Visiting the DMZ

The Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea is an eerie place. Their are tourist companies that arrange visits which is wierd in and of itself. I went a few years ago with a youth group of Koreans and Germans. We were given a special tour I think and we were the only group there. It is located in a very remote area of the Korean Peninsula. The Korean people who live near the DMZ are given special permission to live there. It is the best area for growing rice so there are small communities along the DMZ.

As you get closer to the area where the military is stationed you start seeing these look out buildings on the sides of the roads. They also serve as strategic places where the road would be blown up in the event that the North decides to attack the South.

Once you get to the actual military compound you can't take anymore pictures. You can hear North Korean propaganda coming from the loud speakers on the other side. There is a white line and right across from each other are four guards. Two South Koreans and Two North Koreans and they just stand there all day guarding this line which is so tempting to cross. You can see the North Koreans right on the other side and their watch tower. You know they are watching you as you walk around. One can't help but to wonder what they are thinking.

The environment in the area is BEAUTIFUL!!! There are mountains everywhere and you can see a stream down in a valley and the air is so clean. It is an odd backdrop with all the high security. I mean these guys are on 24/7. The war isn't over.

We also were taken on a tour of the tunnels. I am not sure if anyone back home knows about this but I must say this was the most intriguing part of the trip. No one knows who built the tunnels..North or South Koreans. No one seems to know when they were dug. I cannot remember if they had found all of them or if there was speculation of more. These tunnels go through the mountains and are a direct link between the two countries.

It is so wierd to go into one because you can see where people were digging. You can guess the height of folks and they were short. I was wearing a hard hat and was bent over most of the time. (Thank God for the hard hat because my head hit the ceiling in more than one spot.) These tunnels are also equipped with explosives that will cause them to collapse. In the tunnel I went into there was a spot where the tunnel was blocked off with warning signs. Beyond this was North Korea and you could see down the other side.

There are ongoing talks, both formally and informally, about Reunification. It is a nice thought but it will be superhumanly difficult. Right now South Korea is not prepared to carry the load that the North would place on it. There is rampant hunger and malnourishment in the North. People are discovering children whose growth is being stunted and brain development slowed due to lack of food. Not to mention that most people there have no clue what has been happening in the world. There has been brainwashing on a massive scale. I mean, the education system here can't even accomodate the re-education of millions of people.

So talks are happening and the hope is that the resolution will be a peaceful one. I hope it will be peaceful.

The Itis

Yes, folks were ready to knock out after our SCRUMPTILIOUS soul food feast. Everybody came with the food so good there were long stretches of silence. At one point sista Camille said, "Did we bless the food?"...to which Azikiwe replied, "I think we are blessing it now!"...yes, it was a night of good food, good company, good conversation, good laughs...we watched "The Boondocks"(spelling?).
Another dinner will be coming up in November....Thanksgiving...so we are already thinking of that one!

Soul Food Night

What is the use of being on vacation if you are going to wake up early? I was so excited to have this week off and I was certain that I would sleep in. Well, sleeping in has been 6:30am. I don't even wake up that early on a regular day...yes, it is early for me!

Today a few friends are coming over for soul food night. I am really excited. One of my friends found collards!!! SWEET! Me and Vahid were talking about wishing that we had ovens to make sweet potato pie. Now, that would have been HEAVEN!!!

So here is the menu: rice, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, flat bread(no oven no biscuits :( ), collard greens, mixed greens, fruit salad, banana pudding...for the life of me I tried to find black eyed peas and had no luck! Oh yeah, sweet tea!!!

You should have seen me at the grocery store trying to figure out if they had hamhocks!!! The last time I made collards here a friend got everything from teh base so I never really paid attention in the store. I tried asking a guy behind the counter if they had salted pork...I actually went to look for a packet of salt..."salt and duegee gogi gachi?" ..."upseyo"...after calling my sister Sopia who talked to her mom, I found out that they don't have any cured meat here...well, not in the regular stores. So I am going to have to be creative about the collards and I hate being creative when I haven't tasted it first.

It is Chusuk now which is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving. We don't usually get the week off but we got lucky this year! It is probably one of the most heavily travelled vacations in Korea. Families drive out of the city to the countryside to be with grandparents. There is a ceremony that involves alot of bowing and it is to honor the family's male ancestors. Then all of the younger people bow to the elders according to age. It starts with the oldest elder then works its way down to the youngest elder. The children and young adults do alot of bowing. It is pretty cool.

Korea is a very small country and it only takes about 6 hours or so to get from the northern point, Seoul to the southern point, Busan. During Chusuk I have heard of it taking 17hrs!!! Imagine millions of people trying to leave the city. The lucky people are on the trains. That is the best way to travel this time of year.

So it is only proper that on the very day that our Korean sisters and brothers are chillin with their families, I would be chillin with my "family".

Just Offered a POSH Job!

AHHHHH!!! NNNNOOO!!!

I just got a call from the principal of a public elementary school. I responded to a posting on a job listing not thinking that anything would happen! He wants to do an interview with me. I just can't believe that the guy called me today. The pay is quite good, the hours are awesome and they are cool with me having jobs in addition to working at the school.

I would I get experience working at a public school not a private language institute. AND I get three months of VACATION time! The vacation time isn't paid but the work options, the payment, and the possibility of working as a private tutor really evens it all out.

I just talked to my mama about it and she was supportive as long as I am getting my masters degree. I will start looking at online and distance masters courses. The hours will allow me to do a masters course and I can also teach DANCE LESSONS and get PAID!!! Dude, this is just too crazy!