So this past week was pretty long. I worked my regular work week and a half-day on Saturday, and today at church there was a newcomer's party that lasted til 9:30. That's not to say the week was dull, however. I finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road, an immensely bleak book that served to brighten my life exactly because of its bleakness. In the book, the world has been mostly destroyed--lands, cities, even the atmosphere--and the few survivors eke out an existence pillaging other survivors until they themselves run out of provisions and die. It was harrowing but it made me thankful for the everyday things we have, so this week I was happier than ever. I recommend the book--it is a quick read and written in a thoughtful but often commonplace prose that is easy to navigate and appreciate.
Other than that feat, I read some other short stories and played a good bit of Scramble on Facebook. I'm getting better, much to my delight. I also bought some Pringles and some cereal that turned out to be peanut butter flavored and I couldn't be happier with both of those choices. I'm actually eating better than I ever have before, because food is the only thing I spend money on (well, there was that pesky $7 electric bill)...
On Wednesday I went to visit a friend for dinner and had my first taste of cream spaghetti. This spaghetti included shrimp, bacon, and other juicy morsels of unidentifiable food and it was absolutely fabulous. And it was cheap: $6 and that included dessert. I was pleased with the meal. The only sad part of the story was that someone told me the wrong bus number, so I ended up at a random bus driver "resting place," and the bus driver and I just exchanged confused looks as to why I was still seated when he pulled over. I departed the bus and found a taxi that took me to my proper destination, and so it made for a funny misadventure. At least now I know the bus system better...
Saturday I studied Korean a good deal, and I'm getting much better and reading and pronouncing some of the trickier sounds. I also learned my numbers this week in both counting systems (there's a Chinese and a Korean one that are used on different occasions) so I can now understand conversations marginally better. I also watched two Korean movies, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance, which you may have realized are connected. They're actually the first two movies in the "Vengeance Trilogy" and I found them to be quite impressive. There's a host of other adjectives I could use for them as well, but let's just stick with that one to be simple. I'm quite impressed with the director's style: the films are nothing like what is available back in the States.
Lastly I should mention about Sunday. I went to the afternoon English Bible study and the evening service, knowing that there would be a "new member's party" afterwards. The Bible study was quite enjoyable and interesting--the group is made up of several quite different Koreans, an Armenian doctoral student, and myself, so sometimes the views expressed range considerably. The service was also good, although my translation headset cut out halfway through the preaching and I just nodded stupidly for the last half hoping that the problem would be corrected. Then around 6:30 we met downstairs as a 'young adult' group for an awesome dinner. We had lots of pork and veggies and rice and kimchi, capped with a feast of fruit for dessert. I probably ate a whole pineapple's worth of pineapple slices and I tried a persimmon and a cherry tomato for what I think was the first time. The persimmon was a bit sour and messy, though not terrible. The cherry tomato was more tomatoey that cherryish, so it didn't quite make the list of top fruits (or is it a veggie?) of the day. After dinner we were treated to a lovely bit of singing and a dramatization of the book of Ruth and then all the new people introduced themselves and received a coffee mug and a pair of socks. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend an evening, although it was much longer than I expected.
The final thing I should mention was the epiphany I had this afternoon. A few weeks ago I met someone with who I immediately discovered an unusual, perhaps even metaphysical, connection. We have become better and better friends over the last two weeks, and I'm so glad for that. However, I was curious as to what made this instant and comfortable friendship so easy and effortless, in hopes that it could be duplicated or understood better with others. In trying to analyze why our connection exists, I considered our various interests, beliefs, experiences, etc., but nothing seemed quite out of the ordinary compared to the hundreds of other people I've met in the now three months I've been here. But today I stumbled upon it by accident. Each of my closest friends, the ones I've made instant, easy, and long-lasting connections with over the years, were all people of mixed identities. JJ and Kris came to mind first: JJ, an American raised in Africa, has imbibed both cultures and masters them equally well. Kris, who was transplanted in America in his later teen years, clings to his Korean culture while melding with American culture, and now he is ministering as a youth pastor to other 1.5 or second-generation Koreans. Even the girls I seriously dated in the States had mixed nationalities, as does the friend I recently made here. So through some means unknown to me, I am attracted to, or rather share some improbable connections with, those people who don't quite fit in to any one place or who instead have a dual identity that allows them to thrive in a number of places. Perhaps that is one reason I feel so completely comfortable and happy here, and why I didn't feel all that comfortable or content in Florida. In any case, I feel like I've learned something vital about myself today and thought it would be interesting to share it with whoever had the stamina to make it this far in an otherwise bland post. I guess the next question must be: what is my dual identity? I think I know the answer, but that's not exactly something you should publish on a blog....lol. =)
I'm having Lasik surgery Saturday morning. Please pray that it goes well. Have a happy Halloween.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Business in Busan
I'm back today from a weekend business trip in Busan. I say "business trip" because that's the reason me and five coworkers had to go there, but in reality it was just a couple hours of "training" and discussion, then a fireworks show and a party. The training was fine, but nothing was really groundbreaking or new for us--it was mostly just company policy rehashed in a group setting so there's not any confusion about how to run classes. I was more excited about the Papa John's pizza that was promised for dinner. So after the training we went to one of the beaches in Busan (it's a city on the coast, similar to Miami or Tampa) and to this nice 17th floor apartment owned by one of the managers there. There was probably thirty people in the place crowded around the windows, but I managed to find some space to watch the nearly hour-long fireworks bonanza. I also scarfed down five pizzas of Papa John's while people were distracted with the show--but it was dark and I grabbed a slice of potato pizza for my fifth, which I thought was pineapple. Needless to say, that was enough for me.
The fireworks were pretty incredible. There were probably close to a hundred thousand people on every part of the beach watching this massive show--it put Jacksonville's 4th of July to shame. They had four boats shooting off non-stop missiles and a bridge in the bay added lasers to the mix. Somewhere, massive speakers added music, and the fireworks and lasers were choreographed to match the soundtracks. It was probably the best fireworks show I've ever seen. Afterwards I chatted with lots of Wall Street staff from Seoul and Busan and got to meet the guy that interviewed me, and now I know a lot more about the company. At this point I'm trying to decide whether or not this is a company that I'd want to join permanently. I'd like to think so, but I'm just not sure if moving up to a management position (which is what I'd have to do in that length of time) is for me. But on the other hand, I really love living here and think my job is great, so I guess I'll just wait and see what happens over the next few months.
Anyhow, on Sunday we slept in at the hotel, then ate near the train station and came back to Daegu. We were hoping to eat at this navy diner, but we didn't have military IDs and we denied entrance...so sad. Instead we ate cheeseburgers (and adobo chicken) at a "Hawaiian" restaurant run by Filipinos. It was good food, but expensive. Oh--somewhat funny story. So we are on the subway heading back to the train station, and I see this beautiful Korean girl, stylishly dressed and looking bored. There was an empty seat next to her, but my coworker took it and so I lost my opportunity, or so I thought. A few minutes later we had to change subway lines, and sure enough, the girl also gets up to change lines and ends up going the same way we are headed. By no accident, I end up next to her on the subway, and begin a conversation in typical American fashion with, "Do you speak English?" This gives the girl an easy escape--if she doesn't want to talk or can't, she can just say "no." Instead, this girl makes the mistake of telling me she doesn't speak that much, and that furthermore, she is from Daegu. I was quite surprised by this, since I am also from Daegu, and then I realized she was heading to the train station just like we were. Anyhow, I found out she is an intern at a company in Daegu. I gave her my number, but she was a bit shy. We'll see what happens with that...
There were a few other notable events in the previous week I should mention. Our Scottish friend Gillian, who teaches at another school here, is leaving soon, so we celebrated her going away, and will do so again this week. I also scheduled my laser surgery for November 1. I'm looking forward to having it done and no longer worrying about "cataractitis" from contact lenses and having to go every year for new lenses or a vision check up. As far as my free time, I finished reading Crime and Punishment--a major accomplishment. The book was incredibly long and at times dull because he wrote the novel serially for a magazine, ergo he wrote it extra long and added unnecessary scenes and characters simply to earn more money. In any case, the novel was mostly interesting and thought-provoking, although modern philosophy has extended beyond what was in vogue in Dostoevsky's time. The book did make me reconsider one of my UNF professor's wishes, that I study modernist literature for my PhD. I think I'd have to learn French and maybe German to pursue that course, but I am quite interested in the literature of the period, both European and American. I started Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Road this weekend, but I think I'll finish that by mid-week. I should be studying Korean more, but I haven't had much motivation lately. All the universities are having midterms this week, so my usual study partner has been busy preparing for those.
Truth be told, I'm a little bit bored these days. At first it was nice having lots of free time, rather than the much more busy life (but not really, I guess) teaching in Jacksonville, but now I find myself wishing I was doing more. I guess studying Korean could fill in those blank hours in the afternoon, but it's not sufficiently interesting right now. I did think about volunteering at the newly-opened Gap, since they are hiring, but my Korean isn't good enough even to work for free...lol. I was also hoping they could pay me in clothes...but, again, I can't even ask for a volunteer job with my limited language ability.
Well, I'm hoping this week has some unexpected fun event. I could use a good surprise. Maybe the subway girl will give me a call.
The fireworks were pretty incredible. There were probably close to a hundred thousand people on every part of the beach watching this massive show--it put Jacksonville's 4th of July to shame. They had four boats shooting off non-stop missiles and a bridge in the bay added lasers to the mix. Somewhere, massive speakers added music, and the fireworks and lasers were choreographed to match the soundtracks. It was probably the best fireworks show I've ever seen. Afterwards I chatted with lots of Wall Street staff from Seoul and Busan and got to meet the guy that interviewed me, and now I know a lot more about the company. At this point I'm trying to decide whether or not this is a company that I'd want to join permanently. I'd like to think so, but I'm just not sure if moving up to a management position (which is what I'd have to do in that length of time) is for me. But on the other hand, I really love living here and think my job is great, so I guess I'll just wait and see what happens over the next few months.
Anyhow, on Sunday we slept in at the hotel, then ate near the train station and came back to Daegu. We were hoping to eat at this navy diner, but we didn't have military IDs and we denied entrance...so sad. Instead we ate cheeseburgers (and adobo chicken) at a "Hawaiian" restaurant run by Filipinos. It was good food, but expensive. Oh--somewhat funny story. So we are on the subway heading back to the train station, and I see this beautiful Korean girl, stylishly dressed and looking bored. There was an empty seat next to her, but my coworker took it and so I lost my opportunity, or so I thought. A few minutes later we had to change subway lines, and sure enough, the girl also gets up to change lines and ends up going the same way we are headed. By no accident, I end up next to her on the subway, and begin a conversation in typical American fashion with, "Do you speak English?" This gives the girl an easy escape--if she doesn't want to talk or can't, she can just say "no." Instead, this girl makes the mistake of telling me she doesn't speak that much, and that furthermore, she is from Daegu. I was quite surprised by this, since I am also from Daegu, and then I realized she was heading to the train station just like we were. Anyhow, I found out she is an intern at a company in Daegu. I gave her my number, but she was a bit shy. We'll see what happens with that...
There were a few other notable events in the previous week I should mention. Our Scottish friend Gillian, who teaches at another school here, is leaving soon, so we celebrated her going away, and will do so again this week. I also scheduled my laser surgery for November 1. I'm looking forward to having it done and no longer worrying about "cataractitis" from contact lenses and having to go every year for new lenses or a vision check up. As far as my free time, I finished reading Crime and Punishment--a major accomplishment. The book was incredibly long and at times dull because he wrote the novel serially for a magazine, ergo he wrote it extra long and added unnecessary scenes and characters simply to earn more money. In any case, the novel was mostly interesting and thought-provoking, although modern philosophy has extended beyond what was in vogue in Dostoevsky's time. The book did make me reconsider one of my UNF professor's wishes, that I study modernist literature for my PhD. I think I'd have to learn French and maybe German to pursue that course, but I am quite interested in the literature of the period, both European and American. I started Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Road this weekend, but I think I'll finish that by mid-week. I should be studying Korean more, but I haven't had much motivation lately. All the universities are having midterms this week, so my usual study partner has been busy preparing for those.
Truth be told, I'm a little bit bored these days. At first it was nice having lots of free time, rather than the much more busy life (but not really, I guess) teaching in Jacksonville, but now I find myself wishing I was doing more. I guess studying Korean could fill in those blank hours in the afternoon, but it's not sufficiently interesting right now. I did think about volunteering at the newly-opened Gap, since they are hiring, but my Korean isn't good enough even to work for free...lol. I was also hoping they could pay me in clothes...but, again, I can't even ask for a volunteer job with my limited language ability.
Well, I'm hoping this week has some unexpected fun event. I could use a good surprise. Maybe the subway girl will give me a call.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
In Honor of William Duncan
This week was nearly closed and done when I heard that my maternal grandfather, William Duncan, passed away early Sunday morning. In light of his passing home to heaven, I'd like to say a few words here about Grandpa Duncan and the role he played in my life. First, playing chess with Grandpa Duncan is one of my earliest childhood memories. I distinctly recall sitting in a warm garage as a little boy trying to grasp the rules of the game. Subsequently, I played chess whenever I visited my grandfather in his home in Knoxville, and every time I see a chess board it is a reminder to me of him. I also recall chatting with him many times about current events. He always stayed up-to-date on the latest news from around the world, and any time I called he was quick to ask me my opinion of this situation or that foreign action. He had a keen interest in politics, and he was gifted at sharing his opinion with a thoughtfulness that provoked discussion, not defensiveness. Grandpa Duncan was also always laughing. There wasn't a time I visited when he didn't flash a grin as big as the Grand Canyon at me and any other guests that were there, and he was always cracking jokes. But most importantly, Grandpa Duncan was a committed, faithful Christian who sought to please God with his life. Grandpa Duncan took care to talk about the Bible, his faith, and my own spiritual decisions when we talked, aside from letting me know I was in his prayers each day. There were many days when I was upset or discouraged or angry about something, and I'd think, "At least Grandpa and Grandma Duncan are praying for me today." His love was always a comfort to me, and his life was an example to follow.
Coincidentally, I'd thought about my grandfather three times in the last three days. Twice I met Koreans that were talking about the Korean War and relatives who had fought there, and I put in the Grandpa Duncan had also been engaged in that conflict (by the way, his memory of it was sharp--he could tell me every place he'd been to with all the correct Korean pronunciation). Then this morning at church I met a girl from, of all places in the world, Grandpa Duncan's home in Knoxville, who was doing a study abroad at the University of Tennessee. I told her that I had relatives there and was thinking about my grandparents then.
My last visit with my Grandpa was this past spring break. It was kind of a last minute thing, but I'm so glad I did it. I was visiting Kris in Atlanta, and we drove to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga. On a whim, I suggested to Kris that we drive to Knoxville and visit my grandparents. I knew then that I was going to Korea for at least a year and I wouldn't be able to see them for a while, so Kris graciously agreed to take the out-of-the-way drive to meet them. We sat in my grandparents' den while chatting and eating apple pie. I got some pictures with them, which seem like the only pictures I have with them since I was a kid. Anyhow, I'm thankful I took the trip and spent the time with them that I did.
In other news, I got a black eye playing soccer on Friday. A guy swung his arm backwards a little wildly and clocked me in the right eye, knocking my contact lens out and giving me the appearance of purple eye-liner. It's more humiliating than painful at this point, but thought I'd mention it. Also, had a date on Saturday that went pretty well (despite the black eye), so I expect things to continue to move in the right direction. I'll need some more time before I can decide, though. Teaching this past week was fine, but this upcoming week appears to be more challenging. There was a voluntary shift offered Saturday morning for $75 for three hours, so I am taking that and then going with my coworkers to Busan on Saturday and Sunday for training.
There's more, but I don't feel like writing anymore now.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Good Start to October
Traditionally I've held that September is my favorite month, owing to a number of factors like Labor Day, lovely weather, and my birthday. However, in Korea I'm inclined to favor October instead. October here is far more pleasant and temperate than September (this year, anyhow) and every day so far has been gorgeous out. I spent the week teaching some enjoyable classes and finishing up Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, as well as watching our school's talent show.
This past weekend was especially memorable. Because Friday was a Korean holiday and Saturday was the anniversary of Wall Street's opening in Korea, I had a three-day weekend. Friday a group of eleven Koreans and myself went to Gyeongju, the old capital of Korea. We took an hour bus ride to the city, rented bikes all day for the unbelievable price of $2 per person, and set off around 10:30a to ride around the city. Eight of us had individual bikes and four people shared two tandem bikes, since two of the girls couldn't ride bicycles themselves. We formed an uneven line and rode to a few cool historic places. The first was a massive graveyard with a dozen artificial hills that looked like large-scale versions of a children's sandcastles at the beach. We went inside one and saw how these hills, which were really graves, were made. A king would be laid to rest in a coffin which was covered by a mound of stones. Then dirt was piled over top of the stones, and finally grass was planted around it. In this way, the king was preserved inside with little chance of his remains or treasures being disturbed.
From there we headed off to see an ancient observatory. It was set in the middle of a plain and was constructed in such a way that people could not easily enter it. Apparently this is one of the oldest observatories still in existence, so it was interesting to see how it was made. It was built with 361 stones, each for the number of days in a lunar year. After a bibimbap lunch with fish, eggs, and veggies, we biked a few miles to another side of town, but some people were too tired to bike further, so we took taxis to the big temple in town. It is nearly 1,300-years-old and looks today very much like it did in centuries past. There were large Buddhist statues inside and I also saw a service underway in one building. The whole complex was beautifully constructed with ponds, pagodas, and landscaped courtyards, although because it was a holiday it was not the peaceful place it usually is. We saw a few more things before heading back, but a serious of events hampered our return. First, some of the girls couldn't bike further with any speed, and second, I got a flat tire while biking a little too fast while jumping a curb. Thankfully we met two of our students on the road who had motorcycles, and they took the tired girls back while two people carted their bikes back behind their own. I rode the tandem bike back. All in all, it was an excellent outing.
Saturday I got up and talked with my mom and aunt on Skype for a while, then went to lunch with Yoo Sun and a friend of hers. We had delicious bulgogi (beef) soup, then I went to a Starbuck's downtown and read more of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. It was a serious bore of a chore at first, but it got markedly better by the end of Part 1, and I'm anxious to see what happens. It's also 550 pages of translated Russian prose, so it's a bit slow-going. At 3:30 I met up my friends Roy and JY. We took a taxi to the baseball stadium in order to fill our long-lost goal of watching a Samsung Lions (the team in Daegu) baseball game, and since Saturday was the last regular season game, it was a good opportunity to do so. We got some good seats in right field and some fried chicken, waited for Yoo Sun to join, and had a good old time. Samsung had back-to-back home runs in the first inning and ended up keeping the lead the whole game against the best team in Korean baseball, SK. I was hoping to snag a foul ball, but the two that came near us didn't come near enough. After the game, Yoo Sun and I got some kimbab downtown and watched one of the worst films currently available in theaters, Babylon A.D. Maybe it was because we arrived five minutes late (the viewing time was printed wrong on an ad!) or perhaps because there was no explanation of what exactly was happening or how these things worked like they did, but it was confusing, detached from the audience, and utterly unimpressive. I even saw a woman sleeping a few seats away, which is never a good sign for a film.
Sunday I had a few guests over for spaghetti. Koon, Ethan, and Kelly joined me for lunch as I attempted to host my first-ever lunch guests. They graciously helped with some of the preparations and didn't complain about any bad taste or anything like that. I also made some mandu (dumplings) and we had a good little meal. I taught them how to play hearts (the card game) and they taught me a few Korean games. That evening I went to Dongbu Church, thinking the service was at 6p, but it was actually at 5p and was mostly over when I arrived. I walked back home, ate some noodles, played some World Conquest on Facebook, and called it a night.
This week there is a new teacher coming to our school. His name is Matthew and he is from Michigan. He's about 15 years older than me and works the morning shift, so I don't know how much time I'll get to hang out with him, but I'm hoping he adjusts well. I know how confusing it can be at first. I'm also curious as to how his arrival will impact our teaching schedules--but I won't find out for two more weeks, since he will be in training until then. Also, Friday is my monthly personal day, so I've got another three-day weekend coming and I'm trying to determine what I should do with it. I could see Japan, but I'm not sure about it yet. I just don't want to go by myself, really, so I might just enjoy some of the local sights and sounds, but we'll see. Anyway, pictures are up on Facebook from the weekend if you want to check them out. Til next week....
This past weekend was especially memorable. Because Friday was a Korean holiday and Saturday was the anniversary of Wall Street's opening in Korea, I had a three-day weekend. Friday a group of eleven Koreans and myself went to Gyeongju, the old capital of Korea. We took an hour bus ride to the city, rented bikes all day for the unbelievable price of $2 per person, and set off around 10:30a to ride around the city. Eight of us had individual bikes and four people shared two tandem bikes, since two of the girls couldn't ride bicycles themselves. We formed an uneven line and rode to a few cool historic places. The first was a massive graveyard with a dozen artificial hills that looked like large-scale versions of a children's sandcastles at the beach. We went inside one and saw how these hills, which were really graves, were made. A king would be laid to rest in a coffin which was covered by a mound of stones. Then dirt was piled over top of the stones, and finally grass was planted around it. In this way, the king was preserved inside with little chance of his remains or treasures being disturbed.
From there we headed off to see an ancient observatory. It was set in the middle of a plain and was constructed in such a way that people could not easily enter it. Apparently this is one of the oldest observatories still in existence, so it was interesting to see how it was made. It was built with 361 stones, each for the number of days in a lunar year. After a bibimbap lunch with fish, eggs, and veggies, we biked a few miles to another side of town, but some people were too tired to bike further, so we took taxis to the big temple in town. It is nearly 1,300-years-old and looks today very much like it did in centuries past. There were large Buddhist statues inside and I also saw a service underway in one building. The whole complex was beautifully constructed with ponds, pagodas, and landscaped courtyards, although because it was a holiday it was not the peaceful place it usually is. We saw a few more things before heading back, but a serious of events hampered our return. First, some of the girls couldn't bike further with any speed, and second, I got a flat tire while biking a little too fast while jumping a curb. Thankfully we met two of our students on the road who had motorcycles, and they took the tired girls back while two people carted their bikes back behind their own. I rode the tandem bike back. All in all, it was an excellent outing.
Saturday I got up and talked with my mom and aunt on Skype for a while, then went to lunch with Yoo Sun and a friend of hers. We had delicious bulgogi (beef) soup, then I went to a Starbuck's downtown and read more of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. It was a serious bore of a chore at first, but it got markedly better by the end of Part 1, and I'm anxious to see what happens. It's also 550 pages of translated Russian prose, so it's a bit slow-going. At 3:30 I met up my friends Roy and JY. We took a taxi to the baseball stadium in order to fill our long-lost goal of watching a Samsung Lions (the team in Daegu) baseball game, and since Saturday was the last regular season game, it was a good opportunity to do so. We got some good seats in right field and some fried chicken, waited for Yoo Sun to join, and had a good old time. Samsung had back-to-back home runs in the first inning and ended up keeping the lead the whole game against the best team in Korean baseball, SK. I was hoping to snag a foul ball, but the two that came near us didn't come near enough. After the game, Yoo Sun and I got some kimbab downtown and watched one of the worst films currently available in theaters, Babylon A.D. Maybe it was because we arrived five minutes late (the viewing time was printed wrong on an ad!) or perhaps because there was no explanation of what exactly was happening or how these things worked like they did, but it was confusing, detached from the audience, and utterly unimpressive. I even saw a woman sleeping a few seats away, which is never a good sign for a film.
Sunday I had a few guests over for spaghetti. Koon, Ethan, and Kelly joined me for lunch as I attempted to host my first-ever lunch guests. They graciously helped with some of the preparations and didn't complain about any bad taste or anything like that. I also made some mandu (dumplings) and we had a good little meal. I taught them how to play hearts (the card game) and they taught me a few Korean games. That evening I went to Dongbu Church, thinking the service was at 6p, but it was actually at 5p and was mostly over when I arrived. I walked back home, ate some noodles, played some World Conquest on Facebook, and called it a night.
This week there is a new teacher coming to our school. His name is Matthew and he is from Michigan. He's about 15 years older than me and works the morning shift, so I don't know how much time I'll get to hang out with him, but I'm hoping he adjusts well. I know how confusing it can be at first. I'm also curious as to how his arrival will impact our teaching schedules--but I won't find out for two more weeks, since he will be in training until then. Also, Friday is my monthly personal day, so I've got another three-day weekend coming and I'm trying to determine what I should do with it. I could see Japan, but I'm not sure about it yet. I just don't want to go by myself, really, so I might just enjoy some of the local sights and sounds, but we'll see. Anyway, pictures are up on Facebook from the weekend if you want to check them out. Til next week....
Monday, September 29, 2008
Two months down...
I crossed the two month mark last week, officially making this trip my longest outside the US. My previous Korea visit was a mere seven weeks, and I think I was only in Brazil six weeks. Anyhow, one of my coworkers had been warning me that I would feel some tremendous culture shock around this point, but I'm happy to report that none has occurred. If anything, the last few days were bland and busy. I had to work an extremely full day Friday followed by a half-day Saturday, so I was beat by the time my weekend officially rolled around. I also didn't have any class cancellations for the first time, so I worked the most hours yet.
After work on Saturday I joined a few friends to go to a food festival. Unfortunately we got a late start and didn't find the place quickly (traffic is killer here sometimes), so we got there near the end of the festival. We sampled some sweet-tasting spaghettie sauce, got some Korean pancakes for free (because of the presence of a 'foreigner'), and some Mountain Dew. I scored two cans because they had an alarming surplus at the end of the festival. Wish I could've carried more--it was some of the best MD I've ever had. We left the festival in search of a good duck restaurant, and sure enough found one. I can't remember if I ate duck before then (maybe in Vietnam?) but it was awesome. It tasted like well-seasoned beef; it was a little drier than beef but had a more flavorful taste. Also had a hard-boiled duck egg, green in color, which tasted almost the same as a regular hard-boiled egg. I went to Jason's house, watched some English Premier League, and called in a night.
Sunday I went to church with Jason. We attended the youth service, which was pretty similar to an American youth service but with a shorter sermon (at least it seemed short--I couldn't understand it so I read). After church we ate some cow bone soup with rice and some samgyupsal meat, then I went home to do laundry. Doug called me later that night so I went over to play 360 at his house. I guess there's some new Halo 3 campaign missions coming to 360, so if that happens, I'll be pretty excited. I also found out there's some new achievements, so I'd like to work on those. All in all, it was a normal weekend.
This week is going to be totally different. Friday is a holiday, and several coworkers are going to Japan for the three-day weekend. I had originally planned on joining, but I'd already made plans to go to a baseball game with some friends. I guess Japan can wait. =) Friday I plan to go to Gyeongju and ride bikes around the old city with some friends. There are lots of temples and historical palaces scattered there, so it should be interesting. Saturday I'll go to the baseball game, and Sunday I'll be back at Dongbu Church. I'm looking forward to enjoying the time with my pals outside of work, which bring me to my last mentionable point of interest--girls.
I planned on sharing something juicy about this here, but changed my mind. So, it should suffice for me to report that things are moving slowly forward here...just friends for now. We'll see what a weekend will do. I'm still reading Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, and am having trouble absorbing everything in there. Also, I haven't studied much Korean lately. I hope to get on that soon....
After work on Saturday I joined a few friends to go to a food festival. Unfortunately we got a late start and didn't find the place quickly (traffic is killer here sometimes), so we got there near the end of the festival. We sampled some sweet-tasting spaghettie sauce, got some Korean pancakes for free (because of the presence of a 'foreigner'), and some Mountain Dew. I scored two cans because they had an alarming surplus at the end of the festival. Wish I could've carried more--it was some of the best MD I've ever had. We left the festival in search of a good duck restaurant, and sure enough found one. I can't remember if I ate duck before then (maybe in Vietnam?) but it was awesome. It tasted like well-seasoned beef; it was a little drier than beef but had a more flavorful taste. Also had a hard-boiled duck egg, green in color, which tasted almost the same as a regular hard-boiled egg. I went to Jason's house, watched some English Premier League, and called in a night.
Sunday I went to church with Jason. We attended the youth service, which was pretty similar to an American youth service but with a shorter sermon (at least it seemed short--I couldn't understand it so I read). After church we ate some cow bone soup with rice and some samgyupsal meat, then I went home to do laundry. Doug called me later that night so I went over to play 360 at his house. I guess there's some new Halo 3 campaign missions coming to 360, so if that happens, I'll be pretty excited. I also found out there's some new achievements, so I'd like to work on those. All in all, it was a normal weekend.
This week is going to be totally different. Friday is a holiday, and several coworkers are going to Japan for the three-day weekend. I had originally planned on joining, but I'd already made plans to go to a baseball game with some friends. I guess Japan can wait. =) Friday I plan to go to Gyeongju and ride bikes around the old city with some friends. There are lots of temples and historical palaces scattered there, so it should be interesting. Saturday I'll go to the baseball game, and Sunday I'll be back at Dongbu Church. I'm looking forward to enjoying the time with my pals outside of work, which bring me to my last mentionable point of interest--girls.
I planned on sharing something juicy about this here, but changed my mind. So, it should suffice for me to report that things are moving slowly forward here...just friends for now. We'll see what a weekend will do. I'm still reading Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, and am having trouble absorbing everything in there. Also, I haven't studied much Korean lately. I hope to get on that soon....
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Birthday
It was my birthday last week (Saturday), and all week I was treated like a king by everyone around me. Actually, most of it is just typical Korean hospitality, but some of it went above and beyond. So I thought I'd record some of what's happened lately.
I finally had some time this week after work to go shopping for some things for my house. I asked some students to go with me to help me pick out some stuff, so Wednesday night at around 10:30 the five of us piled in a car and drove to Home Plus, a 24-hour department-type place that's got everything you need. With the students' knowledge of the Korean labels and their plain good taste, I was able to get pots, pans, utensils, bowls, towels, spaghetti ingredients, and a hundred other smaller items to get my house in order. We finished around midnight, and instead of merely dropping me off at home, the students came in, helped unpack all the items, then carefully organized them in my no-longer-spartan kitchen. It was awesome. We played Egyptian rat slap (a fast-paced card game) and then we parted ways.
On Thursday, which was my last day of work for the week (I took Friday as my monthly personal day), I got pictures with many of my coworkers and received gifts from a number of students. They gave me a cake, a long-sleeve T-shirt, body wash, and some other items. My teacher buds generously gave me some Asian board games (Chinese chess and a Korean strategy game), a cross necklace from Jeju Island (special courtesy of Adam), and other small gifts. After work we all went out to celebrate. I played some of the best darts I've ever played (thanks, Uncle Tim!) and had a good time hanging out with everyone. Koon taught me to play Chinese chess, which I was horrible at, and then I went home.
Friday I had another English/Korean lesson with my friend Yoo Sun. Instead of just bringing study materials this time, though, she brought an awesome cheesecake, complete with candles, party favors, and utensils! So I ate most of the cake myself as we studied some dialogue in Korean and English. My Korean is improving, in that I can now distinguish words in speech, but this is only the first of thousands of steps. I'm working on numbers this week, and next week I'll try to get my colors down. In the meantime, I'm picking up new food vocab and some short phrases. After our meal, I went to rent a car with Jason, and we got a great deal with the help of another student. I missed out on playing soccer, but it was no big deal. Later that night, I was killing time browsing around the bookstore at my building when a student approached me to say hello. We made small talk, and then we got on the topic of soccer. He mentioned that his friends sometimes play futsol (soccer on a smaller field--6 vs. 6), and since it was the right time, we went by bus to this soccer field across town and played from 10-11pm. I hadn't played on small goals in awhile, but I loved it. I scored four goals, thanks to my new Copa Mundials, and my friend's mom met us and loaned us the car so I could be dropped off at home.
Saturday I took off to the mountains with Jason. We borrowed a navigation system and headed out to the countryside to visit Juwangsan, stopping by rice fields and apple orchards. I drove for the first time in Korea, and had a blast doing it. After nearing the mountain, though, we had a torrential downpour, so Jason and I went to a hotel (someone's house with spare rooms) we found and watched TV while waiting for the rain to stop (which it didn't). That night, Jason snored like a monster, so I had to take my bedding out into the main room of the hotel (which was really just the living room) and tried to snooze. But my mind was elsewhere, and I didn't sleep that well.
Sunday was the big day. We got up early and hit the mountain. It was gorgeous with the slight fog. We went by a lake, forded some streams in a valley, and hiked to the top of the mountain within a few hours. It was really fun getting some exercise and enjoying the countryside. I'd describe it more in detail, but I'm not feeling too descriptive right now. Sorry. Anyhow, we drove back just in time for me to meet up with Yoo Sun. We had dinner (bulgogi soup for me) and then went to see Mamma Mia! I didn't really want to see it, but it wasn't all that bad. Okay, it wasn't that great, but it could've been worse, so I can't complain. =) We went out for Baskins Robbins ice cream afterwards and walked around some, and before long we came across some celebrity downtown who owned a midnight black BMW. All the windows were tinted (including the windshield), and the license plate was taped over. I can't remember who the celeb was, but it must've been someone cool because lots of people were cooing over the guy. At this point I was pretty tired, so I went home and prepared for the week. All in all, it was a pretty great birthday.
I'm sure there's lots of things I left out, but they'll have to wait for a day when I'm feeling a but more bloggy. I didn't sleep well the last few nights, so I'm just moping a bit around the office while yawning. More news later, when there's actually news to write up.
I finally had some time this week after work to go shopping for some things for my house. I asked some students to go with me to help me pick out some stuff, so Wednesday night at around 10:30 the five of us piled in a car and drove to Home Plus, a 24-hour department-type place that's got everything you need. With the students' knowledge of the Korean labels and their plain good taste, I was able to get pots, pans, utensils, bowls, towels, spaghetti ingredients, and a hundred other smaller items to get my house in order. We finished around midnight, and instead of merely dropping me off at home, the students came in, helped unpack all the items, then carefully organized them in my no-longer-spartan kitchen. It was awesome. We played Egyptian rat slap (a fast-paced card game) and then we parted ways.
On Thursday, which was my last day of work for the week (I took Friday as my monthly personal day), I got pictures with many of my coworkers and received gifts from a number of students. They gave me a cake, a long-sleeve T-shirt, body wash, and some other items. My teacher buds generously gave me some Asian board games (Chinese chess and a Korean strategy game), a cross necklace from Jeju Island (special courtesy of Adam), and other small gifts. After work we all went out to celebrate. I played some of the best darts I've ever played (thanks, Uncle Tim!) and had a good time hanging out with everyone. Koon taught me to play Chinese chess, which I was horrible at, and then I went home.
Friday I had another English/Korean lesson with my friend Yoo Sun. Instead of just bringing study materials this time, though, she brought an awesome cheesecake, complete with candles, party favors, and utensils! So I ate most of the cake myself as we studied some dialogue in Korean and English. My Korean is improving, in that I can now distinguish words in speech, but this is only the first of thousands of steps. I'm working on numbers this week, and next week I'll try to get my colors down. In the meantime, I'm picking up new food vocab and some short phrases. After our meal, I went to rent a car with Jason, and we got a great deal with the help of another student. I missed out on playing soccer, but it was no big deal. Later that night, I was killing time browsing around the bookstore at my building when a student approached me to say hello. We made small talk, and then we got on the topic of soccer. He mentioned that his friends sometimes play futsol (soccer on a smaller field--6 vs. 6), and since it was the right time, we went by bus to this soccer field across town and played from 10-11pm. I hadn't played on small goals in awhile, but I loved it. I scored four goals, thanks to my new Copa Mundials, and my friend's mom met us and loaned us the car so I could be dropped off at home.
Saturday I took off to the mountains with Jason. We borrowed a navigation system and headed out to the countryside to visit Juwangsan, stopping by rice fields and apple orchards. I drove for the first time in Korea, and had a blast doing it. After nearing the mountain, though, we had a torrential downpour, so Jason and I went to a hotel (someone's house with spare rooms) we found and watched TV while waiting for the rain to stop (which it didn't). That night, Jason snored like a monster, so I had to take my bedding out into the main room of the hotel (which was really just the living room) and tried to snooze. But my mind was elsewhere, and I didn't sleep that well.
Sunday was the big day. We got up early and hit the mountain. It was gorgeous with the slight fog. We went by a lake, forded some streams in a valley, and hiked to the top of the mountain within a few hours. It was really fun getting some exercise and enjoying the countryside. I'd describe it more in detail, but I'm not feeling too descriptive right now. Sorry. Anyhow, we drove back just in time for me to meet up with Yoo Sun. We had dinner (bulgogi soup for me) and then went to see Mamma Mia! I didn't really want to see it, but it wasn't all that bad. Okay, it wasn't that great, but it could've been worse, so I can't complain. =) We went out for Baskins Robbins ice cream afterwards and walked around some, and before long we came across some celebrity downtown who owned a midnight black BMW. All the windows were tinted (including the windshield), and the license plate was taped over. I can't remember who the celeb was, but it must've been someone cool because lots of people were cooing over the guy. At this point I was pretty tired, so I went home and prepared for the week. All in all, it was a pretty great birthday.
I'm sure there's lots of things I left out, but they'll have to wait for a day when I'm feeling a but more bloggy. I didn't sleep well the last few nights, so I'm just moping a bit around the office while yawning. More news later, when there's actually news to write up.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)!
The past week was nearly a blur, but a few highlights sparkle still. The work week was unusually slow, so that I ended up some days only having two or three classes. I spent the free time reading from my friend's Murakami short story book, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. I'm now nearly finished with the twenty-four stories in the collection, just in time for the package that arrived from home loaded with some books for my birthday. Payday finally arrived, so I was able to use Korean funds for the first time instead of relying on VyStar, not that that was much of a problem. Actually, it'd be better for the time being to use dollars to pay for things, since the Korean won is at its lowest point versus the dollar in quite some time.
Anyhow, I went back to the eye doctor for a check, and we ended up chatting about his new webpage, soon to be published for all the Korean world to see. Or so I thought... In actuality, he does laser surgery for Koreans and foreigners, a point that he wants to make abundantly clear on his new site. As he has performed the operation more than 2,000 times, I thought he wouldn't much more advertising assistance, but he informed me that the recommendation of a few Westerners would go a long way towards helping his office gain further credibility among the nearby US military, foreign teachers, and Koreans. So I offered to write a letter for him to help him out, and then he offered me a scandalously large discount on laser surgery for the help. I told him I'd do it for free, but he insisted this was a two-way street. So, I might get laser surgery done in October or November for half price, or rather half price plus the few minutes it'll take to draft a recommendation letter. It was clearly a blessing from above to have such a discount offered to me, and I'm pretty excited about the opportunity.
The other highlight was the "first date" I had with a girl I met downtown a couple of weeks ago. I met her at the park while I was eating lunch and she was studying English, and we struck up a conversation. After talking for a while, I asked if she'd be interested in a language exchange, where she teaches me Korean for an hour, followed by an hour of my teaching English. This seemed like an ideal way to get to know someone and their language, and she felt the same way. So we met up at a coffee place Friday and had our first session. We talked and studied for about three hours and arranged weekly meetings on Friday afternoons. We'll see how things develop there.
The final news was the Chuseok holiday. Saturday-Monday was this year's celebration, in accordance with September's full moon. Many Koreans celebrate by going to the tombs of their ancestors and clearing the grass and weeds, which then leads to a ceremony in honor of deceased parents and grandparents. They also spend time together with distant relatives, who all converge at the house of the first-born son (patriarch) of the family. Owing to the fact that I don't have any dead ancestors in Korea (thankfully he survived the war, I might add), nor family to visit, I joined the other orphaned foreigners for a celebration on Sunday afternoon after church. Three of my coworkers live in the same apartment building that has a spectacular roof made for Chuseok barbecue parties, and we enjoyed a lovely bit of potato salad, grilled cheesburgers, and more. By far the best food was the pumpkin pie. I ate about half a dozen slices. I met some other foreigners that I'd seen around town, and we played some Xbox 360, so I can't complain. I forgot to mention Saturday. On that day I went to Alayna's house for a family meal, and we made ricecakes with sesame seed filling, then had a delicious bulgogi dinner. On Monday I met up with my soccer buddy Phillip for some lunch near his university, and he gave me a tour of the place and the "soccer room" that sits on the fifth floor of the club building. His soccer team has a pretty cool dorm-type setup where all the players can hang out in-between classes and studying. We went shoe-shopping, but didn't end up buying anything. That night I went over to Doug's to play some more Halo 3, that being my first time on Xbox Live in about two months. It was nice to be back, although it was just a few hours. I've left my 360 at Doug's so he can enjoy it for a while. It doesn't do me any good at my place anyway, since I've decided not to buy a TV. So I guess I play it about once a month now, which is far more healthier, I think. =)
This week holds promise--I only work three days (Tuesday-Thursday) because Friday is my personal day for the month! I will hopefully play soccer, have my language study, and hang out before going on a two-day trip to the mountains. Pictures and stories to follow next week, I hope.
Anyhow, I went back to the eye doctor for a check, and we ended up chatting about his new webpage, soon to be published for all the Korean world to see. Or so I thought... In actuality, he does laser surgery for Koreans and foreigners, a point that he wants to make abundantly clear on his new site. As he has performed the operation more than 2,000 times, I thought he wouldn't much more advertising assistance, but he informed me that the recommendation of a few Westerners would go a long way towards helping his office gain further credibility among the nearby US military, foreign teachers, and Koreans. So I offered to write a letter for him to help him out, and then he offered me a scandalously large discount on laser surgery for the help. I told him I'd do it for free, but he insisted this was a two-way street. So, I might get laser surgery done in October or November for half price, or rather half price plus the few minutes it'll take to draft a recommendation letter. It was clearly a blessing from above to have such a discount offered to me, and I'm pretty excited about the opportunity.
The other highlight was the "first date" I had with a girl I met downtown a couple of weeks ago. I met her at the park while I was eating lunch and she was studying English, and we struck up a conversation. After talking for a while, I asked if she'd be interested in a language exchange, where she teaches me Korean for an hour, followed by an hour of my teaching English. This seemed like an ideal way to get to know someone and their language, and she felt the same way. So we met up at a coffee place Friday and had our first session. We talked and studied for about three hours and arranged weekly meetings on Friday afternoons. We'll see how things develop there.
The final news was the Chuseok holiday. Saturday-Monday was this year's celebration, in accordance with September's full moon. Many Koreans celebrate by going to the tombs of their ancestors and clearing the grass and weeds, which then leads to a ceremony in honor of deceased parents and grandparents. They also spend time together with distant relatives, who all converge at the house of the first-born son (patriarch) of the family. Owing to the fact that I don't have any dead ancestors in Korea (thankfully he survived the war, I might add), nor family to visit, I joined the other orphaned foreigners for a celebration on Sunday afternoon after church. Three of my coworkers live in the same apartment building that has a spectacular roof made for Chuseok barbecue parties, and we enjoyed a lovely bit of potato salad, grilled cheesburgers, and more. By far the best food was the pumpkin pie. I ate about half a dozen slices. I met some other foreigners that I'd seen around town, and we played some Xbox 360, so I can't complain. I forgot to mention Saturday. On that day I went to Alayna's house for a family meal, and we made ricecakes with sesame seed filling, then had a delicious bulgogi dinner. On Monday I met up with my soccer buddy Phillip for some lunch near his university, and he gave me a tour of the place and the "soccer room" that sits on the fifth floor of the club building. His soccer team has a pretty cool dorm-type setup where all the players can hang out in-between classes and studying. We went shoe-shopping, but didn't end up buying anything. That night I went over to Doug's to play some more Halo 3, that being my first time on Xbox Live in about two months. It was nice to be back, although it was just a few hours. I've left my 360 at Doug's so he can enjoy it for a while. It doesn't do me any good at my place anyway, since I've decided not to buy a TV. So I guess I play it about once a month now, which is far more healthier, I think. =)
This week holds promise--I only work three days (Tuesday-Thursday) because Friday is my personal day for the month! I will hopefully play soccer, have my language study, and hang out before going on a two-day trip to the mountains. Pictures and stories to follow next week, I hope.
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