The Traveling Teacher

It is OFFICIALLY the final day of the year 2014, which means a few things to me:

First, I survived South Korea and made it back to the United States in one piece.
Second, I am now able to reflect upon the most significant year of growth I've experienced in all of my 25 years alive.
And third, I really need to improve my blogging consistency. Thank you for waiting patiently, lovely readers!

Now that I've returned to the land of craft beer and loud conversation, I've had some time to weigh in on the good, the bad, and the totally confusing aspects encountered in Korea. Whether practical, delicious, mind-boggling or completely humorous, these are the unforgettable Korean cultural markers which I surrounded myself almost every single day of 2014. Enjoy :)

Dining Out

Good: Delicious, cheap food. No tip required. The magic table doorbell that calls your server. Banchan (Korean side dishes, often free and unlimited!) Korean food is something I'd never get sick of eating. This country is full of pickled, fermented, stinky, sour, crunchy food suitable for all. Wanna stand? Street food. Wanna sit? Table restaurant. Wanna lay on the floor? Floor restaurant. Everybody's happy.

(Left to Right) 1. Strange Korean pizza toppings 2. Cold noodle soup (mul-naengmyeon)
3. Aileen cooking octopus 4. Bibimbop, my lunch on the reg 5. Corn banchan

Bad: Occasional slow service. Tiny cups...like Dixie cups. Hul.

Confusing: Beondegi. Occasional bombardment of personal space by intoxicated Koreans. Yelling out the Korean equivalent of "come here!" to servers also took some getting used to.

Top: Trying the silkworm larvae for the first, but not only, time.
Below: Will attracted some eager college students at our Friday
night pajeon/magkeolli dinner. Right: Selfies ensue.

Being Outdoors

Good: Koreans appreciate green space. Excellent bike trails, hiking, parks. It's commonplace to climb up a mountain and have a glass of magkeolli at the top. The weather is consistent and sunny, temperature changing gradually through each season (as opposed to Indiana weather, for which I am never prepared), and most people enjoy walking from here to there.

Hiking with friends throughout the southern region of Korea.

Litter often spotted on my
walk to work. Hmm.

Bad: I would often walk, run, and bike in the car exhaust of vehicles passing by. Pedestrians do not have the right of way! Unless hiking Munsusan, the mountain in our backyard, the hiking was hard to get to from a public transportation perspective.

Confusing: No trashcans...Anywhere. This was one of the most boggling things about South Korea. People throw their trash on the ground, and by the morning it mysteriously disappears. Thanks to what I believe is government-funded, public employment, the elderly collect garbage and recyclables and properly dispose of them.

Education

Posing on Halloween with Christine,
one of my favorite middle school girls.

Good: I've never seen students more dedicated or harder working. Education is valued and highly supported in Korea. Test scores and post-secondary graduation rates are among the top of the world.
Bad: Students seem overworked and overwhelmed, most experiencing more stress than adults face in the west. Mix a stressed, sleep-deprived fifth grader with a package of cookies and a three hour English lesson, do you know what you get? Whoooooey! Cranky kids.

Confusing: Why make students go to hagwon on public holidays?? Whyyyyy? Call me lazy, call me whatever, but teachers don't wanna teach on public holidays!

Coffee

Good: Coffee shops of all kinds were abundant throughout Korea. Garden themed, bookshop themed, swanky white couches and uplighting. You could always find a coffee shop and always order an americano, sure to see selfies taken at each point. Most menus are in English or easy-to-read hongul and provide an excellent atmosphere for people watching or working.
Bad: The coffee sucks. Very few places offer basic drip coffee, and it's often laden with sugar and syrup.

Confusing: Oddly enough, Koreans drink a surreal amount of instant coffee...Nobody has time for drip?! Coffee is also quite expensive, ranging anywhere from 3 to 6 USD for a small coffee.

Drinking

Good: Drinking on any day, at any time, in completely normal here. Alcohol consumption is through the roof, it seems. But it's very social and inexpensive, and there are a wide assortment of drinks to choose from. Some of my favorites were magkeolli (unfiltered, fermented rice wine) and somek (a merging of the mixture soju + mekju), as well as my friends' home brew craft beer, the label of their cider featuring yours truly.

Left to Right: Mobile booze juicebox cart, friends and
magkeolli, Nick and I singing noraebang.

Bad: Bars. Never. Close. Bars never close. Bars never close. And you may die.

Confusing: According to statistics, South Korea's alcohol consumption is higher than that in America, but I never noticed it recognized as a significant issue among Korean people. The idea of "alcoholism" does not exist, although some point fingers at the Irish!

Transportation

Good: Taxis are abundant, inexpensive, and easy to hail. Buses run semi-consistently, and you may get lucky and find a seat! Ulsan didn't have a subway system, but the subways in Korea were fairly easy to navigate and also pretty cheap.
Bad: The buses are notorious for accelerating zero to 60 in under ten seconds, and unless you're holding on you WILL go flying into the lap of a squishy ajumma, and she WON'T be happy about it.

Confusing: Strange things have happened in taxis, including the time we sang along to Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" with our driver in Daegu, and the time Shay and I received the 4am surprise of gifted clementines to share with our driver. "For energy," he said.

Being a Couple

Good: Couples outfits.

Bad: Couples outfits.

This is a real thing!

Confusing: Couples outfits.

Being an ESL Teacher

Wonderful, morning Costco bike rides with
Beth, Will, and Shay.

Good: Working evenings allows for daytime shenanigans (or naps), good pay, students are very entertaining.
Bad: Cultural differences in the workplace sometimes lead to miscommunication or misunderstanding, so communication is vital among employer and employees. Koreans have a very rigorous work ethic, and foreigners are also held to this standard.

Confusing: Why work on public holidays? Whyyyy?

Being a Foreigner

Good: Being a foreigner in Korea was excellent. Koreans were extremely friendly, helpful, and patient with me throughout the year. Considering I didn't speak Korean and probably acted silly in many cases, I always felt very comfortable living in South Korea. Probably the best thing about being a foreigner was meeting all of the other wonderful wakgooken in Korea. From England to Canada, Ireland to South Africa, I met great people from great places.

Representing team England, Korea, Canada,
Pennsylvania, and Indiana. And Team Girls!

Rainy ride home with Tim.

Bad: Although this foreign land threw me some curve balls, all the little challenges were completely worth while.

Confusing: We sometimes lived the life of a celebrity, posing for photographs and getting stared at. It was all good fun.

Munsu hike on my last weekend in Ulsan with Shay, Will, and John.

As I look back on these photographs and memories, I think about how the year evolved. Cherry blossoms, new friendships, new goals met. Each season illuminated the passing time, and I knew that my experience in Korea would eventually come to an end. Without the people I met and the places I saw, I would not be the same changed person I am at the other end of this adventure. The holidays and New Year spent with friends and family took on a special importance for me in 2014, and the upcoming year is sure to bring more excitement as I embark for New Zealand in three short weeks. I'd like to close this chapter with a big thank you for all of your support, well wishes, postcards, packages, and continued correspondence. May 2015 treat you well, be kind to one another, and say yes to a new adventure!

After more than 270 days teaching English in Korea, I did the unthinkable:

I TOOK A VACATION!

*cue the hallelujah chorus*

Korean people-watching in the airport. I missed the memo
about wearing my orange vest. Darn it!

It seems as though vacations, week-long vacations at that, are almost unheard of in Korean culture. It's not a lack of a vacation days available to employees, but rather a lack of desire to leave the job for fear of seeming lazy or lacking devotion. Pffftttttt. After nine months of five or six days straight work, I happily booked my flight and turned a blind, vacation-hungry eye to anyone who cast judgement.

After a little research and a lot of persuasion from fellow waygooken, I decided to travel to Cambodia, the southeast asian country nestled between Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. To accompany me on my journey was Kingesleah, an Australian engineer who seems to spend as much time traveling as he does working for Hyundai. With vacations days to spare, Kings happily obliged and we roughly planned our one-week destination, my first time outside of central Asia.

Our first tuk tuk ride in Phnom Pehn.

After arriving in the capitol city of Phnom Pehn, Kingesleah and I met our tuk tuk driver who transported us to the hostel, only after urinating within 10 feet of us first. Riding in a tuk tuk must be similar to riding in a horse-drawn carriage. You are painfully aware of every bump in the road, smell every foul smell imaginable, but you feel like royalty. The sensation of humid air blowing across my face and through my hair was magical after 12 hours of airport travel.

We awoke bright and early, as Korea is two hours ahead of Cambodia, and I felt rejuvenated after that "I finally made it, I don't have to worry anymore" hostel slumber. With one day of Phnom Pehn at our disposal, Kingesleah and I felt that educating ourselves on the reality of Cambodia's recent past was a must. Our first stop: the Teol Sleng Genocide Museum.

Rules of the S-21 prison:
"You must immediately answer my questions without time to reflect.
If you don't follow the above rules, you shall get many lashes of the electric wire."

The S-21 prison camp was one of the largest camps led by Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge Communist Party of Cambodia. Enslaving, torturing, and executing the educated, "Western" citizens of the country was Khmer Rouge's goal in order to restore a classless, agrarian society. Anyone classified as intellectual elite was killed to make way for the agricultural communism Pol Pot envisioned. Everyone in the country was forced onto farm labor camps away from family and friends, while their currency, books, banks, and other services were destroyed. As if that weren't horrifying enough, this all occurred less than fifty years ago, from 1975 to 1979, in the very spot where I took the photograph above.

Barbed wire ensured that prisoners could not
jump to their death.

Prisoners were shackled to beds and tortured until admitting their
wrongdoings, most of which were untrue.

In many rooms, the blood of victims still stained the floor.

Only one location promised a more brutal fate for prisoners than S-21, and that was the Killing Fields in the village of Choeung Ek. Perhaps some victims were relieved to discover the end of their Khmer Rouge nightmare, but for most the Killing Fields offered a death that was just as ghastly, impersonal, and inhumane as life had become. More than one-fourth of the Cambodian population was executed and disposed of in mass graves, many of which prisoners dug themselves before executioners killed them with spades or sharpened bamboo or wooden sticks. Those executed were of all ages, and most spent their last moments alone with only their memories of family and loved ones.

The contour of mass graves sites still stipple the ground.
Clothing and bone fragments have yet to be unearthed.

Colorful bracelets surround the mass graves at the Killing Fields.

Buddhist memorial

Victims' skulls and bones are honored on display at the Buddhist memorial.

The afternoon was an educational and eye-opening experience. It became clear to me that Cambodia is a transitioning, adolescent country, still gaining its footing after years of injustice. With a greater understanding of Cambodia's past, I felt a much deeper admiration for the country and its people.

Tourism is growing rapidly, and with beautiful weather, history and adventure, and lush, inexpensive accommodations, it is easy to see why! For only 15 dollars Kingesleah and I were able to book a sleeper bus that allowed us to travel the seven hours from Phnom Pehn to Siem Reap overnight and in comfort (for the most part). Our hostel owner warned us not to let the bus's flashy exterior fool us into believing the bus was well-maintained and properly cared for, as it seems much of Cambodia is pretty on the outside but still a bit dodgy on the in! Regardless, after a long, emotional day in Phnom Pehn, Kingesleah and I quickly settled into our bus bed and let the bumpy dirt road lull us to sleep.

Our bed for the night.

Seven and a half hours and one flat tire later, we finally arrived in Siem Reap! The tuk tuk ride to our hostel proved that this city had a much different feel than Phnom Pehn. Siem Reap looked more exotic and heavy foliage lined the dusty streets. Phnom Pehn was a city, whereas Siem Reap was a hideaway. A bungalow of small buildings and bustle. It was a warm, uplifting welcome to our vacation, and our hostel was probably the greatest place I'll ever stay for less than 10 dollars a night. (I KNOW, RIGHT?)

Everything in Cambodia is indoor/outdoor,
including our hostel's bar.

AND pool.

The best sight to see in Siem Reap was my friend and running partner Lauren! Lauren left Korea in August and volunteered as a youth sports coach in Cambodia for six weeks. Having a reunion with Lauren was definitely a highlight of my vacation, and she was such an expert travel guide for Kingesleah and I while we spent three days in Siem Reap.

Three amigos with a backdrop of Cambodian rainy season.

As groggy hostel guests quietly consumed their hangover breakfast, Kingesleah, Lauren, and I were already biking to the outskirts of Siem Reap to relax in hammocks and climb a mountain. Elevated houses lined the dirt road. Most were without doors, all were without electricity, and people sat outside looking surprisingly content. Even happy. Kids ran alongside our bikes or played some mysterious game which involved kicking a flip-flop, and adults idled in the shade next to their fruit stands, checking their pre-paid cell phones and swatting mosquitoes.

Cell phones aside, Cambodia is an underdeveloped country. Most places have running water and electricity, so Kingesleah and I decided it's a two and a half world country, but it's certainly the poorest country I've ever visited. This brought two things to this privileged white girl's attention. First, it is a privilege to choose my outfits each day. It's a privilege to choose my shoes, whether I want to wear makeup, choose my job. It's a privilege to have a chair to sit on and a lock on my door. Throughout the day I may complain about inconveniences, but I'm ridiculously fortunate to wake up in a warm bed and use my indoor plumbing! Secondly, I was reminded that happiness does not come from things, but rather experiences and the people we share them with. In Korea, money is power and power is happiness, but the Khmer children who swam in the creek beneath their stilted home did not have much and they looked pretty damn happy. In addition, I don't really need much in life. This is especially true when traveling. The less baggage, the happier the traveler! That's my new motto. We'll see if I can stick to it...

Lauren is truly a tanned Cambodian goddess. In running shorts.

Traditional, simple Khmer food.

Kings and Lauren made a new frenemy on the mountain.

The rest of the day was spent wandering the tiny city center, getting $8 hour-long massages, and lounging by Lauren's pool. Life could not have been better. I loved every single minute of it!

Not even real life.

That night, after one of the greatest days of my life, I had the best sleep of my life, only to awake and begin what would become an even greater day, because it was ANGKOR WAT DAY! Seeing the ancient ruins was on my absolute to-do list in Siem Reap, as virtually all tourism centers around the temples. Our tuk tuk driver, Sahet, was waiting for us outside the hostel wearing a long-sleeve plaid shirt, jeans, and flat billed hat in what felt like humid, 95 degree weather. On bumpy, unpaved roads one must choose either to be hot or be dusty. Kings and I chose dusty, and we were off on our day of magical adventure times!

Tuk tuk take-away pizza :)

Sahet, Sarah, tuk tuk, Angkor Wat

The first of the three temples we explored was Ta Keo, a magnificent sight to behold. Ta Keo was build in the 2nd century AD, but it was never actually completed (could have fooled me). To not only able to witness such an awesome structure, but to also be allowed to climb in and around the maze of stone, statues, and carvings was THE COOLEST. The ascent to the top was quite steep, but the view and scenery made it well worth it.

Next up was the temple that served as Angelina Jolie's kickin' ass arena in Tomb Raider. I can't remember the actual name of it because everyone just calls it the Tomb Raider temple, but this was definitely my favorite of all we saw that day. Partially deconstructed and overgrown with nature, this temple was mossy and funky, just like you'd imagine an ancient temple to appear. The wonderful thing about the temples is there is really no tour guide, red ropes, or "KEEP OUT" signs. You can explore hidden alcoves, climb trees, take photos as you wish. Other than a few "No climbing" signs, the temple is yours to uncover. For example, I uncovered a fire ants' nest while taking a photo below a gigantic, gnarly tree. Surprise to me!

Ahhh, fire ants!

As if Mother Nature melted.

My kind of geometry.

Lastly was the big kahuna, Angkor Wat! The name directly translates to "City Temple" because it was just that, the largest temple in the city. Angkor Wat occupies an enormous 500 acres of land and the central tower is almost 700 feet in the air! Originally a Hindu temple, the architecture and carvings tell tales of Hindu epics. However, after the fall of the Khmer empire in 15th century, Angkor Wat became, and still remains, a Buddhist shrine.

Throughout the day, Kingesleah and I repeatedly imagined what it would be like to approach these temples as an outsider. Each daydream brought us to the same conclusion: Really freaking scary. Approaching Angkor Wat was definitely the most intimidating because the monstrous structure looms in the distance and is only visited by way of a long, stone pathway. The path seemed to take forever, and once we arrived at the entrance I felt like a tiny, little ant standing in the shadows.

A panoramic shot leading up to the main gate of Angkor Wat.

Once inside, we gawked at the intricate carvings along the walls and got lost in the high tower. We frolicked along the grass between the exterior and interior of the temple. We people watched, daydreamed, and laughed at the awesomeness of this miraculous sight. The pictures don't come close to what I experienced this day.

Later that evening, Kingesleah, Lauren, and I had the great pleasure of indulging in one food genre you never knew you'd miss until it was gone. That is Mexican food. Now sure, Korea has a lot of rice and vegetables, but it doesn't have Mexican rice or Mexican vegetables. And, unfortunately for all of the sorry Koreans who don't know what they're missing, Korea doesn't have the master herb of Mexican cuisine. CILANTRO. The sad excuse for Mexican food in Korea never, ever comes complete with cilantro.

I'm not even lying when I say this is what my dreams look like in Korea:

If only Chipotle delivered internationally.
And Leo circa 99 was the delivery boy.

I digress. Anyway, after many long months in Korea we were all able to enjoy some proper Mexican food for under $6. We were way too happy about this.

Lauren's death stare, only moments before yelling,
"IS THAT GUAC?"

Our drink menu in US dollars.

Cheap food and drinks was really the icing on the Cambodian cake, as the real value came from visiting my friends, exploring new locations, and, as always, learning. As I continue to branch out and expand my travel map, I continue to educate myself about new cultures and histories. In doing so, I also take time to reflect on my own history. My experiences over the past year have changed my outlook and attitude on life. I no longer sweat the small stuff, and I live each day knowing that I can only control my own actions, not the actions of others. (Perhaps my decision to order so many inexpensive cocktails was not the best action, however.) I hope this trip to Cambodia was only the first and not the last. More temples, markets, and Mexican food await me, as well as you other hungry travels with an insatiable appetite for all life has to offer.

Additional things we did, told in pictures: