(Korean) Kids Say the Darndest Things

What students or have written for me. Many more to come for sure.

"I like turtles!"

"I don't like distilled spirits."

"I would like a straight shot of gin."

"I have an itchy sensation on my pubic region."

"Mostly friends obesity."

"I knocked my friends sister."

"Teacher, yesterday my dream you die."

"Teacher, son of a ----- is what?

"Teacher, I want to eat Snoopy boshintang (dog soup)"

"Teacher, why people die?...because of you."

"Steve Jobs eat Apple and die"

"Heil Teacher!" (One of my students says this to me everyday) :(

"My sister is Gadaffi"

"My father is Kim Jong Il"

"Everyday I'm shopping mall" (incorrect lyric from Party Rock Anthem, but a hit in my mind)

Boy 1: "Teacher he is crazy" *points to a girl

Me: "He?"

Boy2: "Yes, transexual"

Things that amuse me

The following are things I find amusing, frustrating or humorous about my stay in this country...

I. Kimchi*

II. The notion that all Korean food is too spicy for waygooks (foreigners). This one drives me particularly insane. i.e. Korean: "I think this is too spicy for you", when talking about any Korean food that happens to be served. My typical reply: "No, this isn't spicy at all", or "I love this", or "You clearly haven't had hot wings or good Mexican food." This particular instance, when it happens, actually makes me kind of mad. At the same time I want to prove my spicy food courage and swallow a whole Korean chili pepper in front of said person, it usually ends bad.

III. The assumption that all foreigners don't speak Korean. This is particularly true in Seoul where everyone speaks English to foreigners. It is a rather nice luxury but I am not one to be spoiled and enjoy it for long, hence living in Mokpo where few speak English fluently. Why is this amusing? I speak some Korean, I have a rather decent ear for it at this point. So when Koreans I amy or may not know start speaking in Korean when I am with them I have the power to eavesdrop. The great reward is when the conversation is about me or I chime in on a particular subject. Much to there surprise, rarely to their chagrin.

IV. The assumption that all foreigners do speak Korean. Very true in Mokpo, where ajummas and ajushis may walk up to you and start speaking Korean. You tell them you don't speak Korean, they continue speaking Korean like you said nothing. This usually results in me apologizing and walking away. You can have a lot of fun with this by just nodding you head and saying ne (yes).

V. The lack of communication. Every foreigners knows about this. Korean assume and act on their assumptions a lot. Even when the assumption is bound to offend another person. You leave your wallet in you friends car, your friend will return your wallet but take some of the money. This is Korean custom and not looked down upon. You have an appointment/date, your friend shows up thirty minutes late without telling you. Your friend needs to borrow something, your friend takes yours without asking. None of these have happened to me, but these are pretty common stories/examples.

VI. The driving and law enforcement. Bigger always wins and traffic laws are merely guidelines.

VII. The two questions that rack my brain literally everyday. When you talk to any Korean, whether you are passing by on the street, you are in the classroom or in a cab you are bound to get these two deep and meaningful questions right off the bat. First: "Where are you from?" I understand the great curiosity of seeing someone that doesn't look like you. I really do understand that in a mostly homogenous culture this question is very valid. I just always picture myself asking an Asian-American or African-American where they are from. I get a little giggle, it's not necessary in America. My typical reply, "Mokpo".

The second all important question: "Do you have a girlfriend?" Day in and day out I get this question. My students ask literally every single day. I don't know how they can forget, I would think I would have drilled it into their heads at this point. Maybe it's just a deeply caring status update on my life they want. I don't think so though.

This is all I can think of right now. More thoughts to come I am sure!

*In regards to Kimchi and in close relation to item II. Kimchi is an obsession among many Koreans. I have a deep admiration for the proud, the few, the Koreans who don't like Kimchi or don't require it at every meal. There is also the notion that "kimchi is too spicy for you I think." Or there is the ever present and always occurring question of "Do you know kimchi?" Kimchi is great, don't get me wrong. However, it's not worth having at every blessed meal, at least for this waygook. You know it is a problem when you take your Korean friends out to a nice foreign restaurant complete with foreign cooks and servers and they cry out for mercy for kimchi. That is obsession. When I go for foreign food I don't ask for my fatty American side dishes. Enough said, and I really do enjoy Kimchi.

Five days in Nippon-koku.

It was an inevitable journey that I had to take. I knew for sure that I would one day set foot onto the islands of Japan. There is a mysterious aura that I associate with Japan. It’s fascinating history and curious people aren’t comparable to any in the world. They are distinct behaviorally from other Asian cultures. Long isolated to their islands until the 19^th Century they have cultivated themselves into something beautiful. As a yonsei or 4^th generation Japanese-American I was drawn to what my family was and where they came from. It was one my pilgrimages in life, albeit a very short one. For five days of overload travel I was able to soak in the Japanese culture, barely enough to satisfy my craving for Japan.

From the end of July through the first three days of August I was able to cram in a summer vacation to Japan. When all was said and done it turned into the most expensive five days of my life. I wouldn’t trade those days back though. My journey covered primarily Tokyo, five days is hardly ample time to travel around Japan without mental breakdown. I was able to spend most of my time with my college friend, Matt Henry, who lives and works in Tokyo. Between traveling it was nice to catch up with an old friend and watch some Kurosawa films and catch up.

It would be too long to talk of all my travels in Tokyo. I did most of the touristy things that any foreigner would. I walked through the Shinjuku electric city, the intensely packed streets of Shibuya and its famous crosswalk. I walked through the beautiful Ueno and Meiji Parks and walked the perimeter of the Imperial Palace. I braved the sardine-like subways and melted into crowds in Asakusa. I was just one person in a sprawling city thirty million or so active people.

It was a place so distinctly different than Korea. The people look different, the people act different, the food, the religion, the city life and hundreds of little differences caught my eye. After living in Korea for over six months sensitivity has grown into my perception of culture. We Americans and other Westerners often mesh all Oriental cultures into one homogeneous blob. The reality is far different than the simple stereotype. Each Asian culture is incredibly different than it’s neighbors. The past six months in Korea and those 5 days in Japan are truly invaluable. It is something I wish everyone could experience. The importance of travel and experiencing worlds outside our own little bubbles cannot be overlooked.

More to come on Japan and Korea...

Mokpo, Cyclist Heaven

Avid bikers be aware, Mokpo and most of Korea is a haven for those aching to get out and explore on their bicycles. Perhaps one of the most convenient aspects of living in Mokpo is it's accessibility for cyclists. Virtually every road has a bike line on it's sidewalks. With low pedestrian traffic this makes Mokpo incredibly easy to travel around via a bicycle. For a city of a quarter million it makes a daunting task less threatening and very enjoyable. It will take 30-45 minutes to bike from one end of Mokpo to the other on mostly flat terrain. If you are longing to see the countryside of Korea it is not difficult to hop on you bike and head in any direction to see the beautiful Korean countryside dotted with small villages and plenty of rice paddies. My favorite route takes me east through Namak and Muan along the waterside and onto a highway under construction. Construction continues into weekends so it is wise to head out early in the morning to avoid being yelled at by the construction workers which of course happened last time. This route takes me along the water front and through Korea's rolling hills. It's a beautiful refresher and escape from the repetitive life in the city.
I typically go for 25 miles or so and this takes about 3 hours. One of many things I have found that I enjoy is cycling. I have easily put two or three hundred miles onto my bike the past 5 months I have had it. I definitely plan on continuing cycling when I get back to the states.

Halfway There

It's been way too long since a post, way too long.
Typhoon Muafi is blowing through Mokpo at the moment so I have had ample to time to sit down and be unproductive today. It's been an odd past few weeks or so. I have been busy as ever and struggling to find time to slow down and catch my breath. I am about halfway through my contract and have reached that midway slump where time seems to freeze and you feel a little trapped. I have kept plenty busy with travel and fun but two of my close friends I made here in Mokpo have left there jobs and moved on from ESL teaching in Korea. So here I am, given a new start. Not sure it was the kind of start I wanted to the second half of my contract but I will roll with the punches and look to an even brighter future. Here's to the next six months and many more posts coming ASAP!

Oh my Seoul

One cannot go to Korea without venturing out to Seoul. That is unless you are one of the brave adventurous souls who live in the chaos of Seoul. Seoul is a city of ten million people, by far the biggest city I have ever visited. This was my second visit to the city and I planned on hitting up some of the touristy sites this time around with a travel friend of mine. So in two days a scamper across the city of Seoul ensued…

Prior to traveling to Seoul it should be common knowledge that you should book a reservation at a hostel or hotel. It should be extremely obvious on a busy Korean holiday weekend. Not for this waygook (foreigner). Seoul is a massive city, chalked full of hostels and cheap places to stay. This does not mean they are easy to find and certainly doesn’t mean there will be rooms available. Seoul doesn’t have easy to spot “love motels” like other Korean cities do either. So after about 3 hours of wandering, a place was found. Surprising success, not advisable.

We stayed in an area around Insa-dong, a very famous shopping street in Seoul known for it’s arts, crafts, and souvenirs. About a ten minute walk from there is Seoul City Center, the heart of Seoul. A massive street splits down the middle of City Center in between is a long walkway and park with famous statues of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin and King Sejong. This area is packed with people, especially on a hot Korean Sunday. A fountain flanks the statue of the Admiral and hundreds of children and there parents play in the fountain. Beyond this is the statue of King Sejong and finally the massive and forboding Gyeongbokgung Palace or “ Palace of Shining Happiness”.

The palace was first built in 1394. It is truly a sight to behold and at it’s height contained 330 buildings and covered about 4.5 million square feet. However, during the Japanese Occupation most of the palace was destroyed. Today only 40 percent of the palace buildings stand as the result of reconstruction by the South Korean Government. As you walk towards the palace today it is still a massive presence and I couldn’t help feel like I was walking into a scene from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As you walk in you enter into a massive courtyard and finally through a series of gates you get to the scores of buildings inside, all beautifully painted and adorned in the traditional way. It can take all day to walk through the palace grounds and they are truly massive. It is a beautiful place to get away from the city bustle in the heart of the city itself. It has plenty of places to relax with large lawns and ponds. A must see in Seoul.

After the palace it was off to Insa-dong. If you are souvenir shopping for things unique to Korea this is the place to go. Make sure you go during the daytime to early evening hours since most shops close down relatively early. You will find your fix of Korean arts, crafts, souvenirs and evening some clothing in Insa-dong. Insa-dong is simply a street that stretched maybe a few hundred yards, lined with shops and vendors. I managed to buy Chinese and North Korean military medals from of the more unique shops. Whether they are genuine is another question.

There is all this hype about Itaewon among foreigners in Seoul, way too much hype. Itaewon is a district in Seoul that most foreigners in Korea will hear about. It boasts a unique atmosphere of all things foreign. Restaurants from nearly every culture imaginable can be found hear. If you are looking for cheap knockoffs of brand name clothing this is your place. I wasn’t impressed; perhaps this is because I was there during midmorning to early afternoon. The real strange things kick off at night from what I understand. Itaewon is indeed the destination for a foreign food fix. In fact they even have a Taco Bell, one of only two in Korea. Maybe I will give Itaewon another chance in the future.

The last stop on this trip to Seoul was Seoul Grand Park, a zoo on the southern edge of Seoul. The zoo covers a lot of area and on a hot day it can be an arduous walk. Seoul Grand Park is Seoul’s only zoo and was originally built by the Japanese during the occupation. It contains most animals you would find in zoos in the U.S. or elsewhere around the world. However, it lacks penguins, a big heartbreaker for me. It is a nice getaway from the city and wildlife is pretty scarce in Korea so this was a nice chance to seem some animals for a change.

Seoul is an incredible city. Its size is rather intimidating but is made to feel a little smaller with it’s excellent transportation infrastructure. There are so many things to do that spending 2 days will never do it any justice. So Seoul will always beckon the weary waygook English teacher for it’s change of pace and it’s excitement from the slow and often monotonous daily life of Mokpo. Seoul, I will see you again.

Links: Gyeongbakjung- http://www.royalpalace.go.kr/html/eng/main/sitemap.jsp

Insadong- http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_2_2_1.jsp

Itaewon- http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_2_6_1.jsp

Seoul Grand Park- http://grandpark.seoul.go.kr/Eng/html/main/main.jsp

Dreams: What I Learned Today

Today I learned that dreaming about poop is lucky in Korea and a good omen. You can take that to the bank...