A mime festival - a metaphor for South Korea?

After North Korea has been found guilty of sinking the South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors, President Lee Myung-bak has responded fiercely. He made a statement on Monday in which he has denied any trade to North Korea, as well as disallowed North Korean ships from passing South Korean waters as punishment. His rather bold statements endorsed by the States, seems to have created much tension, resulting in North Korea declaring a "full out war" if South Korea makes any further moves. Soldiers are on guard and ready to fight! I am living in a war ZONE!!!

Check out this site for more details: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20100524/AS.SKorea.Ship.Sinks/

I think the most interesting side of this tale is indeed CHINA, which as this article suggests is "on the fence" - Check it out:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/world/asia/24china.html

One would think people in South Korea and Gangwon-do particularly might be in some kind of fear or at least minor worry about the situaion, but NOPE, not at all! Am I senial that I am a little afraid, that a country 40miles away has nuclear weapons to blow us all up in a matter of seconds?!?

Well, in Chuncheon-my little city- is to be blunt: unphased! I woke this morning to a loud speaker booming a tune of "Mary had a little lamb" and Frank Sinatra's " I did it my way" from the main intersection, as the local elections (or eRections, as my one teacher informed me) is underway! Women are hired for R300 a day to stand on the side of the road and dance-literally dance with actual moves to such above said songs for a specific politician. I could not help bursting out laughing as I crossed the road to my bus this morning-too classic! Added to that, the Annual Mime Festival is in full swing this week. We (Ashley, Sam & myself) watched a side walk fire exhibition and a dance-off, mime rendition, in which we got roped into joining-dancing like clowns. As foreigners, we also got randomly interviewed by a group of Middle School students about the currency of Korea and the culture behind it-nothing out of the ordinary! Then we went into a kitsch photo room where couples and friends were taking absurd photies and adding smilies and stars and hearts to create an even faker atmosphere of pure bliss. As sheep, we joined in and posed ridiculously for a count-down timer camera!

Life seems so peachy, so gregarious and so completely peaceful, yet we are in the midst of a "full out war". Referring to my title- I question whether this country I am living in has turned a blind eye to the current critical situation or rather placed a wonderful, colourful mask to hide the real issues with North Korea: the possible decline in the economy with any kind of reunification in the future or the broken families that have still not met after all these years since the Korean war or the selfishness of a nation that has deservedly prospered through shear hard work, but done so in such a bubble that it is oblivious to real world issues, such as starvation and disease just across the border. I do realise the counter-argument of the older generation that still have recollections of the Korean war in their not so distant memories and rather like to forget about it. I get that-repression is a successful coping mechanism in doing that. However, I do feel that the government has got to do some removing of masks and open discussions about the North Korean issue, otherwise the "Korean Company" (as my one teacher put it) will continue to make money, with a nation of "employees" (generally younger ones) that are wealthy, but oh so disillusioned.

Despite a relatively great day playing an auction game with my kids, it is tinged with a rather sweet and sour taste of how I am feeling right now about this whole situation! SO for the meantime, I will just pray to a higher power that we are not bombed in the night and I will continue to enjoy the Mime festival this week! Oh- and as an activist in my small way-I am doing a lesson with my after-school class about Politics and what they would do as president for the day!

Bisous

JO

Busan Baby!

If Seoul is Joburg, Busan is definitely Cape Town! Oh Busan- what a wonderful reminder of the mother city! I loved this place-as you can imagine-lovely beaches, delicious seafood, more casual clothing and a vibe oozing "I'm chilled out"!

As Buddha's birthday was being celebrated across the world, we enjoyed a quick 5 hour bus trip transversing the entirety of South Korea and we were there! I -very embarrassingly- had to ask the bus-driver to stop the bus, so I could go the "Hwajangshil" (toilet)! Nevertheless, the others were glad to stretch their legs too and get some kimbap (sushi in Korea) for the ride!

Arriving there just after lunch time, we missioned off to our Hotel I had found online called UTOPIA HOTEL! BUT excited about being there and bumping into some other South Africans, we weren't concentrating on the subway and overshot our stop by over 10 stops! Such wallys-so we spent an extra hour correcting our mistake and back-tracking!

Eventually asking a few of Chen's "friends" for directions when above the underground again, we eventually made it to our two star hotel! Nothing to write home about, but it was certainly good for a teacher on a teacher salary.

SO here are the highlights of the weekend:

BEST MEAL: Starving on Friday afternoon, we missioned to find the nearest restaurant- and we were in luck! The most divine Vietnamese food you have ever ever ever tasted! Goodness, it was an art in the preparation. A shabu shabu dish which consists of thin slices of beef which one dunks in a boiling pot of broth and vegetables. Then one drenches the rice paper in a dish of juice (that looks like red juice from when we were kids) until it becomes soft and malleable and after adding the cooked beef strips and other delightful veggies, one wraps up your meal, like a little parcel and voila!!! HEAVEN IN FOOD! We enjoyed our meal so very much that we went for a round two before we had to make our way back to Chuncheon on Sunday!

BEACH: After filling our bellies with pure deliciousness, we headed to the beach front-Gangilli! Lounging on the beach was fantastico! I think I fell asleep for almost 2 hours! Nothing like chilling out. Sea was not entirely inviting - rather dirty suprisingly and no waves! GRRR! But there is just something about a beach front that makes one happy! Maybe it is the ice-cream vendors or the volleyball players or the little kids running away from the "waves".

Modern Art Museum: We woke up on Saturday to rain- rather disappointingly. Nevertheless more time for art museums which has totally become a thing I love doing! We were in luck too- the modern art museum had a great exhibition on the go from Philadelphia, everything from Monet to Picasso! Even my favourite Degas was there! SO I was in my element of course! There was some very abstract Japanese Art on the first floor which was a bit bizarre and way out!

Jagalchi Fish Market: Probably my best experience in Busan! Fish, octopus, eels, prawns, snails, calamari, strange phallic resembling creatures and oysters-you name it, you could see it waiting, gutted, prepared, cooked and eaten at any one of the 50 odd fish stalls on the dock! The bright lights and vivacious marketing of the vendors contrasted beautifully with the iridescent early evening sky.

The Tower: Way up above the world in the Busan Tower we managed to orientate ourselves in the city as shiny lights twinkled all around! Not the most impressive tower ever but still good!

PIFF: Pusan (Busan in Korean) International Film Festival area. This was fun! We found a crazy little shop with bizarre goodies and dressed up-good times! tehe! Nothing like a pink lumo jacket and wind brim glasses to amke you feel like a film star 'ey!?

SAFA gang!:On Saturday night, we met up with the South African Girls from Rhodes! What fun! We were all drenched from the rain as our umbrella's got stolen -can you believe it! And so was an opportune moment to sing at the top of our lungs: "Singing in the rain!" We spent the evening in bars talking about everything from South Africa, to missing biltong and mayonnaise to where we are all going to be next year to Christianity in Korea to our wonderful students ( always a topic of conversation)! Was cool. :)

Busan Aquarium: The Entire Aquarium was underground-everything. Was absurd! Lots and lots of fun! Some crazy fish -one we decided had lips like Angelina Jolie! Of course Korea being Korea, they had a hyundai car filled up with water and fish- your very own mobile fish-tank! There was also supposed to be some grand African display-which wasn't great. I was especially upset by the tiny 3x3m room 2 rather big male lions were being enclosed in. My non-existent "hug a tree" personality trait was suddenly evoked and I actually considered going to speak to the manager about the awful conditions which those poor lions needed to endure for 3 months. But decided that a ranting white girl wouldn't make sense to any Korean aquarium manager, so instead I left in a huff!

Luckily I left with only good memories as my belly was full once again from the Vietnamese food! 5 hours home-goodness and another weekend GONE! Busan- CHECK!

Lantern parade, laughter in ice gallery and lights in a Seoul Night-Club! ,

"A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through reading new books, travelling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints." Wilfred Peterson

I just love this quote and somehow sums up my life for the last 3 months. Yes, that's right-I have already been in South Korea for 3 months! A glorious adventure!

Last weekend was no different! Straght after a day at school, where I had the boys singing "If I had a million dollars" I was off to the bus terminal for another action-packed weekend in Seoul and as always it did not disappoint! There is something about that city-the enchantment, the buzz, the hype, the vibe! It is just plain "CRAZEEE" as my students love to shout!

A bus ride, 2 subway-lines later we were led in the wrong direction for over half an hour before we finally arrived at our "Love Motel" to check in. As the name suggests the rooms are hired by the hour for certain "love business". They are not as seedy as it may sound and are actually an affordable and decent form of accomodation. After having some soju shots and mochili(fermented rice wine)at the local pub, we headed off to bed.

The next morning, a breakfast was in order! And all i felt like was bacon and eggs. Alas, we were in a very local part of town and instead a rather measley bacon and egg sami had to suffice. I must admit the local prices were rather nice though too! :)Then to check out the festivities in Jong-no, as the main event for the weekend was the lantern festival in celebration for Buddha's birthday that is in fact only tomorrow.

The city had beautiful rainbow coloured lanterns hung everywhere resembling Disney land in a way. The main touristy area was alive and buzzing! Every Tom, Dick and Jane in South Korea had seemed to have made the pilgrimage to enjoy the festivities!We all agreed though, that sometimes it is nice to feel like a foreigner in this foreign place. Hanbok dresses, chopsticks, cherries, side-walk food, chinese fans, Korean gizmos and gathches were displayed waiting to be snapped by any eager tourist! I must say - the only thing that caught my eye-was a cute retro gold beenie thing and none-other than a flying pig wind charm-with real feathers! Perfect ornament for lovely porch! :)We enjoyed watching the people from a rooftop tea house! Magnificent-summer weather, a bit of jazz, good company and divine peach tea. :) Lunch was next- a lovely fishy vegetable concoction! I am addicted to seaweed!

After much confusion about trying to meet our 20-man group of friends I got agitated. I do realise how much everyone loves one another and needs to be united, but travelling in a group bigger than 5 or 6 is seriously pushing it! GRRR! In true JO-hasn't-had-enough-sleep-fashion, I marched off to the information desk to find us the location of the ice-gallery!

Somehow the ciy never seems so big when you end up bumping into another group of Safa's (South Africans) on our way! Oh man and was the ice gallery cool when we fianlly got there! MAn-O-man! Freezing! We donned the big jackets used for ice-storm conditions and walked quite literally into a huge freezer!
Somehow a toilet and a computer made of ice is such a novelty! I particularly enjoyed the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, although the piano was awesome too! The sculpting of huge ice slabs is truly an art and I would recommend anyone to check it out!

Out of the North Pole and back to reality, Chen and I decided to mission to Itaewon to check out "What the book"- the famous foreigner book-store that could be missed if you blinked going by. Underground lies a haven for any book-lover with a great selection of classics. I got the Phillipines Lonely Planet and Invisible Man by Ralph Waldo Ellison. Back in Jong-no we caught the parade that began at 5pm. Huge marching bands and dancers dressed in magnificent traditonal dresses in every colour imaginable waltzed passed us! The backdrop of the sun setting over the mountain seemed like the ideal backdrop for the lit-up elephant and dragons floats. After the eye-catching procession, we gallpoed (with a new found jump in our step)down the street to the Yeungsam temple. Covered in a cloud of lanterns, buddhists meditated and bowed in respect and non-buddhists admired in awe.

Back to the hotel for a refresher, and a change of clothes! A cold noodle soup later and we were off yet again to the Clubbing district -Hongdae ie. party central! Clubbing in Seoul is very different, perhaps for the meer fact that no bags or cameras or anything for that matter is allowed into the club and needs to be locked outside in lockers. One assumption is that the banning of cameras eradicates any evidence of the Korean underworld! However, it wasn't anymore dodgy than any other club. I have convinced myself though that the reason all females in Korea wear 5-inch heels is to avoid the pee in the toilets. First time, I have been unimpressed with toilet quality! The CLub, M2, was pumping! Unbelievable lighting and DJing. But by 2am I was buggered and it was time to call it a night. A final stop to get fried chicken and a R90 taxi fare back to our hotel, meant the day was done an so was I!

Sunday-it was Jo's birthday-another SAFA from PE! :) A delightful breakfast at a quaint, trendy restaurant with a cool breeze and more jazz-what more could we ask for! The choco cake sponsored by Jo's principle was devoured in seconds! Back to te festival for more fun and this time it meant getting involved-making traditonal Buddhist prints, making lotus flowers and observing Yoga, monks painting and meditating.

It was now time to head home-or was it really?! On a whim we decided to see if we could get tickets for a late bus back to CHuncheon and return for the climax of the entire festival-the official Lantern parade starting at 6pm. We were in luck. I had written down luckily the order of events and so we were able to check out the beginning of the procession starting at one of the sports venues at the Buddhist university. A gathering of over 30000 people from different temples singing and dancing, waving colourful boards in even more colourful costumes was out of this world. One-by-one the groups took up their lanterns for te 3hour procession across Seoul. TO our delight we were positioned perfectly to witness the police convincingly halting Seoul Traffic- a feat on its own. And then, the music blared announcing the beginning of the parade! Up first were the monks. We walked with them along the sides of the crowds until we found a suitable postion for viewing the lit lanterns in the dark. An eerie moment that I will not forget- striding in perfect synchronisity, the silent monks seemed to be saying a million things, as the usual jam-packed streets lay bare in front of them. The backdrop of skyscrapers and cranes contrasted with the ancient apparel and bald heads of the monks.

Eventually about 2km later, we perched on a raised ledge a bit away from the road, to observe the passing show. Across from Namdaemun, the joyous thousands held their lit lanterns high, as fire-breathing dragons roared and the traditional marching bands resounded!

A late bus road home and BED eventually. Oh dear-another week lay ahead! But only four days luckily-thanks Buddha!

And a "Happy Birthday to you!"

Bisous
JO

"Life is beautiful"

If you haven't seen this movie-then dash, jump, run, catch a taxi, get to your computer or any other means possible to get a copy of this movie and FAST! I think it is my favourite of all time!

I watched it again this week-and BOY o BOY! It is marvellous, sad, uplifting, incredible and life changing!

I will not give the plot away, but it is all about life and how a certain attitude towards it can make all the difference!

I met one of my student's in the bus the morning and boy o boy did we have a laugh! She is in 5th grade and was helping me with my Korean-learning all the vocab for fruit. She giggled as if I was talking goobildigook=more practice is needed. life is beautiful!

Streets are filled with beautiful pink and violet and white joyous flowers! Life is beautiful!

My boys at school are ferociously full of energy ie talkative and rowdy that my teacher got them to do 10 jumping jacks saying "I'm sorry teacher-I will do better next time" for each jump! Life is beautiful!

There is sunshine and I am sweating! YAY! Life is beautiful!

Badminton was crazy fun! Getting the hang of it now! The shuttle cock is a fascinating little device=very different to a normal ball: bouncing and rolling are not options. Life is beautiful!

Cheesecake and tea with my teachers in my new flat for a house warming! Life is beautiful!

I am going to Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival this weekend! Life is beautiful!

tto mannayo! (see you later)


Bisous
JO!

Dalian, China: A city of contrast!

I wondered for a while how I would capture my experience of my 5 day trip in China. I initially wanted to give a run-down of each day and what we did! And although perhaps more informative of our time spent, I rather decided that a description of the paradoxical world of it all would be far more interesting! SO here goes:


Rough and Smooth

China is and always will be a little rough around the edges-it is the driving force of their nation and economy-the spirit of 'keep pushing forward'that will make them the future super power of the world. This is not limited to the way they work, but also includes shoving at train stations and walking with a purpose on the street even if it is across a a 6 way lane traffic.

Yet, this city was somehow inexcusably smooth and chic. Perhaps it is the hip fashion or the fascinating well-planned squares or perhaps it is the immaculate gardens that resemble those in the classic "Alice in Wonderland".


Bustling and relaxed

The city gets going from about 5am when taxis hoot ferociously at one another as they change lanes with a profound confidence. There is action all over! People are constantly on the streets whatever time of day. Lots to see and do as well, so of course we were jumping in taxis here and there and everywhere soaking up as much as we could! From Xing Hai Square to remember the return of Hong Kong to China, to an amateur Art museum, to the Russian district, to a derelict temple visit that amounted to a never-ending hike in what seemed like the heart of China to a boat ride along the coast from Tiger beach to a ride in a chair lift over Labour Park to the tower with a view of this crazy, charming city.

However, the North as I was told is far more relaxed, cheerful and light-hearted than the South-and this was evident. The taxi drivers had fat conversations with Chen including one man describing how unbelievably hot he was as he was wearing 3 layers of pants! Another woman jokingly hit her husband over the head as " he obviously did not have enough sleep the previous night, as his eyes were crusted over!"

Old and New

The architecture strikes one immediately as being different- I had to catch myself several times from thinking that I was in Europe or Japan rather than China. The unique history of Dalian with occupation by Britain, Russia and Japan over the last 250 years is clearly evident. A magic wand seemed to have swished over the city with sprinkles of different fairy dust magically leaving a trail of the old influences.

But, once again it was mod and new and not for one second run-down. Skyscrapers that seemed to shoot up into the air were everywhere and the pristine Sky rail across the entire coast was top-class.

Industrial and Scenic

Surrounding the city, there seemed to be huge industrial development with regards to construction of apartments, factories, bridges and huge mines. The eerie mood as we transversed the peninsula was well captured by the looming smog that hung above us.

The previous day -nonetheless- was paradoxical! Filled with sunshine and fresh air we walked and caught a taxi along the 30km stretch along the Yellow Sea that can be compared to the French Riviera. Tres magnifique!


Filthy and Beautiful

When I mean filthy-I dont mean a piece of litter here or there-I mean just plain rotten and filthy-old Fiat Passat taxis have definitely seen better days and the toilets shall not even be discussed for the sake of someone gagging. But also somehow the filth gives it an edge of crude charm. One of my best moments was walking through a back alley to stumble upon -quite luckily- the genuine Russian style buildings that are filled by none other than plebs. The most enchanting, mesmerizing establishments with quaint verandas, detailed brickwork and alluring windows occupied by the very poor of the poor.


Local and Foreign

Firstly, this point is significant as I travelled with an authentic Chinese-well sort of-Chen was born in a tiny “village” (ie a city of a few million people) next to the Yangtze River and hence refers to himself as "Chinese Peasant" and insists I be called "Russian princess". Growing up most of his life in the West (England and Texas, USA), we have great conversations about the differences and the shared humanitarian characteristics (such as humour) of the two worlds. His humble beginnings and appreciation for each new day, the fascination with almost everything- (important or seemingly insignificant to the average man ), a beautiful understanding of the world and life in general and his heart of pure gold makes one easily forget his prestigious Ivy League schooling in the States. He greets China with both a tender warmth and curiosity-as one can imagine both as a local and a foreigner in his own land. For me as a complete foreigner and a Russian-looking-one at that, I was quite relieved he was able to make sense of what seems like such tiny nuances in sound and tone in the Mandarin language.

(Aside: I did receive a basic lesson though: Mandarin has 4 basic tones for every sound which makes it such a TRICKY language to learn: 1=flat, 2=has an ending like that of an English question, 3= is a an overemphasized diphthong and 4=a sound like an English exclamation. So for instance South Africa or "nam fei" is read as nam (1=flat) fei (2=question) when using the tones.

Secondly, the cuisine we indulged in was both local and foreign. Locally, we had some delectable meals-my most favourite indeed was at remote seafood restaurant that clearly only locals frequent. Situated off a dust road in the gamadooloos, with a magnificent view of the ocean and mountains, the recommendation of the taxi driver could not have been better. Abalone, tempura crabs legs, shrimp, fish and veggie mix and the local black lion beer went down fabulously!Foreign meals included a rip-off shocking Italian meal that made us giggle at the value of money. One tenth of the price would have certainly got us something more tasty on the streets!

My favourite foreign meal was at the Japanese restaurant situated in the Russian styled Dalian hotel. A very famous fish Shabu Shabu and of course sushi (authentic style) was devoured, as we were mesmerized with the delightfully expressive, talkative waitress. I was fascinated with the intricate patterns of our authentic Japanese teapot on the table and you can imagine my joy when Chen decided to ask the waitress if he could buy it! Only in China do you walk out of a restaurant with a full belly and a used, beautiful teapot. :)


As one can see the polar opposite of anything you say about China can still hold true: I think that's what makes it such a fascinating destination! However, I believe that the heart of the country does lie in the soul of the people who make this contradictory place something enchanting... Sadly, I think westerners who cannot speak the language or at least (like me) have an interpreter, miss this charm of China. My trip was enriching, refreshing and definitely memorable.

China is truly a wondrous place!

Bisous

JO

And guess who is joining us in Dalian of all people?!

Oh my goodness! all over Korean news- non other than Kim Jong Il is in Dalian, China-he arrived early yesterday morning!

Check the site out for more..

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100503000688"


Only a few more hours of school and the adventure begins!

Oh and I am off to China tomorrow!

So caught up in my news about my apartment, I forgot to mention I am going to China with Chen.

We leave Tuesday evening and get back early Sunday morning, so we will probably spend the day in Seoul.

It is going to be a fabulous little getaway! The tickets were too expensive to go to Shanghai as the World Expo is taking place, so instead we are going to a city on the North East coast of China called Dalian. It should be fascinating considering the influence from Russia, Japan and Britain over the years. Apparently it is like no other city in China!

I look forward to it!

I will indeed post more news once I return, but if you are interested for now Wikitravel gives a great description of it:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Dalian

Bisous

travel crazy

JO!

A small place called home... My new apa-tuh!

So, I have officially moved into my own apartment!

It is No. 708 in the brand new office block pronounced: "MEGHA SHITEE" or for us native English speakers : "Mega City". The apartment luckily is rather contrary to what the pronunciation might suggest and is quite frankly: delightful!

Three Cheers: Whoop whoop whoop! :) So VERY chuffed about it all. I moved in last Thursday afternoon, when a removal van arrived at Nicole's apartment at 3pm. The entire process (including moving all my luggage, my bed and cupboards, trekking across the city, off-loading it all, moving in, meeting with the administrators and signing several dotted lines for-who-knows-what) took under an hour in true Korean style ("Bali bali"=hurry hurry).

Description (if I were placing an advert for it in the classifieds): one delightful officetel (5 by 15m =spacious for one), brand-spanking new, clean and mod, great view from the balcony overlooking city rooftops and Bongisan mountain, super location on busiest five way intersection in town, close to banks, outdoor market and most bus-routes. Great coffee shop and bakery downstairs and best Naerebang (karaoke place) in town!

As one friend said to me: Sheesh JO! You are living on the Times Square of Chuncheon with a Rome-like view of the rooftops. So, as you can imagine I am rather happy with life!

And have felt very domesticated as I have been shopping for all the necessities like pots and pans, cutlery, toilet paper, a clothes horse, a kettle, an ironing board, an oven, a TV and even picked out the couch I wanted! The school covers a certain array of items and because there was already a fridge and a washing machine in the apartment, I was able to get a few extra niceties that most teachers need to fork out on their own.

The most amusing thing is probably the bathroom! The space efficiency in Korea and most of Asia is remarkable but it is understandable when no shower space is actually accounted for. Rather a shower head is nicely secured onto the wall that sprays down and wets your entire bathroom... Boy o boy! SO something to get used to!

The coolest thing is definitely the remote control door that uses a special code or nifty James Bond contraption thing, that with a flick of the wrist automatically opens the door.

The funniest thing is that because I am in the techno country of the world-all my appliances have arrived before any of my furniture. So I have a micro-oven and a TV sitting on my floor at present.

As soon as I get a sofa (aka. "SO-PA" in Korean), I am hosting a party! An early evening tea with my Korean co-teachers and a party for the foreigners- on separate evenings of course!

It is a bit further from my schools, but I walked this morning and it took only 50 minutes, so in the greater scheme of things it's not bad at all. There are several buses that I can catch which saves on taxi fares, so I am thrilled!

So, as I settle in my humble abode, I extend an invitation to anyone to come and visit me: My couch-I made sure- is large and comfy enough to sleep on!

Bisous

JO