Seoraksan National Park

Seoraksan National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in Korea and it is easy to see why.  Seorak Mountain is the third tallest mountain in Korea at approximately 1700m tall.  The national park is near the eastern coast of Korea and once you get to the top you can see the city of Sokcho, also a popular tourist attraction as well as the Sea of Japan.

The park has amazing hiking trails that are very accessible for most people but if you want a challenge there are several trails that will not disappoint.  It took an 11 hour hike to the summit round trip.

Baseball in Seoul

There are some stark differences between baseball games in Korea and those in the States.  The best part about  the stadiums in Korea is that you can bring in whatever you want, including beer.  The vendors sell KFC chicken and Burger King burgers at almost no mark up.  Decent tickets cost only about $15 dollars which is a big difference to what I am usually used to paying.

From a baseball purists point of view the games in Korea may not be as enjoyable as they are stateside but if you are looking to go out with a few friends and have a good time, baseball games in Korea are definitely one of the places you can go to do that.  The crowd has custom cheers for most of the players and there are cheerleaders, yes cheerleaders in between innings.  The games actually resemble soccer matches in Europe but don't actually get as rowdy.

Seoul from the Top

locks left by newlyweds

Seoul

observation decks of tower

Han River

Namsan Tower or Seoul Tower as it is also known is located on Namsan Mountain near the center of Seoul.  From the top, nearly 1600 feet above sea level, you can see almost all of Seoul which is quite an impressive view.  Many newlyweds come up to the tower and place a lock on one of the railings symbolizing their desire to stay together forever.  All of the locks create a spectacular view but not as spectacular as the sprawling city itself.  Populating the valley's of the surrounding mountains Seoul is one of the world's megacities with a population of 12.5 million and nearly 25 million with the surrounding areas making it the world's second largest metro area.

Poly School Ansan Campus

Jay carrying my backpack at a field trip

So about 6 weeks in I think I am beginning to feel right at home at my new job and although it can get quite stressful sometimes, especially when you have to work with large numbers of elementary schoolchildren who have all the energy in the world, I am liking it so far.  My co-workers are very helpful and always help in explaining the logistics of the program.  There is never a shortage of things to laugh about in the teacher's office as the kids can come up or do some pretty silly things.

intruders in the teacher's office

Despite the long hours (9am to 7pm M to F) the time goes by fairly quickly although as I mentioned earlier the kids get squirmy after sitting in a classroom for long periods of time and sometimes drive me crazy, but its all part of the job.  The class sizes are not very large so that is definitely a plus as you can really get a feel for how every student is progressing, or not, in which case you can give that student more attention.

The preschool and kindergarten kids come to school in the morning from 10am to 3pm and then the elementary school students come in after Korean school at 3 and stay until 730pm.

Stickers are the rule of law, the kids are very competitive and they have sticker charts in the hallway to which they try to add as many stickers as they can to win various prizes.

The students call all of the teachers by their first name and then add "teacher" to the end of it.  Its kind of strange at first but you get used to it.  I was told that is how it is done in Korean school so they translate it over, although I am not 100 percent on that.  I am "Adam Teacher" ha ha.

Bad Grammar

The kiddies at school try really hard and I applaud their efforts, every once in a while you will get quite a laugh from what they write. 

My Apartment

kitchen/entryway

Like many English language teachers in Korea I live in a studio apartment; an all-in-one living quarter with a washing machine and built in furniture.  Koreans don't really bake much so there is no oven and the fridge is very different from what I am used to but nevertheless it is designed for maximum space efficiency and most importantly: it works.  The floor is heated in the winter and I have a remote control air con to provide relief from the endless humidity and heat.  The bathroom is in a separate room but there is no distinction between the bathroom floor and the shower, this is also common.  All in all my place is bigger that a lot of the teachers that I have met so I am most happy with it.  Just another example of Korean efficiency.

Hiking

outdoor gym on a hilltop

Mt. Surisan

Hiking is the national past-time and for good reason.  Korea is a country with lots of mountains with cities hugging the valleys.  This makes a perfect equation for hiking.  You will see people on the Subways as early at 5am decked out in their hiking gear heading to trails surrounding Seoul and other cities.  Most people have really eccentric hiking gear with bright colors and many accessories.  It almost seems like there is dress code because almost everyone has quality equipment.  

a friend we made hiking 

Behind my apartment there is a outdoor gym on top of a hill.  These are quite popular and one can find them on almost every trail.  They are not like the gyms we are used to in the States and since they are outdoor they only rely on resistance and body weight.  Regardless, I have come to really appreciate these trails and gyms as they make it really easy to exercise.  Many older Koreans are in great shape and I am almost certain it is because of the availability of these machines and spaces.

Education Nation

Parents in Korea are obsessed with their children's education.  Although I see this as a welcome change from the apathy I have experience in many Chicago schools, in some cases I find it to be detrimental.

Kindergarten

Korean students attend regular Korean elementary school in the mornings from about 8am to about 3pm Monday thru Friday.  Many of these students then are bussed to private academies that are prevalent in nearly every Korean city.  There are private academies for science, math, music and the most popular are English language academies where various subjects are taught in English, essentially mimicking a U.S. curriculum using even the same exact books.  This is the type of academy in which I am currently employed.  Students will come in to our school at 3pm and leave at around 725pm  only to go to another academy (although we do have kindergarten in the mornings from 10am to 2pm).  Often I will see children getting off of school busses at 11pm.  Some students told me that they are not allowed to go to sleep until all of their homework is completed.

A  classroom at my academy, only about 10 students per class

I realize that you cannot generalize about a group of people and say that everyone falls into a neat category.  Although I think that it is great that children are exposed to different types of languages and academics, in those few cases where I get students that are really tired and unable to cooperate in class I believe it to be counterproductive to the student's education.  These children are generally angry that they have to endure long hours of schooling and are somewhat bitter but understand that they have to follow their parent's wishes, so they continue on.

The level of accountability is much higher here in Korea.  Many of the parents of my students will check their child's homework nightly and call the school if something was not completed or if it was completed incorrectly.

A grade 2 class working diligently

The level of interest that students seems to display is much higher here than in the US (based on my experiences).  I constantly compare the two education systems and find strengths and weaknesses in both.  Education is regarded much more highly as a whole in Korea and this is good because education is important.  The curriculum is much more rigid and and leaves little room for creativity, one advantage that I believe the U.S. system is much better at.

A Glimpse into North Korea

symbol of partition

North Korea in the background

With much anticipation I embarked on what would be my favorite adventure in Korea thus far: the DMZ or Demilitarized Zone.  The name "DMZ" is a misnomer as the border between North and South Korea is one of the most heavily patrolled areas on the planet and a place where thousands of soldiers and weapons are placed in anticipation of attack.

To see the DMZ you one must sign up for a tour as civilians are not allowed on enter the zone.  The first place we visited was called Imjingak, a place built for Koreans to come and grieve for family members left behind in the North.  Many North Koreans have defected following the Korean war and are now living in South Korea with their families.  The most iconic symbol of the DMZ, the steam locomotive, is found here.  The locomotive is a symbol of the partition; a grim reminder of the violence that engulfed the peninsula in the 1950's.  According to the conductor, the train was heading north to Pyongyang when it was stopped due to the Chinese military intervention and destroyed.  The engine is riddled with over one thousand bullets.

Dorsan station is the last train station before entering the North.  The station is well maintained but has an eerie feeling as it is empty outside of a few tourists visiting it.  We were lucky to see an actual train with very few Koreans going to North Korea but we were told that trains going north are few and far between.

Another highlight of the trip came when we visited the Dora Observatory.  This observatory is perched high above the surrounding area on top of a small mountain.  A number of powerful binoculars were available and with the blessing of a clear day our group was able to get a very nice view of Kaesong, one of the largest cities in North Korea with a population of about 300,000.  It is interesting to note that many South Koreans have opened up factories in this city and run these industrial plants. While viewing from the observatory we noticed a convoy of trucks crossing the border.  This convoy carried the household appliances produced in these factories for sale in the South, sale of these items is prohibited in the North, as are all items from what I understand.  Other than the cars coming to the South the city looked deserted as I was only able to spot 3 people walking and zero automobile traffic.  Also, the mountains in North Korea are bare as they have been cut so that people cannot hide in their protective brush.  This is in stark contrast to the South where beautiful trees cover most mountains.

It is hard to believe that such complete government control of people still exists in our world and seeing this first hand really put into perspective what I have read about communism and oppression in countless history books, nevertheless experiencing this in person cannot equate with any amount of books the one person can read.

Dorsan Station; eerily empty

last train station before North Korea; Pyongyang 205km