Oh My, Baby
I want to find this kid… he really could have livened up my birthday party, had I had his number and had he performed. A Korean child’s take on a classic Beatles song.
What I Thought and What I’m Thinking
Sometimes I swear that I would not have survived this long without music or internet. No, that’s not true.
It’s amazing what gets people through it all. I should consider myself lucky: I’m surrounded by many caring, unique individuals in Seoul and so many more loving people await my return in the States. I think about all of the times I have bitched and moaned about being “inconvenienced” in Seoul, but now all of the grievances seem so shallow. This week and next week have and will bring many canceled classes, due to the students’ exam period. I’ve used the time so far to think about what’s happened in the last eight months.
I guess what really got me thinking was going to James’ and Sky’s house again. The last time I went there for a grillout was after my first week of class training. It was unreal to think about how new everything was at the time. The second time was so much more different because I was surrounded by people who I’ve worked alongside with, so in a way the setting was more intimate. In many ways though, I couldn’t discern how much had actually changed since August.
In many ways, I’ve tried not to make too many waves here. I’ve had the time of my life (so many stories, for the young and old), but I’ve talked myself out of settling in so many times. I can only theorize that my resistance to acclimating has to do with my desire to feel like an American again. It’s strange, I feel very Korean although I hardly speak fluently. I guess I just feel too used to a schedule: work, work, work, play, then work again. Having this much time to myself these next two weeks is really going to shake things up… for the better, I have decided.
I have four days off in a row next weekend and I have decided to go to Busan with my two best girls. The weather has been in the mid-70s for about two weeks now and I am hopeful that I can dip my toes in the water without being chilled to the bone. I went hiking with Martha today in Suraksan (2nd time hiking since I’ve been here). I’ve been dying to do more things outdoors, but once we began the hike I realized “Hey, I’m NOT a hiker.” I stuck it out though. We made it to the summit, 2.4 kilometers later. Several times, I thought my calves were going to roll up my legs and flop onto the dusty ground, but alas, the mind does play tricks when your body exhausts itself. Once I got past the mind tricks, I knew that we were close to the top. Success!
Though hiking may not be a favorite pastime, my number one, favorite, all-time best hobby is people-watching. Since I did not have my camera, I will have to paint the picture. Me: old brown shorts, blue thrift store t-shirt. Beat-up New Balances and small drawstring bag with money and apples. Korean citizens pride themselves on their hiking gear. The “Ah-gee-ma” hikers don dry-weave exercise suits in the following colors: neon pink, navy blue, carrot orange…. everything bright. Some women probably had to ensure that their jumpsuits matched their shade of lipstick…yes, that’s right: lipstick on a hike. Lipstick, I’m sure that was retrieved every so often from the Louis Vuitton handbag.
The men adorn themselves in suits of the same caliber only black, always black. What’s impressive about the Korean male hikers is the immensity of the backpack that they carry. Either Northface or some Korean off-brand bag, the men would adhere all of the necessary equipment. On some packs, Soju bottles were expertly tucked in where water bottles would rest… SOJU BOTTLES! Now that’s the way to hike. Next to the bottles, a mess tin would hang: perfect size for shooting Soju in celebrating the end of a long hike. Martha and I watched these hikers in mild fascination as we ate our SoyJoy bars and drank our mineral water. They pierced the Earth with their twin walking poles, many looking as if they had just flown back home from the Himalayas. Many of these couples could be found resting lazily with their mountain boots off near the small creeks and flat boulders.
At several points in our hike, me and Martha caught the attention of Korean hikers. “HELLO!” some would yell. We would greet in return. Not knowing any more English, some older hikers tried to elicit conversations with us, but we bowed our heads in shame, being lazy MeGooks with no more Korean to speak. I told Martha that my worst fear is that someone would try to warn us about something foreboding and we would have no idea. What we thought might have been “Nice day!” was actually “Beware: mountain lions at the top.” Luckily, there were no such encounters. But we did feel like celebrities at times, being the only blondes on the trail. Just trying to dispel rumors and lies about blondes, my friends.
Well, there are some photos, but I’m just too tired to post them. Next time. In short, it’s this kind of thinking which gets me by. I need to write more of my humorous observations so that I have less stories to tell later. 
Oh yeah, this and beer. These get me through it all.
Feelin’ Good, Feelin’ Great
Hey party people.
My rants and writings have been few and far between, and for that I apologize. I had stepped up to the plate a few times in the last week or so, but I really hesitated about writing a blog about feeling *bleh.* Suffice it to say, I’ve been homesick lately, besides physically sick. Summertime is my favorite season and memories of Summer ‘07 have been flooding my mind, causing me to have momentarily lapses in my “Korean life.” Sometimes I feel as if I am leading double lives, one slightly on hold in Ohio and one budding/budging in Seoul.
- - - -
I love hearing from my friends and family from home, but sometimes talking about near-future plans makes me want to be home. Reds games, concerts, good food, good people. I’m convinced that it will still all be there when I return, but sometimes memories aren’t sufficient.
It’s also been tough to see friends come and go. In the last few months I have forged some excellent friendships. Lately, two of my best girlfriends have moved on and quit our school and I am sure that my good guy friend is also on the verge. When I am trying to convince myself to stick it out, it’s hard when others make leaving look so easy. I guess when it all comes down to it, I am glad to be working here in Seoul because I have found NO JOBS listed in Ohio. None that validate my degree, appeal to my senses, or offer an enticing salary. Zip, nada, zilch.
++++
I’m making great money and sometimes I forget that. There won’t be ANY job in Ohio that would offer me as much as I make here; unless it’s some sort of welding or construction job that warns against losing limbs and chemical contamination.
There are also so many possibilities for the summertime. There’s the Mud Festival in July. I still have not taken my vacation time yet, so I still daydream about what I could do with that. Also, there are going to be a lot of canceled classes this week and the next, which leaves me with a four-day weekend. There are already talks of visiting Busan, which is the beachiest part of South Korea and only a 3-hour transit away. The idea of getting out of Seoul and away from school for a few days sounds glorious… I keep everyone posted as always.
I am constantly thinking about how everyone’s doing, so if you’re reading this, I am thinking about YOU!
Stay Classy, Cincinnati
Who knew that crazy Ohio new anchors got down at 5:45 a.m.?
Don’t worry : 2 Reasons
Ah… for the last few days my body has been resisting whatever sickness that has been thrust upon me, so I think that I’ll just give in. Several of my students have been apologetic about missing classes lately but when they described their circumstances, I couldn’t be too mad… just concerned for my own health. One of my coolest students, Sean, relayed his story to me very casually, even though Korean parents rarely send their precious snowflakes to the hospital unless they are profusely bleeding or missing limbs.
He explained that his neck started to hurt in one of his classes. After a day or two, he couldn’t move it left or right. At the time, I tried to nod in understanding, but realized that it was difficult. He then told me about raging fevers, dizziness, nausea. My blood ran cold… or maybe it was a cold sweat coming on? I had walked home the previous night and felt very dizzy as I walked up the stairs in my building.
Either way, I have been sick but I am happy to report that a hospital visit has not been provoked. I have a few goals while in Korea and one is not to visit the hospital since my employee physical (other goals consist of ordering pizza in Korean and so forth, so this is probably my serious one). So here I am, rehabilitating in my day off. Yesterday I had to wear my glasses to work because some kind of extraterrestrial mucus has lined around my eyes. I feel it again this morning, but now my throat feels coated in the same ooze. I’ve had hot oatmeal and coffee to try to loosen it, and I think that it’s working. Sorry if you’ve already lost your lunch.
Sickness aside… there have been some concerns about the struggles between North and South Korea. I have to say, the sentiment in Seoul is “Eh, no worries.” So I will adopt that same response here: don’t worry. The North has pretty much stated that they will not do anything unless provoked and honestly, no one here wants to incite riotous behavior or solicit more threats of retaliation. For more on this, you can check out CNN.com
Aside from my sickness grievances and notions about preemptive strikes, I’ve been having a good time here recently. Though I was on the cusp of becoming sick, I still felt the need to go out this past Saturday with friends - I don’t let no illness get me down. I went to Hongdae with Tomasz, Terri, and some friends of theirs. One of Tomasz’s friends arrived that Saturday night in Seoul around 11ish and met up with us after leaving the airport. I have some ridiculous photos of the guy walking around with his suitcase and drinking beer. One one point, me and Terri carried the suitcase for him because he had cordially been welcomed to Seoul with more booze. We ended up going to a really nice hookah bar (was truly light tobacco, no crazy Korean wacky tobacky here), but after some drunk Korean chick ran into our table and knocked over our hookah - to cause burning ash to rain down upon a few of us - I decided that it was time to go. If I’ve learned one thing so far, I’ve learned when to make an exit.
Talk to everyone soon!
What Would Happen if Rin-Tin-Tin and Lassie were Korean…
what, bury dogs? No, no. Seoul has other plans. Just don’t tell Timmy what’s in his Kalbi-tang.
I will not ever consume dog, consciously. My worst fear is that I eat it during a meal without ever knowing. Most of my students who have tried dogmeat have concluded that it’s not very good at all, so I’m not altogether sure what’s so appealing about it.
Ew.
Nostalgic for Now?
Have you ever wondered the question “Will I ever be nostalgic for NOW?” Meaning, have you ever wondered to yourself if you would later look back on the current, present situation and feel nostalgic?
My nostalgic memory for the day is the weekend after my week of training at my school, back in August. Each day of training was grueling: mock teaching, and the anxiety radiating in the air of the classroom. It was horrific to present halfassed lesson plans to a trainer and other new trainees. It’s ironic that the very same classrooms we were trained in would later be commandeered by us newbie instructors.
Anywho, back to the memory at hand, after that grueling week, we celebrated. We had an entire week to do whatever we wished before the start of the Fall term. I remember the night after my last training session James was holding a grill-out at his house. Greg and Victor invited me, but I felt as if the shindig was for me. I hope I don’t sound too selfish in saying that, but here’s how I believe this thought. When the three of us arrived, James had chips and salsa ready, served alongside chilled bottles of Corona. He had burgers grilling and chili simmering in a pot on the stove. “Skyline Chili, he promised.” I was in Hog Heaven. I remember cooling outside on his porch, sitting on the edge of the balcony. I was warned to be careful, but I felt fine.
I heard music from inside. First it was Air, from the “Virgin Suicides” soundtrack. But as the night descended upon us, Greg Dulli’s voice.
“James, is this Afghan Whigs?” I didn’t need an answer: I felt Cincinnati all around me. Sure, I was surrounded by friends from L.A., New Jersey, and Korea, but I felt at home, thanks to James and the shindig. I met my boss for the first time, cemented real bonds with new friends, and finally felt I was at the right place at the right time.
Later that night, I tried Soju for the first time. I vowed to never drink that rancid stuff again. Six months later and I’m laughing about that promise. Yeah, right.
My Easter(n) Sunday
You know I laughed, er guffawed, when a co-worker said “Happy Easter.” Oh crap. Have I become such a slovenly Catholic that I have forgotten Easter? No, it’s okay. At least I am one day ahead, so I can wish “Happy Easter” to my loved ones. The truth is, there are Korean Christians in Seoul but the celebrations aren’t widely and noticeably, well, celebrated.
So what did I do for Easter? Well, I began my day waking up as late as I could. WORK?! On Easter? Of course; just like Christmas Day the school is open for business. Wouldn’t want to deprive the little kiddies one day of report and essay writing or “The Joy Luck Club.” I had gone out the night before and thought I received 7 hours of sleep, I still felt tired. Kendra and I had every intention of meeting our friends for karaoke but we stopped in a club on the way and never seemed to find our way out.
Anywho, while getting ready for in my fuzzy state, I shut my bathroom door. I was about to walk out the door when I realized that I had forgotten to spritz on perfume - wouldn’t want to the students to smell last night’s club on my person! (even after showering, smoke smells tend to linger in my hair) When I grabbed the doorknob to twist and open, it wouldn’t budge. “Huh?” I remember saying out loud. I twisted it left, then right. No way! This isn’t happening. I frantically turned the doorknob every direction possible: I had somehow locked my bathroom door from the inside! I quickly surveyed my options:
- It is a simple lock, one of those push-in-type dealies. I could find a bobbypin or paperclip to simply disengage the lock.
This was the simplest option, however I was so mad at myself, my second option seemed to be ramming the flimsy door with my shaking body.
Upon looking at the clock however, I realized neither option was feasible - this door would wait until I returned. I double-checked to make sure that my cat was not IN my bathroom and I left.
I went to class and immediately sought advice and/or suggestions. Who could I call? How much would it cost to reattach a ripped-off door?
I could rely on a few co-workers to offer some suspiciously detailed instructions: “You will need a credit card or two…” “a coat hanger could work, but for a lock that small, maybe a paperclip, but you have to bend it just so…” More people seemed to laugh rather than offer suggestions… didn’t they know that this was my bathroom, a room that I would need to utilize from time to time?
When I returned home, I was dismayed to realize that instead of using the facilities at school, I had subconsciously waited until I returned home: I needed to act quickly. Zooey watched me dash around the apartment, possessed by the force that overtook my body: was it the urge to pee or the driving power to dominate this door, Chuck Norris style? I grabbed paperclips, haphazardly twisting them into spiral and hooks. I tried each one through the tiny lock… why are there keys for bathroom doors if the landlord doesn’t even provide them to the tenants? What a world! The paperclips bended easily and I feared that one would get stuck, further complicating my mission. I tossed them on the floor for Zooey to bat around.
I grabbed my manual screwdriver next. I examined the hinges on the door. What in hell… each hinge was topped with a pointy, gold cap. I tried to twist it off with my hand… nothing. Are these super-glued on? Is Super Glue the foundation of Korean architecture and engineering? I tried to pop off the caps with the screwdriver… nothing! A tightness welled inside my body, I could feel organs expanding and then tightening again… or was it my imagination? I looked at the small gap between the door and doorjam. I could clearly see the bolt of the lock extend out of the door into the jam. That’s the ticket. I gently pried the gold plate around the lock from the doorjam. It loosened and I realized how meticulous my methods would have to change. What would MacGyver do? I looked around… I needed another tool. Chopsticks? No. Wine bottle-opener? No, and I can’t take that chance of breaking it. Pens, pencils? I finally found a utensil worthy enough to try: butter knife sitting in my sink, ironically slightly covered in butter remains. I wiped it clean with the dish towel and got to work.
With the screwdriver, I pried the plate away from the lock again, this time with more fervor and concentration. I looked at the butter knife in my right hand… what can I do with this? I peered through the gap, ah yes! With the knife, I slowly lowered it under the plate to find the end of the bolt… CLICK. My door slowly “gasped,” opening to a stuffy bathroom, still in disarray from the morning. I washed my face in the sink, my hands smelling slightly of butter.
APARTMENT -2 (locked ONCE out of apartment AND bathroom)
MEGAN - 2 (TRIUMPH over entrance door and bathroom door)
Is Korean apartment living so dangerous that you must be prepared for every situation? I don’t think that I wrote about the first instance (out of embarrassment?), but I had come home from a long night out one evening last month. It was actually after 6 a.m. and I was trying to key in my password for my door. BEEP! Wrong password. I tried it again….BEEP! No, this was a different beep. This is the BEEP I usually hear right before my door opens to let me in. What’s going on? I try the password over and over again. Why isn’t it working?! I remember looking at my phone… 6:30 a.m. He’s going to be so mad at me, but he’s my only hope… I called Greg. Greg lives a block away and has been very helpful as a neighbor. He helped me install my washing machine and initially figure out the door and what keyword to use. He answered his phone groggily, but promised that he would be over soon. When he arrived, he tried my password. “Is it possible the batteries are dead?” he asked.
He explained that the panel on the inside of the apartment could be opened to allow the tenant to change batteries. Uh, well, I haven’t changed them since I moved in…. but surely this can’t be the best way to know when your batteries are dead, to be locked out of the apartment?
We began walking down the stairs… but if the panel is on the inside, then we can’t change the batteries from the outside. We went outside the building to survey the scene - I was on the second floor.
I told him how I had even considered climbing up the wall to my apartment window, but I was wearing heels and was by myself and God knows that I didn’t not want to be found dead with a broken neck and broken heels in an alley by my place. As soon as I suggested the idea, Greg looked gravely at me and asked “Is your window unlocked.” I thought carefully before I answered “Yes, I don’t know how to lock it.”
Within seconds, he leapt onto the wall, like Peter Parker as Spiderman, and effortlessly swung his legs over the railing outside my window. His body disappeared into the shadow of my veranda, or where I keep my washer. I raised my arms in triumph and ran to the entrance to meet him by my door. I promptly changed the batteries soon thereafter.
After thinking about both of these awful scenarios, I was exhausted.
I prayed to the Easter bunny and fell into an undisturbed sleep.
A Phrase I Long To Use…
Looking at a website of common and useful phrases when, Hallelujah! I found one I can actually utilize.
내 호버크라프트는 장어로 가득 차 있어요
(Literal translation: “My hovercraft is full of eels”)
!!!
