here comes goodbye

Obviously I gave up blogging in Korea. I am somewhat upset that I have not recorded my thoughts, feelings, and observations in this often strange country more frequently. I just spent the better half of the day laughing while reading through old posts and remembering my reactions during the first few months. However, there are reasons why I am glad I stopped the blog as well. The first few months were overwhelming with new and crazy thoughts. My mind was always searching for interesting reactions and topics to post. Recently, I have been completely immersed, trying my best to fit in, and just being here in the moment. Because of that, I decided photo updates on facebook were enough to keep you up to date on my adventures, and let my thoughts be my own.

I will leave Korea November 4^th, and fly to Bali where I will meet Jackie to start our South Eastern Asia adventure! This trip is what I have been looking forward to, and saving money for all year in Korea! I cannot wait to leave the “Jack and Sam” footprints on another continent!

Busy Busy

Finally, a weekend of relaxation! I can't remember the last time I've been in bed by midnight and out of bed before 9 on Friday and Saturday. Saturday morning I woke up early, went for a run and found new trails to hike in the mountains. It was nice to enjoy the singing birds and nature for a few hours. That afternoon I sat on the roof, sipped on sun tea, and enjoyed conversation with a friend.


Here's a little bit of what I've been up to:

3,2,1, Bungee!!!! A few weekends ago I went with a group of friends to a park in Seoul to fix my adrenaline craving. It was pretty awesome, but the jump was too short. I'm already in need of another fix.


World DJ festival! I went with Jackie, her boyfriend, and another friend to a massive DJ festival on the Han River in Seoul. There were 4 stages of music and huge crowds of people. I was a bit skeptical before we got there, thinking I would be annoyed after 30 minutes of loud house music. However, the music was fun and diverse. I enjoyed dancing the night away to some great music.


Happy Birthday Buddha! Last Friday was Buddha's 2554th birthday. We were lucky to get the day off school, so Jackie finally made her way down to Seosan to visit for a night. She got to meet some of my friends and see a bit of my city. The temples on the mountain were decorated with lanterns for the celebration. The views were breathtaking and difficult to capture with a camera. I can't get over how peaceful and beautiful the temples are. Perhaps it's because they are set in the quiet and beauty of the mountains. Whatever it is, I enjoy going to the temple.





Green Plugged Festival! The Saturday of Buddha's birthday weekend I met some friends in Seoul for a huge music festival. The 3 guys I went with work for LG and invited me to this incredible festival. There were 5 stages set up outside, each with some of the best live music I have ever heard. All of the bands were Korean, but I recognized some of the bands from seeing them on TV or hearing their music at a bar. The weather was rainy all day, but I still had a wonderful time listening to the music and getting to know the guys a little better outside of work.


Today I went to Heami Fortress. Heami is only a 20 minute bus ride from Seosan. I got to see Korea like never before on this bus ride. The dirt "road" was hardly wide enough for the bus as well as being very windy with horrifying sharp turns. There were rice patties on either side of the road for miles. I loved the country scenery! The fortress was very interesting, it was the only fortress used in my province to protect from Japanese pirates. The fortress was also used to persecute, imprison, and execute Christians during the 1860s. There were people there playing traditional music, and of course I ended up dancing with some old Korean people. What is it with me and music?!?!? I think I kind of love dancing.




Tonight I went over to my friend Jamie's house. His mom and her friend made dinner for 10 of Jamie's friends. I loved hanging out with the guys, feeling welcomed into Jamie's home, and enjoying a good home cooked dinner. After dinner the guys and I sat around and played cards while watching baseball. I felt right at home, except for hardly understanding any of the conversation. His mom was so precious. There's not a good way to say that older women in Korea tend to be extremely evil to foreigners. However, his mom welcomed me with a big smile and even attempted to speak some English.

As you know, tensions are a bit high here on the peninsula with Kim Jong-il. I was nervously scheming an evacuation plan last week. However, it now seems to be a bunch of silly talk. I'm just ready for the bickering to be over and the economy to go back to normal.

chopsticks

Tonight while I was cooking dinner I realized something...more often do I use chopsticks for unusual reasons, rather than for their intended purpose. There is an old saying in America, "if you can't duct it-f*ck it." I've adopted a new phrase while in Korea, "if you can't chopstick it-sh*t on it". 

The following is a preview from my new book: 101 Ways to Use Chopsticks

Use #6: Hotdog/marshmallow roaster

Use #27: Hair holder

Use #46: Gadget arm extender

Use #74: Pipe cleaner

Use #95: Flat head screwdriver

All of the above are actual real life ways I have found myself using "chopsticks" around my house. I know there will be many more ways that I will re-invent the tool again in the future. 

Hasta la vista, baby...say Amen!

Yes, it has been a long time since I have updated...sorry! I think I feel like life is becoming "normal" here and so I forget that I need to post updates on what isn't normal to my readers. Seosan is really starting to feel like a community! People now know me by name, I can no longer leave my house without running into at least one person to stop and talk with. I now leave my house early to allow time for these unplanned run-ins.  My area of town is very quaint and child friendly. There are always children running around and I am constantly surrounded by young students screaming "hello!".  

Work is going well. I was fortunate to get a now job that I love! Every Tuesday and Thursday, I take the bus to Deasan (45 minutes from Seosan). Deasan is the home of the worlds largest company-LG. I get to eat lunch with the environmental engineers for LG, then we drive to the office building where I teach them conversational English for an hour. I absolutely love this job. There are usually 6 men in my "class" and we just talk about life. We spend most of our time comparing life in Korea to the United States. I am learning so much about Korea from these men, I think I should be paying them! 

Today was Easter, and one of the best days I have had in Korea! Easter is my favorite holiday, so it was wonderful to have such a great day. As soon as I woke up this morning, I was able to eat the ears off my chocolate bunny like I have every year since my very first Easter thanks to my fabulous Easter package from home! Then I went to church with my friend Sade. It was my first time attending church here. I have to be honest, and confess that I'm not sure if I really enjoyed the service, but the church was lovely and an awesome experience. The service was in English, and if you closed your eyes the pastors voice sounded identical to Arnold Schwarzenegger. The mere fact that it felt like I was being preached to by the Terminator made it difficult to enjoy church. I found myself chuckling at his voice more often than listening to the words. At the end of the service, the pastor gave all the foreigners $20 gift cards to a nice Italian restaurant in town. It was a very nice gesture to make us feel welcome in a place far from home. 

A couple of my favorite students attended the same service. After church they came to my house, then we went across the street to play basketball. They told me that was their first time to play basketball, and we definitely had a lot of fun. It was great to see them get to play and be kids for a few hours since most kids here study 24/7. When we were finished, we went back to my house to wash our hands, and they discovered my Easter candy!!! I was more than happy to share my candy with them and tell them all about how we celebrate Easter in the States. They even enjoyed eating their very first chocolate bunny! 

Robby and Cindy with the bunny!

This evening, their families took Sade and I out for dinner to a lovely restaurant. Robby's parents said they used to come to this restaurant for dates before they got married. I had a great time talking with their parents, and getting to know both families. We talked about everything from work, school, travel, and even the birth of their children....haha! I felt so welcomed by them! I look forward to future dinners, picnics on the beach, and fishing trips! 

The awesome restaurant

Sade and I

enjoying our Easter dinner

I feel extremely lucky to have met so many wonderful people in my community. I always feel honored when I am so openly welcomed by families-no matter where I am in the world. It is so nice to be welcomed into a family when I am missing my own family immensely. 

In a Small Town?

I realize that I throw quite a bit of information on this blog-but most of it completely unrelated to the “inner-workings” of Korea. I have yet to touch on language, population, and the art of travel in this foreign land. For example, when I say I went to hang out with Jackie in Seoul this weekend, it involves so much more than just jumping in my car and driving the 1.5 hours North.

Let us begin with my new hometown, Seosan (so-sahn). Seosan is considered to be the Korean equal of Bremen, Indiana…small town that no one has heard of. However, since Korea is the third most densely populated country in the world-Korean perception of small town is a bit askew. The population of Seosan is 150,000 people (<50 foreign), contains countless restaurants/bars, shops, flower shops, beauty parlors, a large market, art gallery, movie theater, bowling lanes, shooting ranges, batting cages, mountains for climbing, parks, and so much more! I am becoming comfortable in my little corner of town, but find myself discovering wonderful hideaways almost daily. This town is the perfect size to keep me busy, but quiet enough to be able to relax after a long day. Most weekends I take the 1.5 hour journey on the very comfortable Express Bus from the Seosan bus terminal to Seoul-the second largest metropolitan area in the world. There is absolutely no way I will ever see all of Seoul during my one year in Korea, it is massive. I do my research and talk to friends to make sure I visit places of most interest, and make sure not to miss a great concert, current exhibit, or festival. Public transportation is user friendly for the most part, and is my only way around this country. Upon arriving to Gangnam, Seoul by bus I must now tackle the subway to continue toward my destination.

The Seoul subway map is almost like and evil trick. At first glance I thought I might have accidentally grabbed the wiring system for the mars rover. The subway consists of 14 lines, each color-coded with distinctively different colors to alleviate confusion: the blue line, the dark-blue line, the light-blue line, the blue and yellow line, two aqua lines, the green line, the olive line, the gold line, the brown line, the orange line, the purple line, the pink line, and the yellow line (without the blue). Thank goodness I’m not blue-green colorblind, I would be completely lost in this serpentine grid. The subways are always packed to the max with old women pushing their way through, businessmen reeking of soju at 2 in the afternoon, and aimlessly wondering people with map in had mouthing FML. Honestly though, if I know where I need to go and I can pronounce the difference between Seolleung, Seongnee, Sinpung, Singil, Sangsu, Sinchon, Sameong, and Samseoung…I can arrive to my destination without a problem!

Now for a vocab lesson (the extent of mine anyway):
Hello- annyonghaseyo
Goodbye-annyonghikyeseyo
Thank You-kamsahamnida
Yes-ne
No-aniyo
How much is it?-olmayeyo
Come here-yogio
My name is….-cheirumun…imnida
Teacher-songsaengnim
Beer-maekchu
Cheers!-konbae
Obviously this is not the easiest language to learn to pronounce. There are some funny gagging noises in the alphabet that I haven’t quite mastered, nor care to!

Other random facts:
Kimchi-the staple/signature “food” of Korea. Although there are many types of kimchi, they all go by the same name. The ingredients are simple: vegetables, usually cabbage, red pepper sauce, other random crap from your garden and/or spice cabinet, then let the fermenting process take place. Kimchi is served with EVERY meal at EVERY restaurant, even the TGI Friday’s!

The currency unit in South Korea is the won. Although rare, the largest paper denomination is W50,000 (slightly larger than US$50). My wallet is overly crowded with W10,000, W1,000, and I already have quite a stash of coins in my cabinet.

Recycling and separating trash is the law as part of the government’s efforts to encourage recycling. I do my best with my household rubbish-but usually I just sneak my trash out at night while no one is watching rather than sorting through everything.


Koreans are obsessively superstitious. For example, the number 4 sounds like one of the Chinese characters for ‘death’ (samang), resulting in the elimination of the 4th floor in many buildings. If you right someone’s name in red ink, it is associated with death. I made this mistake in class and my students freaked out! I had no idea what the deal was until much later. On a positive note, if you dream about a pig, you will have good luck!

these children are not normal...

...quoted from one of my co-teachers today. Allow me to list the most recent reasons:

#1. Seosan was hit with more snow again last night. When we asked the students this morning why they came to school instead of staying home to play in the snow, they said they would rather study!

#2. In the States, when my students wanted to suck-up they would bring me cookies. The morning one of my students brought me a packaged cheese slice hoping to make my day.

#3. We have kindergarten graduation next week that will put my high school graduation to shame. Each student is to memorize a 10 minute speech to present at the ceremony, write an essay for the paper, and memorize all of their lines for the Snow White play...they are 7 years old! Baby geniuses!


I've really been enjoying myself and this country lately. Jackie's mom came to Korea for a week! This past weekend was Lunar New Year and we went to a Folk Village where there was traditional music, equestrian, a wedding, outfits to try on, weapons to fight with...and much more!  

Jackie and I enjoying the energetic music

You should fear us

For Jackie's birthday a group of friends went on a cruise down the Han River in Seoul. We all met up for cake and pizza before setting sail. Once on board with drinks in hand, we danced the night away while sailing down the beautiful river!

the ladies

om shakti om

I apologize for my absence in posts lately. I have been extremely busy with work and the stress of life in Korea. All is well...just busy! 

My friend Eric from Indiana came over to Korea for a couple days while in transit to China! It was so wonderful to have a friend visit! His timing couldn't have been better. His fresh set of excited eyes were a huge pick me up. I enjoyed showing him my "home" town, introducing him to my new friends, demonstrating proper chopstick use, and enlightening him with what I know about the culture, food, and language thus far. I am now a prepared tour guide and ready for more visitors!!! 

Eric and I at Dr. Fish

the 3 of us getting our feet done 

The first couple days Eric was here, he spent time with me in Seosan. He was able to visit my school and observe a few of my classes. He was definitely exhausted after entertaining my little students.  We went up to Seoul for the weekend to meet up with Jackie. The three of us met in Kenya a couple years ago when we were teaching and living on the farm in Bungoma. It was awesome to reconnect in a new continent and share updates and crazy stories from all of our recent adventures. 

Jack and Sam-Korea

Eric and Becca prepare for our meter of beer 

Saturday night we took Eric to the norebang for a real Korean experience. We broke out the tambourines and dancing shoes while we rocked out to our favorite songs from the 90's! 

rockstars

Hangin' Tough?!?!

the girls breakin it down

Sunday morning, Jackie and I put Eric on a bus and sent him on his way to China. Then we were off to meet our friends for Sushi Sunday!!!

my sushi!

Come March, I will no longer be a kindergarten teacher...can I get a hallelujah?!?!?! As shocking as this may be, my director noticed that I'm not the best with the little ones...haha, who knew? Therefore, she gave me the option to switch my hours and teach "night" classes once my students graduate in February. My new schedule will be from 1-8 and I will teach students ranging in age from late elementary up through high school. I think I will really enjoy my new schedule. Since I will not have to be to work until 1, I will be able to take pleasure in the morning sun while sitting on my roof reading a book. I'm ready for March!