Bags are packed...almost

Today is the last full day I will spend at home before leaving for my Korean Studies Fellowship. It is a beautiful day, and after the winter we have all experienced here in Spokane and Coeur d' Alene, beautiful days are to be appreciated!

I have packed everything, I think. Only a few small details remain and will be taken care of tomorrow morning. I will be leaving for the airport around 3:00 tomorrow afternoon.

An email came to me last week from Yong Jin. She is our coordinator for the fellowship. I had a sudden panic attack come over me as I read:

I suggest you to call your domestic air carrier to confirm your flight. I heard that the domestic carrier cancel without any notice, because of the high oil price.

For the next 15 minutes I tried to find out if I had a flight to Korea afterall. When I found out that all is well, it was a great relief.

Since I was on a worrying binge I started thinking about the suitcases I am packing. International flights still take baggage weighing up to 70 lbs. That's great, because as soon as I get my husband to weigh my bags at work tomorrow I'll know how many more pairs of shoes I can take.

I know, I sound like the Ugly American. However, last year on my trip to Japan I was so paranoid about being overweight (my bags, I am not discussing my body here) I only took two pairs of shoes. That was OK. I had dress heels and walking shoes. However the day I was to meet the mayor of Hikone-city I had packed my dress heels in a bag that had been shipped ahead of me to my hotel. I went to this very formal occasion wearing a business suit and my very casual looking walking shoes. How do you say "DORK" in Japanese???

I felt that my feet were about the size of Volkswagens, or at least that obvious. It is a situation I would prefer to not repeat in Korea. So, I want to take several pairs of shoes this trip. I realize that those of you who are fashion conscious are nodding your heads in agreement with me now. Thank you. For the rest of you who think that two pairs of shoes should be enough, you may join my husband wagging your heads in bewilderment.

Just so everyone can see what kind of care Yong Jin is taking of her 20 American Educators as they head for Seoul, Korea, this is the rest of her email:

Tomorrow will be my last day at work and will leave for Korea on Sunday.
I will meet you at the hotel lobby on Wednesday, June 18th, when you get to the hotel.
Have a pleasant flight and try bibimbap for your flight meal on the plane. It is a Korean dish.

See you next week in Seoul.
Yong Jin

So, I will be trying the bibimbap without doubt. I have had that word stuck in my head for the past 3 months, ever since the first time I heard it my brain keeps repeating; "bibimbapbibimbapbibimbap................................." It sounds like the nick-name my uncle gave me when I was a little kid. (you don't want to know)

Beginning June 18, that will be June 17 for you here in the US, I will begin Phase 1 of my trip.
This will give you a heads up on what will I will be doing in advance of my doing it:

The first week of the fellowship will be spent mostly in Seoul, with lectures, visits to palaces and museums, a visit to a local high school, a Korean movie screening and performance, and free time at night to explore the city individually.

A typical day will look like this:
* Breakfast: 7:00 - 8:00 AM
* Lectures: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
* Lunch: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
* Lecture or field trip: 1:00 - 6:00 PM
* Exploration and recreation time: 6:00 PM onwards

For the first 14 days, starting on the evening of June 20, we will be joined by a group of educators from Australia and New Zealand. We will take joint courses and a domestic trip together.

We will arrive in Seoul on the morning of June 18. We will spend our first day in Seoul getting to know one another and the city's transportation systems. Activities on June 19 have yet to be finalized. We will meet participants from other countries and coordinators of the program from Korea University over dinner on June 19.

The high school trip has always proved to be exciting and unforgettable for past participants as well as for the Korean students. Teams of two teachers are assigned one classroom of about 50 Korean students. Each teacher will have 25 minutes to instruct the class. Please prepare short activities for your time with the Korean students.

The lesson I have prepared is on the art of the Northwest Coastal Tribes of Washington state.
This lesson weaves together the history, heritage, art, geographical location and the storytelling of this culture. I will read the story "How Raven Stole the Sun", introduce the ovoid and U form used by the native artists in the creation of their art, and give each student a copy of Raven to fill in with reds and blacks.

Thanks to Sung Bae Jun I actually have the story of "How Raven Stole the Sun" translated into Hangul, the writing form used by Koreans. Now as I read in English the students will have copies of the story to follow along.

Will I sleep tonight? Doubtful. I am very excited, I am ready for some bibimbap!