Weekend English Camps

In November, the Office of Education asked if I would mind helping out during a couple of weekend English camps. Essentially getting paid to speak English, play with elementary school kids, and go sightseeing, it was an opportunity not to be missed. Unlike my middle-schoolers, these kids were cute, happy, and excited to learn English! Though utterly exhausting and a HUGE reminder that I'm not yet ready to have children, these weekends were still lots of fun.

I've always found that young children are the least "foreign". I mean this in the sense that it's quite easy to communicate despite language and culture barriers. All you have to do is give them your attention and, no matter how failed the attempt at understanding of one another turn out, they become your best friends! Here's a random assortment of photos.

Boat Trip ...

Playing in the snow...







Temples 'n Stuff...









Lunch Time...

장승 (Jangseung)

One thing that I've seen a lot of and finally had explained to me is village guardians. They are placed at the edge of villages to ward off evil spirits. Most of them look like North American totem poles, albeit with disturbing faces (and sometimes disturbing genitalia). Sadly, I don't have any pictures, but I've seen statues with disfigured penises, terrifying breasts, and sometimes, both. They're a little more rare, but it's my mission to have photographic proof of their existence before I leave Korea.

I suppose one of the perks of living in the Gangwon province is cultural treasures like these. They don't really exist in modern Korea and its only if you live near rural areas that you get to catch glimpses of Korean's fading past.