Monday, October 18, 2010

Surrounded by...Haesindang Park

Well, I have been in Korea for a little over six weeks and it's finally starting to feel like I sort of live here. I am settling into a routine during the week of chatting with family and friends in the morning via Skype, going to work in the afternoon and then relaxing in the evening. Sometimes I take myself out to dinner or meet up with some other expats for the infamous fried chicken and beer. On the weekends, I try to find at least one interesting place to visit or thing to do that is totally Korean. I sometimes just choose a direction and GO! I may have a loose plan, but that usually just involves a general direction. :-) My pink bicycle is great for stuff in town, but my scooter is wonderful for short, little trips just outside of Uljin and even as far as Pohang.

This weekend I am hoping to go to one of the many festivals offered. Last weekend, my friend and I visited Haesindang Park near Samcheok on the East Coast of South Korea, about 30 minutes or so north of Uljin. What is Haesindang Park? Funny you should ask!

Haesindang Park is a fa
mous park noted by locals and rumored by foreigners. See, when a foreigner tells someone from his or her home country what this park is famous for, no one believes us. (I actually sent my parents and a couple of friends to Google before my visit) It's just the way it is. Why? So glad you asked!! It is because the park is full of giant phallic shaped sculptures and statues. Yes, really. If you are on my facebook, you have already been privy to some pics. If not, I will share a few here so you may get the idea.

Why these sculptures, carvings and such? Another good question. According to
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/, the legend is as follows:

Legend of Aebawi and Haesindang – There once lived a young maid who was engaged. One day, the maid took her husband’s boat out to sea to harvest seaweed. Her husband dropped her off at a rock that was at a distance from the beach. After promising to pick her up later, he returned to the beach to do his work. Later, the weather changed, and brought with it strong winds and pummeling waves. The man couldn’t rescue his wife and she ultimately drowned. Since then, the village people caught no fish and some said that it was because of the dead maid. To soothe the spirit of the dead maid, the village people made several wooden carvings and held religious ceremonies on her behalf. After a while, the fish slowly returned and the villagers were able to live comfortably again. The place where the maid died was named Aebawi Rock and the building where the religious ceremony is held twice a year was named Haesindang. The ceremony is still honored today as a traditional folk event.


There is also a version of the legend that speaks of a man relieving himself into the sea and the fish slowly begin to come back after that. There is a statue at the park depicting that act. So, as it goes, it is a legend and though there may be several versions, the main idea is the same.


In addition to the park, there is a museum of folk art and there are many captions in English. It is nice to be able to read about the things in the museum, even if I don't quite understand the logic behind it. :-)


Regardless of how tasteless we as westerners may find this, this place was built to honor and appease the young virgin as the village would not have survived if the fish had not returned. Of course, Asians as well as westerners do find humor in many of the statues and everyone does seem to take a few tasteless pictures (as you can see by the next picture of a group of Asian tourist posing for a group picture), but it is all done in good fun and humor.


Perhaps we could learn something from this. Am I suggesting building a "Penis Park" anywhere in the United States? Uhmm, no. However, I do find it important that we honor and please The One in whom we place our trust no matter what others may think...


Until my next adventure...

Monday, October 11, 2010

My First Month in Korea

Wow! I cannot believe I have been here a month already! I am finally starting to settle into a bit of a routine and am enjoying my new surroundings. Even in the short time I have been here, I have seen so much and tried so many new things. Some of them good...some of them not so good. I completely enjoy my job and look forward to going to work every day. I have made lots of friends, both Korean and Westerners, and have been invited many places. I have learned new words, phrases, and customs. I have been stared at, smiled at, laughed at, and laughed with. I am having the experience of a lifetime here in Korea and for as much as I miss my friends and family in the States, I am completely and fully enjoying my time here.


FOOD

Well, one thing I can tell you is that it is SPICY!! Red pepper chili paste seems to be the main ingredient in every dish. While I'm sure it is not, it sure seems that way! I am starting to get a bit more used to it, but when my lips are burning, I just cannot seem to enjoy the taste of whatever it is I am eating! I did venture a bit and try these little fried fish with a touch of chili past, then wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Not bad. I'm not sure I could eat a whole plate full, but I managed a sample. I also ate a whole crab fresh from the sea last weekend. Well, he was cooked, of course, but I chose him from all the others to be may tasty treat! I did receive a little American treat from one of my co-teachers yesterday. She went to Seoul over the weekend and brought me back Krispy Kreme donuts!! MMMMMmmmm!!!! YUMMY!





PEOPLE
The people here are very kind. I try to speak to them in as much Korean as I know. They are happy to help me say words correctly and will sometimes test their English out on me. I am always quick to compliment an English phrase, especially in my little town. This is a fishing community and most adults do not speak any English at all, especially in the market or in stores. It is much easier to find a Korean that can speak some English in the bigger cities I frequent, like Pohang.


I have also found two universal languages. Food and Music. The Korean people are always eager to share a new dish with me. I have been invited to dinner in tradional restaurants and been given little samples of Korean food from the teachers at my school. I still have not figured out the fascination with little rice cakes, but they are thrilled to share this treat with me. I always graciously accept. The picture here is Purple Sweet Potato Cake. It is sweet and has the consistency of a sponge cake. It was so good! I must say, I was surprised, but quite delighted when I tasted it. I love that my teachers share things with me! :-)



I mentioned that I like to sing, so this has gotten me several invitations to "norebang" which is karaoke. It's kind of fun to sing a song that I know I can do well, then one of my Korean friends will ask me if I know a certain song or artist. When I say that I do, they choose the songs for me to sing. In turn, I ask them to sing a Korean song, which is always lovely. It's funny how music can bring people together even without a common language.



PLACES
Well, I am more mobile these days. Not only did I get my hot pink bike to ride around town, I managed to secure a scooter to venture further past the boundaries that exsist here in Uljin. I love living near the ocean. The smell of the salty air, the cool ocean breeze, and the soothing sound of the waves crashing to the shore is surreal. I spend quite a bit of time just sitting by the water or riding my bike or scooter up and down the coast. By doing so, I manage to find quaint little places to explore and discover things unexpectedly. Saturday I happened upon a squid operation where they were washing, weighing, packaging, and shipping squid. If you are on Facebook, there is a video there. It was fascinating to watch. They moved like a well rehearsed dance in perfect rhythm with the other workers. No one even noticed the presence of an alien lurking nearby with camera and video recorder in hand!


After my squid sighting, I ventured to Deokgu Spa up in the mountains. It was WONDERFUL!! Natural hotsping soaking tubs, Korean bathhouse, and therapeautic whirlpools were all mine for the taking as long as I wanted for only 9000 won. I soaked in lemon bath and a pool infused with jasmine while looking out over the mountains. I massaged my tired feet and shoulders in a pool with jets strategically placed for maximum effect on targeted areas. After I was sufficently clean and massaged, I sat in a massage chair for 1000 won and drank a mango slushy. I will be going back to this place. It was incredible!



I have also visited the city of Yeongcheon for a delightful weekend visiting an Herb Festival and an astronomical observatory, going horseback riding and ATVing, visiting a vineyard and making my own wine, visiting a traditional Korean cooking school and being served a traditional meal (see pic on right), seeing an historic temple, and camping in a beautiful cabin in the middle of the mountains...Korean style, of course. Yes, that means this delightful cabin was sans furniture and we got to sleep on the floor. It did have a GREAT shower, so that was a huge plus! The not-so-huge-plus was having traditional Korean breakfast presented to us on Sunday morning. I'm not sure about you, but I just don't think my stomach can handle kimchi, squid, and crunchy dried fish at 8:00 a.m. Give me a bowl of cereal and some juice! I had a piece of bread and four grapes. mmmm... :-(


SCHOOL
What can I say about teaching English to non-English speakers? Hmmm....honestly, I love it. I enjoy the challenge each day brings. I enjoy the look of pure joy on my student's face when he finally masters the word "werewolf" or "baseball" or "doll". Any words containing an "r" or "l" is difficult for them. It is also challenging to differentiate between a "b", "p", and "v". Another consonant that is difficult is "f". We work very hard on these sounds and I have found my training in vocal production (thank you CCU and Brenda Lang) to be priceless when trying to teach these concepts. They laugh at me when I have them make a "fish face" by poking in their cheeks to force the mouth to only use the tongue to say "doll". Hey, it works! Finally, I can use my expertise in proper vowels and consonants for something other than singing!

My boss is great and very accomodating. He also does not micro-manage me and trusts my teaching ability. I have been able to identify inconsistencies and errors in the textbooks and he makes changes based on my knowledge of the English language. It is really nice to teach in a place where education is so highly valued and teachers are treated with the respect they so desire in the States.


Overall, my experience thus far in Korea has been very, very positive. I am so glad I am not in Seoul or Busan or other big city. Being out in the "country" allows me to breath fresh air, relax, take in the culture and become as much a part of my new community as I can without the distractions of Western niceties. Of course, if I get really restless, there is a bus terminal at the edge of town that will gladly take my won, give me a ticket, and send me anywhere I want to go in this beautiful country. I'm looking forward to many more adventures along the way, including a trip to the DMZ, many more temples, a temple stay, and much, much more. Thanks for joining me on this adventure! Enjoy the ride!