Prancing Around Seoul with Laura: Week 1

Our Asian adventure together continued 1700 miles Northeast of Hanoi, Vietnam in Seoul, South Korea!

Tuesday December 17

Chris and my flight landed at 5:30 am Tuesday morning. We were home by 8 am and at our respective jobs by 2 pm. Laura landed in Seoul around 8: 30 pm and met at my place around 11 pm. We checked her into her hotel, went to eat delectable Korean BBQ, and took a tour (exactly 2 minutes long) of our miniature apartment… I think to her shock and horror. “It’s… just… soooo small,” declared Laura. In this moment I would swear by deja vu, for she had stated the exact sentiment with the same haunting expression as my mother only 7 months prior. Laura had a similar initial awkward and fumbling response to always having to immediately take shoes off once walking in the door, as is customary in Korea. Other than that, she felt comfortable and safe at her new digs.

Wednesday December 18

Before heading in to work on Wednesday, John, Laura, Chris and I went to the 2013 Seoul Design Festival. This was one of my favorite shared events together of the whole trip. The design festival featured new, up and coming artists, interior decorators, innovators in their given field,  fashion designers, techies, etc. Each station was unique and many were interactive. I enjoyed the wide variety of mediums utilized by each of the presenters.

I met this artist. She designs the ballet-inspired prints herself and then has them translated onto a magnitude of different textiles.   

Above: A hide away book shelf. Below: The softest, most-cuddly, and hilarious chairs I have ever sat on. I am pretty sure that the rest of the pictures <not displayed here> from this station would have solidified Laura’s mother’s fears over the past 16 years that we are lesbians (despite the fact that both of us have had many partners of the opposite gender).

As I stated previously, many of the stations were interactive, yet many of the Korean attendees of the design festival were hesitant to get involved. Laura had some interesting observations and annoyance with the lack of initiation of many Koreans. Korea is a collectivist culture which means that the focus is on the group, not the individual. Evidence of this can be seen in every day life. Koreans are not rule breakers. They ask permission instead of forgiveness. Americans do the later. Being a deviant from any kind of norm is feared and avoided like the plague.  This can be wonderful because it promotes stability, lack of fear, less violence, respect for elders, order and control, an ease to every day life; however, it diminishes creativity, hinders individual expression and forces an entire culture to lack critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities. Laura found this down right trite and very uninspiring.

I told her that being a foreigner here has been the best of both worlds for me. As a person with anxiety, having an expected crowd and culture to move amongst is awesome. If I do something wrong or don’t feel like following the ‘rules’ that day, I am forgiven because I am a white foreigner. I actually really like the collectivist consideration for one another. I am not looking forward to moments of individualistic, selfish and entitled yearnings of the West back in the USA, most likely because it will be overwhelming for me to process and I will no longer feel special as one who is ‘allowed’ to do as I please.

  

Above: A sculture made completely out of rice… only in Asia! 

Above: Picture right, the chair in the back is made completely out of cork. I really did not like the texture for sitting in because one’s clothes grab on the unconventional surface. Below: Rorshach decor- a future psychologist’s dream 🙂

Above: Nifty little tea cups with tea bag holders that also looked like teeth!

Below: Zip lamp shades that can be placed over any free standing bulb. Talk about economical and cute!

Below: This was by far my favorite innovation of the day. Little men to hold the Ramen lid down so that the steam does not easily escape. This is genius.

After the Design Festival, John and I scurried to work in order to make it on time. Chris and Laura stopped at a shop known for its appetizing mondu (dumplings).

Wednesday evening after work, Laura, John, Andra, Ellie and I enjoyed dinner at our most-frequented local BBQ joint. You will see that we went to this BBQ restaurant often during Laura’s stay. We tried 5 different dishes, but Laura always had a fiending for Kalbi Sal- BBQ beef with salt.

Thursday December 19

Thursday morning before work, Laura and I visited one of my most-cherished places in Seoul- Gyeongbok Palace. Unfortunately, we missed the English tour, but thankfully I have an excellent memory and was able to convey most of what I remembered from the last time I took the tour in May with my mother and Chris. The weather was crisp and there was fresh powder on the ground. I couldn’t have asked for a more glorious blue beaming sky to liven the spirit and brighten the pictures. I love this place so much because it reminds me of a fabulous time with my mother. It is located right in the center of the city and yet feels so far removed from the hustle and bustle of modernity. This place is part of ‘old Korea’ and has so much history from the various occupations of this small country.

Laura really enjoyed the symbolism and specific features of the palace. For example, I explained to her that the palace is placed specifically to blend in with the surrounding nature. The angular upswing of the awnings perfects melds into the slope of the mountain.

Thursday evening after work was a blast! Christine, Yuni, Brandon, Ellie, John, Laura, Andra and I all went out to eat Shabu Shabu (very similar to the Chinese hot pot) and then went to noraebang to sing.

  

Friday December 20

Friday I had work ALLLLL day, 10 am- 6 pm! Boooo! Meanwhile, Laura pounced around the city without me exploring museums (The War and Women’s Human Rights Museum and the Seoul Museum of Art) and getting her hair did! She got a fashionable new asymmetrical cut from my hair dresser Lucy!

 

In the evening, we enjoyed more delicious Korean BBQ! Laura said she ‘craved’ the meat here, but to my dismay and surprise, hated the makgeoli. Makgeoli is a rice wine, a little bit sour and milky. I love it!

Saturday December 21

On Saturday, Laura graciously surprised Chris and I with lattes from Starbucks! Yum! Alas, Chris had to work, so it was Laura, Jesse and I that went out. Our whole day was spent in Insadong eating mouth-watering food, shopping for traditional Korean-made goods, and having tea at a traditional tea house.

Insadong was originally two towns whose names ended in the syllables “In” and “Sa”. They were divided by a stream, which ran along Insadong’s current main street. Insadong began 500 years ago as an area of residence for government officials through the early period of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). During the Japanese occupation, the wealthy Korean residents were forced to move and sell their belongings, at which point the site became an area of trading in antiques. After the end of the Korean War, the area became a focus of South Korea’s artistic and cafe life. It gained in popularity with international tourists during the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Insadong is well known as a traditional street to both locals and foreigners and represents the culture of the past and the present. It contains a mixture of historical and modern atmosphere. The majority of the traditional buildings originally belonged to merchants and bureaucrats. Most of these older buildings are now used as restaurants or shops. Insadong contains 40% of the nation’s antique shops and art galleries as well as 90% of the traditional stationery shops. Particularly noteworthy is Tongmungwan, the oldest bookstore in Seoul, and Kyung-in Art Gallery, the oldest teahouse.

      

I was so pleased that we were able to find this teahouse because when my mother was in Seoul in May, the traditional tea experience eluded us. We wound up drinking sugary tea in a courtyard with American Christmas music playing in the background. This time the tea was herbal, house traditional, and music, Korean. While in Insadong, Laura made a large and pricey purchase of an absolutely stunning tea set. The pictures do not do it justice! Because we did not want to risk breaking it, we returned home earlier than expected after it was purchased. The irony of this will become apparent later.

Sunday December 22

Our first stop on Sunday was to Jogyesa Temple. Jogyesa Temple is the center of Zen Buddhism in Korea, and is famous for being located in the city. The first thing one notices at the temple are the lovely trees. These locust trees and baeksong trees in front of the Daeungjeon, the main temple building, are about 500 years old. One locust tree is about 26-meter high, and in the summer, provides a large amount of shade to enhance the mood of the temple. The baeksong tree is designated as a Natural Monument. The Daeungjeon building is a stately building built in 1938. The Dancheong is particularly beautiful with all the different colors painted on it, and inside the building is the statue of Seokgamoni. In front of the Daeungjeon building, you can also see a seven-storey stone pagoda containing Jinsinsari.

Laura seemed entranced with photo taking, especially with the wish candles. We were super lucky to see a traditional service going on inside. It felt special to be able to teach Laura a few of the Buddhist basics that I learned at my temple stay in the mountains in March.

    

Next, we walked along the Cheonggyecheon Stream.

  

Below: We had to stop to take a cliche photo op in front of the Admiral Yi sun-sin statue. Admiral Yi Sun-shin is a Korean hero. Yi Sun-shin (1545 –1598) was a Korean naval commander, famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty, and is well-respected for his exemplary conduct on and off the battlefield not only by Koreans, but by Japanese Admirals as well. His most remarkable military achievement occurred at the Battle of Myeongnyang. He was outnumbered 133 warships to 13, and forced into a last stand with only his minimal fleet standing between the Japanese Army and Seoul and won. Yi died at the Battle of Noryang on December 16, 1598. With the Japanese army on the verge of being completely expelled from the Korean Peninsula, he was mortally wounded by a single bullet. His famous dying words were, “The battle is at its height…beat my war drums…do not announce my death.“

We then headed to Itaewon, the foreigner district, to visit Chris and work and to try one of Ben’s Cookies. Laura was shocked by how popular this place was, but even more alarmed that Seoul is so lacking in gooey warm cookies, so much so that this place makes bank.

We had a fun dinner at Braai Republic for lamb pot pie and many many crafts of wine. From left to right: Laura, me, Yuni, Christine, Megan. Jesse joined in later.

Last stop of the evening was to Southside Parlor for Bobby’s charity event/ welcome back concert.

Above: Steve, Lee and Yuni. Below: Christine and I

Monday December 23

Monday morning Chris, Laura and I went to the Aria restaurant at the Westin downtown for our 5-star Christmas brunch with delicacies from all around the world. My favorites included:

While I was at work, Laura went to the War Memorial of Korea and to the Noryangjin fish market.

Monday evening I had to call it an early evening because I still had so many report cards to do and preparation for the winter carnival at school the following day.

Tuesday December 24

In the morning, Laura went back to the War Memorial to take the English tour as I scrambled to finish typing report cards. Laura met me at school and spent the whole day with my adorable, energetic, candy- craving brute  kiddos. I have two distinct recollections of Laura’s commentary. 1) As she sat back with glazed eyes with 2.5 hours left in the day, “I’m exhausted, and you do this everyday?” 2) You are a good teacher- fun ,but with firm boundaries and expectations. This is the best compliment I could ever receive. Thanks lover! Meow.

After work, Andra, Megan, Ben, Lee, Steve, Yuni, Ellie, John, Laura and I went out for BBQ (I swear to god we did eat other things on this trip! lol).

  

Hanoi, Vietnam: December 13-17

  

Our 4-day journey to Vietnam was jam packed with a historical tour, water sports, cave exploration, fantastic food, a cooking class, and an epic reunification. My best friend, Laura, of 16 years, departed Minneapolis on Thursday December 12 with 2 bags- one with her clothes & camera, and one full of a plethora of Christmas presents from my parents, including the always-coveted decorated ginger bread cookies with cream cheese frosting, that my mother makes. Chris and I followed the morning of December 13 with our carry-ons from Seoul. We met in Hanoi after a free upgrade to business class (both of our first times!!) and a brief MN shout out at the Charlie Brown Cafe. Upon reunion, we three were joyfully chatty, despite being 2 bags lighter. Needless to say, Laura was stuck in the same outfit for 2 days! What a trooper!

Day 1

All the booze we desired, personal TVs, and enough leg space for me to do a somersault. This is the life. I am 100% flying back to the USA in first class.

Our balcony and the views:

Our first adventure of the day was to explore the Old Quarter surrounding our aptly located accommodations. The Old Quarter has the original street layout and the limited remnants of French colonialism that can be seen in the street names and architecture. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city consisted of only about 36 streets. Each street then had merchants and households that specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewelry, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops, local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars.

In the center of the Old Quarter rests Hoan Kiem Lake, meaning Lake of the Restored Sword. According to the legend, emperor Lê Lợi was boating on the lake when a Golden Turtle God surfaced and asked for his magic sword, Heaven’s Will. Lợi concluded that the Turtle God had come to reclaim the sword that its master, a local God, the Dragon King had given Lợi some time earlier, during his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty. The Turtle Tower standing on a small island near the centre of lake is linked to the legend.

Near the northern shore of the lake lies Jade Island on which the Ngoc Son Temple stands. The temple was erected in the 18th century. It honors the 13th-century military leader Tran Hung Dao who distinguished himself in the fight against the Yuan Dynasty, Van Xuong- a scholar, and Nguyen Van Sieu- a Confucian master and famous writer in charge of repairs made to the temple in 1864. Ngoc Son Temple is connected to the shore by the wooden red-painted Huc Bridge, meaning Morning Sunlight.

Above: Laura gets adventurous in climbing skills and Chris is approached by an elderly Vietnamese man for a photo op (this has literally occurred everywhere we have gone in Asia).

 

Whilst at the lake, Chris was on a mission to find the much-covted Vietnamese coffee shop that we intended to attend. Meanwhile, Laura and I went to explore the Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple. As we were taking pictures and enjoying the scenery, a sudden storm rolled in. Laura and I scampered swiftly for cover and waited with 12 other people under an ornate decorative arch. As we were waiting, a young Vietnamese woman and her friends chatted with us and kept us pleasantly accompanied. After the storm subsided we were far separated from Chris with no means of communication. He knew that we would be somewhere on the lake (about the size of Lake Calhoun <3.2 miles in diameter> for reference). We had no need to worry because once we gave a two second description of Chris, one blurted out, “Oh… the tall black man?” Our new found friends were determined to help us reunite our group.  Only moments into our search, I became worried about the fact that we were moving around the lake and probably so was Chris, possibly in the same direction. This could go on all night… So we parted ways and a few instances later the Vietnamese college students were running back towards us stating that they had found our lovable Cbear. Yayy!

Above: Rain storm. Below: One of the many “specialty” streets in the Old Quarter. This one was a seasonal street. It looked as though Christmas had vomited up tinsel and cliche Santa outfits for all genders and ages.

We finished off day one with a fabulous dinner over-looking the Hoan Kiem lake. My first impressions of the city and its people were varied. From the moment we stepped off the plane, I noticed that the language sounded aggressive, but the tone did not match the expressions on the people’s faces. Every single person we met the entire trip was overly kind and welcoming. The reason for the assertive tone is that Vietnamese is a tonal language, much like Mandarin. This means that it was epically impossible for me to pronounce anything even remotely correctly because even if I was only a minuscule amount off of the word’s sound or pronunciation, it would mean something completely different. This is not true in Korea.

       

My initial impression of the city was that it was small, very small. The closest comparison to our other travels would be Chiang Mai, Thailand, which I loved. Apparently the population in Hanoi is 6.5 million, but it did not feel at all congested. I am a bit jaded at this point, after having been living in the third largest city in the world (25 million in the city proper on a work day) after a year. The streets are fucking psychotic! There are NO traffic rules and people travel full speed right into one another until a second before collision, right as all the best moment’s of one’s life is flashing before one’s eyes. In my travels, Liberia was a close second in disastrous traffic scenarios, but at least there, the roads were so eroded that everyone was traveling slowly amidst complete chaos. This was not so in Hanoi.  

Most people drive mopeds or scooters because cars are outrageously expensive. A Ford Taurus would cost $50,000 because of the high taxation on cars and there is no domestic car production. Those who do own cars are very well-off businessmen, government job holders, or foreign dignitaries. Vietnam is unique in that most of the country, approximately 80%,  still sustains itself on farming. Therefore, the country as a whole is very poor. The largest exports are silk, coffee, and rice. Many foreign countries use Vietnam as a place to siphon cheap labor because of lower labor costs and less restricted operating standards. Panasonic is one of many. 

Day 2

Day 2 started out early with our tour guide Charlie meeting us at our hotel. Forgive the plug, but I acquired the services of Charlie through a company called Hanoi Free Tour Guides. These guides give free day long tours wherever one wants to go in the city. Each guide has to pass a four tiered exam and interview process in order to be selected- degree and resume selection, entrance exam, written work, oral test, and historical knowledge. Our experience with Charlie far exceeded my expectations. 

Our first stop was to the Museum of Ethnology. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. The mission of the Museum is scientific research, collection, documentation, conservation, exhibition and preserving the cultural and historic patrimony of the nation’s different ethnic groups.

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a valuable centre for the exhibition and the preservation of cultural heritages of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. It is also a centre for ethnographic research employing many experts on the different ethnic groups. People come to the Museum just not to visit or entertain, but also to learn about these ethnic groups, their cultural diversity and the uniqueness of each group and region, as well as traditional values throughout the Vietnamese country.

First stop was to watch the free water puppet show. Water puppetry is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water. When the rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play. Traditional legends and historical tales are among the enchanting puppet plays performed at this popular theatre
.

 

Before and during the show, there was a large extra-friendly goat hanging out with the tourists.

The crowd was highly amused by this ubiquitously seen and eaten-around-the-world animal. I wasn’t uber intrigued, but Chris really wanted a photo with him, so I had my camera out. He sauntered up to me playfully and then unabashedly started eating my purse! My first gut reaction was to smash down upon his thorny head with my fist and scream “No” over the blaring Vietnamese traditional music. This rousted a loud laugh from the onlooking crowd. Needless to say, the goat stayed far away from me after that. 

We were given a ceremonious boutonnière for our attendance at the show.  

Below: the famous Vietnamese hat and fishing equipment, ceremonious Buddhist alter (80% of the country is Buddhist), and earthen ware.

Above: This home we are posing in front of is a replica of the type of home our tour guide Charlie grew up in. The interior is about 20’X10′ with dirt floors containing one large family room, a separate area for cooking, a Buddhist alter, and a large machine for making clothes. 

Above: The outdoor feature of the museum displayed a variety of housing particular to the different ethnic groups of the country. If you look closely at the right ladder, you will see breasts carved into the top of the ladder. This is the ladder for the women. I asked, but apparently there is not phallic equivalent for male ladders. Awww shucks. 🙂

 

Our next stop of the day was to the Confucian Temple of Literature. This was one of my favorite places in the city. The architecture has been well preserved. The grounds are immaculately kept. This is a popular site for gradation photos because the temple is seen as the center for experiential and academic learning. The teachings found here speak of academic achievement and the moral need for public works. 

       

The Vietnamese women and men are elegantly dressed for their graduation photos. Traditional Vietnamese wear for women is silk pants with a sheer long lace top. These, by far, have been the most attractive and sexy traditional clothes I have seen in Asia.

     

Above: the three of us with our lovable sweet tour guide Charlie.

In Vietnamese culture, the turtle and crane each symbolize enduring power and longevity. The two, standing together, represent a healthy long life of happiness. The tortoise represents the double symbol of Heaven and Earth. Its oval and convex shell represents the vault of heaven, while the square plaque on its underside symbolizes the surface of the Earth.
The tortoise is the emblem of longevity and perfection, and is generally represented with a coral branch in its mouth, a crane on its back, and a box containing the sacred book of “Lac Thu” placed under its back. This book serves as a reminder of the invention of a diagram representing the division of the universe into male and female principles. The crane on the back of the tortoise mostly in temples dedicated to Confucius, emperors and local spirits. In principle, the symbol of crane is not used in Buddhist pagodas. The tortoise is believed to live ten thousand years, and the crane one thousand years; thus, the presence of this symbol means, “May you be remembered for one thousand years, and may your cult endure for ten thousand years.”

The trees were epic! And Chris was a bit of a celebrity that day. People stood in line to take a photo with him.

 

After the temple, we had a magnificent lunch at Delicious Restaurant- huge and full of both tourists and locals. This is how one knows a restaurant is really great- popular with the locals and well-known enough that it attracts an international crowd. The restaurant was 360 degrees of visual and odorous excitement. All of the meals were cooked in plain view at different stations surrounding the two-ballroom-sized eating hall. We had so much food, I do not even remember all of the dishes. I know we had Pho, fresh spring rolls, fried egg rolls, and a fish dish. The total cost of our meal was around $30 for four people eating at least 5 dishes with drinks.

Afterwards, we enjoyed Vietnamese coffee at a cute famous shop during a down poor. We got to pick Charlie’s brain about Vietnamese culture and Charlie had some fun romance questions of his own. Charlie is an attractive, well-dressed, smart man. I was surprised to find out that he had not yet dated, but he informed us that focus is on school and not on dating. Charlie is a 28 year old student finishing out his degree at a local private university. He has never been in a relationship and wanted to know the best way to ask a girl out. I told him to go all out, the more romantic and cheesy the better. Laura said she could do without the fanfare. We probably confused him more than helped, but it was a hilarious and informative discussion about relationships, sex, and love in Vietnam.

Couples in Vietnam are very egalitarian. Men and women work outside of the home, care for the children, and care for the home. Traditionally women still cook. Holding hands and public displays of affection are a rare sight, especially with the eldest generation. In Korea there is a steep divid on this issue. The older generation in Korea would probably die before touching someone of the opposite gender in public, while the younger generation can’t keep their paws off one another. In Vietnam, sex before marriage is common, but frowned upon. In Korea, sex before marriage is very common, but never discussed. Much like the trend in the large cities of the USA, Korea and Vietnam are waiting until late 20s and early 30s before taking the plunge into forever with his or her partner.

Charlie dropped us off at our hotel around 5 pm. We took a quick nap and Laura’s luggage finally arrived! The rest of the evening was spent at the night market shopping, people watching, investing in art, and trying the street food. I bought two of the below pieces. I feel very privileged to say that I met the artist and was able to see him in his element producing work.

Day 3

Our destination for Day 3- Halong Bay! I had seen a photo similar to this one I took shortly after it was labeled a Cultural World Heritage Site. I knew I wanted to go to Vietnam and personally visualize the below picture. I did and it was surreal!

We were picked up from our hotel at 7 am and began on our 3 hour drive to Halong Bay just NE of the city. If you can’t tell, Cbear was pooped.

Along the way we got to see farming communities, rolling ‘greenscapes,’ and… chickens. Unfortunately, the scene of many animals crammed in a cage was witnessed far too often on this trip. Sad face for the animals. We stopped at an AHHHMAZZZING art store/warehouse/training center. Visitors were privy to gazing upon the workers as they sewed, manipulated their mediums, and honed their craft. This place reminded me of L’Artisan d’Ankor that we saw in Cambodia. I did not get the chance to do research on this place because it was an unscheduled stop in the tour, but I do hope that the artisans are treated well and compensated fairly. I bought two glorious silk shirts there 🙂

Above: Sculpture room, Below: All of these pictures are hand-sewn!

  

Yes, they are sewing these pictures… not painting. From far away, they look like paintings though.

Back in the saddle again… on the road until we reached Halong Bay. 

 

I slept for most of the 3 hour trek, so it seemed to go by in a flash. It was a rainy day, but still a gorgeous view. We chartered a private boat about 50 feet long. It was all ours!! For at least 6 hours anyways. Once on the vessel, we were off to view only a few of the thousands of spectacular jutting limestone islands and the accompanying fishing villages. First, we settled down to enjoy a very fresh and scrumptious seafood lunch.

     

According to local legend, when Vietnam had just started to develop into a country, they had to fight against invaders. To assist the Vietnamese in defending their country, the gods sent a family of dragons as protectors. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. Numerous rock mountains abruptly appeared on the sea, ahead of invaders’ ships; the forward ships struck the rocks and each other. After winning the battle, the dragons were interested in peaceful sightseeing of the Earth, and then decided to live in this bay. The place where the mother dragon descended was named Hạ Long, the place where the dragon’s children attended upon their mother was called Bái Tử Long island, and the place where the dragon’s children wriggled their tails violently was called Bạch Long Vỹ island (Bạch: white-color of the foam made when Dragon’s children wriggled, Long: dragon, Vỹ: tail).

The bay consists of a dense cluster of some 1,600 limestone monolithic islands each topped with thick jungle vegetation, raising spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. A community of around 1,600 people lives on Hạ Long Bay in four fishing villages. They live on floating houses and are sustained through fishing and marine aquaculture, plying the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes.

  

And then we went on a cave expedition!

  

Above: this room caused Laura to burst out laughing like a 7th grader. I can give you two hints. It is red and very phallic.

Below: we are rubbing the turtle head for good luck. Many people from all over the world have visited and left a small offering. It was spectacular to see the global currencies.

    

Here we prepare for our 2 hour kayaking adventure. I opted for no life vest per usual. The crew gave us two kayaks and told us to explore- no real directions, no time to be back, no fear that we might get lost amongst the hundreds of similar-looking rocks. I LOVED IT! Freedom on the water at last. I missed Minnesota summer soooo much this year and there is no where in Seoul to get a calm “lake-like” experience of water. I don’t know if it was because it was a rainy day, but the Bay seemed deserted- no tourists, very few other kayakers, and minimal motorized boat sounds. The experience was tremendously peaceful. It was very unlike Phi Phi island in Thailand which seemed wrought with tacky tours and thousands of speed boats destroying the epic tranquility of the natural landscape. Here we were alone and it felt wonderful.

After we traversed through the stoney underpass pictured below, we entered into a petite lagoon that was 360 degrees surrounded by striking grand limestone walls covered in lush greenery. Only the sun shown  above us, only the lapping of the water could be heard against the kayak, and it felt for a moment as if we were completely disconnected from the world as we knew it. I will never forget the transcendent views, the serene separation from society, and the epic release from all anxiety as I glided my fingertips in the clean cool water and breathed in the splendor of this once in a lifetime experience. I personally did not take any pictures purposefully because I wanted to only remember the feelings.

Once we exited the lagoon, Laura and I rushed back because the sun was setting and neither of us wanted to get stuck out on the water in an area we did not know. Chris lagged behind. He is not as water able. One moment he was looking at an island of interest and the next moment he was floating in Halong Bay, disconnected from his kayak. He still doesn’t know what really happened. Laura and I did not see this occur. We heard it from the overly-concerned crew who had sent a rescue team out to get him. Chris is featured below on the side of the rescue boat. I think the crew thought I was diabolical because I thought the whole situation was quite funny. I never thought he was in danger for one moment. He had a life vest on, was in fresh water, and was within sight of the floating boat house we were on (maybe 150 meters away). If it had not been for our pending 3 hour commute home, I would have jumped in the bay too! The crew viewed it much differently especially when Chris came aboard bleeding profusely because he scrapped his leg on the side of the boat. It was a minor wound that they treated with great care. Either way it was quite dramatic. Chris’s camera was ruined permanently, but thank god we rescued the photos!

Needless to say, we slept soundly upon return. It was one of the top 20 days of my life.

Day 4

In the morning and early afternoon of Day 4, Chris and I stayed in to rest and recoup. We were exhausted from the previous days’ activities and also needed some couple time. In order to get the 5 sequential days off from work, Chris was required to work every other day for the rest of the month. Being away from our 10X10 jail cell room in Korea was relaxing and very much needed. Meanwhile, Laura went and explored the city. Later in the day we had a cooking class to attend!

First two tasks of cooking class: drink delectable Vietnamese coffee and go to the market!

    

Below: Large toads in the bag.

Below: The hind quarter of a fried dog.

And now the cooking class begins. We made two types of salads, a pork stew, and fried spring rolls. The class was very well organized, super clean, and well-demonstrated. My only gripe was that compared to our previous cooking classes in Korea and Thailand, they didn’t really let us prepare or cook as much as the others. The stew was put in the oven and about half of the ingredients had already been chopped and prepared for us.

  

Below: Making spring rolls.

Below: Eating baby duck straight from the egg with a little bit of ginger. It was actually delicious!

  

Below: Banana leave and prawn salad, and another pineapple, cucumber spicy salad.

After our non-labor-intensive class, we sat down with all the members of our class and ate dinner with endless wine on the top floor of the restaurant. This part was unique, but a little bit odd because almost all of the other class constituents were much older than us. Chris and I headed to the airport after class to fly back to Seoul on the red eye so that we could work the morning we landed.

My Korean Baby

I have been in Korea the length of time equivalent to a full-term pregnancy; thus, I am ‘terming’ this blog post: My Korean Baby. This post is a review of the last 3/4 of a year and a preview of what is to come. Like expectant mothers, I have read and visited people and places to learn about my growing Korean ‘baby’ over these 9 months. In the beginning, I experienced the bliss of new experiences and expectations. Every new food, custom, Korean word or phrase learned, and sight was exciting. I formed a new expat family, like that of mothers-to-be. I too have experienced many sicknesses (morning and otherwise) while being abroad to my chagrin, and found the middle apex to be the part with the most ease. Toward the end, I had had to let go of some fantasies (that Carly could stay here forever) and look forward to the horror of birth. The pain I experienced was/is financial and health-related, sleepless nights included. Now lets forget this ‘labored’ analogy and talk about plans… always my favorite part.

This blog post will cover Chris and my current two-year plan, 9 positives and 9 negatives of the last 9 months, a review of some recent reads and finally a warm shout out and thank you to those who have stayed in contact, in whatever petite or grand way, since I have been away.

Two-Year Plan:

“Sooo…. When are you coming home?” asks the inquiring voice on the other side of the computer screen at the now cloyingly familiar beginning to my skype dates. The answer is… drum roll please…  the first week of AUGUST 2014. This is final, no backsies. I have signed a 6-month extension to my contract. I promised Papa Bear that I would be home in no longer than 1.5 years and I will not break that promise. I decided to extend for three major reasons. 1) I LOVE my job. 2) I am broke. 3) I still have so much of Korea to see and experience!

December 2013: Five-day trip to Vietnam with my best friends, Laura and Chris. Upon return, Laura will spend 2 weeks with me in Seoul and will be staying for Christmas!!

March 2014: Chris returns home to Omaha to spend quality time with family.

April 2014: Chris returns to Minneapolis for work and to finish culinary school at the Arts Institute in downtown Minneapolis.

April-August 2014: Robyn will be impossibly lonely without Chris, but also joyously content to have the 10 X 10 ft apartment back to herself. I hope to have a visit from my friend Caroline and her husband Damon, my friend Ashly, and a possible return of my mother during this time frame! We shall see 🙂

August 2014: Fly home to Minneapolis and spend entire month reconnecting with Minneapolis roots while living in Hopkins. I will plan a trip down to Omaha (to visit Creighton family and shop at Be Yourself) and, fingers crossed, a trip to visit Carly in Taiwan or British Columbia- wherever she may be.

September-October 2014: Retake GRE, apply to PhD programs, be Mom and Dad’s servant (cooking, cleaning, yard work, groceries- whatever I can do to pay for my keep).

November 2014: Search for and hopefully get a job in Minneapolis. I wouldn’t mind working in mental health or education. Ironically, I am not fully qualified for either at this point. I HATE corporate America, but it may be my only option to find a suitably paid position. My ideal job would be to become an academic advisor on campus. I also hope to move out of my parents’ place, back to Minneapolis, in this month before too much snow falls.

November-March 2015: Anxiously await the reply from graduate programs.

August 2015: Either move to new state for a graduate program or pathetically wallow in a failed second attempt at a PhD and have a legitimate mental breakdown accompanied by a full-on quarter life crisis.

9 Pros & 9 Cons of Korean Life

Positives

1)   The job- the Kiddos

I have really enjoyed being a teacher here. I feel fulfilled. If I learned anything from my previous anxiety-filled job as a mental health advocate at a corporate insurance agency, it is that my job is the single MOST adequate gauge of happiness for me. I was SO unhappy before and now I am blissfully pleased with what I do every day. Even if the home front is rocky, I can count on work to lift my spirits. If I hadn’t promised Papa Bear that I would be home in 1.5 years and also needed to support Chris’s dream to finish culinary school, then I probably would travel the globe being an English teacher for about 5 years. I love learning and I get a chance to do that everyday at work from the children and the challenging curriculum that I teach. My counseling background definitely helps when communicating with management and trying to read the lil ones in class.

I am the teacher with really high expectations that no one wants to disappoint. I also have really fun motivational rewards for the kids as individuals and as a class. Teaching is a creative release for me because I am always trying to come up with a new educational game, a new way to explain a concept that seems so innate to me but foreign to the students, ways to decorate the class, and other kinds of motivators for unique learners. I have always been a ‘favorites’ person, so I this is a little challenging for me. I also prefer the high-achieving students who think critically. I get to teach debate classes which is SO AWESOME! We discuss everything from plastic gyers in the Pacific to being a weekday vegetarian, globalization to ethnic cleansing, adoption to economic philosophies (ie. communism v. capitalism), etc. These kids are so brilliant and discuss topics that I only learned about in college. It doesn’t hurt that I work with splendid human beings who have mature conversations about learning pedagogy, but who can also party after work.

2) Access to Asia

 

So far we have traversed Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Some highlights were our luxury accommodations and the Angkorwat temples in Cambodia, the white water rafting through the jungle and adopting an elephant for a day in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and trekking to remote water falls in the Philippines. Please refer to my former blogs if you missed any of these details.

2)   My Espirit Family & Friends

John is a soldier for education. Andra is a ferocious hockey player and strong disciplinarian. Ellie is sweet as pudding and open to almost any activity. Cbear is my knight in chocolate armor. Aleim is my Korean goddess who tells me how “it really is” in Korea. Carly is my tan cookie, my humanitarian soul mate and one to always look up to for her compassionate teaching. Bri is the laid back chick who can be as badass at baking as at pool playing. Yuni is the rambunctious Latina ready to party. Ben is a leader. Lee is calm and collected. Jenny is from the Down Under and has the best laugh! Noel is our actress. Christine is our mama who takes care of us when we get sick and is always out to support everyone in any way she can. Steve is a Cali man who lays down the law in class and has an excellent sense of humor. Could you imagine a better bunch? I can’t, not as a family or as coworkers. I am blessed!

3)   Public Transportation

Planes, trains and automobiles… more like subways, buses and taxis! I love not having the responsibility of a car here. I also enjoy being part of the crawling, heaving, bustling city of Seoul by walking in it every day, although it can get exhausting. No car insurance. No fear of speeding tickets or accidents. No need to parallel park on a snow bank. Yes please!! … by the way, thank you Papa Bear for caring for Heuvo while I have been away!

4)   Growing our Relationship

My friends have all said at one point during this crazy, beautiful, tragic, hilarious, fun, and perilous journey, “if you can make it through your time abroad, the two of you can make it through anything.” I am starting to believe them! We have had some of our highest highs and our lowest lows this year. As you read on you will find out about our financial and health woes, and you have already read (if you follow my blogs) about our amazingly spectacular travel opportunities and belly laughs with friends. We both love our jobs here and feel that we are building a foundation for our relational and career pursuits. Because we are living in a 10 X 10 ft room, we have had to be very communicative and raw with one another. We admit to being each other’s best friend, confidant, enabler, source of stress, and motivator. Being broke hasn’t broken us. Health concerns unveil the depth of love for one another and the challenges associated with dealing with the stress differently. I have an unwavering partner for better or for worse.

5)   Korean Food

6)   Opportunities for Things to do are Endless

Since our return from the Philippines towards the end of September, I have been hunkered down in the apartment reading, recouping and saving money. Even with my limited budget and lack of eagerness to “get out more,” I still have had some pretty fun experiences including: going to a 10-minute play competition, wing night with friends, Halloween costume party, Chris’s birthday BBQ and noraebang singing, Indian food feast, 3D posh movie theatre experience, International Fireworks Festival, street art performances, King Sejong museum, and working out with a friend. And yet, I could fill up the whole blog with things I did NOT do that WERE going on! The choices are endless.

7)   Acquiring Cultural Competency 

Whether I wind up as a professor, counselor, psychologist, human development specialist, or social scientist, understanding more of the world’s culture and history is always an asset. Being here has been a priceless experience to travel, learn from other expat’s experiences, talk to locals, watch human development in my students, read a plethora of books and articles, and learn from the complex issues in my debate class that I teach. The better I can empathize, understand and relate to others, the more suited I am for my profession, whatever that may turn out to be. I feel more connected to the human race, to different humanitarian issues, and to women’s rights than I ever have before. I hope to return home with an even broader perspective on the world, knowledge that I can impart and discuss with others, and with a renewed passion to further my career with my acquired cultural competence.

8)   Safety

I never knew how scared I was until I wasn’t. Have you ever, especially as a woman unfortunately, looked behind your shoulder to see if someone was following you? Have you ever been wary of jogging at night? Have you looked at someone entering an establishment and wondered if he or she has a weapon? Are you concerned that if you leave something on your front yard, that someone might take it? Do the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you cross an almost deserted parking lot late at night? Do you fear that you may be the victim of violence (sexual or otherwise) when you least expect it? Do you wonder if you should let the man offering to carry your groceries to your car do so? If you have, you are not alone; however, I have news. This is not true all over the world.

In Korea, the most dangerous location is in Itaewon, the foreigner district. Korean people are calm and collected, focused on the bigger picture and their role in society, not always self-interest. Qualities of value are the community and harmony. They are extremely passive aggressive, think Minnesota Nice, but without access to guns and without the cultural instillation of individual entitlement. Violence and agrgression are nearly unheard of, at least in public. To be fair, domestic violence is an issue here as well, but is not seen outdoors. I can walk down any dark ally at any time of day or night anywhere in Seoul, a city larger than New York City mind you, and feel 99% safe. I would say I felt 75% safe in Minneapolis and 85% in Hopkins, if you want a comparison to the Minnesota.

9)   Planning Trips 

Next on the docket is Hanoi, Vietnam December 13-17. We plan to visit a UNESCO world heritage site- Ha Long Bay, markets, a community center for victims of Agent Orange, citadels, lakes, and more.

Negatives

1)   Treatment of Women

In the United States, many women complain about chivalry being dead. In South Korea, to my knowledge, it never existed. The norm in the USA of opening and closing doors for women, pulling out a chair or stepping aside on a crowded subway just does not occur here. In this Confusion-based power structure, age, gender, and job status let people know how one should be treated. As a women… ehem, aka a second-class citizen, no one steps aside for me. Men and anyone older than me can budge in line at any time. Women first in USA, men first in Korea. I can handle that West and East have opposite norms, but I get a little tired of men walking straight into me expecting me to step aside.

So one rainy night, I didn’t. I held my ground. I didn’t care if he was thinking, “Step aside you overly-fluffy white foreigner bitch.” I just couldn’t take it anymore. Well, he walked right into me. I tackled him like a first rate offensive lineman and by complete accident my umbrella caught and probably painfully snagged his ear. He yelled at me in some Korean profanities that I thankfully didn’t understand and I simply, yet confidently, continued on my walk, not giving him the time of day. I am glad I did it and I would do it again. I am not asking for chivalry, no. I daren’t dream of it. I know I can’t change the system, but I want some men out there to even CONSIDER the idea of equality, that we both have a right to the same amount of pavement. I shouldn’t have to jump into a street of oncoming cars to sidestep a gaggle of drunk and inappropriate businessmen because they lack common human decency. I haven’t even scratched the surface of Korean misogyny or patriarchic bullshit here. I could honestly take up an entire blog about my confrontations with male power in Korea, but I will not waste your time; however, I will give you a few more examples to let you know how ingrained it is in the culture and so prevalent in every day encounters.

My girl students are by far harder working than their male counterparts. I find this so inspirational as a strong female teacher and yet so heart wrenching because both they and I know that 90% of them will wind up as housewives, whether they want to or not- think 1950s America. Women have to work just as hard as men to get good grades to get into an amazing college to perform well to… meet a fantastic man. WAIT, What!?!? Yes, and even if they do find the sweetheart of their dreams in college, he does not have to be ‘committed’ until they walk down the isle.

Take the example of a Korean friend of mine who shall remain nameless. She has been dating the same man for 4 years. She went out on a date to catch up with one of her exes. When I asked her what would happen if her current boyfriend found out, she simply stated that he would dump her. I was shocked! Four years down the drain because of one innocent meeting? I asked her if she would do dump him if she caught him with an ex and she said no, “because men do not have to be exclusive until they are married, but women do.” WAIT, What!??! And then even when they do become married, all this does for the woman is secure her financially. Men are still allowed to visit prostitutes. Some happy hours, exclusively for men after work (Washi), even promote getting prostitutes. Where is the power for the woman at any point in her life? I will tell you: non-existent. The pressure doesn’t end there. After marriage, the woman is expected to stay at home, pop out a child and raise it perfectly to get it into the best schools so that she gets a superb grade as a mother. I am not just observing this, I have had Korean women tell me that this is so. You may ask, why don’t the women just get a divorce and leave him? In the words of one of my friends, “I don’t want to wind up as a cashier at a grocery store.” Of course there are exceptions to this norm and many progressive Koreans out there, but I’m struggling to find this hopeful for my current female comrades in relationships.

According to a study published by the UN this year, one in four Asian (Asia is a HUGE continent) men admit to having sex with a woman without consent, in other words, rape. One in five Korean men visit prostitutes at least twice a month. In Korea, these rapes are not usually the violent rapes we think of on TV in the West. Often, women are obligated to go out drinking with their boss and colleagues after work, or even for fun with their friends on the weekends. The 90 lbs women are expected to keep up with the men. If they can’t and they get too drunk, someone has to take them home. Guess who gets free sex from someone who can’t consent?! So you may ask, is there hope for the future of women in Korea? Yes! I see things changing, slowly, like molasses slow. Women are clawing their way up in the workplace. Women are seeing Western culture and becoming more opinionated, but things will not change as fast as they do in the flighty young USA. Korea as 6,000 plus years of history and men have been in charge for a lllooonnnggg time.

2)   Pollution

  

After we returned from our honeymoon trip through Thailand and Cambodia, Chris’s psoriasis spread like a slashed bag of rice upon a slopped ground. Within a week, 90% of his body was covered. He said he felt like his skin was hardening into an iron casing around his strong and able body. When he moved his arms, they would crack and bleed. He was in extreme agony. Not only was I concerned for his health and increasingly likely susceptibility to infection, but also I was concerned that this could impact his job status. Contamination and food preparation do not go well together. During this time, his confidence was plummeting along with the rise of tenseness and stress in the relationship. My anxiety shot through the roof because any time I wasn’t at work or grading, I was cleaning our tiny compact apartment littered with brown snow which was everywhere from his flaking skin. We tried EVERY product possible and were rapidly loosing money to eat in the process.

Chris went to the doctor here and was prescribed some topical and oral medications that worked, that but this only lasted a few days. In Korea they have no recurring prescriptions. That means that he would have to pay for a $50 doctor appointment (no insurance) and then pay $50 for medication more than once a week. We just couldn’t cut it. When we went to the Philippines, away from the pollution and into the humidity again, his skin got significantly better; however, upon return, we were devastated again. So, we waited and waited and waited for a package to come to Korea from my parents that contained the topical remedy needed. His condition has since subsided but is by no means cured. The two major factors of his condition are stress and pollution- two of which can be very high in Seoul and while working in a fast paced kitchen. We are now counting down the days till our trip to Vietnam! 7 weeks!

3)   Health Concerns

Before coming to Korea, I considered myself to have a rock solid immune system and an iron clad stomach. Plain and simple, I was wrong. In the past 9 months, I have had multiple colds, a sinus infection, laryngitis, multiple yeast infections, constipation, diarrhea, weight gain, and have started smoking cigarettes occasionally. Taking public transportation daily and the fact that every Korean sneezes into his/her hands may cause some of the former issues. Don’t even get me started on how gross it is when I watch someone sneeze into his hand and then place it and the gooey remnants on the handle of a subway train. It seems that no one here has EVER learned to sneeze into a handkerchief or his/her elbow to avoid the SPREAD of germs. I also work with little germ mongers. I love them to death, but kids are walking parasite collectors. The weight gain is from not working out enough and eating late at night. This I can fix. The cigarettes are inexcusable acts that I mostly do while drinking, but it’s been happening and I admit it. I am concerned about this because I know I that I have an addictive personality. Because I have health insurance and awesome coworkers, most of my illnesses have had cheap and effective solutions, but it still doesn’t take away from the annoyingness of being sick.

4)   Materialism & Vanity

Midwesterners are a hearty bunch. We value style, but we also care about comfort and I believe that we tend to care more about spending time together than spending money on looking great every time we spend time together. Korean women love all looking the same and carrying the same Louis Vuitton or Channel handbag. I informed my Korean friends that back in the States, it is an admired trait for women and men to have their own sense of individual style. This information falls on confused minds in this collectivistic culture. Being different is definitely not “in.”

The occasional obsession with looks may be present in the Midwest, but being vain is generally looked down upon. Checking one’s makeup in the middle of a group cocktail hour would be considered a faux pas. Not so in Seoul. Every single afternoon when I get on the elevator in my building there is at least one man or woman checking themselves out in the mirror, adjusting makeup or just plain staring at themselves, true to their Greek role model Narcissis, captivated by their own image. The all-popular “selfies” are taken all the time. No one feels ashamed to be staring and adjusting himself or herself on a packed subway so that they can take pictures. This is not a gendered behavior- it goes both ways.

One thing I look forward to very much going back home is seeing other curvy, voluptuous, fat, fluffy, full-figured humans. I have questioned my hotness over the last 9 months. Self-confidence, for the first time in my LIFE, has been an issue. While on the subway, one commercial for liposuction plays everyday. It is a beautiful skinny, pathetically thin girl (maybe size 4 at the largest) trying to hula-hoop but can’t because she has a fat blob with a face like a gremlin stuck to her leg. This add is a slap in the face. At least in the USA, they would have a size 8 or above person advertising for weight loss instead of a size 4. To put the cherry on top of the sundae, I have begun tutoring a Korean housewife. My only job is to speak with her in English and exchange information on culture. We have talked about weight and how she thinks she is fat (she is NOT), but that she does not care about it as much as other Korean women because her husband is very large. So at the end of the day, it is the appearance of the man in her life that gives her permission to not feel so bad? Oh god, this is twisted in too many ways! Her opinion of me, you ask? Beautiful face, captivating eyes and overall, cute. Being called cute here is like calling the retarded child ‘special.’ Sigh.

5)   Being Broke

Travel comes at an expense. We spent $1000 over budget on our first trip and have had subsequent bills to book the Philippines and Vietnam since. With Chris’s skin condition on top of it, we have barely had our head above water for the past 4 months. At one point we were on a $3 a day per person budget! Things are slightly better now, but it will not be until February that we are on the comfortable plus side again.

6)   Living in a Jail Cell

Our room is 10 x 10 ft studio with a 4-foot hallway that has the 2-burner kitchen and a washing machine across from the tiny bathroom. The bed (which is a futon taped to a single bed) takes up 60% of the space. Chris is 6’8’’ and neither of us are petite persons. Basically, we have been on living top of each other for the past six months. Chris and I never fight because we do not want to say things that we cannot take back- no name calling, generally no swearing, and the intention to keep perspective on where the other person is coming from. This has been our methodology since the beginning of our relationship and mostly, with only two exceptions, this has worked.

Here, if either of us wants to escape tense energy, we either go to our own corner, in the bathroom, or out of the apartment. I tend to stay in, but Chris’s inclination is to always “let you <me> cool down” and leave the apartment for a while. There have been a few pitiable instances where I have shouted, “Well fuck you then, just leave,” as he was already leaving of course… straight out of a TV show, but much less hysterical.

7)   Missing Cabin Season & Nature

While boating on Lake Minnetonka the summer of 2012, Steven Melcher (lawyer and acclaimed ski competitor) announced, “Whose going to jump into the lake second? Because I know who is going first!” He was undoubtedly referring to me being the first one in. I have been called a human fish many a time in my life. Teaching swim lessons for 10 years, swimming the 5-mile Minnetonka Challenge multiple times, being raised at the cabin, and feeling the cool scrub of the sand beneath my toes as the fishes lend their kisses are all ingrained in who I am. Being away from the lakes, nature, and most of all summer in Minnesota was heart breaking. This was the first summer in 26 years that I didn’t spend it at the cabin. I hope to NEVER ever repeat this in my life.

8)   Missing American Food Options

I miss fruit that costs under $10. I miss: Granola bars, blueberries, Greek yogurt, steak, baked potatoes, grandmas mashed potatoes, grilled anything (especially bell peppers), BBQ chicken, spicy Doritos, Chipotle, glazed apple fritters, pizza, cinnamon scones, sushi, Arby’s market fresh turkey sandwich, Wilde Roast’s sugar free almond skim latte with extra foam, cheap ice cream, dark chocolate, beet salad, Gorkah’s Palace, Reuben sandwiches, quality CHEESE (goat cheese, blue cheese, gruyere, gouda, cheddar), good red wine, spinach, salmon, popcorn, fudgecicles, ice cream sandwiches, French onion soup, Laura’s chicken tortilla soup, the list goes on and on and on and on.

9)   Sensory Overload

I live in the third largest city in the world. There are 12 million people in the city proper, 23 million including the suburbs that commute. As you can imagine, walking outside everyday is an explosion of sensory information. The constant traffic sound is the backdrop to both waking and sleeping hours. While walking on the street, one moment a delicious waft of Korean BBQ catches one’s nose, the next a sewer smell, and the following a sweet pastry scent from a street vendor. People surge through the streets to get to their destination, bumping and nudging along the way. I view mobs of black-hair-covered heads shopping, working, walking, giggling, shouting, milling and eating. Don’t get me wrong. I am a city girl at heart. I love taking public transportation. I connect to subsisting in an already living and breathing cement organism, the city. I enjoy my energetic children, but by the end of the day or the weekend, I often want to crawl into my little apartment cocoon, rest, and read.

Recent Reads

I LOVED this book and highly recommend it! Set in Vancouver’s Chinatown, the novel takes place during the 1930s and 1940s. It explores the ways in which the Chinese and majority of Canadians once viewed the Japanese, especially during Japan’s occupation of China during the Second World War and in the events following Pearl Harbor. Other issues dealt with in this novel include the sense of belonging to a nation, and how young children of immigrants felt at this time, trying to find their identity when they were alien residents, and not born in the same country as their parents were. They are working to find their identity as Chinese Canadians, and find either embrace being Canadian, or keep the Old China ways alive. Death, sexuality, and the afterlife are some major themes.

If one loves cats, this is 4 stars!! Vicki Myron was a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm and an alcoholic husband. But her biggest challenge as the new head librarian in Spencer, Iowa, was to raise the spirits of a small, out-of-the-way town mired deep in the farm crisis of the 1980s. Then, on the coldest morning of the year, Vicki found a tiny, bedraggled kitten almost frozen to death in the night drop box, and her life—and the town of Spencer—was never the same. Dewey, as the townspeople named the kitten, grew into a strutting, affable library cat whose antics kept patrons in stitches, and whose sixth sense about those in need created hundreds of deep and loving friendships. As his fame grew, people drove hundreds of miles to meet Dewey, and he even ended up in a hit television documentary…in Japan! Through it all, Dewey remained a loyal companion, a beacon of hope not just for Vicki Myron, but for the entire town of Spencer as it slowly, steadily pulled itself up from the worst financial crisis in its long history.

This book is too dry and filled with too many statistics instead of focusing the personal stories and legacy of the mass killings. The horrific torture and execution of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge during the 1970s is one of the century’s major human disasters. David Chandler, a world-renowned historian of Cambodia, examines the Khmer Rouge phenomenon by focusing on one of its key institutions, the secret prison outside Phnom Penh known by the code name “S-21.” The facility was an interrogation center where more than 14,000 “enemies” were questioned, tortured, and made to confess to counterrevolutionary crimes. Fewer than a dozen prisoners left S-21 alive. More than a chronicle of Khmer Rouge barbarism, Voices from S-21 is also a judicious examination of the psychological dimensions of state-sponsored terrorism that conditions human beings to commit acts of unspeakable brutality.

A classic mystery tale told again about the cold, yet scrupulous, Mr. Holmes and his companion Watson.

The Tale of Despereaux is a 2004 Newbery Medal winning fantasy book written by Kate DiCamillo. The main plot follows the adventures of a mouse named Despereaux Tilling, as he sets out on his quest to rescue a beautiful human princess. The novel is divided into four chapters and a coda. Each chapter tells the story from the perspective of a different character: Despereaux, Roscuro, Miggery Sow, and all together.

Joseph Calderaro is unsure of himself, nervous around girls, and sometimes awkward. Unlike most kids his age, he has some different issues on his plate- he is a Korean adoptee being raised by a proud Italian New Jersey family. Joseph goes on a journey to find out who he really is and tries to embrace two cultures into his life. The story is fairly predictable, but it is geared towards the younger crowd who I’m sure will like this book. Readers can relate to the friends and peers Joseph has at school, as well as the anxiety Joseph has about asking a girl out, and the fear he has when confronting a teacher and his parents about a lie he’s told about his heritage.

Sasha Zaichik is eager to become one of Stalin’s Young Soviet Pioneers. He is particularly excited that his dad, who works in State Security, has agreed to preside over the ceremony at his school. But the night before the ceremony, Sasha’s father is arrested. This is the first hint Sasha gets that that Stalin’s regime might not be as wonderful as he’s always believed it to be. At school the next day Sasha is horrified when he accidentally breaks the nose off a statue of Comrade Stalin. Readers might think he’s exaggerating when he says that the authorities will see this as an act of terrorism, but he’s not: The State Security is called in. He and his classmates are encouraged to turn the culprit in, because surely only an enemy of the state could do such a thing. Sasha is also informed that the only way he can be a Young Soviet Pioneer is to denounce his father publicly. The choice Sasha is forced to make will change his life forever. 

Information in this blog was acquired from: www.deweyreadmorebooks.com, wikipedia, geekchick.hubpages.com, www.ucpress.edu, UN Official Website, Time Official Website. 

Thank You!!

Thank you to all of those who have kept in communication while I have been gone with extra likes, comments, messages or posts on facebook, weekly skype dates, occasional skype dates, packages, texts, emails, following my blog, etc. It really makes the difference between being homesick or feeling connected. I love you and carry you in my heart every day!

Mom, Papa bear, Grandma, Laura, Caroline, Caitlin, Maria, Ashly, Megan Manning, Kyra, Shan, Kate, Tara, Katarina, Stacy, Jen, Cassi, Jill, and Mingzhi. 

Phantastic Philippines

I have now traversed 20 countries (Canada, USA, Mexico, Aruba, Liberia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, South Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, and Philippines), 4.5 continents and yet I just returned home from one of the best vacations of my life to the Philippines! Hiking to remote jungle water falls, massages, snorkeling, walking around the top of a 40-story building with only a harness, scrumptious cheap food, site seeing and excellent company were just some of the highlights.

The Philippines is a Y-shaped archipelago south of China in Southeast Asia. Its 7,100 islands have a total land area of 300,000 sq. km. The Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world. It has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences. Prior to Spanish colonization in 1521, the Filipinos had a rich culture and were trading with the Chinese and the Japanese. Spain’s colonization brought about the construction of Intramuros in 1571, a “Walled City” comprised of European buildings and churches, replicated in different parts of the archipelago. In 1898, after 350 years and 300 rebellions, the Filipinos, with leaders like Jose Rizal and Emilio Aguinaldo, succeeded in winning their independence.

The Philippines was the first republic in Asia (1898), the first to be decolonized partially by a Western colonial country (1935), and the first in Southeast Asia to be granted full independence after the Second World War (1946). Following the Philippine-American War, the United States brought widespread education to the islands. Filipinos fought alongside Americans during World War II, particularly at the famous battle of Bataan and Corregidor, which delayed Japanese advance and saved Australia. They then waged a guerilla war against the Japanese from 1941 to 1945. The Philippines regained its independence in 1946.

Named after Philip II of Spain, the Philippines is a beautiful country and has been called “Pearl of the Orient”. With a fertile soil, healthy climate, rich and natural resources and fishing grounds, it is poised on the brink of an agri-business and aquaculture revolution. The chief agricultural products are rice, coconut, corn, hemp, tobacco, sugarcane and tropical fruits. It ranks first in world production of coconut oil, second in sugarcane, and fifth in tobacco. It is the greatest gold-producing country in Southeast Asia, ranks third in chromite, and has one of the world’s largest deposits of nickel, deuterium and copper.

It has the world’s longest discontinuous coastline (34,000 km.). Its forest provide one of Asia’s best supplies of timber and forest products, but forest resources have been seriously damaged by slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging, and poor management in the past.

The Filipinos are a racial mixture due to their reception of different cultures in history. Intermarriages are common, and the majority of the people have mixed blood. Aboriginal tribes populate the mountain Interiors. Most Filipinos belong to the Malay race, with a tawny complexion, black hair and black eyes. Because of its strategic location it has been a bridge between the East and West, a rampart of Christianity, and a showcase of democracy in Asia. Of the total population of 56 million, 93% are Catholics or Protestant Christians, followed by Islam and the Iglesia Ni Crito (a local sect). Thus, it is Asia’s only predominantly Christian country.

The National Language (Filipino) has become dominant, although English is still widely used in education, commerce and communication. The Philippines has the world’s third largest English-speaking country. Spanish and Chinese (Fukien and Cantonese) are also spoken by a minority. There are 55 regional languages and 142 dialects in the country. The Filipinos take pride in their education and literacy (at 90% the highest in Southeast Asia). Their 50 colleges and universities attract tens of thousands of foreign students all over the world for courses in medicine, nursing, dentistry, etc. Filipinos are famous for their warm hospitality, friendliness to foreigners, musical and artistic talents, romanticism, deep religiosity and bravery. They are fond of music, fiestas, and politics.

The Trip:

The group was comprised of me, Chris, and my coworkers Ellie, John and Andra. We left Seoul at 10 pm in the evening on Sunday September 15th. We arrived to Cebu in the early morning hours. My coworker, John, who was born and partially raised in the Philippines had family there to pick us up from the airport, which was lovely. We checked into the hotel that his aunt and uncle had recommended for us around 4 am, took a nap and were up and dressed by 9 am to begin our busy day! Only… the driver was “on Filipino time” and arrived at 11 am. I was anxious about this, but all worked out and we wound up seeing some amazing sights.

First stop- the Chinese Taoist Temple.

      Snack and drink pitstop for the universally utilized Gatorade and some purple yam bread with custard on top!

Next is Magellan’s Cross:

Magellan’s cross is believed to be the original cross planted by the Spaniards and Portuguese conquerors, as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan, who came here in the Philippines in 1521. It also marked the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines. The aged facade of the original cross is covered with newer wood to protect it’s integrity.

Minor Basilica of the Santo Nino was founded in the 16th century. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church established in the country, purportedly built on the spot where the image of the Santo Niño de Cebú, a statue depicting the Holy Child Jesus was found in 1565 by Spanish explorers led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The image is the same statue given by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon as a gift over forty years before after Humabon’s baptism to Christianity on April 14, 1521. It was found by a soldier preserved in a burnt wooden box after Legazpi razed the village of hostile natives.

The present building, which was completed from 1739-1740, has been the sanctuary of the oldest religious image in the country ever since. A full schedule of masses from 5:00 am to 12:00 midnight are held every Friday at the basilica for devotees of the Holy Child Jesus and followers of novena.

Honestly it looked like the first episode of Toddlers in Tiaras, featuring a transgendered male who longed to be fabulous. Too creepy!

Santa Nino is a celebrated Roman Catholic religious vested statue of the Child Jesus venerated by many Filipino Catholics who believe it to be miraculous.

The image merited a Papal blessing on April 28, 1965, the 400th centennial anniversary, when Pope Paul VI issued a papal bull for the Canonical Coronation and Pontifical High Mass via the papal legate to the Philippines, Cardinal Amleto Giovanni Cicognani.

The Santo Niño image is replicated in many homes and business establishments, with different titles reinterpreted in various areas of the country. The image’s feast is liturgically celebrated every third Sunday of January, during which devotees carry a portable Santo Niño image onto the street fiesta dancing celebrations. The image is one of the most beloved and recognizable cultural icons in the Philippines, found in both religious and secular areas.

  

Upper left: two Catholics traversed down the isle on their knees, presumably completing the practice of adoration and prayers.

Below: Jeepneys!

Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their crowded seating and flamboyant decorations, which have become a ubiquitous symbol of Philippine culture and art. A Sarao jeepney was exhibited at the Philippine pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair as a national image for the Filipinos. Jeepneys were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II.The word jeepney came from the combination of the words “jeep” and “jitney“, a small bus that carries passengers on a regular route with flexible schedule.

Lunch stop for Cebu’s infamous Lechon!

Lechón is a pork dish in several regions of the world, most specifically Spain and its former colonial possessions throughout the world. The word lechón originated from the Spanish term lechón; that refers to a suckling pig that is roasted. Lechón is a popular food in the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Canada, the Dominican Republic, other Spanish-speaking nations in Latin America, and Spain. The dish features a whole roasted pig cooked over charcoal. Additionally, it is a national dish of the Philippines with Cebu being acknowledged by American chef, Anthony Bourdain (Chris’s man crush) as having the best pig.

After seasoning, the pig is cooked by skewering the entire animal, entrails removed, on a large stick and cooking it in a pit filled with charcoal. The pig is placed over the charcoal, and the stick or rod it is attached to is turned in a rotisserie action. The pig is roasted on all sides for several hours until done. The process of cooking and basting usually results in making the pork skin crisp and is a distinctive feature of the dish.

We decided to enjoy some post-pig delights! Below Chris is eating durian ice-cream. If you remember from the Chiang Mai blog, durian is a fruit. It is foul smelling and not allowed in many public establishments. I tried one bite of the ice cream and it was disgusting- a combination of rotten wet garbage and gym sock! And this was only the ice cream, mind you! I’m sure the pure fruit is much worse. Chris thought it was delicious. He tried to bring it in to the restaurant while the rest of us were eating Halo Halo, but we all told him to leave because the odor was so profoundly rotten!

Halo halo is very similar to the Korean Patbingsu, except in the Philippines it is much sweeter. Halo halo consists of a bowl of shaved ice with many different odd toppings such as jello, corn, ice cream, syrup, and corn flakes. It was a tad bizzare but I enjoyed the experience!

Below: I be kitty huntin’ all over the world!

Night time stop at Mactan Shrine and Lapu Lapu monument.

The Mactan Shrine located in Mactan Island, Cebu is dedicated in honor of Lapu-Lapu, Ferdinand Magellan, and the Battle of Mactan. Lapu-Lapu was the native chieftain of Mactan Island, and he resisted the efforts of Magellan to subdue his people and to be converted to Christianity and to be subjected to the throne of Spain. The subsequent battle on April 27, 1521 between the Spaniards and Lapu-Lapu and his men resulted in the death of Magellan. The shrine was erected on the supposed spot where the battle took place.

The Magellan monument consists of a plain obelisk on whose apex rests a sphere. A heroic sculpture of the chief of Mactan who defeated Magellan, Lapu-lapu stands near the Magellan monument. Lapu-lapu, sculpted with great realism, stands tall, with a shield held by his left and while a curved kampilan sword, drawn is held by his right. The sculpture celebrates the readiness of the brave warrior to confront aggressors.

   

Our last stop of the evening was to the Crown Regency hotel for the ‘Sky Walk’ experience. The Crown Regency is the tallest building in Cebu. Towering at 40 stories high, it gives breath-taking views of the city from the top. We decided to do the Sky Walk which was walking around outside the tower with a harness attached. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Everyone, except Cbear, was in a good mood, we saw amazing views and the weather was fresh, breezy and cool. Chris is terrified of heights.

In order to do the Sky Walk, one must wear rubber soled shoes. Chris did not wear his. They assured us that they could fit Chris for some shoes. Little did they know that he wears a size 16. Six employees came to stare at Chris’s feet in amazement and assured him that they would help him out. Their solution? Using shoe laces to secure his adjoshi-style sandals to his feet. I didn’t say anything at the time because I knew how terrified he was, but I would not have felt safe in that feet contraption.

Day Two:

After going to sleep around 2 am, we got a nap and were ready by 9 am for our day excursion to Kawasan Falls. It was a 3 hour drive. We stopped midway to purchase our lunch (rice, EIGHT roasted chickens, mangos, and drinks) and a soy drink desert pictured below. It was warm and gooey. I honestly would not have it again, but I’m glad I tried it.

Kawasan falls is located in the dense jungle. There are three levels of falls. We made it to two. At the second tier, we were the only ones there. This was such an amazing experience to dive, swim and relax in the cool refreshing clean water. We got a water massage from the falls the raft, climbed the rock edifice, and enjoyed the swing, pictured below. The whole day was quite fun, from the huge roasted chicken lunch to hiking, to hearing John giggle like a school girl in the falls to making out alone under a remote waterfall with my lover bear- magical memories 🙂

 

Day 3:

Let’s get on a catamaran!

  

Snorkeling time!!

The best part of the day for me was eating at this floating village. The temperature was perfect and there was a nice ocean breeze. The 7 of us were all really comfortable with one another as we enjoyed some of the best seafood I have ever eaten. We drank, smoked, listened to a great local music group and ate some much desired fruit (which is pretty much impossible to find in Seoul unless you want to pay a fortune).

After sunset, we returned to the hotel, got delicious BBQ dinner and then enjoyed some $6 massages that felt like they could have charged $100.  We departed the city the next day after final goodbyes to John’s aunt and uncle around 1 pm. The whole experience was just so lovely. Good sights, great people, and amazing memories.

One of the spectacular aspects of the Philippines is that vacationing there is so affordable. Including tickets, food, transportation, 3 days with a personal driver, and activities, Chris and I together spent under $1200 for the 4-day trip.

Information for this blog was gathered from: library.thinkquest.org, wikipedia, http://www.explorephilippines.org, www.wowphilippines.ca and www.cebucitytour.com.

Ko Phi Phi… the island paradise

Ko Phi Phi is truly the idyllic iconic image of paradise. Our time on the island was relaxing and picturesque. Getting to the island was not.

We left our hotel in Chiang Mai at 4 a.m. only to arrive at a closed airport. We waited anxiously outside for over an hour as our extremities became luscious feasts for the blood-hungry mosquitos. The flight back to Bangkok for our layover was relatively painless because we were confined to the safety of the airport. We had one more flight down to Phuket, on Thailand’s southern tail. From the airport, we took a 1.5 hour taxi to the pier to catch our ferry to the island. The taxi driver acted like he was on some sort of narcotic, zooming speedily one moment, listless the next, with many abrupt stops to help cultivate the return of my haunting tummy troubles.

Once at the pier, I was glad to get some fresh air. Pictured below is one fashionable little Korean girl that reminded me of my kids back at school- I actually missed them! But not all the grading 🙂 Although this is a generalization, it is true that all Koreans travel in trendy herds with full hair and make-up done and stylish luggage. Koreans are popular travelers and found everywhere in Thailand, especially the tropical locations.

Next, was the 2.5 hour ferry ride to the island. The humid persperation-laden cabin gave me willies, so I stepped outside and remained patient. That is until a full on sea storm with 6-foot waves began. In minutes, everyone was forced inside. One obnoxious and obviously nitwitted Aussie was desperately trying to round everyone up to go downstairs because there was a threat that the boat might tip. His exact words, “What kind of English do you not understand? The boat is going down!” Mind you, this man was talking to a boat full of Korean, Chinese, Thai, and American individuals. Literally, most people did not understand him and those that did were turned off by his muscle meat-head behavior.  I refused to come inside because I told them I was going to throw up. They literally pushed me indoors. Needless to say I did throw up, and the crew let me spend the rest of the trip outside even though it was dangerous.

After the boat docked it took over an hour for them to unload the luggage. My pants split open while getting off of the boat so I was bare bottomed to the world and needing a bathroom because I now had diarrhea. I was anxious to get to our first night’s accommodations, but we weren’t done traveling yet. Le sigh. We walked about a mile through town and then took a 30 minute truck through the jungle to get to our sea-view lodge. On the way, the truck stalled about 6 times. I was SO frustrated and sick at this point that I was yelling directions at the driver. I don’t even know how to drive a stick but I could tell that he was shifting at the wrong time.

I wasn’t even talking to Chris by the time we arrived to check-in. I was not upset with him, but I was so utterly tired, stressed, and ill that I could not manage any niceties. The only thing that cheered me up was playing with a basket full of adorable baby kitties. After cleaning up and relaxing in the room, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and went promptly to bed.

Above: Stylish Korean tourist. Below: Chris at Tonsai Bay Pier

Above right: Our bungalow for the first night with sea view. Below: An adorable set of healthy well-fed baby kitties that occupied the resort grounds. Their shinny coats were impeccable and I did not see any traces of mites, nits or lice.

Above right: View from our room the first night.

The next morning’s breakfast served to be one of the top ten best memories of the whole trip for me. The weather was gorgeous with a spectacular ocean view. We had plentiful food and we shared it with the dozen of kitties who were surrounding the table. Many of the kittens LOVED Chris. Mind you that Chris is ‘okay’ with cats but not a huge fan. They kept jumping up on him and needing his belly only to fall asleep soundly. He would attempt to take them off, but they would hop right back up and pass out. It was so funny and of course it was only one of the times that I did not have my camera with me. Either way, I will always cherish the memory of the delectable food, adorable kittens, and sleeping angels that bonded with Chris amidst the scenery of paradise.

Next we took a long-tail boat to our remote resort on the northeastern tip of the island that we stayed at for 8 days. This was paradise:

While we were there, Thailand celebrated mother’s day. How could I have forgotten? I am always so organized! I promptly called my mom. When she answered, I declared, “happy mother’s day!” All I could hear were giggles on the end of the other line. “Robyn, mother’s day is in May.” “Oh, well, they are celebrating it here, so happy mother’s day again!”

The Thai people LOVE their queen because she is the ‘people’s queen’- think what Princess Dianna was to England. She has toured and continues to visit all parts of the vast country. She founded many education, trade and manufacturing programs, mainly in textiles, for underprivileged women that not only rejuvenated the silk industry, but also gave an income, purpose, and power to many marginalized women. She was voted most stylish women of the world in the 1990s. The resort held a show in her honor, had signs, and displayed carved vegetable flowers everywhere.

Above: Enjoying the hammock sea side. Below: Sunset walk with the tide out.

 

On our third day on the island, we enjoyed the honeymoon special at the luxurious Wana Spa. The treatment included a private cabin, a coconut milk bath, a full-body coconut scrub massage, and an hour deep muscle massage. I can honestly say that it was the best spa treatment I have ever received. I felt relaxed, rejuvenated and happy at the end. I also got a cute hairdo for the day 🙂

Behind the 4-star resort was where the workers lived. There were also some restaurants and shops there that we perused. The discrepancy in access to resources and standard of living was so ginormous, I honestly did feel guilty for choosing to stay at the resort. From what I could tell, there is no school there, and yet I saw many children? When booking this trip, I thought a lot about my humanitarian obligation as a tourist to do as little harm as possible, but still get the honeymoon feel. That is why I read reviews for all activities, avoided tours that exploited village people and children, and tended not to buy anything unless I knew it was locally made. The loves and horrors of tourism were oh so evident on this trip though. Cultural customs and traditions are changed and edited to give the tourist what they want. Culture on one hand is preserved but not in the purist form. Instead, some mutated twisted money-seaking act performed like a circus eeks out. Expanded knowledge and exposure is given to the traveler, but for the locals, no structural change occurs and opportunities are still at an inhuman low.

On days when my stomach was settled we would frequent the restaurants behind the resort and play with the kitties. When we weren’t eating, we were swimming in the pool, reading in the hammock, or relaxing in our room- enjoying the feeling of a real bed and a TV.

The day before we departed from our 3.5 week journey, we took a day trip on the long-tail boat to island hop.  I really enjoyed being out on the water, swimming, and taking in the sites.

It is hard to see from the below picture, but there is a cluster fuck of ropes between two large cliffs leading to path that winds around to the white sandy beach featured in the movie “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio. One has to climb the ropes with the waves smashing against the rocks in order to get to the location. I am thankful for my strong swimming skills, because I saw some that didn’t make it. Once there, the views were breathtaking. Is there such a thing as pure perfection? If so, I would have described the beach this way. The irony of my opinion is that when the movie was filmed, the Hollywood directors knowingly destroyed acres of forest and natural habitat so that they could plant palm trees that were not native to this island. The pictures of this particular beach were lost because our tour guide was a dick and gave us a blank CD at the end of the day.

Below left: If you have ever heard of the delicacy of bird’s nest soup, then this cave would be of particular interest to you. This soup is made from tiny bird nests high in the cave ceiling. The nests are extremely dangerous to collect, but but the payout is so large, that many Thai risk their lives collecting these gems. The soup is extremely popular in China.

Below right: A monkey drinking from a Coke bottle at Monkey beach.

On our last day- some final snap shots of paradise:

You know you are headed back to Korea when you see couples wearing matching clothes:

Our trip back was LONG- 36 hours to be exact. We left the resort at 11: 00 a.m. We took a long-tail boat for 40 minutes to Tonsai Bay where we caught a MUCH nicer ferry back to Phuket. Then, we had another 1.5 hour taxi ride to the airport which we arrived at at 5 pm. Our flight wasn’t until 3 am the next morning and we were not allowed to check in until 1 a.m. So… we… waited. Why didn’t we explore Phuket you might ask? We were tired, broke, and carrying luggage is the simple answer. We flew from Phuket to Shanghai for a 3-hour layover and then we embarked on our last plane ride to Seoul. Once in Seoul we took the bus to our apartment. Home sweet tiny apartment.

I will end with one final funny anecdote about the above picture. This little punk was having a heinous temper tantrum in the middle of the small Phuket airport. After about twenty minutes without ceasing, I told Chris that he should go shut the kid up. I was half-joking. So, Chris went over to the kid, whose parents seemed unaware of the dilemma until Chris started walking towards, and just stood there giving the child a stern glare. The child shut up immediately and entered into a staring contest with Chris fueled by what I think was the child’s utter fascination with this large brown man. The child was enamored with him and even followed Chris around. Oh, the power of Chris Mungin.

Overall, the entire trip was a success. I feel so blessed and thankful to have had this journey. Two years ago, I dreamed that I would have another international adventure. I wanted to work abroad and share the experience with my love. We did it! I loved Siem Reap and Chiang Mai the most. My favorite days included white water rafting through the jungle, spa day on the island, seeing sunrise at the ancient Angkor Wat, developing a relationship with our elephant Tagoon, and meeting splendid English couple traveling companions. The overall cost of the 3.5 week trip including flights, food, transportation, activities, accommodations, and souvenirs was $6000. We went $1000 over our budget, mostly because of the fancier resort food we chose to eat the last week so that I wouldn’t have tummy issues. Thank you to my parents who loaned me the money. This concludes the tales of our backpack SE Asian adventure through Cambodia and Thailand!

Adventure Land- Chiang Mai, Thailand

Our arrival into Chiang Mai went smoothly. Chiang Mai is a medium sized city (160,000 including the surrounding sprawl) nestled in the crook of the surrounding rolling luscious mountains, which are covered in dense green jungle. I could smell the clean air, feel the freedom of space wherever we walked without harassment (unlike Bangkok), and felt right at home at our location. Our adorable little boutique hotel (featured below) was only a short 15 minute drive from the airport. The first day I still had tummy troubles, so Chris did most of the venturing. Thankfully, I mostly recovered and thoroughly enjoyed our 8 day stay here.

  

Day 2: We had a traditional couples thai massage followed by a 6 course thai cooking class. Our cooking class started at the market where we got a lesson on all of the healing properties and/or health benefits in the ingredients that were to be used in our dishes. We were allowed to pick 6 dishes from 18 that we wanted to make.

Then we went shopping!

  

Above left: Our instructor is showing us elephant ear mushrooms! I had never seen them before.

Above left: Chris is holding the infamous durian fruit. Durian is the most foul smelling fruit in the world. If you eat it with alcohol, there is a  high chance of fatality. People with diabetes are advised not to eat it. And all over Thailand, one can spot the signs outside of establishments that declare, “Durian not allowed!”

At the Basil Healthy Cooking school for our 4-hour class:

 

 

Above left: Drunken noodles with chicken. Chris made and is eating chicken pad thai.

  

Above: the scrumptious and spicy green papaya salad.

Above left: Our cooking couple companions: Owen from England and his girlfriend of 2 years, Ava from Greece. Above right: Fried bananas for desert!

Above: Prepping for the Panang curry.

Below: Panang Curry, spicy stir fried prawns in tamarind sauce, and deep fried bananas with vanilla ice cream. Don’t be jealous. Ok. Be a little jealous! It was aaahhhhhmazing!

One great aspect of our hotel is that it was near at least a dozen temples within a 10 minute walk. This was one of them. The best thing about the temples were the kitties who were cared for there 🙂

Below: Chris eating grilled squid street side.

Day 3: White water rafting through the dense Chiang Mai jungle. This was my favorite day by far. I felt so special to have a partner who was willing to try the activities I like most, even though he is not inclined to water sports. It took us 2.5 hours to get to our remote location where we began our journey. During the actual ride, it was lightly misting for part of it, which lent to the mystical peace of the ride.

 

   

Above: Pictures taken on our drive from the city into the jungle. Below: Launch location.

          

Day 4: Rantong Elephant Save and Rescue Center. I initially wanted to go to a different location where the elephants roamed free and no one rode on the elephants because I was hyper-conscious of the grave travesties that many of the Elephant Trek/Ride tourist ventures incur all over Thailand. I will give you one horrifying example that I heard first hand from a fellow tourist who went through a terrible company. First of all, the elephants where she went were poorly fed and not cleaned. When people rode them, it was in baskets on top of the elephants back which is extremely painful for the elephant. The “trainers” used hooks to gouge into the elephants thick skin whenever it did not behave or immediately follow commands. The elephant was bleeding and crying the entire time. When not giving rides to people, the elephants where chained.

I am glad to say that I did extensive research and found a lovely sanctuary where the elephants are fed well, bathed in the river multiple times a day and are ridden bareback so as not to injure their backs. When they are not being ridden, they were only secured with rope and they have their personal ‘mahout’ with them 24/7. A mahout is a man who cares for the elephant- training, cleaning and feeding. A boy or boy’s family chooses the life of a mahout at a young age and it then becomes his life purpose to care for this gentle giant. Our experience was all that it could have been- absolutely magical.

 

Feeding the elephants bamboo. This little guy is a 4-year-old male named Super Man. The facility goes through 3 truckloads of bamboo a day to feed the 12 elephants at the rescue sanctuary.

   

Above right: Our elephant Tagoon for the day. She is the oldest and largest elephant there. She needed to be to carry Chris and my 400+ lbs! We were so scared that we might hurt her, but she didn’t seem phased. One can tell the age on of an elephant by the coloring of their ears and the level of “sunken in-ness” of their temples. Older elephants have pink tipped ears that are very thin, because they have had much more use and ware! The temples are also more deeply set.

 

View from the mountain top where the elephants live:

Below: At our “mahout” training we learned thai elephant commands and the history of elephants in Thailand. A little bit about elephants: they have excellent memory. Once they meet a person, they can remember that person for life. They live as long as humans, 75-85 years, if cared for well.They are extremely emotional animals and experience similar PTSD from trauma that humans do. Unfortunately, most elephants have experienced trauma at the hands of humans in Thailand. Once they have formed their first perception of you, they will keep it, for better or worse. Tagoon LOVED me (I think it was because I gave her head massages), but Chris accidentally kicked her while riding and she didn’t care for him as much.

 

Above: Chris and me on our first walk. Because we are seated on the shoulders, it is very difficult to feel secure. Riding an elephant is actually harder than it looks. Imagine being 7 feet off the ground and clenching your ass and legs as hard as possible so as not to fall onto the jungle floor and potentially be trampled by an elephant! Below right: How the expert “mahouts” climb onto the elephants.

   

One of my favorite parts of the day and entire trip was bathing with the elephants in the river. Here is one personal anecdote: I had gotten myself in a precarious position of being surrounded by three elephants in the water with no escape route. Tagoon entered the river and hastily fell to her side, plunging into the water and accidentally catching my leg underneath her. I didn’t panic but as you can imagine, having 2 tons on top of one’s leg could be catastrophic. I pushed Tagoon pretty hard and said “Owwww” in a painful voice, with no hint of anger. I did not give her a thai command. She then promptly got back up to a standing position (which is a feat for these large beasts)! She looked at me and waited for me to get to an appropriate position. Then I did the motion of laying in the water (again with no command given) and she slowly plopped back down into the water for her bath. The reason this was so special is because at no point did I command or instruct her to do something. She emotionally connected with me enough to know that I was in trouble. She also cared enough to move. It was one of those once in a lifetime memories and connections.

 

After a couple days of much needed rest at the hotel, we ventured to the market for some shopping and foot massages. I bought the blue fish painting on the far right below and also lost my debit card in the process. Don’t worry, no one stole it, but it did have all our money on it. Eeek!

On the last day of our stay in Chiang Mai, Chris got a tattoo! He got a traditional thai bamboo tattoo on his right breast. The difference between Western tattoos done with a needle and bamboo tattoos is that instead of taking your skin off while inserting the ink in straight lines, bamboo tattoos insert the ink directly into the skin’s pores by method of thousands of tiny darts into the skin. It took 2.5 hours to complete the creation. Chris said it did not feel less painful than a Western needle tattoo, even though some say it is. In Thai culture, the tiger is a symbol of protection. Chris likes to think that the left tiger protects his family, friends, and loved ones, while the right one keeps him safe. I think it looks pretty fierce too!

      

The next morning we left the hotel at 4 a.m. to catch our plain to Phuket.

Welcome to HELL: Bangkok, Thailand.

Admittedly, I set myself up for the disaster that was Bangkok. I had a self-fullfilling fear of the depth of depravity I may have to see in Bangkok and I feel that by looking for it, not only did I see it , but it hunted me down like I was an injured baby zebra that had strewn from the pack. The greed, scams, uncleanliness, sex-tourism, drugs, hounding… it’s all there. Our first mistake was crossing the boarder by foot instead of on plane (which cost us a $120 fine later in improper visas). Our second, and most ghastly error, was staying on the infamous Khosan road that caters to tourists and lost souls alike in a budget motel.

Walking down this particular street is like being raw meet in a sea of starving savage sharks. The incessant petulance of taxi drivers, store owners, children, and near-death-looking cats was like no where I had been in the world! Tuk tuk and taxis were always trying to over-charge or take us on a ‘tour.’ Store owners plunged for Chris, desiring to make a suit for him.   Wandering aimlessly spreading disease, I am sure, were helpless, half-furrless once beautiful kitties. They had open sores and mites badly in the ears, eyes, and nose 😦

Now, don’t get me wrong. I can and have traveled cheap… through Europe and in Liberia. I have also been to ‘developing’ countries before. I was in Liberia when it was the poorest country in the world. But something about the dirty heat, scheming culture, and normalcy of it all got under my skin in Bangkok. The first night there I noticed a little bug on the sheets and feared the worst- BED BUGS! I had gotten them previously in a hostel in Belgium, but Chris (who has never had them before) was sure that I was just paranoid because we were no longer staying in luxury. The next morning I had bites all over my legs and stomach. If that weren’t bad enough, our AC dripped all night and flooded our room. The front desk didn’t seem to be too surprised by the complaints, nor too eager to help me get out of my room. Because of the room fiasco, we were late heading to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew which literally translates as Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In the hast to get to the tourist sites, I forgot about the dress code I had read many times about the palace: no tanks, no tights, no flip flops- I did all three.

Above: Room disaster photos Below: Our ‘classy’ tuk tuk ride to the Grand Palace. Take time to notice the addition of the play boy bunny.

To say that I was in a foul mood to have to change out of my ‘potential picture of a life time’ outfit into some overly-used and under-washed shared garment is a severe understatement. Worse yet, the street food I had eaten the night before was coming back to haunt me. I think this was one of those triumph of partnering times. Chris was literally the perfect, patient, and calm gentleman as I slowly careened into full on food poisoning and bitterness about expectations being shattered and/or confirmed.  My mom and Chris can certainly confirm that I have only two swings to the pendulum of my personality- outgoing, personable, interesting, intelligent and engaging vs. bitter, bitchy, controlling,  intolerable, and impatient. The later does not come out too often, rarely in public and almost never in groups. Unfortunately, only the ones who love me the most get to see it. The highlights of the day are seen below. Wat  Phra Kaew was spectacularly gorgeous- even in my mood.

 

Above: Chris could have eaten the security guard standing on a box for a snack. Below: A sickly little kitten let me pet her for a few moments before realizing that I had no food.

Above: Chris eating a scorpion! Below: The delicious, yet sometimes dangerous street food.

After we finished touring the temple and palace, I needed to go back to the hotel. I spent the next 12 hours with fluids coming out of both ends. Chris was an absolute knight. He went out to retrieve everything and anything I could need or want. I did the dirty work of nearly chewing out the front desk lady boy who tried to claim that we couldn’t check out because we had stayed in two different rooms and their might be room damage. Needless to say, I was happy to get the hell out of Bangkok and on to Chiang Mai.

Siem Reap, Cambodia… Our Favorite!

Siem Reap captured our hearts, enlivened our souls, sparked wonder in the mysterious ways of mankind’s spectacular architecture and art, and took us on an awe-inspiring journey. Starting with the people, not one person treated us remotely poorly. Granted we are tourists and a major part of most citizens’ major income, but our relations seemed surprisingly genuine. Chris complained that I reminisced about Liberia so much while being there. It was because the same Cambodian warmth of experience was conjured in my memories of Liberia- a kind, hard-working nation with a corrupt government and not many options. I visited Liberia only a few years after its civil war, and I was again in the same situation with Cambodia. Instead of being scary, creepy, or worrisome, to me it felt honest, raw, unapologetic. I appreciate the truth being seen, even though I have the same haunting to want to be able to give back more and/or become more invested with human rights groups who focus in the region, as I did when I returned from Africa. I researched the politics before I left and had some great conversations with locals (we were there on election day!! And a pretty scandalous election at that!). The temples were grand beyond imagination. The accommodations were disgustingly lavish, especially when put in comparison to the locals’ housing and the food was splendidly delicious- from the expensive to the dirt cheap.

The flights to Cambodia went smoothly. We had a hiccup with visas when we got there because we didn’t have the correct currency and the one and only cash machine was down, but we figured it out. Meanwhile, The Lotus Blanc hotel manager, Panith, was waiting for us for so long! I felt bad. We told him it was our honeymoon and boy did he hook us up! He gave us a free upgrade to a suite. Just to let those of you know how small my apartment is in Korea, the suite was 5 times the size of my space in Korea.

I loved the bed, the high ceilings, the dark hard wood floors, the fact that we had two bathrooms, two balconies, a shower and a tub! There was breakfast included every day, a pool, pool side service and gym. I felt like we were in heaven. Panith even gave us a honeymoon surprise cake, champagne, and flower petal bath. We were so excited to be ‘living the dream’ that sometimes we didn’t even want to leave the hotel.

Pictures below were taken while riding around town in a tuk tuk:

When we went into town we decided to get fishy pedicures. As you can see, Chris was overdue for a pedicure because all the fishys when to him instead of me! The female fish love to eat off the dead skin on peoples feet.

 

We went to Le Tigre de Papier for dinner. There we met three facinating characters. First, was this slinky little black fellow who was perusing the tables for scraps. He took such a liking to me that within minutes he was in my lap. We got some worried glances from the restaurant staff but I kept saying how much I just loved kitties. Chris was sure that I would catch a disease. The second and third characters were an exciting British biracial couple: Claire and Twembie. For hours we drank, ate, and chatted about travels. They were traveling the entire world and had taken off over a year from work in order to do so!! They had just finished Central and South America and were on their way through Asia. I wish them continued safe travels as we follow them on facebook 🙂

The next morning we were supposed to have been out the door at 4:30 am to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We left at 5:45 am. Our tuk tuk had been there since 4:30 am waiting for us 😦 Despite this we paid him for the day and he stayed with us. The sites were spectacular.

Afterwards we went home to eat breakfast and nap before heading to the next temples. This is Bayon Temple below:

Ta Prohm Temple below:

Election craziness:

The following day we met up with Claire and Twembie to take a tour of the Artisans d’Angkor and then chill poolside for most of the day. It was spectacular to watch the artisans in action! We ended the evening with delightful conversation, 2 bottles of wine, and traditional Khmer food.

Artisans Angkor developed from the ambitious belief that it is possible to revive ancient Khmer Arts & Crafts while improving the lives of thousands of people living in rural areas. Not only has Artisans Angkor become a company dedicated to the preservation of traditional Khmer skills in silk-making, stone and wood carving, lacquering and painting, but it is also an organization committed to promote the development of individuals and secure their future by the means of education and welfare.

Their 1300 employees are proud to show that Cambodian handicraft is still alive and more creative than ever. By developing high quality products that express the dynamism of the Khmer culture, Artisans Angkor strives to be a timeless showcase for Cambodian crafts with pieces inspired by Angkor heritage as well as fashionable handmade clothing and decorative items that can suit contemporary lifestyles.

All products, including the 4 types of stone above, are gathered locally from within Cambodian boarders.

One of our favorite dishes was fish amok. Fish amok is one of the most well-known Cambodian dishes. Fish amok is a fish mousse with fresh coconut milk and kroeung, a type of Khmer curry paste made from lemongrass, turmeric root, garlic, shallots, galangal and fingerroot, or Chinese ginger. At upscale restaurants fish amok is steamed in a banana leaf.

On departure day, we were scheduled to take a bus to the boarder and cross into Thailand; however, the buses were all full because people had to return to their hometown to vote and it happened to be election day! A final cherry on the top of our Cambodian experience was that Panith had arranged that we were to be escorted by taxi to the border the whole way- no stuffy hot bus! Yayy… things would not be this optimistic in Bangkok.

Opps… errr. REWIND!

June and July Happenings

June and July were really bizarre months: entertaining, eventful, exhausting. I experienced a roller coaster of events and emotions. I was admittedly a little downtrodden because I  sensed my anxiety coming back due to many changes. Chris was working almost 70 hours a week at an upscale gastro pub as a cook in Itaewon, the foreigner district. We were basically ships passing in the night causing our moments together to be quick catch-ups, updates on to do lists, and anything but quality. One of my closest friends here, Carly departed to Canada to return to graduate school, which changed the way I experience life in Korea. The semester wrapped up at school, which involved report cards, making books out of all the students creative writing assignments, and a carnival to put together. Worst of all, I had to say goodbye to the little ones for the summer only to know that upon return, none of the classroom dynamics that I had built would be the same because I would be getting new students. My great friend and coworker, John, seemed to have the soundest mantra for me to repeat: the only permanence is impermanence.

None of these anxiety-provoking characteristics of late June and July were necessarily terrible, but I have always dreaded change emotionally. A couple antidotes to this have been my eventful and utterly peculiar birthday, fun evenings with friends, and the excitement about Chris’s and my journey through Cambodia and Thailand. What follows are some of the events of the end of June and July.

A Trip to Incheon:

My friend Yoobin, who grew up and lived in Incheon, was kind enough to invite me for a visit with her family in a suburb of Seoul. Yoobin and I met at the University of Minnesota while I was attending graduate school there and she was finishing her undergraduate degree. She is now working for Samsung in Seoul.

Our trip began on a Friday night. We dinned with Chris in Gangnam and then headed to her parents spacious and very modern apartment in the seaside town of Incheon. A memory that stands out to me is that of her entire family (parents, two sisters, and two kitties) all standing and waiting at the door for my arrival. It was so special, welcoming and admittedly awkward only because I was a terrible guest and did not bring a present like I was supposed to. Also, I only knew ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ in Korean which was about as much as they knew in English.

I got to sleep in a real bed for once! Yoobin’s sister was gracious enough to give up her room for the evening. In the morning I woke up to the delicious smell of Yoobin’s dad cooking a traditional Korean breakfast for us (rice, soup, and fried fish). Yummm.

During the day we went to China town to sample some of the countries unique Chinese Korean cuisine and watched a parade while there. We also got a great view of the sea from the trail leading up to a statue commemorating General Douglas MacArthur, a famous American ‘hero’ or ‘warmonger’- the details are smudged with scandal and debate about the abuse of authority MacArthur utilized to chase the Chinese through North Korea vs. Truman’s complete lack of guidance.

The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan. Incheon has since led the economic development of Korea by opening its port to the outside world, issuing in the modernization of Korea as a center of industrialization.

A Visit to the War & Women’s Human Rights Museum:

Our day started early on Saturday as we trekked down to Hongdae to visit the War and Women’s Human Rights Museum. The museum was opened only a few months before, and we partook in an English language tour led by Carly. The tour was a necessity, because the museum was tucked away in an alley and there is no English information inside the exhibit. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable members of the Women’s Global Solidarity Action Network. Here is a link to their Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/399308370084846/

The museum was quite small, but through the tour, we learned a lot about Korea’s “comfort women,” which is the name often used to refer to the women who were forced into sexual slavery during World War II. They are also often called Halmony, or Grandmother. Women from various countries were taken and placed in “comfort stations” for the Japanese soldiers during the Second World War, where they would be subjected to sexual abuse, torture and rape by the soldiers. The stations were established in an attempt to contain the rape being committed to specific locations. Military personnel could buy coupons to spend at the comfort stations.

The comfort women came from various Asian countries – Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines and Thailand – but 80% of the women were from Korea. The women were often tricked into accepting fake positions as nurses or wartime workers and were taken to comfort stations instead, often in other countries with unfamiliar languages and geography. Other women were abducted on the street and shipped off and still others were sold to the Japanese military by their parents.

There are estimated to have been as many as 200, 000 comfort women; however many women never came forward because of the shame that it would bring to their families and themselves. Only 30% of the women transported from Korea to other countries ever returned. Many of the women died, disappeared, or were unable to return to Korea after the war, because they had no paperwork. The first Halmony to publicly broadcast her story in Korea was Kim Hak-sun. She waited to share her story until after the death of her husband. A hotline was set up, which other comfort women could call. Only 500 women came forward. The issue is largely ignored throughout Southeast Asia, because some countries still rely on the Japanese government for financial support. There are only 61 Halmony left in Korea, but they continue to fight for an apology and compensation for their sufferings.

  

The last picture above right is a replica of the monument sitting across the street from the Japanese embassy in Seoul. The Japanese government has yet to acknowledge, apologize or compensate the ‘comfort women.’ This is an invitation for anyone to sit with the Halmony in solidarity with their struggle. Another replica was recently put up in Korea Town in Los Angeles, USA.

Bobby’s Birthday Concert:

Bobby, our coworker, gave us a lovely private concert on his birthday at Dolce Vita bar in Itaewon.

I Chopped my Hair!!

It took two times for my hairdresser Michele (boy) to cut it the way I wanted, but I was very happy in the end ^^ He kept saying ‘Honey, nooooo I don’t like short hair. Don’t make me cut your hair.’ Needless to say he did it!

Birthday Brunch:

Grilled banana French toast with ricotta cheese & Bagel and Locks with poached eggs!!

Ellie and my Joint Birthday Party:

We started off the night at Taste of Thailand for appetizers/dinner. This part of the evening was a raging success, minus the complete downpour outside.

    

We had a group of about 25-30 people come out for our shindig which was wonderful because we had reservations at all our locations… or at least we thought we did. The next location was a Mexican- fusion inspired place called Vatos- my favorite stop of the night- delicious tacos and LARGE margaritas. Our reservation had not been arranged correctly by our PR friend and thus we all had to sit in disjointed groups throughout the restaurant. We managed to come together though 🙂

After Vatos, we were supposed to have access to Boombar, but yet again our reservations for 30 of us fell through. The next hour was hectic, sad, and wet! It was down-pouring sheets of rain sideways. I was soaking wet. We wandered from bar to bar with a large complaining grumbling group looking for cheap access to clubs. We finally wound up at Southside Parlor with half of the group left (Espirit crew and my cousin stayed loyal) and had a great time with delicious drinks.

Bobby’s Last Concert:

Bobby’s last concert at Southside Parlor before returning to the USA.

Carly’s Departure:

It was a 3-night extravaganza that actually started before I left before SE Asia and was completed upon my return. The Espirit family gathered for drinking, eating and merriment in our last moments as this group.

My present to Carly was shaped like a penis and contained some pretty “Carly-type” earrings that I found in Thailand.

Boreyong  Mud Festival:

I was too stressed to attend this trip (even though I had pre-purchased the tickets) the weekend before we took off for our month vacation, so I stayed home. Chris did go and got to spend some quality time with my cousin and her friends.

Of the numerous festivals in Korea, it is the Boryeong Mud Festival that probably attracts the largest number of international visitors. During the festival period, tourists flock to the area to experience the beneficial properties of the Boryeong mud, and also to have lots of fun. Fully immersed in the both the mud and the festival’s great atmosphere, visitors enjoy mud wrestling, mud sliding and even swimming in the mud mega tub. Visitors feeling particularly energetic can try the marine mud-training course, whilst those looking for something more chilled can relax in the mud massage zone. In the evening, music and fireworks continue the party on the beach.

Recent Reads & Star Ratings:

Warned by a Hong Kong fortune-teller not to risk flying for an entire year, Tiziano Terzani—a vastly experienced Asia correspondent—took what he called “the first step into an unknown world. . . . It turned out to be one of the most extraordinary years I have ever spent: I was marked for death, and instead I was reborn.”

Traveling by foot, boat, bus, car, and train, he visited Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Geography expanded under his feet. He consulted soothsayers, sorcerers, and shamans and received much advice—some wise, some otherwise—about his future. With time to think, he learned to understand, respect, and fear for older ways of life and beliefs now threatened by the crasser forms of Western modernity. He rediscovered a place he had been reporting on for decades. And reinvigorated himself in the process.

I bought this petite novel from a working child in Cambodia. It tells the true horrific tale of ethnic cleansing that whipped out 1/4 of the Cambodian population within 4 years. It is hard to hold back the tears or find the eery similarities between what happened in Cambodia and what is happening in the work camps in North Korea now.

This story is actually a children’s book that I am teaching for the student’s at Espirit. What it may lack in adult content nuance it makes up for in its coming of age nature that aptly depicts the fear and tension in a country divided by the efforts of a dictator. The story takes place in 1961, the year Rafael Trujillo (aka El Jefe) was assassinated in the Dominican Republic. His strong-arm tactics and brutal torture of those who spoke words against him led to a US embargo and a country’s revolution.

A note from the author:

In contemporary society, we don’t often ask our elders for advice. We’re much more likely to talk to professionals, read books by pop psychologists or motivational speakers, or surf the internet for solutions to our problems. In general (and for the first time in human history), we no longer look to our society’s oldest members as a key source of wisdom for how to live happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.

As a gerontologist, I have come to believe that this attitude is a serious mistake. Older individuals (especially persons age 70 and beyond), are in fact the most credible experts we have available for knowledge about how to live well through hard times. They have been through unique historical experiences — such as the Great Depression and World War II — that have taught them how to thrive in the face of adversity. And they have personally experienced many of the tragedies younger people dread, giving them the ability to advise the rest of us about resilience in the face of illness and loss.

Over the past six years, I’ve conducted a research project designed to tap the practical wisdom of older Americans. Using several different social science methods, I’ve collected responses from over 1,200 elders to the question: “Over the course of your life, what are the most important lessons you would like to pass on to younger people.” I then combed through the responses, and the result was a set of lessons for living from the people I have called “the wisest Americans.”

As I look back over years of talking with America’s elders, 10 lessons stand out as those they would like most to convey to younger people. Read these “Top 10 Lessons for Living” and let me know how they apply to your own life.

Choose a career for the intrinsic rewards, not the financial ones. Although many grew up in poverty, the elders believe that the biggest career mistake people make is selecting a profession based only on potential earnings. A sense of purpose and passion for one’s work beats a bigger paycheck any day.

Act now like you will need your body for a hundred years: Stop using “I don’t care how long I live” as an excuse for bad health habits. Behaviors like smoking, poor eating habits and inactivity are less likely to kill you than to sentence you to years or decades of chronic disease. The elders have seen the devastation that a bad lifestyle causes in the last decades of life — act now to prevent it.

Say “Yes” to opportunities: When offered a new opportunity or challenge, you are much less likely to regret saying yes and more likely to regret turning it down. They suggest you take a risk and a leap of faith when opportunity knocks.

Choose a mate with extreme care: The key is not to rush the decision, taking all the time needed to get to know the prospective partner and to determine your compatibility with them. Said one respondent: “Don’t rush in without knowing each other deeply. That’s very dangerous, but people do it all the time.”

Travel more: Travel while you can, sacrificing other things if necessary to do so. Most people look back on their travel adventures (big and small) as highlights of their lives and regret not having traveled more. As one elder told me, “If you have to make a decision whether you want to remodel your kitchen or take a trip — well, I say, choose the trip!”

Say it now: People wind up saying the sad words “it might have been” by failing to express themselves before it’s too late. The only time you can share your deepest feelings is while people are still alive. According to an elder we spoke with: “If you have a grudge against someone, why not make it right, now? Make it right because there may not be another opportunity, who knows? So do what you can do now.”

Time is of the essence: Live as though life is short — because it is. The point is not to be depressed by this knowledge but to act on it, making sure to do important things now. The older the respondent, the more likely they were to say that life goes by astonishingly quickly. Said one elder: “I wish I’d learned that in my thirties instead of in my sixties!”

Happiness is a choice, not a condition: Happiness isn’t a condition that occurs when circumstances are perfect or nearly so. Sooner or later you need to make a deliberate choice to be happy in spite of challenges and difficulties. One elder echoed almost all the others when she said: “My single best piece of advice is to take responsibility for your own happiness throughout your life.”

Time spent worrying is time wasted: Stop worrying. Or at least cut down. It’s a colossal waste of your precious lifetime. Indeed, one of the major regrets expressed by the elders was time wasted worrying about things that never happened.

Think small: When it comes to making the most of your life, think small. Attune yourself to simple daily pleasures and learn to savor them now.

Because of their awareness that life is short, the elders have become attuned to the minute pleasures that younger people often are only aware of if they have been deprived of them: a morning cup of good coffee, a warm bed on a winter night, a brightly colored bird feeding on the lawn, an unexpected letter from a friend, even a favorite song on the radio (all pleasures mentioned in my interviews). Paying special attention to these “microlevel” events forms a fabric of happiness that lifts them up on a daily basis. They believe the same can be true for younger people as well — and it’s well worth a try at any age!

Information from this blog was gathered from: rockandseoulmusings@wordpress.com, amazon.com, and Wikipedia

Pay it Forward, Edition 1

I didn’t need or want presents for my birthday this year. I have been so bless in life and with opportunity that I wanted to spread the blessings and ‘pay it forward.’ The task I asked all of my friends and family to accomplish was to do at least one conscious kind deed for someone else and then to tell me about it. This is what I have received so far:

Megan Manning

* Left magazines in airport after I was finished.

* Gave praise to a coworker that helped on a project.

* Printed and framed photos for boyfriend after trip.

* Wrote 4 thank you notes for the persons’ generosity recently

* Surprised brother with a gift.

* Paid for stranger’s coffee behind me in drive thru.

Maria Davy

For your birthday I donated a bag of clothes and shoes to the Epilepsy Foundation.

Laura Engstrom

– Got up early to clean my friend’s yard the morning after her family’s big 4th of July party so that they wouldn’t have to

– Despite not being the biggest animal lover, I played fetch with a friend’s dog and then took it to a dog park to play even more. Woof woof.

– Connected a friend to an HR person at my office.  He later got a job offer because of it and will be moving to Minneapolis to start his new job in a few weeks.

– Mowed the lawn to give my dad a break.

– Mailed a letter to a family friend I haven’t talked to in a long time.

– Bought Zach a nice birthday dinner and paid for half of the hotel bill when we visited Iowa (something he wasn’t expecting!)

– Framed a picture of Z & me that I’m going to give to him when I see him in two weeks.  Meow.

– Wrote my mom an email thanking her for the support, encouragement and advice she gave to me after I got a not-so-hot performance review at work

– Helped three of the summer interns at work with projects that are unrelated to my brand

– Took a break from working during the day to get coffee with a co-worker who was having a bad day and needed to vent

Caroline Roberts 

My husband, Damon, and I each chose a few books from our book collection and put them in our neighborhood’s “little free library.” Spreading your love of books and education! 

Gloria Narabrook

My sister was having a very bad week, so Jasper and I bought her a beautiful card and wrote loving messages inside – Jasper’s were crayon scribble, but it’s the thought that counts. The picture is of us dropping the card in the mail. Some of our other acts included picking up trash on our daily walks, reaching out to a friend with a new baby who was feeling isolated and teaching Jasper to blow kisses.

Kate Loftus

I have a coworker who has confided in me that she has been struggling financially. She had a baby just over a year ago, and it has been stressful for her to balance her life socially, professionally, and financially. So, I treated her to lunch today. It’s something small, but she was so appreciative of the gesture.

Brittany Hartung

Now she never said that she did this for my birthday, but ironically our birthdays are less than a week apart. She RSVPed to Random Acts of Kindness event on facebook and took the time on HER birthday to do all of these lovely things for others.

• I brought in the newspaper for the very cute older lady who was working at the front. And pumped the gas for a mom with kids in the car.

• I left a gas card at the pump for someone to use

• Left beer on my landlords front step

• I work with a married couple who are completely adorable. They also both love coffee and starbucks is close to our office.

• Sent a love letter to my favorite person to remind him that he is appreciated.

• Bought new magazines for our office waiting room.

• Caffeine fix, for me- and for the very sweet lady behind me in line.

• Coloring books left in the waiting room at a community partner.

• There are 20 decorated mirrors in ladies restrooms to remind them how wonderful they are.

• Spreading some Midwest love to my office.

• Scratch offs for the security guard in our building

• Stole Kate away during lunch for a pedicure

• Found parking meters that had expired – and saved some parking tickets.

• Left change on a vending machine

• I wrote letters to kids who’ve got dealt some pretty tough cards. You can write too….http://www.sendkidstheworld.com/index.php/current-kids-list.html or http://www.postpals.co.uk/find-pals/

• Laundry hook up. I strongly dislike laundry mats- anything to make them more enjoyable.

• Brought home treats for my new dog friend.

• Made 26 wishes, and left pennies for someone else to make some wishes too….

• I drove through McDonalds drive through, just to pay for the people behind me.

• Donated the essentials to the food shelf.
• Ended my day with giving flowers to a lady working at the gas station at 9:30. She seemed very bewildered.