Why Korea is like a Time Warp to the 90's

1.       Boy Bands/ Girl Groups:  There are multiple boy bands and girl groups in South Korea that could put the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls to shame.  All you have to do to form an instant bond with your elementary or middle school students here is to start talking about Kpop groups such as Super Junior or Girls Generation. They’ve got it all, from the choreographed dances with props, the cheesy lyrics, and the crazy makeup/hair/outfits. The major difference is that Backstreet Boys and N’sync each had 5 members. The average Kpop group has a small army of 8-14 members.

2.       Neon: Neon hiking gear, matching tracksuits. And neon, flashing lights and signs. Everywhere.

3.       Hair Accessories: I can’t get enough of this one. I am a sucker for cute headbands and they are everywhere here! And crazy cheap. Is it bad that it’s mostly my students who compliment my hair bows?

4.       Skorts: Who remembers those inappropriately short skirts that were somehow deemed appropriate to wear in public because they had built in shorts sewn underneath them? Well Korea is still riding this trend. Hemlines here are ridiculous.

5.       Smoking Inside: I can’t even remember the last time that I was in a public building in North America and people were smoking. Some restaurants or bars here have designated smoking areas or rooms but that isn’t usually the case.

6.       Polaroid Cameras: Remember that Christmas that your parents finally got you a Polaroid camera, and the sheer joy that came from shaking the picture as you waited impatiently for it to develop? They are still popular here. I must get one, ASAP!

7.       Bowl Cuts/Funky Hairstyles/Perms: When I was going through my chubby stage in grade 3, my mom took me to a hair salon for a routine cut. The hairstylist that I got was Eastern European and her English wasn’t great. We had some miscommunication somewhere and I ended up with a traumatizing mushroom cut. Korea is bringing it back in style. There are two types of perms here: First, the Ajumma perm is popular amongst Korean women 60+ and is characterized by short, tight curls. Second, many young people here also perm their hair, but usually in a more youthful, attractive way with long, beachy waves.

School Life

While I work on my next post, here are some pictures :) :

Notable Students:

Cutest boys award goes to: Harry and Tiger. Cutest girl award goes to Viviana. 

                  James: No introduction needed, you already know him.                                                can't see it from this angle but he has a rat tail.

Official Portraits of Myself by Some Important Artists

Little Monsters

Hilarious Mishaps

Assignment: Describe your family

                                                               She is straight, pretty and black.....

Assignment: Draw Aladdin and his lamp

                                                                                 Picture: Aladdin with a gun and Iron Man off                                                          to the right

Nope.... Was supposed to spell pencil.

Cafeteria Lunch: Bleh...It's no better in a different country

Soup and Bukhansan National Park

Hello dear readers,

I apologize that it has been an entire month since my previous post. I’ve been struggling a bit. I’ve been here for 3 months now and have reached the point that every expat must experience at one time or another. The newness has started to wear off and the realization has hit that it’s getting colder, the holidays are coming and I am a long way from home. Being here feels a bit like a new relationship: the quirks that initially attracted you to someone may eventually end up being your biggest annoyance. Also, I’ve been having a tough time with some of my classes. A lot of the kids here have no respect for foreign teachers. Most of the time it doesn’t bother me but sometimes it gets under my skin. I thought for a while that I had reached an understanding with James (my little troublemaker), but he still goes into blind fits of rage pretty much every day where he punches, bites me and pulls my hair. The frustrating part is that my Korean coworkers think it’s hilarious, or they brush it off saying “oh, he’s only 5.” It’s like there’s some weird divide with discipline here because I’ve taught middle school classes and the older kids are extremely respectful.

The way that I feel right now can be summed up by some wise words from a fellow expat that I heard this past weekend: “Sometimes Korea sucks, and sometimes it doesn’t.” It seems to be one extreme or the other. I thought it was very poetic because we were standing on a mountain in Seoul watching the sunset. And so it goes…Just when I have the crappiest of crappy weeks, I end up having a great weekend and the rest falls away.

Teaching here is tough. It can be easier or more enjoyable depending on what type of school you work at (public or private) and who your coworkers are. But in general, the office politics that are often experienced back home are multiplied here because there is a bit of a divide between Korean and foreign teachers. Many of my Korean coworkers are very non-confrontational. So if there is an issue, you won’t hear about it directly from the source. It gets passed around like a secret in a highschool classroom and eventually makes its way back to you.

Anyway, this past weekend was interesting and enjoyable. On Saturday I had plans to go to Songtan for the day, but as I was walking near my apartment, I found a dog wandering in the rain. This is not an unusual sight here as many people discard their pets like yesterday’s garbage when the novelty wears off. But this one was really tame and he came right to me. He looked relatively clean and healthy so I scooped him up and brought him home. I didn’t know what I was going to do with him at that point because realistically I don’t have time or money for a pet right now but he looked so scared that I couldn’t leave him.

My boyfriend and I brought him to my apartment, bought him a leash and some food and named him Soup. We posted a picture of him on the expat website hoping to find him a good home. For a brief moment, I considered keeping him but I knew that it wouldn’t be fair since I am at work for 10 hours per day sometimes. After an unsuccessful attempt at finding him a home ourselves, we walked back to the convenience store that we found him in front of and the lady behind the counter helped us call a shelter to pick him up. It was really sad saying goodbye. He was such a sweet dog and I hope that he finds a good home.

Yesterday we took a bus, a subway and another bus to Bukhansan National Park which is in the northern part of Seoul for a little bit of fresh air and hiking. This past weekend was supposed to be the peak weekend for fall colors and it did not disappoint. The bottom of the mountain was littered with cafes, restaurants and hiking gear shops. Koreans like to dress the part for whatever activity that they partake in, but especially for hiking. It is hilarious to see busloads of older Korean ladies and men decked out in neon gear and with hiking poles. I was really impressed with the age range of people that were doing the hike. It really is a family affair here. North America needs to adopt the smaller portion sizes and regular outdoor activity that are prevalent here.

The highlight of the hike for me was stumbling upon a pretty little temple midway up the mountain where a monk gave us water. I almost made the grave mistake of accepting the cup with one hand which is considered rude here. It is polite to receive something from an elder with both hands outstretched, while bowing your head. Other highlights included sitting on a rock and watching the sun disappear behind the mountains, and exploring the bunkers that were left over from the war. Reaching the summit was very satisfying, the view was spectacular. It felt like a tease, to be able to escape this city just for a day. Weekends go by way too fast.

Hello My Name Is: Single

THINGS THAT YOU CAN’T DO IN KOREA WITHOUT GETTING SOME FUNNY LOOKS:

-Break off 3 bananas from the economy size bunch of 20 at the grocery store.

-Go to a restaurant or café by yourself: actually I change this to anywhere where you have to sit down and linger for awhile. If you’re walking alone, you’re safe because people assume that you must be on your way to work or to meet someone. But the second you order a latte and sit down by yourself, you’re a big weirdo.

-Jaywalk: A man pretty much yelled and spat at my friend and I for jaywalking in Seoul the other day. That was a new level of hostility. Usually they just look at you like you have 6 eyes.

-Be Blonde: We’re an oddity here.

-Say that you are single: My first day here one of my Korean coworkers asked me if I had a boyfriend. When the answer was “no,” she looked as if she were about to burst into tears of pity.

-Wear a shirt that shows too much shoulder or cleavage.

THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO HERE THAT NO ONE BATS AN EYE OVER:

-Hold Hands and walk down the street with a member of the same sex in a totally platonic way.

-For Guys: Carry murses (man purses) and wear pants that are tighter than your girlfriend’s.

-Throw Garbage on the street. Whether it’s your bags of trash that you are dumping on the designated corners for pickup or the child who unwraps their icecream cone and throws the wrapper on the street. Complete disregard for our planet.

-Be publicly intoxicated and/or pass out in public places. Seems more common among older Korean men.

-Wear a dress or skirt length that would never fly in North America.

Korean Food: Beyond Barbeque

Here comes another true confession that I am not ashamed to admit: The main thing that I tend to remember about trips or places that I visit is the food.  I couldn’t tell you much about my trip to Myrtle Beach for spring break during 1^st year, but I could tell you all about the potato soup that I had in West Virginia on the way down. My family trip to Nova Scotia in high school was scenic and beautiful, but what stands out in my mind is the warm gingerbread we had at a restaurant near Peggy’s Cove. You get the idea. At home, I have spent many a Saturday or Sunday flipping through cookbooks and recipes and planning out the meal for that evening. I sometimes think about dinner before I even have breakfast. Needless to say, I get a lot of joy out of great meals-both making and eating them.

Before I came here, I had tried Korean food twice in my life. Both times were in K-town in Toronto.  Actually I’d had it three times, I went for barbeque once. I really didn’t understand why people got so excited about Korean barbeque. To me, it was just bad cuts of meat that you have to pay to cook for yourself. The other two times, I just did a point and guess thing when I ordered. I was very confused by all of the little side dishes that came out first. I thought it was what I had ordered because I just didn’t know. When you have Korean food, you are automatically served 8-10 little side dishes. They are usually an array of pickled vegetables (kimchi) and maybe some sardines or little fish and/or some type of soup.

Based on these underwhelming experiences, one of the things that I was worried about most prior to moving here was the food. But I was willing to go in with an open mind and hope for the best. Often when you eat food from different cultures in another city, it is not always authentic or representative. For this reason, I was willing to give it a fair shot.

So far, I can say that I am still waiting for that one dish that’s going to convert me. I really don’t see what the fuss is over kimchi. It’s one of those things that I’ll eat because it’s there in front of me. I have it pretty much every day because it is a staple here. But I can’t get excited about pickled vegetables in fish sauce. The best thing that I can say about it is that it’s healthy for your digestive system. Rice is also a staple here. It is in every meal from breakfast to dessert.

The flavors in the food are just lacking for me. I try really hard to avoid the mystery soups that are served with school lunches. They taste like cold water with bean sprouts mixed in. Most of the food is bland and unimpressive in terms of effort. Even the spiciest thing that I’ve tried here does not compare when I think about some of the Thai, Indian, or Afghan food that I’ve had. The other thing that I really can’t get past is how much sugar is in everything. Don’t get me wrong, I have a huge sweet tooth and I love chocolate and cakes, but I find high sugar content in things that aren’t supposed to be sweet.

I’ve been trying to cook at home for myself but I am limited in what I can do with my one frying pan, one pot and two gas burners.  Life is really much easier here if you a)eat meat and b)can deal with only eating Korean food when you go to restaurants because trying to eat foreign foods here is expensive and generally not very good. Aside from one Indian place that I’ve found that is pretty good. But $16 for vegetable curry makes it a once-in-a-while treat.

Here are 5 things that I can say that I enjoy eating here (hopefully this list will grow as time goes on):

Bibimbap: Fun to say and fun to eat. You get a bowl that has rice, lettuce, seaweed, carrots and some other chopped up veggies with a fried egg on top and some hot pepper paste on the side. Mix it all together and eat! Careful: sometimes the sauce on the side is actually this fermented soybean thing that smells like sweaty socks. Avoid at all cost.

Pajeon: Korean scallion pancake. Flat fried dough with vegetables and green onions. Not much else to say here. Yum.

Kimbap/Gimbap: Korean sushi basically. Rice, vegetables and tuna or meat rolled up in seaweed.

Songpyeon: Little chewy rice cakes filled with sesame seeds, nuts, honey and cinnamon. I didn’t care for these the first time I tried them but they grew on me. I wasn’t kidding when I said rice is in everything. I think these are specific to Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving).

Hodo Kwaja: Little walnut shaped cakes that have a waffle-like texture and are filled with warm red bean paste. Sold mostly by street vendors.

So readers: am I missing something here? What are some dishes that I should try. Not ready to give up yet.

I'm so happy, I'm so happy, I'm so happy, happy all the time

Depression must be non-existent here:

Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da

I woke up singing Obladi Oblada this morning…maybe because yesterday I decided to make these no bake chocolate peanut butter bars (that taste almost like reese’s) and then ended up eating half of the container… life goes on. Today I embarked on my first hiking trip in Korea. I was really looking forward to it because I haven’t had much exercise since I got here and also because I haven’t seen more than 3 pieces of grass and one leaf since I got here.

The only thing that I wasn’t looking forward to was waking up at 6:30 for a 7:30 bus departure. I have surprisingly gotten very comfortable with sleeping in since I don’t have to be at work until 11. I set my alarm but I couldn’t get to sleep until around 2am last night so waking up wasn’t much fun but I threw back some coffee and put my running shoes on and off I went to meet the group. . I went with three other foreign teachers whose Muay Thai master is in charge of organizing these excursions. We took a chartered bus because the hiking spot was about a 2 hour drive from Pyeongtaek.

It was impossible to miss this tour bus. As I approached the departure site, I could see an array of ajummas and ajusshis in NEON hiking gear, with poles and the whole works. I was literally prepared for an intense day of non-stop hiking up mountains and through treacherous paths and running from bears etc.

As soon as I stepped onto the bus I knew that this was not going to be your typical organized hike. The inside of the bus looked straight out of Snoop Dogg’s video for Sensual Seduction. It had multi-colored neon flashing lights on the ceiling and these Persian looking curtains with tassles.

We had just sat down and the bus had barely started moving when a lady came around and started handing out beer and soju. Have you ever started drinking before the sun has entirely risen in the sky? Key word being: STARTED. Not continued from the night before. Neither had I… until today. In North America, hiking means put on your sweatpants and running shoes and prepare for some strenuous walking where you will break a light sweat at the very least. In Korea, hiking means put on your neon finery and a full face of makeup and walk for 20 minutes until you reach a suitable place to sit and consume copious amounts of soju.

I came prepared for a workout and I was determined to get it so two of the other teachers and I left the group and continued up the river. It wasn’t the epic pilgrimage that I was picturing but I was just happy to be out of the city for a bit and the scenery was beautiful. We passed several other groups on our walk and everyone was incredibly friendly. One kind stranger shared his rice cakes with us and offered drinks.

We hiked for about 80 minutes and then made our way back to the rest of the group. We jumped back on the bus and headed back towards home, stopping on the way back for a buffet lunch. Meals here are always a guessing game. You never know quite what you’re eating until you bite into it, and sometimes not even then.

The highlight of the trip had to be the noraebang (karaoke) on the bus ride back. My previous hiking trips have never involved alcohol, karaoke and old Korean men and women dancing down the aisles of the bus. I have laughed so hard in this past month, I really feel like a kid again. That’s what I mean when I say that it’s been a rollercoaster. Sometimes you have a really bad day with your students and you miss home, and then the next day could be a complete 180 and suddenly, you fall in love with this country. Overall, it’s been a great experience so far and I am really happy that I came.  I will be spending a weekend at a Buddhist temple in the very near future and hanging out with some monks. Stay tuned.

Love <3