so many people here in Korea who care for me. This year, particularly after Hurricane Sandy, I am thankful for so much and it was wonderful to be able to count my blessings with friends. I am so pleased that the US Embassy and KAEC put together this dinner for us. It was so refreshing to just embrace being American for a night.

Sunday morning I woke up early and departed Seoul for Woncheon, a small town outside of Hwacheon. One of the teachers at my school lives there and invited me to her family's kimjang, or kimchi-making party. Kimchi is fermented cabbage and Koreans eat it with breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. It's pretty much the national food of Korea and every November Korean families will make enough kimchi to last them the entire year. As you might imagine this is an incredible undertaking. Most families devote countless hours every Saturday and Sunday in November to making kimchi. Needless to say I was thrilled to be invited to participate in such a meaningful part of Korean culture. My friend Kelvin, who teaches English at a nearby middle school, also joined in the fun.

When I first arrived at my teacher's house I was introduced to her entire extended family. It was really fun meeting all her nieces and nephews, in addition to her siblings and their husbands and wives. I was also welcomed with a huge hug by her mother, who owned the house. The family was so eager to have us participate in the kimjang and I felt extremely welcome at their family gathering. This was a great feeling, considering that no one in the family really speaks any English. We mainly relied on my limited Korean and her son's English. It's unbelievable how much can be communicated without language. After having a cup of tea we headed outside to begin making the kimchi. Kelvin and I were put right to work and began washing an extremely large number of heads of cabbage. We then helped make the sauce that the cabbage ferments in. The sauce is extremely spicy because it is composed primarily of crushed red peppers and the family made us try a piece of cabbage coated in the sauce. The grandmother actually had me open my mouth and put the piece of cabbage in my mouth. Needless to say, despite my increased spice tolerance, my eyes watered immediately. The family still applauded. I have learned that the easiest way to impress any Koreans is to eat really spicy food. After we finished some more work we were rewarded with samgyeopsal, which the men cooked outside right next to where we were making kimchi. Samgyeopsal is thick slices of fatty pork that you then put on a lettuce or cabbage leaf with some spicy sauce and eat. It's normally not my favorite Korean food but I was eager to eat after working hard. While eating, the family then brought out a bucket of raw oysters and urger Kelvin and I to eat them. I was extremely hesitant since I don't even really like cooked oysters but decided to try it since the family had been so kind to me all day. I don't think I need to tell you it was a little hard to keep down.

My co-worker is on the left and her younger sister is on the right.

Making the sauce

The raw oyster!

Struggling to eat a raw oyster

After our snack we continued working and actually placed the kimchi in pots that are buried in the ground. In the old days this is how all Korean families stored their kimchi because it refrigerated the kimchi without a refrigerator. Since refrigerators are super common now, this is rarely down anymore. Most families have special fridges just for their kimchi. Therefore, I was thrilled to participate in this activity. Even my homestay family could not believe that the family still keeps their kimchi in pots in the ground. While we were stuffing the kimchi in the ground several of the younger kids tried to impress Kelvin and I by eating some insects they caught. They just kept popping them in their mouth. Back when Korea was extremely poor people frequently ate insects and a lot of that culture was passed down. As they say, in America the motto is 'all you can eat'. In Asia the motto is 'you can eat all'. After the work was completely down Kelvin and I were graced to another huge meal which we enjoyed with her entire family. We then just talked and watched tv until it was time to go home. The day was so much fun and I am still completely floored by the hospitality of her family. Koreans have consistently stunned me by their generosity. As we left the family invited us back for Lunar New Year, one of the two most important Korean holidays, and gave us each big containers of the kimchi we made. They also told us to come back if we ever wanted more. I absolutely loved my experience and hope I get to visit with the Lee family again!

The kimchi pots in the ground!

Our feast

'Living' Korean Traditions

This weekend I participated on another travel trip with my students. We ventured four hours south to Andong. I was really excited since I previously tried to visit Andong during the Mask Festival but was unable to because the bus to Andong was sold out. Andong is famous because it is home to Hahoe Village, which is a still-used traditional village. Many of the other 'traditional villages' you can visit are no longer have permanent residents or were created just for tourism. Hahoe Village has been home to Koreans for 600 years. The village is also extremely famous because of the Mask Dance. The Mask Dance was passed down for a very long time and Hahoe known for preserving the authenticity of the dance.

During my time in Hahoe Village I was able to submerse myself in Korean culture. South Korea has such a rich history that is so different from America. In the United States we consider things old when they are from the Revolutionary Period but in Korea there are traditions, customs, buildings and artifacts dating back over half a century, sometimes even more. It was also really neat to visit Hahoe Village because people still lived there. When we were touring the area we were often reminded to be quiet or walked past signs, specifying which areas were off limits because they were used for residence.   We were even given several brief presentations by residents of the village. One of the presentations was on preparing and serving tea. It was a really complicated process, and although it's often not practiced anymore, bits of the practice are visible in modern Korean culture. For example, whenever you are dining with Koreans the youngest person is supposed to pour drinks for everyone beginning with the eldest person.

My tea

 We were also able to slept in 한옥 (hanok), which is a traditional Korean house. This means we all slept on the floor and didn't have traditional heating. Instead our floor was heated by the placement of hot rocks underneath the rooms. This underfloor heating system is called ondol and Koreans are very, very proud of inventing it. The bathrooms were also located outside of the bedrooms. Additionally, the bedrooms were along the perimeter of a rectangular courtyard and the room the students slept in had a straw roof instead of the tiled roof, called kiwa. The different roofs designated whether the room was for the family or the servants. 

During the trip we also enjoyed some wonderful fall scenery. The leaves were absolutely stunning. I also was able to learn some of the traditional mask dance although it was pretty hard to master. My students and I all had a great time. I'm a little disappointed I only have one more trip left with the Hwacheon County Office. It has been such a pleasure to travel with my students and has really helped me in the classroom. I feel a lot closer to the students I travel with and many times they feel more obligated to behave well and participate in class. Hopefully, after the trips end I will create a new way to reach out to my students outside of class.

Hyeongju, Seunghyoon and me in front of the 600 year old tree . You can tie wishes to the tree.

Two of my fifth grade boys, Dongsu and He-in

On a cliff overlooking Hahoe Village

Family Bonding

Since I often travel on weekends it is harder to spend time with my host family and really strengthen our relationship. Therefore, when my host dad suggested that we go to Seoul on a weeknight I agreed. Initially I thought the plan to leave for Seoul on Thursday evening at 5PM and return that same night was  a little crazy since the drive is at best two hours but my host father insisted it wasn't a bad drive at all. Since my dad was kind of vague when describing what we were going to Seoul for it was not until Thursday morning that I discovered I would be going to see a lantern festival. I quickly became very excited since I missed the famous Jinju Lantern Festival.

At 5 o'clock my host brother met me at school and we walked across the street to his father's office. There our mother met us and the four of us set off. My host mom brought kimbap and some snacks for the ride. It was then talking to my host brother that I was informed that the kimbap we were eating was not delicious because the rice was from China not Korea. I'm not really sure how accurate that statement is but I nodded as if I agreed. Koreans tend to be very proud of their country and are very comfortable talking ill of other Asian countries. It makes me slightly uncomfortable at times, but I have learned that it's best to not say anything in return.

After a 3 hour drive we arrived at Cheonggyecheon, the man-made stream in the center of Seoul. I had visited the stream once before and found it to be absolutely beautiful. I was surprised to find it was even more beautiful at night. The bottom of the stream was lit up in parts and then there were lanterns everywhere. The Seoul Lantern Festival is small compared to many other festivals but I was impressed at how beautiful everything was. I wasn't really expecting to see entire people made out of lanterns, let alone a recreation of a wedding celebration. Many of the lanterns depicted what life was like in Korea in the old days, which was neat because it allowed me to learn more about Korean culture. My father is also always excited to show off Korean culture. Nearly twice a week on our walk to school I receive a talk on some aspect of Korean culture ranging from respecting your elders to stories that are told to children. The night was extremely fun and was a great chance for me to unwind with my host family. It's also nice to have a shared experience with my parents because the language barrier makes it more difficult to bond through conversations.

My favorite was a display of lantern children from all over the world

This lantern represent my town which is famous for our ice fishing festival.

Strengthening Ties

This past week I have been working on strengthening my relationships with the Koreans in my community. Tonight I had dinner with Ji Hye,  a co-worker's daughter and two other Hwacheon ETAs. The four of us grabbed Korean style Chinese food for dinner and then went to Dunkin' Donuts for coffee. Dinner in Korea is almost always followed by a second-round, called 이차(icha). Most of the time drinking is involved and there are four or five total rounds, the last of which is noraebang, or karaoke. This is the second time I have met Ji Hye for dinner and I am really enjoying getting to know her.

Amy, Ji Hye and I

Since Hwacheon is so rural it is extremely hard to meet people my age. Most of the people in Hwacheon are soldiers or older couples with kids. Ji Hye is a university student but is taking the semester off. Therefore, she is living at home before starting a job outside of Seoul. I am hoping I can continue to keep in touch with her when she leaves for Seoul in December. It's really fun being able to talk about the differences between American and Korean culture with Koreans. I am also becoming closer with Ji Hye's mom. I meet with Ji Hye's mom and a few other teachers every Tuesday afternoon to eat, drink coffee and practice English. This week her mother invited me over her house to learn how to make kimchi, the fermented cabbage dish that Koreans eat with literally every meal. Next Tuesday she will also teach me to cook 떡볶이 (deokboki), a Korean snack food that I have come to love. It's basically rice cakes, fish cakes and cabbage in a really spicy sauce. Ji Hye actually introduced me to  라볶이 (laboki), which is the same dish but Ramen noodles are served in addition to the rice cakes.

떡볶이

On Sunday I met another teacher from this group, Seon Oak, for lunch in Chuncheon, a nearby city. I went to Chuncheon early in the morning and did some shopping. I really needed to pick up warmer clothes because it is often 35 degrees when I walk a mile to and from school. Our school also is not heated so it is often very cold inside the building. Hwacheon is one of the coldest cities in Korea and in the winter I am told the temperature reaches -18 degrees Celsius (yes Celsius!). After I did some shopping I met Seon Oak and her boyfriend for lunch. We ate 닭갈비 (talkalbi) on 닭갈비 street in the shopping district. Chuncheon is very famous for 닭갈비 and there are many streets that only have 닭갈비 restaurants. Unlike in America most Korean restaurants specialize in one dish. There is a menu but it is limited to the one type of food they specialize in. The lunch was really fun even though it was sometimes hard to communicate. Seon Oak does not speak a lot of English and her boyfriend speaks even less. It is amazing what can be achieved and conveyed with limited language though.

The remaining part of my week is shaping up to be pretty busy. On Friday my family is leaving Hwacheon at 5 to drive to Seoul. We will then attend a lantern festival for an hour before driving the two hours back home. It seems a little crazy to me but I am sure it will be a great experience! On Saturday I am leaving for another overnight trip with my students. This weekend we will visit 안동 (Andong) the old capital of the Shilla Dynasty. There is a traditional village there so it should be a great trip!

Feeling the Love

As I'm sure everyone by now knows, earlier this week the Northeast was rocked by Hurricane Sandy. Breezy Point was hit particularly hard by both flooding and fires. (Quick video here and news article here) While at work on Monday I was overwhelmed by everything I was reading online about the storm and the updates I was receiving by Kakao from my brother in New York. I was really trying to focus on teaching my five classes that day but my heart and mind were elsewhere. As I slowly received more information about the breadth of destruction in New York my heart sank. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were the most homesick I have ever been. I just wanted to be with family during these difficult times instead of having to engage with my Korean family, friends and students who had little understanding, if any, of how devastating Hurricane Sandy was to my community.

As time passed though I realized how vast a support network I had developed here in South Korea. The outpouring of love first came from my fellow ETAs in Hwacheon and Yucheon. The three of them smothered me with love and continually checked in for new developments and just to make sure I was holding up okay. Then ETAs from all over the country began to check in with me and their support was a great source of strength. My Korean co-workers were also there for me, particularly my co-teacher Soo Jin. I'm convinced Soo Jin is actually superwoman because she effortlessly balances teaching, taking care of Amy and I, and taking care of her own family, which includes two young daughters. Soo Jin knew that I was from New York City so after she heard about the hurricane she asked me where I lived in the city and asked about my family. I told her that I was from Breezy Point and assured her that my family was safe but my neighborhood was pretty devastated. I did not say much more though because I did not want to upset myself at work. Soo Jin then came in the next morning and said that she spent the last night googling Breezy Point to learn more about what happened there and in all of New York as a result of Hurricane Sandy. She then apologized and told me she was grateful that my family and friends were okay. She also told a few other teachers what had happened and they all came in and asked how I was doing. One of my favorite teachers, 오원, came by this afternoon to check in on me. He is a bus driver at the school and is one of the most kind-hearted people I have met in Korea. Everyday he stops by to say hello and chat, even though hi is the extent of his English. Earlier this week he took me for a bus ride with the students and a few other teachers because he wanted me to see how beautiful Hwacheon is during the fall. His kindness, along with Soo Jin's and my fellow ETAs has made being in Korea so much easier during these difficulties. I feel like I really do have a community here in South Korea and I know that I am well taken care of. Although I still wish I could be home to help my family, friends and community rebuild I feel blessed to be in such a supportive and loving environment.

Also, all the love and support I received from my American friends was extremely appreciated. Thank you to everyone who kept my family, friends and community in their thoughts during this trying time.