Welcome Home, Gentlemen!

The second of a series of letters from Dr. Ackerley which he emailed to TABC families and friends while on tour.

Dear Family and Friends of TABC,

Our visit to Jeju has been (insert word here). I asked some of the boys what word they would use to complete the sentence and here are some of their answers….fun, beautiful, awesome, a cultural experience, interesting, green, experienistic (we decided this really isn’t a word) great, fantastic, unique, exotic, fantabulous, exciting, epic, fergalicious, exuberant and extraordinary.

Saturday, July 21

It was a sunny Saturday. The adults took a taxi from the hotel to Gimpo Airport. We arrived before the bus which had the boys allowing us to check in at the Asiana counter and investigate the lay of the land. The bus arrived and the boys told stories of saying good-bye to their host families that morning. It seems it was an emotional good-bye. The boys enjoyed their host families and the families obviously enjoyed them.

As you know, our accompanist Erin Cho lives in the Seoul area. Her husband, Sangkyu Lee was able to travel with us to Jeju. Erin and Sangkyu are expecting their first child this September, a daughter they have named Ha-Yeon Lee. We wish them all the very best.

At the airport and after checking the baggage, we had a few minutes to visit the airport shops, have a burger and fries lunch and play some Kongii. The flight to Jeju was short, just a little more than an hour. Jeju is an island of a long dormant volcano. It has become a favorite vacation destination for Asians, especially honeymooners.

We were greeted at the airport by representatives from the 2007 Choir Festival Tamna, the organization hosting our visit. A beautiful bouquet of flowers was presented to the chorus and photos were taken. We also were greeted by our guide on Jeju, Mrs. Ooh. We were unable to fit all of our luggage in the storage bin on the bus, so we had to make two trips. The hotel was nearby so it wasn’t a big problem.

Upon arriving at The New Manhattan Hotel we found that is was nothing like Manhattan. In fact it was a traditional Korean hotel. There were no beds, just mats on the floor. Actually the mats were quite comfortable and there were modern conveniences such as toilet, shower, TV and excellent air conditioning. What else could you ask for?

After settling into the hotel, we boarded the bus and headed to the other side of the island where our evening performance was to be held. We were treated to a dinner of traditional Korean food. A particular favorite was a pork dish in a tasty sauce. Following the dinner we went to Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls and took the short hike to the falls. They were captivating, especially with a bit of a mist around. It was just at sundown when we arrived at the falls. We took a number of photographs. OH NO! I dropped my camera and it has stopped working. Good thing we have many more cameras along on the trip. I began concentrating on videos since my digital was now out of commission.

The performance area was an outdoor facility at the beginning of the trail to the waterfall. We were given ten minutes for a rehearsal and sound check. The weather was threatening and a very light rain began. The festival organizers were afraid of a downpour any minute so they asked each of the four choirs to cut down their presentations to twenty minutes. That was fine by me.

Actually, the rain stopped and the concert was just fine (in fact I think better that it was a little shorter in the casual setting). TABC was programmed last to conclude the concert which was another success.

It was more than an hour bus ride back to Jeju City on the other side of the island. You would think that the boys would sleep but they were as excited as ever. The fog came in and it was thick. The visibility was very short so the bus driver slowed down quite a bit. Back at the hotel, the boys settled in. And thus the end of day eight.

Sunday, July 22

Breakfast call was at 9:30am. The restaurant staff at the hotel went out of their way to fix an American breakfast. It was excellent with toast, fried eggs, ham, potatoes, orange and grape juices as well as a couple Korean treats. The boys loved it and really chowed down.

We had a little down time after breakfast which I know the boys enjoyed. Sangkyu found a camera shop in the area and helped me get my camera repaired, for free no less. I was thrilled and back in business in documenting the tour with photographs. The bus picked us up at 12:30pm to take us to lunch. Another Korean food restaurant was selected. The boys are learning to love (or in some cases tolerate) Korean food.

After lunch, our next stop was Dragon Head Rock. This was an area where the lava flow cooled and created a large rock column resembling a dragon. After checking it out from the overlook, we all ventured down the numerous and steep stair steps to the ocean level where we could get a good view of Dragon Head Rock and take some group photographs. The boys ventured out on the rocks to explore. Unfortunately, Steven Curley slipped and scraped up his leg and back. However, Mrs. Ackerley was nearby to offer assistance in cleansing the scrapes, applying antibiotic ointment and later a dressing. Steven was a bit of a celebrity for a while but his injuries have healed nicely.

We had time to do some souvenir shopping at the Dragon Head area. Most of the boys spent some of their money on treats, including ice cream. One popular flavor was green tea, but there was also the standard grape, chocolate and vanilla.

The remainder of the day was spent in rehearsal and performances. We arrived at the Jeju Concert Hall for a brief rehearsal and sound check for our 5:00pm performance. Once again, we shared the program with three other choirs and, again, we were programmed in the last slot to close the program. We had quite a bit of time between the rehearsal and the performance, so the boys practiced their Kongii skills. Just before the concert we had another FOB session of quiet and meditation, and then we were called to the stage. It was our time to go on.

The Concert Hall was a nice facility of about 600 seating capacity. However, there weren’t 600 people attending. In fact the crowd was relatively small. Many of the audience members were singers in the other three choirs. We didn’t get off to a very good start. Our first number lacked energy and subsequently was a bit out of tune. Perhaps our meditation worked too well. It may have put them to sleep. However, the boys recovered and the rest of the program went smoothly. The audience sure loved the concert. It was a good learning experience of the importance of energy in all performance settings.

After dinner, we went two our second performance of the day. This was at an outdoor stage in a busy shopping district. We were scheduled to appear second in the program of four groups. However, due to the incredible positive response of the audiences to our program, the festival organizers decided that we should go last. I was told that they wanted the program to end strong and we were the best to conclude. So I agreed and was flattered that they felt we were a good concluding act. Then I found out that this concert was not just any concert but the end of the entire week long choral festival with dozens of participating choirs. They wanted TABC to end the entire festival, not just that evening concert. WOW! Now I was really flattered. They like us. They reeeeally like us!

The boys met the expectations and did a fabulous show. The energy was high (along with the humidity). The slow start at the afternoon concert was a thing of the past and they were able to adjust in the new performing environment. They are pretty amazing.

After the concert, we were bussed back to the New Manhattan. And thus the end of day nine.

Monday, July 23

Another great American breakfast was served at 9:30am. The boys enjoy the later sleep ins, especially with the on the go tour pace.

Our first stop Monday morning was the Teddy Bear Museum. There were hundreds of Teddy Bears in various exhibits. We learned the origin of the Teddy Bear, first made in 1902 by Rose Michtom in honor of President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. At first I wasn’t totally convinced that this was something the boys would like, but as it turned out the museum was excellent. I know the boys enjoyed the visit by the many photographs taken and the amount of money spent in the gift shop.

The boys got a chance to sit in the audience for the second half of the program. It was a contemporary multi-media presentation that was commissioned for the festival and was having its world premiere. It was called The Story of Woods. Through film, choir, soprano soloist, orchestra and dance, the story was told of children venturing into the woods, their encounter with an evil witch and their ultimate escape. I think the fatigue factor was setting in as some of our boys were suddenly awakened when the final applause began!

For lunch, all the other groups were taken to a restaurant for another Korean meal. However, our guide, Jenny, made arrangements for take out pizzas and cokes for our boys. We were taken to the parking lot of a park area where three boys shared each pizza. It was a welcomed feast and the pizzas were quickly devoured.

We took a walk down to the beach area after lunch. It was a hot and muggy day and the water was tempting. I let the boys take off their shoes and wade into the water. But I made a deal with them. As soon as someone’s shorts got wet we were all going to get out of the water. I expected that I would be calling them out in no time at all. After all, they are boys. Surprisingly they lasted twelve whole minutes until an unexpected larger wave caught up one of the boys. It was perfect. Just enough time to be in the water and cool off a bit and not so long that they all got drenched! The boys were given some time to walk around. Most walked out on the rocks nearby as the tide was out and there were interesting things to find.

Our next stop was pretty unbelievable. We went to the lava columnar joint known as Jusangjeolli along the Jeju Jungmun-Daepo Coast. As part of the Korean Natural Monument, the formation is a pattern of cracks in rocks that was formed as lava cooled approximately 250,000 years ago. The large column and cliff patterns stretch over one mile of the coast line. The view was spectacular. We took lots of individual and group photos.

The Korean Folk Village was the first stop. No rain today but it was quite humid and the ground was saturated. The boys were given two hours to walk through the acres of buildings representing historic Korean life. Many villagers were dressed in period costumes and working in jobs such as farming, weaving, leather work and a variety of domestic chores. There were also amusement park rides. The rides cost extra so most of the boys stuck to exploring the historic recreations and enjoying the river and beautiful natural surroundings.

On the way back to the bus, the boys stopped at the omni present souvenir vendors. I bought a frozen water bottle. Pure ice! On that hot, humid day I would have paid three times the cost. First, I used the frozen bottle to cool down my face. As the ice melted I was treated to ice cold water to quench my thirst.

The bus took us to a local Presbyterian Church where we set up and rehearsed for the evening concert. We had to move large portions of the stage to create choral risers. The church had numerous air conditioning units of which we were all thankful. I found the best position was standing directly in front of the unit. At dinner, the chairman of the Festival Tamna stopped by and presented TABC with a tea set and box of special green teas. We graciously accepted the gift. I was later told by our guide that the tea set and tea was very expensive from a local exclusive shop. We will find a special place of honor to display the set at the TABC Hall.

The evening program was our last and longest in Jeju. We performed our one hour program. It was not part of any festival but rather arranged by the church. We performed with a local children’s choir, which was good as most of the audience was made up of their families. It would be an understatement to say the boys were well received. The audience was very generous with their applause and cheers and the boys were mobbed by screaming girls after the concert. They went about their business but I know all the boys were enjoying the attention

Back to the hotel and lights out. And thus the end of day ten.

Tuesday, July 24

We had a break from performing as this was the first of three whole days without a concert. The only singing we did was the blessing song before meals. It was a nice break after a series of appearances in both Seoul and Jeju.

After breakfast, we visited the Manjanggul Lava Tube which is a huge underground cave created by a series of lava flows centuries ago. Upon entering the cave by descending a long staircase, the temperature dropped significantly. It was a refreshing coolness after being in the hot and humid weather. It was also dark in the cave and took a while for eyes to get adjusted. We walked about tree quarters of a mile into the cave to see the world’s largest lava column. This 7 meter high lava column was formed by lava that flowed down from the ceiling and toward both sides of the tube on the floor. It was impressive. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed. We also saw lava stalactites, Turtle Rock which is lava that looked like a turtle and several lava benches.

After lunch, we went to Hamdeok Beach. As a lava island, most of the shore line is lava rock. Sandy beaches are in short supply. Therefore, you need to pay a rental fee for a tent on the beach and for your shower after. We rented our platform tent and then the boys paired up with partners and ventured into the water. The tide was out so the water was shallow and very safe. Their were some small waves, but nothing that I was worried would catch the boys by surprise and get them in trouble. The boys swam for about two and a half hours. Learning from past experience of severe sunburns, I insisted that all the boys were a shirt in the water. We all wore the t-shirt the Texas Girls’ Choir gave us when we were in Ft. Worth. It was perfect as the boys were protected from the sun and the turquoise shirts were very easy to spot in the water allowing us to keep track of the boys. I know they had a fun afternoon at the beach.

The evening meal was very special in a fancy restaurant. It was a traditional Korean dish called “bulgogi”. Cooked right on the table in a barbecue style, bulgogi is a marinated beef dish cooked with numerous vegetables. I liked it very much as did the boys. Toward the end of the meal we were served a special Korean tea that was spicy with a cinnamon flavor. The restaurant staff requested that we sing our “grace” again as they enjoyed the boys singing and wanted more.

After dinner, it was back to the hotel to pack up for our trip to Hong Kong the following day and get to bed. And thus the end of day eleven.

Wednesday, July 25

At breakfast, we gave special acknowledgements and a gift to those traveling with us including our guide Jenny, the local guide Mrs. Ooh, Louis and his wife from World Vision staff, and of course Erin Cho and her husband Sangkyu.

We packed up all our luggage and loaded up the bus. Our flight was mid afternoon, so on the way to the airport we stopped at a shop specializing in Korean items. Geared to tourists, the shop offers nice items at good prices. The boys purchased their treasures. Lunch was at a restaurant upstairs above the shop. We had another Korean dish called “Shabu, Shabu”. Cooked in a pot of boiling water right on the table, we enjoyed the thinly sliced pork and numerous vegetables, and of course the ever present white rice.

The check in at the airport was very smooth as Mrs. Ooh went ahead and got it organized ahead of time. We checked our baggage in record time. The boys returned any unspent Korean money and we went through security. Everything was very simple at the airport and through security. That was about to change later in the day.

Our short flight to Seoul was uneventful. Seoul has two main airports, Gimpo and Incheon. We arrived at Gimpo but our flight to Hong Kong left from Incheon. So we had to bus from Gimpo the 40 minute ride to Incheon. On the bus ride, our wonderful guide Jenny gave each boy a photograph with a personalized message on each. It was very thoughtful.

We had a significant wait at Incheon before our second flight. Kongii was king. Most of the boys were really improving their skills. Even Mrs. Pierce and Mrs. Ackerley were trying their hand at the game. But there is no doubt that the best Kongii player was Erin Cho. She had a distinct advantage as she grew up playing the game which the boys had just begun.

Well, it was time to go through security and get to our gate. We took group photographs and said good-bye to Jenny. It was emotional. Her tears were of joy for meeting all the boys and sadness to say good bye. I plan to keep in touch with Jenny and hope someday that she will be able to visit us in Tucson.

Waiting at the gate, the boys discovered that the nearby shop took American dollars. The shop made out by selling candy bars, cookies, potato chips and all those other healthy snack items. Our flight to Hong Kong was about three hours. We lost an hour in flight so our arrival time was around 10:30pm. Everything was going fine until we got to the immigration checkpoint.

One of the last through the immigration was Dillon Mutyaba. As you may know, Dillon’s family is from Uganda. He had all his travel documents in order, so we thought. There were no problems up to that point. However, the Hong Kong immigration would not let him through as he did not have a specific visa for his visit to China. Americans don't require visas, but evidently, Ugandans need one.

I was nearby so went to assist. We were told that we needed to go to an interrogation office and that it would take about thirty to forty-five minutes. I told Jane I was with Dillon and to get the boys to gather the luggage and we would be out as soon as we could get the matter cleared up.

I have never seen such slow moving bureaucracy! After the interview, we sat and waited. Unfortunately, we had no way of communicating to the rest of the group and they also sat and waited. It took two and a half hours to get the visa issue resolved. When Dillon and I finally got on the bus, the boys spontaneously erupted into cheers. It was a trying situation but we all got through it.

The bus took us to the Hong Kong Baptist University where the boys were assigned their dorm rooms. We were all on the fourth floor. Each room had two boys sharing a bathroom with an adjoining room of two boys. It was very late and the boys were very tired so they went right to sleep. And thus the end of a very long day twelve.

So we are now in Hong Kong to participate in the International Society of Children’s Choral and Performing Arts 16th Anniversary Children of the World in Harmony Festival. I will write details in my next and final tour letter.

All best,

Julian Ackerley

1st Tour Letter

2nd Tour Letter

3rd Tour Letter