The #115 Busan city bus doesn't loop around.
I just wanted to let you know, because even though you are able to take the #115 to work each morning, doesn't mean that this same bus will eventually loop back around and drop you off on the opposite side of the street to where is picks you up each day.
I wouldn't want you to rush out of work after an incredibly long day, too impatient to wait for your regular #36 bus home, and get on the #115 city bus, assuming that it will eventually go back in the direction it came from. No, do not assume any of that...because you would be wrong. And that bus will not take you home.
It will however, take you in the complete opposite direction to where you want to go. And no matter how long you sit there staring out the window, convincing yourself that at some point very soon you will pass a familiar building or landmark or district name to provide some small glimmer of hope that you are not completely lost, the #115 is not going to throw you a bone because it really doesn't care. The #115 never wanted you to get on in the first place. Come to think of it, the #115 never really liked you, anyway.
So, the best you can do is smile and nod when the crazy Korean driver kicks you off at the last stop, stranding you between several gigantic mountains, in the middle of nowhere, with no bars left on your cell phone. At this point you should just start walking - just pick a direction and hope for the best. Don't bother reading any road signs because these ones aren't meant for English eyes.
And no - there are no cabs around either, so don't ask.
If you're lucky, you will walk for an hour or so until you find a nice woman at a convenience store to call you a taxi. Your driver won't understand a word you're speaking, of course, so just say "Spongey" and he'll know where to take you.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Relays and Picnics and Gimbap, Oh My
Today was Sports Day at school, which meant a field trip to a nearby park where the Centum kids competed against another school in various relay and racing games. It was hilarious, but I learned very quickly exactly what the other foreign teachers mean when they refer to school field trips as a cluster$*#%!
To start, you must understand that Korean and North American elementary schools do not provide the same experience. Children are treated very differently here, it's not uncommon to watch a Korean teacher yank a kid by their arm, or stand a foot away from their face and yell at them. It's just way things are done; the kids don't cry or take it personally, they just listen.
So today, watching Sally (the school Director and woman who hired me) run around screaming and shoving kids all day long was no shocker - it was the context that got me. She must have really wanted our kids to win Sports Day, because Sally's form of encouragement to "run faster!" and "win! win! win!" sounded eerily similar to Sally getting mad. At one point I thought she was going to give herself a heart attack.
Along with Sally, pretty much everything about today was entertaining, but my favourite was the relay race. The kids had to strap a giant plastic baby to their backs (and by 'baby' I mean an oversized, creepy-looking toddler doll whose eyes wouldn't close) pick up a basket of fruit, carry it to one end of the park, and proceed to eat a cracker off a hanging string without using their hands. Money can't buy that kind of entertainment.
Lunch was a giant picnic. Usually lunch is prepared and served at the school, but today the kids brought their own. For the teachers, lunch time is often the highlight of field trip days because the kids love to share with us. The result is a giant taste test of amazing home-cooked Korean foods, the most popular being gimbap.
Gimbap is the 'sandwich' of the Korean kids' lunchbox. Similar to sushi, it's made with a bit of rice, vegetables, and fish or other meat rolled up into a long piece of seaweed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Gimbap isn't typically served with soya sauce or wasabi (like Japanese sushi) and many Koreans eat it on-the-go, with the long cylinder shape wrapped in tinfoil so it's nice and portable. It's delicious, cheap and very healthy. Today was fantastic because almost every one of my kids brought home-made gimbap, and they all wanted me to sample. My only rule was that "If you really want me to try your gimbap, I have to be able to take it with my own chopsticks". Otherwise they'll try to hand a piece to you with their fingers...not happening.
That said, gift-giving is a very big deal in Korea, so the fact that the kids want so badly to share with you is a huge compliment. I felt horrible saying no them, so after my 10th piece of gimbap I eventually started taking pieces and pretending to eat them because I just couldn't fit any more in...
It's for this reason that I must now get to bed, so that I can wake up early and make my way to the gym before work tomorrow - gotta compensate for my day of feasting. I hope everyone has a good Tuesday, talk to you soon!
To start, you must understand that Korean and North American elementary schools do not provide the same experience. Children are treated very differently here, it's not uncommon to watch a Korean teacher yank a kid by their arm, or stand a foot away from their face and yell at them. It's just way things are done; the kids don't cry or take it personally, they just listen.
So today, watching Sally (the school Director and woman who hired me) run around screaming and shoving kids all day long was no shocker - it was the context that got me. She must have really wanted our kids to win Sports Day, because Sally's form of encouragement to "run faster!" and "win! win! win!" sounded eerily similar to Sally getting mad. At one point I thought she was going to give herself a heart attack.
Along with Sally, pretty much everything about today was entertaining, but my favourite was the relay race. The kids had to strap a giant plastic baby to their backs (and by 'baby' I mean an oversized, creepy-looking toddler doll whose eyes wouldn't close) pick up a basket of fruit, carry it to one end of the park, and proceed to eat a cracker off a hanging string without using their hands. Money can't buy that kind of entertainment.
Lunch was a giant picnic. Usually lunch is prepared and served at the school, but today the kids brought their own. For the teachers, lunch time is often the highlight of field trip days because the kids love to share with us. The result is a giant taste test of amazing home-cooked Korean foods, the most popular being gimbap.
Gimbap is the 'sandwich' of the Korean kids' lunchbox. Similar to sushi, it's made with a bit of rice, vegetables, and fish or other meat rolled up into a long piece of seaweed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Gimbap isn't typically served with soya sauce or wasabi (like Japanese sushi) and many Koreans eat it on-the-go, with the long cylinder shape wrapped in tinfoil so it's nice and portable. It's delicious, cheap and very healthy. Today was fantastic because almost every one of my kids brought home-made gimbap, and they all wanted me to sample. My only rule was that "If you really want me to try your gimbap, I have to be able to take it with my own chopsticks". Otherwise they'll try to hand a piece to you with their fingers...not happening.
That said, gift-giving is a very big deal in Korea, so the fact that the kids want so badly to share with you is a huge compliment. I felt horrible saying no them, so after my 10th piece of gimbap I eventually started taking pieces and pretending to eat them because I just couldn't fit any more in...
It's for this reason that I must now get to bed, so that I can wake up early and make my way to the gym before work tomorrow - gotta compensate for my day of feasting. I hope everyone has a good Tuesday, talk to you soon!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Back in Business
Chuseok's over, and today it was back to my regular schedule. I woke up this morning with just enough vocals to make it through the day...so (knock on wood) I think I'm in the clear. There were 4 solid days of no talking for me last week - as I previously mentioned, kareoke night really did a number on me.
The only difficult adjustment when moving to Korea isn't cultural or emotional - but it's definitely physical. In the first month or so after arriving, everyone gets sick. Completely new food, new water, new lifestyle, increased air pollution and long work days are a recipe for disaster. But top that off with a job where you're constantly surrounded by little germ-infested incubators kissing and hugging and tugging at you all day long? It's immune-system suicide. Those kids are Carriers, every last one of them.
I've been feeling slightly ill since I got here, and last week it finally caught up with me. The good news is that Chuseok gave me plenty of time to sleep it off and recoup, so I feel better - and more resiliant - for it.
I'm also very excited to no longer have to listen to my new Korean friend (who I refer to as "O") continue to mention at precise 10 minute intervals: "I don't mean to make fun of your voice but, you sound like a kidnapped little kid,"or "I don't mean to make fun of your voice but, you sound like Marge Simpson," or "I don't meant to make fun of your voice but, my other friend always used to talk that way, and he had to get an operation so maybe you will need one, too"...I really don't think O meant to make fun of my voice, but he just couldn't help it.
On another note, now that I can talk again I'm free to advertise the fact that I've recently added Skpe to my computer. So if anyone's in need of a video chat in the next little while, just let me know!
The only difficult adjustment when moving to Korea isn't cultural or emotional - but it's definitely physical. In the first month or so after arriving, everyone gets sick. Completely new food, new water, new lifestyle, increased air pollution and long work days are a recipe for disaster. But top that off with a job where you're constantly surrounded by little germ-infested incubators kissing and hugging and tugging at you all day long? It's immune-system suicide. Those kids are Carriers, every last one of them.
I've been feeling slightly ill since I got here, and last week it finally caught up with me. The good news is that Chuseok gave me plenty of time to sleep it off and recoup, so I feel better - and more resiliant - for it.
I'm also very excited to no longer have to listen to my new Korean friend (who I refer to as "O") continue to mention at precise 10 minute intervals: "I don't mean to make fun of your voice but, you sound like a kidnapped little kid,"or "I don't mean to make fun of your voice but, you sound like Marge Simpson," or "I don't meant to make fun of your voice but, my other friend always used to talk that way, and he had to get an operation so maybe you will need one, too"...I really don't think O meant to make fun of my voice, but he just couldn't help it.
On another note, now that I can talk again I'm free to advertise the fact that I've recently added Skpe to my computer. So if anyone's in need of a video chat in the next little while, just let me know!
Friday, September 24, 2010
K-Pop Fridays! (vol.1)
Tonight/this morning I'd like to introduce a brand new segment to my blog: K-Pop Fridays!
Over the past month I've developed a certain fascination with Korean pop culture. From the clothing to commercials - I can't get enough. But the part I love most? The music.
Lovingly referred to as 'K-pop', Korean popular music differs from North American in that it maintains a certain level of innocence that went out of style back in Canada and the States about a decade ago...around the same time that my generation entered high school and it was no longer incredibly entertaining to obssess over the Backstreet Boys and N' Sync. Hey, I was like 14 & defenseless against the manipulative marketing powers of those big-name record labels! It is NOT my fault that I used to have a crush on Nick Carter.
But I digress...
According to my powers of observation, their are 3 main elements required for a Korean radio song to qualify as K-Pop:
1) Gotta be catchy
One must be able to sing along, after hearing the song no more than 3 times prior.
2) Gotta be cute
The group members have to be well-dressed, and CUTE - Campbell's Soup kid styles.
3) Gotta be choreographed
In K-pop music videos, the name of the game is dancing baby! These kids have some of the most intricate dance sequences I've witnessed since the days of NKOTB.
So that's just a bit of K-pop background for you. And to start off our new weekly segment, without further ado, I'd like to introduce my current favourite (and likely the reason I lost my voice at kareoke the other night) K-pop song:
Madonna, by Secret...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_gyI9ryOQA
Over the past month I've developed a certain fascination with Korean pop culture. From the clothing to commercials - I can't get enough. But the part I love most? The music.
Lovingly referred to as 'K-pop', Korean popular music differs from North American in that it maintains a certain level of innocence that went out of style back in Canada and the States about a decade ago...around the same time that my generation entered high school and it was no longer incredibly entertaining to obssess over the Backstreet Boys and N' Sync. Hey, I was like 14 & defenseless against the manipulative marketing powers of those big-name record labels! It is NOT my fault that I used to have a crush on Nick Carter.
But I digress...
According to my powers of observation, their are 3 main elements required for a Korean radio song to qualify as K-Pop:
1) Gotta be catchy
One must be able to sing along, after hearing the song no more than 3 times prior.
2) Gotta be cute
The group members have to be well-dressed, and CUTE - Campbell's Soup kid styles.
3) Gotta be choreographed
In K-pop music videos, the name of the game is dancing baby! These kids have some of the most intricate dance sequences I've witnessed since the days of NKOTB.
So that's just a bit of K-pop background for you. And to start off our new weekly segment, without further ado, I'd like to introduce my current favourite (and likely the reason I lost my voice at kareoke the other night) K-pop song:
Madonna, by Secret...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_gyI9ryOQA
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Happy Chuseok!
Most of Busan is pretty much closed down this week for Korean Thanksgiving. Luckily, Brianna and I discovered through word-of-mouth that Kyungsung/PNU area was alive and kicking! So we made our way there with a few friends yesterday afternoon for some good food, great company, and questionable kareoke-singing...
OJ, me, Brianna and Duane, out for gogi gui! Before heading to kareoke last night, we feasted on some Korean barbeque. OJ and Duane are marines working at an American military base near Haeundae. They were very interesting guys to talk to, and I was quite impressed with their knowledge of Korean culture. PLUS they are friends with the American pitcher playing for the Lotte Giants - baseball playoffs here I come!
Korean barbeque is the most delicious food of life. Everyone sits around the open grill, and the waiters bring you huge slabs of meat and vegetables to cook up yourself. They give you an array of different sauces to try, and little lettuce leaves to wrap everything up into bite-sized pieces. Of course, no true Korean bbq meal is complete without Hite and soju, mixed together in a special little concoction referred to as So-Mek.
Last night we ordered the 'super bacon', essentially it's a mound of bacon-like pork. We stuffed lots of garlic inside and grilled it up. Pure artery-clogging goodness.
After demolishing the super bacon, the boys insisted on ordering pig skin. They made Brianna and I try it but it was so gross and leathery, we both had to spit it out.
Duane's first bite...
A while back, I asked why the Korean people always make peace signs when having their picture taken. Last night I learned that apparently they started doing it because many Korean people think their faces look fat in pictures, so the peace signs are supposed to detract from any chubbiness. OJ was all over it.
Brianna, presenting OJ on stage. The little performer - he was definitely in his element.
Singing Mariah Carey.
...and not gonna lie, a little Justin Bieber.
This is what happens when boys get ahold of your camera.
This Korean girl had the most amazing voice - but she didn't know any words to the songs! She kept looking over and asking me to help her, so I sang along in the background while she stared at me and tried to mimic the words I was saying.
OJ, me, Brianna and Duane, out for gogi gui! Before heading to kareoke last night, we feasted on some Korean barbeque. OJ and Duane are marines working at an American military base near Haeundae. They were very interesting guys to talk to, and I was quite impressed with their knowledge of Korean culture. PLUS they are friends with the American pitcher playing for the Lotte Giants - baseball playoffs here I come!
Korean barbeque is the most delicious food of life. Everyone sits around the open grill, and the waiters bring you huge slabs of meat and vegetables to cook up yourself. They give you an array of different sauces to try, and little lettuce leaves to wrap everything up into bite-sized pieces. Of course, no true Korean bbq meal is complete without Hite and soju, mixed together in a special little concoction referred to as So-Mek.
Last night we ordered the 'super bacon', essentially it's a mound of bacon-like pork. We stuffed lots of garlic inside and grilled it up. Pure artery-clogging goodness.
After demolishing the super bacon, the boys insisted on ordering pig skin. They made Brianna and I try it but it was so gross and leathery, we both had to spit it out.
Duane's first bite...
A while back, I asked why the Korean people always make peace signs when having their picture taken. Last night I learned that apparently they started doing it because many Korean people think their faces look fat in pictures, so the peace signs are supposed to detract from any chubbiness. OJ was all over it.
Brianna, presenting OJ on stage. The little performer - he was definitely in his element.
Singing Mariah Carey.
...and not gonna lie, a little Justin Bieber.
This is what happens when boys get ahold of your camera.
This Korean girl had the most amazing voice - but she didn't know any words to the songs! She kept looking over and asking me to help her, so I sang along in the background while she stared at me and tried to mimic the words I was saying.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Gym, Part 2
I am not a fragile person. If you bump into me while walking down the street, I'm not going to break in half. I lift weights and lug around a 20 pound purse 12 hours a day, so it's not like I'm some weakling who doesn't know their limits.
However, the Korean personal trainer I met at the gym last week was absolutely NOT having it. That guy took one look at me and decided I was some sort of liability, because for the next 90 minutes the man would not leave me alone.
When I stepped off the elevator from the changeroom to the 7th floor workout area, Dilbert was the first person I saw (please note that Dilbert is probably not this man's actual name, but it's the most irritating name I could think of, so it's sticking for now). He was sitting in the far corner talking with a patron before bouncing up to greet me.
Dilbert didn't speak much English, but he motioned to me and said something resembling the word 'weights' so I shook my head and pointed to the treadmill machine. Then I smiled and said 'thank-you' in Korean, meaning: 'alright bud, I can take it from here'.
However, the Korean personal trainer I met at the gym last week was absolutely NOT having it. That guy took one look at me and decided I was some sort of liability, because for the next 90 minutes the man would not leave me alone.
When I stepped off the elevator from the changeroom to the 7th floor workout area, Dilbert was the first person I saw (please note that Dilbert is probably not this man's actual name, but it's the most irritating name I could think of, so it's sticking for now). He was sitting in the far corner talking with a patron before bouncing up to greet me.
Dilbert didn't speak much English, but he motioned to me and said something resembling the word 'weights' so I shook my head and pointed to the treadmill machine. Then I smiled and said 'thank-you' in Korean, meaning: 'alright bud, I can take it from here'.
But apparently we weren't quite finished, because Dilbert followed me to the treadmill and insisted on demonstrating how to use it. He pointed to each of the buttons and did different hand motions that (I assume) were meant to help me understand what to do. About 5 minutes later I was able to start running. Dilbert reluctantly walked away with a truly concerned expression that looked like he was thinking, "Um, I don't know...should I leave? Will she be okay?".
Ah, alone and exercising at last...it felt great! Plus all the treadmills and cardio machines face a huge glass wall giving a wonderful view of the city at night. I couldn't have been happier. Until I noticed a distinct reflection in the glass, pacing back and forth behind me. Wait - is that Dilbert?! Stop watching me and go away already! What is up with this guy?!
I was only slightly distracted for the rest of my run. But when it was time for some weights, things went downhill. For the next 45 minutes Dilbert followed me around the weight room, making dramatic hand gestures and demonstrating when he felt I needed to change my form or improve my grip. That was pretty annoying.
But then there was the weight adjusting.
Every machine I visited, regardless of the weight I would select, Dilbert would literally crouch down (just as I was starting) and adjust the machine to some ridiculously low number that a 10 year old could lift. At first, I would wait for him to walk away for a minute before changing it back, so as not to offend him; but as my irritation grew, I started to do it right in front of him.
I'm not really sure what was up with Dilbert that day, but I haven't been back to the gym since my first visit. I'll be back tomorrow though, and I'm curious to know how he will handle my reappearance. I'm hoping he just loses steam so I can get back to my preferred method of exercise: the independent kind.
Either that, or Dilbert and I are going to have to have a little talk.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Gym, Part 1
I'm no stranger to the gym. I've worked out all my life and held several gym memberships in the past. So I can honestly say that my inaugural visit to the Korean gym last week was the first time I've ever felt like an outsider in a workout zone.
The gym I'm now using is only a 5 minute walk from my place, and it's both a spa and workout area rolled into one. It's quite nice, and comparable to an upscale North American gym, but there are a few major differences I noted shortly after arriving.
1. The Changerooms
When it comes to Korean locker rooms, the word de jour is nude. Nudity everwhere. And not the kind of nudity where a woman is wearing flip flops and a towel draped around her waist while she walks briskly from her locker to the shower area. No. I'm talking birthday-suit styles. Nada. Nothing. Not even a hair clip. And it's not just while walking around the changeroom getting ready. It's lounging around watching tv in the common area nudity. Gabbing with your girlfriends while grabbing a bite to eat at the snack bar nudity. Oh yes. Clothing is definitely optional.
2. Shoes
Shoes in Korea are a big deal. You never wear your outdoor shoes inside a house, school, changeroom, etc. I've actually learned to appreciate this custom since moving here, it just feels a lot cleaner. Visiting the gym was challenging though, because I have only one pair of indoor/outdoor runners, so I had to get creative and wash them in the changroom before entering the workout area. I prayed that no one would notice, or I'm sure I would've been yelled at - in Korean. And being yelled at in Korean is a lot scarier than being yelled at in English.
3. Gym Clothes
I'm not sure if this is just my gym, or Korean gyms in general, but they give everyone workout uniforms. Thankfully the provided clothes are optional (cuz they're pink and grey and ug-ly) but I have to admit it was cute and little bit funny to watch all these tiny Korean women trotting about in matching outfits.
4. The Machines
Hahahaha this was one of my fave parts. 90% of the workout machines are standard gym equipment: treadmills, stairclimbers, free weights, etc. But the other 10% are freaking hilarious. There was an entire wall of machinery that I'm pretty sure went out of style back in the 50's. Like those weird fat-juggling machines where you hook a strap around your lower back and the strap vibrates. Or this long bench where you lie down flat and it slowly tips back until you are all the way upside down. I don't know of any physical benefit to using this equipment, but the Koreans sure love it.
So aside from a few suprises, I give the overall gym experience a thumbs up. Honestly though, I was so excited to be able to work out properly for the first time since moving here, they probably could've shown me a room with a giant hamster-wheel and I would've been happy.
This isn't the end of my gym story, but I'll continue tomorrow. I met someone there the other day (a Korean personal trainer) but he really deserves his own post. And the award for Busan's Most Irritating Person.
To be continued...
The gym I'm now using is only a 5 minute walk from my place, and it's both a spa and workout area rolled into one. It's quite nice, and comparable to an upscale North American gym, but there are a few major differences I noted shortly after arriving.
1. The Changerooms
When it comes to Korean locker rooms, the word de jour is nude. Nudity everwhere. And not the kind of nudity where a woman is wearing flip flops and a towel draped around her waist while she walks briskly from her locker to the shower area. No. I'm talking birthday-suit styles. Nada. Nothing. Not even a hair clip. And it's not just while walking around the changeroom getting ready. It's lounging around watching tv in the common area nudity. Gabbing with your girlfriends while grabbing a bite to eat at the snack bar nudity. Oh yes. Clothing is definitely optional.
2. Shoes
Shoes in Korea are a big deal. You never wear your outdoor shoes inside a house, school, changeroom, etc. I've actually learned to appreciate this custom since moving here, it just feels a lot cleaner. Visiting the gym was challenging though, because I have only one pair of indoor/outdoor runners, so I had to get creative and wash them in the changroom before entering the workout area. I prayed that no one would notice, or I'm sure I would've been yelled at - in Korean. And being yelled at in Korean is a lot scarier than being yelled at in English.
3. Gym Clothes
I'm not sure if this is just my gym, or Korean gyms in general, but they give everyone workout uniforms. Thankfully the provided clothes are optional (cuz they're pink and grey and ug-ly) but I have to admit it was cute and little bit funny to watch all these tiny Korean women trotting about in matching outfits.
4. The Machines
Hahahaha this was one of my fave parts. 90% of the workout machines are standard gym equipment: treadmills, stairclimbers, free weights, etc. But the other 10% are freaking hilarious. There was an entire wall of machinery that I'm pretty sure went out of style back in the 50's. Like those weird fat-juggling machines where you hook a strap around your lower back and the strap vibrates. Or this long bench where you lie down flat and it slowly tips back until you are all the way upside down. I don't know of any physical benefit to using this equipment, but the Koreans sure love it.
So aside from a few suprises, I give the overall gym experience a thumbs up. Honestly though, I was so excited to be able to work out properly for the first time since moving here, they probably could've shown me a room with a giant hamster-wheel and I would've been happy.
This isn't the end of my gym story, but I'll continue tomorrow. I met someone there the other day (a Korean personal trainer) but he really deserves his own post. And the award for Busan's Most Irritating Person.
To be continued...
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A Little Lesson in the Art of Drinking Soju
I'd been warned. By my pre-Korea research, by other blogs, by my coworkers: whatever you do, beware of soju.
Soju is an alcholic drink native to Korea. Most commonly made from rice, it can also be brewed using potato, wheat, barley or other form of starch. The alcohol content is around 20% and it looks and tastes like a slightly sweeter version of vodka. Sounds harmless enough, but soju has certain characteristics that make it dangerous.
Living area/kitchen view. It's pretty much a bachelorette pad, so when you first walk in there is a hallway, kitchen on the right and bathroom on the left. Look closely and you can see the washing machine right beneath the far counter in the kitchen. I was SO happy to discover I had a washing machine in my apartment. Laundry mats are the bain of my existence.
Yay for Korean TV! Luckily I have a selection of 3 different English channels to choose from each day, usually consisting of 2 different movies and 1 American TV show that seems to rotate between American Idol, Project Runway and Law & Order SVU.
The bathroom. We lucked out and got Western-style showers. Most showers in Korea are not enclosed; they consist of a shower head and drain in the middle of the bathroom, so you have to shower on top of the toilet and sink. My friend Brianna has a Korean shower and it drives her nuts. She can't store anything in her bathroom because it will just get wet.
Niki's view. She is on the 11th floor so she's still able to see a bit of ocean from here.
Soju is an alcholic drink native to Korea. Most commonly made from rice, it can also be brewed using potato, wheat, barley or other form of starch. The alcohol content is around 20% and it looks and tastes like a slightly sweeter version of vodka. Sounds harmless enough, but soju has certain characteristics that make it dangerous.
First of all, it's unregulated. Anyone can make and sell soju. Meaning once you purchase a bottle, you have no way of knowing whether or not the alcohol content on the label is accurate, or how your particular drink was made. Over the years this has resulted in the complete deterioration of the tradional brewing process, to the point where most bottles of Soju are now comprised of pure chemicals.
Second, soju is CHEAP. A 300mL bottle costs around $1 (CDN) so a night of solid Soju-drinking will only run you $5 to $10. At that rate you can afford to get into a world of trouble!
Lastly, soju is social drink. It's the bar-shot of choice for most Koreans, and to refuse a drink of soju is considered rude. The Koreans will pressure you to indulge, so if you're really not up for drinking it's best to flee the scene asap.
Needless to say, proper soju consumption is a skill - because that stuff goes down like lemonade, and once you realize how much its hit you, it's already too late. You have to ease yourself into it and slowly build up a tolerance during your time in Korea. You don't, for example, go upstairs to your friend's apartment before heading out on a Friday night, and allow her (a 2 year soju-drinking veteran) to mix your first several drinks.
Thankfully I was blessed with an iron liver, so I survived last night without any war wounds. I still had a good time and the event in Kyunsung turned out to be really cool, featuring some fantastic local artists with tonnes of tables displaying different types of art for sale. Plus, the music was awesome. And there's nothing I love more than great live music.
Anyway, I am going to stop there because I just got back from an all-day beach-a-thon, so I'm starving and need some dinner. Below I've posted a few apartment pictures that I stole from Niki's facebook page (our places are identical and I'm too lazy to take my own pics right now) but I wanted to give everyone an idea of what my home here looks like...
Anyway, I am going to stop there because I just got back from an all-day beach-a-thon, so I'm starving and need some dinner. Below I've posted a few apartment pictures that I stole from Niki's facebook page (our places are identical and I'm too lazy to take my own pics right now) but I wanted to give everyone an idea of what my home here looks like...
Living area/kitchen view. It's pretty much a bachelorette pad, so when you first walk in there is a hallway, kitchen on the right and bathroom on the left. Look closely and you can see the washing machine right beneath the far counter in the kitchen. I was SO happy to discover I had a washing machine in my apartment. Laundry mats are the bain of my existence.
Yay for Korean TV! Luckily I have a selection of 3 different English channels to choose from each day, usually consisting of 2 different movies and 1 American TV show that seems to rotate between American Idol, Project Runway and Law & Order SVU.
The bathroom. We lucked out and got Western-style showers. Most showers in Korea are not enclosed; they consist of a shower head and drain in the middle of the bathroom, so you have to shower on top of the toilet and sink. My friend Brianna has a Korean shower and it drives her nuts. She can't store anything in her bathroom because it will just get wet.
Niki's view. She is on the 11th floor so she's still able to see a bit of ocean from here.
Friday, September 17, 2010
TGIF
LONG WEEK!
My school has next week off for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) so the last few days have been crazy for us teachers: weekly plans, monthly plans, student evaluations, etc. etc. We've been cramming to get it done. Needless to say, I am SO EXCITED it's Friday night (for me, not you guys - sorry).
I'm just running out the door to get to a live art/music event that a bunch of foreign teachers organized in Kyunsung (not far from Haeundae) tonight, so I only have time for a mini-post now, but I'll be sure to fill you in later! And just an update: I have some great material coming up...I think you will all enjoy hearing about my first Korean gym experience.
That said: Happy Friday Canada! Have a good one. I will leave you with one parting image below to ponder for the day (sorry Mum, you are going to hate me for showing this to you, but I couldn't resist. It's been haunting me for days). I took this picture at a random back-alley market last week...
All I know is: they were moving, they were for sale, and I'm pretty sure they were being marketed as something edible.
How do you say 'gross' in Korean?
My school has next week off for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) so the last few days have been crazy for us teachers: weekly plans, monthly plans, student evaluations, etc. etc. We've been cramming to get it done. Needless to say, I am SO EXCITED it's Friday night (for me, not you guys - sorry).
I'm just running out the door to get to a live art/music event that a bunch of foreign teachers organized in Kyunsung (not far from Haeundae) tonight, so I only have time for a mini-post now, but I'll be sure to fill you in later! And just an update: I have some great material coming up...I think you will all enjoy hearing about my first Korean gym experience.
That said: Happy Friday Canada! Have a good one. I will leave you with one parting image below to ponder for the day (sorry Mum, you are going to hate me for showing this to you, but I couldn't resist. It's been haunting me for days). I took this picture at a random back-alley market last week...
All I know is: they were moving, they were for sale, and I'm pretty sure they were being marketed as something edible.
How do you say 'gross' in Korean?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Life is Like a Bag of Snack Mix...
You know the feeling when you're desperately craving that 'certain something' from your favourite take-out restaurant, that by the time it's your turn to order you can practically taste it melting in your mouth? And the sheer devestation of finding out (already halfway home) that they got your order wrong, but it's too late go back, so you're forced to suck it up and eat whatever the heck is in the bag...
A slightly altered version of this happened to me last night. I hardly ever crave salty food, but for the life of me I just really wanted to eat some good old fashioned snack mix...the kind with those oddly shaped crunchy things that are some kind of weird pretzel/potato chip/rice cake love-child. I had to pick up some laundry detergent and few other things at e-Mart (a great grocery store by my apartment) so I decided to add my snack mix to the list, though I was sure I wouldn't be able to find it here.
Look closely, my friends. That's right. Those bite-sized silver things mixed in with the rest of my wonderfully delicious snack mix are FISH. Nasty little dead, dried & salted FISH. And you can CLEARLY see that nowhere on the label is there a picture of a nasty little fish mixed in with the rest of the crunchy goodness. What the heck!
False advertising is not a laughing matter.
A slightly altered version of this happened to me last night. I hardly ever crave salty food, but for the life of me I just really wanted to eat some good old fashioned snack mix...the kind with those oddly shaped crunchy things that are some kind of weird pretzel/potato chip/rice cake love-child. I had to pick up some laundry detergent and few other things at e-Mart (a great grocery store by my apartment) so I decided to add my snack mix to the list, though I was sure I wouldn't be able to find it here.
After scouring the aisles of e-Mart, you can imagine my delight when I finally picked up a package with a picture depicting the EXACT snack mix that I was craving! Of course the entire label was written in Korean, but the image on the front of the bag told me everything I needed to know.
By the time I got home I was so excited - my craving would be fulfilled after all! I turned on my tv and popped open the bag and smelled...Huh?! That doesn't smell like my snack mix. I peered inside the bag: looks normal. So why does it smell so gross?!
I walked over to the kitchen and dumped the contents on the counter - something was definitely amiss, and I was determined to get to the bottom of this. Unfortunately, this is what I found...
Look closely, my friends. That's right. Those bite-sized silver things mixed in with the rest of my wonderfully delicious snack mix are FISH. Nasty little dead, dried & salted FISH. And you can CLEARLY see that nowhere on the label is there a picture of a nasty little fish mixed in with the rest of the crunchy goodness. What the heck!
False advertising is not a laughing matter.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
"Blaire teacher! You are not Korean."
One of my kids said this to me during class today, as if she noticed it for the very first time. We were in the middle of a spelling exercise when she stopped, put down her pencil, and looked up from her page to notify me that: I am in fact, not Korean.
I just started laughing and agreed with her.
It was so great - one of those pure 'kid moments' when they suddenly realize something, and that tiny lightbulb goes on in their head like: Aha!
Generally speaking, my kids are hilarious. Every night I come home with a million funny stories - just the other day one of the teachers walked in on a class full of kids playing 'bum drums' on Henry's bare bottom (she told him to pull up his pants and tried to convince herself that didn't just happen). No doubt, the Centum School is a really entertaining place to work.
Don't get me wrong, these kids also suck the life force right out of you, through your eyes. Teaching elementary all day long is exhausting, but it's those funny little 'you-had-to-be-there' moments that keep you smiling.
I just started laughing and agreed with her.
It was so great - one of those pure 'kid moments' when they suddenly realize something, and that tiny lightbulb goes on in their head like: Aha!
Generally speaking, my kids are hilarious. Every night I come home with a million funny stories - just the other day one of the teachers walked in on a class full of kids playing 'bum drums' on Henry's bare bottom (she told him to pull up his pants and tried to convince herself that didn't just happen). No doubt, the Centum School is a really entertaining place to work.
Don't get me wrong, these kids also suck the life force right out of you, through your eyes. Teaching elementary all day long is exhausting, but it's those funny little 'you-had-to-be-there' moments that keep you smiling.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Pictures!
Here are some pictures from my day visiting Brianna in Namcheon last week. Enjoy!
Namcheon Beach. This area is about a 10 minute walk from Brianna's apartment. Notice the obvious lack of Korean people present, despite the fact that it was 30 degrees and humid that day. I bet the man in this picture would be very excited to learn that he is now famous via my blog.
Namcheon Beach. This area is about a 10 minute walk from Brianna's apartment. Notice the obvious lack of Korean people present, despite the fact that it was 30 degrees and humid that day. I bet the man in this picture would be very excited to learn that he is now famous via my blog.
This guy was awesome! He kept zipping along the water on this strange toy that looked like some type of sea-doo/surf board hybrid. We were totally jealous of how much fun he was having. I shall go back and befriend him, if only to take a turn on the water scooter.
Each time he whipped by he would pose in a different position: standing tall with one leg in the air, lying on his back with his arms behind his head, sitting cross-legged and waving...what a charmer.
Beer and liquor here are available at every convenience and grocery store, 24 hours a day - nothing like Canada! Brianna was particulary impressed that she could still get her MGD on, Korea style.
HITE! South Korea's domestic beer of choice. These massive 1.5 litre pitchers of Hite cost about $3 (CDN) a pop. Booze here is so dirt cheap, it's no wonder I'm forced to navigate through so many rosy-cheeked Korean men who stumble home each night.
One thing I adore about the Koreans is how extremely literal they are. Packages at the grocery store read things like "Very spicey but a little bit sweet" or "Delicious! You will want to eat the whole thing". So it's really no shocker to see a giant clay crab hanging outside a restaurant that serves - you guessed it - crab!
This is THE ferris wheel we spotted from a mile or so away while still at Namcheon Beach. Such a great find! We ditched our plans to go to a comedy club that night so that we could catch a ride.
Finding the ferris wheel entrance was an event all it's own. We (and by "we" I mean "I") were convinced that climbing straight up this mountain trail would lead us to the right spot...
It didn't.
But in the end - success! Our view of Busan Bridge from the top of the wheel was well worth the trek.
Each time he whipped by he would pose in a different position: standing tall with one leg in the air, lying on his back with his arms behind his head, sitting cross-legged and waving...what a charmer.
Beer and liquor here are available at every convenience and grocery store, 24 hours a day - nothing like Canada! Brianna was particulary impressed that she could still get her MGD on, Korea style.
HITE! South Korea's domestic beer of choice. These massive 1.5 litre pitchers of Hite cost about $3 (CDN) a pop. Booze here is so dirt cheap, it's no wonder I'm forced to navigate through so many rosy-cheeked Korean men who stumble home each night.
One thing I adore about the Koreans is how extremely literal they are. Packages at the grocery store read things like "Very spicey but a little bit sweet" or "Delicious! You will want to eat the whole thing". So it's really no shocker to see a giant clay crab hanging outside a restaurant that serves - you guessed it - crab!
This is THE ferris wheel we spotted from a mile or so away while still at Namcheon Beach. Such a great find! We ditched our plans to go to a comedy club that night so that we could catch a ride.
Finding the ferris wheel entrance was an event all it's own. We (and by "we" I mean "I") were convinced that climbing straight up this mountain trail would lead us to the right spot...
It didn't.
But in the end - success! Our view of Busan Bridge from the top of the wheel was well worth the trek.
Monday, September 13, 2010
C'mon Baby, Mama Needs a New Set of Chopsticks!
Foreigners here love to gamble, and believe me, we’re heavily encouraged (bribed?) to do so. When a foreigner walks into a Korean casino, they’re immediately given a $10 chip as ‘starter money’ as well as a ten dollar voucher to bet specifically on roulette. Essentially they pay you to go in there, and bank on the fact that at some point you’ll succumb to temptation and dip into your own pocket.
In addition to the ‘free money’, casinos also allow foreigners to eat and drink for free. Unlimited quantity, every night. I’ve heard that some foreign teachers literally go to the casino every night just for a free dinner – they pick up their $10 chip, eat some food, and cash in their chip once they’re ready to leave. Personally, I think that level of stinginess is a bit much... but, to each her own.
The girls at my work aren’t quite that bad. They go in a few nights a week, and always gamble the $10 chip they’re provided. They’re usually able to make $40 - $200 a week, and joke that gambling has become their part-time job. They don’t feel guilty about all that time spent in the casino because apparently they’ve worked out a ‘fool-proof system’: enter the casino, bet your free chip, and under NO CIRCUMSTANCES gamble with your own money. If you lose that first chip, your night’s over. Easy enough, right?
Well, not quite.
Apparently one of their friends went in this weekend, got extremely drunk, and lost almost $1,500. Ouch. Today he went back and requested to have himself blacklisted so that he's never allowed back inside. Ohhh...so there’s actually a method to that open-bar policy madness? You sneaky Korean casino owners! You foiled us again!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Koreans don’t jaywalk.
It was one of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Busan. It could be the dead of night, zero cars within a 5 mile radius, and that lone, little old man standing eagerly on the edge of the curb will wait as long as he needs to for that darn light to change colour.
Accustomed to downtown Toronto living, I thought this whole no-jaywalking thing was incredibly unusual behaviour, particularly for a culture that prides itself on efficiency. In Toronto you cross the street when and where you need to, we are all so busy and important - those precious moments waiting on a curb can put a serious dent in your transit time! And besides, don’t crosswalks exist only to humour concerned city planners and confused tourists?
I stayed true to these beliefs for my first 12 hours in Busan. Just enough time to notice Korean driving.
I’ve travelled to many countries before with questionable, some might even say ‘crazy’, driving practices (i.e. New York City, Nassau, Madrid, etc.) but nothing measures up to Korea. Watching the traffic from my apartment window 16 stories high, reminds me of a scene from Super Mario Karts (if you aren’t familiar, click this link for reference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJGay0Kq_RE. Incidentally, this is also the soundtrack playing in my head while I watch). The tiny cars below zip along well-lit streets, swerving in and out of lanes, making flagrantly illegal turns, and completely ignoring red (and sometimes green) lights. Just the other day, I watched a Korean man sit through an entire green light, staring straight ahead, off in a daydream. By the time he realized he could go, the light was red again. I did my best to hide the fact that I was laughing at him while I crossed the street.
In short, Korean pedestrians might be onto something after all. Luckily I won’t have to spend any time driving during my stay in Busan, but I’ll be sure to look both ways and always make use of crosswalks. However I’m not quite sure what to do about the daily whiplash I receive taking the bus to work each morning...
Friday, September 10, 2010
On the Boardwalk
Here are some photos that Brianna and I took last Saturday night while walking along the boardwalk at Haeundae beach. The Paradise Hotel is right on the water; it was so misty that night, I thought this would make a cool picture...
This little Korean woman kept following us around, wanting to kiss us and take pictures. It was funny for the first half hour.
Brianna, Little Korean Lady, me. LKL insisted we take a picture sitting on the ground with her and her dog.
Clearly, LKL's on cloud 9.
My View at Night
The view from my apartment at night. The point where the lights stop, is where the ocean starts.
Sexy Cookie Lingerie (accidental video #2)
Sexy Cookie Lingerie, located in Haeundae. I just thought this was a funny name for a lingerie store, but typical Korean.
Korean Menus (accidental video #1)
When Brianna and I were first trying to figure out my camera, we wanted to take still pictures, but we ended up taking some shaky, 10 second videos instead.
This is us walking around Haeundae last week. Many Korean restaurants don't have paper menus, only life-sized plastic replicas of the meals served inside. Personally, I think this is genius - you always know what you're getting!
Half way through the video when I hand Brianna the camera to take my picture, you might notice a few Koreans walking by, looking at us like we're nuts. They're probably wondering why it would seem exciting to take a picture of a menu. If I were them, I'd wonder the same thing.
So I Look Like a Spongey Mannequin
There's a fairly large strip mall a few blocks from my house, affectionately called 'Spongey' by the foreigners in the area, because that's about as close as they've come to deciphering the mall's correct Korean name. Spongey is comprised of a 50-50 mixture of Korean and North American stores and food chains... you can find anything from Pizza Hut, to Zara, to a Korean dollar store inside. I stopped off on my way home from work today, due to a rumour I heard that Spongey offered free Wi-Fi...
Spongey is busy most hours of the day, so by the time I arrived around 7pm it was still buzzing. I managed to find a quiet bench at the far end of the mall, located on the second floor. I pulled out my netbook and started fiddling with it, but I must have been focusing pretty intensely because I barely noticed a group of teenaged Korean girls walking toward me. They were directly in front of me when I finally glanced up.
At that point one of the girls looked back at me and started screaming blue murder.
The screaming girl yanked her friend's arms, twirling her around so they both faced my bench. Then her friend started screaming too. I tell you, I've never been so freaked out in my life. I thought maybe some guy was standing behind me with a gun, or a deadly spider was crawling up my arm... I didn't know what to do - the girls only spoke Korean.
After about 20 seconds of chaos (and several near heart attacks) - those damn girls started laughing! They began babbling to me in Korean, worsening my confusion... my heart was racing so fast and all I could think was, "What the hell just happened?".
Thank God for the nearby English-speaking Korean man who witnessed the scene, or I would still be confused and writing Spongey off as some sort of nut-house. As the girls walked away (stll laughing hysterically) the Korean man approached me with an oh-so amused expression and explained, "They were scared because you moved. They thought you were a mannequin".
Geez, Louise.
Spongey is busy most hours of the day, so by the time I arrived around 7pm it was still buzzing. I managed to find a quiet bench at the far end of the mall, located on the second floor. I pulled out my netbook and started fiddling with it, but I must have been focusing pretty intensely because I barely noticed a group of teenaged Korean girls walking toward me. They were directly in front of me when I finally glanced up.
At that point one of the girls looked back at me and started screaming blue murder.
The screaming girl yanked her friend's arms, twirling her around so they both faced my bench. Then her friend started screaming too. I tell you, I've never been so freaked out in my life. I thought maybe some guy was standing behind me with a gun, or a deadly spider was crawling up my arm... I didn't know what to do - the girls only spoke Korean.
After about 20 seconds of chaos (and several near heart attacks) - those damn girls started laughing! They began babbling to me in Korean, worsening my confusion... my heart was racing so fast and all I could think was, "What the hell just happened?".
Thank God for the nearby English-speaking Korean man who witnessed the scene, or I would still be confused and writing Spongey off as some sort of nut-house. As the girls walked away (stll laughing hysterically) the Korean man approached me with an oh-so amused expression and explained, "They were scared because you moved. They thought you were a mannequin".
Geez, Louise.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Home Sweet Home
I woke up this morning and the first thing I saw was edge of my window sill. But the second thing? Oh my, the second thing I saw was the ocean.
I succesfully moved ‘home’ last night. My bags were picked up at my hotel yesterday morning and delivered to my new place. When I got here, a cell phone, tv, metro pass, coffee maker and an alarm clock were waiting for me. Along with a furnished bed, kitchen and bathroom, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, paper towel, washing machine...and the list goes on. It’s safe to say that last night was the easiest move of my life. Considering that I’ve moved a total of 16 times over the past 8 years, that says a lot!
The only minor glitch was (unfortunately) my internet connection. I wanted so badly to publish a post last night – but the internet in my apartment is not ready! Right now I’m writing to you from my friend Niki’s apartment on the 11th floor of my building (my apartment is on the 16th). Niki is an absolutely hilarious 4-foot-nothing firecracker of an American who teaches at my school, and she’s one of my favourite people I’ve met so far. She is the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back in an instant if you needed it, no questions asked. As soon as I mentioned my internet issues, she was adamant that I knock on her door to use her wireless ANY time over the next few days while I’m waiting for the internet company to come fix my connection (my appointment is Saturday morning - can't wait).
More importantly however, Niki taught me how to yell “knock it off!” in Korean.
All of the teachers at my school have spent so much time with me over the last week, taking me around Haeundae, showing me where to shop, where to eat, how to take the bus, what I need and don’t need to buy, always inviting me to join their group of friends whether it’s just to grab a coffee, or to see a great live band that’s playing in the city this weekend. I get the impression that the general MO of foreigners living in Busan is “friends until proven otherwise”.
I met a few more foreign teachers last night at Niki’s place. One guy I met actually graduated from kinesiology at Western the same year as me. In it’s own way, Busan can be SUCH a small world. I’m already running into people I know on the streets - and it’s only been a week! This city really does welcome you with open arms.
Today was another beautiful day outside, typhoon-free! I’ve managed to inherit about 5 different umbrellas that the old teacher, Kady, left in a closet of my new place - so at least I know I’m covered in that regard.
I have so much more to write about, but I am going to publish this post now because I have to go, and I feel terrible that I couldn’t get online to say ‘Hi!’ last night. I like my posts to be ready for morning time back home... I’m really hoping to get another post in tonight before bed (and get my darn pictures loaded already!) but Niki is talking my ear off right now, so no promises... she just finished telling me how busy she has been with everything lately: taekwondo, working out at the gym, private tutoring...etc. After a long pause, in her distinctly dismissive Niki-esque tone, she added "...and then there's Austin," (another foreign teacher in Busan who she is dating) "...and he takes up AT LEAST a few hours a week".
I requested that next time, she warn me when she is about to say something hilarious like that, I'd really rather not spit out my drink all over my brand new netbook.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Giants
Today in school, I learned about the Lotte Giants.
As you may already know, baseball is HUGE in Korea. They go crazy for it. My kids had never heard of hockey, but when it comes to baseball, they're a wealth of knowledge.
The Lotte Giants are Busan's #1 baseball team. The games are broadcast all over TV, players' pictures can be found on boxes of ramen noodles, and nothing gets my kids talking faster than the mention of Kang Min-Ho, the Giants' star player. I've been told by the American teachers at my school to (if nothing else) get to a Giants game before I leave Korea.
Apparently Giants games are crazy. The fans are loud, the stadium is always sold out, and you can bring your own food and liquor along to the game. But the most amazing part? Seats a few rows back from home plate cost less than $10 Canadian. LESS THAN TEN DOLLARS!!! Hmmm it's as if the Rogers Centre has been ripping us off all these years...
I am beyond excited to get to my first Giants game, I can tell that this is going to be a year-long love affair. I've had my heart broken by the Jays one too many times, and I'm jumping ship.
So just to recap, we've got: spicy food, an ocean view apartment, AND baseball?
Busan, you're my imagination come to life.
As you may already know, baseball is HUGE in Korea. They go crazy for it. My kids had never heard of hockey, but when it comes to baseball, they're a wealth of knowledge.
The Lotte Giants are Busan's #1 baseball team. The games are broadcast all over TV, players' pictures can be found on boxes of ramen noodles, and nothing gets my kids talking faster than the mention of Kang Min-Ho, the Giants' star player. I've been told by the American teachers at my school to (if nothing else) get to a Giants game before I leave Korea.
Apparently Giants games are crazy. The fans are loud, the stadium is always sold out, and you can bring your own food and liquor along to the game. But the most amazing part? Seats a few rows back from home plate cost less than $10 Canadian. LESS THAN TEN DOLLARS!!! Hmmm it's as if the Rogers Centre has been ripping us off all these years...
I am beyond excited to get to my first Giants game, I can tell that this is going to be a year-long love affair. I've had my heart broken by the Jays one too many times, and I'm jumping ship.
So just to recap, we've got: spicy food, an ocean view apartment, AND baseball?
Busan, you're my imagination come to life.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Everyone Loves a Typhoon
I just flashed about half of Centum City on the walk home from school today. But it's really dark out right now so I'm hoping no one got a clear cell phone video. I suppose this sort of thing is bound to happen when wearing loose fitting clothing during a typhoon.
I'm sort of loving the weather in Korea. It's so wonderfully unpredictable, each day this week has brought something different. One morning I'll wake up to nothing but sunshine and clear skies; the next, there is (literally) a typhoon taking place outside my window. The only constant thing about the weather seems to be the extreme humidity. Most women living here opt to wear skirts or dresses every day; pants are incredibly uncomfortable, sticking to you and whatnot. The only problem is that keeping a skirt in place while simultaneously holding an umbrella and fighting crazy windstorms is not an easy feat, hence my accidental flashing.
Today was fantastic, I taught by myself for the first time. It's really great knowing that I am now responsible for my very own classes. Generally speaking, the foreign teachers at my school are encouraged to be creative with our lesson plans; I already know that kind of freedom is going to make teaching so much more enjoyable. We do have a set curriculum to follow and some requirements to meet, but for the most part the school gives us a lot of wiggle room.
As a whole, the kids are very curious about their new "miss Blaire teacher" and where I come from. The other teachers at the school are American, so I'm feeling like a bit of a novelty item. It's so fun to be able to share information about where I come from, because the kids are genuinely interested to learn about me, and to help me learn about them as well.
Today they were teaching me about the Korean holiday for Thanksgiving, called Chuseok, coming up at the end of September (apparently I get an entire week off work for this holiday - that's in addition to my contracted vacation time!). The kids were intrigued to learn that Canada has a Thanksgiving holiday of it's own - who'd have thought! Come to think of it, the American teachers seemed pretty surprised too; one of them actually asked me if Canada had a holiday like Thanksgiving, and what it was called.
...no judgement, I swear.
I'm sort of loving the weather in Korea. It's so wonderfully unpredictable, each day this week has brought something different. One morning I'll wake up to nothing but sunshine and clear skies; the next, there is (literally) a typhoon taking place outside my window. The only constant thing about the weather seems to be the extreme humidity. Most women living here opt to wear skirts or dresses every day; pants are incredibly uncomfortable, sticking to you and whatnot. The only problem is that keeping a skirt in place while simultaneously holding an umbrella and fighting crazy windstorms is not an easy feat, hence my accidental flashing.
Today was fantastic, I taught by myself for the first time. It's really great knowing that I am now responsible for my very own classes. Generally speaking, the foreign teachers at my school are encouraged to be creative with our lesson plans; I already know that kind of freedom is going to make teaching so much more enjoyable. We do have a set curriculum to follow and some requirements to meet, but for the most part the school gives us a lot of wiggle room.
As a whole, the kids are very curious about their new "miss Blaire teacher" and where I come from. The other teachers at the school are American, so I'm feeling like a bit of a novelty item. It's so fun to be able to share information about where I come from, because the kids are genuinely interested to learn about me, and to help me learn about them as well.
Today they were teaching me about the Korean holiday for Thanksgiving, called Chuseok, coming up at the end of September (apparently I get an entire week off work for this holiday - that's in addition to my contracted vacation time!). The kids were intrigued to learn that Canada has a Thanksgiving holiday of it's own - who'd have thought! Come to think of it, the American teachers seemed pretty surprised too; one of them actually asked me if Canada had a holiday like Thanksgiving, and what it was called.
...no judgement, I swear.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Namcheon
I spent the day hanging out in Namcheon with Brianna (my plane-ride buddy). Like Haeundae, Namcheon is also located on the coast line, about 5 subway stops from my hotel in Centum City. Today was my first time taking the Korean subway - and I was legitimately surprised that I didn't get lost. Most of the maps and instructions at the metro stations are written in Korean, but if you pay attention there are strategically placed English words on many of the signs. I may have had a bit of help from a nice Korean boy who saw me looking confused, but after he pointed me to the right subway entrance, I totally did the rest on my own.
Except for the part where security had to escort me out of the building at Namcheon station.
Apparently if you don't retrieve your subway ticket from the other side of the carousel when you enter the subway, you're essentially locked inside the station once you get wherever you're going. Which is what happened. So...I was a little late meeting Brianna, but anyway...
Namcheon is really cool. It's a lot different than Haeundae, much more Korean, and fewer foreigners kickin around. Last night I showed Brianna around Haeundae, so today she repaid the favour and took me around Namcheon. I got to see her apartment, and it made me love my place even more. She lives on the fourth floor of a low-rise in the middle of Namcheon. Her place is decent at first glance, but apparently a friend of hers in the building witnessed a cockroach climb up the shower drain (while she was taking a shower) and scuttle around on the bathroom floor the other day. I would have died.
We spent most of the day swimming and lying around at Namcheon beach. This section of the beach is great. If you google Busan, most pictures that pop up are taken from the perspective of Namcheon, because it gives the best view of Busan Bridge (the massive suspension bridge that gets all lit up at night). As I mentioned before, the beach is pretty empty this time of year, despite the amazing weather. A few Koreans were lounging today, but not many.
We were supposed to go to a comedy club tonight, but we nixed those plans to wander around instead. We saw a massive ferris wheel off in the distance, and deciced to make our way over to ride it. For the life of us we couldn't figure out where the entrance to the ferris wheel actually was, so we ended up literally climbing a nearby mountain, convinced that it would take us to the entrance way. It didn't.
On our way home we ducked into a local restaurant for some pho. The key to living cheap in Korea is living like a Korean. I get the impression that many Westerners get here and continue to eat and shop as if they're still in Canada or the States. They seek out American restaurants or brands, and pay a premium for it. It is SO much cheaper to 'buy Korean'. An amazing meal at a Korean place costs around $4, whereas a random burger or salad from a Western-style restaurant will run you around $16. Or...may favourite example...a Snickers bar here is $1.10, but it's Korean equivalent is only $0.45 (and Dad - you can get a pitcher of beer here for about $3. I took a picture of this just for you).
Long day, so I'm off to bed now, but I'll have pictures posted either Wednesday or Thursday this week once I move into may place! No more hotel room living - woot woot!
Except for the part where security had to escort me out of the building at Namcheon station.
Apparently if you don't retrieve your subway ticket from the other side of the carousel when you enter the subway, you're essentially locked inside the station once you get wherever you're going. Which is what happened. So...I was a little late meeting Brianna, but anyway...
Namcheon is really cool. It's a lot different than Haeundae, much more Korean, and fewer foreigners kickin around. Last night I showed Brianna around Haeundae, so today she repaid the favour and took me around Namcheon. I got to see her apartment, and it made me love my place even more. She lives on the fourth floor of a low-rise in the middle of Namcheon. Her place is decent at first glance, but apparently a friend of hers in the building witnessed a cockroach climb up the shower drain (while she was taking a shower) and scuttle around on the bathroom floor the other day. I would have died.
We spent most of the day swimming and lying around at Namcheon beach. This section of the beach is great. If you google Busan, most pictures that pop up are taken from the perspective of Namcheon, because it gives the best view of Busan Bridge (the massive suspension bridge that gets all lit up at night). As I mentioned before, the beach is pretty empty this time of year, despite the amazing weather. A few Koreans were lounging today, but not many.
We were supposed to go to a comedy club tonight, but we nixed those plans to wander around instead. We saw a massive ferris wheel off in the distance, and deciced to make our way over to ride it. For the life of us we couldn't figure out where the entrance to the ferris wheel actually was, so we ended up literally climbing a nearby mountain, convinced that it would take us to the entrance way. It didn't.
On our way home we ducked into a local restaurant for some pho. The key to living cheap in Korea is living like a Korean. I get the impression that many Westerners get here and continue to eat and shop as if they're still in Canada or the States. They seek out American restaurants or brands, and pay a premium for it. It is SO much cheaper to 'buy Korean'. An amazing meal at a Korean place costs around $4, whereas a random burger or salad from a Western-style restaurant will run you around $16. Or...may favourite example...a Snickers bar here is $1.10, but it's Korean equivalent is only $0.45 (and Dad - you can get a pitcher of beer here for about $3. I took a picture of this just for you).
Long day, so I'm off to bed now, but I'll have pictures posted either Wednesday or Thursday this week once I move into may place! No more hotel room living - woot woot!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Home Plus!
Home Plus. What can I possibly say about Home Plus? How can I describe the complete perfection, grandeur, complex convenience that is Home Plus? Oh Home Plus, how I love you so.
Home Plus is Korea's version of Target. It's big. It's epic. It's one-stop shopping to the max. One of the teachers from my school took me there a few days ago, to point out where I could pick up a few essentials while I'm waiting to move into my place. When I arrived all I could think was, "my life just got about 5 billion times easier".
I'd been told by my kids at school that the best time to visit Home Plus is on a Saturday morning - that's when all the free food comes out, Costco style! So this morning I woke up around 8am and did the 15 minute walk or so to HP (I should mention that when walking anywhere in Busan this time of year, you'd better be prepared to sweat. I wake up each morning and for a few seconds I'm seriously convinced that I've been sleeping at the exotic frog & snake building at the Toronto Zoo because of the humidity...it's gross, but it makes your skin look like something out of a Calvin Klein ad).
When I got to HP at 8:30am it was already bumpin. People everywhere, grabbing sale items, ordering fresh fish, taste testing, etc. Employees are peppered throughout the store, standing on mini stools with microphones, enticing people to come over to try & buy the particular food they're selling. I did my best to avoid walking directly in front of any stands for fear that they'd start talking to me in Korean, as they did to everyone else who walked by, but it was inevitable. I ended up walking directly in front of two guys selling some sort of weird fish, and they started saying stuff to me. So I turned to them and shrugged my shoulders as if to say "Sorry - I don't speak Korean!". They proceeded to laugh at me in front of everyone as I finished walking by. Everyone nearby looked over at me, and I couldn't help but laugh too...it was so ridiculous and embarassing. I kept thinking "Guys, of all the people in this story WHY are you talking to the one person who is least likely to understand whatever the heck it is you have over there? And if you're NOT trying to sell to me, I really don't want to know what you're saying".
The rest of my trip to Home Plus was very successful. I'm all stocked up on convenience foods to stash in my mini hotel fridge...a bit of spicy Kimchi that a fantastic Korean woman helped me pick out (using her mime skills) some sushi, vegetable juice, fruit. Mmm I am so happy that Home Plus is helping me eat healthy again! The last few days have been a little questionable...
Home Plus is Korea's version of Target. It's big. It's epic. It's one-stop shopping to the max. One of the teachers from my school took me there a few days ago, to point out where I could pick up a few essentials while I'm waiting to move into my place. When I arrived all I could think was, "my life just got about 5 billion times easier".
I'd been told by my kids at school that the best time to visit Home Plus is on a Saturday morning - that's when all the free food comes out, Costco style! So this morning I woke up around 8am and did the 15 minute walk or so to HP (I should mention that when walking anywhere in Busan this time of year, you'd better be prepared to sweat. I wake up each morning and for a few seconds I'm seriously convinced that I've been sleeping at the exotic frog & snake building at the Toronto Zoo because of the humidity...it's gross, but it makes your skin look like something out of a Calvin Klein ad).
When I got to HP at 8:30am it was already bumpin. People everywhere, grabbing sale items, ordering fresh fish, taste testing, etc. Employees are peppered throughout the store, standing on mini stools with microphones, enticing people to come over to try & buy the particular food they're selling. I did my best to avoid walking directly in front of any stands for fear that they'd start talking to me in Korean, as they did to everyone else who walked by, but it was inevitable. I ended up walking directly in front of two guys selling some sort of weird fish, and they started saying stuff to me. So I turned to them and shrugged my shoulders as if to say "Sorry - I don't speak Korean!". They proceeded to laugh at me in front of everyone as I finished walking by. Everyone nearby looked over at me, and I couldn't help but laugh too...it was so ridiculous and embarassing. I kept thinking "Guys, of all the people in this story WHY are you talking to the one person who is least likely to understand whatever the heck it is you have over there? And if you're NOT trying to sell to me, I really don't want to know what you're saying".
The rest of my trip to Home Plus was very successful. I'm all stocked up on convenience foods to stash in my mini hotel fridge...a bit of spicy Kimchi that a fantastic Korean woman helped me pick out (using her mime skills) some sushi, vegetable juice, fruit. Mmm I am so happy that Home Plus is helping me eat healthy again! The last few days have been a little questionable...
Friday, September 3, 2010
Long Live the Hula Hoop Rule
After school today I took my first trip to Haeundae, the area of Busan where I'll be living once I'm able to move into my apartment next Wednesday. My hotel right now is located in Jaesong-dong, Centum City, about a 10 minute walk from my school. By comparison, Haeundae is about 12 minutes away by bus.
How I ever ended up in Haeundae is a mystery to me. A friend of mine who already spent a year in Korea recommended the area, because apparently "Haeundae is hands down, the best place to live in Busan". It's by far the most popular region for foreigners to visit, so teaching jobs in or around Haeundae are extremely competitive. When I first requested the area to my recruiter, her reply was basically "don't hold your breath". But somehow, here I am.
Haeundae is a very popular tourist destination, people from all over Asia and Australia frequently travel to vacation on the gorgeous beaches. It gets absolutely rammed in the summertime, tens of thousands of people can be found lounging around under their umbrellas on a single day; Haeundae actually holds the Guiness World Record for 'most parosols found on a single beach'. Yes... 'personal space' isn't a popular concept here in Korea.
Despite all that, perhaps the most hilarious part about Haeundae beach is the fact that last week, official Korean 'Beach Season' ended, and the foreign teachers living in the area have never been happier. Despite the fact that it's been sunny and 30 degrees every day this week, the Koreans will no longer be seen at Haeundae beach this year because....well, 'Beach Season' is officially over - the calendar says so! This is one facet of Korean culture that perplexes me. So much of Korean life is based around strict schedules and set patterns, that something like the WEATHER doesn't really factor into anyone's decision to enjoy a day of sun at beautiful Haeundae. The clock rules all. And so, tomorrow, the foreigners reclaim the turf...they're free to beachball, booze, and sunburn it up all they want - without a half million Korean umbrellas getting in the way.
How I ever ended up in Haeundae is a mystery to me. A friend of mine who already spent a year in Korea recommended the area, because apparently "Haeundae is hands down, the best place to live in Busan". It's by far the most popular region for foreigners to visit, so teaching jobs in or around Haeundae are extremely competitive. When I first requested the area to my recruiter, her reply was basically "don't hold your breath". But somehow, here I am.
Haeundae is a very popular tourist destination, people from all over Asia and Australia frequently travel to vacation on the gorgeous beaches. It gets absolutely rammed in the summertime, tens of thousands of people can be found lounging around under their umbrellas on a single day; Haeundae actually holds the Guiness World Record for 'most parosols found on a single beach'. Yes... 'personal space' isn't a popular concept here in Korea.
Despite all that, perhaps the most hilarious part about Haeundae beach is the fact that last week, official Korean 'Beach Season' ended, and the foreign teachers living in the area have never been happier. Despite the fact that it's been sunny and 30 degrees every day this week, the Koreans will no longer be seen at Haeundae beach this year because....well, 'Beach Season' is officially over - the calendar says so! This is one facet of Korean culture that perplexes me. So much of Korean life is based around strict schedules and set patterns, that something like the WEATHER doesn't really factor into anyone's decision to enjoy a day of sun at beautiful Haeundae. The clock rules all. And so, tomorrow, the foreigners reclaim the turf...they're free to beachball, booze, and sunburn it up all they want - without a half million Korean umbrellas getting in the way.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Oh, Henry
Picture an even more adorable Korean version of that ridiculously cute kid with the oversized head from Jerry Maguire. That's Henry.
Today was my first day at school, and Henry was the first student I met. He waddled up to me in the teacher's lounge before class this morning, wearing a napsack nearly twice his size, and a grin that was even bigger, and proceeded to stare at me for 10 minutes straight. I tried to talk to him but he just stared right on back, mouth wide open. The other teachers say he's in love, but we just met so I think it's really too soon to tell.
I'm convinced that Korean kids are the cutest on the planet. My little ones range in age from about 5 to 9 years old; originally I was supposed to be teaching 6 to 10/11 year olds, but one of many surprises I've learned so far is that Koreans actually count the year spent in the womb as part of their actual age. So the Western teachers coming over end up with classes a bit younger than expected.
I'm teaching various 30 minute classes throughout the day, with several breaks in between, so the other foreign teachers say that the days go fairly quickly. The classes are divided by skill level, and each class at my school is named according to a major Western city like Chicago, London, Toronto, etc. My classes are mainly New York and Atlanta. Regardless of their skill level, these kids speak English as well, or better than, kids of the same age group in North America - it's crazy. The kids are not permitted to speak Korean in school, to the point where there are big signs on the walls saying NO KOREAN to enforce English-only habits. But that didn't stop this one little guy, Tristen, from yanking me on the shoulder every 5 minutes to whisper in my ear something like "Shhhhh....but the Korean word for dinosaur is..."
The foreign teachers have lunch provided to them every day if they'd rather not go out and spend the money. It's always traditional Korean food, and from what Kady (the American girl whose place I'm taking at the school) told me, it's a gamble as to whether or not the food will be good each day. Today we had rice, kimchi (I love love love kimchi. Such a relief - it's a staple of the Korean diet) soup, seaweed wraps and calamari. It was really great, home-cooked food, and cool to try my first traditional Korean meal. The metal chopsticks were a bit of a challenge (apparently Korea is the only Asian county to use only metal chopsticks) but I'm learning.
Anyway. The first day was definitely entertaining! I can't get over these kids though, they're too funny. In the meantime only 1 day until the weekend!!! That means sleep for me!!! Oh, and Sex and the City 2 party tomorrow night - the other foreign girls haven't seen it yet, so they're throwing a screening party for anyone who might need their fix. Oh yes.
Today was my first day at school, and Henry was the first student I met. He waddled up to me in the teacher's lounge before class this morning, wearing a napsack nearly twice his size, and a grin that was even bigger, and proceeded to stare at me for 10 minutes straight. I tried to talk to him but he just stared right on back, mouth wide open. The other teachers say he's in love, but we just met so I think it's really too soon to tell.
I'm convinced that Korean kids are the cutest on the planet. My little ones range in age from about 5 to 9 years old; originally I was supposed to be teaching 6 to 10/11 year olds, but one of many surprises I've learned so far is that Koreans actually count the year spent in the womb as part of their actual age. So the Western teachers coming over end up with classes a bit younger than expected.
I'm teaching various 30 minute classes throughout the day, with several breaks in between, so the other foreign teachers say that the days go fairly quickly. The classes are divided by skill level, and each class at my school is named according to a major Western city like Chicago, London, Toronto, etc. My classes are mainly New York and Atlanta. Regardless of their skill level, these kids speak English as well, or better than, kids of the same age group in North America - it's crazy. The kids are not permitted to speak Korean in school, to the point where there are big signs on the walls saying NO KOREAN to enforce English-only habits. But that didn't stop this one little guy, Tristen, from yanking me on the shoulder every 5 minutes to whisper in my ear something like "Shhhhh....but the Korean word for dinosaur is..."
The foreign teachers have lunch provided to them every day if they'd rather not go out and spend the money. It's always traditional Korean food, and from what Kady (the American girl whose place I'm taking at the school) told me, it's a gamble as to whether or not the food will be good each day. Today we had rice, kimchi (I love love love kimchi. Such a relief - it's a staple of the Korean diet) soup, seaweed wraps and calamari. It was really great, home-cooked food, and cool to try my first traditional Korean meal. The metal chopsticks were a bit of a challenge (apparently Korea is the only Asian county to use only metal chopsticks) but I'm learning.
Anyway. The first day was definitely entertaining! I can't get over these kids though, they're too funny. In the meantime only 1 day until the weekend!!! That means sleep for me!!! Oh, and Sex and the City 2 party tomorrow night - the other foreign girls haven't seen it yet, so they're throwing a screening party for anyone who might need their fix. Oh yes.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
In Flight Nudity & Almond Choco Balls
Choco balls. That's what I'm eating for dinner. I couldn't find any chocolate covered m&m's around here, so "Almond Choco Balls" seemed like the next best thing - that and this strange drinkable strawberry yogurt concoction that tastes a lot like YOP, but better.
So it's true - I made it! The flight over was probably the best flight I've ever been on, and seemed to be the shortest, too. I was sitting beside another Canadian teacher from Ottawa, Brianna, who is my age and was on her way to Busan as well. She's pretty hilarious, considering one of the first things she said to me was "I know we just met but do you mind if I just change my pants right here? I don't want to get up to go to the bathroom". I said I didn't mind, and the timing couldn't be funnier because the second she started changing, every single light in the plane went on, and the flight attendants started walking around, handing out drinks to everyone. Good new friend that I am, I laughed uncontrollably and did my best to lean forward in my seat so that no one could see.
So, Korean Air is awesome to travel with! They have a selection of about 50 movies and tv shows to choose from. And the service was fab. It was the first flight I've been on with flight attendants who were all polite and helpful. Regardless, I was really happy that I managed to sleep for most of it. I love you Gravol.
We arrived in Seoul at about 4am local time and went through customs. Korean immigration was super lax, they must be used to North American teachers coming over because they basically waved us right through to enter the country. We had a 4 hour layover in Seoul so Brianna, John (another teacher sitting in front of us on the plane) and I wandered around the airport for a while. I had my first Korean convenience store experience, which it kind of trippy. It feels like you're entering some sort of fun house, with all the bright lights and bright packaging and weird chipmunk-sounding Korean pop music playing in the background. Hahaha....and the food selection is something else, too. I won't get into it much right now, but lets just say that we were all starving, and El Brave One (John) picked out this big, mysterious, meat-filled sushi roll as his snack. Brianna insisted on filming his first few bites. It was just unfortunate because it wasn't until about bite 7 (by then Brianna's camera was turned off) that John admitted "It tastes like dog food".
From there, the flight to Busan was quick and easy. Kelly, our recruiter, met us at the airport and took each of us to our schools right away. I got a tour of Centum School where I'll be working. It's located in the more posh area of Busan, and all the roads and buildings are very new.
I haven't seen my apartment yet, I'm staying at a nearby hotel the first week while the old teacher moves out of my place, so I'll wait to post about that until I see it and can get some pictures. So far Busan is very beautiful and the beaches look amazing...
That's it for now, I'm going to try to fall back asleep (ya right) as I have to be at school for 9am tomorrow.
I hope everything's good back home. Miss you all & talk to you soon (I'll do my best to get some pictures up shortly also). Please email your home addresses to blairejackiw@gmail.com when you get a second.
Love you & PARTY ON!
b.
***Important disclaimer: Full credit goes to Tyler for the cute blog name. I love it.***
So it's true - I made it! The flight over was probably the best flight I've ever been on, and seemed to be the shortest, too. I was sitting beside another Canadian teacher from Ottawa, Brianna, who is my age and was on her way to Busan as well. She's pretty hilarious, considering one of the first things she said to me was "I know we just met but do you mind if I just change my pants right here? I don't want to get up to go to the bathroom". I said I didn't mind, and the timing couldn't be funnier because the second she started changing, every single light in the plane went on, and the flight attendants started walking around, handing out drinks to everyone. Good new friend that I am, I laughed uncontrollably and did my best to lean forward in my seat so that no one could see.
So, Korean Air is awesome to travel with! They have a selection of about 50 movies and tv shows to choose from. And the service was fab. It was the first flight I've been on with flight attendants who were all polite and helpful. Regardless, I was really happy that I managed to sleep for most of it. I love you Gravol.
We arrived in Seoul at about 4am local time and went through customs. Korean immigration was super lax, they must be used to North American teachers coming over because they basically waved us right through to enter the country. We had a 4 hour layover in Seoul so Brianna, John (another teacher sitting in front of us on the plane) and I wandered around the airport for a while. I had my first Korean convenience store experience, which it kind of trippy. It feels like you're entering some sort of fun house, with all the bright lights and bright packaging and weird chipmunk-sounding Korean pop music playing in the background. Hahaha....and the food selection is something else, too. I won't get into it much right now, but lets just say that we were all starving, and El Brave One (John) picked out this big, mysterious, meat-filled sushi roll as his snack. Brianna insisted on filming his first few bites. It was just unfortunate because it wasn't until about bite 7 (by then Brianna's camera was turned off) that John admitted "It tastes like dog food".
From there, the flight to Busan was quick and easy. Kelly, our recruiter, met us at the airport and took each of us to our schools right away. I got a tour of Centum School where I'll be working. It's located in the more posh area of Busan, and all the roads and buildings are very new.
I haven't seen my apartment yet, I'm staying at a nearby hotel the first week while the old teacher moves out of my place, so I'll wait to post about that until I see it and can get some pictures. So far Busan is very beautiful and the beaches look amazing...
That's it for now, I'm going to try to fall back asleep (ya right) as I have to be at school for 9am tomorrow.
I hope everything's good back home. Miss you all & talk to you soon (I'll do my best to get some pictures up shortly also). Please email your home addresses to blairejackiw@gmail.com when you get a second.
Love you & PARTY ON!
b.
***Important disclaimer: Full credit goes to Tyler for the cute blog name. I love it.***
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