Ginseng Festival in Geumsan

This is the one of the logos for the town of Geumsan.

This Sunday I went to the International Ginseng Expo in Geumsan (about an hour and a half from Cheonan). Ginseng is a really important product here in Korea and I understand much better the health benefits and why it is so important. I'm not usually a big fan of ginseng--I usually find it to be quite bitter but I found some ginseng products I like (for example, those made of Hongsam, which is a milder ginseng) and realized what a difference eating fresh ginseng can make.

Samgyetang: Chicken Soup with ginseng and lots of other healthy ingredients (Delicious and good for you!)

Selling fresh ginger

Korean ginseng grows for 6 years so it contains a larger amount of saponins. After 6 years, the ginseng looks like a human, thus the name "insam" in Korean or "human-shaped plant".

A Russian electric violin group

This is how ginseng grows in the U.S. and Canada

This is how ginseng is grown in China

This is how ginseng is grown in Korea

Deep-fried ginseng (Delicious!)

Some of the many products made from ginseng

Cheonan Dance Festival Street Parade

This weekend is the annual International Dance Festival here in Cheonan. Last night I saw the street parade with all of the different teams from each different country. Countries included Korea, Japan, China, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, and countries from the Russian federation.

Enjoy!

 

Beautiful Busan

Busan is the second biggest city in South Korea. It's a port city on the south-east coast. Ever since I came to Korea, I've wanted to visit Busan because I love the sea. Finally, this past weekend, my roommate and I made it for one night and one day (1N1D).

I was really glad we did. There's a different feel to Busan than Seoul--it's more relaxed and open, which makes sense since Seoul is a capital city. People were more talkative and even the foreigners I saw seemed to be more relaxed and comfortable than in other cities in Korea.

My roommate and I had a tight schedule and budget but we managed to fit a lot in. Busan is a 5-hour by slow-train, 2 1/2 hours by rapid train ride from Seoul.

We arrived late at night and stayed in this jjimjilbang on Gwangalli Beach. It was called Aqua Palace.



A jjimjilbang is a Korean sauna with showers and public baths separate for men and women. There's also a "resting" public area, where you can sleep. If you are okay with sleeping on a hard floor in a room with lots of people with snoring, talking, cellphones ringing, etc., it's a cheap place to stay and you can have a relaxing shower and bath.

This jjimjilbang was nothing fancy but it had a great view of the beach and the sea from the bath and resting areas.



The next morning we headed out and saw Gwangalli Beach by day. This is the view from the beach.


After that, we visited the "World's Biggest Department Store", the Shinsegae Department Store. It has an ice rink, a spa, a golf course, a roof-top park, and boasts the largest amount of retail space in the world.



We then visited one of only a few of Korea's Buddhist temples on the sea. This one is called Yonggunsa. Isn't the view beautiful?







After that we stopped off at the famous Haeundae Beach. We dipped our feet in the water where there were lots of people bobbing in floating tubes. The sand has lots of crushed shells and stuck to our feet. In the busy season, this beach is normally packed full of umbrellas so even though there were lots of people it wasn't considered to be crowded at all.


We ended off the day by going to the Jagalchi Fish Market. We saw lots of interesting live and dried fish, including these octopus below. There are lots of restaurants, too, where you can choose the fish or seafood you like and have it cooked right in front of you.




While waiting for our train back to Cheonan, we were treated to a light, music, and water show at the fountain in front of the train station. I think this might be common in Korea in big cities (I've seen a small one in the stream in downtown Cheonan behind our apartment building) but this one lasted for about 40 minutes and lots of people gathered to watch.





When I first arrived in Korea, someone asked me if I liked the mountains or the sea. My first thought was to say, "Both", but my answer came quicker than my thinking, "The sea". I like the mountains, too, but there's something about water that makes me feel relaxed, happy, and more connected with nature, with other people, and with myself. I'm glad I had the chance to visit Busan and if I get the chance, I'll definitely be back.

Practical English: Global Cyber University

This past semester, I was a teaching assistant for the Practical English course at the Global Cyber University. The professor was Kyung Ja Hong. I helped her to answer questions posted by the students on a Q&A board about English grammar and usage. Fortunately, she translated my answers from English into Korean so it was easier for the students to understand my explanations. Needless to say, I learned a lot.

The Global Cyber University is an online graduate university certified by the Korean government. It offers programs in Korean Traditional Culture, Human Services, Global Business Management. Last year, it also opened a department of Brain Education.

Brain Education English at UBE: Graduation

Congratulations to the graduates of Brain Education English Intermediate: Part Two--Denny, Kay and Chloe (English names). I learned a lot from this small, but mighty, group. I am thankful that they had the courage to take a class with a foreigner and to learn about Brain Education in English. Thank you and all the best with your continued studies!

Living in Cheonan: The Lake at Dankook University

It's pretty busy in the Cheonan downtown area, but thankfully, there are places close by where you can go for a walk and spend time in nature.

Tonight I went for a walk around the lake at the Dankook University Cheonan Campus (about 5 minutes by bus or a half hour walk from downtown). There was a beautiful sunset and there were lots of people out fishing, walking, and doing other kinds of exercise.

Introducing...eatyourkimchi.com

Or should I say...Simon and Martina.

I've wanted to do this for a long time. Simon and Martina are Canadians--a married couple who originally came to Korea to teach English. They started making videos to share about the culture here and it has now developed into a full-time thing for them.

They do v-blogging about K-Pop (Korean pop music), Korean culture and food. Besides me, they've got quite a following, including people from all over the world. They have done videos about all of the interesting things I wanted to write about (see especially eatyourkimchi.com/archives). I think they do a really good job at presenting things in a way that shows their curiosity and humor. They acknowledge the cultural differences and their love for Korea, but also share their opinions.

Anyways, they make me laugh and feel like I'm not alone so I wanted to share. If any "foreigners" (as we're known here) are in or coming to Korea or if you are Korean and want to understand foreigners' experiences in Korea better, there's something for you on their website. If you've never experienced anything Korean, you might wonder what is going on, but if you become familiar with Korean culture, especially pop culture, it will all make sense...trust me. :)

The BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center and the BR Brain Oriental Medical Clinic

On Saturday, I visited the BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center and BR Oriental Medical Clinic in Apgujeong, Seoul.

The BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center provide services for children and adults. Services available to help enhance attention include assessment, neurofeedback, computerized training programs, Brain Education, and play therapy.

Other children's programs include HSP (Heightened Sensory Perception) training, Emotional Stabilization for Academic Achievement, and Global Leadership (offered in English).

Recently, a group of 22 youth from the Global Leadership program attended the annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations.

Adult services offered include assessment, healing, breathing and meditation, and brain relaxation, balancing, emotional releasing, and integration.

The BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center are currently developing offline and online continuing education courses for certified Brain Trainers.

BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center website (in Korean)



The BR Brain Oriental Medical Clinic offers acupressure and oriental medicine services focused on improving brain function and, as a result, physical, emotional and cognitive health.

BR Brain Oriental Medical Clinic website(in korean)

The BR Attention Clinic and Brain Training Center and the BR Oriental Medical Clinic partner with (KIBS) the Korea Institute of Brain Science, IBREA (the International Brain Education Association), UBE (the University of Brain Education), and GCU (the Global Cyber University) to increase research, awareness, and application of information and tools for enhancing individual and collective brain health and overall well-being.

BR English Korean Spirit Speech Contest

In June, I was honored to be one of the judges for the BR English Korean Spirit Speech Contest. The contest was held on June 6th, which is Memorial Day in Korea, and was sponsored and hosted by the Institute for Traditional Korean Studies (Kukhakwon).

At BR English, students learn English in a way that includes brain-based approaches to learning and learning a language. Students of all ages (the youngest was 5 to high-school) made speeches or presentations about Korean history or culture. Some examples were about Mugunghwa, Korea's national flower; Memorial Day; and Dangun and Gojoseon, the founder and first Korean nation. I learned a lot. The students memorized their speeches, spoke confidently, and used really good presentation skills. I was impressed. Great job, everyone!

A Visit Home to Canada

This month I had a chance to go home to Canada and connect with family, friends, and members at the Energy Yoga center. I am really thankful for the time I could spend with everyone. Because of work and my studies, I didn't have a lot of time to spend with people in the last few years so this time was precious to me.

Here are a few highlights that I have pictures for. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures for others...

Celebrating my husband, Marek's birthday with him by eating some of his favorite Polish food (zupa ogorkowa, kotlet schabowy, ziemnaki, sernik - cucumber soup, pork cutlet, potatoes, and cheescake) and having fun at the cottage.





A 40th birthday party with friends from high-school and their partners and children.







Time at my dad's cottage with my sister Tammy, her husband Steve, our nephew, Gavin, and nephew-to-be :) My beautiful sister is the one in pink in the picture at the top of the page.



Visiting my aunt and uncle at their new home with Judy, my dad's wife.



Spending time with our nephew from Poland, Szymon. He is 15 and will be visiting Canada for five weeks altogether. It was great to see him after such a long time. We had a great breakfast with family (picture at the top of the page) and Szymon did really well at ordering and having conversation with everyone in English. After breakfast, we went to Niagara Falls.




Raw food dinner with Sanja and Srjan. Sanja has learned a lot about how raw food helps to heal the body. We had spaghetti, lasagna, and even ice-cream! It was delicious!



I visited an exotic mushroom farm near my dad's farm that is owned and run by people originally from South Korea. (That's one of the owners in the picture with me). The farm won an "Agri-Food Innovation Excellence Award" from the Ontario government. They produce King Oyster and Enoki mushrooms. Below is a picture of their "Commitment to Customers" in Korean. You can find the English version and more information about the farm here.





Talking and meeting with many more dear family, friends, and center members that, unfortunately, I don't have pictures for. My mom, my dad, my sister, Katie, Kate, Ben, and Sophie, my aunt Jan, Steph, Amy, Lisa, Camino, Lorena, Pam, Gae, and members at the yoga center. I'm thankful for all of you and look forward to keeping in touch and seeing you again.