Mother

It's been a good week.  Although language classes still continue to be a challenge in terms of listening and comprehending what my teachers say, I feel like I'm making progress.  This progress might not be in huge strides, but at least it's progress nonetheless.

Our language class has sort of become like a family.  Just within the course of these past four weeks, we've gotten to know each other pretty well from the intimate interaction we get in class.  Additionally, we spend a lot of time together outside of class and always enjoy each other's company.  I feel like my class at Sogang creates a really supportive atmosphere where learning becomes a group effort.  There are many times when I need help grasping a concept or word, and every time someone makes the effort to help me.  There is one girl, Yuki, who, if she can't get through to me through speaking, will full-on act out whatever it is she is trying to explain to me.  She goes all out in order for me to understand, and whether that means just talking with me or putting on a whole acting performance, she'll do it in order to enrich not only my learning but her own as well.  This is only one example of the ways in which I feel like our class supports one another.  This type of atmosphere is something that I haven't really felt as much at Yale.  Learning at Yale has been more of an individual pursuit.

This past Tuesday I was lucky enough to see another Korean movie titled "마더" ("Mother,"or maybe "Murder"?).  Sogang University actually sponsored the event, so we got to see the movie for free with dinner provided.  The movie was pretty intense, and revealed the depth and complexity of the relationship between mother and son in Korean life.  In the movie, after her son was convicted of a murder, the mother went to great lengths and did anything to clear her son's name, even if she had to commit murder herself.  It didn't matter whether or not her son was guilty of the crime;  the most important thing for the mother was saving face and protecting her son's public image.  This movie actually contrasted really nicely with the previous movie I saw, 거북이 달린다 (Turtle Running).  Instead of a mother defending her son, however, the main character in 거북이 달린다 was a father providing for and protecting his family.  Both mother and father in these two movies not only carried the responsibility of supporting their families, but also showed the importance of presenting a clean and good self-image which can often be based on top of a pile of lies and deception.  In the end, all that matters is what people think of you.  Interesting sort of love to give.

This past Friday, I met with my Korean language tutor for the second time.  His name is Kim Se-jung and he is a student at Sogang.  Coincidentally, he is majoring in history as am I, and is a really kind and helpful friend.  We met in a coffee shop on campus and went over a lot of the things I didn't understand in class.  During our session, I was reminded of the privilege of a Yale education.  Although Sogang University is among the top five colleges in South Korea, Se-jung conveyed his discontent with the campus' facilities and expressed an interest in visiting Yale.  I told him he was welcome anytime. 

On Saturday, I gave my first English tutor lessons to Hy and Jin-hee, who have both helped me immensely with my stay here in Korea thus far.  Because a knowledge of English is needed to serve their American and other Asian clients in the company they work at, they have embraced the opportunity to continue learning English.  I've found that you can actually learn a lot about the Korean language from teaching English.  I've also realized how much I don't know about the English language, as I find myself unable at times to explain why a certain thing is the way it is in English.  I really hope to help Hy and Jin-hee as best as I can.  They are good students, and I am grateful for all that they've done for me so far.

"힘 안줘?!"

This past Friday our Korean language class took a field trip to a ceramics shop where we painted cups.  It was a nice opportunity to get out of the classroom and see a different part of Seoul.  There was something rejuvenating and calming about working with your hands, and you could really see the creative juices flowing through everyone.  Even our teachers took part in the project.

 It's been quite evident, since I've been at Sogang, that the teachers really make an effort to not only improve our language skills, but to also help us assimilate progressively and smoothly into Korean daily life.  From the way our study materials are structured to opportunities to learn outside of the classroom, such as this past field trip, we become exposed more readily to the culture around us and learn how to deal with certain situations that might arise.  At times, I also feel as if I'm learning more about other countries than I am about Korea, due to the significant amount of interaction and sharing with my foreign classmates.

On Saturday, some friends and I spent the day journeying to Ganghwado, an outlying island to the west of Seoul.  We took a bus early in the morning and it took about two hours to get to the port at Ganghwado.  On this trip, I saw a different color of Korea that I had not seen yet:  green.  It was definitely a departure from the urbanized city life of Sinchon and Seoul that I have been surrounded by for the past three weeks.  As we drove through Ganghwado, we passed miles and miles of rice fields, and the surrounding hills were still and quiet without the reverberation of pop music blasting from cosmetic stores or city lights beaming down from department stores.  After reaching the port at Ganghwado, we boarded a ferry to go across to Seokmodo, a smaller outlying island about half a mile away.  As we pulled away from the dock, we were immediately bombarded by a ton of seabirds swarming around us.  Apparently these birds have become notorious for their raucous frolicking around the ferry, and it is a tradition to feed them when you're crossing to the other island.  Fortunately, one of my friends knew of this custom, and brought bags of shrimp chips to feed the birds.  The birds would literally come within inches from you in order to snag the food, and they were amazing at catching the chips that we threw!  In one of my pictures you can actually see one of the birds about to catch a chip in its mouth!  I've also posted a video of this unusual spectacle.

After arriving on Seokmodo island, we had seafood for lunch.  From every dish I ate, I had no idea what I was eating.  But that was the fun of it.  After lunch, we headed for Bomunsa temple, which is located in the back of Seokmodo's mountains.  The temple is said to have been constructed by Queen Seondeok in 635 during the Silla Dynasty.  It was quite a hike up the steep mountain.  Once we reached the site of the temple, there were monks and observers chanting in various parts of the site, including a rock cave filled with lotus lanterns and burning candles.  In one temple, there was a giant sleeping Buddha, and in front of the temple stood a massive bell to signal the time for the monks.  Further up the mountain from this area was the carving of a sitting image of Buddha on a ten meter high rock.  In order to get there, we had to climb and weave up the mountain by stairs and cross a narrow rock platform.  To make things a little more difficult, it was completely pouring.  Not just when we were ascending the mountain, but the entire day.  The rain made for a solemn journey up the mountain to Bomunsa and a cozy bus ride back. 

So...on a completely different subject, one that I haven't written about yet but that has been on my mind...about three weeks ago South Korea mourned the death of its former president, Roh Moo-hyun, who jumped off a cliff to his death.  He committed suicide only a few days before I arrived in Korea, and I only found out from the driver who picked me up from the airport that the country was in a state of mourning over Roh's death.  I knew little of Roh's political history or what his death meant to the country of South Korea.  From what I've learned since being here, Roh's death was a great loss to the country, and shifted a negative light onto South Korea's current administration and president, Lee Myung-bak.  President Lee is a conservative politician whose hardline policies towards North Korea have really isolated the North and prevented any inter-Korean relations or negotiations from materializing.  Roh's policies, on the other hand, promoted dialogue and reconciliation with North Korea when he was in office.  Additionally, much of the country blames President Lee and his government for the death of Roh Moo-hyun.  These national and political events as well as the North-South relationship are hard to ignore right now, especially with North Korea's recent missile launches, increasing isolation, and secrecy of nuclear development.  One of the reasons why this whole situation remains difficult to comprehend is the fact that no one really knows what's going on in the North.  Being so close to North Korea is a bit nerve-racking, and has made me remain vigilant of the events that unfold between the two neighboring and polarized countries.  Additionally, my home in Hawai'i now seems to be vulnerable to a North Korean attack too, as the North is planning to launch a missile toward Hawai'i in early July.

I actually have a Korean language tutor who recently came back from the military service (two year requirement for all South Korean men), and who has already given some good insight on the current North-South situation as well as how South Koreans feel about it.  For me, I never had the burden of worrying about serving in the military after high school.  I simply left for college and didn't give military duty a thought.  On the contrary, every Korean male is faced with this responsibility that his country requires of him.  Often times, college must be put on hold, and academic or other vocational goals must be temporarily halted.  My Korean tutor described how students leave the country, many going to the United States, and if they stay there long enough, they lose their Korean citizenship and don't need to serve in the military.  While there is still some gray area here, failure to comply with these government requirements of military service most often results in prison.  As an American college student, I never had to deal with or worry about this obligation to the military.  It was never calculated into my course of action.  I feel like I've taken this freedom for granted, and have definitely become more aware of it since being here.  It's quite easy to notice the number of young men walking around in military uniforms here.

Alright, to change the subject one more time...the past couple of nights I and another boy living in the same  hasukjib helped Nuna (my landlady) move some furniture to the first and second floors of the hasukjib.  This was no simple task.  We had to move and navigate big, heavy shelves down the stairs to their new rooms.  Nuna was glad that she didn't have to do it herself.  It was interesting trying to give and follow directions in Korean as to how we were going to manage this transport of furniture.  Situations like these are great for learning new vocabulary.  For example, I learned the word for "move" (as in moving furniture) and the useful expression/question "힘 안줘?!" (heem ahn ju?!) which literally translates to "are you not giving strength?" or "are you not doing anything?"  After we finished, Nuna made us some cold vegetable juice as thanks for our efforts.

Turtle Running

So I'm in to my third week here in Korea, and although eight more weeks here seems a bit far off at the moment, I know that it will come fast.  Thus, I'm trying my best to maximize the time that I have and learn as much as I can before that time comes.  Just staying the course, but sometimes deviating and trying a new path when the opportunity arises.

         This past weekend was packed with new sites and exploration.  On Saturday, I met up with Uncle Se, a friend from back home who knows the Seoul area very well (he grew up here). We ventured to the COEX Mall where we first toured the Su Jok Kwan (Aquarium).  I couldn't even remember the last time I visited an aquarium, and it was a great way to catch up on my aquatic-related Korean vocabulary. After the aquarium, we went to see a movie at the mall theaters.  Although there were several American movies playing in English, I thought it would be a better experience to see a Korean movie instead.  So we chose 거북이 달린다 (Turtle Running), which was a comedic action thriller about an old and slow detective pursuing a sleek, swift thief.  Although I didn't understand most of the dialogue, I could still follow the story line and appreciated the messages behind the movie. If a slow and steady turtle can catch the rabbit, just imagine what a running turtle can do!  And who is to tell the turtle that it can't run? Since coming to Korea, I've noticed the incorporation of turtles in other parts of Korean life and culture.  At Gyeongbokgung palace for instance, there were several turtle statues serving as animal guardians and protectors of the court.  From this traditional setting to the medium of modern Korean cinema, the turtle carves its place into Korean culture.  Whether its meaning today is the same as it was during the Choson dynasty, I do not know.  Perhaps a turtle's ability to run is a new phenomenon.

On Sunday, I left early in the morning for Olympic Park, the site of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  The park is on the south side of the Han River, and took about fifty minutes by subway to get there.  The athletic complexes were still in great condition, and seemed to still be in use.  I was able to freely walk in and see the main tennis and gymnastics arenas. While the arena and stands were empty and eerily quiet, the energy and greatness of the place still resonated deeply within the sleeping walls of the arena.  It was as if I could still hear the thundering cries of the crowd and feel the athletes' pain and joy in defeat and victory for their country.

The two main themes of the 1988 Olympics were Progress and Harmony, where differences in political ideologies could be left aside where East and West could come together despite cultural differences.  It was only the second Olympics to be held in an Asian country, and allowed Korea to both share it's culture with the world and showcase its capability as a modern, global power.  It was a collaborative effort on Korea's part to make the it a successful and safe event, as many offered their time as volunteers.  In the Olympic Museum close to the entrance of the park, athletes from many different countries as well as their feats are recognized and commemorated. I also didn't realize that the carrying of the Olympic torch to the host country begins in Athens. Thus, the torch was lit in Athens, flown over to Jeju island (Korea's southern island), and carried over a period of 22 days through the Korean peninsula until finally reaching Olympic Park.

While the park still remains to be a historical site, people use it for their daily exercising activities and leisure. This was quite evident in a public event taking place right in front of the Peace Gate or entrance to the park as I was passing by.  As you can see in the video that I posted, the people were very enthusiastic about cycling.

After visiting Olympic Park, I made my way to Pungnap Earthen Fortress, about a thirty minute walk north of the park.  This was the fortress where Baekje's King Gaero was killed during the invasion of King Jangsu of the Koguryo period.  Like many other ancient and traditional sites that I have visited, this fortress stood right in the middle of modern life, as it encompassed apartment buildings and shops. Rather than guarding against enemy invasion, the earthen walls served a different purpose now:  a picnic site for residents.

I also intended to visit Amsa-dong prehistoric settlement site, but after walking for about two hours and not reaching it, I realized my map had deceived me; it was farther than I thought. So I scratched that plan, and headed for my last stop of the day:  an LG Twins baseball game at Jamsil Stadium.  There are two baseball teams based in Seoul--the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears.  It's really easy and cheap to catch a game. I just showed up about forty-five minutes before the game and only paid eight won for a ticket. And although watching the baseball game itself was enjoyable, I'd say it is worth going just to watch the fans.  They go crazy!  I've never seen anything like it.  What makes it even more outrageous, is that they have a platform for cheerleaders who lead the crowd in chants and songs. And the crowd is completely in unison when the sing and dance for their team. I even heard them sing the tune of "It's a Small World After All."  I've posted a video of one of the players on the home team hitting a home run.  As you can hear, the crowd went crazy.

What's for dinner?

Every meal at my hasukjib brings new experiences and lessons (my Nuna cooks a delicious and sufficient breakfast and dinner for us everyday).  The topics of conversation as well as the number of sentences I can fully comprehend vary from meal to meal.  Some days are a lot better than others, which provide encouragement as I continue trying to understand the language.  Tonight was one of those better nights.  I found that I and another Korean student at the hasukjib share an interest in playing the bass guitar.  This was a positive connection that we made, and only fueled more conversation.  There is also this really nice girl who takes the time to speak slower for me, and cares about what I am attempting to say.  I am grateful for her patience, as I can imagine it must be difficult listening to my fragmented Korean.  Nonetheless, I feel like I am making progress, even though it's slow, by extending myself to the other students who have also extended themselves to me.  A lot can happen during the brief periods of breakfast and dinner, more than you'd expect.

Exploring Insa-dong and Gyeongbokgung Palace

After yesterday's expedition to Myeong-dong, I thought I'd try a bit more daring adventure to Insa-dong, a vibrant town east of Sinchon that really comes alive on Sundays (they close the roads in order to allow the vendors to display their items on the street).  Thus, today seemed like the perfect day to go.  I left early in the morning and took the subway to Jonggak station.  From there, I slowly had to figure out where I was going using both the street signs as well as random people on the sidewalk.  I finally made it to Insa-dong, where the vendors were just opening up their shops.  This market was very different than Myeong-dong; while Myeong-dong exhibited a more modern and international flair, Insa-dong displayed an array of traditional and cultural goods including old paintings, ceramics, paper crafts, and antique furniture.  It was a nice contrast between the two days.  I had time to leisurely browse up and down the street, occasionally striking up a conversation with a vendor in Korean.

I also stopped by Jogyesa Temple, the head temple of Korea's largest Buddhist sect, Jogyejong.  This temple was conveniently located about five minutes away from Insa-dong market.  I arrived during the middle of a Buddhist worship, and sat for a while just listening and observing the people as they sat and bowed to the great Buddha statue in the middle of the temple.  What was interesting about this temple was that it stood in the heart of Seoul amongst the city's modern buildings and busy roadways.  Thus, there existed a sort of clash between the surrounding modernity and Jogyesa's temples.  Nevertheless, these two worlds seemed to have found a balanced relationship with each other in an ongoing coexistence.

After going through Insa-dong and the Jogyesa temple, I took about a fifteen minute walk north to Gyeongbokgung palace.  I wasn't really planning on going here, but it happened to be close enough to make the trip. And it was well worth it.  The palace was built in 1394 and is the oldest palace of the Choson dynasty.  When I first arrived, the changing of the guards was in progress.  These men were dressed in traditional clothing and guarded the front gate of the palace.  They had pretty intense weaponry including a bow and long blade, and looked pretty fierce.  I don't think you'd want to get in a fight with them.  As I walked through the palace gates, it was as if I was being transported back in time.  I had forgotten about Seoul's busy streets and modern architecture outside of the palace walls.  Behind the Gyeongbokgung palace stands Cheong Wa Dae (The Blue House), the presidential residence of the Republic of Korea.  It actually is blue, and is scenically placed at the base of Bukaksan mountain.

The last placed I stopped before heading back home was the Bosingak Bell Pavilion.  This is the home of a massive bell that was first rung in 1394 signaling the opening of the city if I can remember correctly.

It was quite a day, and I had worked up an appetite.  Luckily, by the time I had returned to my hasukjib there was a hardy meal of rice, kimchee, beef, and squid waiting on the table which Nuna had prepared :)

Myeong-dong

Today Beckhwa and I went to Myeong-dong which is basically a shopping area. It was my first time using the subway system here, which I was sort of worrying about at first. However, it turned out being a lot easier than I thought. The stations were all really clean and it was pretty easy navigating from Sinchon to Myeong-dong. Going to Myeong-dong today definitely helped me to build up some confidence in using the subways. Hopefully we can explore new areas soon!

Myeong-dong was pretty crowded and filled with vendors in the walkways. Most of the merchandise was for women, as every cosmetic shop had two female workers standing outside the stores forcefully pulling women passing by into their shops. Luckily, I'm more interested in food than I am cosmetics, and we managed to get these huge ice cream cones for 1,000 won (about $1).

While we explored this particular shopping district, we were also absorbing all of the Korean language around us. From using signs to catching a conversation from the people next to us to asking people to take our picture, we practiced and soaked up all of the Korean surrounding us.

Slow and Steady

So I've made it through week one of living and studying in Korea.  It's hard to believe I've made it this far!  Everyday so far has presented a challenge in one form or another.  It's not the easiest thing having to wake up early in the morning and go out into a world that still feels unfamiliar to you.  But I'm doing my best to welcome the challenges, and know that they are only toughening my resolve and opening up new opportunities to meet people and see the world in a new light.

I'm enjoying my classes thus far.  I have three different professors--one for writing, speaking, and listening/reading--who are all really kind and energetic.  They really care about furthering our language skills as well as the well-being of each student, which I appreciate.  The pace and work load are definitely challenging, but they have been pushing me and my language skills in a positive direction.  The students in my class come from across the world.  Many are from Japan, but others represent China, France, Australia and Germany.  It's cool to see all of these different people coming to Sogang with the same purpose of learning Korean.

I think one thing that will really speed up my learning is the fact that none of the students in my class (besides the American students) speak English very well.  Thus, we are forced to speak with each other in Korean.  I've had to do this with a couple of my Japanese classmates already.  Whether it's figuring out a place to eat for lunch or trying to describe our interests, the language of communication is Korean.  This can be a challenge sometimes, and we have reached many roadblocks in or conversations due to my shortage of vocabulary.  But through a continual desire to improve our language skills as well as deepen our care for each other, these obstacles are very easy to overcome.  There is one Japanese student named Hwa Gi who has been really patient with me and helps me whenever I don't understand something.  We've made a good connection over this past week, and I'm grateful for his friendship.  He is also eager to learn English, which I gladly help him with too.

So I sort of feel like I've been living two separate lives this past week--my life as a student at Sogang and my life at the hasukjib.  While both provide great learning opportunities, they are very different in what they teach and how they teach it.  As a student at Sogang, I am not around Korean students but rather other international students learning Korean.  At the hasukjib, however, I am one of two foreign students living with seven other Korean students.  Thus, my time at the hasukjib provides more opportunities to interact with and learn from native Korean speakers.  

Additionally, there is no Nuna at Sogang University.  Only at the hasukjib.  I have learned things from her that the professors at the university don't teach.  First of all, she works really hard to make sure that we are well fed every morning and evening, never asking for anything in return.  Second of all, she has taught me a lot about proper dining etiquette and introduced me to a wide assortment of different Korean food (everyday there's something different!).  Although I probably understand about 16% of what she is saying, we've managed to get along.  She doesn't seem to want to slow down when she speaks to me, and doesn't realize that I can't understand her when she talks really fast.  Either that or she's just impatient.  Most of the time I usually am able to greet her and say thank you for the meal.  However, there was one night where we actually held a conversation about the bi bim bap she made.  During that meal she apparently thought that I had put to much spicy sauce in my dish, and proceeded to put more rice in my bowl to make it less spicy.  I told her it was okay but she insisted to make it better for me.  I guess you could call it bonding.

I think I have eaten more spicy food here than I ever had in my whole life.  I haven't gone a meal yet without something spicy.  It's unbelievable!  And very delicious!  I wonder if I'll ever get tired of it.  I naturally love to eat so it shouldn't be a problem I don't think.  Hwa Gi, Mikiko (another Japanese student) and I recently went to eat Naeng Myeon and a restaurant nearby campus.  It's a spicy noodle dish and especially good to eat in the heat of the summer because it is cold.  My Japanese friends taught me how to slurp up my noodles vigorously which is good manners in Japan, and I taught them how to do a shaka sign.  In the end, we were all very content and only spent about $4 each!

Although studying and living in Korea have been good so far, I still hope to get out and run around somehow.  I really enjoy playing sports, and hope I can find some outlet to engage in physical activity.  Sogang has a lot of sports clubs and good facilities including a bunch of really nice clay tennis courts.  Maybe this can be a goal for next week to find some sort of group or people who I can play sports with, which would also be a great way to improve my language skills.

Arrival

I arrived in Korea a couple of nights ago.  It took about a total of twelve hours to get from Hawai’i to Japan and finally to Korea.  I remember arriving at the airport in Korea and just hearing a jumble of Korean voices jumping at me from all different directions.  It was a bit overwhelming but also exciting at the same time.  And it was at that moment that I realized how much my language skills would benefit and be stretched from immersing myself in this completely foreign place.  I almost didn’t make it through the customs check point, since I didn’t fill in an address for where I would be staying in Korea (I really didn’t know where I was going to live yet).  But luckily I made it through and made it to the hotel for the night.

            Yesterday morning I met up with HY Chung and Mr. HK Lee who helped me look for the right hasukjib or gosiwon.  I am extremely grateful for the kindness they showed, and really benefited from their guidance this first day roaming around Seoul.  Not only did they help me settle in to the hasukjib that I chose, but they took me to the mart to buy basic necessities, took me to a delicious bulgogi restaurant (where it’s customary to eat and shove a whole roll of lettuce, bulgogi and rice into your mouth in one bite) and helped me become acquainted with the Sogang campus before my first day of school tomorrow.  I was touched and overwhelmed by their generosity, and hope to continue to learn about the city and culture from where they left me.

            The Nuna (older sister) in charge of the hasukjib I am living at cooks breakfast and dinner every day for us!  I had my first homemade dinner last night, and it was spicy and delicious.  I  also got to meet some of  the other students living here—three girls—one from Japan and two from Seoul.  Although I know my Korean is still nowhere near fluent, we conversed with each other only in Korean, since the other students speak little English.  I could tell one of the girls, however, was interested in practicing her English.  Hopefully, there will be more mutual exchange like this, and I was glad that we could keep a conversation in Korean going in spite of my weak vocabulary J. I’ll be practicing on it.  

Today was my first day of class at Sogang.  It was a struggle but I made it through it.  Luckily, there were these nice Japanese girls who helped me when I didn't understand something (about half the time), but we had to communicate through Korean because they did not speak English.  I feel like this first week of classes is going to be tough trying to get a feel for the courses and understand what the professors are saying and trying to communicate to us. I'd say that there was a diversity of students representing many different countries who were enrolled in Korean language classes.  It was cool to see all these different students coming to study Korean.  After class we went to a Korean restaurant and I had bi bim bap for only $4!  What a deal!