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Once arriving in Jeju city, located on the north side of the island, I felt the need to explore a bit before traveling to my true destination Seogwipo city, on the south side of the island, which would be my home base for the duration of my stay. I got to the island via Jeju Air (a short one-hour flight) out of Seoul's domestic airport, Gimpo. I ( Read more... )

My temple stay in Naesosa was both a cultural exploration and an excellent opportunity to enjoy being in nature. The temple is located at the edge of the Beyeonsanbando National Park. So there was no shortage of trails. My schedule was as follows ( Read more... )

I purchased this book on Tuesday. I stayed up late reading it then finished it the next morning. I made the mistake of not purchasing books 2 and 3 so I had to head back to the bookstore Wednesday afternoon (I have to go halfway across the city for an English language bookstore). Nevertheless, I am ensconced in The People of Sparks (book 2) and ( Read more... )

Today is Independence Day for South Korea. Unlike U.S. Independence Day, which is largely celebratory, Korean Independence Day is a solemn affair. Though Korea has a history of 5,000 years (the kingdom was historically founded in 2333 BCE and the peninsula was unified in 668 CE) the Independence that is celebrated today is that from Japanese ( Read more... )

I love being in the same time zone as the Olympic games. I just finished watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies LIVE. Let's just say that North Korea and Taiwan got more cheers than the American contingent during the original broadcast. I wonder how NBC will deal with that?! I hope you all enjoy it. I will be sleeping in. The ceremony was ( Read more... )

Here are the pictures from my trip to a Buddhist Temple in Seoul. BongEunSa is the country's leading training center for Buddhist monks specializing in Seon (Zen) meditation. It was founded in 794CE.
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I was out and about today when I noticed an obvious police presence. This is absolutely unusual. I can go days without seeing a policeman on the street, just as I could at home. Today I saw at least a thousand police patrolling Seoul. First, there were hundreds stationed outside Seoul Station--in groups of 16--standing guard. The first ( Read more... )

I have been living and teaching in Seoul for over a month now, so I guess it’s time I catalogued my first impressions.

Transportation
I love taking the Subway! Once equipped with a map in English one can easily get around Seoul. There are a total of 10 lines around Seoul and there is hardly ever a free seat on any of them. Once there was barely ( Read more... )

Koreans do bedding very differently than those of us in the Western world. I for one, enjoy nothing more than a deliciously soft mattress covered with a feather bed and down comforter. Koreans prefer things differently. Koreans have traditionally slept on the floor and most still do. This practice originated based on home-heating technology. ( Read more... )