(More) A day in the life

I can't believe how fast this year has gone; I'm only a few days away from my 11-month anniversary in Korea. The last month will be full of errands, tearful goodbyes and preparations to travel. But for now, things are still calm and I've had time to reflect.

Here are a few of those reflections, continued from the previous two lists of everyday observations I've made here in the ROK.

-The kids we teach will often time have English names. Of course, this isn't the name they were born with, but sometimes it's hard for us foreigners to pronounce (and remember) every student's Korean name. Perhaps to make it easier on everyone (and for the sake of being at an English academy), we give them Western names. Sally, John, Amy and Steve are popular selections. Though I've had my fair share of odd names, having taught a Label, North and Sponge. I've even had the honor of "naming" a few of my students. The class works together to come up with a list of names and then the new student can pick the one they like best. I'll admit, I lack creativity when it comes to giving names and the list usually consists of the same ones (mostly names of friends or family from home).

-Fan death. I made a small reference to fan death when I first arrived, but it's crept up on me a few times since then. As I understand the urban legend, many people believe that it's possible to die if you sleep in a room with no ventilation (i.e. windows closed) and a fan circulating. I've heard different theories about why this happens, each more bizarre than the last.

-Sharing things is quite common here. I don't mean sharing pencils or erasers (because students are actually quite serious about their school supplies. Never mess with a child's pencil case). I mean sharing things that foreigners would usually like to have only to themselves. My best examples come from school. We have a water cooler that anyone can use to fill their cups or waterbottles, but it also has two community cups that students will fill up, use, then put back for the next student. No washing or cleaning in between uses. There's also community soap in the bathroom. No, not a soap dispenser, an actual bar of soap. This is the norm throughout all of Korea, including a communal towel. Hand sanitizer has been my friend.

-Eating out was a little hard to adjust to at first. At home, you're accostumed to being waited on. After all, these people are working for tips and they usually do a great job earning it. There is no tipping system in Korea (something I admit, I will miss). Therefore in restaurants, waiters aren't coming over to your table every once and a while to make sure your meal is okay or you need anything in the mean time. Instead, they only come over when you call them. How do you get their attention? Press a button! At most restaurants, there's a button you can press to get your waiter's attention and they will come over swiftly to get you whatever you need. If there's no button (or you're feeling brave) just say "yeogi-yo" which basically means "here!" It seemed rude to me at first to yell come here to the person working, but this is quite common in Korea, and may actually be rude if you do it any different.

-"Bongs" A bong is a room in Korean. There are several different specialized rooms here, the most popular (I think) being a "noraebong," or a singing room. Go and sing karaoke and drink beer with your friends for a few hours (a craze that certainly needs to be brought to America). There are also DVD-bongs, which you might think would be a good way to relax after a hard day at work. It's cheap, easy and you don't have to wait for the movie to download. But beware! Many young couples will sneak off to DVD-bongs and do certain things they wouldn't be allowed to do at home. You'll be used to the idea of sharing by this point, so a community couch should be no problem.

-All men are required to do military service. I believe it's a minimum of two years. Therefore, a lot of men will start their higher education after their time in the military is done. While visiting the DMZ, I was a little shocked by how young some of the soldiers appeared to be. It breaks my heart to imagine my students in those uniforms...

-Smoking. I'm not a smoker and I've been pretty grateful for that while living here. Unfortunately, it seems that Korea is still archaic in many ways and for some reason, it's frowned upon when women smoke openly. I can't say why this is, but I've witnessed friends being stared and even yelled at because they chose to smoke a cigarette in public. Because of this, there are often ashtrays in the women's bathroom. I suppose if a lady is feeling to urge to light up, it's better if she sneaks off to the bathroom instead of doing it for all to see.

-Korea has been incredibly accommodating over the last year. Besides food and people, I can't say I've really missed anything; most everything that you need can be found somewhere in this country. Language hasn't been much of a problem. Many, many people speak English, even if it's simple phrases. I've learned a little Korean, enough to order in restaurants or get home in a cab. Other than that, most communication has been done in English. But besides that, the people have been overwhelmingly accepting. There have been rare occasions when I've been scolded on the subway or people have said inappropriate things. Yes, it made me feel stupid, unwanted and foolish for being an intruder. But then I realize that out of the last 300+ days I've lived here, this has only happened twice. Those few incidents aren't going to ruin my perception of this country and to be quite honest, it could have happened at home, too. Instead, I'm going to always be grateful for Korea, the people, and the opportunities it has given me to learn about their amazing culture and myself.

A (half) year in review

Ahh, yes. The halfway point contemplation. What have I been doing the last six months? How do I feel about the overall experience? Am I ever coming home?

Instead of spilling my guts, I'll direct you to a small piece I wrote for a travel blog (Do It While You're Young). This is how I feel about Busan, in a nutshell.

Click here for the story.

More tension

I think to myself... There have been thousands upon thousands of foreigners that have come to South Korea to teach English and I know I'm not the first one to keep a blog about the experience. How many posts have been titled "tensions rise in Korea," or something along those lines? Go to CNN.com right now and you'll see about 10 articles with a slightly varied headline.

All of this comes from the attack from the North that happened back in November. I wrote about it shortly after it happened, thinking nothing would come of it. But today, tensions rose again as South Korea held a military drill (ok, I don't know the exact term or lingo). The North said this was grounds for war which absolutely blows my mind, but more-so breaks my heart.

What if there is war? I'm registered with the consulate, I would receive word and I assume I would be asked to leave the country, which I would. But what brings tears to my eyes and a heavy feeling in my heart is the fact that all the Korean people living here have nowhere to go. So what, I get on a plane back to America? Well this will still be going on here. I could go through my entire year without war breaking out and I would return home and these people would still have to deal with the constant threat of attack.

When will the violence end? Why is it still happening 50 years after the Korean war "ended?" And how are these people so brave to deal with it their entire lives?

I've been here for about 4 months now. I'm terrified at the thought of war on the peninsula. But the Korean people are so unconcerned with it.

No people should be accustomed to bloodshed.

A few more observations

Hello! A short update so everyone knows I am still safe, despite what you might have heard on the news. I keep a little notepad with me at all times so I can write down things I observe. I like to notice these little differences. It interests me, but it also makes me thankful for all the luxuries I have at home. Here are just a few more, continued from the last list.

-The holidays. I can't say for certain that Christmas is as commercialized as it is in the states, but I definitely think there are some companies making bank on this special day. I don't have cable and I don't watch TV, so I can't say whether or not television programs are flooded with commercials telling you to buy this toy or go to this sale. And there was certainly no Black Friday, obviously due to the fact that Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here. But a lot of stores do have giant Christmas trees put up already and Christmas decorations are readily available here. I asked my students if they celebrate Christmas, and I would say about 25% yes.

-Birthdays are different here as well. It's a little difficult to explain, and I know I'm going to probably give some wrong information, but here's how I understand it to work. Everyone still has their individual birthdays, but when you're born, you're already 1 year old. Then when the new years roles around, everyone has a birthday. So since I was born in 1988, everyone born in 1988 with me would turn 23 at the same time. You still celebrate your birthday on the day you were born, you just wouldn't say you turned older on that day. You're still 12 or 83 until the new year! And what I found most odd... If you were born on December 26, for example, you're 1. So then on January 1, you're 2. So when you're just a few days old, you're already considered 2 in Korea.

-I will often find myself speaking in Korean sentence structure. A student explained to me that Korean is very short, unlike English, where the sentences are very long. For example, and again this may be wrong, she told me that in English you could say "I have a lot of money." But in Korean, it would simply be "Money. I have." So students will often say to me, "Candy. Give me." or "Money. Give me." because that is how their sentences are structured. Since I spend a good deal of my day talking to little kids, I try to speak to them in a simple way. So forgive me if I come home and the first thing I say to you is, "Hug. Give me."

-The weather. Korea definitely has the extremes. When I first arrived in August, I remember getting off the plane and feeling mortified; how could it be so humid?! Apparently, July is the wet month, so I can only imagine the state my hair will be in. This winter has been brutally cold, as well. It doesn't snow which is nice, but it is windy. Having grown up in Illinois I would say that I'm accustomed to cold winters, but this cold has certainly tested my patience! I've heard that spring and autumn are quite pleasant, though it only lasts a short time.

-Food. Overall, I'm not very adventurous when it comes to new cuisine. I know what I like and I stick to it, which has proved to be troublesome during my travels. I would say the most curious I've ever gotten with food was eating snails and frog legs in Paris, which is really quite a shame. I accidently ate a little piece of squid here and thought I was going to absolutely lose it, but did my best to hold it all in. I've tried popular Korean dishes and I think they're quite delicious, but it's nothing out of the ordinary. I think it will take a lot more persuasion (and soju) to try the dog, bug larva, chicken anus or whale. Yes, certain restaurants here sell whale meat (or so I've been told). I think I would rather starve.

A day in the life

I decided I would try to give everyone a little peek into what life in South Korea actually consists of. I'm always finding things that are specific to Korea, but I haven't documented them for everyone to read yet. So here they are.

-I've been asked what my blood type is by several Koreans. When I say I have absolutely no idea they look at me as if I grew a second head. They're shocked. I guess a blood type tells a lot about a person, so I usually just make an answer up.

-I really can't explain to you the noises you'll hear in Korea. I think my favorite, and one I find most bizarre, is the war-like propaganda I'll randomly hear coming from fruit stands. I'm not kidding. You walk by a little stand in the back of a van selling something like herbs or fruit and there will be a bizarre voice yelling something from a loud speaker. It really is difficult to explain. One friend told me about a comic he read in which two people were walking by this bizarre event. One friend asked what was going on and the other said, "Either the nazis are invading or nectarines are on sale." And it's so true.

-Socks. There are entire tables dedicated to selling socks at various markets here in Busan and I've heard they are a popular gift to give.

-It's totally normal for hospital patients here to leave the hospital for a little bit and roam the streets, gown on and IV drip attached. I've seen patients in restaurants, stores, taking walks. It's just no big deal.

-Service. People here really will do their best to always make sure you're accommodated and comfortable. From my short time in the country, I see that they really do aim to please. My best example of service comes from a man working at a 7/11 right outside my apartment. I go in the store frequently to buy all sorts of items: water, food, candy, beer. One time I went in and the bar code on an item didn't work right, so he gave me a free energy drink for my "time wasted," which was about 4 seconds. Another time I went in to buy just a bottle of soju, so he gave me a bag of potato chips for free, because he didn't want me to get sick. He's the best.

There are so many other things I have noticed about the culture and people, I could go on for days. I make it a point to jot down these observations so I can write about them, share them, remember them. This is just a small chapter in what could be a book about, "Why Korea is so Awesome."

A rock fest and fireworks

I did a bad job of keeping the blog updated, didn't I? Things have been a little busy the last few weeks, but to be honest I just got lazy and didn't feel like updating. I've snapped out of it and have stories to share!

Let's start with two weekends ago: the Daejeon rock festival. To sum it all up, it was an awesome time. There were about 50 Busanites on the bus and I got to meet a lot of great people from all over the city. The trip there and back was about 4 or so hours, including stops. A friend of ours popped in a Beatles CD when we were almost there and the bus turned into a big karaoke session which was definitely a sight to see (and painful to hear). We finally arrived in Daejeon and had a bit of trouble finding our hotel. There was a good amount of traffic and our bus got lost, so we had to turn around. Easier said than done. The bus literally stopped four lanes of traffic backing up so we could turn around. It was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Finally arrived at the festival and listened to some good tunes. To all of our surprise, the festival was shut down at midnight. We obviously thought it was a joke when an emcee got on the mic and told us all we were being shut down, but alas, it was no joke. Feeling a bit discouraged because we didn't get to hear the band we came to see, we thought the trip was going to be a bust. But with some phone calls and persuasion, we followed the band to a bar named Yellow Taxi where they played to a crowd that danced and sang all night long. I really don't think the show would have been quite as good if they played at the festival. But since it was a smaller, more intimate crowd (that followed them to a bar in an unfamiliar city), I think it was a bit more special. After the show, about 20 of us piled into one pretty big room (divided into 3 rooms) to hit the hay. Woke up, found food, went home. Great weekend.

This last weekend was the Busan Fireworks Festival, and I can tell you one thing. It did not disappoint. There were actually 3 shows, one on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but the last was supposed to be the best. I heard a lot of people would show up, but I didn't know exactly how serious it was going to be. We arrived on the beach at about 4 in absolute shock as to how many people were already there. Long story short, we sat around and played cards, talked, wandered around until about 8:30 when the show began. I really have to say, for as frustrating as it was to deal with such an enormous crowd, the fireworks were beautiful. They lasted for about an hour and it was "an around the world theme," which was pretty cool to see. It definitely topped any fireworks I've ever seen (yes, even Rantoul's display).

Good-bye, vacation

Well, Chuseok is done and what a week it was. I'm actually happy I didn't end up going anywhere because I feel like I really got to know Busan better. I met some new people, made some new friends and created a ton of memories I know I'll never forget.

As I mentioned before, I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish over this break, and I got to mark a majority of them off. I had my first noraebong experience which was nothing short of amazing. There were about 8-10 people in one room dancing, eating, drinking and singing karaoke. I have never experienced anything like it and I think I was laughing a good 95% of the time.

We also went to a temple, although I'm not sure the name of it. It was so beautiful and serene, unlike any part of Korea I've seen yet. There were a lot of people there that day which I'm assuming was because of the holiday. I would like to visit another temple when it's not so packed because it really did make me feel at peace. I feel like you could do a lot of soul searching there.

I feel like this break solidified the fact that I'm going to spend the next year in Busan and I know I'll be just fine. I've met some amazing people who have helped me get through the somewhat challenging transition to life here. I've been here for almost a month even though it doesn't feel like it all and I really feel like I'm almost completely transitioned. I know that's a bold statement and trials will still arise, but it's definitely getting easier. Even small things like using the subway or getting the right garbage bags was an overwhelming thought 3 weeks ago, but now it's no big deal. I can direct a taxi driver to my apartment with no problem and I'm starting to learn the language more and more.

Although I had a great break and I'm happy I got more acquainted with the city, I'm happy to go back to work. Normalcy is welcome at times.

Chuseok

Happy Chuseok! I have the entire week off thanks to this wonderful holiday, which is similar to Thanksgiving in America. I hope all those who celebrate it have a wonderful time with loved ones.

Liana and I had a little adventure today and discovered another part of the city we'll call home for the next year. We went to Nampo-dong and I really liked it. It wasn't as bright and overwhelming as other parts of the city. There were several open markets and a lot of people shopping at them, but I enjoyed myself. After we shopped for a while we went to a small Italian restaurant we stumbled upon and had some delicious fettucini and bianco pizza. There was a park next to the restaurant so we wandered over and went to the top of Busan Tower for some great views of the city. You don't realize how big it is until you see it in such a way. It really is remarkable.

Go Lotte Giants!

We went to the baseball game on Saturday and I had a blast. It really is just like American baseball but so much more fun. For one, they have cheerleaders and they lead the crowd in chants and cheers throughout the game. When I go to games at home, it will get exciting at times when something is really going on. Here, it was fast paced and loud the entire time. Every player has their own chant. But they're very simple and usually to the tune of songs I recognize. The beer is also very cheap and the woman who walked around selling it also sold dried squid, but I wasn't brave enough to sample it. Don't be alarmed by the sight of us with plastic bags on our heads. Employees will pass the bags out toward the end of the game to tie around your head then we use them to pick up our garbage when the game is done. How clever and convenient. We went to dinner afterwards and ate galbi, which is kind of like strips of meat you cut and grill yourself. It was delectable.