Last day of Korea Summer Writers Camp

6.8.2010

7:00 Wake

7:30 Prep

8:30 Breakfast

9:30- Teach

2:30 Reader’s Theatre Performance

4:30 Author’s Chair

5:30 Clean up

7:00 Gwanghamun with Helena

12:30 NIIED They had looked the doors and I wasn’t sure I would be able to get in.

Today was our last day with our students at the Young Writers Camp. It seemed that just when we got going, the term is over. For our last session together, we had our Author's Chair, where the students read their published work to their peers and get feedback.

Teacher Mimi and Group L

Teacher Eun Jeung and Group L

Min Soo and his final published book, Big Pig Day

Three Scary Stories by Edward

Almost all the students read. One student dramatized his story. While his English language development is limited, he was not shy about acting out his three small stories. The children loved it. I was charmed.

Helena invited me to her home for dinner for samgaetan, a traditional chicken stew. And for dessert we had watermelon and berry ice cream. It was special to be invited into a Korean home and share a meal, conversation and laughs.

Samgaetan, (chicken stew), a traditional Korean summer food.

© Hector Lee, 2010

Hello from Seoul

Hi Hector,

Remember me from San Francisco? How have you been?

I am in Seoul these days, and I happened to see someone just like you yesterday near Namdaemun market. So, I had to send you an email JUST IN CASE!

If not, that must be your twin you never knew existed.

Anyways, hope you are well.

Heather

*************

Hi Heather:

I have been teaching in Seoul for a week so maybe you did see me. You should have said hello or it could have been my twin.

I am at the NIIED center near Marronier Park near Hyehwa station. It would be good to see you if you have time. I leave this Saturday.

I forgot you had come to Seoul. Thanks for dropping a line.

Hector

************

Funny. Small world doesn’t quite capture it.

It turned out that Heather lives near Namdaemun Market and had seen me with Helena. We made plans to see each other later in the week and catch up on life.

3.8.2010

7:30 Wake

8;00 Breakfast

9:00 Prep

10-5:30 Teach

7:00 To Insadon for bibimbap

We liked bibimbap so much, we went back another time. I thought I would be daring and get the traditional one with raw beef--but all the ingredients were cooked.

4. 8.2010

7:00 Wake

7:30 Prep

8:00 Breakfast w/ Summer

10-5:30 Teach

7:00 Dinner

5.8. 2010

6:30 Wake

7:00 Prep

7:30 Hike

8:30 Breakfast

9:30-5:30 Teach

6:00 Meet with Heather

11:00 Write Report Cards

More BBQ thinly sliced beef.

Education

Helena tells me that there is great stress on education in Korea because of the great competition to get into universities. Students are told, “no play, no sleep, no time to go out with friends.” There is a Korean saying she tells me, “Four hours of sleep, a successful student. Five hours of sleep, a poor student.” It points to the great emphasis Korean culture puts on education. Korea has limited natural resources so it pools its assets into its best resource: human capital. This has brought the country a high standard of living. But it comes with a cost: a place for those who are not so academically or scholastically inclined. It must be a difficult challenge for those with other intelligences—and to find a way to prosper with them. Like all cultural aspects of a culture, this emphasis on education has a light and dark side.

© Hector Lee, 2010

Touring with a native.

Women dressed in hanboks, traditional Korean dress.

There is nothing like being with a native when visiting a country.

Lori asked me to call up her sister, Yoon Jeong (Helena) who lives in Seoul while I was visiting. After attending Mass at the Cathedral I met up with her at Gwanghamum metro station. Before we went to the palace, we went to Changbok, a neighborhood with traditional Korean homes. Unfortunately, we could see them only from the outside. They had upsloping wooden roofs and small wooden frame windows with wonderful wooden doors. We did get to stop in a gallery that was formerly a home so we could imagine what the homes are like. The rooms surround a small could yard. The floors are made of wood and soji sliding doors separate the rooms.

Myeong-dong Cathedral

Sejong the Great (1397-1450) is remembered for the creation of Hangul (Korean language), scientific advancements and expanding Korean territory.

We then went to Cheongdaek palace, which Helena says is a small but the most elegant palace. The place is a Unesco site and is beautifully laid out. The large structures are painted in bright blue, red, pink, green and yellow. While the day was cloudy, it was still hot and muggy to be outdoors. We took breaks to rest in shade and drank lots of water. The palace is connected to a secret garden which comprises 60% of the grounds. It was where the royal family retreated for relaxation and recreation. It was naturally wooded among which the Korean kings build ponds, pavilions and structures. While it was a "small" palace, we needed refreshment afterwards especially from the heat.

After a small break, we headed to Namdaemun Market, a market of cheap, inexpensive materials and chotchkees. I was told many Asians liked to come to buy the inexpensive clothes.

We then headed for an artsy bohemian part of town for ogyabsal, a 5 layer fat pork that is barbecued over hot coals. Yes it was very greasy but very delicious. I will have to have it again some time.

But the best part of this was connecting with Helena as a person with aspirations, accomplishments and dreams. This despite the fact that I do not speak Korean and that Helena doesn't have the facility with English that she has with Korean. I realize how language development is so crucial to communicating feelings and ideas, and how much we take for granted when we have a developed language base.

View from the dining room on Bukchon.

At Cheongdaek Palace

Palvilion at Cheongdaek Palace where the King would esconce with his beloved.

Beautiful animal forms on the roofs meant to ward away evil spirits

Koreans invented ondol heating, underfloor heating which uses direct heat from burning wood to heat the underside of a masonry floor. This is the furnace for ondol heating at Cheongdaek Palace.

At Cheongdeok Palace with Helena, Yoon Jeong

Helena and I stopped for a snack after visiting Cheongdeok Palace. In the men's bathroom, there were small round brownies over the urinal. Hmmm. Why would there be brownies in the restroom?

I mentioned it to Helena. She clarified that the "brownies" were the discarded expresso grounds. Duh. Makes sense.

Namdaemun Market

Ginseng for sale.

Ogyeopsal is "five layer fat pork" But after it is barbequed and cut it shrinks into crunchy, tasty bits of pork. Yum-yum.

2.8.2010

7:30 Wake

8:15 Breakfast

9:00 Prep

10-5:30 Teach

7:00 Dinner

Summer breeze.

I was in Lombardia Café on Monday morning with my open sketchbook when a young woman with a disarming smile and eyes greeted me.

“Anyeo haseo”

“Anyeo haseo,” I responded.

“You are an artist.”

“Yes, I illustrate.”

“Your work should be in a gallery.”

I smiled. “Oh no, this art is not fit for viewing.”

“But I do illustrate, or used to illustrate, children’s books”

“Oh a children’s book illustrator. I would like to talk to you.”

“I am here at NIIED. When do you want to meet?”

“I don’t know where NIIED is.”

“I have breakfast everyday from 8:00-9:00 if you want to meet then.”

We exchanged email.

She stopped momentarily and clarified, “You know, this is not a hook up. I am not in love with you.”

I smiled, “Oh I am not either.” I was thinking that I don’t play on her team. Later told her I was gay and we laughed.

On Wednesday, she showed me her portfolio. It was lovely. The subject matter was very broad: from somber and dark to whimsical and light. She employed a variety of media: watercolor, acrylic, gouache, pastel, pen & ink, scratchboard, collage…. I counseled her to choose one media (pastel, she said). I should have told her to narrow her subject matter.

I found the encounter inspirational and moving. It inspired me to see the time and effort she put into her art. But her personal life is complicated: She lives with her French boyfriend, in what sounds like a relationship not sanctioned by her family or Korean society. The boyfriend, who is a photographer, has tried mold her and has not been very supportive of her work. I encouraged her to be brave and find ways of exploring her art by going to school. But resources are a challenge. She must work to support herself and her hours do not allow for evening or Saturday classes. She seemed like a little bird wanting to fly but caught in a cage of societal and cultural expectations, complicated by an unconventional, and complex relationship. So sweet she is. I hope she finds a way to share her art.

© Hector Lee, 2010

Field trip

31.7.10

7:00 Wake

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Leave to Incheon

12:00 Arrive: Pizza, Eat, Glaze Pottery

3:00 Leave Incheon

4:30 Arrive Seoul

7:00 Pho for Dinner

Field trips can be exciting and engaging and almost always exhausting.

Today we went to Incheon on a field trip. We had planned to see a pottery museum. Unfortunately, what should have been a 1.5 hour ride was 3 hours (not a good idea to have drunk coffee this morning) and so we had to cancel the visit to the museum. My bus arrived a little later and the students already there were sitting in groups of 10 or so in a large open hanger.

The facilitator instructed the students that every two students were to make a pizza pie. They were called up in groups to get their ingredients. For some 100 students it took a while before my 1st and 2nd graders, who were in the back of the building, to get their ingredients. Then there was baking all these pies in electric ovens that baked only 6 pizzas at a time. The students began to line up in the humid hanger by the hot oven. They were amazingly patient. They were eventually told to sit down and the pie tins were stacked and baked with no regard as to whose pie was whose. Not surprisingly, it took a while before the children were served. While we were waiting, some students observed a potter throw pots. By around 2:00, the children were served—after eating any snacks they had brought with them. Each of my students got about 2 slices—which seemed enough at the time but insufficient for the long journey home. Then there were plenty of pizza pies left over.

The students were then invited to get some bisque ware to glaze. But by that time my students were done. They completed their project and ran around the hanger to get their energy out and keep cool. We started our journey home and got back to Seoul in 1.5 hours--much faster than this morning. The parents were waiting at the dorms when we arrived. What a day.

Phil and MinSoo hanging out.

Jenny and Jennifer waiting for pizza ingredients.

Amy and Jenny with the uncooked pizza pies.

© Hector Lee, 2010

 

Sachoom

28.7.10

7:00 Wake

8:30 Breakfast

10:00 Work

6:30 Gwanghwamun with Yoon Jeong

8:00 Sachoom

When I told Lori, who is Korean, that I was going to Seoul for two weeks she gave me her sister’s number and urged me to call her when I arrived. I called Yoon Jeong (Helena) and made plans to meet up with her near Gwanghwamun.

Sometimes meeting a friend of a friend can be a bit awkward. While I know Lori I may not be able to connect to her sister. But it was a treat to meet a native so kind and patient. Yoon Jeong runs her own media consultancy business. She had a client to see that evening and gave him tickets to a musical/dance review. While we were there, we met up with the production manager, who invited us to stay for the show—Sachoom. The show's simple story is about dancing. What a treat.

29.7.10

7:30 Wake

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Prep

10-5:30 Work

6:30 Dinner

30.7.2010

8:00 Wake

8:30 Breakfast

9:30 Prep

10-5:30 Work

6:00 Dinner

7:00 Show

Fresh Seafood.

Last night I was people watching in Hyehwa. On a particular corner, street vendors sold seafood: steamed mussels and snails and live octopus and red sea cucumber which were in oxygenated tanks. One couple ordered octopus and the vendor pulled out one elegant creature from the tank. She disemboweled the animal and proceeded to cut it up with a knife. She placed it on a plate, garnished it with sauce and onions and served it. The couple began to eat it even as the tentacles were still alive and moving. I wish I had tried it.

© Hector Lee, 2010

bibimbap

Food street vendors in Hyehwa.

27.7.10

6:30 Wake

8:00 Breakfast

10:00 work

6:30 Insadon: bibimbop

Today was our first full day of teaching and what a long day it was. Perhaps I will acclimate to the back to back classes by the end of this week.

We also went to Insadon where we had some delicious bibimbop—white rice with seasoned vegetables, gochujang (chile paste), sliced meat and a raw egg. It was served in a very hot stone bowl and the ingredients are mixed before eating. Yummy.

While the portrait doesn't look like Elly--her attitude is accurate.

© Hector Lee, 2010