Gangwon POE NEWS

Francesca Kim / Head Coordinator One of the best things about Gangwon EPIK is the support system it provides for its Guest English Teachers (GET). In each of its 17 districts a hard-working coordinator spares no effort in carrying out various roles and responsibilities, often being the district's facilitator, mediator, advisor and mentor. Credits for the following articles go to: Alex (Wonju Coordinator), Jacob Spangler (Hwacheon Coordinator with added material by Nathan Richey, Angelina Cho, & John Rios), Hazel O'Connor (Cheorwon Coordinator), and Sarah Fellows (Yeongwol Coordinator) for final editing.

Cultural Experience: Wonju EPIK Team's Trip to Jeju Island

In December 2009, the EPIK teachers from Wonju took part in a cultural trip to Jeju Island. The teachers enjoyed the rich culture of Jeju. Many were grateful and hoped to return someday. The trip was delayed due to heavy fog, but as the plane finally descended upon Jeju International Airport the excitement on the teachers' faces was clearly visible. The tour included stops at some quirky places, such as the Love Land Sculpture Park and Psyche World. There were also interesting, educational stops on the tour, including a museum about Korean life over the last century. This museum also displayed some interesting traditional architecture. The teachers enjoyed Jeju's landscape and climate. Both Stone Park and Seongsan Peak provided excellent opportunities to enjoy the wonderful scenery of Jeju Island. The food throughout the trip was very good, and the teachers especially enjoyed eating fresh raw fish caught from Jeju's shore. With amazing destinations and an opportunity to forge new friendships, the trip was an overall success!

Cultural Experience: Hwacheon EPIK Team's Many Adventures

During the past two years, the Hwacheon GETs have been fortunate to attend a cultural experience trip each school semester. The trips have been offered to both local EPIK teachers and local Fulbright scholars. Each trip has comprised not only educational components but also fun and relaxing activities. About a week before the first cultural trip took place, the former President Roh Moo-hyun allegedly committed suicide. By the time the GETs arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the memorial was being set up in honor of the former president. The chairs were being set in place and a stage was being erected with a ten-foot tall portrait of the former president. The palace itself had many different courts: many more than one can visit during a single trip. The GETs explored the palace in separate groups. Some of the most memorable areas were the Throne Hall and the Royal Banquet Hall. The visit to the palace was memorable because it not only gave them a chance to see history but also become a part of history. Next stop was the National Museum of Korea where a tour was provided by an English speaker. The tour guide expounded upon the historical and religious backgrounds of many artifacts. Some of the most important artifacts explained were: a ten story pagoda, the Shila Gold Crown from the 5th century and the Pensive Bodisattva (a Buddha that is shown to be in 'deep thought'). The tour guide provided the GETs an opportunity to understand more about Korea. The second trip was a three-and-half-hour bus ride to the southeastern province of Gyeongju. This two day round trip was packed full of adventure. The first stop on this adventure took the teachers to the location of Korea's 45th National Treasure, Sojo Yeorae Seated Figure. This national treasure, along with two others (number 46 and number 17), are housed at the Buseoksa Temple in Youngju. After touring Buseoksa Temple we were off to Bulguksa Temple. The teachers leisurely strolled around and took many pictures of one of Korea's most beautiful temples, Bulguksa. The tour ended that day with a stop at Anapji (Duck Lake). This man-made lake was constructed in the year 647 during the reign of Munmu, the 30th king of Shila. Anapji, is especially beautiful at night. On the 14th and 15th of February, Hwacheon GETs took another two-day trip. This time they ended up in Hongcheon County. The third trip was geared toward fun and leisure activities. But make no mistake, there were plenty of opportunities to experience Korean culture. The GETs participated in various activities including a visit to Vivaldi Park and Ocean World. They took part in Taekwondo and Salmunori lessons. Their most recent cultural experience outing took place on June 4th, in Hwacheon County. The GETs traveled to Gangneung, where they were given the opportunity to experience various workshops in traditional Korean culture: Korean tea ceremony, Korean archery and Hanbok. Each workshop was hosted by an expert in each designated subject area, thus allowing the English teachers to take on the role of student, learning and experiencing the vast richness of the Korean culture. All in all, each of these cultural trips proved successful. The teachers from Hwacheon have a myriad of photographs to remember their unforgettable experience, but most importantly, they carry with them a Korea that they will never forget.

Fun and Games in Cheorwon

Some people might think that there's nothing to do in a little county that sleeps next to the DMZ in South Korea. However, the EPIK teachers living in this county take full advantage of the sunny days and the natural resources offered. On the first sunny Saturday of the year, the Cheorwon county English teachers held their first Cheorwon Olympics event. The day was filled with laughter and healthy competition! Four, not-so-evenly-matched teams were made with the county English teachers and teachers from other parts of Korea. This provided for more competition and rivalry. Each teacher contributed a small fee for personalized t-shirts, prizes, lunch and entrance fees. Tensions arose in the hotly contested egg and chopstick race because the rules weren't understood nor properly enforced, leaving the losers feeling cheated and the winners confused! The teams also competed in: three-legged race, volleyball and dodgeball. Dizzy spells made many tumble in the lively football game called "Spinzies". "Spinzies" involves spinning around ten times with your head hanging down, standing up and then trying to hit a soccer ball into the posted goal within five seconds. The teachers thoroughly enjoyed this event and are hoping it will become an annual affair!