On May 27th, 1952 Cheju Provinical Junior College was established. This institution would later (March 1, 1962) become what it is known today as Cheju National University. Cheju National University boasts three qualities as its primary principles: Truth, Justice and Creativity, all of which combine together to form the university’s motto of “Explore the Universe and Its Creation.” Aside from being Korea’s 5th largest university, with a student population of 10,673, Cheju National also includes 9 colleges, 11 faculties, 24 major options, a university hospital, 46 departments with 10 department groups and 2,525 annual available admission positions (http://www.cheju.ac.kr:8080/eng/status/sta02.jsp). That’s not too shabby considering the school has only been around for less than 60 years.

Right next door to Yeomiji Botanical Garden in Jungmun lays the Challa Meditation Gallery. The brainchild of Korean artist Chung Gong, Challa is both an art gallery as well as a café. It offers organic foods and Italian coffee on a scenic local overlooking the valley just beyond Cheonjiyeon Falls. It’s an oasis of calm amidst the unrelenting tackiness and excess of Jungmun.

Challa is a celebration of the possibilities of meditation and respect for nature. Past galleries have focused on farmers and organic farming along with works of modern Buddhist meditative art.

Like any true child of the 80s, I know how to shoot - courtesy of the formerly modern technology known as Nintendo and my father, a card-carrying member of the NRA. No daughter of his was ever going to be allowed to stand in front of the TV, rifle cocked. Instead, it was mandated that both my sister and I stand as far away as possible, cord stretched to its limits, with our gun arms fully extended, the target in line with the scope. Other families with elementary-aged children had rules – don’t play with matches, don’t stick fingers in a socket, don’t circumvent the safety precautions of childproof scissors. Our family had only one rule – shoot properly at Duck Hunt. Our family had the only pint-sized electronic sharp shooters in the school system… and the only recorded tongue injury made with childproof scissors.