Tag Archives: Gyeonggi English Village

Blossoming

4 May

A few weeks have slipped by since my last blog entry.  In the space of my own busyness, Spring has arrived at Paju City South Korea.  While I was lost in the world of teaching, the blossoms were busy exploding on the trees and the sun busy shining.  There is still a slight chill in the air, but the temperature finally leans more towards warm than cold.  I have even gone outside without wearing a coat!  Truly amazing as I was beginning to think that my skin was the texture and color of a dark blue down coat.  Alas, it is not and I am at last thawing out.

I continue to do the dance of English teacher at English Village.  It is a different dance each day.  Some days look a little more elegant than others!  We are fully immersed in our current “semester” welcoming a new group of about 300 Korean students usually every three days, Monday through Friday.  Wednesdays are a bit of a juggling day – one group leaves around lunch time while the other group arrives late morning.

The staff of teachers at English Village continue to face the blessings and the challenges of our current teaching conditions.  In the past few months we have shifted from teaching one group of kids for 5 days (Monday through Friday) to teaching two different groups of students for three days, twice a week.  We are learning that many of our students are coming here with the expectation of a fun field trip and not to study and practice English.  Additionally, lately many more of our students speak very little English.  As an organization that is committed to teaching English in English, this presents opportunities as well as challenges.  Adjustments are often needed to the level of lessons but communicating effectively with students is not always possible.

All that said, being here and teaching English at English Village is a wonderful education.  Each days calls me to be the best teacher I can be, to stretch and explore my sense of compassion for students (and myself), and to continue to learn to set clear boundaries in classrooms of middle school students who are at English Village just “passing through”.  In the midst of this fun and lively, but at times challenging environment,  I am in some ways invigorated and inspired by the challenge.

A few weeks ago I was speaking with a friend and leader in the Seoul foreigners chapter of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a Buddhist group I belong to, about my week… it’s challenges that were demanding that I rise up and be very deliberate about bringing kindness and compassion in the midst of challenging situations.  Her response was, “Honey, that’s human revolution!”  Human Revolution is a term that SGI often refers to when talking about personal development, growth and happiness.  SGI says “Human revolution is the work of transforming our lives at the very core. It involves identifying and challenging those things which inhibit the full expression of our positive potential and humanity.” As a fairly new member to the organization I am still exploring experientially what its different terms and concepts actually mean.  As for human revolution, I am beginning to get it!

It’s Saturday and I am doing my best to rest-up and prepare myself for the new week to come.  My weekends seem to have a fairly regular syncopation as of late… one day spent recovering and cleaning up from the week and preparing a little for the week to come.  The next day usually spent in Seoul connecting with an SGI activity and friends and often sharing a meal and a little social time.

The biggest news in Paju for now is the arrival of Spring.  It’s amazing what a difference it makes to see the surrounding hills covered with green and blossoms bursting off of neighboring trees.  I must admit I was harboring complaints about the late arrival of Spring… however my family in the Kansas City area of Kansas and Missouri actually got snow over the past few days.  That makes Paju seem like a tropical paradise!

Spring has invited more leisurely strolls and exploration around the surrounding streets and hills.  On my way to the grocery store this morning I saw three hard-working Korean men and women transforming what looked almost like an abandon lot into a field for planting.  It was quite amazing to see them working so patiently, pulling out rocks and debris slowly generating a metamorphosis into neat hills and rows.

As the day begins to wind down, I am grateful for a few more hours of sunlight today before I settle in to the evening.  It’s been a quiet but sunny and productive day.  I am wondering, how is Spring blossoming in your life?  It’s always good to hear from you!

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Sweet Potato Muffins and the Chicken Dance

20 Apr

It’s been a full week for me here in South Korea.  My activities have crossed the spectrum from baking Apple Sweet Potato muffins to doing the Chicken Dance with young Korean children.  I even took a little time to stop by Severance Hospital in Seoul and get my ankle x-rayed… and no, my ankle, still sore after falling down some stairs in France nearly a year ago, thankfully isn’t broken.

Let’s start with the Apple Sweet Potato muffins.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know my search continues for yummy satisfying food with no sugar added.  Refined sugar is definitely not an option for me, but sometimes too much sweet from fruit and honey does me no good as well.  So I adapted a recipe I found recently and baked a muffin with only apples and sweet potatoes for sweetener (no honey or other sweetener added).  Here is the recipe I used:

2 cups almond flour1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnemon
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded sweet potato
1 cup shredded apple

I combined all of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda) and then all the wet ingredients (vanilla, eggs, oil, yogurt).  Next I combined them both and finally added in the uncooked shredded sweet potato and apple.

I baked them at about 350 degrees F (that’s about 175 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes.

The results were satisfying flavorful muffins with just a touch of sweet.  They were especially tasty with a little butter or with a smear of creamy organic peanut butter (no sugar added!)  If I were to make any changes to the recipe, I might try a little less Greek yogurt as when finished the muffins were a little wet.  I also would liked to have added some nutmeg, but didn’t have any on hand. But just the same, they were a moist and satisfying treat.  Hurray!

And what’s next… yes of course.. the chicken dance!  Who can forget.  Why was I dancing the chicken dance you may ask?  The simple answer is… it’s part of my job.  On the weekends, when we’re not teaching middle school students, we teach fun classes that are open to the public at English Village.  One of our weekend lessons is called Dance Party.  It’s pretty simple… we dance and lead the Korean visitors in a variety of fun and well-known dances.  YMCA, Disco, the Hustle and… the Chicken Dance!  Often our guests are little children who enjoy dressing up in our costumes and doing a little dancing.  Sometimes we get older students… like today.  We had a visiting quartet of early twenty-somethings who put our dancing to shame.  It only took a few dances for my co-worker/dance partner to suggest…” I think they’re professional dancers…”  and…as it turns out…indeed they were.

As I mentioned, earlier this week I took a little sojourn into neighboring Seoul to visit the doctor at the local Severance Hospital.  I learned they have an international clinic from a colleague here at English Village.  It was a welcoming first-class experience all the way.  The hospital itself  had a professional, open and inviting feel.  It didn’t feel really like… a hospital. When I arrived at the clinic I was greeted by friendly English-speaking staff who quickly and easily assisted me with my needs… which was to make sure the my ankle wasn’t broken.  I speedily received an x-ray and soon after I learned, happily, it is not.  After my appointment was complete, I made a stop by the Smoothie King located in the food court inside the hospital. Next I was delighted to find a health food store in the hospital.  I did a little browsing and discovered one of my favorite American brands – Amy’s organic foods.  This is the first time I have seen this brand since I left the States.  They only had a few items, all pizzas, looking somewhat misplaced in the freezer section tossed next to items that were unidentifiable to me.  And what did I do, you may ask?  I bought one of each… yes three different types of frozen pizzas.  What can I say, there is nothing like some good old-fashioned “healthy junk food” for a little comfort like home.  I spent more money on them then I care to say, then made my trek back to the land of Paju.

Earlier, en route to the hospital I encountered what in America we might begrudgingly call a busy intersection.  In South Korea these sticky situations are handled with a little finesse courtesy of the traffic director.  Pictured below in a cowboy hat, the local traffic director displayed an almost choreographed array of moves and ushered traffic with some style and flair.

Well, my laid back day of work is coming to a close…. a real treat today after the past few busy weeks.  Tomorrow is  Sunday, my day of rest, and then once again a new week will unfold.

Spring continues to tempt us with a few days of weather in the 60s this week. But even so, I can’t quite declare it Spring weather even though April continues to fade away.  There are, however, some blossoms showing their face in the surrounding Korean hills among the still barren and dead trees of winter.

Good-bye for now from my world and life in S. Korea.  Feel free to write. It’s always good to hear from you!

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Taking Time to Smell the Flowers

13 Apr

Its been another full week of teaching here at English Village in South Korea. Once again we have hosted hundreds of middle school S. Korean students. Once again we have spun in a maze of  English classes ranging from “Survival English” to Badminton (a favorite with Korean girl students, but not so much English taught here) to classes about Movies, Science, Drama, Culture.  I have handed out more stickers (a tool we use to increase student participation) than I can count.  And now it’s the weekend.

Teaching at English Village is a good challenge for me with the practice of being a good, interesting and compassionate teacher in the face of  many and varied new Korean students.  Some days, some classes I think… I am a pretty good teacher… and other classes with more challenging behavior… I feel less confident.

The volume dial of our work week has been turned up with the steady flow of hundreds of South Korean students. Generally we receive groups of good kids here at English Village but the fact remains that they are young adolescents (a phenomenon that has no cultural boundaries), they outnumber the teachers, we don’t speak the same language, and they are here at English Village as a field trip to have some fun… which is sometimes fun for the teachers, sometimes not.

As Friday drops in I find myself depleted from the week.  Once again, I find myself receiving the thank-you letters from the students at the end of the week which automatically lifts my spirits.  In the spin of so many students and the mixed behavior and challenges throughout the week, it makes a difference to be acknowledged and to be seen by the students as a “good and kind teacher.”

In the midst of the blessings and challenges of this week, I find it is important to return to the basics and take time to smell the metaphorical flowers.  For me that begins with gratitude. As I write from the chilly Winter-like Spring of Paju, South Korea pretty darn close to N. Korea, here is my ode to gratitude… and the simple things in life that I will now give my attention and thanks…  I am grateful for…

1.  Chocolate “pudding” made with greek yogurt.  This may sound a bit callous and overly simply, but as someone who is sensitive to sugar and must stay away from it, chocolate has typically been something I have to go without. Lately I have been purchasing homemade Greek yogurt from a local business in Seoul.  Their website is medfoodinkorea.com.  I recently acquired a new treasure from the local “foreigners” market… unsweetened Hershey’s cocoa for the bargain price of about 7.50 USD. The other night relaxing after work a new idea popped in… Greek yogurt, Hershey’s cocoa… Greek yogurt, Hershey’s cocoa… is it possible there is a place where the two can come harmoniously together?  And so I googled… and found a simple recipe of just Greek yogurt, cocoa, and a little natural sweetener (I used just a touch of honey).  Without hesitation, I went for it and easily created a simple and satisfying chocolate snack.  Did I mention I added fresh strawberries?  Ah, delish!

2.  Veggiehill.com.  I have mentioned them in my blog before.  They are a recent find that sources organic foods grown not far outside of Seoul.  What a treat it is to easily order my food online and have it shipped to my door.  Not only does this free up a little more time in my life, but it provides me with chemical-free vegetables that you just can’t find in the grocery store. The vegetables I receive look ten times better than what I see in the stores and taste great.  Hooray!!

3.  Quiet Relaxing Evenings.  I’m a sensitive soul and after the big energy of teaching dynamic middle school kids during the day it is highly needed and satisfying to have some quiet and private down time in the evenings.  I often treat myself to a good meal, an extended Reiki treatment, a little yoga.  Ah, just what the doctor ordered!  And before I go to bed?  Usually, a little shameless video watching… my recent pleasure is watching old episodes of House then some chanting before bed.  How grateful I am for this time and my spiritual practices to balance my being and my day and prepare me for the day to come.

4.  I am teaching a yoga class!  Wow, it is amazing to me that I am teaching a yoga class at English Village.  As someone who has practiced yoga for over 8 years, relying on it as a spiritual tool to move my body, mind and spirit through many challenging circumstances, it is a real treat to share it with others.  The situation sort of found me…it began with one of the head teachers at English Village asking if I would teach one yoga classes during the work week for teachers.  After that many teachers asked when the next yoga class would be… so we planned it.  Our first weekly yoga class was this past Monday evening.  We had a great turnout!  So many teachers were there that we almost need a bigger room.  Fabulous.

5.  I am at home.  This may sound overly simple, and isn’t necessarily referring to S. Korea or English Village… but it’s a growing sense in me that no matter where I am or what I am doing, I am at home.  Not that I don’t sometimes feel “homesick” or  long for a life that might be more rooted…  But the challenges and blessings of life – losing all of my belongings to Hurricane Katrina, being dramatically uprooted, deciding to travel and the challenges and blessings of that life, have supported the development of my home within. It’s a spiritual place really and even thought I still feel and experiences successes and challenges daily, it is ever apparent in my life.

And with that… gratitude in the midst of challenges, growth and new opportunities in South Korea, I will say good bye for now.

In the meantime I am curious, what are you grateful for in your life?  I’d love to hear from you!

Photo above is a snapshot taken in Seoul of a road barrier… that has planters on it  filled with flowers.  Finding beauty in the most unexpected of places.

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My Crazy Life in Korea

7 Apr

It is a quiet cool Sunday evening at English Village.  I recently returned from Seoul where I spent the day at the SGI Buddhism World Peace Chanting followed by a little lunch.  I also did some simple grocery shopping in Seoul at one of my favorite foreign food marts, High Street Market. I am now ready for a peaceful evening before beginning a new work week.

This past week I was thickly immersed in the life of teaching at English Village.  I transitioned off of a weekend shift to a regular Monday – Friday shift and just completed a “long haul” of working 8 days in a row.  We were brimming to the edges with Korean middle school students this past week.  We had one group of about two-hundred students for the first half of the week and a group of about 500 the second half.  Our job as English Village teachers is to ride the wave of the ebb and flow of students and do our best to be kind effective communicators and teachers while still offering a fun time.

Thursday night as I was walking a group of 76 student to the English Village Concert Hall, I couldn’t help but think what a crazy English Village Korean life I am leading right now.  My current “neighborhood” is no ordinary scene.  It is a “mock” English Village in South Korea constructed to host not only English-speaking teachers but students of all ages mostly from Korea, but also sometimes from Japan, Thailand, and Russia.  Who are my neighbors?  Mostly “20 somethings” from English-speaking countries around the world – South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and of course… the USA.  When English Village is in full bloom, it is not unexpected to see a flood of Korean faces, often middle school students, waking up the otherwise quiet streets.  There is likely to be giggling.

For students who participate in our regular weekly programs, the area I am currently working in, their journey begins at Immigration.  It can’t be missed.  When you arrive at English Village you are greeted by the unmistakable yet unexpected replica of Stonehenge.  The students enter through the doors of English Village Immigration and are immediately transported to a land in the midst of Korea where, for the most part, everyone speaks English.  They are met by sometimes enthusiastic sometimes weary English teachers holding their classroom number sign as we begin to organize, receive and make way for the hundreds of students arriving for their stay at English Village.

The journey regularly begins with enthusiastic conversation often from Korean girl students.  Teachers are met with bursts of English phrases that often include “How are you?  I am fine, thank you! ” followed by much laughing and giggling.  The very nature that I and other English-speaking teachers speak English is indeed entertaining and sometimes hilarious to the Korean students.  And so our journey begins.

I have spent my past week practicing being an enthusiastic, compassionate, firm and fun teacher in the throes of teaching hundreds of new Korean faces… some excited to be here, some not.  This balance of attributes is a new game for me as I find ways to keep order in the classrooms with many new faces while still being a fun and kind English-speaking face.  As English Village is an English-only experience, it is not always easy to communicate with our Korean students.  Some students are quite good English speakers and listeners while others are not.  It is not unusual to have a few strong English-speaking students in the class who can translate for other students when needed.  I do my best to simplify my language and clarify my expression in the easiest of terms.

It has been a busy and challenging week for me. I had to laugh Thursday night as I was in my room trying to relax and wind down from the day with some Reiki and yoga.  In the quietness of my room all I could hear were the voices in my own mind of the students calling out  “Teacher, Teacher” — my new name at English Village.

As Friday came to a close I found myself and my energy depleted.  I sat in the teacher “ready room”  about to collapse on my computer after a challenging morning of classes.  At that moment a teacher handed me a few thank-you post cards from students from the week.  After each session our students have the opportunity to write thank-you notes to teachers before leaving English Village.  Here is what  a few of mine said, “I liked you because you like sunshine. You’re kind. Thank you” and “I liked you because you like my mom, warm and you’re angel.”  Reading these words literally lifted my load from the week and had me thinking… maybe it wasn’t so bad…

It’s Sunday night and the new work-week will soon begin.  I’m doing my best to enjoy the extended winter, sort of like spring weather before the impending heat of summer arrives.  I have been at English Village now for almost 4 months.  It’s hard to believe!   I am grateful for the vigor and challenges here as I continue to grow as a person and teacher. But what I want most now is a little more R&R before Monday arrives as I prepare for a new week in my crazy life in Korea.

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A Taste of the Sweet Life

31 Mar

It’s a quiet weekend here at English Village in Paju, South Korea.  It’s Easter Sunday and as I am at work today… and in South Korea…its presence constantly escapes me. I am working my last weekend shift of a two month rotation. It is nearly April in Paju and I am still wearing my long winter coat and scarf.  I am longing for the days when Spring has fully arrived but I am reminded that the heat and humidity of Paju summers are not far behind… and then there’s monsoon season.

Lately conversations can turn to the threats of war from North Korea.  While teachers, myself included, are paying attention to North Korea’s headline making threats and actions, there seems to be a sense of concern but not a feeling of panic or urgency. Recently one of our head teachers at English Village, a Korean man, addressed the issue at a staff meeting.  He wants to help keep us informed and he shared his belief that North Korea is simply reacting and offering threats as is their history in the past.  So for now, I suppose I am like many other English teachers in Korea and South Koreans – paying attention to the situation, but also not getting lost in the fear of it.

Work this weekend is pretty simple for me.  The weekend teaching staff at English Village tends to any special camps or students visiting for the weekend as well as the general visiting public.  The last few weekends, today included, I have been teaching an English game for the general visiting public called “Compound Words”.  It is a simple game.  There are two pictures and each picture represents one word of a compound word.  The first team to guess the correct compound word gets a point and the team with the most correct answers wins.  I have found that children and adults alike enjoy it.  They stay for about 20 or 30 minutes or so and laugh and play and guess.  Sometimes the parents help the children answer in English and… sometimes the children help the parents.  It’s amazing to me sometimes to see a very young reserved Korean child come up with a correct answer much to my and often their parent’s surprise.

Last night I took my first try at gluten-free baking in my new to me Korean toaster/convection oven.  As I can’t eat refined sugar and do my best to stay away from gluten, but still love sweets… my last few months surrounded by the candy, sweets and baked goods among English Village staff and students has been challenging.  Finally an opportunity to make something a little sweet for me.  What was on the menu?  Brownies!  It couldn’t have been easier!  With a base of almond flour and sweetened with honey, they turned out sweet, moist and chocolatey.  Just what the doctor ordered!  Here is the recipe!

I couldn’t wait – I ate one!
Rich and moist!

Earlier this week on my day off I made my way into Seoul.  The mission?  Yoga!  I have been practicing yoga both independently and in classes for over 8 years.  It has become a mainstay in my life and a practice I use to feel at home no matter where I am in the world.  After being in South Korea for over three months, I have found just a handful of yoga studios in Seoul that offer classes in English.  Much of the yoga in this area is what’s known as Hot Yoga, a series of yoga postures done in a heated room.  This type of yoga has not been my practice and does not appeal to me… and so the search continues for a yoga class.

After some persistent google searching and communicating with a studio via email, I finally decided to make the trek to a class this past week in Seoul.  Door to door it was about a two-hour journey.  The commute was longer than I expected and I arrived about 5 minutes late for class.  When I finally arrived I found a Korean teacher with a class full of Korean students.  I was surprised because I sought out this studio and class particularly because they offer classes in English.  Irregardless I made my way in and laid out my mat as I heard the Korean instruction.  The teacher was very friendly and asked me if I spoke Korean.  I shook my head no.  I thought perhaps I could make the best of it. “Perhaps I could follow along?” I asked hesitantly.  The kind teacher looked at me with a less than optimistic look.  She suggested I try another class taught by one of their English teachers.  Respectfully, I rolled up my mat and left the studio.  And so the search for yoga continues.

I am grateful to have my own personal practice of yoga that I can take with me no matter where I am.  Even here in English Village I have had the opportunity to share some basic yoga with the other English teachers.  I was even invited to create a simple yoga lesson that can be done with Korean students in classes at English Village.  Its a Powerpoint guided lesson that has a series of videos showing simple yoga moves that can easily be done in the classroom.  I received some positive feedback on it from a fellow teacher who tried it in his class.  They had some extra time and felt the students needed some physical activity.  He said the yoga lessons met the needs of something physical for the students without getting them too “excited”.  After the class he said they were in a better place to sit down and participate in the rest of the lesson.  That’s great!

And so as this day comes into full play, I find myself in unconventional Easter surroundings.  I will spend my Easter in South Korea teaching young and old alike about compound words.  And later tonight, a little sweet treat and a restful evening as I prepare for the busy work week ahead.  It’s a good Easter in my new surroundings, appreciating the little things that make life sweet.

How about you?  How did you spend your Easter Sunday?  Any sweet memories or recipes to share?

Top Photo – a taste of the sweet life.  Gluten-free honey sweetened brownies prepared in home-sweet-home in Paju City, South Korea.

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A Time to Cook

24 Mar

It’s kind of surprising to me… one of the things that I have enjoyed the most these past few years of travel and new experiences is… food!  As you may have noticed, I have been a super-budget traveler as I’ve made my way in Europe and now South Korea. While I enjoy restaurants and eating out, they haven’t been at the top of my mission.  My true pleasure has been connecting with and making my own meals, on occasion growing and harvesting the food, and often sharing it with other people.  Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to cooking I am still learning the basics.  I keep it simple and take it “one step at a time”.  But in general for me, it has been and continues to be a joy.  Who knew?

When I was in Germany in 2011-2012 living at the Seminar Haus in Wettenbostel I often helped out in the busy weekend kitchen as my host there prepared food for the visiting guests.  My tasks were usually simple ones – fry the onions in some butter, saute the mushrooms in balsamic vinegar (be sure to add plenty of garlic), chop the vegetables and make a salad.  On a good day I was asked to make the salad dressing or perhaps some humus.  During the week I would often prepare lunch for myself and the other staff around.  It was usually something simple like a stir fry using whatever food was left on hand.  Somewhere along the way, watching my host cook, helping him out often on weekends, doing my best not to cut off my finger as I chopped vegetables,  and cooking some myself during the week… my confidence in and appreciation of cooking began to increase.

When I left Europe a year and a half later and returned to the States to prepare my visa to teach in South Korea, I stayed with a family in the northeast for three months.  I did a work exchange with them through the website helpx.net.  The general idea is I do work for them in exchange for room and board.  Initially my new hosts asked me if I cooked.  I shied away from the question as I was hesitant to proclaim with confidence that I could cook a meal for them.  Soon after I arrived, there was a busy day, no dinner yet and they needed me to cook the family meal.  I have to admit I was nervous.  I don’t remember what I made, but it was something simple.  The good news was they loved it!  My confidence in the kitchen continued to grow and it became my mission to prepare the evening family meal.  I soon became the regular weekly shopper at their local co-op grocery, Weavers Way,  and shopped with the intent of preparing healthy, affordable meals for their family.  A new role for me.

Now that I am in South Korea the meal table looks a little different.  I am on my own without a “community” or family to feed.  My “kitchen” is a tiny countertop that came equipped with a sink, some cabinets, a refrigerator and a hot plate.  My kitchen table is my desk.  As I am very sensitive to refined sugar,  I can’t easily eat out in S. Korea. Koreans love to add sugar to nearly EVERYTHING.  And so, the mission continues to make good healthy food… now in a new setting.

After three months, my kitchen has a few added appliances – a rice cooker, a crock pot, and most recently a toaster/convection oven.  I am surprised at the pleasure I get with each new addition.   The excitement of cooking my first batch of rice in the rice cooker, so easily with just the touch of a button.  Then discovering the many exciting things the rice cooker can do – like cook quinoa, oatmeal, and even polenta! Within the limits of my modest living space, it is still my pleasure to prepare meals for myself, search for recipes and try new things.

My latest discovery in South Korea is Veggie Hill.  It is a wonderful web-based business (www.veggiehill.org) that sources organically grown food from an area in S. Korea called Dumulmeori.  All of the food they source is grown chemical free in soil that is high in nutrients.  Keep in mind that in Korea there is no Whole Foods down the street and most grocery stores have very few if any organic items.  Veggie Hill to the rescue! Their website is in English (hooray!) and it’s easy to order and then have your food delivered to your door.  They even have food items like chicken and eggs!  I ordered from them for the first time last week and recently received my order.  Their prices are comparable to regular grocery store items and the produce looks so much better its unbelievable. I unpacked my lovely groceries this week and when I opened my refrigerator door I felt a sigh of relief.  My refrigerator is filled with fresh, lovely food that looks, feels and tastes good.  How wonderful!

Some of my most recent meals this week have included preparing a whole chicken in the crock pot then making my own chicken broth and crock pot lentils accented with Indian spices served over rice.  I track the recipes I have tried or want to try on my Pinterest board “Healthy Eating“.

So it seems on this journey and in my life there is a time for all things.  There is a time to laugh and a time to cry.  A time to work and a time to play.  A time to be still and a time to wander…. and, yes, newly to me… there is a time to cook.

How about you, what time or season is it in your life?  Any interesting flavors or new experiences to share?

Bye for now from the not yet Spring, “still a little chilly for my taste” land of Paju, South Korea!

Top image is a sampling of the fresh fruits sand veggies I received this past week from Veggie Hill.

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Spring not yet Sprung

18 Mar

It’s a quiet Sunday at English Village.  I am working today as I am still on  the “weekend shift” along with a small collection of colleagues.  The promise of Spring it seems was just a tease as a cool winter bite has returned to the air.

There are groups of Korean students visiting English Village this weekend not related to our regular teaching program. Truthfully, I am not sure why they are here or what they are doing.  They wear school uniforms and are lead by Korean teachers.  I just walked out into the hall and stumbled upon a group of them leaving a classroom.  One of the Korean students caught my eye and I smiled and waved.  She giggled in typical Korean girl student fashion and waved back.  I said “hello.”  She said hello back and began to giggle even more.  It’s fun have these brief interactions with students and visitors where even just smiling and saying “hello” can make a difference.

Last night I had the pleasure of having dinner and chanting with some of my friends from the Seoul SGI Buddhist Group.  It was such a treat to see them and chant with them.  We grabbed a bite for dinner just up the street. It was refreshing to be surrounded by the sounds and smells of Korean food and good company.  I ate something called Galbi Tang, which means rib soup.  It was… really good!  It’s a simple soup filled with rice noodles and short ribs cooked in the broth for a VERY LONG TIME… hmmm… not sure how long…  We took the ribs out of the soup and ate the remaining meat on them and then enjoyed the broth with rice noodles, mushrooms and what looked to me like green onions.  Oh it was so good.  One of my dinner companions, originally from Korea but who spent many years in the US, told me that Galbi Tang is good for your health and helps to give you energy!

Earlier this week during my “weekend” (which is Wednesday and Thursday, by the way, and does not feel like a weekend!) I wandered across the street to the neighboring art community called Heyri Artists Village.  It was a bit of a strange visit for me as I entered the village from what must be the “back side” just across the street from English Village.  As I walked past what almost looked like abandoned houses and streets and with no one else in site besides me, I wondered if I had gone the wrong way.  As I followed the road I found some comfort as I moved towards the more central area of the Art Village.  It was a coldish Wednesday afternoon and wasn’t a big day for tourists.  With winter still lingering in the air and the surrounding “dead” hills and trees, there was not much activity.  But still, I saw the “promise” of an interesting place to visit as the weather gets warmer and the area comes back to life.

It appears that artists live on-site and have their own little shop to sell their goods.  There are also different cafes and shops dotted throughout the village.  They even have small motorized bikes that you can rent to weave your way through the streets.  I saw one young Korean couple motoring their way around.  They couldn’t have been cuter with her at the wheel and him sitting behind her, slender and soft wearing his thick-rimmed glasses and reading the Village map.

Hmmm… don’t know what this says…
A cool balcony at one of the artist’s homes in the village.
You can see the light peaks of English Village in the background
Look its an old beattle in the Art Village.

The streets of English Village continue to become more alive, although it does feel like we are trying to will away the edge of winter and invite Spring… even though she is not quite here.  We have more visitors and guests on the weekends.   The “Edutainers”, American performers at English Village, are in the streets singing songs by popular American artists (Billy Joel, Michael Jackson). This week we begin our “busy season” as once again English Village will be flooded with visiting students.

What about your life?  Is there anything new “coming to life” as Spring may be threatening to make an appearance?  It’s always great to hear from you!

Top image of ceramic roses in full bloom on a cool winter/spring day at the Heyri Art Village.

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Spring Outing

10 Mar

I am hearing and seeing new things at English Village.  Birds are flying in v-shapes overhead.  There are more people wandering the streets on weekends.  I notice voices of other teachers outside in the evenings.  The birds are even starting to sing.  It seems the Christmas trees in front of our “City Hall” have even been taken down.  Plus the collection of snow on the English Village campus has shrunk to a minimum. Could it be… is it possible… that Spring is coming?

Talking about Spring in Paju, South Korea automatically strikes up conversation of local weather.  It seems that Paju is in some sort of bad weather vortex on the peninsula of South Korea.  It has long, particularly harsh Winters (we are colder and get more snow than our neighboring Seoul, just an hour away).  Hot, humid Summers (I am told, yes, for some reason Paju is hotter than Seoul too).  And then there is monsoon season.  I don’t know that much about it except for stories of water flooding through the hallways of buildings and being encouraged to buy rain boots. I hear that Spring and Fall here are fabulous… for as long as they last… which is rumored to be comparatively short to Summer and Winter.

As the freezing cold weather appears to finally be breaking away, I can feel myself and the world around me starting to come out of hibernation.  I am beginning to have a desire to do something other than bundle up and stay warm for dear life.

On that note, I took a little outing this week on one of my days off.  As I am working weekends this month, my “weekend” currently is on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  This past Wednesday was such a fresh day I actually felt inspired to go out, take a little walk and explore the area.   I learned recently that the outlet mall that I knew was “somewhere around here” is in fact in walking distance just a straight shot down the road.  So I took a little walk and made my way to the post-office first (so long Flat Stanley!) and then the neighboring “Paju Premium Outlet Mall”.

Now, my first observation is that “Paju Premium Outlet Mall” sounds suspiciously like “… Philadelphia Premium Outlets”.  Before coming to South Korea I stayed in Philadelphia for a few months acquiring my Korean work Visa and preparing for my trip.  How surprising it was to leave the States, travel to the other side of the world, arrive  in the foreign lands of Asia only to find… another Premium Outlet Mall.  Hmmm…  That said, I enjoyed my walk down the street, a beautiful day, and the splendor of just spending some time away from work and “off campus”.

Walking around in Paju is no easy feat – especially for this woman who lived in the flatlands of New Orleans for 13 years.  Paju is what you might call… hilly.  You cannot go any direction outside of English Village without surmounting at least one if not two hills.  This is not a complaint mind you.  But for me and my hamstrings it is… an adjustment.

I arrived at the outlet mall to find a seemingly endless array of shops and restaurants, piled up three stories high.  I ran into some colleagues from work in the food court and joined them for lunch.  Afterwards I continued to peruse the daunting supply of high-end shops including DKNY, Coach, Nike and Calvin Klein.  I bought myself a smoothie at Smoothie King (yes the Premium outlet mall comes complete with Smoothie King and Aunt Annie’s pretzels… sound familiar?).  Despite my periodic moments of deja vu, the outing was a treat and I was glad for the diversion.

I returned home the same way I arrived…on foot. The two hills I easily surmounted on the way there looked a bit more oppressive on the way back.  I considered taking the bus, but my pride got the best of me and I trudged my way back over the hills and made my way home.

I have enjoyed swimming lately as well.  We are lucky to have a gym here on the English Village (EV) campus that is open to the teachers and staff at EV as well as the community.  As I am now off on Wednesdays and Thursdays it gives me a little time to sneak in for a swim when it’s not as busy.  Usually Korean moms and kids start to arrive in the afternoon just about the time that I am leaving.  It’s funny to watch the little girls staring at me – in a friendly way.  I am usually the only foreigner in the locker room and I am sure quite a surprise and literally a “foreign” sight to the young Korean girls.

Our last quiet week of work has nearly come to an end as we will have students again this coming week. I am grateful for the promise of Spring arriving and all that brings.

I am wondering, has Spring sprung wherever you are in the world?  If so, what will you be doing as the lovely Spring days fold in?  Any suggestions for how to spend a spring day in South Korea?  It’s always great to hear from you!

Featured image at top from the second floor of the Paju Premium Outlet Mall.  Clearly a close cousin of the Premium Outlet Malls in the United States.

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Turkish Delight

24 Feb

Don’t let the title alarm you.  I’m still in South Korea. It’s a Sunday afternoon here and for me… it is a work day.  I am working a two month weekend shift – that is I work the weekends and have two days off during the week.  English Village is open 7 days a week and sometimes there are programs on weekends.  When there are, we need staff around to teach.  Therefore, until the end of March, that includes me.  I am not alone in my weekend working escapade… but it is a smallish group, about 6 other English teachers.  Today is a quiet day of work and not much action at the English Village.  We still have our regular winter coat of snow… the one that seems to be replaced regularly whenever the old one starts to melt.  Since I have been here, snow is no longer a surprise for me.  It is a regular occurrence… to wake up and discover… it snowed again.  I am unsure how long this will continue.  I have heard rumors that sometimes it snows in April.  I try not to think about that…

This week I have been finding my way in my new rhythm of working on weekends and having Wednesdays and Thursdays off.  This past Thursday I went to run my errands and walked to the grocery store down the street.  It was about 11am and for some reason, the store was closed.  I don’t know why.  So, I walked back and then later took a cab to a bigger grocery store further away and..it too was closed.  It seems to be some great mystery as to why these stores were closed.  It was no holiday.  The best answer I have heard so far is “sometimes stores are just closed”.  Hmmm… surely there must be a reason…  Any ideas?

This week I taught college students visiting from a university in South Korea.  I really like teaching college students.  In general they are bright, mature and ready to learn.  The students arrived on Monday and departed on Friday which is typical for many programs here.  I noticed they left with more confidence in themselves around English speakers and more confidence in their own ability to speak English.

Friday night I wandered off campus with another teacher to grab a little bite to eat.  We are in the city of Paju, but it’s really not much of a “city”.  There is mostly open land surrounding English Village and little clusters of businesses and restaurants are not too far away.  Our dining destination for the evening?  Kim’s Kabob.  Doesn’t sound very Korean, does it?  That would be because… it’s not…

I am a food lover who is super sensitive to refined sugar… and Koreans put sugar in almost everything.  Therefore  it can be challenging for me to find food I can eat in Korean restaurants.  Not long ago a fellow teacher was talking about a Turkish restaurant nearby.  Aha!  I thought… it sounded like a culinary adventure with my name on it!  And so… I found my way to Kim’s Kabob.

I heard that the owners, Korean, had lived in Turkey for 8 years.  When we arrived at the restaurant we found a simple but welcoming restaurant with friendly Korean owners.  As they did not speak English and we did not speak Korean, a lot of pointing and smiling was done.  On occasion, I sheepishly offered a grateful but humble “gamsahabnida” (korean for thank you).

It was a delight to see the menu – a visual cornucopia with a selection of fresh meats and platters inviting our appetites to take note!  We decided to order a few different things and share them – an eggplant salad as well as a beef kabob and beef and chicken platter.  My dining companion also ordered some lovely bread that looked delicate and lightly crispy on the outside and virtually “empty” on the inside, like a baloon.  The menu did not disappoint!

It was fun to eat out for a change and enjoy food that was simple and basic but delicious.  It was strange to notice that at around 7pm on a Friday evening we were the only ones in the restaurant.  I am not sure why – but it certainly had nothing to do with the quality of the food or the hospitality of the hosts…  Perhaps it’s somehow related to the grocery store being closed… part of a Korean mystery…

It was a brisk walk back but not far really.  As we got closer we saw the English Village sign lit up on the hillside in “hollywood” style, leading us home. Just a hop, skip and a jump and I was once again within the walls of the English Village campus.

And so today my Sunday continues to unfold in its easy leisurely manner.  I am enjoying a cup of tea surrounded by my fellow teachers, each equally entranced in their computers while I type away at my blog.

I am wondering, for those of you who live or have lived in Korea, what is your favorite place or places to eat in South Korea?  Do you have a secret dining destination where you love to escape?  And for those of you Stateside, or anywhere else in the world… perhaps you have a favorite recipe to share?  Something simple and Korea friendly, perhaps your favorite crock pot recipe? (With just a hotplate to cook on, the crock pot is my current appliance of choice!)  It would be fun to see!

As always, thanks for checking in!  It’s always great to hear from you!

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Shameless Tourism

15 Feb

It was a great day.  The temperature was above freezing (I think it reached a balmy 3 degrees Celsius) and, coincidentally, it was Valentines Day.  It wasn’t a typical day for me here in South Korea.  In the midst of my 5 day Seollal Korean New Year holiday, it was time to explore.  And so with the company of two fellow teachers at English Village,  it was off to Seoul for some sightseeing.

It was a day of shameless tourism…. without a doubt.  We boarded the Seoul City Bus Tour and within minutes we were whisked to various locations throughout the city.  We even had our own headphones to listen to recordings of information about each site in English (or if we chose Korean or Japanese).  Headphones on head, nestled in the seat of our bright red tour bus, one of my travel companions said “I have never felt more like a tourist then right now.”  And so it was true.

But for the day, being a tourist, well… it suited me.  The bus was a great price, only 10,000 Korean won (about $10 American) and for that basic rate we were toured to many of the highlights and tourist destinations of the city.  We could get on and off the bus as we liked and every 30 minutes a new bus would come.  It was a great overview and introduction to Seoul. There was even a tour guide on the bus and while admittedly, some tour guides were more helpful than others (one tour guide fell asleep in between stops) it was generally helpful to have an English-speaking guide on the bus.

There were a total of 36 stops on the tour. The first three stops spun by before we could get our bearings.  We took a quick diversion and departed the bus at Itaewan, known as the ‘foreigners area” of Seoul and close to the American military base.  We grabbed a bite to eat at Petras Palace enjoying a satisfying lunch of mediterranean food complete with delicious hummus!  Then we hopped back on our tour bus and once again we were on our way.

We enjoyed seeing many sights and destinations from the window of our ride, but didn’t depart the bus again until we reached the Namsangol Traditional Korean Village.  We took a quick stroll through the village, happy to find traditional Korean homes.  We even stumbled upon a traditional Korean dancer!  As it was just the Korean New Year, there also was an opportunity to write down a wish for the New Year on a piece of tissue-like paper and tie it onto a string decorated with many other wishes.

Our next stop was Seoul Tower.  As we approached the tower, our bus drove up a windy road and dropped us off nearly at the top of the “mountain”.  Still there was one more steep hill to walk up until we found ourselves at the base of the tower.  There was a spectacular view of the city from there as well as the Seoul Tower itself looming even higher on top of Namsan Mountain.  This is not just an ordinary tower, but actually a radio wave tower broadcasting television and radio to Korea since 1969.

Of course, you can go up in the Seoul Tower.  The friendly Korean staff load you on the elevator and then shoot you up into the sky over 700 ft to an elevation of more than 1500 ft.  While you ascend, the roof of the elevator plays a video that simulates looking out the top of the tower into the sky and the music sounds like a modern-day rocket.  Me, well, I chose to look down at the ground during that part.  We departed the escalator and was greeted by an inviting space, spectacular view and… gratefully on my part, nicely protected glass windows.

Looking at Seoul from the tower was just another reminder of the size of the city.  Seoul has a population of more than 10 million people and is flooded with apartment high rises filled with the massive population.  From the observation deck of the tower all you could see from any view were buildings, high rises and apartments outstretched far and wide. We took our time there, enjoyed the view as well as  a cup of tea from the little coffee stand.  Then in no time at all, we were on the ground and quickly found our way back to our tour bus.

By now the day had nearly slipped away from us.  The palaces that remained on the tour were now closed.  So we chose to enjoy the rest of our tour from the comfort of our coach, peering out the window as the city of Seoul slipped by. For me this tour was a great introduction leaving me with a wish list of things to do in the future and a sense of where I’d like to go and spend more time.

We hopped back on bus 2200 Paju-bound and in no time at all (just under an hour) we were back on the steps of the English Village.  As were were approaching the gate, one of my fellow teachers/travelers  said, “It’s good to be home.”  I agreed.  Seoul is an interesting and stimulating city, but after a day noodling through its streets it felt good to return to the peace and tranquility of Paju and English Village.  There was a sliver of a moon in the sky and the fresh cool air was invigorating as we made our way back to our apartments.

Today is a quiet day as I prepare to return to work tomorrow after my 5 day break.  I am switching to a weekend shift starting Saturday and will work weekends for two months, with two days off during the week.  All staff take a turn on the weekend shift and I am looking forward to a little change in my schedule, classes and students.

As I sit in the comfort of my little EV apartment, I am grateful for the balance of this new adventures – time to explore new places, time to work and time to rest.  It’s good to be in South Korea!

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