West Porch

To those of you who were waiting with bated breath for last week’s post, my apologies! I simply forgot to sit down to write. This week’s post is going to be a mix of two weeks experiences, thoughts and emotions.

The west porch

Back home in Fuquay-Varina, the farm house has a west porch where I would often sit to watch the sunset across the fields and beyond the trees. It was a spot where I found peace, and could think. Sinatra would be there with me, putting his nose (or his very heavy paws) on my knees, staring up into my eyes. Sometimes, he would willingly cuddle with me… these were rare occasions.
When the weather is just right, Mama and Papa, (and whoever is visiting) will grab a chair, and their wine/beer/sweet tea to catch up on the day or the week. Its a place to watch the fire pit burn, or observe Papa making his trash can ribs. This is the prime spot to watch friends’ and family’s children run around playing, hearing their laughs and squeals of carefree joy.
This is the same view we had growing up visiting Grandma and Grandpa. We would climb the tree just in front of the kitchen window, pulling the tire swing up with us. If we were brave (which we all were!), we would swing from the big branch. *As I searched my photos to find a good representation of this lovely view, I realized most have pictures of children’s faces. As this is a public blog, I will refrain from posting these. But here are some sunsets from the west porch/side of the farm house I have taken through the past years.

“Why the nostalgia, Kate?” you may ask….This past week, I would have given anything to sit on the west porch, to see the sun setting over the fields, and had Sinatra place his nose on my knee. I would have appreciated Mama and Papa sitting next to me, each of us with an ice cold beer in our hand…. I don’t feel homesick much, but this past week was a bit crazy. But I’ll get to that later…

Coronavirus is gone…JK.. it’s back

During the first full week of May, just after 2 holidays and a long weekend, South Korea was feeling very positive. New daily cases were at 5 or less. Daegu was reporting 0 new cases for the 3rd day in a row.. After the long weekend, the government allowed residents to go back to their daily routines, while practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and sanitary practices. This was called “Routine Distancing”, and the following article provides more information about the government’s guidelines and regulations:
Routine Distancing
People were going to restaurants, bars, cafes, and gyms.. Students were scheduled to start returning to school (in planned waves) on May 13th. The tension we had all been feeling was finally going away, even if confusion of the new guidelines was setting in.

And then it happened.. We had a new reporting of cases from Itaewon district in Seoul. During the holiday weekend, many people had gone clubbing in this district, which is well known for its International crowd and nightlife. A man went clubbing and bar hopping, unknowingly infecting others. On May 9th, 18 new cases were reported.
The government and local health departments have been working diligently to determine who was in Itaewon during the long holiday, and the week leading up to the long weekend, in order to quickly contain the new outbreak. The situation is concerning because many of the potential infected victims provided false names and phone numbers on the sign in sheets that they were required to fill out upon entry to clubs, making it difficult to put health officials in contact with them. There is also worry that some may not step forward for fear of discrimination against their sexual orientation. To help persuade them to be tested for COVID-19, the government is now offering anonymous testing. We have received numerous alerts on a daily basis asking for anyone who was in Itaewon during the dates of April 24 and May 6 to get tested as soon as possible.

School has been pushed back for another week, in light of the new cases. The atmosphere is again tense, and the government has asked that people avoid social gatherings this weekend. If all goes well over the next week, the government seems prepared to move forward with the Routine Distancing over the next few weeks.

Back to the west porch…

Last Saturday, before I was aware of the new outbreak, I walked around a historical section of Daegu before attending my first Korean lesson. It was raining, and I loved each water droplet that touched my skin. I saw many beautiful murals, depicting life in Daegu into the early 20th Century (and before Japan took over Korea). I also saw churches in the background, a reminder of the strong Christian community that has developed in Korea since the 18th Century.

Although the museums are closed due to Coronavirus, I stood on the outside of the house of Korean nationalist poet Lee Sang Hwa, who lived in Korea before and during the time of Japanese occupation. He also lived in Japan for a while to study French literature. Here is one of his poems translated:

Does spring come to this land no more our own,
to these forfeited fields?
Bathed in the sun I go as if in a dream along a lane
that cuts across paddy-fields like parted hair
to where the blue sky and the green field meet.
You mute heaven and silent fields,
I do not feel I have come here on my own;
tell me if I am driven by you or by some hidden force.
….What am I looking for? Soul,
my blind soul, endlessly darting
like children at play by the river,
answer me: where am I going?
Filled with the odor of grass, compounded
of green laughter and green sorrow,
limping along, I walk all day, as if possessed
by the spring devil:
for these are stolen fields, and our spring is stolen.

Lee Sang-Hwa “Does spring come to these stripped lands?” 1926

Lee Sang-Hwa’s house is located on “Mulberry Avenue”, a street that used to be lined by mulberry trees many years ago. I would love to see what this area used to look like, as now it is filled with modern buildings. Here are some pictures I took as I walked along this avenue and through the Eastern Medicine Market street.

This past week has been crazy for me, personally. I was made aware that I had spent time with a friend who could potentially have been infected. I did not go to work for Tuesday or Wednesday, awaiting the results of their test. Luckily, their results have returned as negative. My school nurse, however, has asked that I work in a separate classroom for the next few days, in case of any possible risks. Although the first test for Native English teachers is free, tests are ₩130,000 (around $105). After discussing with my co-teacher and school nurse, I will not get tested at this time and continue to practice social distancing, to play it safe.
I have been feeling all kinds of emotions. I felt guilty and worried and alone (if you know me, you will understand this better)… but my colleagues have been so kind and reassuring. Yet again, I am reminded how lucky I am to be here in Korea, with a paying job, surrounded by kind souls. I even call my Co-Teacher my adopted mom, and she calls me her daughter. And although eating all alone in a big empty classroom feels lonely, I have been more productive. Silver linings!

This week, I also have a lovely heat rash (I am self diagnosing) that I believe is from wearing the face masks. Here, I am sporting the new mask my school nurse gave me, in hopes that this may give my skin a break.. She also gave me a topical cream. Lets see if this is a heat rash, or a new obstacle! *Side note, the nurses at my 2 schools are so kind. As I am prone to being very clumsy, I have had to visit them for a cut on my toe and a burn from cooking. Although I go just to ask for a band-aid, they put ointments and creams, and gift me with band-aids and water-proof wraps. They call each other (as they are different schools) to give the other a heads up I will be visiting them for more ointments or bandage changes. One of them even said that she loves seeing me, but would prefer I visit when I am NOT injured.

Take a Breath…

My week may have been a personal emotional roller coaster, but I have been watching the news in the US, and can only imagine what people are feeling. There is so much anxiety, fear, anger and hate being reflected in the news right now. I will not get into politics, but I hope each of us can find room to breathe deeply. I hope we can remove some of the mental and emotional burdens we have been carrying, and remember that there ARE good people in the world who want to help however they can. I hope we can spread love and goodness, as well as receive love and goodness.

To end this post on a happy note, here are some photos I have taken over the past weeks or years that make me happy, and I hope will cheer you up as well!