Trip to Everland and being a kid again

Last weekend me and a group of friends went on a day trip to Everland, an amusement park in Korea, and arguably the largest one Korea has to offer.

I rarely go to amusement parks. I have never visited Disney World or Land, nor have I ever spent a day at Universal Studios. I went to Six Flags several times along with my local water park, but as for a large full on amusement park, Everland was my first experience.

That being said, if you're looking for advice or critical perspective on whether Everland is worth going to, you won't find it from me.

What I can say though is that if you go with a group of friends and don't mind waiting in line, it's an absolute blast to go to.

The park is large, much larger than I originally thought it would be, with each area of the park carrying a different theme and attractions. We spent the entire day there and couldn't make it to two of the major sections of the park, although one of my friends who had been here previously said not to go to Zootopia, claiming that the animals there are kept in a depressing state with cages much too small for each animal to live and roam.

I haven't been here myself, but based on what several other people have said, I can only assume there is a shred of truth to this. So to err on the side of caution and prevention of depression, we stayed away from Zootopia.

The rest of the park was standard amusement park fare. Cheerful music, long lines for rides and unhealthy food everywhere. It had that happy sugary atmosphere that amusement parks carry with them and when combined with the warm and breezy weather, it was impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere. Despite the long wait in some lines, the end result was almost always worth it.

If I had to pick a favorite ride there, the T Express wooden roller-coaster was one of the most memorable. Touted as one of the fastest and steepest in the world, it was two minutes of steep drops, sudden turns and hills that jostled the riders around and made for the refreshing cold rush of adrenaline that only coasters can provide. It's been nearly three years since I last rode a coaster, and the feeling of giddiness and the tightening of your stomach in anticipation came back as the car began its plummet down the track. It was a good laugh between my friends and I, and a reminder that no matter how old I get, that world weary cynicism can instantly be diminished for a few minutes on a fast roller-coaster.

Despite the crowds, I can see myself returning. The entry fee was only 32,000 won ( a discount if you bring your ARC card) and the park was big enough to spend an entire day making your way around it. Even the crowd issue can be fixed if you can go on a weekday.

I'm really enjoying these outings with friends that I have been going on lately. I was usually content with traveling by myself, but I'm starting to see the appeal of traveling and doing things with a group. More people to laugh with, make jokes with. More people to do stupid stuff with and more people to remember the stupid stuff afterwards.

We were all middle to late 20 year olds and we ended up running around like we were children again. That youthfulness we try so hard to hang on to but only see occasionally as we become older.

Everland made me a kid again for a day. I only had fun on my mind. Good friends, fun rides and a great place to do them in. Take my advice, go visit Everland.

Everland information: http://www.everland.com/web/multi/english/everland/main.html

The entrance of Everland during their Tulip Festival 

My Article on Foreigners and their thoughts of North Korean threats

Besides being a teacher, my main profession and career aspiration is to be a journalist or writer. Going to Korea and traveling around has given me the opportunity to not only continue with my main job, but to indulge my journalist's side and write for different publications in Korea.

My most recent article is on foreigners living in South Korea and the collective thoughts of three teachers living and working in Korea.

This was originally published in North Korea News.

What Foreigners Living in South Korea Think of North Korean Threats

Travel Journal: Feb-Mar 2013

The purpose of post like these is to make a list of locations that I have traveled to and experienced during my time in Korea for the 2013 year. It's meant to reflect and remember the interesting and unique places I went to and to serve as a way to track my travels and where I want to go next.


Tim Burton Exhibit- Seoul- February 

The Tim Burton Exhibit was a celebration of Tim Burton's work showing props, drawings and artistic work from his movies and early days as a film school student. It was really interesting to get a peak at some of the props and illustrations that made him famous. I was particularly fond of the Batman and Pee Wee's Funhouse props while my girlfriend was particularly drawn towards his concept work and props from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

They were also showing some of his short films in the "Stain Boy" series. Short, and slightly disturbing, they were a great companion to the other forms of weirdness on display.

House Party- Gumi- March

Living in Korea leaves one with few opportunities to go to an actual house part as most people (or foreigners) in this case tend to live in apartments. In March I was lucky enough to attend a part held at a house in Gumi. One of my friends was leaving to go back home to the US and we both thought it would be nice to meet up at a place to chat. The girl who lived in the house worked at a hagwon and after her two roommates left, was able to keep the house to herself. The weather was perfect that day, as it was about 80 degrees outside with a gentle breeze, a pleasant surprise for the early month of March. I had a great, laid back time as I chatted with people outside on the house porch as others started a bonfire and barbecue a few feet away. The smell of cooking meat, burning wood and beer permeated the warm air. For a few hours that night, it was a fantastic time, and despite the location, made me miss the summers back home in Indiana.


Orientation Class Meetup- Daegu- March

I actually do not go to Daegu as much as I would like to. It's only a short 45 minutes away from my city and yet I usually find myself heading up North to visit Seoul and Incheon. The past weekend I spent some time catching up with some old friends from my orientation class.

The thing I like the most about Daegu is its big city feel combined with its sense of intimacy. The streets are all close together and often mix with the walking areas. The sidewalks are usually kept clean and tidy with trees, running water and other ornate decorations to stand out as  a contrast against the grey backgrounds. I love how little shops are in between towering sky scrappers. I love how the air smells fresh despite the abundance of  cars everywhere. I love that only a short distance from the station is a huge stage area that usually has some kind of show on display with plenty of people around to keep it lively.

If Daegu has any flaws in my eyes, its that it can sometimes be confusing to navigate the streets due to the lack of signs or identifiable buildings. I'm sure a few more visits will rectify that problem however, as experience eventually solves everything.

I notice that I never make plans when going to Daegu as it usually turns into an entertaining adventure in itself to simply walk around with good company and explore. When I spent the day with my friends, I didn't worry myself with going to a specific place at a specific time. We went where we wanted and had a blast doing it. Daegu may be the most laid back big city in Korea, and for that I love it.


Future Plans:

March- Everland
March- Possibly Strawberry Festival in Nonsan or The Cherry Blossom Festival in Seoul

May- Caribbean Bay
May- Damyang Bamboo Festival

July- Japan Trip

Eventually- DMZ
Eventually- Jeju Island 
  

New experiences, old connections, all out warfare

I don't like to waste time. I especially don't like to waste time when a abundance of options are in front of me. It was a promise I made to myself. A personal goal that I agreed to follow through with if I stayed one more year in Korea.

I told myself that I would explore more and take advantage of more travel opportunities. There's still so much to see in Korea. So many scenic spots and festivals to go to from all corners of Korea. I still haven't visited Jeju yet, as well as the DMZ. Just another place to add to the quickly growing list of locations to travel to.

I've looked ahead at my schedule and thanks to the increase of "red days" (days off) this year, I plan to try my hardest to get out of my town and travel. My goal isn't to hit every place I want to go, to serve some self completion attitude of crossing off places on my list like random tasks on a too do list.

My plan is to just go. Go to where I want, when I want and not worry about other events or places that I should be going to. If I don't make it to Jeju or the DMZ this year or before I leave Korea, I won't feel bad. Sure, they are places that I should go to, but its my trip and my planning. Everything will just be played by ear.

I also plan on meeting more people, holding on to old relationships and making more of an effort to spend time with them. Being here a year in Korea has formed some impressive relationships with people in my town and beyond.

I've come to met people that I truly enjoy their company and seek to try to find the spare time to be with.

I've meet people that I enjoy, and yet only see a few times out of the year. This also holds true to friends back at home. The amount of time I spend with is disproportionate to the people I see daily. Despite the shift, I still enjoy their time and our friendship has not diminished  If anything, I know that once we meet or speak to one another again, we can pick back where we left off without missing a beat. It's the closeness and understanding that make time and distance seem irrelevant.

I've met people who I can't stand being with more that a few minutes. It's not that they're bad people, its just that our personalities don't match. It's sometimes difficult to find topics to keep a conversation alive and in honesty, feels more like a chore than something that I want to do. I'm sure some people feel the same way about me and everyone. We are the same, yet different. We do not always fit or see eye to eye. This is not a bad thing.

No matter what, I have come to respect a great deal of people that I met here. Most are hard working, friendly and genuine people who have a desire to do good in the world. I can happily say that those "horrible waygooks" everyone keeps talking about have been mostly absent from my life. Maybe its because I live in a smaller city. Maybe its because I just got lucky in meeting good people. Either way, meeting people has been a highlight for me so far, something I want to keep doing.

My goals are simple and in no way strict. I want to see more and interact more. I want to come home everyday and say that I did something worthwhile and I can go to bed satisfied that the day was well spent. Improving my lessons and teaching method at school, making sure I stay healthy, having healthy interactions with people and just enjoying myself. I want to leave Korea with happy memories of people and places.

I plan on letting nothing hold me back. Even in the face of war from our neighbors from up North, I feel more eager and energetic than ever. It's the little reminders that danger can come at anytime and nothing last forever that makes me want to do more.

To end on an old scenario, if I were to die tomorrow , I would want to say that my life was awesome and I was at my happiest. Not decent and not content. Happy. Awesome and happy.

I'm not just going to have the cake and eat it too. I'm going to bake the damn thing myself and its going to be delicious. No one can ruin this recipe, not even you North Korea.

Delicious cake of opportunities

Helpful Information: Registering with your embassy in Korea

This was sent earlier today by my good friend Hannah through an email, detailing how to register with your embassy and options to have in case of an emergency. While I wouldn't say that things regarding North and South Korea are serious enough yet, having a back up plan for any kind of disaster or serious event is never a bad thing. Here is the original email, along with a listing of resources for foreigners living and working abroad can use.

Hey guys!!

This isn't to alarm any of you, but I've been reading up on things and since we're all living abroad, I figured this might be of interest to you guys too.  There are services available to UC citizens living abroad such as an alert system in the case of emergencies (war, natural disasters, epidemics, etc).  In certain cases, they'll coordinate an evacuation for us, but they'll only be able to let you know if you are listed on our US Embassy's list of Americans living/travelling abroad.  

They have an alert system where they send you a text message and also an email newsletter they send out when there is an alert out (they don't send it routinely, but only if there is an alert out).  Sign up if you guys want to!  It was fairly quick and easy for me.  I signed up for the notification and email  :]  So here are the links:

Overview & Info

http://seoul.usembassy.gov/acs_emergency_preparedness.html

STEP program (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) - It's not just for travelers, but for citizens who live abroad too.  This enrollment is also how the Embassy communicates with you:

https://step.state.gov/step/

Email and text message service:

http://www.asktheconsul.org/

There are two US Embassies in Korea - one in Seoul and one in Busan, so if there ever is an emergency head for the nearest one to you.

Not saying there is any immediate threat, but it's always nice to know we have an emergency backup plan  :]

So there you have it. Quick, easy and covered by the government. Better safe than sorry folks. Thanks Hannah!

Little Things to Love About Korea

The things I seem to enjoy the most about Korea are the little moments. The unplanned events that begin as random excursions and become nostalgic filled memories later on in life serve as a reminder that our lives, no matter how routine or drab always hold surprises for us when we least expect them. If we keep that positive attitude, if we gravitate towards the interesting and adventurous rather than the pedestrian and routine, we find out selves making new relationships and going to new places where yesterday, you would never think you would end up.

Korea has more than its share of those random adventures that make for entertaining tales to be retold later on. The differences in culture along with the different mentality we adopt when living and working abroad makes for some off beat and varied encounters with people and places. A cynical view may make my amusement at the little things seem like a childish and naive fascination with the world, an optimistic and simplified view on the world at large, but I prefer to look at it in a different way. Where other see frustration  I see a new opportunity for understanding and perspective. Where some claim they will never understand I claim to try my best to understand.

I think to work in Korea, or anywhere not counting your own home turf, you need that sense of wonderment and that attraction to adventure and the what ifs. Working overseas is not for those who wish to have a safe and predictable life. For me and most likely many other foreigners living in Korea, running towards something new will more likely than not garner more rewards than walking.

While there are more than I can possibly list in one tidy post, some of my favorite little/big adventures are things I see or participate in everyday.

I love that the city I live in is small. I know there are days where I would prefer the excitement and relentless pacing of the big city, but living in a smaller, more rural location has its benefits. It's laid back and relaxing, with an area big enough to have distinct areas that differ from one another, but are still easy enough to get to. This is best during the warm summer nights when walking from place to place with only the distant rumble of cars and chirping insects can be heard against a faintly lit city street.

I love that my co teachers this year are young and friendly. I didn't spend a lot of time last year getting to know my co teachers and didn't form any strong or lasting relationships. This year, after only a few days into the semester, I feel like I have a more friendly relationship with my co workers. They are a lot like me, young, needing a job and all together in this little job we call teaching. While still acting professional, I feel like I'm more at ease around them. I can act like a professional young man, one who wishes to break out of his shell every now and then.

I love that there are a lot of new foreign teachers in Gimcheon. Last year I had gotten to know some people pretty well and developed a group of people that I spent time with. This year, there is a larger selection of people from all over the world, each of them bringing with them interesting back stories and reasons for being in Korea. It's always a refreshing way to start a new year by meeting new people. While I can't say with complete conviction the strength of our relationships with one another, I can say they are new and friendly, making each new person met an exciting new encounter.

I love that I finally feel comfortable with teaching. Last year was my first year teaching and while I did a decent job, there were many areas that needed improvement and many time where I didn't always feel confident in what I was doing. Now that I have been here a year, and feel familiar with the way the school operates, I feel like my lessons have really taken a turn for the better. I anxiously look forward to each new class and look forward to how I can build a lesson around new material. While its is still challenging and demanding at time, feeling more comfortable and confident goes a long way to making me a better teacher, and therefore benefiting the students even more than before.

Perhaps its the change in temperature, perhaps its a renewed interest in exploring everything and everyone Korea has to offer, but I can't help but feel excited about every new day. Every day is filled with a new unexpected adventure or inspired conversation waiting to happen. I'm doing the Feris Bueller, and slowing down to pay attention to the finer details and things around me.

So far, I really like what I see.

Photos of some great people from my town

Korea: Year 2

It's time to start again. Time to break out my lesson plans, brush up on my power points and wake up when the normal people do to head to work. After spending a month back home in the states visiting friends and family, my rest period and vacation is over. It's time to come back to Korea. It's time to teach again.

In a way I am excited to be back. The overwhelming sense of dullness and monotony than can come with any job had been replaced with new expectations and hopes for a better year. A new year is essentially a reboot to toss out the awkwardness and rookie mistakes of the first year and the opportunity to improve and make an even better impression on the youth of Korea and their impressionable minds.

I am entirely optimistic in regards to the new additions and changes to our selection of teachers. This year, our school added 11 new teachers, four of which are English teachers. While last year's group of teachers have either moved on to teach in other schools or retire, two of the English teachers were promoted to heads of the English department. Having worked with them for year and seeing where their stand in both their work ethic and stance on education, this is a good choice. 

The new teachers are all young and friendly. After spending only a few hours getting to know them, they all seemed very happy, enthusiastic about teaching and very willing to get to know this foreign teacher a little better. They left a very good first impression and I cannot wait to get to know them more as the year continues on.

My schedule had also been updated as well. Last year, my biggest hurdles came from messages lost in translation and trying to teach material to classes that were not intended to be taught. There were often many time that certain classes were missed or my presence was not necessary due to the messages getting to me too late or in some cases, not at all. My grade three students were entirely focused on preparing for their college entrance exams, and not interested or finding the necessity to learn new material that would not be featured on the exam. This led to mixed messages and sometimes wasted time and resources where they could have been applied in other areas.

My new schedule seems to eliminate the grade three students entirely, instead focusing on the more impressionable students: grades one and two. This would allow me to focus all of my time and energy on students who are constantly learning new material that will eventually be relevant to future testing.

This year also brings forward the new criteria for high school students called NEAT. NEAT is designed to teach students the necessary skills primarily used in speaking, writing and reading. The eventual goal of NEAT is to provide Korean English teachers the requirements and materials needed to teach students necessary English skills with confidence and if necessary, without the need of an English language speaker.

For me, and I suspect other high school teachers taking this seriously, this allows us to cut away the fat and uncertainty of what to teach and instead gives a clear and concise map of what is deemed necessary to teach students in order for them to do well on future testing and university opportunities. It streamlines the necessaries while still allowing flexibility and creative breathing room to teach each class how I see fit. It seems like a comfortable median of compromise between the two and I could not be happier about that.

If there are any warning flags so far, its the lack of teaching or a personal schedule that worries me more than anything. It is the second day of school, the first official day of teaching and I sit here writing this instead of teaching a class. I have yet to receive a schedule of any kind nor any idea of how many classes I will have and when I will have them. While this may seem like a BEST FIRST WORK DAY EVER, this has me slightly worried. 

With the addition of new English teachers at our school bringing the new total to seven including myself and the greater focus on having Korean teachers teach English without assistance, the need for a native English teacher seems limited and at times, unnecessary. Combined with rumors of the major language programs closing up shop in increasingly more cities, the paranoid side of me feels like this year may be my last at my school and whether I want to stay or not may not be left up to my own choices.

However, no matter what happens in the end, it still stands that it is indeed the 'end'. The last part and the last thing I should even be thinking of now. I have a whole year ahead of me and as long as I go forward with the right people and willingness to do well, I think I will be ok. 

It's a brave new world, but its my world. It's a fresh lump of clay, but my hands yearn to get dirty.

I want this year to be great, I want it to be memorable. I want to make this to a great year.

So, I think I'll go do that. 

An epic photo of my school's front door. Actual epicness of school may differ from photo.