KOREA Week XXVI

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Last week, students failed to show for at least three of the twenty two classes I teach. While this may seem frustrating, at times, it's often a nice break and a welcome surprise. Usually I wait around for thirty minutes or so before leaving the school, either for a nap in my apartment or dinner, lunch, coffee, etc. What is most frustrating, however, is when the students arrive after thirty minutes, or in one particular case, as I was leaving the school in search of breakfast.

Mostly, classes continue to progress well, though sometimes I cannot help but feel as if my classes are getting stale. I am always searching for new materials, especially for those students who have been with me for several months, and are well versed in my repertoire. Reading articles from The Korea Herald or The Korea Times maybe gets old for some students, and many remain anxious to learn about American culture, popular entertainment news, business news, etc. A junior level Trivial Pursuit is a good game to play with the students, and this offers a nice break from the usual monotony of text books, newspaper articles, and other traditional classroom materials.

Because of this and the recent departure of many long-time students, I cannot help but wonder if a teacher may only have an effective teaching span of six months, before the students exhaust their learning and it is time to move on to another teacher. Obviously, the student is there for a reason, and even though I don't want to lose or discontinue our relationship, I have started to feel switching teachers after a set time may be in the student's best interest.

Also last week, I visited the 63 Tower in Seoul, Korea's tallest building and a landmark of the financial district, Yeouido. The 360 degree views of Seoul from the 60th floor observation deck are fantastic, and provide visitors with yet another perspective of how large this city is. Admission to the 60th floor is 12,000 Won, but probably worth it for the views.

South Korea's World Series concluded last week. The two teams, the SK Wyverns and the Kia Tigers, battled through seven games for the national title, with the Kia Tigers emerging victorious. As far as I can tell, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) is very similar to Major League Baseball, except, of course, the teams are corporate owned and corporate named, there are a total of eight teams, and the organization has only been around since 1982. Regardless, baseball is a popular sport in Korea and it made the last two weeks exciting as the country gathered to watch the series and cheer on their favorite team.

The fourteenth annual Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) took place last week. Apparently, it's one of the premier Asian film festivals, and according to various news sources, it was, once again, a major, star-studded event which drew many crowds and attention toward the city of Pusan. Josh Hartnett was the most famous U.S. movie star, as he is currently promoting his role in a Korean movie. All week long, Korean newspapers featured stories on must see films, celebrity appearances, rising stars, directorial debuts, etc.

This week's highlight, by far, was the weekend trip to the Eastern mountains of Gangwon Province with my good friend, Gemma. The two of us left late Saturday, and after four hours driving, arrived at her friend's apartment located near Pyeongchang Resort. The 180 kilometer drive was without incident, and her friends were most accommodating. Sunday's activities included a scenic drive through the mountains, picnic lunch, and a day hike to witness the spectacular fall colors, which, I was told, were at their peak that weekend.

The Taebaek Mountains are the major feature to the Gangwon area, and they range some 600 to 1,700 meters above sea level, forming a 500 kilometer-long rigid spine along the Eastern coast of the peninsula. The Taebaek Mountains also serve as a type of continental divide, as many rivers, including the famous Han River, flow West from the center of the range. Pyeongchang is actually a candidate city to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, which, unfortunately, is the third attempt for this after losing the 2010 and 2014 bids.

Gangwon Province, I have since learned, is the third largest county in Korea, and is one of the premier vacation destinations of many Seoul area residents. It is so popular, in fact, that the traffic is often heavily congested during weekend times, as there is only one major highway servicing the area. For example, it took us only four hours late Saturday night to complete the 180 km. journey, compared with six hours of stop and go traffic Sunday evening. I would also like to mention that I successfully completed this six-hour drive late Sunday evening, and most importantly, without incident. That's right, The Bird can drive the Korean roads..

Gangwon Province is home to many ski resorts, golf courses, hiking trails, and mountain streams to satisfy any outdoor enthusiast. Actually, the region reminded me very much of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania and New York. It is also home to SeorakSan National Park, one of Korea's most famous national parks, and one of my most favorite weekend travel destinations.

Good stuff. Keep on trucking.