Goodbye April

I would like to say farewell to April 2009. You served up some great spring-ness with warmer air and greener scenery. But you also made a change in my life which hasn't been fun.

So long April, hello May I wonder what will happen. Before this month ends it seems others are in the contemplative mood. Over at Scribblings of the Metropolitician there was a post about what it is like to date Korean woman. I guess he had a lot to say because it was fairly detailed. As I was reading I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if I wrote up something similar to have dated a Korean man.

But then I realized it would end up being too revealing and personal. Besides I didn't really jump into the dating market here and meet several Korean men to have a good sample to talk about.

All I have to say is that yes, you will encounter cultural differences. As a fairly liberal and open minded person myself I was able to go outside my box and accept the cultural differences. But as we all know my Korean boyfriend wasn't able to do that. Really what I am saying here folks is that the cultural differences will come with the relationship like a string to a kite. It's part of the package.

But knowing that challenge I haven't given up on finding love with another Korean. Just now I have more understanding and foresight.

Anyways...goodbye April 2009....goodbye.

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Facts of Life

After living here for almost a year I can feel confident to spout out my own list about life here. Mine is going to be themed "The facts of Life...in Korea"

It is the kind of stuff you can't avoid no matter how hard you try. The stuff that is stitched into the culture. That on some days bother you and others you hardly notice. I will try my best to reproduce in words some of these experiences for you.

1. Staring: You are going to get stared at no matter the color of your skin, size of your body or whatever. You are not Korean and that means you will get 2nd and 3rd glances.
2. Culture Shock: Feel this the most at the beginning, but in reality it never goes away. Sometimes you still find yourself at odds with the culture.
   
3. Not Everyone Speaks English: Let's face it you came to a different country to teach English, so people here haven't gotten it down perfectly. You might think that young kid behind the counter knows English, but usually not. So learn your Korean in some way.
4. Food is cheap, but good quality and well seasoned food is expensive: Yes you can go get a kim bop roll for under 2,000 Won and feel good about yourself. But if you want to go out and get something gourmet or well-prepared in a familiar way than you must pitch in the big bucks. Yet there is a middle line here where some places cater to good familiar food for middle of the line prices. And some will likely argue this point.
   
5. Your house is not a luxury condo near the beach: If it is than you are blessed. Fact is that it depends on how much your employer has to spend on your house. But a free shoebox is a free shoebox after all.
6. Public Transportation is a snap: After a few trips on the subway you become comfortable enough to use it. You can follow the color lines on the wall half-awake and still make it home. If the subway isn't working for you than a bus can be taken easily. Taxis are prevalent and cheap.
   
7. Curly Hair = Perm: If you have a curly haired head (like myself) than you will get the question "Perma?" And they will be in awe at the sight of a naturally curly head. But be careful you could be mistaken for an Ahjumma.
8. Ahjumma's: For the most part they aren't a bad part of the culture. I have had several encounters with Ahjummas who smile at me and give me candy. But like everyone some people are having bad days. So if you run into an Ahjumma who is in a bad mood of course you are going to get burned in the process. They aren't going to go away no matter how hard you wish their generation would change.
9. Ahjusshi's: Old middle-aged men with come-overs. Typically are drunken. You can smell them approaching your area. But not all of them are like this of course. They are just the older generation. Some are Dad's carrying their baby and 5 bags of groceries.
10. Crowds: There are a lot of people here densely packed into Seoul and other cities. During peak hours of travel you can find yourself crammed in. If you are in a hot spot shopping area there are crowds. Getting over that lack of quiet space is a hard one but not impossible.
11. High Heels and Fashion: You might as well give up trying or go broke in the process of catching up with the ladies here. But you can be inspired and even tickled pink with the choices.
    
12. Ambiguity: You can never be entirely sure about the policies or procedures at work. In public you also can't be to sure about the price of things or what is going on. You learn to use your best judgement and go with the flow. If you are really smart you learn to use it to your advantage.
13. Smells: Some may enjoy the smell of roasting pig flesh coming out of a restaurant while others will find this annoying. Walking past piles of garbage can entice unpleasant feelings too. Korea is a bit of a smelly place. Sometimes the aromas are nice and cozy other times alarming.
14. Random Bathroom-ness: Don't be surprised if your TP can't go down the toilet. Or there isn't any TP at all. Or you have to squat. But they flush...right?
    
15. Blaring Music: Outside shops and inside restaurants you will hear blaring pop music. A quiet solitary moment is cherished.
16. Random "Hello's": Teens and College kids will randomly say hello to you and than run off into the distance, giggling all the way.
17. Winter: You can't avoid it and it exists here. Sometimes feels like it is never going to end.
18. Night life: It exists and lives in full throttle, however this blogger would not know of it fully.
19. Mountains are big: I am going to end with this, because through all the facts of living here seeing the large granite mountains brings peace to life here. You can take in how tiny city life is compared to the breadth of nature here. So as a fact of life I think it is important to remember the entirety of Korea and all that it has to offer.

I am sure there are more and I hope these weren't too negative. I think as time passes you think of these things and want to write them down. If you have your own lemme know.

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Premonition

I have a feeling this Swine Flu pandemic thing is going to become another craze here in Korea. If my predictions are correct within the next few weeks my students are going to start spouting in broken English...."Teacher...teacher ... he has Swa-wa-i-na-few-ruuu." In response to the coughing kid next to him.

But I know this is serious and I hope it doesn't end up as a global panic.

**UPDATE** Just this afternoon one of my advanced class students came to me and said "Oh Teacher she has the Pig flu..pig flu!!" And of course the student he was pointing to was fine.

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Sparkle Time

Last Saturday I went out into Seoul to meet with other bloggers and expats for what is called a "Sparkle Down". That is when Roboseyo gathers people from the Hub of Sparkle website for a get together. It was a great time and a good way to calm down those heartbreak blues.

The day was overcast and rainy, so not that perfect for sightseeing but definitely the best day to sit and chill inside a tea shop. Around Anguk station was a lovely tea shop, which Rob describes the location for you.

Instead of blaring pop music overhead we were treated to classical and Korean folk music, so the atmosphere was pleasant. Conversation grew with the size of our crowd and things were off to a jolly start.

Yuzu tea (Lemon like)

Samcheongdong:
After tea we were feeling a bit famished and so strolled over to Samcheongdong where Rob knew of a great bakery / bread shop and a nice Pannini lunch place. The bakery / bread shop was exquisite with gourmet breads and cheeses, I wish I was a step away from this place everyday.


For lunch we sat at the far corner inside the Pannini place and enjoyed more great conversation with tasty food. Here you see a bread soup and the sandwiches we ordered.

The best sandwich I have had thus far!

Insadong and the Lotus Lantern Festival:
After lunch we strolled out of Samcheongdong and into Insadong, the sun was going down. Air was a bit chilly and moist but we trudged on. Celebrations for Buddha's birthday were underway, but were not as dense due to weather. Walking around Rob led us to Jogye Temple where there was on display lanterns. All the lanterns are adorned with a wish. The colorful lanterns are for the living while the white lanterns are for the deceased.

The mood was definitely spiritual and ambient. I enjoyed walking through and seeing the reflections in the puddles. Still it brought about contemplative feelings inside me due to recent events.








After the temple we meandered around a bit and then met up with some more people. On the way we saw parts of the parade. We ended up at a fancy bar where you sit on a large cushion. Wine was ordered and the merriment got underway.





But I was feeling really insecure that night, because being in Seoul made me wonder where BK was and who he was with so I left early for home. It made me come to terms that I have to accept the choices he made and should find my own path in exploring this country.

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Sunday Mornings

I like Sunday mornings. I like mornings in general, actually. There are people who say "Well...at the end of the day...". But I am so not into that, for me it's all about waking up and knowing that whatever you went through the night before is gone. (In this case feeling lonely and angry) And so it makes it sweeter when that morning is on a Sunday.

Why?

I seem to feel that Sunday's are task time days. You know... gotta clean this ...wash that. Growing up I enjoyed waking up, eating breakfast and getting my chores done so that I can be free to go out and play. All the while my siblings stayed in bed till Mom came knocking down the door. I wasn't around for that, for I was out rollerblading around my neighborhood.

So it is the same all the way out here in South Korea. Today I feel task orientated. Already I have a load of laundry spinning, going to clean the bathroom and then work on my TESOL.

I guess the one side I don't like about Sundays is that because you are so task orientated you end up spending considerable time inside. So to counteract that I will try to get outside.

Yesterday I had a jolly time with the Hub of Sparkle people and more. I will post more on that later.. when it comes up on the list.

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Mastering English for Koreans Hopeless?

The Korea Times presents us with another "Opinion" piece, which is of course brilliantly annoying.

John Huer poses the question "Why is English so difficult for Koreans to master?" and comes up with the conclusion that because the Korean language is so different from English and that Korean bases itself on high class and low class that English just wont fit in to Korean society.

In other words, he doesn't believe Koreans can master English. Again why is the Korea Times publishing such pessimistic point of views? Who knows... but let's take a look at some of the highlights from the article.

In the very way the language is structured, English tends to encourage individualism and personal freedom.

Even during the feudal era, English-speaking nations tended to avoid the extreme forms of tyranny or despotism. When bilingual Korean children switch to English, their self-assertion becomes instantly obvious. Unsurprisingly, many Koreans find the intrusion of English a threat to this stratified society that binds their subconscious with one another.

Ahhh English threatens are hierarchical society!! Ahhhhh Don't speak English kids you will find yourself ostracized. But seriously folks if you start to think about this assertion than you can kind of understand how Koreans view speaking English.

In many cases, English speech has one subject and one verb. In Korea, everything is assumed whereby one Korean tries to guess another Koreans disposition, intention, or mood swings, without getting clear, assertively formulated messages.

This makes sense but on the flip side of things. For example, when conversing in English with my co-teacher or coworkers about something going on at school usually the answers are very ambiguous. In general when you speak to Koreans you never really know if what you are being told is the final answer. I have gotten use to this.

Korea, on the other hand, has two effectively unrelated languages. One for the upper-echelon Koreans in business, news reports, education, government bureaucracy and law, that rely almost exclusively on borrowed Chinese characters. The other is spoken Korean reserved for family interactions, neighborly exchanges, and other street-level encounters.

Those Koreans who learn English find it impossible to imagine that they can speak like that to their superiors or their children, uniformly and simply.

This might shine light into BK's life and cause me to have sympathy for him. Due to that speaking English to me in front of colleagues may have caused him discomfort. But let's not make this personal.

I don't know if this guy is only speaking to a certain generation here in Korea or to all. I would wonder whether the kids who grew up in English hagwons and gone on to University may be more comfortable with English than the older generations.

They tend to verbalize their emotional states quite directly, as in ``I love you,'' ``I am depressed,'' or ``I am angry (sad, happy, whatever)'' and so on. English tends to promote adherence to agreed-on procedures, parliamentary rules of the majority, elaborately written paperwork, self-assertive exchanges of verbal statements and evidence if in dispute.

In general, emotional pleas or outbursts, when presented, tend to be calculated for theatrical effects. In Korea, on the other hand, all is emotion. Koreans have developed themselves into the world's most dramatically effective pleaders of their cases ― all on the powers of emotion and tears, screaming thrown in for good measure.

What the heck is he rambling on about here? Hmm ok I can agree hearing Korean can sound pretty theatrical at times. But I would bet Koreans find ways to assert their knowledge.

Can such a culture genuinely adopt a foreign tongue that is basically cut and dried, with no room for emotional grandstanding (``Please!'' being the most effective plea-making word)? Not very likely.

What the .... ?

And finally...

He said something to the effect that expecting democracy to bloom in Korea is like expecting a rose to bloom in a trashcan. Korea was naturally up in arms over this comment. In a similar vein, I will say that expecting world-class English aptitude in Korea is about as unlikely or just as impossible.

Wow just throw out any hope of optimism. I guess the hagwon kids should pack their yellow backpacks and go back home. But I am sure that there is a feeling amongst Koreans to just give up on getting English perfect. As a nation though I don't think Korea should throw in the towel. And Korea should thank the presence of Foreigners because we give Koreans the opportunity to speak to us in comfortable settings. John Huer recognizes the social blockades that is preventing English from becoming perfected in his nation. Yet he stalls to provide insight to where it has triumphed.

All in all it is just interesting to think about and consider how these two languages clash with each other and make it difficult to learn and use English on the academic and personal level.

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Some Realization

Today I was sitting in Baskin Robbins with a friend eating ice-cream (of course). It was around the time people were getting off of work from their business jobs.

So in came a troupe of business men and women stopping to get some ice-cream. Dressed in suits and gelled up hair the image reminded me of BK. He is a businessman. As I watched them eat and sit there not really paying attention to one another, I realized this kind of scene was part of the cause of our breakup. I wasn't fitting into his new lifestyle, nor was he fitting me into it. I didn't really feel regret when seeing and acknowledging this, but I just noticed how my life and world was outside theirs.

"No wonder" I thought to myself. However, deep inside I wish I did fit into his life somehow and that if he loved me enough he would have found the way.

Yet that kind of after-work-businessman-stuff wouldn't really appeal to me even if I lived in Seoul and could join BK.

Hmmm even though I didn't fit into his equation on life I still want to fit into some other Korean man's equation....hopefully.

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Howl on Kisha

Kisha the family howling dog of dogs has passed on to doggy heaven. Wish I could be there, but will remember you always.

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Meantime

Trying my hardest to not let the depression, loneliness and anger side of this event to get the best of me. But it's hard of course. Also trying real hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel and believe my life in Korea has been more than just being with BK.

So I recalled I took several pictures of the scenery outside my school window. As you will see it is great to know we are out of the winter blues here in Korea.

When my thoughts get swirling in so many directions I have been liking lately to distract myself. So far I have been doing this by watching the show United States of Tara.

(source)

It's a show about this housewife who goes through Multiple personalities and how her family deals with it. I like it because it makes me feel less crazy. Also I really like the lead actress. So a good show to pass the time with, which I seem to desire a lot lately. ~

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What Happens When?

What happens when you can't sleep?

When the thought of all the recent crap in your life keeps you up?

Typically the beds you are given here in Korea are flat, stiff and unforgiving. So I got up and took out my winter blanket and smacked it on my bed to make for a more comfortable insomnia induced sleep....which is hopefully to come.

It's hard for me to go to bed like I usually did considering my early bed-time habit was one of the struggles in our relationship.

Well I am really trying hard to think of something else to write about besides this stuff.

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I am actually so amazed at the amount of warmth I am receiving.

It is like one big cyber hug~~!!

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5 Stages of Grief

This isn't my first break up but is still pretty significant. To make sure I am going through this "normally" I checked the stages of grief.

5 Stages:

• Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.” Been feeling this practically every moment the pain comes up.
  

• Anger: “Why is this happening? Who is to blame?” Feel this when I realize the nature of our breakup.
  

• Bargaining: “Make this not happen, and in return I will ____.” Feel this when I think back on what I could have done. But know it is too late and probably wouldn't have changed anything.
  

• Depression: “I’m too sad to do anything.” Of course! But not too severe.
  

• Acceptance: “I’m at peace with what happened.” Waiting for this.

Not all of these occur in a neat little order, you go through it like riding waves. Unfortunately I am trying to just stop myself from thinking he is going to call or write me. I guess I am mostly just trying to understand and accept this is now my reality.

Anyways, I hope these accounts aren't too blubbery for you.

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Eulogy to Love

BK and I broke up today.

For a while now we have been on the rocks. I don't wish to divulge the whole saga and private stuff.

We just were different people. Culturally and individually.

In the end I didn't fit into his scheme of things.

Our love for each other wasn't congruent either.

But if you are reading this and you happen to not be a robot, then you know what kind of heartbreak I am going through.

For sure I have learned something about myself, love, men and Korean culture.

So since this incident occurred my blogging may be infrequent for a while...sorry.

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Cherry Blossoms in the Heart of Seoul

Watching spring bloom is a magical experience that can leave you feeling relaxed. Seeing the gray skies clear away to blue, the birds chirping in the trees and leaves covering what were once baron branches is certainly refreshing.

One cannot help but feel peace inside and humility towards life. Therefore it is important to get out there and experience the blossoming of spring in all it's glory.

Throughout South Korea you have several options to see the flower blossoms (especially cherry blossoms) and festivals that go along with them.

• Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival
• Icheon Baeksa Sansuyu (Cornus Fruit) Blossom Festival
• Jeju Canola Blossom Festival

The most popular being that of the Yeouido festival near the Hangang river. Where other bloggers have already ventured to. Certainly Roboseyo would tell you that the best pictures can be taken at Kyunghee Uni.

BK and I both wanted to get out there and see one of these places in bloom before the petals blew off in the wind. On Sunday BK first had the idea to go to Yeouido but that quickly changed as he realized the place would be packed with Seoulites and others. So it was that we went elsewhere, somewhere I didn't think of.

Namsan Mountain Trail: Follow the breezeOut trek started by leaving the Donguk University subway station and heading out of exit 6. Above ground you come upon Jangchung park.Source

Wow! We just walked through this place but apparently there is more here than what meets the eye. But going through the park was pleasant of course, families were out on picnics, kids were playing sports and the paths were nicely trimmed.


Leaving the park area you cross a street and start your ascent up the mountain. To your left you can see a little league baseball playing field.


Up, Up we Go!
The trek starts off going uphill, and of course as you go along you get to see trees in blossom.


Do you see that dirt path to the left of the stairs? I decided to take this instead of put more pressure on my knees. If you don't know already Korea likes stairs. Just getting out of a subway station may mean you climb about 4-5 flights of stairs.

Here I go into the woods....

Hello!

Ah great back angle...

Exercise!

Almost there!

At the top you can see a lovely view of blossoms.

Turn around and you can find where to go.

We took the Namsan Tower path...but...2.8 km...is kinda....

Paved Path Leading to Namsan Tower:
Once at the top of the stairs you can choose which direction to head towards. We headed towards Namsan Tower, not with the real intention of actually going all the way. However, along the way we were graciously rescued from the day's heat with a lovely blossom canopy above our heads.

We just kept on walking and walking taking in the cool breeze and splendor of nature.

Archery Range:

I believe it was at the half-way point that ther was a wall set up where you could wright something on a post-it and place it on the board.

The further we went the more vista points we came upon.

But we got to one point and realized that getting to the Namsan Tower was just too far and so we headed downhill, not knowing where we would end up.

Native Korean mountain pigeon.

After our trek we were beat, so we got on a bus and ended up in Myeoungdong. Eventually we found one of those Can More joints and tried to relax. Except the pop music was a little too loud and the place was crowded. However, the ice cream was delightful.

One of the more special moments to be had during this journey was watching the blossom petals fly about as the wind blew through the trees. All in all, I would say no matter what part of Korea you are in right now, try your best to visit a blossom festival and enjoy this seasonal gift.

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Arabian Lunch and Hannam Supermarket

Saturday I worked on my TESOL and then went off with Kristen for lunch. We headed towards Seoul and crossed ideas of where to go. Finally we decided upon Itaewon, since we were really hungry and it was the closest area we could think of.

In Itaewon we continued our search for food and came upon this Arabian Restaurant tucked in a corner.

The food and ambiance was pleasant in this place. We both ordered biryani rice dishes, hers a lamb and mine a chicken. The taste was fragrant and spicy.

Hookahs were an option, be we opted out.After lunch I told Kristen about a supermarket I heard of nearby that sells foreign goods. I tried to go during the winter but I gave up because it was too cold out. The place is called the Hannam Supermarket (which is sort of an black market here) and to get there you get off at Hangangjin station and take exit 2. Cross a ped-ex bridge and head up the road towards the Volvo building. It is tucked in underneath that area.

Inside you see in front of you a typical supermarket. But the goods are a treat to see. Everything from deli meats and cheeses to corn bread mix and American toothpaste. However, I had the feeling most stuff was bought at a Costco and then marked up for retail. So my shopping basket was lite.

Some good finds were limes, tortillas and a stock of cheese.

If I lived close to this place I bet I would shop often. Well Kristen and I were both really tired this day so we went to my home, baked some biscuits in my toaster oven and then watched a movie. It was a jolly day and fun too.

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Walkin' Around

Just some pictures here from when I walk home and around town.

Flowers on a tree at my school.

Blooming~

Buddha's Birthday (석가탄신일 (Seokga tansinil) has been celebrated locally with pink lanterns.

At the flower shop I saw one of the carnivorous plants outside. I thought of taking it home but then realized it likes to eat flies and I don't have many of those in my house.

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Rocket Day

In response to North Korea's recent attempt at launching a missile, my school retaliated with their own show of rocket launching.


Ok, ok yesterday's rocket launching had nothing to do with NK's missile mishap. But it sure was fun to think it did!

It was Science Thursday and the 6th grade class took to the play yard with their homemade bottle rockets.

After adding some water they took their rockets to be launched. I wasn't sure if it was some kind of contest, but after the rockets landed one of the students came out with a tape measure and checked the yardage.

Launch Pad Area

It was fun watching the rockets whiz off into the distance and make a crash landing. Even more fun hearing the kidlets go OOooooooOOoooo.

I came out because due to the Science activities classes were canceled. Gotta love extracurricular days.

Other classes watched from out their window.

It was fun to play with the kids in the waiting area. I tried to use some Korean on them, but then they started thinking I can speak Korean.

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Dear Jessica Kim

Dear Jessica Kim,
First let me thank you for writing the enlightening opinion piece in the Korean Times. I can sympathize that there is an English craze going on here in South Korea that has all the Mom's in a daze. But you kind of lost me when you started talking about my people.

They all say in unison, as if it comes from the Holy Bible, ``I heard all you need is the 'white looks' and you are good to go."

So why is Korea, the nation that even created a national day to celebrate the beauty and the history of the Korean language, seen as the place to go for those ``native speakers" who have no life goals?

In summation you are saying that the people who come to Korea to teach English are a people who are deadbeats. Well probably amongst the near millions of us English teachers here there are likely to be a few deadbeats. But we are an educated deadbeat mass! We hold Bachelor's degrees and... oh wait you want to say something?

Do we really want these ``white-looking" people to just stroll into Korea, who probably scored less than 500 out of 800 on their verbal portion of their SATs or don't even know what they SATs are, to be hailed as kings by Korean parents?

Ah I see you think we are the lowly half of the college graduates. The ones who got by stoned and dehydrated from drinking too much the night before. And since you refer to us as "Kings" I can only assume you are projecting this at the male portion of English Teachers.

Jessica, listen here if you think that living in South Korea is a piece of cake than you are wrong. Sure for most of us we get free housing and health insurance, but that doesn't mean life is a bowl of peaches, darling.

Look I can understand if you have some kind of paranoid feelings about our presence here. But please don't blame us for Korea's insane craze to institute English into the young brains of your nation. We didn't come up with the idea of having pre-kindy English hagwons or 24/7 English instruction. Oh what's that you really mean to blame the parents and not us?

...and, finally, it is their obsession that leads Korea to be looked-down-upon as a Plan B by those ``native English speakers" who miserably fail in their own lives. The parents with such wrong attitudes are to be blamed for the pandemic.

Let me first just say, honey, that choosing to pack up your life and move to an Asian country, one known for its homogeneous society and two still whacks its kids with a stick in the classroom, is not exactly the easiest choice to make. Heck we could chose to teach in Spain or Japan, societies open to the foreign man / woman.

We all need to realize that this English craze is not only pointless, but it burdens the students and their families. It ships Korea's money offshore and it pressures Korean educators to seek unqualified people who only possess the ``white looks." It leads to many indirect social problems that we have in Korea right now.

Again I agree with you that the English craze is a real crackpot here and is not as regulated as it should be. But don't think for a second that we are making it worse for this country. For one we come with our educated background, life experience and free-thinking open-mindedness that is probably a set of skills and tools this nation could use.

So please do yourself and your nation a favor. Think first before you act! It is called critical thinking skills, something us deadbeats learned in high school and college.

Sincerely,
Joy (3.9 GPA top of her graduating class, Asian Art History Major, dating a Korean, white-looking female)

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Ewha, Hongdae, Sincheon

So back on Sunday I spent the day around Ewha and the Hondae area with BK. I think what makes living here interesting is that you can visit different areas of Seoul and discover something new. Although, I would say anywhere in Korea pretty much looks the same with the usual gray buildings plastered with signs. But there are certain pockets here and there that stray away from the usual.

First Stop: Haircut in Ewha:
I have realized that I can take the #1 Line (Blue Line) and get into the Eastern part of Seoul much faster than if I take the light blue line #4. I think you get to know the ins-ands-outs of the subway system here after using so often. Before I use to be really intimidated by Line #1's complicated system, because there are rapid trains and also many destinations.
So getting to the Ewha area was a snap. Inside the Ewha subway station...
I had in mind what kind of haircut I would like to get. Since I have naturally curly hair I am usually somewhat nervous before I get a haircut. Especially here in Korea, due to that most people have straight hair.

Last year I went to Eunha BNC and so I decided why not go to the same place twice? The stylist's name is Ma Ree. She recognized me from last year and that was a good feeling. I showed her a picture of what I had in mind and explained to her how short and so on.

I would say she did a proper job and didn't butcher my hair. But I would give her negative marks for doing the job pretty quickly. Also she had her assistant blow dry my hair in the end, who did it so much that my hair turned out really frizzy. Ah well you take what you can get here.

Interior of the salon...the waiting room area..

After my haircut BK and I realized we were hungry and contemplated on where to go. On our way he found a store selling snacks for cheap and checked them out.

I told him that I knew of a Greek place in Hongdae and so he wanted to go there.

Hongdae: A Run Around
It wasn't too difficult getting to Hongdae since it was nearby, so we took a bus. When we got off the bus we realized we were on the wrong side of the street so we had to take an underground tunnel to get to the other side. Going through the tunnel you are bombarded by the lively and colorful graffiti on the wall. It was awesome to see, considering I have been wondering where the exploits of the youth culture were hidden.

It turns out that when I finally found that Greek place the sign was still there but the restaurant had changed. So now we were left to find something else. BK recalled that he had been in this area before and so wanted to find a place he heard of. However, he didn't really know where it was and his memory was from 5 years ago.

So when he finally found the area it wasn't there. We turned around, went down a few side streets and finally came upon a restaurant to go in for lunch.

Zen Hideaway Restaurant:
One word: posh.

Very posh! But enjoyable. I was a bit nervous sitting down as I knew from the looks of this place that it would be on the expensive side. But BK seemed pleased and so I relaxed. It was a Zen themed place anyways! How could I not calm down?

The interior was plush with hardwood table and comfy chairs. There was an outdoor seating area as well along with a pond.The menu was pretty extensive. Going from pasta dishes, pizza to Thai plates. We ordered and shortly there after came a nice bread and olive oil appetizer.


BK ordered a Sangrila and its taste was sweet and tangy all at once. I think Roboseyo has been searching for the best Sangrila in Seoul so I would suggest to him to go here and try it out.
My choice was the grilled chicken salad, which wasn't anything cheap so we were expecting it to be good. And it was pretty good with fresh ingredients and tangy fruity salad dressing. None of that mayonnaise stuff on the salad thing here.
BK ordered a spicy Thai noodle and shrimp dish. Sorry the picture came out blurry. I tried some and the taste was quite unique in a good way. Spicy but not overwhelming with some tangyness to it.Lunch was quite relaxing and we realized that next time we would like to try the outdoor seating.

Where to next? I suggested a few weeks back that I wanted to go see Slumdog Millionaire to BK, but it hadn't come out yet. Before meeting up this day he checked the show times online and suggested we should go see it. So that is what we did and to do so we headed over to Sincheon.

Sincheon: Meandering and Movie
However we were a bit too early and had an hour or so to kill before the movie started. First we went around the theatre area and checked out the arcade. BK played a testing game that tests your strength. However I don't think he did very well.
We played a few more games and I got this picture of the snack bar's interior.
Afterwards we rested at Starbucks. BK and I both have iPod touches but his is the new one. Mine for some reason won't connect to the wireless easily here, but his does. So he mused about this in front of me.

It was time to go to the movie and so we left and enjoyed a really great film.

So I will conclude by saying that I highly recommend Slumdog Millionaire along with checking out the Hongdae area.

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Snip Snip

Sunday I got my haircut in time for the spring weather. Hmm we will see how the kids react. More happened that day so stay tuned for the rest of Sunday's outings.

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This and That

I managed to make it so that I can play a jazz station out of the Bay Area on my home stereo using some sort of bluetooth technology. So lately I have been enjoying my time listening to jazz. Of course I catch the shows that they are playing at like 3am over there.

It seems like when you live somewhere that has 4 seasons you desperately wait for the next one to come around. As for spring I have been wondering when it will be T-shirt weather and greenness all around me.

On the way home I check the foliage for changes, but just yellow flowers these days.

Today I helped Lilly (Lunalil) pack for her move to America. I had a good time of course and we got lunch at a galbi place.

(No noodles Mom!) That purple stuff is rice...they put black rice in the mix.

As a treat for helping her with packing I got her Toaster Oven for free. I haven't set up yet so no picture, but it's not like you have never seen a toaster oven before?

Coming home the sun was shining through the window so I set up some of those crystals I got from last week. Ooooo sparkly!~


Jazz tunes are still jiving over here ... chilling this Saturday afternoon.

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One Year in Korea Part 1

Come the end of May in two months I will have completed one year here in South Korea. It feels like everything has happened in the blink of an eye. So it is that I want to remember it all and capture the greater moments.

I created this little video to give a kind of preamble to my year here in Korea. There are so many emotions when it comes to contemplating a year living in another country. So stick with me as I will release more videos summing up and sharing what it has been like fulfilling my year here.

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Obligatory Feast

Since I started working at the public school in November I have gone to 3 obligatory meals with the school teachers and staff.

Last semester, when I had my old coteacher, the staff didn't say much to me, but tried to nevertheless. My old coteacher would talk to me but her English was still developing so it was usually not lengthy conversations. But what should I expect, right? I am sure my coworkers are eager to speak with me, but there is the language barrier.

These obligatory meals can be quite interesting to partake in, even if I don't know what everyone is saying during the meal. The choice of restaurant has been "Sushi" type seafood places. But they don't just serve sushi, it is more like a tasting from the sea kind of deal.

Last week we had our obligatory feast for the start of the semester and new teachers. I took pictures this time so I can show you guys what this type of restaurant serves and also a peek into staff dinners.

These restaurants are meant to be Japanese themed, so you kind of get a mix of Korean and Japanese decor.

Typically it is a sit-on-your-bum kind of restaurant, with variations on the sitting. For instance, this place you sit on the floor but on chairs. As a westerner who never really practiced the art of sitting on your legs for long periods of time I end up getting leg cramps.
My new coteacher and I hurried to the restaurant to get there early enough. Why? She didn't want to sit close to the Principal. The history on this guy isn't pleasant, especially when it comes to stories about his drinking behavior. But I have been watching him lately and I think his obscene behavior seems to have died down. He is still like a "Dictator" at work with the Korean teachers, but I think he is behaving himself.
The Flow of Dishes:
The way the set up works is that many dishes come to you one after another. They go from panchan (side dishes) to larger servings of fish to.....well just take a look.

Rice Porridge (Jook)

Salad

Fish dishes and a corn concoction (Tried the fish it was good but I didn't eat much of it, loved the Corn stuff)

The girls are going at a Korean "pancake" or "pizza" ... kind of like a potato pancake but with seafood and veggies inside it. Sorry don't know the Korean names still. Other dish was a kind of sweet and sour seafood thing.

Sashimi (Raw fish). I have to tell you this restaurant was the lowest quality of all the ones they took us to so far. I wasn't too impressed with the quality and so didn't wanna risk eating it.

Various sea creatures for your delight. My stomach is sensitive to sea creatures so I stayed away from this plate. But others found it delicious.

Detail:

Fried Pork Salad... healthy and fattening all in one!

There were more dishes but I didn't get a picture of them. I think the people around me were sick of my picture taking, ah well. One of the dishes was a panko type fried shrimp dish. So good!

Here is another look at the interior.

Chit-Chat with the English Teacher:
As the soju (Korean whiskey) got passed around more (I didn't drink any) people became more friendly. And so I was visited by a few people who wanted tell me how they enjoy learning English.

One of which was a man who is one the head teachers. He said that he use to work at rural school, and took the English class. He enjoyed listening but couldn't speak it well. But he said that the class made him more comfortable around foreigners. This was good to hear, because it reinforces a positive presence of us foreigners in Korea.

Another visitor I had was the new Vice Principal. This guy is a nice warm looking man who has been friendly to me. He talked to me about how his eldest daughter lives in Florida and is a Yoga teacher. His English wasn't bad, but he was still bashful. He said he thinks my parents must miss me a lot and are scared for me. I reassured him everything is ok.

It was great to feel a warmth with the new teachers and new Vice Principle. Hopefully I can get the Teacher class started and help them learn some English.

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