Blogging and Community

I was contacted last week to take part in a survey for someones graduate dissertation.

The question of whether digital communication via blogging is making old forms of communication disappear is an interesting topic. Since it is a striking issue out here in Korea where many expats blog about their life I think it is important that you too take part in this research.

I haven't given my full response yet, but hope that it materializes soon. I would like to shortly say that I feel blogging is the stepping stone for people to gather together in the future. As I know by experience meeting most of the other expats out here by first finding them on the Internet.

To get your mind started I copied the following from this person's blog.

Today’s archives are rife with personal diaries and papers which allow us a glimpse into the past. But, what of the archives of the future? How many people today actually keep a pen and paper journal or write letters home? In the future, what will the ‘foreigner’ community in Korea look like… when a foreigner meets another foreigner will they still experience ’should I wave and say hello or should I not’ awkwardness? will foreigners still be greeted wtih random ‘HELLOs!’ from strangers as they walk down the street? will foreigners still be helping each other to track down ‘good’ cheese? These are just a few of the issues that have been discussed in numerous Korea-related blogs and they have helped to shape the expat community, composed mainly of native English teachers, in Korea. How will future generations of expats living in Korea reflect upon these issues unless Korea-related blogs are archived in some manner? A failure to preserve blogs may create a black hole of information for future generations of archives users.

So go to their website and take the survey, for I am sure they will appreciate it.

Anmyeondo Part 1

Every now and then you got to get out of town. Go somewhere and be a tourist or a wondering traveler.

For JH and I wanted to have a mini vacation together before I go off on my big vacation to America. So with some quick planning he made arrangements for us to go to Anmyeondo.

However, before going I wasn't fully aware of our destination. Just knew that it would take around 3 hours driving to get there and was on the west coast of Korea.

So it was that we left early Saturday morning and headed down south, following the GPS unit in the car.

We split the driving and I took over the last leg of the trip over to our destination.

When you drive through Korea, or ride a bus or train, you pass through many mountainsides and farmland. Whenever I go down the highways of Korea I am amazed at how much is still left undeveloped. However, I am grateful that parts of Korea are still not modernized.

We arrived at our Pension, but were too early to check in. So we headed to the beach first. (A Pension in Korea is a stylized type hotel...kind of like a resort or condo. Except the room you rent varies in size and theme. But basically from my perspective it is what a normal house or dwelling should be unlike the high rise apartment buildings dotting the horizons everywhere.)

You will see more pictures of the Pension later for now enjoy the outdoor facilities...a grilling and eating structure...

And a lovely swing...

The Beach:
Anmyeondo beach and area is famous for its sunsets, beautiful sandy seasides and a National Recreation Forest full of a

rare kind of wild pine tree called "Anmyeonsong" growing only on the island.

In other words it is a slice of paradise. The beach wasn't too far away and we arrived in the morning time when it seemed just locals were there before the tourists set in.
It felt exhilarating to be back at a beach. The smell of suntan lotion mixed in with sea salt on the wind brought me back to my youth when I played on the shores in Florida.


We walked around a bit and I became so excited at the amount of beautiful seashells laying about. I was surprised they were still there and no one had plucked them from the sand. But it was low tide so the seabed was exposed and people were more interested in the live sea creatures to be found.
We walked back to the car to change our shoes to sandals. While on the way a police hovercraft came scooting about the beach. For why we didn't really know, but it certainly made quite the spectacle.
In the parking lot area there were bathroom facilities, an open area where you can wash off sandy feet and shoes, along with a make-shift mart and an entrance to the forest.
We headed back to the beach this time prepared with a beach ball and a bag to put collected shells in.

I couldn't help but keep my gaze downwards, for besides the seashells there were also many sea creatures. It was like I had walked into an Aquarium. But really it was just the tide pools.

I think whenever anyone approaches the shoreline at the beach they walk in and get that first feel of the water. I was surprised to notice that the water was a bit cooler than expected, but still quite nice.

JH's slippers were float able... haha

Since it was low tide there was some bedrock exposure allowing for beach goers to get an eye popping view of sea life. Walking up to the rocks you could tell something was alive about it because it made a kind hissing sound. I determined it was due to the sunshine drying up the creatures and barnacles that lived on the rocks.
Looking at the tide pools you noticed sea shells moving, due to that they still had their sea creature inside.

I feel it is always fun to see starfish in real life. They can be such a magical site to behold. It was getting close to lunch time so we headed inwards for a bite to eat. Of course this being an island the selection of restaurants mostly catered to seafood dishes. I am not much of a seafood person. But we were able to enjoy a few dishes without that being a problem.

Lunch:

The restaurant we picked was outdoors protected by a mosquito screen.

JH picked out a noodle soup called 칼국수 or Kalguksu. Noodles in broth with clams or oysters...see I don't know my seafood very well. JH ate the oysters while I enjoyed the noodles and veggies. It tasted very fresh and delightful.


After lunch we checked into our Pension and did some more things. But you will have to see that in part 2. For now I hope you can hear the sound of the seashore and know what a treat it was to go to the West Sea.

Speed Dating Beijing

Awesomeness! The wheels in my mind were spinning about dating Koreans. ^^

Agra Food Interview

AgraFood the

monthly magazine published under the government budget. The name is Korea Agrafood (www.agrafood.co.kr) and it has contained articles about agricultural products and its export. There is a content about people who live and like Korea.

Contacted me via email requesting an interview by me via email. I figured why not and just recently replied with my answers. I have to say I am a bit ashamed I couldn't name the Korean names of my favorite Korean dishes. So looks like I will try to jot it down the next time I eat it. haha

Here for you are the questions and answers...enjoy!

1. Could you introduce yourself? - and your profile

 I am a 27 year old woman from San Francisco, California. However I grew up in Florida and have lived in California too. I graduated from San Francisco State University in 2007 with a degree in Art. I enjoy living in Korea and have been doing so for a little over a year now.

2. Why do you came to Korea?

On New Year's Day 2008 I made a New Year's resolution to come and teach in Korea. At that time I was working at an insurance company and felt like my life was not very meaningful. Also I have always had an interest in Asian culture and traveling. I had never been outside the country and really wanted to explore. In addition I had previous jobs where I was with children and found that to be more enjoyable than office work. So I combined my two passions and decided to teach in Korea. I chose Korea because out of my other choices (China and Japan), Korea seemed to over the most benefits and appeared to be a clean and safe country.

How long have you been?

I have been hear since May 2008.

3. About Korean food.

1. What';s your favorite and what kinds of Korean food do you hate?

Unfortunately I have not memorized all of Korea's food names. For me my favorite is Lamb galbi because it is so unique. But I also enjoy the "pizza" or pancake type food. I really enjoy panchan (side dishes) because they offer a great variety at the table. Also I think Korean soups are very good and healthy. When I feel sick I no longer make my chicken soup but go out to a Korean restaurant and order Jook or other soup. The Korean food I hate are the foods sold in the carts on the street. I am skeptical of the food quality. I really don't like squid or octopus so anything with a strange sea creature I don't like.

2. Do you really enjoy Korean food?

Yes I really enjoy Korean food. It is very healthy and covers many food groups in one meal. I can tell Koreans have a long standing tradition with their food.

3. Is there any Korean food you can cook?

Unfortunately there is not, but with some time I would like to learn how to make a simple soup with tofu.

3. experience

None?

1. What is you first impression about Korea or Korean culture?

My first impression of Korea when I came here about a year ago was that Korea is a very well developed country. I was amazed to see sky high apartment buildings. As for the culture I found it interesting to see how everyone talk boisterously during meals and that Koreans are very curious about Westerners.

2. Are you hanging out with Korean friends?

I have a Korean boyfriend and I spend my weekends with him.

3. In your opinion, where is the best part of Korea- for sightseeing and eating food.

I feel the best part of Korea for sightseeing and eating food is near the Insadong area called Samcheondong in Seoul There you can get a glimpse of old style buildings while also getting a feel for unique cafes in Korea. Also nearby is a famous palace which is very amazing. All in this neighborhood I feel are many unique places to experience Korean food and sightseeing. Every time I go I find someplace new and feel very relaxed. I highly recommend this part of Korea.

4. Future

I am nearing the end of my 1 year teaching contract so I am up for resigning. I would like to continue living in Korea and at my present school. The only way they can keep me if they provide me a better house. Unfortunately for English teachers our housing situation is often degrading. Now that I have been here a year I feel I deserve a quality home. Also I would like to explore Korea more and see the sites around the country. I haven't been to Busan or Jeju-do so it would be nice to see what is down there.

5. Last

Thank you for giving me this interview I hope it shows other people that foreigners living in Korea have a good time. We love to explore new places and find out what is going on in Korean society.

Could you tell me your opinion about Korean food and culture?

Korean food combines many different spices and ingredients. Whenever I eat a Korean meal I feel I can taste so many different things. I for one am not really fond of Kimchi but many foreigners like it. For me I can't handle the spiciness. I am constantly amazed at how fresh everything is prepared and cooked. I can tell Koreans value fresh food and meat. Also I enjoy Korea's seasonal fruits and vegetables. While shopping I can tell what is popular by all the ahjummas standing around the fruit or vegetable bins. I think Koreans see their daily meals as a way of providing comfort for all in their family.

Different Shades of English

After my Korean class on Wednesdays a few of us go out to dinner together afterwards. At first there were about 10 of us but then participants in this free Korean class started to dwindle and it was down to just us sticklers.

We would pick a different place to eat at every time and usually it was a non-Korean cuisine.

The interesting part of our meals were the conversations. In particular I think this is what is most enjoyable about living in Korea. That is meeting people from different parts of the world.

At our last get together after class I met with a South African, New Zealander and a Britain. One of the conversations we had was about how they can't stand teaching "American" English.

For example Americans call the device where water comes out of in a sink the "faucet" but for the others at my table they called it the "tap". The South African when first hearing it called a "faucet" here in Korea that it was some old English word that nobody uses and so taught it that way. She corrected it for her students thus teaching them to call it the "tap".

I found this conversation amusing because it shows how English speaking people have different words for the same thing. It is really fun to sit down with non-Americans and share these differences in the English language.

What happens most often, I notice, is that the non-Americans end up complaining a little bit about the American usage for certain things. Certainly I heard this kind of griping during our dinner. The British guy said he refuses to use American words.

As for our students I think they mostly know about American English. Therefore it may be a good idea to do a lesson comparing English spoken across the globe.

All in all, I always have a fun time calling the hood of the car the "bonnet" and the trunk the "boot."

Tumbling Down

It must be that time of the year when everything comes tumbling down. For us at school it means tests and preparations for summer camp.

Also I enquired about my contract review and my coteacher said she will ask the Principal about it during our camp time, which is the 20 - 24th. But she expects he won't be ready to talk about it till after summer vacation...which is at the end of August. Whatever! I know what I am going to say so bring it on!

And after a lot of looking over tax documents and getting frustrated I used TurboTax to fill out my tax forms. Now all I have to do is mail it in and see what happens. (eFile-ing failed)

Lately I have been patiently waiting for my vacation in California which is coming in August. I start thinking about it and can't stop.

Well those are the updates for now...if my blogging seems sporadic it is because of all this stuff going on.