Community and Friendship

I caught the tail end of 20/20 on TV last week. They were discussing a book called "The Geography of Bliss." The author had gone around the world to find out where the happiest people lived. He discovered that the happiest people in the world are not the ones with the most money, most comfortable living conditions, or even the most freedom. The happiest people in the world were the ones with the strongest sense of community. Communities of homeless people on the streets of Calcutta were happier people than those in wealthy countries where the focus is generally more on personal achievement.

It was interesting timing for me to catch this program because not a month ago, I watched the movie "Sicko" which is about the disheartening state of the health care "industry" in the United States. When I was watching this film it was very clear that Americans have a very weak sense of community. Citizens of the US are taught very early in life that it is good to be an individual. As a result, I believe the overriding mentality of people is that as long as they aren't personally being effected by something, there is no need to make much of a effort for change. Even an overwhelming majority of people who would like to make a difference in the community, don't make the effort, because they think that it won't make a difference. It makes me sad and oftentimes incredibly frustrated to see the direction my country is headed.

But, it's also given me the chance to reflect on myself and how I play a role in my current community in South Korea. My fellow wayguks and I -by choice or necessity- have a developed a strong sense of community. When there are new people in Ansan for the first time, they are embraced into the community. They are shown around the city, given maps and directions and told where to go to get the things that they need. They are taken out and educated on local customs and culture. People did it for me when I fist got here and now I have the chance to return the favor for the newly arrived bunch! Of course, it's not just foreigners showing around foreigners, or else what would be the point of visiting another country. Korean people are amazingly warm and generous and best of all- they love Korea and love teaching us all about it.

There are so many little things- the book exchange at the Hangout Bar; the free Korean classes Stefan generously gives; the way that people will call in to check up on you and see if you need anything when you are sick- and countless other things that really give one a sense of belonging.

Now, community doesn't necessarily imply friendship, though they tend to be related. Coman and I had an interesting conversation yesterday about the friendships that get formed in Korea and what value they hold given that most people will be gone in a year. To that I offer my personal perspective: I've moved to six different towns in the past six or seven years. Some places I've made amazing friends, other places I've wanted to crawl into a hole and get away from everyone I knew. Some people I thought were best friends wouldn't give me the time of day once I moved away. And sometimes people who were only casual acquaintances became better friends after I moved. Granted, there are a small handful of people who will always be my best friends in the world- they will be there through thick and thin, support me no matter how near or far I am- and friendship like that does take years to develop. But, not every friend you make has to be a best friend for life. If you know that you have a limited amount of time to spend with a person, does that not make the time together all the more valuable? From that perspective, I can say that the friendships I've formed since I've been here have been surprisingly meaningful. I don't know how many people I'll stay in touch with after I leave- hopefully most of them- but what good does it do to worry about that anyway? I can honestly say that I have a very strong feeling of love for all of my friends here, and for me, it doesn't need to be quantified.

North Korea

Last Friday night, just before midnight, my friends Natalie, Jemma, Coman and I boarded the Adventure Korea bus for an overnight trip to North Korea. Whether it was excitement about our upcoming adventure, our normal nocturnal patterns or Coman and Natalie's incessant chatter, none of us had slept for more than a few minutes on and off when we arrived at the border around 6:00 A.M. After a brief rest stop, we drove into the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) between North and South Korea. I'd been on a tour of the DMZ a few months prior and had had an interesting, though not overly exciting experience. This was entirely different. The sun was just coming up and we were on the east coast, with a lovely view of the Sea of Japan (or East Sea to Koreans). You couldn't have asked for a more beautiful view, with the exception of the double row of barbed-wire fences on either side of us and Korean soldiers every half mile or so!

I had read about the DMZ in one of my guide books and learned that the four mile stretch between the divided country, is the world's largest protected temperate zone. There is hope among environmentalists that if the countries ever reunited, this land would remain protected as a national park. No doubt, that's an attractive dream, but for now, it remains one of the world's most protected borders.

A brief list of things you are not allowed to bring to North Korea:

• Cell phones, cell phone batteries, cell phone chargers and any other communication devices.
• Cameras with telephoto lenses or binoculars with more than 10x power.
• PDA's, laptop computers, calculators (?) - though MP3 players were OK.
• Newspapers and magazines from South Korea, and any other questionable reading material (I left behind "I am America and So Can You," by Stephen Colbert)
• Alcohol

Other regulations:

• You must ALWAYS wear your ID badge around your neck- if you don't you will be shot- KIDDING, but you will be fined- more on that later.
• You must carry your passport with you at all times.
• You must not take any pictures from a vehicle.
• You must not take any pictures of North Korean people.
• You must not wash your hands or feet in public streams.
• You must not take any natural items - such as rocks or sea shells.
• There are lots of rock carvings with propaganda messages from the government, you may photograph them, but you may not touch them.
• You may not speak the name of Kim Jung Il. This is a highly disrespectful insult, he should rather be referred to as "the Fearless Leader," "the Great Master," or some other fitting title. My friends and I had fun with this refering to him as Big K, He Whose Name Should Not Be Spoken, etc.

We were warned that the North Korean government will try to impose a fine for just about anything, so don't mess around. Needless to say, going through immigration was a bit intimidating. We had to line up in some preset order with all of our documents and our cameras ready to be inspected. Some people were questioned by the North Korean guards, but we all made it through safely. As far as I know, no one from our tour had anything confiscated. We had our ID badges (but not our passports) stamped. Then it was back on the tour bus and onto the hotel.

The views from the bus were more of the same: the sea on the right, striking mountains on the left, though instead of barbed-wire fences, it was a single green metal fence, and instead of South Korean soldiers, there were North Korean soldiers- infinitely more intimidating looking! However, the biggest difference was that rather than pristine wilderness, there was continuous farmland dotted with simple houses. Occasionally you could see a man working in the field, a family walking along a dirt path, or someone on a bicycle, crossing the fields. In addition, aside from N. Korean guards, there was also a lot of military equipment to be seen- one area appeared to have some sort of sheds or garages built into the mountains with tanks inside. I heard the two guys behind me on the bus saying something about a rocket launcher. I didn't see what they were referring to, and might not have know what it was even if I had seen it. But the point is, there was no mistaking that this was a military state we were in. Of course, no pictures were allowed.

About 30 minutes after entering North Korea, we arrived at the special tourist area . It was safely out of view from the North Korean people and guarded by military at every exit. There were a few hotels, restaurants, a convenience shop, a souvenir shop and a duty-free shop. We quickly stocked up on snacks for our hike and piled back into the bus for our hike into the mountains.

There was snow and ice on the ground and we had to rent spikes for our shoes, but the weather was actually very nice. It was sunny and about 45 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It was about a 4 or 5 hour hike though the valley of the Geumgang Mountains. We followed the course of the river most of the way. It should go without saying that the views were amazing, but if there is any doubt, check my pictures!

It was a fun hike. Coman threw snowballs at all of us at every chance he got. All of us talked and joked and took in the scenery. We hiked over suspension bridges, saw frozen waterfalls and Coman drank from the stream of youth-said to take 10 years off your age! You'd hardly guess we were in North Korea with a few exceptions: first, there were specially trained tour guides, all with orange jackets, every few minutes along the path, making sure that we followed the rules and didn't stray from the path. Coman walked down a little too close to the water at one point and was reprimanded for it. Secondly, the government rock carvings were everywhere. Our tour guide told us "the leader says it and they write it." Lastly, we crossed paths with a few North Koreans along the way. How did we know they were from North Korea and not South? They are required to wear red pins with Kim Jung Il on them any time they go out in public. A member of the Adventure Korea group asked one of them if he could take a picture, just of the pin, but he was declined.

After the hike there was time for an hour nap and a quick shower before we were off to the acrobat show. I had been told that it was supposed to be world class, but when the announcer informed us that we were about to see the "world's best acrobatic show, which can only be seen at the North Korean Cultural Center," I had to wonder. How do they know that they are really the best if they don't go out and compete against other countries?

Some of the acts were indeed world class! There were gymnasts, jugglers, trapeze artists- all incredible. But as I enjoyed the show, I couldn't stop my mind from wondering about what the lives of these performers were like. A top performer in other countries would certainly have a fairly comfortable, if not altogether lavish, lifestyle. They would enjoy some praise and some fame and the opportunity to travel and compete. I had to wonder if the North Korean performers enjoyed any benefits as a result of their amazing talents.

Not every act was amazing. There was a clown team that I found altogether annoying. I don't know if it was because of the language barrier, a different sense of humor, or because they just weren't that good. There were also a few acts that were good, though mistakes were made. Of particular note was a man on the trapeze who did an astounding quadruple flip thingy -an official term- only to not be caught by his partner. I was impressed enough by the flip that I wasn't all too worried that he had fallen (safely into the net), but he got back up and tried it again. And he fell again. The third time was the charm, though I wondered how many times he would have gotten back up there if it hadn't been. I also wondered what went on behind the scenes in a situation like that. Would the guy be punished for it some how? My mind wondered to all sorts of different scenarios. Would he be beaten, forced to work 20 hours a day, would food be withheld? It's possible that the punishment, if any, would be far less severe, but an outsider like myself could never know what would happened to the poor guy. You just can't help but wonder.

We had a low-key evening- as everyone was exhausted. There was a buffet dinner, followed by a few drinks in the hotel lounge. When we entered, we were the only guests, and there was a three person singing group performing on a small stage. They did a number of English songs for us and we were sure to give them a nice tip. Then it was back to the room for a game of spoons! Natalie lost the first round and suddenly became very tired. I'm not trying to imply that she's a sore loser or anything, just that she didn't try at all after that and was off to bed a few minutes later. Coman attempted to teach us a card game called 25 which we were starting to understand in our half drunken, half sleep deprived states of mind, but after just a round or two, we all agreed it was bed time. It couldn't have been past 10:30.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a migraine. If you've never had a migraine- just imagine what it might feel like if someone suddenly jabbed a sharp knife into your brain from your temple. Then imagine that they keep jabbing in and out. Everything makes it worse. Heat, noise, light, when you stand up, you feel dizzy, sometimes nauseous, there can be problems with your vision- black spots or everything goes white except for what you are focused on. I get these headaches somewhat often, and sometimes I can't even get out of bed to get myself some aspirin. This one wasn't the worst I've had, but it was pretty bad. I wondered if I'd be able to go hiking the next day. I took a bunch of Tylenol, drank some water and put a damp towel around my neck. The headache was still there in the morning. This brings me to the miracle of caffeine. I don't know why, but sometimes (not always) a little caffeine is enough to make all the pain go away. I had a Starbucks Double Shot drink in my bag and Natalie was kind enough to buy me a cup of coffee downstairs in the hotel. Within an hour, the beast of a migraine had subsided enough for me to choose the more difficult hike up to the top of the mountain.

The ride up to Manmul-San ("san" means mountain) was a half hour of steep climbing and lots of switchbacks. We (Coman and I- Jemma and Natalie took the easier trail to the lake) arrived at the trail head at the same time as a few thousand (this might be a slight, but not overly elaborate exaggeration) other tourists! A ll the buses leave from the hotel area at the same time and there is nothing else to do but to go hiking- so there we all were. Between the migraine and the pushy Koreans, the first hour or so of the hike was not the most fun I've ever had. But after a while people spread out, the headache all but disappeared, and the hike became wonderfully enjoyable. It was steep and there was a lot of ice and snow, but the views were out of this world! At times I had to stop and rest, but I didn't mind sitting for a few minutes to take it all in. Though I had motivation to keep going because I was starting to get dehydrated and Coman had agreed to carry my backpack in exchange for me letting him keep his water in it. But he had trudged on ahead of me early on and was no where in sight. Whenever the going started to get rough, I just kept on telling myself there was water at the top.

There was more than water at the top. When I finally reached it, the first view of the other side of the mountain was of the East Sea. Even on an overcast day, with the fog and haze, it was a sight to see! If there is anything I love more than hiking in the mountains, it's sitting by the sea and here you could do both. At one point, it started to snow a little. It was exhilarating!

Coman was at the top waiting and we sat for a moment before he was rushing back off with my pack again. I lingered longer, not wanting to forget the moment. Then I took my time as I shuffled back down. Going down is always harder for me because of my bad knee, and the ice didn't make it any easier. There were 70 year old ladies pushing past me, but I was in no hurry. I didn't have to be anywhere and I was enjoying being outside.

When I finally got back down, Coman was no where to be found. I assumed he took an earlier bus back to the tourist area and I got on the next one leaving, but I couldn't find him there either. Again, I needed my bag, this time because I had no money on me. I looked around for Jemma and Natalie, but I couldn't find them either. I finally convinced the host of the buffet restaurant to let me in to look for my friends. There were Jemma and Natalie, but still no Coman. Where did he go? Jemma bought me lunch and half way through, Coman came in looking for us! We must have passed each other on the mountain. He was able to get the guide to let him take a different path down. So, I had though he was way ahead of me, but I had actually gotten down first.

We had a few hours to kill before the bus was leaving to head back home. There were some hot springs we could go soak in, which sounded to me like a great idea after a difficult hike, but though I'd bonded with the girls over the weekend, neither of them wanted to get naked with me. Rather, we decided to take a walk down to the giant picture of Kim Jung Il and Kim Il Sung. This meant that we had to walk down the road outside of the tourist zone. No pictures were allowed and we were not even allowed to snap our own shots of the monument to the "Great Ruler," but had to ask the bellhop at a nearby hotel to do it for us. I wondered what he thought. He was a fairly friendly guy and he didn't seem troubled to be taking multiple pictures for all the Westerners who were there. But, I couldn't help but wonder if he assumed that we were supporting his government. If he was proud. I felt strange about having my picture taken in front of this massive tribute to one of the world's worst (if not the worst) dictators. It just seemed like a strange thing to do, and yet, it also seemed like the kind of thing I might as well do since I was there.

As we walked back, we had to cross over a path that connect two of the North Korean villages. There were three North Koreans coming from the opposite direction. Natalie stopped to tie her shoe so that we might be able to cross paths with them. The guards we not fooled! Whistles started blaring and red flags went up. We were signaled to continue moving and the North Korean people had to stop until we were safely out of sight. I had to wonder why it was that some North Koreans are allowed to go hiking up in the mountains and talk to us if they wish and why others couldn't even cross paths with us. Were the people we'd been seeing on the mountain, all employees at the resorts? What kind of special training did they need to be allowed to interact with foreigners?

When we were safely on the other side, back into the tourist zone, it was time for Coman to get an action photo of us. He'd been trying to get a good one all weekend without any luck. He'd declined the idea that I take a picture of him jumping off the top of the mountain. So, we found a bench to jump from instead. He seemed to think that we could get a good shot using the timer on his camera, but that didn't work. So, we tried to explain our mission to a Korean man who was sitting at a nearby table. Three, four, five jumps later we still couldn't get the shot . By this time, we were gaining an audience. I can hear their thoughts What are the crazy foreigners doing now? We recruited a Western girl to take the photo, but she couldn't capture it either. Finally, a Korean man stepped in and volunteered to take it. "You have to jump on two," he told us. And it worked. We jumped on 2 he snapped the shot on 3, it was perfect! The best part was that after we got our shot, some of the Korean men who'd been watching up wanted to get their own action shot. Coman got it on the first try, using the Jump on 2 method! A good time was had by all!

We still had an hour or so to kill before leaving, so it was on to the duty free shop to find something that said "Made in the DPR Korea." (Ironically, North Korea is officially called The Democratic People's Republic of Korea.) A bottle of liquor seemed to have the added bonus of having liquor in it, so I took a look at some of the selections. There were some nice ones- blueberry wine, honey liquor, fur seal penis liquor- for stamina, of course! I ended up buying a snake liquor. When purchased for consumption in North Korea, it actually has a baby snake in it (!) but you can't take that one out of the country, so mine just has a picture of a snake on it. A set of hand carved wooden shot glasses completed my souvenir shopping. After a quick cup of coffee, we were back on the bus to return to Seoul.

Just before we were about to cross through the border, one of the guys on our bus informed the guide that he had accidentally brought his cell phone into North Korea and now he was scared about going back through the border. He had turned in his Korean cell phone, but had forgotten that he had his phone from his home country with him. He was pretty luck that he didn't get caught coming into the country, but what to do with the phone now? The tour guide frantically looked for a place to hide the phone on the bus- which is also inspected as it crosses the border. She ended up putting it inside a role of TP (which is used for TP, tissue and napkins and always available on the bus) and put it high up on the luggage rack.

Luckily, we crossed through and the phone was not found. However, two guys from our bus were stopped for questioning because one of them had a water spot on his ID card and the other's ID card had a small scratch on it. No one could tell us how long it would take or what the consequences would be. It took about 30 minutes or so, and the big conversation on the bus was whether or not the rubber gloves would be taken out during the interrogation. Luckily the guys were both allowed through, without so much as a fine and we were on our way again. Our guides encouraged us to wave to the North Korean guards along the road as we left. Most were stiff faces, but one actually raise up a hand. Our guide told us it was the first time she'd seen one of them wave back! Encouraged, we continued waving to every guard we saw, but there was nothing more from the North Koreans . However, as soon as we entered the South Korean part of the DMZ, the South Korean soldiers were more than enthusiastic about waving to us! It was a nice greeting and it felt good to be back.

Overall, I really enjoyed this weekend. I got to go hiking on two of the most beautiful trails I've ever been on, see an amazing acrobatic show, and bond really closely with some already good friends. However, it never once left my mind where I was. There must have been thousands of toursist in North Korea for the weekend, and it was still winter. I wondered how much money was being pumped into the communist government every week from tourism. Though I am glad to have had the experience, given the chance I wouldn't come back simply for that one reason alone.

I might feel differently if I had the feeling that I'd really gotten to see North Korea, but the entire set up was clearly designed to give a good impression of the place. There was no cultural exchange in any way that might encourage breaking down the barriers between north and south. I would say that rather than feeling like I know a little more about North Korea now, that I actually have a lot more questions: The North Koreans we were allowed to talk to all seemed content, if not happy- is it all a show or is that the way they really feel? What do they have to go through to be allowed to interact with foreigners on a regular basis? How are their lives different from the farmers in the village? What do both of these groups of people think about foreign visitors? Are their feelings different about South Korean toursists than about Western tourists? And if so, in what ways? Natalie saw a sign that said something to the effect of "America is the Enemy," do they think that I am their enemy? How much do they really know about the outside world? There must still be a generation alive which remembers Korea before the war? What do they think? What have they told their families? Do they really love and respect Kim Jung Il, or are they afraid to imply otherwise? People, especially people who live near this tourist area, must wonder what life is like beyond North Korea. I want to know so many things about these people, but there is no way for me to ask them.

While I can't say that I got to know much about the people of North Korea, I can say that I have a better visual understanding of their political climate. It's one thing to hear or read about a situation in the news, it's quite another thing to whitness it first hand. I had this same sort of feeling the first time I saw millions of people living in shanty towns in Mexico City. It's the sort of thing that once you've seen, you will never forget. I'm certain to pay greater attention when I hear North Korea mentioned in the future and do my part to raise awareness about this divided country.

Sick in South Korea

I’d caught a bad cold about 3 weeks ago, if anyone recalls, from sharing a shot glass with Coman, who was sick at the time. That cold came on out of nowhere and knocked me on my ass for a week or so. I’d been feeling mostly better when I had my fiesta last Sunday, just some minor sniffles, which is why it came as a bit of a shock when I passed out on my desk at work last Thursday! I was taken to the “hospital” (Koreans refuse to say “doctor’s office”, and say “hospital” instead) in the same building of my school. My diagnosis was that “Korean viruses are very strong” and that I had fainted because I was dehydrated. I was given an IV to get my fluids up and was able to lie down for a few hours to sleep. I think this is the first time I’d had an IV and though I knew there was nothing to really worry about, the whole situation was a little bit scary to me- especially being in a foreign country.

The IV actually helped a lot. It brought my fever down and took away the spinning sensation in my head. It didn’t, however, give me enough strength to teach my night classes, which my school expected me to do. I convinced my director to change my classes to the following night, all the while thinking that were I at home, I’d never be expected to come in the next day. But, in the next day I went, and it was not bad at first, but by the end of the day, my chest felt like a knife was being dug into it every time I coughed. That night, I had a terrible fever, a rarity for me, and couldn’t sleep through the night. I had the chills so bad I was literally shivering and too cold to get out from under my blankets to get warmer clothes.

Fortunately, the next day was Saturday, so no work (!) and I had a follow-up doctor’s appointment. Doctors in Korea don’t quite give you the same personal attention as doctors back home. For one, you don’t go into an examining room, you go into the doctor’s office. They don’t check physically for all your symptoms, but rather ask how you are feeling and type it into the computer. He looked down my throat, but that was about all. I told him my symptoms had gotten worse, and he prescribed me 3 more days of the same medicine I was already on. And an injection – of who knows what? Seems an injection is the norm with any doctor’s visit here.

It was a long weekend of sitting in bed watching TV and being bored out of my mind. The highlight was when Coman graciously came to bring me an inhaler and some ice pops- or ice lolies as he so charmingly referred to them. Sunday morning I was so sick and still not feeling any better- worse actually- that I called Mom and told her I wanted to come home. Being sick is bad enough, but when you are so far from home and have no one to take care of you, it’s absolute hell! I was nearly in tears.

Monday morning finally rolled around and I was feeling a tiny, itsy bit better, but I was not at all up to working. I called my boss, who insisted that I go back to the doctor! We waited for nearly 2 hours. I was half asleep, half in tears in the waiting room. Fortunately, this doctor showed a little more interest in my and my symptoms, and actually went as far as taking a chest X-ray to make sure that didn’t have bronchitis or pneumonia. I didn’t. But, I did have some pretty bad scaring from the cough. Whatever medicine she prescribed was infinitely more effective than whatever worthless pills the previous doctor had given me. I went home and slept the rest of the afternoon and was already feeling much better by the time my boss called to ask if I would mind coming in to teach my night classes (seriously).

It’s Wednesday night, and my cough is still terrible, and I’m still a bit stuffy, but all the aches and pains are gone, along with my fever. I just pray that I have a full recovery and don’t catch anything else! The weather is finally getting a bit warmer which I’m hoping will mean that cold season is ending. It’s been a rough winter!

Fiesta

Yes, that says Fiesta! Ole! There are a lot of fine foods from back home that I've had to learn to deal without- cheese, sour cream, guacamole, chili powder, limes... just to name a few. There is hope though and its unofficial name is The Foreigner Market in Itaewon. Itaewon is the one place you can go in Seoul which more closely resembles a Western City in that 1) there are usually more foreigners than Koreans, and 2) there are all sorts of great ethnic restaurants and shops. It's also more expensive than most places in Seoul and not really the kind of place you'd go to experience Korean culture. My trip there this weekend was only the third time I'd been there and it's a place I generally try to avoid because it's a bit of a tourist trap. However, I'd been without a bowl of chili for all to long and bribed my friends to come to a dinner party (I live far away from everyone) by temping them with some.

I must admit, when I saw the foreign market, I was a bit suspicious. It looked like nothing more than a convenience store from the outside. I doubted whether I'd find everything I was looking for, but I was pleasantly surprised! Packed into this tiny place I was able to find everything I needed and then some- jalapeños, salsa, tortillas! I was in heaven. Definitely worth the hour and a half train ride! They didn't just have Mexican food, though, they had Italian, Indian, Mediterranean... you name it. If it is sold anywhere in Korea, this is the place to find it. No Ricotta cheese though- looks like my dreams of stuffed shells will continue until I return home.

Anyway, I loaded up my backpack with everything I could find for my fiesta and cooked an amazing meal the next day, complete with quesadillas and homemade guacamole! Take that, everyone who went to tropical beaches over the holiday!

There were actually only a few of us- myself, Mi Hee, Erin, Natalie, Jemma, and Coman- our token guy friend for the evening. But the party was the most fun I've had in a long time. We played cards (a very violent game called spoons), did headstands (I have a crazy bruise on my knee from when “someone” pushed me over), and laughed and laughed, especially when Coman was called, "a son of a leprechaun!" Yes, it was just a bunch a friends being silly, but it sure is fun to be silly isn’t it?

An Interesting Fellow in the Cafe

Yesterday was my first official day without coffee and where did I find myself? In the local Starbucks, of course! I had to get out of my house. I don’t care if I’m still a little sick, I refuse to sit home all break. And, a café is a great place to go when you want to be alone with your thoughts. But I just wasn’t in the mood for tea and with coffee not being an option, my choices were limited. I ended up getting a Chai Latte out of a lack of any better options. It made me think- a cup of black coffee, at least calorie-wise, isn’t as bad as a big cup of sugary whole milk. It’s better for my blood sugar and cholesterol, too. I’m tempted to change my “no coffee” pledge to “no coffee at home or work.” That way, if I really want a cup, I’ve got to get up and get out of my house and walk a bit, which is actually pretty good. It’s a motivation to get myself going.

As often happens, I just rambled on for an entire paragraph about something that I had no intention of writing. The real purpose was to tell about a really interesting guy I met while I was sitting in the café. Contrary to my most recent post, I found myself sitting at a table next to a Korean man, who was also by himself. He was reading. I was deep in thought, listening to Bob Marley and writing in my journal on the topic of “What is love?”

After we’d been there a half hour or more he politely said, “Excuse me.” I heard him after the second time, maybe third and took of my headphones. I smiled, “Yes?”

“What are you writing about?” he asked in fairly good English. I sighed. Despite his seemingly decent English, I’ve found that sometimes difficult or abstract topics like love can sometimes be very difficult to discuss with my Korean friends, because of the language barrier. Even if that proved not to be a problem, did I really want to discuss love with a perfect stranger? But, I didn’t want to be rude and here was the opportunity to have a potentially interesting conversation with a Korean. Isn’t that the reason I travel? After a long pause, I cautiously told him, “Love.”

“What about love?” he asked.

Here was an opportunity to get an outside perspective on love, from someone who doesn’t know me or my situation, from someone who is part of a totally different culture than my own.

“What about love?” I asked back. “That is the question isn’t it? What is love? What does it mean to you? How would you define it?”

Now it was his turn to pause. He sat back in his chair and put his hand to his chin, really thinking about it for a moment. Then he leaned forward again and said, “That’s a very difficult question.”

“Yes, it is,” I replied and we shared a smile. It was only the beginning of what turned out to be nearly a two hour conversation about love, philosophy, journalism, and travel. Now, you might be inclined, after hearing the topics, to think that I dominated the conversation, but it turns out that my new friend, Jung Eun is a broadcast journalist for a Korean broadcast station. (It’s little coincidences like this- call them signs- that make me think that going to back to school for journalism might be the right track.) Also, he’d live in New York for a while. So, we had much to talk about. He’d been a musician in New York and didn’t make it, but he still loved to play. He told me journalism is a tough field, but not as tough as music. We talked about the challenges and pleasures of living in a new culture and day-dreamed about places we’d like to visit.

He paid me compliments. “You are the most interesting person I’ve met.” How can you not get along with someone who will stroke your ego like that?

After a long while, he had to go, but we exchanged numbers and I hope that we will get together and talk again soon. Maybe I’ll invite him to my dinner party on Sunday. It’s so interesting to get to know so many different kinds of people in my travels. It’s where my passion for traveling stems. I’m never going to stop!

Squidelicious

Last week I had the privilege of videotaping a few of my friends partake in yet another Korean tradition- eating live squid! Now, when I say live, what I mean is that the tentacles have been chopped off of the body and eaten while they are still wriggling and sucking. Yummy! People have actually choked to death because they didn’t chew properly and the suckers grabbed onto their throats and suffocated them. Or, so I’ve heard. Anyway, the entire thing was quite amusing to me. For one, it has the Fear Factor effect of just watching someone do something so gross you just have to watch. Furthermore, it was entertaining to watch my friends try to pick up these slimy, wriggling things- sucking for their lives to the plate- using chopsticks. Lastly, I got a kick at how you could drop it in the sauce and leave it there for a moment as it went for a swim. Here are a few videos if you want to check it out!

All in all, it was an entertaining evening. Of all the crazy things that happened that night, perhaps the stupidest thing I did was to use the shot glass of a friend who was sick. I figured that the soju would kill any germs, but I was wrong. Come morning, I had quite the sore throat. It was bad enough that I actually went to the doctor- a rarity for me- that afternoon. Luck me caught an upper respiratory infection. It's been one of the worst colds I've had in a long time. Going to the doctor in Korea isn't much different from going to the doctor anywhere back home. The biggest thing is that you don't need an appointment, just show up and wait a few minutes. Also, the cost of a visit is negligible. I actually have gone twice now and it was about $4 each time. What I think is most interesting is the prescriptions that get written. I've got all these little packets of pills and I have no idea what any of them are. I just have to go on faith. They seem to work though, so who am I to say anything. And they are cheap too. I take about 5 or 6 pills three times a day for five days and the cost was about $6. Can't complain about that! Can complain that my entire weekend was wrecked! I sat home going stir crazy and watching the first two and a half seasons of The Office- which, by the way, doesn’t get my vote for best sitcom.

Work yesterday was hellish, though I’m feeling slightly better this morning. I’m hoping that I’ll be up and about come tomorrow, since it is the beginning of my Lunar New Year vacation. No big plans, but it will be nice to have some time off and time to myself as most of my friends are out of town for the week. I’m going to try to make it into Seoul and find the foreign food market in Itaewon. I want to see of they’ve got some sour cream and guacamole because I’m having some of my friends over for a chili and quesadilla night on Sunday.

Last bit of interesting information- tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. I’ve decided to give up both beer and coffee for the next 40 days! I think that people are betting against me on this one, but I’ve made up my mind and I’m sure that I can do it. I’ve been consuming both in vast quantities and I need to cleanse out my system a bit. Should help me save a little money, too! I’m going to sign up of a yoga class next week with my friend Natalie. This body is going to be ready for the beach come summer!

The Latest...

Where does one begin to describe a place like Korea? The culture unfolds before me. Things that were at first strange now seem common place. I suppose that is to be expected. What I actually find the most interesting is the more subtle things that an outsider might not even notice. For example, you never see a Korean person alone. They are always in a group or a couple. I regularly go into my local Starbucks- yes, you read that right, Starbucks- and sit with a book to read about far off places or write about my adventures, and I can't help but notice that I am the only one there sitting by myself. I never feel uncomfortable about it- I'm used to doing things on my own- but I do get a lot of sympathy glances from the people around me. They just don't do things like that here. I think that even if the odd Korean felt so inclined to do something like sit in a cafe by him or herself, they wouldn't because the culture doesn't allow for it. Korea has a very strong collective identity. I notice this too when I'm walking down the crowded streets. Koreans will not move out of your way to let you pass, they will literally push you out of their way, and they will spit on the ground a inch away from your foot. This drove me crazy when I first got here. I thought they were so rude and self-centered. Until I realized that, this too, is part of the collective identity. They are all one. The following analogy isn't meant to be offensive- they are like ants building a hole or collecting food. It doesn't matter if one climbs on top of the other, they are all there for the same purpose, working toward a common goal. And so, it just isn't offensive to push someone out of your way.

A Westerner needs to learn to retrain their mind a little bit if they want to be able to try to not stick out too much. I refrain from saying "blend in" because I don't think that it's at all possible- even for some of the people I know who have been here for years. But, you can learn to at least not make a total ass of yourself. On this, I'm still trying... I first got over my frustration with walking the city streets when I was able to let go of my idea that it was rude to push someone out of my way. Once I became comfortable with this, I stopped wanting to strangle someone every time I went for a walk.

There are other things that we thing are rude that are quite common here. One is slurping. The technique of slurping at hot beverage or soup is actually done with the purpose of cooling the liquid off before it enters your mouth. For months, I would stir my soup or let my green tea sit until it was warm, waiting many long minutes to begin consumption, while the people all around me were nearly finished. Mom always told me to stop slurping and something ingrained into your brain like that is hard to break.

Here's another interesting one. Don't say "please" or "thank you" (except in rare circumstances) to your students. These are courtesies reserved for people of equal or higher rank or age as oneself. I think that I lost a lot of respect from my students when I first started here because I used these words freely. "Please sit down." "Please hand out the papers." "Please open your books." Or, when collecting homework, "Thank you." There are times it's OK to say this to a student, for example, when one of them erases the board for me after class, without me asking. Or, when they bring me chocolates- how can you not say thanks to that? But to throw around "pleases" and "thank yous" in every sentence confused my students sense of Confucian hierarchy that is seemingly innate to every Korean. By eliminating these words from my class, and maintaining a slightly more rigid persona, I have gained an enormous amount of respect from my kids. I think they are actually more comfortable with this than the lose carefree, friendly teacher I tried to be at first, because it is what they are familiar with.

There are many more examples I could give, and many more, I'm quite sure, that I have yet to realize. It's altogether amazing to see how complex culture really is. It certainly calls ones own identity into question. I love the newness of discovery- both this place and myself.

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.