It’s been a while Dear Readers!

I hope your summers have been going well. I’ve been busy preparing and teaching my English summer camp, so I thought I’d share some camp escapades with you. For those who may not know, most public school teachers in Korea are responsible for planning and executing a week or two of English camp. One camp session happens during summer vacation and one during the winter break. We usually have to run our plans by our Korean co-teachers and they help with ordering materials needed but essentially it’s our project from start to finish.

In theory we’re supposed to have a Korean co-teacher with us during camp to help with translation for low level students and discipline, but often times it doesn’t work out that way. So sink or swim, camp is all on us. My first summer camp in 2013 was a disaster. My material was too high-level for the students who attended but the activities were fun so all was not lost. By the time winter camp rolled around I had ironed out my mistakes and was on my way to becoming an English camp mastermind.

Three years later, here I am. Another week of camp is over with and good times were had by all. I’ve come to enjoy this time, when I get to have some fun with 20-30 of my 700 students and teach something I’m passionate about.

This summer’s English camp was about animals around the world. On our first day, we learned about animals of the savanna and made animal headbands.

The second day’s topic was about animals of the forest. After our lesson we made animal hand-stamps. The kids really loved sticking their whole hand into a plate of paint. Below you can see crabs, octopuses, fish, peacocks, penguins and other unidentified creatures.

In a last-minute issue, I was left with no activity for day four. In keeping with the theme of animals, I spent my afternoon making a “pin the tail on the donkey” game which was a big hit. None of the kids had heard of this game so 1 point for Karli Teacher for introducing a new game!

Last winter’s English camp was possibly my most favourite camp of all time. It was the Harry Potter English magic camp and it was super fun for both myself and the students.

The famous “Sorting Hat” from Harry Potter where new students must choose which house they belong to.

Once their houses had been decided, each house team worked together to make their house banners.

The second day of Harry Potter English camp was called “the care of magical creatures” (which is really a course the students at Hogwarts study in the books). After our lesson on mythical creatures, we made our own magical creatures with clay. Owls, spiders, snakes and other unknown blob-type creatures were made.

The next day brought my most favourite activity EVER! We made wands! It took two days: one to paint and let dry, then another to add sparkly glue and/or marker designs. Of course I also taught them some spells from the movies, after which point the boys took off running around class shouting spells at each other and pretending to either float, freeze, explode or die.

I hope to teach the Harry Potter English camp again this winter as there were some activities I wanted to do but didn’t have the time. I’ll let you know come winter! Next week I’ll be on vacation on Jeju island, gathering more stories to share with you. Until next time, be well :)

Summer is upon us and for many, that means a vacation is coming soon. One of the perks of living in abroad is the access to other parts of the world for a fraction of what it would cost from your home country. Fear not, for this article isn’t just for those living abroad. If you’re planning a holiday in Asia, it’s worthwhile to consider hitting up another country or two while you’re there. You never know if you’ll return to that part of the world again so why not save a little extra and maximize your experience?

Maps are fun! Myself and Sarah investigate Haesingdang Park in Gangwon province.
Courtesy of Jon Collins.

After some research I’ve come up with a list of top 5 places you can get to from Korea that won’t break the bank. To whittle down my list I kept the qualifying countries under 2,000 kilometres from Korea and under $500 (CAD) for a round-trip ticket starting from Incheon airport in Seoul. The months used for research were August and January as a little bit of off-season travel adds up to money saved.

In alphabetical order, here are the top 5 cheapest places to visit with Seoul as your launching pad:

CHINA

China is a huge country so I kept the search to cities near the coast such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and a little further in; Beijing. During summer or winter you can get to either of these cities for under $300 from Korea. China overall is known for its rich history, temples and landmarks. Hong Kong is famous for shopping and Shanghai for its architectural beauty from its heyday in the early 1900s on the Bund and surrounding areas. 

“The Bund” in Shanghai, China 2014.

Busy streets of Shanghai, China 2014.

For more on my trip to Shanghai, click here for the Bund and here for the possible dangers of Shanghai.

JAPAN

Japan is another country with many destinations. I looked at northern, central and southern airports and all are doable in either season for roughly $400. Northern Japan is known for its lush forests and enchanted winters while central and southern Japan are known for their mix of traditional beauty and modern city life.

Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrine in Kyoto, Japan 2013.

Dinner in Tokyo, Japan 2013.

For more on Japan, check out my previous articles here!

PHILIPPINES 

The Philippines are made up of over 7,000 small islands so most people fly to Manila, then take smaller flights to whichever island through a domestic airline. My research was just to Manila but most domestic flights can be obtained for less than $100 CAD. Two of the most popular islands I know of are Cebu and Boracay but there are many more!

El Nido in Palawan, Philippines.
Courtesy of thetravelen.com

Mount Mayon Volcano and the ruins of Cagsaua church in Albay, Philippines.
Courtesy of philippinetraveler.com

TAIWAN

Taiwan is much cheaper in the summer since it’s pretty hot there and less desirable to travel to but you can still make it in winter for just under $500. Taiwan has some beautiful temples and a rich culture everyone can enjoy. I was in Taipei 10 years ago and have never forgotten the mouth-watering street food that was out of this world. I ate like a queen every day and only sat down to eat a meal in a restaurant once. Buddhism is widely practiced in Taiwan so for vegetarians, you’ll eat well I promise.

Longshan Temple, rooster display for lunar new year, 2005.

Taroko National Park, Taiwan.
Courtesy of flickr.com.

VIETNAM

Vietnam in August or January can be obtained for just under the $500 mark. In my experience it was cheaper to fly in and out of the northern region of Hanoi than the southern city of Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon). Vietnam is another country that covers a lot of ground and each region is very different from the next. Many fly into the north or south, then take small domestic flights to get around within the country for roughly $40-$60 a flight. You can take a bus or train for cheaper but it takes 8-12 hours to travel and to me, that’s wasting precious vacation time for the sake of saving $30.

My Son hindu temple ruins in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Outside of Sung Sot Cave on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

For a recap on my adventures in Vietnam, click here!

Whether you’re living in Asia or just planning a holiday, it’s worth it to take a look at some neighbouring nations in your travels. Considering it costs around a thousand dollars (CAD) to get to South Korea from most places in North America, you may want more bang for your buck!

Dusk on Halong Bay, Vietnam.

Until next time Dear Readers; be well, stay hydrated and remember – somebody out there loves you.

The best medicine for a homesick heart is a celebration of home. For Canadians abroad, that day is Canada Day. Technically Canada Day is July 1st, but for the sake of the weekend, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (a.k.a. CanCham Korea) hosted this year’s Canada Day event on Saturday, June 27th and what an event it was!

Myself and Kamila enjoying the festivities.

CanCham is a non-profit organization founded in 1995, with intentions to promote the Canadian community in Korea through networking and social events. They are also big advocates for the Canadian business community abroad so if you’re a Canadian businessperson thinking of branching out in South Korea, get in touch with these guys. Anyway, back to the party.

Tickets were 35,000 won (approx. $38 CAD) and a ticket got you into the venue, a commemorative Canada Day t-shirt, a delicious home-cooked burger and more.

The staff work hard to feed all the Canucks.

People were lined up to get some grub.

The ticket fee also included two pints of beer, courtesy of Craftworks Brewing Co. and Maloney’s Brewing Co., your choice of several maple flavoured snacks and other great treats from numerous sponsors.

Craftworks and Maloney’s staff serving beer to patrons.

Maple snacks!

There was a live band called Radmobile; a duo originally from Halifax but currently living in Busan, South Korea. They played for two hours in the heat, paying homage to a multitude of Canadian rock legends including Neil Young and the Tragically Hip. Their tunes definitely gave the event that added home-grown touch of Canadiana.

Lululemon was there doing a yoga session (in the heat! No thanks, I’m good.) and there was also a pretty badass kids play zone with blow-up bouncy castles for the little ones.

I made a friend and gave him one of my flags :)

The Canadian Embassy also had a “moose naming contest” for their moose mascot dressed in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniform. There were lots of Canadian souvenirs for sale as well. Canada fans, caps and frisbees to name a few. Thanks to my recent care package from my friends back in Ontario (thanks Bal, Kim and Sil!) I had a lot of Canadiana on hand already but I ended up buying a hat because it made me happy.

Some Canadian loot from my friends back home.

I also met a dashing Korean gentleman who had some pretty sweet bagpipe skills. He told me he lived in Calgary for 10 years so I guess he learned to play while he was there! (I didn’t have time to ask as he was helping to serve lunch.) Himself and his partner did two songs and each time was beautiful.

I thought it was appropriate to share this story of how the CanCham organization brought a piece of home to us expats on Canada’s actual birthday. According to CanCham, over 350 people attended and they hope to see more next year! So if you’re an expat living in Korea (you don’t have to be Canadian to attend) and you reckon you’ll be around this time next year, check them out at www.canchamkorea.org, like them on facebook and you’ll be in the loop for next summer.

To all my friends, family and readers back home, I wish you all a very happy Canada Day. Be careful with those fireworks!

For those who have ever taught or spoken to a large group in general, you’ll get what I’m saying. For those who haven’t, allow me to paint you a picture. You’re trying to explain something to your audience and you think everyone’s with you and suddenly you see this look swimming on all the faces in the room:

Somewhere in your explanation, you’ve lost your flock and now to round them back up. In my case, I usually turn to my Korean co-teacher and ask them to explain again in Korean.  However, I haven’t always had the support that I do now. My first year especially, in 2013, I had a few classes that were a struggle as the students were young, new to learning with a native speaker and my co-teacher was usually mentally (if not physically) absent from class.

It was times like those that made me question my life choices until a random sentence clicked with someone like a flash of lightning and they got it. Often times, it was because of K-Pop (Korean pop music) that the eureka moment happened. K-Pop is known for inserting English words or sentences into their lyrics. One musician, Tiger JK, said the reason Korean musicians like putting English into songs is because it’s difficult to rhyme with all Korean words. It’s much easier rhyme an English word with a Korean word but there is also the angle of international marketability.  

Whatever the cause, I’m grateful for it. Although K-Pop is often mocked for using nonsensical English, here are three times that English in a K-Pop song saved my class.

First up is T-Ara’s “Bo Peep Bo Peep” from 2009 that taught many the phrase “follow me.” Even though this song is “old” by K-Pop standards, there was a sexy version of this music video released that got a lot of attention for its 19+ rating so it was kind of a big deal. The chorus goes: Follow me, follow me, 나를따라 (nareul ttara) follow me.

This was phrase was especially helpful in my first year with my grade 3 students and low-level grade 4s. When they couldn’t understand what I saying and there was no help, I could at least rely on T-Ara and shout “follow me!” Then proceed to charades the crap out of whatever it was I was trying to convey. 

Watch T-Ara’s video  below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XgvkeBBhZE

My second round of thanks goes out to Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby” from 2012 which worked wonders when teaching kids how to answer the question “how are you?” Usually when asked this, they default to the Children of the Corn monotone response “I’m fine thank you and you?” It’s really quite disturbing. 

Greetings from my students: “I’m fine thank you and you?” *shudder*

Despite this early English training drill, using terms like “I’m great!” or “I’m fantastic!” has helped to make my students think of their own answer rather than spitting the robotic reply. With a helping hand from G-Dragon and the boys, I can safely answer the question of how I’m doing with greater expression than “I’m fine” and the wee ones get me. Thanks Big Bang ;)

Watch Big Bang’s video below:

My final thanks goes to Sistar, who had a song in 2013 called “Give It To Me.” This song’s music video was a little bit sexy as well, but the song itself was all over the radio and performed live on music shows in Korea for months after its release. The chorus included the phrase “give it to me” over and over and became a useful tool in the classroom for me.

Sometimes if students didn’t understand what I said in a normal speaking pattern, I would sing it instead and suddenly they would understand. Thanks Sistar!

Watch Sistar’s video here:

You never know what random word will click with a student when teaching English as a second language. Wether they learned it from an American movie or a K-Pop song, it’s a bridge to learning in the end. I’m sure I’ll find more examples in the next year to do a part 2 on this topic. For those teaching in Korea, are there any I missed that have helped you out in the classroom? English teachers around the world, let me know what songs have helped you out!

Titus Andronicus was one of Shakespeare’s first plays, his first tragedy and his most brutal as well. Written in the late 1500s, historians say that Shakespeare made this bloody web of vengeance to please audiences who found revenge stories enjoyable at the time. As his body of works grew, Titus Andronicus got pushed aside, disregarded as trashy by the 1700s and largely forgotten. It took over 200 years for the play be fully appreciated.

The two feuding families in Titus Andronicus.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toro.

I had the opportunity to speak to Kevin De Ornellas, a Lecturer of English Renaissance Literature at Ulster University at Coleraine in Northern Ireland. I asked him why Shakespeare’s most murderous play didn’t receive proper acclaim until long after his death. 

“The play became fashionable again only in the 20th century when the play’s violence made more sense, in the context of the world wars, the Shoah and Hiroshima etc.,” said De Ornellas. “The play also gets attention now because of the literal cutting-up of Livinia – an obvious metaphor for patriarchal subjugation of women.” De Ornellas also mentioned that with the aftermath of popular movies like Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock), the play regained popularity as it holds up well against modern Hollywood horror movies.

Jamie Horan as Saturninus, Lauren Ash-Morgan as Tamora and Kahlid Elijah Tapia as Aaron.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toro.

It is exactly that which I found so impressive as I sat wincing in my seat. As old as it is, Titus Andronicus still holds its own in our modern age. Personally, I enjoyed it despite the violence because the plot was rich and thick with substance, in contrast to today’s more empty slasher films.

Heather Moore as Lavinia and Miles Meili as Marcus.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toro.

Alex Sawyer as Demetrius, Tapia, Charles Jeong as Chiron and Robert Evans as Alarbus.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toro.

I sat down with the Seoul Shakespeare Company’s Titus Andronicus director Raymond Salcedo to see why he chose to wrangle with Titus Andronicus.

What made you want to tackle Shakespeare’s most savage play? 

There is a definite relevance of the forms of violence in this play to a lot of what we hear in the news these days. I knew I could bridge a lot of what happens in the world of this tragedy with our own now. Thematically, it is a very stark contrast to last year’s staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was a very fun and light romantic comedy. This show allowed us to showcase our company’s range and depth.

Above all, when I conceptualized how I might stage certain moments of the different plays we were considering, I found myself most excited about Titus Andronicus. When it was official that we would do this play, I was so excited thinking about so many of the concepts I intended to stage that I couldn’t sleep that whole first night. That is a true indicator to me as an artist that I’m jumping into the right project.

Michael Downey (centre) as Titus Andronicus. His family surrounds him.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toro.

What were your plans with this production? 

I always try to honour an original text and indeed we did in this show — but there are ways we can stage any play that can give it an individual company’s touch. I know some will see moments and think, “yep, Ray directed that.” There’s an edginess to Shakespeare’s works that I love seeing companies highlight and I very much push for that myself. Our actors have also interpreted and processed their characters so that they own them in their own unique way and that is truly a lovely thing to witness.  

Tamora, Queen of the Goths (centre), surrounded by her sons.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toro.

What surprised you the most about directing this year’s play?

The best part of this whole production was being able to assemble some of the most talented group of designers and cast members available. I was somewhat expecting this to happen but I’m just so pleased that it did. My right-hand man, Heeyoung Sunwoo (Stage Manager), is an absolute gift from the universe. Lauren Ash-Morgan (Producer, Actor, Costume Designer and Props Mistress) has awed me in ways that I am still befuddled by for the sheer amount of talent and energy that she has demonstrated with all that she has done for our show.  

The Goths; and extended family.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toro.

If that doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what will. As someone who enjoys Shakespeare but knows few of his works, it was thoroughly enjoyable based on the action and plot-driven momentum. If you’re interested but unsure about Shakespeare, this is a fantastic gateway production. Jump in, get your feet wet (and bloodied) with Titus Andronicus and let this be your guiding light on how you see Shakespeare afterwards. You will feel a lot of things when you leave the theater but I guarantee regret will not be one of them.

Titus Andronicus is performed in English with Korean subtitles.

Dates and times for the remaining shows:

Saturday, June 6: 2pm & 7pm

Sunday, June 7: 2pm & 7pm

Saturday, June 13: 2pm & 7pm

Sunday, June 14: 2pm & 7pm

Location: Theater Egg and Nucleus

Directions: On the subway, get off at Hyehwa Station (Line 4),  exit 2. Turn left at the first road and walk for about a block. The theater will be on your left.

Turn left at this intersection.

The Egg & Nucleus Theater is below the blue and white sign on your left.

Tickets are 20,000 KRW with and online reservation or 25,000 KRW at the door.

For more information on the The Seoul Shakespeare Company and Titus Andronicus, click here.

This is my third and final year here at my elementary school and in Korea as a whole. Since that decision, I’ve found myself looking at my students with a renewed sense of awe and pride. My older kids especially seem to blow me away more and more each day. Their achievements in speaking, writing, listening and reading have continued to impress me over the last three years. As our first semester of  2015 begins to wind down, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite moments with my kids thus far.

Below are some springtime decorations my grade 3 students have made to brighten up our class. The big black screen is a dead TV monitor so instead of staring into a black hole, I’ve turned it into an art display!

I’ve taught my grade 5 students since they were first exposed to a foreign teacher in the 3rd grade. They’re made up of 6 classes of 30, adding up to around 180 students. I’ve gotta say, my fivers were little psychos back in 2013. Back then they were mostly waist-high little wankers, lacking discipline and interest in studying English. They often argued and tore up worksheets. Team games were exhausting and usually resulted in classes loosing their points for bad behaviour. Now, I look forward to my grade 5 kids on Thursdays as all 6 classes are engaged and passionate. I can have real conversations with some of them and they often come to class early to chat and hang out.

I really enjoy doing role plays with my kids. It’s a fun way to get them reading and also gets them used to public speaking. We have role plays every 2 units in our textbooks, but sometimes that’s not enough. I think the reading component in our grade 3 and 4 textbooks is a little lacking, so I like to step it up by making my own role play scripts based on the key sentences we’re studying. Below are some pictures of this year’s grade 4 students doing their rendition of “Little Red Riding Hood” from their textbook.

My grade 6 students are my oldest kids and I’ve taught them since they were in grade 4. They’re also made up of 6 classes, around 180 senior students. They have always been closest to my heart and their enthusiasm for English has a lot to do with that. Even back in 2013 they were diligent, good listeners and quite advanced for their age.  Now that I’m teaching their third and final year (they’ll be off to middle school next March) I’m thoroughly enjoying my time with them. Below are some photos of this year’s grade 6 students doing their first role play of the year: A radio talk show interview.

This job is powerfully rewarding every day and I’m so proud of all of my little people. This article is not to pat myself on the back, because I am just a humble go-between to make our textbooks come to life. This is more of a high-five to my students who have excelled well beyond my (and others) expectations.

Some grade 4 boys practice improv with their robot masks from lesson 4.

My grade 3 students do their first role play! Look at them reading :)

Teachers can be many things to many people, but ultimately the will to learn, absorb, retain and apply lies in the hearts and minds of the individual. Watching students who didn’t care about English begin to participate warms my heart. To see the well-rounded ones continue to thrive in the classroom makes me want to run up and hug them all, but that would be weird. It will be a painful goodbye for me this year and I hope to chronicle as much as I can to remember all of my babies.

Some cards I got for Teacher’s Day this year.

Sit back and let me tell you the legend of Haesindang. A long time ago there was a beautiful young lady who was engaged to the man of her dreams. Her fiancee took her out in his boat and dropped her off at Aebawi rock, a large rock in the middle of the water were lots of rich seaweed grew. She would collect her daily seaweed to sell and he would return to shore to work as well.

Posing with Haesindang.

He promised to pick her up as he always did, but that evening a terrible storm hit the coast and her betrothed could not reach her. A powerful wave swept over Aebawi rock and poor Haesindang drowned.

The waters where Haesindang perished.

Soon after she died, her village’s fishing industry went sour. No fish could be caught and many people lost their jobs and went hungry. Locals thought it was the angry spirit of Haesindang, bitter of her sudden end and a life without her love. One day, a fisherman answered the call of nature and peed into the water near where he was fishing. That day the fisherman caught his best catch since Haesindang’s death and the locals deduced that seeing his male parts had somehow appeased the angry spirit who never got her wedding night.

A reenactment of urination that fateful day.

The fishermen appealed to local artists and carpenters to create some phallic pieces to erect (I had to) along the coastline. The offerings consoled the bitter Haesindang, who never knew her beloved as intimately as she wanted. The folk village enjoyed a prosperous fishing industry once again and the people of Samcheok made an entire park in her honour, called Haesindang Park. It is also known as Penis Park. 

Sarah and I study our maps diligently.
Photo courtesy of Jon Collins.

Once I learned of this legend and researched the park, I had to see it with my own eyes. So this place, along with the Hwanseon Cave (read cave story here), was my main purpose for visiting Samcheok city. I’ll let the pictures tell the tale from here.

All vulgarities aside, it really is a beautiful park. The Samcheok locals still give monthly phallic offerings to the spirit of Haesindang during a monthly festival in her honour. If you plan your trip right, you may be able to attend one of these festivals.

A Korean tourist takes a picture while his wife giggles in the background.

Yours truly taking photos in the garden of genitalia.
Photo courtesy of Jon Collins.

Admission to the park is only 3,000 won (approx. $3.25 CAD) and the walk through takes about an hour. There is also the Fishing Village Folk Museum you can experience just inside the main entrance to the park. There is no additional fee to enter the museum.

The boat shaped building on the left is the entrance to the museum.

Posing with my Chinese zodiac animal. I am the rooster.

Transportation: The park is about 40 minutes from Samcheok Intercity Bus Terminal. Look for the bus heading to Hosan or Imwon and get off at Haesindang Park station. Bus fare will probably be around $2. We were pressed for time and took a taxi which cost around 30,000 won (approx. $33 CAD) but the ride had a beautiful view of the mountains and coastlines. 

That’s it for now Dear Readers! I hope you’re enjoying spring in your corner of the world as I am here in Korea.

We recently had a long weekend here in Korea so I took the opportunity to head back to Gangwon province for more ocean air. This time I travelled farther down the eastern coastline to the southern city of Samcheok.

One of the main attractions of Samcheok city is Hwanseon Gul (“gul” means cave). Ever since visiting the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, I’ve fallen in love with caves and the ancient secrets that line their cool stone walls.

Hwanseon Cave is famous because of its age and size. It’s the largest limestone cave in Korea and one of the largest caves in all of Asia. It’s 6.5km long but many believe there is an added 1.5km of uncharted territory further in. Hwanseon Gul is said to be 530 million years old so you can imagine the scope of critters this cave has housed. 

It holds the usual cave features such as stalagmites and stalactites but it also has waterfalls and little lakes running through it which adds to the beauty of this cavern.

The tourist path is only 1.6km of the cave as other parts are too narrow or unsafe for civilian passage. The walking path is made of steel bridges and stairs instead of a path on the stone floor which I think is great for the cave’s ecosystem preservation. You can see in the photo below how long the cave is and how much is actually open to the public (the area in blue).

My lovely assistant Jon presents the trail we walked inside the cave.

Tickets to the cave cost 4,000 won (approx. $4.40 CAD) for one adult and 2,000 won (approx. $2.20 CAD) for children. Once tickets are obtained you can walk up the steep mountainside for a 30 minute hike to the cave entrance, or take the monorail instead. The monorail fee is another 4,000 won one way and 7,000 for round-trip. The ride itself only takes about 5 minutes but the line to get on the monorail is the killer.

The ticket booth entrance, shaped like a bat.

Our hike begins. The hooded doorway to the left is the entrance to the other cave, Daegeum Gul. As old, but smaller than Hwanseon.

We decided to hoof it and dang what a hike! We were sweaty and tired by the time we reached the top so the cool cavern air was a welcome relief.

Our hike begins.

Farther up the mountainside.

Once at the cave’s entrance we descended into darkness on our steel footpath. Most pictures didn’t turn out as it was too dark in the depths of cave, but I will share with you the few that did.

Despite the quality of this shot, it shows the height of the steel walkways. The little black shapes at the bottom are people walking on the lower half of the path.

Sarah, Jon and I take a moment in the Palace of Dreams section of the cave.

Dripping water creates beautiful patterns over time.

Hell Bridge was particularly terrifying, considering the bridge swung to and fro with every step we took. We had barely regained composure from the first little bridge and were tackling the second half actually called “Hell Bridge” when Sarah said quietly from behind, “Don’t look down.” Of course we did exactly that and immediately wished we hadn’t. The bridge was suspended above a terribly high and narrow drop. It looked like a knife-cut split between two enormous slabs of mountain wall, joined at the bottom by a crystal pool of water far, far below.  I managed to get a picture on the first bridge and you can see by my expression that I was ready to die at any moment.

Hell Bridge in all its terrifying glory.

Once safely outside and back on solid ground, we began our descent back down the mountain trail.

A restaurant near the bottom of the mountain.

Myself and Sarah on our victory lap back down the trail.

After waiting for the bus to take us back to the downtown area, it was off to find nourishment then hit the showers. We had an amazing 5-course meal at a place called Steak88 in the neighbouring town of Donghae, which was were we stayed. 

If you’re heading to Samcheok or Donghae and would like to know more, please leave a comment in the comment section below. If you live in Korea, try downloading the “kobus” application on your phone to book bus tickets. You’ll need to read Korean for this so you may need a hand. Online, go here for bus information in English. You can check schedules and fares, but booking will take you to a Korean page so again, you may need some translation help. If it’s not a busy travel time or you get to the Express Bus Terminal (Seoul Metro line 3, 7 or 9) early enough, you can always just buy bus tickets at the station.

Next week I’ll be talking about Haesingdang Park in Samcheok, a park like no other in the world! Stay tuned.

April 2015 marks my two year anniversary of being back in Korea. As I embark on my third and final year I find myself in a state of reflection more often than not. When good things happen, I worry I will miss all the little blessings I’ve been given here. When bad things happen, I shrug and think it won’t be long till those bad things are a fading memory.

My state of reflection while in Japan, 2013.

During some recent reminiscing, I came across something I wrote in my note book while waiting to take off from Pearson Airport in Toronto. I must’ve been high on the adrenalin of this new journey because it’s just bursting with opportunity at every paragraph. It made me laugh to see myself put back in that place two yeas ago. Back in that seat, back on that plane, feeling thick with adventure. I thought I’d share this time capsule with you for your amusement.

*Ahem…*

April 1st, 2013

Things are looking up and I’m still on the ground at Pearson airport. After a tearful goodbye with my Pops, I collect myself and get sorted. I can do this. In fact, I already did this – 8 years ago, so get your shit together Vezina! This is old news. Ok I’m cool, let’s roll.

At the airport (not Pearson).

The good luck begins while checking in at the ticket counter.

“Are you traveling with someone?” The airline agent asks. “You booked yourself a middle seat.”

“No,” I reply. “It was given to me at random. May I have an isle seat?”

“Yes,” she says. Nice score. For a 13 hour flight straight from Toronto to Korea, this is invaluable good fortune. Check in: complete.

Next step: bathroom. I probably look like a psycho after that emotional farewell.

Need to put my game face on. I might meet the love of my life on this flight! Must be ready.

Update: I have entered the plane. I see my row, one cute Korean guy sitting at the one end of my row of three. I’m at the other end, just have to walk around to the back of the plane and come back down the isle. I don’t have the guts to clamber over this young man with all my stuff and straddle his kneecaps before even learning his name.

So around I go.

In my seat, I start unpacking my books and notice the soft music playing overhead. No joke, it’s “All By Myself” by a wailing Celine Dion. I almost snort with laughter but manage to control myself. Is this really my life right now? One of the saddest songs ever known to man is playing as we embark on an ungodly long flight, most of us landing indeed alone, halfway around the globe.

Excellent pre-flight playlist Korean Air. 

All irony aside, I’m wondering who will be the third person to complete our center row. I overhear the cute guy on the left end asking the attendant if the center seat is free and the attendant says yes. Another score!

Cute Guy and I look at each other and smile. We both know the value of a spare seat for storage and personal space on such a long flight. He knows me so well already. This might be love. 

This is also love.

So there you have it folks. I’m not proud of that shameless optimism but it was all over me that day, like a film to be scraped off in the years to come. Seriously though, I have come a long way in my two years here in Korea and I’m happy to say I’m still enjoying myself as my third year begins. I’ve accomplished all the goals I’ve set out to make in my first two years so this year is like a victory lap. Now is the time to celebrate the present, let go of the past and plan for the future. Cheers to you Dear Readers for being with me on this journey!  Karli in Korea has banked over 75 posts since its inception and has helped to waste countless company hours around the world. Here’s to many more!

Yongma land with Bal in 2015.

2004 marked my first stay in Korea. During that time I made friends with a Korean co-worker, Judy, and that friendship has lasted to this day.

Reunited after years apart.

Soon after I left Korea, Judy moved to America for university and has lived there ever since. 10 years and 2 trips to the US to visit later, Judy was coming back to Korea! Not for good – just for her brother’s wedding but 2 weeks was better than nothing. We discussed our reunion for months, like school kids going to their first sleep over. After 6 years apart, Judy and I would be romping through Seoul and later, the neighbouring province of Gangwon (or Gangwon-do. “Do,” said like doh, means province).

I mentioned that I wanted to see Gangwon province, an eastern coastal region known for it’s beautiful mountains and fresh seafood. I was wondering if Judy had time to make a trip there with me. Little did I know, she already had a trip planned for Gangwon-do as her mother’s hometown is there, in the city of Sokcho. Judy has lots of family living in Sokcho and they were all eager to see her after a decade away. Judy’s mom was gracious enough to invite me along so off we went! ROAD TRIP!

No springtime trip is complete without cherry blossoms!

One of the most famous attractions in Sokcho is Seoraksan (or Seorak Mountain,”san” means mountain). Seoraksan stands over 1,700 meters high and is the tallest in the Taebaek mountain region. Surrounding the base of the mountain is Seoraksan National Park and that’s where we spent our day.

The gang about to enter Seoraksan National Park. Two aunts, Judy’s mom, Judy and myself.

At the base of the mountain, Seoraksan National Park.

The park spreads across four cities: Sokcho, Yangyang, Inje and Goseong. At the base of the mountain you’ll see the huge Bronze Buddha that sits over 10 meters high and leads the way to multiple temples further up the mountain trail.

Near the Bronze Buddha.

Inside the base of the giant Buddha, a small temple adorned with prayer papers.

Entrance to the park is free but a ride to the top of the mountain in a cable car will cost around $10 CAD.

Awaiting the cable car.

The view from the top of Seorak Mountain.

The cable car takes trips up and down the mountainside every 15 minutes from 7am to 6pm but visitors are welcome to grab their gear and hike to the top for free. For those who want to spend more time on Seoraksan, overnight camping is available seasonally as well. It got pretty foggy as our elevation increased which made for haunting photos of nature at its finest.

As our mountain trek continued closer to the water’s edge, the fog turned to drizzle, only adding to the mystic vibe of our journey.

On our way up to a Buddhist temple, built into the rocks above the water on the mountain side.

Judy’s uncle, our wonderful host and tour guide in Sokcho. Also my new best friend.

A peaceful pagoda sits on one of the many mountain ridges facing the Sea of Japan.

After visiting the temple built above the waves (people were praying so pictures seemed rude – sorry guys!) we headed further up Seoraksan to the next temple.

Entering the Botajeon Buddhist temple.

Temple bell tower at Botajeon.

Another large Buddha.

The foggy courtyard pond of Botajeon temple.

Temple statues inside Botajeon.

A look at the courtyard from the steps of Botajeon.

After our mountain temple tour, it was time to head back to even footing and have some dinner. Reservations were made at a top seafood joint on the strip known for amazingly fresh and delicious fare. We had a three-course meal fit for a king.

My first taste of Korean sushi, called “Hweh.” On the right is seafood and vegetable tempura.

Second course: A ton of the freshest crab you’ve ever eaten. No big deal.

Third course: Fish soup with every part of the fish inside. EVERY.

The next morning we woke up early to check out the Sokcho traditional fish market.

Fish heads: For all your culinary needs.

After the market we went to a restaurant famous for its soft tofu soup. The entire region of Sokcho is actually well-known for premium tofu.The soup was so good that I barely got a picture before I inhaled it all.

Soup in belly, it was time to leave. With my pocket full of memories and my stomach full of amazing food, it was truly a weekend I’ll not soon forget. Being away from own my family for over 2 years now, I can’t express how good it felt to be included with Judy’s gang for the weekend. Just sitting in her uncle’s living room, laughing over bowls of fresh fruit made me happy to be in the moment. Despite the language barriers (with everyone except Judy), her family welcomed me like one of their own and it was incredibly good medicine for the soul.

I’ll be exploring more of Gangwon province in May so stay tuned and be well!