Han Guk Mal Mulayo

ChuSeorakCho

2009-10-19T14:39:25Z

So far, my get-everything-out-of-Korea-I-can attitude is off to a good start. For Chu Seok (Korean Thanksgiving) holiday this year, with only one day off of work, my friend Tina and I took a night bus to Korea's east coast. Our destination: Seoraksan, Korea's jewel of a mountain just outside of Sokcho, right on the Sea of Japan.

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Sokcho is a sweet little town with beautiful clean beaches, reliable transportation (something very common here in Korea), and awesome seafood.

Our first destination was the Hwajinpo Aquarium, which the guidebook said was shaped like a whale. That is why we went...BUT! Unfortunately, the guidebook people can't tell the difference between a whale and a ship or they did a complete overhaul in the past two years. Both seem possible.

The first floor was full of dead things. Stuffed creepy seals that smelled awful, creepy mannequins with assorted limbs, and creepy stuffed and shellacked fish / aquatic life that had googly-eyes glued on in lieu of real ones. CREEPY.

Blowfish. That just ain't right.

When I said assorted limbs, I meant it.

We finally made it to the actual aquarium where there were fish that were...you know...ALIVE.

This fish was pretty cool. I can't remember the name of it though...

The boy wasn't part of the picture, but he was stunned at the sight of us, so he stayed. Yes, that is a fish tank. And yes...that is a dinner menu advertised right above it.

Some more Sokcho sights:

Hwajinpo (Hwajin Lake) from the beach.

Man fishing in the Sea of Japan.

A fish ...cannery? On the bus ride back to Sokcho proper.

Cute street lights!

Fresh fish market.

Dried...something-or-other. Some type of seafood.

There are eleventy billion kinds of kimchi. These are just some of them.

Making pajeon, Korean pancake.

Sang-tae chigae, fish stew. It was different...lots of bones, and not very filling.

Ojingeo sundae...squid stuffed with spices and other things that I don't really care to know about.

Saturday, Tina, Prut and I made it to Seoraksan for a day of hiking in the mountain air.

Jjambong, spicy seafood noodle soup. This was breakfast! (Note: it is as spicy as it looks.)

The marquee seemed out of place among the natural beauty.

The road to Biryeong Pokpo (Biryeong Waterfall), our first destination.

The natural springs are put to use to cool the canned and bottled drinks for sale.

We made it a bit too early for significant fall colors, but some of the trees were already starting to change.

It was an easy hike there. I look pretty pleased with myself.

We found a friend on the trail. One of my friends said it's like he was giving the typical Korean peace sign.

Gosh, it's beautiful here.

Truly.

I kind of knew there was a big giant Buddha somewhere in Seoraksan, but it was a real surprise when we came upon it.

This couple was posing in front of the statue.

I'm not sure what these tablets were on the left...I think it was some sort of donation system. If you gave some money, you got to write a message on them.

How is this rock stack still staying up? MAGIC!

The temple of Sinheungsa / Seoraksan in the background.

Reeeeally nice.

Some lanterns. You know...no biggie.

We saw some more foliage.

The second trek we took was to Heundalbalwi, a giant 16-ton boulder near a Buddhist hermitage.

This is the view when we finally reached it.

One of the little Buddha statues on a rock.

Inside one of its temples.

Supposedly, the way it's positioned, you only need a few people to rock it back and forth. We were not those people.

As we climbed back down, we stopped and saw this amazing view.

Our last day, Tina and I tried to soak up the beach as much as possible before our 12:00 bus left for Seoul.

Matching outfits!

There were fences with barbed wire all along the beaches to keep out North Korean spies.

It was really sad to leave Sokcho...the air, the friendly people...just like with most small towns, it was hard to return to the big city.

ChuSeorakCho remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Back in Korea!

2009-09-20T11:43:00Z

As you all know, I am back in Korea. I arrived about a month ago and have already started getting back into the swing of things. This trip will be different though...I plan on making my time here well-spent. A lot of the free time I have during the day has been devoted to fitness...I've started running again and some basic strength training, usually because I am bored. I have also been watching a lot of TV on the internet. Yikes.

I am also awaiting my first paycheck. I thought about it the other day, and I haven't gotten a paycheck in about 3 months! How is that possible? Lots of help from friends and family.

I'm planning on seeing more of Korea this time. I went to Busan once and Gangwon-do three times in the entire 2.5 years I was here before. Since I'm trying to save money this time, my travel bug will have to settle for domestic trips, which I am happy to take. Apparently there is some pretty amazing stuff here. Go figure.

Anyway, I have been doing things lately that I had forgotten about...unique experiences only in Korea. And since I already wrote a mass e-mail about most of these things, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Red peppers drying on a bridge overlooking the Tancheon.

This kimchi stew is in contention for my favorite Korean food EVER. The kimchi is buried in the ground in clay pots and ferments for 3 years. Sound disgusting? Makes for some amazing food.

I got to hang out with my friend Jay (who apparently loves Popeye) and his friends from high school.

Korean bar food is very different than American bar food. And you can get it at all hours of the night.

Like...barbecue squid.

...and seafood soup.

Maehwasu...Korean lady liquor. It's very dainty.

Cass lemon. Cass is terrible, Cass lemon is no exception.

Sam gyeop sal! YUM!

Kyelin chim...fluffy egg soup.

Kim McJong Il!

Here my friend Tina and I are having the dead skin on our feet and legs eaten by tiny little fish. It feels really crazy at first, but then you get used to it. Sometimes they even went in between toes.

At Castle Praha brewery in Gangnam, they had these decorative pigs for sale.

We went to Rainbow Hookah bar...one of my faves from before!

This was on the inside.

My dinner...Mr. Wow spicy sausage on a stick...with mustard! (Street food in Korea! AWESOME!)

There was a concert in Korea last night, called Global Gathering. I didn't really care about this concert, not a fan of electronic music, but my one of my favorite bands, Royksopp was in the lineup! Tina and I decided to...ahem...loiter outside of the grounds to hear the music. For free. We had to walk to Nanji park from World Cup Stadium and a nice Korean girl gave us directions...in Korean. If I had been able to understand, I think she was saying "But guys, you're going to have to walk for like...an hour." Here is the riverwalk by the Hapjeong River (which eventually...a long way down the road...flows into the Han River). It was a really pleasant night and we ended up making it for the last half hour of their set!

Character of a Japanese Izakaya in Hongdae.

There is a mini-bar called "Vinyl" that offers to-go cocktails in little plastic pouches.

I got a vodka lime!

Tina karaoke...with Tina!

Cute little owl bar.

Ok! That's it! My next post will most likely be after Chu Seok...we are planning on going to the East Coast, to Mt. Seoraksan for some hiking!

Back in Korea! remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Phnom Penh Killing Fields

2008-05-20T07:17:47Z

This, my friends, will be my very last post from Asia (even though I'm not there anymore). That's right, I've moved on to Mexico. And with another continent comes another blog. Check it: http://awsnapmexico.travellerspoint.com Familiar, eh?

For my last trip, I decided to continue through Cambodia, past Siem Reap and onto Phnom Penh. It seemed appropriate; I generally enjoyed Cambodia and felt an excitement about it that I hadn't felt about a country in a long time. So we hopped on the bus where we were the only foreigners, and in about 5 hours made it to the capital. I had bought a plane ticket to Bangkok for $100 and was all set to go.

Phnom Penh is a hustling, bustling city, with motos honking and vendors haggling; there is no stopping to think, there is only living in the moment. I loved it; in some ways, it reminded me of HCMC, but since I hadn't been traveling for a month, I could appreciate it more. We of course went to a hostel recommended by Lonely Planet right on Lake Boeng Kak. The price was right, so we dropped our bags and went to sit on the beautiful lake and watch the sunset with a couple of BeerLaos.

The second day we got right into the profound sadness that still surrounds much of Cambodia: we went to the Killing Fields outside of the city, at Choeung Ek. During the late 70's, the Khmer Rouge Communist regime, led by the dictator Pol Pot, killed some 200,000 Khmer people (some estimates put the toll up to the millions) for suspected connections with former governments, or any foreign person in any regard. They were taken to death camps such as these and tortured and eventually executed.

Choeung Ek is surprisingly a peaceful place today. Most of the old buildings have been torn down, with only signs written in Khmer and English to remind visitors. There is a commemorative stupa that holds the bones, skulls and clothes of the people who were killed there. The mass graves are now empty of course, having been disinterred over the years since the Khmer Rouge fell. The site was once an orchard and has regained some of that serenity. There is a school close by and you can hear the children playing during recess.

The commemorative stupa, where a sign asks visitors to take a moment a silence for the men, women, and children who were killed there.

The now-empty mass graves.

One of the signs in Khmer, marking a spot where a building once stood.

One of the trees around the grounds.

Around the grounds, agriculture goes on.

When we left the Killing Fields, we thought it only proper to visit Tuol Sleng, also known as S-21, a former high school that was used as a prison camp by the Khmer Rouge. Here, the "dissidents" (from other countries as well) were photographed and forced to write their life stories. They were imprisoned for potentially planning a coup against Pol Pot, or for merely being friends or family of these "dissidents." Forbidden to talk, they were held in individual cells as well as mass cells, shackled to the floor and not allowed to move. There were very strict rules and at the slightest hint of disobedience, prisoners were beaten. It is estimated that 17,000 prisoners were held there and out of those, only 12 survived.

Today, it is preserved almost exactly as it was found and is the "Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum."

It was extremely overwhelming to first go to Choeung Ek and then Tuol Sleng.

The first thing you see when walking around is these tombs.

One of the individual holding cells.

The gallows, where prisoners were held upside down to torture information out of them.

There are several rooms with boards full of pictures of the victims. The most heartbreaking were the ones who smiled for their pictures.

These are busts of Pol Pot, preserved next to shackles.

Visitors are encouraged to maintain the proper respect by not laughing or smiling.

Many of the big rooms (once classrooms) were crudely sectioned off into individual cells, using wood or concrete as walls.

Hastily-made corridors between rooms.

There was barbed wire everywhere.

It's impossible to walk these hallways and not feel the overwhelming sense of injustice and sorrow that Cambodians still carry with them today. It is important, however, to remember what happened (just as with any great tragedy of mankind) and to help the people mourn their loss.

Cambodia is a beautiful country and it's important to always keep in mind what the people have gone through in the past 30 years. To be understanding, empathetic, and always considerate is important while traveling through any country; I believe it is especially appreciated by a country that has suffered so much and yet goes on.

And on that note, I conclude my Asia blog...

Phnom Penh Killing Fields remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Ta Prohm

2008-05-20T01:52:35Z

One of the temples of Angkor Wat that I knew I HAD to experience was Ta Prohm. Famous for its infestation (a WONDERFUL infestation) of trees, Ta Prohm seems to be the temple that time forgot. Stones that used to be walls litter the ground in massive, dangerous piles. Trees seem to grow out of the walls. Ta Prohm's mystery was featured in the movie Tomb Raider and one can't help but feel a sense of eeriness while walking through the almost-always silent temple. Even after the exhausting visit to Angkor Wat, Kathryn and I KNEW that Ta Prohm was a must.

We were not disappointed.

On our way there, our tuk-tuk driver had to dodge several cows.

We passed some happy children. That's the thing about Cambodia: the classic Thai smile extends to the Cambodian people as well.

This kid was having a good time.

This cow was wandering through the market. No one seemed to care.

The stones seem to be barely hanging on.

Detail...some of this stuff was pretty well-preserved.

Side shot of a tree reclaiming its place.

The tree follows the path of the building.

One of the walls' color after some time.

A long shot of some ruins.

These trees were really amazing.

Really...you wouldn't want to climb through the rubble anyway.

Fallen arches...a different kind.

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Impressive, eh?

Ta Prohm remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Angkor Wat!

2008-05-19T04:22:51Z

(This post is half old / half new...I started it in April...it is now mid-May. Forgive me, reader!)

As I might have mentioned before, being situated in Korea, one is positioned to see many other beautiful countries and sights. Some of these seem to be tourist traps (and I'm not naming any names), but some are so spectacular that they must be visited and never forgotten. Out of the things I've seen, this list includes the Great Wall in Beijing, the Golden Temple in Kyoto, the Alhambra in Granada, any Gaudi architecture in Barcelona, Halong Bay in Vietnam, and Hoi An (also in Vietnam).

And, as with any of these, I highly HIGHLY recommend going to see Angkor Wat of Siem Reap, Cambodia. With each of these sights or places, I have always felt a sense of awe. Angkor Wat was no different. And as with these other magnificent structures, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Welcome!

The road to Siem Reap was long, bumpy, and dusty. This is what it looked like about everywhere...

Some locals waiting around.

Women sellers with their wares.

The road to Angkor Wat.

This was either a wedding party or a television show shoot. It was hard to tell.

People lunching, horse tied up.

Dust that plagues Siem Reap.

Lots of balusters (columns) and bas-reliefs (stone wall etchings).

In addition to the tourists, there were lots of Cambodian people.

Before the Khmer Rouge took over, much of Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples were disassembled by foreign architects in order to preserve the structures and make them stronger. They were driven out of the country before they could finish. They had kept records of the location of each individual stone; these records were also destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. This is how many of the temples look...there are ruins all over the grounds.

Some fellow tourists take a rest in the heat.

Holy crap. Seriously? Ajummas? In Angkor Wat?! I could spot them a mile away.
I haven't seen as many signs in Korean outside of Korea as I did in Siem Reap. They were everywhere...I felt like I was in some sort of Twilight Zone...

It was impossible to capture just how steep these steps were. Impossible!

Some of the statues were amazingly well-preserved.

These deities are still actively worshiped. In fact, Angkor Wat is still an active temple. Most of the deities are headless; during the Khmer Rouge period, thieves plundered the temples and removed the heads to sell them to foreign art collectors. Most of them have never been returned.

All the good stuff all together.

Groundskeepers taking a nap at the hottest part of the day. It was ridiculously hot...all of us stupid tourists were walking around in the sun. These guys were smart.

A man leading his horse...but not to drink.

After this, my travel companion and I went to have lunch and a hot-air balloon ride.

A chick welcomes us.

Some of the flowering trees.

With the visit to this temple, I saw a lifelong (well...not really lifelong...more like since-I'd-been-in-Korea-long) desire fulfilled. It was totally worth the $20.
Then we went to see Ta Prohm...coming up!

Angkor Wat! remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Wat Phra Kaew

2008-03-22T01:06:36Z

My first time in Thailand, I had literally one night in Bangkok.

This time I took at least a full day. Heeding the suggestion of the lovely Thai lady I met on the plane, I decided to go to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, or Wat Phra Kaew, considered the most sacred temple in Thailand. With this significance comes measures to keep it that way. One must wear long pants and have his or her shoulders covered properly, a fact I learned the hard way. There are long skirts and uniform-looking shirts for rent.

It is indeed impressive...there are mosaics made of mirrored glass adorning most buildings, gold sparkling stupas (also known as chedis). There are guardians and Thai mythological statues scattered throughout. There is even a scaled model of Angkor Wat. Most importantly, there is the Emerald Buddha (actually made of jade). It has a long history, originating in Cambodia, given as a gift to a Thai king, robbed by Burmese invaders, resurfaced in Thailand and moved from Thai city to Thai city, seized by the King of Siam, returned to Thailand, and is still claimed by many Laotians to have its proper place in Vientiane. It's actually quite tiny (between 60 and 75cm, or 23-29in) and hard to see...

Less talk, more pictures...

And some pictures from around Bangkok....

Wat Phra Kaew remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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A Beginner's Guide to Getting Scammed

2008-03-13T08:27:34Z

There are all kinds of scams when you're traveling.

You get hassled to come look at your tuk-tuk driver's friend's tailor shop.
You spend all day on a trip that is made as uncomfortable as possible to ensure that you will stay at the "right" hotel.
And if you're naive, and you don't watch it, you will be overcharged like crazy.

That being said, I have never fallen prey to any MAJOR scamming. I'm almost positive that I've paid a bit too much for a bag, or a book, or even a bottle of water. A few cents here and there is no problem...traveling in Southeast Asia, I know that these people need the money more than I do.

To an extent.

Crossing the Thai border into Cambodia at PoiPet (from the Eastern island Koh Chang), we were overcharged for our bus (my companion paid 600Baht, I paid 700, and everyone coming from Bangkok, much farther away, was charged 400). When we reached Poi Pet, we were taken to a "travel agency" that was going to help us with our Cambodian visas. In every guidebook, from every traveler, we knew that the visa would cost $20USD. That's 600 Thai Baht. We started filling out the form and a woman told us that it would cost 2400 Baht each.

That's right...they wanted to charge us not double, not triple, but FOUR TIMES what it actually cost.

When we started questioning them, they made it very obvious that this was a scam and that the jig was up. The woman became very rude and muttered that we should have started the visa process 3 days ago in Bangkok...because without their help, that's how long it would take. "1...or...2...or 3 days." Another man actually raised his voice and started shouting. We continued to refuse to pay the inflated prices, and they continued to be nasty.

Eventually we made it to the "courtyard of shame," where there about 10 other people who were willing to take their chances at the border. We were branded with yellow stickers, while the "suckers", as I like to call them, were given pieces of red tape.

It all worked out in the end...we ended up paying 1000 Baht for the visas, but at least we were extorted by the Cambodian government who did it with a smile.
- AND we were on the same bus going over the same endless bumps and covered by the same dust from the road as the red-sticker suckers. We all spent the same 4 hours at the Thailand-Cambodia border. The road was terrible, but we made it Siem Reap...a little wiser, a little dirtier...but with 1400 extra Baht in our pockets toward the high Angkor Wat fee.

Which is totally worth it.

A Beginner's Guide to Getting Scammed remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Leaving Korea

2008-03-02T14:39:14Z

Well, folks.

It's been 2 and a half LONG years in Korea, but I've made it.
Korea has always been a temporary place, and it's been hard to see people come and go. It was easy to get settled in, but with the knowledge that it couldn't be forever.

I've taught lots of kids, made lots of friends, drank lots of soju, gone to lots of countries, read lots of books, eaten LOTS of kimchi, and taken TONS of photos.
Now comes the time to move on to the next place. It's time for a new adventure. I don't doubt that I'll be back in Korea...just hopefully not for a few years. This country can get to a person, if one really allows it to happen.

It's time to post some photos.

Things I will NOT miss:

Trudging to work via the subway EVERY MORNING during rush hour. It is so miserable.

Dodging cars on the sidewalks. There are technically traffic laws, but they seem to be more guidelines than anything.

The massive amounts of pollution; on the sidewalk, in the air...everywhere. It's especially bad during "Hwangsa" or the yellow dust storms that come from the Gobi desert, picking up heavy metals along the way.

Beondaegi. Silkworm pupa. I don't encounter it on a day-to-day basis, but come on. I've eaten centipede and I won't even CONSIDER this.

The same apartment buildings everywhere. And I do mean everywhere.

Traffic. Traffic. Always with the traffic.

Terrible fashion. But to be fair, I will also miss it. It's so absurd sometimes.

Being attacked by Christian propaganda. If a stranger approaches you on the street, in the gym, or on the subway, it is either to practice English or get you to come to church. Even if you have a constant scowl on your face and headphones on. Agh.

I will not miss being stared at, though I will find it odd that everyone ignores me back in America. I will not miss being pushed around by old women and men, I will not miss the whiny girls, the crowds, the trash, how it's ok to spit in public but not blow your nose, being told to go home, being discouraged from speaking the little Korean I know, the pushy mothers.

I really could go on. It IS time to go home. So just to prove that it hasn't been ALL bad, here are:

The things I WILL miss:

Insadong, where they have changing displays in the Andy Warhol factory. It's just a really nice area.

Bundang in the spring. Since Korea doesn't get a lot of snow, there's no slush. It's beautiful.

Even though they take it to the extreme sometimes, Koreans can unite like nobody's business.

Konglish. Engrish. Call it what you will...it's funny and it's everywhere.

Old fortresses everywhere.

Riding my bike into Seoul and aside from the wandering children / ajummas / couples, being completely safe.

Buddha's Birthday celebrations. We get a day off of work AND there's a really cool parade.

Drinking outside. Legally. At a convenience store.

Korean baseball games. Even though I really only went to one...

Dogs dressed up. Ok, most of me feels bad about having to see a dog suffer this. I love dogs. I do. This is just absurd.

Kimchi...kimchi mandu. Kimchi chigue. Kimchi fried rice. Kimchi, kimchi, kimchi.

When it does snow, it looks really nice.

Mandu ramen.

Sam gyeop sal and kalbi.

I will not miss the subway, but I will miss cheap access to reliable and efficient public transportation.

Rafting weekends in Gangwon-do.

Proximity to lots of OTHER really awesome countries:

Vietnam

Japan

Taiwan

Thailand

Singapore

Indonesia

China

And last, but certainly not least, my students:

John K

John C

Clara

Jennifer

Pisces

Kate

Esther-pants

Denny

Sean

I've taught them well.

I will of course miss my friends, but I know we'll meet again.
Don't know where, don't know when.
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day.
Keep smiling through
Just like you always do.

Compliments of the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash.

I (We) made it!

Tune in next time for my 2-week vacation to Thailand! Woohoo!

Leaving Korea remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Tianamen Square and Forbidden City

2008-02-19T15:14:01Z

Which brings us to the conclusion of the Beijing series of blogs.

Our first day/night, we walked from our hotel to Tianamen Square.
It is a little unsettling being there. There are guards everywhere, CCTV, and plainclothes policemen watching you at all times. I'm not sure what they're looking for, but I was warned that I should be...careful. Don't do anything suspicious. Taking pictures of the guards is out of the question. I was actually a bit scared to walk on the grass, even after I saw some Chinese dudes doing it. The kids running around and playing and laughing seemed to be tempting fate. While we were waiting for the flag-lowering ceremony, several guards stopped a Chinese man with a red book. They quickly gathered around him, while the 6 of us tried not to look...act casual.

The flag-lowering ceremony was pretty intense as well. About 30-40 guards march through the Gate of Heavenly Peace (the one with Chairman Mao's famous image) and across the street and stand at attention while the three guards at the flagpole lower the flag and one winds it around his hand with sharp, jerky movements. Just as we were walking away, someone jumped over the chain surrounding the flag and the guards swarmed. I have no idea what the man's intention was; all I knew was that he was in BIG trouble.
Being in Tianamen Square was an experience for sure.

We had beautiful lighting.

A boy and his kites.

Our last full day in Beijing, we went to the Forbidden City. I didn't / still don't know much about it, except that it was full of tons of artwork, the buildings have yellow tiles on the roof, and there is a Palace Museum. And well...you know...it used to be forbidden. The Palace Museum was unfortunately closed, but wouldn't you know it? A lot of the artwork from the Forbidden City is now housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei...and I have seen it. Lucky me, huh? The buildings were beautiful...no matter how many palaces and Asian architecture I see, I don't really get sick of it.
Well...I guess after a couple hours, I was all palace-d out...and I don't think I'm alone on that.

(Note...I took a lot of pictures of doors. And tiles. And roofs. I picked the best ones...you can thank me later.)

Hey. Look. Another door.

And the standard:

Mao and Me.

I really should have been packing...

Thanks for sticking it out!

Tianamen Square and Forbidden City remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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More Around Beijing

2008-02-19T14:30:43Z

Oh! And I forgot to mention nearly the most important thing about our trip. The fact that we came to Beijing during Lunar New Year (often times called CHINESE New Year) played a big part in our experience. The streets seemed nearly deserted when we got there...there was hardly any traffic on our way to Badaling. There were hardly any people walking in the streets...it was a bit eerie, but a nice change of pace from the ever-hectic Seoul.

And one of the coolest experiences (in my opinion, of course) that we had while there were the never-ending fireworks. I mean, come on people! China INVENTED gunpowder! Chinese fireworks? Hello? New Year's Eve, when we walked out of our duck dinner, we kind of wandered aimlessly and were surprised to find ourselves in a virtual war zone. Fireworks to the left of me! Fireworks to the right of me! They were constant, they were loud, and at times I was pretty sure I was going to lose some important part of my body. They were happening on sidewalks, on the street...sometimes traffic had to halt due to some old Chinese man lighting a roman candle in the middle of the road. It was pretty great, actually.

Yuck...is that MY voice?

But they didn't stop there...they went on. And on. And on. At the precise moment of the New Year, the entire skyline was lit up with fireworks. It was...amazing. Fourth of July? Pssh....please! These people take their fireworks very seriously.

Sorry about the reflection...they woke me up and I didn't have enough sense to turn off the lights.

The second night, they petered out but didn't stop. By the time we were woken up at 5 am by fireworks in the parking lot, it just seemed annoying.

Beijing Opera House at night

The streets were littered with firework carnage.

(Is this...safe?)

Motorized ...rickshaw?

Mmmm...Tsingtao....

And...I think we'll do one more post about China. Shall we? Surely.

More Around Beijing remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Around Beijing

2008-02-19T14:06:01Z

When I thought of Beijing, I thought of dirt, tacky souvenirs, and red and yellow EVERYWHERE. I was partially right with the color scheme, but everything else was way off.

The Lonely Planet guide suggested we hit the Souvenir Market for kitsch, such as Chairman Mao watches, or the Little Red Book, but upon closer inspection, the whole area was replaced with big buildings with shops such as Nike and Adidas.

Huh?! Communist China?!

As you looked around the city, there were more Western restaurants and shops than I had seen in Korea; Outback, Gucci, Hooters, Pizza Hut, the aforementioned Nike and Adidas, etc. I came to Beijing expecting the workers' paradise, with propaganda all around the city (my only other Communist country experience was Vietnam) but the reality was much different. All of the dirt, the tack, the feel of China has, I suppose, been disappearing for years. Of course, the Olympics have sped up this process quite a bit. It's all been swept under the rug for the benefit of the people who won't be boycotting the Olympics and will focus their attention on Beijing.

This isn't to say I didn't enjoy myself...at times, it's nice to travel to a place where it's not...hard. Taking a 15-hour night train from Hanoi to Danang while hungover and sharing the rattling compartment with a Russian family who speaks very little English? HARD. Taking a Greyhound bus nearly 36 hours from Indiana to Florida with what seems like half of the list of America's Most Wanted? HARD. Trying to enjoy your drink in an outdoor bar, but constantly having to pick up your feet so that they don't get in the way of the hordes of mice? Under the right conditions, not so bad, but still...HARD.

Beijing was not hard. The most difficult part was trying to get 6 people rounded up and on the way to the monuments (which by the way, Chantal...thanks AGAIN for doing all of that pretty much singlehandedly). Don't speak Chinese in Beijing? No problem. Many things are printed in English and there are handy guidebooks and cards with the Chinese characters in them. Don't have to take crowded public transportation because between 6 people, cabs seem to be the easiest way. I liked Beijing a lot more than I expected to, and the visit has sparked the desire to see MORE of China.

And of course, dear readers, what you've all been waiting for: pictures. These were taken around Beijing...well...obviously.

To be continued with more pictures.

Around Beijing remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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"Food" in Beijing

2008-02-11T13:28:05Z

I cannot believe some of the stuff I ate in Beijing's night market. Looking back, it seems like all the crunching, haggling, and gnawing was something out of someone else's travel stories. Maybe there was some sort of hallucinogenic chemical in some of this stuff, I don't know. I'm not sure of the chemistry behind the scorpions...

I consider myself quite an adventurer, and will do nearly anything once. Twice, if it doesn't kill me.
I traveled with a group this time, most of which were keen on trying the crazy stuff that China's food stalls have to offer.

So here's a hint if you want to try some of the crazy stuff seen here and other places:
**Don't do it alone.
It's all pretty safe...probably. If it isn't, your partner/group can catch you when you fall...or fall into seizures.
It's cheaper as well...
AND, going along with that last one, it is not likely that you will want to eat an ENTIRE starfish or all three scorpions by yourself. You save on money and guilt that you're throwing perfectly good food away. Kind of. I mean, there are starving people in Chin....ahem. Let's keep moving, shall we?

We started off with the chicken fetuses previously mentioned in the Great Wall post. Let's repost the picture for posterity, shall we?

Poor chickens. They were so delicious.

The previous night, at our traditional Peking Duck dinner, we were served the entire duck's head, cut into two so that we may easily access the duck's brains. I tried it. It was not pleasant.

At one "regular" dinner, we ate jellyfish in a delicious salad with cilantro. It was tasty!

Then we set out for the "night market," or Bejing's new Olympics-friendly version of it anyway. No more dirty stalls with their tacky charm. Everyone was wearing a uniform and nametags. Bizarre.

We started out with starfish.

Tasted like...fish.

We had five legs, so we gave one away to a set of curious Chinese ladies.

I think they liked it.

From then on, things quickly escalated into the downright weird and creepy.

This man was haggling with us for the price of bull penis. We paid the price and got meat that was tough, but cooked nicely so it was good.

Selling testicles. We skipped this one. They looked too...juicy...

The spread of all the bugs and squid and snake.

Golden centipede.

Eating centipede. One of many "proof" shots.

Dragonflies. They tasted like really crispy chicken skin.

Scorpions. They were crunchy and there wasn't a whole lot to them.

The seahorses were ok...they tasted like fish, but were a bit too salty.

At the end of the "street" there were these very aggressive fruit vendors, shouting any and everything to get you to buy their fruit.

So, let's recap the things I ate in China:
- Chicken fetus
- duck brain
- scorpion
- starfish
- seahorse
- dragonfly
- centipede
- jellyfish
- dog
- snake
- bull penis

China is full of awesome "normal" food, so one shouldn't be put off by this. You have to REALLY go looking for this place now that the Olympics are coming.

Beijing is delicious!

(PS - A side note, nothing to do with Beijing: last night in Seoul, Namdaemun (600-year-old structure, called Korea's great cultural treasure) was burnt down. It's a very sad time for the Korean people and for those of us living here. You can read more here.)

"Food" in Beijing remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The Great Wall of China at Badaling

2008-02-10T02:26:49Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

It has always been a goal of mine to see the Great Wall...one of the original Seven Wonders of the World, the only man-made structure visible from space...pretty impressive.

We hired drivers for 200RMB apiece (about $28USD) and rode about an hour and a half up to Badaling, the most visited portion of the Great Wall. We didn't know what to expect, but should have known that the Chinese New Year Holiday couldn't have stopped the swarms of Chinese people from visiting the structure that is the most famous of their country. They say that if you haven't visited the Great Wall, then you're not truly Chinese. They also say that once you climb the Great Wall, you become a Great Person.

They say a lot of things about the Great Wall, but the question in everybody's minds as we scaled up: are they true? Is it really as great as people say it is?

It is.

Black bear native to these mountains.

After some kissing noises, he looked up.

Be careful...

Yes. I am here.

Lots to climb.

Mountains in the background

Myself, Chantal, and David were the half that kept going.

Steeeep.

B&W view of the mountains

Grandpa / Grandson hiking team

We made it...view from the top

More than 1 billion Chinese people = traffic jam.

On the way down, we ran into what seemed to be the Chinese Von Trapp family singers...they would stop from time to time and sing a song in Chinese and do a little dance. It made the experience that much more enjoyable.

Enjoying the view

And a sweet baby in a red coat that was careening down the wall. Her parents were right behind her, but she was quite agile for a baby.

After a quick stop to the pay-bathrooms where I got to use a squatter toilet in front of all of the females that happened to be there, we stopped for a beer and a snack.

This is what the bravest of us had: chicken fetuses. The way they cooked them and the spices they had on them made them quite delicious, actually. Who'd have thought?

The Great Wall of China at Badaling remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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We Interrupt These Singapore Photo Blogs...

2008-02-10T02:25:32Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

I took the weekend off from Singapore to go to Pulau Bintan, an Indonesian island about 1.5 hours south. I was not incredibly impressed. Most of the island's property is owned by Singapore resorts...the remaining Indonesians living there have to gouge their prices in order to keep up. It's unfortunate, really...

I stayed on the east end of the island at a place that had huts for about $30SD, which is a LOT for what it is. The guidebook said that they would have been 70,000 Indonesian Rupiahs (about $7). Too many conversions going around in your head? Same here.
I stayed one night and left the next day as my budget was limited.

All the money that I had on me...TOO MANY CONVERSIONS.
Indonesian Rupiah, Chinese RMB, Singapore Dollars, Korean Won, Yankee Dollars, and a full passport.

One of the puppies that was roaming around the grounds.

Palm trees...most of which had been knocked down.

The beach along the East Coast.

One of the staff and his baby.

The hut I slept in.

On the way back...free-range roosters.

Street vendor

Wash hanging out to dry.

Goodbye, Pulau Bintan!

On the way back to Singapore, coming into rain.

Short stay = short blog!

We Interrupt These Singapore Photo Blogs... remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Kong Meng San Hor Kark See Monastery

2008-01-12T05:46:27Z

I nearly wrote this Monastery off of my list...I've been to a lot of Asian countries that have a LOT of temples, either Shinto, Taoist, Hindu, or Buddhist, and pretty much everything else in between. I live in a country that has an equal number of Buddhist temples and Christian churches, so to go see yet ANOTHER temple with MORE Buddhist influence...well, I was less than enthused.

Keeping up with the rest of Singapore's spectacular diversity and unique ...everything, Kong Meng San Hor Kark See Monastery (which is MORE than a mouthful to say), close to Bishan park, is rich in its different styles of architecture and overall atmosphere (each temple had its own feel). Pristinely kept, it is a visual delight, with mosaics galore and different colors and styles everywhere.

Colorful detail

Temple flags

One of the deities

Temple flags closeup

Floor detail

Temple roof dragon

I really liked the flags.

Ceiling detail

One of the temples

Lawn full of little stone Buddhas

Crematorium / statue

Roof of one of the temples

9,999 Buddhas

+1 Buddha = Hall of 10,000 Buddhas

Colorful mosaic

Story mosaic detail

Monastery where the monks live their day-to-day lives.

More monastery

Roof detail

There are a lot of pictures. A lot. More coming soon...keep bearing with me!

Kong Meng San Hor Kark See Monastery remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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World of Color

2008-01-12T03:27:57Z

And yet another thing I absolutely loved about Singapore was the intense diversity (are we all sensing a trend here?) of the architecture.

Ever since being in Spain (in general) and Barcelona (in particular), inspired by the works of Gaudi (genius anyone?!), I have started paying attention to the concrete jungle; the buildings, the angles, the colors, the extraordinary and the mundane.

As the title suggests, Singaporean buildings are NOT just the gray drab monsters you see in most cities. Nope. There are buildings of every size, shape and color.

Stay tuned for the next post!

World of Color remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Signs, Signs

2008-01-07T14:15:12Z

Singapore wants to protect you. Really, it does. Hence why there are signs EVERYWHERE, gently reminding you to be careful. Don't break the law by eating on the subway! Remain vigilant! Beware of pickpockets! Please remember to be polite, please?

Some were helpful, some were beautiful...some were just odd.

(Buh?!)

(Earnest...not insincere!)

Singapore is polite, even in their signage...

Signs, Signs remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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People Everyday

2008-01-07T13:51:27Z

Singapore is one of the most diverse countries I have ever been to. Ever.

Yes, America is also very diverse. But not when you live in suburban Indiana. Korea is nowhere even CLOSE to being considered diverse. If you are not ethnically Korean, you will usually stick out like a sore thumb. I still receive stares on a daily basis, on the subway train that I take every day, to and from work.

So coming to Singapore where I hardly stand out (except maybe in Little India, where I was staying) was certainly a breath of fresh air.

The people are friendly and polite and more than willing to help you if you flail around, looking helpless.
These are just things I noticed.

Also, no one spits on the street. (More so because it is illegal, I think...)

A grandma and grandson in Little India.

Drunk Irish Santas on Christmas Eve at Muddy Murphy's Irish pub on Orchard Road.

Street Musicians on Christmas Eve, Orchard Road.

Kids playing in a fountain on Christmas Day, near Bugis Station.

Making Dim Sum Soup, Chinatown.

Painting a mosque, Chinatown.

Decorating a Mercedes-Benz, Little India.

Chinese calligrapher, Chinatown.

Outdoor barber, Chinatown.

Great!

People Everyday remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Flora / Fauna of Singapore

2008-01-06T12:36:19Z

With the purchase of a brand-new 1GB memory card for my camera (before, I was limited to 2 256MB cards, which limited my space), let's just say I went a little berserk...

So, as the title suggests, I will begin our photographic tour of Singapore with both flora and fauna of the city, something they have an abundance of. The flora was mostly taken in Bishan park or surrounding the countless temples I encountered, and all of the fauna is from the Singapore Zoo.

Let's start...ok-lah? (In Singapore, they add "lah" to the end of everything. EVERYTHING...it's mostly used to emphasize your point.)

Otter, which leaves a nasty smell to mark his territory.

The flamingos were getting a bit testy with each other.

They had several orangutans, which were allowed to roam pretty much where they pleased.

We managed to make it in time for the polar bear feeding, and on his birthday nonetheless!

One of the three white tigers.

Pygmy hippos...the little guy was freakin' adorable.

Kangaroo scrounging around for lunch.

One of the elephants snatching her trainer's hat.

Baboons grooming / being groomed.

White rhino

Zebras. Duh.

Ostrich pecking for food.

Giraffe.

Female African lion lounging in the shade.

Proboscis monkey, the animal kingdom's comedian.

There were countless others from the zoo, but I had to pick and choose to save everyone's sanity.

Now, the flora of Singapore (a small percentage of it). There are parks and botanical gardens all around the small island, full of beautiful flowers and trees. Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about flowers (I say "next to", because I know an orchid when I see one, and there were many), so most of these will go unrecognized. It's not for lack of trying by any means, and if anyone happens to know what the heck these are, let me know!

Enjoy! Keep looking!

Flora / Fauna of Singapore remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Don't Believe the Hype

2007-12-27T02:28:54Z

Merry Christmas from Singapore!
For several reasons, it was almost easy to forget it's even that time of year! One, it's a tropical climate; two, Singapore is full of Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim people, who don't celebrate Christmas; and three, with the exception of the posh Orchard Road, there have been few, if any, decorations. But honestly, I can't think of a better place to be.

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Due to the absence of pictures, and the terrible Richard Marx-era music playing in the Internet cafe (every time!), I will give a brief rundown of the very best and worst of Singapore (so far!):

- Beauty: Singapore is full of both natural and architectural beauty. They have managed to maintain a harmonious relationship between man and nature. There are trees and flowers EVERYWHERE, (the trees are huge, so you know that they have been around for a long time), the air is fresh and clean, and the buildings are almost always surprising in their uniqueness, simplicity, and character. You will see what I mean once I post pictures.

- People: Like so many other countries, Singapore is full of a wide variety of people. There are people from India (and surrounding countries such as Nepal and Pakistan), Malaysia, China, and everywhere in between. It is literally impossible to guess where someone is from. Unlike most countries, however, Singaporeans maintain a calm philosophy of "live and let live." People are kind and helpful to each other; one only need to take the subway or walk down the street to witness this. It is an amazing and nearly emotional experience to be surrounded by this.

- Food: OH! MY! GOD! The FOOD! As you all know, I am a foodie and that is one thing I was told to look out for in Singapore. You can get pretty much anything: from Indian to Chinese to pizza to Malay...and it is all DELICIOUS. Aside from the variety, there is also a range of prices. You can spend anywhere from $3SGD up to $50SGD on a meal, but no matter. It is all good, which is for sure the mark of a great culinary city.

- The Sights: There is never a dull moment in Singapore. I have been here for 4 days and have been on the go, doing things the whole time. There is a wicked Science Museum with an amazing Omnimax theater that plays documentary-type movies. I saw one about Mummies, and am going back tomorrow for the award-nominated "Hurricane on the Bayou" because it is just THAT COOL. If you feel like relaxing and enjoying nature, there are a plethora of parks here. For Christmas Eve, I rented a bike and scooted around Bishan Park for only $9SGD. There are different areas of town, all different; Little India, Chinatown, Orchard Road, etc., that just beg to be explored. One not even need visit a temple or other attraction. Just walking down the street is entertainment enough. However, the temples are very beautiful and each one is different.

And the BEST thing, which deserves an entire paragraph devoted to itself, is the Singapore Zoo, billed as one of the world's best. At the daunting-at-first price of $30SGD ($45, combined with the Night Safari), one would think that such an attraction would be over-hyped. I had heard from everyone that this was a sight not to be missed, and the skeptical person that I am, went in with a bit of a cynical edge.

But the 5 hours that I spent there today were hours spent in awe. The animals, of course, are amazing. My favorites were the white tigers, the pygmy hippos, the polar bear feeding, the tree kangaroo that licked my arm, the orangutans that are free to roam the trees, the elephants at work and play show, pretty much all of the monkeys (especially the Proboscis Monkeys and Chimpanzees), and the otters. But it wasn't just the animals that were impressive. The Singapore Zoo is set over 28 hectares of land and is a beautiful place to be, animals or no. You can even walk up to some of the animals; as they say, they use moats where possible instead of bars. These animals don't look depressed, don't pace, don't look like they are in prison. There are trees and plants everywhere, and the animals' areas are pristinely maintained.

I really can't say enough about the zoo...it was amazing to see these wonderful animals in the closest thing to their natural habitats. And don't worry, I have almost an entire 1GB memory card full of pictures to show.

I'm about halfway through my time here, and I'm enjoying every minute. Singapore is every bit as amazing as I had heard, if not more so. So...sometimes you shouldn't believe the hype and maybe you'll get more than you thought.

Don't Believe the Hype remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Yard Time

2007-12-09T13:58:57Z

Once a week, each class gets 30 minutes of outdoor time, making use of the front yard of our school.

And now I have pictoral proof of this.

Joseph.

Sean.

Sebin.

Cindy.

Smooshed on the slide.

The reason I get up in the morning, Esther-pants.

(*81 days left until I leave Korea! 12 days until I go to Singapore!)

Yard Time remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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One Wedding and an Outing

2007-11-09T12:36:54Z

Ok, loyal readers. I know that it's been approximately 10 years since I've posted anything. For this, I am only partially sorry. Most of the time, I feel that I am as comfortable in Seoul as I was in South Bend, meaning, of course, that nothing has really been too blog-worthy. But since I have not e-mailed anyone either, I feel it is time for a DOUBLE POST! That's right....two, two, TWO BLOGS IN ONE! Why all the caps? It's all very exciting, you see.

The first post will be about the first of many outings taken with my NEW class at the Daechi Worwick. (Sidenote: if you don't remember why I am not at the Bundang Worwick, backtrack to the post "Being Fired in Korea"...ring a bell? Ok, let's continue then.)
My NEW school is set in Daechi, in the greater Gangnam area, in Seoul. What this translates to is an hour commute via crowded, hot, smelly subway for 40 minutes one way. I didn't move because, well....I really hate moving. My entire community of friends and restaurants are set in Bundang, and I only have 112 days (not that I'm counting) left in Korea, so why move? To a smaller and dirtier apartment? Where I have to relearn local geography and infrastructure? No, thank you. The school itself is quite beautiful. It was the first of the series, and is a stand-alone building, two stories, with a FRONT YARD! It's not very healthy or particularly lush grass, but it serves its purpose. We also have a swingset, with a slide and seesaw and are alloted 30 minutes per week to go crazy in an outdoor setting. This part I like.

I will not go any further in depth into the parts I don't like. Not gon' do it. Wouldn't be prudent.

Anyway, the only thing keeping me sane amidst the regular insanity is, again, the kids. I have a class of 7 (slightly down from the 9 I started with) beautiful, silly, wonderful, bright students. I took over for a teacher that incorporated no discipline, who took over for a teacher that incorporated FAR less discipline. My kids have adapted well, speaking no Korean in class, and for the most part staying in their seats. I love them.

Because of our location in Seoul rather than the "suburbs", our outings seem to be limited. We had my first one at Olympic Park in the Jamsil area. It was a beautiful, mild day and the kids seemed to have fun, then be worn out and irritable. So it goes.

The conditions were favorable.

Grass is very sacred in Seoul. When we tried to let the kids run around all over it, we were promptly scolded by the ajassi landscapers.

My new babies, Libra class. 1st row, L-R: Denny, Kate, Sebin, Cindy, Esther. 2nd row: me, Daniel (who has left us for Korean kindergarten), Sean, and Jung Ook (our Korean teacher)

Chaos in a garden maze.

Clara, from Cassiopeia class, is by far one of my favorites.

I can't remember what they were pointing at....I believe one of the kids was using his taekwondo powers on a swarm of gnats....

Esther, on the left, is the new sunshine of my life. (Ignore the cocked fist...she usually just hugs or clings)

This is Sean, modeling one of the classic poses after an outing. The dismay. The horror. The exhaustion.

My kids are super-sweet, if not a little rambunctious. I have parent-teacher meetings coming up, an event that always makes me reach for the Tums, especially at the new place. Our punishment is to teach a full day of kindergarten, then have double elementary, then two hours (average) of meetings. I'm looking at a 12-hour sentence. Fun.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christina's Wedding

Recently, one of our ex-co-workers, Christina teacher, got married. Up until now, I have avoided Korean weddings like the plague.

So, imagine, if you will, a Korean wedding: they take place in a Wedding Hall, which is basically like a wedding factory. The ceremonies are about 30 minutes long and secular (I think). The halls are in a perpetual state of decoration, the same ones all the time. The couple comes in, gets married, there is generally a banquet somewhere on the premises, quickly, then the next one comes. Usually when the ceremony is taking place, the entire audience (because that is exactly what they are) is talking on their respective cell phones. Phones are ringing, people are elbowing each other to get the best seat/standing area. It's like the subway. It's hard to get a good picture because there is a crowd of photographers standing at the altar with the couple. They are omnipresent. Everything is in Korean, because, well....we're in Korea. So if you're a foreigner in the audience, it's pretty much guaranteed you won't understand a word. Two people sang songs, one in Korean and one in English, (I don't know if that's typical) the ceremony was over, then the whole family was herded like cattle to the front for pictures. Then the friends. Then the food. Then get out, get out, get out! because there's another couple coming in.

I went because it was our friend's wedding and I knew it was pretty much the only time I could reason going to one of these things. I managed to get a handful of good pictures in.

A picture of the formal picture of Christina and her new husband, Dong Hyun.

Wedding hall exterior.

Amy and I with Christina in the bride's room.

The interior of the wedding hall.

Christina and her dad going down the aisle.

Listening to one of the singers.

Bowing to Dong Hyun's parents (this is customary; the bride does a half bow, but the groom does a full-body bow)

Just married!

Christina and Dong Hyun's families.

And so a Korean wedding goes.

This post was incredibly long, but I'm making up for a lot of lost time. My next post will probably be from Singapore, where I am going for Christmas! Woohoo!

One Wedding and an Outing remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The Real Reason I Went to Thailand...

2007-10-07T14:16:18Z

My second day, I relived a childhood experience (which might not have happened...a 3-year-old's memory is shoddy at best) and booked a jungle trek. With an elephant! Exciting!

When we pulled up (there was a couple doing it as well), the size of the elephants alone was enough to make me gasp. No, really. I gasped. Then, once you get over that these things could crush you with one fell swoop, you start to realize how incredibly beautiful they are. I really can't describe it with words, so the rest of this two-part blog will be pictures. See for yourself.

It was amazing, something I won't ever forget.

The rest of my island stay was spent hanging out with people I met, Chea May and Canaan from Germany and Inbar from Israel. The island is so beautiful and relaxed. I'm already starting to think about when I can go back. I left the day I flew back to Korea and saw some stuff on the way.

Waiting for the ferry.

The most beautiful Thai baby on the ferry. She was a very happy baby.

Lunch.

Skyscraper, Bangkok.

Hanging out ON the train tracks.

Kao San Road, THE backpacker hotspot.

Mounds and mounds of Pad Thai.

I love Thailand. I shall return.

The Real Reason I Went to Thailand... remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The Real Reason I Went to Thailand...

2007-10-07T14:26:09Z

Ahem. As the title suggests, I went to Thailand for the elephants. This is partially true. I also went to get away from Korea, to go for a SCUBA, to meet people from around the world, see some beautiful beaches, and eat Thai food for authentic, believe-it-or-not prices. Since being in Korea, Thailand has been my ...own private Xanadu, if you will.

All in 5 days?

Mission accomplished.

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

(I love these maps!)

I arrived in Bangkok, where I literally stayed for the "One Night in Bangkok" that the pop group Murray Head sang about in the 80's. Let me....let me just share some of those lyrics with you (wow, we can all tell already that this is going to be a long one...)

"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the god's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me

One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me"

So yeah...pretty much. Just from one night, you can get the sense that ANYTHING is possible in Bangkok. Anything.

But I had other goals in mind, so I headed to Koh Chang, which is about 5 hours east, close to the Cambodian border. Well...5 hours by bus to Trat. Then about a 20 minute ride to the ferry. Then about a 30 minute ferry ride. Then another 20-30 minutes to the hotel. So really, about a day's worth of being herded like cattle. But I digress.

The name "Koh Chang" means "Elephant Island". It also has some pretty nice scuba. My first night, I stayed at the "Tree House Lodge," which was about as basic as you could get. Straw huts with a light, a bed and a mosquito net for 80 baht, or roughly $2.50. The bathrooms were shared, with squatter toilets and no running water. Freezing cold water, but a fantastic view overlooking the ocean.

There was also a really great restaurant, also looking over the ocean, with cheap, delicious Pad Thai (noodles) and Tom Yam (sour spicy soup).

My first full day, I went for a SCUBA at Koh Yak and another small island, uninhabited, but with great coral and marine life. That day, the water was particularly rough and the boat TOSSED, 45-degree angle to 45-degree angle, back and forth. I was unfortunately the only one to get violently seasick. It was a bummer, needless to say.

My first dive was a refresher course with the instructor, and it was nice. The second was a bit more nerve-racking because we had a really strong current to work with, and it was maybe my second time diving with more than one other person. Several times I kicked another girl with my fins because she was behind me and we couldn't see each other. I got really low on air really quickly for whatever reason so I had to use the other regulator on my dive master's BCD (there are two, for such an emergency). It was actually quite good because he was able to make me get closer to the coral and fish than I normally would have. And I saw a stingray. It was great.

It rained the night I stayed at the Tree House, with the waves crashing right outside my door and scaring the bejezus out of me, and the roof leaked all over my bed with me in it (and I normally don't complain about that sort of thing too much), so I quickly moved to Nature Beach, where I at least had a real roof over my head, for only 250 baht per night. It was well worth it for running water and real walls. They also had a good restaurant, with barbecue every night, and a fire twirler show. The beach was also pristine, just beautiful.

The sky looked like this every day.

This is my bathroom. It seems weird, but it looks like this during the day. Naturally.

One of my meals, fat Thai noodles with pork.

The sunsets looked like this every day.

From the restaurant.

To be continued (it's a two-parter!)....

What about the elephants? You were promised elephants!

Hold your horses! Or...elephants, in this case...

The Real Reason I Went to Thailand... remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Being "Fired" in Korea

2007-09-08T01:49:25Z

Disclaimer: I apologize if this post sounds bitter, or angry in any way. But, as in life, the good always comes with the bad. Also, this sad tale illustrates a big part of Korean culture in a work-related form.

Um, so yeah...as the title suggests, I've finally been had by the kids' moms, who don't want me as their kids' teacher, claiming that I don't like their kids and the feeling's mutual, never once bothering to actually talk to me, or even look at me.

As you probably know from previous posts here, my favorite class, my only class, was closed due to the higher-ups being cheap and making me take another class of higher-level kids, the ones who are full of themselves, yes, even at 7 years old. It was a rough first month because I didn't bend to this attitude and instituted my own classroom rules and began disciplining, which seemed to be the first time this ever happened to them. This happened in July.

Things changed, the kids got used to the rules, and suddenly, we all got along. The kids freaked out when they saw me in the hall...we joked with each other and I began to care about the little punks. Then one fateful day, we arrive at the "Peach Incident," as it has later been referred to.

One day, we had cut up peaches as a snack. Given no plates or forks, I put the peaches on a tissue on their desks.

And that was the peach incident.

The moms had the proverbial cow, taking this as a clear sign that I hated their children and severely insulted them, their kids, and by extension, all of Korea.

So they wanted me out...and since they are really just big bags of money who want their kids to be doctors at age 12, who don't want their kids to actually have fun, they will always get their way. So even though I loved their kids, and their kids loved me, I am no longer a teacher at my school's Bundang campus.

But wait...am I really fired? No. I am not. Unless you genuinely screw up (like set fire to a child), you will just be transferred. It's the Korean way. You could be lazy, incompetent, or in this case, just unpopular, but you will just be moved. So I am being transferred to the Daechi campus, near Gangnam.

I am heartbroken, more so than before when my other class was canceled in the first place. The directors of my school set a precedent when this same thing happened to a co-worker of mine. Our directors bow to the mothers, and I like to think they fight their hardest before they do so. They agreed with me that this was an absurd request, they know that I love my job and my kids, and that I try to be the best teacher I can. But still.

This is so very sad.

I will miss my babies.

Being "Fired" in Korea remains copyright of the author lrbergen, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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