풍경채

I realized many of you still have no idea where I've been living for the past 5 weeks. This should clue you in a little bit more.

My room - small but cozy

Living room

Kitchen/dining room

View of the local university from my window

풍경채 courtyard

추석 holiday

This past Wednesday was one of the most important holidays in Korean culture. In a non-Christian family, Chuseok is a holiday of remembrance for fallen relatives and a time for family and friends to get together to give thanks. I spent Tuesday night with my coteacher and his family in Sancheong, a small town in the countryside outside of Jinju. The whole experience was very Korean - there was always food on the table, neighbors coming over for makgeolli andsoju, and a male-only ritual that involved a spread of food and lots of bowing in honor of dead ancestors. My coteacher did a decent job trying to include me in the majority of conversations but most of the time I felt like an observer to this holiday. A couple of family members speak some English but everyone else seemed too afraid to try or didn't even know where to begin. In turn, their way of being polite was offering me more food even after I'd made it clear that I was about to burst.

Matt, Jing, and Kyeong-rok visited on Wednesday night and were my first official guests inJinju. We went out to a couple of bars and got a chance to catch up - it was refreshing to finally have some people to go out with to these restaurants and bars that have been staring me in the face for over a month now. On Thursday, Matt's uncle picked me up for a group trip to Jinjuseong - a famous castle in Jinju that is known for its significance in the story of multiple, failed Japanese invasions of Korea in the 16th century. We got some great pictures of the castle, its grounds, and some of the huge laterns on the Namgang getting set for the Jinju drama festival in October.

Side entrance to the castle grounds

Across the Namgang

Lanterns

Another relaxing weekend ahead before teaching my first classes in over a week on Monday. Here's hoping I remember how.

I should probably learn the words...

I hear this once a week at the all-school assembly - maybe I should learn what it means?

Gyeongnam Science High School Song

Jirisan pictures

Yes, that is as steep as it looks

The last 2.0 kilometers

GSHS group picture - attempt #1

Cheonwangbong

Me and my Principal at the top

For some reason this view really made me miss you...

Asiatic bear alert...??

"Very delicious coffee"

Yesterday I went on a day-long hiking trip with all of the 1st year students, 2nd year students, and teachers from my school. It was really nice to be around my students and coworkers in an extended, non-academic setting for the first time.

The day got off to an early start. My co-teacher picked me up from my apartment at 5:45 (ugh) as the school had the goal of having breakfast and getting to Jirisan by 8:00. Of course, as is always the case when trying to coordinate 100 high school students, we were behind schedule from the beginning. We got to the mountain and onto the trail around 9:15 after some ridiculous bus-related issues. The five buses attempted to get as far up the bottom part of the mountain as possible to put us into a good position to jump right onto the trail. However, it seemed like at every turn, one of them was teetering on the edge of the road and might fall off with the slightest gust of wind. Needless to say, I was in full support when we got off the buses and decided to walk the rest of the way.

I think most of the students enjoyed the hike, but it's 'mandatory' label meant that some of them would have rather been anywhere else in the world. The students at my school aren't the strongest or most athletic, but Koreans possess an impressive mental toughness that came in handy on a day like today. No matter how much it hurt, giving up was not an option for my students. There are important aspects of Korean culture that value competition and the idea of "saving face." None of these students were going to openly admit to their peers that they weren't strong enough to complete the climb and many of them seemed to be racing to the top.

The hike itself was challenging. Parts of the ascent were straight up and you needed feet and hands to make due. I made decent time and was the second teacher to reach the summit. Obviously, the feeling of making it to Cheonwangbong (the highest peak in this particular mountain range) was rewarding. Everyone that made it to the top was rightfully proud of themselves and we got time to relax and enjoy some of the spectacular views from above the clouds (pictures to come).

Now, I know I've mentioned it before - Korean men love to drink. Traditionally, most groups of hikers will bring makgeolli on their travels to consume during lunch breaks so I wasn't surprised when a group of teachers, located at a safe distance from the students, called me over to enjoy some of their secret stash. For an alcoholic beverage, it's surprisingly refreshing in the midst of grueling physical activity.

What happened next I did not see coming. One of the math teachers pulled out a coffee container and offered to pour me some "very delicious coffee" after lunch. I was a little bit confused when he only poured me a tiny bit until I realized that it wasn't coffee. As the cup made it's way towards my mouth, I caught wind of a familiar scent that I do not associate with coffee. As the whisky hit my lips I was both startled and thankful - the mountaintop had gotten a little bit chilly and this warmed me right up. I couldn't help imagining this same situation happening on an American, high school field trip. Closet drinking amongst the teachers would certainly not be looked at in the same way - in Korea, it's just what you do when you go hiking; it doesn't matter if you're doubling as a chaperone.

In a funk

It's a really disheartening feeling to wake up on a Monday and already be bored with my plans for the week. It's not that I'm not enjoying my time here - quite the opposite in fact. I'm feeling more like a part of my school and host family every day and the nuances of Korean culture are starting to make more sense, but the lack of immediate excitement is taking its toll. Maybe I'm kidding myself in thinking that just because I'm in a foreign country, every day will be an adventure. Perhaps I'm not looking hard enough for opportunities to be spontaneous and wild? I feel myself getting roped into routines that aren't necessarily bad, just monotonous. Along these same lines, any ideas for new hobbies and/or activities would be appreciated.

This time of year in a Korean school is completely different than what I am used to. Back home, the fall represents new beginnings and the air is full of anticipation. Here, the first two weeks of 2nd semester have come and gone and everyone has gotten readjusted quickly. Second year students are overwhelmed with college applications and first years continue to have boundless energy, but there isn't the same excitement surrounding the start of a new school year that I've grown accustomed to.

Not a lot of other news to report. Tom, good luck starting the new job on Wednesday. You're going to kill it. Adrienne, congratulations on the new apartment.

Fantasy football blunder Week 1: benching Arian Foster and seeing him go off for 41 points against Indy. When the bench almost outscores the starters, the manager has some reevaluating to do during the week. Damn...

In the real world, as opposed to the fantasy one, good start for the Pats. Missed you Wes.

This is what friends are for...

Daejeon this weekend. I expect a repeat.

"You are very kind"

Compliments are one way Koreans try to make outsiders feel welcome/one of the gang. If I haven't mentioned before, Korean people are not shy about telling you exactly what they think, good and bad. Their sometimes brutal honesty isn't meant to offend or insult but it can often be shocking and unprovoked - and when it's broken English it can sometimes even be funny.

One compliment I've been hearing a lot from other teachers at my school is, "you are very kind." I think it's their way of saying I'm agreeable and easy to talk to when they want to practice their English but they don't know any other way to say it. Thank you Koreans - that's very thoughtful of you. My question is, what do I say after that? I usually switch back and forth between a simple "thank you" and "awww so are you!" But many of these people can't even say "I teach at a high school" much less try to understand my attempts to be humble and dodge the compliment.

Other highlights from the past few days:

1. Went hiking with my host dad and his coworkers. It's amazing how differently he acts around a different group of people. At home and with his soccer team he is very reserved and put together. With his colleagues he is loud, outgoing, and apparently really funny (everybody was laughing at lots of stuff that he said but of course I can't understand any of it).

2. I've found that video chatting at work is very doable, but because of the hectic nature of the life of a teacher, awkward/hilarious situations often arise. If you catch me in a good mood and feel like quietly observing some of my interactions with Koreans in the teacher's office, you know where to find me.

3. I knocked over a metal chair on my way out of a restaurant today and caused a noisy scene.

Happy almost Labor Day. However, some of us will be laboring tomorrow.