Barb Waldern is a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team member who has now been in South Korea teaching English since June last year.

Barb is sending correspondence back to us describing her intercultural experiences in South Korea.


Hello, all.

Another month has passed. How was July?

There's me at a company event at a youth camp at a seashore facility posing with co-workers. Super co-workers. We're wearing company t-shirts. We were bored--very little planned activity for us so we just sat around watching, mostly. Kids bored a lot of the time too, about 500 being confined to a big auditorium when not left hanging around the muddy beach.

We did get to experience rubber rafts, though. The dragon boat training came in handy because the camp leaders got us into a raft and left us, an assortment of teachers with little paddling experience, to drift, sink or swim. A guide was waiting in a motor boat and he pulled us part of the way. I was the only foreigner on the raft and I didn't understand his tour guide presentation except something about that being an ancient place of traditional fishing.

Had a couple of trips to Seoul. Met some Filipino migrant workers. Went to a rally--see photo of me and Chinese teacher at huge (1/2 million) vigil against US beef imports, Pres. Lee and undemocratic governance, privatization, free trade, US military, and more (in that order of priority). We two also visited an historic park and posed in 19th to early 20th century garb. (See photo of "princess"). It's mind boggling to see photos of people wearing that stuff and living a completely different life barely 100 years ago. And a lot of people wear traditional clothes, the fancy or everyday wear, still. You can see elders carrying things on their head, too.

My second trip to Seoul followed the camp thing in a week of vacation time. Didn't do much, enjoyed hiding away undisturbed to sleep a lot or watch movies most of the time. (I've been getting the oddest phonecalls at the oddest hours and out of the blue since my name's been circulated as a teachers' advocate.) These days I lock my phone away in another room when I want to sleep!)

Did visit Seoul Tower at and after sunset. A window  posted distance between Seoul and other cities. Seoul-Vancouver: 7,124 km.

On my first vacation day in Seoul, however, I attended a meeting of a progressive peace coalition as a special guest. That was cool. The chairperson welcomed me by name. There's a photo of me tying multicolored ribbons of unity strong enough to pull in genuine and lasting peace.

I really wish I could get to the Nagasaki peace ceremony. But I can't make it by 11:00a.m. on Saturday. I hope to visit the city another time. There are probably memorials in Korean cities.

On the last part of my vacation week, I went to a couple of beaches to catch the annual Sea Festival in Busan. Lots of free outdoor entertainment during the Fest. I met friends at a free rock concert on one of the beaches. Nice location and the music was mostly good.

I continue to plan for the winter return to Vancouver. Keep in mind my appeal for temporary cheap lodgings Nov-Feb. Don't want to blow my wad on living expenses. (Done that before!) Besides, Revenue Canada is competing for it. They were thoughtful enough to send me a letter, yeah--demanding more money when I'm supposed to be tax exempt for half of 2007! You know me. I'm protesting of course.

I like to get calls from afar. Just remember the time difference: 16 hrs the next day. So best to call between 4pm and 9pm your time in BC (except Weds & Thurs in BC time--I'm on summer schedule and start work earlier two days a week). Thanks to those who've called so far, but I won't answer between midnight and 7a.m.!

Have fun in what sun you can get over there this August. Talk to you later.

Barb