Dynamic Eco Adventure: Zip-lining in Moongyeong, Kyongsang

As a semi-newbie in South Korea, people are always telling me how everything is, works, will be, was, etc. (generally without being asked and in assumption that I couldn't possibly already know). Anyway, many told me that it would get cold, like really cold. Not that I didn't believe it, I just ignored the voices. I needed to experience it myself and now that it is -14 C, I understand. Geeesh! Somehow, someway, though, I'm getting used to it. I'm trying as hard as possible to resist hibernation.

This past weekend I traveled to Moongyeong in Kyongsang province for some zip-lining. Myself and 45 fellow MeetUp-ers loaded a chartered bus early in the morning and about 4 hours later, arrived at Dynamic Eco Adventure, Zipline.  We split up into 4 groups that departed for the courses in increments of 20 minutes. My groups name: TEAM AWESOME and dangerous. I might be a tad bit bias, but I think we were the coolest ;)

When it was our groups turn to head up the mountain, we loaded into the back of a truck and hit the road. The ride to the start was an adventure in itself. Icy roads and steep cliffs were a frightening combination. The though of zip-lining had yet to scare me, but I must admit, butterflies filled my stomach as the top of the mountain approached. Then, the truck stopped and suddenly, I wondered what in the world I was thinking in signing up for the trip. We unloaded and the instructor began with the overview in Korean. Luckily, we had an English+Korean speaker with us to translate. The rules were pretty basic, but at the time seemed like too much to remember.

To determine who would zipline first, we were to spin a wooded wheel. If you were to land at a certain place, you'd be the lucky candidate. Simple as that. When the time to spin arrived, all went silent as each of us looked around to check for hands in the air. In hopes of alleviating the awkward moment, I raised my hand and at that very moment, so did my friend, Faraz. But the all too kind instructor was quick to say: "Ladies first!" So, I spun and was safe with the result. And so, the guide moved the wheel to the unluckiest of positions. How could I argue with the language barrier? I thank him now.

At the top of the wooden staircase AKA the launch pad, I took a deep breath. The only thing I could do to continue was draw an absolute blank in my mind. So I did. I counted to 3 and ran down three stairs and about 3 feet of flat platform and then, WHAM, I was flying over trees. Every Team AWESOME and dangerous member experienced a teensy bit of fear at first, but we all let go after that first plunge.

Throughout the rest of the 8 courses, the guide had three phrases for me: 1. "You are a Doberman!" 2. "You are superwoman!" 3. "You are hell!" OK, he barely spoke English, but pulled these statements out of his pocket. I wasn't sure if they were positive or negative, but I was certainly impressed.

Gift that made my evening. From Jillian :) Thank you!

Flying and viewing trees from above were not the only splendors of the trip. Also, as with all MeetUp trips, I made new friends and became closer with older ones. It was grand. Oh, AND, I think the guide's statements were positive because at the end, I won a set of pencils. It was never clear why, but they were made solely of paper and lead. SCORE!

I could probably go on for much longer about the end details and gloriousness that accompanies the people in this group, but I'll stop because I have some dancing with my Ipod, wooden floor, and socks (new from my lovely, Jill Peer) to get back to.

Ah hey, blue sky!

Beauty everywhere. 

Team AWESOME and dangerous shadows. 

Dynamic Eco-Adventure from Lana Wright on Vimeo.


As usual, I miss you mom :D

Seoul Lantern Festival: seoul, a source of beaming hope

A couple days ago my friend Jake and I visited the Seoul Lantern Festival along the Cheonggye River. The 15,000 lanterns (most made of paper) from 25 countries were quite the sight to see. If you're interested, it will be held until the 14th and is just off the City Hall subway exit number 4.

As I walked down the river, each lantern became my new favorite. They truly were captivating. My favorite part of the festival, though, was definitely the mini laser light show.


Seoul Lantern Festival 2010, South Korea from Lana Wright on Vimeo.
(Excited kid in the background=precious)

On a school related note, I totally have a student whose doppelganger is Velma Dinkley from the cartoon "Scooby-Doo." Today I showed her a picture of the Velma and she loved it. She, of course, giggled uncontrollably and said, "Thank you! I LOVE YOU! BELMA?" So sweet.

Mom, I miss you.

Mt. Bukhan, Seoul, Gyeonggi-do: hiking that would be banned in the U.S.

Yesterday was the Mt. Bukhan hike with my Climbing in Korea MeetUp group. When I first joined, I was very hesitant. Meeting large groups of people is always intimidating for me and then there was also the fear that they may be too advanced. My fears were quickly squashed when the leader and the regulars warmly welcomed me. This week, I was reunited with some of the pleasant individuals from last weeks hike, as well as introduced to other new and returning hikers. I see myself participating every weekend. At the end of the month, the leader, Mr. Kim, has offered to loan me some gear and teach me to rock climb. YES! I have always wanted to try. Then, next month we will be going zip lining. These trips offer opportunities that I would not otherwise be able to plan myself or direct myself to. And even more importantly, I am meeting like-minded people that always feel like friends by the end of the day.

It appears that in South Korea, it is easy to get sucked into the bar scene and tempted by constant drinking, as it is a popular pass time by both Koreans and foreigners alike. In the late night, you may spot businessmen passed out on benches, American military men causing a ruckus, and other foreigners just being plain loud and obnoxious. I don't mind some drinking. In fact, after my hike, I met two girlfriends from orientation in Itaewon for a few drinks, but it will never consume my time in South Korea and that is why I am so happy to have found this group that will get me out doing the things that I have traveled to Korea to do.

Now yesterdays hike was intense. In fact, I would hardly even call it hiking. More like rock climbing without gear and at a sliiiight angle. This hiking would never be supported in the U.S. Even if a "trail" such as this had been created in the past, it would be blocked off by now. The only way to have a similar experience in the U.S. would be to choose a mountain, find a deserted section and hike on up. It was absolutely amazing and 100% exhilarating. At higher points, there would be parts that one could look straight down a cliff on either side of them (at the same time) and then further up, you might be climbing up or down a rock at less than a 90 degree angle. I never felt unsafe, though, as people are very precautions and each step you take is carefully calculated. If you need help of any sort, there is always a hand readily available (literally, ready to help you up).


Mt. Bukhan Hike, Seoul, South Korea from Lana Wright on Vimeo.


Now I'm sore. Probably because I turn 25 this week. I'm already 26 Korean age, eeek.

Jebibong Mountain, Chungcheongbuk-do

Hands down, today was my best day in South Korea thus far. I recently joined the "Climbing in Korea" meet up group and went on my first trip with them today. Everything about the day was perfect- the hiking, the environment, the people, the final ferry ride, dinner, and of course, karaoke on the bus ride home. The hike was intense, but at every resting point, I felt elated. Also, I should emphasize just how great the people were. Imagine a mixture of Korea natives and foreigners of all different ages and personalities sharing stories, food, and laughs (constant) on a mountain and a river surrounded by autumn oranges, reds, and yellows. Pretty nifty, right? As different as everyone was, we all shared a love for the nature surrounding us and a sense of comradery that I simply cannot adequately explain.


jebibong Mountain Hike, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea from Lana Wright on Vimeo.


Jebibong Mountain Hike, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea- From the top from Lana Wright on Vimeo.

Miso: Original Korean Musical

Long week. Staying in. Eating some kimchi and drinking a beer. Stumbling. Listening to Ray LaMantagne and thinking about people from home. Was definitely in need of a relaxing, me-night. Tomorrow, I am traveling to Jebibong Mountain in Chungcheongbukdo (South Korea's central province) with a MeetUp group for some hiking. Everything I've read has said the area is absolutely amazing during the fall season.

Yesterday, my co-teacher and I had quite the day. After classes, we visited a nearby school for an "open class," or lesson that is open to the public/other teachers. The co-teaching team was inspirational. Their students were having fun, learning English, and performing way above average. This was particularly impressive, as the school is located in a lower income area and performing much higher than my wealthier students. As with in the U.S., schools located in lower income neighborhoods of South Korea receive extra funding. The difference, though, is that low-income schools in the U.S. are still performing much lower than their wealthier counterparts.

Every time I try to pinpoint the issue in our school system (not to say they don't exist in the South Korean school system), I wind up with a giant headache because of how complex both the system and its issues are. One thing that I will not argue against, though, is the need for teachers to be held accountable for being good teachers. And no, I don't mean by students' test scores. That is the lazy method and has, not surprisingly, proven ineffective. Why not have open classrooms in the U.S., where teachers are critiqued based on their actual teaching and have the critique be in the form of valuable feedback by others actually in their profession (not the puppet-holders)? Sigh...

Anyway, after the open class, we visited Insa-dong Cultural District in Seoul, which was amazing. Basically it was hand-made, local jewelry heaven. Not only did we buy pretty jewelry, but we made it too! But not before eating the tastiest tofu meal I've had in my entire life. Jung-gu, Seoul was then our last stop, where we watched, "Miso," the musical. It was the perfect way to end the night. The loud rhythm of the traditional music made me feel alive.

Beautiful love story, “Miso”
A story where a young couple in Chosun Dynasty meets and falls in love with the background of Korea’s beautiful four seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter.  On one snowy day in winter, Seolhee (meaning snowy girl) who is as pure as snow bumps into a man. Their encounter evolves into love as warm as spring breeze after cold winter days and they spend a great time which seemingly lasts forever.  Unexpected parting gives them a chance to ensure their true love.  They dream of fantastic and romantic love, promise their everlasting love and throw a party. In “Miso”, one woman’s love story is expressed through Korea’s traditional melody and dance. You can experience the beauty and excellence of Korea’s unique traditional culture such as Korean dancing, Korean instrumental performance, Korean traditional percussion quartet and Pansori (a traditional Korean narrative song). 

Sundae Adventure

Sundae- pig intestine stuffed with blood clot, noodles
and vegetables served with liver and lung. Also pictured
is Duk Bok Ki. 

I can now check off my third item from the top seven exotic dishes for foreigners because tonight I ate Sundae (순대). No, not an ice cream sundae, but pig intestine stuffed with animal blood clot, noodles, and vegetables. My Sundae dish was mixed with pig liver and pig lung with Duk Bok Ki on the side. It was more appetizing than it sounds, trust me. 

My friend that works at the neighborhood coffee shop and that is a Korea native (also the same friend that introduced me to beondaegi or silkworm larva) took me to the older, original downtown neighborhood of Anyang, Manan Gu. Dongan Gu, which resides toward the east of Anyang and is the newer, wealthier downtown neighborhood is where I live. I love both neighborhoods for different reasons. 

My neighborhood has smaller, somewhat traditional feeling outdoor markets, but they are nothing compared to Chungang Market, or Central Market, which we explored after our lovely meal. The labyrinth-like outdoor, but covered market could be the destination for the next skittles commercial. You have your red apples, yellow bananas, green lettuce, orange tangerines, purple grapes and then also scarves, sweaters, furniture, and prepared food all demonstrating just how beautiful the colors appear when mixed. I settled on some delicious apples.

Chungang or Central Market in Manan gu, Anyang, South Korea

After getting home, my friend texts me, "Be careful princess, that is a poison apple." Despite his English being rocky and my Korean being far from conversation level, we are still able to share some pretty comedic moments. Working as hard as we must for the other to understand makes the laughing response that much more satisfying. One of my goals coming to Korea has been to improve my ability to maintain friendships, something I felt I very much struggled with at home. So far, I think I'm making some pretty decent progress. 

Anyang Market: Scarves, squash, and oranges.

Today I'm feeling much better after a very sickly weekend. Mondays are always rough because I can never seem to wake my brain up in time for my body's arrival at school, but it caught up soon enough. Mondays can also be difficult because I have three 6th grade periods. Quite frankly, 6th graders are not always easy to motivate, but when we reach success, it is also the most rewarding out of all grade levels.Today happened to be a day where I was able to excite them with a pretty nifty speaking/bingo activity. What caught me off guard, though, wasn't that the 6th graders were enthusiastic for once, but that in the midst of everyone going gung-ho over trying to be the first winner, one student approached me and began sharing his aspirations to travel to America. As we continued talking, it was clear to me that his decision was anything but a childish fantasy- he will travel to America. When I was in 6th grade, I didn't even know where South Korea was and here I am now. I guess the point that I am trying to make is that so many of my students and even adults that I have encountered here in Korea are on a straight-lined path, there goal being visible to them from the starting point. It amazes me. I can't really say if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but just that it's different from what I see the America. Certainly it is respectable to make goals reality with the amount of hard work that I see surrounding me.

After a good end to the school day, I later found myself at the traditional Anyang Market, one of my favorite places in Anyang. Even before the beautiful scarves and ripe oranges that I have been craving since my arrival, my favorite sighting was the giant pumpkin-looking squash. With fall here, I'm seriously wanting to be on a pumkin patch. The one on Sauvies Island would be just perfect. But I'm pretty sure these squash will be the closest that I will get

Sunday is Fun Day in Anyang.

I know that I am getting settled in because everything that seemed larger and more overwhelming than comprehendible no longer intimidates me. Neighborhoods that, at first, seemed impossible to navigate feel much smaller and clearly organized. I now know where everything is located at the local store, I can find the two nearby subway stations, and I finally understand my buildings garbage and recycling. It’s so funny how impossible it is to imagine the way in which things will fall into place until they just do. And sometimes it still takes time to realize that those things have fallen into place. As things fall in to place, all I need to do is maintain a healthy balance of ownership and flexibility in all series of events.

Me, Jake, Shannon, and Jeff: goodbyes as the subway. 

Shannon and Jeff paid a visit to Anyang this weekend, which partially cured my minor homesickness starting to brew. We had a lot of fun celebrating Jake’s Birthday, but, of course, it felt too short. One day they will return and before that, I will visit them in Daegu.

Tomorrow, I leave my settling world in Anyang and travel to the city of Anseong for GEPIK orientation. It seems weird for me to have orientation after having already started teaching and having a week of holiday, but I am also excited to head out on my own. I cannot express how amazing it is to have a best friend nearby, but I think it will also be wonderful to take in the country and its people solo for a bit few days. Jakes orientation won't be until the second half of the week because he teaches high school.

At orientation, I also hope to meet new people. I have been meeting some around Anyang when going out, but I’m finding it difficult to establish sincere relationships with those that I meet. It isn’t just here that I have struggled with this, but now is the time that I must test my ability to overcome this weakness, open up and ready myself for close friendships. Obviously not all relationships will progress into close friendships, but there can certainly be no self sabotaging...

And today I will share a few photos from my Sunday, a day that the people of Anyang were out to play.

Anyang Central Park

Street closed down and the mini-cars roam

Cotton Candy Man

Up to the street market