The Other Side of The Parallel

A few weeks ago I was shopping in Seoul and came across a campaign promoting justice in North Korea. I looked at the exhibition of photographs and case studies of people starving and imprisoned, and felt the familiar shock, anger and helplessness wave over me. The Parallel is just 40 miles away.

Before I moved to South Korea, I barely knew anything about the North. Infact, many people back home only hear about what new provocative act the North has done, or how likely it is that war will break out with the South. Sometimes, in the media hype, it's easy to imagine the North as the face of the dictator it is forced under. It's easy to forget the millions of people living there without freedom or human rights.

Inside North Korea, people live with a severe lack of freedom. There is almost no freedom of speech, religion, assembly, movement, and no-one may leave the country without permission. Education and healthcare are limited almost entirely to the elite.  Going against the government in any way, whether by accident or intention, leads to sentence within political prison camps, often with no hope of release. More than 150,000 prisoners are estimated to be living in such camps, and many do not know what 'crime' they committed. 'Guilt by Association' allows people to be sentenced for 'crimes' committed by family or aquaintances. The lack of legal protection in North Korea allows atrocoties to occur, such as using prisoners for medical experimentation, and allowing torture and starvation. Children are born into the camps and live under these conditions their entire lives.

Shin Dong-Hyuk was born in slavery into Camp No 14.

An interview with Shin Dong-Hyuk, Born And Raised In A Concentration Camp, gives a first hand impression of the life in a North Korean politcal camp. (The interview is 21 minutes into the clip.) Coming from a western society, it's hard to imagine not knowing the meaning of freedom.

So what can be done about this terrible situation? Well, promoting awareness is the start - the more people who know about it, the more people will campaign and lobby against it. Spread the word. Campaign. Sign petitions. Wherever in the world you are!
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And us here in South Korea? Over 20,000 North Koreans have defected into the South, often after months or years hiding in China, Burma, Thailand or Vietnam. The refugees are often poorly educated and malnourished, and struggle adapting to the commercialised culture of South Korea. There are several North Korean human rights groups based in Seoul who need volunteers. Click on the link to see how you can help out.

Justice For North Korea holds street campaigns every Saturday in Insadong, 3-5pm, to raise awareness of the plight of North Koreans. They also organise film screenings, events and fundraisers to assist North Korean defectors, or those wishing to defect.

PSCORE promotes a successful reunification with the Korean people, and co-ordinates a one-on-one English tutoring programme for refugees.

Helping Hands Korea helps refugees escape by providing secret foster homes in China to North Korean children, and sends food to orphans and schoolchildren in North Korea. They hold a weekly awareness-raising campaign every Tuesday evening from 7-9 pm, near Samgakji Station.

So now we can all get involved. Whether it's supporting a campaign every once in a while, becoming involved in the tutoring programme, or regularly hosting campaigns.....anything will be useful in helping to change the lives of those on the other side of the parallel.

Brrrng Brrrng.. COMING THROUGH

Oh Korea, how much nicer you are when it's warm and sunny! The cherry blossoms are starting their annual sweep across the country and Buddha's lotus lanterns are hanging from rooftop to rooftop. For the first time in almost five months, Korea is feeling colourful again. Hurrah! I feel the need to celebrate. Give me fresh air! Give me exercise! Give me....A BIKE!

Well that's easy. There are tons and tons of bicycle repair shops and second hand sellers in Korea, and you can buy anything from dirt-cheap rusty Lespo bikes to slightly-less-cheap-but-still-cheap shiny newer models. We left with a snazzy blue fold-up bike, a shiny red model.....and I went for the rusty Lespo. And for 40,000 won (20 quid) I think I win. So once we had test rided our new purchases, and spruced up some old wheels, we were off....five foreigners in bicycle convoy through Korea.

Seeing foreign faces in our area of Gyeongi-do is still quite a surprise, so seeing five foreign faces zipping by in bicycle convoy got some reactions. Like the little boy shouting 'WAYGOOKIN!' ('foreigner') at the top of his voice. Or the Korean man shriekng 'HA HA HE HE HO HO'...or even better, the rice cake seller who flagged me down to give me a handfull of ricecake for free. (Which I, er, somehow ate before catching up with everyone else...oops).

It's also pretty terrifying. Motorbikes driving on pavements, cars going anywhere, and pedestrians being somehow oblivious to my constant bike belling......you're constantly trying to avoid being mowed down or from mowing someone else down. It doesn't help that Korea is so overpopulated. We cycled to Incheon Grand Park and it was one of the busiest parks I've ever been in.Must...not....hit...anyone. But besides the craziness, the park was very pretty and it was amazing to feel the 'ole wind in your hair and the sun on your skin (and the burn in your thigh....some of those hills are bloomin tough).

So yes, I've officially given up walking, busing, training..or any form of transport except cycling. So where can one cycle without constant fear of death in Korea? Well, I hunted down the Seoul Bicycle Tour Map, which shows cycle paths in and around the Seoul area.....

slowalk.tistory.com/attachment/cfile2.uf@202A04234C8DEC73579B55.pdf

It also seems that our beloved little Siheung has some good cycle routes - such as the 7.5km Greenway in Siheung, which runs from Siheung Gategol Ecological Park through Lotus Flower Theme Park to Mulwang reservoir, which is apparently best done in April. Well, oooo la la what a coincidence! There are also trails to Wolgot Port, Okgu Park and Oido Island. So that's it, all I need now is some lycra shorts and a streamlined helmet and I'll be off. Well, maybe not. But some picnics and beer could be aranged.

Watch out England, I might just bike it back :-)

Fantasia Bucheon!

WOW! Siheung. No, I don't just really, really like where I live. 'Wow! Siheung' is the city slogan, and it's plastered everywhere. Why? Well, Korea just loves branding its cities with odd English slogans. Even though hardly anyone here speaks English. So here are just a few:

"Amazing Iksan. The City of Friendly to Women"

"Nice Jecheon. Healthy Life! Beautiful Life! Wealthy Life! The city of fresh wind and bright moon"

"Aha! Suncheon"

"Welcome all Netizens"



"The challenge which is force! Gongju which is great!"

"Active Yangsan! Nature! Tradition!!
Harmonizes today YANGSAN
(note: Mayor is do the suicide because to
express his sentiment towards the investigation and to prove his innocence)"

"Hanam City which is the
city of new leap,
and in which everyone wants to live!"





"Yes Gumi. Great Gumi Brilliant Gumi YesGUMI.
W.E.L.C.O.M.E. T.O. G.U.M.I."

"Wow! Siehung. Again & Again Siheung. Ace of Tourism City Siheung.
Pleasure Nature, Treasure Paradise Siheung"

         


and then the biggie.....

"Cheonan, the World's Best City"

So as you can imagine, Korea is pretty amazing. And this weekend I felt wonderfully spoilt for choice with all these amazing cities nearby.  So I decided to stay local and explore a neighbour to mine......"Fantasia Bucheon". 

It turns out that Bucheon has a lot to offer besides restaurants and bars. After a little online exploration we found that Bucheon boasts its own outdoor film set, better known as Bucheon Fantastic Studios. The film set covers over 39 square kilometres, and is made to replicate 1920s Seoul, imitating the old streets of Jongno, Cheonggyecheon, Myeongdong, and Euljiro.

As an alien in Korea it's hard to imagine Seoul in its down-town heyday, so it's pretty amazing to walk around the old streets and soak it up. And because it's Bucheon, it's pretty empty, and therefore even more realistic. Until we came across the....er....big chicken sat in a corner being photographed by a film crew. There is no explanation.

Right next door to the film set is the Korea Cartoon Museum....or The Manwha Museum. And wow, did this museum exceed expectations! The museum is curated with creativity and diversity - illustrating satirical, manga and children's Korean cartoons. There are current artists exhibitions, as well as historical propaganda cartoons, opportunities to create your own pieces, and a 4D Manga Cinema.

The short manga film was fantastic. I sat down with my big classy spectacles expecting to be blown away by the 4D effects, and instead was blown away by the beautiful and incredibly sad 20 minute film. I expected my blokey-bloke of a boyfriend to be untouched by the beauty, only to find him trying to (unsuccessfully) download it at home later (was that a tear in his eye?). 

Anyway, it was a nice reminder not to overlook your home territory, just because it's home......there are always nice and exciting surprises to be found if you just dig a bit deeper. It was a fantastic day in Bucheon.... or should I say, fantasia.... ;-)

             







The Great Wall of Korea

My lord it's been a wierd few weeks! It started with goodbyes and ended in hellos, and all I can say is that I am sad for the for the former and happy for the latter. It all serves as the reminder that we are expats...everything changes all the time. Aaaah the merry-go-round!  

This weekend I needed a change. Korean cities tend to look the same no matter where you are - highrise apartment blocks here, a 7/11 there, throw in a dunkin donuts and a norabang and, yes, it could be a city anywhere in the country. But walking around unknown streets and feeling......away from home.....is highly refreshing sometimes. So we abandoned Siheung for the shores of Suwon.....exciting new place here we come!

Well, yes, it looked the same. Until....what's this? Rising up around Suwon city are the mighty Hwaseong Fortress walls....the Great Wall of Korea! (perhaps I'm getting a little over-excited there). But they are ancient, they are impressive, and skirting 5km around the inner city, it was all we could do to stop ourselves a-hop, skippping and jumping around the trail.

That was, until we got about 4km round, realised we'd worn remarkably flat-footed shoes, and were now walking more like penguins than elegant ladies on a stroll. Neverthless, this did not stop us from entering the 'hat museum' (cap shop) or finishing the beautiful walk, which ended with a 30 foot high golden buddha.

It did, to my regret, mean that we were unable to do the worlds only public toilet tour. Suwon's former mayor went on to be the founder of the World Toilet Organisation, and consequently, Suwon is blessed to have a whole lot of high-quality public toilets, all with pamphlets available at the tourist information office. Alas, penguin feet syndrome meant we could not make it, but I'm sure I'll be back one day.

Instead we jumped into a cab and headed for the bars on Rodeo Street - the main area for bars and restaurants and Long Island Ice Teas, it seems. After getting suitably tipsy after a shockingly small amount of alcohol, we headed to the 'Grand Sauna' sauna to freshen up and go to sleep. The Grand Sauna (which really isn't very grand) offers you a place to bathe and sleep for a mere 7,000 won (£3.50). Pretty reasonable eh?

Well that's because you share a floor with lots of snoring people with a wooden block for your pillow. I couldn't decide whether lying on my back with my head on the wooden block, or on my side facing the dead-looking Korean women to my left, was more comfortable. I decided neither was going to cut it, and so persuaded Nat (who didn't take much persuasion) that we should abondon ship and get a love motel together.

We went to so many motels. The rascals were determined to make us pay almost double the Korean rate, even if the rate was announced on the door. Some owners wouldn't even offer us a room, and refused to serve waiting Korean customers until we left. The cheek! The racism! Thankfully we found a place willing to take the risk of two small English girls and bedded down.

The next morning we took the free shuttle bus to the magical world of Suwon Folk Village. Magical, because it takes you back a few hundred years to traditional Korea. And rural areas of Korea today aren't much different. Besides the fact that it's all fake (and frequently used as film sets for Korean period dramas), it was very pretty and gave an interesting insight into traditional Korean life, which now seems so long forgotten.

The village holds live performances of traditional Korean dance.The dancing is very impressive and must take a lot of skill, but they wear outrageous costumes......did old skool Korea really dress like this? Hmmm....

Doesn't stop me wanting one of those hats though.

My Vizor's Bigger Than Yours

As we all know, last week was eventful in Asia. Last Friday, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan and triggered a tsunami, killing over 7,000 people, with 11,000 still missing. Alerts were sent to Taiwan, the Philipinnes and Russia where it was feared the tsunami would also hit, and an explosion at Fukushima nuclear power plant caused concerns of serious radiation leakage. It remains a huge crisis for Japan, which was met with global aid and attention.

So we should be thankful that Korea, being Japan's closest neighbour, has been so unaffected. On the afternoon of the tsunami, some younger students were worried that a 'big wave from Japan' was going to hit us, but as soon as I pulled up a world map and showed them that despite being so close, Japan acted as a land shield, they were fine. Actually, the children were more than fine...with at least 2 students cheering the devastation in every class. Crikey-malikey! Are kids always this mean? Well, no...I understand that Korea harbours bad feelings against Japan for historical injustices (some of which Japan still refuse to apologise for), but really....children should not think that applauding such devastation is acceptable. I tried explaining that lingering hatred towards another country is not productive or fair, but I think the stream of English just confused them and I ended the lecture facing ten baffled looking 9 year olds.

But despite the chaos nearby, life in Korea went on as normal. Infact, we undertook one of Korea's favourite hobby's.....hiking! Hiking is one of Korea's most popular activities, not suprising, given that mountains cover 70% of the peninsular. It's so popular it has even bred it's own hiking clan......sportswear clad adjimas with matching jackets, trousers, gloves, boots, trekking poles....and most importantly....the vizor.

The vizor means a lot. The bigger the vizor, the better the wearer. Competition takes hold for the biggest, most impressive headpiece. I've seen an adjima sporting three vizors at once. She must have been the clan leader. So Korean's always find it hilarious to see us westerners plodding up the mountains in jeans and flipflops. And we find it pretty amusing to see them marching up the man-made hiking trail with sports garb that would conquer Everest. But with all this mutual laughing at eachother, it soon turns to laughing with eachother, and makes for a very friendly excursion. We stopped by a huge Buddha carved into the rock face, and after paying her respects, a woman called me over to give a bag of walnuts as a gift. Very nice. At the top of the mountain were people selling Makoli (rice wine) and cucumbers for refreshment. We had conquered the mountain!

 Pumped with energy and enjoying the glorious weather, we took up our old spot on top of my building's roof, with drinks, fruit & guitars, and toasted the return of our good friend, Nat, to Korea. Dinner and drinks ensued. We then ended it all with a (slightly drunk) trip to the 24 hour sauna, where we spyed a somewhat suspicious looking room dedicated to.....dare I say it......Vagina Steaming. Yes. A tea-steam for your lady parts. OK, I might be on a mission to try everything new, but I think the downstairs facial can wait for another day. So feeling fresh, but not as fresh as I could have been, the weekend closed to another week.

The Fear Factor

'Do one thing every day that scares you'. Because, apparently, it's good for you. I'm not sure why, considering being scared is pretty horrific. And unbeknownst to me, this week I was going to put the fear factor to the test.....and I think I won.

The week started with the fond farewell of two of Korea's expat longtimers.... Annie & Fletch. A very sad loss, mostly because Annie was one of my first real friends in Korea, but also because Norabangs will never be the same without Fletch singing classics (cough) like R Kelly Gotham City. Anyway, we saw them off the same way as we saw them begin.....in VonTees and a Siheung Norabang until 5am. On a school night. Tsh Tsh!

You have two choices when teaching hungover (and it doesn't happen often I promise): either wish you were dead, hate all children and the unfairly loud noises that come from them, OR throw yourself into it fully and make it an extra fun day so that it passes more quickly. After a quick weigh up of the options I went for option two, and made it Simon Says, Pictionary & Countdown day. 

After the horror of the hangover we vowed it would be a non-drinking weekend. A weekend of adventure! Water Adventure to be precise. And after squeezing myself into a bikini, meeting people and facing the drama of explaining directions to taxi drivers, we were there, Bucheon Tiger World, Korea's Biggest Indoor Waterpark! And it was closed. Why? Because it's winter. BUT IT'S INDOORS. Well, there's no point in questioning why, we can't understand the stream of Korean and they don't understand our questions, and as so frequently happens when being an alien abroad, there is nothing for it but to leave beffudled.

So with nothing to do and a group of people to socialise, there was nothing for it.......the pub was calling. Our attempts at not drinking just made us drink earlier. Actually, it was a beautiful day with sunlight streaming through the windows, a pool table, darts board, and good people to spend time with....it felt like we were back in England on a Sunday afternoon. Good conversation and pitchers of beer were flowing.... and kept flowing.... until we stumbled across the road to where Dodge N The Bullitz were playing at a live music bar, Santana.

Santana is run by Yongsoo Yoon, the saxophonist in Dodge N The Bulltiz, and the owner of a music academy in Bucheon. He showed amazing hospitality with food and drink, and a great night of live music. Where potentially anybody could get up and perform. Hmmmmm...... interesting. With beers inside me and a hum in my head I decided....it was time to take the stage!

I had expected to put in my request and be straight up. But as over an hour passed my beer confidence ran out the door. Oh. No. Why had I aksed to sing on a stage with actual muscicians, who had done crazy things like.....rehearse? I wanted to say that I'd changed my mind, but nothing looks worse than someone who confidently asks to perfrom, then gets scared, and then says they can't do it because they feel like they might be sick.

On stage and I belted out a rather drunken Dock of the Bay, after requesting 'You Can Call Me Al' and they didn't have it (thank god for that...imagine). And was happily sitting down with pure relief that the whole thing was over when it seemed that drunk girl number 1 (me) had set off drunk girls number 2 & 3 (no names mentioned, cough...Lisa & Emma) and suddenly my name was being called to sing with them. I don't remember what song. I think I'm blocking it out...... because all I remember is that 3 drunk girls on stage sound like...well....3 drunk girls on stage. Thankfully one of the guitarists stepped in to drown out our screaching.

So another Sunday was awakened with that 'Oh no.....did I?' feeling. But it's OK, ....because doing things that scare you is good for you. So despite the sweaty palms and embarrassment, I win. Apparently.

The March Movement

'A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month......no returns!' Aaaaah that old ryhme......how I loved being simultaneously pinched and punched by fellow schoolkids, all in 'celebration' of the first day of the month....every month. Thankfully, in Korea, March 1st is even more special.... so special that we all got the day off from school to honour it.

The day marks the 'March 1st Movement', where millions of Koreans took to the streets to protest against the oppressive and brutal Japanese Military Occupation, in 1919. Since the Japanese had occupied Korea they had attempted to totally annihilate national identity - burning the royal palaces, banning the Korean language, clothes, radio, currency, even their names, and placing thousands of local women into sexual slavery as "comfort women" to the Japanese Army. The Japanese police attempted to supress the March 1st Movement through force, killing over 7,000 people in the following months....but ultimately, the Koreans had succeeded, as there followed a marked change in Japanese policy towards Korea, and they lifted many of the oppressive laws.

So with this day of freedom at our fingertips, what to do? Their had been talk of a picnic by the Han river - the wonders of facebook had recruited over 120 eager expats to join force in Soju drinking, frisbee throwing and BBQ eating.....but alas, we had all been too optimistic. Three days of warmish weather last week was mistaken as a sure sign of Spring, and with shorts and sunglasses ready to be whipped out, we woke up to find snow on the ground. And to think I'd had my bikini at the ready.

So instead, we took to the streets in search of Art, and found it at the Leeum Museum of Art, Itaewon.

After shuffling quickly through 3 floors of ancient ceramic pots, trying to look interested, but wondering how interested you can be with pots ('large pot', 'lidded pot', 'small pot', 'water pot') we headed to the contemporary art section and saw some amazing pieces. On display was film, photography, scultpure & paintings... and despite the occaisonal 'red square on white square' (where my sister would say, "but Michelle, it's so much more than just a square.....") there were some great conceptual pieces. Such as Damien Hirst's 'Dance of Death' - a mirrored cabinet lined up with all the medicine an average person takes in their life. Crikey. So we're all druggies anyway.

On leaving the gallery to meet friends for a few bevs, we passed an old Korean women sat on the street in a chair with a ripped American flag around her shoulders, and a sign that read 'Foreigners with drugs, go home or we will kill you'. I wanted a photo but she looked quite serious with her threat of death so I ran away, just wondering what her statement meant. Did she think that all foreigners were American? Or that foreigners are the root of all drugs in Korea? I should have told her that, according to what I'd just seen, she's as much a druggie as the rest of them...

And so the day of the March Movement ended, with drinks and a Lebanese meal. Another school day looming, a new term starting, new classes to teach and new kids to get to know. So far I have a child called Randy and a boy with the best mullet I've ever seen, so things are looking good....