...Disappearing Days...
This blog has not been as easy to keep as anticipated. ...Valentine's Day/Snow Day...
On Valentine's Day I woke up to a very special sight - SNOW! This time it wasn't just a few flakes, it was a Busan Blizzard. Of course, that's not anything like a real Wisconsin/Michigan/New York blizzard, but it was exciting nonetheless. We even got a snow day at work, with all classes canceled! I yelped for joy :o)
I went outside with a childishly happy grin plastered over my face, stuck out my tongue to catch the flakes, and practially skipped down the snowy sidewalk. As I walked, I took in the sights: cars swerving and squealing as their brakes fought for traction, people trying to shovel the sidewalk with cardboard torn from boxes or with dustbins, and happy couples shielding themselves from the falling snow with big umbrellas. In the midst of all of that madness was a cheerful blond from the northern states of the USA, thrilled to be walking in a belated winter wonderland - and even happier knowing it wouldn't last long : ) I joined my friend, Alice, for coffee and shopping, and bought a skirt in a size I haven't worn in three years - so that was exciting! Then, we headed out to visit our friend on Yeong-do, an island in Busan. We took the subway to the bridge, and then waited for a bus. And waited. And decided to get a taxi instead. And waited. And finally got on a bus going over the bridge just to get on the island, figuring we could catch the right bus on the other side. In the end, from the time we started waiting until we got to the other side, it took about an hour to an hour and a half. Normally it's a ten minute trip, tops! The traffic was so terrible that I was almost scared.
As we crossed the bridge we saw an ambulance lifting a man off the ground in a lane going the other way. He looked to be alright, but I wondered how many other accidents were happening around the city. It was madness all around. We finally got to the other side and hopped off, only to discover that all of the buses to our friend's side of the island had stopped running, and none of the taxis would take us that direction. We debated: give up and trek back over the bridge and home, or walk to our friend's. We walked. And walked. And walked. Down a hill, up a hill, and along a beautiful coastal path we trudged, along with many others who had gotten stranded that evening. It was one of the most beautiful nights I've seen in Korea. The snow muffled the usual sounds of the city, and the whiteness clung to every surface, except the sea, which reflected al
l of the lights of the harbor onto the screen of snow blanketing the hills surrounding the port. It was breathtaking. The picture doesn't do it justice at all. The next morning when we woke, we looked out my friend's window onto the rocky coastline and couldn't see a trace of the snow from the day before. Once we walked down to the bus stop, we saw a few patches here and there, but if I hadn't had the pictures to prove it, I might not have believed the snow was ever there.
...V-Day/The Vagina Monologues...
A few weeks later it was time for our second annual performance of The Vagina Monologues. I was thrilled to be one of the few returning cast members from last year, and happy to meet a wonderful new cast of women. Last year we raised approximately $1,600 for a shelter south of Seoul that supports victims of sex trafficking in Korea, particularly near US military bases. In addition, we gave 10% of our profits last year to the women and children
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rape has been widely used as a method of war. Last year, that was the spotlight charity for the V-Day foundation. This year we found a women's shelter in Busan to donate our proceeds to, and had a goal of beating our total from last year. In the end, we not only beat our total from last year, but we more than doubled it! Our final total was 3.5million won, or approximately $3,300. I had the job of counting the cash, and I was so astonished that I counted a third time to be certain that the number was correct. I was blown away by the support of this community. I know that money is going to make a huge difference in the lives of women and children in our community here in Busan. To start the weekend of raising funds and awareness, we held a "Voices for Vaginas" all-women acoustic music night the Friday before the show. I sang "Landslide," by Stevie Nicks, and "Piece of my Heart," by Janis Joplin, and a number of other talented women performed as well, to a packed crowd that often sang along. We started collecting money that night and we filled two huge donation boxes of clothing and toiletries, too. That Sunday, the show was sold out, and, unfortunately, we had to turn lots of people away. Amazingly, some of them came back at intermission or later in the show to get standing room or to take the places of people who left early. It was a wonderful show. I was in two of the pieces. The first piece was done with two of us - a Korean woman and myself - telling the story of the Korean "Comfort Women," who were forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese Army during WWII. She spoke in Korean and I gave the translation. The "comfort women" who are still alive go to the Japanese Embassy every Wednesday in Seoul to ask the Japanese government to acknowledge this history and to apologize to the women.
To this day no apology has been given. There is a house, The House of Sharing, where some of the women live. It is also a museum dedicated to teaching people about the "Comfort Women," and educating people about sexual slavery, particularly as a part of war. I hope to get there before I leave Korea. After the piece, most of the audience was in tears, and Yuni and I were shaking when we got offstage. I didn't even realize how emotionally overwhelmed I was until I was sitting down and we all were just shaken and crying. I spent weeks memorizing, and thought I'd gotten desensitized, but in that room, saying those words to a crowd of Koreans and foreigners, I was completely taken over by the power, sadness, and anger in the words we were speaking. I'm grateful to have been able to be part of telling a story that needs to be heard and remembered, especially here. The second piece I did was written by Eve Ensler. It's for a woman, Myriam Merlet, who was an activist in Haiti - she actually brought The Vagina Monologues to Haiti for the first time in 2001 - and who died in the earthquake. It was the spotlight piece for this year, and 10% of our donations went to the Women and Children of Haiti, this year's V-Day charity.
...St. Patty's Day/Shana's Birthday...
March began quietly enough, with a single weekend of rest before starting a month filled with birthday celebrations. I headed up to Seoul for St. Patty's Day weekend, from Friday night the 18th-Sunday the 20th, to celebrate my friend Shana's birthday, and to see the St.Patty's day celebrating in Seoul. We saw a lot of people dressed in green, some dressed as leprechauns, and some just there to see what the fuss was about. It was a fun weekend, but by the end I was exhausted, and I spent the following week just resting up to be refreshed for my own birthday celebrations.
...My Birthday...
After our afternoon on the beach, we headed for a late afternoon tea at my favorite tea house in Nampo-dong, a part of Busan near the port and near the international market, which is huge. They gave us a new menu, which threw me for a loop, because I go often enough to know what I like, but then didn't know how to make sense of the new menu. Luckily, one of the female Buddhist monks from the temple across the way was able to sit down and help us sort out the types of teas. Then, she showed us how to properly pour the teas and how to drink politely: you set your cup on your flat, upturned left hand, and take the cup between the thumb and pointer of your right. With your right palm open, to hide the cup (and your mouth) you drink. That way, no one can see you drinking. See the picture for a model ; )
After tea, we headed to Kyungsung University area, where there are a lot of bars and cafes. We had a great dinner, and then headed to Cafe Radio, where each month they have an open mic poetry night called Wordz Only. I wrote two new pieces this week about happiness, which I read. A lot of the people I love most in Busan were there, some who read, some who were just there to listen, and it was such a wonderful way to spend my birthday. After that we went around to a few bars, ran into other friends, and met some new friends - including an Interlochen Alum, who was introduced to me by another Interlochen Alum I met here awhile back! Then, a small group of dedicated friends and I headed to norebang (karaoke) in the wee hours of the night/morning and sang our hearts out til the sun began to rise in the sky. At that point, the Seoulites and I piled into cabs and headed back to my apartment to finally get some shut eye. The next day two friends, Shana and Derek, stayed longer. We headed to the fish market and they got some sannakji (raw, fresh cut octopus), oysters, and a couple other seafoods whose names are escaping me. I wasn't feeling very brave, but I worked myself up to trying an oyster with some chili sauce (Ssam-jang) and white kimchee. It wasn't terrible! In fact, it was pretty okay! However, my tongue was a bit tingly, so I might be allergic to seafood...or I'm paranoid after so many years as a strict vegetarian! After our fishy feast we headed to an Italian restaurant that we couldn't get into the night before. We had a second feast of pizza and caprese salad there. Finally, we ended the weekend by heading to a housewarming for a few of my friends, where we got to just relax and talk with good people.
...To the Days Ahead...
So, I'm terrible at staying updated, but I'm grateful to have a place to record all of these moments, which have made my time here so fulfilling. Even if I'm the only person who will ever read this entire post, that's okay, because this blog has become more of a way to store memories than to entertain or share tidbits.
Love to all my friends and family who have made it with me this far - both in my blog, and in my life. It's been an amazing 24 year journey so far, and I'm excited for the path ahead!
~K
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