Christmas in Korea

For obvious reasons, Christmas this year would be unlike any other we’ve had. However, instead of focusing on cons of why it was so different (mainly no prime rib, potatoes, and cheesecake) we decided to focus on the pros (this being the first Christmas we actually spent together). To make the most of the day, we decided to join forces with our friends and the result was a Korean version of a western Christmas.



The eight of us (Matt, Chantel, Jimmy, Rachel, Luke, Holly, Eric and myself) started the afternoon off by grabbing coffee at Big Apple Coffee downtown. There, we had our secret Santa gift exchanges. the only rule for the exchange was the gift could not be more than 20,000 won (around $17). The exchange was nice because it guaranteed everyone would have a gift to open on Christmas. Eric received his gifts from Rachel. He was given: two books and a six pack of beer. My gifts came from Holly. She gave me a bunch of fun accessories and a bottle of sparkling wine; all of which I was very excited about.



After opening presents, we made our way over to VIPS. VIPS is a buffet which serves up a variety of western food. Because of this, it is a little spendy but we all agreed it was worth it for Christmas dinner. To ensure I got my full money’s worth I believe I went back for forth’s before heading for the dessert table. When it came time to leave, all eight of us were waddling out of there. After dinner, we invited our friends back to our place for some after dinner drinks and some Christmas music. There we spend the rest of the night drinking wine and spending time with good friends. To sweeten the deal even more, it started snowing after dinner. So from 7pm onward we had ourselves a white Christmas.

So while I may have never imagined having a Christmas like this, it did not disappoint in the least. I hope all of your holiday’s treated you just as well. Have a great new year everyone!

Twas the Night Before Christmas...in Korea

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Gwangju
Everywhere was busy, the streets were a zoo.
People were walking and talking without a care,
Despite there was a threat of snow in the air.

Rather than being nestled and snug in their beds,
Students were forced to learn English instead.
We quickly learned Christmas Eve isn’t special here,
It is just an ordinary day of the year.

This bit of news made Eric and I quite sad,
However we would not let our Christmas go bad.
With the flip of a switch and some researching too,
We quickly found something fun to do.

We bundled up in our scarves and our coats,
And on the way out we grab some 10,000 won notes.
We ran underground to where the subway lay
And after waiting five minutes we were on our way.

We passed: Nonseong and Hwajung and Sangchung too,
Until we finally found ourselves in Sangmu.
We climbed our way up to the street up above,
All I could think was “thank God I have gloves.”

We turned to our left and walked up the street,
Both Eric and I could not feel our feet.
We walked and we walked and we walked a bit more,
Until we encountered a big yellow store.

There E-Mart was across from the park,
It provided a break from the cold and the dark.
We walked up and down the aisles of treats,
Looking for snacks and drinks which could be discreet.

We were off to see a movie next door
And we needed some drinks to sneak through the door.
We both agree theater prices are little bit whack,
And that’s why we always bring our own snack.

With soda and candy bars shoved our pockets,
We made our way to the front ticket office.
“Two for the The Tourist, please.” We said.
“The one at 9:30?” The clerk said, cocking his head.

“Yes that’s the one, two tickets please.”
The clerk understood us with surprising ease.
With snacks in our pants and tickets in tow,
We were now ready to enjoy the big show.

The movie was over and much fun was had,
But now it was time to call us a cab.
We made it home just before midnight,
And decided it was time to turn off the lights.

Lying all nestled and snug in our bed,
Images of past Christmases danced in our heads.
Sure we’d miss the potatoes and roast,
But we have each other and that matters most.

So before we closed our eyes real tight,
We whispered, “Merry Christmas my dear, and I bid you goodnight.”

Merry Christmas!

Season's greetings from Korea! It is an extremely cold and blustery Christmas Eve here in Gwangju. This morning, on our way to work, we encountered snow flurries so we are keeping our fingers crossed that we get a white Christmas this year. While we will miss sharing this holiday with all of you back home, we are excited to spend our first Christmas together, in the same location that is. While it would be easy to be upset at how un-christmasy this year's holiday is, we know this will be a holiday we will never forget. So we hope that all of your Christmases are filled with love, smiles, and full stomachs! Merry Christmas!

Love,
Dana & Eric

Lunchtime Mishaps

I am the last person to know anything at my school. Even then, I only find out what the teachers who speak English deem necessary for me to know. On the occasions that I am told what is going on, five times out of ten I find out after the matter. Today’s lunch was definitely one of those five times when I was only privy to information after the event occurred.

School time lunches have three staples: rice, soup, and kimchi; the rest of the dishes change daily and unpredictably. Per usual, I made my way to the teacher’s cafeteria with my usual lunch dates, Sue and Su Min. When I reached the lunch line, the first thing I saw was the soup. Today’s was puréed black bean and rice soup. I’ve had this one before and know enough about it to know I don’t like it. However, being an ‘adult’ at my school I am given the luxury of picking and choosing what I want on my lunch tray. Thus, I bypassed the soup. I knew this would not go unnoticed since skipping any of the three staples is guaranteed to cause an interrogation as to why I’m not eating it. However, to my surprise no one said anything; not one teacher. This was truly a first. Relieved, I continued eating my lunch and minding my own business.

Then on the way back to the office, the other shoe dropped so to speak. Immediately after leaving the lunchroom, my a colleague asked me, “Why didn’t you eat the soup?”
“Oh, that soup isn’t my favorite. So I decided not to have it.” I replied.
“I see. But today is a special day in Korea. “
“It is?” Shoot, here it comes.
“Yes. Today is the shortest day. On this day every year, we eat that soup.” She explained.
“Oh, I see.” I stated slowly while trying to think of something better to say.
“It was very strange for you not to eat the soup today.” She continued.
“I didn’t know. If I had—“ I stated, but was quickly cut off.
“Well lunch is finished now.”
“Should I have just eaten the soup?”
“Yes.” She stated matter-of-factly.
“Sorry.”

Sorry was all I could think to say. I wasn’t sure what my colleagues expected me to say. I didn’t mean to offend anyone, but clearly I had. However, a head’s up on the walk to the lunch room would have been nice. I often find myself in this compromising position of acquiring information after the fact. Oh well, another day and another lunch hour survived. I think it’s sufficient to say that for the last five days of work, I will put a little bit of everything on my tray to cover my bases. Oops!

Wedding Bells

This past Saturday wedding bells were ringing in Seoul. Now before you get carried away with yourself, Eric and I did not get married; our friends Jimmy and Rachel did. Well technically, they got married on Friday, but the celebrations did not begin until Saturday.

In order to properly celebrate the nuptials of our friends, a group of eight of us made our way up to Seoul so we could have a makeshift reception on Saturday night. Wanting to shop and see some Seoul sights, Eric and I caught an early bus on Saturday morning. Once in Seoul, we spent the day shopping, eating, and drinking large amounts of coffee with our friends. We spent most of our time perusing Insadong, a street where you can indulge in some traditional Korean goods, and the H&M of Myeongdong.



After our day of walking and shopping was complete, the wedding festivities got underway back at our hostel. There we kicked the evening off with pitchers of Hite while getting ready for our night out in the Hongdae district. Hongdae surrounds a nearby university so there is an over abundance of restaurants, bars, and night clubs. In order to give Jimmy and Rachel a Western wedding reception, we started the night off with cake and a champagne toast. Nothing says “you’re married” like cutting a cake together, so we made them do just that. After the cake was cut and distributed, we held a champagne toast. Don’t worry a camera was flashing at all times so they got a true wedding experience. After this was over, the boys presented Jimmy with his “big papa” celebratory cigar; officially signifying that these two are married.

By western standards, a wedding isn’t a wedding without alcohol. To mend this we briskly walked over to Woody’s, a bar specializing in cheap, but strong drinks. After all the drinks were sipped and the cigars smoked, we decided it was time for the dancing to start. So we all meandered our way to a sans-cover dance club just a few blocks away. There Eric and I cut a mean rug and boogied the night away. And not to toot our own horn too much, but we were pretty fantastic. As the music and strobe lights continued to pulsed, our group slowly started dwindling down in numbers until finally there were only four of us still dancing. It was then, around 3 am, when we declared our makeshift reception over. As we made our way back to our hostel, a kebab stand caught our eye. With kebabs and coats in tow, the night was officially over. Overall, I’d say the Mcintyre wedding party was a great success!

The School Function from Hell

As the school year winds I find my calendar filling up with teacher’s lunches, conferences, and an end of the year dinner. I attended the latter this past Tuesday evening. To be frank, it was the oddest staff function I have ever been to. It was held at one of the hotels in town and the food spread was really quite swanky. However before we could help ourselves to the all-you-can-eat buffet, we held an hour long meeting discussing how the past year went at Dae-Sung Middle school. Let me tell you, if you think it is boring to listen to a dull speech in English, it was excruciatingly dull to listen to this dull, hour long speech in a language I didn’t understand. Once the speeches were over, I asked my friend Sue what it all was about. She said that each of the department heads, as well as the Vice Principal, spouted off a list of all the things the teachers did wrong this year and how they expect things to go more smoothly next year. Maybe not the way I would have handled the situation, but I digress.

After the berating was over, we were free to eat. The spread of the buffet was extensive; it had anything from egg salad sandwiches, kimchi, and fried chicken to raw fish and other finer Asian delicacies. During dinner a gift raffle was held by the principal. I found the whole idea of the raffle funny because rather than buy each teacher a small gift, he opted to buy just 15 gifts and raffle them off to the teachers; to each their own. Luckily, my name was drawn and I was given a cylindrical wrapped gift. I was excited at the prospect of opening it, not knowing what was inside. After I returned to the table, my principal told me through the microphone that is was a water bottle. Brilliant. But not just any old water bottle, but the “best water bottle in the world.” How exciting. He didn’t stop there, he demanded I open it in front of him so he could see how happy the water bottle would make me. So there I am, opening a gift which I already know what is inside, and I had to look excited, surprised, and grateful when I saw the water bottle. While it is a nice blue reusable water bottle, I’m not sure it is the best water bottle in the world.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder, a cake cutting ceremony was held. It was a three tiered cake, but the bottom two tiers were plastic, and all the tiers were separated by white columns; very 1970s. Furthermore, the ‘real’ top tier did not match the other tiers. It was real classy. To make things even more bizarre the cake was cut by both the vice principal and principal using a sword. Please do not confuse this with a long knife. I mean a three and a half foot, hilted sword. It was great. What was not great, was that us forty teachers had to share one nine inch round cake.

I’d like to tell you that was the end of my weird end-of-the-year meeting, but it wasn’t. While I was enjoying my small sliver of cake, the teacher next to me started asking me about my return to America. She wanted to know the exact dates, and times, I’d be moving back to Portland, where I would be living, and who I would be living with. I thought this was odd, and invasive, but told her I did not know for sure. All I knew was that I would be staying with friends for a bit while I looked for an apartment. I could not explain to her that I would ultimately be living with Eric because that concept just doesn’t exist for her because we are not married. I was curious where all of this was heading, so I asked her why she was asking. Well it turns out the daughter of another teacher at our school wants to finish college in America. Well the woman I was talking to, who will remain unnamed, convinced the daughter of this other teacher to go to Portland State University. Apparently the daughter has been accepted and is starting at PSU in March. After this background story, the woman I was talking to asked me if I would live with the other teacher’s daughter in Portland! Can you believe that?! I honestly did not know what to say. I was shocked that they would put me in this kind of position. Once I regained my ability to talk, I told her that wouldn’t work for me, but once I get a cell phone again I can email the daughter my phone number. This was met with the response, “Oh. Well I told the daughter you would have lunch with her on Thursday after school.” Again, I was at a loss for words. I told her this would be impossible because I have already made plans for Thursday afternoon. Who just volunteers another person’s time? After that I saw some other teachers leaving and I just made a break for it. Not the most mature way to handle the situation, but I did not know what else to do. While the food itself was nice, that was by far the most bizarre teacher’s function I have ever been to. I think it is safe to say that I will not miss those meetings when I leave.

It's Good to be a Foreigner...somtimes!

My apologies for being a lazy blogger these last few weeks. Eric and I have been watching an unhealthy amount of Criminal Minds and I haven’t been able to tear myself away. Pathetic, I know, but I’m back. So I know I’ve touched on some of the difficulties that come with a being a minority in Gwangju; the constant stares, being ignored, having our business turned away, etc. However, I want to write about some of the perks that come from being a part of a small foreign population—free stuff. Often times, large events that are held within our province, South Jeolla Province, admission will often times be free for foreigners. For example, when the Formula 1 race came here, foreigners could sign up in advance for free tickets. Also, members of the foreign community will often host events and admission will be free for all participants. This is to help bring the foreign community together, but to also help bridge the gap between the Korean and foreign populations.

Last Friday night, December 10, was one of these events. GFN, Gwangju Foreign News, hosted an Indie Rock Holiday Party downtown in the Kunsthalle Gallery. Four bands (B.O.B., Betty Ass, Used Cassettes, and Seoul City Suicides) were solicited to play three songs each. Even though the event was a holiday concert, the bands played their own material rather than Christmas jams. All of the bands were pretty decent too, considering they all met while working abroad in Korea. After the bands were finished, a DJ was hired to play music until 11pm. It was a lot of fun and really busy too. In addition to the free tunes, the concert hosted a free gift raffle, free beer, free coffee, and free t-shirts! To sweeten the deal even more, Eric won us two tickets to an art exhibit in town from the gift raffle. Overall, the concert was a very fun and affordable way to spend our Friday evening. So while I may complain from time to time about the inconveniences we encounter day to day, we are treated to some pretty nice perks as well.

Then on Saturday we had plans to spend the evening at Jimmy and Rachel’s to celebrate Rachel’s birthday. Eric and I figured that since we got away with such a cheap evening the night before, we’d treat ourselves to some barbeque for dinner. We frequented our favorite neighborhood establishment and order the usual. As we were ready to leave, we were stopped from paying for our meal. One of Eric’s students, and her family, were also eating at the restaurant, and they wanted to pay for our meal as a thank you to Eric. Of course we still offered to pay, but the mother would not have it. We ultimately just had to say thank you and move on.

So what should have been a spendy weekend turned out to be one of the most affordable weekends we’ve had here. So I guess sometimes standing out has its upsides!

Korean Kisses

Monday night was the first time I’ve been kissed, on the mouth, by a man who wasn’t my boyfriend in nearly three and half years. Now before you start thinking what a floozy I am, allow me to explain.

In search of a quiet and relaxing evening on Monday, we decided to venture out for some Korean BBQ in our neighborhood. Neither of us felt like cooking and we thought the large bowl of spicy soup would help us with the colds we’ve been battling. We are the only non-Korean residents in our neighborhood, so each time we dine out we always get a few stares and we sometimes get freebies sent our way.

It all started with a bottle of coke. While quietly enjoying our meal, the waitress interrupted us to place a bottle of coke on our table. She signaled that is was from the two gentlemen sitting next to us. Minding our manners, we said thank you and began enjoying the fizzy beverage right away. After a few sips the gentlemen interrupted us and asked us if we like soju (it’s similar to vodka, but not as strong). We responded yes, and next thing I knew the man, let’s call him Mr. Kim from now on, was standing at our table pouring each of us a shot of soju. As is custom, you pour for the person who pours for you, so we reciprocated the gesture. Mr. Kim said thank you and went back to his table, but left us the remaining bottle of soju. In order to be polite we offered Mr. Kim more of his soju, but custom kicked in and he was pouring us two more shots. Eric and I were feeling the bite of the alcohol, but continued to eat our meal. Next thing we knew a new, full bottle of soju was placed on our table and we ended up splitting this with Mr. Kim and his brother. Just so we are all clear, Eric and I have now had SIX shots of soju each!

Dinner wrapped up and following us out the door was Mr. Kim and his brother. They wanted to treat us to a beer. Now what you all at home don’t realize is refusing anything in Korea is EXTREMELY rude, especially since we already accepted everything else. We were stuck going. So we found ourselves at the local pub, on a Monday at 7:30, drinking our way through two very large (30000 cc to be exact) pitchers of beer. All the while Mr. Kim and his brothers are trying to speaking English to us, but none of them speak English and we don’t speak Korean. Basically we are all yelling at each other and gesturing with our hands like Italians on mass amounts of sugar.

Eric and I had to draw a line. That line was a plate of fried chicken (keep in mind we already ate), two large pitchers of beer, and the clock striking 9:30. After an extensive set of charades in which we finally conveyed we were sick and we needed to wake up early for work the next day, they finally let us go. However, being a ‘gentleman’, Mr. Kim decided to walk Eric and I home. For the entire two block walk, Mr. Kim had Eric and me both securely under his heavy arms, causing me to slouch from the force. We soon found ourselves at the base of our hill and we signaled that this was us. After a bunch of Korean we didn’t understand, it happened.

His half open mouth found itself pressed against Eric’s face. With stealth-like speed, especially for a drunk person, Mr. Kim quickly landed his parted, moistened lips on the left half of my mouth. Now I don’t know about you, but that was a little forward for a first goodbye. We immediately jerked away, said goodbye and ran up our hill.

Tuesday morning I woke up with a hangover, a bad belly, and the hilarious and horrific memories of the night before. Oh Korea, you are so dynamic!

School Rules

For the past week I’ve been administering speaking exams to each of my students. For the test, I ask each student a series of four questions, all of which we’ve studied this term. Since I average around 42 students a class, you can imagine this is a time consuming task. One of the questions I asked my second year students was “Tell me three rules here at Dae-Sung.” The responses varied with each student and I found myself marveling at some of the rules which are in place at my school. Below is a list of some of the rules which were reported to me over the last week.

1. You must wear your complete uniform each day to school. As students arrive to school, they are inspected by a group of upper classmen. If anything is untidy or out of place they are required to fill out a yellow card. This card means the student has to do 45 minutes of community service at the school. They have until the next school year to complete this.
2. Students’ hair may not be more than 7cm below their ears. If it is they must either cut it or tie it back. If they tie it back, their pony tails may not exceed 20 cm.
3. Students may not wear coats, scarves, gloves, or slippers in school. Keep in mind only the classroom is heated.
4. Students may not dye or perm their hair.
5. Students must attend two after school classes every day.
6. Students may not wear contact lenses, only glasses.
7. Students may not wear any make-up or accessories to school. Only a watch is allowed.
8. Students may not be driven to school by their parents. They are to walk up the hill leading to school. If students are driven by parents they are often dropped off around the corner so they will not be caught.
9. Students must bring their own toilet paper to school. The school does not provide toilet paper in student bathrooms.
10. At the beginning of each day, students must turn in their cell phone to their homeroom teacher and can only pick it up at the end of the day.
11. Students must clean their own school. There is a 20 minute period each day that is devoted to cleaning. In this time students clean their classroom and a designated area of the school.

Failure to comply with any of these rules at my school results in a yellow card and/or corporal punishment. For the most part, students understand and comply. However, being an all girls middle school many of my students try to get away with a short skirt, long hair, and/or make-up.

And you thought the school you went to was strict!

Gobble Gobble

So while you (Americans) are stuffing your face with my favorite dishes: turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, I am administering speaking exams to all of my students. Despite missing out on the family togetherness of the day and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I still have a lot to be thankful for this year. So, if I was joining you for dinner this evening and you asked me what I was thankful for this year, here’s what I’d say:

“(Insert your name here), thank you so much for providing Thanksgiving dinner! It looks fantastic and smells delicious. “

To which you’d reply, “Thank you. Now help yourself.” After everyone was served, we’d go around the table saying what we are most grateful for this year. My turn would finally come around and you’d ask me, “Dana, what are you most thankful for this year?”

I’d reply, “Many things, but let me get specific.” After a moment of collecting my thoughts, and looking quite pensive in the process, I’d say:

“ – I’m thankful for Eric. I am grateful that through the obstacles of unemployment, multiple odd jobs, and an international move we’ve emerged on the other side a stronger and more centered unit. I’m also thankful, and lucky, to have someone who loves me as much as he respects me and I am proud to say I feel the same way.
--I’m thankful for my family. I’m lucky to have a Mom, Dad, and brother who support me unconditionally no matter what. Never have they second guessed my choices. I am also thankful for their health. There was a time when my mother was ill and I worried about her constantly. But I am happy to say due to good doctors and a lot of hard work on her part I don’t worry nearly as much as I used to.
--I’m thankful for my other ¾’s: Diana, Molly, and Gina. They are always an email, instant message or skype date away. I’m thankful that they fit me into their ever changing, busy schedules to listen to my complaining, problems, or odd stories. They help keep me centered, despite being thousands upon thousands of miles away.
--I’m thankful for the friends who’ve put in the effort to stay in contact with me since I’ve been away. By no means is it easy or convenient, but I’m grateful for all the updates and stories.
--I’m thankful for the Breaux and Maraist clans. They’ve always been a home away from home and a second family.
--I’m thankful for the friends we’ve made and the people we’ve met on this Korean journey
--I’m thankful for my job and the doors it has opened for me. Because of it, I’ve been able to keep doing what I’m passionate about while traveling the world at the same time.
--Mostly, I’m just thankful to have things to be thankful for. 2010 has been good to me.”

After letting that hefty list linger in the air for a few seconds, for dramatic effect of course, I’d raise my (insert drink here) and say, “and lastly, (you name here) thank you for such a great meal. Happy Thanksgiving!”

Have a great holiday everyone. Sending you much love from Korea.
XOXO

New Find: Big Apple Coffee Shop

As our final weeks of school pass more and more quickly, Eric and I find ourselves enjoying our quiet weekend activities. Lucky for us, the fall is the dry season so we’ve been enjoying some sunny and crisp weather. Lately, we’ve gotten in the habit of going out for walks on both Saturday and Sunday. The reason for this is partly to enjoy the outdoors, but mostly to avoid paying bus fare. As our winter vacation approaches, we find ourselves literally pinching pennies when and where we can.

This past Saturday, our walking expedition took us to a new coffee shop. After reaching downtown, we choose to go down some never explored streets. Much to our surprise we stumbled upon the Big Apple Coffee Shop. It’s located off of a small alley-way and seems to be the only establishment on the small side street. Regardless, we were struck by its quaint stucco exterior and large windows. The inside is just as charming as the exterior, if not better. It looks like the Pottery Barn catalogue, a favored reading of mine, threw up everywhere. Needless to say I was in home décor heaven. What really sold us was the all glass sun room. This room was bright and warm, plus it had the added draw of a large stone and working, fireplace. With the fire roaring and the smell of wood in the air, it felt as if we’d been transported to a different place and time.





Not ready to leave this happy place, Eric and I ordered large coffees and soaked up the afternoon next to the fireplace. There it was fun to talk about what it will be like not to live in a matchbox of an apartment and how nice it will be to have a variety of restaurants to choose from. Those fireside, coffee filled few hours were just what we needed. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we were both feeling a bit homesick for our Portland fall traditions. Even though we’ve only just found this place, we expect to visit it often. It’s already been decided that we want to spend Christmas morning there eating sweets, sipping coffee, and warming up by the fire. Maybe the holiday season won’t be too bad after all!

Happy Pepero Day

Once the Christmas trees have been brought down and the New Year’s celebrations are over, the holiday shelves make room for the fun and frivolous holiday February has to offer. Ornaments and party poppers are replaced with boxes of chocolate, red roses, and candied hearts. You all know the holiday of which I speak: Valentine’s Day. For us living in the West this happens once a year and couples and friends alike jump on board by purchasing various sweets and cards. However, here in the East this frivolous and fun tradition of sentiment and attention happens once, sometimes twice, a month. Here, in Korea the 14th of every month is considered a “couple’s day”, each month possessing a different theme. Around the first of each month, the new posters and products hit the shelves and remain there until about the 17th. Here is a list of monthly couple’s holidays:

- January 14th: Diary Day. To celebrate the New Year, couples are supposed to buy each other planners. The idea is that together they can mark down the significant plans, birthdays, anniversaries and holidays that are important to their relationship. Eric, what are those dates again?

- February 14th: Valentine’s Day. Don’t get this confused with how we do things in the West. Valentine’s Day in Korea is a day for a woman to confess, or show, her love to a man. On this day, it is solely the women who are buying gifts and treats to give.

- March 14th: White Day. Now it’s the man’s turn. This is the day when men can show their love and appreciation for that special lady in their life. Quite frankly I think it is unfair since the man received his gift the month prior, he knows exactly how much effort he needs to put in. For both of these days expect hotels to be booked up in advance. Since most people live with their parents until they are married, this is the only way for the couples to get some alone time and potentially see some action…wowza!

- April 14th: Black Day. Basically for the 11 months of the year when couples get a special day, Korea decided it needed to throw its single population a bone. Black Day is when singles get to publicly complain about how miserable and lonely they are. To commemorate this day, singles get together and eat black noodles (ramen noodles covered in a black bean sauce). If you are single you are supposed to dress in black, in turn letting other singles know you are available…Korea you are so clever!

- May 14th: Rose Day. The idea here is that couples exchange roses. My question is, just one? What happens if you give more? Is the number of roses directly related to how much you love the other person?

- June 14th: Kiss Day. Before you get carried away thinking how sweet this is, listen in. The idea here is that you kiss everyone you meet on this day. So do they really mean for this to be “here’s-a-free-pass-to-get-out-of-your-relationship Day”. Because I’m pretty sure if Eric went around locking lips with everyone he met in one day, I might be a bit peeved.

- July 14th: Silver Day. The couples who survived Kiss Day can show how strong their bond is by buying each other something silver. Now I know my mother could get behind this one.

- August 14th: Green Day. No, not green as in environmentally friendly. Green as in the color of soju (liquor) bottles. The idea is that couples escape to nature to spend time with one another while the remaining single people of this country drown their sorrows in a bottle, or two, of booze. So while you may be fine and fancy free drinking your soju tonight, tomorrow you’ll not only be lonely and miserable again, but you’ll have the hangover to prove it.

- September 14th: Photo Day. This is a time for vain couples to take photos together, get them printed, and put them on display in their houses. Keep in mind it would most likely be your parents’ house.

- October 14th: Wine Day. Buy a bottle, or two, of wine and enjoy it with your significant other. Foreigners be warned: Korean wine is terrible. Expect to shell out the big bucks for an imported bottle.

- November is twice as nice, giving you two couples days this month!
o 11th: Pepero Day. For all you non-Koreans out there, Peperos are sweet, thin bread sticks dipped in chocolate. You buy this in various sizes and flavors and exchange them with your sweetheart. This is extremely popular among friends and colleagues as well.
o 14th: Movie Day. Go to the local theater and watch a flick with your significant other. I’ll say it now, I’m not going. I refuse to try to watch a film with the rest of the theater is sucking face around me…gross!

- December 14th: Hug Day. On this day, give your partner a big ol’ hug. I think the idea is to show how much you love each other, but let’s be honest it’s cold in December. If I’m hugging anyone in public it’s because I need to warm myself up.

So there you have it, the thirteen romantic holidays of Korea. Consider this my Pepero Day gift to you.
XOXO

**Note: I have the best students. When I arrived to work today (Pepero Day) I had five boxes of Peperos waiting for me. Today’s score: my students 5, Eric 0. Just saying ;)

Christmas Cheer and Kebabs!

As previously mentioned our holiday season is not off to our usual start. Fall proves to be a fickle season here. Since temperatures went from temperate to cold, it froze the leaves where they were. However, we had a brief warm up this past weekend and the gingko trees which line the streets are now a vibrant shade of yellow.

Desiring the need for a cozy evening, Eric and I decided to brave the chilly, blustery evening and head to Shinsagae, the local upscale department store. What makes department stores, especially Shinsagae, nice to visit here are their basements. In the basement of every department store in Korea one can find a grocery store and food court. Because Shinsagae appeals to a higher end of clientele, imported goods can be found in abundance in the grocery and food court sections. Much to our surprise, when we went there in search of some dinner last night we ended up finding two of our favorite things: Christmas displays and kebabs.

Upon entering the store, our eyes were immediately drawn to a red, green, and gold wintery display. In the center of the floor, located between the Burberry and Louis Vuitton boutiques, were a slew of tall trees, twinkling lights and ornaments, and vibrant poinsettias. Standing in front of this quaint display, Eric and I were in awe; eyes wide open and beaming smiles in awe. I am sure this sounds funny to you, but since moving here we have given up any traditions we had. We accepted this as the difference in cultures and generally truck along. But to walk into a store during the fall holiday season and see a Christmas display was so unexpected we knew we had to savor the moment. We’ve both agreed that going to Shinsagae to drink coffee/hot chocolate in front of the Christmas display is a once a week, must do event this holiday season.



After pulling ourselves away from the Christmas cheer, we headed to the food section downstairs. After wandering stand after stand of food stalls we saw them; the chicken kebabs. We’ve perused Shinsagae frequently since moving to Gwangju and we have never seen kebabs. However, last night they made their debut appearance and we could not tear ourselves away. We ordered our savory wraps and wasted no time in biting in. While not fully traditional, the kebabs were crunchy, tangy, and immensely savory. The combination of barbecued chicken, crisp cabbage, and tangy sauces placed me in a state of culinary euphoria. Again, I don’t expect you to fully understand. Even though Korea tries, key word being ‘tries’, to make Western food, the food still always tastes Korean. It will be accompanied by kimchi, pickled radishes, and/or have globs of mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing. These kebabs were the first sandwich/wrap we’ve had here which did not have any of the above. Needless to say we were in heaven.

I look forward to the next 7 weeks leading up to Christmas. I look forward to sipping hot chocolate, gazing at the Christmas displays, and munching on many more kebabs. ‘Tis the season!

A Spooky Saturday

Living in Korea for the last nine months has meant learning to put my American habits and customs on the backburner and open my mind to the traditions rooted in the East. I’ve been fairly good at this so far. I happily embraced Buddha’s birthday, teacher’s day, Chuseok, and numerous other Korean national holidays. In light of doing this I watched St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, and Labor Day slip by unnoticed. However, when it came to Halloween I put my foot down. I refused to shrug my shoulders and accept a lack of Halloween as a possibility. Luckily, my friends felt the same way.

For the week leading up to Halloween, we all wandered the Emarts and Homeplus’s of Gwangju to find a way to turn ordinary items into a costume. After scouring what these places had to offer, I settled on Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. While I don’t fully understand it, headbands with ears and other bedazzlements are very popular with Koreans, and I was able to find a headband with red antlers as well as a red clown nose. To pull my look together I bought a set of brown thermals. Thus Rudolph was born. Eric got lucky and found an inexpensive pirate kit at Emart.

On Saturday night we hosted our friends at our apartment for a make shift Halloween party. In our tiny studio apartment, we managed to squeeze in Spiderman, a monkey, a vampire, a cat burglar, a pirate, a woman, and masquerade ball-goer. We kept the festivities going with dim lighting, which was the result of our light bulb blowing out, but I think it gave our soiree the spook factor it needed. Although I’m pretty sure we looked like a bunch of freaks drinking in the dark!

After spending an ample amount of time at our place, we decided to take our festivities downtown. We heard through the grapevine that the Western bar, Speakeasy, would be hosting a Halloween bash. So we piled into cabs and walked through the busy streets of downtown in our costumes. Now if I thought we got stared at before, we were definitely gawked and pointed at from the moment we left our apartment until we made it to the bar. However, it was all worth it. We ended up surrounded by Westerners and Koreans alike who are fond of the holiday. What made the evening more memorable was seeing what costumes people created from everyday items. Overall, Halloween turned out as it always does; filled with candy, costumes, cocktails…no complaints here!

Baring It All!

Before moving here I’d heard a lot about Jimjilbang’s, Korean bath houses. I knew they were quite popular and were meant to have some health benefits. I told myself I would go, but alas I found myself over eight months into my contract with no jimjilbang experience. Well this all changed last weekend. On Saturday some girlfriends and I decided to throw our modesty and inhibitions to the wind and brave the bath house.

We met up Saturday morning, with the boys in tow, and made the nearly 30 minute bus ride to the bath house. The distance was long by choice; we went there 1. Because our friend Luke had been there once before and 2. the long distance ensured all of us that we would not see any of our students. Once arriving at ‘Ocean Spa’ the girls and boys were separated to their perspective bath rooms. Rachel, Holly, and I could not help but laugh the entire time. Sure we are all women and we have the same bits and pieces, but we were slightly uncomfortable and nervous. Regardless, we knew what needed to be done, stripped down to nothing, and made our way to the spas. Upon entering we were all greeted with various stares and pointed fingers. Now this is something the three of us are used to as foreigners. We are constantly pointed and gawked at in public. However, when you are naked it just isn’t nice. I was beginning to develop a complex about the stuff I was strutting. Was my body oddly proportioned to them, did they think my lady bits were deformed/misshapen in some way? I didn’t know what made us so special, but we were all willing to hurry into a pool of water.

The spa room is comprised of six different pools, all varying in water temperature. The coolest pool is about 18 degrees Celsius and the hottest pool is around 42 degrees Celsius (that’s about 60-108 degrees Fahrenheit). In addition to the differing temperatures, the pools are also treated with different minerals and scents. The idea of the pools is to move from hot to cold and then back to hot again. This movement between varying temperatures is said to improve circulation and to help get rid of cellulite. Yes! After spending as much, or as little, time in the pools as you want there are also four saunas at your disposal ranging from 45 degrees Celsius to 62 degrees Celsius. If spending any combination of time in these places doesn’t make you feel like your body has sweated out any and all toxins I don’t know what will.

Once we were done in the pool room we made our way up to the upstairs, coed portion of the bath house. Here there is a food bar, wide open rooms for socializing/meeting up, and six sweat lounges. Here, you wear the uniforms which were given to you when you entered the facility. The sweat rooms are large clay domes, where you sit/lay on the pebble floor. These rooms too vary in temperature. The coldest coming in at 0 degrees Celsius and the hottest coming in at 97 degrees Celsius (keep in mind water boils at 100 degrees Celsius). I stayed in the 50 degree room and found myself comfortably sweating.

By afternoon’s end, we spend around four hours there, I was famished and shaking. I forget how hard heat can be on the body. I was completely drained of all energy, but I was surprising still feeling good. Rachel and I grabbed a large bowl of ramen before we left and headed home. Despite the initial discomfort earlier in the day, I was really happy with my bath house experience. So much so, that I want to go back again. The best part, this four hour spa and relaxation treatment only cost me the equivalent of $5! It’s safe to say I’ll be baring it all again and very, very soon!

School Festival

Korean schools work their students hard. Over the course of one week, my students will have studied twelve different subjects, participated in eight after school classes, and some will put in up to eighteen hours of extra study through a private night time academy. Then after all of this, my students are still expected to complete their homework for all of the classes mentioned above. However, for two days of the year students can leave their uniforms and textbooks at home. Last week, one of these days came around and the entire staff and student body of Dae-Sung Middle School joined together for the school’s festival.





School festivals are commonplace and a big deal in Korean schools. While each school may have a different agenda, the jist of the festival is generally the same. My school festival was comprised of class performances, art shows, a yard sale, a quiz show, and club activities. The day started off with an opening ceremony and class performances. The first half of my day was comprised of twenty one performances in which each class put together an assortment of dances, cheers, and/or acting bits. I happily watched on as my students proudly performed bits from High School Musical, Grease, and the latest pop dances. After the top five performances were selected, we broke for lunch. During that time students, teachers, and parents were able to wander the art displays and shop for nick-nacks at the yard sale. Even though there was an impressive display of books and accessories, I found the headbands, bracelets, and magazines a little too young and small for me; I left empty handed.



After a filling lunch, which was provided by the students’ parents (woohoo!), I returned once more to gym. This time it was my turn to be on stage. I wrote and emceed the English portion of the quiz show. As a surprise to my girls I borrowed a hanbok, a traditional Korean dress, and wore it during my portion. The students and teachers went wild when I walked out on stage and I gave them the best traditional bow and greeting I could muster, which I’m fairly certain was horrendous. After the quiz show, the various clubs of the school were able to perform any performances they had put together. I watched as the anime club put on a anime fashion show, the sign language club sign a song, music club put on a flute and violin performances, and the dance class put on ballet and jazz performances. By day’s end the top five from the morning session performed their routines one last time and a winner was ultimately announced. The winning class received new notebooks, for classroom use I’m sure. So while we all distracted ourselves with good food and fun dance routines, we left for the day knowing Monday would bring us back to our routine of books, notes, and after school classes.

Winter Arrives Early

Winter has officially arrived in Gwangju this week and yes it is still only October…ugh! So far autumn has provided us with crisp fall weather; nothing a cardigan during the day and jacket at night can’t handle. However, this week temperatures dropped below freezing during the night time and we reached a high in the 40s during the daytime. What makes all of this the more fun is my school has not turned on the heat yet. So you can find me bundled in my wool winter coat, scarf, and blanket at my desk in my office. Because of this sudden cold snap, it seems as if I’ll miss the changing trees of autumn. The cold has made the leaves fall off the trees while they are still green. Bummer! I’d write more, but I can’t feel my fingers. Until next time.

Fish n' Chips?

Hello devoted readers, long time no blog! I promise I have a good excuse for my absence lately (though Eric does not!). A few weeks back I had to have surgery on my wrist, making typing nearly impossible without splitting a stitch or opening the wound. Too much information sorry! But after two weeks filled with doctor’s visits, after school classes, and a few coffee dates I’m back. The stitches are out; the wrist is almost fully functional so I am back in business.

First, I owe a big thanks to Eric. He is the reason I haven’t reeked of B.O. for the last two weeks. Because I was unable to get my right hand/wrist wet for two weeks, he washed my hair, my face, and helped me around the house. You can guarantee I milked this situation for all it was worth, but he stepped up to the plate and was a stud. How many boys do you know who would be willing to pluck your eyebrows?

This past weekend was the first time I was off all my meds, so it was the first happening weekend for me in a few weeks. On Sunday, we and our friends decided to travel north to Jeonju for the afternoon. The purpose of our visit was food and charity related. We heard of the fish n’ chip fundraising event from friends from the area. The event converted a local Jeonju bar, Radiostar, into an English pub for a day and was serving up fish n’ chips for charity. All of the money made from the event would go toward buying Christmas presents for the kids at the local orphanage. Since I love fish n’ chips and Christmas it seemed like a no-brainer to me.

A group of seven of us made it to the “pub” by mid afternoon. It was relatively busy, about 2/3 of the tables were full. However, prep for the food was still being done and we knew we were in for a long wait for the fish n’ chips we’d been waiting all week for. Grabbing a few beers, we all passed the time easy enough. However, once the food had arrived we realized the expectations we’d set for the food before was far too high. The portions were extremely small: one small piece of fish and a few soggy chips, especially for what we paid for them. Despite the slight bitterness and disappointment which infected the table, we all knew our money went to a good cause and couldn’t be too upset. Instead, I opted to fill the remaining empty parts of my stomach with beer! Maybe not the classiest of moves at 3:30pm on a Sunday afternoon, but something had to be done. Once we all finished (which took a while because nearly 40 minutes passed from when the first and last person received their food) we decided we were still hungry, despite the beers, so we decided to trek towards the McDonalds our cab passed on the way to the pub. There we topped off on various menu items; I and the girls opted for Oreo McFlurrys and the boys went the multiple hamburger route. From there we made our way back to the bus terminal and ultimately back to Gwangju.

We came home about 8:30 pm, a little too late for me to start any work, but just in time for Eric to catch the Rangers vs. Celtics soccer match. Even though my craving for fish n’ chips, or pub food in general, was not satisfied I enjoyed the time we spent with our friends. It was nice to get out of the city for a day and do something different, even if it didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped.

International Community Day

This past Saturday (October 2) marked Gwangju’s 16th annual International Community Day. Hosted at the Kim Dae Jung Convention Center, the event was a platform for the international community of Gwangju to meet up, hang out, and indulge in the foods of our home nations. Members from thirteen different countries/ethnicities banded together to serve the remaining, less culinary inclined, international community. Foods from Greece, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, China, Nigeria, USA, Mexico, Indonesia, Russia, and Vietnam were prepared and sold throughout the day.

Food was sold for 500-3,000 won (that’s roughly .50-3.00 USD) and Eric and I took full advantage of this cost efficient lunch. Together, we ate our way through the black olive hummus of Greece, the Pierogies of America (yes, I know these aren’t an American food but it was at the American stall), the tacos and quesadillas of Mexico, and the various curries of Nepal. It is sufficient to say we stuffed ourselves with food we know we are not likely to encounter again until we return stateside.

As a bonus, we each received a free entrance ticket to the current international food fair inside the convention center. While I was too full to eat any more, Eric and his bottomless pit of a stomach, enjoyed samples of barbequed sausage and free cups Czech beer and liquor. Saturday turned out to be a gorgeous fall day filled with food, foreigners, and friends.

Isn't it Winter Already?

This week is midterm week at my school. This translates to me working only half-days, Wed-Fri, and having absolutely no responsibilities except to entertain myself for those four hours. This can be easily done when there are lesson plans to write, emails to send, and papers to organize. Rather I find myself staring at my computer screen, hopping from one trashy celebrity site to another dreaming of ways to make winter break arrive faster.

I dream of winter’s arrival for many reasons. While winter will signify the end of my year here, that is not at the top of my list. Eric and I are still enjoying the work we’re doing, our weekend explorations, and the company of the friends we’ve made here. However, I want winter to arrive quickly because I am excited for the Christmas season, and all that goes along with it, and I am very excited for our winter vacation. This week, after hunting for good deals on flight and accommodation I can say that we have booked our winter-time travels. Eric and I will be spending a lovely seventeen days in Prague, Czech Republic and Vienna, Austria. We are excited to see snowy streets, lots of art, and we are most excited for the food and drink which await us. I cannot express accurately how badly I want to drink a proper pint, not a small mug, of beer, more specifically a dark beer…yum. I also cannot wait to eat proper sandwiches, sausages, and other hearty central European fare. Also, because we are staying for a reasonable amount of time we are hoping to make a few day trips while we are there.

So despite my hardest efforts to focus this week at work and get the rest of my lesson plans and supplementary materials written, printed and filed I day dream about the adventures which winter has in store for us. Christmas should prove an interesting challenge and experience. We’ll see what kind of Christmas dinner a no-oven, two-burner stovetop, one pot, one pan, and a microwave can create. Take out anyone?

Chuseok!

Last week Eric and I had Tues-Fri (21-24) off of work for Chuseok, the Korean thanksgiving holiday. Chuseok is one of the most important holidays in Korean culture; second only to New Year’s Day. Chuseok is a time when families travel to their relatives’ house and eat traditional foods such as: bulgogi, galbi, and songpyon (a special type of rice cake). This meal of meat, vegetables and rice cake is usually eaten for breakfast. After breakfast, families travel to the graves of relatives who have passed away to deliver gifts and to maintain the grounds. Upon arrival at the grave site, the first order of business is to clean up the grounds; this includes; weeding, cutting crashing, and cleaning the tombstone. Once this is done, offerings of food, drink, and flowers are placed on the grave and the family bows down in respect to honor their relatives’ memory.

While the rest of Korea was eating traditional food and honoring their relatives, Eric and were eating a super-sized Big Mac meal from McDonalds. The reason for this was twofold: 1. we had a strong craving for a burger and fries and 2. McDonalds proved to be one of the few things open during the holiday. After filling our stomachs, and arteries, we treated ourselves to a few days of relaxation and movies. However, at the end of the week we met up with our friend Jimmy, Rachel, Matt, and Chantel and headed to Busan for the weekend. This marked all of our second trip to Busan and we were determined to relax. This time our agenda did not include running all over the city taking in the various sites and landmarks of the city. Rather, we all staked a small spot on Haeundae and on both Friday and Saturday took in the sun’s rays and a good book. I am happy to say when our beach time was over, I not only gained a small sunburn but I finished my book as well.





Once the sun went down, we would grab dinner and then ultimately drinks at a few bars not too far off the beach. However, on Saturday night we were invited by our hosts, Jae Hee and Chan, to join them and our fellow guest for chips and salsa, cheesecake, Makoli (traditional rice wine), soju, and beer. It proved to be quite a potent mixture of food and drink, but I really enjoyed hearing the funny anecdotes of our new friends. Once the food and Makoli was gone, we (as a large group) headed to a pub nearby to finish the night of with a beer and some popcorn. It was superb! However, in my slightly altered state Rachel and I were convinced to wake up early to go on a walk with our hosts. Now, I like walking as much as the next person, but getting up early to go on a walk after a night of eating and drinking is not ideal. Regardless, Rachel and I set an alarm, got up, and made sure to fill our stomachs with as much coffee, toast, and eggs as possible before our journey. When all was said and done, the walk proved to be quite beautiful; it was along the cliffs which overlooked Haeundae beach.





When our walk was finished, we all packed our bags and made our way back to Gwangju. We made sure to grab a greasy lunch of McDonald’s before we left (yes, I had McDonalds 3 times within a 5 day period) and then settled in our bus for the three hour ride home. Eric and I had so much fun relaxing and reading. We don’t do that enough here. It is really easy to get caught up in exploring everywhere because we want to see as much as possible. In hindsight, I am really glad we just sat on a beach for two days.

The Joys of Public Transportation in Korea

After months of bottled up frustration and using an excessive amount of English swear words, I have made peace with Korean Public Transportation. I still roll my eyes, a lot, but for the most part it stops there. In fact, I even find myself laughing at some of the eccentricities I encounter each day.

Case and point: yesterday’s morning ride to work. As usual I catch my bus around 7:35, I shuffle in line behind the five elderly ladies in front of me, and I assume my position at the very back of the bus (I sit in the back because the seats in the front and middle of the bus are taken up by the bags of lettuce, cabbage, and other produce which belong to the said five elderly ladies). I am minding my own business, gazing out the window in a groggy state and BAM! Our bus was just hit by another bus. Before I go on, let me tell you that I and everyone else on the bus is fine. In typical Korean fashion, my bus driver parks our bus where we are, in the very right lane, and puts on the hazard lights. The other bus parks itself, in the center lane. So of the three lanes available for morning traffic my bus and the other bus are blocking two of them. Brilliant! Both bus drivers meet on the sidewalk where my bus driver proceeds to point, shout, and wave our broken mirror in the other driver’s face. Well the other driver just won’t stand for it and the next thing I know these two bus drivers are in a full blown fight; a wrestling, flying fists type of fight. Realizing there is absolutely nothing I can do, I just watch. I am sure this will come back to bite me in the butt later, but what could I do? Meanwhile the five old ladies on my bus have opened their windows, and are screaming at both bus drivers. While I don’t know what they are saying, I’d like to think it is along these lines, “Hey you, other bus driver, you hit us, it’s your fault. Stop fighting we have places to be, things to sell. Stop it!!!!! We are very angry!” I feel bad, but I cannot help but laugh to myself. Sure had this happened when I first moved here I would be terrified, annoyed, and pissed off, but now I can see the ridiculousness of the situation and have a hearty laugh. After ten minutes of brawling and elderly man gets himself involved and the two bus drivers return to their buses and get on their way.

Oh Korean Public Transportation, you never cease to amaze, surprise, or entertain me. Who knows what my next bus ride will have in store!

Singing Room Sensation

Since living in Gwangju, I’ve noticed it’s easy to get into a redundant routine. We tend to eat the same food each week, go to the same bars each weekend, and partake in the same post-work activities each day. However, in an effort to break our routine of going downtown for a few beers the other weekend, we and our friends decided to head to a new area of town.

Our determination to part with the familiar brought us to Sangmu. Sangmu is home to Gwnagju’s city hall and May 18th Memorial Park. In the last few years, businesses have come into Sangmu, allowing a large number of new apartments and buildings to be built. This new influx of commerce and housing is making Sangmu the second downtown of Gwangju. Unable to decide on a bar at first, we opted for the money-saving and classier option of grabbing beers from the convenience store and hanging out on the stores provided benches and tables. Before you pass judgment on me, there is no ‘open container law’ in Korea and drinking in front of convenience stores is perfectly acceptable (and commonly practiced) behavior. After catching up on the week’s happenings outside Family Mart, our group meandered its way to a real establishment for a few more pints.

As the night wore on and the liquid courage grew stronger, we were feeling bold and rebellious. We decided to take our outing for drinks up a notch and take it to a Noraebang, aka a karaoke room. In Korea, karaoke houses are divided into private rooms which you ‘rent’ buy purchasing drinks or food or by paying a flat rate. Together, a group of eight of us locked ourselves away for three hours, I am still uncertain how we spent that much time there, and sang the likes of The Beatles, Rihanna, the Spice Girls, Chicago, and too many others to name. I was worried everyone would be shy and hesitant at first, but we all got really into it. Our not-so-angelic voices combined with the constant echoing of the microphone and Korean music videos made for a fantastically fun experience; one which didn’t end until 5 am! While my voice was sore the next morning, it was all worth it. Eric and I are already planning our next visit to the noraebang.