Pinch me! I am dreaming. It's really because I have finally had a weekend to just chill out. I think all of us here in Korean Teaching Land try and fill things up because although teaching takes up our days, we can get our work done pretty easily and not have anything to do on the weekend. So after I have cleaned my apartment, (I feel I do this far too much for a one room place) and sent out emails (I am hoping I am up to date with everyone). I am getting geared up for the holidays and here's a Christmas surprise... I am coming home for the holidays. I am in on Christmas Day (hopefully it won't be too crowded) and in New York until the 3rd of January, so a little more than a week. I am excited to see everyone, but I know it will fly by.
Christmas in Korea is weird. Chuseok (which is in September) is the big holiday, and they recognize the 25th as something special commercially, but not in any other way. This is both good and bad. It means I am not bombarded with Christmas advertising all the time, and I can enjoy the Holiday Spirit in my own way, and also stores and restaurants are open on Christmas Day, which is extremely convenient. Seriously. The downfall of the lack of Christmas is the decorations. All the trees around the mall are lit up, which is pretty, but save for the pair of Christmas trees outside Homever (which is being converted into a Tesco HomePlus), the only place I have seen Holiday-like interiors is in Starbucks, only giving me more of a reason to frequent their fine establishment. Which I have. A lot, but I don't feel really bad because I have a frequent buyers card and I think I am pretty close to getting something for free, but I can't read the card, so I am not sure. Here's hoping!
Thanksgiving is coming up and I obviously don't get that off. Canadians have it in October, and the British don't even care that we may have shared a meal with Native Americans, so that leaves only the Americans to have dreams of potatoes and Turkeys. Ashley, a girl from Wisconsin, and I are going to get a couple of the other Americans together and maybe have a pot-luck Thanksgiving at my place. If I am feeling generous, maybe I will invite people's from other countries, but I don't think they could ever feel the way about canned cranberry sauce that I feel. I hope this holiday season finds you all well and with the ones you love. Hopefully I will get to see you when I come back to the States for a short stint. Bye for now!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
I am still doing things!
Hey!
Alright, a bit of a super efficient post coming your way. It's report card time, so after this I will be getting cozy with attendance forms and test grades...ASA! Also an important, congrats to the United States for setting a really cool precedent for a President (I am so sorry I just did that). So here's been what for the past few weeks:
Gyeongbukgung Palace: This was the main Palace for the Korean royalty during the last few years of monarchical reign. And it's right in the middle of Seoul. It's beautiful and actually the current building is only 1/10th the original size, which means that I can't even think about how huge it is. Jade was my traveling companion and we eventually met up with the English guided tour, which helped because we had no idea how intricate most of the things in the building were. Looking back on my pictures (of which I will post later) I saw that most of them were of the architecture and painting done. Although it was repainted a couple of years ago, it was very carefully restored, and the designs are incredible. Interesting tidbit: Only the Royal Family was allowed to die within the walls of the estate, so everyone else had to be CARRIED OUT ON THEIR DEATH BED. Crazy.
TaeJoSan: This is a temple within Cheonan that has a huge sitting Buddha. I made this trek on my own, which I think was the best choice. It was very surreal. When I got to the Buddha, I was taken aback. It may have been just the stark contrast between the fall leaves and the green of the aged Bronze, but I was silent for a very long time. A very long time. Then I decided that I should head up the mountain, just to get some excercise. I apparently had never taken into account that Korean people are crazy. The trails, are merely foot trails and ropes at extremely steep areas. My only motivation for continuing was the Korean family in front of me with a 5 year old and infant, who seemed to have no problem bounding up the hill. When I got to a level area with a platform, there was a really wonderful view of the city, where I sat and took pictures for a bit. Then I realized that there was a giant carving of the Buddha in the mountain behind me, this being the real reason that there was a meditation platform. I gave a small offering and then a woman gave me a packet of Red Ginseng extract, which tasted really bad (it's seen as bad manners to reject a gift from others, so I drank it). It sounds weird but it gave me the energy to continue the rest of the way up and find that there was a also a restaurant at the real top, that served alcohol. I did not partake. Made it back down and caught a cab back home, really exhausted but glad that went.
Well that's it for the most part. Went to Costco with Troy and David. They made fun of me because my bill was only $200. I was slightly ashamed, as David spent twice that, easily. Also Troy and his wife got a new apartment that we visited. It was gorgeous. I almost hid in one of the cabinets in the walk in closet. They would have never found me.
Hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you soon!
Mallory
Alright, a bit of a super efficient post coming your way. It's report card time, so after this I will be getting cozy with attendance forms and test grades...ASA! Also an important, congrats to the United States for setting a really cool precedent for a President (I am so sorry I just did that). So here's been what for the past few weeks:
Gyeongbukgung Palace: This was the main Palace for the Korean royalty during the last few years of monarchical reign. And it's right in the middle of Seoul. It's beautiful and actually the current building is only 1/10th the original size, which means that I can't even think about how huge it is. Jade was my traveling companion and we eventually met up with the English guided tour, which helped because we had no idea how intricate most of the things in the building were. Looking back on my pictures (of which I will post later) I saw that most of them were of the architecture and painting done. Although it was repainted a couple of years ago, it was very carefully restored, and the designs are incredible. Interesting tidbit: Only the Royal Family was allowed to die within the walls of the estate, so everyone else had to be CARRIED OUT ON THEIR DEATH BED. Crazy.
TaeJoSan: This is a temple within Cheonan that has a huge sitting Buddha. I made this trek on my own, which I think was the best choice. It was very surreal. When I got to the Buddha, I was taken aback. It may have been just the stark contrast between the fall leaves and the green of the aged Bronze, but I was silent for a very long time. A very long time. Then I decided that I should head up the mountain, just to get some excercise. I apparently had never taken into account that Korean people are crazy. The trails, are merely foot trails and ropes at extremely steep areas. My only motivation for continuing was the Korean family in front of me with a 5 year old and infant, who seemed to have no problem bounding up the hill. When I got to a level area with a platform, there was a really wonderful view of the city, where I sat and took pictures for a bit. Then I realized that there was a giant carving of the Buddha in the mountain behind me, this being the real reason that there was a meditation platform. I gave a small offering and then a woman gave me a packet of Red Ginseng extract, which tasted really bad (it's seen as bad manners to reject a gift from others, so I drank it). It sounds weird but it gave me the energy to continue the rest of the way up and find that there was a also a restaurant at the real top, that served alcohol. I did not partake. Made it back down and caught a cab back home, really exhausted but glad that went.
Well that's it for the most part. Went to Costco with Troy and David. They made fun of me because my bill was only $200. I was slightly ashamed, as David spent twice that, easily. Also Troy and his wife got a new apartment that we visited. It was gorgeous. I almost hid in one of the cabinets in the walk in closet. They would have never found me.
Hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you soon!
Mallory
Monday, October 13, 2008
So I am pretty much the worst blogger in the world....
I could give you all of the "sorry"s in the world, and it wouldn't really help much; would it? Things are moving quite along here. I am two and a half months in (one fourth of the way through, for those that are missing me). I am starting to actually feel like this is my life now, and it's got some pros and cons. In the interest of letting you in on life for me now, and also allowing myself to vent a bit too (without getting too ranty, that's not why you are here) I am going to list the positives and negatives of living in a foreign country.
PROS
- The immense amount of new experiences I have had. This is never in short supply. I've gone to Dr. Fish twice now (I'm a pro at putting my feet in a tank of skin-eating minnows) and seen Seoul both in the social and cultural light. Teaching here has been eye-opening. Parents are very diligent and make visits to the school often. I always have my students "stats" in order to present at a moment's notice and make sure that I speak to them and not to Lauren who is translating what I am saying. Knowing that everything I do will get back to the parents keeps me on my toes. Sarcasm is not a second language in Korea, especially when your audience has a bit of a language barrier to cross. Being more certified than my coworkers, yet feeling completely inferior to them in terms of actual ability has taught me more about what teaching really is than I could have learned in the States, where everyone has at least a bachelors. It's the school of Korean Knocks. Or something like that.
-My students. I really like my classes. Some are harder than others, but surprisingly this doesn't make me dislike them. It just makes me want to try harder at getting them up to par with the better ones. I have instituted several behavioral policies, which is weird for me, because I am used to teaching the bigger ones. I have yet to get used to allowing them to go to the bathroom during class, and often will try to lecture them on how they should "take care of it before class, or hold it until we are done." The hard part about this is that precursors for this conversation are: know what "it" is ("Pee" means "blood" in Korean), what the words "before" and "hold" mean in this context and a certain amount of gesturing to less than desirable areas of the body. It makes for an adventure. We have also started a slightly experimental class at the Academy. A bunch of younger moms were interested in having there tiny ones sing songs and learn basic English. So I now have 5 5 year-olds everyday. They go to David (my English coworker) for 20 minutes for conversational practice and then 20 minutes with me for songs and books and the occasional alphabet writing. Things are going swimmingly and they are all darling, which makes them less tiresome.
-Cultural outings. Jade, my counterpart for most of my time here in Cheonan, and I have been making an effort to go and see the sights here. While we haven't ventured too far, we have been able to go to several places. First was Independence Hall in Cheonan. It's a collection of museums dedication to the irradication of the Japanese from Korea. That's a big thing here, there's an entire building dedicated to "Japanese Aggression", also an exhbit on methods of torture used. Next was SamGo Ri park, which is a beautiful area that we had a nice picnic and were able to see a dance troupe perform, by accident. Last weekend we went to Seoul for the day and went to Gyeongbeouk Palace (I may have spelled that wrong, but in all honesty, I am too tired to check it). The place was huge. I will try and link up some pictures of the visit. To be around carvings that were done thousands of years ago, and that I was able to touch was just too much for me. Soon I am headed to Jabo-san, the big sitting bronze Buddha here in Cheonan, and there is a temple stay on the books before it gets too cold to do anything but socialize and watch movies.
CONS
(I didn't mean to make only 3 Pros, but they were lengthy, and you guys have jobs, or at the very least, lives)
-The Cultural Barrier. There are small things that really get me. The idea of a "line" is just non-existant here. Getting on a bus means pushing forward before the other people do (this is the only time when being a big Westerner is advantageous). It also means that when you are waiting for the atm, people have no guilt when edging in front of you. The same thing happens when people are in their cars. I am truly excited when a cab driver drives in the turn only lane just to pull in front of the guys at the light. It's the greatest. This same barrier is the same reasons that my students aren't afraid to tell me that I am "fat". I am hardly offended by this, and honestly, even if I was smaller, I would still be too big in stature for Korean standards. Kids don't censor themselves, sometimes it's a blessing, but other times, like when you are having a crappy day to begin with, the last thing you want to hear is a student asking you if you like food.
-People suspicious of foreigners. Time to get honest. As a white middle-class woman in the United States of America, I rarely considered myself a victim of prejudice. I don't consider myself a huge victim of it now; however there are sometimes that I just wish I could look like the rest of Korea. It's not uncommon for foreigners to be unwelcome, because people don't trust us in large groups. Or for the seat next to me to be left unused because people feel uncomfortable. Maybe I am assuming things here, but it's happened. Mostly I am not totally inconvenienced because I have a place to put my feet up, but really though, I am that scary? Also, just because I am Western, does not mean it's okay to ask me if I am Russian. (That's perv talk for asking if you are a woman who entertains).
So the Pros outweigh the Cons, as they should. I guess I will be staying here for sometime. Which means more opportunities to procrastinate writing in my blog. Enjoy!
PROS
- The immense amount of new experiences I have had. This is never in short supply. I've gone to Dr. Fish twice now (I'm a pro at putting my feet in a tank of skin-eating minnows) and seen Seoul both in the social and cultural light. Teaching here has been eye-opening. Parents are very diligent and make visits to the school often. I always have my students "stats" in order to present at a moment's notice and make sure that I speak to them and not to Lauren who is translating what I am saying. Knowing that everything I do will get back to the parents keeps me on my toes. Sarcasm is not a second language in Korea, especially when your audience has a bit of a language barrier to cross. Being more certified than my coworkers, yet feeling completely inferior to them in terms of actual ability has taught me more about what teaching really is than I could have learned in the States, where everyone has at least a bachelors. It's the school of Korean Knocks. Or something like that.
-My students. I really like my classes. Some are harder than others, but surprisingly this doesn't make me dislike them. It just makes me want to try harder at getting them up to par with the better ones. I have instituted several behavioral policies, which is weird for me, because I am used to teaching the bigger ones. I have yet to get used to allowing them to go to the bathroom during class, and often will try to lecture them on how they should "take care of it before class, or hold it until we are done." The hard part about this is that precursors for this conversation are: know what "it" is ("Pee" means "blood" in Korean), what the words "before" and "hold" mean in this context and a certain amount of gesturing to less than desirable areas of the body. It makes for an adventure. We have also started a slightly experimental class at the Academy. A bunch of younger moms were interested in having there tiny ones sing songs and learn basic English. So I now have 5 5 year-olds everyday. They go to David (my English coworker) for 20 minutes for conversational practice and then 20 minutes with me for songs and books and the occasional alphabet writing. Things are going swimmingly and they are all darling, which makes them less tiresome.
-Cultural outings. Jade, my counterpart for most of my time here in Cheonan, and I have been making an effort to go and see the sights here. While we haven't ventured too far, we have been able to go to several places. First was Independence Hall in Cheonan. It's a collection of museums dedication to the irradication of the Japanese from Korea. That's a big thing here, there's an entire building dedicated to "Japanese Aggression", also an exhbit on methods of torture used. Next was SamGo Ri park, which is a beautiful area that we had a nice picnic and were able to see a dance troupe perform, by accident. Last weekend we went to Seoul for the day and went to Gyeongbeouk Palace (I may have spelled that wrong, but in all honesty, I am too tired to check it). The place was huge. I will try and link up some pictures of the visit. To be around carvings that were done thousands of years ago, and that I was able to touch was just too much for me. Soon I am headed to Jabo-san, the big sitting bronze Buddha here in Cheonan, and there is a temple stay on the books before it gets too cold to do anything but socialize and watch movies.
CONS
(I didn't mean to make only 3 Pros, but they were lengthy, and you guys have jobs, or at the very least, lives)
-The Cultural Barrier. There are small things that really get me. The idea of a "line" is just non-existant here. Getting on a bus means pushing forward before the other people do (this is the only time when being a big Westerner is advantageous). It also means that when you are waiting for the atm, people have no guilt when edging in front of you. The same thing happens when people are in their cars. I am truly excited when a cab driver drives in the turn only lane just to pull in front of the guys at the light. It's the greatest. This same barrier is the same reasons that my students aren't afraid to tell me that I am "fat". I am hardly offended by this, and honestly, even if I was smaller, I would still be too big in stature for Korean standards. Kids don't censor themselves, sometimes it's a blessing, but other times, like when you are having a crappy day to begin with, the last thing you want to hear is a student asking you if you like food.
-People suspicious of foreigners. Time to get honest. As a white middle-class woman in the United States of America, I rarely considered myself a victim of prejudice. I don't consider myself a huge victim of it now; however there are sometimes that I just wish I could look like the rest of Korea. It's not uncommon for foreigners to be unwelcome, because people don't trust us in large groups. Or for the seat next to me to be left unused because people feel uncomfortable. Maybe I am assuming things here, but it's happened. Mostly I am not totally inconvenienced because I have a place to put my feet up, but really though, I am that scary? Also, just because I am Western, does not mean it's okay to ask me if I am Russian. (That's perv talk for asking if you are a woman who entertains).
So the Pros outweigh the Cons, as they should. I guess I will be staying here for sometime. Which means more opportunities to procrastinate writing in my blog. Enjoy!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Happy Chuseok!
Hey everyone!
I am currently enjoying my four day weekend. It's that time of year again, time for Chuseok, which is basically Korean Thanksgiving. All the families travel to the house of the grandparents and eat and celebrate and stuff. All of this information I have received from my students, so I could be completely wrong. After having my students as me several times if I am going home for the holidays, I figured I should make a trip somewhere. This somewhere happened to be Seoul. So Jade, Stacey, Ed, Abby, and I headed out on the KTX on Saturday morning to head into the city.
Prior to this time, I had thought I had seen "fast" before. Like cars that speed, or the amount of time it can take for my students to find a loophole in a rule I have just put into the classroom, but I was wrong. The KTX is by far the fastest thing I have seen. It can get from Seoul to Busan (the southern tip of Korea) in about 2 1/2 hours. Woah. We had a 50 km trip and it took 40 minutes. With stops. I liked it. After getting off in Seoul, we headed to Itaewon, where there are Westerners aplenty. The hotel we were staying at only had two rooms left and ironically enough they were a deluxe room and a suite. Jade, Stacey, and I took the suite, which was $100, but really only 30 because there were three of us. The room was quite nice, with a jacuzzi, and a nice flat screen t.v. It was one of the nicest places I have been in.
After a quick bite of Mexican food, we went shopping. There were tons of shops with Western sizes, which are impossible to find in Cheonan. It was also quite a thrill to see shoes that I could fit into as well. I didn't buy much and it should surprise no one that I spent the most money at the book store. We chilled out in the room, and watched a movie, then we ate some awesome Indian food, that was all you can eat for 10 bucks. The five of us met up with friends and parted ways to see the nightlife in the town. It was really interesting to see bars that made Koreans pay but allowed foreigners to get in for free, in fact I was highly suspicious of these places. Everyone had a great time.
The next day we headed to a pub after checkout and ate some wonderful Irish food and met up with friends again. We were all tuckered out after that so we caught the 6:00 train back home and by 7:30, I was lounging on my couch and exhausted from my time there. I am only sad that I didn't have time to see more touristy things, but with the time I am going to be here and the ease of getting to Seoul, I have no doubts that I will get to see everything. Hope everything is well for all of you!
I am currently enjoying my four day weekend. It's that time of year again, time for Chuseok, which is basically Korean Thanksgiving. All the families travel to the house of the grandparents and eat and celebrate and stuff. All of this information I have received from my students, so I could be completely wrong. After having my students as me several times if I am going home for the holidays, I figured I should make a trip somewhere. This somewhere happened to be Seoul. So Jade, Stacey, Ed, Abby, and I headed out on the KTX on Saturday morning to head into the city.
Prior to this time, I had thought I had seen "fast" before. Like cars that speed, or the amount of time it can take for my students to find a loophole in a rule I have just put into the classroom, but I was wrong. The KTX is by far the fastest thing I have seen. It can get from Seoul to Busan (the southern tip of Korea) in about 2 1/2 hours. Woah. We had a 50 km trip and it took 40 minutes. With stops. I liked it. After getting off in Seoul, we headed to Itaewon, where there are Westerners aplenty. The hotel we were staying at only had two rooms left and ironically enough they were a deluxe room and a suite. Jade, Stacey, and I took the suite, which was $100, but really only 30 because there were three of us. The room was quite nice, with a jacuzzi, and a nice flat screen t.v. It was one of the nicest places I have been in.
After a quick bite of Mexican food, we went shopping. There were tons of shops with Western sizes, which are impossible to find in Cheonan. It was also quite a thrill to see shoes that I could fit into as well. I didn't buy much and it should surprise no one that I spent the most money at the book store. We chilled out in the room, and watched a movie, then we ate some awesome Indian food, that was all you can eat for 10 bucks. The five of us met up with friends and parted ways to see the nightlife in the town. It was really interesting to see bars that made Koreans pay but allowed foreigners to get in for free, in fact I was highly suspicious of these places. Everyone had a great time.
The next day we headed to a pub after checkout and ate some wonderful Irish food and met up with friends again. We were all tuckered out after that so we caught the 6:00 train back home and by 7:30, I was lounging on my couch and exhausted from my time there. I am only sad that I didn't have time to see more touristy things, but with the time I am going to be here and the ease of getting to Seoul, I have no doubts that I will get to see everything. Hope everything is well for all of you!
Monday, September 1, 2008
So I realize that the longer I am out here (1 month!) the more spread apart these posts are. I am deeply apologetic for this. Things have been going well. I am getting into the swing of things here. Being foreign has allowed me to be able to mundane things that somehow become interesting. For example: maintaining my house. I don't have a stove here (something that makes me miss cooking a lot). Every 2 months a woman comes around with her magic wand to make sure there are no gas leaks near my gas range. She came in all of her methane glory last week. I usually sleep until 8:30-9 because I don't have to go to work until 1:30 and so I was chilling in bed when I heard a ring. I don't know about you, but I am hardly presentable at such an hour (this hour being anytime before 8:30-9) who should it be but gas lady. I ran to the door, and was greeting by a wonderful smile and a black baton with a meter at the end of it. She came in, checked what she needed and then said "Sign Here" which I did. End of story, see you in two months...or so I thought.
That night I was deciding that I needed to get to bed earlier and was dozing off after a nice read. I was just about asleep when I get a ring at my door. If it had been 6 o'clock in the evening I wouldn't have been surprised. Then I remembered that it was Korea and people here work on Saturday. Here was gas lady again. When she saw me (I am the only foreigner in the building) she threw up her hands and took mine and yelled "SORRY". I smiled and told her not to worry (although she didn't know English so I hope she understood) and then she proceeded to open my door again to tell me "Sorry'' about 6 more times. This woman was repentant. I will be waiting with wine and cheese next time she comes for a visit.
Fashion here is great too. All the kids are wearing t-shirts with English writing on them, which confuses me because I have to imagine they have no idea what it means. That happens in the United States too, and I guess isn't too weird because people get those stupid Chinese symbols on themselves all the time, only to find out later they have just tattooed the word "idiot" on themselves. There is something different about it here. It feels like a joke that only a few people get. It's not just on clothes here, too. It's everywhere. On pencil cases, in resturaunts. Here are some of my favorites:
-On a t-shirt that my student was wearing:
"HappyBear. I feel happy when I eat a him."
-On a student's pencil case:
"So Cute Mushrooms Brothers: We give thanks for another beautiful day from God, and a look from a flirtatious stranger."
-On another pencil case (they are big here):
"Booby: flowers in the field are so lovely"
Another great work is in a chain of restaurants called DaSarang, which serves chicken and pizza, and that's all. They have a manifesto of sorts on their wall. It's a very posh looking place that has nice booths and low lighting and in stainless steel lettering on a marble wall are about 20 lines of writing. I can't remember them all but somewhere on the wall were the following words:
"We hopes to be number too in the industry of phreshness, declaring fairity among world among the phreshness....Europe and counting the tolerance of equality"
And this ladies and gentlemen, are in establishments across the country. I love Korean.
That night I was deciding that I needed to get to bed earlier and was dozing off after a nice read. I was just about asleep when I get a ring at my door. If it had been 6 o'clock in the evening I wouldn't have been surprised. Then I remembered that it was Korea and people here work on Saturday. Here was gas lady again. When she saw me (I am the only foreigner in the building) she threw up her hands and took mine and yelled "SORRY". I smiled and told her not to worry (although she didn't know English so I hope she understood) and then she proceeded to open my door again to tell me "Sorry'' about 6 more times. This woman was repentant. I will be waiting with wine and cheese next time she comes for a visit.
Fashion here is great too. All the kids are wearing t-shirts with English writing on them, which confuses me because I have to imagine they have no idea what it means. That happens in the United States too, and I guess isn't too weird because people get those stupid Chinese symbols on themselves all the time, only to find out later they have just tattooed the word "idiot" on themselves. There is something different about it here. It feels like a joke that only a few people get. It's not just on clothes here, too. It's everywhere. On pencil cases, in resturaunts. Here are some of my favorites:
-On a t-shirt that my student was wearing:
"HappyBear. I feel happy when I eat a him."
-On a student's pencil case:
"So Cute Mushrooms Brothers: We give thanks for another beautiful day from God, and a look from a flirtatious stranger."
-On another pencil case (they are big here):
"Booby: flowers in the field are so lovely"
Another great work is in a chain of restaurants called DaSarang, which serves chicken and pizza, and that's all. They have a manifesto of sorts on their wall. It's a very posh looking place that has nice booths and low lighting and in stainless steel lettering on a marble wall are about 20 lines of writing. I can't remember them all but somewhere on the wall were the following words:
"We hopes to be number too in the industry of phreshness, declaring fairity among world among the phreshness....Europe and counting the tolerance of equality"
And this ladies and gentlemen, are in establishments across the country. I love Korean.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
A visit to the doctor...
On Thursday night, while having dinner with Abby and a new girl Jade, I was asked if I wanted to take part in what was deemed an "adventure". As I am not one to back down from new experiences (which may be the reason I am in this country in the first place), I agreed. Abby asked if I liked fish (I do) and left it at that. I asked if I should bring a bathing suit, and she finally let me know that we would be going to see Dr. Fish, and all I would need is money for the bus, the visit, and a cup of coffee, and a strong will.
On Saturday, I met Abby, Ed, and Jade at Abby's apartment and we took the bus to Ya Woo Ri, the mall downtown. The bus only costs about $1.10, so it's a bargain and a half. On the third story of the Dunkin Donuts building across the street, is Dr. Fish. When you walk in it's actually a swank coffee place with old brick interiors and fun lighting. Koreans also seem to have this great love of Americana. They had rag dolls and rocking chairs scattered throughout the place, also Christmas decorations, which apparently no one ever takes down. So after ordering our coffee, with the help of our ambassador, a guy who runs the place and speaks English (even though we are quite capable of functioning in our broken Korean), we were finally led to the Dr. Fish-zone. A quick sit down for coffee and the time came.
We sat in front of a tiny tub that we placed our feet in and washed off our feet, preparing for the treatment. Then we were led to a tank of fish that were slightly bigger than minnows. So here's the Dr. Fish treatment: one places their feet in the tank, and the fish eat the dead skin off of them. I know, I know it sounds gross and in fact just a short evolution from zombie fish, but it actually wasn't that bad. I felt awful that these fish had to eat feet, but I see it more as doing my part to contribute to an eco-system. I feed the fish, they live to eat more feet. We all spent abouyt 15 minutes in the tank, doing our best not to freak out (although Jade was the most vocal of the group. The best way to describe the feeling is to say that if you didn't look, it felt like tiny electrical pulses to your feet. If you did look, it felt like fish were nibbling at your gross feet. All in all the experience was interesting. Afterwards, we washed again, where I was able to actually see and feel the results of the feeding frenzy. I was able to see nibble marks from the tiny helpers and even today, my feet feel really good, and look better. That may not have been my last trip to Dr. Fish.
Here's the link to the videos of Abby, Ed, Jade and I meeting the good Doctor.
On Saturday, I met Abby, Ed, and Jade at Abby's apartment and we took the bus to Ya Woo Ri, the mall downtown. The bus only costs about $1.10, so it's a bargain and a half. On the third story of the Dunkin Donuts building across the street, is Dr. Fish. When you walk in it's actually a swank coffee place with old brick interiors and fun lighting. Koreans also seem to have this great love of Americana. They had rag dolls and rocking chairs scattered throughout the place, also Christmas decorations, which apparently no one ever takes down. So after ordering our coffee, with the help of our ambassador, a guy who runs the place and speaks English (even though we are quite capable of functioning in our broken Korean), we were finally led to the Dr. Fish-zone. A quick sit down for coffee and the time came.
We sat in front of a tiny tub that we placed our feet in and washed off our feet, preparing for the treatment. Then we were led to a tank of fish that were slightly bigger than minnows. So here's the Dr. Fish treatment: one places their feet in the tank, and the fish eat the dead skin off of them. I know, I know it sounds gross and in fact just a short evolution from zombie fish, but it actually wasn't that bad. I felt awful that these fish had to eat feet, but I see it more as doing my part to contribute to an eco-system. I feed the fish, they live to eat more feet. We all spent abouyt 15 minutes in the tank, doing our best not to freak out (although Jade was the most vocal of the group. The best way to describe the feeling is to say that if you didn't look, it felt like tiny electrical pulses to your feet. If you did look, it felt like fish were nibbling at your gross feet. All in all the experience was interesting. Afterwards, we washed again, where I was able to actually see and feel the results of the feeding frenzy. I was able to see nibble marks from the tiny helpers and even today, my feet feel really good, and look better. That may not have been my last trip to Dr. Fish.
Here's the link to the videos of Abby, Ed, Jade and I meeting the good Doctor.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Apologies....
Life here in Cheonan is very hectic during the week, between work and meeting new people and such, it can take up a lot of time. Expect a long post tomorrow, and here's a hint about the post to wet your whistle: Dr. Fish. Media included.
Until then,
Mallory
Until then,
Mallory
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Experimenting with video...
I am attempting to post two videos of the market in Songtan...I hope this works. If it does, expect more to come!
Market Videos!
Market Videos!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Growth
Tonight, I opened my window and looked out at the city. From my apartment on the 14th floor, I have a view that beats comparison. Don’t be mistaken; I only have a glimpse of the mountains that seem to be the backdrop to everything here. They stand like sentinels around the panorama, keeping quiet when travel around the city. What I have feels better, more real, whether or not that is the case.
I only have a 3-minute walk to work. I like it because I walk out of my complex up the street I live on and onto a dirt path. The path crosses into a construction zone, which doesn’t seem to shock anyone be they construction worker or casual pedestrian. Women with loads from the grocery stores shading themselves with umbrellas drift past men working pay loaders and heavy pipes into the new building that seems to never be at rest. In the last leg up the hill to the school, I am surrounded by gardens. In the United States, there is a luxurious sense to gardening. Women and men keep them up because they can, and have spare time. Hours spent on the weekends weeding are allowed to be spent so because the individual has hours in the first place. I appreciate the give and take dichotomy that exists here as green beans can be served at the table, and the green thumb can boast of their crop. In the booming trend of organics that has arisen in the United States, the traditional vegetable garden stands back and says, “We’ve been here all along.”
I don’t get this same feeling when I see the gardens in Shinbang dong, whether it be from my window or on my walk to work. Rows and rows of peppers, beans, corn and whatever else will grow, exist in small plots. They are renegade gardens that are manned by anyone who can find open land. That last part is difficult. With Korean geography being largely mountainous, land is hard to come by. Roughly 95% of the population lives in apartments, and high rises are more common than gas stations and used car places are in my hometown. Progress is vertical here, and wherever there is a free patch of dirt, it becomes a patch of one’s own.
The people who tend to the gardens work late into the night. I get done with my last class at 8:15 and while I am leaving, I see older women and men crouching close to their growing plots squinting through the dark at what weeds may have started up since they last came. Women, wearing white gloves covered with dirt and with handkerchiefs over their hair, ride the elevator with me and my own work seems trivial. The reclamation of the balance of culture in this county takes place in 10 by 10 parcels.
It’s hard to believe that just 60 years ago, there was nothing here. In such a little time so much has occurred. Democracy (whether one perceives it as a blessing or a curse) is still growing as well. It’s not perfect, but in political terms, it’s still a spring chick. The idea that a generation of people who had nothing and ate and lived in tents for years, that are still alive today is incredible. At night, you can walk down the streets with bars and pool halls and eat at a food table set up under floodlights and tarps, where someone is selling kimchi and mandu. The blend that seems to have permeated every bit of this culture is so clear from my window, and waking up every morning to see the change and expansion is like seeing fungus grow on a decomposing log, both intriguing and hopeful.
I only have a 3-minute walk to work. I like it because I walk out of my complex up the street I live on and onto a dirt path. The path crosses into a construction zone, which doesn’t seem to shock anyone be they construction worker or casual pedestrian. Women with loads from the grocery stores shading themselves with umbrellas drift past men working pay loaders and heavy pipes into the new building that seems to never be at rest. In the last leg up the hill to the school, I am surrounded by gardens. In the United States, there is a luxurious sense to gardening. Women and men keep them up because they can, and have spare time. Hours spent on the weekends weeding are allowed to be spent so because the individual has hours in the first place. I appreciate the give and take dichotomy that exists here as green beans can be served at the table, and the green thumb can boast of their crop. In the booming trend of organics that has arisen in the United States, the traditional vegetable garden stands back and says, “We’ve been here all along.”
I don’t get this same feeling when I see the gardens in Shinbang dong, whether it be from my window or on my walk to work. Rows and rows of peppers, beans, corn and whatever else will grow, exist in small plots. They are renegade gardens that are manned by anyone who can find open land. That last part is difficult. With Korean geography being largely mountainous, land is hard to come by. Roughly 95% of the population lives in apartments, and high rises are more common than gas stations and used car places are in my hometown. Progress is vertical here, and wherever there is a free patch of dirt, it becomes a patch of one’s own.
The people who tend to the gardens work late into the night. I get done with my last class at 8:15 and while I am leaving, I see older women and men crouching close to their growing plots squinting through the dark at what weeds may have started up since they last came. Women, wearing white gloves covered with dirt and with handkerchiefs over their hair, ride the elevator with me and my own work seems trivial. The reclamation of the balance of culture in this county takes place in 10 by 10 parcels.
It’s hard to believe that just 60 years ago, there was nothing here. In such a little time so much has occurred. Democracy (whether one perceives it as a blessing or a curse) is still growing as well. It’s not perfect, but in political terms, it’s still a spring chick. The idea that a generation of people who had nothing and ate and lived in tents for years, that are still alive today is incredible. At night, you can walk down the streets with bars and pool halls and eat at a food table set up under floodlights and tarps, where someone is selling kimchi and mandu. The blend that seems to have permeated every bit of this culture is so clear from my window, and waking up every morning to see the change and expansion is like seeing fungus grow on a decomposing log, both intriguing and hopeful.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Korean McDonalds: You've come a long way, baby!
This morning Troy, David, Lauren and I went to the hospital to get an immigration health check for David and I. While I won't recount the numerous details of this trip, I will leave you with this interesting fact: it is fairly easy to offend someone when you are asking if they have ever been pregnant and you don't speak their language fluently.
Anyway, after getting blood taken, peeing into a paper cup (I won't be able to use a dixie cup again without feeling weird) and seeing if I was colorblind, we went the EMart foodcourt. EMart is basically Homever, just bigger. David opted for Korean, but the rest of us went to McDonalds. If you are looking for the extensive McDonald's menu, you won't find it. You can basically get 1 of 7 items:
Big Mac
Double Cheeseburger
Bulgogi Burger
Double Bulgogi Burger
Shrimp Burger
Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Strips
I was intrigued that they had taken Bulgogi (barbecued meat) and made it into a sandwicg because it's pretty delicious. I usually get Filet O'Fish, so I opted for the Korean version, the Shrimp Burger. It was pretty much a Fish Sandwich, except a patty of chopped shrimp with special sauce (1000 island dressing). All in all it wasn't bad. They also have discounts from 11-2 so for the 3 of us, it was 10 bucks, for entire meals. Fry sizes are a lot smaller, and so are soda sizes, which isn't a big deal.
Here is what is a big deal. THEY JUST STARTED SERVING MCDONALD'S BREAKFASTS. I don't know about you, but I love an egg Mcmuffin. The only two choices right now are the hotcakes and eggs, sausage and biscuits meal. This means that I will have to wait approximately 45 years for the advent of the McGriddle, something I am deeply saddened by. Other fun facts about McDonalds in Korea, they have to put up signs saying they use Australian Beef because everyone hates American Beef right now. Also, they deliver. I haven't done this and probably never will, but it's good to know that if I have a Big Mac attack, they are a phone call away.
Anyway, after getting blood taken, peeing into a paper cup (I won't be able to use a dixie cup again without feeling weird) and seeing if I was colorblind, we went the EMart foodcourt. EMart is basically Homever, just bigger. David opted for Korean, but the rest of us went to McDonalds. If you are looking for the extensive McDonald's menu, you won't find it. You can basically get 1 of 7 items:
Big Mac
Double Cheeseburger
Bulgogi Burger
Double Bulgogi Burger
Shrimp Burger
Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Strips
I was intrigued that they had taken Bulgogi (barbecued meat) and made it into a sandwicg because it's pretty delicious. I usually get Filet O'Fish, so I opted for the Korean version, the Shrimp Burger. It was pretty much a Fish Sandwich, except a patty of chopped shrimp with special sauce (1000 island dressing). All in all it wasn't bad. They also have discounts from 11-2 so for the 3 of us, it was 10 bucks, for entire meals. Fry sizes are a lot smaller, and so are soda sizes, which isn't a big deal.
Here is what is a big deal. THEY JUST STARTED SERVING MCDONALD'S BREAKFASTS. I don't know about you, but I love an egg Mcmuffin. The only two choices right now are the hotcakes and eggs, sausage and biscuits meal. This means that I will have to wait approximately 45 years for the advent of the McGriddle, something I am deeply saddened by. Other fun facts about McDonalds in Korea, they have to put up signs saying they use Australian Beef because everyone hates American Beef right now. Also, they deliver. I haven't done this and probably never will, but it's good to know that if I have a Big Mac attack, they are a phone call away.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
One night in Cheonan
Okay, the title is a bit of a lie, because I actually had my first social outings this weekend. On Thursday, David (the other English teacher at the Academy)invited me out to a pool night where a bunch of other foreigners meet up. We took a taxi into to Downtown (all you need to say is "Ya Woori" which is the name of the mall, and you are there, also taxi's hardly ever cost more than 5 or 6 bucks). I found the facebook group online, so I contacted the people that organize it and eventually met up with them at a pool hall. Abby is a teacher in Cheonan from Iowa and has been here since October, she and her boyfriend Ed, whose from London get everyone together every Thursday for a little pool and a lot of socializing. It was refreshing not to speak in pigeon English, like I have to do with all of my students, and everyone I met was extremely nice. After that night, Abby and Ed invited me out with them on Friday. She lived in Shinbang Dong (the city is broken up into district-like "dongs").
So on Friday, I met Ed at Homever and we walked to Abby's place which is just on the top of the hill I live at the bottom of. We sat for awhile at a salt pork restaurant and watched a bit of the opening ceremonies. My favorite part of the casual eateries here is that they are open, and sitting in front of a large table of cheap food cooking on the grill at the table is having a warm breeze. It was great. After eating we met Darren, Abby's Canadian neighboor, and Olivia and Natalie, two teachers from South Africa. Again, everyone was great and so warm and willing to share all of their experiences with me. The six of us hit a place called Garten Bier, a german-inspired bar where the only German influence seemed to be pictures of men with Leiderhosen and big moustaches.
I needed to start a new paragraph because what I am about to tell you changed my life and I want to make sure that it doesn't get lost in a block of text. The tables of Garten Bier have refrigeration units built into them, in the form of cupholders, where one places their beer whilst having conversation, making the beer drinking experience highly more enjoyable. I hope someone takes that idea to the bank, because it was awesome. There, I've said it.
The next place we hit was proclaimed by everyone to be a thing I just had to do. In Korea, and actually in Japan too, you can rent karaoke rooms called "nori bangs" where for about 20 bucks you get a half hour of free reign over a room that has both English and Korean songs. It was great. We sang everything from The Clash to Queen, to Rick James. We closed the place. It was pretty late by this time (in the interest of not giving my mother a heart attack, I won't mention the actual time) and so I headed home.
The next day, Abby and Ed invited me to go with them to Songtan. The United States has several bases all over Korea (the DMZ being the most heavily enforced boarder in the world) and one of them is in Songtan. The result is an area of the town where everyone is pretty Western. Our specific purpose was to eat at what Abby called "The best Mexican restaurant in Korea". She was right. It was great. Also it was knock-off bag city. I didn't get a bag, but I did buy a cool pair of 7 dollar sunglasses with slats cut into them ala Kanye West. After shopping for a bit, we hit the covered market which was a shady looking place where a lot of Koreans go for their fresh fish, dried fish and grains, spices and such. You will also find entire little stores with the occasional Western food item. I was able to get garlic powder, which I have had a hard time finding in Homever, and Double Stuff Oreos, which I am not sure if I could find, but was intrigued by.
The rest of the day consisted with another visit to a place called Kuma in Shinbang dong with some old Cheonan teaching veterans who were visiting and then to a place that sold pork spine soup. Okay, so here is where I tell you about my recent conundrum. For the past 8 or so months, I have been a vegetarian. Not strict, as I have eaten fish and eggs, but abstaining from meat because of books I have read on the processing of American meat. Currently there are protests going on about the use of American beef in Korea. The president recently signed a trade agreement allowing the sale of beef in Korea, which made Korean cattle processors angry because it was cheaper (the sheer number of cattle in comparison illustrates the reason why).
Being a vegetarian in Korea is really really hard. I had been okay so far, but basically I think I may have to quit for awhile. Meat is literally in everything. Even fish soups and noodles are stewing in meat broths. Also, the meat smells extremely tasty. If my problem with meat was an animal cruelty debate, I might be more attached to my beliefs, but as it was stated to me by more than one person "You might starve here, if you don't eat meat." I might start off slow, and ease into it, but I haven't made my move yet. I guess time will tell.
So on Friday, I met Ed at Homever and we walked to Abby's place which is just on the top of the hill I live at the bottom of. We sat for awhile at a salt pork restaurant and watched a bit of the opening ceremonies. My favorite part of the casual eateries here is that they are open, and sitting in front of a large table of cheap food cooking on the grill at the table is having a warm breeze. It was great. After eating we met Darren, Abby's Canadian neighboor, and Olivia and Natalie, two teachers from South Africa. Again, everyone was great and so warm and willing to share all of their experiences with me. The six of us hit a place called Garten Bier, a german-inspired bar where the only German influence seemed to be pictures of men with Leiderhosen and big moustaches.
I needed to start a new paragraph because what I am about to tell you changed my life and I want to make sure that it doesn't get lost in a block of text. The tables of Garten Bier have refrigeration units built into them, in the form of cupholders, where one places their beer whilst having conversation, making the beer drinking experience highly more enjoyable. I hope someone takes that idea to the bank, because it was awesome. There, I've said it.
The next place we hit was proclaimed by everyone to be a thing I just had to do. In Korea, and actually in Japan too, you can rent karaoke rooms called "nori bangs" where for about 20 bucks you get a half hour of free reign over a room that has both English and Korean songs. It was great. We sang everything from The Clash to Queen, to Rick James. We closed the place. It was pretty late by this time (in the interest of not giving my mother a heart attack, I won't mention the actual time) and so I headed home.
The next day, Abby and Ed invited me to go with them to Songtan. The United States has several bases all over Korea (the DMZ being the most heavily enforced boarder in the world) and one of them is in Songtan. The result is an area of the town where everyone is pretty Western. Our specific purpose was to eat at what Abby called "The best Mexican restaurant in Korea". She was right. It was great. Also it was knock-off bag city. I didn't get a bag, but I did buy a cool pair of 7 dollar sunglasses with slats cut into them ala Kanye West. After shopping for a bit, we hit the covered market which was a shady looking place where a lot of Koreans go for their fresh fish, dried fish and grains, spices and such. You will also find entire little stores with the occasional Western food item. I was able to get garlic powder, which I have had a hard time finding in Homever, and Double Stuff Oreos, which I am not sure if I could find, but was intrigued by.
The rest of the day consisted with another visit to a place called Kuma in Shinbang dong with some old Cheonan teaching veterans who were visiting and then to a place that sold pork spine soup. Okay, so here is where I tell you about my recent conundrum. For the past 8 or so months, I have been a vegetarian. Not strict, as I have eaten fish and eggs, but abstaining from meat because of books I have read on the processing of American meat. Currently there are protests going on about the use of American beef in Korea. The president recently signed a trade agreement allowing the sale of beef in Korea, which made Korean cattle processors angry because it was cheaper (the sheer number of cattle in comparison illustrates the reason why).
Being a vegetarian in Korea is really really hard. I had been okay so far, but basically I think I may have to quit for awhile. Meat is literally in everything. Even fish soups and noodles are stewing in meat broths. Also, the meat smells extremely tasty. If my problem with meat was an animal cruelty debate, I might be more attached to my beliefs, but as it was stated to me by more than one person "You might starve here, if you don't eat meat." I might start off slow, and ease into it, but I haven't made my move yet. I guess time will tell.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
A brief (and slightly ignorant) rant.
Okay so, today I made a quick to trip to Homever. Out of all of the things that I have been able to find here (cheese, pancakes, pizza) I am shocked that identifying and finding garbage bags is by far the hardest thing I have had to find. A quick note, all garbage must be in a specific, slightly green-tinted bag, and you will get fined for not doing so (going through your garbage is a legal means to an end here, so there is no 'getting away' with it). So being the law abiding ex-pat that I am, I have searched on 3 separate occasions to find them. I know what you are thinking "Mallory, simply get out your phrasebook, and point to the word 'garbage bag' and then see where they take you." I know, friend, and I have. Even after doing this, the grocery store personnel ANSWER IN KOREAN. Leaving me smiling and saying "Komsa nida" (Thank You) in order to not look like a total idiot. I am at the point where I think I may start asking my students what the boxes look like, or paying someone to get them for me, which makes it seem like I am trying to solicit drugs. Far from it.
The next big of difficulty I am having is with the policies at Homever. There are several different levels, and a row of cashiers on every level. I have seen people put carts on the escalators, moving freely from every level without care. Today I attempted it with a basket and was stopped and sent to the cashiers. Previously when I did this and went with my paid merchandise to the next level, I presented the lady at the opening of the next level with my receipt and I was given stickers for my bags and allowed to pass. Today I did the same, and was ushered to rental lockers where I could put my bags. What's the deal Homever? I don't mind doing these things, but at least make your procedures consistent so I don't have to constantly figure out your store etiquette.
This last part is more of a fable than a complaint of sorts. I was looking for some fun snacky food to have around and as you might imagine, somethings are hard to decipher. There are a lot of products that look similar to their American counterparts (for example, Pringles) and are easy to find. I do, however, realize that I need to find new foods and not just stick to the stuff I know. In an attempt to do this, I found a bag of snack things that looked good and had a picture of a cartoon crab on them. In the past my history with cartoon characters on food has been positive (ie: Tony the Tiger, Chester Cheetah, Count Chocula) and so I bought them with the understanding there there was no possible way I could go wrong. Fast forward to 20 minutes later when I sit down to a quick lunch before work. I had a sandwich and popped a bunch of these taste treats in my mouth. Word to the wise: If you are in Korea and happen upon a fun snack with a cartoony crab on the front and you say to yourself "These snacks must be crab-shaped and there is no way they could be crab-flavored!" Think again. They are crab flavored and you won't know until you have put about 5 in your mouth and there is a very distinct fishy aftertaste. That's right gang. I had crab snacks. I don't recommend them.
That is all for now. I am going to get ready to teach today and enjoy the company of my great students. Hope all of you are well!
The next big of difficulty I am having is with the policies at Homever. There are several different levels, and a row of cashiers on every level. I have seen people put carts on the escalators, moving freely from every level without care. Today I attempted it with a basket and was stopped and sent to the cashiers. Previously when I did this and went with my paid merchandise to the next level, I presented the lady at the opening of the next level with my receipt and I was given stickers for my bags and allowed to pass. Today I did the same, and was ushered to rental lockers where I could put my bags. What's the deal Homever? I don't mind doing these things, but at least make your procedures consistent so I don't have to constantly figure out your store etiquette.
This last part is more of a fable than a complaint of sorts. I was looking for some fun snacky food to have around and as you might imagine, somethings are hard to decipher. There are a lot of products that look similar to their American counterparts (for example, Pringles) and are easy to find. I do, however, realize that I need to find new foods and not just stick to the stuff I know. In an attempt to do this, I found a bag of snack things that looked good and had a picture of a cartoon crab on them. In the past my history with cartoon characters on food has been positive (ie: Tony the Tiger, Chester Cheetah, Count Chocula) and so I bought them with the understanding there there was no possible way I could go wrong. Fast forward to 20 minutes later when I sit down to a quick lunch before work. I had a sandwich and popped a bunch of these taste treats in my mouth. Word to the wise: If you are in Korea and happen upon a fun snack with a cartoony crab on the front and you say to yourself "These snacks must be crab-shaped and there is no way they could be crab-flavored!" Think again. They are crab flavored and you won't know until you have put about 5 in your mouth and there is a very distinct fishy aftertaste. That's right gang. I had crab snacks. I don't recommend them.
That is all for now. I am going to get ready to teach today and enjoy the company of my great students. Hope all of you are well!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Mallory Teacher
Well, the job has started. To be honest, I was so concentrated on the big move, that I hardly had time to think about actually teaching, so I was relieved when I got through the first day. Before I can fairly talk about my job, here's a couple of facts about education in Korea:
-Public education here is a bit of a joke. Students attend school during the day (they have hours the same as American students). Schools teach various subjects including English, P.E., Korean History, Mathematics and so on. Most parents send their students to public schools for ranking purposes, something that is very important here.
-As a result, hagwons are employed. A hagwon is basically an private after school program where parents pay for lessons in one specific area. My school teaches English, but there are piano hagwons, Tae Kwon Do hagwons, and so on and so forth. All of that schooling usually means that children can go to school for over 15 hours a day. It can be tiring.
-Most hagwons are all about the cash because they know that parents will pay top dollar for their kids to learn. With English, some parents are monitoring their students learning, which means "lessons" mean the kids just waste time for an hour and the "teacher" gets paid. It's sad.
So my boss, Troy, was a coordinating teacher in Seoul for a couple of years and getting frustrated with the way that things were being run. At his last job, a Korean co-worker of his, Lauren, finally convinced him to open up his own school and with the costs being relatively low, he agreed. The set up of our school is a lot different than others. Troy tests students into a "level" 2-5, not according to age. This makes teaching a lot easier.
Students are all very great. Gi Hae, which I found is actually spelled Ji Hyae, is in my E2 class. Trying to teach a 5 year-old English is not the coolest, but I am sure I will get used to telling to her to sit down every 2 minutes. Classes are pretty cut and dry, we use a curriculum and use storybooks as platforms for vocabulary which help with context. So that's the teaching thus far, I am sure I will add quotes from students later. Here's the first one:
I was asking students what they would do with $100,000 (the title of the book we are reading) and he replied "I would take it to LasBegas." The letter "V" doesn't exist in the Korean alphabet, neither does "l", "z", "f" or "th". So that makes teaching English the greatest.
-Public education here is a bit of a joke. Students attend school during the day (they have hours the same as American students). Schools teach various subjects including English, P.E., Korean History, Mathematics and so on. Most parents send their students to public schools for ranking purposes, something that is very important here.
-As a result, hagwons are employed. A hagwon is basically an private after school program where parents pay for lessons in one specific area. My school teaches English, but there are piano hagwons, Tae Kwon Do hagwons, and so on and so forth. All of that schooling usually means that children can go to school for over 15 hours a day. It can be tiring.
-Most hagwons are all about the cash because they know that parents will pay top dollar for their kids to learn. With English, some parents are monitoring their students learning, which means "lessons" mean the kids just waste time for an hour and the "teacher" gets paid. It's sad.
So my boss, Troy, was a coordinating teacher in Seoul for a couple of years and getting frustrated with the way that things were being run. At his last job, a Korean co-worker of his, Lauren, finally convinced him to open up his own school and with the costs being relatively low, he agreed. The set up of our school is a lot different than others. Troy tests students into a "level" 2-5, not according to age. This makes teaching a lot easier.
Students are all very great. Gi Hae, which I found is actually spelled Ji Hyae, is in my E2 class. Trying to teach a 5 year-old English is not the coolest, but I am sure I will get used to telling to her to sit down every 2 minutes. Classes are pretty cut and dry, we use a curriculum and use storybooks as platforms for vocabulary which help with context. So that's the teaching thus far, I am sure I will add quotes from students later. Here's the first one:
I was asking students what they would do with $100,000 (the title of the book we are reading) and he replied "I would take it to LasBegas." The letter "V" doesn't exist in the Korean alphabet, neither does "l", "z", "f" or "th". So that makes teaching English the greatest.
Friday, August 1, 2008
It's not Korean Air, but it's not bad
Today has been a series of naps and trips to the outside world. Troy and Jenny (her Korean name is actually Pak Gi Hae) picked me up and we went to the restaurant across the street from my apartment with her parents (I am don't know Lauren's husband's name yet). The experience was interesting and tasty. Shoes are taken off at the door and placed in a cubby, I was wondering if I was going to get animal crackers and apple juice to eat, because the last time I placed anything in a cubby was in kindergarten. Oh well, I love socks. We sat on pillows on the floor in front of a very long table with a barbecue in the middle. Prices here are pretty cheap. You can get an entree for about 3,000 won (which is about 5 bucks). All side dishes and drinks are free and refillable, also tipping is not done at all. I have died and gone to discourteous heaven. Troy claims he can save thousands a year in not tipping alone, and I believe him.
So, meal time. Saying there was a lot of food is an understatement. I would have best been placed at a trough. It was craaazy. I had to come out of the vegetarian closet, and it definitely helps that I eat seafood. I got some tofu in broth with spicy things at the bottom, rice with veggies and fish eggs, and noodles in broth. Then like 20,000 side dishes that just come with it. Everything is communal, so people were eating everything in sight. In addition, they had beef on the grill and Lauren persuaded me to try some. I rationalized it by saying that my strict eating wasn't because of my hatred of cruelty to animals, and it isn't. The meat industry in the United States is awful, pumping hormones and such into the food. Anywho, I will probably regret this decision later, but in all honesty, it was delicious. You dip the meat in a red sauce and then fold it into a lettuce leaf. Troy had to remind me that it wasn't like a hot dog and to eat it in one fell swoop. It may have been my imagination, but I swear that everyone was saying "Stupid American and her non-meat eating habits". Pretty sure. That's not half of the dishes that were on the table, but in all honesty, I am going to fall into a food coma relaying them all, so I won't try.
Jenny (Gi-hae for short) was still cute as a button. She may just be trying to butter me up, but she kept saying how pretty I was. She will probably come to me in a few months for money because her boyfriend lost his job and they need a place to stay. She's only 5, but I know there are ulterior motives at work. She was in a relay race of sorts. The place we ate had a playground in one corner so she would eat about 2 bites, and then yell loudly "PLAY!" and skip to the jungle gym. After 5 minutes she would come back and start the process again. Seriously. She then complained that she could use chopsticks because she didn't have enough energy in her fingers. Which reminds me, I need to start using these all the time. I thought I was adept, but I have no skill. Most chopsticks in the U.S. are wooden, so I can really grip them. These were like silverware and flat, so I looked like an idiot for about 5 minutes trying to get noodles on them, until Troy requested a "pork", which is actually a fork, or perhaps I was eating like a pig. Not sure. He then told me that this place probably has one fork, I told him I was honored to receive such a gift. Waitress were summoned using a bell, Gi-hae was always more than happy to do this.
When I was full, Troy and I left, I felt bad about leaving the bill with Lauren and her husband, but Troy didn't so I guess it was cool. Her husband now probably thinks I am a sloppy-eating free loading American, but I guess that's alright.
So, meal time. Saying there was a lot of food is an understatement. I would have best been placed at a trough. It was craaazy. I had to come out of the vegetarian closet, and it definitely helps that I eat seafood. I got some tofu in broth with spicy things at the bottom, rice with veggies and fish eggs, and noodles in broth. Then like 20,000 side dishes that just come with it. Everything is communal, so people were eating everything in sight. In addition, they had beef on the grill and Lauren persuaded me to try some. I rationalized it by saying that my strict eating wasn't because of my hatred of cruelty to animals, and it isn't. The meat industry in the United States is awful, pumping hormones and such into the food. Anywho, I will probably regret this decision later, but in all honesty, it was delicious. You dip the meat in a red sauce and then fold it into a lettuce leaf. Troy had to remind me that it wasn't like a hot dog and to eat it in one fell swoop. It may have been my imagination, but I swear that everyone was saying "Stupid American and her non-meat eating habits". Pretty sure. That's not half of the dishes that were on the table, but in all honesty, I am going to fall into a food coma relaying them all, so I won't try.
Jenny (Gi-hae for short) was still cute as a button. She may just be trying to butter me up, but she kept saying how pretty I was. She will probably come to me in a few months for money because her boyfriend lost his job and they need a place to stay. She's only 5, but I know there are ulterior motives at work. She was in a relay race of sorts. The place we ate had a playground in one corner so she would eat about 2 bites, and then yell loudly "PLAY!" and skip to the jungle gym. After 5 minutes she would come back and start the process again. Seriously. She then complained that she could use chopsticks because she didn't have enough energy in her fingers. Which reminds me, I need to start using these all the time. I thought I was adept, but I have no skill. Most chopsticks in the U.S. are wooden, so I can really grip them. These were like silverware and flat, so I looked like an idiot for about 5 minutes trying to get noodles on them, until Troy requested a "pork", which is actually a fork, or perhaps I was eating like a pig. Not sure. He then told me that this place probably has one fork, I told him I was honored to receive such a gift. Waitress were summoned using a bell, Gi-hae was always more than happy to do this.
When I was full, Troy and I left, I felt bad about leaving the bill with Lauren and her husband, but Troy didn't so I guess it was cool. Her husband now probably thinks I am a sloppy-eating free loading American, but I guess that's alright.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Coffee, Beer?
After traveling by bus for 2 hours with Troy and his wife, I tiredly set foot in my temporary new place. My real apartment wasn't ready yet (Troy is finishing up the cleaning and receiving the furniture they ordered today) so I am in the other teacher's place until he arrives on Sunday. It's not bad, perfect for one person, although my apartment will be one room smaller. I've got a balcony, a bathroom a main room, and a bathroom. Perfect for me. I'm able to steal the internet in here because they haven't turned it off yet.
I took a shower last night, which was interesting as there aren't separate shower stalls, you shower in the bathroom, because there are drains in floor. Showering in front of a big bathroom mirror is a humbling experience. Then I slept on this really comfortable bed, that has memory foam, I think. I was surprised that I made it through the night without waking up, but I got a full 7 hours which I feel is an impressive jab in the face of jet lag.
I decided to get out today. I am still unaware of my general area, but I can orient myself a little. Down the street, I was told, was a department store, with grocery store on the 2nd floor. I found Home Ever fairly quickly. And it certainly is a department store. The first floor as underwear, shoes, purses, cosmetics and jewelry. I got the second floor by an inclined moving walkway (not an escalator, no stairs) I wasn't sure what groceries to get, so I decided to just get a couple of necessities. This turned into what items I could distinguish. The end result was a bag of nectarine, croissants, cheese, milk, strawberry jelly, Pringles, Peanut Butter Oreos, milk and juice.
On the way back, I looked at some of the stores on the street perpendicular to mine. There were a lot of places that I had no idea what could be contained, there were a couple of places that I could decipher, most of them sold food. All of them had exclamation points. My favorite was a resturaunt that simply said "Coffee and Beer." What a duo. There are your too choices: Folgers or Budweiser, take your pick. This choice says a lot.
After my trip, Troy's assistant, Lauren came by. She rang my doorbell, and upon opening it, I was greeted by her lovely face and then a pink streak running through the doorway and into the kitchen, then bedroom and finally stopping in front of me. When the streak stopped, I realized it was a tiny smiling girl, in the cutest outfit this side of the Yellow Sea. It turned out this was Lauren's 5-year-old, Jenny. They became my tour guides on a quick trip to the hagwon, which is literally 60 seconds from my apartment. Jenny is a bundle of energy. Lauren warned me, "I have been speaking only Korean with her, so she is ready to speak in English with you." For the next hour, we talked about Ariel, Cinderella, how much we like teddy bears, she drew me pictures and then declared, "New teacher, I like you and your shoes." We came back to the apartment and they left, Jenny being my new favorite friend who will chat about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and long towers (of which I received a picture).
I took a shower last night, which was interesting as there aren't separate shower stalls, you shower in the bathroom, because there are drains in floor. Showering in front of a big bathroom mirror is a humbling experience. Then I slept on this really comfortable bed, that has memory foam, I think. I was surprised that I made it through the night without waking up, but I got a full 7 hours which I feel is an impressive jab in the face of jet lag.
I decided to get out today. I am still unaware of my general area, but I can orient myself a little. Down the street, I was told, was a department store, with grocery store on the 2nd floor. I found Home Ever fairly quickly. And it certainly is a department store. The first floor as underwear, shoes, purses, cosmetics and jewelry. I got the second floor by an inclined moving walkway (not an escalator, no stairs) I wasn't sure what groceries to get, so I decided to just get a couple of necessities. This turned into what items I could distinguish. The end result was a bag of nectarine, croissants, cheese, milk, strawberry jelly, Pringles, Peanut Butter Oreos, milk and juice.
On the way back, I looked at some of the stores on the street perpendicular to mine. There were a lot of places that I had no idea what could be contained, there were a couple of places that I could decipher, most of them sold food. All of them had exclamation points. My favorite was a resturaunt that simply said "Coffee and Beer." What a duo. There are your too choices: Folgers or Budweiser, take your pick. This choice says a lot.
After my trip, Troy's assistant, Lauren came by. She rang my doorbell, and upon opening it, I was greeted by her lovely face and then a pink streak running through the doorway and into the kitchen, then bedroom and finally stopping in front of me. When the streak stopped, I realized it was a tiny smiling girl, in the cutest outfit this side of the Yellow Sea. It turned out this was Lauren's 5-year-old, Jenny. They became my tour guides on a quick trip to the hagwon, which is literally 60 seconds from my apartment. Jenny is a bundle of energy. Lauren warned me, "I have been speaking only Korean with her, so she is ready to speak in English with you." For the next hour, we talked about Ariel, Cinderella, how much we like teddy bears, she drew me pictures and then declared, "New teacher, I like you and your shoes." We came back to the apartment and they left, Jenny being my new favorite friend who will chat about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and long towers (of which I received a picture).
Flights to the other world are best served with Bulgogi
So I am here. As in Cheonan, as in this is crazy. I am going to put up a series of posts and get some pictures up in good time. So calm down. Part One: the flight.
Here's a good summary of overseas flights: You get settled in, read a little, watch a sweet in-flight movie ("Fool's Gold" anyone?) drink a soda, take a nap, and when you wake up, YOU STILL HAVE 8 HOURS LEFT. That's right. I have found hell and it's traveling over the Bering Sea while trying to close your eyes for a long enough time so that you won't kill yourself when you finally land, and it never happens.
It's a good thing that Korean Air has the best flight attendants I have ever seen, in my life. First, they are the classiest broads ever. Their uniforms are a turquoise military-style satin shirts and khaki (in either pencil skirt or chino form). Their hair is perfectly coiffed and accented with what looks to be a sideways cursive "l", which I would get caught on everything if I had to wear it.
Looks aside, these women are impressive. Not a hair out of place for the entire 13 hour trip. Here's a breakdown of what they did. Upon getting on the plane, I was given a pillow, blanket, mineral water, eye-mask, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, with handy sack to put these in. Then came the first series of drinks, with ginger ale in cans that look like Red Bull. I wanted to keep mine, but thought better of it. Then came a "refreshing towel", to clean off and get myself ready to sit for longer than in humanly possible. Then dinner (I choose the Bibimbap, a rice with veggies and what I think was beef, which I tried to eat around) with wine. After this, they bring around coffee and tea on trays. This was only 4 hours into the trip. They brought around water, juice, bananas and bread with meat surprises in them about every half hour or so. This proceeded for sometime with another meal, that I couldn't eat because my efforts to avoid meat were ruined and I became slightly (actually very) sick.
Their diligence didn't end there. Should you want for anything, they were there, waiting for their commands. When I wanted another Ginger Ale disguised as Red Bull, they got one from first class, because in Korea everyone is first class. The most impressive act wasn't even for my benefit. A family was sitting diagonal from me. This woman had an infant and 3 other kids. The stewardess promptly pulled out a crib that hooked onto the wall, and made a bassinet for this child, making sure it would be comfortable. If there was a crying child, they would attend to them. I half expected to wet-nurse the baby when it was crying.
So all in all, the service was great, my health was not. I didn't puke which was good and I sat next to a woman and her 3 year-old daughter, Irene who conversed with me on the various interesting facts about rainbows, lizards and salamanders. We had a good time, until I had to use the lavatory every half hour.
Here's a good summary of overseas flights: You get settled in, read a little, watch a sweet in-flight movie ("Fool's Gold" anyone?) drink a soda, take a nap, and when you wake up, YOU STILL HAVE 8 HOURS LEFT. That's right. I have found hell and it's traveling over the Bering Sea while trying to close your eyes for a long enough time so that you won't kill yourself when you finally land, and it never happens.
It's a good thing that Korean Air has the best flight attendants I have ever seen, in my life. First, they are the classiest broads ever. Their uniforms are a turquoise military-style satin shirts and khaki (in either pencil skirt or chino form). Their hair is perfectly coiffed and accented with what looks to be a sideways cursive "l", which I would get caught on everything if I had to wear it.
Looks aside, these women are impressive. Not a hair out of place for the entire 13 hour trip. Here's a breakdown of what they did. Upon getting on the plane, I was given a pillow, blanket, mineral water, eye-mask, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, with handy sack to put these in. Then came the first series of drinks, with ginger ale in cans that look like Red Bull. I wanted to keep mine, but thought better of it. Then came a "refreshing towel", to clean off and get myself ready to sit for longer than in humanly possible. Then dinner (I choose the Bibimbap, a rice with veggies and what I think was beef, which I tried to eat around) with wine. After this, they bring around coffee and tea on trays. This was only 4 hours into the trip. They brought around water, juice, bananas and bread with meat surprises in them about every half hour or so. This proceeded for sometime with another meal, that I couldn't eat because my efforts to avoid meat were ruined and I became slightly (actually very) sick.
Their diligence didn't end there. Should you want for anything, they were there, waiting for their commands. When I wanted another Ginger Ale disguised as Red Bull, they got one from first class, because in Korea everyone is first class. The most impressive act wasn't even for my benefit. A family was sitting diagonal from me. This woman had an infant and 3 other kids. The stewardess promptly pulled out a crib that hooked onto the wall, and made a bassinet for this child, making sure it would be comfortable. If there was a crying child, they would attend to them. I half expected to wet-nurse the baby when it was crying.
So all in all, the service was great, my health was not. I didn't puke which was good and I sat next to a woman and her 3 year-old daughter, Irene who conversed with me on the various interesting facts about rainbows, lizards and salamanders. We had a good time, until I had to use the lavatory every half hour.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Coming out of the Korean Closet
I'm not a gayelle (honoring the citizens of Lesbos with that one), but it's the closest term I can come up with telling people I am leaving the country. It's a tricky thing. I found myself having to come up with a list of people and which form of communication would be most appropriate. Defining this was awful. First was: Do I care if this person knows? If the answer was yes, then I would put them in the "Tell" Category. If the answer was no, then they would be put in the "They will find out when they find out" category. I then looked through lists of friends. If I had indeed talked to them in the past year, then they deserved some sort of discussion. After I had determined who I would tell, it then became a matter of determining what kind of conversation it would be. They came in several categories, each with their own pleasures.
The proper phone call:
This was boring, reserved for close family, like a grandfather or my Aunt Colleen. In this one, I would bluntly say, "Just wanted to let you know, I am going to be going to Korea to work as an English teacher." See? It was the worst. It makes me bored just explaining it.
The slow reveal:
This one was good. In this one, I would casually strike up a conversation with a friend or family member, usually online. It would start off as a "hi" and then transition to "What's new?" From there I would say I got a new job and then put in a nice set of pauses and unleash the phrase "In Korea." A fair amount of shock is involved in this one, yet it looks as though I don't know the weight of my own words, which kills me and usually the person with which I am talking.
The quick note:
This was the facebook reveal. In order to best exhibit it's wonderful characteristics, I will copy the wall post I left for my friend Heidi, who is prone to attacks of great screaming. "Hey Heidi! Hope New Zealand is awesome. I am going to Korea. Love Mallory" She has yet to contact me about this one. She most likely does not believe me.
The tiny hints:
For those that weren't directly told, I would often leave away messages related to my getting paperwork done for my visa, or I would make a status on facebook about how shitty it was calling the Consulate (oh labor of labors! Seriously, I would always call while they are on lunch, which apparently is 8 hours long.)
It was with this one that I had a hard time. About 7 months ago, I gave up eating meat and seeing a certain friend that I used to have a very rocky relationship with. This guy was a big part of my life for so long, and if we were still together, I would have told him within seconds of my decision to go, in fact, he probably would have helped me make the decision. How do you let someone know? I don't talk to him anymore, but I just felt like (and continue to feel like) he should have this knowledge. Is it right? I doubt it. Almost everyone I have talked to about it has told me to forget it as it would only give him a reason to talk to me again, something I am not sure that I want. In my head, there are a thousand dramatic ways I have thought about getting this to him, some including sending him old conversations we had online, one in particular wherein he said that he just needed to learn his lesson by having someone close to him just leave, and then asked me why I hadn't. It would be attached to note saying "Leaving the country for a year. Maybe be can be friends then." This would be a lie, but at least it would legitimize my contact with him. It would have been perfect.
I thought a mix tape/cd. In my head I would leave it anonymous, but I know that he would know it was me. No one else would do it for him, which should be a clue as to his ability to gain/maintain relationships. I have gone over the possible playlist, and after looking over a certain artschoolmouse's blog, I was inspired to share it. Don't judge me.
1.Aberfeldy- Love is an Arrow
2.Basement Jaxx - Good Luck
3.Feist- I Feel It All
4.Atom and His Package- Lying to You
5.Santogold- L.E.S. Artistes
7.Kings of Convenience- Misread
8.Ben Folds- Trusted
9.Kate Nash- Merry Happy
10.Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart
11.Ryan Adams- Burning Photographs
12.Matt Pond PA- It Is Safe
13.Maximo Park- Your Urge
14.Sia- The Girl You Lost
Most likely this will never come to fruition, but it's nice to think that I could send him something that really reflected how I felt. On a post-it note, I would write. "I'll go to Korea. You can go eff yourself."
The proper phone call:
This was boring, reserved for close family, like a grandfather or my Aunt Colleen. In this one, I would bluntly say, "Just wanted to let you know, I am going to be going to Korea to work as an English teacher." See? It was the worst. It makes me bored just explaining it.
The slow reveal:
This one was good. In this one, I would casually strike up a conversation with a friend or family member, usually online. It would start off as a "hi" and then transition to "What's new?" From there I would say I got a new job and then put in a nice set of pauses and unleash the phrase "In Korea." A fair amount of shock is involved in this one, yet it looks as though I don't know the weight of my own words, which kills me and usually the person with which I am talking.
The quick note:
This was the facebook reveal. In order to best exhibit it's wonderful characteristics, I will copy the wall post I left for my friend Heidi, who is prone to attacks of great screaming. "Hey Heidi! Hope New Zealand is awesome. I am going to Korea. Love Mallory" She has yet to contact me about this one. She most likely does not believe me.
The tiny hints:
For those that weren't directly told, I would often leave away messages related to my getting paperwork done for my visa, or I would make a status on facebook about how shitty it was calling the Consulate (oh labor of labors! Seriously, I would always call while they are on lunch, which apparently is 8 hours long.)
It was with this one that I had a hard time. About 7 months ago, I gave up eating meat and seeing a certain friend that I used to have a very rocky relationship with. This guy was a big part of my life for so long, and if we were still together, I would have told him within seconds of my decision to go, in fact, he probably would have helped me make the decision. How do you let someone know? I don't talk to him anymore, but I just felt like (and continue to feel like) he should have this knowledge. Is it right? I doubt it. Almost everyone I have talked to about it has told me to forget it as it would only give him a reason to talk to me again, something I am not sure that I want. In my head, there are a thousand dramatic ways I have thought about getting this to him, some including sending him old conversations we had online, one in particular wherein he said that he just needed to learn his lesson by having someone close to him just leave, and then asked me why I hadn't. It would be attached to note saying "Leaving the country for a year. Maybe be can be friends then." This would be a lie, but at least it would legitimize my contact with him. It would have been perfect.
I thought a mix tape/cd. In my head I would leave it anonymous, but I know that he would know it was me. No one else would do it for him, which should be a clue as to his ability to gain/maintain relationships. I have gone over the possible playlist, and after looking over a certain artschoolmouse's blog, I was inspired to share it. Don't judge me.
1.Aberfeldy- Love is an Arrow
2.Basement Jaxx - Good Luck
3.Feist- I Feel It All
4.Atom and His Package- Lying to You
5.Santogold- L.E.S. Artistes
7.Kings of Convenience- Misread
8.Ben Folds- Trusted
9.Kate Nash- Merry Happy
10.Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart
11.Ryan Adams- Burning Photographs
12.Matt Pond PA- It Is Safe
13.Maximo Park- Your Urge
14.Sia- The Girl You Lost
Most likely this will never come to fruition, but it's nice to think that I could send him something that really reflected how I felt. On a post-it note, I would write. "I'll go to Korea. You can go eff yourself."
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