-
The Military Invasion of Jeju Island
Most people that head to Jeju Island, known as the peace island, go with the intention of seeing the beautiful scenery from waterfalls and green tea fields to black lava sand beaches and palm tree lined lanes. Honeymooners go for romance and tourists go for scenery. With the tallest mountain in the country being the biggest draw by far for everyone from the avid hiker to the average Joe just out to get a jaunt and see some views, it’s a wonder that there hasn’t been more done to protect the island from military invasion. Though protesters in the small town of Gangjeong, meaning “Village of Water”, on the southern…
-
30 Things I Did Before I Turned 30
It’s my birthday today! I saw a post with this same title awhile back and at first I thought, why would someone write a post like this? I’ve done a lot in 30 years and writing just 30 of those things down doesn’t seem fair to everything else I can’t write down or can’t remember, taking my first step was a big accomplishment I’m sure, but I can’t for the life of me remember it. A few weeks back though, I was sitting with a student, who is just a year younger than myself, and we were talking about accomplishments. I thought it was an easy enough question. Tell me…
-
My Top Ten Adventures of 2013!
2013 was a great year for traveling. Not only did I get to see some fantastic places in Korea, but I also enjoyed quite a few trips abroad. Here are the top 10 places, here and abroad, that I saw in 2013. What a year! 1. Fukuoka, Japan: We started off the year with a trip to Fukuoka, Japan in February. It seems as the end of winter nears we always start to get a little cabin fever, not that we live in a cabin, or that we completely hibernate all winter, but we just need to get away. I had been to Fukuoka before, as had my husband, but this…
-
Do you still use film?
I have this Pocket Fujica 350 Zoom that my mom had given me when I was in elementary school. I still have the photos I took with it of my friends on the playground behind my elementary school. The camera is strong. There’s no cap for the lense and after so many years the fear of dropping it is gone. It’s durable and has definitely stood the test of time. It takes a good hunt to find film for it, but when I do, I stick it in, shut the back until it clicks and off I go, or off my husband goes. We took it with us to Japan…
-
The War and Women’s Human Rights Museum: Learn About The Comfort Women In Seoul
Just over two years ago I headed to the House of Sharing in Seoul to learn more about the “comfort women” and their history and cause here in Korea. Hearing completely honest and horrific testimonies from the sex slaves during WWII left me wondering why these women are still not recognized in Japanese history. If you spend any time in Seoul, you should plan to make a visit to this museum. While you may learn about the Korean war and other wars on the peninsula, the comfort women is a topic that doesn’t get talked about as much as it should. Learn more now. Plan a trip to the War…