Imagine

Sunset was breathtaking on Monday, and it was even more spectacular yesterday – a big ball of fire, slowly moving to later meet the moon in a solar eclipse. That's the view from my apartment.

For two nights in a row, I’ve been woken up by the glow of an almost perfectly shaped moon, and last night there it was, full moon in a starry sky. Be-au-ti-ful!

Sitting on the rooftop of my 10-storey apartment building, I couldn’t find the peace and silence such a spectacle deserves; the city, at all times noisy, stinky and busy, kept distracting my wandering thoughts.

Yet in the glaze of such beauty in the sky, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly sad for those who are so caught up in their robot life that they never even look up to admire the magnificence of what lays above us, some light-years away from earth.

I was disgusted with evil.

So the next day my students and I listened to John Lennon’s “Imagine” and discussed it for a while. It turns out the:

Imagine there are no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or
die for
And no religion too

Was way too unrealistic for them. Even the

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can

Didn’t make any sense for them in this materialistic world.

You see, my students are from Hallim and nearby areas, in the countryside, where Christian religion is deeply engrained. The thought that

There’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us
only sky

Was somehow grotesque… For them, there is a God, and good people go to heaven while bad ones go to hell. And Korea is a country – truth that should remain that way because their forefathers worked so hard to build it and make it theirs… how could they give it up for some strange “no boundaries/borders world”?

Maybe Lennon was right – a world with no possessions, no countries, nor religion might bring about some sort of world peace, a brotherhood of man. But according to my students, he was nothing but a dreamer.

즐거운 성탄! Merry Xmas a la Korean

Christmas is a big scam and we love it! It’s like smoking a cigarette: it’s not good for you (or your wallet), but you are totally addicted and the thought of it is actually perfect (in reality, of course, it’s not).

The more gifts you get, or the more expensive gifts you receive, the happier you feel – people love you! Only a few of us don't even care about presents.

There’s also the “giving rush”; when you are shopping for everyone, feeling all excited about offering your friends and family presents you bought. For sure, they will think you are a giving person and you will revel in their joy.

In Korea, Christmas is growing. And I mean: it is GROWING! Not so long ago, this was just a religious holiday – as opposed to a commercial rip-off that lasts for 2 weeks in Occident.

But now, even on Jeju Island, there are Christmas trees, and palm trees are decorated as well. Department stores sell ornaments and stockings, while Santa is never too far away. Even Korean versions of our traditional Christmas Carols put you in the mood as you browse for more stuff to buy.


Nonetheless, most people only get a day off (25th) and the 26th is brutal. A lot of Koreans actually take a vacation around that time and try to escape the holiday madness – trading it for some quiet family time somewhere on a beach.

“Merry Christmas” is the same in Korean, and all the kids scream it as they expect their foreign teacher to give them more candy, and maybe a game day? They go “iiiiiiiiiouhhhhhh!!” as I tell them that people back home kiss under the mistletoe, and they make fun of the elves. They think Santa is FAT!


Santa’s beard is passed around, and I refuse to wear it after they have all drooled on it. We write a letter to Santa and they all ask for sweets and “give me big money”! As I look at them, so tiny, with their little feet not even touching the ground as they are sitting and trying to make a paper snowflake, my heart is just warm and I’m happy.


That night my friends and I go for Indian food (one of the only two ethnic restaurants on the island), and end up at the Blue Agave for a wild night during which alcohol both makes us happy, and amnesiac – we don’t want to think about what we’re missing back home, we just want to have fun.



It all ends with McDonald’s at 4am – sombrero, Corona and a ring? Christmas a la Mexican at the American embassy in Korea? Does it get any better than this? Where are my turkey, meat pie and stuffing? Where are the cranberries, mashed potatoes, red wine and dessert?


The next day is brutal – that is, nursing a hangover and wondering what the hell you’re doing on the other side of the planet?

The family calls and everyone’s happy; my sister is pregnant with twins, and my brother’s girlfriend is also with child. It’s a shock – feelings of joy and dire take over as you realized that you’re still just a kid and they’re all grown-up!

I won’t even be there to see their belly get bigger, bear the mood swings and bring them ice at the hospital. Last year I missed my grandma’s last days on earth. I also missed my sister’s wedding in Cuba.

How much more am I willing to miss on? If I went home in a few years, we probably wouldn’t even recognize each other!

I’m howling as we hang up – right after Dave tells me they’ve poured me a glass of wine, and mom says my picture is on the Christmas tree. Maybe the thought of home is better than actually being there, but I just want to be with them.

Christmas breakfast at my place – scrambled eggs, fried potatoes and fruit juice. My friend gives me a portable speaker for my computer. I cancel on the potluck i'm supposed to attend and try to get some rest. I need to think about all this.

My upstairs neighbors are strolling across the room. Bang. Bang. Bang. Are they fat? I have to wake up the next day at 7am and teach. Christmas sucks.

Chunks of life

Halloween was last week and I had totally forgotten about it. Fortunately Mr. Lee gave me a bag full of crap, I put up a powerpoint with witches and ghosts, and it turned out to be quite fun!







Koreans don't celebrate Halloween like we do, but it's growing on them. And they know that this holiday means "candy! candy! candy!" So I gave them oranges :)

The next week-end I went to Dongmun market - a huge place where they sell everything, from cheap clothes to weird fish and pig heads.







The weather here is still warm (around 20 celcius) and, as you may know, it's now the oranges season in Jeju. They are all over the place... tasty and cheap.



On Sunday we went to Samsunghyeol- a freakish place near my place. It's like an outdoor museum with three giant holes in the ground. Koreans believe that three Gods emerged from those holes many many years ago, and they built Jeju. Each year a ceremony takes place at Samsunghyeol to give thanks to those Gods.



We also visited one of Jeju island's number one spot: Yongduam! It's a big rock shaped like a dragon's head and... you really have to want to see it because it's not that obvious! According to the legend, a dragon envoy of the Dragon King was sent to Mt. Halla to pick a herb which would give eternal youth. But a mountain god shut into the sea, and only the head protruded above the sea. And it became Yongduam.



As you can see, smart Korean women took over the area around the rock in order to do business. They mainly sell sashimi (raw fish).





On an unrelated topic, I'm finally moving out of my moldy apartment! Will post pictures soon, especially for those of you thinking about visiting. Looking forward to this week-end cauz i'll be hiking halla mountain and teaching my dentist some French (he asked me!)

I'm also about to book my flight for Bali en February!! Bali baby! :)

Oh and here's the building where I work out: can you see the door?!?! Looks suicidal...

More of my pics: http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/261498

More korean beauty

First of all, I’d like to introduce my ABC students because they are so cute! The little one down right is Bob (and he chose that name!!)


So, last week-end was great. Friday night we had dinner and wine up until 5am, so Saturday I was basically lethargic. Nonetheless, I took advantage of the beautiful sunny day on Sunday and decided to go to Udo. I missed the pumpkin festival but apparently it wasn’t worth it anyway.

As you know, I live in Jejudo – an island south of Korea. Udo is another island, just West of Jeju. It’s quite small, but gorgeous! Moreover, a lot of women divers live and work there, and some of Korea’s most beautiful beaches are on that island.

It was an hour scooter ride, and then a 20 minute boat ride to finally get there. I just walked around, hiked a nice hill on a cliff, sat on the beach and cruised. Many women divers were working (on a Sunday?) and, even though the weather was really nice, the air was cold and so was the water.










I met on of them on the street – she was sorting out her picks of the day and she barely looked at me. I noticed she had something in her ears so I spoke louder, offering her a banana. She was thrilled and gave me some of what she had in her bucket… I still don’t know what it is, but it was viscous and slowly moving in my hand. I took a bite, it was alright. I offered her water but she repeated a thousand times “choua! Choua!” (“cold!”) so I thanked her and left.






Here is some more Korean beauty.

































More of my pictures (yes, you see the world through my eyes ;) at http://www.bubbleshare.com/album/250795