rich's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member rich on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/rich en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:51:43 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Decisions, decisions! — Seoul, Seoul, Korea Rep. http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1258197773/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1258197773/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1258197773/tpod.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:51:43 -0500 Teaching in South Korea...
Seoul, Seoul, Korea Rep.

Being an ESL teacher brings many benefits, the main one being that it unlocks the doors of many countries around the world. I am in a privileged position in many respects, particularly given the current economic climate, but as my one year contract nears its conclusion, I'm faced with some tricky decisions nonetheless. I have a myriad of options for 2010, but the following are the main ones that I've been pondering over recently:ChinaThis would be an intriguing experience, and one that I would relish after my recent trip to Beijing. The pay is reasonable in terms of day-to-day living, but I'd be unlikely to save that much over there. Money has never been my motivation (and hopefully never will be), although it clearly needs to be taken into account. I don't particularly trust Chinese people though, so that could be an issue...TaiwanI really enjoyed my brief visit to Taipei in the summer, and one big plus is that I have my friend Lisa there - it would be great to live so close to her. The people seemed a lot more foreigner-friendly than in Korea, and the island is home to some beautiful scenery. The main issue at this moment in time is that the job market is incredibly tight, so there would be a good deal of risk involved if I flew there to look for work.JapanThe mecca for any sane ESL teacher, with wonderful sights, a fascinating history, volcanic scenery, and the most polite people in the world, which matches my personality. Unfortunately, this is not a secret, and as such it attracts a huge amount of foreigners, all looking for teaching work. The Japanese economy is in a poor state at the moment as well, and the Yen is very strong indeed, so it is clear that a job hunting expedition could be very costly, and potentially fruitless.South KoreaThe people of Korea hold a huge grudge against the Japanese, and in general are quite xenophobic. This doesn't bother me too much as I'm quite content to pull the shutters down and remain in my own little world, oblivious, but it's quite telling that while Japan has a surplus of <i>teachers, Korea has a surplus of <i>jobs - not a coincidence. Without question, Japan is a more enjoyable place to live, but Korea has a lot of economical advantages, so what should I do?Well, after much deliberation, I came up with a solution that I am actually quite pleased about, as it covers all bases. The plan is to return to South Korea in February 2010, but this time I want to work in Busan because it will offer a change of scenery, and crucially, it is virtually on the doorstep of Japan. It is so close to Fukuoka that a boat does the trip a few times each day, taking a mere three hours! Choosing Korea means that my next employer will pay for my flights, I won't have to pay for my apartment, and I'll be free to visit Kyushu a couple of times a month for weekend breaks! Also, it means that I will be in a perfect location to conduct a job search in Japan further down the line, with no risk involved as I'll still be employed.Alas, it's great to have a plan in place, and I am now genuinely excited about going home for Christmas and New Year! It's going to be great catching up with everybody after so long...&nbsp;
]]> Spectacular Autumn colours... — Seoraksan, Gangwon, Korea Rep. http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1255964689/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1255964689/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1255964689/tpod.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:13:01 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Seoraksan, Gangwon, Korea Rep.

With less than two months left on my contract, I am psyching myself up for going back to England and spending Christmas and New Year at home. This year has been a huge learning curve, and I know I've become better and better at teaching as I've gained more and more experience - my recent lessons with the first and second graders have been superb, even if I do say so myself! I feel sorry for the third graders right now though as they are under intense pressure. Their parents don't help proceedings either, forcing them to study until 3am, oblivious to the fact that proper sleep patterns will actually enhance their overall learning capacity. At this moment, I usually walk into class to find half of the students slumped motionless on their desks!Anyway, apart from some progress reports that took a while to complete, Hew and me hadn't been under too much stress, so it meant that I was free to go away for a weekend and see the Autumn colours. I'd been analysing charts on the internet that predicted when the 'peak' times would be for the different National Parks. The first and most impressive of these was Seoraksan, a place I'd been to briefly before, but not to do any hiking, so off I went on the Saturday morning...with tens of thousands of others!After the three hour bus journey, I checked into my hostel which was ideally situated near the station. I certainly wasn't slumming it though after my usual hotel accommodation, as this place scored above 93% on www.hostelworld.com - always a reliable indicator. True to form, the Korean owner was incredibly friendly, helping with hiking routes and bus information. I didn't fancy a dorm room though, especially when considering the singles with en suite were so cheap! I'd booked a few weeks in advance just to be safe, as to say that Seoraksan is busy in Autumn is like saying that I am quite partial to beans on toast, i.e. a complete understatement!This last point was proved beyond doubt when I took the 30 minute bus from Sokcho to the National Park entrance - it was akin to seeing Oasis at Knebworth! I couldn't blame the people though, as I caught early glimpses of the array of colours on show - simply stunning. I'd never been in Asia before during the Autumn, and so this feast of colour was new to me. I was happy to just wander around and have a close look at the beautiful leaves - get my bearings, as it were. I knew that Sunday was going to be my hiking day, and I was excited because the weather forecast was for clear blue sky!The one concern that I had was regarding the thousands (literally) of ajummas and ajoshis who would no doubt be doing the same route as me on Sunday. These people, at least according to the stereotype, are generally middle-aged and in my experience, very loud. The women (ajummas) all seem to wear the exact same clothes as well for some unknown reason, namely bright pink jackets with multi-coloured sun visas! So I decided that I was going to catch the first bus to the National Park at 5.30am, enabling me to do the hike up to Ulsanbawi in hopefully relative solitude...In the event, I barely slept at all during the night thanks to a combination of genuine excitement and a thumping noise that sounded whenever somebody in the building flushed their toilet - I knew I should have stayed in a hotel! Not to worry though, I got showered and headed to the bus stop. I did ask myself a few times "what the hell am I doing, waiting for a bus at 5.30am?" but it was the only option to avoid the insanity that would surely follow later in the day. It was still completely dark of course, but this was great as I could see so many stars in the sky which was a real treat as they are difficult to see when in Seoul, probably due to the pollution.Thirty minutes passed, and I arrived at the National Park, just as the sun was rising. I certainly wasn't in isolation, in fact it was rather busy at the entrance, but most people just headed for the cable car, meaning that my route was relatively quiet. Much quieter than later in the day, that's for sure...I've been eating a lot healthier of late, and so I didn't find the first part of the hike difficult at all, but maybe I was just distracted by the blue sky, the bright leaves, or the peace and quiet. However, the second section involved over 800 steep steps and it tested the calf muscles to the limit! There was a ferocious wind blowing as well, but because the sun was shining, the leaves glowed, with the mountain sides looking as if they had been set alight. I'd never seen leaves with such vivid shades of red and orange - it sure was a photographer's delight. I'd not felt this 'alive' in nature since cherry blossom season, and while quite rare, it's the kind of feeling that I've experienced before with the sight of a black bear in Canada, the first glimpse of a glacier in Svalbard, and a brief encounter with a geisha in Japan. Even the ajoshis were being kind to me (although still too loud for my liking), as one of them randomly gave me a Snickers bar!Overall the hike wasn't too difficult, but I'd been rewarded with some fine views, and it was only 10am at this point! As a result, I was able to relax and serenely enjoy my surroundings while the thousands of other tourists were only just arriving. I found a lovely tree with peach-coloured leaves, and laid down for a couple of hours, nodding off occasionally in the surprisingly warm sun. It was amazing opening my eyes to be greeted with such colour, with jagged peaks towering above - I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! Seoraksan really is as stunning as people say it is.The great thing is that this is just the start of Autumn, so I still have the opportunity to visit the other National Parks in the weeks ahead, as the colours move south. All well and good, but I really think I'll need to buy a new memory card!
]]> Seeing Yumi again... — Nagoya, Chubu, Japan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1254560460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1254560460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1254560460/tpod.html Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:22:52 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Nagoya, Chubu, Japan

September will go down as the easiest month of my tenure, due to the students studying for their mid-term exams. I had three lessons in two weeks, which was a welcome change after the chaos that defined August. We did have to make some student report cards, and Hew and me impressed the management with our computer skills, creating professional documents complete with line graphs showing each student's progress. Due to the lack of work, we were even treated to a slap up meal at a local buffet, and thankfully we managed to avoid sitting at the Director's table - I'm sure that our relationship with him and his sidekick was damaged during the ridiculous Saturday work issue.My social life had also quietened down, and I'd enjoyed some lovely weekends doing absolutely nothing, other than listening to music and watching my favourite comedies that I'd downloaded. I did meet up with So young one Sunday as she invited me to a classical concert in Gwanghwamun, and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. An elegant Korean lady, along with an Hungarian pianist, captivated the audience for an hour and a half, and I came away feeling very relaxed.As October approached, I started getting really excited as I was due to make a long overdue return to Japan - I could barely believe that 18 months had passed since Ali and me were upgraded to business class on our way home! My friend Yumi, who has always been so kind to me on my previous visits, had recently given birth to a beautiful baby daughter, Karin. I couldn't go home without seeing Yumi and her family again, so I'd booked flights to Nagoya so I could fit in some sightseeing too.I got talking to an interesting old Japanese man on the Friday morning flight, and he spoke excellent English having worked in Europe for many years, supplying automobile parts. In fact, he'd spent six years in Dusseldorf which immediately brought images of Auf Wiedersehen Pet to mind, and I found it strange how I had met two Asians with German connections in the space of a few weeks!I spent Friday mooching around Nagoya, in particularly the nightlife area around Sakae. The weather was dismal but for once this made me feel happy as it provided the perfect excuse for some karaoke action! I spotted a huge Big Echo building and immediately ventured inside, emerging three hours later with a sore throat but a big smile on my face. The Japanese karaokes are vastly superior to the Korean noraebangs due to the massive and indeed varied songlist, not to mention the quality sound system - at times it was like John Squire was in the room with me!All hotels had long since been fully booked in Nagoya on Saturday night due to the F1 Grand Prix - I'd certainly timed my trip well! In actual fact, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I made the decision to go to Kyoto for a spot of sightseeing. I revisited one of my favourite temples, Kiyomizu-dera, for grand views over the city on a beautiful, sunny day. I absolutely adore Kyoto as it's just bursting to the seams with traditional delights, and I combined my temple-viewing with a wander around the geisha district of Gion, not to mention a quick hour or so in a different karaoke.I was buzzing being back in Japan, surrounded by incredibly polite people, and with gorgeous weather - I was puzzled as to why Yumi had told me to bring warm clothing! I guess I'd just been lucky (even moreso in hindsight, as a typhoon hit the mainland just a few short days later). Anyway, I finally made it to Hamamatsu early on Sunday afternoon, although there was a slight mix-up as Yumi and me were waiting for eachother at different exits! Confusion aside, it was lovely to see Yumi's smiling face again, and little Karin was simply gorgeous. Two of Yumi's friends who she'd met in New Zealand were also there, Mika and Haruko, and both were typically friendly and it was a pleasure to meet them.Yumi drove us all to a local eel factory which was interesting, and reminded me of our kiwifruit packhouse days! The highlight was a taste of some delicious strawberry cheesecake in the restaurant. Afterwards, it was back to Yumi's parents' house for a lovely meal and a few beers. Yumi's mum is so thoughtful as she had remembered my over-the-top fondness for beans, and had consequently made a bean casserole dish which was delicious. It was great spending time with the family again, and Karin was as good as gold throughout. I even had a nurse, and far from crying, she was giggling and gave me a cheeky smile too.The main drawback of this particular trip was the realisation that thesedays, Japan is incredibly expensive. Since my last visit, the Yen has strengthened while most other currencies around the world have depreciated. This gives me some satisfaction as it makes me relieved that I did a lot of travelling when it was more affordable, but on the other hand, I'm expecting to go to Japan in February to conduct a potential 3 month long job search. This will be a risky and certainly an expensive strategy, but such is my love for Japan that it is a chance I'm prepared to take.The only question now is whether to go on a jaunt to Argentina before then......................
]]> Snake encounter... — Busan, Korea Rep. http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1253345040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1253345040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1253345040/tpod.html Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:18:28 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Busan, Korea Rep.

I've seen Oasis live many times now, but there was something about the Jisan Valley performance that made me think that their time was coming to an end. Therefore, I wasn't completely surprised when I heard the news that Noel had left the band after a huge bust-up in Paris! For nine months, I've been trying to convert my students, hoping they'd move away from Korean pop acts like Big Bang and TVXQ, and towards credibility in the form of Oasis and Arctic Monkeys. I think I've had some success, especially with one of my favourite students 'Sam' who emailed me expressing his surprise at the announcement. As a tribute, I devoted half of my speaking class on the following Monday to the era of Britpop 1994-1997, with the students showing a particular penchant for Common People by Pulp!I was still coming to terms with the break up of my childhood heroes when I had a chance encounter with Chi, a new teacher who had just arrived in Korea. She looked a little bit lost and so I took her under my wing, letting her use my computer and drawing maps of the local area. I could understand her feelings as I was in the same boat back in December, with broken heater and delayed luggage to boot! Anyway, I ended up giving her a guided tour of Nowon with <i>another new American teacher also in tow, and it was nice to spend time with a couple of new faces, and they seemed to appreciate my efforts.The issue of us working Saturdays had caused some tension at work, but this all disappeared when it was sheepishly announced that the classes had been cancelled due to a lack of student interest. Who can blame them given the ridiculous amount of work they are given, and it only goes to show what an absurd and utterly pointless idea it was in the first place. In Korea, the concept of 'saving face' is huge, and people put so much emphasis on not letting down/embarrassing themselves in front of their superiors. It is for this reason that I am concious of the fact that our refusal to work every Saturday may come back to haunt us, as I've no doubt our head teacher 'lost face' with the Director because she failed to sweet talk us into accepting.Anyway, with my weekends now free, I was able to resume my exploration of Korea - afterall, I only have a few months left, and I don't plan on returning anytime soon. The weather forecast was great, so I made a last minute decision to head down to Busan and recharge my batteries. I'd booked myself into a reasonably plush, central hotel that was complete with a corner-jacuzzi - a real treat considering I've not had a bath since last December! So, after a three hour train journey on the high-speed KTX, I was strolling around Busan...My hotel was right next to the Sky Tower so naturally, I went to the top for clear views over the city, before I watched a traditional Korean dance whilst basking in the sun. Travelling to new places refreshes my mind, so I was feeling good as I took the subway to Haeundae, home to Korea's most (in)famous beach. This stretch of sand is packed with tens of thousands of sun-worshippers in summer, but thankfully it was a much more pleasant affair on my visit, late on Saturday evening.The next day turned into a more strenuous one than I'd envisaged, but I was rewarded with some fine views. It began with a subway journey to the north of the city, to a temple called Beomeosa. I've been to more awe-inspiring temples before, but it was still worth a visit given its setting high up in the mountains. However, I was soon to go even higher, taking a cable car from close to Oncheonchang subway station. My destination was Geumjeong Sanseong, a mountaintop fortress that looked spectacular in my guidebook, and I was eager to see it for myself...I'd not really done much exercise of late, although my wrists were certainly getting stronger........due to all the essay marking, before anyone gets the wrong idea! So I'd not planned on hiking for the best part of five hours, but I'm glad that I put in the effort as the views were superb. The fortress looked like a mini-Great Wall, snaking off over the mountains and into the distance. Speaking of snakes, it was a surprise when one slithered past my leg when I was hiking through the forest! It didn't seem interested in me at all thankfully, and I managed to get a quick photo before it disappeared into the grass.The great thing about hagwons, at least in my opinion, is the working hours which effectively allow you to have an extended weekend. I was able to spend Sunday evening soaking my weary bones in the jacuzzi and watching the cricket on the plasma-screen TV, before travelling back to Seoul on Monday morning. The joys of travelling were once more in evidence on the train, where I met an apparently famous Korean classical singer, and we chatted for the entire journey. She actually lives in Germany now but had travelled to Busan to record her new album and play a concert! We exchanged contact details so a trip to Berlin could be on the cards in the New Year...
]]> Summer Intensives! — Seoul, Korea Rep. http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1251208664/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1251208664/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1251208664/tpod.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:59:41 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Seoul, Korea Rep.

Vacation over, it was time to put my head down for a few weeks and see out the hectic intensive period. I knew it was going to be a tiring time, but it reached a whole new level when Phil was transferred to another campus at short notice. Work, in their infinite wisdom, decided to lose a third of their foreign staff right in the middle of the busiest period of the year. So Hew and me had to take on more lessons, and an increased essay marking workload.Although I enjoy my job, it is still quite clear that it is poorly organised, and at times it is pure comedy. Judging by the number of similar stories on the message boards, I would suggest that it is a common trait of Korean bussiness practice, and I'll never get my head around some things, such as the way things are <i>always left until the last minute. Communication is often poor as well, with the following examples all occurring in very quick succession:1. Group DinnerEach semester, we have at least one work gathering, which is usually good fun and enjoyable. This time we were going for lunch at VIPs, a nice restaurant featuring a wide variety of food. We were meeting at noon, the only problem being that the foreign teachers didn't know about it! I got a call from Jeunghee at 11.15am telling me about it, and luckily I wasn't busy so I was able to go with Phil (who had been fast asleep). Hew was at the gym so couldn't attend, much to the head teacher's dismay, but you can't blame him given that he only had 45 minutes notice!2. Interview/Essay ClassAfter Phil left, we had a meeting in which they declared we wouldn't have to teach the Interview/Essay class on Mondays anymore, as the Korean teacher was combining the classes to give the students an important lecture. You can imagine our surprise then, when we were told <i>15 minutes before the subsequent class that we would actually be teaching afterall! Even worse, we only found out because Hew asked just to make sure - if he wouldn't have asked, the kids wouldn't have had a teacher. The Korean head teacher simply said "oh yeah, we kind of decided not to change the original schedule." Unbelievable!3. Early Finish.I could discuss these instances all day, but the final one I'll mention is the <i>students telling me that class was going to finish 20 minutes early. This actually happened not once, but <i>twice...and within the space of a week. Apparently the Korean teacher wanted to talk to the students, but she didn't tell Hew or me, so it meant that the students didn't have time to finish their in-class essays on both occasions. They moan when a student doesn't renew for another semester, but it's things like this that create a negative impression. All she had to do was say "Hew and Richard, would you mind finishing class a bit earlier today?" and we could have started the essay writing earlier as well.The next big issue to rear its ugly head was their request for us to work on Saturdays. I might have considered it had it not been for the fact that we were working all day, then going home and marking essays and planning lessons - Hew and me both agreed that we needed our weekends free. They couldn't force us to do it, but I believe that they had already promised the parents "Saturday classes with the foreign teachers" before asking us. So we were in a strong position when we had <i>another meeting with chief negotiator Seunghee, who always starts with five minutes of idle chit-chat - her tactics were too obvious, and straight from "How to make friends and influence people." She would chat about something for a while, and then randomly say "so...Saturday?" and each time I would rebuff her. She was getting more and more desperate, so I threw out an olive branch, suggesting we do every <i>third Saturday...Hew one week, me the next week, and a Korean teacher the third week. This didn't really satisfy her at all, but this was my final offer and so this is exactly what we will do. I felt like I was on Dragons' Den, and I enjoyed every minute of it!Although my social life was very limited during the intensive period, I did manage to meet up with So young a few times, including giving her a guided tour of Nowon where she lived up until 2003. The thing I'll miss most when I leave in December is my apartment which I am so comfortable in, and again we watched a movie in my little 'cinema.' We also met up near Hongdae during the last week of intensives as I was there to pick up my Chinese visa - I was going to mark the end of early morning starts in style, with a whistle-stop visit to Beijing to see my friend Ali and her boyfriend Keith...
]]> Ali and Keith... — Beijing, China http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1251210171/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1251210171/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1251210171/tpod.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:55:01 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Beijing, China

We had extra classes on the final few days of the intensive period, which meant twelve hour days plus lesson preparation/marking at home, not to mention organising the syllabuses and lesson content for the approaching new semester. I didn't stress about it though and had fun with the students, something of a tradition in the last week of semester. Hew and me both felt a sense of achievement at surviving the busiest period of our tenure, and I was especially pleased as I was about to see some familiar faces...I first met my friend Ali when I was travelling in New Zealand, and of course we spent a couple of weeks together in Japan early last year. She has settled down somewhat with her boyfriend Keith, but thankfully they still enjoy a bit of exploration and were doing the Trans-Siberian Express over the course of five weeks. We'd arranged to meet in Beijing as it's only an hour away from Seoul, albeit briefly since I have no more holiday days remaining...I could have done with a sleep-in after so many long days in succession, but alas, I had to wake up at 5.30am on the Saturday to make my way to the airport. Still, it's amazing how much easier it is to rise for a trip, as opposed to going to work! Things went exactly to plan, and within a few hours I was strolling around Tiananmen Square - it always baffles me how you can get from one place to another in the proverbial blink-of-an-eye!I got ripped off with the taxi to the hotel, but I couldn't be bothered complaining for the sake of a few quid, but it reminded me why I am hesitant to live in China for an extended period of time. I must say though, that Beijing was looking great, much better than on my previous visit. The air pollution had gone for the mostpart and had been replaced by blue sky, something I didn't see last time, even though I'd had clear days! There seemed to be more flowers and trees too, and less construction in progress, so it was nice to get a surprisingly positive first impression...I met Ali and Keith at the hotel at 2pm, and we went walking in the hot sun towards the Forbidden City which had left me underwhelmed last time, but on this occasion it sparkled a lot more and was definitely impressive. This was also true of the view from the adjoining park, which offered a chance to appreciate the Forbidden City's vastness. I couldn't believe how clear the air was, and once again I'd been lucky with the weather!I was envious, listening to Ali and Keith as they recounted their experiences in Russia and Mongolia - both sounded like interesting places. I was particularly impressed by the people they'd met, including an old Mongolian lady who had attempted to exchange language with Ali, and a Mongolian family who insisted that they get drunk on vodka! This was in addition to sharing a train with typically stern-looking Russians, who couldn't speak a word of English - priceless experiences.One thing that I really wanted to try on this short trip was the famous Beijing duck, and by chance Ali had seen a restaurant in a guidebook that looked rather suave. We wandered down Wangfujing, the main shopping street, before taking a right and finding the restaurant in The Peninsula Hotel. It was very posh in there, and we weren't really dressed for the occasion, but nobody seemed to mind as we got settled. Surrounded by about half a dozen elegant waitresses, we were spoilt in terms of service <i>and choice...We began with a couple of delicious appetizers, including some melt-in-your-mouth fish that was pure heaven! Then came the main course, and with Ali putting her vegetarianism to one side, we all gave a collective "mmmmm" as we tucked into the duck. I'd never eaten it before so I was intrigued about its taste, and I wasn't disappointed. We were going to stay for dessert, but the allure of the nearby Haagen Das place was too strong, so we went there instead!After an incredibly deep sleep, the three of us reconvened and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast that set us up for the rest of the day. The hotel was situated right next to the Temple of Heaven, a real highlight of my last trip, so we spent a couple of hours strolling around the vast grounds on what was a beautiful, if a little stifling day. I really like the unique Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest due to its bizarre spaceship-like appearance, so it was good to see it again with the surrounding blue sky.It may seem a bit extravagant going to Beijing for the weekend, but I don't think so. I was able to see some famous sights, eat a delicious food speciality, and spend time with two good friends. It sure beats twiddling my thumbs in Nowon!
]]> Meeting Lisa again... — Taipei, Taiwan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1249205905/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1249205905/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1249205905/tpod.html Sun, 02 Aug 2009 06:13:12 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Taipei, Taiwan

It was absolutely scorching on Friday with no cloud cover for respite, but I was pleased as I wanted to get some good views of Taipei. Before that though, I took the subway to the end of the line as I wanted to see the Green Lake, a scenic spot that had a long suspension bridge going over it. I relaxed here for a while, eating a pizza in relative solitude, before getting a taxi to the much-hyped Zhinan Temple. It took a while for the driver to understand my exact destination, but we got there in the end and thankfully he was a good-humoured bloke...I have to say that this temple was an absolute beauty, with incredible colours and such intricate paintwork. Throw in the fact that it had a crystal clear view out over Taipei, and barely any other people there at all, and the result is the perfect temple experience. Whilst I enjoy visiting other temples such as the Longshan, it's not the same when you are surrounded by dozens of tourists snapping away. This was more like my kind of thing...I didn't really plan on going to the zoo in Taipei, but I was quite close to it at this point so I decided to go. It turned out to be a great decision as I got to see pandas for the first time in my life, and they were just as cute as I'd hoped! I sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable when animals are kept in zoos, but obviously it is essential for the pandas, and they seemed happy to be there, frollicking with eachother! Actually the whole zoo was impressive, with large areas for the animals to move around in, and all for a measly one pound entrance fee - great value.I had a quiet evening wandering around Ximen, trying to conserve some energy as I was meeting my friend Lisa the next day. We'd kept in touch since meeting in Kyoto a couple of years ago, and I was looking forward to seeing her again as she is good fun. When I met her the next morning in the hotel foyer, she hadn't changed at all, and I couldn't believe that two years had passed - time flies! I was excited about what my 'tour guide' had in store for me...The first thing on our itinerary was a trip to Chiufen, a scenic little village in the mountains with a gorgeous view out along the coast. Accompanied by Lisa's cousin Natasha, we had a gentle stroll along an apparently famous street that was chock full of souvenir shops and restaurants. I was really touched when Lisa paid an artist to write my name in decorative, Chinese-style writing - it made for a perfect souvenir of my time in Taiwan. We then went to eat meatballs, with the girls amused by my use of the chopsticks! I can comfortably use them, but I still struggle to cut things with them and I maintain that a knife is much more efficient!Lisa was travelling with her friend Amy when I met them in Japan, so it was also nice to see her again after finishing off at the restaurant. The four of us then got in the car to head down the coast, with me teasing Lisa about her uncanny ability to momentarily get lost! It was only in jest though as she was a perfect chauffeur, and could easily become a taxi driver if she is ever out of work! Anyway, we stopped for a while at a lookout next to the beach, before continuing onto a geographical park...The park was situated right next to the ocean, and the main attractions were some strange examples of erosion, which bizarrely took on the shape of the Queen's head! At times, it felt like we were on another planet as I'd not seen rock formations like these before, and it created an eerie environment. We had a pleasant hour strolling around and taking photos, and it was nice to feel the sea breeze.We ended the day back at Shilin Night Market which somehow managed to be even busier than two days previous. It was amusing to see a couple riding along on their scooter, complete with golden retriever hanging out of the side - perhaps a little dangerous, but the dog seemed remarkably content! I was able to try many of the local delicacies as I had my three friends on hand to explain them all, although I drew the line at pig's blood!We took the food into a local karaoke place, where we stayed for three hours, drinking and eating! I was disappointed that Oasis were nowhere to be seen in the songbook, so the fact remains that Japanese karaokes are by far the best ones that I've encountered.I have a little over four months left in Korea, and I am starting to think about what I am going to do afterwards. As my personal circumstances change, so too do my options that at times seem to be unlimited - the world is indeed my oyster. This is a nice 'problem' to have in many ways, but it still needs a lot of attention to make sure that I choose the best option for me. I only spent a short amount of time in Taiwan, but I experienced enough to know that I could live there happily in the future, maybe even as early as next year...&nbsp;
]]> Summer holiday... — Taipei, Taiwan http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1249204370/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1249204370/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1249204370/tpod.html Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:36:27 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Taipei, Taiwan

I'd been thinking about visiting Taiwan ever since landing in Korea last December, but I'd not had enough vacation days to warrent the journey. When I was too ill to see my Taiwanese friend on her visit to Seoul in April, it made me extra-determined to squeeze in a trip so that I could finally see her again, and our academy's three day summer holiday (so generous) was the ideal opportunity...It had been a difficult couple of weeks for a variety of reasons, not least because of the stressful intensive period, so I was excited and relieved as I made my way to the airport early on Wednesday morning. I'd barely had any time to do any research, so I spent most of the journey reading my Lonely Planet guide to get an idea of what I wanted to see and do.Once in Taiwan, I took a bus and the subway to find my hotel, which was perfectly situated in the busy area of Ximen. It was very reminiscent of Myeong dong, with an abundance of shops and scantily clad girls - so a fine area to be based in. The first thing that I noticed was the unbelievable amount of scooters whizzing around, so I had to take care when crossing the street! In addition, despite the bustling environment, I found the streets to be much cleaner than in Korea, where finding a rubbish bin is like searching for a needle in a haystack at times.After getting comfortable in my hotel, I braved the heat and ventured to Longshan Temple early evening, where the locals gather to chant eerily as they pray. I got accosted by a man trying to sell something or other, but I wasn't having any of it, especially as he stated that James Bond was from Germany! He needs to work on his selling technique, especially when dealing with English folk...I then ventured over to the world's tallest building, namely the Taipei 101. It absolutely dwarfs everything else around, and the bamboo-like structure was just begging to be climbed, so I duely obliged...via the world's fastest elevator! I can never resist going to the top of these huge buildings as the views are often sublime, and this was no exception, especially once dark had descended and the sprawling city was lit up.After the best night's sleep in months, I went a bit further afield to a place called Yongning, home to a temple I wanted to visit. I was annoyed with my guidebook as it said it was a 15 minute walk from the subway station, but this was complete nonsense and I would have wasted over an hour in the searing heat had it not been for a friendly old lady who gave me a ride. The temple was up in the mountains so I could get decent views, though I really wanted to find a spot with the 101 building in the distance - I'd have to wait until the next day for that.I filled up the rest of my day with a visit to the CKS Memorial Hall, an intriguing structure that housed a gigantic monument inside, complete with armed soldiers looking ominously on. I followed this up with a trip to the Shilin Night Market, although I did manage to get lost en route...easily done in a city of Taipei's size. Still, it was definitely worth the effort as I love the atmosphere at these kinds of markets, with the narrow alleyways and people crammed in like sardines. There is so much going on that tests all of your senses, as the bright lights glow, whilst the street vendors shout incessantly and the smell of the diverse assortment of food wafts through the air...
]]> A chaotic week... — Seoul, Korea Rep. http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1248687213/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1248687213/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1248687213/tpod.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:44:27 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Seoul, Korea Rep.

The first week of the summer intensive period was pure chaos, and incredibly busy. It began in dramatic fashion when a new student complained about one of Philip's classes, apparently saying that he wasn't prepared and looked unorganised. Unfortunately, one of our head teachers was observing his class and she wasn't amused, so I could sense trouble brewing. When the new student quit later that evening, and another one threatened to, it was the beginning of the end for Phil - hagwons place more importance on the childr....I mean <i>money.....than the teachers because ultimately, it is a business afterall.I feel for Philip because he hasn't been here that long, and the intensive period marked the beginning of us teaching a whole range of classes, including Reading and Listening. We were only told about this on the Thursday before, giving little chance to prepare as we also had essays to mark and syllabuses to write. The organisation at work is laughable for such a large and successful company, and Hew and me often joke about it, saying it's reminiscent of a Benny Hill sketch! We can just imagine that annoying music being played while the head teachers run around, looking flummoxed! If you aren't familiar with Benny Hill, youtube it! Thesedays I'm very laid back about such scenarios as I only have four months left anyway, and as long as I do my job and prepare well, then I'll always be able to sleep at night.The point is that while Philip may have been unprepared, and should shoulder some of the responsability, he is only partly culpable - yet he is getting all of the blame! As a result, he has been suspended from teaching the new classes, and will transfer to another campus in the near future which will involve basic teaching from a textbook - easy but very dull. It's true, our job can be very stressful because of the seemingly endless preparation and marking, but I wouldn't swap it purely because the students are amazing kids - little geniuses - and I feel proud to be helping them in their quest to get into a foreign language high school.As if this wasn't stressful enough, things finally came to a head between Lee and me in the middle of the week. Despite having a lot of good times together, we inexplicably always seemed to end up arguing over something small and minor, so I think we both realised that things wouldn't work out long term. It was a shame, but hopefully we can remain good friends because in some ways, we are very similar and share a common outlook on life...I felt better as the weekend approached, although I was drained from the very early starts and the late nights preparing for class - it never stopped! I even had to stay up late on Friday night, marking twenty essays at an average of four per hour, before following it up with another twenty on Saturday! It was a real marathon, but I felt a sense of achievement afterwards, and I could <i>finally look forward to Sunday...All week, I'd been boring my students with talk of Oasis as the countdown was on, and finally the day had arrived. After my relationship with Lee fell through, I decided to ask my Korean friend Chester if he wanted to join me - he was overjoyed as he'd never been to a festival before. So I met him early on Sunday, and we caught a couple of buses to get to the venue...It was great to see so many Korean fans walking around with Oasis t-shirts on, and Union Jacks draped over their shoulders - however many years I spend abroad, I'll always be British and proud of it. There was a good atmosphere surrounding the event, and it was set in a beautiful forest with lots of greenery and small mountains. The weather was great as well, creating a slightly red tinge to my skin, something that my students ribbed me about the next day!In terms of music, we saw a really entertaining Korean band on the main stage with guest appearance from the Mimi Sisters, and I was really impressed with a Japanese band called Asian Kung Fu Generation. Chester was also lucky enough to spot a Korean celebrity milling around, so I took a photo for him! When the Australian band Jet played their set, we began to get into position ready for when Oasis came on, and we were able to get pretty close to the front.I love the build up to Oasis coming on stage, as the excitement builds and the loudspeakers play some of the band's favourites such as Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses and The La's. There was plenty of jostling for position, and then all hell broke loose when Oasis finally emerged at 9.30pm. It was a solid performance as usual, and Noel seemed to be enjoying it for once. Liam was very appreciative to the Korean fans who were ultra-enthusiastic, but at the same time, he seemed very angry with regards his older brother - no change there then!An impressive fireworks display marked the end of the festival, and Chester was clearly buzzing about seeing Oasis for the first time. I will always remember Maine Road '96 for as long as I live, and I hope he also has similar feelings about Britain's best band performing at Jisan '09...
]]> Driving around... — Jeju Island, Jeju, Korea Rep. http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1248525400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1248525400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rich/6/1248525400/tpod.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 05:29:29 -0400 Teaching in South Korea...
Jeju Island, Jeju, Korea Rep.

It was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I'd decided that I wanted a taste of Jeju Island, since most Koreans rave about its beauty. "The Korean Hawaii," they say. I've always expected this to be something of an exaggeration, particularly in light of the Korean tendency to hype up their country. Regardless, I wanted to see for myself...The trip didn't start well as I had a splitting headache when I met Lee at the airport, but thankfully it had settled down by the time we were in the air. The flight time was less than one hour, so before we knew it, we were there! I felt well-informed about our destination since one of my students, Hye sun, had given me the lowdown earlier on in the week. I promised to buy her some Jeju chocolates as a thankyou, and I naturally obliged...We based ourselves in Seogwipo on the south coast for our 3 night trip as it supposedly had a more relaxed feel than Jeju City, and it was a very good choice looking back. The hotel was pretty decent as well, but after checking in, we went to eat one of Jeju's specialities, namely black pork. It tasted delicious, and washed down with bokbunja - well, let's say it was a nice start to the holiday. We then finished off the evening with a stroll down to Cheonjiyeon to see the impressive waterfalls, set in a lovely peaceful forest.The next morning was a little stressful as we tried to find a car to rent - most places had sold out! I didn't feel relaxed at all as I thought a car was essential. I'd even traipsed to City Hall earlier in the week to obtain a Korean license, such was my desire to cruise around. Thankfully the information centre found us one, so it wasn't long until we were on our merry way.We headed to Manjanggul first, a huge network of caves that were reasonably impressive, although I don't think either of us were blown away. Still, it kept us out of the rain as most of Korea was being battered by a monsoon, before we drove to the east coast to have a look at Ilchulbong, although it was slightly obscured by mist. I overcame my seafood phobia to eat some really nice fish in a local restaurant, as I didn't want to deprive Lee who really enjoys it.The weather was a lot better the next day, so we decided to focus our attention on the south-western corner of the island as it's packed with things to see and do. We found a beautiful, secluded waterfall that had a heavenly pool adjacent to it, and I couldn't resist going for a swim! It was so refreshing, and it felt great being so isolated - like Lee said, it was like a scene from a movie.I've seen dozens of temples in recent years, but Yaekchonsa will take some beating (although I've said that a few times). This collossal building was incredible, with its intricate paintings and bronze buddha statues. We could walk up to the second and third floors for some superb views, and I would have been happy to have stayed there all day - I was in awe! Also impressive was a smaller building nearby that had another buddha statue, and hundreds of smaller figures - strange but intriguing.We spent the last few hours of Sunday exploring the Sanbangsan region, climbing up to Sanbanggulsa which was a cute little temple actually inside a cave. There we had a drink of the water that was dripping from the ceiling, and admired the view out to the ocean. The car had to be back at the depot early in the evening, but we'd managed to fit a lot in, also spending some time at the busy and exclusive Jungmun beach.Our last evening on Jeju Island was spent at a restaurant with an excellent view out over the sea, and I think we both agreed that it was a very tranquil place to stay, and I could quite easily see myself living there if I was to return to Korea at some stage. Maybe I'm getting old, or a little homesick, but right now&nbsp;I crave the country life with its clean air and green grass...
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