A Day Outdoors

For at least one day a semester each school in Gwangju dedicates one day to some friendly athletic competition—sports day. Last Friday, the girls and teachers of Dae-Sung Middle School put on their best casual outfits and took to the dirt field. The morning started off with the entire student body, roughly 900 students, doing regimented warm-up exercises to an outdated audio track. After the gym teacher deemed our muscles ready for physical activity the sporting events got underway.

The first event up was relay races. A group of four girls from each homeroom were selected and placed into heats based on their grade level. The races were conducted until only the four fastest teams remained. Then one final heat was run to see who would win the sprinting title. After the races were completed, the lane markers were removed from the field to open the space up the basketball, handball (hand soccer), tug-of-war, and dodge ball. Students were provided with a schedule saying what sport their class would play when and against whom.

The staff was divided into different positions including: referees, line judges, nurses, and in my case photographer. For six hours I made my rounds from game to game documenting the various victory and defeats of my students. In between matches my picture taking would be interrupted by a few wandering students wanting to practice their English. When they approached we would talk about the weather, their favorite singers, and their favorite hobbies. Each proud to display their knowledge of the dialogues they worked with in class.

Sports day has become my favorite day of the semester. Not only because I don’t have to worry about lesson plans, but because I get to see a side of my students I have rarely seen. In class, my students are well behaved (for the most part) and shy, but on sports day they turn into outgoing, talkative girls. They turned into girls who would gladly talk my ear off on how handsome boy bands like 2AM, Big Bang, and Rain are. Oh the joys of middle school!

A Bit of the Ordinary

Week after week I find myself coming back to this blog and reporting the big events of the week. I want to document our experiences and travels here so our readers can get a taste of what it is like to be an English teacher in South Korea. However, in doing so I feel I have neglected to share the everyday, and sometimes mundane, happenings of our life here.

Eric and I have been here for ten weeks (yikes!) and I can say we are feeling fully settled in our foreign surroundings. In these ten weeks we have found a routine which allows us time to explore, lesson plan, and relax! This is not to say that things have become entirely easy for us, the language barrier still proves to be a challenge at times, but we are better equipped to deal with these challenges as they arise. There are also times when we find ourselves longing for the simplicity of our American lives. For example, we find ourselves missing good beer and real wine, cheese, affordable fruits (it is expensive here), black tea, and real coffee.

However, through all of this we embrace the joys and challenges each day brings and are thankful for the opportunities our life here has brought our way. This past week Eric was chosen to be a blogger for the international website: worldcupblog.org. For this site, Eric will follow and blog about the South Korean National Team from now until the final game of the world cup. In doing so, he will be able to combine his passions of writing and soccer. Please be sure to check in and see how our 'new' home team is shaping up. Because of this however, Eric’s presence on our blog might decline due to the multiple deadlines he has to meet each week. Not to worry though, I always have something to say and I am sure I can blog enough for the both of us!

In other daily happenings, we have reached the midpoint of our first semester midterm exams will begin at our schools. This means a handful of half-days for us. I know Eric and his co-teachers have planned an outing to the photonics expo happening in Gwangju, while I hope to treat myself to some shopping and a few skype dates with friends.

That is all for the dull and mundane for now. There will be more cultural and traveling experiences popping up in the near future since May offers a few days off due to some national holidays. Take care and thanks for reading!

A Brief Look at Busan

What makes Busan unique is its geography. Busan is a coastal metropolis built into the sides the coastal mountains. As your eyes journey from the crisp blue waters of the ocean up through the city, you will see the city’s buildings rising and falling with the curvatures of the land. At nearly any location within the city a traveler can take in a multitude of gorgeous landscapes or seascapes; providing a sense of calm amidst a bustling city.


I found traveling and exploring this city to be an interesting juxtaposition between serenity and chaos. I would be taken aback by the views of the blooming mountain sides, only to be snapped back to reality by the honking and yelling of street traffic. The first destination on our travel itinerary was Busan Tower. Located in Yongdusan Park, Busan Tower offers a bird’s eye view of the city, standing in at 118 meters in height. On a clear day, one can look out to the ocean and see the nearest Japanese Islands or look towards the coastal range and see the mountain peaks. It is only from the observation deck, that Eric and I were able to see just how big Busan really is. It proved to be a great way to gather our bearings for the travels which lay ahead.

From Yongdusan Park, we made our way to the Jagalchi fish market. Busan is home to the fifth largest port city in the world and we wanted to see what the market had to offer. Walking into the market our noses were immediately greeted with the stench of salt and seafood. There were endless rows upon rows of fish venders selling wide varieties of fish. As we ventured down each aisle, I was amazed at how many unfamiliar sea creatures there were. Obviously, in the Northwest we only get a small preview of what the ocean has to offer, but it was hard for me to locate a type of fish I recognized!


After taking in the sights, and the smells, of the market, Eric and I headed upstairs for lunch. Upstairs there is only one type of restaurant, raw, and the only thing which changes on the menu is the type of seafood you will eat. An elderly Korean woman came over to our table with a chart of fish. She pointed to the variety she had in her tank and asked us which one we wanted. Not knowing the difference, we pointed to nice looking fish and the lady left our table. At the ‘kitchen’ she fished our fish out of the tank, bopped it on the head and began cutting our meal up. Within ten minutes our table was filled with a platter of raw (and fresh) fish meat, an endless side of vegetables, soup, an omelet, mussels in broth, cockles, and steamed crab legs. It proved to be quite a feast!

From the market we made our way to Haeundae beach, the most famous beach in all of Busan. While it was not warm enough to shed our layers and soak up the sun, we did venture onto the sand. It has been months since I have taken in the sights, sounds, and textures of the beach and I was grateful for the opportunity to run my hands through the sand. Even though it was not the warmest of days, it was nice to be at the beach when it wasn’t bursting with beach-goers. Sharing Haeundae with only a few families made for a much more relaxing experience.

Our short day and a half preview into Busan was filled with both new and calming experiences. While I would not say Eric and I are close to fully understanding Korean culture and life, I would say we left with more than we came with. I will look forward to returning to this coastal city, but until then I will settle for reliving the fond memories of the beach in my mind.

Birthday Abroad

I have only been in Korea for a little over two months, but I have somehow aged a year and four months since landing here. This past Wednesday marked my 23rd birthday, by American standards. However, by Korean standards I am 24 years and 4 months old. The way this works is Koreans consider the day you are born your first birthday. Rather than wait until the anniversary of your birth to advance your age, Koreans advance your age at the turn of the next New Year. For example, my birthday is April 14, 1987. By Korean standards, I was born one year old. On January 1, 1988 I turned two years old.

In addition to this, birthdays are not as big of an occasion as it is in the Western world. In Korea, it is tradition to eat seaweed soup on your birthday followed by a type of sweet for desert. Gifts are viewed as unnecessary and are thus no apart of the Korean birthday celebration.

However, because my students know I am from America they decided to treat me to a Western birthday. Each of my classes, forty-two students each, welcomed me by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in English. This proved to be the best gift of the day. In addition to this I had many students come to my office and personally wish me a good day. One student in particular, Su Min, made me a card and hand delivered it. In it she included a list of English greeting phrases (clearly showcasing her mastery of our previous lessons together). She also included drawings of the Korean boy band 2AM. It is not a birthday card I will never forget, nor will I ever get rid of it.



The warmth and generosity my colleagues and students showed me on my birthday was overwhelming. On a day when it could have been easy to be homesick for friends and family, I was lucky enough to be showered with well wishes and kindness. The consideration the Korean culture continues to show me it what makes this adventure so memorable!

How to Make Yeong Pyo

Two weeks ago my 8th grade students learned two things: a. how to ask how to make something and b. they learned to explain how to make something. On the first day of this lesson, I gave students a list of eight different foods. In groups they needed to pick three of the foods and explain the necessary steps to make each food. To further their understanding of these two concepts, I told students next class we would pretend to go on a picnic, with each group ‘making’ a different food. In groups, students would make a poster explaining how to make their dish. When they were finished, students would share their work with the class.

Walking around the class I could see all of my girls hard at work. My students were frantically coloring, pasting, writing, and looking up English words in their dictionaries. I stopped at tables from time to time to explain some of the new vocabulary they encountered. As I was walking past one of the groups, a student stopped me and pointed to my hair where my hair pin was. “Does my hair need to be fixed?” I asked. My question was met with a nod and then she began reaching for my hair. In advance I said, “Thank you.” However, to my surprise my student did not fix my hair, but rather she pulled it out! She giggled at my surprise and then began examining and playing with my light hair. She wrapped it around her finger, smelled it, and examined it against white paper. A little shocked, I smiled at her and walked away.



As students began to finish I announced to students that we would begin sharing our posters with each other. I asked for a volunteer and group E rose to the challenge. The girls walked up to the front, stuck their poster on the board, and with their backs to the class they gave their presentation:

“Do you know how to make yeong pyo?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Will you tell me?”
“Sure. 1. Wash Yeong Pyo (No Shampoo!), 2. Put the fried in the powder (No Face!), 3. Put the fried in the boiling oil, 4. Lift the fried and put on dish, 5. E.A.T., tip: dip in special sauce.”



As group E was giving their presentation I could not help but smile to myself. The task I gave them (both the poster and presenting) was challenging, but they tried their best. They took something they were very familiar with in Korean and, using a limited vocabulary, put it into English. Clearly, their English can be broken at times, but I could understand what they meant. This is what makes them successful to me. Sure, we will work on their grammar as time goes on. Right now I would rather have them feel confident about their work then be afraid to claim their work because it might have a mistake.

Easter with a Korean Twist

As Eric and I were wandering the streets of Hwajeong, a small district of town, on Saturday night we contemplated what we could possibly do to celebrate Easter in Korea. We knew there would be no chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, or dyed eggs, but we decided we did not want the day to pass by unnoticed. Because our kitchen is only equipped with one pan, one pot, and a two range stove we knew whatever we did would have to be simple. Our solution—brunch! While in Hwajeong, we walked around from street vender to street vender to procure the produce necessary to make our meal.



After leisurely sleeping in this morning Eric and I began making our brunch. Because we are limited in both space and cooking equipment, we had to prepare everything in the same pan. We strategically cooked the potatoes first, and then we toasted our bread and fried our eggs. This was not only our first holiday meal in Korea, but our first complete American breakfast since moving here. I must be honest, toast and eggs has never tasted so good! To top our meal off, my friends Molly and Diana sent me real coffee this past week, so we were able to leave our sugary instant lattes off the menu. However, after living here for two months I have learned that nothing can be entirely western; not even the meals you prepare at home. So during our meal today, Korean culture showed up through our utensils: a spoon and chopsticks. This did add and interesting element to our meal.



Overall I would call our first holiday a success. While we did without the normal amenities of chocolate, fancy baskets, and forks, we did create a memorable holiday. I will always remember my Korean Easter; a day filled with tasty food, sunshine, and chopsticks!

Health Day

Wednesday was health day at Mujin Middle School. I know what your thinking; it must have been a day of educating the students about their health and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Maybe we guided them in choosing a healthy diet or encouraged them to get enough sleep and exercise. Wrong. Health day is an afternoon of sports, good food, and alcoholic beverages. Each month the teachers pay a certain amount of money which goes into the Health Day fund. Once enough is collected, they take it out to an expensive restaurant and go wild. It is officially my new favorite unofficial holiday.

The morning begins as usual; show up early, teach the students English and go to lunch. After lunch however, the students are sent home and its time for the teachers to forget about the pile of work on their desks and have a bit of fun. The afternoon started off with a game of "Foot baseball", which believe it or not, is pretty similar to kickball. I was chosen to kick first so I stepped up to the plate. All eyes were on me and the room was tense. A lot was riding on this game. I ran up, took a mighty swing with my leg and watched the ball soar....right into the arms of the opposing teams outfielder. The game progressed better after this and my team ended up winning 9-5. It was a great time however, because most of my teammates were little old ladies which made for a very amusing time as they hustled around the bases and tried to catch balls.

The next sport on the agenda was table tennis. I quickly discovered that I was outmatched as I glanced around the room, noting the official sweatsuits the opposition wore and the serious look upon their faces. In the end, I managed to hold my own for large chunks of the match but they were too good, too consistent. Eventually I took a seat and sat on the sidelines amazed at their skill.

With the sports portion of Health Day concluded, we departed for Bong San Dong, a wealthy area to the south of town, with one purpose in mind...beef bbq! In Korea, pork usually eaten as it is more readily available here and cheaper. Thus, it was a treat for us to go to a beef restaurant. I walked in and grabbed a seat on the floor. A small army of waitresses promptly began placing a myriad of side dishes and drinks around the tables as everyone dug into the grub. The main course was tender slices of beef which are placed over an open grill in the middle of the table. Served with this is lettuce, onions, garlic, spicy bean paste, kimchi, and cabbage salad. In addition there were a few side dishes that I had never seen or tasted before: Coagulated cows blood soup (the hangover cure soup), raw cows liver, raw cows skin, and raw cow stomach lining. After a few rounds of beers and soju were "forced"upon me by the other teachers, I had worked up enough courage to try them all! Imagine this...the enormous, 6'2", 250 lbs Rugby coach sitting next to me and using my chopsticks to feed me raw cow skin prompting cheers from the other tables.

After stuffing ourselves on good food and drink, it was time to leave. Luckily I managed to leave before I would regret it at school the next day, so all in all it was a success! Healthy day was a great time to relax with the fellow teachers, converse with some new people, try some new food, and forge a few bonds with my co-workers.