ok, so every culture has their odd querks, right? and americans aren't any different. for example, jenny thought i was absolutely insane when i told her i didn't eat oreos without dunking them in milk (until i made her try it). but koreans have some of the strangest habits. before i delve too deeply, let me at least turn this into a compliment sandwich of sorts. so, koreans can be the nicest people, and they are always trying to be helpful. however, koreans don't mind openly picking their noses in public. but their grooming and attention to detail is immaculate (end compliment sandwich).
like i said, they have some weird habits (note the middle comment in the compliment sandwich). but one of the strangest habits of all is what i like to call the baby backpack. parents in america carry their babies in their arms or in carseats or strollers and a few people are taking on the trend of the sling that hangs in front of them. in korea, they wear their infants like they would a backpack. seriously. i mentioned the strangeness of this to jun, and he acted like i was crazy. 'how else are you going to make sure your baby isn't getting into things while you are busy?!' was his response. he actually thought it was some bizarre idea to do anything else with your child than to wear them like an accessory you carry books in!
ok, i thought kiddie leashes were cruel and unusual punishment, but these things are weird. and to make matters even stranger, people roll their dogs around in mini baby carriages. ok, any culture that carries children around like luggage and strolls their pets around has some issues!
with exception to the baby backpack issue, being in korea is a lot like being at home, with more asians at least. oh, and the fact that i can't read menus or street signs. or carry on a conversation with the people who stare at me on the public transportation like i am some kind of foreigner (oh wait...).
at times, it is kind of like being on spring break. this thursday was claire's last night so we all went over to sunny's for one last hoorah. of course we ended up being out til all hours of the morning drinking glasses of cheap wine and bad korean beer and of course the night wasn't complete without a few shots of jose cuervo...ugh...(btw, it is impossible to find limes in korea...sigh).
after monday and tuesday, and then thursday nights' outings, i was ready to lay low friday. although jun had invited me out into seoul, i was ready for a relaxing night in. and then saturday came...
saturday turk, jenny, and i made plans to take the seoul bus tour, so we headed into seoul around 11 and were there by noon (gotta love how long the subway takes). keigh had invited us all to meet up to celebrate a friend's graduation from university later that evening, so we ended up visiting only a few of the places on the tour, but all of which were amazing and i have a few pics posted of them on my facebook page. we took the subway to meet keigh in sinchon and while we were waiting, i ended up meeting and befriending a guy named roman, who was from caracas (venezuela) but who grew up in LA and was in the US army stationed over here. he was waiting to meet a friend who turned out to be the funniest korean kid i have ever met. his name is taesu but he goes by mr. t. they ended up hanging out with our group all night. we went to on the border for dinner and due to the inexistance of limes, i had a lemon margarita...let me tell ya, it did in a pinch, but when i get home, the first thing i am hitting is el tap for a pitcher of real margaritas!
after dinner, we headed to a soju bar where we downed shots of soju like it was water and taught our newly aquired korean friends (taesu invited them along) our western drinking games. from there we went to a bar in hongdai because jenny and i got it into our heads that we wanted to go "clubbing" so we could dance. let me just say that these korean guys can dance! it was amazing! we ended up not leaving until after 4 am and i didn't get in until almost 5. (do you see how i can compare it to spring break yet?)
the next day, due to our late evening, jenny and i ditched our plans for lake park and instead headed back into seoul to itaewon to find an english bookstore and to spend the day in the foreign district. after perusing down the crowded streets for most of the day, the lack of sleep from the night before got to me and i decided to call it a day and headed back to ilsan.
once we got back, i headed to emart for the most essential purchase of my time here...a coffee pot. i am going to need it if i keep having nights like these, especially with school officially starting in the morning!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
'I would walk 500 miles'
Since I have arrived, I feel like I have done nothing but walk. It is what people do here. I don't mind the walking. I actually quite enjoy it. What I don't enjoy is the 100 degree weather I am diong it in, or how gross I feel by the time I get wherever I am going!
On Monday, Turk and I went to school together and met up with Jenny on the way. When we arrived, we found we had a new teacher, David, and 2 more were comming within the next two weeks or so. It's the first week of the international school (which is the first 5 classes of the day) and the students will be on a religious retreat for the week so all we have to teach is the afternoon school which is the English classes for the little kids. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we don't have to arrive until 2, so Jenny and I make plans to do a bit of wandering and have lunch Tuesday morning.
Monday night we all go out for a goodbye dinner for Claire since Tuesday is her last day. We had a type of Korean pork barbeque and fried kimchi and it was actually quite good. Then, Turk, Ben, and I went to a local pub which is conveniently located right across the street from my apartment. The place is called Sonny's after the guy that owns it. It's kind of a dive place but it's super laid back with couches as seating. Sonny is actually a really rad guy and he makes some really great food from what I hear so I am all in for the place.
While at the pub I made friends with a couple American guys, Howard and Jeremy. Jeremy was from Kansas City so I was stoked to find a fellow Missourian and we chatted about how things were back at home for a bit.
The next day was my birthday so Jenny came by my apartment and she brought a cookies and cream cheesecake from Paris Baguette for Turk and me which we decided to take to the school and share with everyone so it was like a real office birthday party. Jenny and I spent the afternoon walking around the shops in search for her sister a birthday present. Around lunchtime we were in search for a place to stop and grab a bite. As we passed by shops with things we couldn't identify and had no clue how to order since neither one of us can read the hongul yet, I commented on how I longed for a nice sandwich shop. Jenny mentioned she had spotted one in between her apartment and mine and so the decision was unanimous! The place was called Sand Day and it was like a little sandwich/coffee bistro. All I can say is that it was the most delicious sandwich I had eaten in forever! After almost a week of Korean meals, I was craving a good old western sandwich and I couldn't have asked for a better place to find! Sand Day has officially become my sanctuary in case of a lunch crisis!
From Sand Day we walked to the school, which takes about 45 minutes. On the way, David ran into us and we walked a bit together until he gave up in the heat and decided to catch a bus. I am actually quite proud that I have taken to walking so much. At the school we found that Claire and Pamela had also gotten Turk and me a cake and so we decided to have one that afternoon and save the other for the next day. I only had one class to teach that afternoon and so I got almost all of my unit plans for my day classes done. In between classes, a group of the children came into the teachers' office and told me happy birthday and one of the little girls gave me a charm for my cell phone. It was really sweet.
After school, Jenny and I walked back to our apartments to freshen up and then to Sonny's for the evening. Turk, Ben, and David also showed up. We drank a few tall glasses of Cass (a common Korean beer) and Sonny gave me a flaming shot of Bacardi 151 (it was a birthday shot, he insisted) and we played pool and hung out. We met half a dozen other foreign teachers like ourselves that night and Howard from the night before was there as well. All in all it was a pretty spectacular birthday.
Tonight I am going to have to quit procrastinating and go to E-Mart and pick up an external microphone so I can Skype home. I also need to phone Lee to see what he is doing this weekend because Jenny and I are making plans to do the Seoul tour on Saturday.
On Monday, Turk and I went to school together and met up with Jenny on the way. When we arrived, we found we had a new teacher, David, and 2 more were comming within the next two weeks or so. It's the first week of the international school (which is the first 5 classes of the day) and the students will be on a religious retreat for the week so all we have to teach is the afternoon school which is the English classes for the little kids. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we don't have to arrive until 2, so Jenny and I make plans to do a bit of wandering and have lunch Tuesday morning.
Monday night we all go out for a goodbye dinner for Claire since Tuesday is her last day. We had a type of Korean pork barbeque and fried kimchi and it was actually quite good. Then, Turk, Ben, and I went to a local pub which is conveniently located right across the street from my apartment. The place is called Sonny's after the guy that owns it. It's kind of a dive place but it's super laid back with couches as seating. Sonny is actually a really rad guy and he makes some really great food from what I hear so I am all in for the place.
While at the pub I made friends with a couple American guys, Howard and Jeremy. Jeremy was from Kansas City so I was stoked to find a fellow Missourian and we chatted about how things were back at home for a bit.
The next day was my birthday so Jenny came by my apartment and she brought a cookies and cream cheesecake from Paris Baguette for Turk and me which we decided to take to the school and share with everyone so it was like a real office birthday party. Jenny and I spent the afternoon walking around the shops in search for her sister a birthday present. Around lunchtime we were in search for a place to stop and grab a bite. As we passed by shops with things we couldn't identify and had no clue how to order since neither one of us can read the hongul yet, I commented on how I longed for a nice sandwich shop. Jenny mentioned she had spotted one in between her apartment and mine and so the decision was unanimous! The place was called Sand Day and it was like a little sandwich/coffee bistro. All I can say is that it was the most delicious sandwich I had eaten in forever! After almost a week of Korean meals, I was craving a good old western sandwich and I couldn't have asked for a better place to find! Sand Day has officially become my sanctuary in case of a lunch crisis!
From Sand Day we walked to the school, which takes about 45 minutes. On the way, David ran into us and we walked a bit together until he gave up in the heat and decided to catch a bus. I am actually quite proud that I have taken to walking so much. At the school we found that Claire and Pamela had also gotten Turk and me a cake and so we decided to have one that afternoon and save the other for the next day. I only had one class to teach that afternoon and so I got almost all of my unit plans for my day classes done. In between classes, a group of the children came into the teachers' office and told me happy birthday and one of the little girls gave me a charm for my cell phone. It was really sweet.
After school, Jenny and I walked back to our apartments to freshen up and then to Sonny's for the evening. Turk, Ben, and David also showed up. We drank a few tall glasses of Cass (a common Korean beer) and Sonny gave me a flaming shot of Bacardi 151 (it was a birthday shot, he insisted) and we played pool and hung out. We met half a dozen other foreign teachers like ourselves that night and Howard from the night before was there as well. All in all it was a pretty spectacular birthday.
Tonight I am going to have to quit procrastinating and go to E-Mart and pick up an external microphone so I can Skype home. I also need to phone Lee to see what he is doing this weekend because Jenny and I are making plans to do the Seoul tour on Saturday.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
running water, palaces, parks, and more!
well, i finally made it...and it already seams like it will be a grand adventure.
the thirteen and a half hour plane ride wasn't too bad. i had a window seat with an empty seat next to me so i had plenty of space to sprawl out. from what i can tell from the two meals they served on the plane, korean foods have their ups and downs. i definitely recommend the bebimpab, but stay away from the seaweed soup!
once i arrived at the airport and got through customs and collected my bags, i met hokey, a guy from the school along with another new teacher that had been on my flight named turk. turk and i are both soc. studies ed majors and come to find out we have the exact same bday! year and all! after about a 30 minute ride from incheon to ilsan, we arrive at the school and meet the principal and a few teachers and take a tour of the school. after that i am taken to my apartment to freshen up and unpack a bit before a few teachers and i go out for a traditional korean bbq meal.
here's where the fun part starts...i got to my apartment to realize my water hasn't been turned on yet! and it can't be fixed until the next day. luckily ben (another teacher) offered to let me use his shower. after dinner and a shower, i went home and unpacked and hit the sack.
the next morning i got ready for school without water and was picked up again by hokey. we headed off to the school for lunch, planning, and afternoon classes. from what it seems, i will be teaching 9 different 40 minute classes per day - an american history, an american government, a world history course, a reading course, an earth science course, and elementary grammar, english, french, and spanish courses...
after work, turk and i went to the e-mart (like wal-mart) and costco in search of supplies. both stores are within 3 blocks of my apartment, which i am greatful for since i have to carry everything back. we were stoked about getting a hot dog and coke for 2,000 won (about 2 bucks american) before we headed back.
once i arrived home i was thrilled to find out i had running water...until i popped into the shower to find i had no hot water. after my cold shower i phoned lee to ask when he wanted to meet up the next day and spent the rest of the evening cleaning and rearranging.
the next day was saturday and so i slept in and relaxed until it was time to meet lee at the subway station. it was so good to see a familiar face! he came to my apartment and got the staff to fix my hot water, making him my permanent hero! i am pretty sure that after all he has done for me by the end of this year i will owe him my first born! i would be lost without him! anyway, we took the subway to the old part of seoul and visited the last emperor's palace, which was amazing! unfortunatley i forgot my camera, but it only cost about 3.00 american currancy to get in, which means i am definately going to have to take another trip with my camera! we also visited the korean folk museum before stopping off for some traditional korean chicken. we walked along the streets catching up and joking. lee took me to walk along a sacred stream that is quite famous in korea although i can't remember its name; only that the translation is something like blue chicken stream. we took the subway back to my place and spent the evening looking at photos and videos and chatting and before we knew it, it was midnight and lee had missed the last train home! we ended up going to a 24 hour convenience store around the block and picking up some ramen and some breakfast materials and headed back to my place.
in the morning after i made lee breakfast and we said our goodbyes, i got ready for my afternoon with turk and jenny (folks from the school). we decided today was the day we were walking to the lake park that ilsan is known for. after about a 45 minute walk, we arrived and quickly found why everyone went there. it was completely gorgeous! we walked around for a few hours before heading back. i took turk and jenny to the costco since i am the only one in the group with a membership and they picked up a few things while i picked up a few free samples (i heart costco!). after that i headed home for a cool shower and to nurture the growing sunburn i picked up from my afternoon in the park. tonight, i am turning in early to be rested for my first full day at the school, and i can't wait!
the thirteen and a half hour plane ride wasn't too bad. i had a window seat with an empty seat next to me so i had plenty of space to sprawl out. from what i can tell from the two meals they served on the plane, korean foods have their ups and downs. i definitely recommend the bebimpab, but stay away from the seaweed soup!
once i arrived at the airport and got through customs and collected my bags, i met hokey, a guy from the school along with another new teacher that had been on my flight named turk. turk and i are both soc. studies ed majors and come to find out we have the exact same bday! year and all! after about a 30 minute ride from incheon to ilsan, we arrive at the school and meet the principal and a few teachers and take a tour of the school. after that i am taken to my apartment to freshen up and unpack a bit before a few teachers and i go out for a traditional korean bbq meal.
here's where the fun part starts...i got to my apartment to realize my water hasn't been turned on yet! and it can't be fixed until the next day. luckily ben (another teacher) offered to let me use his shower. after dinner and a shower, i went home and unpacked and hit the sack.
the next morning i got ready for school without water and was picked up again by hokey. we headed off to the school for lunch, planning, and afternoon classes. from what it seems, i will be teaching 9 different 40 minute classes per day - an american history, an american government, a world history course, a reading course, an earth science course, and elementary grammar, english, french, and spanish courses...
after work, turk and i went to the e-mart (like wal-mart) and costco in search of supplies. both stores are within 3 blocks of my apartment, which i am greatful for since i have to carry everything back. we were stoked about getting a hot dog and coke for 2,000 won (about 2 bucks american) before we headed back.
once i arrived home i was thrilled to find out i had running water...until i popped into the shower to find i had no hot water. after my cold shower i phoned lee to ask when he wanted to meet up the next day and spent the rest of the evening cleaning and rearranging.
the next day was saturday and so i slept in and relaxed until it was time to meet lee at the subway station. it was so good to see a familiar face! he came to my apartment and got the staff to fix my hot water, making him my permanent hero! i am pretty sure that after all he has done for me by the end of this year i will owe him my first born! i would be lost without him! anyway, we took the subway to the old part of seoul and visited the last emperor's palace, which was amazing! unfortunatley i forgot my camera, but it only cost about 3.00 american currancy to get in, which means i am definately going to have to take another trip with my camera! we also visited the korean folk museum before stopping off for some traditional korean chicken. we walked along the streets catching up and joking. lee took me to walk along a sacred stream that is quite famous in korea although i can't remember its name; only that the translation is something like blue chicken stream. we took the subway back to my place and spent the evening looking at photos and videos and chatting and before we knew it, it was midnight and lee had missed the last train home! we ended up going to a 24 hour convenience store around the block and picking up some ramen and some breakfast materials and headed back to my place.
in the morning after i made lee breakfast and we said our goodbyes, i got ready for my afternoon with turk and jenny (folks from the school). we decided today was the day we were walking to the lake park that ilsan is known for. after about a 45 minute walk, we arrived and quickly found why everyone went there. it was completely gorgeous! we walked around for a few hours before heading back. i took turk and jenny to the costco since i am the only one in the group with a membership and they picked up a few things while i picked up a few free samples (i heart costco!). after that i headed home for a cool shower and to nurture the growing sunburn i picked up from my afternoon in the park. tonight, i am turning in early to be rested for my first full day at the school, and i can't wait!
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