Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving; I sure did! Celebrated Thanksgiving with a bunch of old and new friends. Had two amazing turkey dinners, give it up for Costco. Truly the best green beans and stuffing in my life. November has been a really busy month. I've made some new friends so I've been running around a lot. But Korea is still awesome! I mean just two weekends ago I went to an ET themed bar. This placed was decorated with all sorts of ET mannequins and paintings. The neon colored backdrop and cds glued to the ceiling were also a really nice touch. I'll try to see if I can find some pictures.
I also visited a traditional Korean fortress in Suwon. It's really interesting how they built around the fortress, integrating the history into the city. I posted some pics.
The main reason I decided to post a blog is to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Many of you already know how much I love Christmas so this is probably no surprise but it's gonna be new this year. This is the first time that I'm completely isolated so it will be an interesting experience. I'm keeping an open mind but I can already tell that Christmas is celebrated differently here. However I've been really pleased with all the lights I've been seeing around town. I'll try to take some pics and post them. Well don't be a stranger and keep the Christmas music flowing.
안 녕 Well as many of you can tell I've been really slacking on my blog postings. I guess my lack of an attention span is finally catching up to me. Nonetheless it's been a pretty active month since my last post. I've made a bunch of new friends, really good people, and revisited some old friends. I traveled to the west side of Korea, Anmeando on a company getaway. And also traveled to the east side of Korea, Seoraksan and saw some of the most beautiful mountainsides. Celebrated Halloween with Mario, Luigi, Elvis, and a star studded womens relay team. And singing all the while at norebangs. I may have even recruited two more singing fanatics.
Anmeando: About a month back I visited the west shore of Korea with my school. It was a great trip; I met a bunch of new teachers and devoured some amazing Korean bbq. The turnover rate for teachers is so high here that there's always an opportunity to meet new people. On the trip we visited a resort that had a pretty amazing spa. There were about 10 different spas all with infused with a different flavor: rooibos tea, jasmine tea, California mud, mint, salt water and etc. One of them also overlooked the ocean which was pretty amazing at sunset. We also took a tour of a famous pine forest that provided some interesting pictures of wooden carvings. When evening rolled around we had some awesome bbq and a whole lot crazy adventures to say the least (one included a Costco apple pie).
Halloween: Me being a huge loser I didn't dress up for Halloween this year. I had plans to dress up as Kung Fu Panda (which I think would have been perfect), but the evil spirits of laziness destroyed what little will power I had. I know, I know I'm weak. I'm hoping that I can make up for it next year. Fortunately I still went out and met up with a bunch of friends; where we proceeded to continue our crazy adventures. Sorry no pics of my own.
Seoraksan: This last weekend I visited the eastern shore of Korea, Seoraksan. My mom has been insisting that I visit this area in the Fall because the mountains and changing tree colors provide an amazing backdrop. Man was she dead on. I also travled with some new friends, which added a new exciting dimension to the trip. Even though it rained most of the weekend I think we still had an amazing time. I truly believe that the pictures I've posted on here don't do the scenery justice. It's a sight that you have to see in person. The array of colors and the shear volume of trees is amazing. And finally you know the weekend had to be capped off with a stint at the hotel norebang; this is where I think I hooked two new singers. Combined with the great company, amazing scenery, delicious food and cheap cost I would definitely peg this as one of my favorite trips.
I hope you enjoyed this post because knowing me it will be a while before the next one. But I hope your all doing well and remember Christmas is just around the corner!
~Sunny
PS: I'm so happy that I'll be returning to a country run by Obama :)
This last weekend I went on a trip to Busan/Pusan with some friends. If you didn't know, Busan is the 2nd largest city in Korea and is located on the southern coast. Busan is about 280 miles south of Seoul so a pretty lengthy drive especially with traffic, unless you take the KTX. The KTX is amazing, it's a bullet train that travels all throughout Korea and a trip that would have normally been 5-6 hours of driving was only 3 hours on the train. Come on California your slacking here.
PIFF: We planned the trip so we would be there during the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF). This being my first film festival I didn't really know what to expect but by the end I was throughly impressed. I ended up seeing three movies: Lion's Den, The Sky Crawlers and Gomorrah. Luckily I picked three movies that were completely different so there was no monotony. Lion's Den is a story about a pregnant Argentinian woman and her struggles as she's imprisioned for murder. The Sky Crawlers and Gomorrah were a double feature shown in an outdoor theater on the beach, about 3,000 people. The Sky Crawlers was an amazing Japanese anime and Gomorrah was a "contemporary Neapolitan mob drama based on an expose of Italy's criminal underbelly". Unfortunately I watched all three movies on the same day so by the end I was pretty much spent. But if any of you get the chance to see one of these movies I would highly recommend it.
Adventures: So there is a funny/scary story that I need to share with all of you, mostly funny but a bit scary. We arrived in Busan on Thursday night around midnight and went straight to our hotel to get settled in. Afterwards we decided to check out Haeundae Beach. While walking along the boardwalk I saw one of the funniest things I've seen in Korea so far. At most of the beach locations in Korea you'll find people selling fireworks and bottle rockets to tourist. Most people hold onto the bottle rockets while they shot out into the ocean. So as we're walking we spot a father and 6 - 7 very young children with bottle rockets in their hands. Mind you, me and my friends are standing there thinking about how this is a really bad idea. As the father goes through and lights them all, the children are holding them almost straight ahead rather then in the air. And as the fireworks shoot out there exploding onto a bunch of couples that are walking along the beach. It takes a while before many of them realize it and in the confusion they just scatter. Eventually after 8 to 10 shots the father realizes it and goes through pointing them all up. Fortunately no one was hurt which is what makes the story funny rather then scary. But amazingly I wasn't surprised by the events, I've come to accept that safety is subjective and in Korea somewhat overlooked.
Haeundae Beach is the biggest and one of the most popular beaches in Korea. This is just how busy it can get during the peak summer time. This isn't a picture that I took but one that I found on the internet.Compare it to the one that I took above. Many of you are probably thinking that this was photoshopped but I've spoken to people that have actually seen it this crowded.
Well I hope you enjoyed the posting, for more pics check them out at the following. (http://picasaweb.google.com/sunny.bae) Especially the bumper cars, they were awesome.
I was looking through my blog recently and realized that I haven't talked about one of my favorite places in Korea, the nori bang. Nori bang translates to singing room; which is a private room fully equipped with a karaoke machine, tv, surround sound, and to top it all off, tambourines. Most people usually go there after a night of drinking (drinking? who's drinking?) to sing their hearts out. It's a pretty amazing place to sober up and blow off some steam. You may be asking, aren't all the songs in Korean? Well most of them are, but there's actually a pretty decent selection of American songs (such as We Built This City). These places are open all night and conveniently located everywhere, and I mean on every corner.
It's a pretty common activity for people of all ages; I'veheard old ladies and families usually go during the day and the younger crowds and businessmen frequent them at night. Unlike the U.S. people here aren't embarrassed at all about singing in front of other people. That was something that took me some time to get over and occasionally I'm still a bit hesitant. But when your with your friends it's pretty relaxing. I'm also really impressed with how well Koreans sing, most of the people I've gone out with have blown me away. But as most of you know I'm no Marvin Gaye. Nonetheless the night feels empty if I haven't gone to a nori bang. So if any of you make it out here plan on singing.
Thank you to all of those that wished me a happy birthday, it meant a lot. No worries if you forgot, I've certainly missed plenty myself. I definitely had a good time though, dinner, drinks and of course the nori bang.
While I was looking through a list of some of the songs I came upon this music video by Lionel Richie. If you have the time you gotta check it out, it's amazing!
Recently I've felt like I've been in a rut so I decided to go do some exploring. The weather has been a lot nicer lately so it's been easier getting out. I'm still really looking forward to winter though, especially the snow. I don't think my friend Jon really thinks it's that much snow but he is from Minnesota.
Hiking: Recently Jon, Jamie and I went on a short hike near our houses. We hiked up to this very popular platform along the mountainside that overlooks the entire southern half of Seoul. Jon said that the view there was actually better than from the Seoul Tower. I've been back on my own and I'm still in awe of how huge Seoul is. I guess you really don't get the perspective until you see it from afar. Along the trail we also saw some bunkers and trenches that may be left over from the Korean War, but I'm not really sure about that. Either way they were pretty interesting.
Han River: Last weekend me and some friends went on a ferry ride along the Han River. The Han is the major river that runs through Seoul, kinda like the American but much bigger. Unfortunately it wasn't the greatest ferry ride I've been on, but it was still a good experience. The boat was moving a bit fast so it was tough taking pictures. The coolest thing I actually saw was this piece of volleyball art in the park where the boat was docked.
Korean War Memorial/Museum: This last Saturday I went and visited the Korean War Museum and man was I impressed. It was nice way to brush up on my Korean history and see an awesome array of warfare. It was pretty astonishing to see all these tanks, planes and artillery just sitting out in front of the museum. You can actually climb into some the tanks and planes.
I must be the worst blogger ever! It's been way too long since my last post, but I'll try to close the gap. It's been about a month since my last post and life has settled into a routine of work and weekends. It's pretty similar to back home except for being in a completely different country, so every things an adventure.
Baseball: This last weekend I went to my second baseball game and man am I hooked. It's amazing how much energy fills up the stadium. Right when you walk in you feel this overwhelming sense of awe from all the fans cheering and banging their thunder sticks. I know that baseball is America's past time but believe me Koreans know how to put on a show. The most surprising part for me was the amount of respect between rival fans. From what I saw there was no trash talking or heckling, it was pretty refreshing. And I'm officially a Doosan Bears fan; I've been to two of their games and hopefully more.
Olympics: Watching the Olympics in Korea was definitely a new and interesting experience. I've always lived in the U.S. so I've never experienced a foreign perspective. Since Korea is a small country it doesn't have near the number of participants as the U.S. or China. But believe me the entire country gets behind all the athletes and none get lost in the mix. I did get to see some events that are usually not televised in the U.S. archery, table tennis, judo, taekwondo and some others. Nonetheless I'm proud of all the medals Korea and the U.S. won, but I gotta hand it to the Korean baseball team.
I just had my first vacation here in Korea and it couldn't come soon enough. I loveliving in Seoul but being from California you just gotta get out sometimes and explore the outdoors. Me and three of my friends Mindy, Erica and Aura went and visited the volcanic island of Jeju just off the southern tip of Korea. It's very similar to Hawaii in many ways, the landscape is very similar to Oahu and it's also a hot spot for newlyweds. I really enjoyed the slow pace of the island, it was a nice change from the lifestyle in Seoul. Beaches: We visited three beaches while in Jeju, Jungmun, Hallim and Hamdeok. All three beaches were on separate parts of the island, Jungmun on the south, Hallim on the northwest and Hamdeok on the northeast. Fortunately we had amazing weather so it was nice to go swimming in the clear blue water. However the lifeguards were very restrictive in the areas you can swim, so that made it difficult to explore. Out of the three I enjoyed Jungmun the most because it had the best swimming area.
Halla Mountain: Since Jeju is a volcanic island, Hallasan the once active cinder cone volcano is the focal point for the island. On Monday Erica, Aura and I went to climb the mountain. We decided to take the easy trail up because based on our map it looked as if all the trails met a rim trail at the top. However when we got to the top there was no such trail which was pretty anticlimactic. However the trail up was beautiful, it followed a nice stream that then opened up to huge fields of green. I was really impressed with how well kept the trails were.
Attractions: It's pretty amazing how many attractions there are to visit in Jeju. To see all of them you would need to be on the island for at least a month. Even with the limited time and transportation I felt that we visited a lot of places. We visited two waterfalls, Cheonjiyeon and Jeongbang; one of the few in the Asia that falls into the ocean. We also visited Manjanggul lava tube, which has the world's largest lava column and two lava tube caves in Hallim park, where a lava tube joins up with a limestone cave. I thought all the lava tubes were pretty cool but I guess that just because I'm a rock nerd. One of the more interesting museums I've ever been to was the Sex and Health Museum on Jeju. I guess we didn't actually visit the inside of the museum but I think the sculptures outside were plenty interesting. Towards the end of our trip a cab driver recommended Hallim park so we went for a day, which had one of the most extensive bonsai gardens I've ever seen.
Food: Jeju is really well known for it's seafood and oranges, so while I was there I tried a bunch of new foods. One of my favorite new dishes was abalone rice porridge, which was amazing. At the same restaurant, which was recommended by a cab driver, we had some grilled white fish (not really sure what kind) but it was also delicious. Surprisingly I had one of the biggest and best tasting burgers on Jeju. While at Hallim Beach we met some foreign teachers who recommended a burger joint to us. I was a little skeptical because they described it as a pork burger with mostly vegetables. But as soon as I bit in I was hooked. All the vegetables and herbs were grown in the garden out in front of the restaurant and the herb bread was baked fresh daily. The restaurant was also run by a very friendly Korean family who gave us two loaves of beard to take home with us because we were the last customers of the day.
If any of you are ever planning on visiting Korea I would definitely recommend Jeju, it was a one of the most beautiful and interesting places I've ever visited.
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I've had so much to write about but just haven't taken the time. So my friend John had two friends visit from the States, Danielle, who is from Chicago and Brooke, who is from Washington D.C. It was a pretty eventful week, John was playing tour guide most of the time but I got to sit along for the ride. Danielle and Brooke said they had an amazing time, if any of you are thinking of visiting.
Fish Market: We visited a fish market for dinner on Friday night. It was late so all the vendors weren't out but it was still amazing to me. We got to pick out our own fish (red snapper, i think) and king crab for dinner. They killed the fish in front of us and sliced him up sashimi style, he was delicious. There is a bunch of restaurants below the market where you go to devour your meal. The restaurant also uses the rest of the fish to make a soup called meauntang, which translates to spicy soup. Which I was surprised to see how not spicy it was, but still yummy.
Seoul Racecourse: On Saturday we visited the race tracks, and man did I get hooked. There is an area that is solely dedicated to foreigners, which has big fluffy chairs and a great view of the track. It was interesting to learn about the betting system and the horse racing culture. Ultimately I only lost about 20, 000 won ($20) but I at one point I had a great opportunity to win a bunch of money. The excitement and sounds of the people and horses is well worth the little I lost, but hopefully I won't be returning too often.
Hongdae: After the race track we took the girls to Hongdae, which is one of my favorite night spots in Seoul. It is the area surrounding Hongik University so it has a very youthful and exciting vibe. We went to a kalbi restaurant for dinner, which I thought was pretty tasty. Afterwards we went to a hookah bar called "Bricks" which had a nice dark, intimate ambiance. It also had some very interestingly named drinks, such as the fuzzy nipple. We all had a pretty good time, but were beat when we got home at 5 am, which is early in Seoul standards.
Gwanaksan: We went for a hike up Gwanaksan on Sunday morning, after our night in Hongdae. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling my best but I rallied on, and I'm glad I did. Gwanaksan is a small mountain in Seoul with a beautiful Buddhist temple near the peak. I thought it was a pretty difficult hike, with the heat and humidity, but my friends were flying up it. At the temple it was amazing, so beautiful I felt no need to climb the last 0.6 km to the peak. At the bottom of the mountain we ate at a restaurant built along the river. We had some pajang, which is similar to a vegetable pancake and some makali, unfermented rice wine.
Unfortunately John and I had to go back to work on Monday, but Danielle and Brooke did their own exploring around Seoul. All in all I think they had a great time, so if any of you are thinking about coming out I would be happy to show you around.
I've decided to try something new with the blog. I've been in Korea for 2 months now and there's been so much that I've learned but it's been difficult sharing my thoughts. So I've decided every two months I'm gonna write a special blog entry of all the things I've learned. I hope you enjoy them.
1. Physical appearance is king in Korea.
From my experience most people judge you largely on how you look. Walking down the street I get a lot of stares because I'm big. Since most Koreans are thin, when they see someone who is not, it's a spectacle. When you apply for a job you will almost always have to submit a picture of yourself. And Korean girls are way too skinny.
2. Korean food is amazing but an acquired taste.
Since I grew up with Korean food (thanks mom) the culinary transition has been amazing. But many foreigners I know have had a tough time with the spiciness of the food. I guess my taste buds have been destroyed by years and years of kim chi.
3. Korean mothers are hard to please!
I originally thought the schools were to blame for my academic frustrations but was I mistaken. With education being so competitive here, Korean mothers will do anything to give their children an edge. They will use ultimatums to get their child into a school. "I'll tell all the other Korean mothers not to come to your school if you don't admit my child." Even if the academic level is beyond their means. They will also find entrance exams so their child will have a better chance of getting into the school. I mean they even accost school directors at local spots: coffee shops, grocery stores and etc.
4. Humidity and long hair sucks.
I've been too scared to get a haircut because I've heard some horror stories, so I may just grow it out. We'll see how long that lasts.
5. Korean people love pizza and fried chicken.
Which totally contradictes there need to look thin.
6. Safety is not a concern in Korea.
No smoke detectors Seat belts are not required by law unless you are in the front seat, which is commonly ignored anyways. Pedestrians don't have the right of way, I've almost been hit by a car or motorcycle countless times. People run red lights like they eat kim chi
7. Not having a dryer sucks.
Can't put off laundry, first time I've actually had to plan my laundry.
8. Public transportation is amazing!
The subway is quick and runs crazy frequently. Wish it ran late at night though (see below).
9. Taxis are cheap.
You can pretty much go across Seoul for under 20,000 won ($20) But most places you'll go are under 7,500 won ($7.50).
10. Koreans are stressed, but have cheap stress relievers.
soju - 1500 won ($1.50) [stay away from stairs though] cigarettes - 2000 won ($2.00)
Kids stay away from this stuff!
11. Korean people love fatty meat.
Sam geup sal (fatty pork) - 10,000 won ($10.00) Pork tenderloin - 3,500 won ($3.50)
Wierd huh?
12. Seoul is FULL of cars, why?
I know all of you Californians are complaining about $4.00 a gallon but imagine this. In Korea a liter is about 2,000 won, with a quick conversion of 3.78 liters = 1 gallon. Koreans are paying 7,400 won ($7.40) a gallon. And man do they drive! With the amazing public transportation you would think, why? Well in Korea your car is a status symbol, just like in the U.S. but times 100.
13. Gyopo for life!
A gyopo is a Korean foreigner (me), and man are we not accepted. In Korea if you don't speak Korean fluently, and I mean fluently, they know your gyopo. In some cases foreigners are accepted more then gyopos are, they have an excuse, their foreigners.
14. Hangul udlrp da. (Korean is hard.)
Korean is a difficult language to learn. Even with the little background I have, I still struggle to communicate on a daily basis. I figured out that I'm at a 4 year olds level. Immersion is the best way huh?
15. Koreans want to learn English...right?
Even though parents send their children to English hawgwans by the thousands no one speaks English. If you speak English out in public you get awkward stares. I heard a story that a student had to dumb down his English at school because he would get beat up by the other students for speaking so well. So you tell me do they really want to learn English?
16. Shower/Bathroom or Bathroom/Shower
It's not so bad having your entire bathroom as a shower. It forces you to order your bathroom use, but it's constantly being cleaned, right?
17. Korean internet is wicked fast!
For those of you that know me, that makes a difference. I get about 14,000 - 21,000 kb/s for about 14,000 won ($14.00) won a month.
18. Korea is a beautiful country, somewhere out there.
I've seen bites and pieces of the countryside but haven't really stepped out of Seoul. Which I plan to change at the end of July when I head to Jeju island, the Hawaii of Korea. A whole week to vacation, can't wait!
19. Use two hands when you exchange money.
It's a sign of respect.
20. Don't hold your spoon and chopsticks in the same hand.
It's a sign of disrespect, but I'm still not convinced about this one.
21. Fruit is crazy expensive.
1 Apple - 1,300 won ($1.30) 7 Bananas - 3,500 won ($3.50) Small basket of cherries [5 handfuls] - 25,000 won ($25.00)
And molds crazy fast.
Banana 3 days tops, your lucky if you get 2.
22. Compassion for U.S. immigrants.
Understanding what immigrants go through is something you can't read about in a book or see in a movie. It's something that you have to experience personally. Before I left the U.S. I identified myself as an immigrant and I guess in the sense of the word I am. But this experience has truly allowed me to see a glimpse into what immigrants, like my parents went through. The unbelievable part is that I'm getting a sugar-coated version because I look Korean, eat Korean and speak baby Korean. I truly appreciate how much courage and commitment it really takes to uproot yourself out of your comfort zone and throw yourself into a foreign land. So believe me when I say this, it has been an experience.
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I've been busy with work and trying to get settled in. I've used the last month to get necessities to make myself comfortable for the next year. It's been quite a journey to say the least. A lot has happened since my last post.
My aunt bought me a desk, and an office chair, which has my made my room seem less empty. The school bought me a new washing machine, so I can finally do laundry. I received a package from home which was incredibly comforting; thanks mom and bo! I bought a new pair of shoes (thanks for all your support Mindy), and found some clothes that fit me. Put up my first room decoration, a Korean flag.
Since I last wrote I've visited Insadong which is a huge tourist attraction for foreigners. It's a street that is completely closed off to cars so it's nice to wander around. There is a lot of Korean art and trinkets sold along the street. I bought a hand chiseled pencil cup and my Korean flag there. Apparently I've heard that there are a lot of great tea cafes in the area which is definitely something I'll be exploring.
I also visited Dongdaemun at night with Mindy and Amanda. It was a great experience, we frequented a soju tent and then proceeded to go shopping. Dongdaemun is a huge shopping area in Korea, and believe me soju definitely made it more intriguing.
I visited Hongdae, which is the neighborhood around Hongik University. It was amazing, a very youthful and vibrant neighborhood. Unfortunately I only spent an hour there, but I will definitely be visiting it in the near future. There was a lot of intricate graffiti and screen prints, pictures will be coming soon. I've also heard that this is the place to come to hear live bands, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing that.
For those of you who have been asking about my room and the Korean shower, I've posted pictures, enjoy. I apologize that it took so long, but I wanted it to be somewhat presentable. I've also heard from my friend John that we have an amazing 360 degree from our rooftop, so those pictures will be coming shortly.
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've been pretty busy on the weekends so it's been tough trying to find time to share my experiences. So in the last couple of weeks, I've spent a lot of time with family. This last weekend I went and visited my uncle (on my dad's side) and his family. They live about an hour away on the subway and then half an hour by car. He has two little children, a girl (3 y.o.) and a boy (18 m.o.). Unfortunately I had a really tough time remembering their names but they really took to me. They would follow me around everywhere, I think it was mostly because my Korean was at the same level as theirs. I wished I hadn't accidentally deleted the pictures of them because they were so cute. But I will see them again and I'll make sure to post the pics when I go back.
Other then family I also visited Yongsan, which is the electronics district of Korea. And man is it huge! Unfortunately I also deleted those pictures but I'm sure I'll visit again real soon. So in the Yongsan station there is a electronics mega mall that is 9 stories tall. Imagine a Best Buy with 9 stories, it's huge! They sell every kind of electronic device you could imagine. While I was there I bought a webcam, so if you would like to see me, get Skype.
I'm glad to report that we have 3 days off this weekend (Fri, Sat & Sun) for Memorial Day, so I'm sure I'll do some exploring. I'll make sure to take lots of pics and write about my adventures. Hope all is well.
Anyung, Well I had quite the adventure to Costco today. So I thought I'd head out early today to try and search out Costco before work. Here is the map the Costco provided on their website; not very helpful and completely not to any scale. So by using this map I aimlessly walked around for about an hour and back tracked at least twice.
Eventually I got fed up and decided to just take a cab there because I was wasting so much time. As we headed there I kept thinking to myself there is no way I could have walked there on my own. We went over a river, under some train tracks and about 3 miles from the subway stop we arrived.
Once inside the Costco it was pretty amazing. So many of the comforts of home I could find here: cereal, turkey, trail mix, pasta, steak and the list goes on. The things I took for granted could now can all be found in this MEGA store. And man was it crazy, imagine Costco back in the U.S. on a Saturday afternoon but replace all the people with pushy Korean moms aimlessly walking around. I'm not sure what it is but Koreans do not watch where they are walking, at ALL! They are either on there cell phones, reading or just plain staring at the sky.
Other then the hour of being lost it was a great trip and one that will be done many times in the future. Hope all is well.
So I've come to the realization that my blogs are way too long and need to shortened. I've never really written a blog, so bare with me. It took me reading other people's blogs to figure out the most efficient way to relay my message. So in the future I will try to keep them brief and include more pictures, I'm learning. Check back in a couple days.
So I had a great experience this last weekend and today. I finally met up with my family, more specifically my aunt(my mom's side), uncle and two cousins. It was great seeing a somewhat familiar face. I say this because my aunt is so much like my mom, both tough little ladies. It was a pretty easy transition too because my cousin and uncle both speak English pretty well. I really forgot how supportive family is in the Korean culture. I'm not sure if many of you know but family is #1 here in Korea.
It's interesting, Mindy wanted to do a community newsletter in one of her classes so she began by introducing the concept of a community, but this pretty much flew over their heads. Which may surprise many of you but remember in Korean your family is your community. But other then the support my aunt has been working hard to set me up right. I finally got a cell phone, which is pretty much an extra appendage here. There so important that many people are unwilling to associate with anyone that doesn't have one. The funny things is that I thought American's had a problem with cell phones, but we're just a drop in the bucket compared to Koreans. People use their phones for everything and everywhere. I see people on a regular basis watching TV on their cell phones while riding the subway, UNDGERGROUND!
Other then the cell phone my aunt has been setting me up with food, basic household supplies and getting my Visa. I'm so grateful that I have family here, I can't imagine how difficult it is for people who know nobody here. Going through all this with my family has just alleviated so much stress. Well I hope all is well and make sure you tell the people close to you that you love them because you never know when you may need their support.
So on Sunday, Mindy and I went to Dongdaemun, which is the shopping captial of Seoul. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. The area we walked around was very similar to an open-air or flee market back in the states. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera that day so I used the pictures that Mindy took, which will be posted soon. The most interesting part for me, was how department stores are set up here. So we went into one called Doota, which I think was 8 stories tall, pretty small floors though. But instead of having one super store like Macy's or Mervyn's there were small independent stores. It was fascinating because each was selling their own product but they were organized by type on each floor.
From Dongdaemun we walked up to Cheonggyecheon along the stream that runs through the city (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheonggyecheon). Luckily we just so happened to end up there while the Hi Seoul Festival was going on. So there were a lot of people in the area, and also a live band. I'm actually hoping to go back during the night time because I hear the lights are pretty amazing.
From there we headed home; it was a long day of walking. But I'm really enjoying not having a car. As some of you may know and some may not, my car was in pretty bad shape before I left. It was constantly draining what little budget I had. I also hear that gas is nearing $4, ouch. Well in comparison that's not to bad, gas in Korea is about $1.89 a liter and there are 3.78 liters in a gallon that's about $7.15 a gallon.
On Monday we went to a part of Seoul called Itaewon. It can pretty much be described as where all the foreigners go. I was amazed at how many foreigners were walking around, because there usually pretty rare. So if any of you come and visit you will definitely stick out. But I guess near Itaewon there are a couple of military bases which attracts all the foreigners to the bars. It was somewhat interesting but not really what I came to Korea, to see. I've been told that you either like Itaewon because it reminds you of home, or you really don't. I'm pretty sure I fall in the second category. Well we made Monday a pretty short day because it's the last 3 day weekend for a long while.
I apologize that I haven't posted the pictures from this blog yet but my card reader for my camera is in Seoul right now so I don't really have access to it. But I'm hoping to start my life in Seoul real soon.
Let me start off by saying Thank God, I went to school in the U.S. Since I've started my job, I've learned a lot about the Korean school system. It's funny I always assumed that Korea had an education system far superior to ours, but believe me I was strongly mistaken. However that doesn't mean that the students aren't intelligent, they just are in a different way. The education system here is based on centuries of tradition so change has been put on the back burner.
It's amazing the stress these students go through on a daily basis. So from a very young age ~5 students attend public school just like in the U.S. but also attend private after school classes known as Hagwons. Here is a link that gives a good description of what they entail. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagwon) So students regularly go to a number of hagwons, usually one for each subject. That means that students may go to school from 8 am to as late as 8 or 9 pm, depending on their age. Pretty crazy! Homework is also given in a ridiculous amount, from my experience about 3-6 pages from each class. So not only are these students going to school for 12 hrs but also must go home and complete the homework assignments. I must say though, you can't really sneeze at their work ethic. I wish all my students back at home had half the determination of the students here.
But let me make one thing very clear; just because a student is able to complete hundreds and hundreds of practice book pages doesn't necessarily make them smart. It's a matter of quantity versus quality. In Korean quantity is a huge part of the education system, students are expected to complete these pages. However this leaves very little time for the quality aspect. I've noticed that imagination, creativity, independent and critical thinking are skills that the students miss out on, and it's really sad. I believe that if we combined both the Korean and American education system we may have something worthwhile. But it's difficult to convince people here that change can be a good thing.
The other aspect of education that I've had struggles with is Hagwons. From my limited knowledge I've deducted that Hagwons are not schools their businesses. Their main focus is monetary rather then education. This is one reason why there looked down upon, because it's all about the mighty Won (Korean currency). Which has been very difficult for me, because I definitely didn't go into education for the money. Also the business is very secretive; little or no information is passed down, so most employees are left in the dark. The teachers at the schools are usually overworked beyond the terms of their contracts, but since the school holds your Visa there isn't much that can be done. However it seems that everyone in Korea is constantly working. From what I've gathered vacations are a rarity in this country.
Well enough griping, let's move onto more positive possibilities. It seems the school I'm working with has a lot of great opportunities for me. I was surprised to find out, that at the school in Anyang I have the most teaching experience. Most of the people that come here are right out of college or in search of a calling, so a teaching credential or teaching experience is far and few between. But with my background there transferring me to a brand new school in Seoul. At the school I'll see the process from the ground up; I'll be working with people to develop a curriculum for new incoming teachers and students. It should be a great and challenging experience and hopefully I can make some changes along the way.
Well I hope this gives you a little idea in what I've been dealing with through this last week. I apologize that this installment includes so much griping but I had to get it out somewhere. I'll be sure to make the next few blogs more cheerful, but you gotta take the good with the bad. I hope all is well.
So Monday was amazing. Normally I would be working, but it was a national holiday, Children's Day. With how hard they work the kids here I'm glad there's a day for them to let loose. So Mindy and I decided to take the subway and travel to Seoul today. What I realized right off the bat is how amazingly clean and efficient the subway system is here. I've been on subways in New York and San Francisco and they don't even come close to the one's in Seoul. We never had to wait longer then 5 mins for a subway and they run incredibly smooth. Also all the signs are both in Korean and English so we had no trouble at all. I'm pretty surprised by how westernized Korea is.
The first area we visited was Gangnam, which is the area I will be living in and it was amazing. From what I've read Gangnam is a very affluent area of Seoul and that was pretty evident. The way people dress and all the high end shopping it really reminded me of New York. So I'm pretty happy about the location, but I haven't seen my apartment yet. Either way I'm really glad that I will be there rather then in Anyang.
After walking around in awe for a while we traveled north across the river to an area that our liason recommended, but wow it was a completely different world. I'm thinking that we may have gone to the worng area cause it was nothing like what we had expected. This was a much older part of Seoul, population and infrastructure. We actually only spent a short time here because the smog was so bad I had trouble breathing. So we traveled back towards Gangnam but visited Seoul National University.
Apparently because of children's day they had some huge fair at the school. We sat at the stadium there and watched all the kids and their parents playing on the fields and it was a pretty amazing site. I was pretty amazed how involved the parent's were in all of these activities. I feel that in the U.S. most adults feel too old or mature to do many of the things these Korean parents were doing. And man were these kids happy!
From there Mindy and I decided to go grab some lunch. And man was this an adventure. So we saw this restaurant that had an open grill out on all the tables, which in my experience usually means Galbi (a delicious marinated beef). But man was I totally mistaken. So since I can't read and write Korean, I had no idea what was on the menu. But with my very limited Korean I understood that she was suggesting a dish, which I thought was Galbi. Well when they brought out the food I realized that it was pig intestine and beef mixed with onions, garlic and chives. So the waitress just started cutting it all up and cooking it in front of us. The girl I was with, Mindy, doesn't really eat red meat, but she claimed the beef right off the bat. So I was left with the intestine, and I must say it wasn't the worse thing I've eaten. The flavor wasn't bad it was just the super chewy texture that made it odd. I felt like I was eating rubber tubbing. Well I knew that I was gonna have some interesting eating experiences here and that was my first. And the worst part was that the lunch cost $30, but at least I have this story.
Well I know that many of you have been asking for pictures so I broke down and took a bunch while I was out. Here is the link to the long awaited photos. Enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/sunny.bae
So I'm pretty new to the blogging world, but it seems this is the best way for me to reach most of you. I want to start off by saying thank you for all your support and positive e-mails. If I haven't replied I apologize but it's been pretty shocking for me to be here. So here is a little background of my current situation. I'm currently in Pyeongchon which is in Anyang, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anyang,_Gyeonggi) which is a "suburb" of Seoul. This is not my permanent home for the year. I'm actually only here until Tuesday, when I travel to Gangnam-gu (http://wiki.galbijim.com/Gangnam-gu), which is in Seoul. This is where I will be for the year. They are currently building a new school where I will be the first teacher. So for the last couple of days I've been trying to acclimate to the time change and culture.
So my arrival was a major shock, even more then I had expected. The studio I'm currently in is only about 350 sq ft, so pretty small. I'm hoping that my permanent residence is a lot bigger and more modern. Apparently Anyang is not as modernized and, up and coming as described by wikipedia, what a surpise huh? So after spending some time here in Anyang I'm pretty happy to be going to Gangnam.
I've met a couple to people so far in my stay. A support provider (Justin) who has been in Korea for about 18 months and also a new teacher (Mindy) from Idaho. So interestingly enough the last couple of days have actually been very American. On Saturday we spent a good portion of the day walking around Pyenongchon getting a tour. And your not going to believe what we had for lunch, PIZZA! I couldn't believe it, and it was actually really good. But I guess most pizza in Korea is bad; the dough is really thick and they pile on the cheese. And you would not believe the toppings they offer here, it's pretty ridiculous. Well later on that night we actually went out and saw Iron Man, haha. And to top it all off we had fried chicken for dinner. So my first day in Korea was pretty much what I may have done at home. Following the dinner we did go out to a couple of bars, and man were they interesting. One of the bars was a western theme so that was pretty crazy; a picture of Clint Eastwood on the door. They also had a flame show and bar tending tricks, a bad version of Korean "Cocktails."
Fortunately today Mindy and I got away from American culture and had some Korean food for lunch. This was Mindy's first time trying Korean food so it made for an adventure. And man I really realized today how little Korean I actually know and understand. Not being able to read any signs or menus has been pretty difficult. I pretty much walk around blindly. We finally found a place near the school, that had pictures we could identify. So I used the little Korean I knew to order us some food. It was pretty good, but the amazing part was how cheap it was. Cost of living here in Anyang is nothing compared to what inflation has caused in California. Our entire lunch which would have been plenty of food for three people cost only $7. So I'm looking forward to saving a lot of $$$. Other then that it's been pretty simple.
A few other things I have noticed that many of you will find interesting. While I was flipping through the channels I noticed one that had two people playing the computer game Starcraft. And if you know what this game is, you probably understand how religiously they play it here. I couldn't believe they have an entire channel dedicated to this game, and I mean 24/7 haha. The other thing that was surprising is the number of pizza and fried chicken joints here. When I last came in 1998 I hadn't noticed any of these places but just walking through in the last couple of days I must have seen at least 30 pizza places and 20 fried chicken restaurants. This was especially bizarre, since I had been telling everyone that Korean people don't eat chicken, but I was completely mistaken. Other restaurants I've seen: KFC, of course McDonalds, Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays, Chili's, Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins, and even a hot dog stand. Fortunately I don't plan on eating at any of these restaurants. Other then food the only other shock has been the showers. So in the U.S. we are all used to having a shower completly separate from the rest of the bathroom. In Korean apparently that is a large waste of space. So what they have done is eliminated the shower and made the entire room into a shower. There is a shower head on the wall and the entire room is used. I know this may sound pretty obscure and crazy but that is what I have been dealing with. I will make sure to take some pictures and send them over the blog which may clear up this concept.
I hope this has given you a little picture of my experience so far. I will try my best to blog as much as possible but I figure once I'm teaching I'll have less and less time. Hope all is well, and please send me updates on your lives. Remember nothing is too boring for me to read.
I also visited a traditional Korean fortress in Suwon. It's really interesting how they built around the fortress, integrating the history into the city. I posted some pics.
