I'm not usually one to celebrate New Year's (and I didn't really celebrate because I was on a plane, flying over the Pacific..) but so much has happened in 2007 that I feel some of it may warrant a reprieve. Looking back, I can't believe all that went on the past twelve months, I certainly was busy. I'd say it has been a good year, not with out struggles - or smiles. I've been faced with challenges on many levels, admired my friends as they faced their own, officially said good bye to my childhood and moved across the world. My 2007 was filled with new things: new cities, new theaters, new beginnings and new friends... not to say that I don't still have a place for all the old ones too! I guess the year could sort of be divided up into thirds; with my last semester of college, my summer (cross country trip with Kirsten, South Coast Rep, PAWS summer camp with Mark and Tom...) and then Korea! It feels like it couldn't all fit into one year.
Well it's now 2008, and I am back from my AMAZING trip home to finish off the last 9 months in my contract. Now that I have fully adjusted to life as a Seoulite, I feel like the time is really going to fly. But that doesn't mean I won't miss everyone at home - so Best Wishes to all of you, talk with you soon, and Happy New Year!!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Happy Birthday Jesus!
I hope everyone is having/has had a nice Christmas. Christmas in California has been spectacular! My first meal back was a delicious dinner at Paco's Tacos in LA - yum! We had Christmas Eve at my brother's house and everyone exchanged gifts. The weather today is a brisk 68 degrees (Fahrenheit of course) and without a single cloud in the sky... just as it should be. Now we're off to our traditional Christmas afternoon movie - this year it's National Treasure. Merry Christmas!!!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Korean War Memorial and Museum
It's been a busy time for us Seoulites, as Christmas (and trips home for most of us) is right around the corner! I wanted spend this weekend doing a few things that I have been meaning to for four months, but haven't yet, so that I would be able to share them with friends and family back home. On the top of that list was visiting the Korean War Memorial and Museum. It's credited as the largest war memorial in the world and noted as one of the top five things to do in Korea.
Liz and I went to the museum this morning and the whole experience can best be described as impressive. The Museum is very well organized and hugely informative; as well as interactive! There a lots of animatronic displays of famous battles and projected videos explaining their history. The museum fee was about 3 bucks and an audio guide was 2. They had guides in Korean, Chinese, Japanese and English! Basically, if you follow the plan (which is marked with arrows every 100 feet!) you circle up three floors, across the top, and then around the bottom three again. The first floor is all about Korea's history of warfare - which is mainly with China and Japan. The next two floors are dedicated to the Korean War; one tells the history of the war, and the other shows what life for Koreans and soldiers alike was like during the war. The exhibit ends with a combat simulator and a series of videos featuring veterans and survivors of the war (which were all in Korean). The combat simulator appeared to be closed - but that was okay with us. The rest of the museum gives information on Korea's involvement in other wars since the Korean War, and also has an extensive exhibit on the Korean navy and Korea's contemporary weaponry.
The most amusing thing was that many of the documentary-type films had famous movie soundtracks as their score - we heard Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. That, or maybe the painting depicting the Koreans defense against Japanese pirates where in the corner one pirate definitely had a sword for an arm (sort of trumps Captain Hook). The most moving thing was an exhibit called "The Drop" which is a sculpture of a tear drop encircled with thorns of barbed wire and is made out of around 1300 ID tags of fallen soldiers. Also to the left of the entrance is a walkway listing all of those killed in action and what State or Province and Country they were from. Above it a quote from the Korean War memorial in D.C. is inscripted; "Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met." .... Sort of sums up the sentiment of an American expat in Korea.
In front of the museum are a number of monuments dedicated to the nations who fought for the Republic of Korea (even though South Koreans still feel slighted that troops pulled out before unification was achieved), and to all Koreans, and many expressing sadness over the loss of their brothers to the North.
It was a great museum and a great day! We found out while we were there that the Dead Sea Scrolls have just arrived, and will be here till June! I had wanted to visit this exhibit when it was in San Diego and never got the chance, so I am very excited to be able to go after Christmas! Visiting the museum, I feel like I really learned a lot about Korea and definitely have a bit more perspective on the culture. Now it's out to (where else) Itaewon for some good Western food at an Irish pub called Wolfhound with Andrea, Carla and a few others. Tomorrow night we have our Secret Santa gift exchange amongst the CUA kids and then it's only 5 short days till I go home for Christmas. Can't wait!!
Liz and I went to the museum this morning and the whole experience can best be described as impressive. The Museum is very well organized and hugely informative; as well as interactive! There a lots of animatronic displays of famous battles and projected videos explaining their history. The museum fee was about 3 bucks and an audio guide was 2. They had guides in Korean, Chinese, Japanese and English! Basically, if you follow the plan (which is marked with arrows every 100 feet!) you circle up three floors, across the top, and then around the bottom three again. The first floor is all about Korea's history of warfare - which is mainly with China and Japan. The next two floors are dedicated to the Korean War; one tells the history of the war, and the other shows what life for Koreans and soldiers alike was like during the war. The exhibit ends with a combat simulator and a series of videos featuring veterans and survivors of the war (which were all in Korean). The combat simulator appeared to be closed - but that was okay with us. The rest of the museum gives information on Korea's involvement in other wars since the Korean War, and also has an extensive exhibit on the Korean navy and Korea's contemporary weaponry.
The most amusing thing was that many of the documentary-type films had famous movie soundtracks as their score - we heard Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. That, or maybe the painting depicting the Koreans defense against Japanese pirates where in the corner one pirate definitely had a sword for an arm (sort of trumps Captain Hook). The most moving thing was an exhibit called "The Drop" which is a sculpture of a tear drop encircled with thorns of barbed wire and is made out of around 1300 ID tags of fallen soldiers. Also to the left of the entrance is a walkway listing all of those killed in action and what State or Province and Country they were from. Above it a quote from the Korean War memorial in D.C. is inscripted; "Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met." .... Sort of sums up the sentiment of an American expat in Korea.
In front of the museum are a number of monuments dedicated to the nations who fought for the Republic of Korea (even though South Koreans still feel slighted that troops pulled out before unification was achieved), and to all Koreans, and many expressing sadness over the loss of their brothers to the North.
It was a great museum and a great day! We found out while we were there that the Dead Sea Scrolls have just arrived, and will be here till June! I had wanted to visit this exhibit when it was in San Diego and never got the chance, so I am very excited to be able to go after Christmas! Visiting the museum, I feel like I really learned a lot about Korea and definitely have a bit more perspective on the culture. Now it's out to (where else) Itaewon for some good Western food at an Irish pub called Wolfhound with Andrea, Carla and a few others. Tomorrow night we have our Secret Santa gift exchange amongst the CUA kids and then it's only 5 short days till I go home for Christmas. Can't wait!!
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Best 7-year-old EVER (with photo)
For vocabulary homework my older kids have to write sentences for about 5 new words a class. The sentences that were due today were mostly titles: Mr., Mrs., Miss, etc. As I gave them their quiz and corrected their homework I nearly died from how adorable my student, Ji Su's sentences were.
Not only am I so proud because 3 months ago when I started teaching him, he could hardly read, let alone write a sentence, but how sweet is that?! I love him, I'll try to snap a picture on Wednesday so you can all see what a cute kid he is.
Not only am I so proud because 3 months ago when I started teaching him, he could hardly read, let alone write a sentence, but how sweet is that?! I love him, I'll try to snap a picture on Wednesday so you can all see what a cute kid he is.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Season's Greetings!
Hope you all are enjoying the Holiday Season , wherever you might be. Here's a quick video I shot walking to the subway last Wednesday night. Enjoy!
I don't know if it's Christmas magic or just the anticipation of being home SO soon, but the past week or so has been going really well. Christmastime in Korea is nice! All of the stores are really festive, and of course SLP is going all out with their celebrations. Really. Would you expect anything less?
Sunday, December 2, 2007
That's what all the people say.
I don't know quite what to make of the past few weeks other than that they've made me very thoughtful. Coming here has been an experience that I will carry with me forever. I haven't met many people, but the ones I have are wonderful and I hope to know them for a long time to come. I feel I ride a roller coaster up and down within each month, week, day, etc. here. Life as a Seoulite is so unpredictable! I guess it's sort of like in old school WB cartoons when out of nowhere the character would get hit over the head with a frying pan... you know that reaction they have? That mix of mostly confusion, with a bit of bewilderment, anger and pain; and resulting in frustration is what sits at the lows of my roller coaster life in Seoul. But there are great highs too! And sometimes the rides down to the lows are exciting and fun - and sometimes they make you want to puke ... but either way, I know the roller coaster is going to go back up again.
Today after church I went for coffee and then did some Christmas shopping in Insadong. One American guy came up to me and asked if I knew where he could get guitar strings, and I actually knew! When you're new to somewhere, it's always great when someone thinks you look comfortable enough in your surroundings to ask you for help. Then, shortly after, this random Korean man with very good English really wanted to chat with me. He was walking along and really interested in what I had with me. ?? It was pretty bizarre. After that four Korean college students approached me to take a survey for their class. I figured what the heck, and went along and they ended up being really cool and friendly! Then they took turns taking my picture - VIP status over here!
Some other not so amusing things happened too- which would be the frying pan to the face part of my day. But what can you do? As Frank would say, THAT'S LIFE!
Today after church I went for coffee and then did some Christmas shopping in Insadong. One American guy came up to me and asked if I knew where he could get guitar strings, and I actually knew! When you're new to somewhere, it's always great when someone thinks you look comfortable enough in your surroundings to ask you for help. Then, shortly after, this random Korean man with very good English really wanted to chat with me. He was walking along and really interested in what I had with me. ?? It was pretty bizarre. After that four Korean college students approached me to take a survey for their class. I figured what the heck, and went along and they ended up being really cool and friendly! Then they took turns taking my picture - VIP status over here!
Some other not so amusing things happened too- which would be the frying pan to the face part of my day. But what can you do? As Frank would say, THAT'S LIFE!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
MMM BAH PAH!!!!
So this one time, the class of 2007 made a movie for their Gilbies, and it was awesome.
It's our way of poking fun at how insane a drama major/actor must look to any non-theater person when we play games, warm up or gather in large groups in general. Jen played the role of the outsider, and we played the role of monkeys. (A la Jane Goodald and her apes).
Basically, I get really bored at night in my apartment and live on my computer. Miss you '007s!!! If any of you see this I hope you got a good laugh.
Basically, I get really bored at night in my apartment and live on my computer. Miss you '007s!!! If any of you see this I hope you got a good laugh.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Oh, Korean Kids
The topic in class today was "Life on a Farm." We talked about raising crops and raising animals. and the difference between the two. Then when I asked them to name some livestock animals; they answer.. "Chicken. Cow. Sheep. .... Dog."
Monday, November 26, 2007
FEEEEAAAST!
The title of this post is inspired by those AWESOME snickers ads. I think they're hysterical!
So, a belated Happy Thanksgiving and an early Happy Holidays to all of you! Naturally, as any American expat would be I was more than a little homesick last Thursday. But that's no reason to forget about what is truly one of my favorite holidays! The usual suspects (meaning Andrea, Jen, Dean, Kirsten and Liz) and I were able to get together and celebrate what turned out to be a really enjoyable Thanksgiving dinner. A bar in Itaewon called Geckos hosted a buffet dinner + one drink for 35,000 won - which is about $35-$40. They had some sort of yummy tomato dish, salad, pasta, two kinds of soup, salmon, cranberry sauce (not from a can either!) grilled chicken, pot roast, roast beef, AND - of course - turkey, stuffing and lots of gravy. There wasn't any pumpkin pie; but beggars can't be choosers! I ATE SO MUCH!!!! I couldn't help myself. I think I probably ate more than I would have at home even. Most important though, was that we were all in good company, eating a hearty meal and sharing a lot of laughs last week. Which is really what Thanksgiving is all about, right?
I still miss everyone from home of course, but it's not long till we are all going home for an all too short, and much needed break for Christmas. We've even all started our Christmas shopping ... shh!
FEAST!:
Monday, November 19, 2007
STORMWATCH '07
Just one more tiny update before I go to bed... IT'S SNOWING! I guess it's officially winter... grrreeeeaat... :-$
15 years later
As inspired by Jen's recent facebook note, I have decided to make a list of things in my life that are the same now, as they were in 1992 when I was 7.
I still...
...admire my older siblings and aspire to be like them more than anyone I know.
...never bother to clean my room.
...sleep with my stuffed animals.
...close my eyes when I brush my teeth.
...wonder if I am as important to others as they are to me.
...want to be the person someone depends on.
...am shitty at painting my nails (but love to do it).
...have my ears pierced.
...pick at annoying scabs on my ankles (so gross, I know).
...have a really hard time saying goodbyes before I am ready (Mom you'll love that one).
...talk too much.
...cry at the end of The Little Mermaid.
...find joy in the miracle of my faith (although I wouldn't have been able to tell you why as well then).
...fear judgment when going to confession. (I lied the first time I went b/c I didn't think I had enough sins!)
...think too much about the past and future and not enough about the present.
...love Newsies (it came out in April 92 haha!).
...watch cartoons.
...am indecisive.
...enjoy going out to a movie, or getting dressed up tp go to dinner and/or the theater.
...am VERY ticklish.
...look forward to donuts after church.
...love to go to Disneyland.
..."ooh" and "ahh" at fireworks.
...think my Daddy is invincible.
...call my dad Daddy. haha.
...get giddy from Halloween through the Epiphany (Jan 6th).
...count how many Valentines I get and compare with my neighbor.
...love to dance and to be on stage.
...want to be an actress when I grow up.
...LOVE my family and my friends.
What about you?
I still...
...admire my older siblings and aspire to be like them more than anyone I know.
...never bother to clean my room.
...sleep with my stuffed animals.
...close my eyes when I brush my teeth.
...wonder if I am as important to others as they are to me.
...want to be the person someone depends on.
...am shitty at painting my nails (but love to do it).
...have my ears pierced.
...pick at annoying scabs on my ankles (so gross, I know).
...have a really hard time saying goodbyes before I am ready (Mom you'll love that one).
...talk too much.
...cry at the end of The Little Mermaid.
...find joy in the miracle of my faith (although I wouldn't have been able to tell you why as well then).
...fear judgment when going to confession. (I lied the first time I went b/c I didn't think I had enough sins!)
...think too much about the past and future and not enough about the present.
...love Newsies (it came out in April 92 haha!).
...watch cartoons.
...am indecisive.
...enjoy going out to a movie, or getting dressed up tp go to dinner and/or the theater.
...am VERY ticklish.
...look forward to donuts after church.
...love to go to Disneyland.
..."ooh" and "ahh" at fireworks.
...think my Daddy is invincible.
...call my dad Daddy. haha.
...get giddy from Halloween through the Epiphany (Jan 6th).
...count how many Valentines I get and compare with my neighbor.
...love to dance and to be on stage.
...want to be an actress when I grow up.
...LOVE my family and my friends.
What about you?
Thursday, November 15, 2007
And the Days Go By
The work weeks are so jam packed here that the weeks are really starting to fly by! I guess that's a good thing - but it's sort of alarming too! I need to make sure I don't let time get away from me.
For those of you who asked our girls' weekend away from Seoul was great! We ate a lot of junk food, did a bit of hiking and hit up the hot spring that was in our hotel. Let's just say that was an interesting experience and leave it at that, ;-). We spent most of our time in a town called Suanbo and were clearly the only white people for MILES! When we went hiking a few kids we passed seemed really excited to see us, and as soon as we passed them ran after us down the road. The views were really pretty and we were lucky to get a gorgeous sunset. We met friendly people all weekend and had a lot of laughs. Aside from a 4 hour bus road home through traffic, the whole trip was quite relaxing.
The plan from now till Christmas is to try and take it easy. I want to save up my money to bring it home and I need to do my Christmas shopping! I am anxious to get home for Christmas - it's only six weeks away! Can you believe it? I feel like I have been here for so much longer than two months - it's weird to think I still have 10 to go! If you have a minute - check out Andrea's blog this week - it's very good!!
Love to everyone at home - I think about you all the time!!
Peace.
For those of you who asked our girls' weekend away from Seoul was great! We ate a lot of junk food, did a bit of hiking and hit up the hot spring that was in our hotel. Let's just say that was an interesting experience and leave it at that, ;-). We spent most of our time in a town called Suanbo and were clearly the only white people for MILES! When we went hiking a few kids we passed seemed really excited to see us, and as soon as we passed them ran after us down the road. The views were really pretty and we were lucky to get a gorgeous sunset. We met friendly people all weekend and had a lot of laughs. Aside from a 4 hour bus road home through traffic, the whole trip was quite relaxing.
The plan from now till Christmas is to try and take it easy. I want to save up my money to bring it home and I need to do my Christmas shopping! I am anxious to get home for Christmas - it's only six weeks away! Can you believe it? I feel like I have been here for so much longer than two months - it's weird to think I still have 10 to go! If you have a minute - check out Andrea's blog this week - it's very good!!
Love to everyone at home - I think about you all the time!!
Peace.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Girls' WEEKEND Out and Happy Birdog to Carla :)
-The Birdog is for you CUA kids. Miss you!-
I'm headed out of the city for the weekend! Carla, one of Andrea's coworkers, has invited us to go to Cheongju for a girl's weekend to celebrate her birthday. From what I have heard, Cheongju is in the "lake district" in Korea and fall is supposed to be the best time to visit. The plan is kind of up in the air, but I think we might hit up a hot spring while we're there... ?! Anyway, have a good weekend - I'm off!
I'm headed out of the city for the weekend! Carla, one of Andrea's coworkers, has invited us to go to Cheongju for a girl's weekend to celebrate her birthday. From what I have heard, Cheongju is in the "lake district" in Korea and fall is supposed to be the best time to visit. The plan is kind of up in the air, but I think we might hit up a hot spring while we're there... ?! Anyway, have a good weekend - I'm off!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
NFL and The Dodgers
This past Sunday in Minnesota the Chargers FOLDED to the freaking Vikings. Antonio Gates and LT were essentially eliminated from the game and we lost 35-17. .... and I bothered to wake up to watch the game live online at 3am. And then of course there was that other big game this weekend between New England and Indianapolis. A quarterback I hate with a team I'm indifferent to, or a team I don't like and a quarterback I respect .... who to root for? I opted for the best of both worlds and rooted for the defense. I just hope that Indy isn't so pissed that they come to San Diego and beat us next week --- Next Sunday the Chargers better show up, that's all.
ALSO - My Dodgers have been making headlines with the signing of their new manager Joe Torre. While people seem to be either loving or hating it, I am simply pleased. You could tell at the end last season that Grady didn't really have his heart in managing any more, never mind he hadn't had his head in it for years. So while he quietly retired the Dodgers snapped up Joe Torre weeks after the Yankees let him go (although if Joe Girardi hadn't gotten the job with the Bronx Bombers I feel that he might have been donning the Dodger Blue today instead.) Torre brings with him bench coaches Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa which means that this is just the first of probably many changes to come before next season. Of course I'll be here, but I am sure I'll keep up - and I will get home just in time to see the Dodgers in the playoff!!
ALSO - My Dodgers have been making headlines with the signing of their new manager Joe Torre. While people seem to be either loving or hating it, I am simply pleased. You could tell at the end last season that Grady didn't really have his heart in managing any more, never mind he hadn't had his head in it for years. So while he quietly retired the Dodgers snapped up Joe Torre weeks after the Yankees let him go (although if Joe Girardi hadn't gotten the job with the Bronx Bombers I feel that he might have been donning the Dodger Blue today instead.) Torre brings with him bench coaches Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa which means that this is just the first of probably many changes to come before next season. Of course I'll be here, but I am sure I'll keep up - and I will get home just in time to see the Dodgers in the playoff!!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Halloween at SLP
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays so I was really anticipating the party we were going to throw at school. And then I stayed at work until 12:40 decorating my room... and I wasn't so excited anymore. Plus the bulk of the decorating fell on the shoulders of the foreign teachers since it's a western holiday... major bummer. 
In all honestly, it was all worth it b/c the kids really loved it, and would have never gotten a Halloween otherwise. But here's the rundown of our TWO day Halloween party... just for shiggles.
In all honestly, it was all worth it b/c the kids really loved it, and would have never gotten a Halloween otherwise. But here's the rundown of our TWO day Halloween party... just for shiggles.Wed, 10/31: IP (intense preschool) Students' Party from 10:00 to 1:00 - This part was pretty easy.. we just took the kids outside and they "trick-or-treated" for their parents. Which basically meant that they walked in a circle getting candy from their moms. Then we shuffled them from room to room and helped them play games... after that we had kimbap for lunch - and other than Jun Hyuck eating so much that he almost choked - the morning went smoothly. I dressed as Minnie Mouse, as did You Eun (one of my students). So my kids called me Mommy Minne Mouse all day and got major kicks out of it.
The kids costumes for the most part fell in one of 4 categories: there were a lot of Snow Whites, a lot of Power Rangers, a handful of Harry Potters and a few Angels - and most importantly 150 happy preschool students that went home EARLY. Then came the afternoon students...Wed, 10/31: AP (afternoon preschool) Students' Party from 2:40-4:10 - This was the kicker. On Mon/Wed/Fri at 2:50, about 180 kids come for English lessons at SLP... each of these kids were allowed to bring a friend. This meant that in the space of two and a half hours about 300+ kids came through my room (the skeleton room) and every other room at SLP. This wouldn't be quite so daunting except that only 1/2 the kids are SLP students, which means only 1/2 the kids speak English. Then add that these kids are older, mostly too cool to dress up and could care less about Halloween and more about the free candy and games and ... well yeah. It was exhausting to say the least. THEN...
Wed, 10/31: JH (Jump High) and Grammar Students' Party from 4:20 - 6:20 - ditto to above. Luckily these kids are a bit older, so most of them weren't into our "easy" skeleton relay race and cared more about the haunted house, so we weren't quite as busy. But of course our room ran out of
candy and the kids practically revolted. At 6:40, I closed our room, didn't bother washing of my Minnie Mouse make-up and went straight home ... I was asleep by 7:00. It was great, haha! THEN...Thurs, 11/1: We did it ALL OVER AGAIN!!! Except for IP, luckily. But we did have another short day! So Kimberly (my coteacher) and I taught Mars and Libra together and then sent the kiddies home at 1:00 again. The kids couldn't really focus because they were still hopped up on sugar and all of the Halloween decorations were still up - not to
mention the teachers had to come in costume again, so that didn't help. Then we had Halloween for the afternoon students who come for Tues/Thurs classes (can't gyp them!) ... we were supposed to stay until 7:20, but I wanted to be sure I got to mass for All Saint's Day which was at 7:00, so I left when we had our break from 5:30-6:20... by the time I made it back to SLP the clean up was finished so I got off the hook there! Good karma I guess. I was so out of it I went home and crashed again...
I have never been so tired of Halloween in my life. But, like I said, it was worth it because the students really loved it, and I was truly able to spread the spirit of Halloween!! haha.Peace,
Erica
Monday, October 29, 2007
It's Autumn, YAY!
This past 
weekend we took a much needed mini-vacation from the city. A coworker/friend of Kirsten and Liz's put together a pig roast up in the local mountains. It was really great! There was plenty of food cooked up for us, lots of fresh air and scenery, good music and of course great company. We finally got a taste of fall with chilly temperatures (eh) and turning leaves. Those who felt festive dressed up in costume and some sported awesome wigs... Overall it was just a chill time. (Which was sooooo welcome because of the week I had.) After we got back to the city we went out for some good old fashioned Halloween havoc.
Korea doesn't celebrate Halloween so for once the strange looks we got on the subway/metro bus were waranted. But the typical "foreign hangouts" had a few parties so we spent our night split between Itaewon and Hongdae. One place in Itaewon actually had pumpkin sugar cookies and goodie bags for everyone! I think the prize for best costume for sure goes to the guy at Rocky Mountain Tavern that was dressed as kimbap. (I'll be sure to post pictures of the best ones we saw soon.) And waht's more? I get two more days of celebrating because we have to do Halloween for all the kids at SLP... (Some students only come on Tues/Thurs and we don't want to shaft them!)
weekend we took a much needed mini-vacation from the city. A coworker/friend of Kirsten and Liz's put together a pig roast up in the local mountains. It was really great! There was plenty of food cooked up for us, lots of fresh air and scenery, good music and of course great company. We finally got a taste of fall with chilly temperatures (eh) and turning leaves. Those who felt festive dressed up in costume and some sported awesome wigs... Overall it was just a chill time. (Which was sooooo welcome because of the week I had.) After we got back to the city we went out for some good old fashioned Halloween havoc.
Korea doesn't celebrate Halloween so for once the strange looks we got on the subway/metro bus were waranted. But the typical "foreign hangouts" had a few parties so we spent our night split between Itaewon and Hongdae. One place in Itaewon actually had pumpkin sugar cookies and goodie bags for everyone! I think the prize for best costume for sure goes to the guy at Rocky Mountain Tavern that was dressed as kimbap. (I'll be sure to post pictures of the best ones we saw soon.) And waht's more? I get two more days of celebrating because we have to do Halloween for all the kids at SLP... (Some students only come on Tues/Thurs and we don't want to shaft them!)
Friday, October 26, 2007
???
You might think I am exaggerating when I say my kids are monsters. Well, this morning You June bit Jun Hyuck on his face. Why? Good question. You June brought sticker sheets for his friends today, Jun Hyuck took two, and wouldn't give one back... So You June bit him. ON THE FACE. ... He left teeth marks. I don't know how long he chomped down on him but Jun Hyuck had bite marks on his face all day. Charming.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Desiderata
The following was written by Max Ehrmann, the history is highly speculated - most accept that it was a diary entry. I've always found it a comfort during new and hard or challenging times, especially the past few weeks.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others; even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in oyur own career however humble; it is a real posession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism
Be yourself. Espacially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
Peace,
Erica
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Swing low sweet chariot...
Who knew that the classic gospel/slave hymn Swing Low was the song for the English National Rugby team? And their fans sing it with such passion... it really was heartbreaking to watch England lose in the finals of the 2007 Rugby world cup last night. It was a close game, which made it exciting for me, but a few new friends who know the game infinitely better tell me it wasn't the best they've seen. I guess it lacked action, but don't the championship games always? I find that the playoffs are typically much more exciting and dramatic, and then everyone plays it safe for "the big one" ... At any rate: for the third weekend in a row Mullen and I (and Kirsten and Liz too) dragged ourselves out to Itaewon in the middle of the night to watch England play in the Rugby World Cup. A coworker of Andrea's is from England and rivals me for most impressive/dedicated female sports fan. (For those of you who have seen me at a Dodger game - you know that's impressive). Mostly it was just amazing to be in a competitive sports atmosphere and to root for a team with your (new) friends. And even though the boys couldn't pull it off in the end (South Africa played an impressive game) I still enjoyed the night. The cheering, the singing, and the traditional breakfast at McDonalds as the sun comes up. Good times and good sports with good new friends. But next time it's Monday Night Football and MY team.... ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
Peace,
Erica
Peace,
Erica
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
China Day 1, Part 3
So I may not be so great at updating this site - sorry. But for those of you who are curious, here is the next part of my trip to Beijing - which was almost a month ago now. (Wow.)
Okay, so after we went to the Great Wall, our day wasn't over.. oh no, on the smash and gab tour of Beijing our days were PACKED! We left the wall and drove about 50km back into the city ... the whole bus had a nice power nap to gear up before our (1) hutang tour, (2) visit to a traditional tea house and (3) dinner!
After our bus driver impressively navigated the narrow Beijing back streets, our bus unloaded into what looked like a dirt parking lot behind some temple-ish landmark that we never learned the name of. Still a bit groggy from my nap, it took me a second to take in the situation. Parked in front of us were about 15 rickshaw carriages, each with their own smiling Chinese driver. So we loaded our rickshaws two by two and started off on what I like to call the parade of the white people.
A hutang is really just a narrow alley. These alleys date all the way back to ancient China and the beginning of the city Beijing. That's about all the information we got beforehand: A hutang is a narrow alley. We're taking a rickshaw tour of them. Once our tour began I realized that they're not so much "ancient alleys" as the same kind of alleys that were always there... and not so much a tourist destination, as a Chinese neighborhood. We road (because cars don't fit) past groups of old men playing card games, mothers sitting outside with thier babies (and encouraging them to wave to us) and generally just people stopping and staring as approximately 30 strange white people took pictures of their houses. Just when I thought it was over, we got out of our rickshaws and were escorted into someone's house. Our host for the evening was a Chinese woman who - I guess - entertains tourists for some extra money ... ? (Not like that, get your mind out of the gutter! -- although the prostitution parallel is definitely there because her house is one of 5 that shares the same courtyard that once belonged to the dragon lady.) Anyway, then all had jasmine tea in her living room (we barely all fit!) and listened to a translator tell us all about the woman's family and the history of her house. After that, we got back on our rickshaws and rode to the bus. I don't know, it was definitely a unique ezperience - but completely bizarre at the same time. I guess I can say I've experienced 'real' Beijing... ? We drove about 30 minutes and visited a tea house before going to dinner. The restaurant was a typical Chinese restauant, but the chef's signature dish was his AMAZING mongolian beef. MMMMmm so so so good. (I definitely liked it better than the peiking duck, sorry Beijing). We spent about an hour at the tea house and tried 6 or 7 traditional Chinese teas, learned the best way to brew them and the proper way to drink each one. I have never visited a winery, but I imagine the experience was a similar to a wine tasting. We all bought way too much tea - most people bought it as gifts for friends from home. I opted for oolong tea because it's supposed be good for people who easily scar and also be anemics. But the big hit was pu-erh tea, which I hear increases health, cures the common cold and balances your checkbook! Okay, just kidding - everyone uses online banking now, how could it balance your checkbook....
Peace,
Erica
Okay, so after we went to the Great Wall, our day wasn't over.. oh no, on the smash and gab tour of Beijing our days were PACKED! We left the wall and drove about 50km back into the city ... the whole bus had a nice power nap to gear up before our (1) hutang tour, (2) visit to a traditional tea house and (3) dinner!
After our bus driver impressively navigated the narrow Beijing back streets, our bus unloaded into what looked like a dirt parking lot behind some temple-ish landmark that we never learned the name of. Still a bit groggy from my nap, it took me a second to take in the situation. Parked in front of us were about 15 rickshaw carriages, each with their own smiling Chinese driver. So we loaded our rickshaws two by two and started off on what I like to call the parade of the white people.
A hutang is really just a narrow alley. These alleys date all the way back to ancient China and the beginning of the city Beijing. That's about all the information we got beforehand: A hutang is a narrow alley. We're taking a rickshaw tour of them. Once our tour began I realized that they're not so much "ancient alleys" as the same kind of alleys that were always there... and not so much a tourist destination, as a Chinese neighborhood. We road (because cars don't fit) past groups of old men playing card games, mothers sitting outside with thier babies (and encouraging them to wave to us) and generally just people stopping and staring as approximately 30 strange white people took pictures of their houses. Just when I thought it was over, we got out of our rickshaws and were escorted into someone's house. Our host for the evening was a Chinese woman who - I guess - entertains tourists for some extra money ... ? (Not like that, get your mind out of the gutter! -- although the prostitution parallel is definitely there because her house is one of 5 that shares the same courtyard that once belonged to the dragon lady.) Anyway, then all had jasmine tea in her living room (we barely all fit!) and listened to a translator tell us all about the woman's family and the history of her house. After that, we got back on our rickshaws and rode to the bus. I don't know, it was definitely a unique ezperience - but completely bizarre at the same time. I guess I can say I've experienced 'real' Beijing... ? We drove about 30 minutes and visited a tea house before going to dinner. The restaurant was a typical Chinese restauant, but the chef's signature dish was his AMAZING mongolian beef. MMMMmm so so so good. (I definitely liked it better than the peiking duck, sorry Beijing). We spent about an hour at the tea house and tried 6 or 7 traditional Chinese teas, learned the best way to brew them and the proper way to drink each one. I have never visited a winery, but I imagine the experience was a similar to a wine tasting. We all bought way too much tea - most people bought it as gifts for friends from home. I opted for oolong tea because it's supposed be good for people who easily scar and also be anemics. But the big hit was pu-erh tea, which I hear increases health, cures the common cold and balances your checkbook! Okay, just kidding - everyone uses online banking now, how could it balance your checkbook....
Peace,
Erica
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Spoke too soon.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand lunch was definitely octupus today.
So much for feeling like a master of Korean food.
So much for feeling like a master of Korean food.
How the mighty have fallen.
The following is taken from a joint interview Michael Cain and Jude Law did for MTV promoting the upcoming release of their remake of Sleuth. Law is playing the same role Cain created in the 1972 original.
More of China to come this weekend.
Peace,
Erica
MTV: When you look at Jude's career, does it remind you of your own?
Caine: It's all a different ballgame for everybody. You do what you do, and that's it. I always said, when I'm an old man I want to sit there regretting the things I did, not the things I didn't do, because it's terrible to sit back and think, "If only I had done that, I wonder what would have happened." Well I did it all, and I know what happened. [He laughs.]
MTV: How is it that I have two of the most notable English actors working today and neither of you have appeared in a "Harry Potter" film?
Caine: Nobody asked me.
Law: Yeah, nobody asked me either. We're running out quick, aren't we?
Caine: It's not my sort of film anyway.
MTV: They've never approached you, Jude?
Law: No. I was a bit old for Harry.
Caine: I haven't read the books. I haven't seen the films. They're children's films. I don't watch children's films.
I just lost some of my respect for Michael Cain. (Even if he IS Alfred opposite Christian Bale.) Oh you don't DO children's films? And for whom, may I ask Mr. Cain, did you make The Muppet Chirstmas Carol for? Plus, why do people have to be so closed minded about Harry Potter?! Seriously, it's just FUN people. Can't adults have FUN? And right after that whole bit about regrets...
More of China to come this weekend.
Peace,
Erica
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Oh Cultural Assimilation, you know...
Ha. You know you've officially past the "new to Korea" point when you eat the lunch at your school and clean your plate. I actually enjoyed the food today, ate everything but my kimchi. (I have eaten it, but the kimchi at the school is disgusting.) Granted, yesterday I didn't touch the food (fried squid, spicy bean sprouts, fish soup and pickle kimchi) ... so I haven't changed too much. But I did use my chopsticks with tremeandous skill today.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Cages or wings, which do you prefer? Ask the birds! ...
...Fear or love, baby? Don't say the answer, actions speak louder than words.
[Jonathon Larson, Tick, Tick, Boom!]
You know, I am pretty sure that I check this blog more than anyone else. Sometimes I wonder why have a blog, when I can just do the mass e-mail list-serve thing? (Especially b/c people can't avoid their inboxes, while they actually elect to visit this site.) But you've got to admit that there are other ways to keep in touch. Why do I post it, and why do I check back? Maybe it's that this the closest thing to a tangible link to everyone I love who is far away. ..If you've gotten an e-mail from me recently, then I apologize because this is likely to be most of the same ramblings.
Living in Korea is not easy. That's the best way I can say it. The philosopher in me wants you to read that sentence very carefully. It's not "hard" but rather, "not easy." Make sense? This year was going to be hard no matter what. But it's such a strange thing to live here. Over the last four years, I was able to - for the most part - know what was coming, always. I had class syllabi (syllabuses?) for the immediate future, the Hartke season was set, any important dates or events or even just vacations were already scheduled 2 years ahead on the CUA calender. I planned my courses with all of my four years in mind, so I roughly knew that in 6 months I would be taking such-and-such a TRS course, some Philosophy in area I, drama classes X, Y, and Z and had room for however many electives if I wanted to have Fridays off from classes again. I knew I had a job in the department if I wanted it, and I knew that there would be a number of directing projects, class performances, and student shows that I would have the opportunity perform in throughout the year. ---Take that in for a minute. --- All at once I knew both all to well, and had no idea how secure my life was. And now, I am living in a sort of reciprocal of that existence. (Quite fitting since I am on the opposite side of the world.) In many ways my life is even more predictable. I work at SLP Monday through Friday with the same schedule every week. The material I am teaching isn't nearly as stimulating as the material I was taught in college (I mean, they are six.) so there's no variety there. The curriculum is standard at every school, so I basically just follow the directions in the Teacher's guide. And SLP has fewer holidays than even CUA did so if I wanted, I could sit down for a few hours and write down exactly what I will do for every work day until my contract ends in 2008. ... So one could argue that my life is more secure now than ever. My rent and bills are paid, I could very easily just show up to work and tick the days away ... but then again I could also drive ice picks into my eyes, but I am not about to do that. And I wouldn't say my life is secure either. My job is secure, my well-being is secure. But my life? That's as unpredictable as it has ever been. After 5pm I have no clue what my life holds, or what my "purpose" is. (Oh how Avenue Q ... apologies) I don't know if I will get the chance to act here, although I highly suspect that I will. I don't know who I will meet - or even if I will make any lasting friendships. I can't know what my definition is. For nearly 22 years I was a "student" and now? Well we definitely know I'm not about to check "Teacher" with any sort of universal pride (no offense to anyone who is...) and if I can't find a theater here, would I really check "actor"? And while that can all seem very overwhelming, I believe that it's the best situation I could be in. College was the place that I learned what I want and practiced how to get it. It was hard work (note: not 'not easy') to get through and because of that we were rewarded with more play time and the social acceptance of debauchery. But real life doesn't work in such a simple way. It is much more sophisticated in the way it unfolds. "Real life" (if there is such a thing) doesn't force you to see the opportunities it gives you. In college you know they will come, and then you are beat over the head with them. Real life takes much more patience and faith. To achieve what one wants, or even; to live the life one is fated for, one must keep an open mind so that he or she is able to see the chances presented to them. I love that subtlety ... to me it makes every day more exciting. A lecture by a professor at Carnegie Mellon University named Randy Pausch has been circulating youtube. In this "Last Lecture" he says something that I know I will be quoting for the rest of my life and that's that, "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity." I don't know ... just some food for thought.
Peace,
Erica
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Day One, Part 2 (and The Hills? - I don't know, just go with it...)
*Cue some sort of Chick-Rock Empowerment Music and a montage of aerial views of Beijing and various shots of my friends and I laughing...* Previously on this blog. Mullen and I adventured to Beijing. We were having the time of our lives and despite shopping detours, we eventually made our way to the Great Wall of China. After buying jade souvenirs, we were on our way - we weren't going to let any more drama ruin this. --- Oh. Wait. Sorry. There's been an MTV reality show marathon going on here and for I moment I forgot myself, and that even though they're insanely addicting - everyone I know is (or appears to be) leading a much more fulfilling, exciting and all around better life than 1/2 the people on those shows. I know its an impromptu rant, but being abroad and from Southern California makes me realize how much I resent the way the rest of the world perceives "California Girls." I resolve to become famous and show them all what we're really like.
Okay, rant over. The REAL point. This post is the second part of our first full day in Beijing. So after the Jade City (where I bought 2 items - a very sweet cross pendant and a "happy family sphere" for my grandparents), the Ming Tombs, Chinese soju and lunch we were finally headed for the wall. When we were 1/2-way there, our guide pointed out a partially built amusement park on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. He told us it was supposed to be Beijing's Disneyland but they lost funding and just quit the project. Nobody bothered to demolish it and so it's been there about 20% complete for nearly ten years. Now, I don't know if he just translates "theme park" as "Disneyland" or if it was official. There was a good size castle being built though so, who knows?! I took pictures as the bus sped by for everyone at home. WISHES! Of course, as much as I love Disney, I am pretty sure the Great Wall trumps anything they could come up with. The drive to the wall was really strange for me. It was so - normal. I am not sure what I expected but it seemed so surreal to be speeding through the suburbs of Beijing towards one of the most famous landmarks on Earth! And then, before we knew it, our bus was weaving through the curved roads, and if you looked up the side of the mountain, you could barely make it out. Immediately the cameras started flashing, our fist views of the Great Wall!
The "North Pass" of Juyongguan pass, known as the Badaling. When used by the Chinese to protect their land, this section of the wall has had many guards to defend China’s capital [Beijing]. Made of stone and bricks from the hills, this portion of the Great Wall is 7.8 meters (25.6 ft) high and 5 meters (16.4 ft) wide.
When we got there it was much smaller than I expected - not that it wasn't enormous. But in my mind I had built it up to be massive, and it was actually quite narrow at some points and very, very LONG. So - with that, sort of unceremoniously, we began our climb. And I'm not joking when I say climb. I feel that the Republic of China should change the name from the Great Wall to the Great Stairs because, man alive, my Rainbows and I were not cut out for it. In my 6 weeks of being here, I haven't regretted forgetting my Tevas at home more than that day. It wasn't only that it was a steep climb, but that the steps were completely uneven. As you climbed higher, of course it got progressively more difficult. The banister on the side didn't so much reach your arm, as your ankle, and instead of walking up stairs, I felt like I was climbing a ladder. Some steps were nearly 20 inches high and only about 6 or 7 inches deep! One had to look just at the step in front of them to avoid vertigo. Of course, Andrea and I stopped every chance we got and snapped pictures of the scenery. Everyone on our tour was taking pictures for everyone else and double checking they turned out perfect -after all, this isn't a picture you'll get to take again. And thanks to digital cameras, we could all be a little vain and make sure we looked our best. After we'd been climbing a fair amount of time, we found the spot we knew we wanted to take THE picture. If the Great Wall were a landmark in the states, this is where you would have found the "Kodak Picture Point" marker. Our first attempt at our picture was no good because the Chinese men we'd asked to take it wouldn't get out of the shot. Another man walked by and translated for us as I was trying to get my camera back from them saying, "They are saying they would like to take many more pictures of you..." Yeah. Skeevy, what?
Anyway, after that we were invaded by Korea. Seriously. A Korean Taekwondo team came charging up the wall behind us, in uniforms and all, with their director leading the way with a giant Korean flag. They were shouting "Korea!" as the ran - yes RAN - up the wall. Next thing we knew, Andrea was trying to take my picture and a number of Korean boys were surrounding me sporting either peace signs or their best spidey-poses. So we played along and posed for some pictures with them. It was really hysterical, they were so enthusiastic! One of the girls on the trip was at the watch tower ahead of us and caught an amazing aerial photo of the incident. After we felt confident that we had snapped the shot that Andrea and I will frame forever, we proceeded to climb on. The views just grew more and more spectacular as we went. We reached a watch tower that we were able to climb up to the to of - so we did. This was probably the most difficult part of the climb though. The stairs were super steep (CUAers, think of the stairs leading up to the catwalk by the projection room - okay now steeper than that, and with no handles). In addition, the stones were worn down so much that they were very slick and actually curved in the middle where they had been walked upon for at least over 1000 years! The Chinese man who followed us up and later, down them was concerned, and yet very amused by us silly white girls attempting this in flip flops. After taking the bird's eye view of the pass, and the whole valley, we climbed back down and continued.
If we'd realized how close to the top we were, I am sure we would have pressed on. But because we only had a half hour before we were supposed to be back on the bus - and we did (ironically) want leave some time to shop for souvenirs - we climbed up to what we believed to be another watch tower. When we reached it we realized it was a refreshment center and toilets, but hey, whatever. We took a few photos and some videos and began to make our way down. Some of the other people on the tour had caught up with us and we found out we were only about 5 or 10 minutes from the top but we still elected to just head back. (Whatever, it just gives me a reason to go back! Shanghai, anyone?) Walking down proved just as difficult as climbing up and I nearly fell once. It was pretty amusing, actually, because I caught myself and was fine. - If anyone did though, I would be the person to fall down the Great Wall of China. Right? - Going down the stairs was also trippy for me too because my depth perception was off because of my cold. It got to the point where I just put one shaking leg in front of the other, and tried to just keep my head up and walk down. It felt just like dancing or even being on stage in general. Just walking down the stairs without looking, and trying to use my core to keep me in one piece. And, because I have no shame, I carried my arms in second position whenever there was room to help keep myself balanced. All in all it proved to be quite the workout! Everyone had jelly legs after we'd reached the bottom. If anyone stood still on their feet for two long, you noticed their muscles just start to spasm as if to say "Are you kidding me? Give me a break!" So, we did! We bought postcards, and more ice cream to celebrate; took some old bottles of water and tried to wash the filth from climbing off our hands and feet, snapped our last shots of the wall and went home.
Climbing the Great Wall: completely normal day. Yeah, right. I could probably write or talk about those 3 hours of my life for 3 years. Aside from all the fun memories made with Mullen along the way, there were so many emotions (shocker) that I felt. It was almost like I went on auto-pilot for awhile and just climbed without thinking. In visiting and climbing the wall, I became part of something so much infinitely larger than me. People have been climbing Juyong Pass for 2,000 years. I am one of millions to have walked there. When we stopped on top of the one watch tower I just tried to imagine who had been there before me; what the man who in the dead of winter 2,000 years earlier patrolled that tower to protect his kingdom was like and what on earth would think if someone told him that one day some 22 year old in sunglasses and flip flops would pose as Mary Jane for a bunch of Korean taekwondo students in a spider-man picture... All joking aside, do you think he would have ever believed that his post would become a tourist destination? How many people have climbed there before me, and how many still will after me? That wall has seen more than you or I could ever comprehend - and to me that just seems - je ne sais crois! It's like there's a part of me that's always going to be there. The Chinese call people who climb the wall heroes, (and if you like, for about 10 bucks you can buy a souvenir certificate that officially proves you are one) and I feel that it's fitting.
Peace,
Erica
Okay, rant over. The REAL point. This post is the second part of our first full day in Beijing. So after the Jade City (where I bought 2 items - a very sweet cross pendant and a "happy family sphere" for my grandparents), the Ming Tombs, Chinese soju and lunch we were finally headed for the wall. When we were 1/2-way there, our guide pointed out a partially built amusement park on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. He told us it was supposed to be Beijing's Disneyland but they lost funding and just quit the project. Nobody bothered to demolish it and so it's been there about 20% complete for nearly ten years. Now, I don't know if he just translates "theme park" as "Disneyland" or if it was official. There was a good size castle being built though so, who knows?! I took pictures as the bus sped by for everyone at home. WISHES! Of course, as much as I love Disney, I am pretty sure the Great Wall trumps anything they could come up with. The drive to the wall was really strange for me. It was so - normal. I am not sure what I expected but it seemed so surreal to be speeding through the suburbs of Beijing towards one of the most famous landmarks on Earth! And then, before we knew it, our bus was weaving through the curved roads, and if you looked up the side of the mountain, you could barely make it out. Immediately the cameras started flashing, our fist views of the Great Wall!
The "North Pass" of Juyongguan pass, known as the Badaling. When used by the Chinese to protect their land, this section of the wall has had many guards to defend China’s capital [Beijing]. Made of stone and bricks from the hills, this portion of the Great Wall is 7.8 meters (25.6 ft) high and 5 meters (16.4 ft) wide.
When we got there it was much smaller than I expected - not that it wasn't enormous. But in my mind I had built it up to be massive, and it was actually quite narrow at some points and very, very LONG. So - with that, sort of unceremoniously, we began our climb. And I'm not joking when I say climb. I feel that the Republic of China should change the name from the Great Wall to the Great Stairs because, man alive, my Rainbows and I were not cut out for it. In my 6 weeks of being here, I haven't regretted forgetting my Tevas at home more than that day. It wasn't only that it was a steep climb, but that the steps were completely uneven. As you climbed higher, of course it got progressively more difficult. The banister on the side didn't so much reach your arm, as your ankle, and instead of walking up stairs, I felt like I was climbing a ladder. Some steps were nearly 20 inches high and only about 6 or 7 inches deep! One had to look just at the step in front of them to avoid vertigo. Of course, Andrea and I stopped every chance we got and snapped pictures of the scenery. Everyone on our tour was taking pictures for everyone else and double checking they turned out perfect -after all, this isn't a picture you'll get to take again. And thanks to digital cameras, we could all be a little vain and make sure we looked our best. After we'd been climbing a fair amount of time, we found the spot we knew we wanted to take THE picture. If the Great Wall were a landmark in the states, this is where you would have found the "Kodak Picture Point" marker. Our first attempt at our picture was no good because the Chinese men we'd asked to take it wouldn't get out of the shot. Another man walked by and translated for us as I was trying to get my camera back from them saying, "They are saying they would like to take many more pictures of you..." Yeah. Skeevy, what?
Anyway, after that we were invaded by Korea. Seriously. A Korean Taekwondo team came charging up the wall behind us, in uniforms and all, with their director leading the way with a giant Korean flag. They were shouting "Korea!" as the ran - yes RAN - up the wall. Next thing we knew, Andrea was trying to take my picture and a number of Korean boys were surrounding me sporting either peace signs or their best spidey-poses. So we played along and posed for some pictures with them. It was really hysterical, they were so enthusiastic! One of the girls on the trip was at the watch tower ahead of us and caught an amazing aerial photo of the incident. After we felt confident that we had snapped the shot that Andrea and I will frame forever, we proceeded to climb on. The views just grew more and more spectacular as we went. We reached a watch tower that we were able to climb up to the to of - so we did. This was probably the most difficult part of the climb though. The stairs were super steep (CUAers, think of the stairs leading up to the catwalk by the projection room - okay now steeper than that, and with no handles). In addition, the stones were worn down so much that they were very slick and actually curved in the middle where they had been walked upon for at least over 1000 years! The Chinese man who followed us up and later, down them was concerned, and yet very amused by us silly white girls attempting this in flip flops. After taking the bird's eye view of the pass, and the whole valley, we climbed back down and continued.
If we'd realized how close to the top we were, I am sure we would have pressed on. But because we only had a half hour before we were supposed to be back on the bus - and we did (ironically) want leave some time to shop for souvenirs - we climbed up to what we believed to be another watch tower. When we reached it we realized it was a refreshment center and toilets, but hey, whatever. We took a few photos and some videos and began to make our way down. Some of the other people on the tour had caught up with us and we found out we were only about 5 or 10 minutes from the top but we still elected to just head back. (Whatever, it just gives me a reason to go back! Shanghai, anyone?) Walking down proved just as difficult as climbing up and I nearly fell once. It was pretty amusing, actually, because I caught myself and was fine. - If anyone did though, I would be the person to fall down the Great Wall of China. Right? - Going down the stairs was also trippy for me too because my depth perception was off because of my cold. It got to the point where I just put one shaking leg in front of the other, and tried to just keep my head up and walk down. It felt just like dancing or even being on stage in general. Just walking down the stairs without looking, and trying to use my core to keep me in one piece. And, because I have no shame, I carried my arms in second position whenever there was room to help keep myself balanced. All in all it proved to be quite the workout! Everyone had jelly legs after we'd reached the bottom. If anyone stood still on their feet for two long, you noticed their muscles just start to spasm as if to say "Are you kidding me? Give me a break!" So, we did! We bought postcards, and more ice cream to celebrate; took some old bottles of water and tried to wash the filth from climbing off our hands and feet, snapped our last shots of the wall and went home.
Climbing the Great Wall: completely normal day. Yeah, right. I could probably write or talk about those 3 hours of my life for 3 years. Aside from all the fun memories made with Mullen along the way, there were so many emotions (shocker) that I felt. It was almost like I went on auto-pilot for awhile and just climbed without thinking. In visiting and climbing the wall, I became part of something so much infinitely larger than me. People have been climbing Juyong Pass for 2,000 years. I am one of millions to have walked there. When we stopped on top of the one watch tower I just tried to imagine who had been there before me; what the man who in the dead of winter 2,000 years earlier patrolled that tower to protect his kingdom was like and what on earth would think if someone told him that one day some 22 year old in sunglasses and flip flops would pose as Mary Jane for a bunch of Korean taekwondo students in a spider-man picture... All joking aside, do you think he would have ever believed that his post would become a tourist destination? How many people have climbed there before me, and how many still will after me? That wall has seen more than you or I could ever comprehend - and to me that just seems - je ne sais crois! It's like there's a part of me that's always going to be there. The Chinese call people who climb the wall heroes, (and if you like, for about 10 bucks you can buy a souvenir certificate that officially proves you are one) and I feel that it's fitting.
Peace,
Erica
Monday, October 1, 2007
Day one, Part one.
Okay. So, Our first full day in Beijing what else would we do but go to The Great Wall of China? Well a few things, actually - shop, a lot, and see the Ming Tombs. But first we had a sweet "Western Breakfast" at our hotel. They actually had half and half. I could have cried from the joy. I miss good ol' American drip coffee and cream more than I ever thought I could. Our tour loaded the bus at 7:40 am, sharp, and headed off towards our first stop, the Ming Tombs. To my surprise we the bus made a detour. I hadn't realized that a tour of the "Jade City" was our official first stop. We spent about an hour total at a jade factory and learned about the qualities of jade. The purest jade actually begins white and turns to green as it is worn. The body heat and the circulation of the wearer cause this to happen - that's why pendants are typically worn long enough to hang over the heart and bracelets are always worn on the left hand. I resisted temptation and didn't spend all of my savings in the discounted store, but indulged and bought a cross I am very proud of. Some people went nuts though. There we were, having not even SEEN any of China yet and people were dropping major sums of money on souvenirs and knick-knacks. I couldn't believe it. After too much shopping some slightly irritated travelers got back on the bus and rode to the Ming tombs.
Now first off, I couldn't find a landmark brochure to save my life, so I had to go old school and actually follow to tour guide. As David told us, the tombs of the Ming dynasty are located about 50 km north of Beijing at the foot of the Jundu Mountains. There are only two tombs open to the public and we visited the larger one (belonging to Chang Ling). The spot was chosen based on its natural feng shui - the mountains to the north keep out evil spirits and the arrangement of the valley did something to capture good fortune, guaranteeing a good afterlife or reign and whatnot for the emperor buried there. In both Chinese and Korean cultures (and I'm sure many more) one's burial place is incredibly important, and would be moved if after your death your family hit hard times in hopes of placating your likely unrested spirit. I have to be honest, we really breezed through the tombs because we were only able to stay there about 40 minutes, and being the first thing we did on the trip, I wasn't totally aware of everything I was seeing because I was still so overwhelmed! It's sort of awful to say and I bet it's going to kill my karma or something. but I feel like the Ming Tombs were a warm up for the whole tour of Beijing. They were spectacular none the less.
After the Tombs we stopped for lunch and low and behold MORE shopping. This time around it was at a copper factory and we were able to see some Chinese copper vases being carved and painted. Plus they had cheap gelato and it was starting to get hot. We had another delicious meal and were treated to complimentary Chinese soju. Now for those of you reading this from Korea, you should know that the Chinese definitely one up us on this one. While Korean soju has some kick (and isn't my favorite drink..) it does go down smoother than some "western" liquors, Chinese soju is 56% alcohol and definitely earns its nick name of "fire water." I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to try some (when in Rome...) but I chickened out and had only 1/2 a serving (about a 1/4 shot), but it still got the job done. My sinuses cleared, I was forced to give a bit of a cough, and I was pleased because it all meant I was actually able to taste our lunch that day. (I got a cold they day before we left. Andrea can attest, it made me pretty grumpy...) We finished up lunch, Mullen and I splurged and topped it off with the forementioned gelato (a trend most of our bus followed, and we'd like to officially take credit) and set out for another 40 minutes to Juyong Pass... also known as one of the oldest parts of the Great Wall of China.... !
You'll have to stay tuned for stories from the wall though because this post is already really long, and I want to do the experience justice. But following are a few pictures to tide you over, go nuts.
Now first off, I couldn't find a landmark brochure to save my life, so I had to go old school and actually follow to tour guide. As David told us, the tombs of the Ming dynasty are located about 50 km north of Beijing at the foot of the Jundu Mountains. There are only two tombs open to the public and we visited the larger one (belonging to Chang Ling). The spot was chosen based on its natural feng shui - the mountains to the north keep out evil spirits and the arrangement of the valley did something to capture good fortune, guaranteeing a good afterlife or reign and whatnot for the emperor buried there. In both Chinese and Korean cultures (and I'm sure many more) one's burial place is incredibly important, and would be moved if after your death your family hit hard times in hopes of placating your likely unrested spirit. I have to be honest, we really breezed through the tombs because we were only able to stay there about 40 minutes, and being the first thing we did on the trip, I wasn't totally aware of everything I was seeing because I was still so overwhelmed! It's sort of awful to say and I bet it's going to kill my karma or something. but I feel like the Ming Tombs were a warm up for the whole tour of Beijing. They were spectacular none the less.
After the Tombs we stopped for lunch and low and behold MORE shopping. This time around it was at a copper factory and we were able to see some Chinese copper vases being carved and painted. Plus they had cheap gelato and it was starting to get hot. We had another delicious meal and were treated to complimentary Chinese soju. Now for those of you reading this from Korea, you should know that the Chinese definitely one up us on this one. While Korean soju has some kick (and isn't my favorite drink..) it does go down smoother than some "western" liquors, Chinese soju is 56% alcohol and definitely earns its nick name of "fire water." I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to try some (when in Rome...) but I chickened out and had only 1/2 a serving (about a 1/4 shot), but it still got the job done. My sinuses cleared, I was forced to give a bit of a cough, and I was pleased because it all meant I was actually able to taste our lunch that day. (I got a cold they day before we left. Andrea can attest, it made me pretty grumpy...) We finished up lunch, Mullen and I splurged and topped it off with the forementioned gelato (a trend most of our bus followed, and we'd like to officially take credit) and set out for another 40 minutes to Juyong Pass... also known as one of the oldest parts of the Great Wall of China.... !
You'll have to stay tuned for stories from the wall though because this post is already really long, and I want to do the experience justice. But following are a few pictures to tide you over, go nuts.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
China? Yes, Please!
Alright. So I've had a chance to recuperate from the trip and am ready to attempt telling you all about it. As you may have read on Mullen's blog, our Chinese vacation got off to a bit of a bumpy start. But the second we landed, our awesome tour guide, David, took the reins and the trip ran very smoothly. If anyone is looking to travel from Seoul, I definitely recommend using Xanadu. Typically it's a bit difficult for foreigners to get around Beijing because their public transportation leaves much to be desired and so few people speak English, but every detail of our trip was taken care of for us - including three meals a day!
When we first left the airport we were running behind schedule because of flight delays (again, Boo Air China!) so we had to push back the Temple of Heaven and went straight to the Peiking Duck restaurant (so delicious). And for the record, to everyone from college that I ever ate Chinese food with that didn't order communal dishes. I have now BEEN to China and Chinese food is MOST DEFINITELY served FAMILY STYLE!!! So I was right (no shit, Sherlock) and you were wrong and I hope you have all of that wasted food hanging on your consciences nice and heavy-like. From there we went to a Chinese acrobat show that our tour company called a circus. I was expecting it to be sort of similar to the atmosphere of a luau in Hawaii...sort of folksy and cultural. However, this "circus" really ended up being more of a recital type show for some random acrobat school for teenagers. While it was impressive, I felt awkward being there. There was an audio-visual section of the performance that told us a story behind each performance, which was poorly translated into English warranting phrases such as "Watch how the umbrellas booms with floweriness." One of the highlights of this performance was definitely the warning before-hand letting us no that smoking, pirating and waging nuclear warfare were strictly prohibited.
Then of course there was the 10 year old tight rope walker. Saying this kid was impressive is an understatement. After he got his balance on the rope, he took to swinging it side to side and riding it like a wave. After he'd gotten that down he started to do the splits - on a tight rope up in the air, he did the splits! And then finally he started flipping on it - big deal... ! After he'd finished he flipped off and then at the last moment gave a shooter/thumbs up to the audience. Mega cute. Other than that, I'd have to say the final act took the cake for me. It was a trick bike riding segment - but don't think BMX. Like 10 kids all came out on to stage and started riding bikes in circles.... then, one by one, they all stood up and balanced on their seats, and still managed to keep their bikes under control spinning around on the stage. After a bunch of variations of that, one of the riders continued to ride in a circle, while each of the other acrobats climbed on to some part of his bike. By the end, he was riding around in a circle with probably thirteen or fourteen people configured into a pyramid on his back. Crazy impressive. After they'd finished that, all of the acts came out, the MCs asked us to "give them our hands in clapping" and sang a song called "Number One!" while jumping around on stage. It was eerily similar to "Can You Do It..."
After the circus we just went to the hotel - which was the nicest Best Western I've ever stayed in. I would say it was more comparable to an Embassy Suites. - and hit the sack so we could be up bright and early for the next day of our trip: Ming Tombs, "Jade City" (jade factory), The Great Wall, and
Anyway, Chinese circus. Check.
Stay tuned for details from the rest of the trip, probably a post a day but I'm not making any promises.
Peace,
Erica
PS: And for those of you wondering, I have fully mastered the art of using chopsticks and am not offered a fork at any dining establishments.
See? (Dinner at a Szechwan restaurant - SPICY!)
When we first left the airport we were running behind schedule because of flight delays (again, Boo Air China!) so we had to push back the Temple of Heaven and went straight to the Peiking Duck restaurant (so delicious). And for the record, to everyone from college that I ever ate Chinese food with that didn't order communal dishes. I have now BEEN to China and Chinese food is MOST DEFINITELY served FAMILY STYLE!!! So I was right (no shit, Sherlock) and you were wrong and I hope you have all of that wasted food hanging on your consciences nice and heavy-like. From there we went to a Chinese acrobat show that our tour company called a circus. I was expecting it to be sort of similar to the atmosphere of a luau in Hawaii...sort of folksy and cultural. However, this "circus" really ended up being more of a recital type show for some random acrobat school for teenagers. While it was impressive, I felt awkward being there. There was an audio-visual section of the performance that told us a story behind each performance, which was poorly translated into English warranting phrases such as "Watch how the umbrellas booms with floweriness." One of the highlights of this performance was definitely the warning before-hand letting us no that smoking, pirating and waging nuclear warfare were strictly prohibited.
Then of course there was the 10 year old tight rope walker. Saying this kid was impressive is an understatement. After he got his balance on the rope, he took to swinging it side to side and riding it like a wave. After he'd gotten that down he started to do the splits - on a tight rope up in the air, he did the splits! And then finally he started flipping on it - big deal... ! After he'd finished he flipped off and then at the last moment gave a shooter/thumbs up to the audience. Mega cute. Other than that, I'd have to say the final act took the cake for me. It was a trick bike riding segment - but don't think BMX. Like 10 kids all came out on to stage and started riding bikes in circles.... then, one by one, they all stood up and balanced on their seats, and still managed to keep their bikes under control spinning around on the stage. After a bunch of variations of that, one of the riders continued to ride in a circle, while each of the other acrobats climbed on to some part of his bike. By the end, he was riding around in a circle with probably thirteen or fourteen people configured into a pyramid on his back. Crazy impressive. After they'd finished that, all of the acts came out, the MCs asked us to "give them our hands in clapping" and sang a song called "Number One!" while jumping around on stage. It was eerily similar to "Can You Do It..."
After the circus we just went to the hotel - which was the nicest Best Western I've ever stayed in. I would say it was more comparable to an Embassy Suites. - and hit the sack so we could be up bright and early for the next day of our trip: Ming Tombs, "Jade City" (jade factory), The Great Wall, and
Anyway, Chinese circus. Check.
Stay tuned for details from the rest of the trip, probably a post a day but I'm not making any promises.
Peace,
Erica
PS: And for those of you wondering, I have fully mastered the art of using chopsticks and am not offered a fork at any dining establishments.
See? (Dinner at a Szechwan restaurant - SPICY!)
Friday, September 28, 2007
Chuseok in China - The Cliff Notes
Trying to sum up the last seven days of my life is sort of a challenge. When I try to put it into words I almost don't believe it all myself... So, I guess I'll just stick to the basics for now.
This past Tuesday was the Korean National Holiday of Chuseok, which is similar to Thanksgiving in the US. Because of that, we all got Monday through Wednesday off from teaching - and we consider ourselves extra lucky that Chuseok fell on a Tuesday this year because that meant we got 5 consecutive days off from work. Perfect for a mini-vacation! So, after being in Seoul for just about a month, Andrea and I opted to spend our five days off traveling to China. We booked a tour that spent 4 days and 3 nights (Sunday through Wednesday) in Beijing and included all our meals as well as the typical tour guide-y stuff. The trip was nothing short of spectacular. It got off to a bit of a rocky start because our flight was delayed and customs was a mob scene, so we missed most of the first day. But our Chinese tour guide (David) and our Korean travel agent (Jenny Lee) were awesome and adjusted the itinerary so that we would still be able to see everything we'd planned on.
China is a really wonderful country and Beijing is awesome, of course. The sites were gorgeous and the entire city had a sort of mysterious feeling to it. I really had to pinch myself. We visited a bunch of things over our four days there - each of which I will detail in its own post. ... anyway, more details to come later but that's all for now!
Peace,
Erica
This past Tuesday was the Korean National Holiday of Chuseok, which is similar to Thanksgiving in the US. Because of that, we all got Monday through Wednesday off from teaching - and we consider ourselves extra lucky that Chuseok fell on a Tuesday this year because that meant we got 5 consecutive days off from work. Perfect for a mini-vacation! So, after being in Seoul for just about a month, Andrea and I opted to spend our five days off traveling to China. We booked a tour that spent 4 days and 3 nights (Sunday through Wednesday) in Beijing and included all our meals as well as the typical tour guide-y stuff. The trip was nothing short of spectacular. It got off to a bit of a rocky start because our flight was delayed and customs was a mob scene, so we missed most of the first day. But our Chinese tour guide (David) and our Korean travel agent (Jenny Lee) were awesome and adjusted the itinerary so that we would still be able to see everything we'd planned on.
China is a really wonderful country and Beijing is awesome, of course. The sites were gorgeous and the entire city had a sort of mysterious feeling to it. I really had to pinch myself. We visited a bunch of things over our four days there - each of which I will detail in its own post. ... anyway, more details to come later but that's all for now!
Peace,
Erica
Friday, September 21, 2007
High Times, Hard Times...
My title describes the life of any sports fan... and for sure any sports fan that follows sports in Southern California.
This post has little to do with Korea - but hey, we all need a break now and then. I had an easy Friday night with Mullen consisting of dinner at Fridays and coffee at Starbucks. If it weren't for the grape flavored dinner mint or the tiny portions we might have forgotten we were in Korea! On our little excursion we passed the MLB store in Meyong-Dong (shopping district) which I ran to like a kid on Christmas... only to find it A) closed and B) filled only with Giants and Yankees gear. I threw up a little in my mouth at that point. Anyway, when I got in tonight I caught up a bit on my sports teams. I've been following the Chargers, but football season just started... and the horrible record of the Dodgers as of late has made me not want to read the team news. So I was just browsing dodgerblues and reading the asshole of the moment section and I read that Brett Tomko is a Padre...? WTF? When did that happen? Not that I care, he pretty much blows. But seriously, it's so weird to be out of the loop.
I miss sports, so much. And I'm not lying when I'm secretly pleased that the Dodgers are going to miss the post season. I would die if they won the world series - or even made it TO the world series and I couldn't be in at least the US, if not LA to watch. Football is another story altogether - I can't watch any of it here and I miss it so much - but I want the Chargers to contend this season. I don't want them to win it all, but I don't see that happening in Norv Turner's first year... but I feel like the Chargers are just starting their climb to dominating the NFL and have no doubts that I will be in the US to watch their dynasty unfold and to throw it in the face of every Oakland. Raiders fan. LT for life, San Diego SUPER Chargers baby!!!
Peace,
Erica
This post has little to do with Korea - but hey, we all need a break now and then. I had an easy Friday night with Mullen consisting of dinner at Fridays and coffee at Starbucks. If it weren't for the grape flavored dinner mint or the tiny portions we might have forgotten we were in Korea! On our little excursion we passed the MLB store in Meyong-Dong (shopping district) which I ran to like a kid on Christmas... only to find it A) closed and B) filled only with Giants and Yankees gear. I threw up a little in my mouth at that point. Anyway, when I got in tonight I caught up a bit on my sports teams. I've been following the Chargers, but football season just started... and the horrible record of the Dodgers as of late has made me not want to read the team news. So I was just browsing dodgerblues and reading the asshole of the moment section and I read that Brett Tomko is a Padre...? WTF? When did that happen? Not that I care, he pretty much blows. But seriously, it's so weird to be out of the loop.
I miss sports, so much. And I'm not lying when I'm secretly pleased that the Dodgers are going to miss the post season. I would die if they won the world series - or even made it TO the world series and I couldn't be in at least the US, if not LA to watch. Football is another story altogether - I can't watch any of it here and I miss it so much - but I want the Chargers to contend this season. I don't want them to win it all, but I don't see that happening in Norv Turner's first year... but I feel like the Chargers are just starting their climb to dominating the NFL and have no doubts that I will be in the US to watch their dynasty unfold and to throw it in the face of every Oakland. Raiders fan. LT for life, San Diego SUPER Chargers baby!!!
Peace,
Erica
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Boo Air China! BOO!
I just got an e-mail from the travel agent that Mullen and I booked our Beijing trip through and apparently Air China over-booked our return flight. So I get a 100,000 won refund and one day cut off my trip.
Boo Air China... BOO!
Boo Air China... BOO!
First Round of Pictures
As promised, a few pictures from the past three weeks.
One last good, strong cup of coffee for awhile. "Venti" doesn't exist here!
Killing time at LAX during while our flight was delayed.
Patrick served as official ipod holder while Mullen and I watched Prisoner of Azkaban.
Uhm, we're in KOREA!!?!
Leaving the airport.
Ladies and gentlemen,
...my...
... view.
WOW!
Movies in Korea are crazy cheap.
And, they have churros too.
This is where we went for dinner on my Birthday.
Best gift ever (from Mullen) -- they really love California here.
Coffee Bean for dessert
Liz and Kirsten bought me a (DELICIOUS) cake from Paris Baguette
Mullen and I found Greek food in Itaewon
The food was so amazing -- it warranted a picture.
At a "Western Bar" called Gogo's ... they played Sublime here!
Just in case you thought it was a fake one
Would you like some waffles with your coffee? Because you get them.
This is one of their malls. (This sign made me think of Tolmie)
A 'musical fashion show' started behind us at 10 pm on a weekday...
And then there were fireworks, but Mullen and I thought they were gunshots.
(No Joke)
(no caption needed)
This is Korean BBQ -- so good.
Soju, it's ike Korean vodka., and they drink it A LOT.
This was supposed to be an "early night" ... yeah, right.
.
much love - fin!
Hope you liked them, stay tuned for more.
Peace,
Erica
One last good, strong cup of coffee for awhile. "Venti" doesn't exist here!
Killing time at LAX during while our flight was delayed.
Patrick served as official ipod holder while Mullen and I watched Prisoner of Azkaban.
Uhm, we're in KOREA!!?!
Leaving the airport.
Ladies and gentlemen,
...my...
... view.
WOW!
Movies in Korea are crazy cheap.
And, they have churros too.
This is where we went for dinner on my Birthday.
Best gift ever (from Mullen) -- they really love California here.
Coffee Bean for dessert
Liz and Kirsten bought me a (DELICIOUS) cake from Paris Baguette
Mullen and I found Greek food in Itaewon
The food was so amazing -- it warranted a picture.
At a "Western Bar" called Gogo's ... they played Sublime here!
Just in case you thought it was a fake one
Would you like some waffles with your coffee? Because you get them.
This is one of their malls. (This sign made me think of Tolmie)
A 'musical fashion show' started behind us at 10 pm on a weekday...
And then there were fireworks, but Mullen and I thought they were gunshots.(No Joke)
(no caption needed)
This is Korean BBQ -- so good.
Soju, it's ike Korean vodka., and they drink it A LOT.
This was supposed to be an "early night" ... yeah, right..
Hope you liked them, stay tuned for more.
Peace,
Erica
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