From Tourist to Local and Back Again

I've lived in Toronto's shadow for 23 years and I would say that I hardly know the city. I can't even count the number of times I've hopped on the GO down to Union or some other destination, or visited a museum/theatre for some sort of school trip. And yet my mental grasp of Toronto feels like less than a skeleton. Maybe an arm and a leg, but no more. Queen's Park? China Town? The MEC? These are places I know but how they relate to each other... I'm not sure.

This past weekend, I travelled up to Seoul for a last weekend with some friends before summer break in a couple weeks. Friday afternoon, I set out from near Yonsei University and decided to walk through Hongik University down to the Han River and then along and across to Yeouido Han River Park. As I passed familiar and unfamiliar landmarks, I couldn't help but wonder how this city has become so much more familiar to me than Toronto despite my current gap with the Korean language and my limited number of trips. From taking a couple tours, making friends and just exploring the city on foot, my mental map of Seoul and the distance I've physically travelled within city limits is so much more than Toronto. I'm perfectly comfortable gliding from bus to subway and back again to get anywhere. Definitely at least a completed skeleton, if not a bit of meat on those bones as well. ;)

How could I live so close to the most populated city in Canada and hardly know anything about it aside from the Rogers Center, CN Tower and of course, the lake? Even thinking about the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) in general, I only really know my small town and I wouldn't be the first to say there's not much to do in Whitby (eh, friends?).

As I sought to make plans with friends in Seoul, I ran into the common problem of "distance" and "time." When I told people where I might be staying, their immediate reaction was, "That's so far from where I am." (Considering I had come all the way from Jeju = 40 mins bus ride + 45 mins at airport + 1 h flight + at least 45 mins on the subway, their reasoning did not move me, but I digress). However, through these responses I think I started to see the difference between my tourist mindset and a local's perspective.

When I think like a tourist, I just want to see things and spend time with people. I know that I'll have to travel greater distances and that that will take time and so I go in prepared. 45 minutes to an hour is then nothing when reaching a destination. Plus, the journey to the destination is part of the fun and the excitement. How will the adventure end? Not sure, let's just start it and see later!

But when I'm in my "local" mindset, it's all about routine and how long it will take to come back to my home base and my travel radius drastically decreases. Time travelling is wasted time. Or I'll think, we can always go next time, why not wait until I have multiple reasons to go to that side of the city or that area. There are a number of times where someone has said, "Let's meet up in Jeju-si or Seogwipo-si" and I hesitate. Or, "Do you want to meet for dinner in Toronto?" What else can I do in the city? I think. How can I make this trip more productive? If I go, what time can I catch the train back? I'm planning my exit before I even arrive.

I wonder how much we miss in our own neighbourhoods and cities when we succumb to the "it's too far" or the "time wasted" mindset. Do we stop looking for new places to try? Do we get stuck travelling between the same points on a map without veering off the beaten path? Worse, do we start thinking its not worth it to go beyond the edges of the familiar and into the unknown?

(I know that sometimes money is a factor as well, but I think for many of us, it's the last block in the wall. After we consider the time and distance we think about how much it would have cost.)

I hope that I take this lesson with me as I travel back home this summer and as I continue to live here on Jeju. I want to remember to be a local tourist in my own town and I hope that I can encourage others to do step out of their comfort zones as well.

Over the Han River; Translation: Do you want to take a walk?

Love and Hugs

Climbing Mount Halla: Gwaneumsa

I used to think that they were giving you a bit of cushion room when I heard it took about 9 hours round trip to the top of Halla Mountain. They were, I thought, accounting for people who were out of shape or who planned to take longer breaks--or maybe people who planned to climb in the snow or other strenuous conditions.

I've gone up the Seongpanak trail (click for blog post) 3 times now in different seasons and at my weakest, I've taken around 7 and a half hours. When I heard that the Gwaneumsa trail was finally open again, I was ready for a different perspective. And now I know why they say 9 hours.

The Facts for Gwaneumsa (관음사 코스):
Distance: ~8.7 km (sources vary, even on the trail)
Vertical Climb: 620 m start to 1,950m summit
Campground available at base: Sources paid max 6,000 to park, rent site and use shower facilities

Compared to Seongpanak (성판악 코스):
Distance: ~9.6 km
Vertical Climb: 750 m start to 1,950 summit
No campground at base

Conclusion:
Yes, Gwaneumsa is technically shorter (by 2km in the round trip), but you are climbing up an additional 130 m which makes for a whole lot more stairs. Seongpanak is definitely a gentler beginning with the most difficult part at the end. Make sure to bring lots of liquids and snacks for the climb. As of right now, the check point does not sell any food and I don't know if it ever will.

Still, when you finally get out of the trees and can look back toward the coast, it is so worth it.

Panaramic view toward Jeju City. If you can see the small building, its the Check Point about 6km in.

I doubt I will ever climb Halla in better weather conditions. Not only was it an ideal temperature (started with 12° and worked up to about 22°) and sunny, but the day was so clear. I could see islands off the coast that I had no idea existed.

I never knew you could see Gapado and Marado through here! 

That big white half moon shape (Right side close to sea) is the Jeju World Cup Stadium.

Ignoring the lucky weather, I think the highlight of the Gwaneumsa trail in comparison to Seongpanak is that Gwaneumsa weaves more into Halla on the way up and as a result has better views (IMO). Both trails are mainly in the woods until they arrive at their respective check points, but afterward is where the big difference lies. Seongpanak takes you around the dome as it climbs, which is nice, but it's basically looking back at the same parts of the island the whole time. Gwaneumsa takes you into a folded valley and has a switchback, giving you an alternative perspective on the mountain in addition to the distant hills and towns way below AND then the same views as Seongpanak from the top. There was one side of the mountain that reminded me of the hills I trekked around in Somerset. I almost expected a couple of goats or sheep to pop up amid the grass and rocks. Gwaneumsa also has a nice big bridge and some cool caves along the route which again makes it stand out from Seongpanak.

With my sore calf muscles, it's too soon for me to say I'll head up Gwaneumsa again. I still want to summit when there's snow, but who knows what route I'll choose then. Who knows, maybe I'll go up one and down the other when the time comes.

I spy Udo and Sunrise peak~~~

If you're contemplating climbing Halla and are determined to summit, I would recommend Seongpanak if you are not top physical form, but if you would like more of a challenge, hit up Gwaneumsa. If you don't care about going to the summit, hands down I say skip both and do Yeongshil instead. (Or up Eorimok and down Yeongshil; click for Yeongshil in the winter). ㅎㅎ

Happy Trails!

Love and Hugs.

A Fond Farewell: Thoughts on Graduation

This past weekend, my grade 12 residence students bid adieu to our school as they walked across the stage to receive their high school diploma. They looked lovely in their white dresses, with their hair and makeup all done-up so fine, and grinning from ear to ear. 

This was only my second graduation ceremony as a teacher and as proud as the students were for making it this far, I was proud to have watched them grow and develop their amazing skills over the past couple of years. In someways, I can't imagine being more attached to a graduating class. After all, as a residence teacher, I didn't just see the academic side. I lived with most of these girls for 2 years. While I worked with them, they taught me how to teach English and how to better listen and support others. While their day school teachers often saw them at their best, I saw it all--the ups and downs, the fights and resolutions, the late night ramen (or other snacks), the crankiness and the goofiness. Talk about a different perspective. One that I will forever treasure.

As I walked into the ceremony, one of my more experienced coworkers made an off hand comment about the number of graduation ceremonies that they had attended. While they were still excited for our current graduates, the comment made me pause. I started to wonder would I ever become jaded to the idea of a graduation? If you watch too many graduation ceremonies... if you see thousands of students passing through and going on from high school to university will you start to see them as a bother or a bore?

A mini-bouquet from one of my students

I hope not. 

I want to take a lesson from this. So, dear future me, no matter how old you get... no matter how many students walk through your life... no matter how many times you have to repeat instructions... or no matter how many times you want to bang your head against a wall after a lesson gone awry, never forget why you decided to become a teacher in the first place. Teaching for that aha-moment, for the progression a student makes from A to B, for the simple conversations that somehow make all the difference, and the graduation celebrations as they leave to take on the world. When they leave, yes I hope that I made a difference in their lives, but really, at the end of the day, I'm here because I believe they are worth my time and investment--whether they valued it or not. And because of that, every graduation should always be a celebration of how far they've come and how far they'll go.

From my study of psychology, I know that a large part of emotion is choice, and I hope that I will always choose to celebrate the milestones of others. 

Love and Hugs

How to get rid of a car on Jeju

(and NOT by selling it to someone else)

With the active expat community on Jeju, it can be fairly easy to buy and sell a car. From the public hagwons and local schools to the increasing number of international schools in Global Education City (GEC), there are a number of people coming and going. It's easy enough to find a car through a friend, one of the active Facebook Groups (Jeju GEC Schools Social Committee Facebook Group,Jeju Marketplace Facebook Group) or through seeking help from "the Queen of Jeju," a Korean translation service for foreigners.

But, what do you do when you want to get rid of a car? Maybe it's dead (or dying). Maybe it's just old and at risk. Or maybe, like me, you don't think it will pass the next mandatory inspection. Whatever the case, I wanted to share what I had to do to "get rid" of my car, since I found it impossible to find English sources. Any searches with "Jeju" and "Car" pointed me toward rental agencies.

Luckily, with the help of one of my Korean friends, she pointed me in the direction of a couple of junkyards.

What you can say:

폐차를 해주세요
(pyeh-cha-reul hay-ju-say-yo)
(Roughly: Please scrap my car)

The first one is on the east side of Hallasan in Jeju:
Korean Address: 제주 제주시 저찬읍 종인내길 281
Address: (Roughly) Jeju-si JeoChan-eup, Jonginnae road 281
Hours: Open 24 Hours--not sure about weekends.
Unfortunately, this scrap yard is about 2km from the nearest bus stop and the forecast called for rain when I went. So I did not go here.

The second one she found is on the west side in Daejeong near the GEC (a lot more convenient for me!):
Korean Address: 제주 서귀포시 대정읍 영락사독로90번길 41
Address: (Roughly) Seogwipo-si Daejeong-eup, Yeongraksadok-ro 90 road 41
Korean Name: 안전자동차해체재활용산업
Phone Number: 064-792-4500
Hours: Open until 4pm on weekdays according to our phone inquiry
I ended up going here after first trying a scrap yard in Hallim (which had unfortunately closed the week before and was no longer accepting cars). As I rounded the last couple of meters of the small, weaving roads, and pulled my car to a stop near the office, I left my car to the sound of a hissing tire. I guess that was as far as Robin wanted to go. Luckily I did not have to drive away.

Unluckily, the lady didn't give me any money for my car and didn't tell me why (I was only expecting between 20-30,000 KRW, but still). I recommend bringing someone who can speak Korean so you're not taken advantage of.

It was definitely a weird feeling taking my car to the junkyard. It was a year of ups and downs, yes, but Robin took me on many adventures and I was sad that this marked the end.

Robin's last cruise along the coast. RIP

Hope this post helps someone else!

Love and Hugs

Olle Trail 7-1, a new favourite

Start/End Points:
(East point) Jeju Olle Travel Center - Korean Address: 서귀포시 서귀동 316-1
(West point) Seogwipo World Cup Stadium Square (North-East Corner of Emart) 월드컵경지장 광장

View of Halla over the Rice Field

You can show the following text to Koreans if you would like help getting a taxi.

도와 주세요. 탁시 전화해 주세요.
(Toe-wa ju-say-yo.
Tak-shi jeon-hwa-hay ju-say-yo.
Meaning: Please help and call a taxi for me.)

East Point location/address: 

제주올레여행자센터에 가고 싶어요. 

서귀포시 서귀동 316-1

West Point location:

월드컵경지장 광장에 가고 싶어요.

(서귀포시 이마트)

Bus #100 goes between the two end points and would take about 16 mins. (A taxi ride is about 10 mins)

Trail Length: ~15 km
Estimated Time: 3.5-5 Hours
Key Scenic Points: Geolmae Eco Park - Hanon (large rice field) - Jenam Children Center - Mt. Gogeun - Eongtto Waterfall (best after rainy season)

Le before and after.

Last Friday, my friend Jess and I decided that along with the nicer weather, we needed to be outside. What better way to get exercise and sunshine than a hike? (Well... or any outdoor sport really. ㅎ). Because we had a limited amount of time, we needed a trail that was less than 45 mins away and that would take under 4 hours. I also didn't want to repeat any of the trails that I've already completed which meant that all the trails close to our school were out.

The benefits of 7-1 is that both ends are near bus stops. Plus, with one end being at the Seogwipo Emart, it also has a taxi stand. This made it very convenient to park at the eastern point, walk the trail and then quickly catch a taxi back to my car. (It would also be easy to catch a taxi in the city back to the Emart should you choose to walk from west to east).

View of Halla on the trail up Mt. Gogeun

Mt. Gogeun, the highest point of the trail, is about halfway through the trail, so no matter which way you are walking, count on a fair bit of uphill.

Note: there are a number of benches in the shade along the top which is where we chose to stop for a small lunch.

Another angle of the rice fields

This is my 11th Olle trail to date, and currently I would say it is one of my favourites because of the diversity of the terrain. I've seen a lot of farmland on my quest to complete all of the Olles, as well as a lot of tangerine groves so far, but this is the first time that I've walked through a large rice field (there just aren't many in Jeju because there are not many ideal growing locations).

For a moment I thought I was back in Vietnam or Taiwan (granted, on a smaller scale). At another point along the trail, we were walking beside these smooth cliff faces. Trees sprung from the tops, looking like tuffs of broccoli and Jess and I thought we were somewhere in Africa. Then we stumbled on an orchard with a sweet little cafe/house that easily looked like it was somewhere in Europe.

Cliff Faces near Eongtto Waterfall.

Near Eongtto Waterfall, a vineyard-looking orchard.

The images really don't do the views any justice. Le sigh... It was simply a gorgeous walk with lovely city views as well (which I of course didn't think to take pictures of... Oops.). Before the summer heat is upon us, I encourage you to get out for some exercise!

Love and Hugs