Greetings from Thailand!

Ko Samet, a little island about 3.5 hours from Bangkok by bus

My sister has been bugging me about updating this, so I'm just going to share a few snippets from my journal before I go visit a Hmong Hill tribe here in Chiang Mai (super excited about that!)

March 2nd, 2010 (Bus from Bangkok to Ko Samet)

I'm finding myself missing Korea already; pangs in the chest actually, and I get all excited about any Korea-related sightings here in Bangkok. Today the Girls Generation "Oh" music video was playing at Siam Center. I wonder how long this will last, or if I really will have to move back there, like my friends are encouraging.

It's nice seeing a classier side of Bangkok this time around. Staying in Josie and Mark's apartment is a lot different than staying in the madness that is Khao San Road like last year. And Siam Center (shopping mall) was really fancy, it had one of the nicest movie theaters I've ever been to.

March 5th (Plane to Phuket)

And I'm off! I've only had one minor setback on this trip so far, which was an excess baggage fee of 175,000 won at Incheon Airport, but otherwise it's going well so far. I did an overnight to Ko Samet with Mark and Josie, saw a Muay Thai boxing match last night, and now I'm headed south to Phuket.

I'm traveling (mostly) alone for a month, and my biggest fear going into this trip was getting my wallet, expensive camera, and/or passport stolen. In reality, it's more likely that I lose one of these myself considering I'm a total space cadet. The other day I took cash out of an ATM near Josie and Mark's apartment, and as I was walking away, a Thai lady chased me down and tapped me on the back. She had my receipt and ATM card in her hand! It makes me happy that there are honest people everywhere, even here in Bangkok, which people usually think of as shady.

Josie and Mark have been gracious hosts, letting me store my crap (and there's a lot of it) at their place in Bangkok while I'm off gallivanting. Still missing Korea...I got really excited last night at McDonald's (nothing else was open at 11 pm after the boxing match) when they played Super Junior and Big Bang. I miss speaking Korean too.

March 5th (Phi Phi Island)

Yikes. Phi Phi is a lot more expensive than anticipated. Also, I'm pretty sure it's one of the most beautiful places in the world, which means I have to share it with everyone in the world. This place (Ton Sai Village) is a zoo.. like mini Cancun or something. Maybe I'll find a more chill beach for tomorrow night.

They have all these awesome excursions though - sailing, snorkeling, camping trips to 'The Beach.' Definitely want to do one of those.

Seriously though, this is not at all how I pictured it. I thought it would be at least a little more remote. I'm kind of missing our calm, tranquil beach on Ko Samet.


March 6th (Phi Phi Island)

Found cheaper digs today (300 baht/night, which is about 9 USD) and some good swimming beaches. The beach here in the village (Ao Lo Dalum) at low tide was highly disappointing, but is great at midday. Then I booked the half day snorkel tour and got to swim with fish, see Ko Phi Phi Leh, and Maya Bay, a.k.a. "The Beach," which actually isn't that great. It's beautiful, but not the best swimming beach. The best part was the snorkeling for sure. It was amazing; so many fish, giant coral clusters...amazing. I want to go again if possible.

I ran into some Koreans getting on a cruise ship today, I was suspicous when I saw their matching towels and ajumma visors, (albeit more tropical-looking than the ones worn in Seoul) and I asked in Korean if they were indeed Korean. We chatted for a bit before boarding our respective boats, and it was nice to speak Korean again, even if only for a few minutes.

*More to come... have to head out now!

DMZ Tour

With my days in Korea winding down, there were two last things I wanted to check off my list. One was see a Big Bang concert, and the other was tour the DMZ. Unfortunately Big Bang didn't work out, but last Saturday my friend Bonnie and I went on the USO tour of the DMZ, and it was, in one word, fascinating. I can't believe I waited so long to do it.

For those of you who don't know, the DMZ (or Demilitarized Zone) is the strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel. It is the most heavily guarded border in the world. (thank you, Wikipedia) It's also only about an hour by bus from Seoul.

The beginning of our tour took us to the Joint Security Area (or in Korean, Panmunjom), where North and South Korean soldiers stand face to face every day. The area is used by the two countries for diplomatic meetings. At one point our tour group was standing across from the main North Korean building, Panmungak, where a North Korean soldier was watching our every move through binoculars. We were told not to point or make any gestures in the direction of North Korean soldiers that could be used as propaganda, so during question time when a few members of our tour group forgot and starting pointing and gesturing, I freaked out a little bit. I had visions flashing in my head of the North Korean watching us whipping out a machine gun and blasting it in our direction. Luckily that never happened, and that was the only scary part of the tour.

The JSA - The conference buildings where the North and South hold meetings


Bonnie and I (and an ROK soldier) standing on either side of the Demarcation Line. Bonnie's on the North Korean side.


North Korean soldiers who came out to watch our tour group


The tour brought us to a few other historically significant spots, such as the site of the "Axe murder Incident" in 1976, where two U.S. Army officials were axed to death by DPRK soldiers while supervising a tree pruning. The tree was blocking sight lines between two security checkpoints on the JSA.

That was just one of many incidents that show the North Koreans haven't been holding up their end of the deal. The coolest part of the tour was crawling through "The 3rd Tunnel," one of four tunnels apparently designed for a surprise attack on Seoul from North Korea. North Korea first claimed they didn't dig it, but the direction of the dynamite blasts point towards South Korea. So then they claimed it was part of a coal mine, and there is actually black "coal" painted on the walls. However, experts have said coal is geologically unlikely in the area.

The last part of the tour took us to Imgingak, a park that was built around "Freedom Bridge," where at the end of the Korean war, 13,000 prisoners of war walked to freedom in the South. The story says that as they crossed the bridge, they cried out in thanks for their freedom, giving the bridge its name.

Because many families were separated after the war, the park was built to console those who are unable to return to their hometowns during important holidays, like this weekend's Lunar New Year. People come to the park instead and pray for their loved ones.

I've been living in Korea for almost a year and a half now, about an hour away from the North Korean border, yet in my day to day life here, North Korea doesn't affect me at all. When you live here, you forget that technically, the two countries are still at war. However, going on the tour reminded me of the reality of the situation. Families were separated, lives were lost, and the North Korean people continue to live in under a totalitarian dictatorship.

Man saying a prayer at Imjingak


Prayers for peace, reunification, loved ones at Freedom Bridge


More pictures of my DMZ tour here

How to Dance K-Pop Style 2009

Simon and Martina of Eatyourkimchi.com have done it again. They've put together another video of the year's top K-pop dance moves!

I have to say it's not as funny as its predecessor, but it's still a spot-on overview of the songs that have been drilled into my head for the past year.

Be sure to check out Simon's dramatic reading of Shinee lyrics at 5:17, as well as the Choco Boy impersonation at the end.



This video actually makes me sad, when I think about all the K-pop I'm going to be missing out on in 2010.

Jo Jo

Okay, I was mistaken when I said there weren't any good K-pop songs out right now. Shinee saved the day with their new single "Jo Jo." They haven't made a video yet, but my Winter Camp students showed me this live version of them sporting back-to-the-early-90's hip hop gear. I don't know how I feel about that, but the song, like any good K-pop song, is addicting.

Tae Min is the one in the purple hat and star tattoo next to his eye. I'm not sure what their stylist was on that day...

Letdown

Alas, I finally heard back from Westgate Corporation in Japan today, and I didn't get the job.

They said that the hiring pool was very competitive; and since I don't have experience working with adults or a CELTA certificate, they couldn't offer me a position at this time. They said to reapply when I had obtained one of the above. But the thing is; I like kids. I don't really want to teach adults, which is why I didn't get a CELTA certificate in the first place. The University students I would have taught are only a few years older than my current students.

I had a bad feeling when they said they would let me know their decision in about two weeks, and then I didn't hear from them until now, a month later. I shouldn't have banked on getting that job and looked into other options, but as a self-proclaimed commitment-phobe, I really liked the idea of a 3 month contract. Even though I'd be unemployed again in July, it gave me more time to figure out what to do in the fall. I was also over-confident that I would get it given my three years of experience and actual teaching degree and license; something a lot of my fellow ESL teachers don't have.

I'm kind of bummed because I was really excited about living in Japan, but I guess this is a good thing; I'll have more time at home with my friends and family and can spend some time thinking about what it is I really want to do next.

I know that I'm not ready to go home for good just yet. There is still a lot more world out there that I want to see. Stay tuned...

January 15, 2010

Had a short chat in Korean with the 7-11 lady this morning. This always happens: just when I've reached a communicable level in a foreign language, I leave the country. (Happened when I lived in France too)

Pretty, fluffy snowflakes falling again this morning. As I was waiting for a cab in front of my neighborhood Paris Baguette watching them fall, I had a moment. A "damn; I'm going to miss this place" moment. I can't believe how fast these last 2 months are going.

K-Pop 2010

I haven't been impressed with the K-pop charts these days. The number 3 song this week, "Bo Beep," by T'ara, is maddening actually. (The girls sing "Bo Beep Bo Beep Bo Beep over and over again) Some girl was listening to it on the bus the other day and I nearly lost it. Thank God for I-pods.

This is the one song out right now that I actually do like. "You and I" by 2ne1's Park Bom. Like most Korean music videos, it's super cheesy and melodramatic. And I don't want to be a hater, but I just want to point out a few unrealistic aspects of the video, lest people think that Korea is a Utopian land full of cupcakes and idyllic natural scenery. Just doing my part to shatter the Confucian ideal of keeping up appearances, one blog post at a time.

For one, Korean weddings don't take place in churches. Instead they have these huge wedding halls that people rent out for the afternoon. Secondly, where are all these big open fields and picket fences? I've never seen any in Korea. North and South Korea combined are about the size of the state of Minnesota, only with a bajillion more people. These idyllic nature scenes do not exist. Even the National Parks in Korea are overcrowded. They're like Disneyland with mountains.

Also, it seems like in Korean music videos, someone always has to die. The first Korean music video I ever saw was Big Bang's "Haru Haru," where two guys fight over this chic who ends up dying of some terminal illness. In this one, her new husband gets sick and dies. But if you've read past entries, you'll know that Koreans are sort of obsessed with health, and it carries over into pop culture.

Alright, I'll shut up now and post the video.