Three Months Later

Gwangyang HS at AYLP!

Greetings from South Korea, everyone! After five weeks Stateside, I've returned to South Korea. More importantly, I'm back in my Korean hometown of Gwangyang - it's been three months since I have been here! November was spent in the hospital in Seoul, December was spent recovering in Seoul and at home, and January was spent at home and the last week of January was my return to Korea.

I'm back in Korea feeling well-rested, refreshed, and ready to take on the last six months of my second grant year. Towards the end of my time at home, I was able to get back to exercising consistently and building up my walking distance. I am still not back to running (I'm not in any rush to start again - want to make sure I'm fully healthy), but I am working my way there. I was happy to spend my time at home with close friends and family, who revitalized me and kept me optimistic for the second half of the year!

Welcome to AYLP

Once back in Korea, I stayed in Seoul because I participated in a youth development program with some of my students. The program is called the Alumni-Youth Leadership Program, where 6 schools from the Fulbright Program are selected to bring five of our students (30 Korean students total), who will then meet up with 15 American students. Also, the ETAs (such as myself) and Korean mentors serve as team leaders throughout the one-week camp. The program is run by the U.S. Embassy, and they scheduled a bunch of really awesome activities, tours, and other extracurriculars that we might not have otherwise had the opportunity to participate in.

Team One is the best

We arrived to a Youth Hostel in central Seoul on Monday. After settling in and introductions, we made new teams for the week, which included mixing up students from the schools and pairing an ETA with a Korean co-leader to manage the teams. I was placed on Team One, and I may be biased in saying that we were truly the best team. After breaking up into our teams, we had our first dinner together and called it a night.

Tuesday morning I had to dip out for my (almost) *last* foot appointment at Severance! I didn't even have to get my foot cleaned because the hole was all healed up. He looked at it for a few minutes, I asked him some questions, and he schedule one follow-up appointment for early April. I was so relieved to hear that the healing process is finally finishing up, and I am just about as good as new. There is still just a little bit of drainage surrounding the wound, and that should slowly drain out within a few months. Tuesday afternoon we headed to the Korean Contemporary Museum. All of the Korean visitors got to participate in a fancy guided tour, while the English speakers were stuck with audio guides that were so technologically advanced, none of us could figure out how to use it. Haha! We didn't get much time to explore, so the ETAs and I gave up and just got a coffee instead while we waited for the tour to finish. Tuesday night was ~bowling~ time! I was surprised that many of the students and leaders had never been bowling before. I ended up with the high score of the night, 104. Not too shabby for having a weak foot. We ended the night by walking around Myeongdong shopping streets, enjoying the lights and street food!

We love MyeongDong

Wednesday was my favorite day of the week! In the morning we headed to 3M Manufacturing Company (the people who make Scotch Tape and Post-It Notes). We had an awesome tour of the facility and got to see a bunch of neat products. Even though it was all in Korean, it was cool to see how everything is made and expands into other countries. Globalization can be a pretty sweet thing. We had a delicious buffet at 3M before heading to the Seoul Arts Center. at SAC we saw the National Geographic and Steve Jobs exhibits. The Nat Geo was my FAVORITE not only because I freaking love everything about them but also because photography is amazing and seeing the pictures up close and personal was exciting. There were various themes like "underwater", "nature", "animals", "space", etc. Of course, the exhibit had super fancy and cool-sounding names for the themes rather than my generic naming, but I don't remember any of them. The Steve Jobs exhibit was underwhelming for me; mostly a bunch of quotes plastered on the walls surrounded by pictures. Haha! The funniest part was getting "squad" pictures by the "Stay foolish, stay hungry" quote outside of the exhibit. Good times.

Nat Geo Exhibit

Unfortunately, Thursday didn't start off as sweetly as Wednesday. At breakfast, I overheard two girls talking about not going to sleep until three in the morning. Upon inquiry, I learned that at least a few students had snuck out past curfew to go to noraebang (karaoke) the prior night. I was NOT a happy team leader in that moment. I let it slide, but quickly consulted with the other ETAs to put our heads together and crack the mystery. If students actually had left the hostel past curfew, then that is grounds to be sent home early. one positive side of Thursday morning was that the American students joined us! They were with us from Thursday-Saturday. Anyway, while investigating the issue throughout the day, we headed to KBS studio, a broadcasting company in Korea. The native English speakers had a tour of the center first, while the Koreans listened to a lecture from an employee. The tour was super fun! We got to see the green rooms, special sets for dramas and talk shows, and even pretended we were on a news broadcast. In the afternoon, we headed to the National Assembly, which is similar to where Congress meets and holds meetings. Korea has a 300-member unicameral national legislature. Although the tour was conducted in Korean, I understood bits and pieces and generally enjoyed the atmosphere of the place.

SQUAD

Thursday afternoon was the "fun time" where we had designated team time to hang out, have fun, and also work on our team projects that we would present on Saturday (will explain more later). For our fun time, we headed to a board game cafe, had snacks and drinks, and played games! The kids had a blast and the leaders did too. We teamed up with another group to make it even more fun.  Having board game cafes just proves that board games are always fun, no matter how old you are. It is a really neat idea too! America should adopt that... you pay by the hour and you can play as many games as you want. After board games, we had some dinner at a restaurant, then headed to what's called a multi-room. Multi-rooms are places where you can play video games, watch movies, play board games, and sing karaoke all in ONE room! We all had fun playing Mario Kart, Just Dance, and singing karaoke. We headed back and worked on team projects for a bit, then the ETAs met up and tried to investigate the trouble-making situation once more...

Board Game Café

Friday morning, everything was put together. We found out that ten Korean students snuck out of the hostel after curfew. We were not happy. We had to approach the director about it, and he was even more not happy. We had a meeting with the students and agreed on punishments. The situation was settled and I hope the students felt sorry for what they did... ANYWAY. Friday was another fun day because we had a private tour to the DMZ! This was my third time visiting, but I still enjoyed it. The military men who work there are super sexy, so it was more eye candy for me. Nice! We got to physically stand in North Korea, and for a moment I wondered if this counts as one more country I've visited... haha! I should get a passport stamp for that. The tour took most of the day, and by the time we got home we were ready for dinner. We ate dinner, changed clothes, and reconvened to finish up our project!

DMZ

Our group projects are related to the US-Korean alliance in a globalized world. My team decided to adopt the theme of "Culture Shock". We came up with six different skits related to culture shock that Americans or Koreans would face when visiting each others respective countries. Our six titles were: 1. Greetings 2. Delivery Service 3. Dutch Pay 4. Sharing Food 5. Couple Things/Anniversary and 6. Beauty Standard. After each short skit, we provided an explanation for what is "typical" in each culture. We summed it up by sharing that even though we have various cultural differences, we can learn from each other and appreciate the diversity we have! We ended the night by ordering chicken and playing games; the students felt a sense of nostalgia as their last night came to a close...

National Assembly

Saturday morning arrived much too soon. The whole week went by with a lack of sleep and constant exhaustion, but we made it. We awoke, ate breakfast, and prepared for each team's special project. Each team presented for 15-20 minutes, and we all had different themes. Some groups did a presentation, others did skits, and one group used a Prezi. Woohoo! We all had great topics such as how media can bridge the gap of cultural differences, technology and entertainment globalization, addressing stereotypes, and more. Each group did a phenomenal job, and I was impressed by the students' intellect and maturity regarding many of these issues. Alas, the camp came to a close, and we were passed out on buses and trains before we knew it.

Back in Gwangyang <3

I was eager to get back to Gwangyang because I haven' been here in THREE WHOLE MONTHS. I was so happy to step foot in my Korean hometown, and I had a pleasant conversation with my taxi driver on the way to my apartment (disclaimer: NOT a taxi ride from Seoul to Gwangyang... LOL). It was a short 5-minute taxi ride from the Gwangyang Bus Terminal to my apartment. Much more affordable. Haha! I spent Saturday night and Sunday recuperating at home, running errands, and just chilling. It feels good to be back.

The following weeks will be more vacation, as I don't start classes again until March. Much of that time will be spent job-searching for the future, lesson planning for the upcoming semester, and taking a 9-day vacation to Boracay, Philippines at the end of the month to celebrate the end of winter and my birthday! I'll be heading there with five awesome friends, and I am so excited to relax on a beach and feel warm weather on my skin. I deserve it after all I've been through with my foot, right? Haha!

Until next time, everyone. Thanks for tuning in!

Read More

Mom and Dad Visit Korea!

Hi everybody! I hope you are all having a fabulous beginning to the spring season, whether in South Korea, USA, or elsewhere. The new semester started in March, so I have been scrambling to get back into the swing of things and prepping myself for full-teaching mode again. I am a little ways behind where I want to be regarding my blog posts - but this one is dedicated to my mom and dad's visit to Korea during February - my last couple weeks before school started again.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

After my vacation throughout SE Asia, I had about a week of rest and get excited for my parents' visit (I was already super excited beforehand, so that didn't take much effort). I was so happy and ready to show my parents where I have been living and teaching for the past 7-8 months. My mom and dad were able to stay for about 8 days, which we split between Seoul and my "hometown", Gwangyang. We spent about 5 days in Seoul and 2 days in Gwangyang (I wish we would have stayed longer in Gwangyang!!!). 

Gyeongbokgung Palace

When my parents arrived, I couldn't contain my joy - this was the longest time I had ever gone without physically seeing them. We checked into our hotel, rested awhile, and I took them out for Chicken and Beer, also known as Chimek (치맥) because of "Chicken" and "Beer" (in Korean means "Maekju"), the combination makes "Chimek". It was a delicious and relaxing start to our time together in Korea.

Tteokbokki

On my parents' first full day in Seoul, we had quite a busy schedule. Looking back, I should have been more forgiving for the jet-lag and tiredness, but there were so many things I wanted to show them. First, we went to Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was built during the Joseon Dynasty in 1395. Although much of the premises were destroyed during a Japanese invasion from 1592-1598, some of the most representative artifacts of the palace have remained intact. The palace houses more than 7,700 rooms - needless to say, it took a long time to walk through the palace grounds. My parents and I were fascinated by the rich history and intricate designs that were displayed to us. I, myself was not too familiar with Korean history before arriving here, so this all has been an interesting learning experience for me as well. 

Ready for the tour!

With South Korean border military

After exploring the palace and surrounding museums, we decided it was nap time back at the hotel. Unfortunately, we had a rainy trip walking to the subway, and I found out that my dad was not a fan of the public transportation in Seoul. The subway was quite crowded, stuffy, and full of germs, which were not to his liking (or mine, or anybody's for that matter)! Sorry dad! After a well-deserved nap at the hotel, I begged my parents to try some authentic Korean cuisine. We decided to go for "fusion-style" pizza and 떡볶이 (tteokbokki), a spicy rice-cake, fish cake, and sweet-red chili sauce. I was very proud of my parents for giving it a shot, although it was a bit too spicy, even for my standards. 

Insadong

HONEY BREAD!!!

Day two was one of the highlights of the trip, as we spent the majority of the day on a tour through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). We hopped on a bus with some other tourists and our hilariously outgoing tour guide, and took a trip north. Our trip took us to Panmunjom, an abandoned village on the de facto border between North and South Korea, where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement that paused the Korean War was signed. My parents and I were equally intrigued to learn about the history current situation of the North/South border, and being able to stand where it all took place was pretty amazing. When I booked the tour, I was uncertain how my parents would react, but I was relieved to see that they enjoyed the tour and learned a lot about Korean history that they didn't know beforehand. After the tour, my parents and I met up with another Fulbrighter, Emily, and we had dinner and drinks together in Gangnam! My parents were excited to hang out with one of my friends and talk about our lives in Korea.

A short video of the tour

Seoul Tower

Day three consisted of a more traditional Korean experience, as I showed my parents through Insadong, Seoul's traditional area rich in culture and history. My parents and I walked through a Buddhist temple, and explored the older area of Seoul. We bought a lot of souvenirs and enjoyed mandu (dumplings) for lunch before heading to Tom 'N' Toms (fitting for my dad, as his name is Tom) to let my parents experience the wonderful creation that is HONEY BREAD! Honey Bread is truly a gift that Korea brought to me. Deliciously creamy, soft, but crunchy at the right spots, honey bread is one of the best desserts I have ever eaten. I think my parents were pretty impressed by it too. On our last night in Seoul, I took my parents to the Seoul Tower to see the entire view of the city lit up at night. It was PACKED!! We waited in line for hours trying to get up, and quite a long time getting down too. However, my parents and I enjoyed seeing the landscape view of the city from above. 

Our last meal in Seoul

IGA... what!?

Day four was mainly a travel day - Seoul is in the northern part of South Korea, and Gwangyang is almost the furthest south. So, we had a 4.5 hour bus ride from Seoul to Gwangyang. Not to mention that the New Year holiday was being celebrated at the same time, so traffic was quite heavy. BUT, we finally made it to Gwangyang. And along the way we saw an IGA grocery store - who would've thought that we would see a taste of our hometown proud all the way in Korea!? Crazy! When we finally made it to Gwangyang, my parents and I met up with one of my best Korean friends, EJ, for dinner. EJ took us to a lovely Italian-fusion restaurant where we enjoyed pasta, pizza, and salad. My parents were very excited to be in my hometown, and I was happy to introduce them to my friends and community. EJ you are a rockstar - thank you for taking my parents and I!

My two families <3

Having fun with home stay mom!

Day five was a big day! My parents were FINALLY going to meet my home stay family and spend the entire day together. Internally I was a mixture of over-excitement and completely freaking out because it was like my two real families meeting and I didn't know how they would react to each other, especially with a language barrier. BUT, of course, my worries were for nothing because they absolutely loved each other. My home stay family had a truly wonderful day lined up for us. We explored temples, traditional villages, and even went hiking in the mountains and saw some amazing ice sculptures. My parents and my home stay parents were laughing, making jokes, and taking photos together like we have all known each other forever. It was awesome to see!

In the mountains, cool ice sculptures

Everybody together! 

That evening, my home stay family, my main co-teacher from my school, and my extended family all gathered for a lovely bulgogi dinner together. My parents were amazed by all of the food and side dishes that are customary in Korean meals. They also had a fun time learning about the drinking culture and pouring for your elders, and other Korean customs. I was really amazed by the interactions we were able to have and how we could all connect regardless of language, age, race, or whatever it may be. We ended up talking, eating, and drinking long into the night, which was a perfect way to end my parents' stay in Gwangyang. I really wish we would have had another day to show my parents my school and surrounding areas in Gwangyang, but our time was cut short.

Saying goodbye to EJ!

Day six was traveling back to Seoul to prepare for my parents' departure. EJ accompanied us and sent-off my parents and I with open arms and a few tears. Not only did my parents have an amazing trip, but it was so neat to see my home stay family and local Korean friends interacting together and learning a lot from my parents as well. Hopefully my parents have the opportunity to visit Korea again in the future, or EJ can finally get her chance to travel to the USA with me this summer!

Overall, the time spent with my parents throughout the week was phenomenal, and it went by way too quickly. It was an awesome experience for my parents, myself, and for my friends and family in Gwangyang as well. Until next time!!

Read More