H.A.G.S.!

...or Have A Great Summer, as many of us remember from the days of signing yearbooks in our pre-college lives. For Americans, this would be the time of year when students say goodbye to school and welcome the long stretch of summer vacation. However, there is no concept of summer vacation in Korea. The train just keeps on-a-rollin'.

My family departed these lands just a short week ago. We covered quite a bit of ground during their stay, and it was eventful to say the least. It's an interesting dynamic playing tour guide when you don't know exactly what you're doing. I'm still very much in the acclimating stages of my adventure in Korea, but was able to maneuver the family around for the most part. After our time in Seoul and Suwon, we journeyed south to the more beautiful countryside of southern South Korea. We stayed a night in a luxurious ***** hotel right on the famous beach at Busan, with the help of one of my co-teachers connections. After enjoying the high life, we left for Gyeongju, which is a small city north of Busan. Located there are several ancient sites from Korea's storied past. Many of them are Buddhist related (temples and such), and they are situated up in some nice mountains. So we had a view in both Busan and Gyeongju. One of the teachers from my school is from Gyeongju, so she and her sons met us for a buffet dinner while we were there. The kids were great, and one of them is taking a trip to the U.S. for an English summer camp, so I imagine the mother wanted her son to get some English practice in before leaving.

The trip with the family went by fast, and was very fun. Now it's status quo for me until August, when I'll have some vacation time and my friend and Marquette Alumn/Superfan Brian Danielle will visit. I've got a nice holiday this Wednesday because of national elections. Their campaigning techniques are pretty strange. Instead of going door-to-door, campaigners gather on street corners, blare loud music, and dance/bow for cars and people passing by. There's not much dignity involved.

As for the current political situation, don't worry fam and friends. The Korea's are not happy with each other, but there isn't any imminent danger I face, and the U.S. Embassy sent out an email to all American Citizens in Korea stressing that we are ok right now. The only thing I'm worrying about right now is where I can get some decent Mexican Food. Fortunately T Bell is on it's way to Seoul. Booyah.

Enjoy

Family means more fun!

It may be a little early to be playing tour guide in Korea, but I'm always up for a new challenge. My mom and brother arrived hassle-free Thursday evening. They've handled the culture shock quite well, even though they may still be a bit jet lagged. We've been a sight to see in my neighborhood...Koreans aren't used to seeing a family of foreigners in my area.

We have quite a busy itinerary for the ten days the family is here. We had a few Korean meals, which were met with warm praise from mom and chris. On Saturday we visited the DMZ. The tour was through the U.S.O., so we were able to see some things that other tour company's weren't allowed to provide (this wasn't free of course). Our first stop on the tour was at a United States Army base right next to the DMZ. Here, a few soldiers briefed us on the history of the DMZ, and went over the locations we would see. The first location was probably the most interesting. We visited the meeting room for where the North and South go for diplomatic negotiations. The small building is literally located half on the North's side, and half on the South's. It was fun to say we stepped foot in North Korea, and we actually got to see North Korean Soldiers watching us about 20 yards away. They had binoculars on us and everything...
We went to an observation post where we were surrounded on three sides by North Korea, and could see the 'propoganda village' that North Korea built right across the border. Essentially it's a fake town that the North built to try and attract South Koreans to defect and join the North. In the village is a HUGE North Korean flag (literally almost the length of a football field). This is in response to the South's big flag they put on their side of the border. It's probably the most immature quarreling between two countries I've ever seen. But the North's flag is so big that the wind wasn't strong enough to get the thing moving when we were there....after that, we visited a tunnel the North Koreans dug to try and sneak soldiers into the south. It's pretty creepy, and it's very far underground.

Today we visited the Palace Grounds in Seoul. A lot of the complex is still being restored because of constant invasion from outside (Japan twice, North Korea). However, the buildings are still very impressive, and like nothing I have ever seen before. Their was definitely a very powerful civilization here many years ago. Enjoy the pictures!

The fam will be visiting the school tomorrow with me...they will be instant hits I'm sure. We'll head to Everland with the 9th graders on Wednesday (they have a field trip this week). Check out the Everland theme park at www.everland.com. Then we will head down south for the weekend to Busan and Gyeongju. More updates next week.

Photos:
Mom in front of a big palace structure.

A few North Korean soldiers watching our tour group as we visit the negotiation building right on the border of north and south.

Chris and I in the negotiation room. We are accompanied by a South Korean border guard. I'm actually standing in North Korea and Chris is in South Korea. The U.N. Flag marks the border.

May Means More Holidays

Yes family and friends, May can be a wonderful time of the year just when taking into consideration the change of weather (especially for everyone in MN and WI). But in Korea there's an added bonus; national holidays. Aside from Parent's Day (Mother's Day and Father's Day combined), Teacher's Day, and Children's Day (yes, we get all of these days off at work), Buddha's Birthday also happens in May this year. Happy Birthday Buddha, and welcome to Korea, Mom and Chris! They will be here over Buddha's Birthday, and we'll be visiting some ancient Buddhist Temples and Statues during the celebration.

Parent's Day was this week, so my students were busy making English Letters/Cards for their parents. There were plenty of impressive handmade cards, and I managed to persuade a few classes to sing me the Parent's Day Song. Glorious. It was nice to do a hands-on activity in class because not all the students are able to understand me when I speak in class. They definitely go into the card construction.

In other happenings, last weekend I visited Suwon's old town and fortress. The fortress and its walls surround the old area of Suwon, and are impressive enough to be listed as a UNESCO site. On one side of the fortress is a mountain, and at the top you can find some impressive views of the surrounding area. The picture in the previous post is at what remains of the Palace. I think the ceremonial guards were surprised to see someone taller than them when we took this picture (they're some big dudes).

I did some other sightseeing on Children's Day at nearby Kyung Hee University. Word on the street is Kyung Hee is one of the top 3 universities in Korea, and the campus definitely made it seem so. Kyung Hee is completely obsessed with making its campus look like a replica of Ancient Rome. Most of the campus buildings had giant marble columns, there are statues of 'The Thinker' everywhere, giant obelisks, and latin written on almost everything. Very strange, but the campus is worth the walk around. It's one of the few places in Suwon with a lot of green space and nature.

Nothing else to report as of now. I've got another full week of school, and as I mentioned, the family is coming to visit. I'll be making final preparations for their arrival for the next few days. Thanks for following...

Pictures
Long before the Egyptians built their pyramids, the Koreans at Kyung Hee created the Ancient obelisk.

The Ancient Roman-Korean Ampitheatre