"Gold"

Kim Yuna wins the gold!

김연아!, 김연아!, 김연아!

Queen Yuna, a Gunpo native, was in perfect form, despite all the stresses placed upon her. She even reigned over all with a World Record score 228.56.

Sadly, I was the first one to inform my teachers that Kim Yuna won the gold. They even commented "how did Nick know before us?"

 

By Geoffrey Fowler 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – South Korea's Kim Yu-Na proved unstoppable during her free skate program on Thursday, as she clinched the Olympic gold medal in figure skating.


South Korea's Kim Yu-Na performs during the women's free skating event.

Ms. Kim left no points behind on the ice, as she skated one flawless jump after another, including the triple flip, which had been the nemesis of both her and her coach, former Olympian Brian Orser. Her score of 228.56 set a new record in the sport.

A series of minute mistakes set her closest rivals far behind her in the final tally. Japan's Mao Asada took the silver, with 205.5 points, after a slight slip on one jump.

Canada's Joannie Rochette, who stole the hearts of the audience for continuing to skate after the recent death of her mother, won the bronze with 202.64 points.

It'll be interesting to see the reaction in the ROK, as she's been hyped-up by Koreans from the moment I stepped off the plane. Since she's from Gunpo, I wonder if the city will do anything special. She'll probably have some sort of ceremony in Seoul when she returns, and odds are that it will bring hundreds of thousands of people wanting to get a glimpse of her.

"Goodbye To You"

I don't think I'll ever really enjoy this time of the year in Korea.

First off, it's the transition into a new school year. New school year means new teachers...foreign and domestic. Friday marked the end of our schools year, and I found out that about 10 teachers were leaving. Most teachers only stay at a school for a maximum of 4 years before having to teach at a new school. I really don't understand the reasons why, because they might have to change their commutes and sometimes their homes if the commute is too unbearable. For others it works for the best - the new school is closer to home. They do have choices though - and since it's the same for other schools, odds are they'll get a position within a 20 minute commute if they wish.

Our school held a going away party. 4 of my favorite teachers (the ones my age, and one who is older) all are leaving. These are the ones I talk to at lunch, and enjoy the most - yet, go figure, they are leaving while the ones I dislike the most are staying. Cruel world....
At dinner we enjoyed the typical grilled delights such as samgyeopsal and pork ribs, but also was treated to.....duck! It was amazingly delicious. (I'll admit, when they first said we were having "BBQ duck", I misheard the accent and thought they said BBQ dog!) I'm glad I was mistaken!

I'm also saying goodbye to some close foreign teachers as their contracts end in March. So that's sad, but I'm hoping to meet some new people, as I've seen some newer faces around. Hopefully they are the friendly open-minded kind unlike a lot of foreigners I've been running into or hearing about lately.

Side Note of Ranting: If you are reading this and planning on coming to Korea, please be courteous, respectful, and open-minded about things. The last thing people like me want to hear is constant complaining about Korea. If you dislike it -- LEAVE. Do it for the sake of the students, teachers, peers, and the general public. Don't come here if all you want to do is drink and party cheaply while maintaining a decent paying, relatively easy job. Korea doesn't need more "drunken frat boys" - that's what the U.S. military presence here feels like to the Koreans and it's not liked.

Another thing I'm not really enjoying this time of year is the weather. It's one thing that the weather is similar to New England (albeit not as nice), but similarly to back home it is temperamental. It can be blistering cold and windy one day, snowing or rain the next, and then days like today are unseasonably warm. If Forrest Gump was from Korea, he would say it's "like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gunna get."

The worst thing about this is you can't really make plans to be outdoors during the winter. But, that's ok, because there's never anything to do in the winter. It's probably the worst time to come up with date ideas besides dinner and movies. (Yes, feel bad for my girlfriend that I can be completely unoriginal for date ideas).

Since we were going to be in Hongdae on Saturday evening for a friend's going away party, we decided to just spend time in the city before-hand. Hwayoung took me to a very famous noodle restaurant in Insadong. It was dirt cheap, but scrumptious! Homemade noodles, and mandu (dumplings)! Two of my favorite things here. They were so good - and it was worth waiting only 10 minutes in line for.

Afterward we walked more and got some really good coffee around Insadong and took the same route as our second date, remarking along the way about how we remember doing this before in October, but it felt like we've known one another for 2 years. ^^

After buying some treats to send back home (yes, Mom and Dad expect a package in about 15 days), we headed off to Hongdae early in hopes to maybe go bowling. Instead we played pocket-ball (pool). Hwayoung is becoming addicted to it and I'll admit I am as well. I think we're both improving greatly at the game.

That night we met up with our friends and enjoyed more galbi (grilled meat), some drinks, and then...NOREBANG! (Karaoke room).

We sang our lungs out for the rest of the evening - Just a fun Saturday all around.

Sunday was filled with watching the Olympics - we saw Korea win more medals in short track and speed skating - mostly won by high school students -- good for them, no problem.

When it comes to the Olympic spirit on Korea, I do have some gripes though.

 

I have no problem rooting for Korea, even if the US is competing against them. In cases such as Apolo Anton Ohno (Korea's arch-enemy next to Kim Il Jung) I can still cheer on Korea. (for some reason Ohno comes off as an egotistical jerk to me - and I can't really tell why).

However, here's my beef. The announcers on SBS (the Korea channel covering the Olympics) were saying (in Korean) that "Korea is the best" and no one can beat them. Sometime U.S. announcers wouldn't say as it sounds arrogant and unprofessional. The also were questioning Ohno's every move. They were saying things like "Look at Apolo, he just wants to touch the Korean skater in another illegal move like he did in the other race". Korea is dead set against him as they believed he cheated his way to the gold medal in 2002 by using "Hollywood acting" skills and causing the Korean skater to be DQ'd.

I don't know, you be the judge. 

The act in question is at the 4:13 mark, and then replayed

By the way - keep your eyes open for Kim Yuna! She's going to be great and possibly will bring Korea it's first gold medal in figure skating!

"Olympic Fanfare"

Around mid-February of every year the inevitable happens. I get sick.

I usually do not relate myself to a superhero, but when it comes to getting ill, I usually exhibit characteristics all too similar to Superman - nothing can hurt me.

February seems to be my kryptonite.

So, as I'm writing this, I have been curled up in bed for two days. So bear with me if I begin to sound delusional.

This weekend is overloaded with events. For one,  it's the national holiday of Lunar New Year until Monday, so businesses are closed, the subways are empty, and people are gathered at their parent's homes playing games, eating great food, and doing traditional Korean thing.

This weekend is also Valentine's Day. Korea celebrates Valentine's Day as well. But unlike the U.S., Valentine's Day is when women do the gift-giving. Men do it a month later on March 14th - also called "White Day". Which I'm sure I'll post about in a month!

On Friday Hwayoung wanted to meet me in Insadong, the highly artsy area of Seoul about an hour from my apartment. Even though I had been experiencing the beginning stages of my flu-like symptoms, I shrugged them off and agreed to join her. She had told me earlier this was her Valentine's Day plan for me.

But before I get to explaining the day, please allow me to ramble for a moment.

I don't like Valentine's Day. Not because of the pressures involved, the planning, gift shopping, etc. -- I can deal with that.  It's the fact that it's now a corporate holiday that's sole purpose is now intended for companies to force you to spend money between Christmas and Easter, during an other-wise dull shopping season. It originally was a holiday just to celebrate love and somewhere along the lines was mutated into what it is today. Sure, slap on the religious affiliation of "St. Valentine" and make women despise you for "not loving" them enough on that day if you see it for the fabrication it is today (or fail to buy them something "from the heart"). Frankly the whole thing is no longer meaningful especially when you apply the feelings of coercion and guilt if you don't conform to the masses. I don't need a special day that I'm "supposed" to tell someone I love them. I can do that any day. I'd rather be spontaneous and make any ol' day a romantic one. Valentine's Day becomes cliche in a sense, and instead of it being a day to express your love, it becomes a day you're being forced to or stigmatized for it.

Disclaimer: If you're angry with my opinion, I could care less. (also, you can attribute it to my current state of sickness which I will gladly use as my "get-out-of-jail" card with those angry ladies out there who I'm sure will beg to differ with my opinion and possibly use words like "unromantic" to describe me. ...in which case you are wrong).

Hwayoung understands I don't care for the holiday, but I have a feeling she (like most women) does. I do my best to make her happy...

Her surprise for me was that we go to a ceramics studio together and paint gifts for one another.
This is something I am totally for. I've been involved in ceramics for quite some years thanks to family (yes, that's you Natalie). We chose to make each other coffee mugs, however, I haven't painted in quite a while - especially not on rounded surfaces. These are not that easy to do when you are as bad as me when it comes to fine motor skills. Luckily, we could add outline decals that were offered, but they seemed to impersonal for me. Hwayoung seemed to use about 50 of them, while I only used 4! I tried to do my best by hand, but I didn't really like the outcome. She did though, which is all I can ask for.

They have to be fired, and we can pick them up next weekend. So I'll post more about them when I get the final product.

This weekend also starts off the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. I didn't get to see the opening ceremonies, but laying in bed today I witnessed Korea take home a gold and silver medal in speed skating. Lee Jung Su beat out the USA to take home the gold. Korea almost swept the medals but 2 skaters crashed around the last bend of the final lap. It was heartbreaking to watch.

If Korea has an abundance of one thing it is national pride. I'm excited to be here during these games and find myself rooting for South Korea.

 I can also say that I was in Korea when they led the medal count! So what if it was after the first few events. They were still in the lead!

The biggest event will be women's figure skating. Korea's national treasure is Kim Yuna aka "Queen Yuna". She's a teenage idol, spokesperson for many Korean businesses, and all around goddess that everyone adores.

I posted about her back in October 2009 - click here to read it.

She's originally from Gunpo, so the city will be vibrant with energy should she win the gold. It would also be South Korea's first gold in figure skating.

I'll probably be posting more in the next few days, but for now I'll be resting in bed.

Remember to root for Korea and the USA!

Also, thank you to Stephen Colbert, who promoted sponsoring the U.S. Speed-skating team through viewer donations when they lost their primary sponsor.