Justice of Korea

Cherry blossoms

Walk to school

Spring is here, which in Korea means that one always has to keep their eyes peeled for the first sighting of the cherry blossoms! These beautifully-colored flowers descend from Japan and are only in full bloom for two weeks or less (especially if it rains, as it often does during the Korean spring season). Luckily for me, I get to walk by rows upon rows of the cherry blossom trees everyday on my way to and from school, so I had no chance in missing out on them! Just like last year, I was stunned at how beautiful Gwangyang truly is. The river flows alongside the mountain scenery, and the cherry blossom trees shade the walking path, guiding the way to wherever you go. I am not sure if I will ever experience anything like this again in my life, so I am soaking it in during these last few months of my second grant year.

Along the river

Made it to the top

Along with enjoying the spring weather, I have been traveling during my weekends to maximize my time. During the last weekend in March, a couple friends and I made the spontaneous decision to travel to Geoje, and island off the south-eastern part of the peninsula. We headed there without any plans, but made sure to make the best of it. We ended up hiking a mountain called Gyeryongsan during the day, showering up, and headed to enjoy the nightlife on Saturday night... which turned out to be creepy. This area is filled with middle-aged men due to the proximity of ship ports and trading. So, we found that most bars were filled with older gentlemen and, unfortunately, women hired for escort services. Although Saturday evening was a bit of a flop, Easter Sunday redeemed the weekend (fitting, right?). My friends and I traveled back to Suncheon to enjoy an afternoon picnic with other foreigner friends at a park. It was a lovely time filled with food and shared laughter.

Hiking Gyeryongsan!

A cloudy view of Geoje

At school, you may recall that my students have been working on creating their own political parties and discussing their stance on five separate issues. After three weeks of preparation, it has finally come down to the presentation period! After just a couple classes' worth of presentations so far, I am already thoroughly impressed with what my students have come up with, especially in using a second language. Their thoughts and arguments are well-articulated, and many of them also show respect for differing opinions from other groups. I am so happy that this unit went well and allowed the students to express deeper thoughts in the English-language. Many of the students understand that English is considered THE global language, and it's amazing to see them taking the steps to recognize that and utilize the language in effective ways. Below are some examples of student work (used with permission):

Enjoying Jeju

Enjoying Jeju

Aside from all of this, Fulbright hosts our annual Spring Conference on Jeju Island! Another trip added to the workload, but well worth it. Unfortunately, our conference this year was shortened due to budget concerns, but we still made the most of it! During this conference, all of the English Teachers meet together with Fulbright's Junior Researchers as well. Throughout the weekend, we have small group discussions about teaching methodology, demographics, staying healthy and supporting one another during the grant year, among other talks. It is a great way to discuss with other ETAs in different placements and add more tools to the teaching repertoire. We also have the chance to listen to presentations by the researchers, who presented on a wide array of topics such as the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Metabolic Syndrome in Korea, North Korean Defector Programs, among others. Of course, aside from all this "hard work" we had to do, we found time to enjoy ourselves during the evening.

Wandering around the hotel in Jeju

So, it turns out April is showing to be another busy and productive month. I finally feel like I am back to 100% health after the foot injury, sinus infections, and random colds. I am set for my very last foot checkup next week, and I am keeping my fingers crossed for good news. It has been a long journey back to recovery, but I am grateful to have been in good condition for the majority of it. I am a little bit scared about going back to running, but once I have the A-OK, I am willing to give it a shot. Here's to hoping I'll be back on the road logging miles in no time.