First blog post from Korea round 2

So who would have thought that I, Dawna, would beat Gilad to putting up a blog post? As most of you know, expressing myself through social media is not my forte. However, as it is 4am and I am jet lagged and having trouble sharing our single bed I am just going to go for it.

So, we are here, living in South Korea for a second time, visiting for a third. How we managed to make this happen, so quickly, blows my mind. Poor Gilad wanted to come home from Israel and enjoy Toronto for at least a few months, not pack his bags and jet off again for another potential six month journey. However, what happens when you go home and you have nothing to do? No job, no school, no real responsibilities to keep you going? You celebrate! At first.... Then, while waking up and doing activities- like going to the gym, gardening etc.- are still very enjoyable, you do start to question your motivations in life. Like, what am I doing to help my career focus, how am I contributing to society, or even simply, how am I going to afford to eat this month? These are the forces that drove us to start pursuing our actual goals. Getting a job is pretty important, but working with your passion in a way that sustains you mentally, physically and emotionally, for me, is the most important.

Gilad for many years now has had an insatiable appetite for all things North Korean. Learning about this country in relation to it's neighbor, and once family, South Korea, has occupied much of his time. It is through him that I also have developed a passion to learn about and discuss the past and current events of a country so often over looked. Too often North Korea is categorized as a corrupt, poor and nuclear crazy country. However, it is so much more. There are real people with real stories that rarely get to be heard. There is art, and life and love that goes completely unnoticed. It is our hope that these next few months will give rise to a pursuit of knowledge that will not only create awareness of critical issues but that will also bring forth a feeling of human connection to our North Korean brother and sisters around the world.

- Dawna

The North Koreans

Okay so meeting North Koreans was... awesome! You learn so much from books or documentaries about the mess that is going on over there... the famine, brain-washing, labour camps, the desperation that forces someone to run away from home for a start somewhere strange and new.

When I lived in South Korea in 2008, I had the fortune to be one of the few to go to Kaesong, a city in the south of North Korea through South Korea. We started in rich and fancy South Korea, passed through the DMZ and after a brief visa process, ended up in North Korea. To describe it as day and night would not do enough justice in describing the disparity between the Koreas. For more detail on this trip, fish for one of the entries in this blog around June 2008.

In any case, my brief time in North Korea instilled an interest in me that has not died down. Its the motive for my next trip to South Korea next week and was the driving force that led me to my new North Korean friends last week.

Although I wanted to ask them every question in the world ('how did you escape?' ... 'what's it really like there?'), I made sure to take things easy. I aim to become friends with the people I met wherein they become as interested in learning about me as I do about them. The things I did learn, I'll keep private for now, but I'm beyond excited to learn about North Korea and it's people without having to refer to a book or movie to do so.

For those 2 people who still read this blog and would love a great starting point on North Korea, I really recommend "Nothing to Envy" by Barbara Demick. Not only a great resource but also one of my favourite books on any matter.

- Gilad

How do you stay motivated?

For the last three years, trying to come up with a blog post has been as easy as ...

Let my inability to finish off the above sentence speak for itself. Writer's block hit a few years ago and I have not been able to escape it. There was supposed to be that post about my trip to Thailand. Or Kenya. California Or the second one to Korea. Morocco. Chicken wings. Israel.

Well, I still can't think of anything. But let me say this: I am going back to South Korea to work with North Koreans. I'm done school. I'm done work. For the last few years, so much time was devoted to supporting others' ideas. And so much energy was lent to making other things happen that barely any energy was left to create my own things and get them to take off.

But now there's more time. And good things will come from it.

After years of interest, research and thought, I finally get to meet some North Koreans tonight. And hopefully build solid relationships where I can learn from them and them from me.

I have a feeling tonight will kick start everything new.

Gilad

The Transition

Wow, so our time with Global Youth Network has come to an end. Definitely an interesting two years as an employee and four years as a volunteer. I'm happy with all the people I met and all the friendships made. And I'm also happy to move on to whatever the next chapter of my life may be.

With all the uncertainty (WHERE WILL YOU WORK? WHAT WILL YOU DO?) surrounding me right now, I've got to say that the only certainty I know of is that I want to do some more traveling. Spending the summer in Morocco and Israel was great. But it wasn't enough. I'd like to disappear for half a year, maybe longer to parts of South America. Learn to farm. Learn some Spanish. Learn about coffee. Grow a beard.

Yes, I'll eventually need to get a full-time job (YES YOU WILL!) but the time isn't now. I miss the days of living in South Korea for a full year - a place completely different than here... a place where I was forced to turn uncomfortable into comfortable and forced to learn and adapt. I want to go through that again.

Gilad