Night Hike

This last Saturday, Joey decided that he’d like to hike the Sangpanak trail at night and try to summit Mt. Halla by sunrise. While it would have been great to have boots for the snow, I couldn’t turn down the invitation and the Boy Scouts have made me quite the proponent of the buddy system. I managed to get a quick power nap in before I woke at 2:30 to join Joey for some Kim Bap. The lady at Kim Bap heaven (I swear she works 24 hours a day) laughed hysterically when Joey had finished explaining what we were up to. We hopped into a cap and arrived at the trailhead by 3:30. While the night air down in the city only called for a sweatshirt, snow still covered the Sangpanak. We didn’t waste anytime starting our hike and it only took about a half an hour of climbing before the air was cold enough that snow clung to the trees. While the moon and the stars were hidden behind the clouds, all of the snow provided us with the vision to hike a good chunk of the trail cowboy style (but we were certainly happy to have our headlamps). Hiking in the dark among the snow covered trees was unbelievable and I’m certain that I had a big, stupid grin on my face for the majority of the hike. We had been hiking for about an hour when, peering through the trees, we spotted a pair of giant, red eyes that shown through the dark. The track that allows for the delivery of ramyeon via forest tractor lay about ten meters from the trail. I suppose the red lights were part of the track system, but man were they creepy. In the interest of safety, we abandoned our plans to rush to the summit before the first appearance of the sun (it was cloudy anyway). At one point I mentioned to Joey that I wouldn’t mind repeating the hike every other weekend. Joey said he’d love to, adding that in the spring he’d like climb the trail without shoes.

We had just cleared the thick forest when the first signs of dawn spread through the sky. In the distance we could see the peak and it was time to take off the headlamps and put on the gloves. Without the trees the wind had picked up a bit and every step took us higher into the cold air. By the time we reached the summit my outfit was still keeping me warm with the exception of my two layers of gloves and three layers of wool socks. I’d like to see a time lapse video explaining the creation of some of the sculptural snow we saw. Jagged, wind-blown chunks of snow clung horizontally to every vertical object. Joey and I, who can put away food with the best of them, had now climbed for hours snacking only a bit here and there along the way. After taking in all the beauty around us, we sat preparing for our mountain top feast. As my feet began to freeze, the feeling in Joey’s hands began to fade and we had to abandon our dreams of eating until we could descend to warmer air and less wind.

We returned to the famous ramyeon stop and, though the trail had only been officially open for about two hours, the small building and the surrounding area was flooded with cheerful, Korean hikers. I bought a pair of crampons (for the next hike), a bowl of ramyeon, and a cup of coffee. Joey, whose glasses were thoroughly fogged headed outside just as a group of young men asked me to share a bottle of Makali (rice wine) with them. As my feet climbed back to their proper temperature, a sat in a familiar situation: not understanding a fraction of the words that were being said, but being completely happy - what an experience this had already been! Joey and I finished our ramyeon outside and had a celebratory bottle of Hallasan soju.

We continued down the mountain and had been descending for 15 minutes when a helicopter flew by towards the summit. We watched as it nearly touched down before it rose again and headed back down the mountain. What we initially thought to be a rescue chopper was now growing very near. It hovered above us and then it began to spin to one side as it slipped backward in the wind - for a moment it looked like it was about to crash right on top of us. Fortunately for all the helicopter was simply picking up trash from a nearby construction site. The wind from the blades sent snow flying through the air like a blizzard. The cold had frozen my batteries and as the helicopter flew away, my only regret from the hike became my inability to catch it on video.

We had hiked for five more minutes when we heard the blades again. I had been warming my batteries, so I quickly put one in my camera as we ran back to the construction site. As it turns out I’m not to handy with the video setting on my camera, but I think I got the proximity and the wind captured just fine.

The hike was a blast and as always Joey is a great person to adventure with. As we neared the end of the trail the snow had just melted and fall had returned to Hallasan (the leaves have been changing for months). I mentioned to Joey that I’d like to climb Everest before I die and that we make a good team. Joey, who never fails to take something to the next level, agreed adding that he’d like to do it without oxygen.

Mr. Han makes rapid progress, while Un-Je picks up some fun vocab

Some days in the classroom are a joy, while others can be quite trying on my sense of humor. Regardless of the earlier classes, I always look forward to my last class of the day with Un-Je and her boyfriend Mr. Han. Mr. Han is quickly learning the ins and outs of conversational English and Un-Je, whose English is terrific, is picking up some new vocabulary. The other night, I taught Mr. Han about describing people. I explained that even if someone is fat it is best to use a euphemism such as large to describe the person’s body type. Un-je has told me that Mr. Han frequently calls her pig. While this would get you slapped in the States, apparently it is an endearing and “cute“term here in Korea. I explained (half jokingly) that in the case of describing a women, you might even use the word curvaceous as a substitute for large.

The other night we sat in class and Un-je hit Mr. Han who responded with, ” You’re fat.“ Un-je quickly shot back, ”I’m not fat, I’m curvaceous.“

I’m proud of my students. ^^

A weekend of Seoul

On Friday night, Unje and Mr. Han kindly gave me a lift to their airport. I thanked them with dinner and they escorted me to my gate. We all started to cry (fake tears) at my departure, before hugging with laughter. (We share many laughs together, as I’ve found that the goofier my humor, the great the chance it will transcend language barriers.) I met with Shelby, Amy, Jeff, and Cambell and together we flew to Gimpo airport in Seoul. It took awhile, but we eventually found our destination on the subway map and made our way to Itaewon. In a city of ten million people, it took us a matter of minutes to find a familiar face. While we were supposed to eventually meet up with Jess, we hadn’t yet spoken on the phone, and here she was.... Strange. We spent a good part of the evening at a bar called the Bungalow. Our group had a private, candlelit alcove with a sand floor. A broken leg had kept me off the dance floor for long enough. I think I danced for three or four hours. Koreans are fantastic dancers-at least the sport the best smiles. The seven of us ended up crashing on a hotel floor, a decision most of them made again the following night.

Saturday was spent wandering the streets of Seoul. We did some shopping and did our best to take in what we could of the enormous city. The highlight of the trip was spotting two girls we “free hugs” signs. I gave one of them a hug and she smiled before handing me the sign. I only had the sign for a couple of moments before I had to pass it on, but then the group gathered for a hug and a great photo. Several Koreans wanted to get in on the various photo ops that followed, and then we were on our way.

Saturday night I had the first cheeseburger I’ve had since Dempsy’s Kobe Burger. The early morning hours were spent like the night before-dancing with Koreans. I met a girl named Me-Nae. She spoke English well and told me about all the places she has visited. She and her friend joined us for singing at a Nori bong, and for 4 o’clock AM meal. We said goodnight and Jeff, Cambell and I headed back to the hotel. Cambell had found a premium spot to sleep under a chair, so when I suggested seeking out a Jim Jel Bong we grabbed our bags and headed down to the reception desk. The receptionist was incredibly helpful and, after correcting our pronunciation of Jim Jel Bong, he set to work finding us a place to stay... other than the hotel. He grabbed us a cab, which took us far far away-apparently citizens of Seoul are not so keen on the public bathing as are my neighbors in Seogwipo.

Seoul was incredible, and I can’t wait to go back again and again. However, while I enjoyed my time in the big city, I couldn’t have been more pleased to board the plane and head back to my home in Seogwipo.

Last weekend...

This last weekend was just fantastic. It included a large fire eating many new things; all very fresh and some less dead than I would have liked.

On Saturday, after a relaxing morning to myself, Chan-Yeup's family picked me up and I accompanied them to a fish festival on the far east side of the island. Our original plan was to participate in a contest to catch fish with our bare hands, but the line was a bit long so we choose to go fishing at sea in a squid boat. Before we set off I tried some raw fish straight from the ocean, and, as the token white dude at the festival, I was interviewed by two enthusiastic new anchors.

As we crashed through the waves I sat smiling at the front of the boat singing, "I'm on a boat" by Lonely Island, and soon enough we slowed to a stop. As it turns out, I'm not much of a sea fisherman, but I did catch one fish (though even it wasn't much to boast about). Song-gon, Jieun's husband, caught three fish and wore his easy smile for the entirety of the outing. I can't do justice to the kindness of this family. Of all of my Korean friends and family, I probably know Sonog-gon the least, but I can tell that I will learn a lot from him.

On the way back to Seogwipo I was becoming a bit nervous about making it to Iho beach for the Guy Fox bonfire. We stopped for dinner at a roadside BBQ. As Song-gon and I took turns pouring Soju for one another I started to think about how the anxiety of getting across the island was effecting dinner.

November 12

For just over month I’ve called Jeju home and everything is still fantastic. This weekend ranked high among those I’ve had here so far, though I suppose that is to be expected - things just keep getting better. After having Saturday morning to myself, Chan-Yeup’s family picked me up and I accompanied them to a fish festival on the West side of the island. Though our original plan was to participate in a contest to catch fish by hand, the line was a bit long, so we opted to go fishing at sea. Before we cast away, I tried some raw fish which had come directly from the ocean, and as the token white dude at the event, I was interviewed by two enthusiastic news anchors. As the squid boat slowed to a halt we cast our lines, and as the bubbles cleared, I was amazed that I could see the floor of the sea. While I’m not much of a sea fisherman, I did manage to catch one fish. San-gung (Chan-Yeup’s father) on the other hand, caught three fish. He sat wearing the same easy smile that he had since the moment they picked me up. As I slowly pick up Korean, I’ll be eager to learn what I can from this fantastic fellow.

After returning to Seogwipo, Shelby and I caught the 516 bus and made our way to Iho beach. 30-40 foreigners had gathered for the annual, Guy Fox bonfire. I had a great time meeting new people, but eventually found a spot next to the fire and just looked up at the stars. The fire roared on for eight hours or so, and then there were only five of us who remained. Rob, a young man from Britain, introduced himself to me and offered me a place to stay.

We set off across a barren field and hailed a cab, that was cruising by on an otherwise deserted street. Rob directed the driver to his place where I said goodnight and set off in search of a Jim Jel Bong... (I have no idea to spell korean words in English). After several failed attempts to ask for directions, I found three ladies who were willing to help me find my way. As luck would have it, we were standing directly in front of a Jim Jel Bong when I approached them. I made my way upstairs and left everything I had in a locker vowing not to return until I got some quality sleep and shed the consequences of drinking Soju and Heineken. A Jim Jel Bong is a large public bath and a perfect place to call home for a night. The rest of the world melted away as I hoped from bath to bath, some quite frigid, and others nearly too hot. After a quick visit to the Sauna and a quart of water I was ready for sleep. I made my way down to the common area where there were rooms of men, rooms of women, and couples with their families cuddling everywhere between. The air is perfect - it is not too warm, yet you don’t need a blanket to keep yourself comfortable.

Feeling fully rested, I woke six hours later to a much different scene. Friends and family sat talking and eating breakfast - or was it lunch? I was in no hurry to head back to reality so I spent a solid two hours relaxing in this tub or that. Each of the Saunas are unique. Some are quite plane and elegant in their simplicity, while others are ornate with geodes dripping off every visible surface. One room was nearly 100 degrees Celsius! The most intense room was the Kiln (as in an oven used for firing ceramics). As I entered two women sat in silence and I nearly burned my hand when I closed the door which had a wooden handle! I sat for seconds before my eyes were drawn to the time-lapse video on my arm - sweat poured from my skin. I made it for a minute before I fled, leaving behind the two women who sat calm and quiet. I could go on about Jim Jel Bongs forever.

After an afternoon of wandering the streets of Jeju City, I made my way back to Seogwipo. Tommy had asked me out for dinner and I met him and the rest of the group at a seafood restaurant. Tommy’s sister and her husband (apa!) sat to one side, while Dennis (the pill from my 5:00 class) and his mother sat to the other. Once you get him out of the classroom, Dennis’ behavior is pretty standard for a young boy (I was probably a bit more crazy myself at times), still I couldn’t help but wonder if this dinner was some sort of peace offering on his parents’ behalf. Out came the first course. Spools of rice noodles were stacked high and topped with an assortment of raw fish. I had long sense overcome any fear of raw fish, but I was not prepared for their neighbors. In one bowl, several large clams moved about as half a crab lay on its back next door. Front and center, tentacles (think octopus or squid) lay clutching to their plate as they wiggled about. Figuring the tentacles to be scariest of the lot, I chose to go for one of them first. Fortunately their grip on the plate was stronger than their attempts to grab my checks or tongue. The clam turned out to be the most difficult dish, but after several failed attempts to sedate the damn thing with Soju, I just swallowed my fear and the clam. Stating that this particular clam is similar to Viagra, my Korean father once again reminded me of the value of seafood for men. I reminded him that I don’t have a girlfriend nor do I have a need to lie awake at two in the morning. Ohhhhhhhhhh Korea, I love you.

4 A.M. workout group at the Namseongjeong Pavilion

I’m sitting in the Namseongjeong Pavilion awaiting the Sun’s arrival. It has warmed up a bit, but the fierce Jeju wind is making me glad I bought my new windbreaker.

Last night Tommy invited me to a wedding reception, and though I was awfully tired, I jumped at the chance for the experience and the opportunity to meet more of his friends. Tommy’s brother (old friend) seemed to think my Korean comprehension had vastly improved since we last spoke and as always I was glad to have Tommy provide me with the occasional summary of what was being said. Aside from partaking in the usual rounds of Sojo shooting, Tommy told me that traditionally, eating a lot of food is a way of showing the host that you are enjoying yourself. That was all I needed to hear... I feel as if I assured them of their party’s great success.

I declined a ride home, because I didn’t intend to sleep in my bed. I had my pack and I headed over to and up Sammaebong and spent a good long while looking out over the lights of Seogwipo. Eventually I put up my hammock and quickly fell asleep - it had been a long weekend. I awoke at 3:00 to harsh winds and the cold night air. I had been reading for 30 minutes when it began to rain. I packed up the hammock and, having moved under the shelter of the pavilion, I fell back asleep. I had set my alarm for 6:00 thinking I might wake before the early birds of Seogwipo would arrive to use the exercise playground atop the hill.

A half hour later I awoke again, this time to the sound of footsteps. I had drawn the top of my sleeping bag shut, so I was unable to see the feet that had stopped about a meter from where I lay. Just when I began to wonder what this individual might be up to , the man let out a cry that should be reserved for soldiers entering battle for the first time. After I had cleared the terrifying thoughts from my mind, it was all I could do to keep myself from laughing and pretend that I had just slept through THAT! This was to be the first of three yells as the man stood facing the ocean.

Eventually, the man left and I had only been asleep for a short while when I again woke to the sound of footsteps. After his bout of morning yelling, this man was joined by another. I felt that, judging by the direction of their voices and the duration of their stay, these men had taken an interest in the sleeping bag that lay, poking out from behind one of the benches. Again, footsteps grew near and suddenly one of the men yelled, “YOOOO!” as he stood bent over me. I figured there was no use pretending I had slept through that one, but I wish I could have seen the look on their faces when a head covered in blonde hair poked out of the sleeping bag. I greeted the pair in Korean, as they sat on the other side of the pavilion looking at me, laughing, and speaking excitedly in Korean. One eventually said, “so sorry!” and off they went down to the exercise yard.

I thought it best to join them, and after a loooooonnggg morning stretch (concrete is not nearly as comfortable as a hammock) I put on my jacket and did my best to fend of the cold of the night until the sun’s appearance. The exercise yard has a fantastic selection of equipment and the view is a hard one to top. The two men left, but before the sun rose at least 20 men and women had visited the pavilion... and here I was thinking I was going to have a quite night of quality sleep. I have to admit that just after the two men had left, I stood at the railing of the Namseongjeong Pavilion and, facing the ocean, I yelled like there was no tomorrow. While those of you reading this probably think I’m a weirdo, I urge you to try this. It is the best way to great the morning and I say this, because this has been one of the best I’ve had.

While I somehow doubt that I will ever again be part of the 4:30 workout crew of Namseongjeong Pavilion, I’m even more certain it is an experience I will not soon forget!

Pictured below - Overlooking Seogwipo at night, the Namseongjeong Pavilion, Sunrise on the way down Sammaebong, some Korean's playing Croquet at 6:30 A.M (with a rainbow in the backgroud), and the sun continuing to rise as rain started to fall.

Teaching: a bit about my first few weeks

As overwhelming as it was, the first week of teaching passed quickly. In the beginning I had about 30 students throughout each day. Tommy had already given many of the children nicknames including: Tom Cruise, Handsome Prince, and Angelina Jolie. Others were quite eager to assign themselves names such as baby dragon, Harry Potter, Super Penguin, and Crazy Monkey.

My second day of class, Tommy told me that we would be making sweet beans and shaved ice, a summer favorite here on Jeju. It was quite delicious and we spent the rest of class talking about what we might make next week (they decided on pasta), and how we would make it.

On the third day, after we had gotten through introductions, we started to focus on exploring the day to day. Each day we review discussing our current moods (How are you today? I’m fantastic!), the days of the week, and talking about our individual routines.

The first three days were a breeze, but then the children became accustomed to my presence and started to act up a bit. For many this simply means talking while I am speaking to other students - for others it means shouting across the room. Load voices have become the least of my worries as many students have started to fight mid-lesson. (In between classes there is often quite a bit of rough housing, but it seems to be good natured and the Korean teachers don’t blink an eye.)

One of my favorite students, who I’ve named Ben, is a young boy who runs up to me each time he sees me and gives me a big beer hug around my legs. Ben is a sweet kid and very intelligent once you get him to sit down. But that was all before the arrival of Dennis.

Dennis is a real gem. Tommy told me he has had to leave many English academies and that if I am able to tame the beast, I will be famous. If I’m able to get young Dennis to sit in his chair, he will follow along for about 20 seconds before slipping beneath the table, or better yet, leaping upon it. He also enjoys flipping his chair over and running about with his head thrown back, screaming at the ceiling.

When Dennis acts up, Ben, who as I mentioned is a sweet kid, gets this wild look in his eyes just before he mercilously attacks Dennis. I have a hunch that Ben also attends a martial arts academy; before I get across the room to separate the two, Ben usually get a good knee into Dennis’ side, has made great contact with several well-executed kicks, and sometimes even lands a solid punch or two.

The worst part of this is that Dennis doesn’t even fight back... he simply rolls on his back laughing... he finds the whole thing hysterical.

The academy is growing quickly - since I arrived we have 25 new students. I have five or six classes each day and my students vary greatly in their ability to speak English. Some of the children can not yet say the letters of the alphabet, while one of my students knows enough English to ask me about the national park in the States. I have also began teaching two university students. They are my last class so we often have dinner after leaving the academy. The girl's name is Un-Je (은재) and she is Tommy's niece. She is trying to teach me to speak Korean and make Korean food. She speaks English wonderfully and I've enjoyed all of the things she has introduced me to (more about this later.)

Anyhow, teaching is a blast, but I’m certainly through the honeymoon phase. It can be incredibly difficult at times, but equally rewarding when you see students making real progress. In the interest of self-preservation, I’ve quickly learned to shed the worries of the classroom as I put my shoes on and walk out the door.

Halla Halloween

Halloween started at 8:00 in the morning with my first attempt to catch the 5.16 bus. An hour later I arrived at Seongpanak trailhead where Naomi was waiting and having a cup of coffee with the parking attendants. Mt. Hallasan is South Korea’s highest peak, but fortunately for my leg, the climb is not terribly treacherous. My Korean friends had told me that it would be a rainy day, but when Naomi checked the forecast it said, “Sunny and delightful.” I would have to agree - we couldn’t have picked a more lovely day for the hike.

During the first part of our hike we were occasionally paralleled by a strange tractor which climbed a track and carried a large load of ramyeon noodles. The first half of trail cuts through the forest where the path is a combination of boardwalk (perhaps to cut down on erosion - I’ve never seen so many people on a trail) and large rocks whose appearance are a constant reminder that you are on a volcano. Some sections of the trail are rather steep and as people climb at different paces, these areas are quite congested.

We eventually made it to a large rest area where dozens of Koreans sat eating noodles and preparing for the final section of the hike. At this point we were out of the forest and could begin to see the peak of the mountain, shrouded in clouds. We named the next part of the trail “death-stairs, because over a kilometer of staircase was under construction and boards (where there were boards) sat unsecured on their supports. While earlier we were both sweating like a couple of westerners, we appreciated the jackets we brought as we neared the top.

A passed through a large crowd of hikers as we made our way to the rim of the volcano. We had a good long sit and a celebratory drink of Hallason Sojo. I couldn’t stop smiling when I realized I was being hit in the face with clouds.

I haven’t asked much of my left leg for a while so it was pretty sore after the ascent, but the descent torched both of my legs. We were making good time and good conversation when we came upon a couple who were excited to hear English behind them. We walked with the pair for a good half an hour. The man turned out to be a 56 year old professor of special education and had studied in Utah, receiving his doctorate in the States. I was blown away when this random stranger on the other side of the world told me that he had spent some time in Lawrence, researching with a professor!! Almost as surprising was this 56 year-old’s ability to match my pace - I hope that I’m still able to hike like that when I’m 56!

A snow-covered Hallasan is going to be beautiful, but I’m not sure if it can beat the beauty of the autumn leaves.

Halloween night was just wacky. It was my first night in Jeju City where there is quite a night life and the Korean women are much less shy than in Seogwipo. At dinner I sat next to a giant, orange squid and saw a lot of new faces. I had dressed up as fan death (which I will explain in a later post) under the assumption that we were just going to be going to a party. I was concerned that my costume might appear a bit insensitive, but everybody seemed to enjoy it.

There was a Halloween party, and while it was no Harvest Moon (the best frisbee tournament / halloween party ever), I had a great evening and made a lot of new friends. The festivities ran a bit late for me to get back to Seogwipo, so a friend of mine and I searched for a good bargain at a nearby hotel. I was happy to have found somewhere to sleep (and it was only ₩15,000) and was climbing into bed when the phone rang. We thought the woman on the phone said she was going to bring something up to us. As it turned out someone else had offered to pay the full price for the room, and rather than consult us, the owner had decided to give our room away... hilarious!