No, I didn't get to visit Gangnam. No, I didn't even go shopping at Insadong. No, I didn't check out the campus at the all girls university. But I did visit Panmunjom / JSA / DMZ between DPRK (North Korea) and ROK (South Korea). A very surreal experience, it's been a while since I got … Continue reading Oppa Panmunjom style
After the MERS scare in July died down, we managed to plan a trip to Seoul before my eventual civilian service duty begins in mid-September (more on that later). My first time to the city, I came here with little prior knowledge and expectation. Sometimes it's better to see things for yourself. My last contact … Continue reading We are Seoul here~
This trip is different from all the past trips in that I'm here as extra support. As a result, I've been able to spend time thinking and reflecting. What a precious opportunity to be away from the hustle and the bustle and have time to read. Last night we had a ready-made camp fire and … Continue reading Day 5 – Farewell. See you again?
I've had a lot of time to read on my own the past few days. The student leaders have done such a wonderful job there really isn't much for me to do. Today's book is about 嚴長壽's vision for Taiwan. In it he discussed his values and beliefs and detailed the factors that lead to … Continue reading Day 4 – reading fast and slow
Thanks to the wonders of Claritin and maybe my body getting used to this place, I had a good night's sleep. And I'm much more able to absorb and take this place in. As I sit on the side and watch the local kids play basketball, something occurred to me - how easy it … Continue reading Day 3 – innocence and the gentle breeze
This morning I woke up feeling tired and horrible. My nemesis nasal allergies seem to be winning the battle. Simple Claritin is not enough. Also, as I age, the effect of a bad night's sleep is much more pronounced. I'm aching all over. 腰酸背痛. Having said that, life goes on. I got … Continue reading Day 2 – mixed blessings / 歲月不饒人
I have the opportunity to join the school on its first rural education outreach this summer. 合作的對象是博幼基金會還有尖山鄉的石磊國小. After 2.5 hours of mountainous roads, we finally arrived. We are only here for 5 days so realistically we are not really gonna change anything. It's service learning - you always get more out of it than the … Continue reading 偏鄉教育- rural education in Taiwan
