The enlightened one?
It is said that after training in meditation for six years Siddhārtha Gautama sat meditating under a Bondi tree and vowed not to arise until he achieved full enlightenment. Just 24 hours later he achieved his goal thus becoming Buddha or the enlightened one, from that day forth he taught the path or Dharma he realised in that moment and Buddhism was borne.
A religion without a god based on "a path of practice of spiritual development leading to the true nature of life," (http://fwbo.org/buddhism.html). What would a novice like me with my knowledge of Buddhism, meditation and enlightenment coming mainly from what I'd read on Wikipedia the previous week get out living for 24 hours as a Buddhist monk?
My weekend began in hair raising style when six of us plus a driver were crammed into a five seater taxi taking us from the bus stop to the Lotus Lantern International Meditation Centre, where the temple stay would take place. Luckily, after a few near misses, we arrived in one piece and were greeted by a Russian monk.
He showed us into our living quarters and provided us with our outfits, a pair of baggy trousers, baggy t-shirt and baggy waistcoat in a fetching shade of grey! These were to be worn at all times, including to bed!
I'd read that the idea of a temple stay wasn't to sit around meditating and chanting, it was to live as a monk and included doing chores around the temple grounds and observing their rules of silence. Despite this our stay began sitting around doing well... nothing. After the monk showed us our living quarters he disappeared leaving us with two hours spare before the orientation began.
The orientation involved the monk pointing to some buildings and telling us what they were before taking us into the Buddha Hall for a talk about Buddhism. He showed us how to enter and leave the room without turning our backs to the alter and told us to half bow as we stepped in and out of the hall. Once we were settled in the hall he showed us how to complete a full bow and told us what to expect from the chanting before he launched into a talk about Buddhism, the four noble truths and the middle way.
We stood in the Buddha Hall for what felt like an eternity as the monks' broken English became increasingly difficult to follow. Soon my legs and back were aching and I self consciously shifted my weight from foot to foot whilst mentally planning Mondays lessons. I tuned back into the talk as the monk was saying the way out of suffering was through concentration. How ironic, I was stood in a Buddha Hall learning about Buddhism but whilst the monk was talking about one its key elements, the alleviation of suffering through concentration, I wasn't concentrating because I was thinking about how much pain I was in from standing still for too long!
For the rest of the talk I tried my best to concentrate on his speech on not on the aching in my legs and back, but to no avail. It seems I need a bit more practice before I can concentrate my way out of suffering - at least the sort caused by standing still for too long!
Walking to the Buddha Hall in our fetching grey outfits.
As the monk finished the talk he told us the temple Abbot was out of the country so there was only him and the Swiss monk, who would teach us meditation, at the temple. He also revealed that the temple currently didn't have a cook, but assured us he'd find one to make our dinner! And added that normally we would watch a video about Buddhism but the video player was broken, so instead we enjoyed the last of the sunshine and sat in the garden drinking tea.
The monk prepared the tea in a very gentle and methodical manner, first he washed out each of the cups and the tea pot using boiling water and tipping the waste water into a bowl. He then carefully emptied the bowl at the side of the garden before making the tea in a small tea pot and carefully passing each person a helping of tea in a small cup. Small handelless cups are often used for drinking tea in Korea and whilst they don't hold a lot of liquid they are usually topped up as soon as you finish your last mouthful.
As we drank the tea it was clear the monk was nervous and the initial conversation was stiled as everyone got used to their surroundings and each other. As the tea flowed everyone loosened up and the monk, seemingly more comfortable talking Korean than English, sat chatting to some of the Korean participants.
Drinking tea with the Russian monk
Soon it was time for dinner, the schedule had recommended dinner was eaten in silence and most of the Korean participants did so. But taking our lead from the monks, who were quietly chatting, there was polite conversation on the foreign end of the table as we sampled the Korean food making sure we didn't take anything we didn't like as we had to finish everything on our plates.
After dinner there was dish washing in "absolute silence", I had imagined this to be almost ritualised and involve all the dishes used in the preparation of the food. But I was surprised to find we just has to wash our own plate and chopsticks.
Me washing my dishes.
The final part of the day took us back to the Buddha Hall for evening chanting. Recordings of monks chanting never sound as nice as it did stood listening to it. Although I didn't have clue what the chanting was about it was pleasantly calming to listen to. When the chanting was over and we had bowed many times we made our way to the meditation hall where we met with the Swiss monk for the first time. His English was much better than the Russian and his talk was much more informative.
The sun was setting outside as we sat cross legged on cushions in the dimly lit hall whilst the Swiss monk recounted the story of the first Buddha. He told us how Siddhārtha Gautama had been a prince who had been sheltered from the everything outside the palace where he grew up. But one day ventured outside the palace for the first time and witnessed suffering in the outside world. He saw a sick person, an old person, a corpse and a monk meditating under a tree. These four sights changed his life, he realised he could not be happy living as he had been and set out to discover how to overcome suffering. After six years of searching, living in great poverty and refusing food and drink he realised there had to be some middle way between the great riches he once had and the extreme poverty he had enforced upon himself. He then sat down under a tree and vowed not to move until the answer came to him.
The Swiss monk also said that Buddhism can be seen as an aethesist religion because its followers don't worship a god. Instead they subscribe to a set of ideals, a philosophy or ideology.
Whilst listening to this talk Buddhism began to make more sense to me than other religions have. I've always found it difficult to subscribe to fairy tale type stories of omnipotent gods that have the power of creation. It is much easier to subscribe to ideologies such as the four noble truths and the eight fold path taught in Buddhism.
According to Wikipedia the four noble truths are:
- The Nature of Suffering: This is the noble truth of "Suffering": Birth is Suffering, aging is Suffering, sickness is Suffering, death is Suffering; union with what is displeasing is Suffering; separation from what is pleasing is Suffering; not to get what one wants is Suffering; to get what one does not want is Suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are Suffering.
- The Origin of Suffering (Samudaya): This is the noble truth of the origin of Suffering: It is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.
- The Cessation of Suffering (Nirodha): This is the noble truth of the cessation of Suffering: It is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, and non-reliance on it.
- The Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering (Magga): This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of Suffering: It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
It is the eight fold path that personally makes the most sense to me. If we live in such a way that we do not cause suffering to other through our actions, views and livelihood then it should follow that we will be a more content person.
Once his talk was over the Swiss monk gave us guidance on how to meditate. We were instructed to sit cross legged with our back straight in a comfortable position. In order to meditate we were to concentrate on our breath to the exclusion of everything else in our mind. We were told to breath through our noses counting in 1... out 2... in 3... out 4... and so on until we'd counted to 10, then start again form one. The aim of this was to find a completely clear mind and if we stopped concentrating on counting and found ourselves thinking about something else we were to start again from one.
Initially I found the meditation hard as my mind swarmed with questions about what I has just heard. I understood that the point of meditation was to find a clear mind but, why?
According to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order:
Meditation is a means of transforming the mind. Buddhist meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, and emotional positivity.
We meditated for two 20 minute sessions and by the second session my mind had calmed down and the 20 minutes passed quickly. During my meditation I didn't discover the answers to any of the question that had arisen from the talk and I didn't feel enlightened at the end. But as I walked back to the accommodation, amid the usual complaints of aching backs and dead legs from sitting motionless in the meditation posture for 20 minutes, I did feel much more peaceful and relaxed.
That evening lights out was at 9:30pm due to a predawn start and I fell asleep listening to the almost defining roar of crickets outside the window. It felt nice to be somewhere were you could here nature around you. It so easy to forget things like that exist when you live in high rise flats in the middle of a city and are lulled to sleep by the noise of the road every night.
I awoke to the sound of the temple bell at 3:45am, I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up before predawn chanting began at 4:00am.
My need to feel clean almost made me late as I left the bathroom to find everyone else was already at the Buddha Hall. I trudged as quickly as my weary body would take me across the garden and was relieved to find, that although I was the last to arrive, the ceremony hadn't started.
Dressed, as the previous evening, in terracotta robes the monks began their predawn chanting with the same chant as last night then moved onto a more upbeat number. We watched, listened and copied throughout the ceremony; again with little idea what was happening. Then once again we were lead to the meditation hall. This time the meditation was even harder. My mind, not used to being up so early, absolutely refused to concentrate, whilst I was supposed to be concentrating on my breath and counting all I could think about was my bed! Luckily the meditation only lasted 20 minutes and afterwards we had an hours rest before breakfast.
The monks chanting inside the Buddha Hall.
Back in our communal area everyone gathered chatting in hushed tones, reading and drinking tea not wanting to sleep for fear of feeling even more tired when they awoke.
Breakfast required absolute silence and in our sleepy sates this wasn't difficult, the food was exactly the same as last nights dinner. Koreans don't make a distinction between meals and will happily start the day eating spicy foods, fish and rice. Not feeling quite that brave I opted for a very small plate of rice and potatoes - after all it was 6am.
After breakfast we went for a short walk with the Russian monk to a Buddhist burial ground. There wasn't a lot to see and almost as soon as we arrived we turned on our heal and headed back to do some manual labour, well weeding, in the garden.
As we were weeding the early morning turned into day the sun came out making it a pleasant experience. We each picked a particularly bad patch of gravel to weed and sat chatting as we freed the roots from the ground.
On the walk.
Once the weeding was over the day had begun to feel old, we'd been awake and on the go for five hours yet it was only 9am and time to write some scripture.
Entering the long hall and seeing the table set up with ink, palettes and paintbrushes I felt like I was back in art class at school - something I was never any good at. I took my place at the table dreading the task ahead. Luckily we were tracing the Chinese, Korean and English scripture but that didn't stop my finished effort looking like something a five year old had done.
Writing scripture.
After writing the scripture we completed a final round of chanting and bowing before changing back into our normal clothes and I heading off in search of the bus home.
By the time I left the temple the 4am start had caught up with me and I was longing for my bed, but I also had a greater understanding of Buddhism and how the monks live their lives. I didn't quite get to grips with meditation, my mind was far to active, but I now understand the principle and can see myself using it in the future and trying to improve my concentration.
I've come away with a bit of knowledge about Buddhism and a want to learn more. I can see how some of the ideologies behind Buddhism make sense and it would not be a bad thing if more people applied them to the way they live their lives, but I doubt I'll be declaring myself a Buddhist any time soon!
More photos can be found here.
NEVER ever ever use i-to-i
Today I was going to begin writing about my relaxing weekend at the temple but instead I am going to devote my lunch hour to i-to-i bashing!
Today I received another response from i-to-i regarding the ongoing saga of their incompetence and me asking for a refund. Once again the conclusion of their email was: "We are unable to offer a refund as we have fulfilled our side of the agreement." Of course you have?
They still haven't explained exactly what their side of the agreement is. I though it was:
- A reputable school - if they include schools with illegal contracts and zero respect for their foreign staff then they get a tick in this box.
- In country orientation - Now I would assume this to mean being shown around but if it actually means a five minute visit from the in country coordinator in the presence of the school director making it impossible to relay any concerns; then once again agreement fulfilled.
- On going support from your in country coordinator - Now in this case they obviously mean being repeatedly lied to, confidential conversations being relayed to your boss and the support being offered to your boss rather than the i-to-i customer
Well done i-to-i you have successfully done everything your agreement SHOULD ensure you do NOT.
Onto the email I received today. They'd said they were going to contact John Lee about whether he offered me support with regards to leaving my job and my illegal contract. John rather predictability lied or they made it up and they emailed me back telling me I didn't have a clue what I was talking about! Whatever happened to the customer is always right?
Their email said:
"He [John Lee] has advised me that he never received an email from you before you met at the school."
Wrong. I sent him an email before I resigned requesting his support in dealing with my boss. He can say he never got it but I have proof it was sent.
"He [John Lee] advised me that he did ask if it was possible for you to remain at the school until they could get a replacement for you and you advised him this was not possible. I would imagine that this would be part of your contract to give them notice to replace you."
Try finding out the facts rather than "imagining". Yes John did ask if I would stay. No it is not possible for me to say in that place one minute longer then I have to. I have endured nine months of dragging myself into a job I despise I'm not going to do it any longer to help them out. As for the notice required in my contract. Have they seen my contract - NO! My contract does not require me to give the school any notice what so ever. I gave five weeks, one week more than is required by law and more than enough time to find a replacement. If they wanted to sack me the contract only requires them to give me two weeks notice - which incidentally is also illegal - Under the Labour Standards Act they have to give 30 days!
"This is a private employment contract between you and the school and has been used for approx ten years."
Ten years, wow that's a long time. Why then did the foreign instructor working there when I arrived have a different contract that didn't contain the penalties?
"With regards to your contract he [John Lee] has advised me that it is legal with the Korean Justice department...he has assured me that there has been no illegal activities from the school's side."
No illegal activities on the part of the school. Oops the Korean Labour Standards act must be wrong. Better contact the Labour Standards board and tell they are wrong, obviously i-to-i knows better than them. I am also assuming i-to-i are able to provide me with the information from the Korean Justice Department that cancels out the Labour Standards Act.
"John has also advised me that the school's director has advised that you will be paid any monies due to you as per
contract less the taxes and any bills."
Yep. Right. The director has assured me of those things too, mainly because he needs to keep me sweet to help him find a replacement, but who is to say he will come through on his promise. Also just because the director says he will pay me doesn't mean the contract is any less illegal - he has just chosen not to enforce it. The next person to come along may not be so lucky.
"He has also advised me that you are not liable for any penalty charges."
Read my contract dumb arse, It's written there in black and white. I am liable they are just saying they are not going to enforce them.
Anyway enough. I'm starting to get angry all over again!
I cannot believe I was stupid and naive enough to have been so conned by i-to-i. I hope just one person reads this and decides not to pay for a job through i-to-i. If that happens at least one person will have a happier time abroad.
The path to enlightenment
Tomorrow I head to the Lotus Lantern Meditation centre for an overnight temple stay, another thing I can tick off my list of things to do before I leave Korea.
When I initially found the information it sounded like a fantastic way of getting a better understanding of Korean Buddhist traditions. But as I sit here tired, with no idea how to get to the temple or how long it will take I looked at the weekend schedule for encouragement. Then I realised my usual Sunday lie in will be replaced pre-dawn chanting and meditation at 4:00am followed by breakfast and dish washing in silence!
Whilst it still seems like an amazing experience my enthusiasm won't return until I've had a good nights sleep tonight in preparation for the weekends schedule, which is as follows.
Saturday
14:00 Arrival & check-in
16:00 Orientation on temple manners
18:00 Dinner & Dish washing (Silence is recommended)
19:00 Evening Chanting
19:30 Introduction on Buddhism & Sitting Meditation
20:30 Practice of Balwoo Meal Offering
21:30 Light out
Sunday
04:00 Pre-dawn Chanting & Sitting Meditation
(108 prostrations, Reciting of Virochana Mantra, Homage to Buddha, Reading of daily vows & Heart Sutra)
06:00 Balwoo Breakfast & Dish washing (Absolute Silence)
07:30 Silence Walking Meditation & Community Work
09:00 Copying Sutra
11:00 Midday Chanting
11:30 Lunch & Dish washing (Silence is recommended)
13:00 Cleaning rooms & Check-out
(Bus service is available to the nearest bus stop)
Lets hope after all that meditation, chanting and silence I'm feeling enlightened on Sunday night!
Today I confiscated a snail
Kids often bring random objects into school but today surpassed all expectations.
I walked into my class to find three boys, one holding a leaf, crowded around the television tugging at something underneath it. When they finally loosed their prize they showed me a live snail!
Nothing my look of distaste one of the kids put the snail back on its leaf and placed it in front of him on the desk.
There was no way I was having a kid playing with a snail in my lesson so I confiscated it! Not really knowing what to do with a confiscated snail that was rapidly, for a snail crawling of its leaf, and unable to make the kid understand I wanted him to go down three flights of stairs and across the road the park and deposit it where he found it my only option was to remove it from the classroom. The kid couldn't believe it as I walked out the classroom with his snail, luckily I quickly spotted the Korean teacher, who I'm sure knew about the snail, and gave it to her.
Now any reasonable person would have taken the snail back outside, but no. I was astounded to leave the lesson to find the snail and leaf carefully deposited in a cup with a piece of plastic over the top preventing its escape. Then as the kids came rushing through the staffroom on their way out the Korean teacher gave the snail and leaf back to the kid who'd brought it into school.
This place never ceases to amaze me! What next?
Three weeks to go - yipee!
First Birthday party or Tol
I'm going back in time to a Saturday a few weeks ago when I was commandeered into going to Mr Kwak's (my boss) son's first birthday party.
First birthday celebrations are big in Korea so all the teachers were invited. In the past, due to numerous childhood diseases and the sharp changes in seasons, many Korean children died before their first birthday. Survival rates increased dramatically once the child reached the age of one making the first birthday an important milestone for both the child and its parents.
It is traditional to pool money and give the child a gold ring on their first birthday. Something we didn't find out about until we arrived at the party, luckily the Korean teachers had already sorted it out. The ring isn't for the child to wear but for the parents to use towards the cost of education later in the child's life.
The party was held at a hotel over an hour from Kumdan, Katrina and I were given a lift by one of the Korean teachers and her husband. Arriving at the hotel Kwak, dressed in a cream suite jacket and light grey trousers, was greeting people at the entrance with a wide smile. As we walked in he smiled and thanked us for coming. It was strange to see him wearing light colours and smiling. It was like being greeted by his nicer twin brother!
Inside the room was decorated in white and silver with blue and white balloons on each table. At one end of the room there was an alter or Tol table covered with fruit, ddeok (rice cakes) and surrounded by balloons with a massive arc of silver balloons rising above it. Around the room were numerous large photos of the birthday boy, whose name escapes me!
Left to right: Mr Kwak's wife (i've never been told her name!), the grandparents with the birthday boy, Amy and Mr Kwak.
We picked a table near the door, easier to escape, and sat down. There was a generous spread of food and the first thing we were encouraged to do was eat. The food included the usual Korean rice, rice and more rice accompanied by fish and more fish. Bust nestling amongst it there was plenty of tastier food to be had. Much of it was more like you'd expect of Chinese food and Katrina and I happily tucked in.
Whilst we were eating Irene (one of the kindy kids) arrived with her parents and sat at a table near us. She immediately spotted me and shyly, for once, looked over grinning. She sat there making faces at me desperate to come over and say hello, but she wasn't so sure of herself outside of school. Eventually she plucked up the courage and came over saying: "Jenna teeeeachherrrrrr." We had a brief "how are you? I'm fine" conversation before we'd run out of ways of verbally communicating and she ran back to the comfort of her parents.
Whilst we were finishing our food they showed a video of the child's first year of life. The was mainly an amalgamation of photos, many of which featured Kwak. It was strange to see his life outside school. It made me realise that he was a real person with a family. Being lorded over by him all the time at school you forget there is any more to him; and aside from his daughter, Amy, being in kindy there has never been any mention of his personal life. The first time I knew he had a son was when I was invited to the party!
After the video and the cake cutting it was time for the Toljabee event. For this the child was dressed in traditional birthday clothes called a Tol-bok and sat on a chair at the Tol table. Four items were placed in front of him, a ball of string, a rice cake, money and a pencil. The party goers waited with baited breath to see which of the items he would pick up first. If he chose the ball of string he would have a long life, the rice cake the child is not smart, the money he would be rich and the pencil he would be a successful academic.
It looks as though he is set to be academic as he chose the pencil then whilst posing for photos proceeded to smack his father in the face with it!
Wearing a Tol-bok.
It was a strange party, guests had been coming and going all afternoon, there didn't seem to be any real beginning or end to the celebration just a steady stream of guests arriving and leaving. I guess that's the Korean way, but I was surprised at how few people appeared to be there. Once the Toljabee was over the party really had finished and we headed back to Kumdan.
More photos of the party can be found here.
The world's only divided country
On a rainy Saturday in Korea I set off to see one of the last relics of the Cold War, Korea's Demilitarized Zone or DMZ.
I opted for an organised trip run by the USO (United Service Organisation Inc) because they're linked to the American military and I'd heard this was the best way to see it.
The bus departed Seoul early on Saturday morning with the rain gently tapping on the windows, the bus was quiet as people caught up on sleep or reflected on the fragile peace that remains between North and South Korea.
The DMZ was born when the Korean war ended on June 25th 1950. No peace agreement has even been reached and the two countries remain technically at war. Following a cease in hostilities in 1950 the North and South negotiated, and after signing of the Armistice Agreement in 1953, designated a DMZ two kilometers away form the truce line of either side of the border. The agreement directs that North and South Korea should stay out of each others land, sea and air space. But reoccurring violations by the North mean there is a constant need for vigilance along the DMZ.
The DMZ is a no mans land riddled with land mines running 151 miles from coast to coast along the military demarcation line or MDL that separates the two countries. According to South Korea this land that represents so many lost lives and has lain largely undisturbed for the last four decades has now become a wildlife haven providing homes for many endangered species.
The DMZ tour started at Camp Bonifas the US army post closest to the joint security area or JSA. Our passports were checked by military personnel before we were driven into the base told to leave all or belongings other than cameras and drinks on the tour bus and boarded a military bus for the tour of the JSA.
The bus drove us first Ballinger Hall on Camp Bonifas where we were given a briefing about what lay ahead.
Before arriving at Ballinger Hall the solider on our bus joked about signing a declaration saying the Americans weren't responsible if we were shot by a North Korean guard. We laughed along unaware he wasn't joking! Reading the declaration we had to sign was a stark remainder that we were entering what was technically a war zone, all be it a peaceful one.
The declaration absolved the American military of responsibility should we be wounded or fatally injured during the tour. Although they assured us if anything did happen they would do their best to protect us! We were not to point gesture or otherwise communicate with any North Korean guards or engage in any act that could be used in propaganda against the South. And amongst other things we were only to take photos in permitted areas otherwise we could compromise the security of South Korea. It was serious stuff!
The first stop on the tour of the JSA was Panmunjeom. Panmunjeom is a village just 800 meters in diameter and outside the administrative control of either country. It stretches across the MDL. It was here that the 1951 peace talks were held, and in 1953, after the signing of the Armistices Agreement, it was designated the joint security area. The UN and North Korea each operate six guard posts in Panmunjeom where 35 security guards reside.
The bus stopped outside Freedom House where we were told to disembark bringing nothing but our cameras, outside their cases, and form two single file lines. We were lead inside Freedom house, lined up on the stairs and given strict instructions about how to conduct ourselves, told to stay in our lines and not to take any photographs whilst moving.
The building was huge but empty with very little furnishing. It had an eery feel making you conscious of the guards standing motionless at every door.
Still in our lines we were lead out of the building across a road they ironically call Reunification Way and straight into a blue hut type building that resembled a temporary classroom.
This building is where reunification talks have been held. The MDL runs right through the middle of the building and is marked by a line of permanently recording microphones in the middle of the negotiation table. As you enter you are standing in South Korea, but cross to the other side of the room and you have entered the North.
As I took this picture I was standing in South Korea but the people on the far side of the picture are in North Korea.
On the wall on the South Korean side of the building are some plastic flags. The soldier conducting our tour told us they used to be material flags until two North Korea guards came into the building took the South Korean and American flags off the wall and proceeded to blow their noses and clean their boots with them. After the incident the flags were replaced with plastic flags to prevent a similar event in the future.
We were allowed to walk freely around the room in the presence of two menacing looking South Korean guards. Their uniform included sunglasses, to make them look more intimidating and in the bottom of their trousers they have ball bearings so when they walk it sounds like there are more of them than there actually are.
The guards in the room stood motionless and expressionless as we milled around, it was possible to walk close to them and have our picture taken but we were told that we were not to touch them or try and walk behind them unless we wanted to be physically stopped and thrown off the tour!
Kat, Emily and me with the South Korea guard.
This room is the only place in the JSA where North and South Korean guards are able to cross the MDL. They used to be able to cross over the MDL anywhere in the JSA; but since the Axe Murder Incident (that I will come to in a bit) guards have been forbidden from crossing over to each others side.
After we had looked around we reformed our single file lines and walked back to the door of Freedom House. There was an area on top of the steps to the building where we could walk around but were not to go past either end of the building entrance or attempt to walk down the steps.
Here we got our only glimpse of a North Korean guard. He was stood in front of the main North Korean building called Panmun-Gak, the Americans call him Bob!
The North Korean guard outside Panmun-Gak, the American's call him Bob.
Whilst standing in front of Freedom House we heard a raised voice from the solider. Some guy who hadn't heeded the numerous warnings we were given had lit a cigarette in full view of the North Koreans. The response form he soldier was stern and the guy was confined to the bus for the remainder of the trip.
Our second stop on tour was on observation post surrounded by North Korea on three sides. From here we were able to get our first glimpse into the communist North.
We could see the North Korean village of Gijeong-dong or Kijŏng-dong (기정동) also know as "Propaganda Village" by the UN and "Peace Village" by North Korea. The village attracted its UN name because loud speakers could be heard broadcasting propaganda to the village for as long as 20 hours a day. However according to American military there are only "caretaker" residents in the village despite claims to the contrary by the North:
Kijŏng-dong has the largest flag pole in the world stretching 160 meters into the sky and flying 300-pound (136 kilogram) national flag. The flag pole wasn't always the tallest in the world but built after the neighbouring village of Daeseong-dong (대성동) in South Korea built its flag pole taller than the one in Kijŏng-dong the North Korean's extended their pole. The image of theses two flag poles stretching into the sky raised a chuckle from the crowd during the briefing.
Kijŏng-dong was built after the North negotiated provisions for a town inside the DMZ because the South already had one, Daeseong-dong.
The North Korean village of Kijŏng-dong with its flag pole rising high into the sky.
Daeseong-dong is the only civilian town in the Southern side of the DMZ, the MDL lies just 40 yards form the village. Daeseong-dong is strictly controlled by the Korean government, one must have ancestral connection dating back to before the Korean war to live there, this keeps the village population very small. Residents must also reside in the village for more than 280 days each year to maintain their residency and they must abide by an 11pm curfew. However residents are exempt from military conscription and they don't pay taxes.
Sine the war Daeseong-dong has continuously flown a South Korean flag from its large flag pole with one exception. When the Seoul Olympics were held the Olympic committee managed to get an Olympic flag to the village and for the duration of the games it was flown form their flag pole. The flag could be clearly seen in the North and contradicted propaganda by the North who had told its citizens the games had been cancelled.
After peering across the border wondering what really goes on in Kijŏng-dong we moved on to the monument commemorating the Axe Murder Incident of 1976 an incident that is said to have almost sparked world war three!
On August 18th 1976 two American soldiers were murdered by axe wielding North Korean guards as they and a team of men attempted to trim the branches of a tree that was blocking the line of view between a United Nations check point and an observation post.
Today a monument marks the spot where the tree once stood.
The monumnet marking the spot of the Axe murder incident. The circle at the bottom is the circumfrance of the tree that once stood there.
From almost the same spot were were able to get a look at the bridge of no return. This bridge acquired its name when prisoners were released after the Korean war. They were taken to the bridge and could choose to remain on the side of their captivity or cross to other side, but once they'd made their decision they could never return.
The bridge marked the end of the tour and were were driven back to the tour bus via the Camp Bonfias gift shop where there were loads of wonderfully tacky DMZ and JSA souvenirs. You could even buy some barbed wire from the DMZ fence!
Out next stop was the Dora Observation Platform. Through binoculars this is supposed to offer one of the closest views of North Korea you can get. It was a shame that the weather was so bad we just stared into a white haze barely able to make out the trees in front of us.
Kat and Emily at the Dora Observation Platform.
The final stop of the tour was the third tunnel. Inside the DMZ four tunnels built by North Korea to launch an attack on the South have been found and it is claimed there could be six more waiting to be discovered. The third tunnel was built just 44 kilometres form Seoul sparking claims it was built to launch a surprise attack on the South Korean capital.
The entrance to the tunnel was a 300 meter walk down a steep incline. Inside the the dark, damp tunnel stretched all the way to the MDL where the tunnel has been barricaded. Although there was a door at the end and looking closely you could make out lights behind the door. It makes one wonder who could have been sat behind that door and what they could be thinking as hundreds of tourists flocked to the tunnel.
When the tunnel was discovered in 1978 the North claimed it was a coal mine and "painted" the inside of the tunnel with coal. If you rub you finger against the wall the black "paint" will rub off on your hands.
After looking at the tunnel we were ushered across the road into a theater and shown a video of shameless propaganda. The video explained that the DMZ is a symbol of reunification and hope for the future. A stark contract to the images of death and unsolvable conflict we had bared witness to all day!
Wondering how anyone can perceive a 151 mile DMZ surrounded my military personnel and constantly on the look out for the next attack as a symbol of peace and hope for the future we boarded the bus back to Seoul. And with a greater understand of the conflict that divided the Koreas I could tick off another of the things I had to do before I leave South Korea.
Despite the weather being bad it was a rare privilege to get even the briefest glimpse into a country that prohibits entry to civilians except in special cases. Whilst after forty years you still can't cross the border between the two Koreas there is hope as according to the BBC website today (17/05/2007) the "two Koreas will run trains across their border for the first time since the war."
More photos can be found here.
Confidentiality - not with i-to-i!
I can't believe the last time I blogged about leaving Korea and i-to-i's incompetence was the day after I handed in my resignation. So much has happened since.
During first few days the director was saying he wasn't going to hurry up finding a replacement, telling Katrina he would find her the "right guy" and even offering to find her a boyfriend so she would be happy after I left!! The teachers were sickly sweet making empty promises about going to the movies and to Nori bangs's (Korean singing rooms) with Katrina once I'd gone.
I resigned on the Monday and on the Thursday Katrina cracked and handed him two months notice.
On Friday I finally had some contact with John from i-to-i because he was at the school meeting with the director about finding replacements for us. Katrina and I were left alone with John in for a chat, stupidly I assumed the ensuing conversation would be between me, Katrina and John in his capacity as i-to-i country coordinator.
I asked him about my email, which he claimed not to have received? Then took the opportunity to broach the subject of our contracts. He said he'd read the contracts before recommending the job to us, and he knew they contained monetary penalties for leaving early. When I confronted him about the penalties being against the Korean Labor Standards Act, and thus illegal, his response was: "A lot of schools are doing it."
So that makes it ok then. If everyone else is doing it then i-to-i can do it too. Who cares if its illegal.
Walking out of the office I was fuming at the response from John as i-to-i's representative.
Today I was called into the directors office for what I though would be another chat about leaving. Imagine my astonishment when he then relayed details of the conversation I'd had with John and asked me not to say bad things about his school! I cannot believe the i-to-i coordinator, who is supposed to offer ME support, had the audacity to relay details of a (seemingly) private conversation to the school director.
I am amazed that i-to-i are even able to claim they offer support when the man they employ in Korea is clearly has a conflict of interests. If he is working with my director to find him a replacement, how can he then offer me support dealing with issues arising from an illegal contract with the school. I know from talking to him he has no intention of requesting the director change his contract.
As for the latest from i-to- in the UK.
I received an email form them yesterday and was again told: "We cannot issue a refund at this time because..." they have provided me with all the services they offer including orientation - whatever that is? But they said they would contact John in Korea with regards to the issue of "support" and get back to me once they'd received a response from him. I emailed them back explaining the conversation I'd had with John on Friday. I'm waiting to see what their next excuse is. But after realising that John cannot offer support or confidentiality I will NOT be giving up this fight easily.
On the plus side. I had an email from a producer on BBC radio 5 live today interested in my experiences. Maybe i-to-i will finally get a wake up call and realise they can't keep conning people into dodgy jobs in foreign countries.
Rant over. Phew!
Teachers Day (스승의 날)
Koreans are big on their days to celebrate different groups of people; today was Teachers Day.
As a reward for their efforts as teachers public school teachers across the country enjoyed a relaxing day off in the sun but us hakwon (private English school) teachers slaved away extra hard because the parents sent their kids to school early to get them out of the house.
On teachers day it is traditional for the kids present their teachers with carnations to commemorate their efforts in the classroom. But kids will also give other gifts, shower gel and toothpaste were among the things I saw on the Korean teachers desks.
Throughout the day kids arrived with gifts for the Korean teachers, but Katrina and I fared less well. When I left at seven Katrina hadn't amassed any gifts from her students but I had managed a two whole carnations and a beautifully gift wrapped present.
The present had appeared on my desk whilst I was in a lesson and I have no idea which student put it there. Upon finding it I was desperate to know what it was. But it is impolite to open present in front of people in Korea so I had to wait until I got home. As soon as I was through the door I ripped off the wrapping expecting to find something either useless or made of rice but it was a very pretty traditional Korean fan. It was a really nice gift that I will definitely take home with me. I just wish I knew which student put it there.
Korea House
A couple of weeks ago Kat and I along with Emily and her parents immersed ourselves in Korean culture at Korea house.
Korea house is built in traditional Joseon architectural style and offers a traditional Korean meal followed by a traditional performance and was one of the things on my list to do before I leave Korea.
We decided only to go for the performance as the meal was pretty expensive and Kat, Emily and I have unanimously agreed to stop pretending and admit we don't like Korean food!
We got there early and wondered around the grounds for a bit. Most of the buildings were closed or housing people who were eating their per performance meal. But the grounds were very pretty with concealed speakers playing traditional Korean music.
Looking across the courtyard from the gardens.
The performance was pretty short but was very good, although Emily's dad managed to sleep through most if it just waking up to clap as each performance finished!
I will try and explain some of what I saw below.
One of the first dances was a traditional Korean fan dance. One of my students usually turns up for school with two missive fans or a drum. Now I understand why!
The fan dance.
Korean fan dancing is usually performed by female dancers and is said to have evolved under the influence of both shamanic dancing and traditional Joseon court dancing.
VIDEO - Fan dance - http://www.mediamax.com/j150vsc/Hosted/Korea%20House/fandance.AVI
The next performance was P'an Sori or traditional Korean opera. Now I'm not an opera fan but I've never heard opera sound quite like this!
VIDEO - P'an Sori - http://www.mediamax.com/j150vsc/Hosted/Korea%20House/opera.AVI
Then we saw an hour-glass drum dance or Chang go ch'um. This was apparently part of a farmers dance performed at rural festivals. It was very impressive to watch as the dancers danced and beat their drums in complete unison.
VIDEO - Chang go ch'um - http://www.mediamax.com/j150vsc/Hosted/Korea%20House/drum%20dance.AVI
Then it was time to sit and listen to some traditional Korean instruments. I know some people enjoyed it but to me the whole thing sounded like someone standing on a cat. I took a video just to record how horrible the sound was!
VIDEO - Traditional Korean music! - http://www.mediamax.com/j150vsc/Hosted/Korea%20House/music.AVI
After that there was another dance by women with fans but this was lot slower and less spectacular. It was called Sanjochum and would have originally been performed by a solo dancer with someone playing a string instrument. The dancers graceful movements accompanied by the Sanjo music is apparently widely regarded to be the one that best expresses the sensibility of the Korean people.
The more graceful Sanjochum.
Lastly it was the turn of men with white ribbons on their heads called Sangmo. This left me giggling in my seat as the as they walked around the stage bobbing their head to keep their ribbons swinging.
Sangmo dancers.
Video - Sangmo, heads bobbing - http://www.mediamax.com/j150vsc/Hosted/Korea%20House/headribbonswalking.AVI
This dance was one of the more impressive of the evening but apparently it has more to do with the music than the dance. According to the Mu Gung Hwa Korean dance academy... (website here)
This dance has been performed by Korean farmers every spring and fall for centuries to assure a bountiful crop and successful harvest. Today, the Farmer Dance is performed simply to celebrate, any time of year....This dance expresses HINO-era or intense joy and hope for the future.
No additional accompaniment is needed because the drums - Sogo, Changgo, and Puk, and the gongs - Ching (large) and Kwaengwari (small) make plenty of noise to scare away even the most pesky troubles.
The Sangmo or Ribbon Hat Dancer is the star of the performance as he spins a ribbon from the top of his hat while performing acrobatic moves!
The performance go a whole lot more impressive when a man appeared with a very long ribbon on his head.
VIDEO - long ribbon - http://www.mediamax.com/j150vsc/Hosted/Korea%20House/longribbon.AVI
As the performance drew to a close some of the girls headed into the audience in search of unwilling volunteers. Before I knew it one of them had handed me her drum/tambourine type thing and was tugging at my arm. I had no choice but to follow her to the stage and make a complete fool of myself being nervous as hell and not having a clue what I was doing, as the video below shows. This being dragged up on stage is starting to become a regular occurrence.
VIDEO - me being embarrassed - http://www.mediamax.com/j150vsc/Hosted/Korea%20House/embarrased%20again.AVI
Korea House was a fantastic night thoroughly enjoyed by all, including Emily's dad who was asleep throughout. Afterwards we got our photo taken with some of the dancers.
Back row some of the dancers. front row: Emily's dad, me, Katrina, Emily's mum, Emily.
My television debut
I know this blog has been a bit all over the place of late. There has been a lot going on.
I have just one thing to post to finish off everything on the Snow Crab Festival, Daegaya Experience Festival and Gayageum celebration (which all happened on the same weekend).
Part of the reason I was feeling so sick of cameras that weekend was because aside from the paparazzi there was a film crew following the trip to make a short piece on Adventure Korea for a Korean TV channel.
Kat and I were both at work when it was shown on TV but Emily managed to video the TV with her camera!!
Check out our television debut below, if you look carefully you'll just about catch a glimps of us.
VIDEO - Our television debut - http://www.mediamax.com/j150vsc/Hosted/CIMG5273.AVI
