Skiing and Engagement!!!

Well, the title says the big news. Eric (finally!) proposed yesterday during our ski trip! It was the perfect day for both. It was snowing big fluffy snowflakes- I had the feeling of being inside a snow globe. It was just a beautiful day, beautiful mountains, perfect really. I didn't expect it at all. Well, I mean, I've been expecting it a little, but my mind was on skiing at the time and it came as a surprise. He asked at the very top of the mountain, and my hands were so cold, I could barely feel them, but I was just so happy. We tried to take a picture of ourselves and then a random Korean man offered to take the snap shot for us. Didn't get a close up of the ring, but it's lovely.







The rest of the day was great, too. I had a little bit of fear to get over once we moved on past the bunny slope, but once I got it, I had so much fun! I only fell a few times- but I think Eric got them all on video or pictures- and it was definitely over too soon.




That night, we wanted to go out to celebrate, but we couldn't find a nice restaurant, and I was very tired because I've been a little sick and we had only had about 4 hours of sleep the night before, so we had a drink and snuggled up in out little bed at the youth hostel. The next morning we treated ourselves to a very nice breakfast at a fancy hotel next door to the ski lodge.

I've been loving Korea so much lately and until Eric got here, I was doing alright without him, but now the thought that he has to leave in two weeks, is just about the saddest thing I can think of. Well, like Scarlet always said, I won't think about that today, I'll think about it tomorrow. Today, I'm way too happy!

The Noraebang

The Korean noraebang, literally "singing room," is the equivalent of what we Westerns popularly call karaoke. The difference is that you are in a small room with just your friends, so you can have more fun and not have to worry so much about making a fool out of yourself in front of strangers. It's more like having a karaoke machine in you house and singing at a party.

I avoided going to the noraebang for the first few months I was here- despite MiHee's request to do so nearly every time we went out- because I don't- as anyone who know me can testify- have the best voice. But, one particularly difficult day, I made a desperate attempt to get my friends to stay out a little bit longer by suggesting that we go to one. The result? A good time was had by all and noraebangs have since become a part of a typical weekend for me.

What's so interesting to me about going to the noraebang is that Koreans use it as a way to get rid of stress. One night when MiHee was particularly upset set all but demanded that we go the noraebang. Last night, my coworker was feeling depressed because she is fighting with her husband, and my director suggested I take her to the noraebang. We did, and when we were leaving, she thanked me for inviting her out and she seemed to have a genuine smile.

I don't know what it is- if it's the therapeutic power of music, being able to yell as loud as you want without anyone caring, or simply hanging out and being a bit silly with friends- probably a combination of all these,- but the noraebang certainly seems to have a positive effect on people. It's certainly a more positive outlet than many other alternatives. It seems like such a silly thing, but I highly recommend one anytime you're looking to have a good time!

No rock climbing for me :(

So, it turns out that I got really sick last week. Just a head cold, but it hit me like a ton of bricks! I didn't do anything at all last week. No pub quiz, no singing, and no rock climbing. It's just as well, since the weather has also been bitterly cold for the past few days and I haven't bought myself gloves yet. So, nothing to report this week. Sorry.

Peaks and Valleys

This was a crazy week for me! It started out typical enough, but by Wednesday, I was a big mess. I had a really rough day at work. The school I work for is poorly run. Most of the time I don't let it bother me, but at times it can be down right maddening! Though my director is a nice woman, she has no business skills. Frankly, I'm sometimes amazed that she's kept the place in business as long as she has. Now that I'm making some friends with other English teachers in my area, I'm always surprised to hear about organized their schools are and how helpful their directors can be. Well, the details aren't really important, but suffice it to say that on Wednesday, I left my morning class feeling incredibly frustrated with my job. As I walked home, I really felt like crying.

As often happens when something triggers a feeling like that, other things that I had been feeling a bit confused about started welling up in my mind too. I started thinking about what I was doing with my life and what the next step is. Something that worries me more and more as I get older is that I want a career where I can travel and I want a family. Now I know that lots of women have careers and a family and they make it work and I know I could do it to. But, to be travelling all the time? I don't know if it's possible to have a good family life if I'm traipsing all over the globe. I spend many, many hours of my life stressing out about this and trying to figure out a good solution. I don't feel that I could give up either one- career or family.

I went back to work in the afternoon, not feeling any better about things. My first few classes were rough, but by the time I went home in the evening, I was feeling a little better. I had gotten my mind off all the stress and was ready to sit down and veg in front of the TV for a while. I should have know it was a bad choice for the evening, but I had been wanting to watch CNN's Planet in Peril. Mid way through, that all too familiar, unwelcome feeling of depression was coursing through my veins for the first time in a very long time. For the first time in my life, I felt so disgusted with humanity, and lost all hope for a bright future for our planet that I thought my decision had been made for me. There was no way that I could bring children into this world! Of course, this was depression thinking for me and not the way I really feel, but it's what I thought at the moment.

Thursday morning, I was wishing I didn't have to work and really looking forward to meeting up with my friends for our weekly pub quiz. I got through the day and was on my way out, when my friend Mi Hee called and told me that her father, who had been in the hospital for a week or so, was terminal and probably wouldn't live through the weekend. I think you can imagine how this effected me. I felt so sad, I almost didn't want to go out anymore, but I thought it might do me some good to be around some friends. Though I was worried if I got a few drinks in my system I might end up crying like a damn fool. Luckily, this didn't happen. Rather, after the quiz, a few of us went to a noraebang which is like Korean karaoke, but in your own private room. It's very popular over here and most people are surprised to hear that I've been here for nearly 4 months and haven't been to one yet. So, it was time. And it was a good time! After pouring my heart out into all the great sing-a-longs like "Don't Stop Believing" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart," I was feeling pretty good. When we finally got kicked out, I stayed out talking on a street corner with a guy named Jason who I had just met that night. We had the kind of talk you can only have with a stranger after a night of drinking and singing karaoke. We both poured out hearts out about our problems, consoled each other, and then agreed not to exchange numbers. It was the platonic equivalent of a one night stand, without the awkward walk of shame, though, it was nearly 5:30am by the time I dragged myself into bed.

Yes, I was hung over the next morning. But, luckily, I only had two classes at night that Friday. So, I had the whole day to recoup. I drank lots of water and coffee and watched Shark Week episodes on my computer. (Sharks are awesome!) What I didn't do was pack my bag for my trip over the weekend. I also didn't take a nap, though I really wanted to, because I knew I had to get to bed early. I had to be out of my house by 6:30 the next morning. Needless to say, I didn't get to bed early, and I was late getting out of my house, but I made it on time to meet Erin and go to Seoul to catch our bus to Seoraksan National Park. We were going hiking for the weekend.

The bus ride was long and there was plenty of time to sleep. I felt rested by the time we got there and ready to take on the mountains. And what mountains they were! You've got to check out my pictures for this one. These mountains are rugged and steep and absolutely stunning! We didn't quite make it for the height of the fall colors, but there were still a lot of beautiful trees. It was so great to be back out in nature again, breathing in the cool mountain air with the familiar fragrance of fallen leaves. The hike out to the waterfall was casual and we had plenty of time to take it all in. Though, the waterfall itself was a little disappointing, the views all around more than made up for it!

Our overnight accommodations were a little sub par compared to American standards, meaning that instead of beds, we had sleeping mats on the floor! This is pretty common in Korea. A lot of people don't even have beds and I've been told that if you want a bed in your hotel, you should make sure you ask for one. But, honestly, I was so tired that I didn't really care where I was sleeping. That night, even though we were bother really tired, Erin and I stayed up talking for a while. It was nice to open up a little with someone. I'm glad that I'm making some good friends here.

Erin and I made friends with three nice girls from Ontario on the trip. They've only been here for about 2 months and it was also their first time on an Adventure Korea trip. We got along instantly and exchanged email addresses before we left, so maybe we can travel together again in the future.

The next day we were off for another easy hike to another little waterfall and more amazing views. It was a good start to a long day. After, they fed us lunch and we had to head back to Seoul. A long, grueling bus ride which started out with a long B movie. I was so glad to finally get off that bus!

It was so great to get home and sleep well in a good warm bed. My stress from last week is washed away and I'm feeling very content right now. Spending a weekend outside in a beautiful park was the very best cure for the blues. I feel refreshed and ready to take on the week.!

October

I know, I know, it’s been ages since I last wrote. The thing is, that after a while, things started to become a little more common place to me and it wasn’t as interesting to write about my every day activities. Then, once I was out of the habit of it, even when I started doing some more interesting things, I kept forgetting to write. By now there is so much to tell, too much really. I don’t even know where to start.

I guess I’ll start with telling you about my everyday stuff. Work has its ups and downs. Some days it’s a piece of cake and other’s it’s a real struggle to get through. I think that my school is poorly organized and under funded. In addition, most of the kids don’t really want to learn English, but rather are being forced by their parents to come to my class. It doesn’t make for easy teaching. I was having some real problems with a few very disrespectful girls a few weeks ago and threw one of them out of my class. It caused a big scene and I felt a little embarrassed that I blew up, but it ended up being a good thing. I was able to explain to the other English teach- who is a native Korean- and to the director what kind of crap my students put me through on a daily basis. The next day I had off and the other teacher had a long talk with each of our classes. Since then, the students have been a lot more respectful to me. My coworkers, at least, are very nice and we get along well. Although, I don’t get invited to lunch as often because I think they are catching on that I don’t really like most Korean food. It’s an OK pay off as far as I’m concerned.

Outside of work, I have made friends with a ton of Westerns. They get together on Thursday nights for a pub quiz at Ozzy’s bar. It’s a fun time to get together, meet new people, and challenge my brain a bit. I can get very competitive! It’s also the one time a week that I’m guaranteed to get to hang out with other native English speakers. Sometimes I’m jeleous of them because most of them work at big schools where they can see other Westerners every day. Don’t get me wrong, the Koreans that I’m friends with are some of the nicest, most giving people I’ve met, but it is difficult to become really good friends with any of them because of the language barrier. Sometimes I feel a little lonely.

One thing that might help is a Korean class that I just started last night. I had tried taking a class before, but it was difficult because the teacher didn’t speak any English and it wasn’t really at a good time. I learned to read Korean easily enough, in those few weeks, but nothing more came of it. This new class is taught by a really great Canadian guy named Stefan. He’s been here for a long time and can speak really well. Also, many of the people from the pub quiz are also in the class, so it’s nice to practice with friends. I don’t hope to become fluent in the 8 months I have left here, but I think I can get down some conversation skill at least.

On to the more exciting events of late… I’ve been to Seoul enough times to know my way around a bit. It’s a pretty city and some nice places to walk around. Lots of parks. I went to a drum festival a few weeks ago and had a really great time. It’s festival season now, so I’ve been to a bunch in the past month. In addition to the drum festival, I’ve also been to a belly dancing festival and a fashion festival. All were fun and interesting. And cheep. I don’t know how Seoul got rated one of the most expensive cities to live in, because everything is really affordable here. I’m doing something fun and interesting every week.

Perhaps one of the best things I’ve come across here is a group called Adventure Korea. It’s a group geared toward English speakers living in Korea and they go on outdoor adventure trips, all sorts of fun places. It’s really ideal because it gives me a chance to meet new people, it’s more affordable than it would be if I booked a trip on my own, and it’s easier to do things with a group because I don’t have to try to get around on my own in Korean. I haven’t actually gone on a trip with them yet, but I’ve got three trips booked in the next 6 weeks. I’m going to Seorak-san National Park in two weeks for a weekend hiking trip. It’s on the east coast of Korea and high in the mountains. It should be at the height of the fall leaf season. I think it will be beautiful. The week after, I’m going to another national park in the middle of Korea for a weekend of rock climbing. It will be my first time rock climbing and I’m really excited about it. The last weekend trip is in December and it’s to a ski resort. There are tons of places to go skiing here, though they are not very close, but with this group, I think I might be able to get in a number of trips this winter. I’ll report back on my trips as they happen. (No, really, I will!)

Maybe the most exciting news I have is that Eric is coming to visit me in December. He’ll be here for 3 weeks. I can’t wait to see him. And, I’m glad to have someone from home to be here with me over Christmas. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m one of those sappy Christmas people. I’m really going to miss all the traditions. I don’t even have an oven in my apartment to bake cookies! But with Eric here (and lots of emails from home), I know that I’ll get through just fine.

Lastly, I know I’m totally bragging, but I have to tell everyone that I’ve lost over 30 pounds since I’ve been here! In addition to looking so much better, I feel so much healthier. Losing weight is something I’ve struggled with a lot for years and more than anything it’s for my health that I care so much about it. I’ve still go a way to go. I can be really lazy when it comes to exercise, but I’m getting there. One day at a time.

So, that’s it for now. More to come soon!

Right at home... not quite.

When I first arrived in Korea, I was so fascinated by everything around me. I took it all in and tried to remember as many details as possible because I wanted to report back home and tell you all what was going on. For better or for worse, that fascination has worn off and I am finding myself at home here.

It's not to say there is nothing new. Every weekend I try to go out and explore. But during the week, I have my routine. I am used to seeing all the things that were at first strange to me. I know where to go to buy most of the things that I use regularly, and I have gotten much more comfortable taking public transportation. I am used to taking my shoes of when I enter a person's house -even us Westerner's do this. I am also used to wearing my bathroom slippers so my feet don't get wet. I've learned what channels play American TV and movies, and have learned that most of the time it's not worth it to bother turning the thing on. I know how to get to all the bars where the cool people hang out. I'm used to spicy food and expect to have to pick meat out of anything I order. I'm even used to some of the stranger foods, like the rices cakes -not rice cakes like at home, but gummi-like things flavored with fruits and beans. I'm getting used to teaching too, though sometimes the kids make me want to pull my hair out!

The Koreans are getting used to me, too. Most of my Korean friends have stopped trying to get me to eat the foods I don't like. I think I've won over most of my younger students by giving them candy. And many of the older students are starting to open up. Just yesterday, one girl brought me a very good chocolate bar and another brought me some fancy cookies. Even the shiest ones are now talking in class. There is an older parking garage attendant who looked at me in fascination every time I walked past him 2-4 times a day for the first month I was here, but now he smiles and nods at me. Even the roaches in my apartment are getting friendly! Actually, only one dared to come out, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I bought -probably too many- traps the very next day and haven't seen one since. Hopefully, it will stay that way!

For me, this trip is as much a personal journey as a physical one. Before I came, one of the things I though about the most was how I would do on my own in a foreign country. Now that I've been here a while, I can safely say that I am doing pretty well. It's not just living in a different county, but also just living by myself for the first time. I'm pretty confident that I could deal with most issues that come up. I'm no longer scared at night. I've figured out all my appliances. I've learned how to download things on my computer. I've found my way around the city.

I've also had plenty of time to think and I think a lot. Sometimes I let myself think and my mind wander and watch where it goes. It goes to some pretty crazy places. Sometimes I stop myself from thinking altogether, and give my brain a rest. There is so much to think about I have to do this in order to not get overwhelmed. This trip is definitely a milestone in my life and I think that my experiences here will have a strong influence on my future. Korea's not a bad place at all, not home, but not bad.

Sorry

It's been a while since I last wrote. This is due to the fact that I am settling in here, making new friends and finding my groove. I've also learned how to download movies and video games with which to occupy my free time! But, in reality, I haven't been spending too much time at home lately.

I've made a few good friends here and am always meeting new people. My weekends are usually spend out until 4 or 5 am, bar hopping. I've given up trying to keep up with the Koreans or even the 6'5" Canadian cousins I've met and now pace myself so as not to feel like crap for two days afterward. Actually, I don't really like Korean beer and I'm too cheep to buy the outrageously priced imported beer, so I mostly go out to meet new people and spend time with friends.

On the other hand, I have found some nice wines to try out. Korea has some sort of trade agreement with Chili and one result of this agreement is a huge selection of Chilean wines. I had heard that Chili makes pretty good wine and it is becoming more popular in the US, but I don't know for certain that I had ever tried it before. Now that I've sampled a few I would highly recommend it to any wine lovers out there.

I'm also starting to learn where to get some of the food products that I am used to from home. Though this means shopping a several different stores to find what I am looking for. Still no luck with the vegetarian "meat substitutes." The biggest thing I miss is the TVP and ground beef like products. These were staples of my diet back home which I frequently used to make chili and meat sauce and the like. I have been able to find some good cheeses, but I have to pay import prices. So, a $2.00 block of cheddar cheese cost me approximately $8.00! I was luck enough to find some bagels and Philadelphia cream cheese last night. I was so excited that I didn't even unpack my shopping bags before I had a bagel in the oven. It was better than you might expect. Better than a Lender's bagel, though nothing close to a New York bagel. Still, it was so good - a taste of home.

Speaking of which, I'm going to have a dinner party tomorrow night and cook some Italian food for my friends. They are always asking me to cook for them, but it's hard to find the proper ingredients. Also, I don't have an oven! But I can make some pasta with a nice white wine sauce and some garlic bread - in small batches in the toaster oven. I wish that I could find some fresh herbs to cook with, but no luck so far! Anyway, I am looking forward to having people over for dinner -Korean and Western alike. I think I might try to make it a regular thing. It's a good way to make friends!

Thinking of that makes me remember all the nights I would cook dinner with Maggie, and later Alanna, back at school. Sometimes I really miss those girls! Mostly I am getting on just fine, without too much homesickness, but it's a little hard moving to a new place every couple of years. It doesn't matter if it's Maryland or South Korea, when you leave people behind, your relationship changes. It's a little sad, because you want to recreate that closeness with new friends, but it can only come with time. Well, if any good has come out of it, I think that I am losing my fear of meeting new people. Here, if I meet a Korean, they are always so nice and have a million things they want to say, but there is a language barrier, so it becomes a sort of game to try to have a conversation. And, if I meet a Westerner, there is a pretty good chance we'll have a lot in common with each other, so conversation comes naturally. Another good thing about meeting other English teachers is that when they move, they have lots of stuff they aren't taking with them! I've inherited a bicycle, some speakers for my computer and a number of books. Two other friends are leaving next week, so there might be more coming my way.

I've been taking that bike out and riding around a bit. I've become so much more active here. I'm walking at least a little every day back and forth to work, if not more. I've got a bike now, so I try to go out riding when it's not to hot. And, I've been doing Yoga regularly for about 2 weeks now. In addition, I've been eating less milk, cheese, bread and generally junk food; the portion sizes are generally smaller; and I've a a firm resolve not to eat late at night. I bought a scale last night and found I'd lost about 14 pounds! Not bad for one month! Don't think I'm a twig yet though, I had gained about that much in the 3 or 4 months before I came to Korea, so I've still got a ways to go. Still, it's a great start. I keep reminding myself that I want to be an outdoor adventure guide, and it will make all the difference in the world if I can get myself into shape. I've also made a point of saying that if I can come to Korea and finally live my dream of traveling the world -something I've wanted for so long- then anything is possible! And I know it's going to feel so good to get back in shape and be healthy again! Though, for the time being, my knees are not too happy with me.

I'm hoping soon I will be able to start going hiking regularly as well. It seems that the humidity has finally broken! It has actually gotten hotter, believe it or not, around 110 degrees for the past few days, but with the humidity gone, I dare say it feels cooler! It's also been slightly breezy which has helped to cool it off a bit. Everyone has been telling me that fall is the best time of year for Korea, so I'm looking forward to a few nice months to spend exploring. I've also got plans to go paragliding in the next few weeks, and I am really, really looking forward to it! There is so much I want to do this year, I hardly think I'll be able to do it all, but I sure am going to try.

Here's a few pics from around the city!
http://picasaweb.google.com/travelingchris/200708AroundAnsan

Ansan Summer Music Festival

Friday Mi Hee took me to the Ansan Art and Cultural Center for the Ansan Summer Music Festival. We got there about 2 hours early, so we had some time to check out the seasonal art exhibit. The theme was Korean paper folding called hanji - pretty much like origami, but origami is Japanese. Before we went in, I didn't really know what to expect. All I could think of was the little swans and jumping frogs that we made in art class back in grade school. I figured that it would be more elaborate than that, but I had no idea what I was in store for. First thing I saw when I walked in was a life sized dragon on the wall, all made out of paper. We walked around the first room and saw more than you could imagine. There were entire flower gardens, made entirely out of paper, hand folded and incredibly intricate. There were little paper boxes and animals and people, anything you could imagine. The next room was even more interesting. There were luggage-like boxes and furniture- armours, desks, tables- all made from paper. I don't know how to explain it. The colors and designs were so detailed. In one room, there was what looked like a beautiful impressionist painting. When I walked up closer, I could tell that it, too, was made out of paper. It was very thin layers of paper, carefully and precisely torn and layered on top of one another to create this beautiful image. Another group of items I found incredibly interesting were some pots, vases, etc. They looked so much like real pottery and stoneware, I had to touch them -against the signs telling me not to- in order to make sure. There were also little figurines in panoramas depicting history life in Korea. They looked like decoupaged paper-mache, not life like, but detailed and fun to look at. Check out the pictures, they're really cool! http://picasaweb.google.com/travelingchris/200708KoreanPaperArt

After the art museum, we headed outside for the concert. First up, was a break dancing group. They were pretty entertaining. Overall, they were good dancers and they had some pretty good moves. It was kind of funny though, because they were all wearing baseball caps, which came off every time they flipped. Next, there was a beatbox performer. I'd never really seen this done before and I found it to be pretty interesting. At one point, the guy was playing a harmonica without missing a note and doing the beat simultaneously. It was pretty impressive. Then the first group of guys came back and were dancing to the guys rhythm. It was fun to watch. Man, those guys had a lot of energy - they must have been at it for nearly an hour. The next performer was a bit more mellow, a blues musician -the "Eric Clapton" of Korea, according to Ozzy. He was really good, but I don't know if I'd go that far! Here are a few videos from the show. http://picasaweb.google.com/travelingchris/200708AnsanSummerMusicFestival

There was another band afterward, Crying Nut. They were sort of rock, slightly punkish. But we had been sitting on hard concrete steps for several hours by that time and we were both having back pain, so we got up and walked around while they were playing. We could hear them well, but we couldn't see them at all. After about 30 minutes, we decided to leave early to beat the crowd and we headed over to Ozzy's bar.

At Ozzy's bar I met a few new friends. There was a seemingly nice guy from Austin who turned out to be a little weird -like he was high or something. He kept on asking me the same questions and telling me the same stories. When I walk over to talk to someone else, he followed me over and started rubbing my shoulder and getting a little touchy-feely. I walked away again and he left me alone after that. I did get a chance to talk for a while with a guy named Paul from Nova Scotia. He lives just a few minutes from my apartment and was able to tell me a lot about the area and places near-by to check out. He also offered to take me around this week and show me where I could get some good vegetarian ethnic (non-Korean) food.

I also met a guy named Adam who is going back home to Chicago in a few weeks. He is actually Paul's roommate, and Paul told me that Adam has a bike that he is looking to get rid of. He mentioned that I could probably get it for free if I asked nicely, but Adam was pretty well on his way to oblivion by that point. I will try to talk to him about it when I meet up with Paul on Tuesday.

There were a few other people I met that night, including on of the bartenders - Something-Soo. I don't remember. But she's very sweet. She make jewelry and sells it at a boutique, but she had a few pairs of earrings with her and she gave me two pairs. She also read my palm and told me I was very smart. What a nice girl! Another great Korean girl I met was named Julie. She was there last time- one of the New Zealand guy's girlfriend- but I didn't get to talk to her then. But this weekend, we had a lot of time to get to know each other and I think she's just a sweetheart. She's also strikingly beautiful, with very distinguishing features. Yet, more photos of that night! http://picasaweb.google.com/travelingchris/200708OzzySBar

All-in-all, I am still quite enjoying my time in Korea, learning to get around and making some really great friends.

Long, hot nights...

It's been averaging about 100 degrees F here. When I moved here about 3 weeks ago, I was told that the heat would break in about 3 weeks. Yesterday, I was told the worst of the heat would be gone in about 3 weeks. I see a pattern emerging here. As if it weren't bad enough that the temperature is crazy hot all the time, it's also rainy season here. Amazing, it hasn't really rained much at all, but it's always on the verge of a downpour. You know, it's generally overcast and about 90% humidity.

Man, it's brutal. But I've been dealing alright, staying inside my nicely air conditioned apartment during the hottest parts of the day. That doesn't sound so bad, but it does get a little boring after a while. Here are my choices of things to do: 1) Watch TV. This option isn't as obvious as it would be at home, because I only get one channel- Discovery- that always comes in in English. I love Discovery, but there is only so many times you can watch the same special, which they tend to play over and over again each week. Last week it was on Super Weapons. Anyone who knows me already knows that I wouldn't even watch that for the first time. This week it's been Building the Airbus. Fascinating, really, but watching it take off for the first time is far less exciting by the 4th or 5th time you've seen it!

So, I do get other programs in English. In fact, if you flip through the channels, at any given time about 1/4 of the shows are in English. Problem is, none of them come on at any specific time as far as I can tell. I mean, they don't start on the hour. A show seems just as likely to come on at 3:12 as 3:38. There is no way of knowing, no directory to confirm. Also, the majority of these programs are just about the worst American TV and cinema has to offer -Hollywood Fit Club, The Day After Tomorrow, and An American Werewolf in Paris, just to name a few examples. There also seems to be a large number of crime shows, all of the CSIs and Law and Order. These shows are alright enough, but I'm still not used to living by myself and can help to make the nights a bit scary, so I tend to avoid them.

2) Second choice for how to spend my afternoons is to spend my time on the web. I was an Internet junkie to begin with, but now I've officially gone over the edge. I must check my 4 different emails about 20 or 30 times a day. Also, I've been keeping up with the US Presidential candidates, learning everything there is for a foreigner to do in Korea (if only she had some money or any idea how to get around), and of course, keeping my blog. This doesn't only include writing crazy long entries, but also, reading other people's blogs, learning about the entire world of blogging, and trying to get more people to read my blog. I've also been thinking about adding two other blogs to my profile. One would be reviews of my favorite books and the other, an inspirational sort of thing, to help people learn to believe in themselves and realize their dreams.

Of course, the most fun generally happens when two fun activities are combined into something totally new -kite surfing, for example. For me, I've created my own fun little pass-time called "Guess What the Hell it is that I'm Watching on TV." I do this by Googling the name of any actor or actress who I can recognize and then trying to see if I can match up their movies with what I'm watching. It's harder still if I don't know the name of an actor. Then I have to try search for something related to what I'm seeing. For example, with An American Werewolf in Paris, I searched for "worst werewolf movie ever." Low and behold, someone had posted a listing of his choices for 10 Worst Werewolf Movies. Man, you got to love the web!

3) The third possibility is to read. It's one of my favorite pass-times, but I have a limited number of books and I try to limit myself to a chapter a day, so as not to finish them all in a week. It's nice to read in this way, because it gives you time to think about what you've read, before hurrying on to the next chapter. I think ultimately, it is a better reading experience. It also gives me time, not just to reflect on what was written, but how it was written. A useful thing for an aspiring writer to do.

4) You would think that boredom would lead naturally to overeating, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I've been cooking healthy meals and the snacks I keep in the house aren't all so bad for me. Actually, I think I've lost a few pounds but I have no way of knowing.

5) Sit around and think. I do this a lot. Sometimes, I don't sit. I might lay down or I might be sweeping my always dusty floor or washing my dishes. But the point is, when you live alone, there is a lot of time to think. This is particularly true at night. I haven't yet gotten used to sleeping alone. There is no one to cuddle. And it's hot, even with the AC on. And my bed is lumpy. And I'm scared from watching CSI and people telling me I live in a bad neighborhood. I hate not being able to say goodnight to Eric. So I say up for hours, half asleep and half awake, jumping at every little sound. And even though I'm scared and hot and tired, I think about how lucky I am. I'm so lucky to be living my dreams. And I know that it isn't really luck at all, it's hard work, determination and not settling for anything else that got me here. It's also believe in myself and the love and support of a wonderful man and wonderful family and friends. I think, at night, when I'm all alone, that I wish that I could help to inspire even one other person to live their dreams, to remind them that even when things look like they couldn't get worse, there is a purpose. Never give up belief in your dreams, I would tell someone, if I had anyone to tell.

I also think about the fact that, even though I'm living one of my dreams, there are still so many things that I just don't know about. For instance, redefining a long-distance relationship. That's a tough one and maybe I'll delve a little deeper into it some other time. The real point is, even though I am happy, my life is far from perfect. There are plenty of things that I worry about a little too much. But, I've learned that every feeling good or bad will pass eventually. It's an important lesson in being happy. It allows me to really appreciate all of the good times so much more and to not worry quite so much about the things that trouble me. I hope to not have to endure many terrible times in my life, but I just have a feeling that I can get through whatever is thrown my way. And that is what helps me to fall asleep soundly, eventually, every night.

My First Trip to Seoul

http://picasaweb.google.com/travelingchris/200707Seoul - Pics!

Yesterday was my first trip into Seoul. I was invited by a fellow teacher, Jane. Two of my college aged students were to join us as well. When I arrived at the meeting spot, my students -Joy and Yeung Dok- were waiting for me. They told me that Jane would join up with us in Seoul.

The subway ride was about an hour and 20 minutes and cost me approximately $1.70. The distance is comparable to taking the LIRR from Ronkonkoma to New York City which costs $13.00. When we walked upstairs into the city, we were in the heart of a huge market. There were a number of vendor that were particularly interesting to me -selling pottery, baskets and the like. I could have spent a lot of time and money there, but previous trips to markets have taught me better. I made up my mind from the start not to buy anything, the day was for looking only.

We took some time to walk around and see a sight or two, but it was very hot and we got tired quickly. My two friends didn't really know the was around the city well. Jane's train was late and we were all a bit cranky. That was, until we found a book store. There isn't much I love in this world so much as books. I was eager to see if they had any in English and much to my delight, they had a fairly decent collection. Here again, I could have spent all of my money, but I had to remind myself that 1) I was broke and 2) books are heavy to bring on the plane ride home. I talked myself into only buying two. The first was "A Man Without a Country," by Kurt Vonnegut. It seemed like a good title for someone living abroad and I enjoy his writing. The second title "Sophie's World - A Novel about the History of Philosophy," by Jostein Gaarder claims to be a #1 International Bestseller, and sounds totally intriguing. I am very much looking forward to reading it.

When we finally met up with Jane, she took us to a downtown area of the city. It would be perfect for Christmas shopping or just spending a day walking around. There were tons of little boutiques and street vendors, coffee shops and tea house. We stopped at the latter for a cup and I enjoyed one of the tastiest cups of tea I've ever had. I truly didn't expect to love it as much as I did, but it was really amazing. I wish I could remember the name of it, but the description was something like "Five Tastes." I was supposed to have all five tastes sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent. I doesn't sound all that great, but please, believe me, it was great.

After tea, I was feeling much less irritable. We went for dinner -Korean traditional, then walked back through downtown. I was good and only bought a $3 bracelet and spent about $5 on incense, but we had a nice time "window" shopping. By 9:00 we were back on the train headed home. I have to say that I was grateful. It was a nice first trip to the city, but it was truly an exhausting day.

Wongok-Dong

The neighborhood I live in, within the city of Ansan, is called Wongok-Dong. It's not centrally located and it's not the prettiest part of the city, but what can you expect? I never assumed that I would be living in the lap of luxury here in Korea. When I first saw my apartment, it was about what I expected -minus the all-important coffee maker, which has since been remedied.

One day at work about a week ago, the director asked me how I slept. I told her that I had had a hard time getting a good night sleep because I wasn't used to the noise of the city. I also mentioned that on the particular night in question I could smell marijuana very strongly on the corner by my house, though I couldn't tell where it was coming from. Ji Won went off talking about how my neighborhood is full of Chinese and Russian immigrants and how they are trouble makers. I didn't think too much of her tirade. Though I understand that Koreans have a strong sense of national identity, I would never personally accept the idea that people are trouble simply based on their nationality. Besides, the people smoking dope are rarely the ones causing trouble, in my experience. And I've never felt unsafe walking around, even at night. If anything, I am fascinated by the counterculture neighborhood I live in. When I walk around, I try to see if I can tell the difference between the Koreans, Chinese, and Russians.

Today was a free day for me -no school and no plans with anyone. Earlier in the week, I happened by chance upon a group of English teachers at a bar. It turned out that they were the same group of people that I had been chatting with on-line. They are a nice group of guys from the US, Canada and New Zealand. We got to talking about the free Korean lessons offered on Sundays near Ansan Station, which is close to my house. No one knew for certain if they were going this week, because it's summer vacation for everyone, but I got pretty good directions and a few numbers of people who go regularly. One of their Korean girlfriends asked me where I lived and when I told her, she was surprised and told me to be careful because there are a lot of foreigners in my neighborhood. A few other people agreed with her. One of them told me that it was like CSI. I laughed, but made a mental note to make sure that I was careful walking around. I suspect that perhaps my town is just a little different and that scares people -especially a pretty homogeneous culture like Korea.

So anyway, plan for today was to go to the Korean class. I was going to head out on my own again and see if I could find the place. I did call two of the guys to see if they were going, but one was not and the other I couldn't get in touch with. I had directions from Ansan station, but I had a feeling that I was actually going well out of my way since it looked like I'd be circling back up close to my house. Not having an exact address or even street name -most of them don't have names- I decided not to take any chances and headed off in the direction I thought the train station was. I gave myself an hour to get there, though I though if I did it right it would only take me half that long. I was glad I had the extra time, because as I headed down a long street which I thought would take me out on the road by the station, I soon had the feeling that it wasn't right. Nonetheless, I walked down to the end. This wasn't right. I looked down the next street in both directions and headed left because it seemed to me like the right general direction I should be heading and it also looked more promising. I made a mental note of the road I turned off of. There was a big pile of tires on the corner -easy to remember. I walked down the following street to the end and looked to the right -no that wasn't it. I looked to the left and just across the street I saw it! Ansan Station! I was a little surprised that it was there. Looking at the map later I saw that the road curved quite a bit when I had thought that it was straight, hence my mistake.

Once I was there, I had no trouble finding the next turn -another left- which led me down a road with mostly foot traffic. My directions said I would know it was the right place because there would be a lot of South East Asians walking around. I didn't really know what that meant until I saw them. They were darker skinned and didn't have quite the same almond shaped eyes. I saw signs for "Restaurant of Thai" and "Hal ah Specialties." Yes, this must be it. It was a slightly different atmosphere here than I've experienced in the rest of Korea. Koreans are great, but it was nice to see some cultural diversity. And there was a pleasing smell -like clove cigarettes- in the air.

When I got to the building where the lessons were supposed to be, I was about 25 minutes early, so I walked around a bit. I found a small park and sat on a bench, looking at my map and trying to figure out a faster was way back to my house, but I really had no idea. It's a decent map, but not great. So I walked a block or two in different directions, trying to see if anything looked familiar. I had a strong feeling that I had literally walked around the block to get next door. I kept having the feeling of being so close, like if I just made one more turn somewhere or walked one more block, I'd be right near my apartment. A creepy guy appeared to be following me for a few blocks so I turned around and headed back to the main, very populated road and he disappeared. But I didn't find a new route and it was time to head to my lessons. When I got there, I headed up the stairs to where I thought the class was supposed to be, but the door was locked. I waited and walked around for a while longer, but no one ever showed up. Maybe it was canceled due to many people being on break this week.

On my way home, I tried one more side street. It felt so right, but after a few minutes, I had walked to one end of the street and didn't know where to go from there. I was starting to get tired and it was so very hot, so I stopped into a 7-11 -yeah, they've got them here!- and bought an iced tea, then headed back the long way. As I walked up the road I came from, I looked down the side streets and I could see the foot traffic from the road I had been on a few minutes before. I was walking parallel to it, about half a mile away. But once I turned I could no longer see it. I climbed to the top of a hill and made my way across an intersection and low and behold, on the opposite corner I saw the 7-11 I had been in just half an hour earlier! I found my shortcut! I was feeling so happy about this and trying to make a mental note of everything I could see around me. It turns out the classes really were just 10 minutes or so from my house, just as I suspected.

Still feeling victorious, an Indian looking guy walking nearby said hello to me in English. I was happy to talk to someone who knew English and said hello back. I told him I was from New York and he told me he was from Sri Lanka. But when he started asking prying questions, I started to feel slightly uncomfortable. He wanted to know where I lived and if I had any friends, to which I gave nondescript answers. I was at a major intersection just across the street from my place at this point and I was waiting for the light to change so I could cross. Then he asked if he could come home with me. I told him very firmly no and he said he wanted to lick me and curled out his tongue and started moving it in and out of his mouth. "Eww, you gross pervert!" I yelled, just as the light changed and I ran across the street. "What? You don't like it?" he called after me, but thankfully he didn't follow me. Just to be sure, I took a longer, out of the way route back to my apartment and stopped in to buy a few groceries next door before heading home.

So, the lesson is that you need to be careful no matter where you go. I never felt threatened by this guy, but I did feel very uncomfortable. I won't give into the Koreans' racist ideas that I live in a bad neighborhood because it is full of foreigners, but Wongok Dong isn't really the best neighborhood in the city. Still, Korea is listed as one of the safest places for foreigners to visit and after living near and spending time in both New York and Baltimore, I feel relatively safe here, so don't worry about me Mom!

Weekend Excursions

http://picasaweb.google.com/travelingchris/200707DaebudoIsland

My new friend Mi Hee was kind enough to bring me a tourist map of Ansan from City Hall the other day, and I decided that this weekend I would venture out on my own. Saturday morning I took a good look over the map and still had no idea, I was just going to walk a while in one direction and see what I could find. I thought that maybe if I were feeling brave, I might get on a bus or subway. The problem is, I don't know how to say my address in Korean, and my exact street isn't on the map. So, if I got lost, it would be very difficult to get back. It turns out that none of this would be a problem because Ji Won called me -just as I was on my way out- to see if I wanted to go to Mi Hee's mother's birthday party.

The party was on the top floor of a building at a catered restaurant. The food was set up buffet style. The party was well underway by the time we got there and we were seated in an overflow room. Food was buffet style- and I was ever so grateful! I had been a bit worried about having to potentially eat food I didn't like in front of a large number of people. I filled up my plate with a number of different rice items - little packets of rice wrapped in seaweed, different vegetable leaves, and such, shrimp and vegetables. Another bonus- no chopsticks! So I was able to get through the meal without looking like a fool. I met some of Mi Hee's family and close friends. Everyone here seems to love the chance to speak English, so I get a lot of attention. One woman had a baby -about a year old- who just keep staring at me. She had probably never seen anyone who looked like me before. Very cute kid.

Afterward, Ji Won and I went back to the school and spent a long time reviewing my tourist map. I asked a lot of questions and gained a better understanding of where, exactly, I was. I also asked her to write down my address in Korean so I could ask for directions, or hop in a cab if I got lost. Armed with map, address and several phone numbers, I set out to find my way to the Home Plus. There were a few things that I needed to get. It was a good choice for a destination because it should be only about a 20 minute walk. It was getting later in the day, so the prospect of walking an hour to get to the district I was originally planning was out of the question.

The walk turned out not to be so bad at all. At one point, I had to walk back a block to double check myself, but it was unnecessary because I was going the right way all along. When I got to where I thought the Home Plus should be, I didn't see it immediately. I walked another block and still didn't see it. I finally decided to stop and ask someone. "Do you speak English?" I asked a lady at a magazine stand. Blank stare. I gave her the map. "Home Plus?" I asked her. She pointed at the next street and motioned for me to go around the corner. I had found one Korean who was not eager to practice English. I should have asked any one of the half dozen or so children who called out to me on the street - "Hello! Nice to meet you. What's your name?" Kids have no fear. Everywhere I go, they call out to me. Even inside the store, they ran up to me to say hello. I think it's so cute.

I spent a good amount of time inside Home Plus. I was trying to find a power converter to change my American plug to a Korean plug. No luck. No one I talked to could understand converter. I tried to draw a picture, but they still had no idea. I looked through the electronics department and didn't see anything. I picked up a few other odds and ends then set out on a mission to find ground coffee. It seems impossible to find real coffee in Korea. Most places have coffee, but it is the equivalent of Nescafe. In the grocery store, you buy it in little packets that you add to hot water - like hot chocolate, sugar and milk already added. Many restaurants have coffee in a vending machine. It's the same sort of thing- a very sugary coffee-like substance, but not coffee. I thought if anyplace would have ground coffee for sale, it would be Home Plus. Much to my dismay, as far as I could tell from the Korean labels, I was out of luck! I spent about $10 on the best instant coffee they had, an Arabian blend. At least it wouldn't have all that sugar. I was on my way out, thinking I'd have to learn to get on without coffee in my life, when I passed though the electronics department again, and noticed three different models of coffee makers. I didn't buy one this visit, but it gave me hope. If they sell coffee makers, then someone, somewhere, has got to sell coffee. It is my new mission in life to find it. Then, I will invite all my Korean friends over for coffee and have fun watching them bounce off the walls! Tee-hee!

On my way home I realized that I had gone slightly out of my way going there, and I was glad for the 2 minute short cut, because I was very tired. When I got home, I cranked up the air and lay on my bed until I dozed off. I woke to the sound of the phone wringing- Ji Won calling me to see if I was home safe and if I wanted to go to the bookstore. I had asked her earlier if she would take me, but now I was so tired, I really didn't want to go. On the other hand, I didn't know when I'd get another chance, so I agreed. She asked me to meet her at the school -a ten minute walk- and every step of the way, I was thinking "I'm so tired, why am I doing this?" I was slightly more away by the time I got there, awake enough to refuse a cup of sugar water and we were on our way.

The book store was slightly disappointing. There were a number of books in English, but they were all either books to learn English or abridged versions of classics for students of English. I had hoped that they would at least have a small selection of new releases in English, but I couldn't find any. The trip wasn't a total failure, though, I got a few books for my advanced class to read. I was excited to find "Anne of Green Gables." It was my favorite book growing up. I probably read it 20 times. I'm going to give it to Joy to read. She is the best English speaker of them all, because she studied in Canada for a year. I think she will be able to read it fairly easily and it will suit her because, like Anne, she never stops talking!

Following the bookstore, we went to Mi Hee's friend's bar for a beer. I met one of her friends- Ozzy. "But not crazy like Ozzy the singer," he told me. Turns out, he actually is a little crazy, but a very nice guy. He has a ton of vinyl records and probably knows more about American music than most Americans. We had a nice time talking about music for a while, and he played me some Black Crowes. Then he performed "Let it Be" and "Desperado" on his guitar and sang for us. The guy was pretty decent. All in all, it was a good day, but after two beers, I was so tired, I could hardly keep my eyes open, so they took me home and I slept through the night.

The following day, Mi Hee, Ozzy and I went out to Daebu Island. We were going to ride bikes out there, but it was so crowded, that we just drove instead and parked near a quiet beach away from the mob. This area is unique because the tidal variation is enormous. Incheon, just half an hour away, has the second largest tidal variation in the world, second to somewhere in Canada (Bay of Fundi, maybe?). This is the measure of sea depth from high tide to low tide. I don't remember the exact number, but it's somewhere around 30 feet. This means that the shoreline might be as much as a mile or more difference between high tide and low tide. Aside from being a very interesting phenomena to view, the potential for harnessing renewable energy is huge. As it turns out, we past by a structure on the bridge, which read "World's Largest Tidal Power Plant." Pretty cool, I think. The world could use more ingenuity like this.

The tide was out when we got there, so we walked out for a little bit, but the ground was more muddy than sandy, so we didn't go too far. It was very messy. It was a lot of fun to look at all the crabs and snails and little mud fish. I collected some beautiful sea shells to decorate my bathroom. Though I thought it was beautiful there, I think that it might have been even better if it weren't so hazy. I could tell that there were other islands in the distance, but they were hard to make out. Despite the lack of sun, Mi Hee scolded me for wearing a tank top. "Next time," she told me, "Where sleeves, so you don't get a sun tan." Not likely Mi Hee, sorry. I like my tan!

We ate lunch at a restaurant right on the beach. We had huge, enormous shrimp. I tried to explain to my friends what an oxymoron was, but I wasn't sure if they got it. Later, Ozzy said "Quiet Riot," and then I knew he did get it. The waitress brought us a burner for the table and a frying pan lined with rock salt. We cooked the shrimp on top, using the salt like hot coals. It was so delicious! We talked about different ways that shrimp could be prepared and I told them that I love coconut shrimp. This reminded me that there was an Outback Steakhouse nearby, and I asked if they had ever been there. Ozzy had, but not Mi Hee. I told them I would take them when I got my first pay check. I'm very curious to see what it is like in Korea. Also, I promised Michael Der that I'd try to get him a pin.

We drank Korea wine made from wild strawberries. It was a little sweet and pretty tasty. We also had a bowl of noodle soup. I was told that it was pumpkin noodles. There were little clams in it, but I didn't eat them, only the noodles, vegetables and broth and I enjoyed that as well. Over all, it was my favorite meal I've had in Korea so far. We sat and talked and ate for a long time, and just enjoyed the day. It was a good weekend.

The first few days...

http://picasaweb.google.com/travelingchris/200707Apartment - Link to pics of my new crib!


I arrived at Incheon International Airport about 5:00pm local time on Saturday, July 14th. The flight was very long- about 20 hours in total, including a 2 hour layover in San Fransisco - but it didn't really bother me. Actually, I was fairly comfortable on both planes and I spent most of the time sleeping. I was glad to have a bit of time to myself after the whirlwind of the previous few weeks, and to be off my feet having broken my toe the day prior. The vegetarian food was pretty decent and looked far fresher than what the guy sitting next to me was eating. I would recommend requesting a special meal to anyone flying.

After claiming my bags -are they always the last?- and going through customs -no problems- and changing my money, I found my way out the gate and into a see of people holding signs. I searched and searched but didn't see mine anywhere. I found several other American English teachers also waiting for someone to claim them and we stood together and talked for a while. One at a time, they all left and I was there wonder what to do. I walked to the payphones to try to make a call, but I couldn't figure out how to use my calling card and I wasn't sure I had the right number anyway. I waited a little longer, pacing back and forth. I wasn't worried; I knew that someone would come eventually, but after a long flight, standing around was the last thing I wanted to do.

Finally, a little woman practically knocked me down. She was holding a hot pink sign with my name on it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she kept apologizing. "Traffic, traffic." "No problem," I told her. "It's OK." I didn't know it at the time, but she was the director of the school that I would be teaching at. Her name is Ji Won Park and in the short time I've been here, we've become friends.

My first impression of Korea is that it is very beautiful. From the plane, I could see tiny mountainous islands popping out of the Yellow Sea. There are mountains everywhere in Korea. Everything is very green - greener than you can imagine. I'm dying to go hiking.

It is about 30 minutes to the city of Ansan -my new home- from the airport, but we stopped first at a friend's restaurant for some sushi. Let's suffice it to say that my first meal in Korea wasn't the most enjoyable one of my life. I choked it down as politely as possible and was eternally grateful when they finally brought me some fried shrimp.

Afterwards, we finally got to my apartment. I was so tired at that point I could hardly hide it. I was ready to fall asleep. I didn't even really care what it looked like, but Ji Won started cleaning it up. It was a little dirty, some things needed to be wiped down, but nothing too bad. I assured her that it was OK and I would do it tomorrow. I said goodnight and we made plans to go shopping the following day.

My apartment is old and small, but it is a nice enough space, though a bit quirky. For starters, and this is probably the craziest thing of all, there is no shower per se. Rather, in the bathroom, above the sink is a shower head. You lift up a knob on the sink and the water switches from the faucet to the shower head and the entire bathroom becomes the shower! It's weird, no doubt, especially since there is a full size mirror staring me right in the face. I have to be careful not to get my towels or toilet paper wet. At least I can sit on the bowl to shave my legs, could even take a poop if I wanted to! As if the shower weren't crazy enough, the hot water doesn't come out automatically when you turn on the faucet. There is a thermostat for the hot water heater in the bedroom which needs to be turned on a few minutes before showering to ensure hot water. It must be turned off and on every time I want to shower or do the dishes. Also, the controls for the thermostat, air conditioner, washing machine, gas stove and pretty much everything are in Korean, so I never really know what I'm doing. Just hope I don't burn the place down!

I've only ventured out once on my own so far. It was a very hot day and I didn't have any water with me. Also, my foot with the broken toe was really starting to bother me. I ended up only walking around for about an hour and a half before I came back to my apartment. Ansan does not have a lot of foreigners here like Seoul does. There is not much written in English. It's hard to figure out how to get around because I don't have a good map. I heard I can get one from City Hall, so I might try to get Ji Won to take me there tomorrow. I have gone out a few times with Ji Won and my other new friend Mi Hee a few times. Ji Won and I eat out together at least once a day. No meal was quite as horrible as the first. I have yet to find anything that I love, but there is usually something on the table that I can fill up on. It's just a matter of getting used to new flavors, I think. Korean food is so much healthier than American food. What little there is that is fried is somehow not as greasy, the sweets not so sugary and nothing is nearly as salty. And yet, there are so many flavors! At least on dish served at a meal is very spicy and then there is usually something very mild to counterbalance the heat - like rice or noodles. They often have pickled vegetables on the table - cucumbers, garlic, radishes and ginger are the most popular one's I've seen so far. There are usually some different kinds of soups, some hot and some cold. Today I had cucumber water. Not what we drink at home, but it was a cold soup with shredded cucumbers, hot peppers and radishes. It was really tasty - a little sweet and a little spicy- served iced cold, it was very refreshing.

Everyone here who has seen me eat says that I am very good at using chopsticks, though I still feel very clumsy with them. They are used to eat everything. All you get when you go to a restaurant are chopsticks and a spoon. To make matters worse, you don't really get your own plate of food, you just share everything off the same plate in the middle of the table. So it's rather embarrassing when drop a piece of something multiple times. It's particularly hard to pick up shredded vegetables, sprouts and the like. I tried so hard the other day to get some sprouts and, after many tries, could only manage to get one. My fingers were twisted like a pretzel and when I tried to get it to my mouth, it fell! Lucky for me, Ji Won puts things on a little plate for me and I can raise it most of the way to my mouth before attempting to grab it with my chopsticks. I am getting better quickly though.

I started teaching on my own the first day in the classroom. The material I am teaching is not difficult, but teaching it is a bit of a challenge. For one thing, even within a class, the students are at so many different levels. Some are very good and others just stare at me with blank looks on their faces. I don't have any prior teaching experience to be able to draw from, so every day it's an adventure. I'm kind of just winging it for now. Over the weekend I will take some time to make lesson plans for the week.

Well, that is more than enough information for one blog. I am having a very good time here so far. I am able to easily keep in touch with everyone through e-mail and with my Skype phone, so homesickness isn't a problem (yet). I am really enjoying getting to learn about a new culture.