Over the weekend I took a day trip with a group of friends to a city called Andong. It was a two hour windy bus ride that anyone with a slightly temperamental stomach would have vomited their breakfast...
There is a Korean folk village where the people still participate in the ancient Korean customs. First we went to the museum to learn about the customs then we went to the village. At the museum there was an old man doing calligraphy and he made scrolls for us for free. Mine says "May all your dreams come true." (Or something like that...)
Outside the museum we decided to stop for some group photos. There were two Korean men who wanted to take pictures with us. Then take pictures of us... All Koreans think they are photographers. They buy big fancy cameras and bring their tripod with at all times. How else can they take self portraits...?
It was a good weekend.
Last night my coworker, Jenn, thought she was dying (slight exaggeration). She had abdominal pains and other symptoms associated with appendicitis so it really wasn't something to put off for a few days. I went to the ER with her and... WOW. That is all I can say.
When we first got there there were two old people that appear to be on their death beds. Then some kids came in. Then a gurney with someone on life support came in. They started blood transfusions, plugged in a defibrillator and who knows what else.
In American emergency rooms you wait for hours and hours, but in the comfort of your own personal room with a TV. In Korea, the ER is basically an open triage center with gurneys lined up along the walls. They line patients up in order of severity. And use stainless steel chopsticks to handle medical supplies.
If you need to, for example, give a urine sample, you can do so in that personal room. In Korea you have a gurney with a curtain around it. And for urine samples, the bathroom is down the hall and around the corner. You even have to retrieve your own IV cart to be mobile. (Oh...they started an IV right away for abdominal pain...??)
So nurses and doctors are working on the patient that is dying (their head is all bandaged up, tube coming of of the mouth and there's crusted blood all over their face - yes I could see all this just walking by...) so I walk around the other way to get back to Jenn. There was a random puddle of dried blood on the floor. Completely normal and sanitary in Korea...
Let's just say my immune system is in overdrive today...
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
'Tis the Korean Seasons
I saw Korean Crossroads had a post on seasons so I decided to follow the bandwagon and give my observations...
When I arrived it was definitely SUMMER back home in the Midwest. End of June is certainly full swing Summer. Well not in Korea. For at least two weeks the weather was very pleasant. Cool breezes. You could walk outside without sweating.
After the nice two weeks until... the end of September probably, it was HOT. There wasn't even any relief at night once the sun went down. And my school was always stingy with air con. They would wait five minutes after class had started to turn it on, then turn it off five minutes before class ended. Poor kids, when I would ask, "How are you," would always respond, "VERY VERY VERY VERY hot."
Then once October came it was fall. No in between. No changing seasons. FALL. From shorts and tanks to jeans and jackets. Thats when I got a stupid sinus infection because the weather changed so suddenly.
We enjoyed fall for a nice month. Well almost a month. Winter will be here next week. It's already announcing its arrival. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for the cold. I mean it gets cold at home, but it's only cold (for me anyways) when I walk from my warm home to my warm car and from my warm car to a warm building. My apartment isn't COLD but certainly isn't central heat warm. And my school is just cold. I already wear my fleece pretty much all day.
I'm going to be such a big baby when Winter really comes. Ugh. Wish me luck! The only upside to cold weather is the cute hats, scarves and gloves you get to buy!!
When I arrived it was definitely SUMMER back home in the Midwest. End of June is certainly full swing Summer. Well not in Korea. For at least two weeks the weather was very pleasant. Cool breezes. You could walk outside without sweating.
After the nice two weeks until... the end of September probably, it was HOT. There wasn't even any relief at night once the sun went down. And my school was always stingy with air con. They would wait five minutes after class had started to turn it on, then turn it off five minutes before class ended. Poor kids, when I would ask, "How are you," would always respond, "VERY VERY VERY VERY hot."
Then once October came it was fall. No in between. No changing seasons. FALL. From shorts and tanks to jeans and jackets. Thats when I got a stupid sinus infection because the weather changed so suddenly.
We enjoyed fall for a nice month. Well almost a month. Winter will be here next week. It's already announcing its arrival. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for the cold. I mean it gets cold at home, but it's only cold (for me anyways) when I walk from my warm home to my warm car and from my warm car to a warm building. My apartment isn't COLD but certainly isn't central heat warm. And my school is just cold. I already wear my fleece pretty much all day.
I'm going to be such a big baby when Winter really comes. Ugh. Wish me luck! The only upside to cold weather is the cute hats, scarves and gloves you get to buy!!
Korean children get carsick too.
Hello followers... Here is an update from the past two weeks.
Last week we had a field trip with our babies. We went to a place called Homigot. It's the Eastern most part of South Korea. It's marked by a giant hand in the ocean facing another hand on land. It was so beautiful. There was a nice park for the kids to run around and play at. And there was a lighthouse museum that they ran around in.
The drive TO Homigot was... not pleasant. It was fine - a little hilly and windy but I'm fine in the back of cars. I look over and my little guy Hans looks tired and hot. I ask if he's ok. He says he is. I tell him we'll be there soon. Next time I look over, he has vomit running down his shirt and more on its way up. I don't know what else to do besides put my hands up to his mouth. Ugh. Should have just let it go all over the van. I yell for the driver to pull over and they get Hans out for fresh air and hand me wet wipes to clean up the seat. And don't let me out. They almost had a sick teacher too...
All in all, the day was fun.
PS: The picture on my blog homepage is Homigot. BEAUTIFUL!!
Last week we had a field trip with our babies. We went to a place called Homigot. It's the Eastern most part of South Korea. It's marked by a giant hand in the ocean facing another hand on land. It was so beautiful. There was a nice park for the kids to run around and play at. And there was a lighthouse museum that they ran around in.
The drive TO Homigot was... not pleasant. It was fine - a little hilly and windy but I'm fine in the back of cars. I look over and my little guy Hans looks tired and hot. I ask if he's ok. He says he is. I tell him we'll be there soon. Next time I look over, he has vomit running down his shirt and more on its way up. I don't know what else to do besides put my hands up to his mouth. Ugh. Should have just let it go all over the van. I yell for the driver to pull over and they get Hans out for fresh air and hand me wet wipes to clean up the seat. And don't let me out. They almost had a sick teacher too...
All in all, the day was fun.
PS: The picture on my blog homepage is Homigot. BEAUTIFUL!!
Friends and Fish
I'm wrapping up a pretty good weekend here in the 'Hang. Saturday I had to work (since I was off last Friday after the Chusok holiday, I had to work Saturday this week). Not a fan of working on Saturdays but it honestly wasn't that bad...
Then I headed out for a night out on the town. And I mean OUT on the town. Had some drinks with some great friends and met some new ones (and met some creepy people too...). Once all the bars closed (at 6 am...) we (me, my friend Annie and a new friend we had met) decided it was a good idea to go to noraebang (Kroean karaoke). So we ventured out into the daylight and sang our hearts out for two hours.
And since we were already up, why not check out the largest outdoor market on Korea's east coast? I've been told it's best to go there early in the morning. And since I will never actually wake up early to check it out, it seemed fitting to experience it before going to bed.
Then I headed out for a night out on the town. And I mean OUT on the town. Had some drinks with some great friends and met some new ones (and met some creepy people too...). Once all the bars closed (at 6 am...) we (me, my friend Annie and a new friend we had met) decided it was a good idea to go to noraebang (Kroean karaoke). So we ventured out into the daylight and sang our hearts out for two hours.
And since we were already up, why not check out the largest outdoor market on Korea's east coast? I've been told it's best to go there early in the morning. And since I will never actually wake up early to check it out, it seemed fitting to experience it before going to bed.
Good night with Fist Fights...
A quick update. [Note: The next two posts actually precede this one. Somehow they were saved as drafts and never posted...woops]
Last we talked, there was a field trip. The weather was still nice.. So since the last post I've been having (more) fun like a freshman in college. Just to give you an idea, 2:00 a.m. last Saturday night was the earliest I had gotten in a cab headed for home in at least a month. If it's still dark outside, that's early...
School has been really great actually. I have seen such an improvement in (almost) all of my students! It's amazing. Soon after I got here (I think I was with the students for one month) I had to write progress reports... WHAT?!?! I made up stuff to write for basically every student. Next month is progress report time again. And I really feel like I'll have a lot to comment on for most students. (Still not looking forward to progress reports though...)
I've gotten back into working out. I joined a gym with my coworker and every Tuesday evening a group of girlfriends get together at the beach (I love how I can say that so casual... at the beach) and one friend organizes and plans a circuit workout. And then we stick around and have girl talk afterwards. BUT, two weeks ago I hurt my knee :(
In 2005 I tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus and had (I would say grueling) surgery to repair the former. I was doing mountain climbers and afterwards I got this awful pain in the same place as my MCL tear... A German... well not sure if he was a doctor or what... man insisted he look at my knee (at a bar, no less) and insisted it was my meniscus and a quick surgery would repair it. NO. Even though it would be super cheap, I refuse to have surgery in Korea. I've rested my knee and taken it easy for two weeks. Now I'm ready to try again.
Now I'll address the title of this post. Living in a town with a Marine base and small Navy base, you'd think there would be tension between the two branches and just the guys themselves. I mean when too much testosterone is mixed with alcohol, the reaction often is restricted to the upper body and results in swinging of the limbs, etc.
Surprisingly, I have yet to see a fight started by a military man. Instead, fights are started by Koreans, which now I know also have a lot of testosterone brewing that reacts with alcohol. The first fight was on a Thursday night at a popular bar. It's pretty big and everyone was spread out in their groups... All of a sudden, back in a corner where pool tables are, a fight breaks out. A (surprisingly large) Korean was causing a ruckus and pushing and shoving other Koreans (which I found out were his friends). The bartender (male) and owner (female) go over to break it up. He then pushes and shoves them!
That's when the American marines get heated. No one pushes a woman. So they try to get a piece of him (and ultimately stop him) and they're pulled back by their counterparts. So the guy is still pushing and shoving, throwing punches and neck-holding people. They finally get him to the door. And he still has outbursts and lunges at individuals. I stayed back but was still scared. What if he made eye contact and lunged at me?!?! A mug was thrown and broken, a Korean was punched in the face. The cops were called.
Now to note the "duty" of Korean cops... After literately 40 minutes, the guy is taken outside and the cops are asking several people what happened. He's still trying to fight. Ok in America, if someone was still trying to fight even with the cops arrived, he would get arrested, tazered, hit with the light stick or all of the above. The cop takes one guy's hand, then the other and forces them to hold hands. And they walk off together. End of story. (And ps, the guy was STILL trying to fight people an hour later while getting into the cab.)
The next night (I wasn't there but heard eye-witness stories) there was another fight, started by a Korean university student. Apparently the guy was looking for a fight with anyone and everyone. He swings at one foreign teacher. A friend of the teacher (also a teacher) sees it so punches the Korean. Then the Korean's African friend punches the teacher. Breaks his jaw in a couple places. The teacher had his jaw wired shut and surgery to put plates in his face.
I'm glad I have only small doses of testosterone in my bloodstream. Oh no! What happens when I reach menopause and no longer produce female reproductive hormones? Will I want to pick fights too?!?! Haha.
Last we talked, there was a field trip. The weather was still nice.. So since the last post I've been having (more) fun like a freshman in college. Just to give you an idea, 2:00 a.m. last Saturday night was the earliest I had gotten in a cab headed for home in at least a month. If it's still dark outside, that's early...
School has been really great actually. I have seen such an improvement in (almost) all of my students! It's amazing. Soon after I got here (I think I was with the students for one month) I had to write progress reports... WHAT?!?! I made up stuff to write for basically every student. Next month is progress report time again. And I really feel like I'll have a lot to comment on for most students. (Still not looking forward to progress reports though...)
I've gotten back into working out. I joined a gym with my coworker and every Tuesday evening a group of girlfriends get together at the beach (I love how I can say that so casual... at the beach) and one friend organizes and plans a circuit workout. And then we stick around and have girl talk afterwards. BUT, two weeks ago I hurt my knee :(
In 2005 I tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus and had (I would say grueling) surgery to repair the former. I was doing mountain climbers and afterwards I got this awful pain in the same place as my MCL tear... A German... well not sure if he was a doctor or what... man insisted he look at my knee (at a bar, no less) and insisted it was my meniscus and a quick surgery would repair it. NO. Even though it would be super cheap, I refuse to have surgery in Korea. I've rested my knee and taken it easy for two weeks. Now I'm ready to try again.
Now I'll address the title of this post. Living in a town with a Marine base and small Navy base, you'd think there would be tension between the two branches and just the guys themselves. I mean when too much testosterone is mixed with alcohol, the reaction often is restricted to the upper body and results in swinging of the limbs, etc.
Surprisingly, I have yet to see a fight started by a military man. Instead, fights are started by Koreans, which now I know also have a lot of testosterone brewing that reacts with alcohol. The first fight was on a Thursday night at a popular bar. It's pretty big and everyone was spread out in their groups... All of a sudden, back in a corner where pool tables are, a fight breaks out. A (surprisingly large) Korean was causing a ruckus and pushing and shoving other Koreans (which I found out were his friends). The bartender (male) and owner (female) go over to break it up. He then pushes and shoves them!
That's when the American marines get heated. No one pushes a woman. So they try to get a piece of him (and ultimately stop him) and they're pulled back by their counterparts. So the guy is still pushing and shoving, throwing punches and neck-holding people. They finally get him to the door. And he still has outbursts and lunges at individuals. I stayed back but was still scared. What if he made eye contact and lunged at me?!?! A mug was thrown and broken, a Korean was punched in the face. The cops were called.
Now to note the "duty" of Korean cops... After literately 40 minutes, the guy is taken outside and the cops are asking several people what happened. He's still trying to fight. Ok in America, if someone was still trying to fight even with the cops arrived, he would get arrested, tazered, hit with the light stick or all of the above. The cop takes one guy's hand, then the other and forces them to hold hands. And they walk off together. End of story. (And ps, the guy was STILL trying to fight people an hour later while getting into the cab.)
The next night (I wasn't there but heard eye-witness stories) there was another fight, started by a Korean university student. Apparently the guy was looking for a fight with anyone and everyone. He swings at one foreign teacher. A friend of the teacher (also a teacher) sees it so punches the Korean. Then the Korean's African friend punches the teacher. Breaks his jaw in a couple places. The teacher had his jaw wired shut and surgery to put plates in his face.
I'm glad I have only small doses of testosterone in my bloodstream. Oh no! What happens when I reach menopause and no longer produce female reproductive hormones? Will I want to pick fights too?!?! Haha.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Happy Chusok
Chusok is a Korea holiday equivalent to our Thanksgiving. Only it's three days instead of one. This year it happened to fall during the middle of the week. So I had to work Monday but had the rest of the week of! I've been planning and looking forward to going bunjee jumping for Chusok for a while. So I thought I'd venture to Seoul to see my friend Gina again (even though the last trip was pretty awful - nothing went as planned).
This trip was (almost) completely the opposite! I was a little worried at first. Gina doesn't have a cell phone right now. My internet wasn't working before I left. Luckily I told her when my bus was leaving and she told me her new apartment number. My stomach was in knots the whole ride up there (what would I do if I couldn't find her place...? Wander around in Ilsan?)
My arrival was flawless (for the most part). Didn't even go the wrong direction on the subway! The only downer was the awful rain and the traffic. It was bumper to bumper basically the entire way to Seoul. America has no idea what holiday traffic is... And there were flash floods on the interstate going into the city. I got DRENCHED even with an umbrella. But, I made it safely.
Wednesday Gina got up at a decent hour to go shopping. I got my shop on like it was going out of style. Found some Winter clothes (I obviously don't have the typical Asian physique so that can pose a problem when looking for any type of apparel) and some shoes. Bought some books and some face stuff! Great shopping all around. Then we decided to go to Namsan tower (a needle point structure). You can take a cable car up to it (it's on a mountain).
We didn't know exactly how to get there but life is an adventure, right? Some Ajumma (Korean for older lady) told us which subway line to take. We get to the stop and a Korean couple is looking at the area map with us. They point at the same place we need to go. Same Same! (A new, commonly used phrase in my life.) So we decide to follow them. After all, they're Korean, we're not. They head up through these neighborhoods. I kind of questioned their route but they must be going the right way, right... Oh my gosh. Those people took us over a river, through the woods, up some hills, around corners and still, we were not even close to the cable car place. They finally shoo us away and we come to the conclusion that maybe they are hiking, not going to the same place we are... Ugh. We found another Korean couple that got lost with us and together we all found the cable cars... Got some great views/pictures of the skyline just before my camera went dead. Then for dinner we ate delicious American food in Itaewon (the foreigner district of Seoul).
Next day (Thursday) we got up early-ish again and went to Costco (always a highlight of Ilsan trips!) where I bought REAL cheese, lunch meat, salsa, Heinz ketchup and American mascara! Lunch was Taco Bell! It's pretty sad when Taco Bell counts as Mexican food... Then we set off for the Seoul Zoo. It was decent for a zoo (although I don't think any zoo will ever be better than my beloved St. Louis Zoo...) and it was really fun to see all the Korean families and little kids everywhere. Success. Dinner was delicious Thai food (again in Itaewon) then met up with a couple friends.
Friday was bunjee day!! Gina had to work and everyone (in Pohang and Ilsan) flaked so it was just me and Nick. 9:00 am departure turned into, "Let's wake up at 9," turned into sleeping until 11, leaving around noon. Even if there was a big crowd and we had to wait, we really didn't have anything else to do... It took a two hour subway ride and ten minute taxi to get to the park. It didn't look crowded... Hmmm... No one was jumping. Or getting ready to jump. Hmmmm... The lake underneath was really low. Hmmm... You guessed it. They were closed. Now I did my research. The website specifically said open all days including holidays, rain or shine. I even tried to call at one point but got no answer. The site didn't mention that if the lake was too full or they were cleaning it (neither Nick nor I understand Korean but we tried our best to make up what we thought the Korean guy sleeping at the ticket counter said), no one could jump. It was a sad afternoon, two hour subway ride back and wasted day... That called for some soju...
After a short nap, we (I went out with Gina's friends because she had to work until 10 p.m.) ate some delicious Korean dinner, went to noraebang, and ended the night at a club. It was so much fun and I met some great people... Don't tell anyone but I secretly REALLY want to move there when my contract in Pohang is over! Shhhhh!
The next day (Saturday) I packed my stuff up for the journey back home to Pohang. Got home around 11 p.m. Met a friend for some drinks and called in a relatively early night. Today (Sunday) is just a relaxing day at a coffee shop (don't feel like looking at my mess of an apartment and mounds of dirty clothes to be washed) blogging, book and letters to family.
How many days until Christmas vacation?!?!?
This trip was (almost) completely the opposite! I was a little worried at first. Gina doesn't have a cell phone right now. My internet wasn't working before I left. Luckily I told her when my bus was leaving and she told me her new apartment number. My stomach was in knots the whole ride up there (what would I do if I couldn't find her place...? Wander around in Ilsan?)
My arrival was flawless (for the most part). Didn't even go the wrong direction on the subway! The only downer was the awful rain and the traffic. It was bumper to bumper basically the entire way to Seoul. America has no idea what holiday traffic is... And there were flash floods on the interstate going into the city. I got DRENCHED even with an umbrella. But, I made it safely.
Wednesday Gina got up at a decent hour to go shopping. I got my shop on like it was going out of style. Found some Winter clothes (I obviously don't have the typical Asian physique so that can pose a problem when looking for any type of apparel) and some shoes. Bought some books and some face stuff! Great shopping all around. Then we decided to go to Namsan tower (a needle point structure). You can take a cable car up to it (it's on a mountain).
We didn't know exactly how to get there but life is an adventure, right? Some Ajumma (Korean for older lady) told us which subway line to take. We get to the stop and a Korean couple is looking at the area map with us. They point at the same place we need to go. Same Same! (A new, commonly used phrase in my life.) So we decide to follow them. After all, they're Korean, we're not. They head up through these neighborhoods. I kind of questioned their route but they must be going the right way, right... Oh my gosh. Those people took us over a river, through the woods, up some hills, around corners and still, we were not even close to the cable car place. They finally shoo us away and we come to the conclusion that maybe they are hiking, not going to the same place we are... Ugh. We found another Korean couple that got lost with us and together we all found the cable cars... Got some great views/pictures of the skyline just before my camera went dead. Then for dinner we ate delicious American food in Itaewon (the foreigner district of Seoul).
Next day (Thursday) we got up early-ish again and went to Costco (always a highlight of Ilsan trips!) where I bought REAL cheese, lunch meat, salsa, Heinz ketchup and American mascara! Lunch was Taco Bell! It's pretty sad when Taco Bell counts as Mexican food... Then we set off for the Seoul Zoo. It was decent for a zoo (although I don't think any zoo will ever be better than my beloved St. Louis Zoo...) and it was really fun to see all the Korean families and little kids everywhere. Success. Dinner was delicious Thai food (again in Itaewon) then met up with a couple friends.
Friday was bunjee day!! Gina had to work and everyone (in Pohang and Ilsan) flaked so it was just me and Nick. 9:00 am departure turned into, "Let's wake up at 9," turned into sleeping until 11, leaving around noon. Even if there was a big crowd and we had to wait, we really didn't have anything else to do... It took a two hour subway ride and ten minute taxi to get to the park. It didn't look crowded... Hmmm... No one was jumping. Or getting ready to jump. Hmmmm... The lake underneath was really low. Hmmm... You guessed it. They were closed. Now I did my research. The website specifically said open all days including holidays, rain or shine. I even tried to call at one point but got no answer. The site didn't mention that if the lake was too full or they were cleaning it (neither Nick nor I understand Korean but we tried our best to make up what we thought the Korean guy sleeping at the ticket counter said), no one could jump. It was a sad afternoon, two hour subway ride back and wasted day... That called for some soju...
After a short nap, we (I went out with Gina's friends because she had to work until 10 p.m.) ate some delicious Korean dinner, went to noraebang, and ended the night at a club. It was so much fun and I met some great people... Don't tell anyone but I secretly REALLY want to move there when my contract in Pohang is over! Shhhhh!
The next day (Saturday) I packed my stuff up for the journey back home to Pohang. Got home around 11 p.m. Met a friend for some drinks and called in a relatively early night. Today (Sunday) is just a relaxing day at a coffee shop (don't feel like looking at my mess of an apartment and mounds of dirty clothes to be washed) blogging, book and letters to family.
How many days until Christmas vacation?!?!?
The Seoul skyline.
Skyline from the top of the mountain.
Cute giraffe headband. Small children were also wearing these accessories.
Yay bungee jumping!!
Sad waygooks :(
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Only in Korea #1
I've decided that some blog posts will be devoted to Korea/Koreans in all their glory. I'm in a different country - there's a different culture. I know this. But sometimes the cultural differences just AMAZE me... For example:
When we (me and my bosses) leave the bank, we quickly discover that my director's car is blocked in by a different car. Because this Korean "parking lot" consisted of a rectangular grid painted on cement. No space to get out.
Now Koreans put their phone numbers in the front of their cars just in case a situation like this one. So my director could have called the owner of the vehicle blocking him in, then the owner would come out and move the vehicle. No.
He checks to see if the driver door is unlocked.
It is.
He gets in the car to see if the keys are in it.
They are.
He starts the car (that isn't his...), backs it up, then tells my supervisor (who does NOT have her driver's license) to get in his car and move it out - so he can put the car back in the same spot.
Remember, she doesn't have her driver's license. She is going to driving school but she drives forward. In a truck... So after about five minutes of waiting for her to reverse, he just parks the car that isn't his in a new spot and we drive away in the car that is his.
And this is completely normal. Only in Korea.
Also, look forward to the "Only in Korea" facebook photo album.
When we (me and my bosses) leave the bank, we quickly discover that my director's car is blocked in by a different car. Because this Korean "parking lot" consisted of a rectangular grid painted on cement. No space to get out.
Now Koreans put their phone numbers in the front of their cars just in case a situation like this one. So my director could have called the owner of the vehicle blocking him in, then the owner would come out and move the vehicle. No.
He checks to see if the driver door is unlocked.
It is.
He gets in the car to see if the keys are in it.
They are.
He starts the car (that isn't his...), backs it up, then tells my supervisor (who does NOT have her driver's license) to get in his car and move it out - so he can put the car back in the same spot.
Remember, she doesn't have her driver's license. She is going to driving school but she drives forward. In a truck... So after about five minutes of waiting for her to reverse, he just parks the car that isn't his in a new spot and we drive away in the car that is his.
And this is completely normal. Only in Korea.
Also, look forward to the "Only in Korea" facebook photo album.
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