It's the small stuff that counts

As my first year is Seouth Korea comes closer and closer to being done, I have been realising just how much I have done and changed and experienced. It is a good if not slightly bewildering feeling. When you are constantly aware of your every day struggles, it can be difficult to see your overall acheivements in a given situation. But I think that this next month should be a celebration of the cultural, professional and personal acheivements that I have made this past year. A renewed sense of interest and adventure is what I hope to bring into my second year here.

After so many months of struggling through culture shock and health problems, things seem to be leveling out here more or less. I find less things shocking and upsetting on a daily basis or rather they seem to bother me less and less. A profound sense of acceptance towards my situation here has let me turn my opinion and view of life in Korea from negative to positive. Sharing my experiences with another person has given validity to my life here and also something to look forward to. a reason to stay, to try, to be a better self and person. It's kind of easy to get lost here, all alone, so far removed from yourself and your home. But it is a great feeling to slowly come back into yourself and your passions and realise that place is only an illusion, and as long as you can ground YOURSELF in that place, anything is possible.

So the little things (all those things that you let slide while you floated through your life in aforeign land) seem to come back into sharper focus and mater more and more. It's the little things that make up an interesting, fulfilling and balanced life. Knowing were and how to buy the food that you've been missing, subconsciously performing the small cultural gestures which separate you from the tourists and grant you the respect of the natives... these are the small things that lead to feeling more settled and balanced in your life ;whether you aknowledge them or not. For the person who does pay atention to them, their lack can feel awful, but their return feels even better.

And so, I look forward into a second year here, not with anxiety, bordom or trepidation, but with a sense of excitement that i get to give it another go. This time I get to start with a much better understanding of EVERYTHING around me, including all of the little things. A new apartment, new boyfriend, new co-teacher, new outlook and understanding of the culture, all of the above will grant me the ability to start this new school year fresh but with a confidence and sense of understanding that was profoundly lacking at this same time last year. And so we celebrate the small victories which accumulated equal a life that is successfully lived.

Sweet Summer Days in Seoul

A coupple of weeks ago I finally made it to the top to Namsan mountain with my friend James. With the end of the school year and my first contract in sight, I have been thinking that summer time in Seoul is the perfect time to get back into the tourist mode and enjoy this city as much as I can for what it has to offer.

At the top of the mountain, you will see that all the baricade fences are covered in locks with heatrs or love inscriptions. The idea is that lovers with go to the top of the mountain and lock their insciprted lock to one of the biggest symbols of Korea (Seoul Tower). Then they will throw the key over the edge of the observatory, for if their lock is ever broken so too shall be their love. AWWWWWWWW! How romantic!

I have been getting to more and more rock concerts in the past month. Two weeks before this, I went to see the "Rock Tigers"; a great rocka-billy act. Then last week I went to a Round Robin concert featuring a bunch of kick butt musicians at Freebird in Hongdae (the best live rock venue!) Coming up in a coupple of weeks is the Jisan valley Rock festival.... so excited!
There has been a lot of sleeping in jiljilbangs and walking around shopping and taking pictures
and I for one am thrilled about it.

I finally also got the chance to meet up with the wonderfully charming little Seul-Ki Kang; the girl who has lived with my parents in Barrie for the past coupple of years. She is my best Korean friend, almost like a little sister here.

This past weekend, I made my way to the Yongsan area of Seoul near the American military base. There, accross from the National defense building, is the War Museum of Korea. It was much more beautiful than I would have expected from a war museum. There was a lot of hardware ie: guns, swords, tanks, cannons and other instruments of war. However, there was also a great deal of visual art and costumes that made the experience both socially and culturally relevant for me. I also thought that the building and the grounds of the museum itself were the most beautiful building I've visited in korea to this day. It was also a pertinent reminder of how many nations have been involved in the development of Korea into a modern democracy over the past 50 years. The involvement of the US in particular is extremely aparent in the number of american soldiers that were killed for example in the Korean war. I was also surprised to see how involved the Canadian military have been in korea for the past 50 years or so.
There was actually some really beautiful art in the museum as well. I was surprised to see so many historical paintings painted in a Western European style depicting great battles fought by the Korean armies to ward off invaders from Japan, China etc...

I think I'll go back another time when i have more time to give to the art. Or maybe I'll go back just to sit by the moat that surrounds the building and watch children playing with the lilly pads and admire the beautiful architecture...hmmm maybe a good place to sketch.

So as you can see, i have had a rather jam packed last coupple of weeks. The good news is that the fun is not about to stop any time soon. This is great news actually, because i haven't been so happy or relaxed since i first came to korea a full 10 months ago. wow! That's a long time.
I have been making new friends and seeing new things and trying to enjoy my time in Korea for what it can offer me.

I have also been finding a certain amount of acceptance with my bogus situation at school. i have found out that it is impossible for me to transfer to another public school in Seoul based on a new and stupid rule involving somehow cutting paper work at a mynistry level... Beurocracy can kiss my ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so.... I am signing up for another year in the hope that my school will keep their promises to move me, give me a good co-teacher and a functional class space with any kind of resources. I can dream... I can dream. I have decided to hope for the best and plan for the worst. In that case i will begin a VISA re-application for a work visa, anmd start looking for University teaching jobs for march (which i should do anyway.) My reasons for staying are:

a) I have put so much effort into getting along with my school that i might as well try and make it work now that things are mellowing.

b) I have many good friends here which make the trials of school less harsh and make it worth staying and experiencing the GOOD things that this city has to offer.

c) There is very little paying work for me back home right now with so little job experience. I am too qualified for entry level positions and not quallified enough for more senior teaching and management positions... grrr. But here, I can keep building up my CV and my portfolio and experiencing the trials and joys of living in such a different culture.
d) There are exciting things happening in my life right now in Seoul and I'm willing to give Korea more of my time to keep exploring these adventures.

All of these reasons seem like good reaons to put up with the silliness that my school throws me almost on a daily basis. If nothing else i am continuing to toughen up my skin so that when I do hit the Canadian job and art market i'm not a total wet fish.

I am also getting to meet really fabulous people from all over the world. And that too is something worth cherishing and continuing to foster.




With less than one week of school left, i am looking forward to the rest of this summer as a time to cut loose, make art, travel and do my darndest to return more towards my former balanced less stressed out self. Fingers crossed!