Friday, October 5, 2012

Chuseok Adventures

Yes!  I remembered to blog today!  Okay so I was going to describe Chuseok.  Chuseok (pronounced chew-sock) is the Korean version of Thanksgiving.  I don't exactly know the whole history behind it, but I know it's supposed to be a day centered around your family and ancestors.  My Chuseok adventure started on Sunday morning when my host family and I went off into the car.  I had no idea where we were going.  I thought we were going to go to the grandmother's house, but I knew that she lived in the city and we were clearly going into the country.  We pulled off onto this precariously winding road that was just wide enough to fit the car.  I have to admit that it made me a bit nervous.

We finally reached our destination and I got out of the car to find a group of people walking down the hill shouting in Korean and saying "Benjamin! Hello!!" At closer glance, I saw the were the members of my host mother's family!  I did not understand why they were walking down the hill, but whatever I guess.  Then my host family started leading me up the hill.  I didn't anticipate a hike, but whatever I guess.  Then we reached this large mound and one of the twins pointed at it, thought carefully, and then told me "uhhh..dead person house!" Ohhhh.  It was the grandfather's grave.  I heard before that families would visit the graves to commemorate their ancestors so it totally made sense now.  After a nice moment of silence, we all turned around and headed back to the car and then we were on our way to the grandmother's house.

We arrived and pretty much everyone was there. They set up a table in front of us and filled it with all sorts of goodies.  Noodles, meat, vegetables, fruit, tons and tons of stuff.  It was great!  After our meal, I went outside witht the cousins (most are in upper elementary school) and we played some soccer and some baseball.  It was pretty fun.  Some of them were getting tired quickly though so we didn't stay out too long.  When we got back inside, I started to doze off on the floor and the family quickly assumed that meant I was bored.  I really wasn't, I was more just tired.  Nevertheless, they insisted and I was whisked off to another car.  I was told we are going to play screen golf.  I assumed it was like a driving range and we would shoot balls into a screen.  WRONG.  This place was legit.  It was indoors and we went to a small room where there were already two guys shooting golfballs.  On the screen was a beautiful projection of a golf course and the player shot a ball into the screen and I saw the images on the screen lurch forward with the direction of the ball, mimicking how the ball would have reacted in real life.  It was crazy!  The machine that we stood on to shoot the balls off leaned and tilted to imitate the different hills and angles of the course where the ball landed.  The machine even put the ball on the tee for you so you didn't have to bend down.  It was some of the most amazing technology I've ever seen. 

After our game, we went back to the grandma's house but most of my host family left to go back home.  My host mother and I left to go join them.  On the way up the elevator, my host mother warned me that there might be a lot of people in the house.  At least she gave a warning I guess.  I got there and there were probably 13 or so people there.  Oddly, I saw one of my co-teachers there from school.  I assumed she was a family friend since she and the host mother talked a lot and she used to live in this apartment building.  Wrong again!  Turns out she is the sister of my host father!  I had no idea!!  I actually thought she was lying at first to trick me or something.  Who knew?!  Again, we ate a ton of food then headed out to a batting cage to hit a few baseballs.  It was pretty fun. 

Some of the family spent the night and others left.  All of my host family left to go back to the grandma's house except for my host sister.  I don't really understand the whole spending the night thing and why she didn't and all of that, but it seems to work!  The next morning they were all back and just hung out at the house until the afternoon when all of them went to visit the grandfather's grave.  I stayed behind this time and enjoyed the house to myself.  And that was Chuseok.  Pretty interesting and a lot different than American holidays, but it was good to see that. 

Next adventure: Return to Gwangju.  After that is the Fall Fulbright Conference, then a weekend where I don't know what I'm going to do, and then I'm heading back to Seoul to meet up with our Korean teachers from Orientation! Then another free weekend and then the Suncheon Marathon (5k for me...the first official road race I will have done since high school...yikes).  Busy, fun times!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Oops.

I am totally failing at keeping up with this blog.  I don't know how!  It's not like I am insanely busy.  I am busy but it's not to the point where I am unable to blog.  Oh well.  I guess I'll just have to write a ton of things!

Okay I think last time I left you, I was getting ready to head to Seoul and go bungee-jumping and rafting.  Well, I did and it was totally awesome!!  It was a long bus ride to Seoul (3.5 hours) and I took the overnight bus that left at 12:30.  So I didn't get a whole lot of sleep but the adrenaline was pumping throughout the day so it helped keep me awake.  I got to the bus terminal and I have to admit that I was super nervous about finding my friends that I was going with.  I'm not really the best with directions and I was by myself, but I eventually found them and I wasn't even late.  It was worth the trip up alone just to see everyone.  Suncheon and Gwangyang are great, but I have to admit that it gets lonely at times since I don't have any of my ETA friends nearby.  The closest is an hour away so whenever I see them, it is pretty special.

We all piled on the bus and headed over to the river where we were going to raft.  It was crazy beautiful.  I was treated to views like this the entire trip:


 That photo is courtesy of Jason G. who had enough sense/was mad enough to bring a camera on the raft.  The water was actually pretty calm.  Some rapids here and there, but nothing out of control.  The only thing out of control was temperature of the water!  Goodness gracious it was cold!  I have to admit I basically screamed every time the water touched me.  Yes, I admit it was slightly dramatic, but it was pretty cold haha.  It was actually the last week for rafting season so we were lucky to get in on time (Thanks Korena B!!!!!)

We also did some mini rock diving too.  That was fun, but again, I shrieked obnoxiously the entire time due to the temperature of the water.  The rafting last about 1.5 hours and was totally amazing.  I will definitely go again in the late spring/summer next year if the opportunity presents itself.

Then we had a nice lil lunch and then came the big event.  Bungee jumping.  Yes, the main purpose of the trip was rafting, but I've done it once before and bungee jumping is something I have never ever done and was soooo stoked for!  I promised myself that I would have adventures and try new things in Korea and this was right up my alley.  About 19 out of the 30ish people were brave/stupid enough to do it.  We jumped off a bridge that is about 170 feet tall (17 stories I think?).  Not to sound cocky, but I wasn't really nervous....until it was finally my turn.  I maintained my cool, can-do composed demeanor, I will admit, that I was a little bit nervous.  Not a whole lot, but a little.  I think one of the main reasons for this is because of my previous job at camp where I constantly worked with heights with the high ropes course, rock wall, etc. and I know how much everything is checked all the time.  So yeah I jumped, and it was amazing.  The first five seconds or so is completely unnerving since it is so unnatural just to be jumping for that long and not hit anything but then I was quickly launched back into the air when the cord reached it's limit.  That was also pretty unnerving since I have never been launched upwards like that.  My harness was attached to my feet.  For some reason, I was the only ETA to do this, but whatever.  It was sick!  Here are some pics that my pal, Andrew C. took.  He is a crazy good photographer!  Check out these insane pics:




So yeah that was my bungee jumping adventure.

Then I've been at school, of course, teaching.  Doing what I came here to do.  It is great too.  I really love it.  My students are pretty low-level and don't speak much English (except for a few classes that continually surprise me by their skills).  My lessons since the last post included a love letter lesson (where they write and send love letters to an all-girls high school my friends are teaching at), a speed-quiz review lesson, and a music genre lesson (before their stressful mid-term exam...I wanted to give them something more cultural and fun this time).  The teachers are all pretty great and the new principal really seems to be on his game.  He is going through the school a lot to check up on the classes and see what the teachers are doing.  I think that shows good leadership to simply see what is going on firsthand and making sure that everything that is supposed to be happening is.  Overall, it's been great and I am genuinely happy to come into work everyday.

And then there was Chuseok, Korean thanksgiving.  I think I will save that for tomorrow though because this has been a super long post.  I WILL WRITE IT TOMORROW!! I only have 2 classes on Friday so no excuses.

Hope things are good at home!  Miss you all.