Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Ulsan
So it's my Hagwons holiday. I have come to Ulsan for a few days to visit Hi-Jin. The train ride was about 6 hours and it was beautiful. Couch surfing with some cool people. The vibe down here is much different. Beach is closer so it seems the foreigners here are a little more chill and laid back hippy types. Also met a few people that aren't teachers but engineers. Interesting to see what kind of work can bring you around the world. One guy had been all over the middle east and other places with his company on projects that last a few months each. He's been in Korea 3 years on consecutive 10 month projects.
Saturday night before I came down here I went to Hongdae with some friends and had another long fun night! Bars that are all foreigners are a little annoying sometimes though. Some really odd and obnoxious people. But I guess that's the type that come here. I was talking about it last night with the foreigners here in Ulsan. That the 3 basic types are those that come for the culture, those that come for the money, and those that come because they don't fit in back home... or any combination thereof. Def can spot the type that don't fit in back home pretty easily. I get asked so much about the culture shock coming here but I'm certain its going to be going home that's gunna be weird to be honest. There are so many people here so squished together and it still seems to all work and flow. Korean's get dogged on a lot for lack of planning or organization but so far everything for me has been fine. Just gotta float with the currents around here and you'll be fine.
A real blog and lots of photos upon my return to Seoul. Just wanted to give a little update on where I am. Going to the beach and a really pretty park today with Hi-Jin so I'm sure I'll be taking a lot of pictures!
Saturday night before I came down here I went to Hongdae with some friends and had another long fun night! Bars that are all foreigners are a little annoying sometimes though. Some really odd and obnoxious people. But I guess that's the type that come here. I was talking about it last night with the foreigners here in Ulsan. That the 3 basic types are those that come for the culture, those that come for the money, and those that come because they don't fit in back home... or any combination thereof. Def can spot the type that don't fit in back home pretty easily. I get asked so much about the culture shock coming here but I'm certain its going to be going home that's gunna be weird to be honest. There are so many people here so squished together and it still seems to all work and flow. Korean's get dogged on a lot for lack of planning or organization but so far everything for me has been fine. Just gotta float with the currents around here and you'll be fine.
A real blog and lots of photos upon my return to Seoul. Just wanted to give a little update on where I am. Going to the beach and a really pretty park today with Hi-Jin so I'm sure I'll be taking a lot of pictures!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Dragon and the magnetic soap
Short entry tonight. Tonight marks the first day of the vacation for my hagwon and many others. Most of my coteachers are going off to cool places like China, Japan, Taiwan, Italy, Germany, etc. Well this vacation came a bit to soon so I'm sticking around. Going down to Ulsan which is a city in the south of Korea for a few days. Going to couch surf and visit with Hi-Jin.
Tonight we had a work party and the only person who wasn't going home to pack for a trip was the only person younger and new than me. She's only been here a week and is 22. I am no longer the youngest at the school! So her and I went to wander Nowon and attempt to find the bar when we ran into some coworkers that weren't at the work party. Went to 2 of the same bars we went to last week. The funny thing was we couldn't find one we were looking for so we went into another bar to ask, Dragon bar. First we asked a guy named Alvin (name tag said so) who had big dorky glasses and looked like one of the chipmunks. He didn't know so we asked a guy behind the bar. He came out from behind the bar and walked us there! Can you believe it?! And he wasn't the first guy to do that. A guy at a umbrella kiosk did too but we were looking for Metro bar and he took us to the subway (metro) station so we said thanks and kept looking. So anyway, the bartender comes out from the bar and starts leading us as he's taking off his name tag! He tells us his name is Dragon and he is part time. Then he says it is his bar, then he says it isn't, then it is but he is part time... we said "part time owner?"and he said yea. We didn't really know if he was just messing with us.
So we get to Metro bar and the guy who did the fire show last week was standing outside and Dragon says hi and the fire guy slings his arm around him and tells us all about how he was like a father and taught him everything and so on and so forth. Apparently Dragon works at both bars? Or the bars have the same owners? I have no idea... something that made it seem somewhat less weird for a bartender to just leave his post and come to another bar. He hung around the bar for at least half an hour after we got there too! Anyhow at Metro bar we ran into more people we know because it was all foreigners.
This is where I saw the magnetic soap. Yea... I dunno. Sounds like not a big deal but i found it pretty odd. It was a bar of soap with a magnet on top so it was hanging from a little thing ont he wall. Sometimes I swear everything is backwards in Korea. Upsidedown soap... why not just a soap dish? Who knows. It was cute though.
Then we went back to the first bar to meet some friends of my coteacher. There was a very enthusiastic Italian guy visiting them. He tried to show us his Irish accent... it sounded like everything but an Irish man. Then he found out I wanted to go to France and we had a way too long conversation about how France sucks... or at least how "Italy might not be the best, but it is better than France!" basically everything good France has, they stole from Italy. Ha! Even Nice apparently is so close to Italy its basically Italian. Oh man. Then he accused me of wanting to go there because I love Canadian men. The logic in that I still haven't figured out.
In any case. Hopefully lots of photos to come over my break!
Tonight we had a work party and the only person who wasn't going home to pack for a trip was the only person younger and new than me. She's only been here a week and is 22. I am no longer the youngest at the school! So her and I went to wander Nowon and attempt to find the bar when we ran into some coworkers that weren't at the work party. Went to 2 of the same bars we went to last week. The funny thing was we couldn't find one we were looking for so we went into another bar to ask, Dragon bar. First we asked a guy named Alvin (name tag said so) who had big dorky glasses and looked like one of the chipmunks. He didn't know so we asked a guy behind the bar. He came out from behind the bar and walked us there! Can you believe it?! And he wasn't the first guy to do that. A guy at a umbrella kiosk did too but we were looking for Metro bar and he took us to the subway (metro) station so we said thanks and kept looking. So anyway, the bartender comes out from the bar and starts leading us as he's taking off his name tag! He tells us his name is Dragon and he is part time. Then he says it is his bar, then he says it isn't, then it is but he is part time... we said "part time owner?"and he said yea. We didn't really know if he was just messing with us.
So we get to Metro bar and the guy who did the fire show last week was standing outside and Dragon says hi and the fire guy slings his arm around him and tells us all about how he was like a father and taught him everything and so on and so forth. Apparently Dragon works at both bars? Or the bars have the same owners? I have no idea... something that made it seem somewhat less weird for a bartender to just leave his post and come to another bar. He hung around the bar for at least half an hour after we got there too! Anyhow at Metro bar we ran into more people we know because it was all foreigners.
This is where I saw the magnetic soap. Yea... I dunno. Sounds like not a big deal but i found it pretty odd. It was a bar of soap with a magnet on top so it was hanging from a little thing ont he wall. Sometimes I swear everything is backwards in Korea. Upsidedown soap... why not just a soap dish? Who knows. It was cute though.
Then we went back to the first bar to meet some friends of my coteacher. There was a very enthusiastic Italian guy visiting them. He tried to show us his Irish accent... it sounded like everything but an Irish man. Then he found out I wanted to go to France and we had a way too long conversation about how France sucks... or at least how "Italy might not be the best, but it is better than France!" basically everything good France has, they stole from Italy. Ha! Even Nice apparently is so close to Italy its basically Italian. Oh man. Then he accused me of wanting to go there because I love Canadian men. The logic in that I still haven't figured out.
In any case. Hopefully lots of photos to come over my break!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Galbi, Fire, Gin and Dance
Sorry for the delay folks (aka parents who emailed me about my lack of blogging). I lost my internet and well... its still gone but thanks to a hot tip from a friend I realized I can get a wireless signal from my balcony. So here is a long one for the last few days:
Ok so Friday night I went out with some friends after work. Friends I met through a coteacher. The teacher that got me this job in the first place came out too and it was so nice to meet him. So we went out for galbi. Photo bellow that is not mine. Stole it from another blog here hope that's ok... It's the closest photo I saw to what we ate.
Anyway so they cook it right in the middle in one piece and then you cut it with scissors and then you get a couple awesome sauces and some lettuce to wrap it in. Just grab the meat (ours was pork) and other items (we had kimchi, garlic, and salad) with your chopsticks and put it in the lettuce, wrap it up and try not to make a huge mess. It was sooo good. I had dak (chicken) galbi tonight with my co teacher and a couple other friends and that was really good as well. Sooo much galbi. Mmm.
So with the galbi dinner Friday night we took shots of soju in the traditional Korean fashion (mostly) and were feeling quite good leaving. Oh yes and I forgot to mention, it was raining cats and dogs and I almost couldn't go in the first place but my school's owner gave me his umbrella! Such a nice man! After we ate it finally stopped though. I was hearing today this storm season is the worst in 100 years for Korea...
So after dinner those of us troopers went out to a bar. All of this was happening in Nowon-gu where my school is located and I'm moving next month. Nowon definitely has a lot more going on than where I currently live, Dobong-gu. Looots of foreigners. It was really quite weird seeing so many, just like last time I was out. The bartenders did a pretty dramatic and drawn out show spinning bottles and making this tiny little shot stacked up on a bunch of glasses and lighting the whole thing on fire and spitting fire and all that. I was so impressed but apparently its kind of par for the course around here. My friend told me its kind of part of the job here and most of the bars have a fire show. Huh... kind of odd considering they don't even make tips! Guess they get paid pretty decent. I don't know. I had a delicious mudslide. I thought it fitting since we had just eaten some ice cream from the gas station (all the ice cream shops were closed). I had a chocolate covered green tea bar. mmmm. We ran into some coteachers from the same school as us (the Nowon side that we merged with) who were out for a going away party for the guy whose position I'm taking actually.
Oh yes and before the ice cream and the bar I used my first squatter toilet. It wasn't that bad.
So then we went to a different bar. It had a luxury toilet in comparison. Wow... soap and a hand towel. Oh and a squishy toilet seat like grandmas have. Seriously. Luxury. Anyhow, enough about toilets. The Nowon teachers had all migrated to this bar so I chatted with them some. Then these 2 Korean guys were talking to me and a friend at a different table and were super excited, said we were the first foreign girls they had talked to. My friend orders a gin and tonic... the bartenders bring out a bottle. She says I didn't order this! And the Korean guys were like no no its fine! Drink. Then she went to the bar and I was talking with the Nowon teachers and the Korean guys brought the bottle over for us all to drink. It's not till we get to the end of the bottle and the bartender wants money for it that these guys start asking everyone for money! Oh it was a huge fiasco with arguing in Korean and English. It really was a sneaky stunt. We each ended up giving them 10,000 won (less than 10 bucks) just to get them to shut up (the bottle I think was around 150,000 won). One girl only had 5,000 in her wallet and didn't want to give them that and was really sticking it to them about how she didn't order it and they just stuck it on our table. We all knew she was right but a half an hour had passed and we were just sick of them.
So me and 3 friends just left and went to a 3rd bar to dance. That was really fun. Everyone seemed really cool just dancing with whoever there. This group of Korean girls we didn't know just ended up dancing with us for a while. Finished the night after a Heineken at around 5 am. Then the one Korean friend in my group of 4 survivors for the night drove us to McDonalds for some breakfast and then home. Got in around 6 am. This bars not closing thing here is nuts! Its especially weird though considering the subways stop... literally stop, at midnight. No matter where you are. Just stop and off you go.
Saturday I was... "resting". lol. Sunday I was supposed to hang with a friend but she was... "resting" from her Saturday night. She went to the same bar I did a few weeks ago that looks like a cave. But then Sunday night I went out with my friend Hi-Jin and shopped around her area. Tried to buy some clothes but... I dunno. I really like the styles here when I see them on other people but its harder when I have to think of what I want to wear. The clothes aren't that different but I'm already so picky. I think I have to give myself time to wrap my brain around this new clothing direction I'll have to take. I did buy some cute blush and nailpolish. Gave myself a French manicure that turned out alright until a busted pen in my bag ruined my nails before I even got to work. Oh well.
I made it there alright. I have to take a bus to the subway from where I am and then the subway to her. Got back on the subway alright. But once I got off I couldn't find the bus I needed so I just took a taxi home. Kinda sucked.
I got my new schedule and all of my classes are completely different, even most of the books I'll be teaching with. Kind of sad and frustrated but I'll figure it out. At least I'll be ending work at 7 instead of 9 and I will be living in Nowon near a subway station. I want to do something... like Korean lessons and maybe one other thing. Perhaps some sort of fitness class or guitar lessons. Or why not all 3! We'll see what I can find and for what prices.
I'm learning Korean so slowly even though I feel like I'm pushing myself really hard. Maybe its a slow start because of still getting used to the new sounds and characters cus at this rate... oh boy. There was a word I've been studying from the first chapter of my book that means "office worker". Well I needed it today in class and I totally didn't remember it. A girl translated something wrong for her dad's job and wrote "My dad is express." Turns out she wanted to say office worker, and wrote the word in Korean on the board for me. It was vocab from chapter one and I just didn't remember until I was like... that looks familiar and went back to the teachers room to grab my book. I felt like such a dummy. I'm not used to anything being so hard after all this effort! (except maybe art history). I need to kick Korean's ass. Grrr. I will learn this language before I leave if it kills me! At least enough to converse!
That class is my favorite btw. 3 older girls, maybe around 11 or so. There were so ecstatic to see my Korean book and asked me to speak Korean to them on the break. "No Korean allowed during class!" I had to remind them because they stopped everything to giggle and ask me to talk!
OHHHHH!! And my hilarious tidbit for today. I gave me lowest level class (aside from kindergarten) a little practice spelling test. The youngest girl got the highest grade, 12/20. Then the 2 next best students (one of which was the girls older sister) got 8/20 and the other 2 who don't pay attention much in class got 2/20! Didn't even spell dog right! I'm talking the words were like, dog, cat, cow, horse, bird, running, jumping, eating, etc. The girl that got 12/20 was still very close with all the ones she got wrong. The 2 kids with 2/20 weren't even in the ballpark with most of the words!! I literally could not recognize almost any.
Ok so anyway the word was "quack".
the boy writes "kyke"
the girl writes "cok"
wow. they managed to make 2 completely different explicit words off of the same completely innocent one.
Ahh the life of an English teacher.
Ok so Friday night I went out with some friends after work. Friends I met through a coteacher. The teacher that got me this job in the first place came out too and it was so nice to meet him. So we went out for galbi. Photo bellow that is not mine. Stole it from another blog here hope that's ok... It's the closest photo I saw to what we ate.
Anyway so they cook it right in the middle in one piece and then you cut it with scissors and then you get a couple awesome sauces and some lettuce to wrap it in. Just grab the meat (ours was pork) and other items (we had kimchi, garlic, and salad) with your chopsticks and put it in the lettuce, wrap it up and try not to make a huge mess. It was sooo good. I had dak (chicken) galbi tonight with my co teacher and a couple other friends and that was really good as well. Sooo much galbi. Mmm.
So with the galbi dinner Friday night we took shots of soju in the traditional Korean fashion (mostly) and were feeling quite good leaving. Oh yes and I forgot to mention, it was raining cats and dogs and I almost couldn't go in the first place but my school's owner gave me his umbrella! Such a nice man! After we ate it finally stopped though. I was hearing today this storm season is the worst in 100 years for Korea...
So after dinner those of us troopers went out to a bar. All of this was happening in Nowon-gu where my school is located and I'm moving next month. Nowon definitely has a lot more going on than where I currently live, Dobong-gu. Looots of foreigners. It was really quite weird seeing so many, just like last time I was out. The bartenders did a pretty dramatic and drawn out show spinning bottles and making this tiny little shot stacked up on a bunch of glasses and lighting the whole thing on fire and spitting fire and all that. I was so impressed but apparently its kind of par for the course around here. My friend told me its kind of part of the job here and most of the bars have a fire show. Huh... kind of odd considering they don't even make tips! Guess they get paid pretty decent. I don't know. I had a delicious mudslide. I thought it fitting since we had just eaten some ice cream from the gas station (all the ice cream shops were closed). I had a chocolate covered green tea bar. mmmm. We ran into some coteachers from the same school as us (the Nowon side that we merged with) who were out for a going away party for the guy whose position I'm taking actually.
Oh yes and before the ice cream and the bar I used my first squatter toilet. It wasn't that bad.
So then we went to a different bar. It had a luxury toilet in comparison. Wow... soap and a hand towel. Oh and a squishy toilet seat like grandmas have. Seriously. Luxury. Anyhow, enough about toilets. The Nowon teachers had all migrated to this bar so I chatted with them some. Then these 2 Korean guys were talking to me and a friend at a different table and were super excited, said we were the first foreign girls they had talked to. My friend orders a gin and tonic... the bartenders bring out a bottle. She says I didn't order this! And the Korean guys were like no no its fine! Drink. Then she went to the bar and I was talking with the Nowon teachers and the Korean guys brought the bottle over for us all to drink. It's not till we get to the end of the bottle and the bartender wants money for it that these guys start asking everyone for money! Oh it was a huge fiasco with arguing in Korean and English. It really was a sneaky stunt. We each ended up giving them 10,000 won (less than 10 bucks) just to get them to shut up (the bottle I think was around 150,000 won). One girl only had 5,000 in her wallet and didn't want to give them that and was really sticking it to them about how she didn't order it and they just stuck it on our table. We all knew she was right but a half an hour had passed and we were just sick of them.
So me and 3 friends just left and went to a 3rd bar to dance. That was really fun. Everyone seemed really cool just dancing with whoever there. This group of Korean girls we didn't know just ended up dancing with us for a while. Finished the night after a Heineken at around 5 am. Then the one Korean friend in my group of 4 survivors for the night drove us to McDonalds for some breakfast and then home. Got in around 6 am. This bars not closing thing here is nuts! Its especially weird though considering the subways stop... literally stop, at midnight. No matter where you are. Just stop and off you go.
Saturday I was... "resting". lol. Sunday I was supposed to hang with a friend but she was... "resting" from her Saturday night. She went to the same bar I did a few weeks ago that looks like a cave. But then Sunday night I went out with my friend Hi-Jin and shopped around her area. Tried to buy some clothes but... I dunno. I really like the styles here when I see them on other people but its harder when I have to think of what I want to wear. The clothes aren't that different but I'm already so picky. I think I have to give myself time to wrap my brain around this new clothing direction I'll have to take. I did buy some cute blush and nailpolish. Gave myself a French manicure that turned out alright until a busted pen in my bag ruined my nails before I even got to work. Oh well.
I made it there alright. I have to take a bus to the subway from where I am and then the subway to her. Got back on the subway alright. But once I got off I couldn't find the bus I needed so I just took a taxi home. Kinda sucked.
I got my new schedule and all of my classes are completely different, even most of the books I'll be teaching with. Kind of sad and frustrated but I'll figure it out. At least I'll be ending work at 7 instead of 9 and I will be living in Nowon near a subway station. I want to do something... like Korean lessons and maybe one other thing. Perhaps some sort of fitness class or guitar lessons. Or why not all 3! We'll see what I can find and for what prices.
I'm learning Korean so slowly even though I feel like I'm pushing myself really hard. Maybe its a slow start because of still getting used to the new sounds and characters cus at this rate... oh boy. There was a word I've been studying from the first chapter of my book that means "office worker". Well I needed it today in class and I totally didn't remember it. A girl translated something wrong for her dad's job and wrote "My dad is express." Turns out she wanted to say office worker, and wrote the word in Korean on the board for me. It was vocab from chapter one and I just didn't remember until I was like... that looks familiar and went back to the teachers room to grab my book. I felt like such a dummy. I'm not used to anything being so hard after all this effort! (except maybe art history). I need to kick Korean's ass. Grrr. I will learn this language before I leave if it kills me! At least enough to converse!
That class is my favorite btw. 3 older girls, maybe around 11 or so. There were so ecstatic to see my Korean book and asked me to speak Korean to them on the break. "No Korean allowed during class!" I had to remind them because they stopped everything to giggle and ask me to talk!
OHHHHH!! And my hilarious tidbit for today. I gave me lowest level class (aside from kindergarten) a little practice spelling test. The youngest girl got the highest grade, 12/20. Then the 2 next best students (one of which was the girls older sister) got 8/20 and the other 2 who don't pay attention much in class got 2/20! Didn't even spell dog right! I'm talking the words were like, dog, cat, cow, horse, bird, running, jumping, eating, etc. The girl that got 12/20 was still very close with all the ones she got wrong. The 2 kids with 2/20 weren't even in the ballpark with most of the words!! I literally could not recognize almost any.
Ok so anyway the word was "quack".
the boy writes "kyke"
the girl writes "cok"
wow. they managed to make 2 completely different explicit words off of the same completely innocent one.
Ahh the life of an English teacher.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Photos! Photos! Photos! Hongdae and the River
To go with the blog I wrote yesterday. You can click on any of them to see them bigger!
Hongdae and the free market:
Hotdog & Pie, how American!
The noodles on ice I wrote about yesterday! You mix in all the spices and then just slurp it up. Mmm...
****************************
Hongik University and surroundings:
Hun, Me, Hi-Jin
It was a running gag the rest of the day that I just loooved mirrors. The whole ceiling of the book center was mirrored, they said I must be in heaven. :P I don't know why I didn't take a photo there! I think it's because so many people were pushing around.
***********************
Random Sightings out and About:
Mushrooms, Snow White, Me, Hi-Jin... awesome.
There was a lady one without balls too!
Mr. American President and family endorsing this piano lessons studio?
Cafe Undo?
Will I ever get tired of the weird things I see in English?
SUBWAY!
Ewwww! Why!? and Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonalds (which delivers!), Papa Johns, Krispie Kream... wait, scratch those last two.. that's awesome!
Note the lines of police buses at his side...
LOOOOTS of cop buses on this and other streets because of the protests that have been happening. I didn't see anything though.
Almost like I'm back home in the.... hey wait a minute. Texas wouldn't have no dad gum purple bar!
************************
Attempts at artsy stuff:
Nature vs. Art
The Coming Rain
이 or 둘? (2 or 2?)
*****************************
Cheonggyecheon River:
Me soooo happy. Still naive to the fact that isn't a giant ice cream behind me... le sigh.
They were trying to get me to pose with the Cops. A little out of focus... you know. Just a bit...
Lots of stuff I cannot yet read.
Hi-Jin's got that intense look down while I've been working on my "American smiling tourist goofball holding up too many peace signs trying to fit in with Koreans" look. I think I've got it!
Let's see how I do in this one...
NAILED IT!
Miss you all. Wish you could visit. Start saving!! :D
Hongdae and the free market:
Hotdog & Pie, how American!
The noodles on ice I wrote about yesterday! You mix in all the spices and then just slurp it up. Mmm...
****************************
Hongik University and surroundings:
Hun, Me, Hi-Jin
It was a running gag the rest of the day that I just loooved mirrors. The whole ceiling of the book center was mirrored, they said I must be in heaven. :P I don't know why I didn't take a photo there! I think it's because so many people were pushing around.
***********************
Random Sightings out and About:
Mushrooms, Snow White, Me, Hi-Jin... awesome.
There was a lady one without balls too!
Mr. American President and family endorsing this piano lessons studio?
Cafe Undo?
Will I ever get tired of the weird things I see in English?
SUBWAY!
Ewwww! Why!? and Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonalds (which delivers!), Papa Johns, Krispie Kream... wait, scratch those last two.. that's awesome!
Note the lines of police buses at his side...
LOOOOTS of cop buses on this and other streets because of the protests that have been happening. I didn't see anything though.
Almost like I'm back home in the.... hey wait a minute. Texas wouldn't have no dad gum purple bar!
************************
Attempts at artsy stuff:
Nature vs. Art
The Coming Rain
이 or 둘? (2 or 2?)
*****************************
Cheonggyecheon River:
Me soooo happy. Still naive to the fact that isn't a giant ice cream behind me... le sigh.
They were trying to get me to pose with the Cops. A little out of focus... you know. Just a bit...
Lots of stuff I cannot yet read.
Hi-Jin's got that intense look down while I've been working on my "American smiling tourist goofball holding up too many peace signs trying to fit in with Koreans" look. I think I've got it!
Let's see how I do in this one...
NAILED IT!
Miss you all. Wish you could visit. Start saving!! :D
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Hongdae Free Market!
So I went to the free market today in Hongdae with Hi-Jin (pronounced He-Jin) and Hun. We took a bus to the subway station (my first time) and I got a T-Money card that can be used for all the transportation here. It is really easy because you don't have to slide it like the bus and metro cards back home, you just tap it. Anyhow. The market was pretty small but the crafts were very interesting. I had to stop myself from buying about 4 different kinds of earings and thins one really weird hand made doll... which I kind of regret not getting now because it was so cool! lol. After the free market we went to eat some noodles that were in a bowl with ice! It was really refreshing because it was pretty hot today and tasted pretty good!
After that we wandered around the Hongik University campus that was near the market. Apparently it has a good art program. I saw a lot of people walking around with instruments and there were some art projects still left up places from the final projects for the semeter. We also came at the end of a street performance dance thing. I didn't see anything but the dresses the girls wore were really cute.
Then we jumped back on the subway to go to this giant bookstore, the Kyobo Book Center. And a center it was. That place was FULL of people everywhere and just books and books and books. Some people were just chilling in the isles with their legs stretched out in front of them even with so many people, and everyone just would walk over them. So there was a huge foreign book selection, I'd say bigger than most mall book stores by at least double. There were a toooonnn of books to learn English so I picked what looked best for me and I can always go back for another if it doesn't work out. I was so surprised. In the states there was pretty much nothing, even when looking on line. I figured they just didn't exist. How silly of me!
Then we walked to Cheonggyecheon River. "Cheonggyecheon is a 6 km long man-made river near City Hall in downtown Seoul." haha. It is the spot I saw the post photos of when I used Google Earth before coming here to see 360 views. It was really kind of strange to think just last month I was sitting in the states imagining myself there. There were some German tourists walking behind us and its funny how massively tall they seemed when they were maybe at most 6'3''... but really I have no idea. I'm bad at guess that stuff. Anyhow. I dipped my toe in and it was freaking cold. Then we wandered and I finally bought a watch of the street. Went to a bus to get home. I picked up a pizza on the way and Hun and I ate it and watched an episode of scrubs. Now I am pretty much beat and my legs hurt but I have to go return these videos I rented.
Today was really awesome and I can't wait to use my new Korean book!
Video bellow.
After that we wandered around the Hongik University campus that was near the market. Apparently it has a good art program. I saw a lot of people walking around with instruments and there were some art projects still left up places from the final projects for the semeter. We also came at the end of a street performance dance thing. I didn't see anything but the dresses the girls wore were really cute.
Then we jumped back on the subway to go to this giant bookstore, the Kyobo Book Center. And a center it was. That place was FULL of people everywhere and just books and books and books. Some people were just chilling in the isles with their legs stretched out in front of them even with so many people, and everyone just would walk over them. So there was a huge foreign book selection, I'd say bigger than most mall book stores by at least double. There were a toooonnn of books to learn English so I picked what looked best for me and I can always go back for another if it doesn't work out. I was so surprised. In the states there was pretty much nothing, even when looking on line. I figured they just didn't exist. How silly of me!
Then we walked to Cheonggyecheon River. "Cheonggyecheon is a 6 km long man-made river near City Hall in downtown Seoul." haha. It is the spot I saw the post photos of when I used Google Earth before coming here to see 360 views. It was really kind of strange to think just last month I was sitting in the states imagining myself there. There were some German tourists walking behind us and its funny how massively tall they seemed when they were maybe at most 6'3''... but really I have no idea. I'm bad at guess that stuff. Anyhow. I dipped my toe in and it was freaking cold. Then we wandered and I finally bought a watch of the street. Went to a bus to get home. I picked up a pizza on the way and Hun and I ate it and watched an episode of scrubs. Now I am pretty much beat and my legs hurt but I have to go return these videos I rented.
Today was really awesome and I can't wait to use my new Korean book!
Video bellow.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Bad Day turned awesome
So it's a rare thing for me when a day can start out horribly and turn itself around.
If any of you know about my recent attempt at using a Diva Cup instead of tampons... well I'll spare you the details but needless to say it didn't go so well. I am really doubting the numerous rants and raves about how awesome it is. Totally not awesome. I had a terrible nights sleep because of having to wake up 3 times to deal with the darn thing. Then I think Friday is somehow "be loud early in the morning day" in my building because there was so much banging, and someone playing a keyboard. Usually I feel like the only person in the place because I don't hear a single sound. I kept thinking the banging was someone at my door. Glad I made the decision to ignore it because it wasn't. It was someone doing who knows what in another apartment. So I looked kind of like death this morning from the bad sleep.
Left to go try and buy a cell phone without my language buddy because he wasn't online all last night or this morning. The 1st store was locked... guy inside chatting on his phone, noon. Locked! Ok next closest store. I'm looking at cell phones on display. She asks me for my hand phone. I say no phone (she speaks no English). She tells me, Nowon station! I don't understand why cell phone store lady is telling me no phones there and to go somewhere else when I'm looking right at them. I'm pissed off and leave for work early so I can get help from my boss. News to me he gets in at the same time as me. Going early useless.
So I go to Paris Baguette (more pastries Monica? Why yes of course!) and see the most delicious looking garlic bread ever, and buy this weird rice pastry thing (turns out it has red bean filling which is very popular in pastries here. Its ok...) and an iced coffee to pick me up. Get back to school and WHHHATTT!! The garlic bread has sugar all over it. So dissapointing and confusing. It wasn't that bad but who would have thought someone could ruin garlic bread in such a creative way? Apparently the Korean looove their sugar. Enough to ruin some amazing garlic toast.
But my mood started to perk up just from eating something. Fast forward to the best time of the day. 6:00 snack time. There is always something odd being served. Yesterday was ham and cheese sandwhiches with potato salad on them (come again?). The other day was mini hambugers, another day was some traditional spicy Korean noodles, one day was really good fried rice. Anyhow, so what strolls into the teachers room in a little cart but SALMON SUSHI. Just big old chunks of raw salmon on some wasabi packed rice (for those of you paying attention yesterday, it is EXACTLY the sushi I was wishing for just last night). Wowowowow. It's "The Secret" paying off. :P I am learning. haha. Of course it wasn't that delicious because it was being served in a school but it was a delightful treat nonetheless.
So after that I have my 2 favorite classes, the older kids. And I will continue this via video blog!
small one from after I went to the store:
turns out there actually was a little kimchi in the middle. haha... ah korean food. I'll get used to it yet I think. :)
so the top video my head got cut a bit when I exported the file. Also, since the last video was such an awkward picture of the end, I attemted this time to smile at the end for the thumbnail view which in fact made me look MORE awkward. But sometimes it's the first part and sometimes its the end part in the thumbnail. I don't get it? Oh maybe cus I watched it... lol.
If any of you know about my recent attempt at using a Diva Cup instead of tampons... well I'll spare you the details but needless to say it didn't go so well. I am really doubting the numerous rants and raves about how awesome it is. Totally not awesome. I had a terrible nights sleep because of having to wake up 3 times to deal with the darn thing. Then I think Friday is somehow "be loud early in the morning day" in my building because there was so much banging, and someone playing a keyboard. Usually I feel like the only person in the place because I don't hear a single sound. I kept thinking the banging was someone at my door. Glad I made the decision to ignore it because it wasn't. It was someone doing who knows what in another apartment. So I looked kind of like death this morning from the bad sleep.
Left to go try and buy a cell phone without my language buddy because he wasn't online all last night or this morning. The 1st store was locked... guy inside chatting on his phone, noon. Locked! Ok next closest store. I'm looking at cell phones on display. She asks me for my hand phone. I say no phone (she speaks no English). She tells me, Nowon station! I don't understand why cell phone store lady is telling me no phones there and to go somewhere else when I'm looking right at them. I'm pissed off and leave for work early so I can get help from my boss. News to me he gets in at the same time as me. Going early useless.
So I go to Paris Baguette (more pastries Monica? Why yes of course!) and see the most delicious looking garlic bread ever, and buy this weird rice pastry thing (turns out it has red bean filling which is very popular in pastries here. Its ok...) and an iced coffee to pick me up. Get back to school and WHHHATTT!! The garlic bread has sugar all over it. So dissapointing and confusing. It wasn't that bad but who would have thought someone could ruin garlic bread in such a creative way? Apparently the Korean looove their sugar. Enough to ruin some amazing garlic toast.
But my mood started to perk up just from eating something. Fast forward to the best time of the day. 6:00 snack time. There is always something odd being served. Yesterday was ham and cheese sandwhiches with potato salad on them (come again?). The other day was mini hambugers, another day was some traditional spicy Korean noodles, one day was really good fried rice. Anyhow, so what strolls into the teachers room in a little cart but SALMON SUSHI. Just big old chunks of raw salmon on some wasabi packed rice (for those of you paying attention yesterday, it is EXACTLY the sushi I was wishing for just last night). Wowowowow. It's "The Secret" paying off. :P I am learning. haha. Of course it wasn't that delicious because it was being served in a school but it was a delightful treat nonetheless.
So after that I have my 2 favorite classes, the older kids. And I will continue this via video blog!
small one from after I went to the store:
turns out there actually was a little kimchi in the middle. haha... ah korean food. I'll get used to it yet I think. :)
so the top video my head got cut a bit when I exported the file. Also, since the last video was such an awkward picture of the end, I attemted this time to smile at the end for the thumbnail view which in fact made me look MORE awkward. But sometimes it's the first part and sometimes its the end part in the thumbnail. I don't get it? Oh maybe cus I watched it... lol.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
2nd video blog-SUSHI!
Excuse me looking horrible. :P
So the sushi was ok. LOL. I would have rather had some nice raw salmon inside as opposed to the cooked shrimp but it was still yummy. Now to finish watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Korean. I have the movie but it wasn't till just now that I put 2 and 2 together that the adorable guy that played Cedric is the same guy that played Edward in Twilight. How weird how he really doesn't look that different but they just made him look so creepy in a subtle way in Twilight that I didn't recognize him... hmm.
So the sushi was ok. LOL. I would have rather had some nice raw salmon inside as opposed to the cooked shrimp but it was still yummy. Now to finish watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Korean. I have the movie but it wasn't till just now that I put 2 and 2 together that the adorable guy that played Cedric is the same guy that played Edward in Twilight. How weird how he really doesn't look that different but they just made him look so creepy in a subtle way in Twilight that I didn't recognize him... hmm.
Mexican Night!
Ok so I must be tired, it took me like 3 tries to spell mexican right. I swear I'm dyslexic sometimes. I thought I had it straight on the second try but it said "mecixan" and it took my brain way too long to figure out why that was wrong...
Anyway. I was pleasantly surprised today with a last minute invite to eat Mexican at a friend's house with my coteachers and their friends. The food was delicious followed off with a million flavors of ice cream. Mmmm... Between the chocolates stashed in my desk, the candies the kids give me as presents all day, and the donuts someone brought at lunch (not to mention the deadly pastries for Paris Baguette that I managed to avoid today for a change) I'm probably going to get sugar shock one of these days.
As the days wear on I am seeing more and more I really enjoy my classes with the older kids the most. There is one class that is just 3 girls of about 11 or 12. One has been little miss actress the last couple days because I've had them make fake menus and stores and act out being the shop keepers and such. She was very enthusiastic, and it helped the other 2 get involved. I wish my other classes could be so easy. In this same class I had to explain what a real notebook was. Apparently that is a borrowed word they use for laptops here in Korea. I had to explain several times that we call them that too but the name came from a notebook, a book for notes and does not automatically mean a laptop. LOL.
I'm starting to have to get meaner to keep the kids in line and I don't want to be mean. But not to worry, "mean" for me is still too nice. I gotta toughen up. So far threats of extra homework work somewhat with the older kids.
Ah kids...
The taxi driver this morning spoke English very well and it kind of caught me off guard. He turned around and said "you can speak English to me". I never bother to ask because so far none have spoken English but he made me feel a little sheepish for not asking. Oh well. I didn't realize until that moment though how its kind of a relief to not speak the language! Once I knew the guy spoke English and he asked where I was from I was on edge the whole ride thinking I'd have to make more conversation! I don't know why, its not that I minded at all. Guess I'm just weird... :)
Anyway. I was pleasantly surprised today with a last minute invite to eat Mexican at a friend's house with my coteachers and their friends. The food was delicious followed off with a million flavors of ice cream. Mmmm... Between the chocolates stashed in my desk, the candies the kids give me as presents all day, and the donuts someone brought at lunch (not to mention the deadly pastries for Paris Baguette that I managed to avoid today for a change) I'm probably going to get sugar shock one of these days.
As the days wear on I am seeing more and more I really enjoy my classes with the older kids the most. There is one class that is just 3 girls of about 11 or 12. One has been little miss actress the last couple days because I've had them make fake menus and stores and act out being the shop keepers and such. She was very enthusiastic, and it helped the other 2 get involved. I wish my other classes could be so easy. In this same class I had to explain what a real notebook was. Apparently that is a borrowed word they use for laptops here in Korea. I had to explain several times that we call them that too but the name came from a notebook, a book for notes and does not automatically mean a laptop. LOL.
I'm starting to have to get meaner to keep the kids in line and I don't want to be mean. But not to worry, "mean" for me is still too nice. I gotta toughen up. So far threats of extra homework work somewhat with the older kids.
Ah kids...
The taxi driver this morning spoke English very well and it kind of caught me off guard. He turned around and said "you can speak English to me". I never bother to ask because so far none have spoken English but he made me feel a little sheepish for not asking. Oh well. I didn't realize until that moment though how its kind of a relief to not speak the language! Once I knew the guy spoke English and he asked where I was from I was on edge the whole ride thinking I'd have to make more conversation! I don't know why, its not that I minded at all. Guess I'm just weird... :)
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Haters!
So twice now I have been insulted about my choice to come to Korea. Once quite brazenly (though apologized for later, jury is out on how genuine that was...) and then again in a more subtle yet still biting way.
And I have to say I don't get it. I really don't. I think it's pure ignorance, or (dare I say) jealousy? (I go with the first though). If anyone thinks what I am doing here is a cop-out or is in any way avoiding my life I urge them to come try it. Try to teach kids English. Try to live in a country where few people know your language and survive the day. Where the food tastes different. Where even the written characters are different. Where addresses don't work the same way! Where a white face is rare and you get stared at! THIS IS NOT AVOIDING LIFE! I am experiencing new things, learning a new language, making new friends, trying new foods, and lets not forget, working really freakin hard! This experience is going to aid me in my life in so many innumerable ways. This isn't a vacation! This isn't some side step or a wasted year to file away as a loss. THIS IS MY LIFE.
I can't help but think the kind of people that look down on me for this will have the most horrible mid-life crisis you can imagine.... or maybe not. Maybe they will be perfectly content in the ho-hum routines of daily life. Never move, never change, never do anything but have a "career". Puff up their chests and go "I have a career!" Well great. Good for you. Me too. Who cares? You think you are better for staying on a set path? What is it about a "career" that is so great? Is it money? I'm making enough for my means. Is it the hard work? Check on that. Is it the... who knows? But it isn't any of that. It's the idea that "this is what I'm supposed to do and I am doing it so I am good. You are not so you are bad." And for people like that... wow. What a strange view of the world THAT is. "Supposed to do according to whom?" is always the question on my mind. Who sets these rules? Your parents? The governement? Your teachers? In the end none of it matters. No one is going to give you a gold star for staying on the track any more than they'll give me one for going off of it. Though I'd say I'm taking a different track rather than going off track.
But that's the way it always goes huh? The ones that are different get persecuted for it. I like to be different. I spent my childhood wishing to look like MORE of a minority or have read hair, or be awkwardly tall, or ridiculously smart. How awesome it is to be different! And here, I am different. And it suits me quite well. Because for the most part, I am a likable different here, or at the very least neutral. I'm not a weirdo... as far as they know. ;) And if they don't like me that's fine. I don't have time to deal with people that don't like me any more. I wasted so much of it worrying about it already. Time to learn to rise above it.
Just had to get that off my chest. On to thinking about more important people. Like the kids in my classes. As of now some are failing. It is quite bothersome to me. I will have to bring everything up to shape. This transition from the last teacher to me hasn't been easy for any of us, especially with me giving tests I hardly know anything about. For the next tests I hope to raise the scores. I so want to be a good teacher. And I will be.
It is a great challenge to get a group of kids who have already been in school for hours, possibly to other private schools before or after mine, and then have an impending mountain of homework from each and every teacher, to be interested in learning. I wouldn't be so motivated either! So this is my task. My challenge for this year. To make a bunch of overworked kids excited about English. Or at the very least, paying attention and doing well!
How could anyone think being a teacher is a anything BUT a career? Even if only a temporary one...
In any case. I am very happy with my choice to come here and there is really no need to care what anyone else feels about it.
OH YEA!! And I'm a registered alien now. Got my card today. Now I can open up a bank account and get a cell phone. Woohoo! I kinda like being an aaaallllliiiieeennnn!!! ooooooooo!!!
And I have to say I don't get it. I really don't. I think it's pure ignorance, or (dare I say) jealousy? (I go with the first though). If anyone thinks what I am doing here is a cop-out or is in any way avoiding my life I urge them to come try it. Try to teach kids English. Try to live in a country where few people know your language and survive the day. Where the food tastes different. Where even the written characters are different. Where addresses don't work the same way! Where a white face is rare and you get stared at! THIS IS NOT AVOIDING LIFE! I am experiencing new things, learning a new language, making new friends, trying new foods, and lets not forget, working really freakin hard! This experience is going to aid me in my life in so many innumerable ways. This isn't a vacation! This isn't some side step or a wasted year to file away as a loss. THIS IS MY LIFE.
I can't help but think the kind of people that look down on me for this will have the most horrible mid-life crisis you can imagine.... or maybe not. Maybe they will be perfectly content in the ho-hum routines of daily life. Never move, never change, never do anything but have a "career". Puff up their chests and go "I have a career!" Well great. Good for you. Me too. Who cares? You think you are better for staying on a set path? What is it about a "career" that is so great? Is it money? I'm making enough for my means. Is it the hard work? Check on that. Is it the... who knows? But it isn't any of that. It's the idea that "this is what I'm supposed to do and I am doing it so I am good. You are not so you are bad." And for people like that... wow. What a strange view of the world THAT is. "Supposed to do according to whom?" is always the question on my mind. Who sets these rules? Your parents? The governement? Your teachers? In the end none of it matters. No one is going to give you a gold star for staying on the track any more than they'll give me one for going off of it. Though I'd say I'm taking a different track rather than going off track.
But that's the way it always goes huh? The ones that are different get persecuted for it. I like to be different. I spent my childhood wishing to look like MORE of a minority or have read hair, or be awkwardly tall, or ridiculously smart. How awesome it is to be different! And here, I am different. And it suits me quite well. Because for the most part, I am a likable different here, or at the very least neutral. I'm not a weirdo... as far as they know. ;) And if they don't like me that's fine. I don't have time to deal with people that don't like me any more. I wasted so much of it worrying about it already. Time to learn to rise above it.
Just had to get that off my chest. On to thinking about more important people. Like the kids in my classes. As of now some are failing. It is quite bothersome to me. I will have to bring everything up to shape. This transition from the last teacher to me hasn't been easy for any of us, especially with me giving tests I hardly know anything about. For the next tests I hope to raise the scores. I so want to be a good teacher. And I will be.
It is a great challenge to get a group of kids who have already been in school for hours, possibly to other private schools before or after mine, and then have an impending mountain of homework from each and every teacher, to be interested in learning. I wouldn't be so motivated either! So this is my task. My challenge for this year. To make a bunch of overworked kids excited about English. Or at the very least, paying attention and doing well!
How could anyone think being a teacher is a anything BUT a career? Even if only a temporary one...
In any case. I am very happy with my choice to come here and there is really no need to care what anyone else feels about it.
OH YEA!! And I'm a registered alien now. Got my card today. Now I can open up a bank account and get a cell phone. Woohoo! I kinda like being an aaaallllliiiieeennnn!!! ooooooooo!!!
Monday, July 6, 2009
July 4th weekend wha?
Non existe pas dans Korea. I mean... ANIO! ANIO 4th of July in Hanguk!
Man I suck at pretty much all languages I've studied.
Speaking of which I signed up for a language exchange site where you can meet people that want to meet in your city to practice languages. I talked to one girl who I might meet next weekend and oddly enough, met a guy today who lived just a few blocks away and we went to the park and then had dinner. He is at the level that he can read any novel but has a hard time understanding and producing words. He learned in a public school and apparently all they teach is reading and writing. He has a hard time even understanding movies in English but said I am easier to understand than most people and movies. I was talking slower for a long time but he asked me to speed it up so he could here standard native speech, he's going to school in Jersey soon. I did a bit but it still took a while. I found myself thinking carefully about how to say things using words he would understand and avoiding idioms. We did a tiny bit of Korean but plan to do more next weekend when I bring my textbook. Today we just did a list of vocab words I wanted to learn, but I have most of them in my language learning program anyway.
The park we went to was very pretty and the walkways were that squishy red kind that I noticed were part of that really long biking/running trail that I saw on Google Earth follows the river really far up north from me and south! I think in America that stuff is kind of fancy but here it seems kind of standard. Oh man and there were a lot of little dogs. Apparently in Korea they are really what most people have. Though there is a sort of infamous giant dog that we saw in Hongdae on the way to the first bar that my friends told me about. It was pretty big and furry. Maybe a small step down from some of the great danes I saw in Philly though they disagreed whole-heartedly with the possibility of great danes being bigger. Who knows.
Ok so then anyway, my new language friend and I discussed obesity when I told him I didn't like dunkin donuts (I think that he thinks I am watching my weight because he said something again along the lines of "because you are thin" when I was full at dinner). He was shocked when I told him the obesity rates in America. He was also very confused when I tried to explain online classes and the fact that they weren't cheaper than regular university classes! He also thought it was funny that I wanted to travel and work on farms and thought that westerners travel much differently than Koreans and that it was "adorable". I tried to explain that it is weird in America too but I'm not sure if he understood because I went off on a tangent trying to explain what a subculture was. We also discussed how Americans don't really learn that much about other cultures. He thought that was odd since we help South Korea so much... yea... it is.
He showed me where a sushi place near me is. Oooh dangerous. I've already eaten kimbap (Korean's version of sushi) 3 times this week (once was tonight though I finally tried something different than the first 2 rolls since he ordered for us. It was beef though, it wasn't that great). With sushi and 2 kimbap places so close I think I might start growing seaweed out of the top of my head or something. MMMMMmmmmm. Ohh that reminds me. In the 1st bar in Hongdae, they gave these little boxes that look like the kind restaurants store suger packets in, full of thin seaweed pieces and a little pale yellow dipping sauce that was salty. Odd bar snack at first but it was really good!
That was my day today. I'm glad I did something because I got pretty bummed when I didn't hear from my coteacher about going out to the park, and the other person I was supposed to meet up with had left the house before I messaged her. This not having a cell phone thing is really hindering my friend making abilities but I will have one soon I hope.
Yesterday I didn't do much. Just rented a movie and hung around alone. Wooo hoo happy 4th.
Man I suck at pretty much all languages I've studied.
Speaking of which I signed up for a language exchange site where you can meet people that want to meet in your city to practice languages. I talked to one girl who I might meet next weekend and oddly enough, met a guy today who lived just a few blocks away and we went to the park and then had dinner. He is at the level that he can read any novel but has a hard time understanding and producing words. He learned in a public school and apparently all they teach is reading and writing. He has a hard time even understanding movies in English but said I am easier to understand than most people and movies. I was talking slower for a long time but he asked me to speed it up so he could here standard native speech, he's going to school in Jersey soon. I did a bit but it still took a while. I found myself thinking carefully about how to say things using words he would understand and avoiding idioms. We did a tiny bit of Korean but plan to do more next weekend when I bring my textbook. Today we just did a list of vocab words I wanted to learn, but I have most of them in my language learning program anyway.
The park we went to was very pretty and the walkways were that squishy red kind that I noticed were part of that really long biking/running trail that I saw on Google Earth follows the river really far up north from me and south! I think in America that stuff is kind of fancy but here it seems kind of standard. Oh man and there were a lot of little dogs. Apparently in Korea they are really what most people have. Though there is a sort of infamous giant dog that we saw in Hongdae on the way to the first bar that my friends told me about. It was pretty big and furry. Maybe a small step down from some of the great danes I saw in Philly though they disagreed whole-heartedly with the possibility of great danes being bigger. Who knows.
Ok so then anyway, my new language friend and I discussed obesity when I told him I didn't like dunkin donuts (I think that he thinks I am watching my weight because he said something again along the lines of "because you are thin" when I was full at dinner). He was shocked when I told him the obesity rates in America. He was also very confused when I tried to explain online classes and the fact that they weren't cheaper than regular university classes! He also thought it was funny that I wanted to travel and work on farms and thought that westerners travel much differently than Koreans and that it was "adorable". I tried to explain that it is weird in America too but I'm not sure if he understood because I went off on a tangent trying to explain what a subculture was. We also discussed how Americans don't really learn that much about other cultures. He thought that was odd since we help South Korea so much... yea... it is.
He showed me where a sushi place near me is. Oooh dangerous. I've already eaten kimbap (Korean's version of sushi) 3 times this week (once was tonight though I finally tried something different than the first 2 rolls since he ordered for us. It was beef though, it wasn't that great). With sushi and 2 kimbap places so close I think I might start growing seaweed out of the top of my head or something. MMMMMmmmmm. Ohh that reminds me. In the 1st bar in Hongdae, they gave these little boxes that look like the kind restaurants store suger packets in, full of thin seaweed pieces and a little pale yellow dipping sauce that was salty. Odd bar snack at first but it was really good!
That was my day today. I'm glad I did something because I got pretty bummed when I didn't hear from my coteacher about going out to the park, and the other person I was supposed to meet up with had left the house before I messaged her. This not having a cell phone thing is really hindering my friend making abilities but I will have one soon I hope.
Yesterday I didn't do much. Just rented a movie and hung around alone. Wooo hoo happy 4th.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Ho Barn 5
Ok so yesterday was such a long day I'm going to kill you readers with so much to read but here goes!
Had to go to school early at 9 am to go to immigration to get my ARC (alien registration card). I like being an alien to tell you the truth. It was weird going to all the whitey bars... but that is later in the story. Anyhow. It was very fast because we had an appointment. On the way there I saw this big group of old people with big sun hats on and yellow sashes like beauty queens that said who knows what. On the way back I saw this, what I thought was a wall, lined with all sorts of different old and colorful doors and as we drove by my jaw dropped as I looked up and up and up and realized the WHOLE building which was at least 7 stories high was completely covered in doors! I have NO IDEA where it was or how to find it again because the trip to the immigration office was a far one and I couldn't locate a street sign (a lot of streets don't have names here I think?? I dunno) In any case I want to track it down and take pcitures!
Edit: Just found this photo but still no indication of where it is!
Photo of the doors.
Also there was this motorcycle with what looked kinda like boxing gloves you put your hands in to get to the handles. That was weird. And a cop car with a banner light sign on the top. That's a smart idea though who knows what it was saying.
Anyhow fast forward to 12 hours later when I'm finally finishing up at school. One of the other coteachers that works the later shift too helped me get to the birthday dinner thank goodness, I had no idea where it was. Anyway so a huge group of us all went out for Shaboo Shaboo (my rough romanization) which is this Japanese thing. It kind of reminded me of fondue where you cook your own food only its a big soup pot with yummy broth. And you have all sorts of things that you have to throw in in order. First the veggies (all kinds of leafy greens and the thin and tall mushrooms) and then these fish cake things that looked like candy, all colorful and with designs on them in bright green and pink. You eat those for a while and then the meat, thinly sliced beef. Every just eats right out of the pot but also serves into little personal bowls too. When you are totally done eating that you add the noodles. At this point I was already pretty full! Then!!! The waitress comes and takes most of the stuff out and puts in this rice with other stuff and adds egg until it thinkens up and makes a kind of porridge. Most of the food was really good but by the time the porrige came I was really full and it smelled like dog food so I only tried a bit. On top of all that there was a side salad of slivers of cabbage covered with honey mustard sauce, kimchi of course, and a liquidy bowl with some other pickled kimchi-like stuff. My table was much smaller since most people squished ont he other one to be with the birthday girl. I talked to 2 of my Korean coteachers a bit and they thought it was very cute that I had taught myself Hangul before coming to Korean. They acted impressed but also giggled a lot. We talked about movies a bit and they gave me on suggestion (but my rental place didn't have it) "Classic". My part of the bill split evenly was about 8,000 won which freaked me out a bit because it was the most money I've spent on one thing so far until I pulled out my little conversion chart and realized it was only about 6 bucks! All that food! Amazing! Oh yea and it was sit on the floor with no shoes style!
Ok so then we hopped in a taxi (those of us that weren't falling asleep in our dinner) and went down to Hongdae which is like the super kind of hip hangout where a lot of expats like to go. We passed a place called "Boobi Boobi" which I thought was pretty funny until I saw the place we were going into was called "Ho Barn 4". Apparently there are just so many people the bars just repeat themselves several times downt he street. It was crazy just walking around because the streets are so flooded with people it kind of felt like when you go to an open air market only there were still cars driving so everyone would part as the cars and scooters crawled by. At Ho Barn I had one tiny drink and had oredered another but the waiter left without giving it to me, and another girl, and without giving one guy his change! But he got it.
So we just left and went to this other club called "500". That place was weird! Going in it felt like when you are waiting in line for Splash Mountain because of the walls. We had to take our shoes off and the whole place was made to look like a very tall cave and there were little caves alcoves along the side where you could sit on mats in a circle and drink and smoke hookah and eat this free popcorn that was kind of like kettle corn only bigger and rounder puffs. There were a few Korean guys wandering around looking odd with long dreads and one had a Bob Marley t-shirt. Hard to believe there are no drugs in Korean when you see a place like that with such hippie people! I ordered a Pina Colada and accidently got passed and took a sip of someones mudslide unknowingly. She wasn't even in our group but didn't seem to bothered. She just changed straws and the bar girl refilled her drink to the top. That was impressive. Americans are so squeemish about that kind of think but in Korea there is so much sharing anyway it doesn't really matter. There was weird tribal music playing and images being projected on the wall but no one was dancing save one Korean guy that was really drunk and one pretty funny expat that was friends with the people in my group who was king of jiggling to the music. I could have stayed and hung out there for a long time. The no shoes thing was so great! I wiggled my toes as I drank my pina colada and talked about Korean cultural differences. But the party people got bored and were falling asleep so on to the next bar!
Ok I don't remember the name of the next bar but there was all sorts of American rock music playing and lots of whiteys with Korean girlfriends. One such couple handed me a shot of Yaeger and my friends all insisted "take it take it! Don't worry there are no drugs in Korea!" so I did and gave them a cheers. He was cute and chatted me up but I knew something was up because he was with his girlfriend and along comes super ugly friend who didn't even TAKE a shot with us to try and hit on me. Eww. Pretty rude and kind of insulting (and I told him so at the end of the night. My exact words being "Next time pick someone in your friend's league. But thanks for the shot" which of course I woefully regret now, I am brutally honest with no filter when drunk). Annyway... I didn't let him buy my next drink though I could tell he was trying to. I don't like that I think its rude though some girls make it a sport getting free drinks. No thanks. So I bought my own White Russian and that was it for the night (for concerned parents reading this. I know my limits). So we danced and I talked to a few of my co-teacher's friends I had met at the first club and had a great time. The some Paper Planes came on at some point during the night and that was super exciting since I'm on a delayed kick with that song when most people are already sick of it! lol. Oh also like 4 of the friends of my coteachers I met were gay guys so that made me feel a little more at ease about the whole bi thing. I talked about it with a couple people and they weren't phased at all.
Left the club at about 4, was in bed by about 5.
In conclusion:
The clubs are so fun! The bathrooms are disgusting though and you pretty much have to bring your own toilet paper and sanitizer everywhere (no soap!). And drunk people in Korean are so much more funny and laid back. None of this macho bull crap you see downtown in the states on a friday night. Just a lot of stumbling and arms around eachother and the like. Oh yea and I didn't see a soul get carded! Wonderful. What cop would have time to raid clubs for underage drinkers in a city like this anyhow? I wonder the same about traffic. Could there be traffic cops here? What would they even do? They would just have to cause more traffic and more violators to pull someone over!
Today I do not think I'm doing anything. I was awaken, much to my dismay, by the realtor banging on my door at 12:30 so I had to quickly throw on some clothes and let her in to show the place. I'm doing the mellow yellow rule to save water so that was a little embarassing because the guy looking flushed the toilet! So I went for a walk after waking up a bit more and bought more pastries (that pastry shop is dangerously close and delicious!) rented another movie where the guy ( a different one then the night guy) put me in the system for my 3rd freaking time because he couldn't find me, and then bought another roll of Kim-bap to eat later. Oh and a chocolate covered green tea ice cream bar that was expensive by Korean standards but looked so good I couldn't resist. And soy sauce because the kimbap really needs it!
I swear I'll start eating healthier eventually. One guy said last night I'm in my honeymoon phase with Korea! That kind of burst my bubble a bit but whatever. If I am so be it! I am loving it and nothing bad can come from starting my life here off with a good attitude. Of course the days will fall off but that's life huh?
Off to eat and watch that Korean movie. They didn't have the 2 that were highly recommended to me on DVD (still lots of tapes here!) so I have no idea what I rented. The video guy helped me pick a comedy.
Had to go to school early at 9 am to go to immigration to get my ARC (alien registration card). I like being an alien to tell you the truth. It was weird going to all the whitey bars... but that is later in the story. Anyhow. It was very fast because we had an appointment. On the way there I saw this big group of old people with big sun hats on and yellow sashes like beauty queens that said who knows what. On the way back I saw this, what I thought was a wall, lined with all sorts of different old and colorful doors and as we drove by my jaw dropped as I looked up and up and up and realized the WHOLE building which was at least 7 stories high was completely covered in doors! I have NO IDEA where it was or how to find it again because the trip to the immigration office was a far one and I couldn't locate a street sign (a lot of streets don't have names here I think?? I dunno) In any case I want to track it down and take pcitures!
Edit: Just found this photo but still no indication of where it is!
Photo of the doors.
Also there was this motorcycle with what looked kinda like boxing gloves you put your hands in to get to the handles. That was weird. And a cop car with a banner light sign on the top. That's a smart idea though who knows what it was saying.
Anyhow fast forward to 12 hours later when I'm finally finishing up at school. One of the other coteachers that works the later shift too helped me get to the birthday dinner thank goodness, I had no idea where it was. Anyway so a huge group of us all went out for Shaboo Shaboo (my rough romanization) which is this Japanese thing. It kind of reminded me of fondue where you cook your own food only its a big soup pot with yummy broth. And you have all sorts of things that you have to throw in in order. First the veggies (all kinds of leafy greens and the thin and tall mushrooms) and then these fish cake things that looked like candy, all colorful and with designs on them in bright green and pink. You eat those for a while and then the meat, thinly sliced beef. Every just eats right out of the pot but also serves into little personal bowls too. When you are totally done eating that you add the noodles. At this point I was already pretty full! Then!!! The waitress comes and takes most of the stuff out and puts in this rice with other stuff and adds egg until it thinkens up and makes a kind of porridge. Most of the food was really good but by the time the porrige came I was really full and it smelled like dog food so I only tried a bit. On top of all that there was a side salad of slivers of cabbage covered with honey mustard sauce, kimchi of course, and a liquidy bowl with some other pickled kimchi-like stuff. My table was much smaller since most people squished ont he other one to be with the birthday girl. I talked to 2 of my Korean coteachers a bit and they thought it was very cute that I had taught myself Hangul before coming to Korean. They acted impressed but also giggled a lot. We talked about movies a bit and they gave me on suggestion (but my rental place didn't have it) "Classic". My part of the bill split evenly was about 8,000 won which freaked me out a bit because it was the most money I've spent on one thing so far until I pulled out my little conversion chart and realized it was only about 6 bucks! All that food! Amazing! Oh yea and it was sit on the floor with no shoes style!
Ok so then we hopped in a taxi (those of us that weren't falling asleep in our dinner) and went down to Hongdae which is like the super kind of hip hangout where a lot of expats like to go. We passed a place called "Boobi Boobi" which I thought was pretty funny until I saw the place we were going into was called "Ho Barn 4". Apparently there are just so many people the bars just repeat themselves several times downt he street. It was crazy just walking around because the streets are so flooded with people it kind of felt like when you go to an open air market only there were still cars driving so everyone would part as the cars and scooters crawled by. At Ho Barn I had one tiny drink and had oredered another but the waiter left without giving it to me, and another girl, and without giving one guy his change! But he got it.
So we just left and went to this other club called "500". That place was weird! Going in it felt like when you are waiting in line for Splash Mountain because of the walls. We had to take our shoes off and the whole place was made to look like a very tall cave and there were little caves alcoves along the side where you could sit on mats in a circle and drink and smoke hookah and eat this free popcorn that was kind of like kettle corn only bigger and rounder puffs. There were a few Korean guys wandering around looking odd with long dreads and one had a Bob Marley t-shirt. Hard to believe there are no drugs in Korean when you see a place like that with such hippie people! I ordered a Pina Colada and accidently got passed and took a sip of someones mudslide unknowingly. She wasn't even in our group but didn't seem to bothered. She just changed straws and the bar girl refilled her drink to the top. That was impressive. Americans are so squeemish about that kind of think but in Korea there is so much sharing anyway it doesn't really matter. There was weird tribal music playing and images being projected on the wall but no one was dancing save one Korean guy that was really drunk and one pretty funny expat that was friends with the people in my group who was king of jiggling to the music. I could have stayed and hung out there for a long time. The no shoes thing was so great! I wiggled my toes as I drank my pina colada and talked about Korean cultural differences. But the party people got bored and were falling asleep so on to the next bar!
Ok I don't remember the name of the next bar but there was all sorts of American rock music playing and lots of whiteys with Korean girlfriends. One such couple handed me a shot of Yaeger and my friends all insisted "take it take it! Don't worry there are no drugs in Korea!" so I did and gave them a cheers. He was cute and chatted me up but I knew something was up because he was with his girlfriend and along comes super ugly friend who didn't even TAKE a shot with us to try and hit on me. Eww. Pretty rude and kind of insulting (and I told him so at the end of the night. My exact words being "Next time pick someone in your friend's league. But thanks for the shot" which of course I woefully regret now, I am brutally honest with no filter when drunk). Annyway... I didn't let him buy my next drink though I could tell he was trying to. I don't like that I think its rude though some girls make it a sport getting free drinks. No thanks. So I bought my own White Russian and that was it for the night (for concerned parents reading this. I know my limits). So we danced and I talked to a few of my co-teacher's friends I had met at the first club and had a great time. The some Paper Planes came on at some point during the night and that was super exciting since I'm on a delayed kick with that song when most people are already sick of it! lol. Oh also like 4 of the friends of my coteachers I met were gay guys so that made me feel a little more at ease about the whole bi thing. I talked about it with a couple people and they weren't phased at all.
Left the club at about 4, was in bed by about 5.
In conclusion:
The clubs are so fun! The bathrooms are disgusting though and you pretty much have to bring your own toilet paper and sanitizer everywhere (no soap!). And drunk people in Korean are so much more funny and laid back. None of this macho bull crap you see downtown in the states on a friday night. Just a lot of stumbling and arms around eachother and the like. Oh yea and I didn't see a soul get carded! Wonderful. What cop would have time to raid clubs for underage drinkers in a city like this anyhow? I wonder the same about traffic. Could there be traffic cops here? What would they even do? They would just have to cause more traffic and more violators to pull someone over!
Today I do not think I'm doing anything. I was awaken, much to my dismay, by the realtor banging on my door at 12:30 so I had to quickly throw on some clothes and let her in to show the place. I'm doing the mellow yellow rule to save water so that was a little embarassing because the guy looking flushed the toilet! So I went for a walk after waking up a bit more and bought more pastries (that pastry shop is dangerously close and delicious!) rented another movie where the guy ( a different one then the night guy) put me in the system for my 3rd freaking time because he couldn't find me, and then bought another roll of Kim-bap to eat later. Oh and a chocolate covered green tea ice cream bar that was expensive by Korean standards but looked so good I couldn't resist. And soy sauce because the kimbap really needs it!
I swear I'll start eating healthier eventually. One guy said last night I'm in my honeymoon phase with Korea! That kind of burst my bubble a bit but whatever. If I am so be it! I am loving it and nothing bad can come from starting my life here off with a good attitude. Of course the days will fall off but that's life huh?
Off to eat and watch that Korean movie. They didn't have the 2 that were highly recommended to me on DVD (still lots of tapes here!) so I have no idea what I rented. The video guy helped me pick a comedy.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
First attempt at video blog.
This was something I wanted to write about but realized I couldn't do with words so I made a short little video. Might do more like this in the future.
Also a post excursion update... I was feeling a little low but I had to force myself to go out to return a video I rented. The video store guy was the same as last night (the one with the father in Denver) he reentered me into the system because I couldn't figure out how to tell him the morning guy already did it and let me use his phone number as mine since I don't have a phone yet. Then I bought some Gimbop which is kind of like sushi only I have no idea what they put in it besides the pickled radish (joy...) The ladies were very nice to me and took my money right out of my wallet for me. It was only 1000 won which is like 80 cents! I haven't eaten it yet so it's to be seen if it was worth it. ;)
Then the tomato street vendor caught my interest and I bought an entire basket of small tomatos for 3000 won which is about $2.35. WOW! I just counted and there are 14 tomatoes in there! I mean... they are about the size of black plums but still enought to make plenty of sauce for me and have some for salads! I had to stop him because he was about to dump a second basket of tomatoes in the bag! It was funny. When life gives you lemons make lemonade huh? Last night I made spagetti and sauce and it was just awful. The spagetti is pure white and too salty and the sauce is too sweet. Bleh. I was kind of mad I couldn't find canned tomatoes but wow why would I bother with fresh ones so cheap? Anyhow that guy was really nice too. He asked if I was American (in Korean of course) and when I shook my head yes he got a huge smile and then handed me 2 cute little plums as a gift.
So far still perplexed by the whining horror stories I read before I left about the horrors of Korean people. I mean I'm sure it happens (like the taxi driver today) and some situations worse than others, but that happens everywhere! Also I think so much of it is adapting and being kind and following the customs. I'm still getting used to giving and receiving things with 2 hands. I got the bowing down. I think I bow too much because no one at my school really does it with the English teachers. I like to bow is that weird? haha. Taxi drivers don't follow the 2 hands custom so I don't worry to much about it but some of the shop keepers do. In any case it's always best to go with the safest bet.
Also a post excursion update... I was feeling a little low but I had to force myself to go out to return a video I rented. The video store guy was the same as last night (the one with the father in Denver) he reentered me into the system because I couldn't figure out how to tell him the morning guy already did it and let me use his phone number as mine since I don't have a phone yet. Then I bought some Gimbop which is kind of like sushi only I have no idea what they put in it besides the pickled radish (joy...) The ladies were very nice to me and took my money right out of my wallet for me. It was only 1000 won which is like 80 cents! I haven't eaten it yet so it's to be seen if it was worth it. ;)
Then the tomato street vendor caught my interest and I bought an entire basket of small tomatos for 3000 won which is about $2.35. WOW! I just counted and there are 14 tomatoes in there! I mean... they are about the size of black plums but still enought to make plenty of sauce for me and have some for salads! I had to stop him because he was about to dump a second basket of tomatoes in the bag! It was funny. When life gives you lemons make lemonade huh? Last night I made spagetti and sauce and it was just awful. The spagetti is pure white and too salty and the sauce is too sweet. Bleh. I was kind of mad I couldn't find canned tomatoes but wow why would I bother with fresh ones so cheap? Anyhow that guy was really nice too. He asked if I was American (in Korean of course) and when I shook my head yes he got a huge smile and then handed me 2 cute little plums as a gift.
So far still perplexed by the whining horror stories I read before I left about the horrors of Korean people. I mean I'm sure it happens (like the taxi driver today) and some situations worse than others, but that happens everywhere! Also I think so much of it is adapting and being kind and following the customs. I'm still getting used to giving and receiving things with 2 hands. I got the bowing down. I think I bow too much because no one at my school really does it with the English teachers. I like to bow is that weird? haha. Taxi drivers don't follow the 2 hands custom so I don't worry to much about it but some of the shop keepers do. In any case it's always best to go with the safest bet.
so tired... not much to report
Well today was fine. One kid cut off a long lock of his own hair. That was weird. Last class I had with him he wouldn't stop pretending to be a dog for the first few minutes. Oh boy. He's going to be a handful.
So I have to be at school tomorrow at 9am instead of 1pm because I need to go to immigration, and then I work until at least 8:30 and then possibly dinner for a co-teachers birthday if I'm done can make it after I'm done teaching (she gets out much earlier).
The taxi driver today was probably the grumpiest so far. But whatever.
I had a scare thinking my fan had broke. It wasn't turning but the motor was running. I opened it up and got the blades to turn again. I was just about to die. Remember... no AC, one fan. That would have sucked.
Was told more about the new place. One the plus, the English teachers from the school we merged with all live there so there will be more people around to hang out with. So far I haven't talked to many of them because we are all so busy and also my work desk is not near there's. The teacher's room is kind of long and thin with lines of connected desks on either side... but lucky me my desk is all by itself, and I have a schedule that most of the other teachers don't so its kind of double lonely. Guess I just gotta be more proactive about turning my chair around to chat.
On the bad side though (besides the no balcony I already found out about) is that its apparently way smaller. Which makes me sad. No balcony and smaller. It will be like a little prison. :( Float, adapt, deal, blah, blah blah right?
Bought some snacks for lunch. These potato sticks that were trying to be french fries and these things... "Mother's Fingers" which I thought was really strange until I realized they were basically like lady finger cookies only they taste nothing like the lady fingers I'm used to. They were pretty good though.
My energy is low but the weekend will be here soon. I won't even know what to do with myself... I think mudfest is Saturday. Some teachers were talking about it, apparently all the expats around go ____ I dunno where? And wrestle around in the mud. Sounds like fun but I have no one to go with.
So I have to be at school tomorrow at 9am instead of 1pm because I need to go to immigration, and then I work until at least 8:30 and then possibly dinner for a co-teachers birthday if I'm done can make it after I'm done teaching (she gets out much earlier).
The taxi driver today was probably the grumpiest so far. But whatever.
I had a scare thinking my fan had broke. It wasn't turning but the motor was running. I opened it up and got the blades to turn again. I was just about to die. Remember... no AC, one fan. That would have sucked.
Was told more about the new place. One the plus, the English teachers from the school we merged with all live there so there will be more people around to hang out with. So far I haven't talked to many of them because we are all so busy and also my work desk is not near there's. The teacher's room is kind of long and thin with lines of connected desks on either side... but lucky me my desk is all by itself, and I have a schedule that most of the other teachers don't so its kind of double lonely. Guess I just gotta be more proactive about turning my chair around to chat.
On the bad side though (besides the no balcony I already found out about) is that its apparently way smaller. Which makes me sad. No balcony and smaller. It will be like a little prison. :( Float, adapt, deal, blah, blah blah right?
Bought some snacks for lunch. These potato sticks that were trying to be french fries and these things... "Mother's Fingers" which I thought was really strange until I realized they were basically like lady finger cookies only they taste nothing like the lady fingers I'm used to. They were pretty good though.
My energy is low but the weekend will be here soon. I won't even know what to do with myself... I think mudfest is Saturday. Some teachers were talking about it, apparently all the expats around go ____ I dunno where? And wrestle around in the mud. Sounds like fun but I have no one to go with.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
I so got this!
Ok so today was basically completely on my own. Luckily the older kids like to come into the teacher room and grab my books and basket and take them to class so I could follow them to the room.
So highlights:
*Saw a poodle with pink ears and tail. Weird!
*One of the Korean teachers asked if I modeled and was very excited when I said yes, and still was even though I told her I just did it for fun. I'm not sure why she asked, I know I had told the teacher whose job I was supposed to take but I'm not sure if he told anyone.
*A kindergartner today was passed out! Kids were screaming in his ear and I and another teacher tried to pick him up several times and he just kept plopping down on the floor in fetal position. He almost hit a couple kids trying to wake him!
*Had my first encounter with a Korean trying to practice English with me, the clerk at the video store. He told me his father moved to Denver.
*I pass every day a place that has 2 signs.
Sign one: "Dirty Math"
Sign 2: "Clean English"
Must be lost in translation because I don't get it.
*Kid had a pencil case with cows on it that said "Milch Cow". Seriously... no one picks up a dictionary before they put products on the production line? Then again I supposed our shirts and other items with Chinese and Japanese characters for decoration look just as ridiculous to them.
*I've been seeing these giant headshots of men around the city looking no where near the camera or facing down and thought "Gee they have strange headshots here!" assuming they were like the real estate ads back home, "maybe it has to do with how Koreans think its rude to make eye contact". I am so dumb! I realized today they were adds for hair restoration!
Went grocery shopping in a bigger market today. Found tomato sauce but no canned tomatoes. Thought that was weird... didn't find any beans. Maybe I was looking at the wrong things? Cans don't seem to be too common there except for tuna. Lots of stuff in plastic pouches and containers. Ugh. Sooo much plastic. But then again, sooo much recycling. Apparently they will dig through my trash and fine me if I throw something away that I shouldn't. I handed the lady a note that I hoped said "No plastic bags please" and handed her my totes but she seemed really confused... maybe it didn't say what I thought.
Ok so. The last week of July is already a vacation. I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand... vacation yay! On the other it seems so soon from when I get here... Like I don't have the bearings or the friends to enjoy a long vacation yet (we only get 2 and the other one is Christmas!). But then again it is a month away... maybe by then I will know what I want to do with all that time.
Oh and so it seems it is "official" now (that being a relative term in Korea) that I am moving to a new apartment. Starting in August. It is an officetel which is supposed to be much nicer and cleaner than my place now... but no balcony! :( Where will my Mable the succulent live? (Don't ask me why Mable, it popped into my head while I was holding her.) But again, I've told myself to take whatever comes my way. Oh and it's very close to the mountains. I still can't walk to school from there... a 5 minute walk and a 10 minute subway ride I was told... I don't really see how that's better than a 15 minute taxi ride but sure. I'll go with it. Maybe cheaper for the school? They reimburse the taxi rides, but I don't know about the subway ride. Also at the same time I will have a schedule change. But not as early as 9 am, probably more like 10 or 11. That seems good to me.
I promise once the excitement wears down I won't write a book every day!
So highlights:
*Saw a poodle with pink ears and tail. Weird!
*One of the Korean teachers asked if I modeled and was very excited when I said yes, and still was even though I told her I just did it for fun. I'm not sure why she asked, I know I had told the teacher whose job I was supposed to take but I'm not sure if he told anyone.
*A kindergartner today was passed out! Kids were screaming in his ear and I and another teacher tried to pick him up several times and he just kept plopping down on the floor in fetal position. He almost hit a couple kids trying to wake him!
*Had my first encounter with a Korean trying to practice English with me, the clerk at the video store. He told me his father moved to Denver.
*I pass every day a place that has 2 signs.
Sign one: "Dirty Math"
Sign 2: "Clean English"
Must be lost in translation because I don't get it.
*Kid had a pencil case with cows on it that said "Milch Cow". Seriously... no one picks up a dictionary before they put products on the production line? Then again I supposed our shirts and other items with Chinese and Japanese characters for decoration look just as ridiculous to them.
*I've been seeing these giant headshots of men around the city looking no where near the camera or facing down and thought "Gee they have strange headshots here!" assuming they were like the real estate ads back home, "maybe it has to do with how Koreans think its rude to make eye contact". I am so dumb! I realized today they were adds for hair restoration!
Went grocery shopping in a bigger market today. Found tomato sauce but no canned tomatoes. Thought that was weird... didn't find any beans. Maybe I was looking at the wrong things? Cans don't seem to be too common there except for tuna. Lots of stuff in plastic pouches and containers. Ugh. Sooo much plastic. But then again, sooo much recycling. Apparently they will dig through my trash and fine me if I throw something away that I shouldn't. I handed the lady a note that I hoped said "No plastic bags please" and handed her my totes but she seemed really confused... maybe it didn't say what I thought.
Ok so. The last week of July is already a vacation. I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand... vacation yay! On the other it seems so soon from when I get here... Like I don't have the bearings or the friends to enjoy a long vacation yet (we only get 2 and the other one is Christmas!). But then again it is a month away... maybe by then I will know what I want to do with all that time.
Oh and so it seems it is "official" now (that being a relative term in Korea) that I am moving to a new apartment. Starting in August. It is an officetel which is supposed to be much nicer and cleaner than my place now... but no balcony! :( Where will my Mable the succulent live? (Don't ask me why Mable, it popped into my head while I was holding her.) But again, I've told myself to take whatever comes my way. Oh and it's very close to the mountains. I still can't walk to school from there... a 5 minute walk and a 10 minute subway ride I was told... I don't really see how that's better than a 15 minute taxi ride but sure. I'll go with it. Maybe cheaper for the school? They reimburse the taxi rides, but I don't know about the subway ride. Also at the same time I will have a schedule change. But not as early as 9 am, probably more like 10 or 11. That seems good to me.
I promise once the excitement wears down I won't write a book every day!
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