Be Active and Slow Down. Also another meaning that will reveal itself later...
After a big, positive and necessary personal writing spurt during my first year in Korea, the last half of 2013 saw things go into decline again. That's not to say that I've stopped writing altogether. In the fall, after a blazing hot and kind of sad summer, it finally occurred to me - hey, there's an awesome English-language magazine in Gwangju and why in the world am I not working for it? After a couple months of online volunteering, I finally did something that I thought would be a way of giving back to my school - I interviewed people and wrote an article about Hanbit High School for Gwangju News. In the process, I learned things about the beginning of the school and perspectives from students and teachers that I lacked before. This year, I've taken on an Online Editor role and writing more stories.
Fortunately, around the same time I decided to volunteer with Gwangju News I also discovered the Solidarity Stories blog, run by a handful of engaged expats. It took me until the New Year to get in touch with them, but as with many other things, I'm really glad I did and almost wish I had started sooner. It turns out that the English-language blog is an offshoot of the International Strategy Center, a Seoul-based organization that works to connect Korean social movements with struggles around the world. Every month, the international media team gathers in a location to cover a specific movement, event, group or person. The first meeting for me was March 8 International Women's Day weekend, where we watched an interactive play about the lives of three women workers and union activists from the 1970s. We also went out with the art collective and women after the performance, one of the more meaningful beer and soju-soaked nights out. I'm looking forward to growing deeper in Korean history through this group.
In fact, since my 3.5 week trip home to the States for New Year's and the better part of January, I've hit the ground running and though I've had plenty of opportunities to sit down and reflect, the time is flying faster than ever. There's nothing like coming straight from warm and sunny San Francisco to the quiet but persistent Korean snowfall. The snow melted soon enough though and the first weekend
back, under a quietly falling rain, I went to Gwangju City Hall and boarded the third Hope Bus to the troubled Gyeongsangnamdo Milyang county. Reconnecting and meeting new members of the Gwangju branch of KFEM (Korean Federation for Environmental Movement) and other activists was nice and marching from Milyang City Hall to Milyang Station for a rowdy stage of music, theater and speeches was powerful. BIG BONUS: running into a total of three Hanbit students coming from different places! Packing this in with a stay in one of the villages and a morning rally before heading straight back to Gwangju was a little overwhelming though, and I would like to spend more time in the countryside with the grandmothers. It will have to be another weekend, another time.
Other notable events of 2014 so far include an English-subtitled and director meet-and-greet screening of single-mom themed Korean documentary My Place with my French buddies in Seoul. This was a truly intense and unexpectedly full learning experience during the Lunar New Year Weekend. A short month later, I was meeting N & J again for mine and J's LASIK surgery, a decision that I came to much faster than I thought. I won't go into detail about that here, because for us the experience itself was not awesome though the results are so far, so pretty freaking good. For a great detailed description of LASIK in Korea, here as an account from a friend.
Working as an English teacher in Korea has also brought with it the new phenomenon of living alone, also necessary for my mental health back at the beginning of 2012. Two years down the road, especially living in a one-room apartment with not much view of the outside, this solitary home life is officially feeling stifling. Though a strong introvert who craves ample alone time and private space, I've always had the duel personality of needing to be outside, active, exploring, interacting with others in meaningful ways. My summer 2010 sublet in the Cambridge Coop and the big Lille house are atmospheres that I had been striving towards, but that I willingly gave up when moving to Korea.
On the other hand, the Gwangju community and others are vibrant and I've made some great new friends. I just haven't been able to have it all - radical, intentional community-living AND a new cultural and language immersion experience with a stable job and easy travel opportunities. I reckon if I took real, concrete steps to bring an approximation of the first desire into my Korean life, things could be really wonderful. I sometimes feel that I am living a double life - half mundane and half exciting and enriching, but not always a good mixed balance.
My greatest accomplishment, which tends to overshadow shortcomings, is improving my attitude to teaching and building strong relationships with my students and coworkers. Despite the hustle and bustle and the tired feeling by the end of the day, I can honestly say I look forward to going to work in the morning. Korean teenagers are maybe my most favorite people here and I love every little joke in the hallway, every time I teach them something totally new in class (like the successful and fun Couchsurfing project that I'm continuing with this year's freshmen) and every time I can have a meaningful conversation about their frustrations, hopes and dreams.
In this regard, I've come a long way from my lackluster French classrooms, which I can hardly remember now - they were that boring, I think. Admittedly, one of the biggest differences is that I rely heavily on the PowerPoint presentations and Internet downloads in my Korean English classes. If I didn't have technology, could I still teach an effective class? And when I don't have a coteacher, am I still able to keep my students understanding and engaging with the content? All these are questions that I mull over a lot more deeply than I ever did in the past and it makes me feel that if nothing else - I am doing my job right. I told myself this was the most important thing and I have achieved that measure of success.
If I had more time and focus, I would love to do a tour of
alternative schools and other education centers in Korea. Interest is
certainly growing, and I know like-minded Koreans are undertaking
portraits of the different schools. Whether or not foreigners are doing
the same, I don't know.
As for my Korean language skills, I think they have grown considerably over 2 years, especially considering I started from zero. I'm still lacking a systematic study format, though I've been blessed with a handful of patient coworkers and activist acquaintances who have made a world of difference in my conversational speaking and understanding. I am steadily writing Korean instant and Facebook messages and I'm now haltingly starting to read short articles and stories. Coming from France, where I already knew the language and could readily engage with locals, my impatience in not being able to do that in Korea seems to constantly waver between giving up and shutting down to being super motivated to learn. There is still a long, long way to go.
While there are some English teachers who take the time to learn Korean beyond the basic survival level, it's not so common. One of the biggest obstacles is that while Koreans take great pride in their cultural heritage and enjoy sharing it with foreigners, native English speakers aren't particularly encouraged or expected to learn the language. It almost certainly has to come from a great amount of self-motivation. It's hard to explain exactly why this is the case. English is a highly-prized commodity and status symbol and many Koreans, even those who have studied and can speak the language at a competent level, will begin an interaction with "My English is not good." Part cultural modesty, part ineffective memorization-based language education, part socially-enforced competition and feelings of inadequacy and other things I don't fully understand, there are some complicated communication barriers at play. In Korean culture, context is everything and a person's presentation and background are melted into one. So we are usually foreigners and English teachers before we are anything else. Sometimes, just a simple "hello" and "thank you" is greeted with "you can speak Korean well!" When described, it might sound nice and easy, but after some time a certain amount of frustration sets in, which eventually gives way to quiet resignation.
Then there's the "getting healthy" aspect. The meditation and natural-living initiative is quickly changing from an awkward infatuation to an integrated part of my life. I drink lots of different herbal teas including persimmon, mulberry and mugwort loose leaf, do more yoga, cycling and steep hiking. Since moving here, I've actually found an increasing initiative to be more creative with my cooking, especially since living alone offers some extra free time. I've had nice results with new-to-me foods like perilla, acorn, millet and I've started making yogurt and even kombucha (it's in my Russian blood) for the first time. I go in-and-out of cooking phases, but with the new WWOOF Korea CSA box (discontinued) coming my way and more foodie buddies in town, there's no excuse not to get down and dirty in the kitchen.
 |
| The road back to Gwangju from Hanbit's bus stop |
After a big, positive and necessary personal writing spurt during my first year in Korea, the last half of 2013 saw things go into decline again. That's not to say that I've stopped writing altogether. In the fall, after a blazing hot and kind of sad summer, it finally occurred to me - hey, there's an awesome English-language magazine in Gwangju and why in the world am I not working for it? After a couple months of online volunteering, I finally did something that I thought would be a way of giving back to my school - I interviewed people and wrote an article about Hanbit High School for Gwangju News. In the process, I learned things about the beginning of the school and perspectives from students and teachers that I lacked before. This year, I've taken on an Online Editor role and writing more stories.
Fortunately, around the same time I decided to volunteer with Gwangju News I also discovered the Solidarity Stories blog, run by a handful of engaged expats. It took me until the New Year to get in touch with them, but as with many other things, I'm really glad I did and almost wish I had started sooner. It turns out that the English-language blog is an offshoot of the International Strategy Center, a Seoul-based organization that works to connect Korean social movements with struggles around the world. Every month, the international media team gathers in a location to cover a specific movement, event, group or person. The first meeting for me was March 8 International Women's Day weekend, where we watched an interactive play about the lives of three women workers and union activists from the 1970s. We also went out with the art collective and women after the performance, one of the more meaningful beer and soju-soaked nights out. I'm looking forward to growing deeper in Korean history through this group.
 |
| Damyang river |
back, under a quietly falling rain, I went to Gwangju City Hall and boarded the third Hope Bus to the troubled Gyeongsangnamdo Milyang county. Reconnecting and meeting new members of the Gwangju branch of KFEM (Korean Federation for Environmental Movement) and other activists was nice and marching from Milyang City Hall to Milyang Station for a rowdy stage of music, theater and speeches was powerful. BIG BONUS: running into a total of three Hanbit students coming from different places! Packing this in with a stay in one of the villages and a morning rally before heading straight back to Gwangju was a little overwhelming though, and I would like to spend more time in the countryside with the grandmothers. It will have to be another weekend, another time.
Other notable events of 2014 so far include an English-subtitled and director meet-and-greet screening of single-mom themed Korean documentary My Place with my French buddies in Seoul. This was a truly intense and unexpectedly full learning experience during the Lunar New Year Weekend. A short month later, I was meeting N & J again for mine and J's LASIK surgery, a decision that I came to much faster than I thought. I won't go into detail about that here, because for us the experience itself was not awesome though the results are so far, so pretty freaking good. For a great detailed description of LASIK in Korea, here as an account from a friend.
Working as an English teacher in Korea has also brought with it the new phenomenon of living alone, also necessary for my mental health back at the beginning of 2012. Two years down the road, especially living in a one-room apartment with not much view of the outside, this solitary home life is officially feeling stifling. Though a strong introvert who craves ample alone time and private space, I've always had the duel personality of needing to be outside, active, exploring, interacting with others in meaningful ways. My summer 2010 sublet in the Cambridge Coop and the big Lille house are atmospheres that I had been striving towards, but that I willingly gave up when moving to Korea.
On the other hand, the Gwangju community and others are vibrant and I've made some great new friends. I just haven't been able to have it all - radical, intentional community-living AND a new cultural and language immersion experience with a stable job and easy travel opportunities. I reckon if I took real, concrete steps to bring an approximation of the first desire into my Korean life, things could be really wonderful. I sometimes feel that I am living a double life - half mundane and half exciting and enriching, but not always a good mixed balance.
 |
| Students enjoying Indian/Nepali food for the first time |
In this regard, I've come a long way from my lackluster French classrooms, which I can hardly remember now - they were that boring, I think. Admittedly, one of the biggest differences is that I rely heavily on the PowerPoint presentations and Internet downloads in my Korean English classes. If I didn't have technology, could I still teach an effective class? And when I don't have a coteacher, am I still able to keep my students understanding and engaging with the content? All these are questions that I mull over a lot more deeply than I ever did in the past and it makes me feel that if nothing else - I am doing my job right. I told myself this was the most important thing and I have achieved that measure of success.
 |
| Jeonju guesthouse with student |
As for my Korean language skills, I think they have grown considerably over 2 years, especially considering I started from zero. I'm still lacking a systematic study format, though I've been blessed with a handful of patient coworkers and activist acquaintances who have made a world of difference in my conversational speaking and understanding. I am steadily writing Korean instant and Facebook messages and I'm now haltingly starting to read short articles and stories. Coming from France, where I already knew the language and could readily engage with locals, my impatience in not being able to do that in Korea seems to constantly waver between giving up and shutting down to being super motivated to learn. There is still a long, long way to go.
 |
| Jirisan annual 1st grade fall hike |
Then there's the "getting healthy" aspect. The meditation and natural-living initiative is quickly changing from an awkward infatuation to an integrated part of my life. I drink lots of different herbal teas including persimmon, mulberry and mugwort loose leaf, do more yoga, cycling and steep hiking. Since moving here, I've actually found an increasing initiative to be more creative with my cooking, especially since living alone offers some extra free time. I've had nice results with new-to-me foods like perilla, acorn, millet and I've started making yogurt and even kombucha (it's in my Russian blood) for the first time. I go in-and-out of cooking phases, but with the new WWOOF Korea CSA box (discontinued) coming my way and more foodie buddies in town, there's no excuse not to get down and dirty in the kitchen.
 |
| Musangsa meditators |
Not long after the retreat, a Gwangju friend introduced me to Reiki Energy Exchange, yet another New-Agey practice that I had heard about but not tried. I've gotten the "massage" several times now and while I can't speak definitively to the long-term effects, just the act of settling down on a Sunday night before the workweek and experiencing it is an intensive form of meditation on its own. I do think some unexamined issues have come up too. I'm happy to be learning about all kinds of mind-healing techniques which have improved my quality of life, though I have surprisingly yet to try acupuncture or other Asian traditional methods.
And what about growing my own food? That hasn't been too successful a venture, though I continue to volunteer on farms and at my school. Maybe this will be the year that a rooftop or community garden actually gets started. I have 2 consecutive days off, only at my school, so maybe I'm off on my bike to the market tomorrow to buy some new seeds and soil...the spring equinox has just passed and we are here. <3
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| Fall/winter kitchen inspirations |
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