"These are a Few of My Favorite Things"

I haven't been doing much this last week besides staying in Sanbon. I ventured out to a fairly rich neighborhood in Seoul where a lot of people speak decent English. I am told it is because the demographic there can afford sending their kids to hagwons and usually have spent some times in the States. A large group of us had a great dinner and sat around drinking Makgeolli, (Mach-Oh-Lee) a rice milk beer that has a very bitter initial taste, but you warm up to it after the first glass. The stuff is dirt cheap and not too shabby. We enjoyed plenty of drinking games and I got to talk with some more Koreans.

Makgeolli

Dinner in Gangnam

Jordan and Ivan - drunken Canadians sword fighting with chopsticks

Last weekend, a bunch of us met up at Pirate Bar (the foreigners local watering hole) and ended up drinking way too much, playing darts, and chatting it up with the locals. Some of the girls we met treated us to a norebang where we sang (drunkenly and poorly) until about 5am. Exhausting, but worth it!

Considering the fact that I do not have a lot to blog about, I thought this would be a good time to write about some of my favorite things in Korea thus far. Oddly enough, most of these are food. And since Korean food isn't much to write about, I feel it necessary to add that the majority of these foods are Chinese or Japanese inspired. But don't tell any Koreans I said that!

Here they are.....

Kimbap: Gimbap or kimbap is made from steamed white rice (bap) and various other ingredients, rolled in 'gim' (sheets of dried seaweed) and served cold in bite-size slices. I've seen it with crab, peppers, ham, egg, and cucumbers, as well as some 'questionable' vegetables. Gimbap is often eaten during picnics or outdoor events, or as a light lunch. I love this stuff as it is usually a "California Roll" that you can buy for about $2.50 a dozen! Jackies Galaxy back in Bristol, RI would easily charge $15. (Rip off!)



Shabu-Shabu: Is a hot pot where you boil a hot pepper broth with greens and mountain mushrooms. You later add in thinly cut beef, noodles, and potatoes. Once the broth is finished, you can complete the dinner by adding rice to the pot and mashing it into a large rice-pancake. It is one of my favorite dishes here and can cure any hangover. However, it can run a little expensive for my appetite as we usually order 4 servings for 2 people to fill you up (about $24). I've posted about this before - go look it up.

Transportation: I usually like taking public transportation if it gets me close to where I want to go and is cheaper than driving. Back home the public transp. system is lousy in comparison. Trains around Seoul run literally everywhere in the city within a few blocks of your destination and for about $3 roundtrip from anywhere in the city. Bus lines to the same, and even though they are not as quick as the train, they run until about 1:30 - 2:00 am. My only issue with the bus is that they are so confusing, and it is best to ride with someone who knows where they are going. I recommend taking a taxi if you want to get home more quickly and money isn't a big problem. Taxi's are cheap and run 24/7. You can travel a good 20 miles for about $20. The only problem is that after midnight, the fares go up. But it is still far cheaper than the taxi's back in the states.



Friendliness: The Korean people are super friendly. Let me rephrase that. They are super friendly if they know you. It is a weird thing about the culture. If someone knows you, they go well out of their way to be hospitable, and make you happy. For example; My bank has seen me in their offices before, and the staff knows I am a foreigner (it's obvious). Yet they whisk me inside and take care of me before all the other people waiting. I feel like royalty sometimes - but feel bad for those people waiting before me - particularly the elderly. On the other hand, people can be almost vicious when they don't know you (especially when they have a thing against foreigners - no thanks to some of the more brash US Military personnel who get drunk and cause trouble with the locals). Some will scold you for speaking too loudly and think you should learn Korean (sounds similar to back home). Some places refuse to serve foreigners, especially if you look like military or don't have an ARC card. When walking down the street people will constantly run into you (without apology). This can be simply justified by population size and limited sidewalk space - but an apology would be nice. Especially when you almost put my eye out with your umbrellas! But don't get me wrong. Overall, the people are often friendly and courteous pretty much everywhere you go. You just have to be aware of some attitudes in some areas.

The 50's Vibe: I have referred to Koreans as having the values of Americans in the 1950's. More specifically, the naive (and sometimes uber Christian) attitudes remind me of the people in those funny social guidance films that have to do with dating.



I think it can be a "gosh-oh-golly swell" thing, but at the same time, it's a little annoying. Some women are very proper, and as most Koreans consider it extremely rude to show public displays of affection, I sometimes get the feeling that they can be closed minded - or mabye it is me who seems closed minded. Perhaps it's because I'm not Korean and the dating rules are different. I don't know. I think that because I'm foreign, Koreans become more proper or try hard not to look bad (image is everything here). Also the language barrier causes some misunderstandings. I could be wrong about this whole thing, but it basically comes down to the vibe I get. I think if you mix in the strong work ethic, their growing economy, the threat that you can be annihilated by Communists at any moment, the intense patriotism for everything Korean, and you've basically re-creating America in the 1950's. They always say "history repeats itself". And more often than not, it repeats itself in other countries going through the same set of circumstances that other countries have before. I find it very intriguing. (I'm such a history nerd)

Fashion: Koreans are very much into fashion, even more so than most Americans. Being dressed in the newest thing is big here. Many women dress to impress, head to toe - and they are VERY good at it. It's hard not to walk down the street without thinking half of them are models. The men are fashionable as well - as far as men go. However, I still can't help but chuckle to myself when I see men in widely spaced pin striped suits made of shiny metallic silk/polyester blends. It just looks stupid to me.



Mandu: These are Chinese inspired dumplings that I could eat every day. They are great fried, but most prefer them steamed. You can buy a tray of these out of a cart on the street for about $2. They are usually filled with rice, pork or beef, scallions, kimchee, or a whole host of other fillings. They are the closest thing I have to a perogi here, but I'll take it.

Tonkatsu: Another great dish. Mainly it is a breaded pork cutlet, originally from Japan. You can find them in many specialty restaurants and also get a fish one too. Basically it tastes like a large chicken nugget (of pork) or a large fish stick (but flat). I bought a bag of 10 of these bad boys at the local supermarket for $5. A wonderful dinner in my opinion.


Technology: Korea is on the front lines of new tech, and the public is exposed to it very quickly. Since it is the most wired country in the world, almost everything is internet based. Koreans watch a lot of their TV on the train on the cell phones. Kids are always in PC-Bangs playing Starcraft or other online multiplayer games. Almost everyone has a CyWorld account (the equivalent to Facebook). The only downside to all of this internet exposure, is that there are more cyber attacks. Therefore, almost every account you own has security built in to the max. I have to enter about 4 passwords sometimes to see my bank account. I can't even get a Korean based CyWorld account without having all sorts of security. You also can't play Counterstrike online at a PC-Bang(one of my favorite multiplayer games) without having the equivalent of a Social Security Number.

Old and New: Last but not least is the unique blend of old and new. Korea is definitely becoming a high tech country with ancient roots. Everywhere you go you can see an old building next to a new one. I love those older buildings, especially the temples. So it is nice to see one standing amid a skyscraper. It makes me feel as though they still are holding onto their heritage (which is much, much older than ours).

There is just so much to share, and so much I have yet to see. If you have any suggestions, or have questions about things you would like to know more about, just e-mail me.

But you don't have to take MY word for it!

"Video Killed the Radio Star"

People have requested more about Korean music - specifically K-Pop. I've decided to add a music player from playlist.com to the side bar so that you can experience K-Pop for yourself. I disabled the auto-play function as it can get quite annoying, so you have to click the play button for it to operate.

Meanwhile here are a couple of MV's that I think some may enjoy!

"Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Today, Asia bore witness to one of the longest lasting total solar eclipses the world has seen in quite some time.

Astronomers predicted it would last a full six minutes, a rarity to see. Some US news stations are referring to how the eclipse is going to produce panic with the uneducated poor in some Asian countries, and even more panic with those who believe the world is going to end in 2012. The US media is really starting to annoy me. I think it is the media that causes more panic than anything else.

Unfortunately, South Korea only witnessed a partial eclipse, of which I managed to pop my camera out the window at my school and get some decent pictures of the moon passing by.

The moon starting to pass by.

Close up where you can see the moon (in pink)

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

The last few days I have spent wrapping up my final lessons before the summer vacation, and getting preparations in order for my upcoming summer half-day courses. As usual, this all changed within the past 24 hours, and due to low enrollment numbers, I am now going to be teaching some staff and possibly parents 3 days a week for the next 4 weeks in addition to students. My lesson plans were all based on the kids needs though, and now I'm stuck revamping all of my ideas to be suitable for adults. (Say goodbye to some of the movies I had planned!). However, I doubt many staff and parents will show up - if any - to be more precise. They have too much to do to bother with my class past the first 2 days. I'm crossing my fingers that no one will show up.

On a fun note, the past two days were filled with some amazing sites and some interesting stories. Before the start of summer vacation, the school organized a staff vacation to the south western province. In all, about sixty staff and faculty took a 5 hour bus ride twisting and turning on back roads, up and down mountains, through rural farm lands, and in between small scattered cities. (Reminder, if you click these pictures they will enlarge)


Our first stop was for a light lunch about halfway though our trip, where we took in some of the local scenery of lush green rolling hills. Our destination was Naejangsan National Park, where one can find the Baekyangsa Buddhist temple anchored in the valley of a large cliff faced mountain and nestled between two small rivers. The area is known for its scenic views and popular white oak and maple trees - something I see plenty of back home. However the views were amazing, and getting to witness a cloud enveloping a mountain can be breathtaking (quite literally as it turns out).


A bunch of us ventured up on a rather steep hike up the mountain. We never made it the full way up as we all thought our hearts were going to explode. It is a sixty degree incline that seems to never stop. That, and the combination of the suffocating heat and humidity turned us weak-hearted individuals away from certain cardiovascular death and back down the mountain. I referred to how bad the humidity so often I will never forget its Korean translation of "sip-kee". As the pathetic loser that I am that I, along with a handful of others, gave up on the mountain out of fear for my life. As I trekked downwards, one of the young school secretaries passed me on her way upward, wearing open-toed high heels. The women here need to be seen as beautiful in everything they do. I wonder if she'll still feel that way when they find her body after she trips and falls 200 feet down.

After frolicking through the jungle, we all rested up and sat in our nice air-conditioned bus and headed off to our local hotel. Many hotels in Korea consist of one small room about the size of a small child's bedroom, a TV, no beds - but some mats, blankets, and rock hard pillows. Thankfully we were lucky enough to have air conditioning though, as I think we would have been doomed another unfortunate death. After checking in, we all joined for dinner and some small speeches. The male teachers (as usual) drank too much and tried to get me to drink a lot again. This time I outsmarted them and drank very slowly so they wouldn't keep filling up my glass. My plan succeeded, and I remained relatively sober.

After dinner we were informed that the hotel had a "norebang" or 'Karaoke room'. Karaoke is huge in Korea and norebangs can be found everywhere, along with PC-bangs and DVD-bangs. (Bang means 'room'). This was my first norebang experience, and what an experience it was! These teachers know how to party! Without any hesitation the tunes started, the beer was flowing, and the dancing and unfortunate tambourine playing ensued. This is the result:



Jordan and I contributed (poorly) to a rendition of "Billie Jean" as a tribute to the late and great performer. Thankfully there is no video evidence of this. We also sang solo's - Jordan chose a Backstreet Boys song, and I sang "My Way" by Mr. Frank Sinatra and got a huge round of applause.

After we called it a night, I headed to bed early as I was pretty exhausted, while the majority of my roommates (there were 5 of us in that little hotel room) went off to find a bar. I could not sleep for the life of me. I was either woken up by a roommate stumbling in, the loud Korean TV shows that remained on most of the night, the extremely uncomfortable sleeping conditions, or -- and this is the fun part (not suitable for those with weak stomachs) -- one of the drunk teachers getting up at 3 am to take a piss in the corner of the room thinking it was a urinal, getting another teacher wet in the process. Disgusting! The teacher who got wet threw some towels on it and I prayed that the river the other man produced wouldn't come over towards me. Again, a reminder - we were all sleeping on the floor! Luckily the wet teacher had cleaned it - and himself - and went back to sleep. I finally got some shut-eye about 4am, only to be woken up by someones alarm at 6am. I showered, changed and hightailed it out of the room then and there! (I had to play a game of minefield to avoid stepping on people and certain areas of the floor) As of 12 hours later have still not slept a wink. I think I'm scarred for life now too.

This morning (Friday) we had breakfast (which basically was the same thing we had for dinner). Koreans do not know how to do breakfast. Sorry, but I do not enjoy mushroom soup, kimchee, seaweed, and rice for breakfast. Where are the waffles that Koreans enjoy so much??

We headed out on the buses to the city of Damyang to see the Juklockwon bamboo gardens. I feel as if it had only gotten hotter than the day before and regretted my decision to take a shower because every time I stepped off the air conditioned bus, I felt as though the lovely wet fog of "sip-kee" had repeated that chore for me ten-fold. The bamboo gardens were nice to look at although the weather was not agreeable. It is bad enough to climb a large hill, but to do it in the rain and ever suffocating humidity makes it unbearable. I did get some nice photos out of it, however being inside a cloud of hot and sticky fog doesn't make for stable photography in my opinion.


On our trek back to our school we were given many rest stops. One such stop was at Guanbangerim where staff got to ride bicycles along a cozy path which must look astounding in the autumn.


We visited a few more rest stops for bathrooms, drinks, and eventually stopped for lunch in Soswawon where we enjoyed a light lunch where they most notably served a small meatloaf that was to die for. I could have ate five more of them as I didn't enjoy the octopus or dried bony fish they served. I miss real food.

Eventually we made it back home. I am very tired, but also have found a new energy as I got to learn more about my fellow teachers, their customs, thoughts, and personalities. I'm eager to get to know some certain people a lot more and am going to be spending some time this summer sightseeing with a select few. As for the male teacher who shall not be named (we'll call him Pissy McPisser) I'd rather avoid him and the ground around him for now.

AS USUAL, MORE PICTURES OF MY TRIP CAN BE FOUND HERE

Enjoy!

"Who Let the Dogs Out?"

Wow it has been a very quick week. I suppose time flies when you only teach 3 classes in a week! Students had final exams this week so they had half-days and Jordan and I only had to teach on Friday.

Due to the half-days, I had the opportunity to utilize my free time in more productive ways. On Tuesday, my co-teacher Kimberly escorted me to help me purchase a cell phone. I decided on buying from the LG store called OZ - a popular chain close to my apartment. With LG I didn't need to purchase a 2 year contract like you are forced to with the biggest chain, SK Telecom. You can also purchase pre-paid phones and add minutes, but it tends to be a hassle and I was limited to one cheap phone that looked like grandmothers probably used it. I also had the option of renting the phone, but I would need to travel to an LG office somewhere to do paperwork and other hassles, so I decided not to go that route. Instead, I purchased a pretty nice phone called "Sky" for $40 - Koreans get them free with plans, but as I was signing a 1 year contract, I had to purchase the phone. I've heard horror stories about foreigners buying cell phones as most store policies forbid them to sell to us white folk. I think it is because some people skip out on paying their bills when they leave. We foreigners also have to pay a registration fee of $30. The monthly plan is $13 a month, but I got up to 3,000 internet page views added for $6 a month (it's nice to be able to access weather, subway, and other info when traveling! Calls are about 5 cents a minute in $US and texts are about 2 cents each. Much cheaper than home. All in all, I think my monthly fees will only be about $20.

After getting the phone I offered to buy Kimberly lunch, but she refused and told me she had to treat me as she didn't get to yet and it was her obligation. I wasn't going to argue, but felt bad when she suggested we got to Outback. (it's very pricey for the area) and Outback in Korea isn't even close to the ones back in the States. I had a "steak" which was a large, slightly less compacted seasoned hamburger. The fries were excellent though, and we got onion rings - they were coated and fried in coconut, so it had a sickening sweetness to it after the second one. In keeping with the sweetness, they also served the typical bread, but the butter was flavored raspberry, mango, and peach - and they also brought out raspberry syrup, chocolate syrup, and blue cheese dressing. Kind of silly - but it was nice to have some blue cheese dressing, as I haven't seen it here yet. Kimberly had a seafood quesadilla - I tried it, it was pretty good and had octopus, shrimp, and squid in it. I have never heard of a seafood version, but they do have a beef one as well (which I will get next time I go).

I tagged along with Jordan on Wednesday after school to Itaewon or "Foreign Owned Korea". There were many westerners walking around as there is a military base right nearby. It is popular with tourists, but nothing to really write home about (but I will anyways). The main street was full of western restaurants, but the side streets were very unique and had an older feel of what Korea used to be like. The vendors everywhere were talking in English trying to get you to buy "very nice suit for you to be handsome", or a "pretty leather purse for girlfriend".

A main street view in Itaewon - note that sign on the right says "Transgender Club"

We found a foreign food market where I bought some overpriced treats. Kraft Mac and Cheese, Root Beer, and Cherry Coke! Later in the week Jordan and I made root beer floats for our Korean teachers. Some loved it, and none had ever had root beer. Others made a weird face and opted for the cherry coke floats instead.

Thursday it down-poured all day long. I'm sure all of you back home can sympathize because I've heard it has been one of the wettest summers you can recall in a while. Here when it rains hard - it rains HARD. The drops are bucket sized, and it doesn't rain down - it rains sideways. I brought my large umbrella (yes, I have 2) and I still got soaked. After work I swam out to meet up with Jordan and one of the music teachers. We went to the Indian restaurant, as we heard Koreans don't like the spice of Indian food and were testing our theory out on this poor girl! She actually enjoyed it - but to our defense, it is Korean-Indian food - not the same American-Indian food we get back home. The curry they use is pretty similar to the ones they use in Korean dishes.

I got to learn a lot about Koreans from the music teacher though. She was talking about how she used to work as a music therapist but was too stressed and not happy, and how she would rather teach. She commutes 2 hours EACH WAY to work at our school, but wants to move closer. She is my age, but like most Korean women, lives at home until she's married. Her family will move closer to school to make her happy as she is always tired from the commute and actually had an accident when she fell asleep while driving. She also discussed dating and relationships, and how you can find out a lot about a person by asking their blood type. I've never heard of this phenomenon. But apparently it is a way to tell personality. According to her, type O is the best, A is good and B is good too, but AB is not. She said a lot of crazy and psycho people are AB, so she won't date someone who is AB. (good thing I am B, so at least I stand a chance if that opportunity arises! hahaha) MikeR found a little article on this that explains it better. Click here to read.

Another thing about Koreans are their dating practices. Men are supposed to tell the girl where they are going and what they are doing. It is a society with more traditional gender roles, and this shows that "man has confidence". I argued with her on the practice though, and asked in broken basic English "What if woman no like restaurant? Bad date = bad boyfriend?" she said no, but the Korean women will tell the men that they are unhappy with a restaurant, but this can lead to fights and breakups. So my argument was "Why not ask the woman or let her choose which restaurant so everyone is happy?!" She didn't have a good answer besides the previous one.

Lastly, we discussed cheating. In Korea it is illegal to cheat on a spouse, and if a man/woman gets caught and the significant other catches them, they can call the police, but both the cheater and the "other man/woman" both get arrested. Interesting practice, but I don't think it curbs cheating - I think it just makes women not turn in cheating husbands because they are more of the providers and family income than the women here.

This brings up another topic. I needed a haircut, and asked Jordan where to go. He pointed out a building and said that this building (with a barbers pole) is where he goes and to go to the 4th floor. I wandered up to the 4th floor and there was a very dark room with a sign that said Sam's Barbershop. A woman answered clad is a very skimpy outfit. Apparently Barber Poles = "massage parlor" and most often the scorned upon kind. I found out later that the real salon that Jordan goes to is on the 3rd floor, but my issue is this: Why do they have prosecutable laws against cheating, but openly allow these massage parlors that don't even try to make it look like they are a reputable business like a barbershop. There was one barber chair in that dark room, many black lights and dark curtains and very little clothing. (and she wasn't even attractive!)

Friday after school was the Male Teacher Dinner somewhere out in Anyang. The restaurant was out in the middle of nowhere, nestled between two mountains with a comforting stream running right near the main building. The best part was we ate outside under large tarps along a little waterfall. The food was excellent. They served a large stewed chicken for me, and dog -- yes DOG, for everyone else. I kept telling them my sister has 4 dogs and she will be angry if I eat dog. They understand though. I asked what kind of dog. Golden retriever? Poodle? They said and I quote: "No, no, no Nick...not pet --- EDIBLE dog."All dogs go to heaven in Korea (after being boiled in a pot) but all dogs are not seen as pets only unlike back home.

Yep, that is dog! (poor poochie!)

Here is a lesson learned: When you try to be respectful of Korean custom and go shot to shot with 7 Korean men, you will lose. And besides that you will be completely trashed and have to be helped to your apartment by a rather thin Korean coworker half your size. They were so fun though, trying to teach me Korean, customs, and rules. Most of them were drunk as well except the driver (which is rare here), and we had a blast. The principal (who all the women teachers are afraid of) kept telling me "Nick very good friend" and wanted to have dinner with me and his daughter who is 23 and attending the University of Miami next year. Sounds like I'm either getting set up, or he wants me to give her tips before going to an American university. (Maybe Aunt Maureen can take her out sometime as I don't think Miami is too far from Ft. Lauderdale?)

Here are all the Korean male teachers that attended - 4 of them are PhysEd teachers, a Chinese writing teacher, a Korean teacher, and the principal.

YOU CAN SEE MORE PICTURES OF THESE EVENTS HERE

I'm still recovering from last night and dizzy spells from all the Hite beers, Soju and "Ginseng Mountain Wine" - aka alcohol from hell. I wouldn't feel this bad if there were some sort of carbs served with dinner. They have rice with every other dish in Korea, why not the day I decide to drink about 12 shots!

"Changes"

First off - Happy Birthday America! I hope you all enjoyed your July 4th back home. There is no better way to celebrate the 4th than by having a lavish display of fireworks you can't afford because of the country's disastrous economy. Personally, I didn't do anything here besides stroll around downtown and go shopping. I did however have hot dogs for lunch just to feel like I was attending the same picnics as you. Sorry to say, it just isn't the same.



One thing I have noticed about work so far is an abundance of last minute changes and additions to my schedule. The teaching staff has told me that I would be teaching at the Gunpo Education Office, then later they said I would be teaching other teachers at my school English (which a total of 5 people showed up for). Who knows if that will change this or next week. Also, I've been told about having to teach English Camp, as well as summer classes, but also told there is vacation during the same time. It all is getting rather confusing. Today, I was given a teaching schedule for half days from July 20th - August 12th. On these days I teach 2 classes everyday. But the kids are on vacation? Supposedly, students will come to these classes - something that isn't easy to prepare for. (Playing a lot of games comes to mind). I guess I have no choice than to play it by ear for now. (oh, and I was told I don't have to do English Camp too, which is a plus.)

Last week we had an English Teacher dinner at a nice restaurant that specializes in Shabu-Shabu (one of my favorite dishes here which is actually based on the Japanese dish).

It was a nice time, and I got to talk to more of the teachers as well as the principal who I think is really happy I am here. I am the first foreigner teacher at the school to hold a teaching degree they told me. So according to my co-teacher I am seen as dignified and well respected by my other teachers. Yeah, they love me.

This week is going to be easy. I have no classes due to final exams, so instead, I am going to prepare what I can for the 4 summer courses I am teaching. Since I have the same classes 2-3 times a week, I might actually be able to have them work on projects to kill time. Friday night there is a male teacher dinner in which I was invited to attend. Jordan can't make it as he is going to be away. It looks like it'll be me sitting there trying to make conversation in simple English while kicking back a lot of soju. (I hear they drink a ton!).

Also, I got to Skype back home this weekend for a video-chat back home with the family. Lauren came home from Indy to visit and pick up my (now her) car. I'm going to miss my baby! (the car, not Lauren).