Shang-Bye

It's nice to have vacation days. Before I moved to Korea, I told myself that I would take advantage of all the vacation time I got. After all, I might never be living on this side of the earth again. I might never be a hop, skip and jump away from Tokyo or Taiwan like I am now. So I made a promise that when given ample time, I would use it to the best of my ability.

When I saw the schedule for the new year I was ecstatic to see all the three and four day weekends full of the promise and lure of adventure and exploration. Alix and I decided that during our four day weekend in May we would go somewhere. But where?! Tokyo? No, it's too expensive. Taiwan? No, the flights are terrible. Shanghai? Yeah, what about Shanghai? The flights are short and cheap and I've always wanted to go to China. I've seen the Qing Dynasty figurines on Antique's Roadshow. Maybe I'll stumble upon my own priceless treasure.

Now, before I booked the flight I knew Alix and I would have to get a visa to stay more than 24 hours. I also understood that as an American citizen, the cost of my visa would be significantly more than my Canadian counterpart's. Why is this? I do not know. I haven't researched (translation: googled) why it costs so much for an American to go to China and vice versa. But if you have and you know the answer, feel free to share.

Being fully aware of this, we decided to play the waiting game before applying for our visa. A single entry tourist visa is good for three months. If we had applied right after we booked our tickets, it would have expired before we got on the plane. And it never hurts to get a few more paychecks before seeing your bank account drain to a sad, lifeless lump in front of your eyes.

Here's where it gets tricky. And here's where I will do my best to explain the predicament I've found myself in the last few days.

All teachers in Korea have what's called an ARC- an alien registration card. We get these at the beginning of our time here and they help us with anything and everything. Getting a phone, setting up a bank account, you name it. For some unknown reason, the Chinese consulate decided that anyone who wanted a Chinese visa would have to have at least 6 months remaining validity on their ARC. Does your ARC expire in 3 months? Sorry, you're not allowed in. Oh, your ARC expires in 5 months and 12 days? Not my problem!

But what really bamboozles me is the fact that this rule (for some time, at least) only applied to the Chinese consulate in Seoul. I googled and re-googled a thousand different combinations of "chinese" "visa" "living" "south korea" and found the same thing every time. If you have less than 6 months on your ARC and you want to apply in Seoul, well you had better re-route to Hong Kong. However, you could make a quick trip to Busan and the friendly folks at any travel agency would be more than willing to take your passport and your money.

This is where it gets hilarious and painfully ironic. As I understand it, the you-can't-get-a-visa-in-seoul-but-you-can-in-busan thing lasted for about a year, maybe longer. When did it change and Busan adopted the 6 month validity rule? March 2011. About 12 days before I applied.

After having a minor meltdown (I don't care, I'll dig myself to China was repeated several times) and googling furiously, I began to find alternatives.

1) I called Kangsan Travel here in Busan. They're located in Jangsan and have a remarkably friendly, English speaking staff. The woman working explained that I needed to go to the immigrations office (located in Jungang-dong) for what is called a 외국인사실증명서 or a Certificate of Alien Registration. I went to immigrations and got the certificate, no problem. Then the next day I went to the opposite side of town and applied for my very own Chinese visa. Amazingly, I needed very little for what seemed an ominous visa process. I needed a passport sized color photo, an application, my ARC, my passport, the above mentioned certificate and a wad of cash. The kind woman working explained to me that the rule just changed in Busan. Like, watching the train pull away, you just missed it kind of thing. She then told me that she was sending all of my stuff to Gwangju, another city here in Korea. I suppose that Gwangju, like Busan before it, is still allowing visas to those who have less than 6 months on their ARC's. Why this isn't a uniform rule in all of Korea, I'll never know. Why this is a rule in the first place is even more puzzling. I put a rush on it, just in case, and she told me I would have my passport and a small sticker allowing me to enter China in less than a week.

2) The only other option I had was to send everything home so I could have a family member apply on my behalf at an American consulate. I believe there are only 5 Chinese consulates in America (New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston). I attempted to call the Chicago consulate to ask about the procedure and failed miserably, so back to google I went! Found out that it was definitely possible for a family member/friend to apply for you, as long as you could get to one of the aforementioned consulates. I had my mom on standby just in case she would have to make an emergency trip to Chicago, but so far it's been unnecessary. There are some things to consider if you'll be applying this way. a) Apparently sending your passport in the mail is a big no-no. So hide it inside your copy of The Great Gatsby or something before you ship it off. b) Hope it doesn't get lost. Or better yet, send it through FedEx so you can track the package. c) Hope even harder that you live close to a consulate and know someone willing enough to take the trip for you.

3) Don't have a friend that likes you that much? Live somewhere kind of inconvenient to all the consulate locations? (I'm looking at you, Montana). There are a ton of companies that will process a visa for you while you're living abroad. A little weird, I know, sending your stuff to a complete stranger. Not even stuff, your identity, really. I did some research and found a surprising amount of businesses, some seemingly more trustworthy than others. Call around, look for testimonials online, look for a company you trust completely. It's going to cost a pretty penny and you'll have to wait a bit longer, but if you really want to go, what other option do you have?

I dropped my documents off this morning, so I still don't know if I'll have a visa or not. I'll give an update sometime in the next week. So uh... mom, you still might need to make a trip up to the windy city for yours truly.

I know a lot of people could literally care less about any of this and probably stopped reading after "to begin..." But I know that I searched and searched and didn't find the direct answers that I wanted. I'm hoping that I will provide some of those answers if anyone else finds themselves in the predicament I was.

So for those of you that don't live in Korea, don't need a Chinese visa or have no idea what I just rambled on about...

Did you know? I'm going to Shanghai in less than a month!

Seoul Searching

A few weekends ago, my co-worker (Alix) and I decided to take a trip to Seoul. A friend of mine from university (Mandie) had just moved to Seoul to begin teaching. Since I had yet to visit the capital city, I figured St. Paddy's weekend was a fine time to go. So we went!

There are a number of ways to get to Seoul from Busan. You can take a bus, which is the cheapest way to go, but also the slowest. There are two different trains, the "slow" train or the "fast" KTX. And then of course, you always have the option to fly. We decided to take the KTX there and back. It was about 50,000 won each way and only took about 2 1/2 hours. In my opinion, the KTX is the most efficient way to get to Seoul. It was comfortable, fast, and took you right to the heart of the city.

We went to several different parts of Seoul, though I'd be hard-pressed to tell you exactly what they were called. We wound up in Itaewon, which I would describe as the foreigner or tourist district of the city. It was built up around the military base, so naturally there are a lot of foreigners in the area.

But let me make myself clear. I think there are a lot of foreigners here in Busan, depending on what part of the city you're in. But Itaewon was different. For a moment walking down the street, I felt like I was back in Normal, Illinois on my college campus. There were young kids everywhere in every direction I looked. I knew that Itaewon would be full of Westerners, but I guess I didn't realize the extent of it.

In Busan, almost every foreigner you meet is a teacher of some sort. Rarely have I met anyone here with a different story, although I occasionally do. In Seoul, I only talked to a handful of people who were actually teaching. Most of them were in Korea because it was military related.

We went to several different bars in both Itaewon and Hongdae (another popular area of the city). But I think what surprised me most of all was the fact that many of these establishments charged a cover. In university, I was used to and expected to pay cover almost every night I went out. But in Korea? I almost completely forgot about the concept until I saw a line out of a bar we wanted to go into.

Seoul was fun, don't get me wrong. It was great to see Mandie and catch up with her; nice to see a familiar face from home. And we did get a lot of luxuries that aren't avilable in Busan.

Taco Bell for instance:

And Forever 21:

And Bennigan's for dinner.

Yes, Bennigan's. The chain restaurant that couldn't stay open in America has finally found its niche in Korealand.

But for what it's worth, I am so happy I chose to work in Busan. In my opinion, Busan has a more laid-back atmosphere. People aren't always in such a rush. But maybe that's because there aren't as many people living here, which is another reason I like living in Busan. I grew up in a pretty small town, so I had a bit of a culture shock moving to a big city. I think my anxiousness would have sky rocketed if I moved straight to Seoul.

I love Korea on the whole and I admire every city I've been to so far. But my heart will always belong to Busan.

Is this real life?

I'm not usually one to vent or complain about other people's ignorance. I don't use social networks or this blog as a soap box. I don't boast about my political affiliation or blast those who believe something different than me. But is has become apparent to me in the past few days that other people do, so if you'll allow me...

Let me begin by saying Japan was hit by a natural disaster I think very few of us will ever be able to comprehend. Lives were wrecked and uprooted in the course of a single day. Look around and be thankful for every single possession and infinitely more important, your health and the health of those around you.

Hearts were breaking around the world for those affected by this tragedy, yet some people still felt it necessary to use the Internet as a platform for what they felt needed to be said.

The first example I stumbled upon was a young college student attending UCLA. She posted a video about "Asians in the library," and how they all had downright terrible manners. She even went on to mention the Japanese students and although they were probably calling family members to make sure they were still alive, you could at least go outside. Right?

Wrong. She's come under a lot of heat about the video and although I do feel she should be reprimanded, I think it's gone a bit far. She's received threatening messages and her class schedule has been posted as to perhaps encourage violence. Let's not tolerate ignorance, but let's not spread hatred in the same foolish way.

I then came upon a video of another young woman saying that the catastrophe in Japan was straight from the hands of God. You see, Lent had just begun and Christians all around the world were praying for atheists to wake up. This, by all means, was God literally shaking the Japanese people and telling them to stop sleeping. Right?

Wrong. We aren't living in the times of the Old Testament. From what I've learned growing up, God is loving, compassionate and forgiving. Why would He punish innocent people? Innocent children, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers alike? And even more so, if that really is true, why would anyone want to worship and give thanks for such a disaster?

I think these two instances genuinely upset me since I too am a young American girl. I've lived in Asia for some time now and Korea is gut-wrenchingly close to Japan. I mourn for the Japanese people and all the work that has to be done in the next several years. How could people be so malicious? How could a human being be so inhuman?

But it doesn't take misfortune for some people to spread their own types of ignorance, unfortunately. Not only is YouTube being utilized, as the two examples above show, but Facebook has given a microphone to anyone and everyone, becoming a terrifying stage for those who choose to use it. Which is how I came upon this jewel of a status:

Expatriate: a person who has renounced his or her native country. Here are some suggestions on countries you can move to since you are so unhappy with the United States: Libya, Burma, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Tibet, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, China, and Cuba. Re-post if you agree.

I was absolutely horrified and somewhat offended when I read this. I truly believe, with every inch of my being, that this is what makes Americans so unlikable. I have traveled to several countries in the past three years and never once have I felt uncomfortable, out of place or in real danger because of my heritage. Yet, I see people on Facebook proclaiming that "I shouldn't have to press 1 because I live in America and I speak English. Damnit!" As an expat living in South Korea for the last seven months, knowing no more than 35 Korean words, I am ashamed to know people that could be so unpleasant.

I suppose this is just out of frustration. In the wake of tragedy, I would like to see world citizens coming together. But it seems in dire times, we'd rather stick with what we know.

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.

Kimchi Confessions

As I reach the halfway point of my time in Korea, I can't help but think of what I'll miss the most. I'll definitely miss the friends I've made, my students, the lifestyle. But the thing I'm going to miss above all else? The food.

Korean food may not be exceptional in comparison to other cuisines, but I have yet to try a dish in Korea that I absolutely despised. The fact that food is so cheap makes it all the much better. And to top it off, you get a never ending amount of sides (and we all know I can't seem to get enough kimchi).

I've briefly mentioned food throughout my entries, but here are the foods I am most fond of.

3) Kimbap 김밥

Kind of like sushi (but not) kimbap shops are on every street corner in Korea. You can get them in a variety of flavors. I like the standard kimbap rolls which include a plethora of items. Sometimes you'll get pickles, cheese, crab or hotdogs, but don't be alarmed. It's delicious. You can also order different food items at these shops, including ramyeon 라면, mandu (dumplings) 만두, kimchi jigae (soup) 김치 찌개 and about 30 other options I haven't translated yet. Food from these shops will cost you a whopping 2,000 - 5,000 won (or about two to five bucks).

2) Galbi 갈비

A food you have to work for but oh-so-delicious in the end, galbi restaurants are also common throughout Busan. There are different types of meat you can get at these particular establishments. I usually rely on the "point and order whatever your finger lands on method," and have yet to be disappointed. You get strips of meat (that you might have to cut up) that you grill yourself. This is when it's nice to have a man, the presumed grillmaster, so you can sit back and eat all the side dishes while he makes sure the meat is cooked to exactness. A galbi dinner that could keep you full and satisfied for 24 hours will cost you around 10,000 won.

1) Shabu Shabu

Having lived in Busan for the last six months, I'm disappointed I just now discovered the magic that is Shabu Shabu. Although I'm not sure this food has a Korean origin, I appreciate Korea's ability to stuff me to the brim of existence. Shabu Shabu comes in three parts. First, you put meat and veggies into a hot pot. Once cooked, you make your own spring rolls. Fill the rice sheets with meat, veggies, pineapple, whatever, and then dip them in any sauce that fits your liking. After you've stuffed yourself, it's on to the second course. Noodles are added to the remaining broth and you now get to enjoy a delectable soup. And if that wasn't filling enough, you then add rice and egg to what remains. Every part of the meal being somehow amazingly better than the last. This three course meal will cost you a staggering 11,000 won. Or to put it simply, 11 McChickens.

Snow Day!

I thought it was finally getting warmer here in Busan, but clearly I was mistaken. I woke up Monday to a few snow flakes, but thought nothing of it. It had snowed once earlier in the winter but it only lasted about 15 minutes and melted immediately. However after showering, getting ready and eating lunch, I noticed the snow was still coming down and was starting to accumulate just a bit. I went to Alix's room so we could walk together when I got a phone call from Jeff saying that school was canceled for the day. Nice-uh!

I was a little confused since it seemed to be an astonishingly small amount of snow. After all, everyone home was just hit with what seemed to be the "storm of the century," and even then some schools remained open. But Jeff explained to me that people just aren't accustomed to snow in Busan, and they're certainly not used to it mixed with ice. I figure there are no snow plows or ice trucks so it would be difficult for children to get to and from school. So our school, and several other schools around Busan, were closed for the day for what I'm sure amounted to less than 3 inches of snow. But I'll be honest, it was really slick outside and the ice that formed over the snow could be potentially dangerous. Enough so that I fell walking to school today. It never fails. I fall on the ice every single winter, sometimes when I'm holding a hot chocolate (not a joke, it happened). I thought I would get a break this year, but that wasn't the case.

On our day off Alix and I decided to get my fisheye pictures developed from Geoje-do and Hong Kong. I dig them.

From Hong Kong, With Love

What an incredible week this was. I really didn't know what to expect from Hong Kong, but having spent a short time there, I am completely amazed and head over heels in love with the city.

I think it would be best to start off with a small history lesson about Hong Kong. Although HK is technically in China, it is a special administrative region, with its own government, rights and regulations. For instance, you can use youtube and facebook in HK although you wouldn't be able to in mainland China. HK was also colonized by the British and only in 1997 did they become independent. The colonization is so evident, it's almost frightening. HK felt, looked, sounded like London.

Hong Kong is an international city unlike any other I've ever been to. I feel it really gives its visitors the best of both worlds, offering both an Asian and European feel. When we were in London this summer, Andre took us to the "trendy" side of town, the East End. The west was always thought to be the swank part of town, but as of late it's become terribly posh and entirely too expensive. All the "cool" kids hang out on the east side of London and we saw this firsthand on our stroll down Brick Lane. I feel as if Hong Kong is the East End of Asia. As far as Korea is concerned, HK is definitely the hip kid in school. The young people in HK are so rebellious, they have free spirits, they aren't afraid to look and dress differently. Very rarely do I see that here in Busan (although I'm sure it's much more prevalent in Seoul) but almost every young person in HK dressed like they meant it. They had their own unique style. I really appreciated it.

HK had so much to offer. We saw skyscrapers and we saw beach and palm trees. The weather was absolutely goregous, about 70 degrees farenheit everyday. Compared to the brisk below freezing temperatures we've had of late in Korea, this was paradise. It was amazing to walk around with no winter coat.

Stacy and I went on this trip alone, not making any plans and just going with the flow. On her way to the airport, she found out that two other teachers we know in Busan, Jeff and Lauren, were also headed to HK. As it turns out, they stayed about three subways stops away from us. It's funny how things work out, especially when they are completely unpredicted. They stayed at the fairly famous ChungKing Mansions, a hostel that is absolutely sprawling in size (someone told us that it covers almost 5 blocks), though I must say I was much more satisfied with our accomodation. They said they saw a few cockroaches and the small rooms and shared bathrooms were less than desirable. Stacy and I stayed on Argyle Street, a very popular shopping area next to what is called the Ladies Market. We couldn't have asked for a better hostel. We paid about 20 dollars each night for our own bed and bathroom, central location, free internet and no bugs.

Being so close to Jeff and Lauren really worked out. We hadn't planned on hanging out in HK, but it was nice to have other people to go around with since we hadn't decided what we were going to do while on vacation. The first night there, we met Lauren, Jeff and his two friends from Chicago, Kevin and Mike. They both work in the city, but they had vacation time and flew to HK to celebrate. It was nice to talk to them about home and have conversations with people who actually know where Rantoul is on a map.

On the second day, we woke up early and had brunch at what I can only describe as an Asian Denny's. We ate cheap, delicious food then made our way to "The Avenue of the Stars," which is exactly like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, except with Asian celebrities. We recognized a few, like Jackie Chan, and took some hilarious pictures with the Bruce Lee statue. We also got our first view of the magniifcent HK skyline. Although disappointingly smoggy, it was still amazing to see. After this, we hoped to take cable cars to a tall peak for a grand view of the city and a gigantic Buddha, but once we got there we saw that the line was unbearably long. We were told it would be about a three hour wait which we attributed to the holiday, so we decided to skip on those plans. Instead, we headed to a park nearby and found solitude near the sea. The boys explored and found a small fishing village, while the girls laid around and basked in the sunshine. I laid under a tree and found my inner peace while enjoying the beautiful weather. That night there was a parade, but the crowds were once again incredibly huge. We got a few glances of the parade, but didn't feel like being smushed and pushed around. Instead, we went back to the Avenue of the Stars where there is a light show every night. It was a little cheesy with the 1984 synth-music, but it was remarkble to see, nonetheless.

The third day was my favorite in Hong Kong, without a doubt. I knew HK was a modern city, but I had no idea it was so green. Early in the morning, we took a ferry to an island named Lamma. The ride only took about half an hour and was calm for the most part. I think we were all pleasantly surprised when we stepped off the boat and onto the small island where there are absolutely no cars or roads. We saw seafood restaurants, small shops and marts, it was amazing. We got off at one port then walked around the beautiful island to the other port where we would depart. After walking around and browsing through shops, we ate right by the boardwalk and watched the sun go down on another beautiful day in Hong Kong. We quickly made our way back to the ferry and onto a bus that took us to Victoria's Peak. And when I say peak, I really mean we were at the peak of the city. The fireworks were that night and we were able to barely catch a glimpse over the crowd to see the magnificent display. But once everyone cleared out, we were really able to appreciate the view. I can't think of a skyline more beautiful than Hong Kong's from that summit. It was truly breathtaking.

Our last day in Hong Kong was a lazy one. We slept in and then took our time getting ready, finally making our way to an H&M to buy clothes that fit us the way they're supposed to. Good-bye paycheck!

We had a quick and easy flight home the next morning. During our layover in Shanghai, the man giving us our boarding passes asked us where we were going after Korea. "Busan is home," I said. It felt strangely comforting. I'm going to miss this country so damn much.

But aside from that, this trip was truly amazing in every sense of the word. It was so easy to navigate through HK and it seemed as though everyone spoke almost perfect English with British accents. And I mean everyone. People working in 7/11, waiters, strangers on the street offering to help when we were lost. The only part I had trouble adjusting to was money. Although everything was surprisngly cheap, the conversion threw me off a bit. To put it simply, one US dollar is equal to about 8 HK dollars. I would see a bottle of water for $8.50 and think I was going to go bankrupt after the first hour in the country, but it wound up only being a buck.

If anyone ever wanted to go to Hong Kong I would highly reccommend it. It's a truly international city with great people. The food was mediocre at best, but when that's your only "complaint," I think that really says something. We hadn't planned to spend vacation with the people we did, but I couldn't imagine it being any other way. They made this trip unforgettable and we had a lot of laughs and made memories that will last us all a lifetime. I'm so glad I got to experience Hong Kong for myself. When I first booked the flight, I thought I had made a mistake and was certain I spent too much for only a few days away. In hindsight, I would have spent double. This holiday was priceless.