Hi All,
I am feeling a lot better than last week- both physically and mentally. I'm not 100% better- I still have a small cough, but I am leaving for Seoul/Daegu feeling pretty good. The transition is a bit funny from orientation (which feels like summer camp) to actually working again. I may even have to start as early as next Monday! However, before I leave I wanted to write about a very interesting experience I had yesterday. I cannot promise the next time I will post because of the move. I am not sure when i will have access to the internet.
My surreal foray into a small aspect Korea's foreign policy:
Our group was privileged enough to be invited, through the personal contact of an orientation coordinator, to visit a part of the DMZ. It was not the typical place most tourists/nationals see when they visit the DMZ, which is north of Seoul. This was an area north of Chuncheon (which is north east of Seoul, by about two hours). Not only were we invited to visit this part of the DMZ, but we were also invited to see the Peace Dam (who knew) and an otter research facility. Stay tuned (keep reading) to see how otters factor into South Korea's foreign diplomacy.
We began our trip by visiting the Peace Dam. We took a quick pit stop at the town hall and we were greeted by the mayor of the town. It turns out that the Peace Dam was constructed in response to a dam that was built in North Korea. If the dam in North Korea broke or was opened, the water from the dam would flow into Seoul and flood the city. The water level would be as high as the 33rd floor of a high rise. The dam was built beginning in 1987 and completed about a year after. However, there was a lot of suspicion about political corruption and South Koreans lost interest in the dam. In 2002, I think, the Peace dam was expanded due to concern that the dam in North Korea might be structurally unsound and break open, thus releasing the water into South Korea (and Seoul).
Following the Peace dam we went to the DMZ where we were told that we could not take any pictures in the general direction of North Korea. We had a brief talk by a military man(Sargent?) about the area they guarded. The military area they guarded was about 10 kilometers. The area has barbed wire dividing South and North Korea and there are a few kilometers of open land between the two countries with barbed wire on the other side. From our vantage point we could see across the DMZ and into North Korea. They had those binoculars you see at tourist sites (like the Empire State Building or something). Through the binoculars we could see two men standing on a bridge in North Korea. The area of the DMZ looks really pretty- however the environment around the DMZ and other places in Korea are littered with land mines. The environment is completely damaged- almost irreversibly so. I'll post some of the pictures of the area (South Korea only) soon. Actually, as we were walking back to the buses we saw some barbed wire with a sign on it labeled MINE.
Next we went to the otter research facility. Before we left on our trip we heard that otters were the only mammals/animals that safely travel between South and North Korea on one of the main rivers between the two countries. However, when we got there it seemed that the otter that was sent to North Korea with a GPS tracking device in its stomach may not have actually made it to North Korea. Besides that interesting information, the otters were super cute. The research lab may not have successfully traveled to North Korea, but it does provide researchers from both countries to work together and make contact.
As a whole the trip was very interesting. From a foreign perspective the places we got to see and experience seem very strange. I feel that a lot was lost in translation and due to the cultural differences. Korea has a long history after the Korean war and the DMZ is an integral part in the history. We had tour guides on the trip and our guide told us we were visiting one of the most dangerous places in the world. However, and he seemed quite serious, I did not feel like that before our visit or after.
The Peace Dam was also pretty interesting and something I do not feel most people know about. It is actually an internationally recognized site and there has been a "world peace park" with a bell and everything. Nobel Peace Prize laureates have endorsed the effort and have even sent letters and bells of their own for the museum. I was looking through the material and I was surprised to see I had met two of the laureates who have supported this project. I was able to meet Adolfo Perez Esquivel and Rigoberta Menchú through PeaceJam in high school.
Uh...it's late and I'm going to continue this at a later date...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Was that Culture Shock?
Hi All,
This is a very late night posting for me. However, I am still awake and this week is going to be extremely busy. So, I decided to post something short (haha).
Well, I graduated Korean language classes on Friday and got Bs in reading, writing, speaking, and a B+ in listening. Woo-hoo. Now, these grades are not bad, but by Korean standards I feel like I should have done better. Yet, I tried my best and am still planning on learning the language- so I'm not giving up. Which is probably a good thing, seeing as how I leave orientation Wednesday.
I managed to get myself sick last week and generally just had a post nasal drip and head congestion. I proceeded to self medicate and got rid of the head congestion only to force the congestion the other way (into my chest). This made me nervous. However, I am finally beginning to feel better (and am praying that staying up really late tonight will have no effect on my health). But besides feeling sick, I've generally been in a funk (the past 3-4 days). Which I was very surprised to find might in fact have been culture shock. (I was reflecting about my general mood over the past few days, today.)
Yet, I think this may have passed. We found a Vietnamese place for lunch today and I was so excited because all I wanted was some soup (the original plan was to get cheesy rice). However, I was very excited at the prospect of Pho- a food I consume quite often in the states. And since we could not find the cheesy rice place, we settled on Vietnamese. Granted it was Korean Vietnamese, but it was pretty good. Actually, it has to be the best meal I've had since I've been here (first clue to culture shock/home sickness). AND we went to E-Mart today (like Target/K-mart in the states) and I bought a caramel frappacino at Starbucks. It was expensive, but I didn't mind. I was craving it and the first sip was amazing (second clue to culture shock/home sickness). For dinner I had pizza and coke. It was Nicki's birthday today and she wanted to go out for pizza. I had a slice of veggie, pepperoni, and Hawaiian (third clue to culture shock/home sickness). AND the amazing conclusion to this day was the fact that my stomach did not object to this crazy concoction of foods. This is quite a feat considering it rejected the majority of the Korean food I've eaten in the past week. In conclusion, although I did not mentally feel like I had culture shock/home sickness- on a visceral level my body knew and was craving familiar food.
All in all, I am feeling better and think I am out of the funk. However, I could really use prayer for this week, especially Friday when I leave Seoul for Daegu and most likely have to start teaching on Monday. The transition is stressing a lot of people out and I think I'm being affected by their stress. Please pray for safety, health, strength, and reliance on God to get me through everything that will happen in the next week.
Thank you so much,
Jenna
This is a very late night posting for me. However, I am still awake and this week is going to be extremely busy. So, I decided to post something short (haha).
Well, I graduated Korean language classes on Friday and got Bs in reading, writing, speaking, and a B+ in listening. Woo-hoo. Now, these grades are not bad, but by Korean standards I feel like I should have done better. Yet, I tried my best and am still planning on learning the language- so I'm not giving up. Which is probably a good thing, seeing as how I leave orientation Wednesday.
I managed to get myself sick last week and generally just had a post nasal drip and head congestion. I proceeded to self medicate and got rid of the head congestion only to force the congestion the other way (into my chest). This made me nervous. However, I am finally beginning to feel better (and am praying that staying up really late tonight will have no effect on my health). But besides feeling sick, I've generally been in a funk (the past 3-4 days). Which I was very surprised to find might in fact have been culture shock. (I was reflecting about my general mood over the past few days, today.)
Yet, I think this may have passed. We found a Vietnamese place for lunch today and I was so excited because all I wanted was some soup (the original plan was to get cheesy rice). However, I was very excited at the prospect of Pho- a food I consume quite often in the states. And since we could not find the cheesy rice place, we settled on Vietnamese. Granted it was Korean Vietnamese, but it was pretty good. Actually, it has to be the best meal I've had since I've been here (first clue to culture shock/home sickness). AND we went to E-Mart today (like Target/K-mart in the states) and I bought a caramel frappacino at Starbucks. It was expensive, but I didn't mind. I was craving it and the first sip was amazing (second clue to culture shock/home sickness). For dinner I had pizza and coke. It was Nicki's birthday today and she wanted to go out for pizza. I had a slice of veggie, pepperoni, and Hawaiian (third clue to culture shock/home sickness). AND the amazing conclusion to this day was the fact that my stomach did not object to this crazy concoction of foods. This is quite a feat considering it rejected the majority of the Korean food I've eaten in the past week. In conclusion, although I did not mentally feel like I had culture shock/home sickness- on a visceral level my body knew and was craving familiar food.
All in all, I am feeling better and think I am out of the funk. However, I could really use prayer for this week, especially Friday when I leave Seoul for Daegu and most likely have to start teaching on Monday. The transition is stressing a lot of people out and I think I'm being affected by their stress. Please pray for safety, health, strength, and reliance on God to get me through everything that will happen in the next week.
Thank you so much,
Jenna
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Late posting...
Hi All,
I apologize for the late posting, but this week has been very busy! A few highlights from last week: cooking class! We made bulgolgi (marinated meat) and mandu (dumplings). It was yummy and fun. Highlights from this week is the fact we finished language classes yesterday! Woo hoo! Although we took a three hour final- ick. I studied lots when I got back from Seoul and our teacher told us that we did pretty well on the final. We have our "graduation" from class tomorrow!
The main highlight from last week was the fact that I went to Seoul on Friday night. Be warned, this is lengthy!
I left on Friday evening with Amber to meet up with Amelia and Ray (who was already in Seoul). This past week was the IKAA (International Korean Adoptee Association) 2007 Gathering. They host gatherings every three years, in Seoul, and I think this was either the third or second time it happened. It's a pretty big deal and I guess the last time they had it there was a lot of media and press coverage. I heard there was supposed to be a lot this year, but the main thing in the news here are the hostages in Afghanistan. There weren't any workshops happening this weekend- the plan was just to head to Seoul to meet people and hang out- which happened, so it was a pretty cool weekend. There were over 500 people from Europe and the US for the gathering.
Friday night we went to dinner and then out to a bar where we hung out and got to meet some people. It was hard to get to know people right off the bat because everyone already knows one another, but it was still pretty chill.
Saturday we slept in a little- had lunch and then went to two shopping districts in Seoul. We didn't see much of Seoul, but we're heading back there this coming weekend or the next and I figure I'll have a whole year to go back and site see. There was a gala dinner for the conference and I was able to find a dress and shoes and attend the dinner- which was really nice. I'll post pictures soon. I wasn't going to go, but I figured I might as well since I didn't know if I'd be able to go to the next gathering. The dinner was really nice- at one of the nicest hotels in Seoul (the Shilla). Good food salad, steak, soup, and a mouse desert. They also had a few performances which were really neat- a drumming thing, traditional instruments and a modern bboy group (beat boxing and break dancing). After that we went back to the hotel- changed and went out for the night. Went to a bar with a whole bunch of people and then out to a club. We didn't get back to the hotel until the morning and we slept most of Sunday! I've never stayed out so late, but it was a lot of fun.
Amber and I ended up staying with Ray and one of his friends at the hotel. We got extra blankets and slept on the floor. It turned out to be the best since everyone with the conference was staying there. It turns out Ray's friend went to CU and graduated in 2004. It was fun to talk about Boulder. Then later on Saturday I sat next to someone at lunch who went to Dennison and we talked about Columbus- it was pretty neat. There were so many different types of people all with different and really interesting stories. Most of the participants were older than I (late twenties, 30s, etc.) but it was still a good time. Actually on Sunday we met a woman (an adoptee) and her husband at lunch. She was 55- it was the first time I've met someone who was one of the first waves of adoptees in America- it was pretty neat.
A lot of people had done birth searches, were in the process of it, or recently did them- and of course, like everything else, people had many different situations (some good, some not so good). Amelia met her biological brother on Sunday and so far her experience was positive. They met with a social worker who translated and then he took her out afterwards. He lives in Pusan which is about an hour away from Daegu- so he plans on seeing her and keeping in touch.
Next week orientation ends. We head to Seoul for Yonsei Day. This is when we meet our principal, vice principal, and maybe co-teacher too. They will take us to our placements and our home stays. Please pray for safety and a good school and home stay!
Thanks everyone!
-Jenna
I apologize for the late posting, but this week has been very busy! A few highlights from last week: cooking class! We made bulgolgi (marinated meat) and mandu (dumplings). It was yummy and fun. Highlights from this week is the fact we finished language classes yesterday! Woo hoo! Although we took a three hour final- ick. I studied lots when I got back from Seoul and our teacher told us that we did pretty well on the final. We have our "graduation" from class tomorrow!
The main highlight from last week was the fact that I went to Seoul on Friday night. Be warned, this is lengthy!
I left on Friday evening with Amber to meet up with Amelia and Ray (who was already in Seoul). This past week was the IKAA (International Korean Adoptee Association) 2007 Gathering. They host gatherings every three years, in Seoul, and I think this was either the third or second time it happened. It's a pretty big deal and I guess the last time they had it there was a lot of media and press coverage. I heard there was supposed to be a lot this year, but the main thing in the news here are the hostages in Afghanistan. There weren't any workshops happening this weekend- the plan was just to head to Seoul to meet people and hang out- which happened, so it was a pretty cool weekend. There were over 500 people from Europe and the US for the gathering.
Friday night we went to dinner and then out to a bar where we hung out and got to meet some people. It was hard to get to know people right off the bat because everyone already knows one another, but it was still pretty chill.
Saturday we slept in a little- had lunch and then went to two shopping districts in Seoul. We didn't see much of Seoul, but we're heading back there this coming weekend or the next and I figure I'll have a whole year to go back and site see. There was a gala dinner for the conference and I was able to find a dress and shoes and attend the dinner- which was really nice. I'll post pictures soon. I wasn't going to go, but I figured I might as well since I didn't know if I'd be able to go to the next gathering. The dinner was really nice- at one of the nicest hotels in Seoul (the Shilla). Good food salad, steak, soup, and a mouse desert. They also had a few performances which were really neat- a drumming thing, traditional instruments and a modern bboy group (beat boxing and break dancing). After that we went back to the hotel- changed and went out for the night. Went to a bar with a whole bunch of people and then out to a club. We didn't get back to the hotel until the morning and we slept most of Sunday! I've never stayed out so late, but it was a lot of fun.
Amber and I ended up staying with Ray and one of his friends at the hotel. We got extra blankets and slept on the floor. It turned out to be the best since everyone with the conference was staying there. It turns out Ray's friend went to CU and graduated in 2004. It was fun to talk about Boulder. Then later on Saturday I sat next to someone at lunch who went to Dennison and we talked about Columbus- it was pretty neat. There were so many different types of people all with different and really interesting stories. Most of the participants were older than I (late twenties, 30s, etc.) but it was still a good time. Actually on Sunday we met a woman (an adoptee) and her husband at lunch. She was 55- it was the first time I've met someone who was one of the first waves of adoptees in America- it was pretty neat.
A lot of people had done birth searches, were in the process of it, or recently did them- and of course, like everything else, people had many different situations (some good, some not so good). Amelia met her biological brother on Sunday and so far her experience was positive. They met with a social worker who translated and then he took her out afterwards. He lives in Pusan which is about an hour away from Daegu- so he plans on seeing her and keeping in touch.
Next week orientation ends. We head to Seoul for Yonsei Day. This is when we meet our principal, vice principal, and maybe co-teacher too. They will take us to our placements and our home stays. Please pray for safety and a good school and home stay!
Thanks everyone!
-Jenna
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Namisan Island & Haircut
Hi all,
I am posting about 15 minutes early this week- woot. Most people went out to drink soju or to a dvd bang (private movie room) tonight, but I was up too late last night and decided to stay in. I even studied earlier this evening- mainly because our quizzes on Monday are going to kick my butt. Since I posted on Wednesday, not too much to report.
Thursday afternoon I went and got my hair cut! Nothing drastic, just a trim and some layers. It came out way better than I thought it would, especially in this humidity. They actually used a hair straightener on my hair and I might go out and get one, because it made my hair look really shinny and not frizzy.
Friday evening- went to a jimjilbang (spa/bathhouse) with friends (Stacey, Lauren, Lindsey, Amber, Hui Kyun, and Ray). There are separate areas for men and women because you have to be naked...you shower first (really well) and then soak in hot/cold tubs and sit in saunas. Then you can meet in a common room (once you've put clothes on) with the opposite gender and hang out or sit in more saunas. It really was one of the most relaxing things I have done since arriving. It is an interesting experience, but I am glad I experienced it- I'll definitely go back. You get over the naked-ness thing really quickly. Then we went out for cocktail soju (flavored rice wine). It is really yummy. We came back to the dorm to watch a movie, but we were definitely all really tired!
Today I went to Namisan island with Amber, Diane, Jen, and Ray. It was a lot of fun! The island is really pretty and known because a popular Korean drama (k-drama) was filmed on the island. There's a photo of Ray and I recreating one of the bronze sculptures from the movie. There are also wild ostriches on the island and we got to feed them and take a few pictures. We got back in the afternoon and I took a nap, had dinner and studied- woot.
I have lots more to study- that's the plan for tomorrow after church and the fun activity I have to teach tomorrow morning.
I have uploaded the pictures I am talking about on Picasa. If you do not have the link, it is on the right hand side of the page. Have fun!
-Jenna
I am posting about 15 minutes early this week- woot. Most people went out to drink soju or to a dvd bang (private movie room) tonight, but I was up too late last night and decided to stay in. I even studied earlier this evening- mainly because our quizzes on Monday are going to kick my butt. Since I posted on Wednesday, not too much to report.
Thursday afternoon I went and got my hair cut! Nothing drastic, just a trim and some layers. It came out way better than I thought it would, especially in this humidity. They actually used a hair straightener on my hair and I might go out and get one, because it made my hair look really shinny and not frizzy.
Friday evening- went to a jimjilbang (spa/bathhouse) with friends (Stacey, Lauren, Lindsey, Amber, Hui Kyun, and Ray). There are separate areas for men and women because you have to be naked...you shower first (really well) and then soak in hot/cold tubs and sit in saunas. Then you can meet in a common room (once you've put clothes on) with the opposite gender and hang out or sit in more saunas. It really was one of the most relaxing things I have done since arriving. It is an interesting experience, but I am glad I experienced it- I'll definitely go back. You get over the naked-ness thing really quickly. Then we went out for cocktail soju (flavored rice wine). It is really yummy. We came back to the dorm to watch a movie, but we were definitely all really tired!
Today I went to Namisan island with Amber, Diane, Jen, and Ray. It was a lot of fun! The island is really pretty and known because a popular Korean drama (k-drama) was filmed on the island. There's a photo of Ray and I recreating one of the bronze sculptures from the movie. There are also wild ostriches on the island and we got to feed them and take a few pictures. We got back in the afternoon and I took a nap, had dinner and studied- woot.
I have lots more to study- that's the plan for tomorrow after church and the fun activity I have to teach tomorrow morning.
I have uploaded the pictures I am talking about on Picasa. If you do not have the link, it is on the right hand side of the page. Have fun!
-Jenna
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Songnisan & PLACEMENT!
Hi All,
I am sorry that I was not able to post until mid-week.
We got back from our weekend retreat to Songnisan on Sunday evening. I would have written then, but we had a quiz on Monday and I had to teach one of my lessons for camp on Monday as well. I spent Sunday evening getting materials to teach and studying. I also had to teach our club activity on Tuesday, I did not get a break until today!
This past weekend was really nice and relaxing. We left Friday morning for Songnisan, which is a mountain, and got into town around lunch time. We had this lunch with all the local foods (veggies, roots, pickled/preserved, and kimcheed things). It was good and there was certainly food left over. After that, we checked into the hotel, we had to roll out our beds on the floor. They were pretty comfortable though. Friday afternoon we had some workshop sessions and then a talk about Buddhism. It was given by this monk, who's American, but has lived in Korea for the past 20 some years. It was pretty boring. After this, we visited the Buddhist temple in the area and then we had dinner- this soup thing with all the little side dishes of local foods- it was really good.
We had Friday night free, so a bunch of people went to norebang (kareoke). I didn't stay out too late, because I went hiking on Saturday up the mountain. I left with three other girls Saturday morning at 8:30 and we went on an 8 hour hike! It was really pretty, but by about hour 6 I was ready to be finished. We came down and I had dinner with some people and then went back to the hotel and just hung out with some friends (I went to sleep pretty early). Sunday morning I studied a bit by a river with some friends and ended up playing in it with some Korean kids (water fight). We had lunch on Sunday- some beef noodle soup with side dishes- it was really good. I've posted pictures on the website- there should be a link on this page now.
Teaching went well this week. I taught a lesson about the importance of sequence and directions by having the students write a recipe for PB&J and then made each student a sandwhich based off their recipe. They had a good time and although they are extremely quiet (unlike American students) I was able to get some of them to talk and laugh. We also taught our club activity lesson this week (yoga) and since I know nothing about yoga I did a warm up of simon says (reviewing body parts). It was fun.
Today we were placed in towns and schools. I am in the city of Daegu and it really is a city- it turns out to be the capitol of the province of Gyeonsangbuk-do, which is located south east on the peninsula. Lonely planet (2004) says, "...pop 2.53 million...and [it] covers a larger area than Seoul..." At the time it was the third largest city in Korea, now it is the fourth. I am sort of surprised I was placed in a city (mainly because there are not many placements in cities). Although, I suppose I do not exactly know where my school and homestay will be located (maybe on the outskirts of the the city?). Some of the best things about the placement is that there are orphanages there where I can volunteer, I'm in a city where I can pursue Korean language at a university, and I was placed there with four other great ETAs (two of which are adopted like me). Also, three friends are about 30 minutes away in Gumi. I guess there is always the slight possibility that my placement could change, but I really would love to be settled!
Nothing else really new- I don't really have any exciting weekend plans, we have to help out with camp Fulbright this weekend and Sunday is my day (so, I'm thinking I'll just stick around). Hope all is well with everyone!
-Jenna
P.S. I definitely stayed up all night last night to read Harry Potter the 7th book! Woot...I'm going to go crash now.
I am sorry that I was not able to post until mid-week.
We got back from our weekend retreat to Songnisan on Sunday evening. I would have written then, but we had a quiz on Monday and I had to teach one of my lessons for camp on Monday as well. I spent Sunday evening getting materials to teach and studying. I also had to teach our club activity on Tuesday, I did not get a break until today!
This past weekend was really nice and relaxing. We left Friday morning for Songnisan, which is a mountain, and got into town around lunch time. We had this lunch with all the local foods (veggies, roots, pickled/preserved, and kimcheed things). It was good and there was certainly food left over. After that, we checked into the hotel, we had to roll out our beds on the floor. They were pretty comfortable though. Friday afternoon we had some workshop sessions and then a talk about Buddhism. It was given by this monk, who's American, but has lived in Korea for the past 20 some years. It was pretty boring. After this, we visited the Buddhist temple in the area and then we had dinner- this soup thing with all the little side dishes of local foods- it was really good.
We had Friday night free, so a bunch of people went to norebang (kareoke). I didn't stay out too late, because I went hiking on Saturday up the mountain. I left with three other girls Saturday morning at 8:30 and we went on an 8 hour hike! It was really pretty, but by about hour 6 I was ready to be finished. We came down and I had dinner with some people and then went back to the hotel and just hung out with some friends (I went to sleep pretty early). Sunday morning I studied a bit by a river with some friends and ended up playing in it with some Korean kids (water fight). We had lunch on Sunday- some beef noodle soup with side dishes- it was really good. I've posted pictures on the website- there should be a link on this page now.
Teaching went well this week. I taught a lesson about the importance of sequence and directions by having the students write a recipe for PB&J and then made each student a sandwhich based off their recipe. They had a good time and although they are extremely quiet (unlike American students) I was able to get some of them to talk and laugh. We also taught our club activity lesson this week (yoga) and since I know nothing about yoga I did a warm up of simon says (reviewing body parts). It was fun.
Today we were placed in towns and schools. I am in the city of Daegu and it really is a city- it turns out to be the capitol of the province of Gyeonsangbuk-do, which is located south east on the peninsula. Lonely planet (2004) says, "...pop 2.53 million...and [it] covers a larger area than Seoul..." At the time it was the third largest city in Korea, now it is the fourth. I am sort of surprised I was placed in a city (mainly because there are not many placements in cities). Although, I suppose I do not exactly know where my school and homestay will be located (maybe on the outskirts of the the city?). Some of the best things about the placement is that there are orphanages there where I can volunteer, I'm in a city where I can pursue Korean language at a university, and I was placed there with four other great ETAs (two of which are adopted like me). Also, three friends are about 30 minutes away in Gumi. I guess there is always the slight possibility that my placement could change, but I really would love to be settled!
Nothing else really new- I don't really have any exciting weekend plans, we have to help out with camp Fulbright this weekend and Sunday is my day (so, I'm thinking I'll just stick around). Hope all is well with everyone!
-Jenna
P.S. I definitely stayed up all night last night to read Harry Potter the 7th book! Woot...I'm going to go crash now.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
O di aeso wass-io?
Me guk aeso wass-io. I'm trying to study for my quiz, but as you can see I am taking a slight break. I fear that any entry I make on this blog will be fairly lengthy, as many things are constantly happening and to blog about an entire week is a daunting task (especially since my memory is so poor). So I am going to try a new format, see below:
New foods I've tried: job chae (which is what I am eating in the picture on this page), panja (scallion pancake), papingsu (korean ice cream: shaved ice, chopped fruit, ice cream on top, mix, eat), dak kalbi (I can't remember if I've mentioned this- it's spicy chicken), and korean bacon (I can't remember the name of this). Really, most of the food I'm eating here is new, but these are the most memorable. Papingsu, although it might sound icky, is fantastic! I actually ate it 3 times the other day. I actually signed up for a Korean cooking class, which is how I ended up eating job chae and panja, because we made it. I love taking cooking classes when I travel because it's fun to learn part of that culture. The woman who taught us didn't speak any english and one of the women in our group translated for us, it was really nice.
Special things that happened: The executive director for our program in Korea came and visited us on Wednesday. She's a really nice Korean woman who has worked for our program for 30 years. She gave a short talk about her job, our job/responsibility here, and a run down about the program itself. It was a nice talk and a pep talk for when we leave orientation for our respective cities.
I went and saw Harry Potter with a Amelia the other night and that was pretty cool. The movie theatre itself was smaller than in the states and the movie had korean subtitles. Other than that, no other differences.
Weekend plans:
Friday night a lot of people went out to drink and hung out with korean students from the university. The big drink in korea is called soju (it's an alcohol distilled from rice- no surprise there). There's this whole culture about it, so it's kinda fun to hang out, but it doesn't taste all that great (think vodka) so I don't drink a lot of it. After that a whole bunch of us went our to norebang, which was a blast! It's kareoke and you rent your own room with a whole bunch of people. Highlights of the night- dancing to songs like mmmbop (takes me back to middle school- yikes), spicegirls, abba, etc. It was pretty fun.
Saturday a bunch pf people were going to a juljingba, sauna/bath house, I opted out this weekend, but I do want to go sometime. Instead I went out with a few friends around town and got to see the main shopping area, which was kinda neat. Then a friend and I went paddle boating on a river nearby and spent the afternoon hanging out there and walking around the park. It was nice and relaxing. Last night I went out to dinner and had another famous dish here- korean bacon- it was tasty and I smelled like it when I came back, I had to take a shower!
Today we (a small group of about 6 of us) went to church and it was really cool. We went to a korean service early (9:00) and it was neat, I couldn't understand anything, but they had some music on a projector (like at cornerstone) so I got to practice some korean at church. We came back and I studied and then we went back to the church for an English service. I got to meet some koreans and hopefully I'll get a language partner while I'm here. The coolest part was the fact that I now know some Christians here and we want to start up a bible study/prayer group. It feels really good to be connected to other people who have the same beliefs. God is really faithful and answered my prayers; thanks for all those who prayed for fellowship here!
Praises: church and meeting others for fellowship, beginning to make deeper relationships with people, not getting bitten by so many mosquitoes, my eye infection clearing up and my eye being fine.
Prayer Requests: That I would stay healthy, continue to be responsible in studying korean (or supernatural abilities to pick up the language), continue developing relationships and that the Bible study would actually happen.
Thank you all so much for your support! I love the comments on the blog and the e-mails. Please keep me posted on how everything is going back home! There are two new ways in which to keep track of me here. First off is a place where I am posting my pictures- http://picasaweb.google.com/Jenna.Insook/KangwonUniversity
The second is the fact that I have a skype account ask me if you want it. Now, I can screen calls, so if there's some sketchy person who stumbled upon this blog and I don't know you (assuming I know sketchy people) I won't answer- simple. However, this is a great resource! I just tried it with a friend here and it works really well, even though I don't have a headset. So, if you have skype, give me a call sometime.
-Jenna
New foods I've tried: job chae (which is what I am eating in the picture on this page), panja (scallion pancake), papingsu (korean ice cream: shaved ice, chopped fruit, ice cream on top, mix, eat), dak kalbi (I can't remember if I've mentioned this- it's spicy chicken), and korean bacon (I can't remember the name of this). Really, most of the food I'm eating here is new, but these are the most memorable. Papingsu, although it might sound icky, is fantastic! I actually ate it 3 times the other day. I actually signed up for a Korean cooking class, which is how I ended up eating job chae and panja, because we made it. I love taking cooking classes when I travel because it's fun to learn part of that culture. The woman who taught us didn't speak any english and one of the women in our group translated for us, it was really nice.
Special things that happened: The executive director for our program in Korea came and visited us on Wednesday. She's a really nice Korean woman who has worked for our program for 30 years. She gave a short talk about her job, our job/responsibility here, and a run down about the program itself. It was a nice talk and a pep talk for when we leave orientation for our respective cities.
I went and saw Harry Potter with a Amelia the other night and that was pretty cool. The movie theatre itself was smaller than in the states and the movie had korean subtitles. Other than that, no other differences.
Weekend plans:
Friday night a lot of people went out to drink and hung out with korean students from the university. The big drink in korea is called soju (it's an alcohol distilled from rice- no surprise there). There's this whole culture about it, so it's kinda fun to hang out, but it doesn't taste all that great (think vodka) so I don't drink a lot of it. After that a whole bunch of us went our to norebang, which was a blast! It's kareoke and you rent your own room with a whole bunch of people. Highlights of the night- dancing to songs like mmmbop (takes me back to middle school- yikes), spicegirls, abba, etc. It was pretty fun.
Saturday a bunch pf people were going to a juljingba, sauna/bath house, I opted out this weekend, but I do want to go sometime. Instead I went out with a few friends around town and got to see the main shopping area, which was kinda neat. Then a friend and I went paddle boating on a river nearby and spent the afternoon hanging out there and walking around the park. It was nice and relaxing. Last night I went out to dinner and had another famous dish here- korean bacon- it was tasty and I smelled like it when I came back, I had to take a shower!
Today we (a small group of about 6 of us) went to church and it was really cool. We went to a korean service early (9:00) and it was neat, I couldn't understand anything, but they had some music on a projector (like at cornerstone) so I got to practice some korean at church. We came back and I studied and then we went back to the church for an English service. I got to meet some koreans and hopefully I'll get a language partner while I'm here. The coolest part was the fact that I now know some Christians here and we want to start up a bible study/prayer group. It feels really good to be connected to other people who have the same beliefs. God is really faithful and answered my prayers; thanks for all those who prayed for fellowship here!
Praises: church and meeting others for fellowship, beginning to make deeper relationships with people, not getting bitten by so many mosquitoes, my eye infection clearing up and my eye being fine.
Prayer Requests: That I would stay healthy, continue to be responsible in studying korean (or supernatural abilities to pick up the language), continue developing relationships and that the Bible study would actually happen.
Thank you all so much for your support! I love the comments on the blog and the e-mails. Please keep me posted on how everything is going back home! There are two new ways in which to keep track of me here. First off is a place where I am posting my pictures- http://picasaweb.google.com/Jenna.Insook/KangwonUniversity
The second is the fact that I have a skype account ask me if you want it. Now, I can screen calls, so if there's some sketchy person who stumbled upon this blog and I don't know you (assuming I know sketchy people) I won't answer- simple. However, this is a great resource! I just tried it with a friend here and it works really well, even though I don't have a headset. So, if you have skype, give me a call sometime.
-Jenna
Monday, July 9, 2007
Chuncheon, South Korea
Hi All,
I've decided I will try and update this thing every Sunday. It's pretty difficult, just because there is so much I've done, but I'm trying to get it updated!
I arrived in Incheon/Seoul International Airport on Saturday morning with the rest of the the people on the program. Thankfully I did not experience any setbacks and most of our group was able to collect their luggage. We boarded buses for Chuncheon, a 2.5 hour ride, where we will be staying for the next six weeks. We are at Kangwon National University learning Korean, culture, and how to teach English as a foreign language. The rest of Saturday was spent getting to know each other and informational meetings about the program. There will be lots of meetings over the next few weeks to help us acclimate to our new environment!
I really like the food! The cafeteria food really is just like all cafeteria food and therefore it's just so-so. However, I ventured out to eat with a few people at some local and very inexpensive restaurants yesterday and today and they were great! Kimchee really does come with everything- whether it's the traditional cabbage kimchee or radish or whatever other kind of kimchee. In general the food is very hot and very spicy. We had a spicy chicken dish tonight with some former people from our program and it was amazing. Apparently Chuncheon is known for this specific dish.
I am finding it a little difficult to adjust to the schedule. It's 6:19am and I think I woke up earlier than that, but tried to go back to sleep. Last night I was exhausted and went to bed around 9:00pm, after taking a three hour nap in the evening.
I haven't been outside the campus very much and it still makes me feel like I'm in a little bubble, it's hard to believe I'm in Korea. Sunday we had more of the welcome weekend meetings and such. We signed up for extra curricular activities we want to participate in. I signed up for cooking class. We have a cooking class tonight and then one in about two weeks, I'm not sure who is teaching it, but it sounds fun. There was a Korean musical instrument class, a tkd class, a calligraphy class, and a paper folding/cutting class too. The tkd class only goes from white to yellow belt, so I opted not to spend the $100 on it. I might still want to sign up for the calligraphy class, but we'll see.
We also had to sign up for a time to teach during camp (about two weeks from now). We had to sign up to teach two lessons, an extra activity, and a weekend activity. I signed up to teach an advanced class and a lower level class, just to see the difference in kids. We also had a presentation that day by two former program participants about their experience in Korea and it was pretty informative.
Yesterday was the first language class and man it was tiring! It's four hours of rote instruction- which means we repeat the same things over and over again. We had a lot of homework too, which was writing the same thing over and over again. I'm in the beginner class, no surprise there, but I do enjoy the class. We have 14 people in our class which is nice. I know the vowels and the consonants and how to say hello, how are you (two different ways), nice to meet you, what is your name, my name is, where are you from, what country are you from, I am from America, and I am American. We'll have a midterm and a final for the class, along with quizes every monday! I also heard that our scores are printed on the diploma we receive after finishing the course!
We have workshops/meetings every afternoon- about cultural life in korea, how to teach etc. Yesterday's was okay, but it was hard to sit for two more hours, I was really antsy to leave. We have little assignments every week too- just to check in with the orientation coordinators, I have to write mine up a little later. I also have a 1 on 1 meeting with a coordinator this morning- just a check in to see how the weekend went and how we are adjusting. I like how much time fulbright spends making sure people are adjusting well.
I found out quickly that I am not immune to Korean mosquitoes. In fact, I have about four bites on my upper left thigh, which is kinda strange, since I wear clothes every where I go (I think they bite at night in my rooms, I need to get a bug killer thing in the room). The bites got really big and warm to the touch- fun stuff. But, I was able to get hydrocortizone cream from one of the coordinators and it's reduced a lot of the swelling. I'm fine, just a bit itchy and uncomfortable. The other day I had my contacts in and my eyes were really dry and my right eye got really red (the one that I scratched). I haven't been wearing my contacts, but have been monitoring my eye- it seems to be okay, but the redness hasn't fully gone away. I am thinking of going to a doctor today to get it checked out. It doesn't hurt, but I'd feel better if I knew it was okay.
This is long, but a lot has happened in just three days! I'll try to be a bit more discriminating in future posts! Please, e-mail me and let me know how you all are doing. I certainly do want to hear what is happening with my friends at home!
-Jenna
I've decided I will try and update this thing every Sunday. It's pretty difficult, just because there is so much I've done, but I'm trying to get it updated!
I arrived in Incheon/Seoul International Airport on Saturday morning with the rest of the the people on the program. Thankfully I did not experience any setbacks and most of our group was able to collect their luggage. We boarded buses for Chuncheon, a 2.5 hour ride, where we will be staying for the next six weeks. We are at Kangwon National University learning Korean, culture, and how to teach English as a foreign language. The rest of Saturday was spent getting to know each other and informational meetings about the program. There will be lots of meetings over the next few weeks to help us acclimate to our new environment!
I really like the food! The cafeteria food really is just like all cafeteria food and therefore it's just so-so. However, I ventured out to eat with a few people at some local and very inexpensive restaurants yesterday and today and they were great! Kimchee really does come with everything- whether it's the traditional cabbage kimchee or radish or whatever other kind of kimchee. In general the food is very hot and very spicy. We had a spicy chicken dish tonight with some former people from our program and it was amazing. Apparently Chuncheon is known for this specific dish.
I am finding it a little difficult to adjust to the schedule. It's 6:19am and I think I woke up earlier than that, but tried to go back to sleep. Last night I was exhausted and went to bed around 9:00pm, after taking a three hour nap in the evening.
I haven't been outside the campus very much and it still makes me feel like I'm in a little bubble, it's hard to believe I'm in Korea. Sunday we had more of the welcome weekend meetings and such. We signed up for extra curricular activities we want to participate in. I signed up for cooking class. We have a cooking class tonight and then one in about two weeks, I'm not sure who is teaching it, but it sounds fun. There was a Korean musical instrument class, a tkd class, a calligraphy class, and a paper folding/cutting class too. The tkd class only goes from white to yellow belt, so I opted not to spend the $100 on it. I might still want to sign up for the calligraphy class, but we'll see.
We also had to sign up for a time to teach during camp (about two weeks from now). We had to sign up to teach two lessons, an extra activity, and a weekend activity. I signed up to teach an advanced class and a lower level class, just to see the difference in kids. We also had a presentation that day by two former program participants about their experience in Korea and it was pretty informative.
Yesterday was the first language class and man it was tiring! It's four hours of rote instruction- which means we repeat the same things over and over again. We had a lot of homework too, which was writing the same thing over and over again. I'm in the beginner class, no surprise there, but I do enjoy the class. We have 14 people in our class which is nice. I know the vowels and the consonants and how to say hello, how are you (two different ways), nice to meet you, what is your name, my name is, where are you from, what country are you from, I am from America, and I am American. We'll have a midterm and a final for the class, along with quizes every monday! I also heard that our scores are printed on the diploma we receive after finishing the course!
We have workshops/meetings every afternoon- about cultural life in korea, how to teach etc. Yesterday's was okay, but it was hard to sit for two more hours, I was really antsy to leave. We have little assignments every week too- just to check in with the orientation coordinators, I have to write mine up a little later. I also have a 1 on 1 meeting with a coordinator this morning- just a check in to see how the weekend went and how we are adjusting. I like how much time fulbright spends making sure people are adjusting well.
I found out quickly that I am not immune to Korean mosquitoes. In fact, I have about four bites on my upper left thigh, which is kinda strange, since I wear clothes every where I go (I think they bite at night in my rooms, I need to get a bug killer thing in the room). The bites got really big and warm to the touch- fun stuff. But, I was able to get hydrocortizone cream from one of the coordinators and it's reduced a lot of the swelling. I'm fine, just a bit itchy and uncomfortable. The other day I had my contacts in and my eyes were really dry and my right eye got really red (the one that I scratched). I haven't been wearing my contacts, but have been monitoring my eye- it seems to be okay, but the redness hasn't fully gone away. I am thinking of going to a doctor today to get it checked out. It doesn't hurt, but I'd feel better if I knew it was okay.
This is long, but a lot has happened in just three days! I'll try to be a bit more discriminating in future posts! Please, e-mail me and let me know how you all are doing. I certainly do want to hear what is happening with my friends at home!
-Jenna
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