This is the most common bird in Korea – according to wikipedia commons, it’s a magpie, but much larger than normal.  They are always making noise outside our school windows.

Earlier on Saturday, I went to meet Art at the Reggae Bar in Itaewon to fart around with Kizomba steps.  (Kizomba is kind of like a mix of African Zouk and Argentine Tango)

We stopped at the foreigner new/used bookstore, What the Book, and I picked this up.  And it’s an absolute delight to read.

Not only does it give a lot of Korean Expressions, but also linguistic insights and historical /cultural background through folk myths, Confuscian philosophy, folk practices, and recent politics.  I’d heard some of this before, but a lot of it was new and it’s presented in a really accessible way.

It’s a great glimpse into the world’s most rigid Confuscian society and the many ways people have coped with its demands, as well as being constantly under seige by foreign countries.

Some of the expressions are really humorous.  Some are kind of heartbreaking.  And mostly they feel very familiar.  You can’t help but feel more warmth and empathy for the Korean people.  It’s a great way to temper some of those daily frustrations you have when they say or do something incomprehensible.

Oh what the hell, might as well add my other favorites here:

This boring cover actually hides a real gem.  Inside, in alphabetical order, are listed words that embody a cultural cue.  For each word listed, the author gives historical or contextual background, as well as how the word is utilized and what kind of impact the concepts behind these words can have on your relationships with Koreans.

Designed with businessmen in mind to avoid cultural faux pas and have savvier business interactions, it is also a great reference if you just want to understand this complex society and increase your empathy.

Another not very exciting cover, but with great information inside.

Along with looking at the actual mechanics of the language with a microscope, Roadmap to Korean also explores the history of its inception, as well as the stumbling blocks and cultural clashes which you can avoid.

Well, actually just one hour…

Went to see Meg at someone’s birthday party at a Reggae Bar in Hongdae.  Left at 11 pm so I could catch the last train home, as the subways stop running after midnight.  Got to the subway station by 11:10, and to my transfer point before 11:25.  But stupid me, when they announced the train to Sanbon, I mistakenly got the name crossed with Sadang.  In the past, I have gotten onto the train bound for Sadang and had to wait for another train, since my home station is further on down the route.

And so I waited for the next train.  And waited.  And waited.  Only it never came.  And suddenly it dawned on me that it would never come.  I still held out hope for an Ansan or Oido train to show up, but when the announcements on the PA came fast and furious and all the remaining subway goers started rushing for the exit, I knew the jig was up, meaning I was stuck in Seoul overnight not knowing where to go.

Fortunately, my transfer is Dongdaemmon and there are the vertical fashion market/malls which stay open until 4:30 am!   And so, since I felt so great (after three days of vomiting and diareah I was finally better, well-rested, and had held down a meal – at first I was ashamed because I thought it was from the half a bottle of soju I’d had without food to eat, but by day 3 I think maybe it was actually a bug of some sort) and I decided to just SHOP and find a jimjilbang.  And so I shopped until the stores closed.  Only I spent the rest of the money I had, and when I went to go to the ATM at 4:15 am, they had SHUT DOWN THE ATM’s and I was STUCK WITH NO MONEY!  That meant I couldn’t get a taxi and I couldn’t pay for the jimjilbang.  (how stupid can I be?  I guess that’s what greed does to you, because I just had to have a couple items I saw because I still don’t have enough clothing that will won’t expose my shoulders while still keeping me cool enough that I don’t die of heat exhaustion at school)

OK.  The subways start running in an hour and a half.  No big deal – I can just wait somewhere.  Turns out, an amazing number of people close Dondaemmon’s malls and the streets were still lively and populated.  I sat outside in the still balmy weather and read for awhile, and then I decided to follow a group of women who were going into the subway.  The subways were well lit and clean, with only a few areas caged off.  Off to one area were a half dozen homeless men and women sleeping, and off to another area in front of the underground entrance to Hello! aPM were about a dozen other shoppers sitting and waiting as well.  The store was piping in a bizarre mixture of jazz and lounge music (and it was really surreal when the “goodbye” song from The Sound of Music began to play)  So I would read there for awhile, surface for awhile, then go back and read.

Around 5:30, all the locals got up and started going through the turnstyles down to the platforms, so I followed.  Then we all got to listen and watch as the Seoul Metro trains went through their paces testing all the doors and P.A.  Some watched t.v. on the screens that play promotional messages about the subways, and others like myself sat and read or talked.

Actually, it was a lot of fun and I felt totally safe the entire time.  By the time 6 am rolled around, there were enough people waiting at the platforms to almost fill the car seats.  So if I get stuck in Seoul again, I hope it’s by Dongdaemmon, and I’m definitely not going to pay for a jimjilbang!  Of course, this is perfect weather and I don’t know what this experience would be like in the middle of winter or summer…

While waiting for the parade to begin, this traditional folk music & dance troupe performed for us.  Everyone got a big kick out of the local man, presumably drunk on makoli (rice wine) who decided he wanted to get in on the fun, despite being a little out of shape!

A little background information (which I will attempt to edit with the correct terms for later):

This entire festival is centered around the lunar calendar and praying for a good crop.  The local farmers pray to the mountain Gods by employing shamans to conduct exorcisms of bad spirits, making and blessing sacred rice wine (a community activity) and through geomancy and divine guidance, find and bless a sacred tree from the mountains upon which to attach the prayers of the community.  The parade has evolved around igniting and carrying the sacred tree from the mountains down to a pyre in town. Paper lanterns are carried by those who want to bless family members or have a specific wish to come true, which is written on paper and attached to the lanterns, and then they are then floated on the river to wash to the sea.

In addition to the parade, all week there are various events pantomiming various aspects of agriculture and or myths and legends related to the Gods, in the form of village songs (my video of the sacred rice wine dance didn’t upload for some reason) and dances and masked dramas.  There are also mock battles symbolizing the people’s struggles to survive, as well as exhibitions of talent and competitive games.

We saw a momentary glimpse of the tree going past, but because we were IN the parade, we weren’t able to see any of the spectacle, unfortunately.

Also saw a portion of the masked drama, (which I have on DVD but I’m honoring the copyright and can’t share it) but I only caught the one staged for t.v. and it was constantly being interrupted and couldn’t film much of anything cohesive.

After the lantern sending off, I stopped at one of the two stages and caught this orchestra playing.  I don’t think it translates well into video, and I’m not typically into orchestral music, but this orchestra made entirely of traditional instruments was incredibly stirring to listen to.

video of the noodle guy added to the ENCOUNTERS post

Today was the national mourning day for President Roh Moo-Hyun.  Many classes stopped their lessons to watch some of the memorial services on t.v.  Many of the teachers were wearing black ribbons pinned to their shirts.

Y was actually in tears much of the day.  She explained that for Korea, President Roh was kind of like Obama, and that after he got defeated, all his good work was being taken away.  Kind of insensitively, I asked her why Koreans weren’t angry at him for taking his own life and not keeping alive to keep fighting for them.  I told her I didn’t understand the Asian propensity for suicide.  She explained that he made a mistake and he couldn’t live with letting everybody down.  Suicide shows he is a person of principle and conscience.  I can understand this line of reasoning, but my logic tells me that when you’re dead your principles don’t mean much.

I guess in a way, he kind of martyred himself.  The public feel like the current administration railroaded him and mentally tortured him.  And his suicide and lack of due process has galvanized the left like nothing he could have done were he still living.  The current administration is pretty frightened right now.  They even advised the riot police to wear black ribbons as well.

So it’s going to be an interesting year in Korea.  Just like the memorial service, the official one being overshadowed by the attendance at the unofficial one, the left will be creating a parallel counter presence for everything the current administration does.

Y asks me, “Aren’t you afraid being here as a foreigner?”  I am confused, and she clarifies by mentioning the N. Korean missile testing and the current political unrest.  I tell her no, not at all.  My views are that N. Korea can not really afford to do anything.  Reunification will never happen because S. Korea is too selfish to pay for it.  And there won’t be any bloodshed because everyone enjoys their standard of living too much.

Hopefully, I am right.  But Monday night a former student of Y’s lamented over drink how he can’t find work despite graduating from college.  So maybe I am wrong.  I think when people are out of work in Asia, they take it much more personally than they do in the west.  In my sheltered life in my officetel, nothing of the outside world really touches me anyway.  It’s only school where I even know about these things.

Women’s rights, adoption reform, the threat of an end to a fifty plus year old peace treaty, and potential political unrest.  These ARE interesting times to be in Korea.

Well, I must say that SBS has taken my case further than I’d imagined anyone here would!

Not only have they visited Wonju and talked to every possible official there, but they’ve also been to three local orphanages and are following up on some orphanage leads I gave them as well.

Despite not uncovering anything yet, they are taking me to Wonju on Wednesday.  They’re being so so cool and thorough about this.  I mean, REALLY investigating what little there is hard.

I don’t know what exactly about my case warrants this kind of attention, but I’m very grateful.  Maybe it’s the way Holt wasn’t forthcoming in information.  Maybe it’s the possibility of there being a twin.  Maybe it’s because I’m outspoken about adoption.  Maybe it’s all of the above.  Maybe they’re just really cool people who care about social justice.  I don’t know.  But whatever the outcome, I finally feel like someone has helped me as much as they possibly can.  That makes even a negative outsome seem okay.