Camouflage

First things first, because I have a backlog of photos from recent outings that I want to get up, I need to express what I have been struggling with recently.

If you had happened to catch a post I put up here about my situation recently at my work, than you would also know that I deleted it. Why? You may ask.

As you know my last week of work was the intensive one and of course was going to be a walk through hell. And yes it was a walk through hell. But the worst came on Wednesday when I became irritated with everyone and everything around me at work. I had few falling outs with one coworker and thus wrote a little complaint about it here on blog.

One of the responses I got was that I need to get use to the Korean way of relationships. When I read this it felt like an appropriate response to my post, but also that I must have not explained my situation well enough.

First off I think it is oh so important I make clear my situation at work:

• There are 5 Korean co-teachers, all female.
• There are 4 Foreign teachers, 1 female (me) the rest male.
  
• 2 of the Foreign teachers are engaged in relationships with 2 of the Korean teachers.
• The teachers room is small and offers no privacy.
• I made the mistake of not going out with everyone after work during my first few weeks.
• I am now left out of the social group. This makes me feel alone and more alienated than usual.
  

Let me make clear my opinion:

• I do not blame my coworkers for my situation for I did not take enough action on my part to interact with the group.
• I feel each and everyone of us works hard as the other, and all get in trouble from time to time by our supervisor.
• I know it would difficult to be a part of the group now that it is too late, but I at least want to be on the same level w/ everyone so to have peace in the office.

My solution:

• Talk more with everyone about the classes or just general opinion questions.
• Apologize when necessary but don't overdo it.
• Join in during after work gatherings on occasion.
  
• Accept I am not in the group, but I can still be friendly.

So there you have it. Whether I need to start becoming Korean and try to figure out the Korean mind is up in the air. Actually I think this isn't necessary because it is practically, in my opinion, impossible to think as a Korean woman would think. I think as an American woman and so be it! The key lies in that I make the two compromise with each other. I understand their side and if they don't understand mine, well that is up to them anyways.

This is what it is about being a foreigner, for you encounter not only the foreign sites but the foreign way of thinking and functioning. You can grow to hate it, loathe it or love it, but no matter what it will always remain foreign.

So last night my coworkers were going out for dinner after work and I decided to come along. BK joined us as well. I didn't socialize with everyone due to the table being so long, but I think it showed my human side and also I got to see my coworkers human side as well. I could tell by their tired faces that the job is hard on them too and so I know that no matter whether we are Korean or American work is work and it will always be a duty that is difficult at times.

From now on I hope my coworkers see me, if not a part of the group, but someone willing to get along with.

The Right Medicine

This weekend was by far my most interesting and also the most homey. ;)

Last week I was starting to feel the homesick blues along with not seeing nature blues. So my feeling inside about my life here was beginning to turn sour.

Yet just as the typhoon is sweeping through the country so came another surprise.

Can you guess where I took this picture from?
I will give you a hint, it is from a bedroom...

Hmm, maybe you guessed it by now. It is BK's house! Today we met up at my home and talked about what to do. Then kind of forget about what to do and relaxed. But the next thing I know BK asks me if I want to go to his house? I was nervous, but I said yes because I thought it a great idea.

His idea was that it would be ideal because his parents were not home. But when we arrived there an neighbor was outside and saw us so our cover was blown. Anyways, he contacted his mom and told her I was there and we should meet. So yes I met his parents!

But first lets just take a look around his neighborhood and home.

Here is the street which leads to his home.
Now we turn into a little alleyway. At the end of this block is his home nestled in between all the rest. I actually realize that I don't have many pictures of the interior of his home. But BK and his family keep a wonderful garden on their rooftop, and I just happen to have taken some pictures. I think it is a very proud rooftop garden! You can find corn, flowers, tomatoes and chile peppers.

There was a mirror on the roof so it made a great photo op.
Also this is the view from the rooftop, he lives near a forest, but sadly these trees may get cut down and an apartment building will go up instead.

I have more pictures of the house and home but I need to go to bed. So I will just comment on meeting his parents. I will have to say that it was very pleasant and congenial. We met briefly at the house then went out for Shabu Shabu dinner. Which is where you cook some meat and vegetables on the table before. VERY HEALTHY!!!!!!!!! I think my body has a ga-zillion vitamins now! hehee

Anyways it was very formal and I didn't break too many Korean rules. I would love to talk more about it but I need to get my rest before the intensive period starts tomorrow morning.

I feel refreshed and loved! The best medicine before facing 10hr work days.

Thank you so much BK!

Typhoon Kalmaegi

Right now I am experiencing a different type of storm, this one real. It is typhoon Kalmaegi. This kind of weather system is similar to a hurricane so different parts surrounding its area can be affected. So South Korea is getting the brunt of the edge of the storm.

That means rain...a lot of it! I actually don't mind the soothing sound of the rain but it makes shopping or going out a bit tougher.

Kalmaegi means "seagull" in Korean.

I found a scientific website that can give you all that nerdy information.

Before the Storm

Now is my time when I will be sitting back and embracing the storm that is about to come. This storm is the intensive month. Yes, I have overly mentioned this but now I just want you all to know that I feel I am mentally prepared and now all I need to do is physically get through it.

In other news hopefully I will find my way to a park this weekend so I can feel safe again under a tree.

To continue the food theme I thought I would note my breakfast and lunch. These are the ingredients I take out of my fridge for making lunch.

• Bread
• Lettuce
• Peppers
• Cheese and ham

Put it all together and you have:

Yummy!

And as for breakfast: It helps to eat a full breakfast, I can make it to lunch time and not feel starving. Yes! That is strawberry cream cheese with sstrawberry jam on top!

Having these foods in my fridge is comforting and makes me feel homely here. Of course some of these ingredients are pricey, but I have always considered that paying more for food you would eat is well worth it.

Buzz: Expatriate Adjustments

Let's face it, sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the world. Especially if that world doesn't even have grass and is all covered in cement and cigarette butts.

The word on the blog streets is that Expat's complain a hell-of a lot. So much that it is indeed annoying. Now the buzz is why the hell do expats complain?

Certainly there must be better things to do with your time like:

• Read up on the culture you are living in.
• Try to get to know a native person around you.
• Think objectively about your situation.

The Gordsellar states the necessity to complain is practically a natural cause and effect relationship.

A look at how a complaint is turned into a firestorm:

Say you come from the pristine suburban land that is America. On your streets are mostly friendly people who say "excuse me" or "hello, how are you today?". The landscape is laid out in a pedestrian friendly manner. People make eye contact and help you if you need it.

Your life is familiar and you know how to function within your environment.

But then you pack yourself up and move to South Korea.

You are out of your native habitat and everything and everyone seems different. After having a few bad days and nights these people and these places begin to look ugly.

Everyone and everything around you becomes a scapegoat for the natural crap that is going on in your life. You need to rant so you find outlets online and speak unthinkable things about the people and culture around you with disregard for the truth.

Although you are just one person your flames of spite ignite a torrent of fury across the Internet, which ripples its away around the globe.

Thus giving the impression that foreigners can't stand it in South Korea.

Conclusion:
It doesn't take much thought to understand that when you throw a big rock into a small pond it makes a big splash.

But this sort of splash can leave a residue behind that affects writers on the Internet that aren't pissed off.


Problematic:
I think as an expatriate blogger myself I am constantly having to check myself and ask:

Am I sounding like I am complaining?

When all I want to do is write about my opinions and realities that I experience. I feel that when we try to be politically correct most of the time, it pitfalls into an area where the true raw feelings we experience are washed away.

REALIZATION:

Please know that complaining isn't only reserved to the American in Korea. Koreans, UKer's, South Africa and others complain their asses off while in America.

I know because I heard an ear full of this working at summer camps where these people worked (except the Koreans).

My boyfriend would constantly complain about America and its poor transit system and lack of cleanliness. (visited San Francisco).

All in all just remember this first: when you take a fish out of the water it is going to gasp for air.

I leave you with that.

Dinner for one

Tonight I decided to put a blog featuring what my dinner looks like. Because I come home before 8 pm there isn't much time to throw something big together. So it has to be quick but somewhat decent and healthy.

Recently, though I have gathered enough materials to make some pasta with sauce and cheese. :)

Let's see what I got: Here (in this really bad picture) I have my pasta noodles, closest thing to a cheese grader, and cheese! The cheese cost about $5 due to it being on sale.

Cooking the noodles is easy and allows you to walk away and check your blog.

The results: YUmmm! Or at least I think it looks yummy, it certainly tastes yummy. Sorry for the blurry picture.

Anyways sorry if it seems I am obsessed with finding and cooking food that is familiar to me. I think that this may be natural for an expat. I recall foreigners in America sticking to their homely diets, although they were in the land of inexpensive cheese and milk. But I think what is most interesting is that there is ought to be an fusion of homely and the unfamiliar when it comes to eating here. I try to taste something new and see if I like it.

All right well thanks for reading!