No offense to everyone back home, but I think this Christmas has been my best in years. So where do I begin?
On Tuesday night I went out after work with a few co-workers. We went downtown to do a number of things. First, we hit up Kyobo Books, the biggest book store in Daegu. One of my co-workers, Sunju, wanted to exchange Christmas presents with me, and before any of you start asking this to yourselves (because I know you are going to) YES they celebrate Christmas here. There are many Korean Christians, and they are just like every other Christian. Sunju got me a Korean grammar textbook (which I requested) and I got her a John Coltrane CD. She wanted to start listening to jazz so I figured Coltrane was a good starting musician. Will, if you read this and are wondering which album, I got her the best one: Giant Steps.
My other co-worker, Myungji, felt a little left out and wanted to also exchange gifts with me, so she got me a really cool necklace that was made in India, and I got her some earings. We then went to dinner at this really cool Indian restaurant, followed by a couple hours spent at BilliBowl, a bar/restaurant known for the game of "Billibowl". I think I mentioned this in another blog but it's like bowling with billiards and it's really fun. My coworkers had never done it before.
On Christmas Eve I had to work, but after getting off work I went home and showered and packed for my trip to the cabin. I then hitched on over to the train station where I met 5 of my other companions. We met the 7th person at our destination city, Sangju. We then took a 40 minute taxi ride up into the mountains where our cabin awaited us. Upon arriving at the cabin, we set up our miniature fake Christmas tree and set all of the secret santa presents underneath it. We broke out the food and drinks and music and started opening presents. Mine was a comic book that basically highlights all of the nuances of Korean culture from a western perspective. It's funny but enlightening at the same time. After presents we just listened to music and drank soju and beer for a couple hours.
We spent Christmas morning drinking hot chocolate and chilling in the cabin before heading back to Daegu later in the afternoon. Upon getting back to Daegu, we met some other people at a Starbucks where we hung out for maybe an hour. By then it was 7pm and time for a fance Christmas dinner at the Holy Grill, which was only available upon reservations (which we had.) The dinner was amazing, basically a sort of Thanksgiving-style feast. There was a Christmas trivia at the end of dinner which my team ALMOST won; we ended up losing by one point. After trivia we all just sat around and played cards and talked for a couple hours.
I got back to my apartment around midnight and decided to write all this up before going to bed, since I have to work tomorrow (what the hell is that, right?) But I am now exhausted and you know all about my Christmas, so I am going to bed.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Battling Cynicism
I was sitting in a coffee shop with my two Thailand travel companions last night discussing some of the details of our impending journey, among other things. One of the "other things" that I brought up was about a recent verdict in a year-old criminal case. About a year ago, an Indian oil tanker, which was legitimately anchored off the south-west coast of Korea, was rammed by an out-of-control Korean shipping vessel owned by Samsung. There was a massive oil spill, and during the catastrophe, the Indian captain and first-mate were required to take an action which prevented an explosion, but also increased the amount of oil spilled into the ocean. In addition, it took about 3.5 hours for the sailors to notify any Korean authorities about the disaster; I guess the whole avoiding-an-explosion thing took a little while to pass over.
This past Wednesday, the Indian captain and first mate in charge of the ship were sentenced to 18 months and 8 months in jail, respectively. They were also heavy fines levied against them. The reasoning of the court was that the actions which increased the amount of oil spilled (and prevented an explosion) and the 3.5 hours required to notify authorities of the accident were unacceptable. In essence, the two Indian men are currently facing significant jail time because some Koreans couldn't keep their boat under control. I am pretty sure that the Koreans involved are also facing penalties, but I don't know what they are.
So last night, I went off on a rant about how the Korean "justice" system is corrupt and downright insane, and how Koreans everywhere can never take responsibility for their own mistakes. I said that this recent verdict was an example of how an incident involving a foreigner invariably leads to that foreigner being blamed for said incident (I've read about many other stories where this is the case.) Koreans can never be the only ones to blame, it's never their fault.
Anyway, today I felt myself becoming increasingly cynical about this country, so in the spirit of Christmas, I have decided to reflect on some of the things that Koreans have done for me over the last 3 months:
At the start of the school year, I was given a box of some very fancy Korean hair-care products that are apparently rather expensive. Not exactly the most useful thing I've ever been given, but the sentiment was nice.
About 6 weeks into my contract, I became very sick with what I guessed was food poisoning. I had to take 2 days off of work, and on the first day, one of my co-teachers met me after getting off work to take me to a clinic. After finishing there, her husband drove me home. And on my first day back to work, my favorite student brought me a package of cold medicine that she had bought from a nearby pharmacy with her own money.
One of the local PC centers (a place where there are dozens of computers with games and internet access on them) has generously allowed me to appropriate one of their computers for my own use. They let me install a couple of English games on it and if I ever come in to use the computer and it is occupied, they will ask the person using it to move to another computer. While it is very flattering, I usually try to prevent them from doing this, but I am not always successful. Can you imagine a store in America doing this for a customer? I can't.
I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop writing this, and just a few minutes ago, when I returned my used cup to the counter, the person working the counter handed me a brand new 2009 Calendar still in its plastic wrapping. It bears the same brand name as the coffee shop, so I am guessing it is some sort of merchandise that they normally sell but decided to give to me for some reason. I always bring my used cups and trash up to the counter before leaving so that they don't have to clean up after me, something I have never seen a Korean do. Maybe the calendar was a thank-you gift?
I have become good friends with one of the science teachers at my school who speaks very little English. Every now and then we will go to the PC center after work to play some starcraft (yes, it's still huge here and he is amazing even by Korean standards) and then grab some dinner. A couple of weeks ago he showed me how to play Korean billiards, which is much much harder than pocket (normal) pool. And every time we hang out, I never pay a cent. He won't let me. He has espoused me as his "younger brother" and views it as his responsibility to pay for everything.
Every now and then, some of the teachers and I play ping pong after school. Sometimes we then go out to dinner after playing, and once again, I am never allowed to pay.
Most Koreans have a propensity for extreme generosity towards foreigners, and I think I need to remember that more often.
This past Wednesday, the Indian captain and first mate in charge of the ship were sentenced to 18 months and 8 months in jail, respectively. They were also heavy fines levied against them. The reasoning of the court was that the actions which increased the amount of oil spilled (and prevented an explosion) and the 3.5 hours required to notify authorities of the accident were unacceptable. In essence, the two Indian men are currently facing significant jail time because some Koreans couldn't keep their boat under control. I am pretty sure that the Koreans involved are also facing penalties, but I don't know what they are.
So last night, I went off on a rant about how the Korean "justice" system is corrupt and downright insane, and how Koreans everywhere can never take responsibility for their own mistakes. I said that this recent verdict was an example of how an incident involving a foreigner invariably leads to that foreigner being blamed for said incident (I've read about many other stories where this is the case.) Koreans can never be the only ones to blame, it's never their fault.
Anyway, today I felt myself becoming increasingly cynical about this country, so in the spirit of Christmas, I have decided to reflect on some of the things that Koreans have done for me over the last 3 months:
At the start of the school year, I was given a box of some very fancy Korean hair-care products that are apparently rather expensive. Not exactly the most useful thing I've ever been given, but the sentiment was nice.
About 6 weeks into my contract, I became very sick with what I guessed was food poisoning. I had to take 2 days off of work, and on the first day, one of my co-teachers met me after getting off work to take me to a clinic. After finishing there, her husband drove me home. And on my first day back to work, my favorite student brought me a package of cold medicine that she had bought from a nearby pharmacy with her own money.
One of the local PC centers (a place where there are dozens of computers with games and internet access on them) has generously allowed me to appropriate one of their computers for my own use. They let me install a couple of English games on it and if I ever come in to use the computer and it is occupied, they will ask the person using it to move to another computer. While it is very flattering, I usually try to prevent them from doing this, but I am not always successful. Can you imagine a store in America doing this for a customer? I can't.
I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop writing this, and just a few minutes ago, when I returned my used cup to the counter, the person working the counter handed me a brand new 2009 Calendar still in its plastic wrapping. It bears the same brand name as the coffee shop, so I am guessing it is some sort of merchandise that they normally sell but decided to give to me for some reason. I always bring my used cups and trash up to the counter before leaving so that they don't have to clean up after me, something I have never seen a Korean do. Maybe the calendar was a thank-you gift?
I have become good friends with one of the science teachers at my school who speaks very little English. Every now and then we will go to the PC center after work to play some starcraft (yes, it's still huge here and he is amazing even by Korean standards) and then grab some dinner. A couple of weeks ago he showed me how to play Korean billiards, which is much much harder than pocket (normal) pool. And every time we hang out, I never pay a cent. He won't let me. He has espoused me as his "younger brother" and views it as his responsibility to pay for everything.
Every now and then, some of the teachers and I play ping pong after school. Sometimes we then go out to dinner after playing, and once again, I am never allowed to pay.
Most Koreans have a propensity for extreme generosity towards foreigners, and I think I need to remember that more often.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Reflections
A few days ago marked the end of my third month here in Korea, so I thought I'd share a few thoughts regarding life here in Korea. Here are a few things I've learned thus far:
1) Korean, like all Asian languages, is hard. It is also phonetically offensive, a brutal assault on the ears. But contrary to my initial beliefs, it is not stupid, nor useless. There are many interesting policy and social issues here, but speaking Korean would be pretty much essential for studying them.
2) Koreans for the most part live in a state of near lawlessness. Every day I see impatient Koreans blow through red lights, putting the lives of every nearby pedestrian (mostly students) in jeopardy. And they get away with it 100% of the time because the police here are corrupt, lazy, and useless, and do not enforce any basic traffic laws. I think it may be only a matter of time before I am involved in a confrontation with one of these drivers, and god help them if they put any of my students in danger.
3) I am a second-class teacher in the eyes of everybody in the school. This is not terribly offensive to me, because compared to the other teachers (who all have training AND experience whereas I have none) this is not an unreasonable opinion. I am also not bothered by this because the amount of work I do compared to the other teachers is fractional, and also because I have no desire to be a career teacher. I will do this for another 9 months and then I will likely never teach again.
4) I wrote an essay for some essay contest that the EPIK program was holding, mostly because I needed something to do during the 3rd graders' finals week. While writing this essay, I read a very interesting survey that was conducted around 1980 regarding happiness in Korea. Apparently, only 57% of Koreans were happy with their lives in 1980, and only 32% felt a sense of accomplishment in their life. These numbers are EXTREMELY low; 91% of Americans considered themselves happy, and 86% felt a sense of accomplishment. Given the way Korean society has changed over the last 30 years, I would guess that these numbers have either gone down or stayed the same in Korea.
5) Another piece of information that I got from my research: Seoul National University is the ultimate goal of any serious student in Korea, and most students qualify as "serious students". The acceptance rate at SNU is extremely low, and most students fail to get in. The amount of studying and private tutoring received by those who DO get in is unbelievable, and it has its effects on the students' mental health. About 14% of those admitted in 1980 suffered from nervous illness, character blocks, or nervous breakdowns. This is also the reason why 44% of students who study at universities abroad fail out, according to a recent article published by a Columbia University Ph.D. student.
6) Suicide is a HUGE problem here. The suicide rate in Korea is the highest among industrialized countries. The suicide rates tend to jump around exam times, as students who do poor on an exam are prone to suicide. Recently, several famous actors committed suicide within a couple of weeks of each other. One did it because he was facing money problems; another actress did it because a "netizen" started a false, malicious rumor about her. I could only think to myself, "these people wouldn't last 5 minutes as celebrities in America." There is no suicide prevention, no education, and as far as I know, no hotline or any type of help service. The Korean approach to suicide is simply to not talk about it. Koreans simply do not value life. They value school (for their children that is), physical appearance, and that's about it.
7) Koreans look in the mirror an average of about 10,000 times per day.
8) When not looking in the mirror, they are looking for a mirror in which to look.
9) The fact that I do not wear makeup of any kind is astonishing to my co-teachers, which in itself is astonishing to me.
10) I can get the most delicious food from vendors on the side of the street for dirt cheap, which is something that I am desperately going to miss when I do leave.
11) It is becoming increasingly less difficult to suppress a laugh when Koreans tell me they think the North and South will be reunified in the near future.
Unfortunately, I am starting to lose a lot of respect for the Koreans. I really enjoy my school and everyone who works at it, and I respect them all a lot. It's the rest of Korea that is making me cynical. They have so many problems, but they are all too lazy to do anything about them. It's considered normal to do as little work as possible here. When things go wrong, standard procedure is to ignore the problem until it goes away; if it refuses to go away, blame somebody else. The Koreans need a serious wake-up call, but I'm afraid they'll be too busy looking in the mirror whenever it comes knocking.
1) Korean, like all Asian languages, is hard. It is also phonetically offensive, a brutal assault on the ears. But contrary to my initial beliefs, it is not stupid, nor useless. There are many interesting policy and social issues here, but speaking Korean would be pretty much essential for studying them.
2) Koreans for the most part live in a state of near lawlessness. Every day I see impatient Koreans blow through red lights, putting the lives of every nearby pedestrian (mostly students) in jeopardy. And they get away with it 100% of the time because the police here are corrupt, lazy, and useless, and do not enforce any basic traffic laws. I think it may be only a matter of time before I am involved in a confrontation with one of these drivers, and god help them if they put any of my students in danger.
3) I am a second-class teacher in the eyes of everybody in the school. This is not terribly offensive to me, because compared to the other teachers (who all have training AND experience whereas I have none) this is not an unreasonable opinion. I am also not bothered by this because the amount of work I do compared to the other teachers is fractional, and also because I have no desire to be a career teacher. I will do this for another 9 months and then I will likely never teach again.
4) I wrote an essay for some essay contest that the EPIK program was holding, mostly because I needed something to do during the 3rd graders' finals week. While writing this essay, I read a very interesting survey that was conducted around 1980 regarding happiness in Korea. Apparently, only 57% of Koreans were happy with their lives in 1980, and only 32% felt a sense of accomplishment in their life. These numbers are EXTREMELY low; 91% of Americans considered themselves happy, and 86% felt a sense of accomplishment. Given the way Korean society has changed over the last 30 years, I would guess that these numbers have either gone down or stayed the same in Korea.
5) Another piece of information that I got from my research: Seoul National University is the ultimate goal of any serious student in Korea, and most students qualify as "serious students". The acceptance rate at SNU is extremely low, and most students fail to get in. The amount of studying and private tutoring received by those who DO get in is unbelievable, and it has its effects on the students' mental health. About 14% of those admitted in 1980 suffered from nervous illness, character blocks, or nervous breakdowns. This is also the reason why 44% of students who study at universities abroad fail out, according to a recent article published by a Columbia University Ph.D. student.
6) Suicide is a HUGE problem here. The suicide rate in Korea is the highest among industrialized countries. The suicide rates tend to jump around exam times, as students who do poor on an exam are prone to suicide. Recently, several famous actors committed suicide within a couple of weeks of each other. One did it because he was facing money problems; another actress did it because a "netizen" started a false, malicious rumor about her. I could only think to myself, "these people wouldn't last 5 minutes as celebrities in America." There is no suicide prevention, no education, and as far as I know, no hotline or any type of help service. The Korean approach to suicide is simply to not talk about it. Koreans simply do not value life. They value school (for their children that is), physical appearance, and that's about it.
7) Koreans look in the mirror an average of about 10,000 times per day.
8) When not looking in the mirror, they are looking for a mirror in which to look.
9) The fact that I do not wear makeup of any kind is astonishing to my co-teachers, which in itself is astonishing to me.
10) I can get the most delicious food from vendors on the side of the street for dirt cheap, which is something that I am desperately going to miss when I do leave.
11) It is becoming increasingly less difficult to suppress a laugh when Koreans tell me they think the North and South will be reunified in the near future.
Unfortunately, I am starting to lose a lot of respect for the Koreans. I really enjoy my school and everyone who works at it, and I respect them all a lot. It's the rest of Korea that is making me cynical. They have so many problems, but they are all too lazy to do anything about them. It's considered normal to do as little work as possible here. When things go wrong, standard procedure is to ignore the problem until it goes away; if it refuses to go away, blame somebody else. The Koreans need a serious wake-up call, but I'm afraid they'll be too busy looking in the mirror whenever it comes knocking.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Daegu Theater Troupe
This past weekend marked the debut performance of the Daegu Theater Troupe. A couple of months ago, my friend Kristin suggested forming a group for those of us who enjoyed theater in our college and high school days, and this weekend, we put on our first show. It was a 24-hour one-act marathon, and it was hugely successful. Here's how it worked:
-There were 6 groups, each with an average of about 4 people.
-On Friday night, all the participants met downtown and were divided into the 6 groups.
-Each group had one writer, one director, and 2-4 actors.
-The meeting took place at 10:30, lasted until about 11:00, at which point each group's writer went off to write a 10-15 minute script.
-At 9:30AM the next day, and after the writers had stayed up all night long writing, the directors and actors met with the writers. After an initial read-through and discussion of the script, the actors went to work learning it.
-Throughout the course of the day, we were able to spend some time on the stage that we would be performing on, as well as discuss any lighting effects with our technical guy.
-At about 11:30PM on Saturday night, after roughly 14 hours of rehearsing, each group put on its show in front of an audience of around 150-200 people.
My group's show was really neat. I was afraid that all the scripts were going to be juvenile comedies, but our writer actually put together a pretty dark piece. I played the main role of a prison inmate on death row for the gruesome murder of several people. I was basically a psychotic killer who liked to shove pencils through people's heads. The other 2 characters were a prison guard and an artist commissioned to paint my portrait. Our show actually had a dramatic twist at the end; it turned out that my character was actually also a guard, and our prison actually had no prisoners yet (it was brand new.) Myself and the other guard liked to pass the time by messing with people.
Like I said, the show was hugely successful and great fun. There will be another show of some kind in the not-so-distant (I hope) future, and there are also branch-off groups forming within the troupe. For example, some people are planning on organizing something along the lines of an ImprovEverywhere stunt. If you aren't familiar with ImprovEverywhere, they are a group of actors, who are between jobs, who stage random scenes of...well, total randomness. For example, one stunt they pulled was to have around a dozen people break out into a musical in the middle of a crowded food court in a mall. The video is here: http://improveverywhere.com/2008/03/09/food-court-musical/
The top of the page is pictures and a summary of the birth of the idea, putting it together, etc. To just watch the video, scroll down towards the bottom of the page. You should also check out some of their other videos, some of them are really hilarious.
In other news, I bought a plane ticket to Thailand, which I will be visiting with some friends in late February. This is the start of the summer months (I think) in Thailand, so I am looking forward to sprawling out on some tropical beaches in 90-degree weather while the whole of Korea wallows in its frozen dreariness.
Also, today was my last day of outright teaching my least favorite group of classes. Every other Tuesday I have four 1st-grade classes, each of which I am convinced were spawned in the bowels of hell itself. Today was no different, they were little demons as usual. One class was so bad that I took the entire class down to the hallway outside the teachers lounge, had them kneel up against a wall, and put their hands in the air for almost the entire 45-minute period. This is about as far as I am allowed to go in terms of corporal punishment (it is also as far as I am willing to go; hitting a child is unacceptable in my opinion.) Fortunately, they will be testing the next time I am supposed to see them, and shortly after exams the semester will be over, at which point I have roughly 2 months off!
Hallelujah.
-There were 6 groups, each with an average of about 4 people.
-On Friday night, all the participants met downtown and were divided into the 6 groups.
-Each group had one writer, one director, and 2-4 actors.
-The meeting took place at 10:30, lasted until about 11:00, at which point each group's writer went off to write a 10-15 minute script.
-At 9:30AM the next day, and after the writers had stayed up all night long writing, the directors and actors met with the writers. After an initial read-through and discussion of the script, the actors went to work learning it.
-Throughout the course of the day, we were able to spend some time on the stage that we would be performing on, as well as discuss any lighting effects with our technical guy.
-At about 11:30PM on Saturday night, after roughly 14 hours of rehearsing, each group put on its show in front of an audience of around 150-200 people.
My group's show was really neat. I was afraid that all the scripts were going to be juvenile comedies, but our writer actually put together a pretty dark piece. I played the main role of a prison inmate on death row for the gruesome murder of several people. I was basically a psychotic killer who liked to shove pencils through people's heads. The other 2 characters were a prison guard and an artist commissioned to paint my portrait. Our show actually had a dramatic twist at the end; it turned out that my character was actually also a guard, and our prison actually had no prisoners yet (it was brand new.) Myself and the other guard liked to pass the time by messing with people.
Like I said, the show was hugely successful and great fun. There will be another show of some kind in the not-so-distant (I hope) future, and there are also branch-off groups forming within the troupe. For example, some people are planning on organizing something along the lines of an ImprovEverywhere stunt. If you aren't familiar with ImprovEverywhere, they are a group of actors, who are between jobs, who stage random scenes of...well, total randomness. For example, one stunt they pulled was to have around a dozen people break out into a musical in the middle of a crowded food court in a mall. The video is here: http://improveverywhere.com/2008/03/09/food-court-musical/
The top of the page is pictures and a summary of the birth of the idea, putting it together, etc. To just watch the video, scroll down towards the bottom of the page. You should also check out some of their other videos, some of them are really hilarious.
In other news, I bought a plane ticket to Thailand, which I will be visiting with some friends in late February. This is the start of the summer months (I think) in Thailand, so I am looking forward to sprawling out on some tropical beaches in 90-degree weather while the whole of Korea wallows in its frozen dreariness.
Also, today was my last day of outright teaching my least favorite group of classes. Every other Tuesday I have four 1st-grade classes, each of which I am convinced were spawned in the bowels of hell itself. Today was no different, they were little demons as usual. One class was so bad that I took the entire class down to the hallway outside the teachers lounge, had them kneel up against a wall, and put their hands in the air for almost the entire 45-minute period. This is about as far as I am allowed to go in terms of corporal punishment (it is also as far as I am willing to go; hitting a child is unacceptable in my opinion.) Fortunately, they will be testing the next time I am supposed to see them, and shortly after exams the semester will be over, at which point I have roughly 2 months off!
Hallelujah.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Hope Restored
It's difficult, but I can remember the exact moment that I was last proud to be American. It was a little over 7 years ago, during the week of September 11th: I was in the car listening to a story on the radio about a homeless man donating the $1.67 that constituted his net worth to the relief efforts. I remember thinking to myself, never in my life have I ever been more proud of my country, and of people in general. September 11th showed humanity at its worst, but it also showed humanity at its best, and it just so happened that the best was being represented by Americans.
And then March 2003 came around, and everything changed. I watched in anger as our President, a man who was elected despite losing the popular vote in 2000, invaded a sovereign country on what turned out to be nothing more than a whim. I watched in horror as congress passed and later re-enacted the Patriot Act, the most flagrant violation of civil freedoms and common decency this country has seen since Jim Crow. I watched helplessly as one of the greatest and most inspiring documents the world has ever seen, the Constitution, was shredded on the altar of fear, and one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history descended upon us. And in 2004, I watched in shame as our country re-elected George W. Bush.
I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but the simple truth is that for the past 7 years I have been wallowing in lament of better days, as have many Americans. Hell, "better days" seemed like a luxury at this point. But today there is something to be proud of. Today there is something to be hopeful of. Today, we have shown the world that Fairness and Equality are more than just words we inscribe on courtroom doors: they are ideals that have come to hold more significance than our legacy of disparity. And it is with great temerity that I once again look forward to better days.
Congratulations to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, and to all who helped elect him. Thank you for making me proud to be an American once again.
And then March 2003 came around, and everything changed. I watched in anger as our President, a man who was elected despite losing the popular vote in 2000, invaded a sovereign country on what turned out to be nothing more than a whim. I watched in horror as congress passed and later re-enacted the Patriot Act, the most flagrant violation of civil freedoms and common decency this country has seen since Jim Crow. I watched helplessly as one of the greatest and most inspiring documents the world has ever seen, the Constitution, was shredded on the altar of fear, and one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history descended upon us. And in 2004, I watched in shame as our country re-elected George W. Bush.
I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but the simple truth is that for the past 7 years I have been wallowing in lament of better days, as have many Americans. Hell, "better days" seemed like a luxury at this point. But today there is something to be proud of. Today there is something to be hopeful of. Today, we have shown the world that Fairness and Equality are more than just words we inscribe on courtroom doors: they are ideals that have come to hold more significance than our legacy of disparity. And it is with great temerity that I once again look forward to better days.
Congratulations to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, and to all who helped elect him. Thank you for making me proud to be an American once again.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Pics
Busan pics are up: http://s390.photobucket.com/albums/oo343/Ncalverley2/?start=0
All of the new pictures are on the first page. The last ones are from the dance, which didn't come out at all (and which I am very upset about). I decided to upload of best of the crap pictures just for some evidence of what this event was like.
All of the new pictures are on the first page. The last ones are from the dance, which didn't come out at all (and which I am very upset about). I decided to upload of best of the crap pictures just for some evidence of what this event was like.
Monday, October 6, 2008
A Night on the Town
Today was our school's festival. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thought the event was going to be outside. As it turns out, "school festival" is just a key word for multi-disciplinary concert. It was basically 3 hours of performances by bands, dance groups, and singers. It was actually really cool and a lot of fun.
When it came time for us teachers to do our routine, we were announced before coming onto the stage, and when we were announced, there was an enormous roar from the crowd. Apparently this was a highly anticipated performance. And so we walked out from stage right, carrying signs that were to be used about halfway through the song. Myself and one of the other guy teachers were wearing white tank-tops, black pants, and a red bowtie adorned with red sequins. The ladies were wearing black tights with black mini-skirts and black blouses. I was the last of our group to walk out onto the stage, and when I did, I was almost deafened by the further eruption of screaming.
The kids (actually it was almost entirely the girls) were screaming throughout the whole routine. It may has well have been N'Sync concert...you know, the kind of pointless concerts where any music is drowned out by the incessant screaming of teenage girls. We did our routine, and it went very smoothly. It was a huge hit, and I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. I'll be a celebrity at school for the next week or so.
Following the concert, most of the teachers went out for a nice lunch at a restaurant. The main course was a very delicious type of fish in a slightly spicy stew. For some reason, I had a reputation (which I did not know about) among the teachers as being a "heavy drinker". Because of this, various older teachers (all guys) kept filling two glasses with beer and handing me one while they take the other. They would then say "no break-ee" and proceed to chug the beer, expecting me to do the same. I happily obliged them but couldn't help but feel that my coworkers were trying to get me drunk...
Following lunch, me and several of the younger teachers went out for bowling. We had 6 people who were divided into 2 teams of 3. We played three games and my team won every single game, riding mostly on my dominating performances of 178, 182, and 140. This won the three of us free drinks and food for the rest of the night.
Following bowling we stopped at our homes to change, and then headed out to a seafood restaurant (the same group of 6.) We had grilled clams and a variety of side-dishes, all of which were very delicious. We downed 5 bottles of soju (for anyone who doesn't know, Soju is a Korean liquor that most resembles vodka, but it is only about 20% alchohol, not 40%). We spent a good amount of time just talking. They tried to teach me a lot of Korean.
Following that, we capped off the night with some Noraebang ("Song Room" - Karaoke) and beer. We were all sufficiently smashed at this point, and that's when Noraebang is the most fun. They did some Korean songs while I played tambourine drank beer, and then we all did some American songs. My favorites were "Johnny B. Goode" and "Bad Case of Loving You".
All in all, it was probably my best day in Korea so far. I had about a dozen pictures taken of us dancing which I will be getting developed today, so once I have them I will post them on photobucket or whatever crazy site I used last time. Also, there's a new article up from the NYTimes on the right side of the blog for anyone who has been following the Fan Death saga.
When it came time for us teachers to do our routine, we were announced before coming onto the stage, and when we were announced, there was an enormous roar from the crowd. Apparently this was a highly anticipated performance. And so we walked out from stage right, carrying signs that were to be used about halfway through the song. Myself and one of the other guy teachers were wearing white tank-tops, black pants, and a red bowtie adorned with red sequins. The ladies were wearing black tights with black mini-skirts and black blouses. I was the last of our group to walk out onto the stage, and when I did, I was almost deafened by the further eruption of screaming.
The kids (actually it was almost entirely the girls) were screaming throughout the whole routine. It may has well have been N'Sync concert...you know, the kind of pointless concerts where any music is drowned out by the incessant screaming of teenage girls. We did our routine, and it went very smoothly. It was a huge hit, and I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. I'll be a celebrity at school for the next week or so.
Following the concert, most of the teachers went out for a nice lunch at a restaurant. The main course was a very delicious type of fish in a slightly spicy stew. For some reason, I had a reputation (which I did not know about) among the teachers as being a "heavy drinker". Because of this, various older teachers (all guys) kept filling two glasses with beer and handing me one while they take the other. They would then say "no break-ee" and proceed to chug the beer, expecting me to do the same. I happily obliged them but couldn't help but feel that my coworkers were trying to get me drunk...
Following lunch, me and several of the younger teachers went out for bowling. We had 6 people who were divided into 2 teams of 3. We played three games and my team won every single game, riding mostly on my dominating performances of 178, 182, and 140. This won the three of us free drinks and food for the rest of the night.
Following bowling we stopped at our homes to change, and then headed out to a seafood restaurant (the same group of 6.) We had grilled clams and a variety of side-dishes, all of which were very delicious. We downed 5 bottles of soju (for anyone who doesn't know, Soju is a Korean liquor that most resembles vodka, but it is only about 20% alchohol, not 40%). We spent a good amount of time just talking. They tried to teach me a lot of Korean.
Following that, we capped off the night with some Noraebang ("Song Room" - Karaoke) and beer. We were all sufficiently smashed at this point, and that's when Noraebang is the most fun. They did some Korean songs while I played tambourine drank beer, and then we all did some American songs. My favorites were "Johnny B. Goode" and "Bad Case of Loving You".
All in all, it was probably my best day in Korea so far. I had about a dozen pictures taken of us dancing which I will be getting developed today, so once I have them I will post them on photobucket or whatever crazy site I used last time. Also, there's a new article up from the NYTimes on the right side of the blog for anyone who has been following the Fan Death saga.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Pusan...Finally
So we had another long holiday weekend this weekend, and some of us decided to go check out the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF). It is the largest film festival in Asia, and one of the largest in the world. Filmmakers from all over the world submit their films to be seen by millions of people. The city itself is already the second largest in Korea, but this weekend it saw way more traffic than normal. I have to admit, I was expecting to see some of those crappy super-independent "artsy" films, the ones that are black and white and have no sound. But I was pleasantly surprised by a couple of very professional films that were highly entertaining. More on those in a minute.
We got to Pusan around noon, and spent the first couple of hours running around looking for a hotel for the night, and a box office where we could buy tickets to the films later that night. After checking at a couple of regular motels (which were all sold out of rooms for the weekend) we managed to find a shady "love motel". The prices were low and the rooms were clean enough, so we said whatever and got some rooms for the night (there were about ten of us). After that, we spent a good 90 minutes or so running around looking for a box office before we finally found one. You really can't beat a two-film double feature for 5 dollars.
To kill time before showtime, we went to the Pusan Aquarium, which is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. To be honest, I was a little disappointed, but it was still a really great aquarium. I took some nice pictures, and as soon as I get them developed I will post them. It could be a little while though since I didn't yet finish the roll of film.
Showtime was at 7:30. The first film we saw was a German drama about mountain climbing. It was kind of long and drawn out near the end, but the quality was phenomenal and the story was compelling. The film was in German but had English and Korean subtitles. The second film we saw was a Scottish film, but it was all in English, so that was nice. It was a sort of comedic story about Scottish aspirations of Independence from Britain, and it was a really great film. Pusan is a coastal city, the second largest in Korea next to Seoul, and the venue was an outdoor theater on one of the city's beaches. We spent most of the night watching a couple of movies under the stars, and then went out to a bar for a nightcap.
Overall it was a nice experience, though it didn't really come close to touching the Gyeongju trip. A big problem was that our group was way too big; anything above 6 people is just a bad idea, as decision-making becomes exponentially more difficult once that 6 person limit is surpassed. I'll have to be sure to protest against a large group the next time I go anywhere with this particular group of friends.
We got to Pusan around noon, and spent the first couple of hours running around looking for a hotel for the night, and a box office where we could buy tickets to the films later that night. After checking at a couple of regular motels (which were all sold out of rooms for the weekend) we managed to find a shady "love motel". The prices were low and the rooms were clean enough, so we said whatever and got some rooms for the night (there were about ten of us). After that, we spent a good 90 minutes or so running around looking for a box office before we finally found one. You really can't beat a two-film double feature for 5 dollars.
To kill time before showtime, we went to the Pusan Aquarium, which is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. To be honest, I was a little disappointed, but it was still a really great aquarium. I took some nice pictures, and as soon as I get them developed I will post them. It could be a little while though since I didn't yet finish the roll of film.
Showtime was at 7:30. The first film we saw was a German drama about mountain climbing. It was kind of long and drawn out near the end, but the quality was phenomenal and the story was compelling. The film was in German but had English and Korean subtitles. The second film we saw was a Scottish film, but it was all in English, so that was nice. It was a sort of comedic story about Scottish aspirations of Independence from Britain, and it was a really great film. Pusan is a coastal city, the second largest in Korea next to Seoul, and the venue was an outdoor theater on one of the city's beaches. We spent most of the night watching a couple of movies under the stars, and then went out to a bar for a nightcap.
Overall it was a nice experience, though it didn't really come close to touching the Gyeongju trip. A big problem was that our group was way too big; anything above 6 people is just a bad idea, as decision-making becomes exponentially more difficult once that 6 person limit is surpassed. I'll have to be sure to protest against a large group the next time I go anywhere with this particular group of friends.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Fall Is Coming
The weather today has been amazing: sunny, in the low to mid sixties, and a slight breeze blowing in. The weather is changing here in Korea. Summer is giving way to fall, a season which actually exists here but remains a mystery to Michigan.
Things are going well at school, and this past Thursday marked our first payday. Unfortunately, the U.S. markets are still busy falling all over themselves, so the exchange rate at the moment sucks. At the moment that is not a huge problem for me, but if the rate has not improved by the end of October, I am going to take some hits in transferring money back to the U.S.
This past Wednesday I found a really amazing place called Club THAT. It's a jazz club that used to be a love motel, but it has been cleaned up and now has 4 levels of entertainment. All this weekend the club is hosting a large Art exhibition for local amateur artists, many of them foreigners, to display their works. Since I have really taken an interest in photography over the past couple years, I am really excited to have found this, and I plan on having a picture or two displayed at the next exhibit, which will likely be in 4-6 months.
This weekend is going to be very busy. Tonight I am heading out with a large group of friends to an all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffet at a popular hotel. After that we are all heading over to Club THAT for the main night of the Art Exhibition, which will include a live band and some other activities. Tomorrow is going to include dinner and a movie with a co-worker, as well as scouring the department stores for some costumes for the dance that her and I we are performing at the festival. If you didn't already know, I was talked into doing a dance with 4 other teachers at a school festival that is coming up this week. We have been practicing for about a month. Apparently I am going to receive a CD with a video of the performance on it, so I will look into uploading it online for you all to watch whenever I get a chance.
Lastly, I want to give a shout-out to my boy Javon Ringer. The number two rusher in the nation looks to go for 3 straight games of 200+ yards rushing as Michigan State takes on Indiana this weekend. GO GREEN
Things are going well at school, and this past Thursday marked our first payday. Unfortunately, the U.S. markets are still busy falling all over themselves, so the exchange rate at the moment sucks. At the moment that is not a huge problem for me, but if the rate has not improved by the end of October, I am going to take some hits in transferring money back to the U.S.
This past Wednesday I found a really amazing place called Club THAT. It's a jazz club that used to be a love motel, but it has been cleaned up and now has 4 levels of entertainment. All this weekend the club is hosting a large Art exhibition for local amateur artists, many of them foreigners, to display their works. Since I have really taken an interest in photography over the past couple years, I am really excited to have found this, and I plan on having a picture or two displayed at the next exhibit, which will likely be in 4-6 months.
This weekend is going to be very busy. Tonight I am heading out with a large group of friends to an all-you-can-eat-and-drink buffet at a popular hotel. After that we are all heading over to Club THAT for the main night of the Art Exhibition, which will include a live band and some other activities. Tomorrow is going to include dinner and a movie with a co-worker, as well as scouring the department stores for some costumes for the dance that her and I we are performing at the festival. If you didn't already know, I was talked into doing a dance with 4 other teachers at a school festival that is coming up this week. We have been practicing for about a month. Apparently I am going to receive a CD with a video of the performance on it, so I will look into uploading it online for you all to watch whenever I get a chance.
Lastly, I want to give a shout-out to my boy Javon Ringer. The number two rusher in the nation looks to go for 3 straight games of 200+ yards rushing as Michigan State takes on Indiana this weekend. GO GREEN
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A Typical Day
It just occurred to me that I really haven't given anyone a good description of a typical day for me. My day usually starts at 7am, which is when I wake up. I jump in the shower, iron my clothes (I have to do this every day since I have no dryer, everything is air-dried) and maybe make something to eat. This usually isn't necessary since I get fed by one of the other teachers almost every day. Today was peanuts and some dak (pressed rice dumplings).
I arrive to school around 8:15am, and first period starts at 9:10am. I teach anywhere from 2-4 classes per day, along with after-school classes for 1.5-2 hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For the past week, and continuing for the next couple of weeks, I also meet with some of the other teachers to practice a dance that we are going to perform for the students at an upcoming school festival. This is not a traditional dance, but a modern pop dance to a very popular song by a group called the Wonder Girls (sort of like a Korean Spice Girls).
This means I am at the school until about 6pm everyday, even though I am only obligated to be there until 4:30. I enjoy the extra things that keep me busy. Around 6:30-ish I get home and change, then make dinner. On Wednesdays there is a large group of other foreign teachers that go out for dinner in the downtown area. We go to a place called The Holy Grill (awesome name, I know) that has great Mexican food and burgers. After dinner, which is usually around 7:30, we head over to a nearby foreigner bar, where we have a few drinks and listen to some live music, since it's open mic night every Wednesday.
I have only been to this once, and only plan on going once or twice per month since I will end up dropping at least $30 each time, but it's a nice way to meet up with people I don't see often and have some good western food.
On the nights I don't go out I usually work on my laptop, catch up on news, update my fantasy football teams, or just watch a movie or some episodes of Family Guy that I downloaded. Sometimes I might browse the tube but I only have like 3 English channels, so I rarely watch TV. But I have to be honest, I have yet to feel bored while here, my days keep me pretty busy.
The weather here is great, in my opinion. Daegu is the hottest city in Korea, since it sits in between a bunch of mountains which essentially form a bowl around the city, and heat and humidity all sit like a cloud on it. But at night, when the sun goes down, it is REALLY nice. The temperature is around 70 degrees and the humidity is a lot less. I only have to walk for 5 minutes to reach a park with a great view of the mountains and lake to the south of the city (pictures of which are in my album, look for the dark brown bridge.) Every store I could want is within walking distance, and there are tons of street vendors that sell bulk vegetables and snacks for dirt cheap. A 1-dollar bag of bean sprouts will last me at least a month, and a 2-dollar bag of mushrooms will last me a couple of weeks. I bought a bag of 6 HUGE onions for 2 dollars, and a 2-week supply of green onions for 1 dollar. I just hope there are indoor markets where I can get this stuff during winter.
I hope that gives you some idea of how I spend my days. If you have other questions, just post a comment or email me. And don't forget, look at pics if you haven't already. The link is in my last blog post.
I arrive to school around 8:15am, and first period starts at 9:10am. I teach anywhere from 2-4 classes per day, along with after-school classes for 1.5-2 hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For the past week, and continuing for the next couple of weeks, I also meet with some of the other teachers to practice a dance that we are going to perform for the students at an upcoming school festival. This is not a traditional dance, but a modern pop dance to a very popular song by a group called the Wonder Girls (sort of like a Korean Spice Girls).
This means I am at the school until about 6pm everyday, even though I am only obligated to be there until 4:30. I enjoy the extra things that keep me busy. Around 6:30-ish I get home and change, then make dinner. On Wednesdays there is a large group of other foreign teachers that go out for dinner in the downtown area. We go to a place called The Holy Grill (awesome name, I know) that has great Mexican food and burgers. After dinner, which is usually around 7:30, we head over to a nearby foreigner bar, where we have a few drinks and listen to some live music, since it's open mic night every Wednesday.
I have only been to this once, and only plan on going once or twice per month since I will end up dropping at least $30 each time, but it's a nice way to meet up with people I don't see often and have some good western food.
On the nights I don't go out I usually work on my laptop, catch up on news, update my fantasy football teams, or just watch a movie or some episodes of Family Guy that I downloaded. Sometimes I might browse the tube but I only have like 3 English channels, so I rarely watch TV. But I have to be honest, I have yet to feel bored while here, my days keep me pretty busy.
The weather here is great, in my opinion. Daegu is the hottest city in Korea, since it sits in between a bunch of mountains which essentially form a bowl around the city, and heat and humidity all sit like a cloud on it. But at night, when the sun goes down, it is REALLY nice. The temperature is around 70 degrees and the humidity is a lot less. I only have to walk for 5 minutes to reach a park with a great view of the mountains and lake to the south of the city (pictures of which are in my album, look for the dark brown bridge.) Every store I could want is within walking distance, and there are tons of street vendors that sell bulk vegetables and snacks for dirt cheap. A 1-dollar bag of bean sprouts will last me at least a month, and a 2-dollar bag of mushrooms will last me a couple of weeks. I bought a bag of 6 HUGE onions for 2 dollars, and a 2-week supply of green onions for 1 dollar. I just hope there are indoor markets where I can get this stuff during winter.
I hope that gives you some idea of how I spend my days. If you have other questions, just post a comment or email me. And don't forget, look at pics if you haven't already. The link is in my last blog post.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Pictures!
Pictures are up, you can access them by copying this URL into the address bar:
http://s390.photobucket.com/albums/oo343/Ncalverley2/
From there you can do all kinds of neat things like turn them into a slideshow and such. There are 120 pictures, and they are presented in backwards order for some reason. So the most recent pictures (I think the first is a large building with a hole in it) are from our trip to Gyeongju, then pictures of the traditional Korean village in Seoul, then pictures of Seoul itself.
http://s390.photobucket.com/albums/oo343/Ncalverley2/
From there you can do all kinds of neat things like turn them into a slideshow and such. There are 120 pictures, and they are presented in backwards order for some reason. So the most recent pictures (I think the first is a large building with a hole in it) are from our trip to Gyeongju, then pictures of the traditional Korean village in Seoul, then pictures of Seoul itself.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Gyeongju
So Gyeongju was really great. It's a fairly small city, only a couple hundred thousand people, and the downtown area is actually kind of dirty, but the surrounding areas were really nice. We stayed in a famous youth hostel in the downtown area, run by a man named Mr. Kwon. He actually spoke very good English, and was really nice. The hostel had a lot of visitors from all over the world, and each night we spent outside on the roof drinking soju and beer, passing around an acoustic guitar and singing songs, and just talking with everyone. One night we went to a karaoke bar for a couple of hours and then went back to the roof.
On Saturday we went to a very famous temple located on the side of a mountain, and then over to a place called Millennium Park where we did some riding on ATVs through a gorge in a valley surrounded by mountains. Later that night there was supposed to be a concert at a nearby Lake resort area, but it was apparently canceled for Chusok, which was unfortunate.
On Sunday (Chusok day), we went to the coast to hit the beach. The water was nice but there was pollution all along most of the beach, a really disgusting amount of it too. It was really unfortunate because there were a lot of really neat rock formations that you could climb and look out into the ocean, but even most of those had some really nasty stuff on and around them. There were many fishermen casting their lines into the water from on the rocks, but we didn't see anybody catch anything. My friend Laura and I did some body surfing for awhile, so at least we got to do that.
After the beach we went to visit a hotel that had a Spa and Sauna room built around some natural hot springs. This was really great, because the Koreans refer to these as Bath Houses, and it's a really refreshing way to get very clean and exfoliate and... all that crazy spa stuff. The facility was VERY clean and well maintained. The only kicker was that in Korea, you go into these places completely nude. They are obviously segregated by gender, but it still really takes some time to get used to walking around what is essentially a huge bath tub completely naked with 50-100 other people. It wasn't just one pool though, there were maybe 10 different pools that were at different temperatures and had different jets and waterfalls and such designed to massage different areas of the body. There were also saunas and an outdoor hot tub. And after getting out, there was a fancy changing area where you could put in hair gel and body lotion and cologne and such. And to top it all off, all this unlimited amount of spa time came at a cost of a mere seven dollars.
We left Monday around noon after picking up gifts (Gyeongju Barley Bread) for our co-workers, which is also Korean tradition. We got to and from Gyeongju via the train, a ticket for which costs around seven dollars one way. The trip from Gyeongju was uneventful, but on the train ride TO Gyeongju, the Korean man I sat next to spoke pretty good English and invited me (for no other reason than that I was an interesting foreigner) to the beverage car to have a few beers with him and his friend that he was traveling with.
And after a long day of traveling with a huge load of luggage and gifts, I am finally home. I dropped off all my rolls of film to be developed and will be picking them up tomorrow: 120 pictures to be developed and put on CD for a cost of $28. In America it would cost around twice that much. I love this country =)
On Saturday we went to a very famous temple located on the side of a mountain, and then over to a place called Millennium Park where we did some riding on ATVs through a gorge in a valley surrounded by mountains. Later that night there was supposed to be a concert at a nearby Lake resort area, but it was apparently canceled for Chusok, which was unfortunate.
On Sunday (Chusok day), we went to the coast to hit the beach. The water was nice but there was pollution all along most of the beach, a really disgusting amount of it too. It was really unfortunate because there were a lot of really neat rock formations that you could climb and look out into the ocean, but even most of those had some really nasty stuff on and around them. There were many fishermen casting their lines into the water from on the rocks, but we didn't see anybody catch anything. My friend Laura and I did some body surfing for awhile, so at least we got to do that.
After the beach we went to visit a hotel that had a Spa and Sauna room built around some natural hot springs. This was really great, because the Koreans refer to these as Bath Houses, and it's a really refreshing way to get very clean and exfoliate and... all that crazy spa stuff. The facility was VERY clean and well maintained. The only kicker was that in Korea, you go into these places completely nude. They are obviously segregated by gender, but it still really takes some time to get used to walking around what is essentially a huge bath tub completely naked with 50-100 other people. It wasn't just one pool though, there were maybe 10 different pools that were at different temperatures and had different jets and waterfalls and such designed to massage different areas of the body. There were also saunas and an outdoor hot tub. And after getting out, there was a fancy changing area where you could put in hair gel and body lotion and cologne and such. And to top it all off, all this unlimited amount of spa time came at a cost of a mere seven dollars.
We left Monday around noon after picking up gifts (Gyeongju Barley Bread) for our co-workers, which is also Korean tradition. We got to and from Gyeongju via the train, a ticket for which costs around seven dollars one way. The trip from Gyeongju was uneventful, but on the train ride TO Gyeongju, the Korean man I sat next to spoke pretty good English and invited me (for no other reason than that I was an interesting foreigner) to the beverage car to have a few beers with him and his friend that he was traveling with.
And after a long day of traveling with a huge load of luggage and gifts, I am finally home. I dropped off all my rolls of film to be developed and will be picking them up tomorrow: 120 pictures to be developed and put on CD for a cost of $28. In America it would cost around twice that much. I love this country =)
Friday, September 12, 2008
Chusok
This weekend is Chusok, which is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving. This is good for us foreigners because it means we get a nice long 4-day weekend, so myself and a few other people are heading to Gyeongju, a city about an hour or so east of Daegu. It's a very historical city, filled with temples and such, and apparently it is one of the most visited places in Korea for tourism. I'm bringing my camera, so whenever I get around to developing photos (maybe after the first paycheck, maybe sooner, I dunno) I will have them up.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
A Difficult Day
I think today was probably my hardest day so far, but not because of bad students or a demanding schedule. Today, as we all know, is September 10th (despite what blogspot says), and for the past 12 days or so I have been doing the same lesson over and over for each class that has not yet met me. Frankly, it has become extremely boring, and since this is a short week, I decided to change things up.
So when I came in this morning, I spent all of second period creating a power-point presentation about September 11th. As a trained historian, I am supposed to review the past objectively and without emotion. But I was not able to do so; I was revisiting events that I had long tried to put out of my mind. But the really strange thing was that the whole time I was putting together the presentation, the Music teacher who sits at the desk behind me, and doesn't speak a word of English, was singing the whole time, getting it ready for her next class. It was a somber, beautiful song. It was almost surreal the way our two activities coincided so perfectly.
I only have two classes today, and the first one is a class that my coteacher calls the worst she has ever had in six years of teaching. I was already reluctant to get up in front of a group of kids and talk about a subject as emotional as September 11th, and downright horrified at the prospect of doing it in front of this particular group. But as the hour wound down, and it came time to decide between talking about 9/11 and showing a short clip from a Disney movie, I decided to go with 9/11.
I made it through the presentation, but I have to admit that I did struggle at times to remain the steadfast teacher they all expected. And I'm sure they noticed it too. But for those ten minutes, their eyes remained fixed, their ears perked, their minds open and their mouths closed. For those ten minutes, they stopped caring about what the latest text message on their cell phone said, stopped trying to swat their friends across the back of the head... And I swear, they stopped all of the usual nonsense so that they could share in doing what all Americans do on this day of days: they remembered.
And so I learned something today. I learned that some events are more powerful than language barriers and maturity levels, able to tame even the most recalcitrant of children. And that no matter how hard they may be to talk about, we must always find the courage to do so.
So when I came in this morning, I spent all of second period creating a power-point presentation about September 11th. As a trained historian, I am supposed to review the past objectively and without emotion. But I was not able to do so; I was revisiting events that I had long tried to put out of my mind. But the really strange thing was that the whole time I was putting together the presentation, the Music teacher who sits at the desk behind me, and doesn't speak a word of English, was singing the whole time, getting it ready for her next class. It was a somber, beautiful song. It was almost surreal the way our two activities coincided so perfectly.
I only have two classes today, and the first one is a class that my coteacher calls the worst she has ever had in six years of teaching. I was already reluctant to get up in front of a group of kids and talk about a subject as emotional as September 11th, and downright horrified at the prospect of doing it in front of this particular group. But as the hour wound down, and it came time to decide between talking about 9/11 and showing a short clip from a Disney movie, I decided to go with 9/11.
I made it through the presentation, but I have to admit that I did struggle at times to remain the steadfast teacher they all expected. And I'm sure they noticed it too. But for those ten minutes, their eyes remained fixed, their ears perked, their minds open and their mouths closed. For those ten minutes, they stopped caring about what the latest text message on their cell phone said, stopped trying to swat their friends across the back of the head... And I swear, they stopped all of the usual nonsense so that they could share in doing what all Americans do on this day of days: they remembered.
And so I learned something today. I learned that some events are more powerful than language barriers and maturity levels, able to tame even the most recalcitrant of children. And that no matter how hard they may be to talk about, we must always find the courage to do so.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The First Week
Well my first week teaching is nearly finished, and I have to say that overall I really have enjoyed it. Before writing about it more I think I should give a little info about the details of my classes.
I teach all 3 grades: 7th, 8th and 9th. In each class I have roughly 40-45 students. Classes last for 45 minutes, and I have each class once every two weeks. In other words, I will see one group of students for 45 minutes, and the next time I will see them is 2 weeks later. In two weeks time, I will have taught about every student in the school (around 700-800 students I think). The best way to describe my role is to say that I am a supplementary tool used for putting a face and a voice behind their actual English lessons. I actually teach the kids very little, it's my job just to get them to talk more.
That being said, I am very comfortable with that. All of my fellow teachers at the school have much harder jobs than I do but they only make a little bit more than me, which makes me feel really bad for them. Sometimes I will see a teacher sleeping at their desk during their off periods. It's not because they are lazy or bad workers, but because they have so much responsibility even after school ends.
The kids for the most part are really great. Some of my 7th grade classes have really been giving me a hard time, but not all, and some of them are really motivated, which filters down into the rest of them. I love my 9th graders, they are very well behaved and have a pretty solid grasp of English already. Coming up some time next month is a school festival. Every public school takes part in these, and sound like a lot of fun. It's basically a day of games and being outside and just having a good time. As a present for the students, 5 of us teachers (including me) are going to be doing the dance to a hit song by a female Korean pop group. The dance is VERY complicated and about 3.5 minutes long, so it will not be easy, but we're keeping it a big secret from the students. They should love it.
I am easily one of the most popular people in the school. I have students come visit me in my office all the time asking me how they can get better at English. A few days ago one came in to ask me to play some basketball with him and his friends, and we had our game yesterday. They are actually pretty good, I was impressed. Next Friday is a Korean holiday so there is no school, and I had a few students from one of the classes I was supposed to have that day come and ask me if they could see me some time before then to make up the class. Of course I said yes.
On Wednesday I went out with a bunch of other foreigners. We took over a Mexican restaurant owned by a few Canadians and after that we went to a bar frequented mostly by foreigners. Tonight we are going out again for a night on the town. The plan is to stay out at least until the Subway starts up again (it is closed every day from 11:30 PM to 5:30 AM). Apparently I am in for a long night.
Next weekend is a 4 day weekend for the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, so I am in the process of making plans to visit some temples in the countryside with some friends from Orientation.
I teach all 3 grades: 7th, 8th and 9th. In each class I have roughly 40-45 students. Classes last for 45 minutes, and I have each class once every two weeks. In other words, I will see one group of students for 45 minutes, and the next time I will see them is 2 weeks later. In two weeks time, I will have taught about every student in the school (around 700-800 students I think). The best way to describe my role is to say that I am a supplementary tool used for putting a face and a voice behind their actual English lessons. I actually teach the kids very little, it's my job just to get them to talk more.
That being said, I am very comfortable with that. All of my fellow teachers at the school have much harder jobs than I do but they only make a little bit more than me, which makes me feel really bad for them. Sometimes I will see a teacher sleeping at their desk during their off periods. It's not because they are lazy or bad workers, but because they have so much responsibility even after school ends.
The kids for the most part are really great. Some of my 7th grade classes have really been giving me a hard time, but not all, and some of them are really motivated, which filters down into the rest of them. I love my 9th graders, they are very well behaved and have a pretty solid grasp of English already. Coming up some time next month is a school festival. Every public school takes part in these, and sound like a lot of fun. It's basically a day of games and being outside and just having a good time. As a present for the students, 5 of us teachers (including me) are going to be doing the dance to a hit song by a female Korean pop group. The dance is VERY complicated and about 3.5 minutes long, so it will not be easy, but we're keeping it a big secret from the students. They should love it.
I am easily one of the most popular people in the school. I have students come visit me in my office all the time asking me how they can get better at English. A few days ago one came in to ask me to play some basketball with him and his friends, and we had our game yesterday. They are actually pretty good, I was impressed. Next Friday is a Korean holiday so there is no school, and I had a few students from one of the classes I was supposed to have that day come and ask me if they could see me some time before then to make up the class. Of course I said yes.
On Wednesday I went out with a bunch of other foreigners. We took over a Mexican restaurant owned by a few Canadians and after that we went to a bar frequented mostly by foreigners. Tonight we are going out again for a night on the town. The plan is to stay out at least until the Subway starts up again (it is closed every day from 11:30 PM to 5:30 AM). Apparently I am in for a long night.
Next weekend is a 4 day weekend for the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, so I am in the process of making plans to visit some temples in the countryside with some friends from Orientation.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
First Day
Today has really been an experience. I had three classes with the students, and I think they went well. Korean students are very much like American students I think; some of them are extremely smart and inquisitive, and others obviously just don't care about school. They are much harder to control than American students though, and I think that's why corporal punishment is used as much as it is (although it is quickly declining in popularity.) I had one of my co-teachers today hit one of the kids, and I have to admit it kind of bothered me. However, it is important to understand that this culture is very different. Since it is the co-teachers' role to help me maintain order in the class, it seems improper for me to take away a tool for doing so, especially one that is socially acceptable here.
In my third class today, the Vice-Principal (who is arguably the most important person in my life since he determines whether or not I will be forced to come in during breaks) came in to observe me. I was told that normally he will stay for 2-3 minutes, 5 at most, just to make sure the teacher is actually doing their job. But he stayed for about 15 minutes in my class, something which made the eyes of all my other co-teachers (I have about 5) widen in astonishment. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure the reason he stayed so long is because he was really enjoying watching me teach. I saw him holding as conversation with some of my co-teachers, telling them about my methods and such, most of which he had never seen before.
I can see why Korea ranks near the bottom of the world in English speaking ability. None of them want to talk, they dread it. I think they find it embarrassing to not be good at a school subject (Korean students are top 10 in the world at almost everything else.) I held a conversation class with my English-speaking co-teachers today and even they were incredibly shy. It's simply amazing how they are so eager to help me and are so good at speaking english, but enter the formal classroom atmosphere and they are almost as shy as the students.
One of my Korean Moms has offered to help me get my cell-phone, internet, and hot water set up today after school, so hopefully I will have all those things by this evening.
In my third class today, the Vice-Principal (who is arguably the most important person in my life since he determines whether or not I will be forced to come in during breaks) came in to observe me. I was told that normally he will stay for 2-3 minutes, 5 at most, just to make sure the teacher is actually doing their job. But he stayed for about 15 minutes in my class, something which made the eyes of all my other co-teachers (I have about 5) widen in astonishment. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure the reason he stayed so long is because he was really enjoying watching me teach. I saw him holding as conversation with some of my co-teachers, telling them about my methods and such, most of which he had never seen before.
I can see why Korea ranks near the bottom of the world in English speaking ability. None of them want to talk, they dread it. I think they find it embarrassing to not be good at a school subject (Korean students are top 10 in the world at almost everything else.) I held a conversation class with my English-speaking co-teachers today and even they were incredibly shy. It's simply amazing how they are so eager to help me and are so good at speaking english, but enter the formal classroom atmosphere and they are almost as shy as the students.
One of my Korean Moms has offered to help me get my cell-phone, internet, and hot water set up today after school, so hopefully I will have all those things by this evening.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Daegu
THIS ENTRY HAS BEEN EDITED, so re-read it and just skip the paragraphs that are familiar.
I arrived in Daegu yesterday. The process of meeting our Korean co-teachers was very awkward, as all of us were put up on a stage while the teachers sat in the audience, carefully observing us. After a short introduction, the teachers' names were read along with their corresponding native teacher. I felt like I was being auctioned off.
I think I got lucky, because the person who is acting basically as my Korean Mom is very nice. Her English isn't quite as good as some of the Korean teachers we met at orientation, but it's not bad. My apartment is really great. It's a lot better than I was expecting. I even was lucky enough to get a queen sized bed. I live in a very nice part of town. It's very quiet, but just down the street is a bustling and very busy area, with lots of stores and bars and such.
I am a little bit nervous about Monday because as of right now I have no schedule, no student lists and no real idea of whether I will even be TEACHING, or just observing. However, I am somewhat reassured by the fact that I will be the lead teacher and I will have total freedom over what I teach. So if I really wanted to, I could teach them effective Starcraft strategies (the game is so popular it appears regularly in textbooks for use in examples, and I have seen multiple televised matches.) Also, apparently I will be teaching some conversation classes for teachers after school on some days. All-in-all, I believe I was told to expect around 16 hours of actual teaching time per week, which is great since my contract allows them to give me up to 22.
My internet has not yet been turned on, so I don't know when I will be able to Skype it up with anyone. I'm posting this from my school right now, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from my apartment. It's going to take me awhile to get used to this place, as I get stares and giggles from EVERY single student that sees me.
I found a great little coffee shop that's about a 10 minute walk from my house with good coffee. Bust best of all, apparently there is free wireless internet here! I was desperately hoping to find the equivalent of an Espresso Royale here in Daegu, and it looks like I have, so I am very excited about that. Also, on the way here I walked by a FujiFilm outlet which I am pretty sure develops photos, so I will try and get that done tomorrow and hopefully have them posted.
I arrived in Daegu yesterday. The process of meeting our Korean co-teachers was very awkward, as all of us were put up on a stage while the teachers sat in the audience, carefully observing us. After a short introduction, the teachers' names were read along with their corresponding native teacher. I felt like I was being auctioned off.
I think I got lucky, because the person who is acting basically as my Korean Mom is very nice. Her English isn't quite as good as some of the Korean teachers we met at orientation, but it's not bad. My apartment is really great. It's a lot better than I was expecting. I even was lucky enough to get a queen sized bed. I live in a very nice part of town. It's very quiet, but just down the street is a bustling and very busy area, with lots of stores and bars and such.
I am a little bit nervous about Monday because as of right now I have no schedule, no student lists and no real idea of whether I will even be TEACHING, or just observing. However, I am somewhat reassured by the fact that I will be the lead teacher and I will have total freedom over what I teach. So if I really wanted to, I could teach them effective Starcraft strategies (the game is so popular it appears regularly in textbooks for use in examples, and I have seen multiple televised matches.) Also, apparently I will be teaching some conversation classes for teachers after school on some days. All-in-all, I believe I was told to expect around 16 hours of actual teaching time per week, which is great since my contract allows them to give me up to 22.
My internet has not yet been turned on, so I don't know when I will be able to Skype it up with anyone. I'm posting this from my school right now, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from my apartment. It's going to take me awhile to get used to this place, as I get stares and giggles from EVERY single student that sees me.
I found a great little coffee shop that's about a 10 minute walk from my house with good coffee. Bust best of all, apparently there is free wireless internet here! I was desperately hoping to find the equivalent of an Espresso Royale here in Daegu, and it looks like I have, so I am very excited about that. Also, on the way here I walked by a FujiFilm outlet which I am pretty sure develops photos, so I will try and get that done tomorrow and hopefully have them posted.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Street Meat
So yesterday was the Korean Village trip. It was really, really neat. Basically, the village was a compilation of old-style houses that had been disassembled and transported from their original cities, and then reassembled in the village. Aside from the houses, there was also spectacular landscaping. We witnessed a traditional folk dance being performed, as well as tight-rope walking and an acrobatic feat that involved two slender women propelling each other 20 feet in the air using a see-saw. As an added bonus, I was able to put my 5 semesters of French study to work; I ran into a group of people from France who were on vacation visiting Korea for 10 days.
After coming home from the village, some friends and I went out for a night on the town. Seoul is an overwhelming city, even in our minuscule corner of it. We headed towards a nearby strip of bars that we had heard about, and when we got there, we were assaulted by what can only be described as the most awe-inspiring display of neon signs I will ever see. Imagine Las Vegas on enough steroids to warrant Congressional investigation and you might get an idea of what this little section of town looked like. We visited a total of 4 bars, which probably constituted about 0.2% of the bars in the area. And the best thing about these bars is their prices -- I spent a total of about 12 dollars all night, which covered drinks at all 4 bars and food.
Also lining the streets everywhere in Seoul are tiny street vendors. The majority of these vendors sell quick and tasty meat snacks. Tonight I actually tried one, a sort of Korean-style corn dog, and it was the best corn dog I have ever had. And it wasn't just the price (1 dollar) that gave it that distinction. My fellow EPIK teacher Eddie, who has spent the past 3 years teaching English in Japan, calls it "street meat". It's all extremely cheap and very popular, and in a city as large as Daegu, it should be almost accessible there as it is here.
After coming home from the village, some friends and I went out for a night on the town. Seoul is an overwhelming city, even in our minuscule corner of it. We headed towards a nearby strip of bars that we had heard about, and when we got there, we were assaulted by what can only be described as the most awe-inspiring display of neon signs I will ever see. Imagine Las Vegas on enough steroids to warrant Congressional investigation and you might get an idea of what this little section of town looked like. We visited a total of 4 bars, which probably constituted about 0.2% of the bars in the area. And the best thing about these bars is their prices -- I spent a total of about 12 dollars all night, which covered drinks at all 4 bars and food.
Also lining the streets everywhere in Seoul are tiny street vendors. The majority of these vendors sell quick and tasty meat snacks. Tonight I actually tried one, a sort of Korean-style corn dog, and it was the best corn dog I have ever had. And it wasn't just the price (1 dollar) that gave it that distinction. My fellow EPIK teacher Eddie, who has spent the past 3 years teaching English in Japan, calls it "street meat". It's all extremely cheap and very popular, and in a city as large as Daegu, it should be almost accessible there as it is here.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Don't Fight With Ajuma
Yesterday was the first of 5 days of lectures regarding teaching, life in Korea, and other things of that nature. A lot of it I had already read about, but a lot of it was new and very helpful. The Koreans have many customs and traditions in not just the household but also the workplace. They permeate all levels of society, making the Korean culture far more interesting than American culture in my opinion.
Apparently, when we first arrive at our places of employment, the school at which we work will hold a welcoming party, probably on the Friday or Saturday that we arrive. It will most likely be held at a restaurant and involve heavy drinking. However, drinking is a very special activity for Koreans. It's not just about getting drunk, although that is definitely what's going to happen; it's about bonding with one's co-workers. For men, getting drunk with another man or group of men is a sort of initiation of friendship. Also, it is not proper for you to pour yourself a drink. Instead, one must wait for another person to fill their glass, which will usually happen once the glass is empty. After someone pours you a drink, you return the favor. It's an unending circle of alcoholic bliss.
We were told that there are three types of people in Korean society: Men, Women, and Ajuma. Ajuma are essentially older women that have been wizened by years of motherhood, and now act as mother-like figures to everyone around them. The Koreans joke that Ajuma are the strongest beings on Earth, and you never ever argue or fight with them because they will embarrass you.
Today is our trip to a Korean folk village. I will be taking pictures, but they won't be up for another week or so probably.
Apparently, when we first arrive at our places of employment, the school at which we work will hold a welcoming party, probably on the Friday or Saturday that we arrive. It will most likely be held at a restaurant and involve heavy drinking. However, drinking is a very special activity for Koreans. It's not just about getting drunk, although that is definitely what's going to happen; it's about bonding with one's co-workers. For men, getting drunk with another man or group of men is a sort of initiation of friendship. Also, it is not proper for you to pour yourself a drink. Instead, one must wait for another person to fill their glass, which will usually happen once the glass is empty. After someone pours you a drink, you return the favor. It's an unending circle of alcoholic bliss.
We were told that there are three types of people in Korean society: Men, Women, and Ajuma. Ajuma are essentially older women that have been wizened by years of motherhood, and now act as mother-like figures to everyone around them. The Koreans joke that Ajuma are the strongest beings on Earth, and you never ever argue or fight with them because they will embarrass you.
Today is our trip to a Korean folk village. I will be taking pictures, but they won't be up for another week or so probably.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
First day in Seoul
Our first day in Seoul has been great. Although the orientation itself has been really stupid, meeting people from all over the world has been really cool. I was talking with some really nice people from Britain a couple hours ago, and later tonight I'm going out for drinks with a guy from New Zealand (along with some other American people I met).
Seoul is an overwhelming city. Its metropolitan area, which includes the city of Incheon, home to the country's major airport and where I flew in, is the second largest in the world. According to wikipedia, the area houses around 23 million people. That's roughly half of South Korea's entire population. Seoul reminds me of Chicago because there is a large river inlet that runs through a large part of Seoul, and hotels and other skyscrapers line the river edge for miles. While traditional metropolitan cities have one large area that holds the bulk of the skyscrapers, Seoul seems to have half a dozen. It's really incredible. There is a complex network of bridges and highways that crisscross both the river and the other freeways. Korea's mountainous geography also intrudes into Seoul's jurisdiction, but the Koreans see this as just another place to put their buildings; there are several jumbles of very Asian-looking structures built into the sides of large hills. There are some really nice restaurants on some of the streets, but there are also some tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants in which customers sit on the floor, rather than at a table. There are plenty of western stores, such as Outback Steakhouse, 7-11, Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robins. For some reason, small printing shops seem to be all the rage here, those and small hardware shops. I can't imagine how these places stay in business with so much competition. My roommate and I must have walked a quarter mile earlier on some random Seoul street and saw half a dozen print shops. It's pretty strange.
The University that we are staying at is pretty nice. There is a small lake in the middle of campus and all the buildings circle around it. The campus is right smack in the middle of downtown, and it's really easy to leave campus and experience the hustle and bustle of downtown Seoul. Everyone here has a roommate, and I was lucky enough not to get stuck with some overweight middle-aged guy. Normally I wouldn't be so discriminate, but there are a few of them here and they are all rather strange. I was talking with one of the people I am going out for drinks with tonight and he told me that one of these weird guys sat next to him during their arrival last night and presented him with a business card which claimed the man's profession was "Gospel Science Fiction Writer". Apparently this guy is some creepy cross between Johnathan Edwards and Isaac Asimov.
Tomorrow (I think) we are supposed to be visiting a Korean Folk Village. I am not exactly sure what this is going to be like, but I have heard mixed reviews.
Seoul is an overwhelming city. Its metropolitan area, which includes the city of Incheon, home to the country's major airport and where I flew in, is the second largest in the world. According to wikipedia, the area houses around 23 million people. That's roughly half of South Korea's entire population. Seoul reminds me of Chicago because there is a large river inlet that runs through a large part of Seoul, and hotels and other skyscrapers line the river edge for miles. While traditional metropolitan cities have one large area that holds the bulk of the skyscrapers, Seoul seems to have half a dozen. It's really incredible. There is a complex network of bridges and highways that crisscross both the river and the other freeways. Korea's mountainous geography also intrudes into Seoul's jurisdiction, but the Koreans see this as just another place to put their buildings; there are several jumbles of very Asian-looking structures built into the sides of large hills. There are some really nice restaurants on some of the streets, but there are also some tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants in which customers sit on the floor, rather than at a table. There are plenty of western stores, such as Outback Steakhouse, 7-11, Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robins. For some reason, small printing shops seem to be all the rage here, those and small hardware shops. I can't imagine how these places stay in business with so much competition. My roommate and I must have walked a quarter mile earlier on some random Seoul street and saw half a dozen print shops. It's pretty strange.
The University that we are staying at is pretty nice. There is a small lake in the middle of campus and all the buildings circle around it. The campus is right smack in the middle of downtown, and it's really easy to leave campus and experience the hustle and bustle of downtown Seoul. Everyone here has a roommate, and I was lucky enough not to get stuck with some overweight middle-aged guy. Normally I wouldn't be so discriminate, but there are a few of them here and they are all rather strange. I was talking with one of the people I am going out for drinks with tonight and he told me that one of these weird guys sat next to him during their arrival last night and presented him with a business card which claimed the man's profession was "Gospel Science Fiction Writer". Apparently this guy is some creepy cross between Johnathan Edwards and Isaac Asimov.
Tomorrow (I think) we are supposed to be visiting a Korean Folk Village. I am not exactly sure what this is going to be like, but I have heard mixed reviews.
Friday, August 22
I arrived in Seoul yesterday evening around 5:00pm local time. The city is easily the largest I have ever seen. The University we are staying at is small but nice.
My computer is currently dead and I have no power adapter yet for the plugs, which are different here, so I can't post anything detailed about my trip yet. I'm posting on my roommate's laptop so I'm going to keep this short.
In summary, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. More posts to come in the next couple of days...
My computer is currently dead and I have no power adapter yet for the plugs, which are different here, so I can't post anything detailed about my trip yet. I'm posting on my roommate's laptop so I'm going to keep this short.
In summary, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. More posts to come in the next couple of days...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Wednesday, August 20th
I am posting this from the terminal in Denver. The first flight went smoothly and was uneventful. The layover here will apparently be about an hour more than expected due to delays. More updates to come...
The timestamp on the blog is on Denver time.
But remember, non-posting on my part probably just means I am unable to get on the net.
The timestamp on the blog is on Denver time.
But remember, non-posting on my part probably just means I am unable to get on the net.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tuesday, August 19
So I was just doing some perusing of the ESL forums before my flight tomorrow, and I came across this little gem of a news article. Now for those of you who haven't heard about this, there is a particular urban legend that circulates throughout South Korea known as "Fan Death". Fan Death occurs when a person or persons are in a sealed room with an electric fan running: the fan lowers the person or persons' body temperature, resulting in death by fan.
This is an excerpt from a newspaper article regarding a Korean student in an English as a Foreign Language class at a University (yes, this person is in college...) in Canada. To read the full article, check the link on the right side of the page, where I will be posting links to interesting/pertinent articles relating to Korea:
"While many are familiar with the 'bad luck' associated with walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror, or the meteorological effects of squishing a spider, no other piece of folklore promises such a swift and sudden demise as fan death.
Jennifer Choi, 27, says she doesn't remember when she first heard of fan death, but says that the belief was instilled in her at a very early age.
'It is something I've grown up knowing, just like you don't go swimming until half an hour after you've eaten.' Her aunts in Korea would tell her, 'Don't point the fan straight at your face; you never know ... you might die.'"
I love Korea already.
This is an excerpt from a newspaper article regarding a Korean student in an English as a Foreign Language class at a University (yes, this person is in college...) in Canada. To read the full article, check the link on the right side of the page, where I will be posting links to interesting/pertinent articles relating to Korea:
"While many are familiar with the 'bad luck' associated with walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror, or the meteorological effects of squishing a spider, no other piece of folklore promises such a swift and sudden demise as fan death.
Jennifer Choi, 27, says she doesn't remember when she first heard of fan death, but says that the belief was instilled in her at a very early age.
'It is something I've grown up knowing, just like you don't go swimming until half an hour after you've eaten.' Her aunts in Korea would tell her, 'Don't point the fan straight at your face; you never know ... you might die.'"
I love Korea already.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday, August 18
I finally got the site up and running. I was planning on using GoDaddy but they are too expensive, so this free hosting will have to do.
I'm going to post links to news stories involving the Korean peninsula in the middle right section of the site, just above the "About Me" section, so be sure to check that out from time to time.
There won't be any pictures for a little while as I have no digital camera, only a 35mm SLR film. I'm not even sure if I can get photos developed here, though I'm sure I can do it somewhere. I'm going to try to post updates during layovers, mainly so my parents know that my planes didn't crash and burn.
I'm going to post links to news stories involving the Korean peninsula in the middle right section of the site, just above the "About Me" section, so be sure to check that out from time to time.
There won't be any pictures for a little while as I have no digital camera, only a 35mm SLR film. I'm not even sure if I can get photos developed here, though I'm sure I can do it somewhere. I'm going to try to post updates during layovers, mainly so my parents know that my planes didn't crash and burn.
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