Changwon 0409 thru 0413

DSCN0834, originally uploaded by jaimesc.

Today was great - Korean Broadcasting Station, rifle range, pizza, Doosan Heavy Industries, Pullman Hotel. I didn't know what was in store for me when I applied for a GSE slot. The things we've done have all been incredibly different, but a great deal of fun.

Here's a short list of things I'd never done before GSE: traveled for 25 hours, visited Asia, worn a hardhat, fired a 12-gauge, stood under a crane that could haul 300 tons, participated in a Buddhist service, dressed like a monk, practiced a golf swing at an indoor driving range, had a conversation using a Korean/English dictionary, eaten squirming octopus....

All that, and we've got three weeks to go. I can't WAIT to see what they bring!

*Added by Michelle*
Changwon Club schedule
APRIL 9
9:20 a.m. - Transfer to Changwon Club
10:30 a.m. - Sungsan Seashell Mound
12 p.m. - Welcoming ceremony and multi-club meeting (9, 11 districts)
1 p.m. - Lunch
2 p.m. - Changwon University, GyeongNam Provincial Hall, Provincial Art Museum
5 p.m. - SangNam Conventional Market
6 p.m. - Dinner
7 p.m. - Homestay
APRIL 10
10 a.m. - Meet at Rotary office
10:30 a.m. - Changwon KBS broadcasting station, Yingji Lake
12:30 p.m. - Lunch [pizza!]
2 p.m. - Changwon shooting range
3:30 p.m. - House of Changwon
5 p.m. - Pullman Hotel and shopping mall
6 p.m. - Dinner
7 p.m. - Homestay
APRIL 11
10 a.m. - Meet at Rotary office
10:30 a.m. - Korean cooking class (M Cooking House)
2 p.m. - Kuk Dong Taekwondo Gym
3:30 p.m. - Carless street festival
6 p.m. - Farewell meeting and homestay
APRIL 12
Religious activity / homestay time
APRIL 13
10 a.m. - Meet at Rotary office and transfer to Ham An Rotary Club

At Last ... A Word from the Team

Ed said to me a few days ago in Tongdosa, You know, I could go home tomorrow happy. It's true, we've been here less than a week and have had amazing experiences. (Of course, no one is quite ready to come home yet.)

After arriving, we spent the night in Ulsan before moving to Tongdosa on April 5th for a temple stay. We were provided with "monk gear," brown pants and sleeve-less button up tops. During our stay, we spent time with two monks, participating in meals, a tea ceremony, chanting, tours of the grounds, and learning about Buddhist philosophy.

On April 6th, the Yangsan Rotarians took the group out of the temple to see the Yangsan market and enjoy a traditional Korean lunch. We went to Busan for the afternoon. We visited the Yangsan market, APEC Center, the Westin Chosun, and enjoyed a dinner with beautiful views of the ocean. We returned to Tongdosa for the night.



Before leaving Tongdosa, the group hiked into the surrounding mountains, led by our wonderful guide. After checking out, we said goodbye to our friends from Yangsan and were taken to Gimhae.

Gimhae has been fun--it's a vibrant city, full of activity. We visited the tomb of King Suro and several museums. We especially enjoyed the Gimhae Clayarche Museum--a museum dedicated to pottery, ceramics, and clay. We stayed in a traditional
Korean House, which was very cool.



It's late. More to come. We'll get some pictures linked over from flickr, too.

*Added by Michelle*
Yangsan Club schedule:
APRIL 5
9-11 a.m. - Travel to Yangsan area, welcome and greeting
11-11:30 a.m. - Arrive at Tongdosa Hotel and check in
11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. - Travel to Tongdo temple
12-1 p.m. - Lunch at temple
1-2 p.m. - Tour Seongbo museum and Tongdo temple
2-3:30 p.m. - Experience the tea ceremony
3:30-5 p.m. - Learn and sit in Zen meditation
5-6:20 p.m. - Dinner at main temple-stay hall
6:20-7:30 p.m. - Evening worship to Buddha at the sermon hall
7:30-8 p.m. - Return to Tongdosa Hotel
8 p.m. - Relax and rest
APRIL 6
3-3:20 a.m. - Wake up and get ready
3:20-3:50 a.m. - Return to Tongdo temple
3:50-4:30 a.m. - Daybreak worship to Buddha at the sermon hall
4:30-6:20 a.m. - Worship and meditation at the sermon hall
6:20-7 a.m. - Breakfast at temple
7-7:30 a.m. - Return to Tongdosa Hotel
7:30-10 a.m. - Relax
10-10:30 a.m. - Travel to Yangsan traditional market
10:30-11:30 a.m. - Tour Yangsan traditional market
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Lunch Korean style meal (pulgogi)
12:30-1 p.m. - Travel to Haeundae area
1-5 p.m. - Tour Diamond Bridge, Haeundae beach, APEC House
5-6 p.m. - Dinner
6-7 - Return to Tongdosa Hotel
7 p.m - Relax and rest
APRIL 7
5:20-5:50 a.m. - Wake up and get ready
5:50-6:20 a.m. - Return to Tongdo temple
6:20-7 a.m. - Breakfast at temple
7-9 a.m. - Small temples pilgrimage
9-9:30 a.m. - Return to Tongdosa Hotel
9:30-10 a.m. - Check out
10 a.m. - Say goodbye and move on to Gimhae area

Gimhae Club schedule:
APRIL 7
10-11 a.m. - Travel to Gimhae area, check in at traditional house
11 a.m.-12 p.m. - Tour cultural museum
12-1:30 p.m. - Lunch [duck]
1:30-2 p.m. - Move on to next activity
2-3:30 p.m. - Tour National Gimhae Museum
3:30-5 p.m. - Tour Daesung Dongobun Museum
5-6 p.m. - Tour King Suro Tomb
6-6:20 p.m. Travel to Rotary clubhouse
6:20-8:30 p.m. - Meeting, presentation, and dinner
8:30 p.m. - Rest
APRIL 8
8-10 a.m. - Breakfast (traditional) and check out
10-10:30 - Move on to next activity
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. - Visit [Former] President No's birthplace
12-1:30 p.m. - Lunch (jin young kalbi)
1:30-2 p.m. - Move on to next activity
2-3 p.m. - Junam Resevoir tour
3-3:30 p.m. - Move on to next activity
3:30-4:30 p.m. - Gimhae architecture museum tour
4:30-5 p.m. - Move on to next activity
5-8:30 p.m. - Dinner, move to homestay
APRIL 9
8-10 a.m. - Breakfast and departure for Changwon

We Made It!

The incountry portion of GSE has gotten off to a great start.

No problems with the flights. Friday morning, we said an early goodbye to family, friends, and Rotarians at GSP before leaving for Atlanta. The 2-hour layover gave us a chance to check email, blog, Facebook and have coffee and breakfast before departing for Incheon.

If you have to spend 15 or so hours on a flight, it doesn't get much better than Delta 91. Lots of in-flight movies, regular meal and drink service, and plenty of room near the back of the plane.

One of the neatest portions of the trip was flying over the Northern Territory and Russia. We got some great pictures of snow, ice, and mountains.

Incheon Airport is one of the nicest airports in the world--it is also beautiful.

District 3720 met us in Gimpo, a subway ride away from Incheon, with a lovely reception. They treated us to a meal at a traditional Korean restaraunt and we were able to spend some time getting acquainted.

Finally, after 25+ hours without sleep or showers, we were taken to Hotel Taehwa. Tomorrow, we will go to Tongdosa to begin a 2-day temple stay.

7750 GSE Team

P1010905
Originally uploaded by bestts4u

10 Days and Counting

In-country preparations are right on schedule. On Sunday, the team gave our 7750presentation at the Simpsonville Rotary Club. The audience included several members of the local Korean community and we presented in Hangul in order for them to provide some suggestions and feedback. The evening was a success--fellowship and feedback. (And I must mention the barbeque from Henry’s--It was fabulous!) I am so absolutely excited about this trip. Departure day is almost here ...

Thinking about the scope of opportunity GSE is providing is humbling. It isn’t just the month abroad, either. I’ve met so many great people through the various orientations, meetings, and training sessions. All of those friendships are blessings.

25 Days Left

The trip has always been real, even back in September. The month in South Korea was never one of those Oh, it's so far away, it will never get here, there's PLENTY of time deals. We knew from the outset there was much preparation and work to do, but more importantly that the period of time from September to April 3rd would pass very quickly.

With 25 days left until our departure, urgency now attends our meetings. Plans that were until recently just plans have to be finalized. It's almost time to pack.

Each day, something new I wish I had taken care of earlier surfaces or some detail that should have been thought about beforehand presents itself for consideration. There is a little bit of panic. When panic visits, I remind myself of something that Ken Tucker told us at our first GSE meeting in Simpsonville:

Folks, don't forget to have fun.

Did We Really Agree to Meet at 8:15 on a Saturday Morning?

We did, and Ed brought us a wonderful assortment of bagels from Bruegger's.

:)

One of the biggest aspects of our preparation for South Korea has been the studying the language. Our group has been so fortunate to have Sara and Inho Yoon as instructors in our endeavor to learn. It is difficult to find words that adequately describe all they have done for us. "Superb" comes to mind, as well as "Above and beyond." Under their guidance, we are continuing to work on the alphabet, some basic grammar, numbers, and key phrases.

From the outset, the group decided to deliver the presentations to our Korean hosts in Hangul and began to look for ways to effectively communicate. Sara helped us translate our District 7750 presentation. She also took the time to make audio recordings of each slide (currently 55 Powerpoint slides) so that we could practice pronunciation and improve our words per minute. We also will likely provide the Rotary clubs we visit with handouts of our presentation.

We also continue to learn about culture and customs in an effort to keep the faux paus's to a minimum!

(Finally, it would be remiss not to mention that yes, Sylvia is Korean. She is, however, our Girl, not our crutch! She is an incredibly valuable source of knowledge concerning language and culture, but also a terrific teammate.)