this year past

What's Matthew up to? . . . I left Canada for Korea September 4, 2007 and moved from Ulsan to Busan at the end of August 2008. I haven't been in touch with many of you and hope to bring you up to speed with some brief stories and photos. I have been lucky enough to have been able to travel through part of Thailand and Japan since my arrival in central Asia. The trend of foreigners to live in Korea for only a year makes keeping friends here a challenge and short term friendships are more often the rule and not an exception. In August I accepted the offer to join a team at Busan National University of Education, a choice that has drastically improved my quality of life. I am responsible for 9 classes a week and am one of a 7 person team of native English speaking teachers of various experience. We are mostly Canadian and the dynamic in the office is really positive. I enjoy going to work and feel lucky that most of my energy goes towards teaching and not 97% discipline as it was until mid August. I spend some of my free time learning Taekwondo and have reached my brown belt, three away from Black. Learning how to speak Korean was a solution to the frustration felt living here and not being able to communicate enough with native Koreans. I'm learning slowly but steadily and already find my facility to make daily life more pleasant.

Photography on trips continues to capture memories and I was lucky to be part of a published magazine in Korea. It was rewarding to have people show interest by buying photo gift cards I made by hand for a small market in Ulsan. Although I did have a string quartet put together consisting of university students from my first city, this soon fell apart and my music took a bit of a break.

One of my promises was to spend more time with my viola this year and to book a solo recital which I am looking forward to. Sometimes Korean audiences can be quite rude to North American standards (cell phone use, flash photography, laughter) but I'm hoping that a performance may bring me the chance to teach privately. During the first week at BNUE, I introduced myself to some of the professors of the music faculty. One of the teachers was kind enough to put me in touch with a conductor in the city which led to my participation in two professional orchestra concerts followed by the chance to coach a string quintet at the university.

Trips to neighbouring cities have included visits to many Temples, Festivals such as Busan Film, Daegu Body Painting, Jinju Lantern and others. I have gone to Seoul for a handful of visits and plan to go back to take in an Orchestra concert more often this coming year. A DJ concert in Seoul was a highlight and camped near the venue with a handful of friends, although we didn't sleep a great deal! I miss some of my young students and enjoy volunteering at an orphanage where well behaved Korean children are likewise happy to see me. It was a pleasure to find that not all Korean children are spoiled and ill-behaved, yet sad to imagine such wonderful people without parents.

I am lucky to have such a supportive and loving family who I got to share much quality time with over the holidays after being away for over 15 months. For more than 8 years, all I had was often only two or three days at Christmas and Thanksgiving and felt grateful for the extended stay over this Christmas. I am thankful for friends who have taken the time to keep in touch with me despite busy and hectic lives and it was magic to re-visit them when not with my family in January.

click on the photos to view larger images

Christmas Party in Daejon with Sarah and Ben before Thailand.

December in Thailand

January dinner with co-workers
Ulsan, South Korea

February in Seoul for Budhha's Birthday

With Friends in a Makkoli bar in Ulsan

With the angels at the Busan Orphanage

Beoseong Tea Fields

Lanterns at a temple

during Buhddah's birthday

Visiting Matt in Japan during a short visit to Tokyo.

Delicious food in a trendy Tokyo establishment.

Christmas in Barrie with Rachael, Mom and Bear.

Christmas with

Dad and Rachael

in Newmarket.