Learning the way of tea

Aaron and I have made a list of the things we'd like to do/accomplish before leaving Korea. Among them is eat insurmountable amounts of barbecue, visit the northernmost province of South Korea, stay at a temple for a weekend, and learn the art of serving tea. Last Friday night we began our tea journey and learned the ceremony for serving green tea.  It's an involved process where fluidity and finesse reign and there's not much room for my impatience or Aaron's eagerness. Ms. Park (the "tea lady" as I have come to call her) ever so gently told me "slowly, slowly" and advised Aaron "quietly, quietly!"  Needless to say, we've got a lot practicing to do, but it's something we really would like to share with friends and family back in the US.  

The entire process is so much more than the tea, however.  It's about hospitality, respect, community, patience, and breathing in the moment together.  Hopefully the more we practice, the more we'll be able to transpose this process to other areas of our lives. 

Our new teapot (needed for the ceremony) and tea warmer! All the pottery
is handmade and naturally colored by clay, wind, and fire. 

We've only purchased 3 of these items: the 2 teapots and one bowl.
Ms. Park has graciously given us all of the rest of the pottery
 and tea supplies as gifts. We never leave there empty handed.
We feel so lucky to have such a wonderful way to remember
our time in Korea.

One large family

Although the crisis in Japan is ever so close to us, it certainly seems a world away.  Everything is going on as usual here in Korea.  Students are going to school into the late evening hours, Aaron and I made homemade pizza last night, our school had our monthly evacuation drill in case of a North Korean attack, and the markets are fully supplied with kimchi and radishes.  There is no worry (aside from the possibility of radiation blowing our way), no shortages, and no destruction.

As some of you may know, Japan and Korea do not have a very good "social" relationship.  Aside from reading Japanese comics and watching Japanese cartoons, my students are not big fans of Japan.  I once had an English Olympics in my classroom and each group could choose a country.  I held up the Japanese flag and the students "booed" it. Japan has quite the history of invading Korea and the two countries still argue over the names of the sea in between them as well as the ownership of various islands. 

But after the recent catastrophe, I had my students write about what happened in Japan, and none of them "booed" or showed any kind of hostility.  Instead, we discussed what the Japanese are feeling, how their lives have changed, and the effects of the disaster.  Some of my students even had family or friends living in Japan, and one student has a family member unaccounted for.  They showed sympathy and were concerned about their neighbor to the east. 

And things are happening on a larger scale as well.  The South Korean Red Cross sent $1,000,000 to Japan, South Korean pop-stars are sending exorbitant amounts of money, and the country is even sending Boron to help stabilize the nuclear situation. 

Yes, there is tragedy.  Yes, Japan is suffering.  And yes, there is probably still some resentment in the land of kimchi towards the Japanese. But, for right now, grace has replaced hostility.  It seems when challenges and hardship arise, people step up to the plate. Our humanity unites us.

It's easy to get upset in these times, and I think we need to feel sympathy for Japan and do what we can to help in any way, shape, or form.  But I think it's also a time to realize that we're all part of this world together--one big family. This is true now more than ever.  As a result of technology, no country is void of global communication, no country is isolated from aid, and no country is forgotten when disaster strikes. We can simply turn on the tv or our computer and see a video of the tsunami or a crying child in need. Technology has allowed us all to be "part of a large family" (great song by the Great Lake Swimmers by the way).  And so, as any close family does, we cry together, we scream together, we smile together, we yearn together, we get angry together, we grieve together, and we love together. 


But we also have responsibility for each other.  In a time when wars, slavery and natural disasters abound, it's refreshing and hopeful to see people taking care of each other in whatever ways they can. Not only does this separate our generation from those in the past, but I think, more than ever, it is what our family truly needs.

"We really need to rethink our definition of success."

A friend of mine posted this video from PBS Frontline, and I'd like to pass it on. It gives a bit more insight into the Korean education system and how Koreans feel it's more than just the education system that needs to be reformed.  Korea needs to reexamine its definition of success. 

Aaron and I have had many discussions with older Koreans about this. The longer they aim at their current definition of success, the more of their traditional culture they will lose. Older Koreans wonder who will make the kimchi when they die as making kimchi or cooking in a restaurant is not considered "successful" or "cool" in this culture anymore.  Who will gather the mugwort on the side of the street to make rice cakes which are such a traditional food? Who will farm and live in the small country towns? Who will fix the Hyundai and Daewoos?  Who will drive buses, taxis, and subways?  Who will own norebangs and do traditional singing? Until they can redefine what success is, I'm afraid that Korea will lose a lot of what we, the older generations, and younger generations (although they may not know it yet) love about this country (and I certainly see this in America too, just not as prominently as here.)

I guess I feel as a teacher that I need to help spread this new definition of success.  In my classroom, I encourage students to be whatever they want.  Most of my students get so much pressure from home telling them they must be doctors, lawyers, CEOs etc. "Teacher, I want to make money!"  "Teacher, I want to go to Harvard so I make lots of money."  Even the students who I see excel in art or music feel like those areas are not "good enough" to go into. I also act disappointed when they tell me all they did on vacation was go to hagwon (their private schools) and study. They just don't realize there is so much more to childhood! 

On a somewhat similar note, this week I've been introducing my classroom rules to my new first grade middle school students.  As part of my introduction, I show a video of Jose Conseco's "home run" when he goes to catch the ball and it bounces off his head scoring a home run for the Indians.  I explain how even professional baseball players make mistakes! So my third and final rule is something I feel these kids need to hear more than anything: "Do not be scared to make a mistake.  No one is perfect."  

All a gal can do is try.

Malaysia: a land of caves, curry, and cockroaches

A new school year has begun!  But I’d like to back up a bit and reminisce about our time in Malaysia. Check out our pictures here.

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Aaron, our friend Rachel (from Eau Claire, Wisconsin) and I traveled to Malaysia and Borneo during our vacation.  First, I must say, the country of Malaysia felt like the America of Asia.  Its religious and cultural diversity was refreshing and fascinating.  We spent our first and last few days of our trip in the giant city of Kuala Lumpur and, other than the blazing, tropical heat, perhaps what stuck out the most in this city were the beautiful people. You could walk down the same street for about a mile and pass a Hindu temple, Chinese Buddhist temple, a mosque, and a Christian church.  But even more beautiful than this diversity was the peaceful nature of each group walking down the street together--hijabs with saris, malas with rosaries. Some walked hand in hand and others simply exchanged conversation.  


From the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, we headed to the island of Borneo.  Our first destination was Mulu National Park. Our propeller plane dropped us off at a small airport in the middle of the jungle. Then, we had about a 1km walk to the park headquarters where we stayed for most of our time there.  Probably my favorite part about staying there was the cacophony of insects lulling me to sleep every night while Aaron enjoyed collecting the enormous moths that congregated in our bathroom in the evening.

The famous jellyfish cave formation in Lang's Cave.

We saw the famous Deer Cave (the largest cave opening in the world and home to over 4 million bats) and the Clearwater Cave System-- both breathtaking!  But the highlight of my time at Mulu was our 2 day trek and overnight in the jungle.  The three of us had our own guide named Ishmael.  He was a short, little man with a contagious smile.  He grew up in the Penan tribe in the jungle, used a blow pipe for hunting, wore a loin cloth, and knew EVERY plant, animal, and organism in the jungle AND what it could be used for.  He had us eat various plants good for specific ailments and even showed us the tree from which they collect the poison that is put on the top of their blowpipe darts. He still uses the plants for healing and is considered a medicine man among other tribes who are still living nomadically.  He said he travels to these tribes on a volunteer basis to heal the sick and wounded.  Sometimes it takes him over 2 weeks on foot just to reach where they live in the jungle.  But according to Ishmael, when the Christian missionaries came from Australia they insisted the Penam live in more semi-permanent longhouse villages.  Ishmael now lives in a Penam village near the park.  And, when the park opened, he learned conversational English and began working as a guide.

A caterpillar in Mulu.

Our time on this 2 day trek with him was fantastic.  We bushwhacked our way about 6km in to the jungle, spent the night in a longhouse, and then about 6km back (we took a tribal trail “short cut” on the way back that I’m thinking was really more of a long cut).  The forest’s lush greenery and rich sounds and smells distracted us from the intense heat and humidity.  The leeches also distracted us…a little too much.  Aaron hadn’t told me that this rainforest was FAMOUS for its leeches.  And no, they are not in the water, they’re on land!  They attach themselves to every part of your body and begin sucking instantly.  At first we were stopping almost every 2 or 3 minutes to rip a leech off of a foot or ankle, but soon we just decided to wait and let them suck until we came to a break point.  Poor Rachel easily pulled off 80 during those 2 days.  For some reason they really liked her blood.  

A tiger leech feeling our warmth and reaching out to latch on to one of us.

After Mulu we headed to the other side of Borneo and did a homestay with a family along the Kinabatangan River.  On both sides of the river are strips of lush jungle crowded with elephants, monkeys, birds, lizards and other jungle animals.  For us, this was fantastic as we saw 5 different kinds of monkeys, pygmy elephants, owls, hornbills, lizards, and many many bats including the largest bat in the world.  But the reality is that this entire area is cursed by palm oil plantations.  The plantations have cut down the majority of jungle in this area forcing the wildlife including many endangered species into these narrow strips of land.  Osman, whose family we stayed with, refused to be part of the palm oil and supports his 6 children by giving tours to tourists and letting them stay at his house.  

Osman with elephant poop, a cigarette, and a leech in hand.

He and his family live in a longhouse and the only way to get to their home is by boat.  Upon arrival to his home, his 5 year old twin daughters greeted us with 6 kittens hanging off every part of their little bodies.  After we were handed a kitten, we played, drank delicious tea prepared by his wife, Yanti, and went on our first rainy river cruise on which we saw an orangutan, proboscis monkeys, a flying fox bat, trees filled with long-tailed macaques, owls, and hornbills.  It was unbelievable how much wildlife we saw from the river. Tree after tree filled with monkeys and birds.  And although I was squealing with excitement, there was something just not right about being able to see so much wildlife in a 3 hour boat ride when a few days earlier we hiked for 2 days in the middle of the rainforest and mostly just saw tracks.


Osman treated us like family.  Yanti fed us the best and freshest food we had in Malaysia (baby ferns are my new favorite vegetable) and Osman entertained us with his humor and enormous personality.  Aaron and I stayed at Osman's for 2 nights with a couple from Holland and 2 gals from Chile.  Although it rained almost the entire second day, we kept busy by teaching each other card and dice games, reading, sharing stories and playing with his adorable children.  Then, we managed to find a rainless window to go for a cruise and after some patience and adventure, we found elephants!

These guys were all over Batu Caves.

Next, Aaron and I headed to Kota Kinabalu to go snorkeling in the pristine waters off the coast of Borneo.  We ate fantastic grilled chicken, seafood, and drank fresh fruit juices in the night markets, swam in the warm water, and relaxed until it was back to Kuala Lumpur for the Chinese New Year.  In KL, we saw the Batu Caves (a Hindu Temple that is in a cave outside of the city) and ate ourselves silly.  Curry, curry, and more curry.  Yum.

Posing with our banana leaves full of delicious curry.

All three of us fell in love with the scenery, smells, and people of Malaysia.  Almost everyone we spoke to knew English or was incredibly confident when they tried. We would recommend Malaysia to anyone who is a nature lover and has an adventurous soul.


And, it seems the more we see of the world, the more we realize there is to see. So, Aaron and have decided to leave Korea when our contracts are up in August.  We will be traveling around Southeast Asia, Nepal, and India for about 3 months before heading home in November (don't worry mom, we'll be home for thanksgiving:).  


Love to all of our friends and family!

A snowy Valentine

The view outside our apartment.

This morning Aaron, his dad, Pat, (they are here for two weeks--we feel lucky to have so many visitors) and I woke up to a legitimate snowstorm outside our window.  I was practically jumping up and down as this was more snow than I've seen since we came to Busan.  It rarely snows here and it has NEVER snowed this much!  So, like true Minnesotans we didn't stay inside and watch movies all day...no!  We layered up and went outside to enjoy the day!  We headed north of Busan to our favorite temple to show Aaron's dad and Pat as well as enjoy the snow covered pines and mountains.  Despite my chilly toes, it had to be one of the best days I've had in Korea.  Enjoy these great shots by Aaron!

How many birds can you see?

Snowy Buddha.

When in Korea, do as the Koreans do. We all decided to use
umbrellas in the snow. I used to laugh at this idea,
but it really does make a lot of sense.

Malaysia Bound!

Tomorrow Aaron and I are off for another adventure, but this time it involves 90 degrees and humidity!  We're headed to the island of Borneo to adventure through some of the oldest and most diverse rainforest left in the world, see some huge caves (as seen in the BBC Planet Earth series) and hopefully befriend some orangutans and sea turtles.  I feel grateful to have my in-house scientist on the trip to explain everything! :)  Then, we will end our trip in Kuala Lampur to celebrate the Lunar New Year which is an incredibly important holiday in Asia.  We will give a long update after we return on February 5.  Peace and love to you all!

Confucianism...a winning system?

I can’t help but comment on Nicholas Kristof’s column this week.  Read it or if you’d rather not, it’s about how an international study last month showed that China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea performed the best in math, science and reading.  The US came in 15^th in reading, 23^rd in science and 31^st in math. 

He goes on to talk about how Confucianism is the winner.  It’s a system that praises education and respects teachers as equivalents to doctors, lawyers, and businessmen.  I've experienced here as store employees and waiters call you 선생님 (seon-saeng-nim which means “teacher” in Korean) even if you aren’t one as it’s their equivalent to “sir or ma'am.”  Teachers and education are important in this culture. 

And now having lived and taught in this system for almost 2 years now, I’ve experienced Confucianism first hand.  I appreciate how diligent the majority of my students are everyday.  I’m amazed by how if I give them a break time, they use it to study.  I am continually in awe by the inherent respect they have for me as a teacher whether it’s carrying my computer and supplies to the classroom, cleaning the board and sweeping the classroom floor, bowing and apologizing to me if I’ve disciplined them in class, or giving me gifts for no reason at all.  Education is truly “steeped” into the culture as Kristof says and with that comes respect for all involved in the educational system. 

However, when tea is steeped too long it becomes quite bitter.  And although you may still be getting the necessary nutrients from it, it’s not nearly as satisfying—thus the Confucian education system.  After teaching here and immersing myself in this culture, I’ve seen how bitter it can be.

During the last week of school before vacation I asked my students if they had any plans over break.  I did not have one student tell me they were going to go on vacation, go to a movie with friends or sleep in (a few said play computer games but that’s about it).  The only thing my students said they were going to do was go to academy and study.  Really.  Study.  During school breaks they go to their academies all day.  These academies are after school schools that almost ALL Korean students go to and their parents pay big money to send them to.  Some are math specific, others specific to English, science, computer programming and some touch on all subjects.  During the school year my students attend their respective academies immediately after their regular school day and don’t get home until 10pm.  And then, during their break they have to go too?  Contrary to my fellow Korean teachers’ reactions, I reacted quite disappointed.  I encouraged my students to take a break!  Play with your friends!  Go skin your knee or something!  Spend some time doing something for yourself during your break from school.  These poor students never have a chance to be kids!

Kristof also mentioned “Many Chinese complain scathingly that their system kills independent thought and creativity, and they envy the American system for nurturing self-reliance.” Common sense is lost in this “study study study” culture as well.  There is no room for experiencing life and making mistakes, therefore, gaining common sense. Both Aaron and I have experienced certain instances when our friends or colleagues are so hooked into the system, that they can’t question something when it’s blatantly wrong or could be done in a better way.  Also, there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t worry about my students who may not get the best test scores but have personalities that are bigger than a metaphorical A+!  Everything is black and white, which leaves no room for questioning or thinking about how things could be done differently or how people can have a wide variety of interests and strengths. 

In my classes I really try to encourage my students to think critically and creatively.  And it’s difficult for them!  But, when I hear my students’ minds gingerly stepping outside of their memorized boxes, it’s one of the greatest moments of my day.  Yes, I’m American and that’s the educational style I’m used to, but I’ve learned how preciously effective our system is and how we need to appreciate and nurture it much more than we do.   Here in East Asia, education is everything, and I think the US really needs to learn something from that.  But in the US, education isn’t absolutely everything, and I think East Asia could learn a little something from us too.