Third Session Coming Up

Jim here,

We've been experiencing some fine weather, but we know it's going to turn stifling soon. I've been a little tired due to the long days. I've been working an average of 10 hours a day. These are not intense days, just drawn out. My voice is always a little hoarse at the end of the day. The air is a little strange, and I've been feeling woosey for the better part of a month. Bugs are promiscuous, jumping from teacher to student to student to teacher to teacher(repeat). I've been eating lots of
Kimchi

We've ventured out to new places in the city, and we're realizing more and more that we can get around, feed ourselves, and generally fend for ourselves quite nicely in this town. All this comes after about two months of pretty much exclusive travel between school and the apartment. All our other travels have been by the side of our new found friends. What great folks we have around us, so obliging and helpful. They've given us so much help. However, it's nice to know we can venture out and easily find our way back from unfamiliar areas.

I've been given the use of a guitar since I wasn't able to bring my own. One of the teachers we work with, Heather, has graciously provided me with a guitar. It's been so nice to be able to play. As soon as I can get a case for it, I'll start hauling it about town. I've been thinking about putting together a show at a "foreigner" bar. I don't know how it'll go over, but I may as well try. I'd like to do original material, but I was also thinking of doing a set of neil young songs, we'll see. Maybe it's time to develop my "Neil the Bruce, Pink Farmer Guitar Doodlery".

I'm getting a bit tired of the PC room, I need to get a computer and an internet hookup. Maybe Becka and I can get a discount if we buy two. Her mac is having annoying power troubles. I think a portable lappy is the way to go. We need a new digital camera as well, one that works with any computer that is not a mac, fine camera that it is otherwise.


I love it here but am feeling a bit homesick, I miss my buds and family, and I miss the country. Maybe there's a country retreat where I can go.

Hope all is well wherever you are.
Jim

A Little More of Gyeongju

Also from that trip a couple weeks back...

Bulgoksa Temple

Jim at Bulgoksa


Heather in the driver's seat and Jim in the helmet.


The Gyeongju Rice Cake Festival (the gooey sweet Korean kind, not the crunchy diet snack kind)


See? Here's a close-up of some pros showing the kids how it's done.


Heather tries a free sample of wild ginseng wine. Neighbouring tents offered free samples of wild mushroom wine, rice wine, bamboo wine, wine made from tree bark, wine made from flowers... I sort of forgot what else there was, after all those. Oops.

Reconstruction of the Fables

We realize we should attempt to repost a lot of what used to be on here pre-deletion, but in true digital culture fashion, we really just can't be bothered right now. So here is an update of what we've been up to instead. 'Cause you know, we're sooo about the now. Maybe in a future post we'll bring back some of our previous pics.
















Last weekend Becka attended her first professional soccer game: the Ulsan Hyundai (Tigers) vs. The Seoul (Red Devils). Each team has a super-star player who will be heading off to the World Cup in a couple months, but she was more interested in another game happening at the stadium. K-Pop sensations SS501 were sitting to her right, watching the game (or rather, being directed by a small camera crew to look like they were watching the game). This meant that a crowd of tween-aged Korean girls to the left of her were watching SS501 watch the game.
Final score - fans: 1, soccer: 0

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L to R: Julie, Leena, and Ryan sitting down, and Eddy sitting on the table.


Becka, with Cat Harry and Rabbit Anna.


Ryan and Eddy's birthday party.


Professor Jim, preparing for class.









Work continues to be a hoot, for the most part. Although the days are still often long ones, they're getting easier as we become more familiar with the curriculum and the students. The youngest kindergarteners seem to love dancing to The Ramones, the seven- and eight- year olds will do anything for a sticker or a lollipop, the 10-year olds only ever want to play games on boy vs. girl teams, and the 13 year-olds pretend to feel nothing about anything, because expressing one's self at 13 is just NOT COOL.

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So, yesterday we ventured out of Ulsan for the first time since arriving. Where better to go, than one hour north to Gyeonju - capital of the Silla Kingdom (a thousand-year dynasty often credited with being the first unifying force of the Korean peninsula), and site of very, very old Buddhist temples (after the Sillas, before us). In fact, Gyeongju is one of the 10 most important places on Earth in terms of cultural artifacts (according to UNESCO).

So, what is the best way to experience such cultural richness?

Answer:

Reunification

The government-sponsored English language television station we watch tells us that the people of Korea (that's the ROK to you and me) are eager for north and south to reunite as one nation.

If this is what they mean, we're sooo there.

(This post is dedicated to Matt Reid!)

Further evidence that I need to learn Korean asap

I accidentally deleted this blog earlier today. (Blogger has no English option here.)

And, my laptop's A/C power adaptor died yesterday. So what this all means is that our little travel blog will be somewhat lamed up for the next... oh, I dunno... month or so?

Boo.

In the meantime, if you're curious about the "typical" life of an ex-pat in Korea*, take a peek at The Ulsan Pear.

And please feel free to send care packages and your spare 2003-vintage Mac 12" Power Book AC cords c/o Ulsan ECC, 3rd Floor Jongha Building 1632-17, Shinjung-dong, Nam-gu, Republic of Korea 680-012.

Love and hugs to our friends and family,
J+B



*which does not quite represent our lives, but hey.