I am a karaoke machine.
Last night I finally went to "The Bar" or as my friends like to call it "The Shit Hole." It's the regular hangout and it was everything I thought it would be.
Drinking. Dancing. Bartending. Meeting strangers. Very good times.
Afterward we finally went to a karaoke bar. But, these places are unlike any karaoke bar in the US. Instead, each group gets their own private room with a couple microphones and a bunch of tambourines. Everyone sings and dances to their own songs. It was too much fun for just one person. And the best part is that these places are open so late (5am) so you can sing until your voice gives out.
Other awesome things that are happening...
I got a new digital camera at the Yongsun Electronic Market. I have not been able to stop taking pictures. I'd been here over a month and not taken a single picture. I think some of my friends were starting to think that I didn't actually move to Korea. I just moved to someplace embarrassing and boring like North Dakota. But, now that I have pictures I can finally start documenting my experiences and prove that I fled the country. I love my new camera!
I finally had real Korean BBQ. I've had stew-type beef and peppers, but this time it was real BBQ and it was delicious. Easily the best food I've had since I've been here. The way the BBQ works is that there is a grill in the center of the table and the servers place hot coals under the grill. You have a plate of raw, marinated beef and you cook your own meat. Then you wrap of the pieces of meat in big pieces of lettuce with rice, sprouts, onion, tofu and pepper sauce. It is truly fantastic.
Oh... I haven't written about chopsticks! Koreans use chopsticks for everything, but their chopsticks are flat. So, instead of round or square Chinese and Japanese chopsticks, the Korean chopsticks are mostly flat long pieces of metal. You might not think they make that much of a difference, but you'd be wrong. Those are some slippery chopsticks!
No one uses voicemail. People just text message constantly.
I visited Dongdaemun yesterday. It is an area of town with huge shopping centers. I browsed through the clothes and had to laugh. They are so fashion conscious here and the outfits sometimes defy logic. But, I'm starting to get into the new styles. A lot of people wear turtlenecks and then layer with a loose, tunic-type, jumper thing. I bought one yesterday and am wearing it as I write this. I think I look a little goofy, but I'm comfortable and I guess I am "in style." But, since I don't understand Korean, for all I know everyone is laughing at the stupid white girl's clothes.
Finally, I've got pretty cool co-workers. They are a good time, every time. Lucky me.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Listen Up...
Go listen to the song "Life Is Short" by Butterfly Boucher.
It played on my ipod today while I was standing in the middle of a crowded subway car.
For a few minutes I felt like I had my own personal soundtrack.
It played on my ipod today while I was standing in the middle of a crowded subway car.
For a few minutes I felt like I had my own personal soundtrack.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Super Junior...
All the kids here (especially the girls) are crazy about Super Junior... the Korean equivalent of the Backstreet Boys/N'sync. The girls doodle their names on their textbooks, sing their songs in class and never stop thinking about this band.
For your viewing pleasure... Super Junior!
P.S. All the members of this band are men. You'll be glad I clarified... Trust me.
For your viewing pleasure... Super Junior!
P.S. All the members of this band are men. You'll be glad I clarified... Trust me.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
S-O-J-U...
I heard a Korean rap song the other day and the only part of the song I could understand was "S-O-J-U." Just like American rappers who are "sippin' on gin and juice" and who have made the realization that "Bacardi" rhymes with "party," the Korean rappers sing the praises of their national drink of choice... Soju.
I finally got around to giving this stuff a try... Good times. I don't think I'm a big fan of straight soju, but mixed with pineapple juice, kiwi juice or peach juice... I could drink the stuff all night. The bar/restaurant where I went with some new friends served a pitcher of juice with a bottle of soju. You'd pour the bottle into the pitcher and mix the drink at your table. Then fill everyone's shot glasses.
In Korea it is rude to fill your own glass, so your friends are always pouring your drinks and you are always pouring theirs. It seems a bit inconvenient and I seem to accidentally break the rule a lot, but I'm trying to be a little more patient and not so imperialistic.
At the end of our soju drinking the whole crowd stumbled over to the 7-11. (There is a 7-11 every four blocks... no joke!) I was advised to try the "Hangover Cure." A little $5 can of slightly gross, molasses/coffee-ish drink that was suppose to prevent hangovers. I don't know if it did the trick or if it was the fact that I didn't have to work till 2:00 in the afternoon the next day... But, I was hangover free the next morning!
In other news... UOP is still a pain in the ass.
Moving on... Last night I went with one of my co-workers to a little Mexican restaurant after work. (I won't claim that it was the best Mexican I have ever had, after all I am from Stockton, California... home to some pretty authentic and delicious Mexican food!) Unfortunately, the restaurant was closing so we had to get our food to-go. So, we hopped in a cab and took our meal to the E-mart where we could sit and eat. After digging into our food, one of the workers at the store came over to our table and told us we had to leave.... Our food was too smelly! Let me remind you that I live in the land of Kimchi! They use garlic and hot peppers in every dish. Uncooked fish is a frequent component of Korean dishes.... But, Mexican food was too much. I just had to laugh. It only seems fair... Their food frequently smells awful to me and they feel the same way about my food! We really are more similar than we are different.
Other good news...
I found the E-mart. Actually, that is a bit of an overstatement... My friend took me to the E-mart. But, I know where it is now and I can shop there. It is like a giant Target with a real grocery store. I have been shopping in little markets, but now I know where I can stock up.
Despite it's size and volume of products, E-mart doesn't have deodorant. Seriously.
I don't have a car and it is great. No car payments. No car insurance payments. No parking. No waiting to get gas. No paying for gas.
I don't have a backpack and it is not great. I need to get one... yesterday! Since I'm always walking, I need to get a big backpack for when I go grocery shopping or to the gym. Not to mention, it is just more eco-friendly. People are always bringing their own grocery bags with them to the markets.
My Korean lessons start on January 31st... 10 days! I'm going to start practicing the Korean alphabet before I start the lessons. The history of the Korean language is really interesting. I'll have more updates on that in the coming days.
All is well. It's snowing. But, I'm safe and warm.
I finally got around to giving this stuff a try... Good times. I don't think I'm a big fan of straight soju, but mixed with pineapple juice, kiwi juice or peach juice... I could drink the stuff all night. The bar/restaurant where I went with some new friends served a pitcher of juice with a bottle of soju. You'd pour the bottle into the pitcher and mix the drink at your table. Then fill everyone's shot glasses.
In Korea it is rude to fill your own glass, so your friends are always pouring your drinks and you are always pouring theirs. It seems a bit inconvenient and I seem to accidentally break the rule a lot, but I'm trying to be a little more patient and not so imperialistic.
At the end of our soju drinking the whole crowd stumbled over to the 7-11. (There is a 7-11 every four blocks... no joke!) I was advised to try the "Hangover Cure." A little $5 can of slightly gross, molasses/coffee-ish drink that was suppose to prevent hangovers. I don't know if it did the trick or if it was the fact that I didn't have to work till 2:00 in the afternoon the next day... But, I was hangover free the next morning!
In other news... UOP is still a pain in the ass.
Moving on... Last night I went with one of my co-workers to a little Mexican restaurant after work. (I won't claim that it was the best Mexican I have ever had, after all I am from Stockton, California... home to some pretty authentic and delicious Mexican food!) Unfortunately, the restaurant was closing so we had to get our food to-go. So, we hopped in a cab and took our meal to the E-mart where we could sit and eat. After digging into our food, one of the workers at the store came over to our table and told us we had to leave.... Our food was too smelly! Let me remind you that I live in the land of Kimchi! They use garlic and hot peppers in every dish. Uncooked fish is a frequent component of Korean dishes.... But, Mexican food was too much. I just had to laugh. It only seems fair... Their food frequently smells awful to me and they feel the same way about my food! We really are more similar than we are different.
Other good news...
I found the E-mart. Actually, that is a bit of an overstatement... My friend took me to the E-mart. But, I know where it is now and I can shop there. It is like a giant Target with a real grocery store. I have been shopping in little markets, but now I know where I can stock up.
Despite it's size and volume of products, E-mart doesn't have deodorant. Seriously.
I don't have a car and it is great. No car payments. No car insurance payments. No parking. No waiting to get gas. No paying for gas.
I don't have a backpack and it is not great. I need to get one... yesterday! Since I'm always walking, I need to get a big backpack for when I go grocery shopping or to the gym. Not to mention, it is just more eco-friendly. People are always bringing their own grocery bags with them to the markets.
My Korean lessons start on January 31st... 10 days! I'm going to start practicing the Korean alphabet before I start the lessons. The history of the Korean language is really interesting. I'll have more updates on that in the coming days.
All is well. It's snowing. But, I'm safe and warm.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Work it out...
I joined a gym... and it is a really cool gym.
Most the buildings in the area where I live are multiple stories and house multiple businesses. It is no different with my gym. On the first floor there is a restaurant. The second floor is home to a super fashionable hair stylist. The third floor houses an internal medicine clinic. And the fourth through sixth floors are the gym. I was surprised when I took a tour to see that every person was wearing the exact same outfit. It turns out that the gym actually provides clean workout outfits for all the members in the locker room. Similar to the way some gyms provide towels in the locker rooms. Awesome! Which means the only things I need to bring to the gym are my shoes, socks and ipod. Actually... they also provide a personal set of headphones. So, I don't even need my ipod! Perfect!
However, the best part of the gym has to be the showers. Hot hot showers! I actually took my first truly hot shower in Korea just yesterday. The water in my apartment gets luke warm (at best) and makes showering miserable. But, not anymore. I can take scalding hot showers at the gym anytime I like. I may never take a shower in my apartment again!
Moving on... I had a really great experience in class today. Emma, a female student who is shy, quiet, timid and usually stares at me blankly when I ask a question, really surprised me today. Emma is one of the students in my beginning debate class and at the end of every class she has to give a speech. Most times, despite all my encouragement and reminders, she speaks at a volume that is impossible to comprehend. I can only tell that she is speaking because I see her lips moving. But, today I heard her! She spoke loud enough (just barely) for me to hear her! And she made a great argument. Of course, the vocabulary she used was rudimentary. She left out articles from her sentences and she confused some past and present tenses... But, the idea was there. She was making the right comparison between debate arguments. She did it! All by herself, at the podium, in front of the class... She did it! I wanted to jump out of my seat and cheer.
A few other interesting (and random) things worth mentioning...
Pedestrians have no rights in Seoul. Cars park on the streets. Motorcyclists wiz in and out of crowds delivering every kind of food and product imaginable. I can't count the number of times I've been almost maimed or killed on my way to work.
I feel like I've really moved to Korea when I clean my apartment. No one cleans their hotel room on vacation. No one does laundry when they take a trip. So, when I clean and fold laundry I remember that I am here to stay.
People are nicer than we give them credit for.
I am never donating any money to my alma mater. (When I'm rich and famous I may set up a scholarship fund for the debate team... But, not a cent for that stupid school.)
I adore Mark Morford. Every time I read his columns I fall in love all over again. (www.sfgate.com)
I have never had more respect for my high school teachers than I do now.
Most the buildings in the area where I live are multiple stories and house multiple businesses. It is no different with my gym. On the first floor there is a restaurant. The second floor is home to a super fashionable hair stylist. The third floor houses an internal medicine clinic. And the fourth through sixth floors are the gym. I was surprised when I took a tour to see that every person was wearing the exact same outfit. It turns out that the gym actually provides clean workout outfits for all the members in the locker room. Similar to the way some gyms provide towels in the locker rooms. Awesome! Which means the only things I need to bring to the gym are my shoes, socks and ipod. Actually... they also provide a personal set of headphones. So, I don't even need my ipod! Perfect!
However, the best part of the gym has to be the showers. Hot hot showers! I actually took my first truly hot shower in Korea just yesterday. The water in my apartment gets luke warm (at best) and makes showering miserable. But, not anymore. I can take scalding hot showers at the gym anytime I like. I may never take a shower in my apartment again!
Moving on... I had a really great experience in class today. Emma, a female student who is shy, quiet, timid and usually stares at me blankly when I ask a question, really surprised me today. Emma is one of the students in my beginning debate class and at the end of every class she has to give a speech. Most times, despite all my encouragement and reminders, she speaks at a volume that is impossible to comprehend. I can only tell that she is speaking because I see her lips moving. But, today I heard her! She spoke loud enough (just barely) for me to hear her! And she made a great argument. Of course, the vocabulary she used was rudimentary. She left out articles from her sentences and she confused some past and present tenses... But, the idea was there. She was making the right comparison between debate arguments. She did it! All by herself, at the podium, in front of the class... She did it! I wanted to jump out of my seat and cheer.
A few other interesting (and random) things worth mentioning...
Pedestrians have no rights in Seoul. Cars park on the streets. Motorcyclists wiz in and out of crowds delivering every kind of food and product imaginable. I can't count the number of times I've been almost maimed or killed on my way to work.
I feel like I've really moved to Korea when I clean my apartment. No one cleans their hotel room on vacation. No one does laundry when they take a trip. So, when I clean and fold laundry I remember that I am here to stay.
People are nicer than we give them credit for.
I am never donating any money to my alma mater. (When I'm rich and famous I may set up a scholarship fund for the debate team... But, not a cent for that stupid school.)
I adore Mark Morford. Every time I read his columns I fall in love all over again. (www.sfgate.com)
I have never had more respect for my high school teachers than I do now.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Payday...
Today is the big day... My first payday. I opened a Korean bank account and money should appear in my account by the end of the day. How exciting!
Speaking of being paid... I was paid an incredibly encouraging compliment yesterday. One of the Korean teachers at my school said she was surprised I'd never been to Korea before because I seemed so comfortable in my new surroundings. How nice! I guess the old saying is true "Fake it 'till you make it."
But, I suspect my comfort has less to do with me and more to do with the helpfulness of the people I have met. I have new friends who volunteer to write out instructions in Korean so that I can ask for help at the grocery store or when trying to communicate with a cab driver. Other teachers have given me hints on how to get my thermostat to work properly, how to recognize Korean words, the best way to hail a taxi, and have shown me how to use the subway. The list goes on to include people truly going out of the their way to help me get started in Korea. And those are just the people who can speak English!
The overwhelming kindness from people who don't speak English is incredibly surprising. After all, I'm a foreigner in their country and I don't speak their language. I'm the one being difficult and creating communication challenges. Just yesterday I was at the grocery store and I tried to use the Korean word for thank you/goodbye. I mangled the word and the grocery clerk helped me pronounce it correctly. He was kind and generous when he didn't have to be. Other Koreans have practically engaged in games of Charades with me in order to communicate and help me find my way.
I'm really loving it here and I am blessed beyond measure.
Speaking of being paid... I was paid an incredibly encouraging compliment yesterday. One of the Korean teachers at my school said she was surprised I'd never been to Korea before because I seemed so comfortable in my new surroundings. How nice! I guess the old saying is true "Fake it 'till you make it."
But, I suspect my comfort has less to do with me and more to do with the helpfulness of the people I have met. I have new friends who volunteer to write out instructions in Korean so that I can ask for help at the grocery store or when trying to communicate with a cab driver. Other teachers have given me hints on how to get my thermostat to work properly, how to recognize Korean words, the best way to hail a taxi, and have shown me how to use the subway. The list goes on to include people truly going out of the their way to help me get started in Korea. And those are just the people who can speak English!
The overwhelming kindness from people who don't speak English is incredibly surprising. After all, I'm a foreigner in their country and I don't speak their language. I'm the one being difficult and creating communication challenges. Just yesterday I was at the grocery store and I tried to use the Korean word for thank you/goodbye. I mangled the word and the grocery clerk helped me pronounce it correctly. He was kind and generous when he didn't have to be. Other Koreans have practically engaged in games of Charades with me in order to communicate and help me find my way.
I'm really loving it here and I am blessed beyond measure.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Two Weeks in Review...
Over the past few weeks I've been sending emails, keeping journals and jotting notes to myself. Here is a brief collection of some of those writings... just to get caught up on my first 14 days in South Korea.
Saturday 12.22.07
Notes on an airport bar napkin
Sitting at the airport bar. I order a glass of champagne and watch the planes take-off. At this time tomorrow I'll be living in South Korea.... The weeks have wound me up and filled me with anxiety, but now I just have to get on a plane. I'm moving to Korea.
Sunday 12.23.07
Email to family
I'm here. I did it. I arrived late last night.
This morning I woke up at 6:00am. I got dressed and just started exploring. It was still dark outside, but I was awake and there was no reason for me to stay in my dorm room of an apartment. I put on good walking shoes, bundled up and just set out to see if I could find my school. An hour later... I still hadn't found my school. The school is about a 3 minute drive from my apartment and I have a pretty good idea of where it is, but I just haven't found it yet.
But, in the mean time I fed myself, found my way back to my apartment and even figured out the nearest subway station. I used the correct bills to pay for breakfast. I remembered the code to get back into my building and found an internet cafe. And I am writing you this email... I think I deserve a shiny trophy.
Monday 12.24.07
Facebook post
It is Christmas Eve.
There is no tree.
There are no presents.
There is no eggnog.
I sat on fluffy pillows, ate delicious Moroccan food and smoked hookah with a couple guys from Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Dubai. We all danced for hours in a hot smokey basement club with Korean girls who could only say "Merry Christmas" in English. I drank beer from three different countries. I smoked an awful cigar. And while eating dinner four different languages were being used at the table.
It is a very very merry Christmas!
Thursday 12.27.07
Email to family
Someone called me 'Miss Jacki' today.
I'm a teacher.
Sunday 12.30.07
Facebook post
It snowed.
I walked home while it was snowing.
Snow flakes actually landed on my nose and my eye lashes.
I live someplace where it snows.
In California I'd be wearing flip flops. But, in Korea I am making fresh footprints in the snow. It feels like I am in a movie.
On an even more exciting note... I ate Korean food for the first time last night! Some noodles and chicken and peppers thing. (And a second time for lunch today.) It was really good... I am going to like it here.
Wednesday 1.2.07
Journal Entry
I have never walked so much in my entire life. I need better walking shoes. Sylish, cool walking shoes. I love walking.
Monday 1.7.08
Email to friend
This morning it occurred to me that I am not scared of anything. I know how to deal with all my co-workers (who are fantastic). I know how to deal with my boss if he asks me to work hours I don't want to work. I can get just about anything I need in the city. I know how to use the subway. If I get lost, I may not know how to get home, but I know how to get to places where I know how to get home. I'm good at my job and I am safe. Not bad for having been here only two weeks.
Saturday 12.22.07
Notes on an airport bar napkin
Sitting at the airport bar. I order a glass of champagne and watch the planes take-off. At this time tomorrow I'll be living in South Korea.... The weeks have wound me up and filled me with anxiety, but now I just have to get on a plane. I'm moving to Korea.
Sunday 12.23.07
Email to family
I'm here. I did it. I arrived late last night.
This morning I woke up at 6:00am. I got dressed and just started exploring. It was still dark outside, but I was awake and there was no reason for me to stay in my dorm room of an apartment. I put on good walking shoes, bundled up and just set out to see if I could find my school. An hour later... I still hadn't found my school. The school is about a 3 minute drive from my apartment and I have a pretty good idea of where it is, but I just haven't found it yet.
But, in the mean time I fed myself, found my way back to my apartment and even figured out the nearest subway station. I used the correct bills to pay for breakfast. I remembered the code to get back into my building and found an internet cafe. And I am writing you this email... I think I deserve a shiny trophy.
Facebook post
It is Christmas Eve.
There is no tree.
There are no presents.
There is no eggnog.
I sat on fluffy pillows, ate delicious Moroccan food and smoked hookah with a couple guys from Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Dubai. We all danced for hours in a hot smokey basement club with Korean girls who could only say "Merry Christmas" in English. I drank beer from three different countries. I smoked an awful cigar. And while eating dinner four different languages were being used at the table.
It is a very very merry Christmas!
Thursday 12.27.07
Email to family
Someone called me 'Miss Jacki' today.
I'm a teacher.
Sunday 12.30.07
Facebook post
It snowed.
I walked home while it was snowing.
Snow flakes actually landed on my nose and my eye lashes.
I live someplace where it snows.
In California I'd be wearing flip flops. But, in Korea I am making fresh footprints in the snow. It feels like I am in a movie.
On an even more exciting note... I ate Korean food for the first time last night! Some noodles and chicken and peppers thing. (And a second time for lunch today.) It was really good... I am going to like it here.
Wednesday 1.2.07
Journal Entry
I have never walked so much in my entire life. I need better walking shoes. Sylish, cool walking shoes. I love walking.
Monday 1.7.08
Email to friend
This morning it occurred to me that I am not scared of anything. I know how to deal with all my co-workers (who are fantastic). I know how to deal with my boss if he asks me to work hours I don't want to work. I can get just about anything I need in the city. I know how to use the subway. If I get lost, I may not know how to get home, but I know how to get to places where I know how to get home. I'm good at my job and I am safe. Not bad for having been here only two weeks.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
And so it begins...
This is my cliche.
A traveler's blog, complete with a not-so-clever, pun intended title.
As with any new endeavor, the intent is to be exceptional. In this case, to compile prose that is thoughtful, articulate and insightful. That will inspire and showcase personal achievement, experience and growth.
But, the moments and thoughts of my life rarely merit the aforementioned adjectives. Instead a more accurate description would include phrases such as "routinely incomplete" "unpredictable" "grammatically incorrect" and might even occasionally include the thoroughly unimpressive label, "sophomoric."
But, my experiences and thoughts are wholly my own. And so, the only thing this cliche of a blog can guarantee is a completely authentic compilation of the radically new and thrilling experiencing that are confronting me at every turn.
And that will simply have to be enough.
So begins... Jacki's Adventures of the Seoul.
A traveler's blog, complete with a not-so-clever, pun intended title.
As with any new endeavor, the intent is to be exceptional. In this case, to compile prose that is thoughtful, articulate and insightful. That will inspire and showcase personal achievement, experience and growth.
But, the moments and thoughts of my life rarely merit the aforementioned adjectives. Instead a more accurate description would include phrases such as "routinely incomplete" "unpredictable" "grammatically incorrect" and might even occasionally include the thoroughly unimpressive label, "sophomoric."
But, my experiences and thoughts are wholly my own. And so, the only thing this cliche of a blog can guarantee is a completely authentic compilation of the radically new and thrilling experiencing that are confronting me at every turn.
And that will simply have to be enough.
So begins... Jacki's Adventures of the Seoul.
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