Happy Teachers Day

This is not the only day I am reminded why I love my job so much. It is everyday. Two months into my new University job, the life of the professor is quite rewarding - not to mention the 4 day - 12 hour work week, but the renewed maturity from students in their freshman year. When I see the sparkle in my student’s eyes, I know that a small discovery is made. Be that a morsel of the English language or the crumb of a joke – I can tell when the light bulb goes on, even if it is low-watt. These people who listen to be jabber all day feed my passion by their attentiveness and challenge my patience with their squat enthusiasm. On Friday, I arrived to my Airline Services class minutes early to a locked classroom. After a succession of short knocks, one student decked out in her Flight Attendant uniform shyly exited and quickly closed the door behind her. “Teacher! You are so early!” I was in fact right on time. She dragged me down the hall with a mischievous smile that begged guilt. In a quick round about, we returned to the classroom and as we opened the door, the light from the candles on a big coconut cake shimmered as the girls began to sing a ditty in Hangul that was beyond me. Never mind the lack of language skills here – the cake was for me and so were the hundreds of scribbles on the white board – including “Will you marry me?” from this all-girls class. Wow! I was taken aback and had to choke down the tears of thankful joy and surprise. When I watched the video afterwards – I realized how goofy I looked – much like my mother at best! Teachers Day had come a week early because these lovely ladies were about to take a trip to Vietnam and would be absent during the real event to come. For a teacher to be recognized in such a non-obligatory ceremony was too much for words.

Back into Trad! Mureung Valley, Donghae, Korea

As the spring arrives in late bloom, summer tags along with it. The sweat from my underarms trickle down the side of my body catching on the harness that suspends my fear from taking over while stuck in a damp chimney 20 feet in the air. Back in to the bold trad leads. Bold for me anyway after a near 6 month vacation from granite. My limestone winter hasn’t prepared me quite sufficiently for this day, but my enthusiasm avoids this revelation. My dusted off cams doddle along the holes and fissures intermittently up this serrated bisection seen from the forest floor in Mureung Valley near Donghae, Gangwon-do.

The humidity in the air reminds me of the near approximation from the East Sea. Lucid waterfalls crescendo towards abating torrents in soft declines from where we began our day. The trouble-free approach in this picturesque vale summons our smiles to stretch wider. Fresh and crisp the air in its humble rouse from the frigid months before. My climbing friends and I have induced an agenda of anticipating the saving of lives, one climber at a time. By replacing a few old death triangles, we and all those that will benefit from the change hope to feel a little safer while repelling off our friendly nemeses. On Saturday, we had successfully installed one set of new shiny chains and quick links, Sunday was to be reserved for the second. Sunday came as it does and I decided to jump on this little 5.8 ditty first thing. Well, as trad climbing in Korea goes, it proved to be a little too scary and my Elvis leg got the best of me. After lowering off more than 3/4ths finished, Dusty had his go and persevered like a trooper on the front lines. Unfortunately the rope drag waged war and I volunteered to solo-ascend on a prusick and improvised aid ladder while the dangling weight of the polished chains clanged from my waist belt. For less than 20 bucks each, the trusty metal irons will bring us comfort. This is only one good deed in a list of many to give back to the climbing community in South Korea. While trying to muster a mission statement for some of the initiatives in which we have begun to dabble, this one sticks to me.


"To climb rocks is our simple, yet profound mutual passion inspired by the raw natural environment. As a community that extends beyond borders, our cross-cultural initiatives work to protect, reduce the impact on and live in harmony with nature in its purest form."

Now, as initiatives go, the lone wolf cannot succeed alone. It is indeed the support from the community that will make it happen, when it happens, whatever happens. Keep tabs on our projects on www.koreaontheorcks.com.