KTO Mission: Mediacity Seoul 2012: Spell on you

Social media. 

Can you imagine life 10, 15, 20 years ago, when we didn't have the constant comfort of Facebook, Twitter and smartphones to combat boredom? Social media and the technology that we use to access it have forever changed our lives. I, for one, don't think that I could survive in Korea without Google Translate and KakaoTalk. 

But with the increasing lack of privacy that is associated with social media, does it do more harm than good? Arguments can be made for both; the "good" can be found here and the "harm" can be found here). I think your answer depends on both your age group and your depth of knowledge (or ignorance) about the matter, as shown in the comments of the previous links. It's such a hot topic that CNN has created an entire section on Our Mobile Society. 

That's what the Mediacity Seoul 2012: Spell on you exhibit highlights—the effects of social media on our lives, for better or worse. The pieces typically have an effect on the audience, if only because they relate to our generation in ways that are both fairly obvious (i.e. being able to easily search, read and reproduce non-private tweets) and a bit mind-blowing (i.e. placing listening devices throughout the museum and being able to listen to others' conversations). 

My favorites are below!


The Tenth Sentiment, 2010 by Ryota Kuwakubo

This artwork embodies the quote that modern art gets all of the time: "I could have done that." Using only a mini-train, railroad track and everyday objects, the artist creates another world. This seemingly simplistic exhibit is in a pitch black room, with the only light coming from the train. Simple objects (think a wastebasket, paperclips and pencils) are placed around the track. The true art is the shadow that the train's light casts while moving along the track. While you can clearly see the plainness of the objects when the light hits them, the shadows create an ever-changing scene that looks ridiculously similar to one that you would see if you were on a real train.


Eye-Tracking Informatics, 2011 by Seiko Mikami

"Observing the act of observation" describes this piece perfectly. Using a PA system, an eye-tracking system, actuators and binaural headphones, this artwork allows the participant to create a 3D structure using their eyesight alone, both consciously and unconsciously. It's an ever-changing process in a space that, initially pitch black, has no top or bottom. When creating your own neural network-like pattern, you're only able to see your own pattern and the one created by the person before you. Make sure to use this at the beginning of your trip, as it overheated during the day and was shut down for a short time right after I had used it! My vision track is in the upper right; I clearly have no direction.


In Between, 2012 by HYBE (Hive for Hybrid Environment)

This artwork was really entertaining for the kids and interesting to try and figure out what the meaning behind it was for me. Using a projection, tracking camera, and computer, the participants' physical presence affected the art's movement. Instead of simply walking in a pattern, if a person stood in the invisible man's path, the footsteps would stop and change directions. Before reading the description, we thought that this may have just been the pre-programmed pattern. However, when four of us surrounded the projection, it stopped. It just stood there. Childlike wonder, party of one. This invisible character is meant to represent strangers, outsiders and "others" alike. After reading the description, I had a completely different reaction to the art: Not only did I feel sorry for it, but I can imagine the feelings of loneliness and being trapped, having all of your actions being necessary reactions to your environment. It felt very...forced. And evoked some contradictory emotions, which, I suppose, is the point of art.


Be Your Own Souvenir, 2011 by blablabLAB

It was surprising how nonchalant the employees were about this exhibit. I mean, come on—3D printing!! By taking volunteers from the museum's visitors, the audience became the art—the viewer became the viewed. First, an audience member (or two, if you wanted to do a couple shot, which Koreans are big fans of) stands in the 3D scanning area (my image is on the left). It takes awhile, but the image is scanned and then details are perfected on the two computers. Once the image is completed, red or blue wax is used to create a 3D wax print of the participant(s). Again, this is one to sign up for early; this exhibit closes earlier than the museum (around 4PM).

Final products

Don't take my word for how captivating and relatable this is. It's a unique thing to do in the city known for it's connectivity factor. Mediacity Seoul 2012 will be at the Seoul Museum of Art until Sunday, November 4. It's free (even the audio guides, available in Korean and English, are free) and I highly recommend spending a morning or afternoon there when in Seoul. The website provides more details about the other exhibits.

Bulguksa Elementary School—Sports Day!

It's been decided, and not even the days with curry for lunch compare. This is, by far, my favorite part of the school year. Not only are classes cancelled, but this day (also called the "Sports Festival" by my head teacher) is used to show the physical prowess of the Bulguksa Elementary School kids. Sure, there were normal activities like relay races, but there were also a few that used some imagination. Or maybe I just don't remember having this much fun during recess (we certainly didn't have days that were dedicated to sports—not fair). Plus, families are invited to attend and even participate in a couple of events! 

I had the pleasure of racing sixth graders, participating in the teacher activity and being part of a relay-race-meets-scavenger-hunt. And, before you ask, my team won each activity. Yes, I beat elementary school children. Whatevs.

Kindergardeners, with the help of their parents

First graders

Intense school-wide tug of war

Relay race/scavenger hunt

6 Month Mark

The past six months have been full of euphoric highs and hellish lows. 

I've had some amazing experiences: I met great people from all around the world; I learned parts of a language that I couldn't even initially differentiate from others; I finished my first 10k; I know how to use public transportation (!!!); I went to uniquely Korean places in Bulguksa Temple and a mud festival; I've happily watched the sunrise more times than I can count. 

And some not-so-good ones: FIFTH GRADERS; I've gotten hopelessly lost; My iPad was broken; I've had 50+ mosquito bites; Two words—butt shot; I've been homesick; My co-teacher sometimes lacks common sense; Oh, and Korea has seasonal weather (think below freezing in the winter, disgustingly humid in the summer and more recently, typhoons).

I came across an article in the Opinion section of the NY Times (full article here) a few weeks ago that sums up my experience using slightly more erudite language: 

Our wandering is meant to lead back toward ourselves. This is the paradox: we set out on adventures to gain deeper access to ourselves; we travel to transcend our own limitations. Travel should be an art through which our restlessness finds expression. We must bring back the idea of travel as a search.

Which led me to this:

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

 Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

I'm not necessarily religious, but it's basic logic made sense. So with that in mind, I'm looking to focus my efforts on circumstances that I have the power to change; as the article above states, my travel has definitely gone full circle as a search within myself and of my ability to "transcend [my own] limitations." 

I've slowly been having a more negative view of my time here, but it wasn't until a conversation this past weekend that I was finally able to accept that it's all in my head. And that I can change how I perceive this experience. I was starting my days with a defeatist attitude instead of looking to what I could accomplish in that next 24 hours. So here's to changing my mindset in order to enjoy the six months that I have left in this wonderful country, one day at a time.


xo

Summer Lovin' Had Me A Blast

Summer lovin' happened so faa-aa-aast.

After a week of summer camp and a week of desk warming (i.e. downloading music, eating snacks and nap...errr LESSON PLANNING, of course), I made my way to Europe for a two week vacation!

Within less than a week of my original departure date, I cancelled my Philippines plan and booked a flight for my Amsterdam-Paris-Munich journey. Yes, I was freaking out, but I needed a break.

It was the best vacation that I could have asked for. Not only did I go on adventures, but I was able to share this experience with my family. It was a refreshing breath of fresh air and I'm really glad that I made the last minute decision, although my wallet may tell a different story!

More in-depth city stories after the jump!

xo

You Want To Read Hangeul? Easy Enough.

Instead of making hundreds of flash cards to learn Hangeul, I came across an amazingly helpful tumblr post within my first few months in Korea. (Source: ryanestrada.com) The author is 100 percent correct in saying that it takes a matter of minutes to learn how to read Hangeul once going over these images a couple times.

Seriously. So simple.

Although I haven't tried it out, the Korean Tourism Organization site also has a quick beginner lesson posted on their site.

Trust me when I say that having at least a low level ability to read will work wonders for your sanity.

"15. The only good reason to go into debt is for traveling. Not Isabel Marant boots or expensive groceries."

Usually when I see a list calling out 19 things that I (i.e. 20-somethings) should know, I highlight a few of them and store them in the back of my head, or on my desktop. I might even quote my favorite on twitter and share the link, if I feel so inclined. 


I couldn't do that with this Thought Catalog list. 


I've read it over a few times and there aren't any that don't relate to my life in some way. Are we really all that easy and simplistic that this one article can sum us up? Because I'm pretty sure that I've come across a majority of these kinds of thoughts/feelings within the past week, if not in the past 24 hours. 


Ryan O'Connell - GET OUT OF MY HEAD.


xo

What I Learned From English Summer Camp 2012

Moral of the story: Kids come to camps for the snacks. And maybe the aircon. But it's mostly the massive amount of snacks that they get. If less kids came, shit got cray with the amount of kai bai bo (rock scissors paper) games to see who got the extras.

On top of that, to get said snacks, all they had to do is play super awesome, fun games with me. I extensively planned out my week-long summer camp that consisted of two 1 hour & 20 minute classes, with the first being grades 3-4 and the second being grades 5-6. 

Ugghhh...I didn't do anything that I had planned. 

Instead, I played games that allowed the kids to use their English, both speaking and writing, including the whisper game, a writing/speaking game that focused on phonics, a photo scavenger hunt and a slapping game (originally based on the song Down By The Banks of the Hanky Panky, but using numbers, letters, etc.). Note: Some great camp games can also be found here and here. I had worksheets on worksheets (on worksheets) for the Tangled movie that I was planning on incorporating, but I learned within the first class that that was probably not going to fly. 

I started the week dreading camp, but this past week of lessons, even without a coteacher or a textbook and increasing the regular lesson time from 40 minutes to 1 hour & 20 minutes, was my favorite time at Bulguksa thus far. Some of the kids are so much smarter than they let on in regular classes and I'm incredibly thankful that I got to know them on a more personal level.

I now have less than two weeks until I take my vacation to the freaking Philippines!!

xo

...you mean you can't tell that this is me?
Courtesy of one of my favorite boys

Some of the kids with their stashes

Experience Vs. End Result

I've always wondered about which part of the learning process our society should emphasize, and this article address a number of my questions. When I was in school, good grades were everything. To us honors kids, it didn't matter how little or much we did, as long as we received that A grade at the end of the semester. For some, this meant studying for hours each day. For others, this meant cheating and taking adderall. The thing is, these groups generally got similar marks. The means didn't matter because the end result was the same.

What I got from the article: In order to start something (whether that be to get the top grade or lose weight), an end goal is a great motivator. However, while being results-driven is a positive career trait, people also tend to be less enthusiastic about the process and the overall experience isn't enjoyed as much, possibly resulting in worse results. If the sole focus is on the goal, the act may seem more like a chore. In order to continue something long-term, keep the goal in mind, but focus on the experience of the task at hand.  By focusing on the experience, there tends to be more enjoyment from the learning process, which may eventually lead to your goal anyway. Maybe this is what our parents were talking about when they said that some activities are "character building" (also known as intrinsic motivation).

When I first started teaching, I brought in candy to draw my students out (and hell, to make them like me). It eventually got to the point that they would 1) 'work together' on assessments to get the 90%+ that would merit a candy and 2) flat out not answer questions until I gave them a reward. Well, I eventually decided that this had to stop; kids aren't pets that need to be rewarded with food. So I did. Cold turkey. And those first couple of classes sans sweets were a challenge. But then they started raising their hands again, without the question of "candy?" that was seemingly attached to the gesture before. Instead of doing things for a goal (in this instance, a candy), they were again having positive experiences in English class.

I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm getting more out of this experience than my students.

xo

You're Saving HOW MUCH?!

While Spain was calling my name when I simultaneously applied for the Korean and Spanish government programs, I'm glad that I ended up choosing Korea as my first destination to be a Guest English Teacher. Unlike the majority of the programs in Europe and South America, the Korean government has a pretty legit set up for us here. Not only do we get paid more overall (including a nice year-end bonus), but our housing is taken care of and, pending contract completion, our flights to/from Korea are paid for as well. My expenses have leveled off over the past few months, so I felt the need to post my numbers to share with others and to keep a certain level of accountability with myself. Feel free to comment on how much I'm wasting on soju.


Income: 2,000,000 won
Income generally ranges from 1.8-2.2 million won (not including any overtime), with 100,000-200,000 won coming out for lunch, insurance, etc. by your school. Yes, schools provide delicious, authentic Korean lunches for about 3,000/day. I'm paid 2.1 million won with no overtime. I know, it's weird that my ridiculously short hours don't have some overtime pay thrown in there for good measure! After the above expenses are taken out, I have a little less than 2 million won to play with each month.


Expenses: 685,000-885,000 won
Note: I also bought a gym pass for 210,000/3 months that I don't plan on renewing at the end of July. Damn those cute trainers who sucked me in!
Smart phone (unlimited data ftw): 80,000
Utilities (A/C, heater and electricity): 20,000
Food (Groceries are 70,000/week if you buy fruits/veggies and the occasional pastry; eating out ranges from 2,500-15,000/meal): 325,000
Bi-weekly coffee shop dates (4-5,000/drink): 10,000
Bus pass (to/from school): 50,000
Social outings: 200,000-400,000 -- This is the reason why the numbers above mean little to nothing regarding your overall savings each month. It can be as little as 20,000/month (meaning that you get a coffee and stay in your hometown every weekend) to 300,000/weekend if you decide to go to Seoul. On an average weekend of going to Daegu, Busan, Pohang, etc., it's reasonable to spend 100,000/night, which is why I burned through my income so quickly during the first couple of months. However, we're now traveling less often, but still going out in our own hometowns, which decreases the number significantly. I'm feeling more responsible already!


Moral of the story is that it's rather easy to save over $10,000 by the end of a contract. And this includes summer (Philippines!) and winter (Australia!) vacations. Unfortunately for me, all this post made me do was realize how much more I could and should be saving. For grad school, to take a teaching position in a desirable country with minimal pay for a certain football tournament (cough Brazil 2014) or, if I'm feeling really brazen, a Roth IRA. And now that I'm thinking about it, I should really hide this post from my mother...


xo

Xenization: My Reason for Coming to Korea

Xenization - the act of traveling as a stranger.


Not that the above is the best description, but isn't this exactly what I want to do professionally? Note: FSOs live in a different country almost every two years for a good chunk of their careers. Sorry, but I didn't come to Korea specifically because my heart is set on being a teacher, and a lot of the individuals who I have met didn't either. Most of us came for the experience of living in a foreign country as an immigrant, to travel and to be challenged. My emphasis was on that last bit: to be challenged. In every sense of the word. In mind, body and spirit.


I've never seen myself as a stranger, an 'other', because I've never really been on my own. When I went to university, not only was I always living with people (uh, hello sorority housing with FIFTY OTHER WOMEN), but I was also within an hour of home...and it stunted my personal growth. I readily admit that being alone with my thoughts for extended periods of time still makes me nervous, but isn't that where you learn the most about yourself? In places where you're uncomfortable? It occurred to me that moving to Korea was the first instance in a long time that I did something that moved me past my own comfort zone.


I knew coming into this experience that that was going to be the toughest challenge for me: being alone. How fucking scary does that sound? I'm not talking about having alone time; I mean flying to a foreign country to live in a yet-to-be-determined rural city where all of 20 people speak your language, a place where the role of your support system is drastically reduced and at least one bout of homesickness is guaranteed. All of this boils down to one thing: you're going it solo, my friend. 


After almost five months of living by myself in Gyeongju, which included a solid three weeks of the homesickness dreaded by new and experienced expats alike, I'm getting to the point where I've realized that being alone is not the disastrous terror that I once envisioned it to be. The experience of being an outsider in a place that I'm supposed to call home for the next 7.5 months is still daunting, but it's easier to accept because I have realized that I can handle it. I'm looking forward to seeing how much I've grown throughout this year because I already feel different (stronger? more confident?) after a few months. And before you mumble anything else under your breath, I know that this sounds like a college application essay, but it's true. Friends have said that this type of experience will change your life and I agree with them now more than ever.


The word 'stranger' generally has this negative connotation (my mom taught me and my sisters the phrase STRANGER DANGER! from an early age and we still use it on one another to this day) of unknown individuals who may go against the grain. But I'm learning that I'm addressing the differences in people, countries and cultures here with a more positive outlook. Besides, I'm of the opinion that being interesting is a rather lovely compliment.


xo

Edit: An article on why alone time is important for everyone at every age:

But it's also important to remember that alone time is a crucial, and too often forgotten, part of development. The real world is not a constant party, or a day at camp. Real world includes downtime, and it includes alone time. And your job as a parent isn't to entertain your children 24 hours a day. Introducing your child early on to the idea of spending time alone -- and liking it -- will help your son and/or daughter become a better companion to others and get more from their relationships with friends -- and with you. They will grow to be an adult who can be happy on his/her own, or with someone else. And isn't that the goal?