All Fun and Games? : Korea’s Computer Game Craze
Posted on May 5, 2010 5 Comments
I’ve written about Korea’s wide range of festivals, from the bullfighting festival to the cherry blossom festival, but this weekend I am sure that I came across the mother of all bizarre festivals held right in my own backyard: Korea’s StarCraft video game competition…and festival. No this is not a joke, and while I claim no insight whatsoever on gaming culture, it took a mere ten minutes at this event to make some serious assumptions about the “sport” and about Korea’s involvement in this phenomenon.
In recent months the heartbreaking story of a Korean couple who neglected their newborn in order to spend hours and days in a pc-bang (computer cafe) playing a game in which they raised a virtual baby, has spread throughout Korea and helped to raise awareness of computer game addiction. While in no way have I pinned all Koreans as computer game addicts, living here has allowed me to see first hand a culture obsessed with on-line access. As a middle school teacher I feel that I am right in the thick of evolving crazes, and I have to admit it has been fun being up to date on the day to day changes in popular music, television shows and computer games. My students are the only reason I am in the know about Pro gamer 임요환 (Im Yo Hwan) who has been added to MTVs list of “10 most influential gamers of all time.” Most recently the government has made the move to ban online access after midnight to anyone under the age of eighteen in order to prevent any sort of addiction to games such as StarCraft.
I had to have StarcCraft explained to me while watching the game played out on giant screens, set against a backdrop of hundreds of cheering fans. Apparently it is very similar to WarCraft (another game I know nothing about) where players try to build an empire, gaining land, resources and an army in order to take over and destroy the opposing player’s empire…except StarCraft takes place in outer space. If you are interested in learning more about these games check out some of the resources I found:
http://askakorean.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-is-starcraft-popular-in-korea.html
The gaming obsession in Korea makes sense when seen in context with Korea’s trend of practicing and perfecting a hobby until professional status is achieved. This is something I touched on in a post back in the fall titled “Hoola-hooping in Hangul.” While I can’t imagine spending that much time in front of a computer screen or even being a dedicated fan willing to sit through eight hours of StarCraft battles cheering on my favorite gamer, I feel lucky to have come across this event. The best part about travel is discovering the corky nuances of a culture different from your own, and I don’t see any better way to understand a culture, sport or hobby than stumbling upon an entire festival dedicated to it.
Dont forget to step away from the computer and enjoy some of this glorious weather!
Spring Scoot: A Trip to the Gyeongju Cherry Blossoms.
Posted on April 23, 2010 2 Comments
It’s official, Spring is here! Everyone from shoeless Matt to our Spring fevered bunny knows that the sun is out and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. My wool clothes that got me through a bitter winter, are on the slow boat home and our back patio is undergoing a transformation in eager anticipation of sipping cold meakju on humid summer evenings. To celebrate the sudden turn in weather and mood, Matt and I, along with our other scootering friends, packed a picnic lunch Saturday morning and followed the scent of cherry blossoms to the historical town of Gyeongju about an hour and a half away. Not only was this our first “long distance” scooter trip but the first time this year we’ve been so scantly clad while taking her for a spin. Hurray Spring!
Gyeongju is the capital of the former Shilla dynasty, and I use the present tense “is” here because for Koreans, these dynasties are still very much remembered and appreciated. The landscape is dotted with what appear to be rolling hills, but are in fact mounded tombs of previous rulers. We spent the early afternoon wandering the Bulguksa temple, now surrounded by soft pink cherry blossom puffs, and went for buckwheat bibimbap at lunchtime, only to find that a mis-translation left us with plain ol’ bibimbap. This happens a LOT and the truth is that it is all delicious so there is never an ounce of disappointment.
You know you are in good company when with others who view a scooter as the superior form of transportation. Sort of the “hip to be square” mantra I guess. Scootering in Korea becomes even more “Square” when you top it with an odd helmet, aviator inspired goggles and little to no understanding of Korean road law. Our rag-tag scooter gang is made up of people who strive to fit in to our surroundings while poking a little fun at the surroundings we find ourselves in (at least that’s an attempt at a mission statement). While with excellent company we parked our scooters and strolled along Boman lake, only to find that every Korean living in a twenty mile radius was also strolling around Boman. The pathway was packed with babies on shoulders, oma-jis, ice-cream eating westerners, a few ATVs and a couple on roller blades, making our “stroll” more of a dodge and flee to the nearest open space. Regardless of the overcrowding, seeing the cherry blossoms that I have been anticipating since our arrival in Korea eight months ago, reminded me that change abounds wherever you find yourself in the world. The seasons still move along, and living somewhere a full year is so worth the commitment because of these changes you get to witness.
I guess I have become pretty comfortable riding on the back of our scooter, or maybe it was the warm sun on my face and the sweet smell of Spring, but I fell asleep and nearly tumbled right off the back end! Wouldn’t have been the first time I’ve fallen off the back of a small moving vehicle in a foreign country :). Lucky for me I have a snazzy helmet and a big strong driver to hold onto for all of our future long-distance scooter trips…and as the weather continues to warm-up, there will be plenty!
Happy Spring Scootering to the scooter gang back in B-town!
Grab the Bull by the Horns: Korean Festivals and Other tales from the Bull Ring
Posted on April 11, 2010 Leave a Comment
It seems like every weekend Korea is celebrating, and because the way we party says so much about our culture, celebrating in Korea has given me an excellent sense of the country at large. Three weekends ago I attended Korea’s anual Bullfighting festival held in Cheong-do. Having lived in Spain for a short time several years ago, I was prepared for all the gore and violence that one of these events typically yields. I was pleasantly surprised after discovering that Korean Bullfighting is done with the same meticulous skill as most hobbies in this country and that they had left out the spears, focusing instead on each trainer’s ability to reason with his Bull. This festival is currently among my top 3 favorites in Asia and follows the traditional food, drink and celebratory customs I so enjoy when attending Korean functions.
Cheong-do is not easy to get to from Ulsan and requires a train transfer in Deagu. No problem if you wander into the party car! Tired of sitting in my seat being hushed by ticket checkers, I wandered instinctively toward the action. I found a train car painted in psychadelic greens and yellows, boasting a full bar, karaoke rooms and video games. Inside were naturally about fifty expats lounging around like a scene off of “That 70s Show” making this one of the most entertaining train rides of my life! Once in Cheon-do there are buses that shuttle festival goers to and from the stadium. Tickets were 5,000 Won each and can be purchased on site.
The fights were set up in heats with weight matched bulls, so they started slow and by the evening included all the heavy hitters. Korean Bullfighting lacks a matador or spearing and instead relies on a series of techniques including the head-butt, the push and the horn lock and lift. Some of the fights took twenty minutes, some two. A highlight of the events was when two bulls, after about five minutes of pushing against one another, looked up and calmly walked away from the fight as if agreeing to disagree. Their trainers tried to coax them into the fight but these bulls were just not interested and trotted out of the ring into their opposing corners. Aside from the bullfights there is plenty to see and do at the Ceong-do festival from watching the belly dance performances to buying fresh bull meat or consulting with a fortune teller. We even came across two Korean men who had gathered quite a crowd and were dressed in drag, balancing pottery on their un-shaven chins and shouting loudly in hangul to one another as Matt and I scratched our heads as to what their act could have been about?
Matt has, in recent months, attended some unique festivals including Daeborum which takes place on the first full moon after the lunar new year and is held in order to drive out the evil spirits of the coming year. The festival surrounds a giant structure built to resemble a tree, made from wood and branches, that is lit on fire while party goers dance around with other flaming objects, eating, drinking and being merry. I missed out on this one but was fortunate to see some of Matt’s priceless photos capturing the festivities. Another one of my favorite festivals is held during Korea’s Chuseok fall harvest holiday. There are events held all over the country but we chose to celebrate on the remote Hong-do island (accessable from Mokpo by ferry). The festivities took place in a small town square where a karaoke stage was set up and prizes were awarded to the best performance. For those following the blogspot posts back in the Fall, you may remember our group of newly arrived English teachers performing the YMCA to a crowd of forty Koreans in the small fishing village on this holiday weekend.
Whatever the month and wherever you find yourself in Korea, there is bound to be a celebration taking place. Some of the upcoming festivals we plan to attend include:
- The Spring Cherry blossom festival
- The green tea festival in early May: http://www.clickkorea.org/eventsnnews/event01_view.asp?idx=1397&eventKey=1&menubar=1
- And the Mud festival this coming summer: http://www.mudfestival.or.kr/english/festival/festival1.php
Happy celebrating in whatever country you find yourself this Spring season!
Holy Hong Kong!: 40 hours in the world’s most dynamic city.
Posted on March 31, 2010 1 Comment
As per usual I decided very last minute to hop on a plane this weekend, not wanting to miss out on a travel opportunity. What I didn’t think about was that I was entering a city already known for its 24hr appeal and that I would be there during rugby’s largest 7s tournament and all that this entails. With only 40 hours to take in Hong Kong, coupled with the craziness that surrounds a rugby tournament, and plans to meet up with friends from home I hadn’t seen in nearly eight months, there would be no question that I would stay up for the entirety of my short time in the city that really never sleeps. Here is a snap-shot for anyone interested in making the most of a short trip to Hong Kong, or curious to see if I am still alive and kicking…I am. :
Saturday 8pm: Arrived in Hong Kong airport, about an hour after I had anticipated. The A11 double decker bus is a great, affordable way to get to the center while enjoying a tour of the city. Because I was eager to meet up with friends who had already been in Hong Kong a night, I took the high speed MTR train (under a half an hour) easy, fast, safe.
9 pm: Arrived at the YWCA gardenview international house. Great location next to the admiralty metro stop, breakfast, pool and with eight of us in a room…affordable.
10pm: Dressed and out the door, we headed to Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong’s open air bar scene. From what I hear a rowdy area on a typical Saturday night…with an estimated three thousand rugby players and fans there for the event alone, the streets became a sea of colorful chaos. *Side note: I was told Hong Kong is about as safe as large cities get, and this must be true if directionally challenged…and let’s just face it, tipsy me, got into a cab and made it back to the hotel in one piece.
Sunday 8am: Woke up in the hotel after having slept underneath a bear costume and surprisingly felt ready to start my day.
9am: Rugby players and fans may be insulted that I opted out of attending the games that day, but I’ve been to my fare share of tournaments and thought of this day as perhaps my only opportunity to see Hong Kong. If you would like an overview from someone who was in attendance, check out: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/expat/josephinemcdermott/10138400/the-hong-kong-sevens-hangover/
I headed for the metro and got off on the mainland in Kowloon. Walking through the Jade market just off Canton street I grabbed some street food for breakfast and took in the sights and smells of flower peddlers, fish stalls and hand-made dim-sum.
10:30: I walked to the star ferry pier for a panoramic view of Hong Kong island and took a ten minute boat ride across Victoria harbour on the classic ship.
11am: Landing back on the island (accesible by MTR or ferry until midnight and by a 20min taxi ride 24hrs) I spotted what is usually the bain of my existence: a double decker tour bus crowded with visor wearing tourists. Not sure if it was the hangover or the goal of seeing all of Hong Kong in a day, but I paid my 200HK and hopped on. Probably one of my better decisions that day. Not only is the “Big Bus” an easy and affordable way to see the city, but you can hop on and off at any of the six stops throughout the day, and the audio (available in English, French, Chinese, Japanese, German and Spanish) is chock full of factoids about the city’s history and culture.
Noon: Got off on stop #4: SoHo and Lan Kwai Fan Fong, which looks entirely different during day time hours, with lovely shops and restaurants. I ate Thai food at Cafe Siam and watched expats move on and off the world’s longest outdoor escalator that glides all the way to the top between central and mid-levels.
1pm: Headed into the antiquer’s paradise that is Hollywood street in search of some traditional caligraphy brushes and other treasures. It is easy to get lost in a tangle of narrow, incense perfumed alleyways and my advice is to just go for it, all the best photographs, stories and steals come out of them.
3pm: I hit up SOHO’s boutiques and walked away with 3 new dresses from the lovely Ranee K http://www.raneek.com/
6:01pm: Ran for the last “Big red bus” which departs at 6 and got distracted by the beautiful shoes in http://www.pedderred.com/ No problem, I took the MTR to Admiralty and had a nice walk through Hong Kong park, stopping to see the monkeys and flamingos.
8pm: Listened to stories of the day’s rugby-capades and an explanation of how one member of our party was currently in jail wearing nothing but a polar bear costume…over some dumpling soup at Tsui Wah on Wellington street.
10pm: Back out for one more night of merry mahem in Lan Kwai Fong.
1am: After a sugar high brought on by the green jello shots administered by a plastic syringe I had been downing, a friend and I decided we were not ready for bed and wanted to visit the mainland to keep the party going. Neither the metro nor the ferries were running so we hopped in a cab that took us under the harbour via the cross-harbour tunnel to Kowloon. I am quite familiar with the “singing room” or nore-bang as it is called in Korea, but my friend had never experienced this form of karaoke and so we spent the next 2hours or so singing a series of Sunny and Cher and hits from the 90s in our own little singing room Asian style.
Sometime shortly after sunrise: Matt and I sipped our coffee in silence and watched the smoggy sunshine beam through skyscrapers from the Peak, one of the best views of Hong Kong. We took the old tram down a 45degree slope to admiralty.
Monday afternoon: I said good-bye to the piece of home that is my adventurous friends and boarded a plane to Shanghai with both fond and fuzzy memories of what is in my opinion the world’s most dynamic city: Hong Kong.
For info on everything Hong Kong, check out some of these helpful sites:
- http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1481386
- http://asiancorrespondent.com/hong-kong-blog
- http://www.hongkongblong.com/
Happy travels!
Mobis Madness: Basketball’s Craziest Month as Seen Courtside in Korea
Posted on March 24, 2010 1 Comment
Ulsan, South Korea is known for operating the world’s largest car manufacturing plant that is Hyundai, Ulsan University and for its close proximity to the popular seaside town of Busan. What many people don’t know about the city is that it is home to what I am betting is this year’s national basketball champion, Ulsan Mobis. Matt and I have followed this team, attending KBL home games since the season began in October. We have seen them crush teams from Deagu to Seoul and last night watched a nail biting match between Mobis and Dongbu. With March madness in full swing in the States, and us feeling a little left out of the action, Mobis has presented an opportunity to get in on the competitive nature of the season. But like everything else here, cultural differences abound, making the whole experience of game day both entertaining and eye opening.
Koreans are competitive to say the least. And even beyond this point is an ingrained sense of national pride, apparent on and off the court. The fans are louder, and more dedicated to helping their team to victory. When walking into the Ulsan basketball stadium you are not just offered a banner or noise maker. You are required to take one of the free signs that can be folded into an accordion, which when smacked against your thigh in unison with other fans, makes the unmistakable sound of loyalty. While there is a skilled cheerleading squad to get the crowd pumped up in between their numerous costume changes, there is also a sort of MC of spirit at the Korean basketball game. Dressed like a matador, the spirit master is perched on a stage, working the crowd throughout the game, calling chants, stomping, taunting and waving his arms wildly in order to rouse the spirit of the audience.
No sporting event would be complete without game food. While soda pop and chips are available, the favorite grub of the game goers is, hands down, fried squid legs served in a similar fashion as french fries in a bucket with optional ketchup. Audience members can also snack on fish on a stick or insect larvae. During at least two points every game, free pizza or doughnuts are handed out by cheerleaders to the audience members making the most noise. We witnessed a Korean mother wrestling a young boy to the ground during Monday’s game in order to get her hands on some free snacks. Items given out or auctioned to fans who stick around after the match may include: Toilet paper, razors, cleaning products or a Hyundai sedan.
While competative, Korea is certainly fair and democratic in their sportsmanship. This point is driven home by the “Two foreigner” rule, where only two foreign players are allowed on each KBL team. Further more only one of these foreign players is allowed to play at a time. This rule results in eight Korean players on the court during a game and two super tall black players meeting the team’s slam dunk quota. It’s great to see these teams compiled of both native and foreign players and in the case of team Mobis, their combined skills have lead them to this year’s semi-finals.
Without fail Matt and I are pictured up on the big screen at least once a game, Matt thinks it is a coincidence, I think it is because my hair is the color of straw. We have found that if we kiss while being broadcast to other audience members, we walk away with prizes, so Matt always gets really excited when the cameras come by. The whole evening is always memorable, comical and filled with many of the things we miss from home as well as some of the things we have come to appreciate about Korea. Game three of the semi-finals is tonight for Mobis, and we will hopefully be attending an Ulsan finals game beginning next Saturday the 3rd. Here is a good link if you are interested in following Mobis or other KBL teams:
http://www.asia-basket.com/South-Korea/games-schedule.asp?League=1&LName=KBL
Enjoy the rest of March madness in the West and be sure and root for Ulsan Mobis in the coming week!
Practicing our 3-point shot while making good use of scooter helmets on a rainy afternoon.
Seeing green: Funding your travel plans.
Posted on March 16, 2010 1 Comment
Teacher orientation put on by the EPIK program
I have green on the brain this week with it being St. patty’s, and I got to thinking about how nice it has been to see more of the color in the contents of my wallet these last six months. More than I ever saw as a tuition paying student, working two or three jobs in order to get by. And more than I was hopeful of seeing after graduation with a less than inviting job market. So Here I am on another great trip and I have friends back home wondering how on earth I could have just graduated university, and be jet-setting off to Hong Kong or Tokyo for the weekend? I am amongst a growing group who is bent on making the most of their life while seeing the world, and not willing to let an economic crisis stand in our way. This does mean that we have to work for it, but we get to be a little more creative with our approach.
I have exceptionally creative friends. Friends whose job titles have included: road kill maintenance crew, Argentinian circus intern, horse vaulting choreographer, fiddle tutor, Condor tagger and researcher, ski instructor in the Swiss alps, Italian au pair and personal assistant/beach bum on Kauai. What these friends all share is the love of travel and the willingness to seek out a job that will allow them to do this. The internet is filled with sites offering opportunities to earn big bucks abroad and it can be daunting sifting through these ads. Here is a list of my favorite go to sites to finding creative jobs around the world are, in no particular order:
- www.daveseslcafe.com (mostly teaching opportunities categorized by most recent and by region. The site also offers great lesson plans, tips and support once you have landed a job.)
- http://www.themoscowtimes.com/careercenter/ (This site is particularly of interest to me as my fascination with working in Russia grows.)
- http://www.aupair-world.net/ (I had personal luck on this web site about five years ago when I decided to work as a nanny in Europe for the year. The site does however charge a membership fee)
- http://www.footprintsrecruiting.com/ (A recruiting agency based in Vancouver who helps place teachers in locations throughout Asia)
- http://www.wwoof.org/ (This is a volunteer only site but offers free room and board and a good opportunity to re-fuel during a long trip, while giving back in the sake of organic farming)
- Your international job opportunities counselor in your university as well as International job fairs held on most campus’.
The Korea Herald reported over 17,000 E-2 Visa holders working as foreigners in Korea. Most of us are teachers between the ages of 21-30. I decided to take the teaching route and opted further to go through a recruiting agency based in Vancouver. The process seemed tedious at the time (I was finishing my undergraduate degree, working three jobs and newly engaged attempting to plan a wedding.) My recruiting agency kept me organized with time lines of when and where paperwork needed to go, and was within reach constantly. If you have applied for a visa before and know the drill, it might save time to go directly to your hopeful employer and by-pass the recruiter. It took about six months from the time Matt and I first submitted paper work to start our contract process for a Korea work visa, until we boarded our plane to Seoul. In that time we handed over our passports, a total of 8 photos, finger prints, criminal background checks, around $100 each in processing fees, two letters of recommendation, sealed transcripts from our university (in my case a letter stating I was soon to be graduated) and for Matt a copy of his teaching certificate and for me a resume detailing experience volunteering in public schools. This seems like the standard list of requirements with many programs requiring now a CELTA or equivalent TEFL certificate to teach English as a second language. Our application culminated with a phone interview that, truth be told, was with a native Korean whom I could barely understand forcing me to give only polite “yes’ ” to unrecognizable questions. It turned out OK I guess. When all was said and done the paper work involved was well worth the job I landed and the experience, travel opportunities and “green” that has come along with it.
This is my third experience working as a foreigner and its rewards continue to challenge and thrill me. I am eager to eventually return to my home country and score my dream job there, but even then, travel opportunities will be welcomed.
If you want some more information or first hand accounts of expat life, lonely planet has a great forum: “The long haul, living and working abroad” http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=30
Our first pay check in Korea
Happy travels!
Korea’s Got me Covered!
Posted on March 8, 2010 9 Comments
There were a few reasons we left the great Pacific Northwest and moved to South Korea for the year, non of which had to do with being eager to leave fantastic outdoor adventures, loving family, dairy products or the world’s best friends. One of the leading reasons was that the likely hood of us finding jobs that could provide any sort of health care was, well, unlikely. I spent a worrisome two months before our departure, in between graduating university where I was no longer eligible for my folk’s health care plan and arriving in a country that still magically provides for its residents. We have a pretty sweet deal here all around, a deal that I have been encouraging friends who have recently graduated and find themselves in the situation we were in last spring, to jump on. A deal that means when I get food poisoning I don’t have to wait it out and hope I’m able to hydrate myself, but I can walk into a clinic or even the emergency room, be treated within five minutes and walk out with less than a $40 bill. I’m sold!
I’ve been writing about gallivanting off to tropical islands, drinking with my boss, skiing, hiking and eating live animals, but this topic, although a bit less inspiring or entertaining than others, is one that I am really fired up about. I got sick three weeks ago, REALLY sick. About seven of our fellow English teachers did and after the flu was ruled out it was determined that we had all been exposed to a bad batch of seafood (I was on my raw kick that week with live octopus and raw whale meat) and had developed a bad case of food poisoning. Instantly my old habit of persevering kicked in whereby I thought my options were constricted to either waiting it out or facing a medical bill that would be hanging over my head for the next six months. Around 7am Matt pulled out my health insurance card, waved it in front of my green face and told me “There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t go to the emergency room.” Music to my ears, what a luxury!!! And so off we went.
Matt and my parents bought us traveler’s insurance before we left through the company World Assist and HCC Medical Insurance Services, good for a year in any country we may visit. This gave us a bit of peace of mind because when applying for a visa most countries will not begin processing your health insurance until the day you arrive in your host country and it may take up to three months after that until you actually have coverage. Once our coverage kicked in we were seen by health care providers as no different from any other resident, Korean citizen or foreigner, working in Korea. Our coverage here includes basic, dental and vision. Co-pay still applies but is extremely affordable with a general visit to a walk in clinic equivalent to $2 US and more expensive procedures such as laser eye surgery ranging from $800 US to $1,200. Prescriptions are extremely low in cost and easy to obtain with doctor’s in walk in clinics usually free to see patients seven days a week and until after eight PM.
This is my favorite Pharmacy in Ok-dong where you can get your meds, and then a hot dog right next door!
Sparing the gruesome details of events leading up to my experience in the emergency room I will say that my time spent once at the hospital was rather pleasant. There are hospitals in Ulsan every few blocks and upon entering through the side entrance it was a matter of minutes after they looked me up in the computer with my Alien Registration Card, before I was seen by a doctor. Many doctors in Korea studied in the United States and therefore their English is reliable. I was in and out that afternoon after being babied to no end by lovely nurses, with a $35 bill, and a $3 prescription.
It is clear that it is a goal of the Korean government to account for its residents. This was apparent as we saw the smack-down of swine flu precautions back in the Fall (mandatory vaccines for students, face masks galore and even sanitizing spray machines resembling a metal detector that you walk through). I have seen in my six months here less beggars than I could count on one hand and not a single person who appeared to be suffering from a drug addiction. Korea’s unemployment rate is currently at an all time high at a mere 4% with all residents receiving national health care benefits. I’ll save my however-ing to another blog, because behind every “perfect plan” there are always faults, and most of Korea’s happen to be deep-seated in cultural beliefs. While I spend many of my days here feeling discriminated against because of my gender, I can safely say that when it comes to receiving equal Health care rights as a resident of Korea, I am covered!
Possible Spread of the Swine Flu: Middle School Boys Walking to School Holding Hands. Love This!!!
Filipino Holiday Part 2: Cast-away anyday in Coral Bay
Posted on February 28, 2010 1 Comment
Halfway through our trip to the Philippines, having spent five days in colorful Coron town enjoying great food, kayaking in pristine waters, an epic motorcycle ride up the coast and a general dive vibe atmosphere there, we were ready to get out of the sweltering heat and reach our next destination. Luckily for us that meant a private sandy beach island with hammocks for two, floating in turquoise water, filled with coral reefs and sea turtles. Coral Bay Resort, just under two hours by boat from Coron town can be found at http://www.coralbay.ph/ . Our boat transfer to the island was included in the rate and as we moved further and further from anything familiar, out into clear, deep water it was apparent that if it was isolation and tranquility we were after, then all our dreams were about to come true!
Our arrival at Coral Bay was reminiscent of stepping into en episode of “Fantasy Island” with staff members running down the resort’s long white dock to greet us and take our bags, which they were shocked to find out were only two small day packs including a swimsuit and some bug repellant. The resort is set in a small inlet backed by mangroves and boasting a magnificent view of inviting water lapping against a white sand beach. Our room overlooked the sunrise every morning at which time we could see fishermen making their way out in traditional wooden boats.
The “All-inclusive” style of Coral Bay Resort is a must because of its isolated location and one that was welcomed, presenting its guests with fantastic and plentiful food, not to mention a special treat for me after living in Korea for the last six months: Vino!!! Inspired by all the fresh seafood we were presented every evening at dinner Matt and I decided to take out one of the wooden row boats for a day of fishing. Matt’s catch and release hobby is one that I have always found to be cruel and somewhat pointless but even I rocked our boat with excitement after reeling in a little needle nose. While paddling we began hearing a low moo-ing coming from somewhere near the horizon. In all my infinite wisdom I suggested “Oh there must be a farm on one of these islands with a dairy cow.” Matt about doubled over laughing and informed me that the noise we were hearing was the sound of sea turtles. After a few minutes of sitting still they began popping their heads up for air and swimming close to our boat. Truly magical!
On our last day in Coral Bay we took out our snorkel gear, feeling a bit disappointed that we were not certified to explore the wrecks in the surrounding waters but eager to se what we could find in the coral reef just off shore. Low and behold there was an entire world operating just below the water’s surface filled with every imaginable color, and a few colors I didn’t know existed. One thing I love about snorkeling is the sounds. I love the crackling of the coral like a little tickle in your ear and the steady in and out of your own breath as you slowly move through the water. I could have stayed under for the entire day, but then we remembered that there was most likely a yummy dinner waiting for us and a couple of cold San Miguels so we flippered onto shore leaving the under world with a little less mystery.
With brown bellies, satisfied taste buds and our ever growing urge to explore momentarily fed, we took the commuter plane back to Manila for a nine hour, well taken advantage of layover. Manila is home to Cathedrals and architecture that is reminiscent of Spanish colonization, however many buildings were destroyed during the Japanese occupation in WWII, those remaining gathered around an “old town” district an easy walk from Rizal park. I felt at moments like I was back, wandering the streets of Madrid as I did at age 19 on my very first solo adventure, but the juxtaposition of shoeless children running after mangy puppies and the sound of a wooden flute carried through narrow markets made our day in Manila diverse and eye opening to such a unique culture.
We capped our evening with two of the items most missed from our home in the Pacific Northwest: Hamburgers and ice cream, which we enjoyed as children literally climbed all over us and a man whom we met in the park invited us to help him celebrate his birthday. It was like this until the moment we boarded our plane, an openess of the Filipino people to share every aspect of their lives with us, curious about ours and eager to make sure we left our vacation taking with us nothing but beautiful memories from visiting their breathtaking country, and we certainly did.
We’ll leave you with some REALLY cute kids!
Signing off, Matt and Emily
Filipino Holiday: Part I, Dive Vibe in Coron Town
Posted on February 25, 2010 5 Comments
Do you know what one of my favorite things about living in Asia is? Getting to travel in Asia! We just returned from our Spring holiday in the Philippines and truth be told I have been dreading blogging about the trip for fear of tearing up remembering our picture perfect ten days spent there. The Philippines can easily be explored for well over a month, with over 7,000 individual islands. Because we only had 10 days to spare, we packed our backpacks with a mere 5 kg of swimwear and sunscreen and headed to the Calamian group off of Palawan.
Of course it wouldn’t be a legitimate “Matt-venture” (notice how I am taking no blame) if everything went smoothly, starting with the military time mix-up when we realized that 21:40 was NOT 7:40PM and were at the airport with a good four hours to spare. Que a duty-free shopping spree and in Korea that means we are now fully stocked on kimchi chocolate and flavored soju. Transportation to and from the Philippines can be a bit of a nightmare no matter how you slice it and it is typically encouraged to avoid Manila all together, flying instead in and out of Cebu making your connections shorter and easier to other islands, OR staying in paradise and enjoying all that Cebu has to offer. This was NOT the route we opted for because we are after all on a teacher’s salary and found a great deal with www.kangsangtravel.com who operates out of Busan and Deagu offering services to foreigners on flights, hotels and tour packages. We spent a brief five-hour layover in Manila where we managed to consume a 3′ tower of San Miguel and then stumbled back to the domestic airport to board our 20 seater commuter plane that took us to Busuanga island.
By 9am Valentine’s morning we woke up in the wall-less, four post structure that is “Busuanga airport” to the sound of toothless taxi drivers eager to whisk us down the 20 miles of dirt road leading to Coron town. We piled into one of the local buses, passengers clinging to the inside of the vehicle as well as perched on the roof and dangling from the sides as we wound under low hanging palm trees and through streams covered by plywood bridges. Having been in the same country for the last six months I had almost forgotten what it feels like to “have arrived” and as we passed by young boys carrying water in leaky buckets, and vignettes displaying turquoise water, I wanted to shout out of our coach “I’m here!” This is by the way, my favorite part of any adventure.
Coron town lacks a beach while maintaining a “beach bum” atmosphere with laid back bars, cheap food and a dive shop filled with sun drenched adventure addicts, on every corner. There are plenty of places to stay in this small but bustling town, most of which cater to divers and provide a great place to overhear tales from the deep. Our first three nights we spent at http://www.kokosnuss.info/ which at first glance looked like an example of what would happen if Tom Robbins and the Swiss Family Robinson were given free range on a deserted island. The resort is tucked behind tall bamboo making it a tropical secret garden with hammocks on every tree, hidden gnomes, a large fountain and a two-year old named Ben eager to greet customers with his new squirt gun. Kokosnuss first drew me with their candid web-site translated in German and English detailing the humble charm of their nippa huts which we gleefully stayed in. The one downfall to this rustic family resort has to be its proximity to a rooster farm, something that visitors to the Philippines will soon realize is virtually un-avoidable as we witnessed a man checking his caged rooster onto the plane we flew in on.
Matt and I were more than inspired by the life blooming inside the coral reefs and have vowed to get our open water dive certificate, but if you find yourself in the Philippines without your certification there is more than enough to keep even the most restless limbs satisfied. We tried to pack as much as we could into our few days in Coron and decided the best way to see the coast with all of its views, waterfalls and people was to rent a motorcycle and take our tour into our own hands. Not only did the motorcycle save us on transportation costs at under $20 for the entire day, but it allowed us to access many places that a bus couldn’t reach. Coron’s roads really shouldn’t even be classified as such but with a very confident driver for me to cling to the ride was bearable and scenic. It took us just under two hours to reach Concepcion which has a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole and a restaurant/resort serving cold beer and jumbo prawns. School children ran out of their classrooms as we drove by chasing the motorcycle and telling us that they loved us.
About 5km from Coron town is coron island (confusing I know!) There are a few options to get out to the island by either heading out with a tour boat that usually includes a day of snorkeling and lunch or rent a sea kayak like we did. It took us about an hour each way in choppy water but not without a toll from the unforgiving sun. The mostly fresh water lake on Coron island (30%-70% salt to fresh water ratio) was welcomed with outstretched arms as we plunged off of the surrounding sharp peaks into the deep blue lagoon. We made up for six months without swimming in the great outdoors and didn’t return to the mainland until sunset.
Nightlife in Coron is subdued but not without plenty of options for a night-cap after a long day in the water. We stayed one night in http://www.seadiveresort.com/ an institution of itself taking up a massive lot right next to the market and taxi hub and with a bar/restaurant with an unbeatable view of the harbor. The place gets packed by sunset and we were among the crowd who enjoyed a few rounds of san miguel, a Hawaiian pizza and tales of exploring sunken ships from the hoards of expats and divers calling Coron home for a week or two. With a proper sunset, western flavors still roaming around my pallet and Biggie Smalls playing in the background I had a thought about why we travel at all. Had I come to the Philippines to be closer to the Western culture I had grown up in and to avoid feeling foreign for a week? Just then I caught a glimpse of a pack of kids, ages 2-10 galloping after a soccer ball through the fish market and out the pier. It was after 11pm by this point and non of them had shoes on. They yelled at one another in Filipino to pass the ball and when one of them would fall the game would pause for a moment and then resume. I thought about how private our culture in America is, how we look out for ourselves and expect others to do the same for themselves. I guess the reason I continue to be fascinated, almost obsessed with the idea of seeing the world is to better understand how culture exists and how it is maintained with so much outside influence. Eventually the children playing their game dispersed and we drug our sun-burned shoulders to our room.
The next day was to start a whole new adventure, out of Coron and two hours away by boat to Coral bay. Out of the dusty, taxi filled streets with their colorful markets selling scarves, wooden flutes and mangoes. Neither of us had any idea what to expect and we lay awake all night imagining white sand and listening to fishing boats pulling in underneath our wooden planked floor.
Stayed tuned for part two of our trip to the Philippines. **And as a side note many comments have been sent to the “spam” folder and being new to this whole blogging world I failed to read those until they were discovered just this morning! I am truly sorry for not getting back to anyone who commented and neglecting to answer questions, I will certainly respond in the future. Thanks for the support!
Best, Matt and Emily
Have a stellar new year!: Seol-lal, 2nd Start in Korea
Posted on February 13, 2010 3 Comments
I am a big fan of do-overs. They can be used to cheat in card games, apologize to a friend, earn a better score on an exam and salvage a bad home haircut. My new favorite do-over strategy has to be the Lunar new year, or as the Koreans call it Solar. Koreans have in more modern years, begun to celebrate both the calendar new year (January 1) and the Lunar new year (falling on February 14 this year) but as the lunar new year nears it is clear to see that the preferred celebration date is the latter. The holiday, also referred to as the Chinese new year, dates back to 2600BC and 2010 marks the year 4708 on the lunar calendar. Festivities vary country by country but here in Korea that day is devoted to family and worshiping ancestors by visiting a nearby temple and spending hours upon hours preparing traditional food.
On February 1st, also an important day because it is the first day of the lunar month this year, Matt and I hiked up munsu mountain in Ulsan. About halfway up there is a large temple and on this day the temple was serving a traditional Buddhist meal to all the temple visitors. Along with many Buddhist traditions comes a very strict vegetarian diet, something that I was interested in subscribing to after seeing the flawless skin and healthy lifestyle of the monks in Munsu temple. We huddled under a pagoda in freezing January weather, eating rice, seaweed soup and kimchi in the company of about thirty monks and Buddhists. The temples in Korea maintain a still silence, broken only by the echo of drumming or the loud gong of the temple bell. On our February 1st visit the only sound coming from Munsu temple was flakes of snow gracing the bald heads of the monks.
It could be the “do-over” new year fast approaching this week, considering we celebrated the calendar new year a mere month ago, or the fact that we have reached our six month mark here in Korea, or even this week’s English lesson: Setting goals; but I have been thinking about resolutions a lot this week. When we first arrived in Korea back in August our “to-do” list could have been mistaken as the life accomplishment list read as part of Marco Polo’s eulogy, filled with plans of conquering every possible unknown. The physical list itself is hard to forget or avoid considering it hangs on the ceiling above our bed, with enough light streaming in from the street lamps outside that we are forced to lie awake at night and wonder how on earth we will ever “settle down” having such far reaching ambitions and wild imaginations.
It is surprising however that quite a few of the items on the list have been checked off. Some of these include: Attend a K-pop concert (reference our post entitled “K-pop and circumstance”), Eat live octopus (posted in late January), sleep in a Korean bath house, master the use of chop-sticks, hike through Korea’s national parks, join a Korean dance studio, join a Korean rugby team and sing in a nore-bang (singing room) in front of my principal (this was accomplished just last week.)
Next are the goals on the list that have evolved into something new either out of practicality or necessity, including: Feed stray cats in the park. After a month of crying over all of the stray felines roaming Ulsan’s streets I realized I had not only spent a fortune on canned tuna but I was becoming known as the crazy lady who was trying to save Korea’s least favorite creature. Our prayer for something to add to our little family and bring some life and sense of charity to our apartment was answered with a little black and white bunny, courtesy of some middle school boys who found him in a park and were using him as target practice. Learn Korean. HA! Well we can now successfully read all of hangul’s 24 characters and are proud to say that we were two of only a small handful of teachers who stuck out the Korean class offered to us by the ministry of education. We expect fluency sometime in early 2045. Travel all of Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe, Australia and New Zealand…this year. The world starts to feel smaller when you study a map, hop on a plane and arrive on another continent. I don’t think Matt and I will ever stop travelling, it has been a source of conversation that we have engaged in for almost five years together. As far as the remaining six months are concerned, we leave for the Philippines today, have Japan and China on our “for sure this year” list and travelling the rest of the world exists on scraps of paper detailing our life’s timeline.
Finally are the accomplishments that were tentatively on our list for the year, the one’s whose completion has snuck up on us without even realizing it. Some of these include: Earn a master’s degree. Matt came here with little intention of working full time and attending school, but after researching and getting accepted into a program he is attending the American college of education, an online master’s course in administrative leadership. He should be finished with the program in June 2011. Learn how to teach. I didn’t want to be a teacher, in fact I somehow thought I could come here and avoid my job all together. Once I started teaching…I wanted to be a teacher even less. This is hands down the hardest job I have ever had. More challenging then arranging flowers at 1am the night before Valentine’s day, volunteering to teach elementary students science through a 45 minute, high intensity, modern dance routine, or catching chickens in three feet of snow when the power in their hutch has gone out and their owners are in the Bahamas. Matt makes this job look easy, because he is really good at it, and come to find out I might actually be too. I am becoming more resourceful, better prepared and less preoccupied with trying to save the world through education. Above all the greatest tool I have learned to use in my teaching is the Korean tradition of respect towards your elders. This swings both ways and has resulted in an utter terror of my principal, but it also works in my favor because according to tradition, my students admire me…go figure!
In general Koreans spend their lives admiring and worshiping their elders and ancestors, and on the lunar new year children greet every member of the family with a deep bow. They are then rewarded with crisp, paper money and rice cakes. This idea that as children we learn by example and are grateful to our elders for their leadership and advice is interesting because it exists today outside of a Western tradition. In a Western culture we watch our parents, we swear to never emulate them and then usually end up following some if not all of their characteristics and advice, but rarely with any admittance. In Korea, the more you show your loyalty to your family and respect for your parent’s decisions, the better.
I am looking forward to the second semester of teaching this year. I am also looking forward to tackling some more of our to-do list. Near future items to be checked off may include: Run the Jeju-do island marathon in June, learn how to make traditional mandu dumplings, visit the Busan orphanage once a month, teach the bunny to enjoy walks on his leash, and see Japanese cherry blossoms in full bloom.
For now we are off to soak up some sun in Palawan’s Calamian group of Islands to re-charge before another semester of teaching, travelling and playing in Asia. Have a stellar lunar new year and a very happy Valentine’s day!!! -Matt and Emily
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