Crimbo in Korea

Korean children do not like it when their teachers sing. Or dance. Doing both simultaneously really makes them unhappy. So, on Christmas Eve Lisa and I both come into work amped about Christmas. Before class we pop in a CD she brought to school and start dancing and singing. We had one girl cornered, she almost looked on the verge of tears. One time I even sang a whole lesson because it gets such a rise out of them. They don't really enjoy singing or dancing themselves, in class as least. However, I attempted to break them out of their shell by teaching them songs of the season. 'Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer' for the little ones and Elvis's 'Blue Christmas' for my older kids. Neither won them over, which I was disappointed about. However, I got one class (my best class, they are so cute) on film, here they are:

Alright, so the sound is bad like the last video. I'll still keep it up, just be warned.

Merry Christmas! Seeing that this was the second Christmas I have spent in Asia I had some idea of what to expect. The first one being in 2001 when my family went to visit my sister Dot who was teaching in Taipei, Taiwan. I honestly do not remember a lot about the Christmas traditions there other than the commercial side. The only real evidence of the holiday I noticed in Taipei were decorations in all of the stores and pointsettas, but they grow native. I also remember Dot's tree. A four foot tall painting hanging on the wall decorated by her students. While my dream to find a real tree did not come true, no Big Jon's here, I did get this one for 2,000 at the local dollar store. It's about two feet tall with homemade decorations. Although small it brightened up the place along with presents, a picture of Aimee's girls, Nadia's card, candles and a beautiful candle holder made by my Mom. I opened a few presents every night leading up to the big day since I couldn't hold out. Although I saved the ones I was most excited about, along with the cards, for Christmas morning ("It's not Hanukkah, you aren't Jewish," Aim's reply to this). Thank you so much for the gifts, you really out did yourselves.

In Korea, much like Taiwan, Christmas is very commercialized. If I judge by what I hear from my kids the whole Jesus part of the holiday is lost to presents, decorations and fancy cakes. The conversation that led me to believe this took place last Tuesday in my third class, the bad one, when we were playing a game made up on the fly to take up time. The class was split into two teams, red and blue, I asked them questions manipulating the points to even out the scores/let the kids I like better win. The last question was a bonus Christmas one worth two points, this win could turn the whole game around, the red team in the lead with one point.

I slowly ask, "Christmas is some one's birthday, someone important. Whose birthday is it?". The kids are stunned. I think they thought that the question would relate to our lesson for that week. Ha, I like to watch them squirm. Hands shoot up even though their faces tell me they have no clue. I give the question to my favorite student, the sweetest boy that sometimes picks his nose and cries when the other students call him 'Brian chicken' (lame insult I know, must be a Korean thing).

"Brian."

He's thinking hard, taking it slow, "Christmas is... Brittany Teacher's birthday.

"Ha, no. Guess again."

"It's... uh... ha... SANTA'S birthday." The class goes wild with laughter.

"Haha, no. This person lived a long time ago, think history," I hint.

Hunter raises his hand. This is the problem child. His most recent work includes listing Jillian (my Korean co-teacher) and Brittany under the dislike column on a workbook activity about what you do and don't like. It took me to the brink, (some of you will be disappointed in me, some of you will laugh) I called him a 'little bastard' to his face that day. He couldn't understand me, if that makes it any better. About two weeks in he was the one repeatedly saying "Fuck you" while flipping the bird. See? It's been building, he deserved it.

Anyway, Hunter gets close with, "It's God's birthday."

"Close, but no."

Then he says something in Korean which, according to Kevin #2's (there are many Kevins) phone dictionary which he holds up to my face to pronounce is correct.

"Jesus Christ," I yell. "Correct, the blue team wins." Hunter took the win for his team to my disappointment.

Every week we have a journal topic that the kids write over the weekend and, if I'm lucky, return on Monday. Last week's topic was, 'If you could have anything for Christmas what would it be?'. To show them what I expect they help me write an example on the board. For this topic we listed what they thought Brittany Teacher would want for Christmas. This might not count as sarcasm because I'm pretty sure they were dead serious about some of the answers, but this is what they thought up: a car, money, marriage, Lamborghini, a big house, cell phone, AK 47, a man, bombs, and a baby (not just any baby, they think that for Christmas I want to get pregnant and have my own child). I have a lot of boys, which explains the weapons/cars. The whole 'a man' idea was clever, but not sure where that came from. I put a big red X through all the things that weren't on my mental Christmas list and ended up with a Lamborghini. Hunter's journal was the same as mine, maybe we're more alike than different after all. However, Kevin #1 (otherwise known as Cute Kevin, but he really isn't) had a fantastic journal, or 'janar' as he writes it, that I thought good enough to take a picture of:

Not sure how Zombies came to be in America but I am glad that Kevin #1 is on it.

Sadly, many of my students will be moving up a level and I will get a whole new batch on Monday. I have really grown attached to them since most I've had from the time I started working and I see them every day. We'll see what characters I meet this time around.

It is Boxing Day today, not a usual day off like Christmas was but luckily I work for an amazing company and they gave all their branches the day off. Unlike my friends I get to lounge on this Friday while they are stuck at work. Last night was our big Christmas party at a swanky high rise on the beach. Kathleen, Karen (one of our best friends here, she is Canadian, has been here for 4 months, has a scooter named Dixie, is a co founding member of Club Tuesday Party, a great person and a lot of fun) and I were throwing this thing so we arrive at 2 pm on Christmas Day to get it started. We pay for the room, get the key, haul our bags up to the 15th floor and walk in. There was a solid 5 minutes of all three of us screaming, running from room to room, jumping on the one bed as we took in the amazingness that was Room 1502. While we had seen the layout of the condo before we didn't know what type of view we would have. But right there, 15 stories down was Haeundae Beach (and Dixie, you could seen Karen's scooter parked on the sidewalk). It was a perfect view, better than we expected. People were to arrive at three so we start to unpack our suitcases. I brought the same amount of luggage to the condo for one night as I brought to South Korea. The same bag anyway, this time it was filled with groceries, pots, pans, a coffee maker and my small Charlie Brown tree.

People begin to arrive, we cook, decorate with music in the background and Christmas movies on the HUGE flat screen. Like home on holidays the traffic was terrible and the super market packed. Running an errand with my friend Travis, an American from the West coast, was more like a slow crawl in the taxi to end up dodging wild carts and people in the store just to pick up water, cause remember you can't drink from the tap, and drinks for the party. FYI- you can't buy ice, it just won't happen.

Getting back from errands we find that the turkey has not arrived yet. I call Mr. Kim at the Seamen's (heh) Club to find out that the bird is en route. The other day I made my way to the other side of town behind the train station (literally the other side of the tracks) on Pier 3 of the major port in Busan to the Seamen's Club. I have heard of this place from friends that have eaten here for different holidays, but it was my first time in the place. It screams tacky American restaurant, straight out of Ellijay, Georgia. They serve American food all year round but specialize in holiday meals for Westerners and Koreans alike. I pay Mr. Kim the won equivalent of $90 (the whole menu is in dollars, not sure why) which comes to 126,000 won (the won has dropped drastically since I arrived). I proof read the address he wrote down, with date, time and my named spelled with two p's. The turkey is to be delivered to the Palé de CZ at 5 pm on Christmas Day to Brippany via taxi. Let's hope the taxi driver doesn't get hungry on the way.


A while after talking to Mr.Kim I get a call from the taxi driver, he doesn't speak much English. Just enough to say he was here and he was, "A Korean guy". Duh, we assumed that he would also be, get this, in a taxi. Sunel, my South African friend that lives in the apartment building next door to me, comes with to find this Korean man and our turkey. On the elevator down she explains to me that there are no Z's in the Korean language, she is making a much stronger attempt to learn Korean than I ever will be capable of. That's why I keep her around, that and the fact that she used to work in a park with elephants, lions and other African things I've only seen in zoos. She's pretty cool.

We find him, he pops the trunk, we trade cab fare for food, wish him a Merry Christmas and take the turkey back up to the room. We peal back the tin foil to the most beautiful turkey I have ever seen. It was at least 18 pounds and tasted as good as it looked complete with stuffing. The rest of the night was spent eating, drinking, playing games, oh-ing and ah-ing over how fancy the place was with friends filtering in from different obligations all over the city. It was a great group of people, everyone chipped in to pay us for the room and helped with food. If I spend another Christmas away from home I hope I am surrounded with people of the same quality as those I was with last night. It truly was one of my best nights in Busan.

It wouldn't be Christmas without talking to the family. I am so happy I was able to talk to everyone at midnight to be there, in some sense, when you opened your package from Korea. I hope you enjoyed everything. Dad, did you really try the silkworms? Gag. I send my love to everyone back home that I have not talked to. I hope this Christmas finds you well.

It was around 5 am when the last party guests left. Kathleen and Karen went to sleep before me, claiming the one bed and leaving me to the couch or a bed pad on the floor. I opted for the floor. It really was comfortable. The morning was spent with the three of us cleaning up, finding random gifts and things people left behind, making breakfast out of what was left of the food, milking our last few hours in our fancy apartment and talking about how lucky we were to have found such great people for friends in Korea. Though sappy it couldn't be more true. Pictures of those people, the Palé and the party to follow.

Jordan carving the turkey.

The view the next morning.

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This is the building from the outside taken during our ferry ride last week.

My bed.

Club Tuesday Party

The hours here mold a person into a routine that is less than stressful. While there are some that work normal hours at public schools most English teachers work hours starting around 2 in the afternoon until 9 at night. This results in late nights with late mornings and little time for us to see the light of day. That can be wearing very quickly and seeing as everyone needs a good dose of vitamin D Kathleen, Karen and I began the Club Tuesday Party. Every week we wake up before noon to experience the wonders Busan has to offer during the day before work. This past week we took the ferry tour of the Oryuk-do Islets.




I will be adding to this photographic record (stolen from Club Tuesday Partiers) of our morning and soon there will be a video of the crazy seagulls that entertained us the whole ride. We even saw some sea life!







The seagulls were very brave. We figured out by the end of the ride that they would even eat off our hats. Thankfully everyone got out of there clean. Honestly, I think it was scarier for me than the bird.








The Korean couple that was nice enough to tell us to buy food to throw to the birds. He is holding out a shrimp flavored chip for them to grab from his hand. Let's hope bird flu isn't a concern in Asia any longer...











Great picture Jordan! Not sure how these fishermen got there but it looks as though they'll be there all day. This is one of the small rocky islands, or islets, the ferry took us around.





This obviously wasn't Tuesday morning. Rather, this was Sunday evening. It was a nice day spent wondering Busan with my friend Jason. We found a comic book convention with hundreds of Korean teenagers dressed in ridiculous costumes and then we found this:

"Getting to work"

We were discussing different modes of transportation in one of my older classes today. It was a great lesson soley for the fact that they are starting to pick up on sarcasm. It makes me proud. Mickey, the only boy in a class of 5 females (four of which, excluding myself, are hitting puberty and express their love for the poor child through hitting and mean jokes), said that he flew to school today. I wouldn't put it past him, he is a little off in class sometimes... As for me getting to work (being on South Korean transit in general) is always interesting.

For instance just today I was riding bus #22 when a Korean woman said I was beautiful. I find it hard to respond to this. If I say she is beautiful she'll think I am just saying it to be nice. With the limited English vocabulary I'm assuming she has I can't go into my love for her country and culture because of simple encounters like this one I'm having with her 'cause her stop is next. Instead I say, "Thank you, anyang he kassayo," my version of good bye in Korean with a thick Waygook accent. It's these simple conversations, when Korean people engage me in conversation or offer me help, that wakes me up out of my routine and makes me realize where I am.

There was another wake up call about two months ago. This time I was walking to work for the very first time. The weather was bearable as the hot days cooled down making the fourty-five minute walk possible. Along the main road there are shops, restaurants (one of which serves dog), a small trash heap, thrift stores, trees and a steady flow of people. On days I'm not in a rush and need a walk I opt for this way of getting to work.

October 15th was my first day of walking as well as the first time I saw evidence of the true divide between South and North Korea. My students don't say they're from South Korea when I ask, they say Korea. They aren't South Korean, they are Korean. On postage, it isn't South Korea, it is The Republic of Korea. I was beginning to assume, that while they do have differences and they are seperate countries, citizens think of it as one big Korea. That was until the first day I walked to work.

When my walk began I thought I heard sirens (like the ones they turn on for a tornado) in the distant. It was a clear day and as far as I know they don't even have tornadoes in Korea, so I ignore them and put on my ipod. I pick up my pace about half way to not be late. But as I pick up my pace all other traffic slows down gradually until all vehicles come to a hault. The cars, buses, even scooters (that abide by no rules) have some reason to stop even though the lights are green. I knew something big was up then because the drivers are crazy here. They run red lights, swerve into on coming traffic, don't wear seat belts and don't have car seats for young children. Seeing them at a dead stop was weird since they are constantly on the go. Soon enough I get to a cross walk where even foot traffic has been stopped by a little man with a sash in Korean (which I guessed was stating his authority) drapped across his chest. A van is broadcasting some sort of announcement from a loud speaker behind him. I kept trying to sneak past the sashed man but he was a quick fella with a strong will that kept men, women, children and even clueless foreigners from keeping to their steady pace. Deciding I should at least pretend to know what's going on I take off my ear phones, furrow my brow and listen intently to the serious Korean coming from the van. I wait with the rest of the crowd until the loud speaker is quiet, the sirens stop and traffic resumes as if nothing happened. I went all day confused about what happened. Later that night my friend Liz, another American, told me that her walk to work was also inturrupted by a similar situation. Others experienced the same thing. It seems that all of Busan, perhaps all of South Korea, paused to listen to this broadcasting. But why?

Turns out that North and South Korea are not as united as I assumed. Yes, they are in fact still at war. No, they are not friends. Liz filled me in that this was a drill, a drill in case North Korean was to attack. They were not tornado sirens as my simple Georgian mind thought, they were war sirens. Maybe it's time for me to learn a bit more Korean so I know what to do the next time I hear them...

Two and a half months later...

It is high time I revived my blog. I'm picking it up, brushing off the dust and am going to attempt a recap of the past weeks that I have neglected to record. I honestly have no excuse. While my life here has become more normalized with a routine and a solid group of friends there are still new and exciting experiences every day.



Like last Wednesday, when the Gas Man was finally able to check my meter. Most apartments have the gas meter outside so that it can be easily checked and a bill sent without any human interaction. Not all, but some, do not have it outside. Which means someone comes by once a month to check the number. Mine is on the inside. I remember being scared of the meter man when I was a kid, watching him through the window to make sure he wasn't up to anything funny. So the fact that in Korean the meter man has to come into my one room apartment freaks me out. Maybe it's my childhood fear translating to adulthood or maybe I just don't answer the door to people because I don't have a peep hole. Whatever the reason it has been almost five months of the gas company sending me bills amounting to only a dollar because I refuse to open the door to a stranger. It wasn't a problem for the first two months because, if you remember, I had no heat. However, now that the wiring is fixed and my apartment is heated the gas company is more adamant on getting into my place. Last Wednesday I was forced to face my fear, he was a middle aged Korean man. I'm walking home from work around 10 pm when this man walking out of my apartment building greets me as if he recognizes me. Being the only foreigner (waygook as we're better known) in my building I'm guessing he wasn't taking a gamble by singling me out as the mystery leasee in apartment 102. He punches in the 'secret code' to the apartment building then leads me right to my door. It was then that I realized who he was. This was the Gas Man. I run in, leaving him in the hall while I tidy up before I open the door to the guy. I'm sure this man has seen it all walking into random rooms unannounced for years, but still, I had to pick up just a bit. After letting him in I see the clothing rack is blocking the meter. It was laundry day. Since the drying rack is at an adjustable height right in front of the only window in my place I usually put the least embarrassing clothing towards the window leaving my, I'll just say it, underwear to dry safely from view of my neighbors. Since I had never worried about strangers coming in I never thought of hiding them from people inside my place. But now there they were, frilly things blocking the man's view of the 00083 on the far wall. This is why I have been avoiding his knocks. The Gas Man is a gentleman though, he says nothing (not that I could understand him in the first place). After explaining to me, with calendar in hand, that he will come every 7th of the month at about this time he goes on his way. Sadly, my bill will be a lot higher this month. Nonetheless, I hope to build a nice repore with the Gas Man. Next time I'll even ask him his name.

Kat's great arrival

Finally, Kathleen has made the move to Busan. And I must say, she fits right in. Her first night was last Monday and ever since then we have been going strong. It began with a night in the our hood- Kyungsung University. A great neighborhood it is too, filled with young people and plenty of restaurants with good food. We went to a cheap Korean style joint and I awed Kathleen at how skilled I am at Korean by trying to communicate with the waiter, failing greatly and then resorting to pointing to the Korean writing and saying, "Ego chessayo". Translation: "This please". It is a dangerous sport, pointing blindly like that at a Korean food menu. We could of ordered dog or human liver or who knows what else. Kathleen was a good sport though and up for anything so that is exactly what we did. However, our food arrived and it was machesoyo - delicious with mostly identifiable ingredients. After dinner we met up with Diane, a Canadian that lives in our hood. Her personality is pure energy and she keeps us going when everyone else is tired. Which is exactly what we needed all since this week takes the cake, we have been out doing things constantly from about noon until 4 or 5 the next morning. There is just so much to do and so many new people for Kathleen, and myself still to meet, that we haven't been able to stop! So anyway it all began the first night Kathleen was here, she introduced her to some Korean friends we made the week before and then made our way home. Like I've told others Kathleen has just seamlessly joined in, I have a great group of friends here now from all over and she gets along with all of them well. She has settled into her new apartment, a five minute walk from myself. And thank God she is here too cause she is documenting this experience much better than I am. Here is her blog- http://kasheridan.blogspot.com/ she will fill in what I have left out with pictures and video.

Aside from Kathleen coming there have been some other very exciting things happening. First, was the island hopping during Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving. We didn't really know where we were going, what it would be like or even if there would be a beach to camp on. Not sure how we ended up anywhere really. After taking a two hour bus from Busan (more like three with Chuseok traffic), a tashee (taxi), a ferry, another bus, and walking a bit this is what we found:

This picture is a bit crooked and doesn't convey how beautiful it was but it was taken at about 6 am after sleeping in a S. Korean graves, this is my excuse .

If you notice this is a rocky beach, not so comfortable to sleep on. However, there was a grassy hill, rumored to be a burial ground, near the shore and that is where we set up tent and stayed the night. It was about a group of 30 Westerners (by the time everyone finished filtering in) that invaded this quiet little island. Some had tents, some didn't, some had food, others didn't. But still, everyone had a good time. We braved the water but ended up coming out of it with scrapes from the rocks we couldn't see. While the beach had some trash the water was clear, clean and cool and as long as you watched out for rocks it was a great swim. So the next day we decide it is time to move on in hopes of finding sand. This time we hitch hiked back to the main land in order to catch a bus to the next island - Go Je, the second largest in South Korea. A sandy beach should be a sure thing on this one... right? Our group breaks down to only 7 of us as we begin, at 7 in the morning, to attempt to get to the next island. So the nice man let's us hitch to the other side of the bridge where we sit awhile, catch a bus in order to catch a ferry in order to sit around waiting for another bus in front of a convenience store being the only thing open on Chuseok day.

The ride we hitched-Don't know many people that would pick up this crowd of strangers, then again Koreans are nicer than most Americans and a lot less sketchy.

We wait, and wait, then finally the owner of the store calls us cabs. It may have been out of the goodness of her heart but then again we were acting up in front of her establishment for over an hour so I'm pretty sure she just wanted us to go away. The cabs arrive. Happy to just be back on the road (it's 10:30 by now) we climb into two. Dot, Aim, Mom and Dad- Not sure how you could forget it, but do y'all remember our little family trip to Taroko Gorge? Perhaps you blocked it because of the traumatic taxi ride along steep cliffs, those men were mad. It may just be an Asian taxi driver thing because our taxis drove the same way, aside from the cliffs it was just as fast and tight. We were burning rubber, literally, wheels were screeching. Needless to say we made it alive to the next beach. And there was sand. We set up camp across the road from the town cow after we venture to find food in a small Korean coastal town where everything is closed because of the holiday. Again we find ourselves sitting on a stoop wondering where the hell to buy food with only ramen and a $10 bbq to cook on between the lot of us. Right then Brenda comes up with her two younger siblings. She is a 13 year-old Korean that speaks near perfect English. Not sure why, cause we are looking rough, then again maybe that was why, she tells us that her father would like to prepare us food! On his holiday, on their Thanksgiving him and his wife offer their home to feed almost ten strangers a homemade meal. Astonishing, isn't it? The generosity here never ceases to amaze. The prepare bipembop (spelling...), a traditional dish of rice, vegetables, and egg complete with side dishes and water to drink. The 5 year-old boy even provided entertainment, by singing "Let it Be". It was kind of creepy how well he sang it. The parents only emerged to bring in the food and to help us out where we can catch the bus back to Busan the next morning, Brenda acting as translator.

Here are the providers of the best Chuseok miracle preformed on our trip-

Our campsite night #2, glamorous innit?

We were really sure how to repay their generosity, leaving money would be worse than nothing and we didn't have anything on us but ramen and fireworks. In the end two people left their phone numbers with little Brenda, maybe she'll get a few free English lessons out of the whole deal. The beach behind us is where we spent the rest of the day and night. Finding fire wood at a near by school yard we build a fire and sit around. The next morning we're up again early to catch the first bus outta dodge. By this time I think all of us, while it was a great trip, were about ready to be back in Busan. The bus took us straight to the second bus terminal where we got another back home. And it was so good to get back home.

23 will be just as good as 22

I'm pretty sure of it, if not better. But only because y'all contributed to the great start. Those back home as well as my coworkers, students and friends here. My day started with talking to all of my family, including the twins and Addie, who I haven't talked to since I've arrived. I got my hur did, for only 10 bucks and it was the best hair cut I've ever had. They did the most amazing hair wash, it was like a scalp massage. I drank coffee, ate pastries and leisurely made my way to work by 3 pm. Some of the students were kind enough to bring me gifts, back to the generosity of the people here (I have more examples coming). I received a pencil case, notebooks, pencils for my pencil case, a handkerchief, and coppee (coffee) drinks. All of which are token Korean things. In addition my coworkers got me a cake with candles, sang me happy birthday and gave me a gift certificate to E Mart (it's a Korean thang) along with a card. From work I went straight to meet people for dinner. It was a great group of friends ranging from people I've known since the first night I got here to people I met at dinner that night. It was a group of almost 18 from Canada, America, Korea... all over. We went to eat Korean bbq at a top notch restaurant. The two Korean woman who came along to dinner, who didn't know who the hell I was before that night, brought me a gift from The Body Shop. After dinner we headed to one of my favorite dives. My favorite 'cause it reminds me of places in back in Athens, small, dark and plays live music ranging in quality, every Wednesday being open mic night. We met more friends at the bar and continued the fun with pool, music and dancing. After all it was a school night so it ended at a reasonable hour in order to be able to function for work the next day. I want to thank everyone that contributed to making it such a good day, I am so thankful to have y'all be a part of it wherever in the world the birthday wishes came from.

Tomorrow I will be heading two hours west of Busan by bus to hop islands for Korea's Thanksgiving (Chusok). Most of the schools have Monday and Tuesday off next week so there will be a bunch of teachers camping on various islands in the area. I have a cell phone now, although I'm not sure how it works with foreign calls. Here is the number just in case: 010-5844-2097 (I got to pick the last four digits). Sorry this is a dinky post, the next one will be good. Promise.

Miss Ranew is acclimated.

I believe it is official! I dreamt of getting kimchi recommendations at the grocery store last night, Korean culture has entered my subconscious so therefore I am acclimated. Of course we were speaking English, so I haven't totally converted. I was definitely in a Mega Mart though, not Kroger. So there is that and the fact that my kitchen has only Korean food in it since I have polished off the oreos AND peanut butter Frances sent along (one amazing package that one was). That leaves: tofu, frozen dumplings, soy sauce, pickled radish, kimchi, seaweed, soy bean oil, some odd thick brown sauce that reminds me of Vegemite, green tea, cactus yogurt, chop sticks, spoon, no fork, and eggs of varying sizes that I keep refrigerated unlike every where else in this country. The only "normal" things are salt, corn flakes, bread and butter. While I have attempted to cook traditional food with some success and an equal amount of failures (I haven't mastered the art of cooking rice). One thing I have not taken on is using what I find here to create Western food. Nothing past a grilled cheese at least, which isn't hard to recreate even though the cheese is below par. So that is my next challenge. I guess I haven't cooked it because I haven't been that desperate yet. And I guess before I'll brave buying imported mad cow ridden meat (only kidding) I'll hit McDonald's. While I disapprove of the signs of Western culture taking over I did appreciate one American establishment the other day. I'm over Dunkin' Donuts, I have moved on to the upper crust, Starbucks. I'm on my new schedule now and while the hours are much better, I can stay up late and sleep in later, it is hard to adjust to working evenings. To help me adapt I get coffee. Everything was the same, the decor, the type of people (even though Korean), the sounds and the smell. The coffee was pretty good too. I didn't get what I think I ordered, but that goes for places back home too. Customer service just isn't what it used to be.

I have been up to a lot since the last time I wrote in this thing. For one I went to a Lotte Giants baseball game. Since they are on a winning streak, and like home, games are only exciting when the team is winning, the stadium was packed and the fans were wild. In terms of concessions, which are not ridiculously overpriced, there was dried squid, fish cakes on a stick, dumplings, fried chicken, hot dogs, cheap beer, pepsi (no coke-a-cola!!!!!! but that usually isn't the case), rice noodles, roasted potatoes with sugar sprinkled on top, and kimbop (sushi-esque). We sat third base on the side opposite the cheerleaders, yep at a baseball game. We were right dab in the middle of the family section. The best part is the nineth inning, everyone is given an orange shopping bag which is to be, get this, placed on your head. Can you imagine the lawsuits? Here is a bag that goes over your head, make sure the kid gets one too. But no, this isn't lawsuit land, people are laid back. So you take the bag, blow air into it, tie a knot and place it on top of your head with the handles around your ears. Vuwallah, you look like an ass in two seconds flat. But it's ok, so does everyone else. The beauty of this bag is that they totally distract you from it's real use. When the game is over pick up what you've been throwing around your section for the past few hours then toss the old hat into the pile of other trash filled hats. Although I kept mine as a souvenir.

The other dream I had was that I was back home for only a few hours, this one felt real. I didn't see anyone but I was in my room trying to remember what it was that I missed so I could bring it back with me. The thing was, I couldn't remember a damn thing! It goes to show that you don't really need much, the things I miss are creature comforts and security blankets of sorts which aren't worth remembering. I brought pretty much all I need. However, I do still enjoy packages and I received TWO yesterday! I couldn't wait till next Wednesday so I opened the boxes hoping that the presents would be wrapped. Opps, Dot's wasn't!!!! Haha, thank you so much Dot! I love the book and the vintage stickers. Mom, you did manage to wrap some things and thank God you did because I wouldn't have anything to open on my actual birthday. The paintings from Addie are lovely Aimee, I'll have something to decorate my apartment with. I haven't read the card yet, I'm saving the best for last. And the Ped Egg- it is amazing. Not to mention that you remembered to put in my makeup I left back home. Guess I can't go without some material things. I hope to get packages in the mail soon to y'all, there is so much I want to show you! But that'll wait till I get paid, let the suspense grow until then.

I also ventured to my first Jingibong (sp?), a spa where you walk around naked. But I don't want to give too much away before Kathleen gets here. So I'll wait so she can experience it and then I will fill the rest of you in.

Instead of writing the 50 report cards I have to write by tomorrow on my planning period I am eating and writing in my blog. I feel bad, the Korean teachers work much harder than we do. They plan out what we will teach (each foreign teacher is paired up with a Korean teacher and we teach the same students once a day) on top of planning their own lessons. Sometimes they are on the same material but usually we'll be teaching from different books each day. Most of them are young, mid twenties, and we are able to communicate fairly well even with the language barrier. So instead of doing work and setting a good example for all American workers I usually write out my lesson plans each day quickly then spend the rest of the time on Facebook, send emails back home or eating. Stressful work day, let me tell you. This week is the last week for "intensives" meaning that I will no longer be working 8-5 but from 4 pm- 9:30 pm. All of the English teachers are looking forward to this because it will give us most of the day for other things. Another plus is that I'll be able to talk to y'all more since I'll actually be awake/not working when it's evening for you!

This past weekend was great, we watched the Koreans take home the gold for baseball. Which was very exciting considering South Korea has some of the most enthusiastic baseball fans I've ever seen, seriously. Everyone in the bar where we were watching it were glued to the tv, and the roar when they won was like nothing I've ever heard. Sunday was devoted to beach volleyball, which I am terrible at, but it was a beautiful day and it still was a good time.

Songjeong Beach volleyball

And last night I went with some foreigners to see Dark Knight again, but this time at an Imax theater. The tickets cost about the same as back home and the theater was very nice. Assigned seating with really comfortable chairs, a VIP lounge, and even a hand drier in the bathroom like the one at Brick Store (i.e. the best hand drier in the world). Before hand we went out for dumplings, if you come and visit this is where we will be going. 8-10 dumplings for $2 if they're steamed and $3 if fried. Delicious.

Here are a few pictures (my camera mysteriously works again!). I'll put up more soon I hope!

More of the same...

As it turns out I used a fork at lunch right after I wrote my last post. Figures. I've used them a few times now, I guess it isn't as unheard of as I originally thought...

I find more similarities than differences the longer I'm here. As was the same in Italy. For example Italy has its stereotypical men who are much more forward to women than Americans. And for those that have been there you can vouch for that to be true (same goes for America, just like white trash can be found in places other than the South, you can find dirt bags all over the world). But here in Korea I was expecting to find a more refined, conservative man that would not do such things. Wrong. As I walked into work today, donned with heels as an attempt to fit in with every Korean woman that wears heels in every situation. (We were swapping stories about this last night. They wear heels all day, to work, around town, shopping, hiking, at the beach, with wet suits, in the water... no joke. There are apparently signs on hiking trails warning against wearing heels. And these aren't casual wedges either, these are blinged out, prom attire, bedazzled things ranging from kitten to three inches in height. They are fabulous but I can't fit my huge American feet into any of them.) So today I wear heels with a dress, nothing too much or revealing. Hell, I work in an elementary school, no need to out do myself. It's 8 am and I'm walking to the subway when a middle aged Korean man walks toward me, smiles and says hello. Like I've said before I love these interactions. However, the conversation turns. He blurts out, in a thick S. Korean accent, "I want sex". I would have been offended if it wasn't for the fact that one, I was totally caught of guard (8 AM) and two, he had the widest most innocent grin on his face. I'm not really sure if he understood what he was saying. (I know what you're thinking Mom, Dad and others... he knew exactly what he was saying and I should have slapped him and run to the nearest police station.) I like to think that someone taught him only three phases in English that you should always say to women you see walking alone on the street. "Hello", "I want sex" and "Where are you going?".

Yesterday I was excited to teach my kids about music. Vocabulary words: rock, classical, techno, pop, rap, reggae, salsa, and country. I am proud to say that there are eight S. Korean children that have heard of 50 Cent, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Daft Punk from a lesson planned ten minutes before class on YouTube, I'm so good at this. I made a fool out of myself by attempting to line dance and salsa in front of the class, but still wasn't able to crack a smile in one of my intermediate classes. They won't crack, although they did speak at one point to call a violinist fat. In return they taught me that salsa, not sure of the spelling but something that sounds like it, means diarrhea in Korean. Fascinating.

Busan Museum of Modern Art

A typical scene on the subway, a large ink drawing @ the museum.

This one reminded me of Fa's paintings

Scroll room 1 of 6And another, look- owls

Metal sculpture, always the least refined...

I was able to talk to a lot of you on Skype last weekend! Which was really great, it always makes my day. I did some sight seeing starting with the Busan Museum of Modern Art. There were a lot of people there, mostly teenagers. It is only 4,000 won, not the nicest museum I've seen, maybe about the size of the Georgia Museum of Art but not as well kept. Koreans, from what I gather, have a great appreciation for the arts and the amount of people at the museum showed this greatly. There was a contest of some sort going on because the best were marked with ribbons. I couldn't read anything of course, so I was lost in terms of that. Never the less, I felt right at home. The process of making art is consistant, it seems, everywhere and I knew it well enough to not need the discriptions. The prints and sculpture were of greatest interest since I know them best. The paintings were amazing, although I don't know how to judge, they were purdy. Then there was a whole floor devoted to scrolls a more traditional side dealing closer to book arts, which I loved as well. I'll be back. This has been my only real encounter with the art world since I've been here. I hope to find much more.

Haedong Yonggung Temple

They look alike, rub the belly for good luck.

Prayer facing the sea in front of a sacred statue. The woman on the far right asked me to take a picture with her son in front of this statue. They must have random foreigners in all their photo albums.

View from the top

Check out the offerings to the Gods, money, little dog statues and some kid even gave up his action figure. Every statue, no matter the size, had something like this around it.

During the long weekend I also went to a temple built on the sea (pictures coming, my camera isn't working at the moment), the red light district - Texas Street, and a beautiful park with a trail along rocky shore that is within walking distance of my house. I met many great Westerners and a Danish (maybe) man named Alfred. But they'll have have to wait, the bell just rang for class.

**I forgot to wish Buda a happy birthday last Friday! Sorry girl, I hope Mom, Dad and Dutch treated you well. And yes, they do eat black lab here, you would probably make me a pretty penny in the markets. Then again you are also considered a God, you would put them in quite the conflict here. Don't worry, I wouldn't dare think of eating dog.

The Canadians were just talking about how the dollar is coming back up. Mwahaha.

Fork you

I haven't seen a fork since I left. Well, that is a lie. I did see a Korean actress eat with one on a sitcom while at a Western restaurant, but in person I have yet to lay eyes on one. The chop sticks really aren't that bad once you get the hang of them and for all the tricky foods you have a spoon to spare you from embarrassment. In place of knives, which are also hard to find when eating out, they use scissors. This looks so odd to us, but I'm sure it would be equally strange if they weren't to find them in the States. Imagine asking for scissors when out to eat, maybe they think the same thing if we were to ask for a knife or fork.
Eating seems to be very much a social event here. It is very entertaining as you help prepare your meal, or else have it prepared at the table, instead of having it fully finished and placed in front of you. The BBQ has been my favorite so far. Before leaving, my family and I went out to Buford Highway to find authentic Korean, oh we found it. Kimchi of different varieties, pickled things, soups, meat, sauces and we had no idea what to do with any of 20 plates on the table. We ate it as one big sample, trying a little of this and a little of that, one big chaotic taste test with no real order to it. Now I know how to do it right and all it took was one meal with my Korean coworkers. I made a few mistakes, like eating the toppings before the meat was even ready, using the wrong end of my chop sticks, dropping things into my lap or using the wrong dipping sauce. But through all the mistakes I learned a lot. First they bring drinks, of which you are not to pour for yourself (bad luck) and you are supposed to give and receive with two hands, always. I have been picking up on this more, even at the convenience store when they hand you a receipt they always hand you the money with one hand and the other hand touching their other arm or else they use both hands. After the drinks come the appetizers like what came to us at the Korean place back in Atlanta, kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage, don't let the description fool you it is amazing) and mysterious pickled things. Everything comes in it's own dish, I wouldn't want to be a dishwasher here. So then they bring out the toppings for the meat and lettuce leaves to wrap the meat in, this we didn't know back in Atlanta. The meat is cooked on a grill in front of you in the middle of the table, raw chicken is cut (with scissors) into pieces and after about five/ten minutes is ready to be placed in a leaf of lettuce with onion, sauces and whatnot, folded then eaten. It is delicious and keeps things interesting too. No awkward silences.
There is also fresh seafood everywhere. We got three plates of fresh sushi for $20 the other night, octopus (maybe squid), fish of all varieties, shrimp, and eel. It is like Japanese sushi with wasabi, soy sauce and ginger. Radish has been served with almost every meal, including friend chicken, it is very good for you and helps with digestion. Overall the diet is very healthy. I've eaten more veggies then I ever did at home, and that is with eating out constantly. The food is so affordable that you can go out and get a full meal for the same cost of making something at home. In terms of dessert, the Popsicles have been my favorite. You'll see thugged out guys eating ice cream or Popsicles from the convenience stores which are on every block. I was introduced to the honey dew flavor the other night, it tastes exactly like the melon. Haven't found a Bruster's equivalent yet... The fresh ice cream, or gelato, has been a bit pricey.

While walking on the street the other night I heard 'Georgia on my mind' playing. To be fair, I didn't even notice it, my Canadian friend Ian pointed it out. We had just watched America loose to the South Korean baseball team in the Olympics, everyone in restaurants and bars were going crazy. So after watching America's defeat I stood with my Canadian friend in front of a French bakery listening to Ray Charles surrounded by South Koreans.

A child said f*** you in class the other day, about 5 times in a row. And then shot the bird to the whole class repeatedly. Mean Teacher Brittany came out. He had no idea what it meant but I don't think little Hunter will be doing it again.

The Beach

For some reason before I moved here I didn't put it together that I would be living by the beach. I guess I imagined Busan as a port city with only the ships as their direct tie to the sea. However, I am wrong. There are at least five different beaches, large beaches, all within a short subway ride/walk from my apartment. Having only four hours from the beach my whole life this is very exciting. I'm sure y'all can relate. Basically the thing to do here is go to the beach. Hang out, eat, drink, swim (most of the Koreans have no problem swimming fully clothed), go to concerts, celebrations, camp, nap, and do all this with friends and family by the water. It is for everyone to enjoy. Last weekend we went to a bonfire on one beach in the northern part of the city. Like every time we go out we meet a group of Koreans that hardly speak English but become our best friends. I am beginning to realize a few things that are related with every instance. They are usually drinking, so it could be that this makes them more friendly than usual... It usually goes that we say hi, they say hello back then gesture us to come over. They offer us food and drink then shower us with compliments which leads to the picture taking. I don't want to discount their generosity, because even in the most sober situations Koreans have shown the same kindness to me. But even then I think it has more to do with the fact that we look different and that is why they treat us this way. After the pictures they relate one of us to an English speaking Celeb like David Beckham or Nichole Kidman. And we love it. When else will be mistaken for celebrities? I may be making us out to be greedy, no good Westerners. Every time I am grateful that the Koreans that befriend us. We ask them questions, find commonalities, return drinks and food, but they always seem to out do anything we try to offer.
Life at the beach is wonderful. The water is the perfect temperature and the beaches are very clean considering the number of people on them day and night. About a week ago Haeundae Beach attempted to break the world record for number of beach umbrellas on a beach. Haven't heard if they got it yet... You should google it, the pictures are quite amazing. I have yet to go there but I will this weekend. My boss told me about a temple built right on the edge of the water just north of this beach (Suicide Rock is also here, I think I told a few of you about it before leaving). Since I have Thursday and Friday off of this week I hope to do a lot more exploring.

I talk about the people most of all, but next blog will focus on Korean cuisine. It is sure to be good, so stay tuned!

Random acts of generosity

Last night was our friend Ben's birthday, thinking we'll be meeting up with him and a few other friends we head over to meet them at a place near my apartment. We walk in, Pete, Lisa and I, to find Ben and two other Westerners sitting in a circle with about 15 Koreans. Apparently, a Korean woman who Ben had met his first weekend here threw him a surprise party! They had only met a few times yet she had decorations, balloons, drinks, a birthday hat and even a cake. Not only that but she brought her entire English Club. We ended up getting along with everyone really well and it was a great chance to talk with some natives around our age. It was so random but we hung out with the for most of the night.
**KFC commercial was just on tv, they love their fried chicken here.**
Later on we ended up going to Gwangalli, a $2 taxi ride away with a great beach and the Gwangalli bridge. Here I met more Westerners, including Jennifer (Our facebook friend Kathleen!) who Kathleen found on couchsurfing, she also works for KJC and has been here for a while. Then I met another newbie, a Canadian who has been here for just as long as I have. I I've just recently come to realize that all the English teachers get along so well because we're all going through the same experience, all of us at varying stages. It is a great group to be a part of.
Today I went to Mega Mart, wow, overwhelming. Next time I won't go at peak shopping time, because trying to find what/where things are in a super walmart-esque store is a lot harder when you are trying to drive a spastic buggy through a crowd. I made a few mistakes, like bagging my tomatoes myself instead of letting the produce attendant help me and I went through the store 5 times before I got my bearings as to what section was what. They had a great bread area, the meat was super fresh as for the fish and the kimbop (Korean sushi) was much better than what you find at Kroger. The prices were pretty much the same as back home, maybe a little cheaper. They did sell peanut butter, jelly, and Heinz (Thought of you Mary) but it was really expensive. I wasn't able to find the cheese but I was told that they have the real kind there too, although expensive as well. There were samples galore, and so many workers telling me things I couldn't understand. I was grateful that they thought I spoke Korean tough, I'm working on it. The tofu I sampled was great, the woman was telling me, I believe, that you could get a great 2fer deal, I couldn't find a price on it so I asked her, in Korean, how much it was. The only problem with that is I can't translate the price they tell me, so for now it is a useless question. I buy the tofu anyway. The other mistake was buying too much and having to lug it home, about a mile walk. A scene of splitting bags, cracked eggs, making a fool of myself and having to leave my new groceries laying in the middle of the street was going through my head as I walked back. I walked through the university campus and stopped halfway home to take a break and lighten my load a bit. I ate lunch while watching kids catch grasshoppers then headed home. They didn't rip! So everything made it home safely.
We've been asked to through house warming parties. Invite everyone we work with over to see our apartments and cook them some Western food. Any ideas? It will be a challenge to see if they have all of the ingredients at the store, I don't have an oven or microwave either so it will have to be stove top only. Let me know if you think of anything.

I have internet @ my place now! Had it the whole time, just had to get a cable to hook it up. I'll leave my computer on and stay on Skype, call me whenever!

Instant coffee

Walking into class today I was searching for a way to stall, because there is always time left at the end and I am starting to worry that the excitement over hangman will wear off quickly... So, I ask about what they will be doing on the weekend. Some said going to the beach, playing video games, going to the movies (this is the season for horror flicks and everyone, from age 7 on, go to see them, there are no age restrictions or ratings as far as I know). But many said they would just be doing homework. Which brings me to my next interesting tidbit on Korean life, they work hard. Apparently 90 hour weeks are the norm, however, there is only instant coffee. But oh boy, there is a lot of it. I also recently learned that Koreans consume the most instant coffee in the world and most of it tastes like shit.
Last night was a late night and this morning came much too quickly. I take a shower, a cold shower because I have yet to translate the buttons that turn on the hot water, get dressed and am out the door by 7 am. I must have coffee, I yearn for hot coffee, the instant just won't cut it today, I want it brewed right there in front of me. While I have avoided western businesses, out of embarrassment, I had no shame this morning when I walked right into the Dunkin' Donuts I pass multiple times a day and get a cup. Of course I paid three dollars for a small black coffee but it was so worth it.
Now, for last night. Mom and Dad, cover your eyes. Only kidding... Lisa, Pete and I head to our neighborhood to meet up with three Kansans they met in the hospital while waiting for their health check, chatting while they held cups of their own urine. We head out to eat, what we thought was an authentic Chinese restaurant but turned out to be Japanese, we can never really tell. Thankfully most of the menus have pictures, so all we need to do is point.
** Off the subject but they just walked into the office with friend chicken and coke, apparently it is a tradition to eat chicken today because it is the last hot day of the year... not sure why but it sure does smell gooooooooood.**
After dinner we head to the 7-11 type store, buy beer and soju then sit outside to drink and people watch. It wasn't long before we made some Korean friends! Two very drunk guys (see picture) and their very sober friend (dd). A testament to how generous this culture is are these men. They meet us on the street, outside a convenience store and five minutes later they are walking out with more drinks and snacks. For us, 6 strangers! It is my understanding that they are so big on sharing and not claiming things as only theirs that they never say 'my', it's 'our dinner' or 'our car' even, and this is my favorite, 'our wife'. This is evident everywhere, especially with meals. Everyone eats from a communal dish it is never a platter that is all your own. At work they constantly feed us without expecting anything in return. Strangers on the subway show this too, if there is a free seat they will motion for you to sit for the ride. I always refuse, at risk of them insisting until my stop comes.
So yes, they are nice here. The rest of our night was spent at a Western Bar close to home where they play darts, foosball, much like places back home. With all the new experiences it is nice to have some form of familiarity every once in a while. The Olympics tonight, make sure to watch them! 8/8/08 @ 8:08pm, I'll be in the time zone at least...

Love to you all, hope to hear from you soon. Also, send me your email and home addresses, I will be braving the post office soon. Here is where you can reach me- brittanyranew@gmail.com and I always love updates from back home! What is gas up to now?

Fish in a blender

Curious to know more about the live and dead things I saw at the market yesterday I decided to ask my kids. A "structured" way for them to speak conversational English, a way to take up some extra time and spare me from asking adults (i.e. embarrassing myself). First I asked about the eels, what I thought were eels at least... Big barrels filled with trashing water from the hundreds of 5 inch slender fish. My understanding of the 12-year-old's translation was that you blend them (alive), then eat them in soup. The kids didn't sound too enthused about this dish either, but they do eat live squid regularly. The further I went from the busier areas of the market the stranger the produce became. Bowls of live frogs, they didn't seem too lively though seeing as they weren't trying to hippity hop away. Turtles of all sizes, squid, strange looking fish, octopus. I have yet to see dog meat, but most of the meat was unidentifiable, so no little fuzzy paws or little stubs for tails sticking out of a filet... yet. The pig parts were identifiable, that snout, those soaking white feet, could know them anywhere. Of course there were things I wished I could buy because it was so fresh, however, I need to learn how to clean fish first. There were also steaming piles of small sea shells and cacoons (yes, cacoons), which were also sold at the food stands at the Rock Festival. Which was amazing, the concert, not the food. I stuck to the meat on a stick (the Korean teachers filled us in this week, both are dishes only eaten when you are drunk, I can't imagine craving them when sober).
The concert was great! It was more like a day at the beach, the music being a nice perk. Koreans are so concerned about their skin and staying safe in the water that the beach was covered with tents and every child had a full suit of floaties on before getting near the shore. It was a pretty big event, wind surfers, young people, families, foreigners, everyone came out for it early in the day and stayed late into the night. It was at this concert that I saw my very first Korean firemen, not bad, but still don't compare. I met a good amount of foreigners, all English teachers swaping stories about the kids and cultural odities noticed about the Korean way of life. The general concencise was that life here is great, the work is easy and the people (natives or not) are welcoming and kind. I won the prize for most recent arrival, there were oldtimers having spent over two years in South Korea and others have only been here for a few months. Soon I will pass on the torch to Kathleen, I'm almost ready.
As I was walking through the market yesterday I finally got a smile from a woman I passed. I have been trying this since I've been here, smiling even nodding sometimes trying to get something more than a blank stare. I did get a wave once, and then what I think was a cat call and a few thank you's from people I have bought things from (does that count?). Then on the subway back to my neck of the woods an older Korean man tested out his English on me. I am making friends (some my own age too)!
Tonight we're going out with the Korean teachers for some authentic Korean, what else?

-Sorry I'm so sketchy about Skype, I'll try to get better...
-And Dad, love the blog!

Just a teaser...

I am not able to write much, seeing as I am at work but just a hint as to what is coming... Last night I went to a market, a traditional live market with large bowls filled with live animals, not to mention the parts of dead ones I saw. Oh yeah, just wait for the full story.

-The video is probably terrible. I refuse to watch it because my coworkers would catch me and I wouldn't hear the end of it... Better ones to come I hope!-

Studio Location: Daeyeon-dong, Nam-Ku, Busan

I met my first Korean dog today! He was seasoned with a nice red pepper sauce, mixed with thin noodles and topped with, what else but Korea’s favorite vegetable, cabbage। Just kidding… he was tied up outside of a store with a water bowl, someone’s pet instead of their dinner। He was really sweet though, makes me think twice about trying it out।
Today we’re going to the Busan International Rock Festival on one of the most popular beaches a taxi ride away from my house। According to the tour book it is famous for its fine sand and is open 24 hours। Lisa and Pete, the two Canadians I work with, are taking me with them and a few other westerners। They are the only Westerners I have met yet and have been so helpful, teaching me hello, thank you, showing me the best restaurants and shopping। They have only been here a few weeks longer, which goes to show how quickly you learn things around here. The other night we went for Shabu shabu (the Korean teachers say it was originally a Korean dish that other Aisan countries stole) which is where they cook a big pot of meat and veggies in water for you in the middle of your table. Every meal comes with almost 5 side dishes (kimchi, pickled things and veggies), which you never know what they are. So Lisa, Pete and I are trying little of everything when Lisa realizes she just ate a peanut, two peanuts, (Loz you probably know well) meaning she needed to go to the hospital before she died, pretty much. They run to the nearest hospital, within walking distance, while I finished the rest of the dinner, which was a lot since we hadn’t touched the main dish yet. The waiter felt really bad, brought a Korean coca-cola (weren’t sure if that was an ancient remedy or just cause we were foreigners) and knocked off a few thousand from the ticket. I sat back watched baseball on the tv, ate as much as I could and choked down sips of sogu (pfewwwie), then brought back what was left over to the apartment and hoped Lisa was alright.
About an hour later I hear my name and something hit my window, who was it but Pete and Lisa, alive! Well, it couldn’t of been any one else, not many Brittany’s nor people that know my name yet। So they came up, drank left over sogu from dinner and told me about the hospital। They took care of her, she just has to be extra careful about what she eats।
Yesterday I went for my health check at the hospital. Sonny, who works at KJC (my school), came with me. So far they have been really good about guiding us through every step. As we walked into the waiting room a little girl pointed and gasped, GASPED, at me! Like I told Kathleen, I have never gotten anything as good as a gasp back home. It was there that a few children started at me. But I really haven’t experienced any blatant staring with adults. They look at me but nothing that seems uncomfortable. Even on the subway people are pretty much in their own world and ignore the rest of the passengers. The health check was pretty funny. It was a room full of Koreans and then me. There was the eye test, hearing check, color blind test, drew blood and took a urine sample. They wore no gloves with any of this then handed me a cup, with no lid, said to pee in it then carry it back through the waiting room to the nurse. So I did, thank God I didn’t spill it.
I finished observing my classes yesterday. I’ll be teaching beginners, intermediate and advanced. The advanced class just has two quiet girls that know a good amount of English so I hope to be able to communicate with them easily. Otherwise the lesson plans are pretty much mapped out for us. Each of us is paired up with a Korean teacher who has the same classes as we do, they speak English and do all the planning. The classrooms are brand new, projectors that we can hook our computers up to to show videos and things online, white boards, cd players, everything we need. I start Monday, wish me luck.
Differences I’ve noticed:
-Hardly anyone wears sunglasses, it’s either hats or parasols (or both). I didn’t wear sunglasses the first day but now I don’t care.
-Women wear really fancy high heals with casual clothing.
-Walk up the stairs on the left, drive on the right.
-Koreans love baseball.
-The ravens have white spots and blue tinted feathers.
-70% of the country is mountainous.
I know there are about a million more. That is all I can think of for now… they have a lot of internet cafes, called PCs, but I haven’t seen anywhere that you can bring your computer to use the wifi free. I’ve been meaning to try the Starbucks, but it may be different than in America. Otherwise I’ll have to wait till after I get my alien registration card before getting internet in my apartment, which will take a few weeks. Till then the emails/blogs/irregular phone calls will have to do. Although I can facebook or skype chat with y’all while I’m at work. We’ll find a time to talk. I miss y’all so much. Don’t worry about a thing here, I haven’t yet at least!
With love, Brittany