A Monthly Gathering

Last Saturday was one of the more anticipated days for me as a foreigner in South Korea. I have been practicing the mentally exhausting and physically draining sport of Taekwondo for over a year now, and I was finally given the opportunity to showcase my kicks and forms for my official black belt test. I had trained with a reasonably disciplined work ethic, and in the end I think it paid off. Since I am prone to give up on things prematurely I have to admit I am especially pleased to have accomplished something requiring effort. Moreover a black belt with my name in English and Korean would look cool on the mantelpiece.

As I worked diligently for the test, I had little difficulty. Regardless, I was surprised on how fast the actual test flew by anyway. You see, it wasn't just me going for a belt this Saturday. This was the monthly testing in Suncheon, which simply meant that it was an entire day affair with close to five hundred other testers including myself. The candidates for belts were led up in groups of ten to swiftly go through a couple of forms, then with little time to waste were whisked across the floor of the stadium to do some kicks and sparring. After this, it was time for the next group. This was the way it went for the entire day.

On one side you are afforded a glimpse on just how popular the sport is in Korea. Suncheon isn't a small city by Korean comparisons, but there sure were a lot of children and adults who piled into Palma Gym to test for their belt. Imagine 500 students testing for a black belt every month. That's a lot of black belts in Suncheon. Suncheon has given itself the nickname as 'The City of Beautiful People,' however it could have been more appropriately coined: 'The City of Black Belts, So Watch Out!'

What was even more interesting, was the atmosphere inside. Imagine going into a small, crowded arena and seeing a large congregation of five hundred strong punching, kicking, kyeoping(spell check,) stretching, and practicing. Also imagine fitting parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, girlfriends and boyfriends with cameras as well. Korea can be a cozy place, and last Saturday was no exception.

As the day wore on, I was getting nervous. You see, including myself, there were only three foreigners testing. That meant that many eyes would fall upon us as we went through our routine. However, as the adults tested later, and most of the parents and children had departed, we managed to test in relative quietness. Despite that, there were more than a few curious onlookers to see how the 'waygook' would manage. The crowd who did watch us, was actually really supportive, which I found gratifying. As a foreigner in Korea you have to adjust yourself to be able to deal with a large amount of attention. Sometimes though, like on Saturday, it was a joy to be able to show off my kicks for curious onlookers. So if you find yourself with nothing to do next month, head over to Palma Gym in Suncheon and check out a black belt test.

It's Not Even Lunch Time!

This year I've had the good fortune to act as a type of diplomat from my country to a small handful of schools in this province. By default I am the lone American UNESCO Cross Cultural Awareness Presenter in Jellonamdo Province. I belong to a group of cultural presenters from a whole slew of nations from Canada to Nepal. Interestingly there are three representatives from Nepal, four from Bangladesh, and even three Canadians to boot! In this province alone there are approximately 40 or so individuals from different countries that give little presentations about their homeland, which gives Korean children a glimpse into the homes and lives of a variety of cultures from around the world. What's curious is that I'm the only American. I have no idea how that came to be. Americans seem to be so outgoing, and eager to share things about their country. How did I become the only one here?

Anyway, there are many things I don't understand, therefore adding another one to the list won't do much harm. More importantly, what I do essentially is travel to schools and talk about America. It's nothing special; some photos, a simple ditty on my acoustic guitar, a lesson in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pose for a few snapshots with the kids, then I go home. Well, actually I should backtrack a little before the going home bit and explain that I am obliged to go and meet the other teachers and principal at the school first before I am free to depart . It's a formality here, and it's gotta be done.

When entering a Korean school as a visitor one must always take note to greet the principal formally when entering, and in my case with these presentations when leaving as well. I always feel awkward when doing this, but I just keep smiling. Anyway, last Saturday I gave a little presentation to a group of fourth graders in Kwangju and as I was escorted to say goodbye to the principal and some other teachers, I was invited to the most enormous buffet at a non meal time I had ever seen. You see, it just before eleven o'clock. It was past breakfast, and everyone would most likely be eating lunch a couple of hours later. So here I was staring at a huge buffet of several types of chicken, tomatoes, grapes, rice cakes, beverages and so on. What is even more astonishing in retrospect for me at least is that I wasn't even the slightest bit surprised. In Korea, this is normal; it's business as usual. There is always food. As I'm an American, this is a good thing.

This happens quite frequently if you spend time in Korea. For example, any foreign teacher who goes through the volleyball ritual will know what I mean; Play a few sets, have some snacks, play one more, eat some of the take out food brought to the game, drink few cups of beer or rice wine and be merry, then go home and have dinner. Since this is typically done immediately after school, but before dinner time you can still meet up with friends and enjoy pizza in the evening.

Many times I'll go to dinner on a invitation from some hospitable Koreans, and later proceed to a bar or cafe to only be offered more food. Most bars have interesting menus that vary from fruit dishes to festive prawn and chicken platters, to even simple french fries. Additionally all cafes have at least several cake or other dessert choices. You can even find cheesecake. It's normal to have a Korean barbecue, then adjourn to a bar to have some fruit and snacks. Koreans seem to want to keep their guest happy, and one way of doing that is making sure there is an abundance of food available at all times. One should never go hungry here. It's impossible. I think if I had the chance to explain to American children about life in Korea I would make them all jealous by saying that Koreans have better snack times than Americans; and what American doesn't love snack time?

Lost and Found

Who doesn't forget those grand American barber shop experiences? The barbers with bowling shirts that are meant to be fashionable, the guys with one syllable names like; Mitch, Doug, and Nick(pun intended,) the incessant A/C blowing, and the omnipresence of aftershave aroma burning your nostrils. The alarming swiftness which those guys are able to finish cutting your hair with dangerously sharp scissors. Moreover, their ability to shape your hair with sharp things while watching sports on their five inch television located on the opposite side of the barber shop. I always admired their ability to squint at the television screen criticising Chris Mullin's dribbling abilities, or praising Mike Tyson's jabs while successfully cutting my hair. How could impressions like these ever escape anyone? At least I still remember these things. In addition, I remember in greater detail the day I went into a barber shop and came out with my bike stolen.

It was a warm, Saturday evening in July. I was 12, and I rode my white Skyway bmx style bike the two blocks to Castro Valley's Village Barber Shop to get the hair chopped. It was the normal monthly routine. I even had a nice lock for the bike that was shaped like a hook, which if it was used correctly the bike became impenetrable. Despite this, my laziness would be the determining factor in this instance. Since I would be sitting in a chair next to a widow, I had decided that I could leave the bike unlocked and unattended. So there I was watching baseball in the barber chair. This time it was Mike who was quickly snipping away, while commenting on the A's chances for the post season with that new Mark McGuire kid. We watched an inning or so, then I paid my ten bucks, took the free gum and opened the door to an empty, bike less sidewalk. I panicked a little, but didn't realize it was gone immediately. I popped back inside the barber shop and told the guys inside if they saw anyone with a bike. The customers inside said 'we saw nothin!' To make this long story short, the bike was stolen. It was stolen quickly and easily. The lesson here is that in small Californian towns children will steal other children's bikes more frequently than petty stoners in Amsterdam will steal a backpacker's bike.

More over, I think children stole a lot of things from me. I said goodbye to an innumerable amount of items when I was young. For example an expensive baseball jacket went missing a mere few days after I had received it as a birthday present. Children in America seem to have a itchy hand for other children's belongings, and if you leave something there for the taking, it will be nicked. Additionally, This mentality of snatching left behind items seems to cross over the age barrier in America too. It's only common sense that if you are an adult to keep an eye on your stuff.

My reason for writing this is that recently I've been thinking about these situations, because I've been noticing that I tend to be a bit absent minded, therefore I make it easier for things to go missing. Case in point, last week I brought my lab top computer to a soccer match. After the matched we adjourned to our traditional post match meeting spot in Shidae; the Mini-Stop 'patio'. It wasn't until a beer and an ice-cream later that I realized that my personal belongings seemed lighter than usual. My initial panic gave me the chills like I had a serious illness. After informing the soccer players of my recent misfortune, many of them shared my worries, although after a brief moment, one of the more seasoned individuals living in Korea stated that; this was Korea, and no one would take it.

It immediately felt reassuring. I've lived here for close to two years now, and I can actually attest to this notion that Koreans don't really steal so much is completely valid. I am not imparting that Koreans will never nick anything, but I can tell you from experience, that I feel at the least a hundred times more confident being an absent minded fool here in South Korea than I do in California. Anyway, I jumped in a taxi and went back to the stadium where another game was going on. I jogged straight to the sidelines and there on the bench in between several excited Korean players looking at me was my lab top. They knew immediately, which was easy to tell from their shouts of 'notebook, notebook, here here!' I didn't even have to go through the usual 'what color is it?' interrogation that we are accustomed to in America. I felt relieved to have something back so easily.

This isn't the first time I had forgotten something important behind in Korea only to have it exist in the same place when I returned either. I managed the same feat with a digital camera in a Norebong (karaoke room). Although some teenagers took the liberty of taking a few snapshots with it, they still left it there for their owner to collect it unscratched. I've also done the same with keys, mp3 players, shiny coffee mugs, and cell phones. In all of these instances the objects I had absently left behind have all been there collecting dust in the same location where I had left them. This wouldn't happen in America. If you disagree with me, go ahead; leave your bike in front of the barber's.


Ps...just this week alone my taekwondo teacher has left his keys in the ignition to his scotter downstairs in front of our dojon, only to come back an hour later both times to not only see his scotter there untouched, but also his keys safely in the ignition!!

Content in Court!

I have to admit that I am a curiously busy creature. Taekwondo, Music, Soccer, UNESCO presentations, avid reading, blogging, attempts at learning foreign languages, struggling to write a decent children's book in time before the coming millennium, and not to mention my job, are all activities that I partake in with some frequency during my weekly routine. Sometimes I marvel at the fact that I am able to eat-and sleep to boot! Yet, Despite my ability to survive under these relatively hectic circumstances, I must emphasize that it comes with some difficulty.


Oftentimes I will have the notion that what I am doing is rewarding, and my actions are helping me grow as a human. Moreover I find that all of the activities I do are endearing, and the mere actions of doing these things are gratifying. Who wouldn't like to to learn a martial art? What person would frown upon the good, honest exercise of kicking a soccer ball around? Wouldn't any normal person want to get that book idea on paper? Maybe my music, and blogging makes me a bit of a narcissist, but nonetheless I enjoy it and therefore continue with it. The only hurdle I face week in and week out of doing all of the things I enjoy of course is the hurdle of time. Time is one of life's great enemy's.


Since there is only so much of this precious thing called time, which Warren Buffet couldn't even afford to purchase, then we need to make the most of it. In order to do the things we want in life, we initially need to be ace time managers. It isn't easy for anyone, especially someone like myself-who also believes excess sleep is a healthy pursuit that should also be practiced by everyone. In addition I also believe in taking the time to eat at least one decent meal in a day. For this reason alone; it's good that I live in Korea. Now you might turn your nose up and say tut tut at what I am about to impart to you, but in Korea they actually have really tasty food courts, which offer cheap, healthy options.


From many years of experience of being an American, I have learned that one of the quintessential things about life in America is that there is a readily available supply of convenient cheap food. Like Koreans, American lives are proven to be just as busy, if not busier. So to attempt to shave off a few minutes, many of us Yanks will eat greasy fast food. It's the same cheap, greasy fast food that is offered daily at countless food courts across America. If you venture to a shopping mall in America you will see for yourself the array of time saving, calorie adding options that are readily available. Hot dogs on sticks with french fries, pizza slices with enough grease to clog several arteries, fried chicken, with fried cheesy sticks, and even more fried, cheesy type dishes. Despite the fact that this stuff ironically tastes pretty darn good, I think it is no secret that if you eat this kind of garbage every day, it will kill you. What's the use of saving time, if you are going to spend those remaining days in a hospital bed? Coincidentally, in Korea, their food courts have healthy time saving options. You'll spend more time doing the things you want, while eating quick healthy meals.



For example, at Kim's Club, which is conveniently located next to my apartment building, offers at least three or four dishes where the majority of the calories will be in the rice. In less than five minutes you can have a semi-spicy kinchi jigae (which is like a kimchi stew) for less than four dollars. You could also enjoy a semi-sweet bulgogi stew, which is like a beef stew. If you like spicy, or even really frigging spicy, sample the fiery tofu stew at about the same price. By the way your eyes aren't deceiving you. I really did say tofu. Tofu is astonishingly healthy, and it's readily available in many dishes in all food courts across Korea.



In Suncheon, I can immediately name four establishments that have food courts. It's not a large city, but there are plenty of dining options. Kim's Club is my top choice because it's the most accessible to me, and moreover I think the industrious cooks there give more of a personal touch to the dishes. Kim's Club is smaller and is frequented by less customers. Home Plus, E-Mart, and Home Ever all have food courts as well, but are busier, so the cooks there seem to just lash out meals faster with out paying too much attention to the details. Anyway, Each food court does has it's own unique atmosphere, yet the bottom line; like any food court is to save time. So if you come to Korea, and you find yourself in a food court here's some tips to make your order more successful.



First of all, you won't be approached by a waiter. This is fast food rules, so if you can't wait, no one will wait on you. You have to go to the main counter, which is usually located in front of where the informal seating area is. There is a large array of convenient displays of all the food dishes that offer help for anyone unable to read in Hangul. Once you have made your selection point at your dish, hand over your money and keep your receipt. The clerk will then inform you where to pick up your food. There are usually four or five restaurants in the food court area, and each one prepares a different style of food. On your receipt will be a little number. This will be the number of your order. Once your number comes up, go over and retrieve your food. Remember to say thank you too to the gracious hardworking woman who prepared it. If you get thirsty, just grab a metal cup from the water cooler, and pour yourself all the water you can drink. You'll need it, if the food's spicy.



So if you are a busy soul like myself, and you feel like you are always running from one point to another, remember that eating fast food indeed will save time. A stitch in time does save nine, but a stitch in time eating unhealthy fast food will require stitches to re-attach your broken buttons. If you aren't in Korea, and you are lured by unhealthy food courts then for your own health resist the temptation and find a supermarket.

A Harvest Moon

When I crawled out of bed from an uninterrupted twelve hour slumber on Sunday morning, I realized that the day seemed curiously silent. Despite the fact that Suncheon is a relatively small Korean city, it can be as noisy and as bustling as any large Western city. This is because Korea is simply full of life. Suncehon is like any other Korean city; that is, it's full of buzz twenty four hours a day. Cars like to toot their horns freely at all hours, sellers like to announce their products on giant loud speakers in the wee morning hours, and even a few late night revelers add to a normal mix of the outside atmosphere that deprives me of my beauty sleep. I have to say I was a little taken aback that I got so much sleep. I took a minute to make some coffee to wake myself up. Then I enjoyed the peace and quiet, and realized that this day was so quiet because it was Chuseok. For those of you not living here, Chuseok is a holiday.

It's celebrated during the full moon in the eighth month of the Korean lunar calendar. The holiday is actually observed for three days, but the first day is the most celebrated. Koreans typically travel to their hometowns and reunite with their families. Then they all travel to their ancestors' graves, which are giant mounds built on top of the earth, and then covered in grass. This is done in the morning. The family then brings out food as an offering to the deceased, after they bow and pay their respects. The families might picnic at the site as well, and later will pitch in to help tidy up the area around the grave site.

After this the family will return home and enjoy a feast. Chuseok is also sort of a harvest holiday. With most things in Korea food is important, and with a harvest holiday on top of everything, food is even more vital. The quintessential food is Song peon, which is a Korean style rice cake. These take hours to make, but are very tasty. They have a gummy texture to them, which might be strange for any newbie to Korea, but if you've lived here as long as an old pro like myself then they are appreciated. Moreover, Korea used to be a really poor country, so this was one time where people would enjoy food that they might not have had the luxury to taste at another time. These days, the country is economically stable, but regardless a nice meat dish would typically be served as well as some glass noodles, with plenty of spicy side dishes. In the evening Koreans might also take a walk to enjoy the harvest moon shining in the sky.

I think it's a nice holiday to have. It's essentially a day to honor deceased family members, and to celebrate the harvest in one holiday. Also, It's a time for overworked Koreans to take a break from their busy lives and see their families, as well as old friends. The bottom line is that this holiday is about family; living and dead. After they pay their respects, Koreans will have the next day off too. Which is splendid, because it gives them a little extra time to enjoy being together with their families before they fight the traffic back to their residential town.

I am trying to recall if we have any similar holiday in America, and I must admit, I am drawing a blank. We honor our country, God, fathers, mothers, soldiers, teachers, civil rights leaders, presidents, etc, but do Americans have a holiday to honor our families, the people that biologically made us? It would be nice to have one of these days too. Not to get too sidetracked, but I think we can have our own little Chuseok in America too, and it might even go over well.

One thing that I would enjoy at least would be the obvious; having a Monday off work. Who doesn't appreciate a work-less Monday? Doesn't everyone want another day where one isn't required to be someplace at a specific time, or have to face up to consequences. Who wouldn't like another Monday where you didn't need to worry about shaving and wearing a wrinkled shirt? Who wouldn't mind seeing a friend or family member over a long lunch, instead of looking at your watch while inhaling an Arby's Chicken Sandwich before getting back to the office? Regardless, I will tell you what I think. Time might be money, but time spent with friends and family is like gold, and we all could use a little time for that.

Koreans do Chicken Better

If you are an American, then of course you are aware that KFC says they do chicken right. Their crispy, greasy chicken has even exported itself to various other parts of the world as well. At least we know they do capitalism right. These days Colonel Sanders, has become a ubiquitous fast food symbol internationally. When I lived in the Czech Republic, the fast food franchise was cleaning up by opening up a group of restaurants along metro stops in Prague. A couple years later, when I came to Korea I noticed KFC is even making dents in larger cities like Seoul and Gwangju. Nowadays, in my opinion it's a pity. Despite the fact that I can occasionally grab a chicken sandwich(which means a meal with actual bread,) I have to say KFC pales in comparison to the plethora of chicken establishments that exist in every town in South Korea.

It might not sound too appealing to hear that Korea has a lot of chicken restaurants. I understand chicken isn't that important. It isn't always healthy either. In these health conscious, calorie counting times, chicken might not be the most attractive thing to write about. What is interesting for me though, is that one king-size box of chicken in Korea at fourteen dollars can stuff two extremely hungry people beyond capacity. It gets even better too. You can order fried, grilled, boneless, wings, legs, or thighs. In addition, you get a selection of delicious sauces, that KFC will never match. It's making me hungry already.

After you get your chicken, you will also notice that you will get a nice selection of side dishes too; usually a few radishes, and if you're lucky ice-cream, or a bottle of Pepsi. It's always nice to receive something extra for free. If you order chicken, like most things you order in Korea, there will always be something extra. My three favorite establishments are Gupne Chicken, NE Ne(which means YES YES,) Chicken, and Mexican chicken. Gupne specializes in grilled chicken, and they always give you free Pepsi. NE NE gives you ice-cream, and a huge selection of sauces, and finally Mexican Chicken will test your spice tolerance.

To test the popularity of chicken with Koreans, I have asked many of my students which they prefer; chicken, or pizza. What high school student doesn't like pizza? I can tell you all of my students will happily devour pizza. They have no problem eating cheesy crust slices at Pizza Hut or Mr. Pizza. However, if they have to choose, they wouldn't even think twice of ordering chicken. I think they unanimously chose chicken. For your information, I have over a six hundred students. That's a lot of chicken.

We all know it isn't healthy. Vegetarians aside (sorry if I offend any of you,) who doesn't like eating chicken? I guess a little is okay, right? The problem with me though, is that I have my top three chicken restaurant numbers saved in my phone. Each place has caller Id too, so they know where I live and where to deliver. So my situation can be dangerous. It's not just me though, because it's no secret that Koreans do pretty decent chicken.

The Great Outdoors

I think I first heard the term 'Africa Hot,' from a family member when I was a child. It was during one of those family vacations in the mountains where everyone on the family tree participates. Therefore my memory is fuzzy as to which relative had actually used the term 'Africa Hot' in my presence. Regardless, I later learned that the expression was from the 1988 film Biloxi Blues, which was originally a play written by Neil Simon. At the time I thought the 'Africa hot' I was experiencing as a child was like real Africa heat. I have never been to Africa either, so I logically thought at that time that it couldn't get any hotter. Despite this, the 'Africa' like temperatures in California only range between twenty-eight and thirty-five Celsius, which of course is only 'California mountain hot.' Heat can be a relative term. For humans, depending on where they live, the heat can be more tolerable, if they are used to warmer temperatures. I am sure Africans wouldn't complain about the Californian mountain air. Conversely I think an Irish summer tourist in California would have a lot to say about the heat.

These days I'm living in Asia; more specifically South Korea. I still haven't set foot on African Soil, but one day I will. Until I do though, I must say that I hadn't experienced true hot until I came here. After a short pleasant spring June comes, and brings rain with it. Actually it rains a lot, and hard. Going umbrella less out doors isn't an option. The rain doesn't come in drops, it comes in lakes. What's even worse than that is the temperatures range from 25 to 30, so it is quite humid all the time. Later, once the end of July rolls around things start to dry out. The rain disappears, and then the real heat takes the place of the torrential rain. The temperatures are at least 3o degrees, and linger day and night. It gets so hot that an air conditioner is almost a necessity. I am too cheap to buy one though, so I suffer. The fan only helps if it's turned up to '11' , and only during the wee hours of the morning, where there is a helpful soft breeze blowing through my open windows. What's even worse is that the water from all of the rain is constantly evaporating from the rainy season, so the simple act of even venturing outside can easily cover one heavily with sweat. The life saver for me were the coffee houses, and cinemas in Suncheon that have an unlimited supply of A/C. Koreans like to strut their A/C power, which isn't exactly a bad thing in July and August.

Anyway, my reasons for ranting about hot weather is that I've just noticed that tomorrow is September the first. All of my windows are still open for twenty four hours a day, and I still can only manage dressing in shorts and t-shirts, but I actually don't need my fan to cool me at night anymore. I can slowly notice the change in temperature, which is giving me a notion that it will all be over soon, and we can all resume normal lives outdoors again. Which is good, because the fall is a great time to be outdoors, and moreover, what I really want to share with you is that another great thing about living in Korea in the fall is the miles upon miles of mountains to climb and explore.

In fact, according to the Lonely Planet guide, Korea is covered by seventy-percent mountains. Many nations have a specific region that has accessible hiking trails, but in Korea, those trails are everywhere. Even those living in busy Seoul are able to quickly access local peaks. Despite the fact that Korean mountains are not that high(they typically range between 1200 and 1500 meters high,) they just seem to cover just about every province of this nation. *Halasan on Jeju-Do is the highest peak reaching 1950 meters, but is just a mere fraction of mountain space that surrounds South Korea. In terms of elevation, South Korea isn't Tibet- Tibet's average elevation is actually over 4,000 meters. So South Korea can't rightfully be called the Switzerland of Asia. It would however be more fitting to imagine Korea as The Appalations of Asia, with trails sprawling all over the rolling hills and modest peaks, from downtown Seoul to remote areas on Jeju-do.

In Suncheon where I reside, I can literally walk out my door, go down the elevator, cross a parking lot, and take a quick hike past a mountain temple, and continue up, and up, and walk for miles and miles, until I get tired too tired out to continue. The trail head is very close, which makes it a perfect place for an evening sunset climb, or morning pre-work, workout. The only problem of course is the intolerable summer heat. The only occasions I attempt to climb anything is after six in the evening, while I am armed with a large, quite nippy, bottle of water. Additionally, I am also only able to do this mind you, because the mountain is quite shaded until it peaks out.

It's such a nice thing, that I could literally write countless, innumerable, pages giving tribute to the mountains in South Korea. The problem is though, I am going hiking in the morning, so I need my beauty sleep. So in conclusion, I just want to express my gratitude to the month of September for showing its more inviting face. For doing this, I can attest, that I will be out and about climbing mountains here and there, and enjoying the outdoors, like any normal, healthy, human like myself rightfully should. Korea is quite a unique country for its beautiful landscape, and scenery. Because of this, it would be a waste not to experience it. So for a while, Africa is on hold.




*Taken From Lonely Planet Korea-page 66, 2004 ed.