One Night in Boseong

Every now and again EPIK (English Program in Korea) will call us away from our daily classes for different workshops and trainings. Last week, Eric and I, along with 160 other Native English teachers, were whisked away to Boseong, a seaside resort, to partake in a two day workshop to hone our skills of classroom management, lesson planning, and to share successful classroom activities. We arrived in Boseong around 11:30 am on Thursday and after checking in and going over the schedule we jumped right into the variety of lectures that had been organized for that day. I attended four session: icebreakers, useful classroom activities, an lesson plan sharing session, and classroom management/discipline. By far my favorite lecture was the one on classroom management. Since my students do not have the strongest command of English, I have learned that trying to control a classroom of 42 middle school girls can prove challenging. What I especially liked about the techniques discussed at the workshop was most of them were non-verbal, relaying a lot on eye contact, desk tapping, and a constant patrolling around the classroom. These things are understood across the language barrier my students and I sometimes come across.

After the lectures were over, the night was ours and everyone split up into their assigned rooms. Since it is only customary that married couples room together, Eric and I were split up. I roomed with some girlfriends I’ve made since living here. For all of us girls, this was the first night in a long time that we got to ourselves, no boy in sight. So we decided to bring a couple bottles of wine (don’t worry there were four of us), indulge in some sweets, and wear the most comfortable, elastic-band wasted pants we owned; it was glorious. By night’s end the wine bottles were emptied and candy wrappers were strewn all over the coffee table. Despite our room being Korean style, meaning no beds, it was the first night for all four of us that we didn’t have to share a twin sized bed with someone. We were happy to stretch out our legs and arms and use as much, if not all, of the blanket we wanted. The funny thing is, despite having a lot of extra space we never used it. We all opted to sleep in the same room, laying four across. We all managed to get a little more room than normal, but I guess once you become accustomed to small spaces, large ones just seem unnecessary.

Red Devils

On my way to work today I was surrounded by a sea of red t-shirts. This can only mean one thing: game day. We are one week into the 2010 World Cup and tonight is game two for Korea. After a great win against Greece, the people of Korea are ready for the national team’s second match against the favored Argentinean team. Here, Korea’s matches are national events. The public stops what they are doing in order to watch their team play. Big screens are erected in parks and on college campuses all over the city so everyone has an opportunity to watch the games. In said locations one is surrounded by shouting fans, waving flags, and clashing thunder sticks. What makes this experience different from viewing parties in America is it is not for a handful of supporters. Nearly the entire nation’s population comes out to support their national team. The World Cup proves to be a stage for Korean soccer, but also for Korean pride as well.

As an example of this collective excitement my school decided to order in lunch of soda, pizza, and fried chicken. I was told it was in celebration of the upcoming game. All through lunch people were discussing where they would watch the game, what meetings they had to move around to be able to watch the game, and what they would do after should Korea win. I was also told that tomorrow, should Korea do well, we would all be treated to a Chinese food lunch. In addition to the buzz floating around the teacher’s room, my students are feeling the excitement as well. Every class today has started with a popular Korean soccer cheer. Furthermore, my students decided to declare me a Korean Patriot when they saw me wearing a Korean Jersey to school. They said, “you are from America, but you are Korean now too!” My acceptance of this statement was followed by cheers of “Korea Fighting” and “Dae Han Min Guk!”

I guess all any of us can do at this point is watch the clock and count the hours until we can watch the game!

Surrounded by the Sea

I don’t know what it is about small ocean-side towns, but I love them. These small towns are usually comprised of a small population, family owned businesses, and rustic charm. Cheongsan Island, located 19km off the Korean coast, is no exception. Home to a small population of farmers and fishermen, Cheongsan Island is able to combine a small town feel with gorgeous beaches and wharfs. Cheongsan’s terrain is mountainous and is mostly used for harvesting garlic and rice. However, amongst the paddies and crop fields are narrow roads used for hiking by both locals and visitors alike. Walking up and down these roads, Eric, a colleague, her family, and I were able to take in views of land and sea. Looking inland, we could see a tall green mountain towering over the small town at its base. In the other direction we could see coves of crisp blue water being used as fishing grounds by the local inhabitants.

After finishing our walk, we made our way back to the main harbor for lunch. The harbor is littered with wooden boats, fishing nets, and Styrofoam buoys. There, lunch was comprised of spicy fish soup, kimchi, rice, dried anchovies, seaweed, and a few other side dishes. From lunch we made our way to the other side of the island so we could take in the various beaches the Cheongsan had to offer. The first beach we stopped at was a rock beach. Its ‘sand’ was completely composed of smooth black and gray rocks. Reaching the water’s edge proved to be a bit tricky, but once we were there the views and sounds were amazing. As the waves rolled in and out they moved the rocks back and forth, creating a sound similar to a rain stick. The water was moderate in temperature and was welcomed after our warm walk earlier. After spending some time playing in the water and sunning on the rocks we made our way to a flatter, sandier beach.



What makes the other beach so unique is it only a beach during low tide. When the tide is out, a quarter-mile stretch of sand is left behind for people to enjoy. When one finally reaches the water’s edge, they are greeted by calm waves and warm water. Furthermore, small tide pools are left spontaneously behind throughout the cove and prove to be a good opportunity to explore for small aquatic life. We stumbled across numerous hermit crabs and small fish.


After watching the tide come back in we decided to return to the mainland. After our thirty minute ferry ride we found ourselves back in the port city of Wando. By the day’s end I left with a sunburned face, a bag a garlic and a stomach full of fish. It was a great day.

Summer Afternoons

Summer has officially arrived in Gwangju. Each day is consistently warm and the sun greets me earlier and earlier each morning. However, the arrival of summer also means the arrival of humid weather. As the day progresses the humidity level continues to climb. The humidity rises so high by late afternoon that an afternoon thunderstorm is produced.

While I am not particularly a fan of the build-up to the storm, I find all of my feelings of discomfort and annoyance are washed away when the downpour begins. I find the smell of the rain here rejuvenating and relaxing. It is almost as if, everyday around 5:30, the day resets and I get to start from scratch. By the time the storm is over things start to cool down, the humidity begins to decline, and I can begin looking forward to tomorrow.

Behind teaching, afternoon thunderstorms are my favorite part about living in South Korea.