"Run, Devil, Run"

Ok boys and girls, it's time for more K-Pop!

I realized I haven't posted music videos in a while, so maybe you'll enjoy what the kids are listening to these days.  -- or perhaps not.

SNSD (Girls' Generation) "Run, Devil, Run"

T-Ara "Crazy Because of You"

Kara "Lupin"

K.Will "Present"

T-Ara "Bo Peep Bo Peep" (one of the most annoying songs ever)


and for your added entertainment:

Adjumma (name for an older married korean woman) elbows past the bride!
Adjumma's are known for being super persistant and pushy yet they are also sweet and generous. However, be aware! When you are waiting for an elevator, on a subway, or even walking in the grocery store, they tend to always push by you to get where they are going.



She must have really wanted that seat!

"Show Me"

One thing I have noticed in Korea (as well as Japan) is that the sidewalks are different.

Almost every street looks like this:

I didn't really wonder why, and at first figured it was a design thing. Then I thought: "Wouldn't it make sense if people walked one direction on one side, and another direction on the other?" That would seem to make pedestrian life a little easier in these crowded areas. I went on thinking that was the case for a long time, but became frustrated when I noticed that NO ONE followed that rule.

Turns out these sidewalks are this way for a whole different reason. To help the blind or visually impaired. (I'm sticking with the term blind just to make this easier to write and not sound like an overly politically correct goober).

The person simply runs their cane across the yellow markers in a sweeping pattern, and it makes a specific sound to show you are on course. It will even 'show' you where intersections are and changes texture when you should stop. (at the end of a curb, beginning of stairs, or a subway platform.) I recently saw someone doing this and thought it was the best thing ever. Where in the US do you see universal sidewalks for the blind?

In Korea you can see them on just about every main road. I find it completely intriguing that the government does this much for the blind. In the US people seem to get a cane, or even a dog to aid them. The US government wouldn't mandate that all sidewalks in a city be this way so people could get around easily. It would cost millions upon millions for what? - the small blind population? Maybe in the far distant future, or if Stevie Wonder died while trying to cross a street.

Kudos Asia.

Mabye Korea's blind population is just far greater than any other country. War, accidents, disease, malnutrition are can be seen as causes for visual impairment. But, the question must be asked. Can kimchi cause blindness? I suppose if you get some of that firey hot fermented cabbage squirted into your eyes while poking at it with chopsticks the wrong way, it could burn out your retina....

"Dust In The Wind"

Korea had it's first Asian Dust storm this weekend. Asian Dust, or "Yellow Dust" is a springtime East Asian event that usually begins in the deserts of China or Mongolia. The easterly winds then bring all of that sand and dust towards Eastern China and Korea, prompting health alerts by the Korean Meteorological Association.


I have never witnessed this before since I arrived in the early summer last year. I was always intrigued when reading about this even as I expected that the dust would get all over you and feel like it is impossible to breathe.

To my surprise, I didn't really notice the effects. The sky became a dark yellowish brown, and people covered their mouths as they walked on the streets. I expected to have to do the same or wear masks like others did.

We had plans to play badminton in the park on Saturday, but due to the dust and the forecast for rain, we chose instead to stay indoors and go see a movie. We picked up some snacks, and enjoyed Alice in Wonderland in 3D.

The movie is pretty dark and a little disturbing (but that IS Tim Burton for you - not my favorite director...) The 3D effects were not that noticeable except for about 2 or 3 scenes. I wasn't impressed. The glasses also make the movie seem darker and the images seem less sharp than watching a normal film, especially when quick motions are added. I even took off my glasses in the beginning of the film and noticed that the 3D effect wasn't that prominent during that portion of the movie. It was also a lot brighter and I caught more details. I still think 3D needs to improve a lot for films like this.

Samsung is making 3D TV's now, and I wouldn't rush out to buy them - especially since you have to wear glasses to watch TV. What if you have company over and only a couple pairs of glasses? (which I hear will cost about $150 a pair!) I guess you can always turn the 3D effect off, but that kind of defeats the purpose.

I wouldn't recommend the movie for little kids due to some violence and scary scenes. But there is no obscene language in it, and it has some cute parts as well that make you laugh.

All in all, a relaxing weekend.

Tax season is upon me and I am getting a bit worked up about what I have to do differently this year. Since I am not using Turbo Tax for once, this will make things even more interesting I'm sure.

Korea's tax system seems to be easier - at least for teachers. The school does their taxes, and basically has to send in the information to the government. That's it. All teachers have to do it bring in some receipts if needed, and other paperwork, but the administrative office does everything else. Why can't the US be like that!?

"Sunrise"

Sadly I did not celebrate it this year. Korea isn't exactly a hot spot for the Irish considering it is one of, if not the most ethnically homogeneous country on the planet.

That isn't to say there isn't a lot of drinking and partying on St. Patrick's Day. I'm sure there are hordes of expats in Seoul hitting the bars right now. Even locally, I am sure many teachers are going out and kicking back a few pints.

Drinking has never really been my thing, and even on St. Patrick's Day I've never really drank a lot. Plus, it isn't the same being in Korea instead of with my friends back home who are Irish and take the day very seriously. ^^

Instead, I decided to go to a Korean class that is starting to meet every Wednesday. I'll get to start from scratch and brush up on my Hangeul. 야후!

My classes are going decently. I have a handful of clowns and trouble makers - same as kids back in the states - the ones who think they are 'cool' and speak English in terms of their limited knowledge of "Yo, man!" and "son-of-a-bitch!"

Hats off to their hagwon teachers and/or western movies that have been teaching them...

I read that the US just had daylight savings time go into effect this past weekend. I've posted before that this is something Korea no longer does - and it REALLY is pointless. I don't see why the US doesn't just do away with it...

I've been getting up early enough to see the sunrise out my window these past few days. I've even taken a couple of photos:

Sunrise over Sanbon

"In The White"

This was a recouperating weekend.

Hwayoung was super busy at her job, over-stressed, under-appreciated, and on top of it all, became sick because of it. She worked for a client for almost 48 hours straight without going home. (I blame a combination of the Korean work ethic, and pushy, demanding, bosses and clientel). Due to this, she spent most of the weekend in bed on her awesome boyfriend's orders. ^-^

We did, however, go out to our friend Min-young's new apartment for a small house-warming party. Her boyfriend Song-un joined us as well. We had some delicious homecooked Korean fare: steamed mussels, clams, and spring rolls. I made the family's secret hummus recipe and brought along cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and some crackers for dipping. I was afraid they wouldn't like it, as it can have a strong flavor, but they loved it! (Koreans love their garlic!)

  

After lunch, we played Rummikub, which Hwayoung found at E-Mart, and all had a great time. In the evening we went down to the badminton courts and played a couple games as well, and topped the night off with a movie before heading home.

This Sunday, March 14th, marked the Japanese and Korean company made holiday of "White Day". This "holiday" is basically Valentine's Day, but one month later and in reverse. On Valentine's Day in Korea, women give gifts to men. On White Day, the men give gifts to women. Supposedly men are urged to give white candies, or even white chocolate. I just planned to go out to a Brazillian restaurant in the city, but since Hwayoung was sick, it just turned into a day of pampering her and letting her rest. I made her tteokbokki (떡볶이) - (a spicy rice cake dish, and my first attempt at doing so) - it came out wonderfully. We watched a couple movies as well "Up In The Air", and "An Education" - both decent films, but in my opinion, nothing to really write home about. (Which I seem to be doing anyways)

That's it for now: Remember to read some of the news stories in the side bar!

"Outta My Way"

Here's what has been happening lately.

Last week started the new school year. I must say, I'm excited this term because I have some wonderful kids. Last "year" I taught only the 3rd grade through the end of 1st term, and most of the 2nd term since I arrived in June 2009. The second term started in August and I taught only 3rd grade (9th US) until November when my co-worker left. Then I took on some 2nd grade classes before and after his replacement came.

Those second graders are now my 3rd graders since the new school year begins in March. My 2nd graders came up from 1st (I have never had them before in my class) but they seem eager to learn. My 1st graders who just came from the elementary school seem super energetic and excited about learning with me. They even want to have extra classes after school! I agreed with the school's offer, and will be making some extra cash! I only have to teach 2 classes on Mondays and 2 classes on Thursdays from 3:30-5. I normally would leave at 4:30 and have that time free - but hey, it's not bad when you're making an extra $100 a week.

*Random side note*: Salesmen come to my school and go to the teacher offices to sell anything from insurance, to stockings. The teachers just ignore them, and no one asks them to leave. No one calls the cops, or seems to care. But they've had instances where these strangers either steal purses, laptops, or other things unattended in the offices. Why they are not strict of not having strangers in the school is beyond me. Especially when you hear news stories like this one. 

As for this past weekend:

Friday night I got a bunch of expats in the area together to celebrate the new year. (Mainly we also had a party to celebrate my co-worker leaving the country, as a few of them met her and agreed we needed a couple drinks!) About 20 people showed up, and we did a pub crawl at some point in the late hours and hit up a couple of regular spots. It was great to see everyone and unwind after the first week back to the grind. My friend Domenick lives about 30 min by train, and didn't want to have to pay for a taxi back late at night, so I joined him in staying out until 5am. (something I swore I would never do again). I recommended a great fried chicken place that is open until 4am, and we had "breakfast" after our beers. Then just waited out the extra hour until the trains started running again so he could head home.

Saturday was spent Spring Cleaning! My apartment got a complete wash down. It's amazing how much grime settles in my place because of pollution. I'm near the train station, and a small highway, so if I leave my windows open, the place gets pretty dirty. It makes me miss the clean fresh air from home.

Sunday, Hwayoung cooked Thai food for brunch (yum!) and we played badminton in the park near her house. We love playing it and it's good exercise! I've dropped another 5lbs this month, and it's getting harder to lose weight without exercise. So we agreed we would both try to lose weight and help one another (although many people will agree with me that I don't think she needs to lose weight!)

One thing that is starting to annoy me though is how pushy and/or rude some Korean people can be -usually in the middle-age and older generations. I thought it might be a cultural thing, but my co-teacher told me that it's common in the older generations, but people just let it go because the younger generation should be respectful.

While playing badminton, these older men (part of a badminton club that was meeting and using the court adjacent to ours) kept walking through our game, almost like lions testing their prey and it's response to an encroachment on it's territory. About 10 minutes later, they approached us and told us we should move over so they could use half the court to practice. Then became annoyed as our unprofessional volleys were intruding on their practice (badminton courts are not large.) When we took a water break, another man asked if we were done. Hwayoung told them "no, not yet" and he proceeded to tell her we should play at another court so they could play with their friends. -- Dude, we were here first! Why don't YOU go somewhere else. We gave up after 5 minutes of mean looks and annoying shows of his impatience. (Sometimes I don't think you should respect your elders - especially when they act like rude children...). Another case is that they are more pushy on trains, and try to cut in lines (even if only 2 people are in line).

Monday night after work we finally got to see Avatar in 4D...yes...4D! The movie is normally shown in 3D, but in Seoul, The have four theaters showing it in 4D  (Gangbyeon CGV, Sangam CGV, Yeongdeungpo CGV and Yongsan CGV.) We went to the Yeongdeungpo CGV which holds the Guiness World Record as having the largest movie screen in the world! It was an amazing experience and we were both really excited. The movie is good (but I found it very predictable and basically a U.S. History lesson on how we treated our indigenous tribes). It was also kind of a rip off of Pocahontas.  (Click this link to see a funny comparison)

Avatar in Korean is: Ah-bah-tah

What is a 4D movie? 4D is basically a 3D movie (an awesome thing in general especially since the technology is improving). Samsung is also making 3D TV's in Korea by the way. But in the theater, the seats move with the action! You're chair is rigged to bounce along with the movement of running characters, shake with the vibrations of the helicopters, and you can even feel a thump on the back when a character falls on the ground. Also, there are fans blowing wind at you, scents of flowers and smoke are sprayed from the seat in front of you, mists of water are sprayed, air guns shoot behind your neck as arrows whiz by, and plastic "tails" strike your feet as the characters run through the woods. It's pretty cool! I was afraid I would get motion sick from the moving chairs, but it was pretty subtle, but enough to make you feel part of the action.

The tickets (if you can get them) are not too expensive either. A normal movie in Korea costs between $6-$8, while 3D and 4D films cost between $10-$16. Not bad for the experience though. In the US a normal movie cost at least $10! Popcorn and drinks (yes, you can get beer) are only about $6-7 for 2 beers and a large popcorn.

My students are obsessed with whatever is newest. Right now, their favorite movie is Avatar, but before it was Transformers, or Harry Potter. Maybe it's true with all kids, I don't know. But I'm interested in seeing what the next fad is for them to jump on.

" 'Round Midnight "

Big day....long post.

This morning started the new school year. I was asked to prepare a small speech (very small speech) for the parents of the incoming 1st grade class (7th graders US). I wasn't expecting the entire 1st grade class to be there as well...(400+ kids!)

My speech went very well. I said "good morning", my name, and that I was from the US - all the time repeating my words in Korean.  I also went on to explain I had been teaching at my school since June 2009, and that I was excited to start a new year and get to know the new class. Ok, that part needed to be translated.

Interestingly, my co-worker (we'll call her Betty for now), didn't come to school this morning. It was a long weekend due to the holiday, and I had overheard that she visited Jeju Island. Not surprising to me, as she has had the tendency to not come to school randomly and be "sick" to get extra days off. We tried calling, e-mailing, and heard nothing from her. Her phone was off, and the teachers were not happy since she was supposed to be teaching today, the parents were here expecting to see 2 foreign teachers, and she didn't call.

My e-mail to Betty was responded quickly this morning by her basically saying "I left Korea. I arrived in NYC this morning, I couldn't stand teaching with (one of my co-teachers) any longer, thanks for everything!"

Outrageously, she had been planning this for weeks. The school wanted to fire her, but knew it would be easier if she quit, so they waited it out. She worked during the vacation when we had no classes until she got her next paycheck, and just left without a word to anyone -- a typical midnight run, common among foreign teachers who undergo bad working conditions - usually at hagwons.

The staff was shocked. I, however, was not surprised. This had been coming for a long time. There had been a constant battle between the head English teacher and her since she walked in the door in November. Curses were flung, yelling and ranting carried on, there was constant disrespectful behavior, - belittling, complaining, inappropriateness, and insults seemed to be a daily occurrence -- all by Betty.

There were problems on both ends. There was a lack of communication with the head teacher and misunderstandings due to language and culture. The head teacher is very Christian, in an annoying way, but it seemed to always irk Betty as she was sent e-mails like "I pray for you everyday" and "remember God loves you!" - annoying if you're not religious, and inappropriate for westerners in the workplace - but NOT a huge issue. I dealt with it a long time ago, and haven't been bothered since October. But Betty took it too personally and too far. She ranted about how the head teacher wouldn't leave her alone, and that it was disrespectful for her to e-mail her about how much God loves her because she doesn't believe in God. My favorite tantrum  (of oh-so-many) was:

"I don't believe in God! You are totally disrespectful to me when you e-mail me about God! I'm half Jewish! That's very disrespectful to someone half Jewish! I'm half Jewish!, don't you get that? Of course not because all you Koreans are Christian! I'm half Jewish! I don't believe in God!"

Apparently Jews don't believe in God? I think the Old Testament would differ with her on that one...
Maybe her other half was Atheist - because that would make a whole lot of sense too!  - (some of you will think that she meant Jesus - but Jesus had never been mentioned in any altercation)

But it's all over. She's gone, and we can all move on. It feels as though a infection has started to heal. Betty was not good for the students (they didn't want to have her as a teacher), the co-teachers all didn't want to work with her anymore even after they tried. I gave up on her months ago as well...but sucked it up and put a smile on my face every day, just so life would be bearable. Now, I wish I had told her off. But that's what blogs can be for - venting.

Here are some of the issues which I would like to address for people thinking about coming to Korea to teach:

      DO NOT:      

1. Don't look for jobs at hagwons! They usually make people miserable. Remember, they are cram schools --- businesses. They are there to make money, and will cut corners, change your contract, and force you to do all sorts of crap you didn't sign up for (and can tend to forget to pay you on time!). This is not to say ALL hagwon are bad - some people I know have good ones. But public schools are the way to go, albeit harder to find jobs in.

2. Do not come to Korea if you are not sure if you applied to a hagwon or public school, you probably are too stupid to come to Korea, and therefore will make a bad teacher .

3.  Don't expect that just because Korea is industrialized and more than semi-westernized that it is a western country. It is NOT. I've said this a thousand times: "BE OPEN MINDED!"

4. Don't come here if you are a complainer or overly sensitive. I will punch you in the face if I hear you complain about how all Korean foods have meat in them, or how people don't speak English well enough for you. If a teacher or student calls you chubby, fat, large, or overweight and you go home crying that Koreans are rude you will not survive. They are translating their language into ours, and it comes out pretty bluntly. It's not meant to be offensive.

5. Don't come here if you would rather go to McDonalds, Bennigans, TGIFriday's, Outback, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, or some pizza joint than explore Korean foods. It seems to be a sign of those unwilling to be culturally immersed or even make an attempt at getting to know the culture through the food. I'm not saying you should NEVER eat at a western place - I'm just saying you should make the attempt to try new foods.

6. Don't come here if you are unwilling to try to learn - especially the language. If you've been here a year (like Betty) and can only say "hello", "thank you", "please" and count to 3 in the language you better leave after you contract ends. I learned 3 times more than that just on the 15 hour plane ride here. (as well as memorized their alphabet!)

7. Don't come here if you are still a child. Korea is ripe with recent college grads, most of which drink and party away every weekend, and even some weekdays. If you can't handle your finances,  disorderly behavior, "Asian fever" urges, living on your own without Mommy and Daddy to help you, or living without easy access to drugs, Korea is not for you.

8. Don't come here if you are an outcast in your own country or have a mental disorder that got by the screen process by your employer. Outcasts at home are outcasts here. Mentally unstable people (Betty) give me grief and embarrass other foreigners - Koreans can relate your antics thinking all foreigners are as bad as you.

9. Don't come here if you are trying to escape relationship issues or are expecting to find a hot girlfriend/future wife. Maybe you've heard the stories that Korean women throw themselves at you. It's not true. If they are talking to you it is not because you are hot to them. They want to practice speaking English. If you are escaping a relationship, or just broke up and needed to 'get away' from it all, you are making a bad choice. The anger/sadness you feel now will wear off, and then you'll just get homesick and miserable and bring other people down.

10. Lastly, don't be afraid. Things can work out amazingly well if you just have that sense of being open-minded, keep your finances together, are a calm, patient, understanding person who is looking to have a good time, explore, meet new people, and try new things.

Oh, and if by chance, "Betty" is reading this: How dare you demand respect from teachers who tried so hard to help you and understand you. You EARN respect by being respectful - something you obviously never learned or understood.

"Treat others as you want them to treat you, because what goes around comes around.”

Let's leave this post on a high note with some famous Korean singers trying to speak English and having no clue what they are really talking about....

"The Lighthouse's Tale"

The weather was relatively nice this weekend - enough so, that we could spend some time outside.

Saturday I visited Hwayoung in Seoul where we decided to go to the Han River in hopes to roller-blade along one of the rivers many parks. Unable to find a place that rented skates, we found a place that rented bicycles. Only $3 for an hour! I must say that even though I looked girly on my bike, it was really comfortable to sit straight and have a place to put your belongings...

 

Along the river we saw people picnicking, even though it was probably about 50 degrees F. Apparently it's popular for older people to drink beer, makoli, and soju along the river. Some people where even barbecuing. 

I also noticed a lot of people had fires going along the river bank. It seemed weird at first, but it turns out it was people lighting paper on fire and praying near the water. Hwayoung told me that it was because their loved ones were cremated and their ashes spread in the river. Basically, the river is seen as the cemetery for the family to hold prayer sessions and other small memorial ceremonies. I found it a bit peculiar that they would be allowed to sit under a bridge, and set small fires. One group lit the fire next to one of the bridge supports to block the wind from extinguishing it, but it looked like they could set the bridge on fire! (if cement could catch fire, that is). I wish I brought my camera.

That night we ate some great Thai food, and went to CGV in Sinchon to see The Lovely Bones, based on the novel by Alice Sebold. I had not read the book, and I had no clue what it was about. But it was a pretty good movie, and the cinematic artistic features were excellent. Portions of the movie reminded me of Salvador Dali paintings. If you watch it or even just the trailer below, you'll understand why. The film is directed by Peter Jackson, whom I usually enjoy, even though I feel he sometimes relies too heavily on CGI imagery and scenery.

On Sunday, Hwayoung and I invited our friend Domenick to come with us Oido, a small city on the western coast. It's only about 30 minutes from Gunpo by subway, and maybe another 15 minutes by bus to the shore. The area is well known for seafood and it's lighthouse. We walked around a little, explored the fish markets, and had a grilled clam and oyster dinner along with homemade noodle soup. 

A map of the area and trip...

Here are some photos of the trip.

The fish market was located along a pier where you could have the fresh catch of the day prepared right in front of you, and served immediately. If you want fresher fish, you'd have to eat it alive.

 

 Walking through the fish markets you can usually find this interesting lifeform that I don't think I ever want to try. 

This earthworm-looking thing is called 개불 (pronounced kae-buhl)....translation: "dog (개) testicles (불)". You can guess why.

Monday (today) is a holiday, so no school! However, the new year starts tomorrow. I'm not as excited this year because I'm going to have more classes than last, as well as am teaching all the grades now instead of just 2nd and 3rd grade. This means their level of abilities will vary more, and my lessons will either have to be adjusted or I will have to make them for the 1st graders and teach the same thing to 2nd and 3rd. I suppose I could make a different, more difficult lesson for the higher grades, but I really don't want to do the extra work when they don't even get graded on my class anyways.

I have to prepare a small speech for the parents of the incoming 1st graders, but the best thing is that only half of the incoming 3rd graders have had me as a teacher, and none of the incoming 1st and 2nd graders have. This lets me start on a new slate, and allows me to be a little more intimidating. (Also, I can reuse some of my old lessons on them!) I already have lessons done for the month of March and some of April. I just have to teach until late May and then my contract is over by the start of June! Time to start really thinking about the summer and next year! As of tomorrow I've been here 9 months! Only 3 left!

Wow, this has been quick! Time sure flies when you are having fun!