Summer Sonata.

Last month, Mike and I were trying to take advantage of the sunny days before rainy season hit. We did our best to get out on the weekends and enjoy the sunny weather. Turns out, the rainy season didn’t really come this year. There were a few wet ones, but not the nonstop rain for days on end that usually occurs.

One Saturday, our destination was Nami Island. It was an easy two hour bus ride to from Suwon to Gapyeong and then a 5 minute ferry to the island. We had the good fortune of getting tickets on the 7am(!) bus so we had a few hours on the island before the crowds arrived. If you are headed to Nami Island in the summer, I highly recommend arriving early.

The island is basically a picturesque park filled with an assortment of especially scenic spots and pathways. There are river views, a lush lotus pond, ostriches, and pathways lined by cherry, sequoia, maple, and gingko trees. Pretty much everywhere you look there’s another photo opportunity. In addition to the natural sights, there are also cafes, museums, art galleries, gift shops, and libraries. In fact, just about everywhere on the island is a library. There are little bookshelves strategically located so you can enjoy a leisurely read no matter where you are (including the bathroom stalls).

We spent the day strolling through the trees, riding the Sky Bike, and paddling out in a swan boat. The main thoroughfare can get pretty crowded (near the shops/cafes), but there is plenty of space on the island to spread out and find your own little patch of nature. I definitely appreciated being surrounded by trees instead of tall buildings. From the Sky Bike! 

More Sky Bike scenes. 

In addition to being a beautiful and peaceful location, Nami Island is also famous for its brief appearance in a Korean drama. All over the island there are little signposts to point out the location of certain scenes in Winter Sonata. This drama is the one of that helped spread Korean dramas throughout the region and the world back in the early 2000s. Of course, when we got home we had to check it out. Mike only lasted one episode but I quickly became addicted. Eventually, I had to take a break halfway through the series. I just couldn’t get anything done while being glued to the subtitles. However, if you have some time on your hands (like 20 hours), I highly recommend Winter Sonata. It’s all on youtube!

It was a memorable summer Saturday.

xo, jill

Beach break.

The weather over here is starting to heat up. Naturally, the warmer weather put me in the mood for some beach time. A few weeks ago Mike and I traveled down to Busan to enjoy Korea’s most famous beach, Haeundae. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great our first afternoon there. It was windy and rainy. Not at all ideal for a beach getaway. Thankfully, the weather cleared up in the evening so we were able to enjoy a walk along the water.

The next day we relaxed on the beach under our 5,000 won umbrella and mat rental. It was definitely a worthy indulgence. I just wish we didn’t our own beach mat all the way from Suwon! I wasn’t anticipating the beach experience to be so convenient. In fact, the beach experience is so convenient that chicken and beer vendors stroll up and down the beach. Thirsty and hungry beach goers only need to wait about five minutes for the next vendor to pass by. Cold beer and warm chicken, right at your sandy fingertips.

Eventually, Mike declared relaxation time over. It was time to hike and explore. We headed down a popular path that ran along the rocky coastline. It was easy to forget we were in Korea’s second largest city.

I suspect there will be a few more trips to Busan during the coming months.

xo, jill

Have you heard?

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus has reached South Korea. The country has the highest rate of cases outside of Saudi Arabia where the virus originated. The latest tally is something like 120 people infected, a few thousand in isolation, and 10 deaths.* The anxiety level is pretty high.

People are wearing masks, washing their hands compulsively, and avoiding large groups of people (movies, sporting events, crowded transportation). Mike and I have been advised to stay indoors as much as possible, always wear a mask, and to brush our teeth extra carefully. (I’m not sure if that last one is an official recommendation, or just our boss’s suggestion.)

Wearing masks on the train.

Midweek last week, many of the elementary schools shut down. Our school (a private language school, aka hagwon) closed for Thursday and Friday as well. This week, not only were the elementary schools shut down, the middle and high school students were kept home as well. We’ve been attending work and focusing on non-teaching projects while we wait for the kids to return. The plan, as of now, is for school to resume on Monday but the official decision won’t be made until Sunday night.

I think the precautions Koreans are taking can sometime seem overzealous or even silly to outsiders. However, it’s important to remember that Korea’s population is huge and the country is compact. People here come into much closer contact with each other on a daily basis than most do in the West. Sometimes on the subway I feel like I really understand the phrase, “breathing the same air.” When I think about it in those terms, it’s easier to understand the extreme anxiety.

It is definitely interesting to observe how another country handles a health crisis. So far my coworkers have been unimpressed and a bit distrustful of the government’s response. It’s also interesting to compare the English and Korean news stories. The Korean articles are much more up to date and detailed. Everything in the English press seems to lag pretty far behind.

Hopefully, the new cases and fatalities will stop increasing and life can go back to normal soon.

xo, jill

*The numbers are slightly different in pretty much every article I read.

In celebration of sh*t.

Last week, we had a day off from work in honor of Childrens Day. I must say, the children here really deserve the holiday. All of my students put in a full day at school and then attend a few extra classes at varying academies in the evening. It’s also not uncommon for these kids to attend Saturday classes as well.

Mike and I decided to spend the day exploring our city. We headed to a very unusual tourist attraction… the Suwon Toilet Museum. Yep, the city we live in is famous for toilets.

Special festivities for Childrens Day.

It all goes back to a former mayor, Sim Jae-Duck, whose personal mission was to upgrade the state of public bathrooms. A silly sounding, but very worthy goal. When Mike asked one of our co-workers what she thought about the toilet obsessed mayor, she began with a serious face that slowly turned to a grin, “He did a very good job. If we need to use the bathroom, we know that it will always be nice!” Really, that’s a luxury not found in most cities.

Mr. Toilet House / Future parenting blackmail.

The Toilet Museum aka Mr. Toilet House is dedicated to all things toilet related. When I say “all things,” I really do mean all things. Inside, the museum showcases the history of pubic toilets in Korea as well as worldwide efforts to bring toilets into the forefront of international conversation. On top of that, there are also the winning entries in a poo-related coloring contest and my personal favorite, bathroom pictograms from around the world. Oh, and did I mention that the building itself is in the shape of a toilet?

Korea’s first flush toilet, used by noble women (57 BC-935) / Common toilet in rural areas.

Outside, the garden is festooned with an exhibit that could accurately be called, “Toilets Through the Ages.” All different kinds of toileting receptacles are featured with short explanations. Just another time in my life that I’m happy to have been born in the late 20th century.

Female toilet from the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC – 660)

Chamber pots

Toilet in Ancient Rome / Toilet in Medieval Europe / Modern Day Urinal

Even the plant markers are poo themed. You have to appreciate their commitment.

I have to say, it was a fun yet strange afternoon. It was so puzzling to see parents posing their children to look as if they were using the toilet… and then snapping photo after photo. I laughed a lot.

Traditional toilet on Jeju Island and a family enjoying a photo op.

Finally, a little palette cleanser.

xo, jill

*Interestingly, Sim Jae-Duck is not the only “Mr. Toilet.” There’s a man from Singapore with the same nickname who even has his very own short documentary.

Suwon’s crown jewel.

Spring in Korea has been absolutely gorgeous. Every morning on my way to work I’ve been marveling at flower after flower. It started with the delicate cherry blossoms and magnolias. Then, it was on to the vibrant azaleas. Coming up next is daisies. I saw quite a few waiting to bloom during my run today. Unfortunately, I’ve been warned that spring is nearly over and the summer heat is on the way. All good things must end, I guess!

A few weeks ago, Mike and I headed over to Hwaseong Fortress on a pleasant spring afternoon. I wanted to visit Suwon’s crown jewel tourist attraction while the cherry blossoms were still sticking around. The fortress was built between 1794 – 1796 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We started our exploration near Paldalmun Gate and headed up the steep fortress wall. Our intent was to buy tickets for the dragon train. Of course, being such a popular attraction, tickets were sold out until later in the afternoon. We were kind of expecting that so it wasn’t too much of a disappointment. We decided to just explore as much as possible before our departure time.

There are about a million things to do and see at the fortress. You can walk/hike the walls, enjoy views over the city, ring the Bell of Filial Piety, try your hand at archery, visit the palace, or take in a cultural performance. I’m probably leaving something out.

We enjoyed the views, walked along the walls, rang the bell, watched a beautiful traditional dance, and then finally hopped on the dragon train. The dragon train takes you around the exterior of the fortress and offers some hard to hear commentary in Korean and English. It was cheap (just a few dollars each) and worth the wait.

I’m sure we’ll be visiting the fortress again. There’s plenty more to see and do.

xo, jill

 

This post is purely informational.

One thing you learn pretty quickly when you move overseas is that you’ll get sick a lot. This probably goes double for teachers who are around germ ridden children all day. When I first moved to Abu Dhabi nearly six years ago, my friends and I got sick every three weeks. I swear I counted it out. We’d get over one cold, enjoy a week of health, and then fall sick with another. Thankfully, it only took a few months until our immune systems could withstand the new batch of viruses.

This super immunity that I developed in Abu Dhabi served me well in Australia and Morocco. I definitely faired better during cold and flu season than my newly abroad co-workers in Marrakech. Unfortunately, my super immunity just met its match with a super cold here in Korea.

It started as a regular cold. I felt crummy for a couple of days but soon began to feel I was on the mend. That was until my sore throat returned, my right eye started to itch, and I was stricken with a nasty bout of viral conjunctivitis. On a Saturday night!

To those of you within Korea, you know why this sucks. To those of you outside of Korea, let me explain. Pretty much all clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies are closed on Sundays. Your main Sunday option is the Emergency Room or an emergency clinic and eye infections don’t really qualify. I spent most of the night awake searching forums for a place to get treated on a Sunday. No luck. Really, I should have just slept.

The next morning we contacted our co-worker who has a Korean girlfriend. His girlfriend was able to find me an eye doctor in just a few minutes. We hopped in a taxi, saw the doctor, picked up my prescription at the open pharmacy next door, grabbed a comfort food pizza, and were back home in less than an hour. To add to my relief, the doctor visit only cost $5. The two prescriptions were $4 total.

Of course, the eye infection wasn’t the end of it. The next day my cold decided to add a painful sinus infection to its repertoire. I was a bit of a mess. Red and swollen eyes, sore throat, sniffly nose, and quite the sinus headache. I’m sure my youngest students were scared of me. I was a little scared of myself.

So, if you are here because you need an eye doctor in Suwon on a Sunday, I know just the place. Dr. Lee’s Eye Clinic is located near Paldalmun Gate and has a logo of an eye clearly marking the building. We showed our taxi driver the photo of the map below and he recognized the location immediately. The doctor I saw was kind and spoke enough English to communicate clearly. I went for a follow up visit a few days later and was able to see the same doctor.

Here are the photos you’ll need:

To those of you seeking an eye doctor, I hope this helps. Good luck!

xo, jill