EVERLAND!

Everland...South Korea's largest theme park is open year round! It comes along with a zoo, water park, and a resort and is only 45 minutes from where I live. Through out the year there are themed festivals for each season including the Tulip Festival, Rose Festival, Summer Splash, Happy Halloween, and Christmas Fantasy. My students talk about it all the time, so I knew I had to experience it at least once while I was here. Since the weather has been quite warm lately, I made my first trip to Everland over our four day weekend with a group of teachers. It ended up being a bit chilly and rainy for how I dressed. That week I had switched my shoe selection over to sandals and swore I wasn't changing back to closed toe shoes unless it snowed. I eventually changed back the following week when it actually did snow. Anyway, it was a fun afternoon despite the weather and my lack of appropriate clothing. There were lots of holiday and New Year decorations with two million (as the pamphlet says) lights creating quite the dazzling "Christmas Fantasy!" In fact, it was more entertaining than Hong Kong Disney, except that the only two roller coasters were closed due to technical difficulties. That was a BIG bummer for us all! We actually ended up spending our entire afternoon enjoying the zoo and only ended up on three rides.

The highlight for me was using my psychology major to overcome a fear of mine: BIRDS. Now, I'm not afraid of them if I'm outside and they're just flying around doing their normal bird business. I am afraid if them coming through my windshield...so much that when I'm driving and a bird is quickly approaching my window, I close my eyes and let go of the steering wheel in

a deadly scream. Not so safe, huh?! I am also afraid of birds when the only way to exit the animal building at Everland is to go through a room with HUNDREDS of birds flying around freely, just inches from your face every two seconds. EEEEEK! If you could have seen me, you would have laughed...hard. I went into a panic the second I entered the room and was literally dipping to the floor every two seconds when the birds flashed anywhere near my head. But, I was determined to stay in the room as long as my friends were there. Well, that became quite a long time when they started feeding the birds out of their hands. After watching Gina, Jeremy, and Shauna all hold the birds, I HAD to do it. After multiple failed attempts at keeping my arm extended for more than a split second, I decided the only way to get one was if I had the food in my hand.

That was it. Cameras ready, I put a drop of bird seed in my hand, thew my arm out, and had birds galore eating out of my hand. In psychology, the term is called FLOODING. Here's why: "Flooding in its purest form involves forced, prolonged exposure to the actual stimulus that provoked the original trauma." In other words, if someone is afraid of heights, throw them on top of a mountain until they stop freaking out. Or in my case, throw me in a room of birds until I stop freaking out. I can't even explain how terrified I was the second I felt one, two, and then multiple little bird claws on my wrist with beaks pecking away at the food in my hand. I think this picture is quite explanatory of my reaction. I eventually got so nervous with them in my hand that I tried jerking my arm away and was unsuccessful with the birds clinging tightly for the food. I wouldn't say I ever stopped freaking out, but I stopped ducking to the floor, never cried, and I did let birds use my arm as a perch for a solid minute. So...the flooding wasn't exactly prolonged, but I do think I could enter a room full of birds again and maybe even hold one again in my lifetime. I ended up giving the rest of my bird food to a little girl who was much less afraid than me. After I left, a Korean woman who I saw laughing at me when I first entered the bird room, came running up to me and sad, "I saw you hold bird...congratulations!" I think she was just as proud as I was!

Anyway, there were lots of other fun animals to see, so unfortunately I couldn't spend my day with my new bird friends. We saw white tigers, penguins, hyenas, polar bears, adorable monkeys, and many other entertaining animals. I think that was my first time at a zoo since I

was a young girl. While I didn't get to ride the roller coasters, my 30,000 won ($30) was well spent at the zoo. We ended our night on the bumper cars and Hurricane (a round rotating ride), which was definitely worth the wait in line to wrap up the night. Despite the chilly afternoon/evening and less than appetizing food selection (fried squid anyone?), I was in good company and had lots of fun. OH! The friends and couples (more than you can imagine) in matching sweatshirts that read soul-mate and pink bunny ear hats was also more than entertaining. I can't wait to go back this summer in hopes of riding some roller coasters and lounging for an afternoon in the Caribbean bay water park!