It's a Saturday morning and my first lie-in of the week. Unfortunately I have been woken up by a woman attempting to sing children's nursery rhymes into a microphone and gleefully chanting "nice-to-meet-you, bye bye!" at every person that passes by. I can't see the action, yet I know what it will look like- it will be a half dressed woman tottering around in 6 inch heels with too much white foundation on, trying to lure the fathers of Gimhae into giving their children English lessons.
Terrible.
So, no lie-in for me.
I sent my first batch of savings back to England last week which was a great feeling. The Won's value has increased dramatically in the last couple of weeks- my monthly salary is worth £100 more than it was this time last month which is great news. However, I am told that the Won is one of the most fluctuating currencies in the world, so I'm not sure how long the good news will last. I guess it depends how quickly the Pound starts to gain it's strength back and whether North Korea decide to make any more threats in the near future. Relations between the North and the South seem to be much less tense than when we first got here. Kim Jon Il seems to be expressing interest in negotiating with the West over nuclear weapons. As well as this positive news, some families from South Korea were allowed to cross the border to be briefly reunited with their loved ones in the North whom they were separated from during the war.
We have officially been here for five months now which is slightly surreal. It feels like the time has gone so quickly since we boarded the plane at Heathrow back in April, yet knowing that we still have 7 months left of teaching here is quite an overwhelming feeling. It's bizarre being away from the UK for such a continuous length of time- especially as the country we are in bears absolutely no resemblance to England whatsoever. We never look, smell, hear or taste anything that reminds us of home- its totally different. We turned on the TV the other day and a shot of a typical thatched cottage in England came up on the screen and it was so heart-warming to see! I try to explain to my students that most people in England live in a house with a garden and sometimes a garage- the concept is so alien to them as every building in Korea, from shops and restaurants to living quarters, is in a high rise apartment. When you walk along a street in Korea you have to look up as every level in a building is offering a different service, whereas in England all the shops are on street level. It was quite strange to get used to when we first arrived here.
Last weekend we hiked up a mountain with some people from work. It was beautiful weather and it felt really good to get involved in some intense exercise! Gimhae is surrounded by mountains, but they are fairly modest and make an excellent climb for amateur hikers such as ourselves. I do love the mountains in Korea as they are densely forested and therefore a great way to escape from the heat in the summer. They also tend to have Buddhist temples near the top and it's a really peaceful experience sitting on a mountain listening to the monks chanting and tapping the drums. Apparently there are four different sounds that Buddhist monks produce in succession to remind followers of the Buddha and his teachings. These are the drum, the bell, the wooden fish and the cloud plate. I like the sound of the drum- which is made from wood and cow skin and has an earthy, rich yet mellow sound to it. It sounds really organic and natural, especially when you are sat in an area of such outstanding natural beauty. It's a great place to go if you need to feel inspired or to put things into perspective.
I am really looking forward to going back to South East Asia and visiting some of the Buddhist temples there. The decorations and carvings were so intricate and dazzling and the people were so friendly. I think Malaysia and Indonesia will be interesting too as there are many tribes there with their own religious beliefs and ceremonies and I hope that we will stumble across a few festivals. The funeral processions in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi look wonderfully elaborate and include animal sacrifice, costumes, dances and great feasts. The body of the deceased isn't buried until the eleventh day of thee ceremony and they are laid to rest in caves on the cliff tops. It sounds so different to the rather dreary funerals that I have been to in the UK.
Nepal also looks diverse and incredible with so many outdoor activities to get involved in. The trekking on the Annapurna route looks breathtaking though there are many other less known treks that look just as appealing. Nepal is supposed to be a haven for canoeing and kayaking and it's possible to spend over a week meandering through some of the rivers in Nepal and camping on the edges at night. Paragliding over the Himalayas looks heart-stoppingly beautiful as well as a great way to get an adrenaline rush for very little money. As well as this there are copious amounts of both Hindu and Buddhist temples, some awe-inspiring national parks, yoga and meditation centres, more markets than you could dream of and mouth-wateringly superb food. Nepal is definitely the place that we are both getting most excited about!
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