My church
The Hwang FamilyChristmas Eve
Friday, December 25, 2009
즐거운 크리쓰마쓰, Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas
Walking in a winter wonder land...."
Downtown Gwangju with my good friends, Jenni and Laura. They love Christmas songs as much as I do, so we combined all our music and sang Christmas songs wherever we went (Kathy, I hooked Jenni on the Band aid Christmas song! ha!) Oh, it was a blast! Down the streets, Korean people would wish us a "Melly Chlistmasu" (Merry Christmas, but "l" and "r" are very difficult to pronounce).
Our first snow lasted five days! It was awesome and kids here LOVE it! They loved it so much, they would bring snow balls to class to show me! It was hard to teach because of all the energy, but I adored their excitement and we had a lot of fun playing in the snow after class. The classes loved learning Christmas songs such as, "Feliz Navidad", "We wish you a Merry Christmas", "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer", "Jingle bells", "Silent Night", and many others. Many of these songs have been translated into Korean so they already knew the tune. It was so much fun!
At our school's Christmas party, some of the kids dressed up and wore santa hats, red, and other Christmas stuff. I about lost it when Seong Hoon came in dressed as Santa! 
Mesmerized by "Home Alone 2".
After church on Sundays, we would have a snow fight! The twins in blue are so cute. These adorable little boys would come up to me when I had a snowball and say "chusayo" (please give me!). How could I refuse?!
The Christmas tree, Sophia and I decorated at school.
Christmas time without family was very difficult, but I am so fortunate to have many loved ones here. It was such an eye-opener spending christmas outside of the US. Koreans only started celebrating Christmas about thirty years ago and it still isn't a huge holiday here. It was hard to explain how big it is back home with family and traditions. To North Americans, it isn't one day, but a season.
On December 24th, our school had a huge Christmas party. We sang Christmas songs, ate sweet tteokbokgi, played games, gave away awards and certificates, and watched the fun "Home Alone 2" movie. Sophia made the tteokbokgi. Basically, it is rice cake pieces mixed into a red pepper sauce that has been sweetened by brown sugar and corn syrup. It was pretty good, but such a unique taste to me.
In the evening, Jenni and I went to mass at my church down the street. It was so fun! Everyone got up and sang their favorite Christmas songs. Jenni and I sang "Joy to the World" in English. After mass we ate food (rice cake, sweet potato dishes, tangerines,...) and then we had an intense snowball fight. I'll never forget the surprise on the kid's faces when Jenni chased them down with snowballs. They never expected that and after awhile, all ended up wanting to be her allies, ha ha!!!
Christmas day was spent with a few other foreigners in Sangmu. It was so international with friends from Canada, Israel, Germany, Scotland, Poland, and the US. It was awesome hearing how everyone traditionally celebrated the holidays. Christmas is so amazing!!!
"Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and some weave gold thread. Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique." -Anonymous
Downtown Gwangju with my good friends, Jenni and Laura. They love Christmas songs as much as I do, so we combined all our music and sang Christmas songs wherever we went (Kathy, I hooked Jenni on the Band aid Christmas song! ha!) Oh, it was a blast! Down the streets, Korean people would wish us a "Melly Chlistmasu" (Merry Christmas, but "l" and "r" are very difficult to pronounce).
Our first snow lasted five days! It was awesome and kids here LOVE it! They loved it so much, they would bring snow balls to class to show me! It was hard to teach because of all the energy, but I adored their excitement and we had a lot of fun playing in the snow after class. The classes loved learning Christmas songs such as, "Feliz Navidad", "We wish you a Merry Christmas", "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer", "Jingle bells", "Silent Night", and many others. Many of these songs have been translated into Korean so they already knew the tune. It was so much fun!
At our school's Christmas party, some of the kids dressed up and wore santa hats, red, and other Christmas stuff. I about lost it when Seong Hoon came in dressed as Santa! 
Mesmerized by "Home Alone 2".
After church on Sundays, we would have a snow fight! The twins in blue are so cute. These adorable little boys would come up to me when I had a snowball and say "chusayo" (please give me!). How could I refuse?!The Christmas tree, Sophia and I decorated at school.Christmas time without family was very difficult, but I am so fortunate to have many loved ones here. It was such an eye-opener spending christmas outside of the US. Koreans only started celebrating Christmas about thirty years ago and it still isn't a huge holiday here. It was hard to explain how big it is back home with family and traditions. To North Americans, it isn't one day, but a season.
On December 24th, our school had a huge Christmas party. We sang Christmas songs, ate sweet tteokbokgi, played games, gave away awards and certificates, and watched the fun "Home Alone 2" movie. Sophia made the tteokbokgi. Basically, it is rice cake pieces mixed into a red pepper sauce that has been sweetened by brown sugar and corn syrup. It was pretty good, but such a unique taste to me.
In the evening, Jenni and I went to mass at my church down the street. It was so fun! Everyone got up and sang their favorite Christmas songs. Jenni and I sang "Joy to the World" in English. After mass we ate food (rice cake, sweet potato dishes, tangerines,...) and then we had an intense snowball fight. I'll never forget the surprise on the kid's faces when Jenni chased them down with snowballs. They never expected that and after awhile, all ended up wanting to be her allies, ha ha!!!
Christmas day was spent with a few other foreigners in Sangmu. It was so international with friends from Canada, Israel, Germany, Scotland, Poland, and the US. It was awesome hearing how everyone traditionally celebrated the holidays. Christmas is so amazing!!!
"Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and some weave gold thread. Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique." -Anonymous
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Jjimjilbangs: One of my favorite things about Korea
"Give your stress wings and let it fly away." ~Carin Hartness 
Jjimjilbangs (찜질방), translation is "steam rooms," are large, gender-segregated public bathhouses. They are fantastic, affordable, and honestly, one of my favorite places to visit here in Korea! Who doesn't like to pamper yourself all day in a comfortable, social, stress-free environment (especially, since it has been snowing for the past five days!!!). Included in the jjimjilbang's gender-segregated areas are pools of various temperatures (cold, medium, hot, extremely hot), bathing areas, and saunas. There are also unisex areas with ondol heated flooring for sleeping and lounging, and several types of saunas of various temperatures.
Most jjimjilbangs are open 24 hours and are a popular weekend getaway for Korean families and friends. If you are traveling to another city, it is best to look for a jjimjilbang to stay at. For an overnight stay, you are given clean clothes and either a bunk bed or a sleeping mat.
In the sauna unisex section, there is the main area where people can sleep, relax, eat, and socialize and there are the various sauna rooms. My favorite room is the hot pebble room where you lay on the floor covered with smooth, warm pebbles. It feels so incredible! There are also the cold room, the medium temperature room, and the "sweat lodge" type room. The other day this room was 96 degrees Fahrenheit. I loved it! The sauna rooms remind me of the inside of a Navajo Hogan due to their shape (rounded ceilings), smell (earthy smell), heated stoves, and materials in which they are made out of. "Hwangto" or yellow earth (similar to adobe) used to be one of the main materials for Korean houses back in the day. It's expensive now, but jjimjillbangs use the material because supposedly it is good for the skin. The yellow dirt has infrared rays and when you come into contact with it, your skin relaxes and the toxins are discharged from the body. 
Ok, the bathing areas are so great and truly an amazing Korean cultural experience! There you can find mothers spending time with their young kids, children playing in the water (the other day two little girls offered me "tea" from their pretend tea party), friends giggling away, grandmothers admiring the generations below, and so many other beautiful and loving interactions. I can only imagine what it must have been like long ago in many different countries (Rome, Japan, Finnland ...) where people publicly bathed all the time.
In Korean culture, there isn't a concept of personal space because of how many people there are and how close everyone lives. Therefore in the jjimjilbangs, everyone washes each other's backs, children play with bubbles as mother's scrub them squeaky clean, friends giggle and catch up on life, and everyone shares soaps, face masks (green tea, mud ... , mint...there are so many kinds), and several other products. If you want, you can pay extra to have the sauna's staff give you messages, pedicures, manicures, and if you are really brave, a full body,"Helga's house of pain" type, intense scrub! Yikes!!!! I still haven't been able to tempt that!
Did I mention that in the women's and men's separated sections of the jjimjilbangs that everyone is naked! This is surprising to me, because as a whole, the Korean culture is very conservative. You won't even see women wearing tangtops in the summer time! Being naked can take a minute to get used to, especially, because being a foreigner you attract attention anyways. But personally, I think it is so healthy to accept and love your body. I just think it is so cool how open these women are (I don't know if it is the same on the men's side). Their relationships grow closer as they spend hours in these timeless, non-conflicted environments. I love it and it's something I wish was back in the states.
Jjimjilbangs (찜질방), translation is "steam rooms," are large, gender-segregated public bathhouses. They are fantastic, affordable, and honestly, one of my favorite places to visit here in Korea! Who doesn't like to pamper yourself all day in a comfortable, social, stress-free environment (especially, since it has been snowing for the past five days!!!). Included in the jjimjilbang's gender-segregated areas are pools of various temperatures (cold, medium, hot, extremely hot), bathing areas, and saunas. There are also unisex areas with ondol heated flooring for sleeping and lounging, and several types of saunas of various temperatures.
Most jjimjilbangs are open 24 hours and are a popular weekend getaway for Korean families and friends. If you are traveling to another city, it is best to look for a jjimjilbang to stay at. For an overnight stay, you are given clean clothes and either a bunk bed or a sleeping mat.
In the sauna unisex section, there is the main area where people can sleep, relax, eat, and socialize and there are the various sauna rooms. My favorite room is the hot pebble room where you lay on the floor covered with smooth, warm pebbles. It feels so incredible! There are also the cold room, the medium temperature room, and the "sweat lodge" type room. The other day this room was 96 degrees Fahrenheit. I loved it! The sauna rooms remind me of the inside of a Navajo Hogan due to their shape (rounded ceilings), smell (earthy smell), heated stoves, and materials in which they are made out of. "Hwangto" or yellow earth (similar to adobe) used to be one of the main materials for Korean houses back in the day. It's expensive now, but jjimjillbangs use the material because supposedly it is good for the skin. The yellow dirt has infrared rays and when you come into contact with it, your skin relaxes and the toxins are discharged from the body. 
Ok, the bathing areas are so great and truly an amazing Korean cultural experience! There you can find mothers spending time with their young kids, children playing in the water (the other day two little girls offered me "tea" from their pretend tea party), friends giggling away, grandmothers admiring the generations below, and so many other beautiful and loving interactions. I can only imagine what it must have been like long ago in many different countries (Rome, Japan, Finnland ...) where people publicly bathed all the time.
In Korean culture, there isn't a concept of personal space because of how many people there are and how close everyone lives. Therefore in the jjimjilbangs, everyone washes each other's backs, children play with bubbles as mother's scrub them squeaky clean, friends giggle and catch up on life, and everyone shares soaps, face masks (green tea, mud ... , mint...there are so many kinds), and several other products. If you want, you can pay extra to have the sauna's staff give you messages, pedicures, manicures, and if you are really brave, a full body,"Helga's house of pain" type, intense scrub! Yikes!!!! I still haven't been able to tempt that!
Did I mention that in the women's and men's separated sections of the jjimjilbangs that everyone is naked! This is surprising to me, because as a whole, the Korean culture is very conservative. You won't even see women wearing tangtops in the summer time! Being naked can take a minute to get used to, especially, because being a foreigner you attract attention anyways. But personally, I think it is so healthy to accept and love your body. I just think it is so cool how open these women are (I don't know if it is the same on the men's side). Their relationships grow closer as they spend hours in these timeless, non-conflicted environments. I love it and it's something I wish was back in the states.
"We are just women who admire and really know each other. We allow each other to have weaknesses the public doesn't allow us to have." ~Lisa Minelli 
Mum and Woman's Body painted by Pan Yuliang
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Recycling in Sinchang-dong
"If you feel you are too small to make a difference, go to sleep with a mosquito in the room." ~ Author Unknown
This is my grocery bag! Recycling... hmmm.... some may say it's not a big deal or that it takes too much effort. I have been called hippie for suggesting to recycle, which hurts. Do people really know what a hippie is and why is it a negative connotation? I can't say that I am a hippie; I am me and, in any case, I don't think anyone should be classified so distinctly. We are all individuals and whether we belong to a certain social group, career, religion, or any other group, we are still separated by our own experience, personality, and beliefs.
Back to recycling... is it truly that much more work to recycle? Why recycle? Well, ...why not? It is such an inspiration to walk outside my apartment and find bins for everything: plastics, plastic bags, cardboard, glass, aluminum, and paper. I can literally recycle almost everything and it's free! My trash only goes out every two or three weeks in a small pink bag, in Sinchangdong (the part of Gwangju where I live; I can't say it is the same everywhere else in Gwangju) we buy specific garbage bags. It is so awesome! Yes, there is still a littering problem here, but I love the fact that recycling is so doable and it's catching on! In a culture where social status and respect is a priority, no one wants to be seen doing anything that will "de-face" or embarrass themselves. Therefore, if the idea that littering shows a lack of social grace strongly takes hold, I think recycling in Korea will truly be effective!
The people that sort recycling are the adjimas (grandmothers) that live in the neighborhood. They also tend to the gardens throughout the area. My dear friend, Jenni will admit they are a bit intimidating and fussy! Let me tell ya, they will yell at you if you don't do it right! But, they are still great! 
Overall, I just wish people would change their perspective on recycling. When you make it a habbit, its really not that big of a deal. Like Jack Johnson says..."Three is the magic number... reduce, reuse, recycle!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGc0PqKBnno
Sunday, December 13, 2009
School Update
"In the end, test grades won't matter, and our minuscule problems will be forgotten. All that will matter is how we loved, how much we laughed, and the memories we made along the way." ~Anonymous 
Pak Chi Sung, my classroom entertainer. Chi Sung is always dancing and I can't look at him without cracking up. He can look at you without smiling and do the silliest dances that makes everyone die laughing. The other day he asked if I knew the famous Korean folk song, Arirang, and I said I did. He then preceded to sing and dance to the whole song! It was quite entertaining and he is a great singer! Someday, I hope he becomes a comedian or has some job where he can be as silly as he wants. The Korean culture, in general, is so diligent working, but I hope he can spend most of his time being himself in a job that he loves. His imagination should run wild and bless this world with joy and laughter! Even with all the attention he receives, he is still so kind to all his classmates. For example, will stick up for someone if they are being picked on and sit next to them! What a talented little guy!
I think I have great students and I hope they have the opportunity and freedom to do what makes them happy.
Im Hyeng Jung and Che Han Jay, great students that work so hard. Hyung Jung is friends with the kids that live near my house so I see her often. They both are great students.
My two middle school (equivalent to our junior high level) students. In January, I should be getting several more mid school students, but these two guys and I have gone through a lot on our own. It literally has taken me two months to get them to talk with me!! They are so shy, which it typical to many Korean people, and they definitely aren't enthused about learning English. Middle school is such a hard period for students, because of all the pressure and tests they have in school. They often have to study seven days a week and go to full days of school Monday through Saturday. Grades in Middle school and High school are highly valued in this culture, but once you get into an university, you can relax a lot. My heart goes out to these guys. Sometimes, I have to make them take a walk or get a drink of water because they are falling asleep in mid sentence.
Some of my Chiquitas! They are so cute and they are always together. They help me keep the boys in line in class. Pak Ha Nil, the one in orange, will sometimes turn to a boy if they are speaking Korean in class and say "NO, KOREAN!" Ha ha, it is so funny! Women are generally quiet and conservative in the Korean culture, allowing the men to run the show, but I hope these girls never loose their feistiness and spunk!
An Shi Un and Chey Chi Won. They are never seen apart either. They come to class early almost every day and visit with me before the other students arrive. On Fridays, they arrive fifteen minutes early because they want to go first in the speaking test so that they can leave after. They are finally starting to use "I want to be first," "... second", instead of "my one!!" They have fun personalities, but they are always hitting the boys!
One of my classes! They are great kids and we usually have a lot of fun. These kids are soooo darn cute!
Pak Chi Sung, my classroom entertainer. Chi Sung is always dancing and I can't look at him without cracking up. He can look at you without smiling and do the silliest dances that makes everyone die laughing. The other day he asked if I knew the famous Korean folk song, Arirang, and I said I did. He then preceded to sing and dance to the whole song! It was quite entertaining and he is a great singer! Someday, I hope he becomes a comedian or has some job where he can be as silly as he wants. The Korean culture, in general, is so diligent working, but I hope he can spend most of his time being himself in a job that he loves. His imagination should run wild and bless this world with joy and laughter! Even with all the attention he receives, he is still so kind to all his classmates. For example, will stick up for someone if they are being picked on and sit next to them! What a talented little guy!I think I have great students and I hope they have the opportunity and freedom to do what makes them happy.
Im Hyeng Jung and Che Han Jay, great students that work so hard. Hyung Jung is friends with the kids that live near my house so I see her often. They both are great students.
My two middle school (equivalent to our junior high level) students. In January, I should be getting several more mid school students, but these two guys and I have gone through a lot on our own. It literally has taken me two months to get them to talk with me!! They are so shy, which it typical to many Korean people, and they definitely aren't enthused about learning English. Middle school is such a hard period for students, because of all the pressure and tests they have in school. They often have to study seven days a week and go to full days of school Monday through Saturday. Grades in Middle school and High school are highly valued in this culture, but once you get into an university, you can relax a lot. My heart goes out to these guys. Sometimes, I have to make them take a walk or get a drink of water because they are falling asleep in mid sentence.
Some of my Chiquitas! They are so cute and they are always together. They help me keep the boys in line in class. Pak Ha Nil, the one in orange, will sometimes turn to a boy if they are speaking Korean in class and say "NO, KOREAN!" Ha ha, it is so funny! Women are generally quiet and conservative in the Korean culture, allowing the men to run the show, but I hope these girls never loose their feistiness and spunk!
An Shi Un and Chey Chi Won. They are never seen apart either. They come to class early almost every day and visit with me before the other students arrive. On Fridays, they arrive fifteen minutes early because they want to go first in the speaking test so that they can leave after. They are finally starting to use "I want to be first," "... second", instead of "my one!!" They have fun personalities, but they are always hitting the boys!
One of my classes! They are great kids and we usually have a lot of fun. These kids are soooo darn cute! Most of my classes love "Simon says" and charades, which are great games for practicing English. I try to switch up games, but they love those two. Normally, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING (especially games), is decided with paper, rock, scissors (I even catch adults doing it)! We usually play when they finish their workbook.
My Co-workers! Our hogwan is really small. Starting on the Left is our "Librarian teacher" (Kyun Hee), our director (Han Jee Han or Flora), our secretary (Julia), and my co-teacher (Sophia). We were celebrating Julia's birthday in this picture. Often times my co-workers are really busy, but I love it when we do things like this. Sophia and I still have lunch together every day. They all loved the hot chocolate I gave them and sometimes will send me home with Kimchi or a bag of tangerines.
My Co-workers! Our hogwan is really small. Starting on the Left is our "Librarian teacher" (Kyun Hee), our director (Han Jee Han or Flora), our secretary (Julia), and my co-teacher (Sophia). We were celebrating Julia's birthday in this picture. Often times my co-workers are really busy, but I love it when we do things like this. Sophia and I still have lunch together every day. They all loved the hot chocolate I gave them and sometimes will send me home with Kimchi or a bag of tangerines.Overall, everything is going great. I have to be flexible and patient. Normally, I am told things the minute they happen, but I am getting used to adjusting quickly. Next month, my schedule will change a bit, but I am excited for that. Whatever happens, happens.....
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Animal Hats
"You are never too old to become younger" -Mae West
Min Kim
They have full aisles of them!
Jung Ho
Jenni and I had to get in on the action too!
As if they aren't cute enough! Now that it has been getting colder outside, the students have been arriving to class with the most adorable animal hats! The kids here love them! I can completely understand why; they are so fun and when kids wear them, they can get away with anything, well, at least with me! I'm such a sucker for the kids anyways, but when they wear those hats, they make me completely melt! The hats come in a huge variety of animals and some of the hats have scarves or mittens attached to them. Its such a great creation! Everyday, I have been discovering new animals; it is so exciting!
Min Kim
They have full aisles of them!
Jung Ho
Jenni and I had to get in on the action too!
As if they aren't cute enough! Now that it has been getting colder outside, the students have been arriving to class with the most adorable animal hats! The kids here love them! I can completely understand why; they are so fun and when kids wear them, they can get away with anything, well, at least with me! I'm such a sucker for the kids anyways, but when they wear those hats, they make me completely melt! The hats come in a huge variety of animals and some of the hats have scarves or mittens attached to them. Its such a great creation! Everyday, I have been discovering new animals; it is so exciting! Thursday, December 3, 2009
Sangam Volley ball
"FIGHTING!!!!" "SANGAM UUUHH!"
One evening my great friend, Jenni invited me to play volley ball with a Korean club team called Sangam in the neighboring community, Chamdan. Since then, I have been playing with the team every week on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Honestly, it is some of the best volley ball I have ever played! We practice (passing, hitting, serving) for about an hour and then we play coed, first, on a men's net and then we switch to a woman's net. There are nine players on the courts and the courts are a lot larger than what I am used to. Our coach (the tallest Korean I have ever seen!) is really passionate about volley ball and gives great advice. He has given me some of the most helpful and clear setting and passing tips and it is all in Korean! That is a huge part of the fun; trying to figure out what all the team members are saying. Although, they are so full of character you usually can tell whats going on by watching their facial expressions and body movements!
On the Sangam team, there is such a great balance between playing hard-core, intense volleys to cracking jokes and doubling over from fits of laughter at someone who is being a complete goofball. The team commodore is so cool. I just love the constant smiles, enthusiastic energy, and endless high-fives. So far with my experience, Korean people are fun to be around during sporting events. They are jolly and enthusiastic people. Sometimes, after we play, the team will all go out for dinner and drinks or sometimes they bring food and beer or rice wine to the gym. This culture is so welcoming and they always make sure Jenni and I get enough to eat. Now that it is tangerine season, I have been leaving the gym with handfuls of tangerines; gifts from my teammates. Korean people get so much pleasure from giving away what they have, its a beautiful thing to witness and experience.
One evening my great friend, Jenni invited me to play volley ball with a Korean club team called Sangam in the neighboring community, Chamdan. Since then, I have been playing with the team every week on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Honestly, it is some of the best volley ball I have ever played! We practice (passing, hitting, serving) for about an hour and then we play coed, first, on a men's net and then we switch to a woman's net. There are nine players on the courts and the courts are a lot larger than what I am used to. Our coach (the tallest Korean I have ever seen!) is really passionate about volley ball and gives great advice. He has given me some of the most helpful and clear setting and passing tips and it is all in Korean! That is a huge part of the fun; trying to figure out what all the team members are saying. Although, they are so full of character you usually can tell whats going on by watching their facial expressions and body movements!
On the Sangam team, there is such a great balance between playing hard-core, intense volleys to cracking jokes and doubling over from fits of laughter at someone who is being a complete goofball. The team commodore is so cool. I just love the constant smiles, enthusiastic energy, and endless high-fives. So far with my experience, Korean people are fun to be around during sporting events. They are jolly and enthusiastic people. Sometimes, after we play, the team will all go out for dinner and drinks or sometimes they bring food and beer or rice wine to the gym. This culture is so welcoming and they always make sure Jenni and I get enough to eat. Now that it is tangerine season, I have been leaving the gym with handfuls of tangerines; gifts from my teammates. Korean people get so much pleasure from giving away what they have, its a beautiful thing to witness and experience.
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