The coolest thing happened a few weeks ago when I was at school in the morning sending an email to my friend Ken in NY. He emailed me back on his Blackberry saying that he was having dinner at a Korean restaurant in NYC at the very moment I emailed him (9am for me is 8pm in NY). I immediately replied back with several useful Korean phrases to say while in the restaurant. Things like: "mul juseyo" (water please)
"mek ju juseyo" (beer please) "ma shi sa yo" (delicious) Thank you, good bye, etc. He emailed me back thanking him for the quick crash course in Korean phrases, and I just smiled thinking how wonderfully amazing and great the world in which we live in is now due to technology & the internet. Especially the internet. My top favorite sites have become: www.wikipedia.org the most amazing online encyclopedia where you can look up virtually anything and get a quick, thorough, historical, and factual overview. Everything from the story of Jesus and how Christianity was formed to Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto, info on books, movies, actors. The Korean War, countries, biographies, etc. I love the way it's laid out in a succinct, biographical, report-like manner. I also love www.dictionary.com which helps me learn many new words that I come across from doing the crosswords in the book that Flo gave me. The internet (google) also helps "assist" me in looking up certain clues that I'm stuck on. Like this one "Best Picture of 1970" starts with a "P". I was helpless here, so I looked it up and discovered it was......anybody care to guess??? (6 letters)............PATTON. I love the fun investigative process I'm using to look up facts, figures, people, movies, music, words, etc. on the internet. The other most favorite site of mine nowadays is: www.youtube.com You can watch virtually any music video of any song ever made; watch clips from movies, TV shows, funny bloopers, cartoons, inspirational and touching speeches, etc. Just go to this site and type in any thing you have a desire to see, watch, or listen to. Simply amazing.
I've really been enjoying Korea here lately. Because of the nice, beautiful spring like weather, I've been able to ride my bike to school in the mornings each day which takes me about 10-15 min. often times I find myself passing the slow moving cars & buses that are stuck in traffic on the main road that runs through town. Dan (my neighbor from UK) also rides his bike to school as well.
I had a fun, random occurrence this past Sunday in Busan.....
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Today we had a GREAT Sports Day!
Today was such an awesome fun day of being outside in the gorgeous, warm, sunny, spring like day! All the elementary schools from Miryang gathered inside the soccer/track & field stadium for one full day of sports events & competitions. There were 5 middle schools and 5 elementary schools that came to cheer and show their school spirit for their fellow classmates. When I first arrived at 11am, the principal of my school invited me to sit down and eat/drink with him and the other male principals, administrators. They poured me a beer, ate some rice cakes and tomatoes. Later I went up to the stands to join the other teachers and students who were baking in the warm sun. They all looked so cute in their color-coordinated outfits, waving their colored bottles (noise makers) in the air. Each school had a different theme, style, and music routine that they cheered to. The events these kids participated in were AMAZING. They had the relay race, 100 meter dash, long jump (into a long sand pit), high jump, shot put, etc. I was so impressed with the quality and caliber of the kids participation as well as the professional grade equipment they used. The stadium is very nice and was built in 2001 to prepare for the 2002 FIFA World Cup that was hosted by Korea & Japan.
One thing I found surprising was how many people (both students & teachers) complained of how hot it was. To me, it was a beautiful, crisp, bright, sunny, spring-like day (probably 70 degrees). To me, if was refreshing to be out in the sun, getting some color on my face and arms, etc. But to see these teachers bundled up, wearing gloves, hats, towels, scarfs, hoods, etc. was hillarious to me. The Korean women can't stand the sun (they love white skin) and will cover every inch of their body to block out the sun. The funniest was seeing this teacher with a black North Face jacket, with the hood pulled tightly over her head, and her hands tucked back under the long sleeves of the jacket. I laughed at her and asked her, faceticiously, if she were cold.
This is actually one of the first things I can honestly say I've seen Koreans (esp. teachers) complain about. Because it's a very suppressed society, I notice that many people don't raise their voice, balk, or speak their mind at anything that occurs. They just very politely accept things as they come, bear & grin any task that is asked of them. I personally thinks this leads to a culture of very suppressed people, who push down their feelings, bite their lip, and just do what they are told like good little soldier boys & girls. In America, they (the administration) wouldn't be able to get away with half this stuff. I had actually been wondering recently if their was 'anything' that the Koreans would vocally complain about (speak up for). I have not really much complaining, bickering, or resentment from any of the Koreans since I've been here. This once again, is attributed to the vast cultural differences btw. Korea and many western countries like the US. So it was kind of amusing for me to hear the vocal, whiny, grumpy complaints about how "uncomfortably hot" it was. If they are complaining this much about it being 70-75 degrees, clear, breezy, etc. what are they going to be like in June, July & August when it's stifling hot, humid and in the 90's? They will just complain more, or stay inside with the air conditioning on.
This discovery actually made me chuckle a bit, because of all the possible things that most westerners would tend to complain about back home (school administration, meetings, schedules, paperwork, projects, the Koreans instead tend to put their focus, frustration, and complaints into something they have absolutely NO CONTROL over like the weather. This cracks me up!! My friend Christina said it perfectly:
"they complain about the weather because nobody has control over it so they're not hurting anyone or wont get in trouble by complaining"
I agree completely with this statement. Christina is doing so great great by the way. She is taking Salsa dance classes with us on Saturday night's and she has also been taking Korean classes each week. She's so good now, that she actually writes a summary (journal) of what she did for the day in Korean!!! Wow, I was so impressed to see that she actually writes full sentences, thoughts, ideas, etc. in Korean. I'm excited because I can write Florinda's and my name in Korean. But to actually write full, complete sentences, wow, you go girl!!
One thing I found surprising was how many people (both students & teachers) complained of how hot it was. To me, it was a beautiful, crisp, bright, sunny, spring-like day (probably 70 degrees). To me, if was refreshing to be out in the sun, getting some color on my face and arms, etc. But to see these teachers bundled up, wearing gloves, hats, towels, scarfs, hoods, etc. was hillarious to me. The Korean women can't stand the sun (they love white skin) and will cover every inch of their body to block out the sun. The funniest was seeing this teacher with a black North Face jacket, with the hood pulled tightly over her head, and her hands tucked back under the long sleeves of the jacket. I laughed at her and asked her, faceticiously, if she were cold.
This is actually one of the first things I can honestly say I've seen Koreans (esp. teachers) complain about. Because it's a very suppressed society, I notice that many people don't raise their voice, balk, or speak their mind at anything that occurs. They just very politely accept things as they come, bear & grin any task that is asked of them. I personally thinks this leads to a culture of very suppressed people, who push down their feelings, bite their lip, and just do what they are told like good little soldier boys & girls. In America, they (the administration) wouldn't be able to get away with half this stuff. I had actually been wondering recently if their was 'anything' that the Koreans would vocally complain about (speak up for). I have not really much complaining, bickering, or resentment from any of the Koreans since I've been here. This once again, is attributed to the vast cultural differences btw. Korea and many western countries like the US. So it was kind of amusing for me to hear the vocal, whiny, grumpy complaints about how "uncomfortably hot" it was. If they are complaining this much about it being 70-75 degrees, clear, breezy, etc. what are they going to be like in June, July & August when it's stifling hot, humid and in the 90's? They will just complain more, or stay inside with the air conditioning on.
This discovery actually made me chuckle a bit, because of all the possible things that most westerners would tend to complain about back home (school administration, meetings, schedules, paperwork, projects, the Koreans instead tend to put their focus, frustration, and complaints into something they have absolutely NO CONTROL over like the weather. This cracks me up!! My friend Christina said it perfectly:
"they complain about the weather because nobody has control over it so they're not hurting anyone or wont get in trouble by complaining"
I agree completely with this statement. Christina is doing so great great by the way. She is taking Salsa dance classes with us on Saturday night's and she has also been taking Korean classes each week. She's so good now, that she actually writes a summary (journal) of what she did for the day in Korean!!! Wow, I was so impressed to see that she actually writes full sentences, thoughts, ideas, etc. in Korean. I'm excited because I can write Florinda's and my name in Korean. But to actually write full, complete sentences, wow, you go girl!!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
New Semester Brings Lots of Changes at Milju in Miryang
Well it's been a long time since I've written and I have so much to share with everyone. Let me first start by saying how wonderful it was to have Flo come out here and spend her 2 week vacation with me. We really did have a magical, fun, and adventurous time together. It was fun to be able to show her around my town, go to my school, play volleyball with all the teachers ("nice bodyline" they would say to Flo), go hiking, singing in Nore Bang (Karaoke Room), bowling, etc. Two things Flo forgot to mention was going to Bugok Hawaii, a "beautiful" (kinda old) resort area that contains many bubbling hot natural springs. The water here is so therapeutic and rich in minerals, that I could feel the smoothness of the minerals on my skin the second I dipped my hand in. It felt like soaking in an Epsom Salt hot bath. We enjoyed the amenities of the indoor/outdoor co-ed Jungle Spa sauna where we enjoyed the lush surroundings of bamboo tree, palm trees, etc. We saw part of the acrobatic dance show and enjoyed a delicious pork BBQ dinner.
The other exciting thing I took Flo to was Dr. Fish (fishee in Konglish). This is a place at Home Plus (Target type store) where you can dip your feet in one of three different pools that contain these "very hungry" silver fish that will nibble at your feet, ankles, toes, EVERYWHERE!!!! After 20 minutes of getting this constant tickling sensation, you dry your feet off and enjoy your pristine, dead-skin free feet (the fish supposedly eat the dead skin off your feet). This is a wild experience only to be found in Korea as far as I know. Flo was brave, and made it though 20 minutes worth (we went twice b/c we didn't bring the camera the first time hehe).
2008 School Semester Update:
So now that the New School Year started on March 3rd, there has been lots & lots of changes since we broke for winter break back in December. First of all my main co-teacher, Sunny, who was responsible for picking me up, getting me settled in with a cell phone, bank account, etc. got transferred to another school. There is a law in Korea which prevents teachers from staying at any one school for more than 5 years. This caused a great deal of shuffling amongst many teachers & administrators. The vice-principal left (he got promoted to Principal at another school). The 1st Grade teacher got switched to the 6th Grade, while the other 1st Grade teacher (Moonlight) left Korea, sold her house, took her two young boys, and her husband and moved to China! She got hired to teach English at a school in China. Moonlight had been at Milju Elementary for 5 years and had to switch schools, so she took this opportunity to transfer her & her entire family to China. This is the typical, last minute, running around routine that is very common in Korea. I didn't know who my new co-teacher would be until one week before the semester. Mintzi taught 4th Grade last year, and is now the full-time English teacher with me. And since the gym teacher married the 6th Grade teacher, they both couldn't stay at Milju because there is a rule (whether unwritten or not) that "says" a married couple can't teach/work at the same school; so she transferred to another school down the road. But the craziest off season move (in my opinion) was the Music teacher (a very talented, musically gifted woman) who was asked (told/forced) to become the Science teacher. Can you believe that?? To go from teaching music, (a very creative, right-brained, artsy, imaginative, feeling based subject) to Science (a very left-brained, a very logical, detailed oriented, fact-based subject) seems complete wild, extreme, and unfathomable. They are at two completely different ends of the spectrum!! But this is the way it works at all elementary schools here. Any teacher is (should be) qualified to teach any subject and any grade level. My co-teacher now, had no idea that she was going to selected to teach English with me and she was surprised when they picked her b/c she felt that her English wasn't that strong. This is what I find so remarkable about these Koreans. They are so creative & resourceful, and willing to jump right in and help out wherever needed. For example did you know that a few years back when the Korean government was in a financial crisis, the Korean citizens VOLUNTARILY collected money to donate & give to help out the government. Can you believe that?? This is the strong, patriotic, nationalistic fervor many Koreans are proud to live by. Also during the 2005 APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Conf) the city Busan asked the citizens to please refrain from driving their cars on alternating days. They used an odd/even system based on people's license plate; WOW!!!
There are definitely a few things I had to get used to as the new semester started in March (new school year for Koreans). The 6th graders from last have graduated and are down the block at the Middle School where Ken (English teacher from Liverpool) tells me kids are well behaved & good in class, speak English well, etc. But he says the only problem with my kids are that they are ALWAYS asking for candy: "Teacha, teacha, candy please!" I can't imagine why they would say that....ooops ooops, sorry Ken. I guess I spoiled them a little too much during my first 6 months here.
Let's see, what other changes can I tell you about....Oh yes, how can I forget one of the most exciting changes (at least for me anyway) is that we got NEW silver metal lunch trays in the cafeteria. What's really exciting is that these new trays have SIX slots for food whereas the old one only had FIVE slots!!! I'm telling you, that was one of the biggest highlights of the new semester. And extra serving of some yummy, savory, Korean dish for me to enjoy each day! Yippee!! I'm proud to say that I'm still wiping my tray clean each day when it comes to school lunches.
The 3rd graders (2nd graders from last year) are now being introduced to English for the first in their public school careers, and needless to say, it's a real trip!! So so basic, simple stupid stuff like: "Hello Zeeto, Hi Julie" "Bye-bye Minsu, good bye Mina" Lots of cute little songs and chants to keep the kids attention. The basic goal in 3rd & 4th grade is to get these kids EXCITED to learn English. And from the looks (reactions) of my children, I'd say I'm accomplishing that task quite successfully. Like another English teacher said, "I can't believe they pay me for doing this!" Karri from Canada says the secret to teaching elementary school, is to not be embarrassed to act like a little (a big) kid. To jump up & down, making funny faces, gestures, body postures, etc. the wilder, the sillier, the better. I can't agree more with Karri; 3rd & 4th grade kids are my absolute FAVORITE grades because I feel totally at peace, comfortable, and fully self-expressed and in my element with these students. They are so young, impressionable and are so pure & innocent. They are has concerned about "looking good" as the 5th & 6th graders are. Because of my experience here in Korea & the time I spent substituting in NJ, I have decided I want to obtain y Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education (K-6). This is shocking for me to actually want to go into elementary education b/c of my horrific experience back home. My very day substituting was a nightmarish, experience. These wild, little, crazy 8 year old 3rd graders ran me ragged for the entire day. I was so shell shocked, that I began to wonder whether I was getting my "payback" (paying my karma) for all the many times times I spent torturing my substitute teachers when I was in school.
But now that I've been working work young elementary kids for so long, I really feel as if I am finally finding my calling in life. It's just so clear to me that this is what I'm here for. I'm finally discovering the gifts the God has given me, and am open cultivating the gifts that God has blessed me with.
The expereinces that I incur everyday at school are a true miracle, blessing, and treat for me. Everything from from the kids yelling my name, saying hello to me from the classroom windows, to having one boy grab my hand, hug me, and jump into my arms, wrapping his arms around me while he is suspended in mid air. Today I had several students come to my desk and say: "Darren, teacher, I love you". They don't really know what it means, but it's nice to hear. Than, last week I had a young lil 2nd grader, smile at me, say hello, and then stick his MIDDLE FINGER in the air at me!!! I smiled back, a bit in shock, and said "Don't do that!!" (haji ma!!! in Korean) I just had to walk away shaking my head & smiling at just what had happened. You definitely can't take things too seriously when dealing with these kids, esp when they have no idea what it means, and are just copying what they see on TV.
I'm also excited to report that because of this new dance move that I've been mimicking from one of the hot new Korean pop bands, I've gained even more increased fame & popularity, esp. among the girls. The song is called, "Baby one more time" by Jewelry and they do this one move move where you wave your right arm up and over towards your left and until your two index fingers touch. I'm getting many requests from my students asking me to sing this song & do the little dance move. It works really well after we finish the "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes" song. They all put their hands over their mouths and gigglein awe. It really doesn't take much to impress Koreans (esp the kids).
The other exciting thing I took Flo to was Dr. Fish (fishee in Konglish). This is a place at Home Plus (Target type store) where you can dip your feet in one of three different pools that contain these "very hungry" silver fish that will nibble at your feet, ankles, toes, EVERYWHERE!!!! After 20 minutes of getting this constant tickling sensation, you dry your feet off and enjoy your pristine, dead-skin free feet (the fish supposedly eat the dead skin off your feet). This is a wild experience only to be found in Korea as far as I know. Flo was brave, and made it though 20 minutes worth (we went twice b/c we didn't bring the camera the first time hehe).
2008 School Semester Update:
So now that the New School Year started on March 3rd, there has been lots & lots of changes since we broke for winter break back in December. First of all my main co-teacher, Sunny, who was responsible for picking me up, getting me settled in with a cell phone, bank account, etc. got transferred to another school. There is a law in Korea which prevents teachers from staying at any one school for more than 5 years. This caused a great deal of shuffling amongst many teachers & administrators. The vice-principal left (he got promoted to Principal at another school). The 1st Grade teacher got switched to the 6th Grade, while the other 1st Grade teacher (Moonlight) left Korea, sold her house, took her two young boys, and her husband and moved to China! She got hired to teach English at a school in China. Moonlight had been at Milju Elementary for 5 years and had to switch schools, so she took this opportunity to transfer her & her entire family to China. This is the typical, last minute, running around routine that is very common in Korea. I didn't know who my new co-teacher would be until one week before the semester. Mintzi taught 4th Grade last year, and is now the full-time English teacher with me. And since the gym teacher married the 6th Grade teacher, they both couldn't stay at Milju because there is a rule (whether unwritten or not) that "says" a married couple can't teach/work at the same school; so she transferred to another school down the road. But the craziest off season move (in my opinion) was the Music teacher (a very talented, musically gifted woman) who was asked (told/forced) to become the Science teacher. Can you believe that?? To go from teaching music, (a very creative, right-brained, artsy, imaginative, feeling based subject) to Science (a very left-brained, a very logical, detailed oriented, fact-based subject) seems complete wild, extreme, and unfathomable. They are at two completely different ends of the spectrum!! But this is the way it works at all elementary schools here. Any teacher is (should be) qualified to teach any subject and any grade level. My co-teacher now, had no idea that she was going to selected to teach English with me and she was surprised when they picked her b/c she felt that her English wasn't that strong. This is what I find so remarkable about these Koreans. They are so creative & resourceful, and willing to jump right in and help out wherever needed. For example did you know that a few years back when the Korean government was in a financial crisis, the Korean citizens VOLUNTARILY collected money to donate & give to help out the government. Can you believe that?? This is the strong, patriotic, nationalistic fervor many Koreans are proud to live by. Also during the 2005 APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Conf) the city Busan asked the citizens to please refrain from driving their cars on alternating days. They used an odd/even system based on people's license plate; WOW!!!
There are definitely a few things I had to get used to as the new semester started in March (new school year for Koreans). The 6th graders from last have graduated and are down the block at the Middle School where Ken (English teacher from Liverpool) tells me kids are well behaved & good in class, speak English well, etc. But he says the only problem with my kids are that they are ALWAYS asking for candy: "Teacha, teacha, candy please!" I can't imagine why they would say that....ooops ooops, sorry Ken. I guess I spoiled them a little too much during my first 6 months here.
Let's see, what other changes can I tell you about....Oh yes, how can I forget one of the most exciting changes (at least for me anyway) is that we got NEW silver metal lunch trays in the cafeteria. What's really exciting is that these new trays have SIX slots for food whereas the old one only had FIVE slots!!! I'm telling you, that was one of the biggest highlights of the new semester. And extra serving of some yummy, savory, Korean dish for me to enjoy each day! Yippee!! I'm proud to say that I'm still wiping my tray clean each day when it comes to school lunches.
The 3rd graders (2nd graders from last year) are now being introduced to English for the first in their public school careers, and needless to say, it's a real trip!! So so basic, simple stupid stuff like: "Hello Zeeto, Hi Julie" "Bye-bye Minsu, good bye Mina" Lots of cute little songs and chants to keep the kids attention. The basic goal in 3rd & 4th grade is to get these kids EXCITED to learn English. And from the looks (reactions) of my children, I'd say I'm accomplishing that task quite successfully. Like another English teacher said, "I can't believe they pay me for doing this!" Karri from Canada says the secret to teaching elementary school, is to not be embarrassed to act like a little (a big) kid. To jump up & down, making funny faces, gestures, body postures, etc. the wilder, the sillier, the better. I can't agree more with Karri; 3rd & 4th grade kids are my absolute FAVORITE grades because I feel totally at peace, comfortable, and fully self-expressed and in my element with these students. They are so young, impressionable and are so pure & innocent. They are has concerned about "looking good" as the 5th & 6th graders are. Because of my experience here in Korea & the time I spent substituting in NJ, I have decided I want to obtain y Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education (K-6). This is shocking for me to actually want to go into elementary education b/c of my horrific experience back home. My very day substituting was a nightmarish, experience. These wild, little, crazy 8 year old 3rd graders ran me ragged for the entire day. I was so shell shocked, that I began to wonder whether I was getting my "payback" (paying my karma) for all the many times times I spent torturing my substitute teachers when I was in school.
But now that I've been working work young elementary kids for so long, I really feel as if I am finally finding my calling in life. It's just so clear to me that this is what I'm here for. I'm finally discovering the gifts the God has given me, and am open cultivating the gifts that God has blessed me with.
The expereinces that I incur everyday at school are a true miracle, blessing, and treat for me. Everything from from the kids yelling my name, saying hello to me from the classroom windows, to having one boy grab my hand, hug me, and jump into my arms, wrapping his arms around me while he is suspended in mid air. Today I had several students come to my desk and say: "Darren, teacher, I love you". They don't really know what it means, but it's nice to hear. Than, last week I had a young lil 2nd grader, smile at me, say hello, and then stick his MIDDLE FINGER in the air at me!!! I smiled back, a bit in shock, and said "Don't do that!!" (haji ma!!! in Korean) I just had to walk away shaking my head & smiling at just what had happened. You definitely can't take things too seriously when dealing with these kids, esp when they have no idea what it means, and are just copying what they see on TV.
I'm also excited to report that because of this new dance move that I've been mimicking from one of the hot new Korean pop bands, I've gained even more increased fame & popularity, esp. among the girls. The song is called, "Baby one more time" by Jewelry and they do this one move move where you wave your right arm up and over towards your left and until your two index fingers touch. I'm getting many requests from my students asking me to sing this song & do the little dance move. It works really well after we finish the "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes" song. They all put their hands over their mouths and gigglein awe. It really doesn't take much to impress Koreans (esp the kids).
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Message from Flo
A Visitor's View of Sparkling South Korea (that's actually one of the country's slogans)
After two very smooth flights, including a short and sweet reunion at the SFO airport, I arrived in Seoul! In true comedic form, Darren was waiting for me with a big welcome sign at the wrong gate entry. Luckily I sat next to a very friendly Korean (Mr. Park #1) who let me use his cell phone to find Darren! Needless to say, it was a good first impression of the Korean personality: warm, generous and helpful.
We spent the next four days exploring Seoul. We hit a lot of the major tourist attractions:
1. Gyeongbokgung Palace: Full of ornate, traditional Korean color and architecture. We checked out the National Museum within it and saw the colorful changing of the guards-like ceremony. I took way too many pictures of these guys, but I thought it was awesome to figuratively take a step back in time (like 700 years ago). This palace was part of the Joseon Dynasty and thanks to these folks Seoul became the capital city.
2. Namdaemun Market: We loved walking around this bustling, traditional market. They sold everything from Laver (dried seaweed) to fake designer bags. Hot foods, clothing for all, houseware, shoeware, knickknacks, stuff you don't even know you need or want, and so on and so forth. I loved just watching the people and taking in what seemed like a very average day in the lives of the hustling locals.
3. Myeong-Dong: We stayed at Mr. Park's Guest House (yes, that's Mr. Park #2) where I was introduced to the Korean customs of removing shoes before entering rooms, drinking lots of green tea from convenient hot water dispensers (everyone has one, even hotel rooms and saunas have them) and taking showers in plastic slippers.
4. Seoul Tower: Darren and I took a very late night stroll up to the tower, knowing we wouldn't make it on time. It turned out to be one of my favorite moments. Nothing like a midnight hike up a long hill... We actually encountered a few ambitious Koreans, doing what I assume were intense training regimens. Who knows, they impressed me, though, especially the midnight runners. The next night, we actually made it to the Tower and enjoyed the spectacular views. Apparently, on a really clear night, you can see as far north as North Korea.
5. Korean War Museum: I was a little sick by this point, but Darren was stoked about this museum. His great enthusiasm propelled the day. We spent most of the visit learning about the Korean War, watching interesting video footage and listening to our audio guide. There were also other sections dedicated to dynastic wars and such. I was a bit embarrassed to have known so little about the Korean war. We could have spent more time there, but we stayed until it closed.
6. Itaewon: We stayed at another guest house, motel-ish. This is a slightly seedier, more western, more club-ish part of Seoul. We ate at a nice Thai restaurant where the manager bought us dessert. He was impressed that Darren was teaching me the Korean alphabet. Darren was fearless at asking questions about the pronunciation and definition of certain words.
7. Our traditional Korean home stay! Sleeping on heated floors was actually comfy. We stayed here after my first night at a Jim Jil Bang. It's like an over night sauna, bath-house. Hard to describe, really, but so cheap and relaxing. I joined the other Korean women and just relaxed, enjoying the different pools. Going from hot to cold and then jumping in the steam room or the sauna. I loved watching the women preen each other. It was so communal. Westerners have managed to make spa treatments very private and very expensive. I really enjoyed the Korean sensibility that taking care of your skin and your stress is part of a healthy well-being. And it wasn't expensive at all. We've gone backwards in the arena of health and well-being in the States. Enough said. And after my relaxing, I was given a set of shorts and a tee and I would go to the communal sauna area to meet Darren. Here we could sleep on the floor, or buy some food, or enjoy some massage chairs, or go on the internet, or read, or even watch TV, if it wasn't too late. We took advantage of the saunas.
We took the train back to Darren's home in Miryang. Here we visited many Buddhist temples. This proved to be wonderful because every temple was on a hill, so a nice trek was always part of the plan. We actually went on a three hour hike in Pychungsa, a nearby mountain. Here I met a lot of Darren's international teacher-friends. But even more impressively, I met his Korean buds, who exercised their hospitality and generosity by taking us out to dinner on many occasions, cheering us with soju and coca-cola to future reunions and Darren (very handsome boy, as they liked to call him. They wanted me to be sure I knew about these qualities before I left!) Even though both parties couldn't speak either enough English or Korean to be fully understood, we communicated beautifully. Eating dinner with them always proved endearing and entertaining! A lot of guessing, a lot of physical expression goes a long way.
On to Busan! We spent a couple days in bustling Busan. One night at a cheap love motel (which sounds like it might be sketchy, but was actually very nice and accommodating) and one night at a very high end hotel, the Westin Chosun. Darren treated me big time here. We went out dancing, dinner, played a little blackjack at a casino in a shopping mall! It was a very high end shopping mall! I just watched Darren win $175...his winnings were enough excitement for me! We went on to the aquarium, we got our picture taken by some very eager Jehovah's Witnesses, we strolled Haeundae beach... We had a lot of fun.
Alright, some quick highlights:
On Korean food:
It was all excellent, in my opinion. Kimbap, kimchi, bulgogi, korean pizza, cold noodle soup, galbi and on and on. I loved all the veggies and the BBQs. The sesame leaves, and sesame paste and hot peppers and fresh garlic and quail eggs... It was always interesting and tasty to me, but as Darren says: "sometimes you just have a craving for pasta and burgers". I was only there for 15 days, after all...
On Korean compliments:
"So beautiful", all of the elementary school kids liked to say this to me. Ego boosting as this may have been the first 30 times, it lost its meaning after a while.
"Best couple", cute teenaged girls told us this at a bus stop.
"You look alike", apparently looking alike is a good thing because we heard this a lot.
On Korean logic:
"She has big eyes. Good vision", seriously, someone said this about my eyes.
On the Korean alphabet:
Konglish. Many words I read on store fronts were actually English words spelled out with the Korean alphabet. My favorite ah-ha moment was deciphering Ma-ra-ton Luh-ning = Marathon Running. I must have looked like a western fool, jumping for joy that I read this out loud and got it with Darren. Konglish, indeed. I called Darren a master in Konglish!
On Korean pastimes:
Bowling, tea-time, volleyball, saunas, hiking, karaoke rooms, dvd rooms... We did them all. Like I said, fun, fun and more fun. It was a great vacation.
Darren was a great traveling partner. He navigated us through all the metro stops and train stops. He had his trusty and true Lonely Planet guide handy and ready for our many adventures. We managed to plan our days as they came and more often than not our days became jammed-packed with activity. His students were very polite, very respectful. They even called me teach-ah, even though I was merely visiting. All in all, a bunch of very welcoming, warm Koreans. It was a great traveling experience, while also being a bit of a home stay in the smaller city of Miryang. A fruitful combination, to say the least.
I know I am leaving stuff out, but this gives a good overview of our fun two weeks together. I highly recommend checking South Korea out. Darren would love the visit and now you have an idea on how well you'll be treated by the natives!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Whirlwind Travels
Well hello everyone!!!!
Right now I'm sitting at a computer in a lovely Sauna/Spa/Restaurant, resort-like paradise spot near Incheon Airport in Korea. I'm waiting the much anticipated arrival of my girlfriend Flo to arrive from her long day of traveling from Newark, NJ. I've been really enjoying my day here today. Just lounging around in the hot bath tubs, steam rooms, saunas, sleeping rooms, internet cafe, etc. They have everything from massage services, eating place, coed hot rooms to relax in; and a men's only sleeping room. Right now there are so many cute Korean boys & girls running around having fun, playing games on internet. Some of them are saying, "Hi, How are you? Nice to meet you!" Really cute & endearing.
So I just back from 4 days in Thailand. Thailand was OK. But due to the fact that I had to fly into Bangkok, it made the trip as little less than desirable... Bangkok is the MOST disgusting city I've ever been too. It is SO DIRTY, smelly, crowded, filled with people who are constantly "in your face" trying to sell you something or take you somewhere. The smells of garbage, urine, food, perfume, incense, etc. wafting through the air made for of most unpleasant scenario. The first night I arrived very late on Friday, I went to a restaurant for soup, salad, and a young coconut shake... It was decent, but apparently didn't agree with my stomach because I became sick and was vomiting all next morning. Also that first night while walking back to my room, I saw the BIGGEST, most MASSIVE sized rat ever stumbling through the street. I don't know if this Rat was left over from the 2008 "Year of the Rat" celebration of few weeks earlier, but it was a most disturbing & gross sight to see nonetheless.
Bangkok was hot, and lil humid & muggy, and just way to crowded, filthy....oh and did I mention dirty??? It had no appeal, no charm, no niceness about it whatsoever. The only thing I enjoyed was going to a HOT Yoga class and a very nice, modern, clean studio, then I stayed in that part of town, went to the park to see some trees & grass. I also enjoyed watching a few hundred people doing dance aerobics in the park along the lake. That was a crazy site to see. I stayed in the park, rested on the grass and did some reading. At 6pm everyone (all the Thai people) stood up and stood at attention for 5-7 minutes to honor the King. This is something they do everyday at 6 o'clock in Thailand. I was in no rush to go back to my hotel which was 2 blocks away from the "famous" Khao San Rd. that they always talk about in books & movies (The Beach, Miss Saigon, etc). To me I felt like I was in a third world country. A cross between India (Bombay), Mexico, Pakistan, Morocco, etc. I've never been to India, Pakistan, or Mexico, but to me it felt as if Bangkok could have been anyone of these poorer countries.
Later that night, I went to the BIG, HUGE, modern shopping mall where I bought a ticket to see American Gangster. I had already seen most of this movie from a bootleg DVD my neighbors had in Miryang. The movie was so so great to see again, esp. on the big screen!!! Denzel did such a great job playing Frank Lucas, legendary mob boss who ran Harlem & most of NYC with major drug trafficking back in the 1970's during the Vietnam War. They showed many, many coming attractions which tested my patience and then before they actual movie started, everyone in the movie theater stood up as they showed a picture of the King & Queen. This is evidently a BIG thing in Thailand, showing constant reverence and homage to the king. I felt like I was in the moving "Coming to America" with King Jaffy Joffer from Zamunda, Africa. (Did anyone see that movie with Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall?) It was a pretty funny movie.
The next day I met up with my friend Christina & we took a "tuk tuk" (crazy 3-wheeled) taxi like car over to the Grand Palace. This was the other only nice thing to do/see in Bangkok. This Palace looked like it was something out of the Wizard of Oz, with it's ornate, golden tiled facade, it's unique, colorful statues, buildings, etc. To me it was a cross btw. the Wizard of Oz, the Kremlin & Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory. It was so ornate & over the top that it seemed almost fake in a way. It is such a high (holy) place of worship that you must wear long pants (no shorts) and not have sleeveless top. They gave me a pair of long pants to wear over my shorts as to be able to enter the palace gate. They loan it to you for a 100 Baht deposit which you get back when you return it. Christina was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt & I was getting hot just looking at her. I had sandals, shorts, and a t-shirt. The Palace was nice, I really enjoyed going inside to view the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. That is one thing there is no shortage of in Thailand, Buddhas, temples, elephants, and pictures of the King. After being in Thailand, if I don't see another Temple or Buddha, I'd be fine.... It was also quite amazing to see how loved, revered, honored and praise the King of Thailand is. He's been on the Throne for over 61 years now, and is turning 80 years old this year. Literally on every corner (practically) you can see a picture of the King, sometimes with his wife (the Queen); but many times just of him (often times he's pictured with a camera around his neck (he must be an avid photographer).... I've seen Thai people driving in their cars and they would salute (with their hands in prayer position just under their nose) while driving by a picture of the King. At firs this was kinda odd to me that they would be so fanatical, but as time went on, I got a feeling that the maybe the King really is a great guy after all.
Anyway, after 2 nights in Bangkok, I was yearning to leave for destinations further south to head towards a beach. I took a 4 hour local bus to Hua Hin which is supposed to be the neatest, most tidy town in Thailand. So I was most looking forward this destination. Well, needless to say it was no bargain either (not like Boca Raton FL, Avalon, NJ or Sea Girt....) it was more like Point Pleasant or Seaside Heights....rather touristy, with lots of shops and overpriced restaurants. The only difference was that that had Thai Massage Parlors on every corner. Maybe that's a "new" untapped market for NY/NJ to tap into...these cheap as dirt Thai massage places where they charge you anywhere from $3-$9 for a 1 hour massage!!!! I got one the first night I was there in Hua Hin. I was ok, more like stretching & twisting than deep relaxation. The hotel I stayed at said it was apropos of Brighton Beach, very outdoorsy, open-air deck, right on the ocean. Again, it was OK, considering I paid only $10.50/night for a room that didn't have a flush toilet, and barley had a normal sink. I was kinda appalled at first with the shocking fact that I had to fill up a bucket (pail) of water to "flush" the debris down the toilet. This, coupled with the fact that their were tons of ants crawling around on the floor near my bed, didn't really give me feelings of "clean & tidy". But after 2 days, I got used to toilets that didn't flush, and going to the bathroom with no toilet paper and having to use water to wipe myself.... Needless to say I was most delighted to leave Bangkok at the grueling time of 1:40am. I now consider this cruel time departure to be harsh & crude. I barely slept on the flight, and just when I began to fall fast asleep, they turn all the lights FULL BLAST to serve us breakfast at 4:30 am....This is so unfair... To wake me up to serve my eggs, a muffin, fruit & yogurt....My eyes were burning, my head was aching, etc. When we landed at 6:45am Thai time (8:45am Korea time) I hopped a bus and went immediately to a Jim Jil Bang which I am now convinced is the GREATEST contribtution Korea haas given man/womankind!!!! Forget LG, Samsung, Kia, Daewoo, Hyundai, kimchi, bulgogi, etc....to me it's gotta be these 24 hour, open all night, all year, round the clock lil mini resort villages. To me at 8:45am it was a lil slice of paradise!!!!! I took a deliciously hot shower, soaked in a steaming hot tub/sauna & then changed into shorts & a t-shirt for a wonderful 3 hour power nap. There is something so relaxing, special & fun about being in one these place all day. With the internet, a restaurant, massage room, massage chairs, hot "green tea" & jade rooms, etc....You can make yourself very comfortable. They should have these places at every Holiday Inn in America. (another new idea that is sure to be very popular in America).
OK now for a brighter update on my former trip to Japan. Now visiting Japan was a real treat, honor, and privilege. It was so nice, so modern (ultra-westernized), new, clean, professional, etc. It is a very "smart" country. Tokyoites are very hip, cool, chill, laid back people. They are very fashionable, sophisticated, unique, alive, dynamic & expressive people. This was honestly a breath of FRESH AIR for both Christina & I because Korea (in comparison) is SO SO quite, calm, reserved. So conservative, prim & proper, homogeneous, boring, dull, plain vanilla. Honestly to me, being in Korea in 2008 is like being in America in the 1960's. Things are just a lil slow, and old-fashioned here. I have not been to Seoul yet, but I'm hoping to see if it has a lil more flavor, color & self-expression than the rest of Korea. I will be spending 4 days here with Flo and will let you know.
But Tokyo was SO DYNAMIC, so metropolitan, very trendy, clean city. We went to the 5th Ave equivalent of Tokyo, visited lots of high-end shops, toured the Toyota & Sony rooms. Went to old Temples, museums, etc. Went to the downtown areas with all the glitzy neon & bustling crowds of people. Ate Soba noodles, tempura, sushi, crepes, etc & drank Sapporo, Asahi beer & warm Sake...... It was a very high-end city, classy & unique with some parts that resembled Paris. All in all Tokyo & Japan was an exquisite & enjoyable experience.
But with all this traveling I've been doing over the past 4 weekends, I'm definitely ready for a break and am looking forward to being able to staying home in my quite lil town of Miryang and not doing much of anything (except riding my bike around town, hanging out by the river, going to the local bath house, etc). So simple, fun, quiet & relaxing.
Right now I'm sitting at a computer in a lovely Sauna/Spa/Restaurant, resort-like paradise spot near Incheon Airport in Korea. I'm waiting the much anticipated arrival of my girlfriend Flo to arrive from her long day of traveling from Newark, NJ. I've been really enjoying my day here today. Just lounging around in the hot bath tubs, steam rooms, saunas, sleeping rooms, internet cafe, etc. They have everything from massage services, eating place, coed hot rooms to relax in; and a men's only sleeping room. Right now there are so many cute Korean boys & girls running around having fun, playing games on internet. Some of them are saying, "Hi, How are you? Nice to meet you!" Really cute & endearing.
So I just back from 4 days in Thailand. Thailand was OK. But due to the fact that I had to fly into Bangkok, it made the trip as little less than desirable... Bangkok is the MOST disgusting city I've ever been too. It is SO DIRTY, smelly, crowded, filled with people who are constantly "in your face" trying to sell you something or take you somewhere. The smells of garbage, urine, food, perfume, incense, etc. wafting through the air made for of most unpleasant scenario. The first night I arrived very late on Friday, I went to a restaurant for soup, salad, and a young coconut shake... It was decent, but apparently didn't agree with my stomach because I became sick and was vomiting all next morning. Also that first night while walking back to my room, I saw the BIGGEST, most MASSIVE sized rat ever stumbling through the street. I don't know if this Rat was left over from the 2008 "Year of the Rat" celebration of few weeks earlier, but it was a most disturbing & gross sight to see nonetheless.
Bangkok was hot, and lil humid & muggy, and just way to crowded, filthy....oh and did I mention dirty??? It had no appeal, no charm, no niceness about it whatsoever. The only thing I enjoyed was going to a HOT Yoga class and a very nice, modern, clean studio, then I stayed in that part of town, went to the park to see some trees & grass. I also enjoyed watching a few hundred people doing dance aerobics in the park along the lake. That was a crazy site to see. I stayed in the park, rested on the grass and did some reading. At 6pm everyone (all the Thai people) stood up and stood at attention for 5-7 minutes to honor the King. This is something they do everyday at 6 o'clock in Thailand. I was in no rush to go back to my hotel which was 2 blocks away from the "famous" Khao San Rd. that they always talk about in books & movies (The Beach, Miss Saigon, etc). To me I felt like I was in a third world country. A cross between India (Bombay), Mexico, Pakistan, Morocco, etc. I've never been to India, Pakistan, or Mexico, but to me it felt as if Bangkok could have been anyone of these poorer countries.
Later that night, I went to the BIG, HUGE, modern shopping mall where I bought a ticket to see American Gangster. I had already seen most of this movie from a bootleg DVD my neighbors had in Miryang. The movie was so so great to see again, esp. on the big screen!!! Denzel did such a great job playing Frank Lucas, legendary mob boss who ran Harlem & most of NYC with major drug trafficking back in the 1970's during the Vietnam War. They showed many, many coming attractions which tested my patience and then before they actual movie started, everyone in the movie theater stood up as they showed a picture of the King & Queen. This is evidently a BIG thing in Thailand, showing constant reverence and homage to the king. I felt like I was in the moving "Coming to America" with King Jaffy Joffer from Zamunda, Africa. (Did anyone see that movie with Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall?) It was a pretty funny movie.
The next day I met up with my friend Christina & we took a "tuk tuk" (crazy 3-wheeled) taxi like car over to the Grand Palace. This was the other only nice thing to do/see in Bangkok. This Palace looked like it was something out of the Wizard of Oz, with it's ornate, golden tiled facade, it's unique, colorful statues, buildings, etc. To me it was a cross btw. the Wizard of Oz, the Kremlin & Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory. It was so ornate & over the top that it seemed almost fake in a way. It is such a high (holy) place of worship that you must wear long pants (no shorts) and not have sleeveless top. They gave me a pair of long pants to wear over my shorts as to be able to enter the palace gate. They loan it to you for a 100 Baht deposit which you get back when you return it. Christina was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt & I was getting hot just looking at her. I had sandals, shorts, and a t-shirt. The Palace was nice, I really enjoyed going inside to view the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. That is one thing there is no shortage of in Thailand, Buddhas, temples, elephants, and pictures of the King. After being in Thailand, if I don't see another Temple or Buddha, I'd be fine.... It was also quite amazing to see how loved, revered, honored and praise the King of Thailand is. He's been on the Throne for over 61 years now, and is turning 80 years old this year. Literally on every corner (practically) you can see a picture of the King, sometimes with his wife (the Queen); but many times just of him (often times he's pictured with a camera around his neck (he must be an avid photographer).... I've seen Thai people driving in their cars and they would salute (with their hands in prayer position just under their nose) while driving by a picture of the King. At firs this was kinda odd to me that they would be so fanatical, but as time went on, I got a feeling that the maybe the King really is a great guy after all.
Anyway, after 2 nights in Bangkok, I was yearning to leave for destinations further south to head towards a beach. I took a 4 hour local bus to Hua Hin which is supposed to be the neatest, most tidy town in Thailand. So I was most looking forward this destination. Well, needless to say it was no bargain either (not like Boca Raton FL, Avalon, NJ or Sea Girt....) it was more like Point Pleasant or Seaside Heights....rather touristy, with lots of shops and overpriced restaurants. The only difference was that that had Thai Massage Parlors on every corner. Maybe that's a "new" untapped market for NY/NJ to tap into...these cheap as dirt Thai massage places where they charge you anywhere from $3-$9 for a 1 hour massage!!!! I got one the first night I was there in Hua Hin. I was ok, more like stretching & twisting than deep relaxation. The hotel I stayed at said it was apropos of Brighton Beach, very outdoorsy, open-air deck, right on the ocean. Again, it was OK, considering I paid only $10.50/night for a room that didn't have a flush toilet, and barley had a normal sink. I was kinda appalled at first with the shocking fact that I had to fill up a bucket (pail) of water to "flush" the debris down the toilet. This, coupled with the fact that their were tons of ants crawling around on the floor near my bed, didn't really give me feelings of "clean & tidy". But after 2 days, I got used to toilets that didn't flush, and going to the bathroom with no toilet paper and having to use water to wipe myself.... Needless to say I was most delighted to leave Bangkok at the grueling time of 1:40am. I now consider this cruel time departure to be harsh & crude. I barely slept on the flight, and just when I began to fall fast asleep, they turn all the lights FULL BLAST to serve us breakfast at 4:30 am....This is so unfair... To wake me up to serve my eggs, a muffin, fruit & yogurt....My eyes were burning, my head was aching, etc. When we landed at 6:45am Thai time (8:45am Korea time) I hopped a bus and went immediately to a Jim Jil Bang which I am now convinced is the GREATEST contribtution Korea haas given man/womankind!!!! Forget LG, Samsung, Kia, Daewoo, Hyundai, kimchi, bulgogi, etc....to me it's gotta be these 24 hour, open all night, all year, round the clock lil mini resort villages. To me at 8:45am it was a lil slice of paradise!!!!! I took a deliciously hot shower, soaked in a steaming hot tub/sauna & then changed into shorts & a t-shirt for a wonderful 3 hour power nap. There is something so relaxing, special & fun about being in one these place all day. With the internet, a restaurant, massage room, massage chairs, hot "green tea" & jade rooms, etc....You can make yourself very comfortable. They should have these places at every Holiday Inn in America. (another new idea that is sure to be very popular in America).
OK now for a brighter update on my former trip to Japan. Now visiting Japan was a real treat, honor, and privilege. It was so nice, so modern (ultra-westernized), new, clean, professional, etc. It is a very "smart" country. Tokyoites are very hip, cool, chill, laid back people. They are very fashionable, sophisticated, unique, alive, dynamic & expressive people. This was honestly a breath of FRESH AIR for both Christina & I because Korea (in comparison) is SO SO quite, calm, reserved. So conservative, prim & proper, homogeneous, boring, dull, plain vanilla. Honestly to me, being in Korea in 2008 is like being in America in the 1960's. Things are just a lil slow, and old-fashioned here. I have not been to Seoul yet, but I'm hoping to see if it has a lil more flavor, color & self-expression than the rest of Korea. I will be spending 4 days here with Flo and will let you know.
But Tokyo was SO DYNAMIC, so metropolitan, very trendy, clean city. We went to the 5th Ave equivalent of Tokyo, visited lots of high-end shops, toured the Toyota & Sony rooms. Went to old Temples, museums, etc. Went to the downtown areas with all the glitzy neon & bustling crowds of people. Ate Soba noodles, tempura, sushi, crepes, etc & drank Sapporo, Asahi beer & warm Sake...... It was a very high-end city, classy & unique with some parts that resembled Paris. All in all Tokyo & Japan was an exquisite & enjoyable experience.
But with all this traveling I've been doing over the past 4 weekends, I'm definitely ready for a break and am looking forward to being able to staying home in my quite lil town of Miryang and not doing much of anything (except riding my bike around town, hanging out by the river, going to the local bath house, etc). So simple, fun, quiet & relaxing.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tales from Winter Camp
Well, well, I must say that I am rather excited to finally be able to share with everyone all the amazing experiences we had during the intensive Winter Camp in Changwon (the capital of the province where I live).
Being an instructor at Winter Camp allowed me to really get to know and understand a lot more about Korean culture, lifestyle, attitude, philosophy, etc. It was really rather funny and amusing to learn about some of their traditions, customs, beliefs, etc. For example, do you know that Koreans believe there are 2 rabbits pounding on a Chulgu (big bowl for making rice cakes) on the moon. It's apparently an old legend/story that the Koreans tell their children when they are young. My group actually got to "act out" this story as a skit on stage about this story. The story tells a tale of two powerful "farters" that decided to have a Fart Competition to see who's farts are the strongest. (I swear this is really a true Korean folk story) I know, I know, I could hardly believe it myself, but it's true. So one day the one Fart Woman comes over and farts on the other Farter's child (played by me). My mom gets mad and decides to aim this huge Chulgu (big bowl) at the other Fart Woman....then the other woman takes aim & shoots (farts) it back toward me & my mom, back & forth they go until finally they let out one final last SUPER FART at the same time and with that blast, the Chulgu shoots up to the moon where the 2 rabbits start to play (pound) on it. Please don't ask me how/why or what the 2 rabbits got on the moon in the first place.....that make be another story in itself.
OK, that is just one of many silly myths (urban legends) that they believe. Some others are as follows:
There is another rumor (fact?) that Raspberry Wine gives a man stamina b/c of the story of a man who drank lots of it in the winter time & went to pee in the pot (metal or ceramic) which was outside and his pee was so strong, that it actually shattered to pot!!!! Come on now people!!! I guess if it was really cold, and his pee was really hot, this could happen, right? So no matter what type of Korean foods you eat or drink, most will undoubtedly say: "Oh yea, ...... that's "good for your health" or in case of man: "good for stamina".
Just too funny. These are just some of the preliminary incidents I can recall from Winter Camp. I will be back next time with some more anecdotes.
Until Next Time,
LIVE with PASSION!
Being an instructor at Winter Camp allowed me to really get to know and understand a lot more about Korean culture, lifestyle, attitude, philosophy, etc. It was really rather funny and amusing to learn about some of their traditions, customs, beliefs, etc. For example, do you know that Koreans believe there are 2 rabbits pounding on a Chulgu (big bowl for making rice cakes) on the moon. It's apparently an old legend/story that the Koreans tell their children when they are young. My group actually got to "act out" this story as a skit on stage about this story. The story tells a tale of two powerful "farters" that decided to have a Fart Competition to see who's farts are the strongest. (I swear this is really a true Korean folk story) I know, I know, I could hardly believe it myself, but it's true. So one day the one Fart Woman comes over and farts on the other Farter's child (played by me). My mom gets mad and decides to aim this huge Chulgu (big bowl) at the other Fart Woman....then the other woman takes aim & shoots (farts) it back toward me & my mom, back & forth they go until finally they let out one final last SUPER FART at the same time and with that blast, the Chulgu shoots up to the moon where the 2 rabbits start to play (pound) on it. Please don't ask me how/why or what the 2 rabbits got on the moon in the first place.....that make be another story in itself.
OK, that is just one of many silly myths (urban legends) that they believe. Some others are as follows:
- They believe in "Fan Death" which says that if you fall asleep in a room with the windows and door shut and you have an electric fan running, you will choke (b/c of lack of oxygen) and die. This is a ridiculous fallacy that some Koreans really believe is true because they "saw it on the news" Come on please. You can even do a search for "Fan Death" on Google or You Tube to see more info. on this. It's really silly.
- They believe that you should never clip your toe/finger nails at night because if you do, mice will come out when you are sleeping and will eat your nail clippings and they will eventually turn into a clone (copy) of you. And no one will be able to tell the difference between the real you and the clone. What a serious predicament to be in huh??? So do you know how these clever Koreans solve this unique dilemma??? Yup, you guessed they get a cat to see which person it chases, and the one it chases is "obviously" the copy b/c cats love to chase mice!!! I'm serious folks, these were grown adults that were (proudly) telling me these stories of their people's folk tales
- Another story says that if you find/bite into a stone while eating your rice, you should keep it and put it in the shoe of someone you like. This will eventually cause them to think of (be attracted to) you, and allow you to marry them. OK, now I can see the sweetness, the cuteness, and the innocence of the mythical legend. I'm sure we have plenty of silly, ridiculous, off-the-wall myths, legends, and superstitions that we believe in back home.
- They also believe in the strict need to rest for at least 21 days after giving birth to help their bodies and their bones heal & repair. They are advised not take a shower (only a sponge bath) b/c the cold air will weaken their bones; They are so radical that they believe you should not leave the house for the first 7 days. All kinds of weird notions like this.
- Some other things that Koreans believe in (swear by) is the potency of their rare, exotic, unique and different types of food and delicacies. For example they like to eat "Bo shin Tang" which translates into "healthy body soup" This soup is actually made with dog meat!!!!!! Yes, that's right it is supposed to be very good for your throat and is cooling in summer time. But keep in mind that the types of dogs they eat are completely different from the domesticated types of dogs we raise as pets. They breed a certain kind of "field dog" that they raise like sheep, cows, or any another livestock. Because they were such a poor country and never really had access to much meat.... they decided to copy the Chinese and raise dog for food. It just cracked me up to hear that they call dog soup "healthy body soup" Who knows, I just may need to try it this summer!!
There is another rumor (fact?) that Raspberry Wine gives a man stamina b/c of the story of a man who drank lots of it in the winter time & went to pee in the pot (metal or ceramic) which was outside and his pee was so strong, that it actually shattered to pot!!!! Come on now people!!! I guess if it was really cold, and his pee was really hot, this could happen, right? So no matter what type of Korean foods you eat or drink, most will undoubtedly say: "Oh yea, ...... that's "good for your health" or in case of man: "good for stamina".
Just too funny. These are just some of the preliminary incidents I can recall from Winter Camp. I will be back next time with some more anecdotes.
Until Next Time,
LIVE with PASSION!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Japan Here We Come!!!
Yes, that's right, because we have a 5 day weekend for Chinese (Lunar) New Year, my friend Christina and I decided to take advantage of these 5 days and booked a flight to Nagoya Japan. Does anyone find it ironic that I'm going to Japan for "Chinese" New Year?? Oh well, I guess I could think of stranger things...While planning our itinerary, as to where to spend our 4 nights, we considered, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka & Tokyo. Since Nagoya is on the eastern part of the country (the archipelago as it's called) we decided it best to take a train or bus (5.5 hours) from Nagoya to Tokyo where we will stay for 3 nights. We already have reserved a place to stay for only 29,000 Yen ($29 per person/night) what a friggin bargain, esp. for Tokyo!!! I am so excited to be going to Japan and especially to have to excitement & pleasure of being in Tokyo. I've packed my bathing suit because they have over 3,000 natural, hot springs (Onsen) there!!! Some are co-ed, some are segregated. I wanna make sure I'm completely prepared for this trip!!!
I have so much to write to catch you up on the WONDERFUL time I had teaching at an Intensive English Camp for Korean HS & Middle School teachers. We worked long, hard hours each week for the entire month of January. Starting with our first class at 9am, and ending the last class each day at 8:30pm. We would teach each teach about 8 - 9 50 minute classes per day!!! But it was so much fun b/c I got to teach English to grown-up adults who actually WANTED to be there. I mean, these teachers voluntarily "gave up" their entire month long winter break to enroll themselves in this INTENSIVE English course to help improve their English. I tell you, this was most intriguing, impressive, and admirable thing to see & experience. To see the extreme dedication, commitment, and focus these teachers have to improve their English speaking and to help them gain the confidence that they need to be effective English teachers. This was quite a unique privilege, honor, and treat for me to be a part of this process. I feel very lucky,grateful, and appreciative (once again) to have been selected (1 of 8 Instructors) to teach at this camp. We even made it onto the evening News Channel KBS one night which featured the nature of the English we were teaching at. I am becoming even more of a celebrity in Korea these days because people from all over town are recognizing me from the TV News report. Who knows, I just me run for mayor of Miryang one day!! I will write more on this experience with my next entry. Right now I need to head off to bed b/c I have to catch a train to the airport tomorrow morning. HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!
I have so much to write to catch you up on the WONDERFUL time I had teaching at an Intensive English Camp for Korean HS & Middle School teachers. We worked long, hard hours each week for the entire month of January. Starting with our first class at 9am, and ending the last class each day at 8:30pm. We would teach each teach about 8 - 9 50 minute classes per day!!! But it was so much fun b/c I got to teach English to grown-up adults who actually WANTED to be there. I mean, these teachers voluntarily "gave up" their entire month long winter break to enroll themselves in this INTENSIVE English course to help improve their English. I tell you, this was most intriguing, impressive, and admirable thing to see & experience. To see the extreme dedication, commitment, and focus these teachers have to improve their English speaking and to help them gain the confidence that they need to be effective English teachers. This was quite a unique privilege, honor, and treat for me to be a part of this process. I feel very lucky,grateful, and appreciative (once again) to have been selected (1 of 8 Instructors) to teach at this camp. We even made it onto the evening News Channel KBS one night which featured the nature of the English we were teaching at. I am becoming even more of a celebrity in Korea these days because people from all over town are recognizing me from the TV News report. Who knows, I just me run for mayor of Miryang one day!! I will write more on this experience with my next entry. Right now I need to head off to bed b/c I have to catch a train to the airport tomorrow morning. HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!
2008 - Year of the Rat!!!!!
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