The other day, I was thinking about immigrants who come to America, and how some of them reach a point when either they or their children feel like they are real Americans. Not in the sense that they are legal residents or citizens, but that they feel like America is a place where they belong, and they relate to the culture. It got me thinking about what it would take for a foreigner like myself to feel like a Korean, or at least an American-Korean. Would I have to learn how to make my own kimchi (the staple of Korean food, served with almost every meal), buy my own tailor-made hanbok (the traditional Korean clothing), become conversational in the language, marry a Korean woman, and file for citizenship? I'm not saying I want to become a Korean, but it was a hypothetical question I pondered.
After some thinking, I realized that I would not want to become a Korean. I don't mean any disrespect towards the Korean culture or people, but I am an American, I have my own culture and I am happy with it. But as a recently licensed educator in the state of Oregon, my own country had little job opportunities to offer me. Korea is providing me with opportunities to make some money, pay off my debts, further my career as a teacher, and travel. Though I am interested in the Korean culture, it was not what drove me here.
All of this has recently put into perspective the experiences of immigrants in America. There has always been an attitude by many native-born Americans that immigrants should assimilate, become Americans, learn English, and embrace our culture. Although it is practical to understand the culture you are living in, and to learn some of the language that is spoken all around you, the idea of assimilation is easier said than done. We native-born Americans don't know what it takes to assimilate.
Like myself in Korea, people come to America not because they love the American culture, but because America offers better opportunities. They still love their homeland, they identify themselves with that culture, and they don't want to dismiss that. And can we blame them? People argue, "Why can't these people learn English?!" Well, I work 50 hours a week and don't have the will power or mental energy to learn Korean. I can only imagine what it would be like to be an immigrant in America working at least 50 hours a week, AND raising kids. Who's got the time to throw in English classes on top of all that?
All that being said, my family is the product of a very willing assimilation. My Italian ancestors sailed to San Francisco in the late 19th century. Despite the prominent Italian community in North Beach, my great-great grandparents made a very strong effort to remove all Italian culture from their lives. They no longer spoke Italian, saying they were now Americans. They learned English and raised three kids who looked 100% Italian, but who knew little to nothing about their heritage. In a way, it is admirable that my family made such a strong effort to adopt the American way of life, and I don't blame them for making that choice. But is it fair to expect all immigrants to make this kind of decision? Should we ask them to drop their culture and adopt something entirely foreign? The people who ask such a thing seem to think it's as easy as hitting the delete key on a computer, when in reality it can be like amputating part of oneself. There are many things about Korean culture that I just plain don't understand, and may never understand. I think it's fair to assume that many Koreans would say the same about aspects of American culture.
I am grateful that Korea allows my friends and I to act like westerners in their country. Although we have adopted certain Korean mannerisms to be polite, we still act quite different from most Koreans. We are different in the way we dress, the way we walk in public, wait in lines, use certain hand motions, the utensils we eat with, the way we date, and the way we can be quite loud! Sure we sometimes annoy Koreans with our differences, but they allow it nonetheless. I can tell you, when I return to the States, I will have no qualms with the differences in culture I see. If what they do does not harm or offend anyone, who are we to say "That's weird, don't do that!" Trust me, we're weird too.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Memoirs of a Kindergarten Teacher, Pt. 1
I am attempting to create a series of memoirs specific to my experience teaching Kindergarten. Here is my first installment:
“Touchy Hands”
My kids, like most kids, can be very touchy people. Sometimes as I am working with an individual student at their desk, they will grab my hand and hold it while we work. Sometimes kids will just run up to me and wrap their arms around me, and sometimes they grab my arms and wrap them around their own body. Often, as I walk down the middle aisle in my classroom, the kids will reach out with their hands and try to grab me and pull me towards them. I feel like I’m running through a graveyard where bodies are crawling out of graves and grabbing anything that moves past them. But it’s also kind of adorable. Luckily I teach in a country that encourages physical affection with kids, so I don’t need to worry about being accused of child molestation for simply hugging a student. And frankly, I like being able to hug my students and hold their hands… until I see them shove their hands down their pants (both front and back!) or shove their fingers in their mouths and up their nose (and sometimes back in their mouths!). The bottle of hand sanitizer next to my podium gets plenty of use!!
“I love you Mom and Dad”
On Thanksgiving, I had my kids make cards for their parents to show their gratitude for all that their parents do for them. The front of the card said “Happy Thanksgiving”, and underneath that was a typical hand-turkey drawing. Inside the card they wrote “Thank you for being such wonderful parents! I love you so much!” As I walked around the class, checking out each student’s card, I noticed one of my students writing “Thank you for all the wonderful things you do. I don’t like you very much.” I said “Meen, you can’t write that! You can’t give a card like that to your parents!” And he said “But my mom and dad always yell at me.” I tried telling him that sometimes parents yell and get mad, but that they do love us, and we love them. But he was insistent on the fact that he did not love his parents. I made him change his card anyway.
At the end of the period, I reminded them how important it is to say thanks to our parents because they do so much for us and love us very much. To my surprise, more students were making comments that their parents don’t love them, that they yell at them and hit them, and so they don’t like their parents. I tried arguing with them that they do indeed love their parents and that their parents do so much for them, but they weren’t accepting it. So what else could I say? I had to walk away hoping that these kids were just pretending.
The next morning, I asked my students if they gave the cards to their parents. They said they did, but half of the students said their parents threw the cards in the trash! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! I mean, yes, it’s just a piece of construction paper with sloppy writing and a hand-turkey drawing. But come on, it’s also an adorable card that your precious son or daughter made to say thanks. Isn’t that the kind of thing parents are supposed to treasure for years? More and more I am feeling like I cannot grasp the dynamics of parent-child relationships in this country.
“Emergencies”
Not long ago, one little girl in my class raised her hand. I walked up to her, squatted down next to her, and asked her what she needs. She has the poorest speech in my class, and I cannot always make out what it is she is saying. So as she was talking to me, the only words I could make out were “emergency” and “the baby mouse is poking its head out the hole”. I racked my brain trying to interpret this message. Mice are practically nonexistent in this country, so clearly she does not see a baby mouse. But she did say emergency. What’s the emergency? And then it hit me. “OH! Do you have to go to the bathroom??” “Yes” she replied. Apparently she was having an emergency, and now I know what kind of baby mice exist in Korea.
“Man’s Best Friend”
I have a laptop in my classroom that is connected to a big screen TV. There are several online lessons that I do with my students, so they can view the lessons on the TV. The desktop wallpaper on my laptop is an adorable photo of my dog Boswell, and the kids are very familiar with the Bos. Every time they see his photo, they yell with joy “BOSWELL!” I have told them stories about him, and explained to them how sweet he is, especially with little kids. You see, in Korea, pets are not a typical part of a family. And since most people live in apartments, dogs are not a common pet. So I try to explain to them how wonderful dogs are.
One week, we read a story about a boy who finds a dog in his front yard. He instantly falls in love with the dog and wants to keep it, but knows his father won’t allow it. So I asked my students, “If you found a dog, would your parents let you keep it?” One of the boys raised his hand and said “My mom says she hates dogs except for eating!” My only reaction to that statement is, Well… that’s Korea!
“Yes? No? Yes. No?”
The vast majority of students at Poly School have trouble understanding whether to say “yes” or “no” to questions. As an example, I might say “You didn’t do your homework?” and they’ll say “Yes”. Now, in America, we would answer “No, I didn’t do my homework.” But my students say “Yes” because they are confirming the statement that they did not do the homework. I have learned to figure out what they mean, but sometimes I like to play with it. I will say:
“You didn’t do your homework?”
“Yes.”
“You DID do your homework?”
“No.”
“Oh, you didn’t do your homework.”
“Yes!”
“Wait, so you did do your homework??”
“NO!”
“Ok, so you didn’t do your homework?”
“YES!!”
And on and on it goes. I try to see how long it takes them to figure out their mistake, but they never do, so by the time I’m laughing and they’re yelling out of frustration, I decide to stop torturing them.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Seoul: An Escape from Korea
I spent this weekend in Seoul with 7 of my friends. It was my first trip there, and I really had no expectations for the city. I knew it was a city of 10 million, with a metro area of 24 million, so I expected a big city! That was about it. We didn't have anything specific on our agenda, but we all had a huge appetite for western food! In Pohang, there is one American restaurant, and two Italian ones. That's all the real western food available. So when I heard that Seoul has all the ethnic foods I miss from the states, eating became my #1 priority. Here's the rundown of our trip:
We took an 11pm bus Friday night, arriving at 3:30am in Seoul. We found a neighborhood that has a lot of cheap motels (known as "love motels"... I'm sure you can figure out why), and got rooms in the only motel with vacancy. Unfortunately, there's a reason it was the only motel with vacancy. The rooms were TINY (the bed took up 80% of the room), with a bed barely bigger than a twin (and we all slept two to a bed), and a small glassed-in shower with the toilet in the middle of the shower. No toilet paper, no sink, no keys for the doors, and paper-thin walls. Other guests were up until about 6am laughing, yelling, slamming doors, and drunkenly stumbling up and down the halls, so I only got about 1 hour of sleep. Needless to say, we did not decide to stay there for Saturday night!
After a rough night, all was redeemed with breakfast! We took the subway to a neighborhood called Itaewon (ee-tay-won), which is the main hub for foreigners. You might as well be in America in this neighborhood! So since Koreans aren't big on breakfast, and Pohang has no restaurant open for breakfast, we jumped on the opportunity to eat a real western breakfast in this neighborhood! And boy did we find the perfect joint! I had french toast made from sweet, fluffy brioche bread, with bacon, strawberries, marmalade, and ricotta cheese! I could have eaten that for every meal this weekend! I never expected to miss breakfast so much, but I think it's what I miss most about American cuisine. (I would kill for a breakfast joint like Mothers, Stepping Stone, or the Redwood Cafe in Pohang!)
Next, I was pleasantly SHOCKED to find a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf! For those of you unfamiliar with this establishment, it's a coffee chain in Southern California, and one of the few things I miss about living in LA. It's not even in San Francisco, so to find it in Seoul of all places was mind blowing. So of course I had to partake in one of their caramel ice blended drinks, despite the cold weather.
From there, our group split up to do different sight-seeing activities. I decided to check out the war memorial with three other guys. It was a beautiful, large building that not only memorializes the Korean War, but also is a museum of the history of Korean warfare. They had models of old weapons and ships, statues of fallen soldiers with plaques telling about their heroism in battle, and real tanks and planes outside. Although I've been to war museums and memorials in the states, this one felt different to me. Not only was the Korean War somewhat recent, but it's not officially over. And the South Koreans were fighting to save their country and push back a full-blown invasion. America hasn't been invaded since the War of 1812, and we've never had a serious threat of being taken over, despite the threats of Japan in WWII. As Americans we just have no idea what it's like to have our entire country threatened like that. South Koreans today still fear a continuation of war with the North and have to partake in drills in case of attacks. There are even gas masks in the subway stations in case of an attack. A completely foreign mentality from ours in America.
Our group reconvened later that afternoon and headed to the North Seoul Tower. There is a tall hill right in the middle of the city, and on top of that hill is a tall tower that overlooks the whole city. It's a very famous landmark and tourist destination, so we decided to check it out. There is a tram that transports people to the top of the hill, but we couldn't find it, so we ended up walking all the way to the top. It was quite a hike, but in the end we were all glad we did it. The views were great from the top, but we also realized that Seoul really doesn't have a skyline. Despite it's huge size, there's no downtown, no central location of skyscrapers. We got a great view of the vastness of the city (there was no end in sight), but I can't say there was anything beautiful to look at. Just a sea of lights.
For dinner, we went to a Mexican restaurant called Amigos. I had been craving Mexican ever since my second week in Korea! Unfortunately, Amigos was comparable to a Chevys, so it wasn't quite the Mexican I had been yearning for. At least our server was hispanic, so it felt a little more authentic. Luckily for us, we tried a different Mexican joint on Sunday for lunch which ended up being EXACTLY what I was looking for! It was more of a tacqueria than a restaurant, and I had the most delicious chicken burrito, with avocado, cilantro, cabbage, beans, chilies and salsa! Words can not describe how satisfied it made me feel.
Sunday was spent being mellow and mostly just eating. We found a significantly better motel Saturday night, and we all slept in a bit. So after the fantastic burritos, we found a charming coffee shop called "Thank You Nature" that had two sheep penned up outside, and we just set up camp there until about 2:45 when we had to head to the bus terminal to go home.
As you probably noticed from my title of this blog entry, this weekend in Seoul was like an escape from Korea for us. It dawned on me this morning that the foreigners who live and teach in Korea are really not getting an authentic Korean experience, and depending on where they live, can be maintaining a fairly western lifestyle. Seoul felt like Korea-light. You can eat the same foods as in America, shop at the same shops, and there are SO MANY westerners there that you can always find someone to talk to. The Koreans in Seoul even speak a lot more English than in other cities. It made me more grateful to be in Pohang. I have a great foreigner community here to keep me sane, but I also feel like I'm having a truly Korean experience here. Seoul was fun, but I would not want to live there. I feel like Pohang is an ideal location.
We took an 11pm bus Friday night, arriving at 3:30am in Seoul. We found a neighborhood that has a lot of cheap motels (known as "love motels"... I'm sure you can figure out why), and got rooms in the only motel with vacancy. Unfortunately, there's a reason it was the only motel with vacancy. The rooms were TINY (the bed took up 80% of the room), with a bed barely bigger than a twin (and we all slept two to a bed), and a small glassed-in shower with the toilet in the middle of the shower. No toilet paper, no sink, no keys for the doors, and paper-thin walls. Other guests were up until about 6am laughing, yelling, slamming doors, and drunkenly stumbling up and down the halls, so I only got about 1 hour of sleep. Needless to say, we did not decide to stay there for Saturday night!
After a rough night, all was redeemed with breakfast! We took the subway to a neighborhood called Itaewon (ee-tay-won), which is the main hub for foreigners. You might as well be in America in this neighborhood! So since Koreans aren't big on breakfast, and Pohang has no restaurant open for breakfast, we jumped on the opportunity to eat a real western breakfast in this neighborhood! And boy did we find the perfect joint! I had french toast made from sweet, fluffy brioche bread, with bacon, strawberries, marmalade, and ricotta cheese! I could have eaten that for every meal this weekend! I never expected to miss breakfast so much, but I think it's what I miss most about American cuisine. (I would kill for a breakfast joint like Mothers, Stepping Stone, or the Redwood Cafe in Pohang!)
Next, I was pleasantly SHOCKED to find a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf! For those of you unfamiliar with this establishment, it's a coffee chain in Southern California, and one of the few things I miss about living in LA. It's not even in San Francisco, so to find it in Seoul of all places was mind blowing. So of course I had to partake in one of their caramel ice blended drinks, despite the cold weather.
From there, our group split up to do different sight-seeing activities. I decided to check out the war memorial with three other guys. It was a beautiful, large building that not only memorializes the Korean War, but also is a museum of the history of Korean warfare. They had models of old weapons and ships, statues of fallen soldiers with plaques telling about their heroism in battle, and real tanks and planes outside. Although I've been to war museums and memorials in the states, this one felt different to me. Not only was the Korean War somewhat recent, but it's not officially over. And the South Koreans were fighting to save their country and push back a full-blown invasion. America hasn't been invaded since the War of 1812, and we've never had a serious threat of being taken over, despite the threats of Japan in WWII. As Americans we just have no idea what it's like to have our entire country threatened like that. South Koreans today still fear a continuation of war with the North and have to partake in drills in case of attacks. There are even gas masks in the subway stations in case of an attack. A completely foreign mentality from ours in America.
Our group reconvened later that afternoon and headed to the North Seoul Tower. There is a tall hill right in the middle of the city, and on top of that hill is a tall tower that overlooks the whole city. It's a very famous landmark and tourist destination, so we decided to check it out. There is a tram that transports people to the top of the hill, but we couldn't find it, so we ended up walking all the way to the top. It was quite a hike, but in the end we were all glad we did it. The views were great from the top, but we also realized that Seoul really doesn't have a skyline. Despite it's huge size, there's no downtown, no central location of skyscrapers. We got a great view of the vastness of the city (there was no end in sight), but I can't say there was anything beautiful to look at. Just a sea of lights.
For dinner, we went to a Mexican restaurant called Amigos. I had been craving Mexican ever since my second week in Korea! Unfortunately, Amigos was comparable to a Chevys, so it wasn't quite the Mexican I had been yearning for. At least our server was hispanic, so it felt a little more authentic. Luckily for us, we tried a different Mexican joint on Sunday for lunch which ended up being EXACTLY what I was looking for! It was more of a tacqueria than a restaurant, and I had the most delicious chicken burrito, with avocado, cilantro, cabbage, beans, chilies and salsa! Words can not describe how satisfied it made me feel.
Sunday was spent being mellow and mostly just eating. We found a significantly better motel Saturday night, and we all slept in a bit. So after the fantastic burritos, we found a charming coffee shop called "Thank You Nature" that had two sheep penned up outside, and we just set up camp there until about 2:45 when we had to head to the bus terminal to go home.
As you probably noticed from my title of this blog entry, this weekend in Seoul was like an escape from Korea for us. It dawned on me this morning that the foreigners who live and teach in Korea are really not getting an authentic Korean experience, and depending on where they live, can be maintaining a fairly western lifestyle. Seoul felt like Korea-light. You can eat the same foods as in America, shop at the same shops, and there are SO MANY westerners there that you can always find someone to talk to. The Koreans in Seoul even speak a lot more English than in other cities. It made me more grateful to be in Pohang. I have a great foreigner community here to keep me sane, but I also feel like I'm having a truly Korean experience here. Seoul was fun, but I would not want to live there. I feel like Pohang is an ideal location.
The War Memorial
"Thank You Nature" Coffee Shop
North Seoul Tower
Some of the quality individuals I spent the weekend with.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Photos of friends and activities
From Halloween...
Some of the guys I play soccer with:
From a going-away dinner for two friends who recently left Korea:
7 countries of origin (5 continents) represented here:
3 Months In...
After three months of living and working in Korea, I've decided to compile a list of things I've learned/observed, and express my feelings, both good and not-so-good, about these observations.
Many public restrooms do not have paper towels or air dryers. Naturally, it's inconvenient to have to dry my hands off on my jeans. On the flip side, at least it's eco-friendly!
Koreans are very willing to point out your physical characteristics. This works against my favor when they say things like "You look so young!", "You should do something about that belly.", or "You look really tired/sick!" It has worked in my favor when they say things like "You look very strong!" or "You are very handsome! Most handsome man in bar!" Unfortunately, the only people who tell me those flattering comments are men.
It has been somewhat common for random Koreans to buy me things. I really appreciate the culture they have of sharing and giving. Unfortunately, most of the things given to me have been beer and soju (a kind of rice liquor). I'd like to figure out a polite way to say in Korean, "I prefer Yoohoo."
When walking in public, it is totally acceptable to bump and push through people. As an American, this really drives me nuts a lot of the time. I try to remember that it's not rude here and I should not think of it as such, but it's hard when I'm getting pushed around. On the other hand, it's nice to know that I can push through a crowd without being apologetic!
Korea has killed off most of their animals. Squirrels, rats, deer, etc. are only to be found deep in the forests, and there are really only two kinds of birds here in Pohang, and they are not plentiful. It's sad to hear my students get excited about going to the mountains and seeing two squirrels. At least I don't have to worry about being eaten by a tiger or pooped on by a pigeon.
Koreans will eat anything that comes from the ocean, and I mean that literally. If it can be digested, it will be consumed. I would like to think this helps prevent the complete annihilation of certain fish, since they are not focused on catching just one or two species. As a consumer, though, I often have to turn down some pretty questionable seafood! Can I just get a salmon fillet?!
There are many foods here that Koreans swear are very healthy and will help immune systems, stamina, etc. This is encouraging to hear! However, when you hear the same Koreans claiming that if you turn on a fan in a room with closed doors and windows, you will die (often referred to as "fan death")... I'm not so sure I can believe what they say about their food.
Some days, all I want to do is sit in front of my computer, watch countless episodes of my favorite shows and eat a whole box of wheat thins. Unfortunately, I have yet to find anything remotely resembling wheat thins. Fortunately, I have lost weight!
Koreans claim that homosexuality does not exist in this country, and they seem to have no interest in allowing it to exist. I can not help but feel terrible for the thousands of closeted homosexuals who must live a life repressing their true identity. It makes me grateful for what tolerance we do have in the States. Because homosexuality is not acknowledged or thought about here, men are very comfortable throwing their arms around each other, holding hands, and kissing on the cheek without the fear of being called gay. I wish straight men could comfortably act this way in the States without scrutiny.
Koreans live a pretty healthy lifestyle. Obesity is almost nonexistent, and most of the food eaten is significantly better for you than what we normally consume in the States (like wheat thins). Unfortunately for foreigners like me who have a slightly thick body, we can't fit into most of the clothes here!
Despite having just as many cons and pros in the list above, my experience here has been mostly positive, and I by no means wish to give the impression that I have a lot to complain about. Life anywhere will provide things to complain about, but those things don't have to ruin our experiences.
Many public restrooms do not have paper towels or air dryers. Naturally, it's inconvenient to have to dry my hands off on my jeans. On the flip side, at least it's eco-friendly!
Koreans are very willing to point out your physical characteristics. This works against my favor when they say things like "You look so young!", "You should do something about that belly.", or "You look really tired/sick!" It has worked in my favor when they say things like "You look very strong!" or "You are very handsome! Most handsome man in bar!" Unfortunately, the only people who tell me those flattering comments are men.
It has been somewhat common for random Koreans to buy me things. I really appreciate the culture they have of sharing and giving. Unfortunately, most of the things given to me have been beer and soju (a kind of rice liquor). I'd like to figure out a polite way to say in Korean, "I prefer Yoohoo."
When walking in public, it is totally acceptable to bump and push through people. As an American, this really drives me nuts a lot of the time. I try to remember that it's not rude here and I should not think of it as such, but it's hard when I'm getting pushed around. On the other hand, it's nice to know that I can push through a crowd without being apologetic!
Korea has killed off most of their animals. Squirrels, rats, deer, etc. are only to be found deep in the forests, and there are really only two kinds of birds here in Pohang, and they are not plentiful. It's sad to hear my students get excited about going to the mountains and seeing two squirrels. At least I don't have to worry about being eaten by a tiger or pooped on by a pigeon.
Koreans will eat anything that comes from the ocean, and I mean that literally. If it can be digested, it will be consumed. I would like to think this helps prevent the complete annihilation of certain fish, since they are not focused on catching just one or two species. As a consumer, though, I often have to turn down some pretty questionable seafood! Can I just get a salmon fillet?!
There are many foods here that Koreans swear are very healthy and will help immune systems, stamina, etc. This is encouraging to hear! However, when you hear the same Koreans claiming that if you turn on a fan in a room with closed doors and windows, you will die (often referred to as "fan death")... I'm not so sure I can believe what they say about their food.
Some days, all I want to do is sit in front of my computer, watch countless episodes of my favorite shows and eat a whole box of wheat thins. Unfortunately, I have yet to find anything remotely resembling wheat thins. Fortunately, I have lost weight!
Koreans claim that homosexuality does not exist in this country, and they seem to have no interest in allowing it to exist. I can not help but feel terrible for the thousands of closeted homosexuals who must live a life repressing their true identity. It makes me grateful for what tolerance we do have in the States. Because homosexuality is not acknowledged or thought about here, men are very comfortable throwing their arms around each other, holding hands, and kissing on the cheek without the fear of being called gay. I wish straight men could comfortably act this way in the States without scrutiny.
Koreans live a pretty healthy lifestyle. Obesity is almost nonexistent, and most of the food eaten is significantly better for you than what we normally consume in the States (like wheat thins). Unfortunately for foreigners like me who have a slightly thick body, we can't fit into most of the clothes here!
Despite having just as many cons and pros in the list above, my experience here has been mostly positive, and I by no means wish to give the impression that I have a lot to complain about. Life anywhere will provide things to complain about, but those things don't have to ruin our experiences.
Monday, October 3, 2011
2 Months In...
Well today marks two months into my experience here in South Korea. It is really hard to believe it's already been 2 months.
It's beginning to feel like Fall here. The daytime temperatures have been in the 60s, but the nights are getting considerably cooler than they were a few weeks ago. Within the next few weeks I anticipate much cooler weather. I'm excited to see what fall looks like in Korea. Although there are many evergreens, there are still plenty of deciduous trees that will hopefully turn to beautiful colors. The weather was perfect a couple weeks ago, high 70s, dry and clear. It reminded me of Spring at Sonoma State, the kind of days when I would take one step out of my dorm to head to class and decide it's too nice a day to be inside a classroom. That week made me feel extremely nostalgic for the Sonoma Valley, so much so it almost hurt. It was hard spending 10 hours at school on those days when I would have much rather sat outside reading and drinking some iced coffee.
Last weekend I returned to Bogyeongsa with some friends. I had no problem revisiting the beautiful, old temple and hiking along the canyon and waterfalls. I decided to hike further up the canyon rather than swim in the pools (I also refrained from jumping/slipping off the rocks!). I'm glad I did, because after hiking for about a mile and a half, it became extremely quiet, leaving the crowds behind, and I really felt like I was experiencing Korea's nature. I've posted some photos from that hike onto my shutterfly account. www.romansadventuresinasia.shutterfly.com
Here's a video of Bogyeongsa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7vPNp76-Jg
This last Saturday I drove to the town of Andong with some friends. We were fortunate enough to have two friends with cars, so ten of us carpooled there instead of taking a bus. Andong was having a mask festival, and it sounded like a cultural experience worth having. It was located at their fairgrounds, and felt very much like a festival in the states. They had lots of food stands, typical games like throwing baseballs at stacked bottles, and live performances of traditional korean dancing and drumming. We spent a few hours there, then headed to a traditional village 30 minutes away for a fire/fireworks show!
At this fire/fireworks show, they threw flaming barrels of hay off a high cliff, all landing in the same spot, creating a gigantic fire. They also floated candles down the river, and had a fireworks display at the end. It was quite beautiful. Unfortunately, we had no idea what the meaning or significance was for throwing the flaming hay barrels off the cliffs. That's when it comes in handy to have Korean friends!
Here is a video of the mask festival and fire show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bJbHsczquU
I must admit, I'm coming to realize that I really don't love my job. I can't say I hate it by any means, but it leaves me feeling so exhausted! Teaching is the kind of job that requires constant positive energy by the teacher, especially with the young students, and some days it is such a struggle for me to be peppy and upbeat. I hope I adjust to these long hours eventually, because otherwise it'll be a tough year. On the flipside, I have been making a good effort to spend my free time doing great things. I'm still playing soccer every Tuesday night and loving it. I helped start a discussion group for Thursday nights where we sit around at a cafe and talk about anything from current events, politics, philosophy, literature, etc. We are calling it the Socrates Club. I found a rock climbing gym and a few people who are interested in climbing, so I'm hoping to start climbing this week. I've also started learning how to drive a scooter. I don't think I'll end up buying one, especially with the cold weather coming soon. But I have three friends who have scooters and have offered to let me borrow theirs if I need (and I think they're also hoping I can become their designated driver!). It's definitely a little nerve-wracking driving a scooter, but I'll soon get used to it.
My friends and I are starting to plan our holiday trip to Cambodia. As I have done some research on the country, I have become EXTREMELY excited! If you're wondering why, read www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia
To my friends and family in the States, I miss you terribly.
Be well.
It's beginning to feel like Fall here. The daytime temperatures have been in the 60s, but the nights are getting considerably cooler than they were a few weeks ago. Within the next few weeks I anticipate much cooler weather. I'm excited to see what fall looks like in Korea. Although there are many evergreens, there are still plenty of deciduous trees that will hopefully turn to beautiful colors. The weather was perfect a couple weeks ago, high 70s, dry and clear. It reminded me of Spring at Sonoma State, the kind of days when I would take one step out of my dorm to head to class and decide it's too nice a day to be inside a classroom. That week made me feel extremely nostalgic for the Sonoma Valley, so much so it almost hurt. It was hard spending 10 hours at school on those days when I would have much rather sat outside reading and drinking some iced coffee.
Last weekend I returned to Bogyeongsa with some friends. I had no problem revisiting the beautiful, old temple and hiking along the canyon and waterfalls. I decided to hike further up the canyon rather than swim in the pools (I also refrained from jumping/slipping off the rocks!). I'm glad I did, because after hiking for about a mile and a half, it became extremely quiet, leaving the crowds behind, and I really felt like I was experiencing Korea's nature. I've posted some photos from that hike onto my shutterfly account. www.romansadventuresinasia.shutterfly.com
Here's a video of Bogyeongsa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7vPNp76-Jg
This last Saturday I drove to the town of Andong with some friends. We were fortunate enough to have two friends with cars, so ten of us carpooled there instead of taking a bus. Andong was having a mask festival, and it sounded like a cultural experience worth having. It was located at their fairgrounds, and felt very much like a festival in the states. They had lots of food stands, typical games like throwing baseballs at stacked bottles, and live performances of traditional korean dancing and drumming. We spent a few hours there, then headed to a traditional village 30 minutes away for a fire/fireworks show!
At this fire/fireworks show, they threw flaming barrels of hay off a high cliff, all landing in the same spot, creating a gigantic fire. They also floated candles down the river, and had a fireworks display at the end. It was quite beautiful. Unfortunately, we had no idea what the meaning or significance was for throwing the flaming hay barrels off the cliffs. That's when it comes in handy to have Korean friends!
Here is a video of the mask festival and fire show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bJbHsczquU
I must admit, I'm coming to realize that I really don't love my job. I can't say I hate it by any means, but it leaves me feeling so exhausted! Teaching is the kind of job that requires constant positive energy by the teacher, especially with the young students, and some days it is such a struggle for me to be peppy and upbeat. I hope I adjust to these long hours eventually, because otherwise it'll be a tough year. On the flipside, I have been making a good effort to spend my free time doing great things. I'm still playing soccer every Tuesday night and loving it. I helped start a discussion group for Thursday nights where we sit around at a cafe and talk about anything from current events, politics, philosophy, literature, etc. We are calling it the Socrates Club. I found a rock climbing gym and a few people who are interested in climbing, so I'm hoping to start climbing this week. I've also started learning how to drive a scooter. I don't think I'll end up buying one, especially with the cold weather coming soon. But I have three friends who have scooters and have offered to let me borrow theirs if I need (and I think they're also hoping I can become their designated driver!). It's definitely a little nerve-wracking driving a scooter, but I'll soon get used to it.
My friends and I are starting to plan our holiday trip to Cambodia. As I have done some research on the country, I have become EXTREMELY excited! If you're wondering why, read www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia
To my friends and family in the States, I miss you terribly.
Be well.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
3 Nights in Fukuoka, Japan
[Disclaimer: Make sure you have at least 10 minutes to read this. It's a long one!]
After three nights and two full days in Japan, I am back home in Pohang and exhausted! I think it's safe to say I made good use of my time in Fukuoka, seeing a variety of sights, meeting several wonderful people, eating some great food, shopping, and taking plenty of photos/videos. From temples and shrines, to beaches, hot springs, jazz bars, and food stalls, it was an action-packed couple of days!
Saturday Sept 10th
I flew into Fukuoka from Busan, arriving at 6pm Saturday evening. It was a quick 35 minute flight, and entertained us by showing an old episode of Mr. Bean. It was very quick and easy getting through both airports, and I made it to my hostel in no time. Upon settling into my hostel dormitory, I met a Japanese fellow named Otsui who offered to take me to a row of food stalls called Yatai. We found a ramen stall, and made good conversation with some local college students who are studying English. They complimented my chopstick skills and recommended some places for me to visit. The ramen was tasty, but it was $17!
After dinner, Otsui had to meet up with a friend, so I decided to wander the city on my own. Fukuoka has a river that runs through the city, along with many canals. There were street entertainers all along the sides of the river and canals, and the city was alive. After about 45 minutes of wandering, I found a bar with a sign saying "Live Jazz". I could faintly hear some smooth jazz coming from the upstairs and decided to check it out. It was a very small jazz bar, not much bigger than my apartment. A five-piece jazz band was performing, and they were good! I had been told by music professors that the Japanese struggle with jazz, but I did not find that to be the case with this group. I noticed a white guy sitting across the bar, and after the band finished their set, he approached me and introduced himself (his name is Quinn). We got to talking, and I found out he is a jazz pianist. He proceeded to perform a quick set with some of the musicians from the previous band. While listening, I couldn't help but smile and think to myself, "I'm listening to live jazz in Japan!" Quinn finished his set, and we talked some more. He offered to take me to a foreigner bar where his girlfriend works. At the bar, I had a great conversation with the bar owner who was born in the Dominican Republic, grew up in New Jersey, and has lived in Fukuoka for about 16 years. When I told him I grew up in the Bay Area, he said his brother, Geronimo Berroa, used to play for the Oakland A's! Quinn and his girlfriend recommended I check out a town called Dafaizu, where I can visit some Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The night ended around 2am, and I headed back to my hostel for some z's.
Sunday Sept 11th
The next morning, I asked the front desk worker at my hostel how to get to Dafaizu. He showed me the train routes I need to take, and shortly thereafter I departed. It was a quick and easy train ride to this beautiful small town. Once I got off the train, I had to walk through a quaint promenade lined with shops, restaurants, and ice cream stands. A lot of the shops were selling souvenirs, but none of it seemed hokey. Not once did I feel like I had entered a tourist trap. At the end of the promenade was the entrance to one of the shrines. From there, I walked a big loop where shrines and temples are all grouped together. Since I don't know anything about Buddhism or Shinto, I was careful not to do anything that might be offensive or out of line. Many people were there to sight-see, but many people were there to pray. I decided to try to stay in the background, and quietly take photos and videos.
Outside one of the temples were several tents where various vendors were selling Japanese antiques, artwork, ceramics, fabrics, clothes, and random nick-nacks. I wandered into a tent that was displaying scrolled paintings (very Japanese!). They were only about $25 each, and given that Japan is so expensive, I decided this was an opportunity to take advantage of. I found a beautiful painting of a mountain/ocean landscape and decided to purchase it. The man selling these paintings said this particular painting was 100 years old. Now, of course there is a chance he is pulling my chain, but I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt. I was about to leave with my new painting, but the man yelled "Wait!" I turned around and saw him pull another painting off the rack. This one is of a Shinto god, and the man said it is 150 years old. He proceeded to roll it up and stuck it in my bag! So for $25, I walked out with two old paintings! The mountain/ocean landscape is now hanging on my wall, and I plan on hanging the Shinto god in my classroom once I'm teaching in the States again.
For lunch, I decided to try to find something a little cheaper than my $17 ramen from the previous night. I found a noodle dish that was only $6.50, so I decided to order it. It ended up being cold, plain noodles on a plate. It was then that I realized that if I want to eat anything good on this trip, I will need to dish out some dough!
After several hours of walking around in the sun (it was about 90 degrees), I decided to take the train back to Fukuoka and rest for a few hours. I found a nice coffee shop where I read and sipped some iced coffee. Despite my caffeine, I felt my body crashing, so I returned to my hostel for a nap.
I woke up around 7pm and felt groggy. I decided this would be a good night to be mellow and check out one of the local hot springs. I saw a message in the hostel about a hot spring in the city that offers guests a discount, so that became my destination. I asked the front desk worker which bus to take, and he directed me to where I needed to go.
I found the right bus # and boarded it, expecting it would eventually lead to the hot springs. 25 minutes later, the bus was on the edge of town in a dark, quiet neighborhood. I was the only passenger left, and the bus stopped at the last stop. The bus driver looked at me and said I needed to get off. This clearly was not my stop. I told the driver where I needed to go, and he said I made a mistake and took the bus in the wrong direction. He told me to get on the bus going the other direction. So I stepped off. A moment of panic overcame me. As I stood at the bus stop, I tried to find comfort in Brad Newsham's motto: "I am in all the right places doing all the right things." But I also couldn't help but think "I'M LOST IN JAPAN!" I found a mini-mart to find out how to get on the right bus. The employee drew me a map, and I began walking. After about 10 minutes, I finally found what appeared to be my bus stop. The right bus arrived, and it ended up being the same bus and driver as before, just going the other direction! I asked him if this was the bus I need, and he said it was. Frustrated, I screamed in my head "Why did you kick me off the bus in the middle of nowhere?!" Regardless, I was going the right direction and was safe. The bus driver showed me some sympathy and only charged me what I would have paid had I taken the right bus in the first place.
Finally I arrived at the hot springs. It was a beautiful facility! I walked up to the front desk, got checked in, and rented a towel. As I was getting undressed in the locker room, a man asked me why I only had one towel. I said I didn't know I needed more than one. He tried to explain to me in his broken English that everyone has three towels: two big and one small. I was trying to understand why I would need three towels, but just couldn't figure it out. He was just leaving, so he handed me his small towel and said I could use it. I thanked him and accepted his generous offer, but I have no interest in wiping my body off with a wet towel that was just all over someone else's body. So I left it on a shelf after he left the locker room. I decided one towel should be sufficient, and I entered the hot springs.
The pools were both inside and out. It was a beautiful night, and the outside pools had a view of the ocean, so I decided that's where I would like to be. The pools were separated by gender, so the women were in an entirely different area not to be seen by us. This is because Japanese hot springs are to be enjoyed in the nude. This was my first experience partaking in a nude hot spring, but thought to myself "When in Rome!" I wondered how comfortable I would be, but the second I entered the springs, I did not feel awkward about it at all. "I'm naked in Japan!" I thought to myself. After an hour and a half at the springs, I decided to call it a night.
Upon returning to my hostel, I decided to take a stroll. Since it was a Sunday night, the city was quiet. I wrote the following in my journal:
A drastically different night from last. Being Sunday, the streets are quiet and empty. As I wander past locked up shops, I feel as though this city is mine, only to be shared with cockroaches and crab-like spiders. I decide to visit the Shinto shrine tucked away around the corner from my hostel. It feels more spiritual when I am the lone visitor at midnight. No cameras clicking, no children running, no shuffle of shoes in the gravel and dirt. Just myself and an ancient religion that could not be more foreign to me. I am aimlessly wandering the midnight streets of Japan!
Monday Sept 12th
I woke up with no plan for the day. I took a look at my city map to see what attractions I might be interested in. With the hot, sunny weather, I thought the beach would be a nice treat. Unfortunately, I could not figure out which bus to take, and the front-desk worker at my hostel didn't speak English. So instead, I decided to check out Ohori Park, which appeared to provide many attractions. From the park, I wrote the following in my journal:
I was planning on hitting the beach today, but couldn't figure out how to get there, so instead I took the subway to Ohori Park to visit the Fukuoka Castle ruins, Art Museum, and Japanese Gardens (yes, they call them Japanese Gardens here!). There is a lake in the middle of the park and a path that loops around, as well as a man-made land bridge through the center. As I walk the path, I start thinking that the Japanese aren't so different from my culture. I see married couples riding bikes with a baby in a child seat, senior men fishing in the lake, men and women jogging, guys napping in the sun with their shirts off. They are enjoying this park just as any American would.
I found myself getting quite hungry, so I searched all around the park for food. But even in Japan, thousands of miles away from home, I realize my only option for lunch. Furiously shaking my fists to the sky and cursing to no one, I scream "Starbucks!" Yes, of course, in the middle of the park lies a Starbucks. Deciding not to let them ruin my cultural experience, I order the two weirdest things from the display case: a mushroom and swiss sandwich (which also contained some sort of sliced meat and mustard seeds) and a sweet potato muffin filled with black sesame seeds. Both tasted good, not great. I am now tired of this familiar establishment and have digested my weird food, so I am off to the gardens. Perhaps I can still figure out how to get to the beach.
Unfortunately, both the gardens and the museum were closed that day, and the castle ruins were underwhelming (they were just stone walls). So I looked at my city map, found the nearest subway station to the beach, and decided to find my way there. It ended up being beautiful and just what I needed after the park ended up being a flop. I wrote the following while sitting at the beach:
I took the subway to the exit nearest the beach. I figured if I walk north long enough I'll eventually hit the beach. After 20 minutes of walking, I was victorious in my quest. Fukuoka is in a bay, with land almost enclosing the water. Across the water are small mountains. Behind me are Fukuoka's tallest buildings. 100 yards in front of me is a beautiful Mediterranean-style hotel on a pier, but surrounding me is an outdoor Jamaican-style cabana with every stereotypical Reggae song playing. I ordered a drink called a Cocobee from the walk-up bar. Based on the photo, it looked like it would be a delicious coconut smoothie. "How refreshing!" I thought to myself. Instead, it ended up being beer with coconut milk. Given my distaste for beer, it was hard to choke down. But that's what I get for ordering a mystery drink. After the park was a series of disappointments, I'm grateful I found this beach. I'm at the beach in Japan!
As the afternoon was soon becoming evening, I headed back into the heart of the city. I was not going to stay at my hostel that last night. Instead, I had made arrangements to couchsurf that night. For those of you not savvy to couchsurfing, there is a website where people offer their couches to travelers to provide an alternative to hotels and hostels. To stay on someone's couch is always free, and it allows the traveler to stay with a local who can show them around town, provide real hospitality, and provide a cozy home setting. Since I was new to Japan, I figured it'd be good for me to couchsurf at least one of the nights so I can talk to a local and learn a thing or two about the area.
I arrived at my host's apartment around 8pm. Her name is Rebekah, and she is an American (a Bay Area native) who has lived in Fukuoka for the last 4 years. She had another guest staying at her place that night as well, and invited a Japanese friend of hers to come over and cook us dinner. She and her friend cooked a traditional dish called "niku jyaga" which translates to "meat and potatoes". And just like it sounds, it was beef, potatoes, and veggies. "I'm eating home cooking in Japan!" It was delicious, but it also surprised me that this was a common Japanese dish, since it is also common in the British Isles and other parts of Europe. The four of us had a great time talking about our travels, recommending music and literature, and sharing our experiences working in Asia. The other guest was a German fellow named Johannes. We had a great time talking history, mostly 20th century German history (he was born in East Berlin!). After an evening of great dining and great company, we crashed around 1am.
Tuesday Sept 13th
Rebekah had to kick Johannes and me out at 8am when she left for work. He and I walked to the train station together and found a Krispy Kreme shop to enjoy some breakfast! (anyone who knows me knows I can never turn down a donut) At 9am, we went our separate ways and I headed to the airport. I have felt exhausted all day, my eyes remaining only half open. I tried sleeping on the 2-hour bus ride home, but various factors prevented me from getting much sleep (like the person who continued to fart on the bus, poisoning my nose!). I am so glad I took this opportunity to see Fukuoka. It was well-worth the money and effort! I have uploaded photos to the following shutterfly site:
http://romansadventuresinasia.shutterfly.com/
Videos to come.
And now, I sleep.
After three nights and two full days in Japan, I am back home in Pohang and exhausted! I think it's safe to say I made good use of my time in Fukuoka, seeing a variety of sights, meeting several wonderful people, eating some great food, shopping, and taking plenty of photos/videos. From temples and shrines, to beaches, hot springs, jazz bars, and food stalls, it was an action-packed couple of days!
Saturday Sept 10th
I flew into Fukuoka from Busan, arriving at 6pm Saturday evening. It was a quick 35 minute flight, and entertained us by showing an old episode of Mr. Bean. It was very quick and easy getting through both airports, and I made it to my hostel in no time. Upon settling into my hostel dormitory, I met a Japanese fellow named Otsui who offered to take me to a row of food stalls called Yatai. We found a ramen stall, and made good conversation with some local college students who are studying English. They complimented my chopstick skills and recommended some places for me to visit. The ramen was tasty, but it was $17!
After dinner, Otsui had to meet up with a friend, so I decided to wander the city on my own. Fukuoka has a river that runs through the city, along with many canals. There were street entertainers all along the sides of the river and canals, and the city was alive. After about 45 minutes of wandering, I found a bar with a sign saying "Live Jazz". I could faintly hear some smooth jazz coming from the upstairs and decided to check it out. It was a very small jazz bar, not much bigger than my apartment. A five-piece jazz band was performing, and they were good! I had been told by music professors that the Japanese struggle with jazz, but I did not find that to be the case with this group. I noticed a white guy sitting across the bar, and after the band finished their set, he approached me and introduced himself (his name is Quinn). We got to talking, and I found out he is a jazz pianist. He proceeded to perform a quick set with some of the musicians from the previous band. While listening, I couldn't help but smile and think to myself, "I'm listening to live jazz in Japan!" Quinn finished his set, and we talked some more. He offered to take me to a foreigner bar where his girlfriend works. At the bar, I had a great conversation with the bar owner who was born in the Dominican Republic, grew up in New Jersey, and has lived in Fukuoka for about 16 years. When I told him I grew up in the Bay Area, he said his brother, Geronimo Berroa, used to play for the Oakland A's! Quinn and his girlfriend recommended I check out a town called Dafaizu, where I can visit some Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The night ended around 2am, and I headed back to my hostel for some z's.
Sunday Sept 11th
The next morning, I asked the front desk worker at my hostel how to get to Dafaizu. He showed me the train routes I need to take, and shortly thereafter I departed. It was a quick and easy train ride to this beautiful small town. Once I got off the train, I had to walk through a quaint promenade lined with shops, restaurants, and ice cream stands. A lot of the shops were selling souvenirs, but none of it seemed hokey. Not once did I feel like I had entered a tourist trap. At the end of the promenade was the entrance to one of the shrines. From there, I walked a big loop where shrines and temples are all grouped together. Since I don't know anything about Buddhism or Shinto, I was careful not to do anything that might be offensive or out of line. Many people were there to sight-see, but many people were there to pray. I decided to try to stay in the background, and quietly take photos and videos.
Outside one of the temples were several tents where various vendors were selling Japanese antiques, artwork, ceramics, fabrics, clothes, and random nick-nacks. I wandered into a tent that was displaying scrolled paintings (very Japanese!). They were only about $25 each, and given that Japan is so expensive, I decided this was an opportunity to take advantage of. I found a beautiful painting of a mountain/ocean landscape and decided to purchase it. The man selling these paintings said this particular painting was 100 years old. Now, of course there is a chance he is pulling my chain, but I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt. I was about to leave with my new painting, but the man yelled "Wait!" I turned around and saw him pull another painting off the rack. This one is of a Shinto god, and the man said it is 150 years old. He proceeded to roll it up and stuck it in my bag! So for $25, I walked out with two old paintings! The mountain/ocean landscape is now hanging on my wall, and I plan on hanging the Shinto god in my classroom once I'm teaching in the States again.
For lunch, I decided to try to find something a little cheaper than my $17 ramen from the previous night. I found a noodle dish that was only $6.50, so I decided to order it. It ended up being cold, plain noodles on a plate. It was then that I realized that if I want to eat anything good on this trip, I will need to dish out some dough!
After several hours of walking around in the sun (it was about 90 degrees), I decided to take the train back to Fukuoka and rest for a few hours. I found a nice coffee shop where I read and sipped some iced coffee. Despite my caffeine, I felt my body crashing, so I returned to my hostel for a nap.
I woke up around 7pm and felt groggy. I decided this would be a good night to be mellow and check out one of the local hot springs. I saw a message in the hostel about a hot spring in the city that offers guests a discount, so that became my destination. I asked the front desk worker which bus to take, and he directed me to where I needed to go.
I found the right bus # and boarded it, expecting it would eventually lead to the hot springs. 25 minutes later, the bus was on the edge of town in a dark, quiet neighborhood. I was the only passenger left, and the bus stopped at the last stop. The bus driver looked at me and said I needed to get off. This clearly was not my stop. I told the driver where I needed to go, and he said I made a mistake and took the bus in the wrong direction. He told me to get on the bus going the other direction. So I stepped off. A moment of panic overcame me. As I stood at the bus stop, I tried to find comfort in Brad Newsham's motto: "I am in all the right places doing all the right things." But I also couldn't help but think "I'M LOST IN JAPAN!" I found a mini-mart to find out how to get on the right bus. The employee drew me a map, and I began walking. After about 10 minutes, I finally found what appeared to be my bus stop. The right bus arrived, and it ended up being the same bus and driver as before, just going the other direction! I asked him if this was the bus I need, and he said it was. Frustrated, I screamed in my head "Why did you kick me off the bus in the middle of nowhere?!" Regardless, I was going the right direction and was safe. The bus driver showed me some sympathy and only charged me what I would have paid had I taken the right bus in the first place.
Finally I arrived at the hot springs. It was a beautiful facility! I walked up to the front desk, got checked in, and rented a towel. As I was getting undressed in the locker room, a man asked me why I only had one towel. I said I didn't know I needed more than one. He tried to explain to me in his broken English that everyone has three towels: two big and one small. I was trying to understand why I would need three towels, but just couldn't figure it out. He was just leaving, so he handed me his small towel and said I could use it. I thanked him and accepted his generous offer, but I have no interest in wiping my body off with a wet towel that was just all over someone else's body. So I left it on a shelf after he left the locker room. I decided one towel should be sufficient, and I entered the hot springs.
The pools were both inside and out. It was a beautiful night, and the outside pools had a view of the ocean, so I decided that's where I would like to be. The pools were separated by gender, so the women were in an entirely different area not to be seen by us. This is because Japanese hot springs are to be enjoyed in the nude. This was my first experience partaking in a nude hot spring, but thought to myself "When in Rome!" I wondered how comfortable I would be, but the second I entered the springs, I did not feel awkward about it at all. "I'm naked in Japan!" I thought to myself. After an hour and a half at the springs, I decided to call it a night.
Upon returning to my hostel, I decided to take a stroll. Since it was a Sunday night, the city was quiet. I wrote the following in my journal:
A drastically different night from last. Being Sunday, the streets are quiet and empty. As I wander past locked up shops, I feel as though this city is mine, only to be shared with cockroaches and crab-like spiders. I decide to visit the Shinto shrine tucked away around the corner from my hostel. It feels more spiritual when I am the lone visitor at midnight. No cameras clicking, no children running, no shuffle of shoes in the gravel and dirt. Just myself and an ancient religion that could not be more foreign to me. I am aimlessly wandering the midnight streets of Japan!
Monday Sept 12th
I woke up with no plan for the day. I took a look at my city map to see what attractions I might be interested in. With the hot, sunny weather, I thought the beach would be a nice treat. Unfortunately, I could not figure out which bus to take, and the front-desk worker at my hostel didn't speak English. So instead, I decided to check out Ohori Park, which appeared to provide many attractions. From the park, I wrote the following in my journal:
I was planning on hitting the beach today, but couldn't figure out how to get there, so instead I took the subway to Ohori Park to visit the Fukuoka Castle ruins, Art Museum, and Japanese Gardens (yes, they call them Japanese Gardens here!). There is a lake in the middle of the park and a path that loops around, as well as a man-made land bridge through the center. As I walk the path, I start thinking that the Japanese aren't so different from my culture. I see married couples riding bikes with a baby in a child seat, senior men fishing in the lake, men and women jogging, guys napping in the sun with their shirts off. They are enjoying this park just as any American would.
I found myself getting quite hungry, so I searched all around the park for food. But even in Japan, thousands of miles away from home, I realize my only option for lunch. Furiously shaking my fists to the sky and cursing to no one, I scream "Starbucks!" Yes, of course, in the middle of the park lies a Starbucks. Deciding not to let them ruin my cultural experience, I order the two weirdest things from the display case: a mushroom and swiss sandwich (which also contained some sort of sliced meat and mustard seeds) and a sweet potato muffin filled with black sesame seeds. Both tasted good, not great. I am now tired of this familiar establishment and have digested my weird food, so I am off to the gardens. Perhaps I can still figure out how to get to the beach.
Unfortunately, both the gardens and the museum were closed that day, and the castle ruins were underwhelming (they were just stone walls). So I looked at my city map, found the nearest subway station to the beach, and decided to find my way there. It ended up being beautiful and just what I needed after the park ended up being a flop. I wrote the following while sitting at the beach:
I took the subway to the exit nearest the beach. I figured if I walk north long enough I'll eventually hit the beach. After 20 minutes of walking, I was victorious in my quest. Fukuoka is in a bay, with land almost enclosing the water. Across the water are small mountains. Behind me are Fukuoka's tallest buildings. 100 yards in front of me is a beautiful Mediterranean-style hotel on a pier, but surrounding me is an outdoor Jamaican-style cabana with every stereotypical Reggae song playing. I ordered a drink called a Cocobee from the walk-up bar. Based on the photo, it looked like it would be a delicious coconut smoothie. "How refreshing!" I thought to myself. Instead, it ended up being beer with coconut milk. Given my distaste for beer, it was hard to choke down. But that's what I get for ordering a mystery drink. After the park was a series of disappointments, I'm grateful I found this beach. I'm at the beach in Japan!
As the afternoon was soon becoming evening, I headed back into the heart of the city. I was not going to stay at my hostel that last night. Instead, I had made arrangements to couchsurf that night. For those of you not savvy to couchsurfing, there is a website where people offer their couches to travelers to provide an alternative to hotels and hostels. To stay on someone's couch is always free, and it allows the traveler to stay with a local who can show them around town, provide real hospitality, and provide a cozy home setting. Since I was new to Japan, I figured it'd be good for me to couchsurf at least one of the nights so I can talk to a local and learn a thing or two about the area.
I arrived at my host's apartment around 8pm. Her name is Rebekah, and she is an American (a Bay Area native) who has lived in Fukuoka for the last 4 years. She had another guest staying at her place that night as well, and invited a Japanese friend of hers to come over and cook us dinner. She and her friend cooked a traditional dish called "niku jyaga" which translates to "meat and potatoes". And just like it sounds, it was beef, potatoes, and veggies. "I'm eating home cooking in Japan!" It was delicious, but it also surprised me that this was a common Japanese dish, since it is also common in the British Isles and other parts of Europe. The four of us had a great time talking about our travels, recommending music and literature, and sharing our experiences working in Asia. The other guest was a German fellow named Johannes. We had a great time talking history, mostly 20th century German history (he was born in East Berlin!). After an evening of great dining and great company, we crashed around 1am.
Tuesday Sept 13th
Rebekah had to kick Johannes and me out at 8am when she left for work. He and I walked to the train station together and found a Krispy Kreme shop to enjoy some breakfast! (anyone who knows me knows I can never turn down a donut) At 9am, we went our separate ways and I headed to the airport. I have felt exhausted all day, my eyes remaining only half open. I tried sleeping on the 2-hour bus ride home, but various factors prevented me from getting much sleep (like the person who continued to fart on the bus, poisoning my nose!). I am so glad I took this opportunity to see Fukuoka. It was well-worth the money and effort! I have uploaded photos to the following shutterfly site:
http://romansadventuresinasia.shutterfly.com/
Videos to come.
And now, I sleep.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
One Month In...
I can't believe I've already been here for a month. How time flies by! I think working 10 hours a day helps the time go quickly. I feel like after a month, I'm very well settled into work, and am fairly well acquainted with Pohang. I still have a lot to learn, such as the language, figuring out some of the bus routes, how to read a menu, etc. but that will come with time.
Last night I got to partake in a cultural experience. Not Korean culture, but South African. A friend and I were invited to a South African bri (BBQ) in the town of Gyeongju, which is a 30 minute bus ride away. A group of 12 of us met up at a park along the river, and ate good food, played guitar, and socialized. I was able to learn a bit about South Africa and the culture. Of all the foreigners living in Korea, I think I know the least about South Africans and their country/culture. So it was educational spending an evening with them.
I had a frustrating week at work, and for a seemingly common reason among English teachers. Some of my afternoon classes have not been behaving well, and some students in particular have been pretty awful. Before coming to Korea, I had an expectation that Korean students would be very well-behaved and disciplined. It turns out that I was sadly mistaken. Since my school is for-profit, it is run like a business, and any business's top priority is pleasing the client. Well the clients of my school are not the children but the parents. So we have to do anything we can to please the parents, even if that means not disciplining their kids. There is really nothing we can do to discipline the kids when they are misbehaving. We can't send them out to the hallway, because they'll miss valuable class time. We can't make them write sentences, because that is considered manual labor and barbaric in Korea. There is no such thing as detention or demerits at our school. When we asked our directors during a staff meeting what we can do when our students misbehave, all they said was don't do the things I just mentioned. So we feel clueless and helpless. It has gotten to the point in some classes that it is very hard to teach while certain students are being rude, constantly talking, and sometimes yelling at me or other teachers. We asked the directors if they would call some parents to talk to them about their students' behaviors, but unfortunately, there is no guarantee these parents will be called. Depending on the parents, the directors might decide not to call, fearing that a call would cause the parents to pull their kids from our school. Needless to say, it is a very frustrating situation.
I was challenged to another arm wrestling match last Friday night. This time I won, so I'm currently 1-1 in my arm wrestling record. I'll keep you posted on future challenges.
I must say, I have loved watching CNN's international network here. They cover stories from all around the world, and also stories from America. They have been spending the week doing various focus stories on Mongolia, featuring stories about their economy, traditional music, Buddhism, and other aspects of the country. I appreciate having more worldly news than what we get in the States while still being able to keep up to date with American news.
I've been loving my turkey sandwiches for lunch! God bless Costco.
Looking forward to getting my first pay check next week! And very much looking forward to my trip to Japan next weekend!!
Much love to you all!
Be well,
Roman
ps, a few people had requested a video of my walk to work, so here is a youtube link to it. It's nothing exciting, but you can get a good sense for what my neighborhood looks like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPC23czIoVw
Last night I got to partake in a cultural experience. Not Korean culture, but South African. A friend and I were invited to a South African bri (BBQ) in the town of Gyeongju, which is a 30 minute bus ride away. A group of 12 of us met up at a park along the river, and ate good food, played guitar, and socialized. I was able to learn a bit about South Africa and the culture. Of all the foreigners living in Korea, I think I know the least about South Africans and their country/culture. So it was educational spending an evening with them.
I had a frustrating week at work, and for a seemingly common reason among English teachers. Some of my afternoon classes have not been behaving well, and some students in particular have been pretty awful. Before coming to Korea, I had an expectation that Korean students would be very well-behaved and disciplined. It turns out that I was sadly mistaken. Since my school is for-profit, it is run like a business, and any business's top priority is pleasing the client. Well the clients of my school are not the children but the parents. So we have to do anything we can to please the parents, even if that means not disciplining their kids. There is really nothing we can do to discipline the kids when they are misbehaving. We can't send them out to the hallway, because they'll miss valuable class time. We can't make them write sentences, because that is considered manual labor and barbaric in Korea. There is no such thing as detention or demerits at our school. When we asked our directors during a staff meeting what we can do when our students misbehave, all they said was don't do the things I just mentioned. So we feel clueless and helpless. It has gotten to the point in some classes that it is very hard to teach while certain students are being rude, constantly talking, and sometimes yelling at me or other teachers. We asked the directors if they would call some parents to talk to them about their students' behaviors, but unfortunately, there is no guarantee these parents will be called. Depending on the parents, the directors might decide not to call, fearing that a call would cause the parents to pull their kids from our school. Needless to say, it is a very frustrating situation.
I was challenged to another arm wrestling match last Friday night. This time I won, so I'm currently 1-1 in my arm wrestling record. I'll keep you posted on future challenges.
I must say, I have loved watching CNN's international network here. They cover stories from all around the world, and also stories from America. They have been spending the week doing various focus stories on Mongolia, featuring stories about their economy, traditional music, Buddhism, and other aspects of the country. I appreciate having more worldly news than what we get in the States while still being able to keep up to date with American news.
I've been loving my turkey sandwiches for lunch! God bless Costco.
Looking forward to getting my first pay check next week! And very much looking forward to my trip to Japan next weekend!!
Much love to you all!
Be well,
Roman
ps, a few people had requested a video of my walk to work, so here is a youtube link to it. It's nothing exciting, but you can get a good sense for what my neighborhood looks like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPC23czIoVw
Sunday, August 28, 2011
3 and a half weeks in...
I think it's safe to say I've more or less settled in. Work quickly became comfortable for me, and each day feels like the usual daily grind. I can navigate a taxi around town, I can explore downtown by myself, and know how to find my way home. I've made some nice friends who have been gracious enough to include me in all of their weekend activities, and I feel like I'm more and more becoming part of the group.
Like I mentioned, I'm very much settled into my job, so much so that it is already getting boring at times. I hate admitting that, but it's true. My kindergarten class keeps me on my toes, and we have fun, so I can't say that's boring. But my afternoon classes feel more like tutoring sessions than teaching, and it's all done out of the textbooks and workbooks. Some of the classes have a nice group of students who are lively, so we can keep the energy level up. But other classes have very shy students, and no matter how lively I try to be with my limited resources, they don't reciprocate that energy. It's especially hard teaching my last two periods of the day from 6:00 - 7:25pm. By that point, I think we're all ready to be done and go home. On the flip side, it beats working at Starbucks and I'm grateful to have a job that allows me to teach and work with kids. I'm also very grateful to have this experience teaching and working with english language learners, which should be greatly beneficial while teaching in the States, where more and more schools have large groups of english language learners.
I feel like I've already done a lot in my short time here. Last night I went to my second professional soccer game here in Pohang. They're called the Steelers, but the Koreans pronounce it "suh-tee-luh-suh". They have a hard time connecting consonant sounds without a vowel in between, hence the "uh" between the "s" and the "t" in Steelers. There is always a big group of fans sitting behind one of the goals singing, chanting and banging on drums throughout the whole game. I think I'd like to sit there during my next game and learn the songs/chants. I've already got a jersey, so I'll fit right in. After the game, my friends and I went to the beach downtown where we lit off fireworks and kicked a soccerball around. We then proceeded to the foreigner bar where all the English teachers congregate, dance, and eat American food. It was a 70s theme last night, so of course I danced like nobody's business. A friend asked if I go out dancing a lot. I said no, I just go to a lot of weddings. I have also gotten a lot of rides on people's scooters lately. It's much more fun than taking a bus/taxi around town, and of course, it's free! Below is a photo of me on a friend's scooter. Don't worry, I now have my own helmet, so I will not be riding without one anymore.
Today, I joined three of my friends in a 6.5 hour journey to Costco! We had to take a 1 hour bus ride to Daegu, and spent over 2 hours wandering the many aisles of Costco. It's identical to the stores in the States, including the delicious muffins and the wonderfully cheap snack bar. It felt like home, and it was great to stock my kitchen with comfortable American foods like sliced turkey! Most of the meat in Korea is beef, pork and fish. And the occasional duck, and dog. After 3 and a half weeks being out here, I already miss my turkey sandwiches! Cheese is another hard-to-find commodity, so I stocked up on some provolone. We each brought our gigantic backpacks and loaded them up with our groceries for our journey back home. It may seem silly to you thinking that we would be willing to waste 6.5 hours of our weekend to go grocery shopping, but trust me, it's worth it! I like Korean food, but there are certain things I reallllly miss. I'd kill for some good mexican food. And a donut.
One thing that's been hard for me to accept is the bits of sexism and racism that exist in Korea. I continually hear stories from English teachers about their school directors saying that they do not want to hire any African-American teachers, and they usually give ridiculous reasons like "We don't want to confuse our students." Of course anyone from America would say that having a black teacher will only expose students to something new, and they can quickly learn that the color of your skin doesn't determine the type of person you can be. Don't get me wrong, there are African-American teachers working here, and of course I don't mean to imply that all Koreans have a prejudice against black people, but it's clear that it is an issue in many schools. Being dark skinned is very undesirable out here. Many Koreans try to shield themselves from the sun as much as possible so they can keep their skin as light as possible. It's weird coming from American culture that appreciates the "tall, dark and handsome" and has a tanning salon on every other corner. I also repeatedly hear about school directors only hiring attractive female Korean co-teachers. I am certainly treated better as a male in the work place, and even just out and about. I feel guilty accepting better privileges as a guy, but I don't know if I can do much about it.
In two weeks, Korea has a four-day weekend to honor deceased ancestors. I have decided to spend that time in Fukuoka, Japan. I will be heading out there alone, and plan on staying in a hostel for two nights, and couch surfing for my last night (couch surfing is an online organization where people offer their couches for travelers, free of charge). My next blog post will probably be written immediately following that trip.
To my friends and family back home, I miss and love you all terribly.
Be well.
Like I mentioned, I'm very much settled into my job, so much so that it is already getting boring at times. I hate admitting that, but it's true. My kindergarten class keeps me on my toes, and we have fun, so I can't say that's boring. But my afternoon classes feel more like tutoring sessions than teaching, and it's all done out of the textbooks and workbooks. Some of the classes have a nice group of students who are lively, so we can keep the energy level up. But other classes have very shy students, and no matter how lively I try to be with my limited resources, they don't reciprocate that energy. It's especially hard teaching my last two periods of the day from 6:00 - 7:25pm. By that point, I think we're all ready to be done and go home. On the flip side, it beats working at Starbucks and I'm grateful to have a job that allows me to teach and work with kids. I'm also very grateful to have this experience teaching and working with english language learners, which should be greatly beneficial while teaching in the States, where more and more schools have large groups of english language learners.
I feel like I've already done a lot in my short time here. Last night I went to my second professional soccer game here in Pohang. They're called the Steelers, but the Koreans pronounce it "suh-tee-luh-suh". They have a hard time connecting consonant sounds without a vowel in between, hence the "uh" between the "s" and the "t" in Steelers. There is always a big group of fans sitting behind one of the goals singing, chanting and banging on drums throughout the whole game. I think I'd like to sit there during my next game and learn the songs/chants. I've already got a jersey, so I'll fit right in. After the game, my friends and I went to the beach downtown where we lit off fireworks and kicked a soccerball around. We then proceeded to the foreigner bar where all the English teachers congregate, dance, and eat American food. It was a 70s theme last night, so of course I danced like nobody's business. A friend asked if I go out dancing a lot. I said no, I just go to a lot of weddings. I have also gotten a lot of rides on people's scooters lately. It's much more fun than taking a bus/taxi around town, and of course, it's free! Below is a photo of me on a friend's scooter. Don't worry, I now have my own helmet, so I will not be riding without one anymore.
Today, I joined three of my friends in a 6.5 hour journey to Costco! We had to take a 1 hour bus ride to Daegu, and spent over 2 hours wandering the many aisles of Costco. It's identical to the stores in the States, including the delicious muffins and the wonderfully cheap snack bar. It felt like home, and it was great to stock my kitchen with comfortable American foods like sliced turkey! Most of the meat in Korea is beef, pork and fish. And the occasional duck, and dog. After 3 and a half weeks being out here, I already miss my turkey sandwiches! Cheese is another hard-to-find commodity, so I stocked up on some provolone. We each brought our gigantic backpacks and loaded them up with our groceries for our journey back home. It may seem silly to you thinking that we would be willing to waste 6.5 hours of our weekend to go grocery shopping, but trust me, it's worth it! I like Korean food, but there are certain things I reallllly miss. I'd kill for some good mexican food. And a donut.
One thing that's been hard for me to accept is the bits of sexism and racism that exist in Korea. I continually hear stories from English teachers about their school directors saying that they do not want to hire any African-American teachers, and they usually give ridiculous reasons like "We don't want to confuse our students." Of course anyone from America would say that having a black teacher will only expose students to something new, and they can quickly learn that the color of your skin doesn't determine the type of person you can be. Don't get me wrong, there are African-American teachers working here, and of course I don't mean to imply that all Koreans have a prejudice against black people, but it's clear that it is an issue in many schools. Being dark skinned is very undesirable out here. Many Koreans try to shield themselves from the sun as much as possible so they can keep their skin as light as possible. It's weird coming from American culture that appreciates the "tall, dark and handsome" and has a tanning salon on every other corner. I also repeatedly hear about school directors only hiring attractive female Korean co-teachers. I am certainly treated better as a male in the work place, and even just out and about. I feel guilty accepting better privileges as a guy, but I don't know if I can do much about it.
In two weeks, Korea has a four-day weekend to honor deceased ancestors. I have decided to spend that time in Fukuoka, Japan. I will be heading out there alone, and plan on staying in a hostel for two nights, and couch surfing for my last night (couch surfing is an online organization where people offer their couches for travelers, free of charge). My next blog post will probably be written immediately following that trip.
To my friends and family back home, I miss and love you all terribly.
Be well.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
3-Day Weekend
Last night marked the end of a great three-day weekend here in Korea. Yesterday was Korea's Independence Day, so most schools were closed for the day, including mine. It gave me plenty of time to explore, have fun, AND relax!
On Saturday, I visited a park that is considered one of the top places to see here in the Pohang area. It's called Bogyeongsa, at the base of a small mountain. At the beginning, you get to walk through a beautiful old Buddhist temple, some of it dating back to the 1620s. I had never walked through a Buddhist temple, so it was certainly a highlight of my weekend. Architecturally it was wonderful, from the intricate wood carvings to the many colors, the statues, and the huge bells. From the temple, you can hike up a trail that cuts through a canyon and follows along a stream. All along the stream are pools where people play in the water, and there are a few waterfalls as well. It reminded me of Oregon in many ways, and was one of the most beautiful places I've been to in a long time. I went with two of my new English friends, and we had fun swimming and jumping off rocks (or in my case, slipping off rocks. Don't worry, I'm ok). Half way up the trail, we stopped at some benches to take a break. A minute later, a group of four Korean men sat with us and started conversation in broken English. After a few minutes, one of the men told me to arm wrestle his son, who was a very large guy. So being the good sport that I am, I accepted the offer, even though I knew this guy would win. Of course, he did (though I put up a good fight!). So I tried standing up, and the dad then told us to wrestle with our left arms, so we did, and I lost again. Then he told us to wrestle with our right arms again! So I did. And I lost. Again. I'm trying not to feel too bad about it though, his son was about 6 feet tall and had at least an extra 50 pounds on me. Not a fair match in my opinion!
On Sunday, I bought myself an acoustic guitar! I left mine at home to minimize the amount of luggage I would have to bring. I only had to spend $160 on the guitar, bag, strings, tuner, strap, and picks. You can't get a deal like that in America if you were buying the crummiest guitar ever made. I'm quite happy with my purchase, and it couldn't have come soon enough, I was going through guitar withdrawals! After buying my guitar, I met up with some friends downtown at a cafe where you can rent board games. They give you a menu of all the board games they have, and you order whatever game you want! So we played Pit (a fun stock-market game that requires lots of yelling) for about 2 and a half hours. We had a blast!
I spent Monday mostly relaxing, playing guitar, reading, and drinking coffee (my first trip to a coffee shop). I also saw Cowboys and Aliens with some friends. Luckily it was in English with Korean subtitles. Afterward we got some Korean pizza with a bulgogi topping. It wasn't half bad!
So far I've met some great people and see some friendships budding. Though I haven't discovered my core group of close friends yet, I'm very happy with the friends I have made so far. It's been fun hanging out with foreigners from all English-speaking countries! We have been exchanging our regional slang, and being the history nerd that I am, I've been getting some good history lessons from their home lands. Tonight I played soccer with a group of foreigners. I hadn't really played since high school, but was happy to find out I can still survive a game. I ended up scraping both my legs up pretty badly, so I guess that means it went well! I even scored a couple goals.
More to come.
Much love to you all.
Be well.
On Saturday, I visited a park that is considered one of the top places to see here in the Pohang area. It's called Bogyeongsa, at the base of a small mountain. At the beginning, you get to walk through a beautiful old Buddhist temple, some of it dating back to the 1620s. I had never walked through a Buddhist temple, so it was certainly a highlight of my weekend. Architecturally it was wonderful, from the intricate wood carvings to the many colors, the statues, and the huge bells. From the temple, you can hike up a trail that cuts through a canyon and follows along a stream. All along the stream are pools where people play in the water, and there are a few waterfalls as well. It reminded me of Oregon in many ways, and was one of the most beautiful places I've been to in a long time. I went with two of my new English friends, and we had fun swimming and jumping off rocks (or in my case, slipping off rocks. Don't worry, I'm ok). Half way up the trail, we stopped at some benches to take a break. A minute later, a group of four Korean men sat with us and started conversation in broken English. After a few minutes, one of the men told me to arm wrestle his son, who was a very large guy. So being the good sport that I am, I accepted the offer, even though I knew this guy would win. Of course, he did (though I put up a good fight!). So I tried standing up, and the dad then told us to wrestle with our left arms, so we did, and I lost again. Then he told us to wrestle with our right arms again! So I did. And I lost. Again. I'm trying not to feel too bad about it though, his son was about 6 feet tall and had at least an extra 50 pounds on me. Not a fair match in my opinion!
On Sunday, I bought myself an acoustic guitar! I left mine at home to minimize the amount of luggage I would have to bring. I only had to spend $160 on the guitar, bag, strings, tuner, strap, and picks. You can't get a deal like that in America if you were buying the crummiest guitar ever made. I'm quite happy with my purchase, and it couldn't have come soon enough, I was going through guitar withdrawals! After buying my guitar, I met up with some friends downtown at a cafe where you can rent board games. They give you a menu of all the board games they have, and you order whatever game you want! So we played Pit (a fun stock-market game that requires lots of yelling) for about 2 and a half hours. We had a blast!
I spent Monday mostly relaxing, playing guitar, reading, and drinking coffee (my first trip to a coffee shop). I also saw Cowboys and Aliens with some friends. Luckily it was in English with Korean subtitles. Afterward we got some Korean pizza with a bulgogi topping. It wasn't half bad!
So far I've met some great people and see some friendships budding. Though I haven't discovered my core group of close friends yet, I'm very happy with the friends I have made so far. It's been fun hanging out with foreigners from all English-speaking countries! We have been exchanging our regional slang, and being the history nerd that I am, I've been getting some good history lessons from their home lands. Tonight I played soccer with a group of foreigners. I hadn't really played since high school, but was happy to find out I can still survive a game. I ended up scraping both my legs up pretty badly, so I guess that means it went well! I even scored a couple goals.
More to come.
Much love to you all.
Be well.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
First week of teaching...
I just got through my first week of teaching in Korea. I was a little nervous going into it, not because I was worried about my teaching skills, but because I hadn't learned all of the routines and procedures yet. Monday was a little rocky. Kindergartners are great at pointing out every time the teacher does something out of the ordinary. On Monday, this occurred frequently! Luckily they were nice about it, and my Korean co-teacher helped me fix my mistakes. On Tuesday, I made less mistakes, and each day was smoother and smoother. One of my supervisors came in to my class to observe one of my lessons on Wednesday. I was expecting her to give me a laundry list of things to improve on. Instead, she complimented my loving and gentle demeanor with my kids and said I am doing a great job!
In the afternoons I teach elementary and middle school students a variety of subjects, like reading, writing, phonics, social studies, debate, and speaking. I find these classes to be more like tutoring sessions than teaching. Most of the class sizes are extremely small (around 3 or 4 students each, and just 1 student in a few classes). We just work out of the book, so it's pretty mellow. I decided to try spicing things up the other day, providing fun examples and whole-class participation. It was going great, we were laughing, the energy was up, and I felt like I was really taking control and channeling my creative spirit! Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could finish everything, so the students had a lot of homework to do! And now I see why the other teachers just stick to the bookwork.
Last Thursday and Friday we had to administer "level tests". Students take these tests every 3 months to assess their progress in the program. A lot of pressure is put on these students to do well, and their parents expect little short of perfection. The way my students were stressing out, it was as if they were taking the SATs. One of my third-graders hyperventilated throughout the whole test! Another third-grader was making weird wretching sounds. It broke my heart to see 8 and 9 years olds put through so much pressure! By the end of testing, I felt stressed out just watching them.
I must say, my kindergartners are pretty adorable. I'll be sure to record some videos of them to share with you all. Your heart might just melt.
To my friends and family, I love and miss you all.
Be well.
In the afternoons I teach elementary and middle school students a variety of subjects, like reading, writing, phonics, social studies, debate, and speaking. I find these classes to be more like tutoring sessions than teaching. Most of the class sizes are extremely small (around 3 or 4 students each, and just 1 student in a few classes). We just work out of the book, so it's pretty mellow. I decided to try spicing things up the other day, providing fun examples and whole-class participation. It was going great, we were laughing, the energy was up, and I felt like I was really taking control and channeling my creative spirit! Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could finish everything, so the students had a lot of homework to do! And now I see why the other teachers just stick to the bookwork.
Last Thursday and Friday we had to administer "level tests". Students take these tests every 3 months to assess their progress in the program. A lot of pressure is put on these students to do well, and their parents expect little short of perfection. The way my students were stressing out, it was as if they were taking the SATs. One of my third-graders hyperventilated throughout the whole test! Another third-grader was making weird wretching sounds. It broke my heart to see 8 and 9 years olds put through so much pressure! By the end of testing, I felt stressed out just watching them.
I must say, my kindergartners are pretty adorable. I'll be sure to record some videos of them to share with you all. Your heart might just melt.
To my friends and family, I love and miss you all.
Be well.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Not quite culture shock, but minor differences...
Here are some things I've observed about Korean life that is new to me as an American:
-To take a hot shower, you must turn on the hot water heater first, then turn it off after. Same goes for the gas to your stove.
-Apparently hoola-hooping is a normal morning exercise for ladies to do outside their apartment.
-NEVER tip your waiter, it's rude.
-Age is very important, so it's totally acceptable to ask people's age, and respect your elders!
-Korean age is different from westerners. When you are born, you are already 1 year old. Once the year is over, you become 2. So if you are born in December, you will be 2 years old a month into your life. So I am 28 years old in Korean age.
-Driving is kind of nuts here. Traffic lights seem to be more of a suggestion, and there are many many intersections without any stop signs, so you just roll through and hope nobody else is also crossing.
-Many people are addressed by their occupation. It's respectful for my students to call me Teacher (they actually call me Roman Teacher), and I call my boss Director.
-There are about 7 or 8 channels on TV that are in English. Unfortunately, most of the shows they play are CSI, Law and Order, and NCIS. :-/
-When you hand something to someone, or accept something from someone, you should do so with both hands. If you hand something to someone with just one hand, put the other hand on your arm. The higher up your arm you place your hand, the more respect you are offering that person.
Today I went to the hospital to do my required physical check up (blood test, urine test, blood pressure, chest x-ray, vision, hearing, dental). Instead of getting all of that done in one office like in most American clinics, I had to go to a separate office in the hospital for each of those things. They used some equipment that was totally new to me, like when they had me stand on a scale, a flat, metal thing came sliding down from above and knocked me in the head. I was startled and jumped off the scale. Turns out that flat metal thing was just measuring my height. Color me embarrassed!
More to come, I'm sure.
-To take a hot shower, you must turn on the hot water heater first, then turn it off after. Same goes for the gas to your stove.
-Apparently hoola-hooping is a normal morning exercise for ladies to do outside their apartment.
-NEVER tip your waiter, it's rude.
-Age is very important, so it's totally acceptable to ask people's age, and respect your elders!
-Korean age is different from westerners. When you are born, you are already 1 year old. Once the year is over, you become 2. So if you are born in December, you will be 2 years old a month into your life. So I am 28 years old in Korean age.
-Driving is kind of nuts here. Traffic lights seem to be more of a suggestion, and there are many many intersections without any stop signs, so you just roll through and hope nobody else is also crossing.
-Many people are addressed by their occupation. It's respectful for my students to call me Teacher (they actually call me Roman Teacher), and I call my boss Director.
-There are about 7 or 8 channels on TV that are in English. Unfortunately, most of the shows they play are CSI, Law and Order, and NCIS. :-/
-When you hand something to someone, or accept something from someone, you should do so with both hands. If you hand something to someone with just one hand, put the other hand on your arm. The higher up your arm you place your hand, the more respect you are offering that person.
Today I went to the hospital to do my required physical check up (blood test, urine test, blood pressure, chest x-ray, vision, hearing, dental). Instead of getting all of that done in one office like in most American clinics, I had to go to a separate office in the hospital for each of those things. They used some equipment that was totally new to me, like when they had me stand on a scale, a flat, metal thing came sliding down from above and knocked me in the head. I was startled and jumped off the scale. Turns out that flat metal thing was just measuring my height. Color me embarrassed!
More to come, I'm sure.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
48 Hours in...
Many people have asked me how I like it so far, or what my impression of Korea is so far. My answer continues to be "I have no idea." Not to say I don't like it, but to be honest, I have been so busy just taking it all in, learning so much, observing so much, EATING so much, that I can't tell what my reaction is yet. I need to explore more, learn more, eat more, and maybe after a week or so, I will be able to share with you all how I like it so far. Until then, I can tell you what I've learned and experienced thus far.
I live on the outskirts of town in a community that has only recently been developed with plenty of construction still going on. It's an odd neighborhood filled with studio apartments, random community crop gardens, construction sites, a small Buddhist temple, several Christian churches with giant red illuminated crosses, mini-marts, and restaurants. It's not exactly aesthetically pleasing, but it's not the pits either (although the streets are littered with trash since we have no trash pick up in this neighborhood).
I was feeling pretty overwhelmed when I first arrived. My apartment was lacking essential furniture that was promised in my contract, and not knowing where the heck I am was not a good feeling. I immediately missed all of my friends and family so much it hurt in my stomach. But after my first day at school, and now that I see it's not scary here, I'm already feeling much more comfortable. Don't get me wrong, I still miss everyone so badly it hurts, but I'm no longer freaking out.
I've already learned a fair amount about manners and etiquette in Korea, especially regarding food. It's important to finish all of your food at a restaurant, especially your rice! Food waste is frowned upon, and I got lectured by the dish lady during lunch today about not finishing all of my food. She was speaking in Korean, but I knew exactly what she was upset about, and all I could say was "Mee an ham ni da!" (I'm sorry) Lesson learned. It's important to pour drinks for your elders (and it's also important to know everyone's age, because your elder is ANYONE older than you, even by a year). Luckily for me I'm one of the oldest teachers at my school! Be sure to hand something to someone using both hands. And I think my biggest struggle will be the rule that you can not turn down drinks offered by your authority figures. Hopefully I won't be going out to eat much with my school directors, because being a non-drinker will cause some problems!
My fellow teachers have been great in welcoming me to the school and community. Some of them have gone out of their way to show me around town, take me out to eat, and supply my apartment with much needed furniture and accessories. It seems that the foreigner community in Pohang really looks out for each other and have a nice community. I've already met about 8 or 9 English teachers from other schools.
Today was my first day at school, and I spent the day observing the teacher I will be replacing. She is truly a great teacher, and I'll have big shoes to fill! The first half of the day is teaching a class of 10 kindergartners, who are of course absolutely adorable! And they can read and write MUCH better than most American kindergartners. This is probably due to the fact that they spend much more time studying than most American kids. They even spend their summer breaks going to academic camps. Sleep or playtime are not big factors in these kids' lives, and I find that unfortunate, but it's just how it is out here. The kids were excited to meet me, and seemed particularly fascinated by my "golden" hair, and especially my arm hair! Some kids were petting my arms. Luckily in Korea, teachers are encouraged to show physical affection to their students, so I can let them pet my arms and not be accused of being a child molester!
The second half of the day is working with several elementary school classes. These classes are all small, ranging from 4-12 students. Am I making any American teachers jealous? It's ok, be jealous! The curriculum is given to me by the school, so I don't have much planning to do, just following the books. It's not ideal, but since I'm teaching for 10 hours a day, I'm grateful I don't have to spend any time planning lessons.
The food has been quite an experience. To tell you the truth, I don't really know what I've been eating. Lots of kimchi, lots of beef, some duck, fish, and lots and lots of unidentified veggies. We sit on the floor at most of the restaurants, and the food has been cooked in the middle of our tables. Usually we have cooked it ourselves, the restaurant just gives us bowls of ingredients and we mix it all together in a big skillet. I'll be sure to photograph some of the foods and upload them to a blog.
I live on the outskirts of town in a community that has only recently been developed with plenty of construction still going on. It's an odd neighborhood filled with studio apartments, random community crop gardens, construction sites, a small Buddhist temple, several Christian churches with giant red illuminated crosses, mini-marts, and restaurants. It's not exactly aesthetically pleasing, but it's not the pits either (although the streets are littered with trash since we have no trash pick up in this neighborhood).
I was feeling pretty overwhelmed when I first arrived. My apartment was lacking essential furniture that was promised in my contract, and not knowing where the heck I am was not a good feeling. I immediately missed all of my friends and family so much it hurt in my stomach. But after my first day at school, and now that I see it's not scary here, I'm already feeling much more comfortable. Don't get me wrong, I still miss everyone so badly it hurts, but I'm no longer freaking out.
I've already learned a fair amount about manners and etiquette in Korea, especially regarding food. It's important to finish all of your food at a restaurant, especially your rice! Food waste is frowned upon, and I got lectured by the dish lady during lunch today about not finishing all of my food. She was speaking in Korean, but I knew exactly what she was upset about, and all I could say was "Mee an ham ni da!" (I'm sorry) Lesson learned. It's important to pour drinks for your elders (and it's also important to know everyone's age, because your elder is ANYONE older than you, even by a year). Luckily for me I'm one of the oldest teachers at my school! Be sure to hand something to someone using both hands. And I think my biggest struggle will be the rule that you can not turn down drinks offered by your authority figures. Hopefully I won't be going out to eat much with my school directors, because being a non-drinker will cause some problems!
My fellow teachers have been great in welcoming me to the school and community. Some of them have gone out of their way to show me around town, take me out to eat, and supply my apartment with much needed furniture and accessories. It seems that the foreigner community in Pohang really looks out for each other and have a nice community. I've already met about 8 or 9 English teachers from other schools.
Today was my first day at school, and I spent the day observing the teacher I will be replacing. She is truly a great teacher, and I'll have big shoes to fill! The first half of the day is teaching a class of 10 kindergartners, who are of course absolutely adorable! And they can read and write MUCH better than most American kindergartners. This is probably due to the fact that they spend much more time studying than most American kids. They even spend their summer breaks going to academic camps. Sleep or playtime are not big factors in these kids' lives, and I find that unfortunate, but it's just how it is out here. The kids were excited to meet me, and seemed particularly fascinated by my "golden" hair, and especially my arm hair! Some kids were petting my arms. Luckily in Korea, teachers are encouraged to show physical affection to their students, so I can let them pet my arms and not be accused of being a child molester!
The second half of the day is working with several elementary school classes. These classes are all small, ranging from 4-12 students. Am I making any American teachers jealous? It's ok, be jealous! The curriculum is given to me by the school, so I don't have much planning to do, just following the books. It's not ideal, but since I'm teaching for 10 hours a day, I'm grateful I don't have to spend any time planning lessons.
The food has been quite an experience. To tell you the truth, I don't really know what I've been eating. Lots of kimchi, lots of beef, some duck, fish, and lots and lots of unidentified veggies. We sit on the floor at most of the restaurants, and the food has been cooked in the middle of our tables. Usually we have cooked it ourselves, the restaurant just gives us bowls of ingredients and we mix it all together in a big skillet. I'll be sure to photograph some of the foods and upload them to a blog.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Leading Up to My Departure
It's Wednesday July 27, and by next Wednesday I'll be waking up in my new apartment in Pohang, South Korea. It's hard to describe how I'm feeling as I approach this new chapter in my life. People ask if I'm excited, or scared, or nervous... yes, yes and yes. And everything in between. Most of all, I feel sad to leave my friends and family, my dog, and Portland which I have come to truly love and appreciate. This has been an incredible summer, and although I'm ready to move on to my new job and a year of adventures, saying goodbye to everyone will be unpleasant to say the least.
I know some people aren't thrilled about the idea of me leaving for a year. I don't blame them for being sad, I'm sad too. But I know this is something I need to do while I still can. Not having a family to support or a mortgage to pay makes this the perfect opportunity to up and leave. Plus the teaching job market in Portland doesn't leave me many job options if I stay. But most importantly, I'm doing this to leave my comfort zone, learn about a drastically different culture, experience one of the top education systems in the world, gain new perspectives on life, and to challenge myself. I'm aware of the struggles I'll face, and I know some of those struggles are not being foreseen at the moment, but it's through those kinds of struggles and challenges that we grow the most as individuals. As a teacher, I've been placed in difficult experiences, like jumping into a Special Education class with no training. I feel ready for this new challenge.
Pohang is a small city on the Southeast coast (I get to live in a beach town!) with a population of approx. 500,000. It's only recently been developed, but most of the country is that way (30 years ago it was still a developing nation). 70% of Korea is mountainous, so if you know me at all you know that pleases me. Since North Korea is forbidden territory for South Koreans and Americans and most people, S. Korea is kind of like an island in the sense that you can only leave the country by boat or plane. For those of you concerned about my safety in regards to the threat of N. Korea, please don't worry, the threat is very minimal, and I honestly believe they are all bark and no bite.
Map of S. Korea
I have read a handbook on life in S. Korea. Although I feel more mentally prepared than before, I still know that I really won't know what I'm getting myself into until I arrive. I have been told about some of the manners, like handing a gift to someone with two hands, not one, or always taking your shoes off in a home. I have been told that in restaurants people sit on the floor, don't tip their servers (it's insulting), and the bathrooms might not have toilet paper, so I'll have to bring my own. Apparently S. Korea is half Buddhist, half Christian, and the country recognizes holidays of both religions. They have the fastest internet in the world, and some of the world's fastest trains. Kimchi is eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so I'd better learn to love it! I've also been told that Koreans are fascinated with "potty talk". I'm excited to find out what that means!
I have thought a lot about what I want to do while out there. I know there are plenty of things that I don't currently know exist, but as of right now, I really look forward to visiting the old Buddhist temples and learning more about that religion. I look forward to taking a jet boat from Busan, S. Korea to Fukuoka, Japan. I have a week vacation for Christmas and would like to spend that week down in Thailand or Vietnam. I plan to eat food that will require me to be courageous, I plan to get lost, sing in those famous Korean/Japanese karaoke bars, go to a baseball and/or soccer game, hike the mountains, and of course enjoy the beaches.
I will try to update this blog every few weeks or so, and I'll be sure to include photos and videos. I'll try to make them entertaining with funny stories and interesting things I learn about Koreans and their culture. Please keep in touch throughout this next year, your correspondence will help me deal with whatever homesickness I may experience.
I know some people aren't thrilled about the idea of me leaving for a year. I don't blame them for being sad, I'm sad too. But I know this is something I need to do while I still can. Not having a family to support or a mortgage to pay makes this the perfect opportunity to up and leave. Plus the teaching job market in Portland doesn't leave me many job options if I stay. But most importantly, I'm doing this to leave my comfort zone, learn about a drastically different culture, experience one of the top education systems in the world, gain new perspectives on life, and to challenge myself. I'm aware of the struggles I'll face, and I know some of those struggles are not being foreseen at the moment, but it's through those kinds of struggles and challenges that we grow the most as individuals. As a teacher, I've been placed in difficult experiences, like jumping into a Special Education class with no training. I feel ready for this new challenge.
Pohang is a small city on the Southeast coast (I get to live in a beach town!) with a population of approx. 500,000. It's only recently been developed, but most of the country is that way (30 years ago it was still a developing nation). 70% of Korea is mountainous, so if you know me at all you know that pleases me. Since North Korea is forbidden territory for South Koreans and Americans and most people, S. Korea is kind of like an island in the sense that you can only leave the country by boat or plane. For those of you concerned about my safety in regards to the threat of N. Korea, please don't worry, the threat is very minimal, and I honestly believe they are all bark and no bite.
Map of S. Korea
I have read a handbook on life in S. Korea. Although I feel more mentally prepared than before, I still know that I really won't know what I'm getting myself into until I arrive. I have been told about some of the manners, like handing a gift to someone with two hands, not one, or always taking your shoes off in a home. I have been told that in restaurants people sit on the floor, don't tip their servers (it's insulting), and the bathrooms might not have toilet paper, so I'll have to bring my own. Apparently S. Korea is half Buddhist, half Christian, and the country recognizes holidays of both religions. They have the fastest internet in the world, and some of the world's fastest trains. Kimchi is eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so I'd better learn to love it! I've also been told that Koreans are fascinated with "potty talk". I'm excited to find out what that means!
I have thought a lot about what I want to do while out there. I know there are plenty of things that I don't currently know exist, but as of right now, I really look forward to visiting the old Buddhist temples and learning more about that religion. I look forward to taking a jet boat from Busan, S. Korea to Fukuoka, Japan. I have a week vacation for Christmas and would like to spend that week down in Thailand or Vietnam. I plan to eat food that will require me to be courageous, I plan to get lost, sing in those famous Korean/Japanese karaoke bars, go to a baseball and/or soccer game, hike the mountains, and of course enjoy the beaches.
I will try to update this blog every few weeks or so, and I'll be sure to include photos and videos. I'll try to make them entertaining with funny stories and interesting things I learn about Koreans and their culture. Please keep in touch throughout this next year, your correspondence will help me deal with whatever homesickness I may experience.
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