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