Happy Chinese New Year!
Sunday and Monday of this weekend is Chinese New Years, or Lunar New Year, also celebrated here in Korea. This year is the year of the Dog, which also happened to occur in 1982: the year I was born. Kind of a weird coincidence.
It's not like New Years at home, though. There's no whistles, tacky hats, or alcohol pouring into the streets. Everyone just visits with their families. So for us foreigners here, we're just going to enjoy our 3-day weekend quietly.
Here's a funny fact: In Korea, everyone turns another year older on New Years. So, in Korea, I'm actually considered to be 25. I can't believe I just aged two years . . .
At school today we had a Lunar New Year's party to celebrate and, well, to give the teachers a break from teaching. All the kids wore their traditional Korean clothing that they wear on the actual Lunar New Year's day and other holidays, called hanbok. They were so cute! They all learned how to bow properly to their parents and then we played traditional Korean games. Even us English teachers had to wear hanbok. To give a description, hanbok is pretty much the most unflattering thing you could wear. It's basically a big moomoo with a little jacket on top - and excellent thing to wear if you were trying to hide an illicit pregnancy. But other than that - I would consider is a major fashion faux pas.
Don't worry, I took lots of pictures of the kids, I'll post them on here as soon as I get my computer (which will hopefully be tomorrow!).
Korean word of the day: Jiggum (Now!) You can imagine how this word would come in handy in the class room.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
I'm Not for Booking
So that's what weekends are supposed to be like.
As the food industry surivives off Saturdays and Sundays, I've never had a job where I've had weekends off before. It's a whole different way of living, cramming a weeks worth of life into two days. But now that I'm doing what Dolly Parton rousingly sang "workin' 9 to 5", I'm becoming a pro at it.
Here's the four ingredients to a perfect weekend (as least in Korea):
(1) Copious amounts of alcohol: This happens here on Friday nights when all your pent up frustrations must be released over pitchers of soju, a cheap Korean liquor. They don't actually sell it in pitchers, but us foreigners, that's how we get it. They can blame it on our cultural ignorance or our alcoholic tendencies - I really don't care. All I know is that getting it in the largest possible container means I don't have to keep calling the waitress back to refill my tiny little cup.
This past Friday night began with a communal dinner at a place in Bundang called Bennigan's. Basically, it's like a Montana's. It was my first real Western meal since arriving in Korea, and I didn't waste it. I feasted on a delectable quesadilla's and a few glasses of wine. Both were equally good, or at least one added to the other.
With my belly full and my mind, well, fuzzy, we headed to what we thought was a new dance club in the area. Though we were all pretty buzzed, it didn't take us long to realize that it wasn't just dancing happening there. There were almost as many waitors as patrons and they stared at you like you like you were a piece of art - a cheap, slutty piece of art, that is. I was the first to find out that it's actually what Koreans call a booking club. Basically, the men decide which girl they like best and then get the waitors to invite the girl to his private room surrounding the dance floor. What happens in there, I can only guess. Koreans are definately not what you would call permiscuous, but times are changing. Sex in the City is on here constantly . . .
I was almost dragged into one of the rooms twice until one of the Korean teachers who was with us starting telling him off. Still, it didn't stop me from getting out on the dance floor and boogying to such hits as Ace of Base "I saw the sign" and N'Sync's "Pop". I love Top 40 music, especially from 1994.
(2) Shopping. I went out into Seoul Saturday and Sunday this past weekend with some friends to check out the shopping possibilities. I didn't buy much, as I haven't gotten paid yet, but mental notes were made for future shopping trips. You can find the weirdest clothes here - the English writing on them makes no sense. I'm definately going to buy lots of that stuff, if only for that people will look all confused at my chest when they get home.
(3) Movies. All that soju can make for a nasty headache the next day, and what's better than to get rejuvenated but with some classic movies? I don't have a DVD player, but I've become very adept at getting myself invited over to other people's places. Movies are the best way to reconnect back to your home culture.
(4) Tourist crap. Those movies didn't get rid of your hangover? Well, check out an ancient Korean palace and learn about life patterns during the Joseon times. It may not cure your hangover, but after 2 hours of it you'll probably get bored enough that you'll wanna go drink again.
Mix those ingredients together, then shake and stir, and you've got a pretty decent weekend. (A side note: due to the fact that the main ingredient is alchohol, you may feel the need to add lots of water).
Anyway, that was my weekend. I did get pretty active once. Sunday morning I woke up early and decided to hike through the mountains behind my house, as someone told me there is tonnes of trails up there. There is, as well as tonnes of Koreans hiking them too. It was actually really nice and relaxing, very easy to forget that you're in the city. The only downside was when I was huffing and puffing up this one trail when this old Korean grandmother practically sprinted past me. Talk about a motivator to get in better shape . . .
Hope everything's well in the Motherland!
As the food industry surivives off Saturdays and Sundays, I've never had a job where I've had weekends off before. It's a whole different way of living, cramming a weeks worth of life into two days. But now that I'm doing what Dolly Parton rousingly sang "workin' 9 to 5", I'm becoming a pro at it.
Here's the four ingredients to a perfect weekend (as least in Korea):
(1) Copious amounts of alcohol: This happens here on Friday nights when all your pent up frustrations must be released over pitchers of soju, a cheap Korean liquor. They don't actually sell it in pitchers, but us foreigners, that's how we get it. They can blame it on our cultural ignorance or our alcoholic tendencies - I really don't care. All I know is that getting it in the largest possible container means I don't have to keep calling the waitress back to refill my tiny little cup.
This past Friday night began with a communal dinner at a place in Bundang called Bennigan's. Basically, it's like a Montana's. It was my first real Western meal since arriving in Korea, and I didn't waste it. I feasted on a delectable quesadilla's and a few glasses of wine. Both were equally good, or at least one added to the other.
With my belly full and my mind, well, fuzzy, we headed to what we thought was a new dance club in the area. Though we were all pretty buzzed, it didn't take us long to realize that it wasn't just dancing happening there. There were almost as many waitors as patrons and they stared at you like you like you were a piece of art - a cheap, slutty piece of art, that is. I was the first to find out that it's actually what Koreans call a booking club. Basically, the men decide which girl they like best and then get the waitors to invite the girl to his private room surrounding the dance floor. What happens in there, I can only guess. Koreans are definately not what you would call permiscuous, but times are changing. Sex in the City is on here constantly . . .
I was almost dragged into one of the rooms twice until one of the Korean teachers who was with us starting telling him off. Still, it didn't stop me from getting out on the dance floor and boogying to such hits as Ace of Base "I saw the sign" and N'Sync's "Pop". I love Top 40 music, especially from 1994.
(2) Shopping. I went out into Seoul Saturday and Sunday this past weekend with some friends to check out the shopping possibilities. I didn't buy much, as I haven't gotten paid yet, but mental notes were made for future shopping trips. You can find the weirdest clothes here - the English writing on them makes no sense. I'm definately going to buy lots of that stuff, if only for that people will look all confused at my chest when they get home.
(3) Movies. All that soju can make for a nasty headache the next day, and what's better than to get rejuvenated but with some classic movies? I don't have a DVD player, but I've become very adept at getting myself invited over to other people's places. Movies are the best way to reconnect back to your home culture.
(4) Tourist crap. Those movies didn't get rid of your hangover? Well, check out an ancient Korean palace and learn about life patterns during the Joseon times. It may not cure your hangover, but after 2 hours of it you'll probably get bored enough that you'll wanna go drink again.
Mix those ingredients together, then shake and stir, and you've got a pretty decent weekend. (A side note: due to the fact that the main ingredient is alchohol, you may feel the need to add lots of water).
Anyway, that was my weekend. I did get pretty active once. Sunday morning I woke up early and decided to hike through the mountains behind my house, as someone told me there is tonnes of trails up there. There is, as well as tonnes of Koreans hiking them too. It was actually really nice and relaxing, very easy to forget that you're in the city. The only downside was when I was huffing and puffing up this one trail when this old Korean grandmother practically sprinted past me. Talk about a motivator to get in better shape . . .
Hope everything's well in the Motherland!
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Heart and Seoul
You knew this title was coming at some point - I might as well get it out of the way.
Actually, the title is a bit misleading - I don't really live in Seoul. I actually live just outside of Seoul (South West, if you will) in an area called Bundang (the dang is not pronounced "dang" as in old school Dover-slang, but actually more like "dong". I have to pay attention to these things now that I'm a teacher).
Let me paint a picture of this city in which I now currently reside. Some of the other English teachers don't really like it - they think there isn't much to do. But when you've just spent the last 4 months in Port Dover where the most entertaining thing to watch is [name omitted due to parents warning that I should be nice - take a guess] pick up women, you can't do much complaining. Me, so far, I like it. It's just far enough outside Seoul that you're not breathing in pure carbon monoxide, but close enough that you can pop into the city whenever you need to. When I look outside my apartment window I see little but hills, but when I walk outside my front door there's buildings as far as the eye can see. To me, there's tonnes of stuff to do. And once I learn more that 5 words in Korean, maybe I can start doing it . . .
5 days a week, 8 hours a day, I work at a private language school called SLP. Right now I teach preschool - 17 kids split up into 2 classes. Upon first sight, this bunch of 5 and 6 year-olds give the wrong impression. They look cute, angelic, and seemingly harmless. Spend 5 minutes with them and the truth comes out - loudly. By the end of their morning session, I need a warm compress, 3 aspirins, and my old friend Captain Morgan. It's not that I don't enjoy it, they often make me laugh and awww. But teacher's college is definately not a future aspiration of mine. I always keep in mind a few words of wisdom my dear pal Alexis Copeman wrote to me after my first few days teaching: "I agree, the little bastards can be a handful. Just be thankful that at the end of the day little hoodlums go home to a family that have to keep them, by law." Thanks for that Alexis.
The other 8 foreign teacher's at the school are cool. Very different in personality - from a gothic lesbian, to a Manitoban farm girl, to, well, a New Yorker. It's a strange mesh, but I think it'll work. Every Friday night we celebrate the end of the long work week by getting wasted. I have no complaints. At the end of the night we usually end up a type of bar called a Norebaum (I have no idea how you spell it). Anyway, you and your friends rent a room for a period of time and sing songs on the state-of-the-art kareoke machine's while having Korean beer or a potent Korean liqour called soju served to you constantly. I love it. Last weekend I was pretty hammered and walked into another group's room accidentally. Cut to five minutes later and I'm singing "The Power of Love" with some Korean guy. Nothing crosses cultural borders like Huey Lewis.
Anyway, this is getting long and I gotta go to bed and attempt to get some sleep. More posts will come very soon!
Korean word(s) of the day: annyong haseyo. Hello. (This is pretty much the only Korean phrase I've got down pat. Damn, this is a hard language).
Actually, the title is a bit misleading - I don't really live in Seoul. I actually live just outside of Seoul (South West, if you will) in an area called Bundang (the dang is not pronounced "dang" as in old school Dover-slang, but actually more like "dong". I have to pay attention to these things now that I'm a teacher).
Let me paint a picture of this city in which I now currently reside. Some of the other English teachers don't really like it - they think there isn't much to do. But when you've just spent the last 4 months in Port Dover where the most entertaining thing to watch is [name omitted due to parents warning that I should be nice - take a guess] pick up women, you can't do much complaining. Me, so far, I like it. It's just far enough outside Seoul that you're not breathing in pure carbon monoxide, but close enough that you can pop into the city whenever you need to. When I look outside my apartment window I see little but hills, but when I walk outside my front door there's buildings as far as the eye can see. To me, there's tonnes of stuff to do. And once I learn more that 5 words in Korean, maybe I can start doing it . . .
5 days a week, 8 hours a day, I work at a private language school called SLP. Right now I teach preschool - 17 kids split up into 2 classes. Upon first sight, this bunch of 5 and 6 year-olds give the wrong impression. They look cute, angelic, and seemingly harmless. Spend 5 minutes with them and the truth comes out - loudly. By the end of their morning session, I need a warm compress, 3 aspirins, and my old friend Captain Morgan. It's not that I don't enjoy it, they often make me laugh and awww. But teacher's college is definately not a future aspiration of mine. I always keep in mind a few words of wisdom my dear pal Alexis Copeman wrote to me after my first few days teaching: "I agree, the little bastards can be a handful. Just be thankful that at the end of the day little hoodlums go home to a family that have to keep them, by law." Thanks for that Alexis.
The other 8 foreign teacher's at the school are cool. Very different in personality - from a gothic lesbian, to a Manitoban farm girl, to, well, a New Yorker. It's a strange mesh, but I think it'll work. Every Friday night we celebrate the end of the long work week by getting wasted. I have no complaints. At the end of the night we usually end up a type of bar called a Norebaum (I have no idea how you spell it). Anyway, you and your friends rent a room for a period of time and sing songs on the state-of-the-art kareoke machine's while having Korean beer or a potent Korean liqour called soju served to you constantly. I love it. Last weekend I was pretty hammered and walked into another group's room accidentally. Cut to five minutes later and I'm singing "The Power of Love" with some Korean guy. Nothing crosses cultural borders like Huey Lewis.
Anyway, this is getting long and I gotta go to bed and attempt to get some sleep. More posts will come very soon!
Korean word(s) of the day: annyong haseyo. Hello. (This is pretty much the only Korean phrase I've got down pat. Damn, this is a hard language).
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