Yi Sun Sin, Royal Wedding, School Tragedy

Thursday was the birthday of Korea's most beloved general, Yi Sun-Sin. He was born in Asan, which is ten minutes from school, so me and Csilla went to be a part of the festivities. There was a huge festival in the town. We also went to the memorial built in honor of this great hero of Korea.

Yi Sun-Sin was the general who led the Korean navy to victory over the Japanese during the Japanese invasion in the late 1500's. He never lost a battle and was one of the reasons why Korea was able to withstand the Japanese. He invented several new battle techniques including the Turtle ship, which is a wooden ship with an iron spiked cover, protecting the men on board. He crippled the Japanese navy, giving the Korean army a chance against the powerful Japanese army. He is buried in Asan and every year he is honored on his birthday.

I think he epitomizes what a true Korean patriot would be. All his battles were in defense against the Japanese, he never initiated an invasion of Japan. Before being called for duty, he was well educated and wrote poetry. He invented the Turtle ship to modernize the Korean navy. He was a brave and intelligent general who only fought because his country was being attacked.



At the memorial, we saw his home that his family continued to reside in after his death. We also saw the graves of his family (he is buried in a different area of Asan). His most beloved son, who was killed by the Japanese while he was at sea fighting, was also buried there. There were several gardens connecting each area of the memorial, which were blooming with a variety of flowers. The last area we went to was the shrine to Admiral Yi. When we reached the shrine, there were several elderly Korean men paying their respects to Yi. They lit incense, bowed, and said "Thank you great Admiral Yi" in Korean. It was touching to see these men, who most likely fought in the Korean War, paying homage to the greatest Korean war hero. I wonder sometimes what Yi would think of the issues facing both Koreas today. I don't think he could have ever imagined the tragedy that Korea faced in the last century: Japanese occupation and the division of his country.

We got back from the festival in time to watch the English Royal Wedding live. Csilla and I were the only people somewhat excited about the wedding, so we watched it together. I find English history and culture absolutely fascinating. It is one of the few monarchies that remain and one of the most well known. We loved watching it, for Csilla, to see all the Europeanisms reminded her of home. For me, watching the royal wedding was like glimpsing the hundreds of royal European weddings that have occurred over history. There is so much tradition and history that is represented, it's beautiful to see. Amidst a world that is changing faster than ever before, we could see an event that has remained the same for about two thousand years.

While we were watching the wedding, Csilla got a call from one of her Korean friends. She lives in the Korean dorm across from our dorm. She told Csilla that a freshmen girl in the Korean dorm had committed suicide by jumping from the 6th floor. She was 18. We do not know too much information about her, except that she was not adjusting well to school. It was a huge shock, especially since it happened in a dorm on campus. There was a lot of chaos at the dorm as ambulances rushed to the scene and police came to file a report. It breaks my heart that a young girl with so much life to be lived ahead of her would think that there was nothing left to live for. I pray that her family may find peace amidst this tragedy and that the school may honor her memory by raising awareness among students about being alert for signs from friends and classmates that may be suicidal. Too much remains unsaid, we need to care enough to care about each other.

Thailand Trekking: Day Two

We woke early for a delicious breakfast cooked by our guide Gee. He made us eggs, toast with homemade jelly, and pineapple. It is winter in Thailand, so the days are hot and dry, but the night is cool, around fifty degrees. The morning air was cool and crisp, so we huddled around the fire while eating our breakfast.


After we had breakfast, it was time to hit the trail. Today will be the longest trek, about eight hours of hiking over six hills. We hiked our tallest hill today as well, which was around 800 ft. It will be a tough day, but the last leg of the hike would be on the backs of Asian elephants, so that was motivation for the group.

As we left the village, we immediately began a vertical hike up the first hill. When I say a vertical slope, I mean VERTICAL! We were on our hands and knees, clutching our bamboo sticks for support, slipping on the dry dusty trail. We hike uphill for about forty minutes before we reached a point where we could stand on our feet.


We then continued on the trail, hiking down beautiful valleys, pristine streams, and breathtaking cliffs. Even though it was the dry season, there was a lot of life in the forest and quite a few flowers in bloom.


On the last hill, we had to cross from one side of the top of the hill to the other. The trail went around the edge of the hill, which was extremely frightening! I was already slipping and sliding all over the place, to have literally six inches between me and a 500 meter cliff was very nerve wracking. Meanwhile, our guide was skipping along this narrow path, telling us to be careful and smile.



We descended from this hill to a group of locals who lead elephant treks through the hills. We had lunch there, resting our weary feet in the ice cold brook nearby. After lunch, we had the much anticipated hour long elephant ride through the hills. I have no words to describe this experience besides amazing, breathtaking, majestic, intriguing, and awe-inspiring. The elephants were magnificent gentle giants that seemed unfazed by the fact that they were carrying three people. To ride through the hills of Thailand on the back of an elephant is an experience that will stay with me until the day I die, it was more than anything I could have imagined. After a long day of trekking, to reach the village we would be staying in for the night by elephant was great.



The village we stayed in was a group from the Hmong tribe. It was a larger village than the Karen village we stayed in the day before. There were about 2,000 people that lived in this village. The Hmong people are not nomadic like the Karen tribe, so the village was a lot more settled and permanent. After a lovely dinner cooked by our guide Gee, we watched a group of the local children dance a traditional dance. They were absolutely adorable and looked exquisite in their traditional dress. We spent this last evening watching the stars in the clear sky, appreciating the seclusion we have here in this place from the rest of the world.

Easter in Seoul

Happy Easter from Korea! I spent Easter weekend in Seoul. I stayed with the Byeons, who were very happy to spend some time together.

Thursday night after Maundy Thursday service, I went with Hyesun to see the movie "Jane Eyre" based on the book by Charlotte Bronte. The book is one of my favorites, so I had high expectations. It was pretty good, the movie was pretty accurate to the book. It was nice to spend time with Hyesun, celebrating the end of midterms for both of us. Hyesun will be graduating this summer, so it is a bittersweet time for her as she prepares to leave the academic world to enter the workforce. I think she is excited about this new chapter, yet at the same time, she doesn't feel ready quite yet to say goodbye to school. I think this is true for a lot of Korean students. Korean students are taught to spend all of their energy studying and preparing for the next exam and the next academic level. When the time comes to leave this world of cramming facts for creative innovation working in the "real world," they are in a bit of shock.



I went to several places around Seoul the next two days. I wanted to see some of the little known places around the city where there would be a lack of tourists. I first went to one of the lesser known palaces near the historic area. It was built in the 1600's after the Japanese invasion. It was almost completely destroyed during the Japanese occupation. The palace is in the process of being restored, so it is not a popular destination. I found it fascinating, because it was in a secluded area amidst the city and I enjoyed seeing the process of restoration. Many of the famous Korean historical sights were partially or completely destroyed during the occupation. After Korea gained her independence, the Korean people have been going through the process of restoring what was lost. Because it is still being rebuilt, there were only a dozen Koreans walking the grounds. It is such a contrast to some of the larger palaces, where tourists are around every corner.

The Good Friday service was held in both English and German. ILC shares the church building with the German Lutheran Church, so we had a joint service. To hear the story of the Passion in German is something that I will never forget. The reader was so expressive and the language is absolutely beautiful. We also sang some of the hymns in German, which was an experience! The Germans were able to pull the rest of us English speaking, German language butchering congregants along. I never thought that I would spend Good Friday in Korea singing in German!


I also went to visit Seodaemun Prison, which was built by the Japanese to imprison Korean rebels during the occupation. After the end of the occupation, an Independence Park was built around the prison, which has several memorials to the thousands of Korean people who gave their lives for the cause of a free Korea. It is one of about twenty five prisons that were built by the Japanese to imprison Koreans who protested the occupation. This one was the largest, at one time holding over two thousand people. The prison was one of those places that is difficult to see, yet it impacted me and gave me a greater understanding about the occupation of Korea. The crimes committed by the Japanese during the occupation truly are as disgusting and disgraceful as the acts by other powers at that time, but it is rarely discussed. As I walked around this prison, seeing the torture chambers, prison cells, and the execution room where thousands of Koreans were killed without a trial, I was shocked by how atrocious the crimes of the Japanese who controlled Korea at that time. It is tragic that this dark chapter in the 20th century is not discussed and parts of it are not even recognized by the Japanese government. I hope that the world will learn more of this tragic time in history to prevent it from repeating again.

On Sunday, I went to Easter service at ILC. This is my first Easter away from my family and my home church. I was overwhelmed by the love that my church home here in Korea, ILC, bestowed upon me. Celebrating Easter with a group of believers from all around the world showed me the reason why Christ came to this world. We may have our differences, but in God's eyes we all fall short and desperately in need of rescue from the bondage of our sin. Easter proclaims a universal message of hope and restoration. The Resurrection of Christ is the reconciliation of the world, the restored relationship between God and every person that has walked this earth.


After church, I spent the afternoon at the Wasmunds with many other church members. We had an Easter luncheon, which was made by Dee Dee. I am thoroughly convinced that Martha Stewart can't even be compared to Dee Dee. She made about ten different dishes, including hummus wraps and zucchini pasta salad. She also had a dessert buffet, which included carrot cheesecake and an assortment of cupcakes with grass like frosting and little edible handmade Easter critters (bumblebees, ladybugs, and bunnies). Next to every dish was a little printed card with a description of the dish. She told us that it was nothing and we were too easily impressed, I would like to see her definition of a tough crowd! The food was so delicious. It was great to spend the afternoon with Lutheran friends.


This week, a group from a Lutheran High school in California came to Korea for a mission project. The group was led by two of the Wasmunds friends from Taiwan, Ben and Robyn. After lunch, I took the group to Insadong for some shopping and to see more of the city. It was nice to spend time with Christian brothers and sisters who came so far from home to serve in Korea. The kids were so funny and upbeat! Even though we got a little lost (I'm still not entirely familiar with every area of Seoul, it's a huge city), they were excited just to see the city. We stopped by a few cosmetic shops (there were six girls and one guy, so this was expected). We also went to Insadong market, which is one of the larger "tourist" shopping areas for Korean souvenirs. Some people were able to do their much needed shopping, while others were able to taste a bit of the Korean street food. After shopping, we went to a local Korean restaurant and had dinner. I was able to chat with Ben and Robyn about their experiences abroad while working in Taiwan. They are incredible people with a heart for serving others and leading by example. The group will spend the week working with some of the homeless in Seoul and an orphanage in the city.

After dinner, I said goodbye to the group and headed back to school. Two hours later, I was back at SCH ready for the second half of the semester, here we go!

Midterms and Cherry Blossoms

I am officially done with my midterm exams! I had two Korean language exams and two other exams this week. I have the next two days off, so I will be going to Seoul for the weekend to see some more Cherry Blossoms and to celebrate Easter.

This past week, the campus has turned from a dismal campus into beautiful area with pink cherry blossoms everywhere you turn. The air is filled with the aroma of blossoms and pink petals sail through the air. The Phoenix field is pink from the blossoms and has become the favorite place by all students to study. Yesterday, a lot of people from the community came to campus to see and take pictures of the blossoms. I am so happy that spring is truly here and has come in such splendor. It is great to see everything come back to life after a very LONG winter!

Midterms and Student Suicide in Korea

Midterms are this coming week. It's hard to believe that the semester is halfway through, once again time is speeding along. I have four midterm exams this week, just enough to keep me busy! After midterms I have a four day weekend, which is awesome considering it is Easter weekend and the blossoms are in full bloom! I will spend the weekend in Seoul celebrating Easter and touring around Seoul.

During midterms, the Korean students are extremely stressed to do well in their exams. I think being concerned about doing well is good, but to be absolutely paranoid about "failing" by receiving an 80% is not healthy. Korean students have an extreme perfectionism mentality that even puts my mild perfectionism to shame. I always try to put 100% into everything that I do, but if it doesn't result in a great grade, I am content that because I know that I did the best I could. For Korean students, doing your best isn't enough, perfection is expected. This is the mentality that is taught to them at a young age by parents, teachers, and society as a whole. This unhealthy pressure on students is creating several tragic consequences.

I saw an article the other day discussing Korean student suicide rates. It really struck me, especially since being here. Korea has the highest suicide rate among wealthy nations of the world. The suicide rate was 28 per 100,000 persons last year. The majority of these suicides are university students.

In the month of April, there were four suicides at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which has caused the school to face a lot of scrutiny. This particular university is the highest university for Science and Tech majors. It is extremely difficult to get in and is one of the toughest universities in Korea. Not only that, but for every 0.01 drop in GPA, students are fined 60,000won ($55). It is a government school, so students who come to this school enter on full scholarships. They are punished for "bad" grades by being fined from their scholarship. I am not blaming the school for these suicides, but Korea as a whole needs to look at these tragedies and discuss what would cause such bright students to take their lives.

Korea is a society that has always placed education as the greatest priority and the defining factor of your identity. Throughout Korea's history, your intelligence delegated your position in society. In many ways, this remains the same. Your college entrance score determines what University you can attend. What school you graduate from is crucial in finding a job with a top company. This social stratification is determined by your education. The pressure to do well in school as a result, is huge. Failing to excel in school could destroy your future career prospects.

Parents place great expectations on their children. I think encouraging your child to do well is great, but to have unrealistic expectations is not healthy for the parent or the child. It has in some families created a fear on the students part of not being able to meet these expectations, which adds additional pressure on the student. Disappointing your parents is the what every student fears.

Sometimes, I think Korea creates a sort of censorship to eliminate imperfections of their society in order to create this artificial inaccurate image. For example, one of my friends here in Korea teaches English to special education students in the Southern region. Her students vary from mild autism to extreme learning disabilities. Many of her students live in the schools dormitories or with relatives while their parents live in Seoul. Some of these families do this because all the work is in Seoul, and her school is good in dealing with disabilities. However, there are some that place their children in her school away from their lives because they are ashamed that they have a child that is not ideal. I was shocked when she told me this. It is hard for me to imagine a parent sending their child away, a child that needs even more love than others.

This kind of censoring the imperfections of society is also evident when these student suicide occur. When a student suicide occurs in the USA, a great outcry by both the media and community usually follows. It is discussed openly and blatantly. When a suicide occurs in Korea, it is rarely reported by the media. If it is discussed on a news program, the conversation ends when the reporter finishes the story. Korean people don't like to talk about a student suicide beyond "Oh, that was terrible."

Last fall, there was a history teacher here at SCH that jumped from the tenth floor of the teachers apartments to her death. I didn't even know about it until my history teacher talked about how much she missed her. It wasn't reported by the school paper or discussed openly on campus. These kinds of things are tragic, but failing to create a discussion with students about these tragedies will only create more sorrow on Korean campuses.

I hope as midterms come this week for most Korean Universities that Korean students keep things in perspective. There is more to life beyond the Biology midterm or the final grade in Chemistry class. You should never let other people or a grade in class define who you are.

Spring Time at Hwaseong

Yesterday, I went with some of the international students to Hwaseong fortress in Suwon. I went to the fortress last December, but because it was icy and cold, parts of the fortress were closed. We were only able to see a small part of the fortress last December, so I was excited to explore the entire site here in the Spring.

Hwaseong is one of UNESCO sites here in Korea. It was built after the Japanese invasion in the late 1500's as an emergency capital. It was also built because it would be the place where the Japanese would have to pass in order to get to Seoul. It is 19 miles south of Seoul. The fortress was built to be the size of a small city. The wall is about 3.5 miles long in circumference. It was built on a hill, with half the fortress ascending up to the top with a watch tower, and the other half descending down to the area where a small city was built. Today, a large part of the city of Suwon is still within these walls.

Joining me to tour the fortress were Amanda, Heather, Ali, Alison, Will, Charlie, and Carlos. They are all first semester students, so they were as excited as I was to explore the fortress. It was great to go see such an important historical site in Korean history with such an enthusiastic group. We walked from the subway station to one of the entrances to the wall. Because the wall is so long, there are several admission locations.

While trying to find the entrance (the station was about a mile from the fortress), the boys decided to split away in search of the fortress. This befuddled me and the other girls, I'm not sure why they thought that going in the opposite direction of both the fortress and the rest of the group would help all of us find it faster. The girls and I just shrugged this off as "boys being boys" and made our way towards Hwaseong.

We found the fortress, but not the boys. We spent the next hour walking along the wall while calling the boys every ten minutes or so trying to locate their position. They found the wall, but they were about ten minutes ahead of us (not sure how that happened, one of those mysteries that will never be solved). We eventually met up at the Southern post (which was a pagoda overlooking a small stream). We spent the rest of the time together, exploring more of the wall as well as the small palace in the center of the fortress.

It was a great day, warm and sunny with the trees blossoming just enough for it to be beautiful. Hwaseong is one of those places that is so expansive and so rich in history that I could visit several times. I am hoping to go back to Hwaseong later this year, because there is still more to see.

Nuclear Rain and Korean Celebrities

Today it rained for the first time this spring. It was a unique kind of rain: It contained traces of the nuclear radiation from the Japan nuclear plant meltdown from last month. The radiation was found in the ocean off the coast of Japan, and now that has come to Korea through rain. There were advisories on TV saying that it would be fine to go out in the rain, but to make sure to wash all clothes that got into contact with the rain and to wash yourself thoroughly after exposure to the rain.

Korea has an interesting situation with its neighbors and environmental issues. Korea is in close proximity to both China and Japan. Environmental issues that face either one of these nations sometimes moves to Korea as well. Radiation from Japan has come to parts of Korea through rain, and Korea has no choice but to wait and see what Japan does to fix the problem from its source. It is the same with China, every year there is a season in late spring called the "Yellow Dust Season." In China, Spring winds blow dust and sand from the Gobi desert eastward. Deforestation and ill managed farmland in the northern region of China has caused the Gobi to expand by several miles every year. This has caused the yellow dust to come not only to Beijing, but to Korea as well. I have been told that the air can appear extremely smoggy, but it is actually sand from the Gobi. They have also found traces of this dust on the West Coast of the USA in late spring every year. It is an issue that China needs to address, but until they do, Korea will face part of the consequences.

Today with one of my exchanges, I got into a discussion about Korean celebrities. We were discussing one in particular: MC Mong, who is a Korean rapper. He recently has faced some issues with the government because he avoided military service, and attempted to pay off a doctor to fabricate a medical reason for his lack of service. Unless you have a legitimate medical reason (vision impairment, physical disability, etc) all men must serve two years in the military before they turn thirty. I asked my exchange if MC Mong is either found guilty and serves time or if he is pardoned and continues his music, would he listen to MC Mong. My exchange said "Of course not! He tried to use his fame to bend the law, why would I listen to him anymore?" I asked a few other Koreans the same question, and they all said they wouldn't listen to his music. MC Mong was quite popular before this, so this would be like Eminem breaking the law (which he has done several times).

I was quite surprised by their responses, it is such a contrast from our society. I think we try to separate the artist from the lifestyle. In Korea with all the celebrity variety shows displaying celebrities in a constant positive light, and in society it is a dishonor both on the individual and the family to commit criminal activities. I think it is difficult for Koreans to look past a celebrity breaking the law because of the social expectation for people to keep the law. The media in Korea never shows a celebrity behaving in a socially unacceptable manner, rather the shows celebrities participate in show them helping the elderly, visiting a school, or other "good deeds." I think for Koreans to see these people that they have built a certain kind of perception about behave in a way that contrasts that image, it is difficult for them to separate their work from their lifestyle. It is so different from America, where we not only tolerate celebrities committing illegal acts, but support them afterwords by purchasing their album or movie. It is yet another stark contrast between Korean and American culture. It is nice to see people hold celebrities on the same level of accountability as they hold everyone in Korean society. I don't think it is healthy for any person to feel exempt from the rules that apply to the society.

Birthday Party and Spring Time!

Spring is officially here in Korea! The weather is warm and sunny finally after a very LONG winter. The trees are filled with buds just itching to open and bloom. In the next week or so the campus will explode with cherry and magnolia blossoms, pictures will be posted! It is so nice to say goodbye to my coat until next winter and put on a light jacket in its place. I am looking forward to all the blossoms and even warmer weather here in Korea.

Classes have been going well. My midterm exams are in two weeks. It's hard for me to believe that I am almost to the halfway point for this semester. I still feel like the semester just started! Once again, time is moving faster than I would like, oh well.

This weekend was Seungyoung's birthday. My Korean brother is 17! I went up to Seoul on Friday to pick up my new passport at the embassy. I met this elderly gentleman in line who told me that he was on a six week cruise around Asia when he lost his passport. He was at the embassy trying to get a temporary passport until he got back to the USA. When we got into the embassy, he was able to get his temporary passport, so he was on his way! Once again, you never know who you will meet at the embassy. I got my new passport so I'm set to travel until 2021!

After picking up my passport, I met Heather in Seoul. Heather came to join the weekend festivities at the Byeons for Seungyoung's birthday. We took the subway over to the Byeons and went with Hyesun to buy ingredients at the foreign market. Seungyoung had requested Lasagna for his birthday dinner, so we had to search for all the ingredients at the foreign market.

Saturday was the family party. My Korean Aunt and Uncle, along with Jinyoung and Eujin joined us for the party. I made Lasagna for the dinner (including a pan for Seungyoung, which he demolished). After dinner, we played a few games of Phase Ten and Blokus. As we played Phase Ten, Eujin was determined to always be on the winning team. Seeing that Phase Ten is a game where the person who is currently winning changes constantly, he was changing his team almost every round. I was also able to show them all the things I have learned so far this semester. Eujin was shocked to hear me speak to him in Korean. His eyes would get huge and he would say 한국어 진자 (Korean, really)! In the past he has tried to speak with me in Korean, even speaking extremely slow for me to try to understand, but I didn't know enough Korean. Now I can understand him 80% of the time. He kept asking me to speak in Korean, to which I answered him 나는 으진 사랑해요 (I love Eujin), that made his face light up! He was so happy to hear me speak in Korean since he told me that he can only speak "Kindergarten English, not real English." It was nice to spend time with the Byeons and to see Jinyoung, Eujin, and their parents again.

This weekend, I am planning a trip to Suwon with a few of the international students. We are hoping the weather continues to be warm and maybe some blossoms as we tour the fort.