Green Tea Plantation

    
     This weekend I traveled with my co-workers, Jim and Julie, to Gwang ju.  We traveled by bus, about a 3 hour and half hour journey.  When we arrived at the bus terminal, we searched for a locker to place our belongings in, while we continued on our journey.  To our surprise, the lockers required a thumb print to secure your belongings.  You just placed your thumb in the scanner and the locker closed.  It was very convienent, in the fact that you did not need to worry about a key. 

     Our trip continued with a second bus to the Boseong Bus Terminal (approx. 40 minutes), and a taxi to our final destination: Boseong Green Tea Plantation.  The Boseong Dawon Tea Plantation is on the southwest coast of the Korean Peninsula. The temperate climate of this region is ideal for green tea cultivation. This plantation was established in 1957.  It is famous for ujeon, the highest quality of green tea. 

     Green tea leaves are divided into categories based on when the leaves are picked depending on the season and weather conditions. Green tea leaves are harvested 3-4 times annually in Korea.  The first leaves are  picked before Gokwoo (April 20).  The tea is made of the earliest bud after the cold winter and is the highest grade. The second harvest of leaves picked is called Sejak.  These leaves are harvested before the leaves fully open in early May.  It can also be called, Jakseol.  This means birds tongue, because the leaf looks like a bird's tongue and is one of the most popular teas.  The remaining two teas are:  Daejak and Yep tea.

The bushes in the background that are bare have already been picked.

     When I arrived, the air was filled with a wonderful fragrance.  It was amazing to climb the stairs and look at the rows of green tea bushes.  I walked in between the rows and took in the quiet atmosphere.  I climbed to the peak, where I was able to view the coast line.  I ascended along the backside of the hill, coming across older, green tea bushes.  There a serene stream that ran along the path, which I followed until I reached the bottom of the plantation. 

    
     I had worked up quite an appetite and tried green tea noodels.  They were quite delicious, and yes, they were green.  Dessert, was green tea ice cream.  It had a very stong taste and I could only eat a little, but it was quite delicious. 

Green Tea Ice Cream

     The evening was spent in Gwang ju.  It is very hard to find hotels in Korea, even in major cities.  Many hotels are dubbed the name, "love motels."  The rooms are usually rented by the hour.  So it is advised to check out a room before you stay there (even if the establishment looks nice).  He found a decent place and had a typical night for friends in Korea.  We sat outside a Family Mart (similar to a 7/11) and had a beer, snacks, and talked. 

     The next day took us to the Damyang Bamboo Forest.  It was worth the trip.  We spent hours walking among the touring bamboo plants.  I never knew that they could grow so tall!  I knocked on a few, because I couldn't believe that they were hollow on the inside.  They forest had a sweet smell and provided shade that was a great relief from the scorching sun.  When a breeze would sweep through the forest, the trees would make a beautiful rustling sound.  They would sway at the top, leaves falling down. 

    

      Lunch was bamboo rice.  The rice was served in a bamboo plant, with red beans.  It was very moist and had a slightly different taste.  I really enjoyed it.  We also had a wonderful array of side dishes.  Most, I could not eat, because they were too spicy. 

Bamboo Rice

    Along the way, the landscape was full of rice paddies!  They were nestled in valleys or spread across open land.  It made the long bus ride enjoyable.

 

Relaxing on the bus.

 It was a wonderful weekend trip!

Julie tried a green tea leaf.  It wasn't very good!

New Bamboo Sprout

 

Teacher's Day

    On Friday, I received numerous gifts throughout the day from my students.  The gifts were for Teacher's Appreciation Day (May 15).  It is a day to thank teacher's for their dedication and hard-work.  I was very appreciative of the gifts that I received.  The gifts ranged from Starbuck's gift certificates to Prada perfume and MAC make-up. 
     Many parents give the gifts for thanks, but some believe that if they give a great gift, their student will receive extra attention.  Bribery has been a growing problem in Korea, especially among teachers and tutors.  I am glad to say that I treat every child as an equal.

Gifts from my Students

Yellow Dust

     Spring in Korea is beautiful.  Flowers are blooming everywhere, the air is filled with a sweet scent, and the trees are brilliant green.  Now imagine a filter placed over your eyes.  This is what it is like with "yellow dust" in the air.  Everything has a thin brown film on it.  Buildings, windows, cars, even my table and counter.  The sky looks foggy and hazy.  Local people will wear masks to cover their noses, acting as a filter against the heavily polluted air.  On days when the "yellow dust" is high, parents will encourage their children to play indoors.  I too, wear a mask on my walk to work.
     Yellow Dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms will carry fine, dry soil particles. The particles are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China and Korea.  When the particles pass over China, they pick up heavy pollutants, which are carried and dropped along their way.  In significant concentrations, the dust can affect air quality.
     Many Koreans that I have met, blame China for the dust and the polluted particles that leaves on their country.  While traveling in China, I was able to see the work being done to decrease the large concentrations of the yellow dust.  China is planting trees ontop of its hills and mountains to act as a filter for the yellow dust.  It was great to have the opportunity to see an active approach to a problem that occurs every spring in Korea.

My Hello Kitty Mask