Korean Lessons 101, Courtesy of David So

Full of extra syllables for your viewing pleasure.

#merrychristmaseve

xo

Holiday Season: Thanksgiving

Cheers to the holiday that celebrates all of the foods that are the most difficult to find in Korea! As most holiday weekends do, Thanksgiving started off strong, with a trip to the bars on Thursday to celebrate the Gyeongju waygook community and a birthday.

Needless to say, double gin & tonics made my Friday difficult…until my head teacher canceled all of my lessons, let me nap until lunch and then sent me home to feel better. He could clearly see through my façade of “No, I’m okay. Are you suuuure that you want to watch movies today? Okay, maybe that is best…” And it set the much needed, relaxed tone for the rest of my Friday. Just another reason to give thanks!

Saturday was reserved for the Thanksgiving feast, hosted by Jessica and Spencer. With over 25 people, it was quite the event! Like any traditional Thanksgiving, there were endless amounts of food and drink. It’s things like Saturday night that make me smile: Even in a country that most of us will only be in for a short time, we’ve formed such unique relationships with one another. Regardless of my seemingly bipolar feelings for Korea throughout the year, I’m really thankful for the relationships that have happened here.

Hope you spent the holiday weekend with your loved ones & enjoyed every minute of it! I can’t wait to spend my first few weeks in the states re-celebrated the holidays of the past year!

xo

Holiday Season: My Birthday!

Birthday girl!

So I'm officially old and busted in my MID TWENTIES. Jesus when did this happen. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that in the past few years, I graduated from UCLA, had a real person job and moved to a foreign country. 

Friday could not have started off any better—western breakfast! Then during school, my head teacher canceled half of my classes and gave me a present, calling me a "strong and mature woman." (I know, right? Of course I am.) As per any usual Friday night in Gyeongju, dak galbi dinner lived up to its glory, as did the soju shots that accompanied it. Not only did my friends sing Happy Birthday to me with a cake at the bowling alley, but then round two of the cake + singing combo happened at Cocos. I mean, seriously. How am I this lucky to have met such wonderful people? And I obviously beat everyone at bowling (bowling skills almost match my pool skills, duh), in case you were wondering.

Dak galbi birthday dinner!

A few friends and I continued the celebration in Daegu on Saturday. Not only did we get Mexican food (obviously including margaritas and, my personal favorite, tequila), but shots and bag drinks were at every turn. I ended up running into another birthday girl, who—upon seeing my empty hands at one point—bought me two bags of who-knows-what to enjoy. Um, clearly my hangover was dedicated to her. MK and I also had the pleasure of beating David and Juan at darts—cherry on top!

Celebrating in Daegu

I really want to thank everyone who took the time out of their day to send me well wishes, both in Korea and abroad. The letters and packages from around the world and the celebrations in Korea made this so special. I was a bit nervous about my first birthday away from home, and you all made it so lovely. I'm beyond thankful to have all of you in my life, whether we only chat a few times a year or every day. Truly blessed.


PS My mother decided to have a "surprise birthday party" for me back home. My dad, mom and Amanda went to Farrell's to celebrate. Yep. The photo below shows cutouts of me and Kristina...at the restaurant... Looking. Good. And clearly wanting some of that dessert.

Really flattering photo of me and K

xo

The Start of the Holiday Season

November is finally here! Also known as Movember, Thanksgiving month and, most importantly (!!!), my birthday month.

It'll also mark my nine month anniversary in Korea. Damn.

The holidays are an emotional time for everyone. Especially me. Ask my family; I cry during TV shows. 'Tis the season for loved ones, parties and an endless supply of food and alcohol. As I celebrated Halloween on a booze cruise in Seoul this past weekend—while blocking out a boy's "game recognizes game, girl" sad attempt #swag—I started remembering all of the adventures I have during the October-January timeframe:


Halloween in San Diego. Costumes. Thing One and Thing Two will forever be remembered. As will secret keeping.

My birthday in Vegas. Bottle service? Why not. Every time? Tradition.

Thanksgiving and Christmas. With family and friends. Cooking and baking and laughing. Experiencing joy. And, without fail, my mom's burnt cookies.

NYE in Vegas. I mean, it's NYE. In. Las. Vegas. Best friends and sparkle dresses. What's not to love?


But this year, I'm here. It's not the physical locations that I'm going to miss (okay, maybe a little), but the people and the feelings. These holidays are filled with fun and positivity and togetherness.

So on that note, I came up with my birthday present list. If you're in Korea, I want a hug. Not a we're-drunk-girls-and-love-everyone hug or a half-assed, side-armed hug. A legit, I-like-you-as-a-person hug. I miss those. Or if food is more of your thing, either french toast, pancakes or a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup will do. If you're in another country, letters will be perfect.


Sidenote: Since coming back to school for second semester in August, I have yet to have a full schedule of classes. Something I'm thankful for? Check!

xo

"For your health"

My head teacher has this habit of trying to save my life.

During the summer, with the aircon blasting and making the humidity slightly tolerable, he would open the doors and windows. To even out the classroom and outdoor temperatures? To waste energy? To screw with the foreigner? No idea. Now, with the temperature dropping INTO SINGLE DIGITS already, I am holed up at my desk using two blankets, with no heater (it's not "cold enough" yet, after all) and the windows open. In case any of you are in this situation too, rest assured that it's all with your best interests in mind:


Head Teacher: Let's maybe open the windows (meaning that he is going to open the windows).
Me: But Teacher Park, I am very cold (motion that I am in my coat and still freezing).
Head Teacher: (Having finished opening the windows, has proceeded to the classroom doors and corridor windows) Do you know why we must do this? Very important.
Me: No. I don't understand. It is very cold outside.
Head Teacher: Circulation. It is for your health. If there is no circulation, you get sick. You will be very sorry.
Me: ::cries while slowly getting pneumonia::


It sounds like it came from the same group of ideas as this Korean-specific fan death mystery.

So, see parents? When it would be 100+ degrees during the California summers and I'd leave the windows open with the air conditioning on, I was really just looking out for you guys.

xo

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.