The third and final look at our new Korean diggs.

Home is where you make it. This is our home...

"EX-cuse Me Where's Namdaemoon

Ex-cuse ME Where's Namdaemoon

Ex-cuse ME Where's Namdaemoon

Go Straight And Turn Right"



The words above aren't just Matthew's crazy talk. They are actually the lyrics to a popular elementary school song that Korean children learn when they are in grade 5 to teach them simple English directions. Unfortunately, as you may have heard , Namdaemoon was burnt to the ground Sunday night. The Korean authorities are looking into allegations that a suspicious man reported to be in his fifties was spotted under the famous Seoul landmark and tryed to ignite the 600-year-old structure.

It was a little disheartening for Alissa and I as we woke up to pictures on the news of Namdaemoon engulfed in a firey inferno. Just months before we descriped "watching the sun set over the hazy sky scape juxtaposed with the famous iconic symbol of Seoul" as "the most memorable momment on our trip to Seoul" (go to the September 2007 archived list on the right, then just scroll down to Sunday, September 22nd's posting). I guess I shouldn't just think about myself though- What about all those confused fifth grade students next year?!?

This Is Our New Mailing Address For Anyone Who Wants to Mail Us Some Crap... Please Don't But If You Have To....

MoonKkang Chilgok English School
Jang-Won Building 3rd Floor
Dong cheon-dong 905-3
Daegu
702-250
South Korea

In the next few days or weeks we are going to give you a tour of our new apartment. This is where we live...

I Think I Smell A Rat- Good Bye Year of the Pig, Hello Year of the Rat

With the year of the pig ending it leads one to reflect on the 'pig' related events that one has experienced throughout the year. For Alissa it was her lucky astrological birth year as she was born in 1983, the year of the pig. For me there was an abundance of pig last year.

Event #1- A cardboard, year of the pig, key chain trinket-

When I visited China for the first time in Christmas 2006, one of my friends coworkers from the university in Shenyang, China gave me this gift. When I received the gift I was completely unaware that next year was the year of the pig... in fact I didn't even know what year 2006 was... I just knew that it was 2006 (you KNOW what I mean). After receiving the keychain I thanked her, put the keychina in one of my drawers when I got home where it stayed until I stumbled across it a few weeks ago while I was cleaning.

Event #2- Eating every imaginable part of a pig.... MMmmmm Pork-

In Korea they love pork. They eat almost all parts of the pig. Pig stomach, pig belly, pig legs, pig foot, pig head, pig spine, pig liver, and of course, last but not least, pig intestine. Most of it's either done up over the barbeque or in a soup, but pig intestine and pig liver are wrapped in clear plastic bags and are sold in small street stalls that are on almost every second block. I've tried it all this year!

Event #3- Crazy Shaman Pig Picture-

At the beginning of the year, we found a rather strange picture that is used in shamanist rituals to bring good luck to those in the year of the pig. We found it just outside our old apartment framed and all. We put it on our wall and admire the sheer craziness of it all. Besides, it looks good in our living room.

I wonder what the year of the rat will have in store for me. Looking back over the last year their was a few rat related experiences that I can remember.

Event #1- "Coh Jeta"-

It's Korean slang for "a tattler" or "a rat". "coh" litterally translates in Korean to nose and "Jeta" possibly has two meanings. Firstly, "jeta gi" means helicopter. This meaning has undertones of top secret military spying. Secondly, "jeta" is Konglish, a English word that gets it's meaning or pronounciation perverted by it's addition to the Korean vocabulary. It's English equivalent is "zit". So "coh jeta" in this respect has a feeling of an unwanted person that gets under your skin. Ohh.. all the interesting, gang bangin' Korean slang I pick up from teaching English at the Prison! You should hear my Korean bad word vocabulary!

Event #2- I saw a rat-

Yeah, I spoted it downtown at night as it scurried from a pile of garbage and into the sewer. It was the first wild, city sewer rat I've ever seen in my sheltered Saskatchewan life.

I guess I have a lot more of the rat in the year to come. Hope you have a Happy Raty-Rat New Year!

In my first few seconds of meditation this verse comes to mind...

My processor hums
One million electrical synapses into one

The sound of a piano lesson
Children laughing and playing outside

This is who I am.

"That Was The Scariest Moment of My Life",

I honestly proclaim to Alissa just seconds before the New Years countdown begins.

#

It was the morning of New Years Eve and it began like most other mornings I've had in Korea with one lively addition, a 3 month old Maltese puppy. Our Canadian friends had just took off on a trip to Singapore and Malaysia. We eagerly agreed to take care of their cuter than cute puppy named 'Kang' for the week.

Kang is the tinniest bunddle of innocence, curiosity, and joy. His owners found it difficult to leave their cute ball of white satin fluff. Understandably so, in the first few days of looking after Kang, we too found ourselves irresistibly attached to him. There is something about the way Kang lovingly and hole-heartily acts that makes him so special. His cute little eyes that pierce through the ball of white, his obsession with cuddles, and the way he won't stop licking your face.

We cleaned the many yellow lakes that greeted us every morning. Ate, played with Kang, drank tea, played with Kang, got dressed, played with Kang, and got ready to leave the house. I assure you, you can never get board of playing with a puppy this small and adorable.

Alissa had gone down to tie her shoe as we were about to sneak out of the house when Kang playfully snatched her wool mitt. He proudly carried it into the living room, rightfully so as the mitten was almost the size of him. He plunked his bitty body down on in the middle of the living room, the wool mitt between his quaint little paws. He stared at us with his puppy dog eyes, head slightly tilted.

I walked over to him and in an instant it happened...

I swiftly swung my hand down to reclaim the mitt, trying to take advantage of the moment his little teeth were not buried in his wool prize.

It all happened so fast, like a flash of light, a millisecond at most.

As I darted to snatch the mitt from his unsuspecting paws, he dug his teeth deep into the thick wool mitt. With the kinetics of a catapult, the brisk, sweeping upward motion of my hand gripping the mitt coupled with Kang's sharp little teeth, now firmly embedded into the coarse wool, and his small body weight, sent him frightfully flying through the air. Flailing through the air, things went into slow motion.

The mitt flung onto the couch, and Kang's little body flipped, twisted, and flailed in mid air. I was shocked by the velocity and height at which he violently flung. Before I had a chance to react, it was over. Kang's body landed like a sack of potatoes right on his head and spine. When all was said and done Kang's tiny body lay lifeless on the ground.

Almost instantly I was filled with regret and fear. If you had witnessed the preceding event you would have no doubt, as I did, that he was dead. A tiny puppy just wasn't cut out for such a violet fall.

In a state of absolute panic I tried to get Kang's unmoving body to respond. I clapped my hands loudly in his face. No response. I yelled in his face in a pathetic blood curdling scream, "KANG PLEASE DON'T DIE!!!" Still as I stared into glossy unmoving eyes I saw only the response of a life less animal.

As I write this blog, I have to step away from the computer as my eyes overflow with tears, the powerful image locked in my mind forever. The memory is still fresh in my mind. It is something that I hope no one has to experience.

I acted as quickly and as rationally as someone could possibly react in a situation like this. After a few attempts at unsuccessfully alerting him, I quickly but ever so carefully scoop his rag doll, puppy body from the floor. His body unmoving and cradled in my arms as I run out of the house as quickly as can be done trying to balance urgency with gentleness.

There is a veterinary clinic about a 5 minutes walk from our house with an English speaking Vet. As I scurry to the vet, I can feel his heart beating powerfully. He's not dead yet there's still a chance!!! I pray to God. Under my breath, I proclaim, "please God don't let him die in my arms". I put my cheek up to his little mouth, to check for a breath.... Nothing. I can see the clinic now. His little eyes twitch just slightly.

As I bust through the doors of the veterinary clinic Kang gently licks my face!

#

Alissa and I, still shaken from the events of the day, anonymously decide to spend the night of New Years Eve at our house. As we cuddle close on the couch with a nice glass of Chilean Merlot in our hands and the T.V. tuned into the New Years Eve celebrations, we talk about the fragility of life. We are happy that we have lived another year and that we have lived the past year to its fullest. We comment on the unpredictable nature of our lives. In a millisecond we could irrationally and unexplainablely loose our lives in a freak accident, develop cancer, or be paralyzed for life. We are grateful for what we have, we are grateful for life.

As we countdown the seconds to the New Year, we smile. Kang playfully jumps, tumbles, and plays as carefree as ever just as he did in the morning.

CHRISTMAS IS NOT AS MERRY WITHOUT FAMILY

Don't let these pictures deceive you. They are only a snapshot in time. I swear to you, Christmas felt more like New Years Eve.

We watched the sun set from the top level of Hiroshima Castle.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

This picture was taken in Hiroshima, Japan under an old, scared mistletoe tree that was one of the few trees to survive the worlds first atomic bombing. It is located a few hundred meters from the hypocenter behind the ruins of what was once the fortress of Hiroshima Castle.

Peace to the world!

Chinese, Japanese, Dirty Knees, Look at these....

Our 4 Day trip to Japan!!!

There Was A Fungus Among-Us!!!

"MATT COME HERE FAST", Alissa screamed frantically.

I darted into the room, "What, what?!?"

"Look at what's behind the bed!"

"Oh, My god! How long has it been there? Did you see anything when you went to bed yesterday? I looked behind the bed two days ago and there was nothing!"

"No, I didn't see anything"

A few days ago I noticed a small speck of mosture on the top corner of the wall. Within one day our bedroom was almost completely covered in a colorful display of moldery!

We completely quarantined the room and moved all of our stuff into the front entry room and living room. In two days we move into our new apartment. The third one I've had in Korea.

A Grey Cup Party in Korea, An Expected Rider Win

Alissa and I woke at 6:30AM Monday morning Korea Time to watch the Grey Cup live via broadband web cast. This was the first year that the CFL's main event was ever web cast. Since most foreigners in Korea don't care much for sports, it was a strangely quite Grey Cup party.

Crawling out of bed and slipping into our only green clothes we had, we snuggled up on our used grey couch to catch the Grey Cup. No wild party here. Just Alissa and me. There was no beer chugging or loud cheering. We ate breakfast instead of appetizers. We drank tea in lou of beer. I insisted on the worlds best 'Dragon Well' Chinese green tea (GO GREEN)!

The game wasn't that exciting, and often Alissa drifted in and out of sleep as the Riders and Bombers offences continued to unimpress. In the end the Riders did what, Alissa and I knew deep in our hearts, they were destined to do- win.

Many of you may have read it in the newspapers or saw it on the news, Alissa's amazing cousin, Erin, who died at the age of 20 one day before her 21st birthday of terminal stomach cancer, was cited by Karry Joseph as his inspiration. It was her dieing wish that the Riders bring home the Grey Cup this year. Alissa and I always knew, with out a doubt, that Erin was with the Riders and that they would win.

When discussing this subject with some of my smarter elementary school students, one boy confidently replied,

"Nothing can beat Karry Joseph's Super Angel Power".

Autumn is beautiful

It reminds us that the world is always in a state of change

As green leaves turn vibrant reds, oranges and yellows

I smile

Carpenter Bee or Wasp?

Is this debate worth throwing away a friendship?

Like everything in the universe,

It is what it is.

One wise Lady once said,

It's Better to be kind than to be right.

This is a short story that I submitted to the Ministry of Justice of Korea. It will be translated into Korean by my co worker at the prison, Mr. Lee, then it will be published in an annual publication by the Korean Government. I hope the meaning isn't lost in translation!

SMILE

A man with a permanent smile walks up to the front gate of a large fenced facility. It is flanked by a guard booth filled with young men in navy uniforms. The guards, tired and perhaps a bit board, grin and hit the button that opens the automatic door. It jerks open, and the man enters, sticks his head up to the window of the guard booth, and happily chit-chats and jokes with the men in uniform for a few minutes before walking past a beautifully maintained parking lot that looks more like the entrance to an expensive hotel or resort than a government office. Passing well maintained Korean Pine Trees and pruned pink Roses, that man climbs a few stairs and makes his way into the front office of the facility.

When inside, he turns left to a large office room. In this cubical-filled room he is greeted by fine dressed men in suits, dress pants, shirts, and ties who smile, shake hands, bow, and greet the man who has just entered the room in either Korean or English. The women in the room meet the man in a similar matter. The smiling man takes his time in the room to say "Hi" before signing the attendance book. He then makes his way out of the front office building and opens a clear glass door that beautifully frames a large schoolyard.

This schoolyard has beautiful red maples, bright yellow eunhangs, musky green Korean pines, and a few rose bushes. Surrounding the large soccer field, are kickball and badminton courts, and a small basketball court. Every time the man enters this large school ground he smiles. He knows that he must enjoy this rare and beautiful view of the surrounding cityscape. He also knows that there are few places in Korea that offer such a beautiful panoramic view unimpeded by overlooking mountains and tall cement apartment complexes. All in all, this schoolyard is much like the schoolyards seen in much of Korea, but with one exception. This schoolyard is enclosed by an old, thick, white concrete wall. Some of the walls have worn out paintings of children laughing, playing, and smiling, some have a thin layer of dirt that seems to accumulate on all old structures in Korea. Unlike most schools in Korean, the walls are topped with coiling jagged barbwire.

Within seconds of the man entering the schoolyard, students start to file out of the school building on the far end of the grounds. They are sporting bright yellow uniforms and they march out into the soccer field forming straight lines. The students often take the opportunity to wave or yell "Hello" from across the field. The man always waves back with a grin on his face. When all the students are lined up in neat little rows, a hefty voice, full of expression, emits from the speakers atop the front office building. In unison, teachers and students alike participate in the National Korean Exercises. The man smiles because he is grateful that he has a healthy body. When the exercises are over, the students file back into the school building at the far end of the yard. The teachers and the man follow the tide of yellow uniforms, it's class time at Eupnae Juvenile Training school. The man's class is unlike most at the school. It is often filled with the sound of English conversation, or at the very least, broken English conversation. It is a very fluid class where one can say anything as long as its in English. In this class simple, practical, everyday English is taught. Often English is mixed with a little bit of acting, singing, dancing, and drawing. The students ask questions about western culture and personal questions about their teacher's life. The man always smiles and answers the questions because he knows that, of all the people in Korea, these students need to see the true face of happiness. There is laughter, and most importantly there are smiles.

Being at a place like Eupnae Juvenile Training School allows one to reflect upon and give thanks for all the good things that they have in their life. For the teachers and staff at the school, they can't help but be thankful for their freedom. For they are reminded of this everyday as they pass through the security gates and walk next to the white concrete walls topped with barbed wire. The teachers and staff also have decent paying, stable, civil servant jobs. Oh, how happy it is to not worry about finding and keeping a job in Korea's often tight job market. For the teachers in particular, how wonderful it is to teach these students. Perhaps out of all the students in Korea, these boys surly need to learn the most, they have the most at stake in this crucial time of their lives. Teaching honestly and from the heart is more than just teaching its a simple transmission from one living being to the next wherein both members learn something from the other. In this transmission there is always something more than just knowledge that is transmitted. One should treasure this opportunity of giving and receiving between two humans- teacher and student.

For the students at Eupnae Juvenile Training School one must be thankful for all the opportunities that are offered at this school. It is a chance for you to reflect on the direction of your life in a therapeutic environment, away from the influences of your old life. It is reflection time granted to you that many people in their busy, hectic lives never get. It is a chance for you to give thanks for the health of your body and mind and to make improvements or positive changes to your overall well being. You are truly lucky to be at this training school, where you have a chance to learn, exercise, and heal. Surly, there are many worst places you could be. Rejoice in what you have and don't dwell on what you don't. Be grateful that you are offered a chance to acquire your high school graduation licence or computer science licence, or an opportunity to learn English from a native English speaker. Some children in Korean will never get this chance!

Whether, working, teaching, or learning at Eupnae training school, behind old white concrete walls and barbed wire fences, there is a lot to smile about.

The beauty of Autumn.

The ancient Buddhist architecture.

Together.

On the weekend at Jikji temple we lived as monks live. Above are pictures of our small, simple room...

Tiled roof,

Dancheong- Mystic red, blue-green, yellow, black, and white sacred designs on the exterior.

Sleeping on the floor, heated from the floor.

Rice paper on wood lattice windows.

What a place to find yourself.

WE SPENT THE WEEKEND AT A 1200 YEAR OLD BUDDHIST MONASTERY!