Some worthy TED lectures linked by the theme of education for the teachers here in Korea and back home. Let them serve as inspiration and encouragement for you in front of the classroom filled with beaming eyes and mischievous grins.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Lovely Hanok
The Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul is a traditional village with five Korean style houses, hanok, from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Visitors can experience the traditional houses and function of the space.
The bedrooms are simple squares with on-dol floor heating. The common spaces are open to each other and the outdoors. The furniture is sparse but delicately carved and detailed.The kitchen area includes storage and cooking systems built up from the ground with fire pits under them. Dozens of kimchi pots are positioned behind the house. The design of the housing relates to the communal aspects of the Korean culture.
Traditional Korean games were scattered around the village. Everyone was having a go at the games; parents were trying to convince children that the simple sticks and wheels were more fun than the latest XBox or Wii.
[yunnori ~traditional game of throwing wooden yut sticks tuho~arrow throwing]
The Namsangol Hanok Village is located behind the Korea House. Take Exit 3 or 4 from Chungmuro Station. Its open everyday, except Tuesday, 10-8PM. The summer season holds many performances throughout the day highlighting Korean crafts and dances.
JUMP
JUMP is a comical martial arts performance. The show tells the story of a unique Korean family which trains excessively in teakwon-do. JUMP follows the dramas they face. The Stomp-like, non-verbal, slapstick performance takes place over four scenes with themes of love, conflict, and family dynamics. The animated characters include a drunk uncle, old and stuborn grandfather, and a multi-personality love interest. The flips, kicks, twists, and turns of the performers are awe-inspiring, although my Korean friend claimed it wasn't that hard and anyone could do it! ^^
*Bula* Travel Cafe
This worldly, charming cafe brings together the inspiration of travel into one small shop. Only sporting seven tables, three being a pillow pile on the floor, the cozy atmosphere and diverse menu offers a good resting place after a busy day as a Seoulite.
The menu includes hand drip coffee, tea from Fortnum and Mason [England] and other world destinations, wine, and beer. There are rows of travel books and magazines; although mostly in Korean, offering the illiterate wagugkin little more than picture browsing. The walls are decorated with white chalk illustrations of hot spots around the world.
The cafe's name in Bula, pronounced boo-lah, the Fijian word for hello. The signage outside labels it "Travel Cafe". Open from 10:23- 23:59 the unique cafe is a worthwhile stop if you're in the neighborhood.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Welcome to 2010 //Sokcho, South Korea
2010 began in a small port city on the East Coast in-sync with two Korean lads, Aubrie, my Korean partner-in-crime, and Marco, a German couch surfing comrade who stopped through Korea on his move from Germany to Australia. Sokcho is enclosed between the East Sea and Saurak Mountain. The streets are small and the buildings not so high. The city is quiet at night and the white mountain caps are never far from sight.
New Year's Eve was Korean style eating galbi and sitting on plastic stools with a grill in the middle. Pick your meat from the cooler and cook it at your table. The Korean BBQ and drinks lead to companionship with the young Korean-Americans at the table next to us, as well as the adjummas running the restaurant who were sharing drinks with us, telling me about there love lives, and receiving booty taps from a certain light haired someone. ;)
Up at 6:30 AM January 1st 2010. We made our way to the beach to catch the first sunrise of the decade. The radiant colors from the sun ahead and the white caps in the crisp blue water below offered a beautiful beginning to the year ahead.
Sokcho's quaintness enchanted us all. On our second day we woke up to heavy snowflakes gracing the ground. By the time we had our morning coffee and toast the land was painted white. From our first step outdoors we started a battle with snowballs that lasted all weekend; it was every man for himself.
//Seaside Temple//
At the beach, the playing boys resulted in oranges lost at sea. Six wet shoes and frozen feet were the result of the rescue mission.
Toes were warmed and egos boosted while playing like kids at the bating cages.
The long weekend included two noraebang excursions. One painful due to the tone deafness of our ears, the other due to the snoring coming from the Korean in the corner.
We climbed a bit in Sauraksan. The land was white and bitter cold, but the sun was shining and the clear blue sky encouraged us higher and higher.
[marco sets the scale, and he is one tall German!]
Sokcho's escape from the city was a perfect beginning to the New Year. With high hopes for 2010, we headed back to Seoul with a love for the small wonderland placed between the mountain and sea.
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