Wow, what an incredible trek through Japan!
We have oodles and oodles of exciting updates to share with you over the next couple of weeks. It'll be quite the task to pick out all of the highlights from the thousands of pictures and hours upon hours of video footage, but we'll be working feverishly to get the job done.
We'll keep you posted!
- Ken & Jess
Showing posts with label EPIK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EPIK. Show all posts
Monday, 1 March 2010
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Welcome to Korea!
HELLO AND WELCOME TO ALL 2010 EPIK GUEST ENGLISH TEACHERS!!!
Jess and I would like to give a warm welcome to all of the new Guest English Teachers who will be arriving from all corners of the globe next week. Good luck with your orientation!
Remember, if you travel with an open mind, a positive attitude, and a little spontaneity, adventure will find you…
Now for the bad news…
A few weeks ago, Jess and I were asked by the Gyeongbuk EPIK Coordinator for the Provincial Office of Education to act as ambassadors. We were to help escort you from Jeonju University to the designated meeting point to be paired with your co-teachers. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to help out in this regard as we will be out of the country during that time.
Now back to good news…
Did I say out of the country? Oh ya, I forgot to tell you…
WE’RE GOING TO JAPAN!!!
Our trip is booked from February 14th – 26th, so please come back and visit for all of our exciting updates when we get back!
See you in a few weeks!
With lots and lots of love,
- Ken & Jess
Jess and I would like to give a warm welcome to all of the new Guest English Teachers who will be arriving from all corners of the globe next week. Good luck with your orientation!
Remember, if you travel with an open mind, a positive attitude, and a little spontaneity, adventure will find you…
Now for the bad news…
A few weeks ago, Jess and I were asked by the Gyeongbuk EPIK Coordinator for the Provincial Office of Education to act as ambassadors. We were to help escort you from Jeonju University to the designated meeting point to be paired with your co-teachers. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to help out in this regard as we will be out of the country during that time.
Now back to good news…
Did I say out of the country? Oh ya, I forgot to tell you…
WE’RE GOING TO JAPAN!!!
Our trip is booked from February 14th – 26th, so please come back and visit for all of our exciting updates when we get back!
See you in a few weeks!
With lots and lots of love,
- Ken & Jess
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Adventure Map for KenandJess2go (version 2)
*Added "Yeongdeok" and "Yeongyang"!
[caption id="attachment_706" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Adventure Map for KenandJess2go (version 2)"]
[/caption]
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Adventure Map for KenandJess2go
[caption id="attachment_663" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Adventure Map for KenandJess2go"]
[/caption]
[/caption]
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Gyeongbuk EPIK Get-Together in Daegu
The get-together or “business trip” that Gyeongbuk EPIK (English Program In Korea) held turned out to be quite the pre-holidays party.
With accommodations at the New Young Nam Hotel in Daegu, all English teachers met in the hotel’s swanky, tinseled-up restaurant, carrying wrapped boxes of gifts from the Gyeongbuk EPIK managers.
We had a glorious feast prepared for us – buffet style – where you could find fresh, handmade sushi, pork ribs, sticky in a lush, red sauce, buttery pastas, spiced sausages, delectable desserts, and more…
Listening to some quality music from two exceptionally paired vocalists, all of the teachers happily ate to their satisfaction, drank as much beer as they could (the restaurant’s home-brewed beer was free and unlimited until 9:00pm), and opened their presents. Our lovely holiday gifts from our managers turned out to be a solid black EPIK organizer, a smashing black bag for our books and groceries, and the traditional Korean game yoonori – a typical ‘get-to-the-finish-line’ game played on New Year’s Day (sometimes involving money :)).
Taking in some holiday caroling from the Andong teachers (including Corey and Ilana), and cheering on or sometimes sympathizing with some of the other English teachers’ experiences, the night finally came to a close, and most of the teachers left for their homes…
MOST of the teachers.
The unlimited, home-brewed beer was quite tempting. Especially since that beer had a slight caramel-like accent, a rich aftertaste, and was served in rustic, two-and-a-half-litre glass bottles. Suffice to say, we had our fill of it.
With the few teachers that were left, Ken and I took out our newly-received yoonori game, and we all started to play, throwing 1,000 won ($1) bills into our betting pot.
I won the game, of course, having years of experience throwing the four yoonori sticks with a personalized technique. The boys were certain that I was cheating. My prize – 3,000 Korean won. I left the remaining 1,000 won in the pot to keep the game going.
Minutes after the following dialogue, Ken and I decided to call it quits.
“Jess, it’s your turn,” Ken would say.
I would reply back, “Ken, I’ve already won (showing him my three 1,000 won bills).”
(circling around one round of players…)
“Jess, come on, it’s your turn,” Ken would say, again.
“Ken,” I would stress back, “I’ve already won.”
After a couple more cycles of this, I decided to retire Ken. We, and two others, were the last ones left in the entire restaurant.
Thank-you for another wonderful experience, EPIK. We’re so fortunate to have you.
- Jess
With accommodations at the New Young Nam Hotel in Daegu, all English teachers met in the hotel’s swanky, tinseled-up restaurant, carrying wrapped boxes of gifts from the Gyeongbuk EPIK managers.
We had a glorious feast prepared for us – buffet style – where you could find fresh, handmade sushi, pork ribs, sticky in a lush, red sauce, buttery pastas, spiced sausages, delectable desserts, and more…
Listening to some quality music from two exceptionally paired vocalists, all of the teachers happily ate to their satisfaction, drank as much beer as they could (the restaurant’s home-brewed beer was free and unlimited until 9:00pm), and opened their presents. Our lovely holiday gifts from our managers turned out to be a solid black EPIK organizer, a smashing black bag for our books and groceries, and the traditional Korean game yoonori – a typical ‘get-to-the-finish-line’ game played on New Year’s Day (sometimes involving money :)).
Taking in some holiday caroling from the Andong teachers (including Corey and Ilana), and cheering on or sometimes sympathizing with some of the other English teachers’ experiences, the night finally came to a close, and most of the teachers left for their homes…
MOST of the teachers.
The unlimited, home-brewed beer was quite tempting. Especially since that beer had a slight caramel-like accent, a rich aftertaste, and was served in rustic, two-and-a-half-litre glass bottles. Suffice to say, we had our fill of it.
With the few teachers that were left, Ken and I took out our newly-received yoonori game, and we all started to play, throwing 1,000 won ($1) bills into our betting pot.
I won the game, of course, having years of experience throwing the four yoonori sticks with a personalized technique. The boys were certain that I was cheating. My prize – 3,000 Korean won. I left the remaining 1,000 won in the pot to keep the game going.
Minutes after the following dialogue, Ken and I decided to call it quits.
“Jess, it’s your turn,” Ken would say.
I would reply back, “Ken, I’ve already won (showing him my three 1,000 won bills).”
(circling around one round of players…)
“Jess, come on, it’s your turn,” Ken would say, again.
“Ken,” I would stress back, “I’ve already won.”
After a couple more cycles of this, I decided to retire Ken. We, and two others, were the last ones left in the entire restaurant.
Thank-you for another wonderful experience, EPIK. We’re so fortunate to have you.
- Jess
Sunday, 18 October 2009
EPIK In-Service Training, TEMF Hotel and Our Weekend in Gyeongju City
It was a reunion for all of the EPIK teachers and for many, it was the perfect opportunity to share lesson plans, lesson ideas, their newfound experiences and the numerous comments (both praising and negative) that they all had about their Korean co-teachers.
It was saddening to hear that some native English teachers couldn’t bear to be at the schools chosen for them, and it was even further disheartening hearing that some had such a horrible relationship with their Korean co-teachers. I guess Ken and I lucked-out, big-time. Our co-teachers were humble angels, and we both couldn’t have had a better teaching situation thrown at us.
What was fantastic about this conference was that the representatives from the Gyeongbuk Province of Education (Gyeongbuk POE) were able to hear the comments and complaints from both the native English teachers and Korean co-teachers (separately, of course). Possible solutions were also drawn up from all of the teachers alike.
***
The accommodations that were provided for all of us 300 English and Korean teachers were absolutely spectacular. We were set up in a beautiful hotel (dedicated towards hosting educational conferences) and it was mind-blowing. Gyeongju is a beautiful city, and Ken and I had a breathtaking view from our room: the famous man-made, crystal-clear lake, the city’s towering roller coaster theme park, and the outstanding expo structures that were all around the city. I felt privileged to be treated to one night at such a well-established hotel. The two-day conference was well worth our time (not just because of the buffet lunch and dinner), and I hope that they’ll host another one in the near future.
***
We were in Gyeongju. It was one of the most recommended cities to visit in Korea. With its unforgettable history in the Silla Dynasty and its beautiful garden city-like landscape, we couldn’t just leave after only one night. We had to stay for the weekend.
Thank-goodness Corey and Illana (once again, the two bestest teachers in the world!) decided to stay in Gyeongju as well, which led to double-biking around the man-made lake, paddle-boating in a lily-white swan, a bus tour of all of the major sightseeing areas in Gyeongju, and finally a chilly outdoor concert in the black inky night, filled with tons of traditional dance and music (no tempting, mouth-watering, tantalizing octopus this time!).
On our first real day in Gyeongju, Corey, Illana, Ken, and I decided to go double-seated biking around the man-made lake (the ATVs caught the boys’ attention, but the double-seated bikes won out in the end…yeah girl power!). The first place we went to was right around the corner from the hotel, and as pushy as the lady was, we decided not to rent bikes from her. Plus, Ken must’ve been put off by the baseball-sized, black dinosaur poop that he his shoe smushed. All of us didn’t know that it was mutated dog feces until the ajumma yelled, “Eee…dohng!” (“Eww…poo!) in Korean, of course.
We walked closer and closer to the lake, until we reached a tourist area filled with small, desolate family restaurants, convenience stores, and a number of bike- and ATV-rental shops. An ajushee pulled us in with his bright and cheery smile, and “I give you good price!” He actually gave us a good price. 6,000 won per double-seated bicycle for an hour-and-a-half. Ken picked out a red-hot double-bike, and Corey’s was slick in silver and chrome-red. They tested their bikes out for their ladies (it almost looked like they were trying to escape from us…) and we were off. Aside from the bruises I got from my knees constantly hitting my handlebars (Ken was peddling so fast…which meant I was peddling fast too…), the scenic ride was quite energizing and enjoyable (especially when I would rest my feet up on the metal bar…it made for some smoother video shots…well, not really). We probably weren’t supposed to go off-trail, but the walking paths just didn’t’ seem to line up.
Just when we were at the highest point around the top of the mountain, and the furthest point we could get from the bike-rental, Ken and I looked back to see Corey and Ilana disappearing into the distance. They were stalled right on the empty crimson-brown sidewalk.
Turns out the rusty chain handling their back wheel snapped, making the bike almost unable to be ridden…almost. With Ilana comfortably sitting on the back seat, Corey powerfully scootered the bike relatively quickly, all the way back to the bike-rental shop, with Ken and I following closely behind.
***
After returning our one-and-a-half bikes, we watched the radiant scarlet sunset from the side of the lake, with a three-manned band, playing traditional “Tibetan” music. It was beautiful to drown in the music while the sun set, but unfortunately, I don’t think popular 80’s American hits (with bells and chimes played during the songs) exactly captured Tibet’s culture.
Next, we decided upon the swan paddleboat. With the temperature dipping below my comfort level (my fingers were already purple), we set off on the water, the boys with their frosty Hite beer, and Illana and I shivering frostily inside our lifejackets. The sounds of only the cool water gently sweeping passed our boat and the light paddling underneath it, were enough to keep us appreciative and loving of this beautiful area.
Soon, we were getting pretty hungry. We headed back in the direction of the hotel in search of some savoury food. One strip in particular caught our eyes (really, it was closest, most colourful strip of vibrant signs we had encountered in on our walk). We decided to check it out, and took favour upon two fried chicken restaurants. The boys were insistent on having fried chicken with the sauces on the side, so we went back and forth, between the two restaurants, trying to explain that we wanted the sauce ‘on the side or…separate from the chicken’. After some confused words passed back and forth between me and the managers, our final decision came out to the little chicken restaurant on the ground floor, with only the two managers (an ajumma and her husband) dining on an elevated part of the floor beside us, eating supper and watching their television (the restaurant was almost full with all six of us).
Korean Fried Chicken is amazing. Did you know that? It is so light and perfectly crispy, that Ken and I go crazy for it every time it is ordered.
With a full day over and all four of us, exhausted from actively making something of our day, we retired in our ondol room, deeply asleep on the heated floor.
***
The next day, we waited anxiously for the bus, which would guide us on our tour of Gyeongju City. Unfortunately, the entire tour was in Korean and the tour guide only spoke Korean (fortunately, the intro CDs provided some info on the sights in English). Looking to me, she dubbed me the Korean-to-English translator-for-the-day, which was less-than-fantastic, because she kept on using ridiculous terms for which I didn’t know the meaning.
We visited many, many sites, and for a few of them: the Gyeongju Ancient Royal Tombs, the Seokguram Grotto, and the Bulguksa Temple, the most famous in the city, we wouldn’t have been able to see in one single day. The tour was definitely worth it. Before departing from the tour, we made sure to buy Gyeonju’s famous bread (there were these bbang ‘bread’ stores all over Gyeongju), which tasted like sweet cinnamon pancakes sandwiching sugared red-bean paste on the inside. The reason for the bread was that in Gyeongju’s history, there wasn’t very much in terms of meat and produce to make many other foods, so this bread was made in such quantity, and is today, the prized traditional product of Gyeongju.
Our last major event of the night was right in the tourist area beside the lake (where we rented our double-seated bikes). We had heard from some of the other English teachers that there was a show with many traditional Korean performances. We were lucky enough to see traditional dances with large feathery fans, dances with standing drums (reminding me of my lovely mother), music with traditional drums and cymbals, and the shrill sounds of the music sung by young Korean ladies. They were all wearing silky rainbow-coloured hanboks (traditional Korean wear), and we were glad to have caught the show.
Our final supper in Gyeongju was right above the stage, in a restaurant teeming with people who had probably watched the show. The warm, bustling atmosphere was something completely different compared to our supper the night before. It took us about an hour to order, because the waitress/manager kept changing her mind as to what the cooks could make for us that evening, and to what spiciness us Waegooks (Westerners) could possibly handle. Our options were limited and kept on changing, so we made a spur of the moment group decision and ordered one of the spiciest dishes on the menu – yookgaejang (spicy beef stew with hot peppers). Corey asked his to be so spicy that he’d cry, so the ajumma laughed as she carried away our order.
The soups came out nice and steamy, and the meal was quite enjoyable (the ladies were shocked to see Corey enjoying his stew that was so-spicy-that-he-could-cry). Fully satisfied, we walked out into the icy night and back to the TEMP hotel.
***
The next day, we said our goodbyes (a special thanks to Mr. Lim, who tried to figure out how Ken and I could get back to Andeok). We ended up taking a bus to Pohang (which was in the northeast direction) and then taking a bus to Andeok (which was back in the northwest direction). We thought it would amount to a shorter time than making two or three more stops. A little over an hour later, however, we received a text message from Corey and Ilana (who took a direct bus northward to Andong) that they had stopped briefly in Andeok…sheesh. Thanks Mr. Lim for trying. It must’ve been difficult… Yes, Andeok is just that small.
What a lovely weekend in Gyeongju, the garden city. Ken and I (and the other EPIK teachers) were treated to luxury at the TEMF Hotel, and we couldn’t have made our trip more fulfilling (I got to see Ken step in dinosaur poop…that was the cherry on top of our marvelous weekend).
- Jess
It was saddening to hear that some native English teachers couldn’t bear to be at the schools chosen for them, and it was even further disheartening hearing that some had such a horrible relationship with their Korean co-teachers. I guess Ken and I lucked-out, big-time. Our co-teachers were humble angels, and we both couldn’t have had a better teaching situation thrown at us.
What was fantastic about this conference was that the representatives from the Gyeongbuk Province of Education (Gyeongbuk POE) were able to hear the comments and complaints from both the native English teachers and Korean co-teachers (separately, of course). Possible solutions were also drawn up from all of the teachers alike.
***
The accommodations that were provided for all of us 300 English and Korean teachers were absolutely spectacular. We were set up in a beautiful hotel (dedicated towards hosting educational conferences) and it was mind-blowing. Gyeongju is a beautiful city, and Ken and I had a breathtaking view from our room: the famous man-made, crystal-clear lake, the city’s towering roller coaster theme park, and the outstanding expo structures that were all around the city. I felt privileged to be treated to one night at such a well-established hotel. The two-day conference was well worth our time (not just because of the buffet lunch and dinner), and I hope that they’ll host another one in the near future.
***
We were in Gyeongju. It was one of the most recommended cities to visit in Korea. With its unforgettable history in the Silla Dynasty and its beautiful garden city-like landscape, we couldn’t just leave after only one night. We had to stay for the weekend.
Thank-goodness Corey and Illana (once again, the two bestest teachers in the world!) decided to stay in Gyeongju as well, which led to double-biking around the man-made lake, paddle-boating in a lily-white swan, a bus tour of all of the major sightseeing areas in Gyeongju, and finally a chilly outdoor concert in the black inky night, filled with tons of traditional dance and music (no tempting, mouth-watering, tantalizing octopus this time!).
On our first real day in Gyeongju, Corey, Illana, Ken, and I decided to go double-seated biking around the man-made lake (the ATVs caught the boys’ attention, but the double-seated bikes won out in the end…yeah girl power!). The first place we went to was right around the corner from the hotel, and as pushy as the lady was, we decided not to rent bikes from her. Plus, Ken must’ve been put off by the baseball-sized, black dinosaur poop that he his shoe smushed. All of us didn’t know that it was mutated dog feces until the ajumma yelled, “Eee…dohng!” (“Eww…poo!) in Korean, of course.
We walked closer and closer to the lake, until we reached a tourist area filled with small, desolate family restaurants, convenience stores, and a number of bike- and ATV-rental shops. An ajushee pulled us in with his bright and cheery smile, and “I give you good price!” He actually gave us a good price. 6,000 won per double-seated bicycle for an hour-and-a-half. Ken picked out a red-hot double-bike, and Corey’s was slick in silver and chrome-red. They tested their bikes out for their ladies (it almost looked like they were trying to escape from us…) and we were off. Aside from the bruises I got from my knees constantly hitting my handlebars (Ken was peddling so fast…which meant I was peddling fast too…), the scenic ride was quite energizing and enjoyable (especially when I would rest my feet up on the metal bar…it made for some smoother video shots…well, not really). We probably weren’t supposed to go off-trail, but the walking paths just didn’t’ seem to line up.
Just when we were at the highest point around the top of the mountain, and the furthest point we could get from the bike-rental, Ken and I looked back to see Corey and Ilana disappearing into the distance. They were stalled right on the empty crimson-brown sidewalk.
Turns out the rusty chain handling their back wheel snapped, making the bike almost unable to be ridden…almost. With Ilana comfortably sitting on the back seat, Corey powerfully scootered the bike relatively quickly, all the way back to the bike-rental shop, with Ken and I following closely behind.
***
After returning our one-and-a-half bikes, we watched the radiant scarlet sunset from the side of the lake, with a three-manned band, playing traditional “Tibetan” music. It was beautiful to drown in the music while the sun set, but unfortunately, I don’t think popular 80’s American hits (with bells and chimes played during the songs) exactly captured Tibet’s culture.
Next, we decided upon the swan paddleboat. With the temperature dipping below my comfort level (my fingers were already purple), we set off on the water, the boys with their frosty Hite beer, and Illana and I shivering frostily inside our lifejackets. The sounds of only the cool water gently sweeping passed our boat and the light paddling underneath it, were enough to keep us appreciative and loving of this beautiful area.
Soon, we were getting pretty hungry. We headed back in the direction of the hotel in search of some savoury food. One strip in particular caught our eyes (really, it was closest, most colourful strip of vibrant signs we had encountered in on our walk). We decided to check it out, and took favour upon two fried chicken restaurants. The boys were insistent on having fried chicken with the sauces on the side, so we went back and forth, between the two restaurants, trying to explain that we wanted the sauce ‘on the side or…separate from the chicken’. After some confused words passed back and forth between me and the managers, our final decision came out to the little chicken restaurant on the ground floor, with only the two managers (an ajumma and her husband) dining on an elevated part of the floor beside us, eating supper and watching their television (the restaurant was almost full with all six of us).
Korean Fried Chicken is amazing. Did you know that? It is so light and perfectly crispy, that Ken and I go crazy for it every time it is ordered.
With a full day over and all four of us, exhausted from actively making something of our day, we retired in our ondol room, deeply asleep on the heated floor.
***
The next day, we waited anxiously for the bus, which would guide us on our tour of Gyeongju City. Unfortunately, the entire tour was in Korean and the tour guide only spoke Korean (fortunately, the intro CDs provided some info on the sights in English). Looking to me, she dubbed me the Korean-to-English translator-for-the-day, which was less-than-fantastic, because she kept on using ridiculous terms for which I didn’t know the meaning.
We visited many, many sites, and for a few of them: the Gyeongju Ancient Royal Tombs, the Seokguram Grotto, and the Bulguksa Temple, the most famous in the city, we wouldn’t have been able to see in one single day. The tour was definitely worth it. Before departing from the tour, we made sure to buy Gyeonju’s famous bread (there were these bbang ‘bread’ stores all over Gyeongju), which tasted like sweet cinnamon pancakes sandwiching sugared red-bean paste on the inside. The reason for the bread was that in Gyeongju’s history, there wasn’t very much in terms of meat and produce to make many other foods, so this bread was made in such quantity, and is today, the prized traditional product of Gyeongju.
Our last major event of the night was right in the tourist area beside the lake (where we rented our double-seated bikes). We had heard from some of the other English teachers that there was a show with many traditional Korean performances. We were lucky enough to see traditional dances with large feathery fans, dances with standing drums (reminding me of my lovely mother), music with traditional drums and cymbals, and the shrill sounds of the music sung by young Korean ladies. They were all wearing silky rainbow-coloured hanboks (traditional Korean wear), and we were glad to have caught the show.
Our final supper in Gyeongju was right above the stage, in a restaurant teeming with people who had probably watched the show. The warm, bustling atmosphere was something completely different compared to our supper the night before. It took us about an hour to order, because the waitress/manager kept changing her mind as to what the cooks could make for us that evening, and to what spiciness us Waegooks (Westerners) could possibly handle. Our options were limited and kept on changing, so we made a spur of the moment group decision and ordered one of the spiciest dishes on the menu – yookgaejang (spicy beef stew with hot peppers). Corey asked his to be so spicy that he’d cry, so the ajumma laughed as she carried away our order.
The soups came out nice and steamy, and the meal was quite enjoyable (the ladies were shocked to see Corey enjoying his stew that was so-spicy-that-he-could-cry). Fully satisfied, we walked out into the icy night and back to the TEMP hotel.
***
The next day, we said our goodbyes (a special thanks to Mr. Lim, who tried to figure out how Ken and I could get back to Andeok). We ended up taking a bus to Pohang (which was in the northeast direction) and then taking a bus to Andeok (which was back in the northwest direction). We thought it would amount to a shorter time than making two or three more stops. A little over an hour later, however, we received a text message from Corey and Ilana (who took a direct bus northward to Andong) that they had stopped briefly in Andeok…sheesh. Thanks Mr. Lim for trying. It must’ve been difficult… Yes, Andeok is just that small.
What a lovely weekend in Gyeongju, the garden city. Ken and I (and the other EPIK teachers) were treated to luxury at the TEMF Hotel, and we couldn’t have made our trip more fulfilling (I got to see Ken step in dinosaur poop…that was the cherry on top of our marvelous weekend).
- Jess
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Welcome to EPIK! (Part 2)
[Apparently a few hours later…]
My shining knight rushed into our dorm room and uncurled me from my fetal position. I had exhausted all of my strength distracting myself on his Nintendo DS and felt much more comfortable with my hands around my knees. Medicine! Finally! What a blessing in disguise…those white and yellow-black pills didn’t look too appealing at first, but within an hour, I was able to hobble around with wall- and bed-supports (and Ken’s bulging biceps).
Unable to go to the ‘Hanok Village – Keumsan Temple’ field trip, I fell asleep to Ken’s loud clamor and utter amazement at one rice-popping-cracker-patty machine he saw at Hanok Village. That’s all I can remember of that night…”Jess…look at this machine!” (me – “Oh cool!...uh huh….mm hmm…zzz…). Both the village and temple, two ‘must-sees’, look beautiful (from what I have seen in Ken’s photos and videos).
The lectures the following day were once again positively marvelous, as the experienced English teachers gave us their all, informing and entertaining us bumbling novices. Being referred to as ‘Ken’s Sick Girlfriend’ also kept me in a light, cheery mood :).
On the last night of the orientation, all EPIK teachers were treated to Korean traditional music and dance (which is indubitably something to see…fast drumming and head-spinning for over 1/2 an hour straight!), and a feast (actually a feast) in an insanely large, glistening perma-tent was prepared for us (if only I had a bottomless stomach!).
***
The next morning, Ken and I gathered our things and headed out for the buses departing to the Gyeongbuk province. Our destination – Andeok (we were both a little worried…we couldn’t find the town on Google maps!). The Gyeongbuk crew loaded everyone’s luggage fittingly (like Tetris pieces) into the one luggage truck, and we made sure to squeeze the breath out of Polly and J.L. (our EPIK group leaders) in our hugs. Saying goodbye-but-not-farewell to the many teachers we befriended, we boarded our three-hour bus ride to Gyeongsangbuk-do.
I have to say, housing all 500 of us teachers, feeding our voracious bellies, and gathering such a fine group of down-to-earth native English speakers for 10 days, is wholly something to be applauded. Adieu EPIK, adieu! ‘Til we meet again!
- Jess
Meds for Jess
Jess was still sick when we returned back to campus from Hanok Village. I don’t want to bad-mouth the nurse on campus, but I was getting tired of her “go back to bed” and “keep taking your temperature” answers every time Jess managed to walk down to her office. She was an extremely kind woman, but she was obviously over-worked, stressed, and not qualified to administer the proper healthcare needed.
The final straw was when she gave Jess a hot water pouch and advised her to lay down with it on her abdomen. It sounded like a cozy solution, but I’m fairly certain that a nice warm environment was NOT a very good substitute for an antibiotic… Rather, it sounded more like a tropical paradise for the little buggers. Well, we gave it a try anyway. She laid back down in bed with the warm pouch on her abdomen, and two minutes later, lo and behold! She was in excruciating pain and curled up in the fetal position.
That was it. The final straw. It was my turn…
I probably should’ve looked into learning a few simple Korean words before venturing off by myself in search of some meds, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.
My first stop was at the convenience store on campus. It’s not uncommon to find some symptom relief meds in Canada at a convenience store or a grocery store, so I tried my luck there first.
I approached the woman behind the counter, and did what I can do best in this country. I played charades. Now if you can just picture the “Pepto-Bismol” commercials, you’ll have a pretty clear image of what my dance looked liked…
Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach… well… you know the rest…
Aside from being hugely entertaining, it actually worked.
Her husband (who was originally stocking shelves when I walked in and quickly claimed first row seats when my show began) took off his work vest and beckoned me to follow him. I thought he was going to bring me back up to the campus nurse, but instead, he walked outside towards his car and opened the passenger door.
Now let me make this perfectly clear. Mom, if you’re reading this, I wouldn’t usually get into a stranger’s car. But I was desperate, Jess was sick, and he was smaller than me.
We drove off campus together and headed for downtown Jeonju.
Wow, what a place! The amount of blinking neon lights, strobes, and coloured spotlights on the sides of the buildings were more than impressive. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to admire the view for very long as we arrived at our first destination. It was closed. He took off again in a different direction.
With his frequent stops at closed stores, and frustrated mumbles, I quickly pieced together that most (if not all) of the pharmacies were closed at this time on a Sunday night.
Finally, he slowed down at a small shop, peered inside, smiled, and pulled over to the side of the road. He had found one that was open.
We went inside together, and he described the situation to the pharmacist (I will call him a pharmacist, but to be honest, he could’ve just been an old man working at a drug store. I will never know).
He pulled two small boxes off the shelves, and sounded out the drug names to me. The first one was “eh-pu-pro-peh” which, with a little imagination, sounded like “ibuprofen” (Advil), and the other one had the medication names written in English on the back (all of which I recognized). Both boxes set me back a grand total of 4 bucks. Not bad at all. I thanked the “Pharmacist”, and we headed back to the University.
He pulled up to the front door of the dorm, pointed inside, and tried to rush me out of the car to bring Jess the meds. I thanked him over and over again as I walked backwards towards the elevators, and he yelled out, “Visit tomorrow, yes?”
“Yes, yes I will,” I responded.
I arrived back at our room and gave her the meds.
The downward spiral was over.
The next night I kept my promise and visited the store. Both the husband and wife were working again, and their eyes lit up as I walked in with Jess at my side. We exchanged words of thanks, relief, more thanks, and I gave them a bottle of Mulberry wine that I had picked up as a souvenir from Hanok village on Saturday. Several bows later, we left the store, and headed back to the dorm.
…
Imagine yourself at a convenience store near your house. You ask one of the workers for a light bulb, but he doesn’t have any in stock. Instead of shrugging you off, he removes his work vest, drives you to Home Depot, speaks to the employees for you, walks through the aisles with you, finds the one you need, drives you back home, and in return, simply asks that you pay him a visit the next day to let him know if it worked or not. How many times has this happened to you?
This was my first.
- Ken
The final straw was when she gave Jess a hot water pouch and advised her to lay down with it on her abdomen. It sounded like a cozy solution, but I’m fairly certain that a nice warm environment was NOT a very good substitute for an antibiotic… Rather, it sounded more like a tropical paradise for the little buggers. Well, we gave it a try anyway. She laid back down in bed with the warm pouch on her abdomen, and two minutes later, lo and behold! She was in excruciating pain and curled up in the fetal position.
That was it. The final straw. It was my turn…
I probably should’ve looked into learning a few simple Korean words before venturing off by myself in search of some meds, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.
My first stop was at the convenience store on campus. It’s not uncommon to find some symptom relief meds in Canada at a convenience store or a grocery store, so I tried my luck there first.
I approached the woman behind the counter, and did what I can do best in this country. I played charades. Now if you can just picture the “Pepto-Bismol” commercials, you’ll have a pretty clear image of what my dance looked liked…
Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach… well… you know the rest…
Aside from being hugely entertaining, it actually worked.
Her husband (who was originally stocking shelves when I walked in and quickly claimed first row seats when my show began) took off his work vest and beckoned me to follow him. I thought he was going to bring me back up to the campus nurse, but instead, he walked outside towards his car and opened the passenger door.
Now let me make this perfectly clear. Mom, if you’re reading this, I wouldn’t usually get into a stranger’s car. But I was desperate, Jess was sick, and he was smaller than me.
We drove off campus together and headed for downtown Jeonju.
Wow, what a place! The amount of blinking neon lights, strobes, and coloured spotlights on the sides of the buildings were more than impressive. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to admire the view for very long as we arrived at our first destination. It was closed. He took off again in a different direction.
With his frequent stops at closed stores, and frustrated mumbles, I quickly pieced together that most (if not all) of the pharmacies were closed at this time on a Sunday night.
Finally, he slowed down at a small shop, peered inside, smiled, and pulled over to the side of the road. He had found one that was open.
We went inside together, and he described the situation to the pharmacist (I will call him a pharmacist, but to be honest, he could’ve just been an old man working at a drug store. I will never know).
He pulled two small boxes off the shelves, and sounded out the drug names to me. The first one was “eh-pu-pro-peh” which, with a little imagination, sounded like “ibuprofen” (Advil), and the other one had the medication names written in English on the back (all of which I recognized). Both boxes set me back a grand total of 4 bucks. Not bad at all. I thanked the “Pharmacist”, and we headed back to the University.
He pulled up to the front door of the dorm, pointed inside, and tried to rush me out of the car to bring Jess the meds. I thanked him over and over again as I walked backwards towards the elevators, and he yelled out, “Visit tomorrow, yes?”
“Yes, yes I will,” I responded.
I arrived back at our room and gave her the meds.
The downward spiral was over.
The next night I kept my promise and visited the store. Both the husband and wife were working again, and their eyes lit up as I walked in with Jess at my side. We exchanged words of thanks, relief, more thanks, and I gave them a bottle of Mulberry wine that I had picked up as a souvenir from Hanok village on Saturday. Several bows later, we left the store, and headed back to the dorm.
…
Imagine yourself at a convenience store near your house. You ask one of the workers for a light bulb, but he doesn’t have any in stock. Instead of shrugging you off, he removes his work vest, drives you to Home Depot, speaks to the employees for you, walks through the aisles with you, finds the one you need, drives you back home, and in return, simply asks that you pay him a visit the next day to let him know if it worked or not. How many times has this happened to you?
This was my first.
- Ken
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Welcome to EPIK! (Part 1)
JEONJU UNIVERISTY… The Place for Superstars ~
Rewind a bit. Once Ken and I finally landed in Incheon International Airport (i.e. SOUTH KOREA), our journey wasn’t over quite yet. Since we were a day late into Korea, we had missed the shuttle bus providing rides to EPIK teachers to the orientation at Jeonju University. Luckily, one of the Teach Away Inc. representatives, Jessa, was right at the airport terminal and led us to purchase our bus tickets (a 3-hour ride to Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do). Now that’s dedication as a Teach Away recruiter.
***
Pretty much passing out on the bus, we finally arrived in Jeonju…but again, we hadn’t reached our final destination. Dropped off at the Jeonju Core Hotel, we had to take another 25 minute taxi ride to the university. Being a major city, the channel of flashing store signs along the strip gave us a moment of sobriety.
Finally at the university, we knew that our major problems were over. Us stumbling EPIK travelers were greeted with open arms by EPIK coordinators and finally we were exactly where we needed to be.
They coordinators greeted us with everything we had missed on the first day of the orientation – information books, nametags, pens, and thermometers so that we could take our temperature every morning.
Ken and I were both led to our dorm room, and it was a good thing no one else was staying in there – we both completely passed out and it probably wasn’t a pretty sight.
***
Flash forward to the next morning…wonderful Western food for breakfast with some dishes having a Korean twist to them. Bulgogi (marinated beef) with scrambled eggs, a healthy serving of kimchi…and some espicy side dishes providing a special Korean touch to the food. Ken grew particularly attached to the Seoul Milk that they were serving (it tasted more like cream though…1-part coffee, 9-parts Seoul Milk…mmm…Nick, Ken says you’d love this milk…too bad we can't ship any to you). Having missed the first day of the orientation, we went straight into the mini-lectures from experienced English Teachers in Korea (and man, these teachers were actually enjoyable to listen to). They represented the way teachers should teach in the classroom – lots of games to soak up the never-ending pool of energy from the students, and the idea of making a fool of yourself whenever you can to keep the students attentive (they are teenagers after all). What did we have to look forward to next? The medical checkup. We were stripped down to our bare-buttocks (for the chest x-ray of course), and measured in every way (height, weight, vision and hearing), but the worst part for me must’ve been the taking of blood samples.
The nurse was incredibly nice, so I had to hide my winces as she missed my vein, tried to find a new one, dug into the another vein, and decided to move to my left arm (of course, I had told her about my poor blood pressure in both of my arms). In my left arm, she found the best vein she could find – and that vein still required much jabbing and digging-around by the needle. Her worried look and frequent murmurs of “Am I doing this right?” to her supervisor made me a wee bit lightheaded has the blood-bag filled up in slow increments.
[6 hours later in our dorm room…right before we went to sleep…9:00pm…I started to feel hot…but no big…I thought it was just the humidity…]
[9 hours later…I woke up with a wonderful surprise…just on the brink of a fever…37.8oC…]
Lead-headed, I went to see the EPIK nurse. Actually, I think I walked a straight line better in the delirious state I was in compared to every other day. I must’ve looked like normal, as I was resting my head on one of the vending machines near the nurse’s office. I had a pleasant three hours where I played “Don’t Sway and Look Like You’re Going to Vomit.” When I could finally see the nurse, she immediately took my temperature…and gave a nice little yelp – 39.4oC. Swine flu anyone?
Of course that’s what she thought at the time…I insisted that I thought it was an infection from the blood samples they had taken. “Sterile.” She told me, “Sterile.” I told her I had gotten an infection once before from blood being drawn and had the same symptoms, but she was convinced that that was not the case. She gave me a Tylenol and I pretty much stayed in the office, sitting in a chair while she was treating other patients, until supper. Before having a little supper, she thought about taking me to the hospital to have me checked by a doctor (Swine flu! Swine flu!). After supper, however, I visited her office once again, and my temperature had gone down to 37.8oC. Okay, so maybe not Swine flu, but whatever this sickness was, it was moving through my system.
***
[Next day…]
Wow. Massive stomach pains. Whatever had sizzled my head was moving down, down, down. I managed to go see the nurse and tried explaining again that I thought I had an infection, but she was convinced otherwise. So, she gave me a hotpack for my stomach. After one minute…ooh the pain……Knock me out for a bit, take out my stomach! I was willing to do anything. Of course, there was Ken to my rescue, shining like a knight on his mighty steed, fed up, and determined to find some real medicine for his princess :).
- Jess
Rewind a bit. Once Ken and I finally landed in Incheon International Airport (i.e. SOUTH KOREA), our journey wasn’t over quite yet. Since we were a day late into Korea, we had missed the shuttle bus providing rides to EPIK teachers to the orientation at Jeonju University. Luckily, one of the Teach Away Inc. representatives, Jessa, was right at the airport terminal and led us to purchase our bus tickets (a 3-hour ride to Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do). Now that’s dedication as a Teach Away recruiter.
***
Pretty much passing out on the bus, we finally arrived in Jeonju…but again, we hadn’t reached our final destination. Dropped off at the Jeonju Core Hotel, we had to take another 25 minute taxi ride to the university. Being a major city, the channel of flashing store signs along the strip gave us a moment of sobriety.
Finally at the university, we knew that our major problems were over. Us stumbling EPIK travelers were greeted with open arms by EPIK coordinators and finally we were exactly where we needed to be.
They coordinators greeted us with everything we had missed on the first day of the orientation – information books, nametags, pens, and thermometers so that we could take our temperature every morning.
Ken and I were both led to our dorm room, and it was a good thing no one else was staying in there – we both completely passed out and it probably wasn’t a pretty sight.
***
Flash forward to the next morning…wonderful Western food for breakfast with some dishes having a Korean twist to them. Bulgogi (marinated beef) with scrambled eggs, a healthy serving of kimchi…and some espicy side dishes providing a special Korean touch to the food. Ken grew particularly attached to the Seoul Milk that they were serving (it tasted more like cream though…1-part coffee, 9-parts Seoul Milk…mmm…Nick, Ken says you’d love this milk…too bad we can't ship any to you). Having missed the first day of the orientation, we went straight into the mini-lectures from experienced English Teachers in Korea (and man, these teachers were actually enjoyable to listen to). They represented the way teachers should teach in the classroom – lots of games to soak up the never-ending pool of energy from the students, and the idea of making a fool of yourself whenever you can to keep the students attentive (they are teenagers after all). What did we have to look forward to next? The medical checkup. We were stripped down to our bare-buttocks (for the chest x-ray of course), and measured in every way (height, weight, vision and hearing), but the worst part for me must’ve been the taking of blood samples.
The nurse was incredibly nice, so I had to hide my winces as she missed my vein, tried to find a new one, dug into the another vein, and decided to move to my left arm (of course, I had told her about my poor blood pressure in both of my arms). In my left arm, she found the best vein she could find – and that vein still required much jabbing and digging-around by the needle. Her worried look and frequent murmurs of “Am I doing this right?” to her supervisor made me a wee bit lightheaded has the blood-bag filled up in slow increments.
[6 hours later in our dorm room…right before we went to sleep…9:00pm…I started to feel hot…but no big…I thought it was just the humidity…]
[9 hours later…I woke up with a wonderful surprise…just on the brink of a fever…37.8oC…]
Lead-headed, I went to see the EPIK nurse. Actually, I think I walked a straight line better in the delirious state I was in compared to every other day. I must’ve looked like normal, as I was resting my head on one of the vending machines near the nurse’s office. I had a pleasant three hours where I played “Don’t Sway and Look Like You’re Going to Vomit.” When I could finally see the nurse, she immediately took my temperature…and gave a nice little yelp – 39.4oC. Swine flu anyone?
Of course that’s what she thought at the time…I insisted that I thought it was an infection from the blood samples they had taken. “Sterile.” She told me, “Sterile.” I told her I had gotten an infection once before from blood being drawn and had the same symptoms, but she was convinced that that was not the case. She gave me a Tylenol and I pretty much stayed in the office, sitting in a chair while she was treating other patients, until supper. Before having a little supper, she thought about taking me to the hospital to have me checked by a doctor (Swine flu! Swine flu!). After supper, however, I visited her office once again, and my temperature had gone down to 37.8oC. Okay, so maybe not Swine flu, but whatever this sickness was, it was moving through my system.
***
[Next day…]
Wow. Massive stomach pains. Whatever had sizzled my head was moving down, down, down. I managed to go see the nurse and tried explaining again that I thought I had an infection, but she was convinced otherwise. So, she gave me a hotpack for my stomach. After one minute…ooh the pain……Knock me out for a bit, take out my stomach! I was willing to do anything. Of course, there was Ken to my rescue, shining like a knight on his mighty steed, fed up, and determined to find some real medicine for his princess :).
- Jess
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