Teacher's Walk

Date: 11/18

Sorry this has taken so long to upload. As previously mentioned--I ran out of storage space on Google so I had to figure out how to purchase it.  (For more info on this: follow this link: https://www.google.com/accounts/PurchaseStorage ).  Then I got swept up in EPIK Orientation and couldn't spare the time or brain capacity to put together a posting.  THEN I lost my camera (well, not really.) It was hidden in a coat pocket, but all these pictures were on the camera disk so...

Needless to say, I'm finally getting around to posting this.

It was a Wednesday or Thursday and after school my city school teachers are going on a walk.  I thought it would be around Eunpa park--which is right in my city, but was quickly corrected.  I get in the car with my principal and Mrs Park (the co-teacher who drove me from Jeonju to Gunsan the very first day).  We get to leave early since most of the teachers are participating in the walk.  (Have I mentioned that schedules for school always change and that it's great when you come to school expecting one regular long day but then find out that No! You get to leave early! *Happy face!)

We drive out to the boonies--maybe 30 minutes and turn around a couple corners where I'm just like, "Where the heck are we?" And then, one more turn and we pull into a pretty nice looking park.

Park Mascots--they have mascots for EVERYTHING!

Random cows...

I was told that we were going to this park because it had beautiful reeds...which they weren't lying.  They were beautiful-talk about a majestic entrance:

Cute-e Gone Overboard

Date: 12/5

So, Koreans are very neat because they try to make everything "cute."  From regular things like lunch boxes and clothes, to more bizarre things that just don't really make much sense. As a very visual culture, they often doll-up many things that a Western would just simply overlook.

And then, adding to the strange-factor, is that many of the ways they cute-ifiy an item is by adding English quotes, you end up with some really "I need a second look at that" moments.

For example:  today, I went a bought a toilet bowl brush.  You know...like when you clean the toilet, you need a brush to make sure you actually get it clean. Yes, well, I was at Lotte Mart to purchase one.  I was looking for a cheap one, so I bypassed the Hello Kitty and Simpsons brushes.  (Really, I don't want to stick Kitty's head in a toilet--not very nice payback considering I based 1/2 my senior thesis off her.  And considering the Simpsons has a character named Maggie, I can't do that to the family.)  So I grab the one brush that is just plain, with some little doodling at the bottom.  I don't actually take a look at the brush until I get home--and it makes me laugh.

Looks pretty plain, right?
Wrong:

I quote: "You are such a nice and special person that just knowing you're around can make me smile."

That's just a little disturbing to me. I mean...it's saying I'm special because I went to the bathroom?  Just strange.  It makes me laugh!

On a less bizarre note: I decorated for Christmas today.  Look at what my 3,000 won got me!

Eating Out

Date: Whenever

When going out to Eat in a foreign country, there are often several problems that present themselves.  Some countries, you might get lucky enough to be able to read the menus, other's one is not quiet so lucky.

This is basically how I've learned how to eat out in Korea.  It can be extremely cheap--the restaurant I will be showing you is a (I think) a type called snack bars.  These serve extremely cheap food.  And are everywhere--just look for an orange awing.

You walk in and seat yourself.

Next is probably one of the most challenging things to do--well, you can make it challenging if you want to.  I just accept my Waygook (foreigner) status and proceed to do my best.

The waitress will try and hand you a menu--but it's in all Korean.  Completely.  Luckily, everything is under 6,000 won so no matter what you order it won't be expensive.  If you know what you want, you can ask for it.  For example, today I was wanting some Ramen.  So I said to the lady, "Ramen?" She nodded, said, "Ne" (which is "yes") and took the menu back.

Other times, I have no idea what I feel like.  So, I try and get inspiration from the pictures.  They literally turn into my picture menu.  Here are the options for my menu at this snack bar.

I usually point to something and say, "Mah-she-sigh-yo?"  trying to ask if it's delicious.  They are pretty honest, usually shaking their head to indicate Yes or No.  If now, they usually point to something they like.  I usually get what they recommend--as long as it doesn't have obvious tentacles.

More likely than not, I do not know what I've ordered until it arrives at the table.  And thats OK.  I thought I would be able to really follow and learn what I'm eating, but it's pretty much (right now) a shot in the dark.  And I can't communicate well enough to ask what the thing is called.  I probably can figure that out pretty easily, but I haven't.  It's on my list of things to do--which keeps getting longer and longer the more time I spend in Korea.

So far, haven't had too many complaints.  I wanted to go to a place non-snack bar and asked Ms Kim about some restaurants.  She was awesome and took me driving around my neighborhood.  She even got out of her car at one point, poked her head into a place and proceeded to introduce me as "her friend" who was often hungry, lived around the area, and wanted to know if it was OK if I ate here.

These places are more (I think) BBQs where there is a burner inserted in the table.  Usually you have to go in groups with these types of restaurants--which is why I was getting sick of snack bars and wanted some different types of food.  Luckily, the place Ms Kim stuck her head in was super friendly, said "absolutely!" and now I know where I can get some hana-sized portions of sam-gyeop-sal (one-person-sized portions).

I am getting more used to the Korean food.  I have found some favorites, which is encouraging.  I have to make sure that I eat enough protein and try to stay away from the fried stuff.  There are lots of fried foods in Korean culture, or things like pancakes that simply cannot be good for you.  But...that's why one takes a vitamin, right?!

Korean Life Lesson: Laundry

Date: Whenever

It's been a while since I was able to upload some pictures--my apologies about that.  Pictures are always more fun than just reading text.  But do not worry--I have purchased more space for my blog and I have found my camera so that all is good.

And where do I pick up my picture-heavy blog?  Well...with the laundry, of course.

I didn't realize how lucky I was doing laundry at home.  I had a washer, dryer, enough hangers, dryer sheets, all of it.  And when I was home home (at the parents abode) they even did it for me!  Now I'm back on my own, and in a foreign country, the rules for doing laundry have changed.

This is my laundry machine:

Looks like a nice, simple machine? Right?  No.  Wrong.  Here is a close up of the control panel:

So...roughly a loose translation of what Korean means--from Left to right:  water temperature (hot or cold?), size of load (or amount of detergent needed), I have no clue (I don't mess with this button), I have no clue (don't mess with this button), start button (for cycle) and ON/OFF button.

If that's not chaotic enough--you can always take relief in the dryer.  Introducing my dryer:

 That's right--my dryer is a rack.  I get to air dry everything.  Which, while is good for the environment, it takes some careful calculations for what is considered "dirty."  Because you won't be able to throw it in the wash and have it dried the next morning.  Try like four days later.  Sort of a pain in the rear.

But one trick that I've gotten from other Foreign friends is to put all the clothes on your "hopefully" clean floor.  Since we have the heating system through the floor, your clothes dry considerably faster and it acts as a humidifier at the same time!

Love From Home

Date: 12/5/2010

This should have been posted quiet some time ago, but I got very busy very quickly when Orientation came around.  So, without much further ado, I proudly must say, "I LOVE MY FAMILY!"

One of the hardest things about being abroad--if not the hardest--is being away from your family.  Yet, I've got an amazing family, who love me.  Not just getting up early in the morning to talk to me over skype, oh no.  These folks send also send me some really cool stuff in the mail.

The first piece of mail I got was from my Nana.  It was perfect because I was not the only one who had pleasure getting some mail.  I walk home and in the lobby of my little building, my landlord is reading a letter that is clearly not for him--I don't think he has my Nana as his grandmother.   He looks at me and gives me a huge Korean smile: "You've got mail!"  (The Koreans really love to quote movie lines!)  He spends the next five minutes telling me that it is from Hamilton (Is that a city, a town? Street name?), OH (Oh!  That's a state, right?!) and phonetically sounding out Roosu-Ann P-posut!  Who is Roosu An Posutu?  At first, I walked in and was like, "Buddy, do you know that looking through someone else's mail in the State is illegal?" But you could just tell by his excited expression that seeing an authentic evnelop from America was probably a really cool event.  He was like a little boy at Christmas.  He just wanted to practice his English reading skills. 

Then, about a week later, I got a notice on my door saying the postman had been to my door.  I figured that he had dropped off the packages to my landlord (the jubilant Mr Kim) so I head up to the fourth floor and knock on the door.  Mrs Kim is home, and she doesn't speak any English--so she ends up calling my co-teacher Ms Kim.  (No relation).   The next day, Ms Kim calls the post office in the morning and finds out that the packages could possibly fit in my mailbox, so she instructs him to leave them there (since the post office is only open from 8.30 to 4.30--which, unfortunately enough are the exact same hours as my school...)  I get home that day and I have not one, but TWO packages!  Talk about making a girl's day!

Mom sent me some fuzzy socks--which I put in my backpack so that when my feet get cold at school, I have something to put on.  I look just shy of ridiculous walking around with pink socks with white polka-dots but my feet are warm.  And if you think my fashion sense is a little strange, you should look as some of the Korean teachers--that's all I'm saying!

The second package was from my other grandma--who I call Grandma. I open up her package, not quiet knowing what to expect.  I am happily surprised to find a whole slew of Thanksgiving Decorations.  I have fold-up turkeys, garlands, window stickers, regular stickers, and huge table decor.  It was perfect!  This was the week before Thanksgiving--so the timing was perfect!  I decorated my kitchen.  There were a couple things--like the stickers and the fold-up turkey--that I could literally use in my classroom.  I was just in the middle of talking about Thanksgiving and it just so happens that I use a video involving the fold-up turkeys eating a pumpkin pie as the opener to my lesson.  They were perfect--couldn't have worked out more perfectly.

So I must admit that my family is the best.  Thanks for giving me unexpected little loves that make me smile and brighten my day.  I miss all of you!

Bus Rides Stress me Out!

Date: 12/3

Bus rides in Korea have not been going very smoothly for me.  Well,
let me modify that.  Bus rides in Gunsan have not been going well.
The first time I got on a bus by myself was to go to my country school
for the first time and that was a giant stress ball. And so, now
whenver I have to get on a bus my whole body just tenses up.  I get
sick to my stomach and I really try to just not to think about it but my
body just freaks out.


Today was another example of how being on the bus can sometimes just
suck.  I guess you could say this is a culture shock moment because
frankly it was a whole bunch of uncomfortable.

I got to the bus stop this morning nice and early.  I had a cup of
coffee and a book and was prepared to just "try and enjoy" the morning
ride.  The bus is on time and I get on without any problem.  No big
deal.  I set in a seat because I don't want to stand for the next 45
minutes and I pull out my book (Currently reading Girl With The Dragon
Tattoo--shout out to Jess for accidentally ordering two and then
giving the extra to me).  The next bus stop (which is literally 100 ft
away from the one I got on) a disabled teenage boy gets on (I think
down syndrom--high functioning because he's riding the bus by himself.
 Or it could be autism; I'm really not sure. I've never had to study
different disabilties--it's on my list of things to do).  I've seen
him every Friday and usually he just sits in his seat and is quiet.
Today, that was not the case.

Highlights of EPIK Orientation

Date: 12/2

Now that Orientation is over, I thought I'd just sum up some of my
favorite moments.  These may or may not have made it into the previous
postings, but they are moments that I will remember and look back
fondly on.  I think giving them and the people involved in one last
shout out is appropriate.

1.  Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie
Thanks to the wonderfulness that is gloablization, Costcos are present
in some of the bigger cities here in Korea.  And thanks to the thought
people like Amanda and Tom on Friday an impromptu Thanksgiving Dinner
Dessert Party was thrown.  I was walking back to the room when my
lesson plan group person (amanda) asked me if I wanted any pumpkin
pie.  I had just told her that this was my first holiday away from
family (at least in Korea) and that it had been a rough day.  And like
a good American, I hear the words "pumpkin pie" and my whole attitude
changes.  "Really?!"  She explains that on her and her husbands way to
Orientation, they were gripping over the fact that it was on a holiday
(not a Korean holiday so it doesn't really matter) but nonetheless, a
home holiday and they thought, "Wel, we're going to be me some pumpkin
pie" (in probably slightly better, more grammatical English.)  So they
bought enough to share.  So in the lobby of the NIIED dormatory they
started to pass out some pie.  They only had chopsticks to cut the pie
with so it was a little messy, and plates were discovered until about
half the pie was gone, but it was probably one of the coolest moments.
 Since it was right after Korean class, all these people were coming
back into the dorms which means there loads of Americans walking by.
And they all zero-ed in on the pie and went, "Oh my god, Pumpkin pie!
Can I have some?"  It was a real surreal moment where i look around
and all I see are Americans (the heterogenous grouping that we are)
and I actually felt a kinship with them.  I didn't know these people,
and I knew I would probably never see them again, but it was a moment
of shared holiday.  It was very special.

2.  Sun Hyewoo's Speech
I loved listening to the first lecturer give his speech about the
history/culture of Korea.  Since I had always hear the tale of
Japanese and Korean love/hate relationship through a Japanese
perspective or a neutral American (which, is kind of an oxymoron) it
was very interesting to hear it from their side.  It came off very
interesting.  He was trying to sound humble, but he's talking about
the autrocities that are committed during war times against his
people.  It was a unique insight into some of the Korean way of
thinking.  I heard later some people saying that his message was all
villifying the Japaense, and I really don't know where they got that
impression.  I thought he handled the topics very well.  He would
discuss them and sort of randomly end his speech to go on to a new
topic so you really had to draw your own opinions.

3.  Meeting everyone.
Being in a foreign country where you so OBVIOUSLY stick out really
pushes a need for networking.  And just having the chance to meet a
bunch of other foreigners was probably one of the most benefitial
things about Orientation.  The fact that we were thrown together, had
all the same lecturers (but were in different classes so that we could
talk about the lecturers afterwards with new people), all having the
same impulse to go get some nice dinner and play around in Seoul, etc,
it just made you meet and get to know new people.  Some of it was
good, some interactions not so good.  There were people I want to
strive to stay in contact with, while other people I will not try to
meet up with again.  But it was good to meet those people anyway.  We
jokingly referred to it as Speed Dating.  You have dinner with
someone, sit next to a new person in a lecture, strike up a
conversation about whatever, sit next to someone on a bus, whatever,
and you literally have a short "date" with that person.  You can
usually tell very quickly that you want to hang out with them again,
or you don't. If you do, you have breakfast with them the next
morning.  It was exhausting because you were constantly adapting to
new people, but at the same time it was a lot of fun.

4.  Developing MPD in Korea.
So one of the lecturers used this phrase and I'm going to steal it
because it is so unbelievably true--especially for me.  "You come to
Korea and develop Multiple Personality Disorder."  I have always been
someone to talk to myself--as strange as it sounds.  But, coming to
Korea, it is a whole new level.  Because suddenly you're in an
environment where the only person who speaks English is...yourself.
At school, for example, you sit at your desk in the teachers room and
there is only Korean floating through the airwaves.  You walk home and
all the signs are in Korean (neon-flashing, pyschodelic Korean).  You
might have one (or two, if you are lucky) teachers who generally speak
good English, but other than that you are on your own. (I'm excluding
when you meet up with foreigner friends).  And as much as you love
your school (hopefully) it is a little isolating.  And as good of
English as the Korea teachers do or don't speak, it is exhausting for
them to hold a conversation with you in a second language.  So you
really can't ever depend on them for a good, solid, sit-down, and
enjoy yourself talk.  So...what do you do?  You talk to yourself.
Literally.  I thought it was just me until this Orientation, until one
of the lecturers pointed it out.  He said that he's really glad he
likes himself because that's who he talks to the most.  He came over
with his then-girlfriend, now wife, so at least he had another English
speaker inthe house, but he said it blows him away when people come
over here alone.  He talked about how people probably think he's lost
a few nuts and bolts.  But it was really interesting because I am
going through that exact same thing.  For example, lets say I bomb
teaching a lesson.  It happens to everyone, especially the first time
you teach a class. Well, in my head I get voices that are sympathetic
to me bombing, I get voices that talk about doing better next time, I
talk to myself about ways to improve, and how some students are just
little devils and thank god that I don't have to teach them again for
another week, and on and on it goes. I have a fun on conversation with
myself.  Which, as I'm typing this, really makes me seem like I'm
going crazy, but it's a copying mechanism.


5.  Korean-isms Lost in Translation
So, on Monday I had to rehearse the closing ceremony at 10 pm at night.  I head to the auditorium, and I'm pretty tired so I basically threw on the hoodie they gave me, and with jeans and some tennis shoes.  I grabbed my gloves (because it's freaking cold), my cell phone, room key and something else, and shove them into the pocket at the front of my hoodie.  I make it to the auditorium with a little confusion (the front door was locked so I basically had to wait until a Korean walked by and then she took me inside through a side door).  I walked up to the group of Asians waiting in front of the auditorium. There was HaeSol (my class leader), the other young college graduates, and the head director of the orientation: Ms Kim.  Ms Kim takes one look at me and goes, "Oh, what happened?" I am a little thrown off by this question, "Hmm?  What?"  "You're stomach...it so large! You very fat!"  I have heard of these comments before, and when I look down at myself, I realize I am quiet casually dressed and my pouch is overstuffed with things.  I pull out my gloves and go, "Full pockets."  She nods and says, "Our food good, but do not eat too much.  Being fat...bad."  I realize a little later that the other times I had seen her I was a little more dressed up--which means my clothes were more form fitting.  I know Koreans are quiet blunt, and most of the time, things that are spoken in English are lost in translation, but still...having someone ask you why you are much larger than that afternoon is quiet fun.  I wish I had had a camera on my face.  It would have been a funny picture. 


6.  Learning some snipets of the Korean language.
I have been actively attempting to try and study the Korean alphabet.
But it is not easy.  And what i have taught myself is enevitably
wrong.  This is because the romanization of the Korean alphabet is not
accurate--or I cannot read it accurately.  I almost wish everyone
would learn the Intenrational Phoentic Alphabet so that the sounds
could more accurately be displayed, but alas, this will not happen.
So, when I look at the romanization of some of the characters of
Korean, I read them outloud wrong.  Here's what I mean:
The Vowels in Korean go as follows:
Korean     Romanization     Actual Phonetic sound
ㅓ-                a                          ah
ㅕ-               ya                           yah
ㅏ-                  eo                        oh (as on song)
ㅑ-                yeo                         yoh
ㅜ-               o                          short u (as in tune)
ㅠ-               yo                               yu
ㅗ-                u                           long u ( as in you)
ㅛ-                ye                        "you"
ㅡ-               eu                          uh (as in put)
ㅣ-                 i                           long ee ( as in meet)

Now...learning these by yourself is very hard if you dn't have a way
to really know what the sounds are like.  Plus, some letters' songs
are simply not in the English language.  For example:

ㄱ  this is a mix between g and k
ㅂ a mix between b and p (not quiet b and not quiet p)
ㄷsame with d and t
ㅈand a mesh of a j sound and a cha sound
ㄹ mix between l and r

Then there are sounds that basically are the same, just with more accents

ㄷ and ㄸ for example.

So, to have someone just direct drills with us was helpful--if not monotonous.

There loads more moments like these, but it was just a pleasure to
experience them. I know I won't remember all of these, but I know that
it will be fun to look back on my stressful time of Epik Orientation
and just remember.  It was an experience, and that's basically what
i'm here to collect.