Seoul Searching

My apologies for this tardy post regarding my wonderful weekend in Seoul. It was a great adventure that included the memorial museum, a Billy Joel concert, the Korean war memorial museum, and shenanigans around the city. The company was more than pleasant and included Jason, Dave, Scott, Jared and myself. We were able to leave comfortably after school on Friday around 7pm and boarded the Bullet train out of Busan to Seoul station. This 3 hour journey was well worth the 75,000won round trip tickets which amounts to about $50. The bullet train reached speeds up to 310 kilometers/hour and was a super smooth ride. We had stocked our table area on the train with Soju (rice vodka) and orange juice in anticipation on a night out on the town. All the while. we energetically played cards. Most games were introduced by Dave... who, being from Brittan, had a bunch of new ideas that us Americans had never heard of before. We excitedly exited the train and went searching for our backpacker's hostel by the name of "Bong House".

After finding the "Bong House" with little difficulty, we were greeted by a super friendly, young, Korean man, who seemed to think everything we said was funny, and giggled all the way out of the room. Our beds were bunk style, with a strange Eastern European man already staying there by the name of Mantis. Yes... he said his name was Mantis. He dressed in leather and had long hair, and a long beard, but seemed harmless. No one brought anything of true value with them either... so we just joked about this character who was apparently working in Japan and got kicked out due to his visa running out. He was planning to leave Korea that Sunday.

So, on to the night in Itaewon. Itaewon is where the shopping district is, it is known for being the most foreign friendly and populous part of town. It's also where the US military base is. So, we arrived in Itaewon and started walking around, people watching, and were struck by the immense amount of HUGE men. The military boys were out and so were the military police who were in charge of keeping their men out of trouble when they went out drinking. There was all of a sudden a crazy amount of diversity and I felt as though I wasn't in Asia anymore. We found a small pub that showed American sports on TV, and got some drinks. Every person in the pub was a westerner, and it was a welcomed change. The boys decided that we should stay in the pub until the Military curfew, which was 1am. Then, we would venture out and explore without the mutants staring us down. It was much more pleasant after they went to bed. We went to another place, maybe 2 and we were pushing ourselves to stay out beyond our energy. Finally, someone said they were tired and the 5 of us jumped on board and called it a night.

The next day, we woke up late, got some Dunkin' Dohnuts and made our way to the Korean war Memorial and museum. It was a dreary day and was quite fitting for what we were observing. The memorials were beautiful bronze statues of people, and a strange phallus that jutted out from a pit. Jared, in a rush to complete a videotape, before the rain started coming down harder, threw his hat down the pit of the memorial. Not just any hat, but his Detroit Tigers hat that he had warn for years. It was a sad, sad event... We stared at the hat longingly at the bottom of this stone pit, surrounded by windows and no way to get it back.

The rest of the museum was wonderful. Outside, were dozens of old jets and planes from the era from all different countries. Also on display were guns, tanks, missiles, and any other war thing you could imagine. I wondered around by myself for a bit while the boys seemingly roll played going in tanks and shooting guns.... The inside of the museum was great too. It wasn't very English friendly but we were happy to see the relics and artifacts from the war. There were also recreations of other Korean historical events, ships, temples, and just cool stuff to look at.

We left the museum to meet my friend Paula back in Itaewon. I met Paula when working at Long Lake Camp for the Arts back in the summer of 2006. She had just started working for public schools in Seoul about a month earlier. It was awesome to see a familiar face from my "real" life from before Korea. We went to this WONDERFUL Irish restaurant and I had a tasty bloody Mary, yummy chicken curry with rice, and a delightful Irish coffee to finish. If I had to pick one meal for the rest of my time in Korea, that would have been it. Alas, we had to cut the visit short to make our way to the Billy Joel concert.

Now, we booked our tickets thinking that the opportunity to see Billy Joel in Seoul, South Korea couldn't be missed. We also bought the cheapest tickets they sold, which were 45,000won a piece. This amounts to about 30 bucks. Therefore, we were more than pleasantly surprised when we discovered our seats were about 200 ft from the stage. We not only could see the stage well, but we could actually see his face while he was playing the piano. Smiles all around! Anyhow, the concert started and Billy did not seem happy. He was scowling, and screaming at someone back stage. Then he introduces himself to the audience and says "Does anyone here even speak English?" He was mad because the projector that showed him the words wasn't working.

The concert started with old songs that Jared and I didn't even know. But then, busted into the oldie but goodies. I've never been to a concert where people are so excited to be clapping in unison to the artist. But, this stadium full of Koreans was happily sitting down and energetically clapping to all of the songs. Then, a small group of people decided to rush the stage and all chaos broke out.

The security at a Billy Joel concert in Korea is less than intense, and the people were expected to be good little spectators and stay seated and clap wildly. Therefore, when people went up in front, the teenagers in neon vests, working security, didn't know what to do. So, they closed the gates to get down to the floor, while people from all over the stadium made a beeline to the front. Suddenly, the song"In the middle of the night" came on, and security decided that in the midst of the song they should disperse the crowd back to their seats. Just like any performer would, Billy stopped the show and started yelling at the security to let the people stay up front. It was GREAT! At that point I decided that we needed to join the party, and make our way up front.

So, we jumped over some gates, leaped over some security guards, and found ourselves dancing on the floor 50ft from the Piano Man himself. Then, row by row, like a reverse wave at a football game, everyone started sitting down. Suddenly, in a crowd of 1,600 people I was the only one dancing, no less standing. Following my lead, the Koreans behind me got up and danced too until a meek little security guard politely asked them to sit down, and they did. But, being high on life, I didn't. So, they stood up again... and then, soon, the whole front section was standing up and dancing. Suddenly, I felt pressure on my shoulders, and a man, out of uniform had his arm around me saying, "you need to sit down" and just then, a path to the front of the state opened up and Jared and I bolted to be in the front row. We were able to be in the front row for the last two songs, and the on chore of Piano man! We were, at times, 2ft from the stage. What an experience!

Leaving the arena, feeling great, we made our way to meet the boys. We arrived at a bar where we found them with a slew of Korean girls, all giggling and taking pictures of each other. Then the night spanned into a maze of random streets and night life. We got separated from Jason and Scott, who went off with the girls to a club, and spent way too long trying to find them. At one point we sent a Korean girl who worked at a club inside to tell Scott we were there. We assumed that he wasn't even in the bar, but sure enough, in a sea of Koreans a westerner is not hard to spot.

We made it back to the hostel safe and sound, and were back at the train by 1pm the next day. It was a great weekend, with great people. I just hope next time I go I'll be able to do some shopping!

Thank you for reading!

A day in the Life...

Now that I can sleep easy, and breath better about the future of our planet, I can continue to write about life in Korea. I suppose the main focus of my daily actives revolve around going to school and teaching English. When I became a teacher, the only thing I ever thought I could teach, other than art, would be English. In the states, I could picture myself teaching a creative writing class, or a class that was more alternatively focused. Here, my classes are very basic, but they push me in areas that I thought I had solved with my computer spell check option.

I have NEVER been good at spelling, partly due to my slight dyslexia, and partly due to being very left brained. This poses a problem because I have to write everything on the chalk board. Therefore, if I have to write things that I have not planned to, it frequently becomes a guessing game of... "Am I spelling this right?". More often than not, the students or my co-teachers correct me and I play it off like "Oh, I knew that... I was just testing you!", and everyone laughs. Granted I have become better at spelling in my old age... But, it is still a circuit in my brain that doesn't fully connect. I have become grateful for Power Point presentations and worksheets to avoid these mistakes.

The level of English that I teach is very basic. There are one or two advanced students in each class who insist on yelling out the answers. The concept of "raising your hand" does not exist in this school. I had to teach a whole lesson on, "how to raise your hand BEFORE you speak". If the students do not raise their hands, then, only 1-3 students are participating for the whole class.

Another hurtle that I have tried to jump, is the energy level and the pure dis-concern in many classes. The students in my school are very low income and have already decided that they do not need English. Therefore, trying to teach them "straight" lessons turns into side conversations and blatant sleeping on their desks. Therefore, I quickly concluded that each class should have at least one game, movie, or extra sensory activity to get their attention. YouTube has become my best friend. The most important aspect teaching here is to make the lesson fun. These kids hate learning English, and most of them don't know why they have to. So, if I can come in with a simple activity that they understand, and only pushes them a little, they will be more excited to be in the class next time. It seems to be working.

There are some wonderful students who love English, and love learning about me and where I come from. Their eyes get big and you can see a glint of excitement when I speak about a place they have only seen on TV. These are the students who make my day! I even have a theme song: "Jenniper, Jenniper, Jenni poe poe, Jenni-poe poe, Jenni-Poe Poe" No matter how bad my day is going, how many students didn't' care what I just said, as soon as I hear my song being sung behind me, I smile.

Lunch is always a surprise. For the good and the bad, it's only 2,000 won. Which, at this moment is only about a $1.50. Every day I eat some sort of rice and soup. Usually, the rice and soup is good. The soup can be anything from a seaweed based, clear broth ed soup, to Kim chi stew, to a clear broth with thousands of small fishy tasting oysters in the bottom (not just the oysters, but the the shells too). Or, my "favorite" fish bone soup. Fish bone soup, is when they chop up a fish, and put it in broth. No preparation, no taking the skin off... just the fish, some broth and you. mmmmmm... Korean food has little preparation. It's just cooked... or not cooked. For the most part though, it's a good, well rounded, and hardy meal.

Today is testing day for my oldest students. So, that means that I only have 2 classes. I'm just looking forward to my 25 minute, up-hill walk home. It's a great time to think, zone out, and enjoy the beautiful autumn colors. Plus, the bus takes longer to go home than walking... so I get to have a forced workout everyday whether I like it or not.

Goodbye for now,

Things Are Good Again

Things are good again from not only an American perspective, but a worldly perspective. Yesterday, I called in sick, made a good ol' American breakfast and watched attentively, on my computer for the results of the Presidential race. Every state that turned blue, myself, Jared, and a friend from our apartment building cheered. Only 100 more... only 60 more... only 20 more! Then finally! FINALLY! the announcement was made that Barack Husein Obama would be the next president of the United States of America! I made mimosas with cheap champagne, Soju (rice vodka) and orange juice and we celebrated! Damn I wish I was in Chicago still...

As I watched his acceptance speech, like many people around the world, I cried. What a historic day. I stared at the computer screen in a state of euphoric shock. This is really happening! He really did it! Bush is really almost OVER!

It was a shame to be across the world during the wonderful day. There were no masses celebrating here, no celebrations to attend, and only one person to hug with extreme joy. Korea, is considered one of the most nationalistic countries in the world. They pride themselves in taxing American products heavily to promote their own development. Therefore, most Koreans are scared that their economy will suffer more, because Obama wants to make the taxing and trading even on both sides. Right now, products exported from Korea are freely shipped to the US, and on the return are taxed atleast 25%. The new concept is much more fair, but Korea doesn't like it.

Only one person at school today said "Congratulations, we will have world peace again". No one else has mentioned the election at all. In passing, I hear "Obama blah blah blah blah" in words that I can not understand... It is interesting to be in a place, probably one of the only places in this world, at the moment, that is less than thrilled with the news.

I am proud to say I voted, I am proud to say Barack Obama is my new President, and I am proud to travel this world knowing that things will get better.

I wish I could share this wonderful time with you all... we'll have to celebrate when I get back!

Mixed Emotions

As the second month of my adventure comes to a close, I feel emotionally pushed to write about the economy, and the status of the globe. I did not come to Korea to escape anything other than my comfort zone, and I tried to come here without preexisting expectations. I did come here with an open mind, self assurance, and anticipation of learning a lot about myself and the world.

It is an awful feeling when asked about where you come from, to be on guard for what the reaction might be. Or, to always be on the defensive about decisions of which you had no control over. I was raised to think like all/most Americans that the United States was a country of opportunity, acceptance, open mindedness, and strength for nations in need. It is one of the only places in the world where you can change your social class, get out of a bad neighborhood, and with hard work, make something of yourself. Although I still believe in this idea of America, I acknowledge that it has had 8 years of turning it's power towards the dark side. Eight years of abuse, risky spending, and unnecessary deaths. I resist the ashamed feeling I get when asked "where do you come from".

I realize this topic is over written, over spoken, and over talked about until everyone is blue or red in the face... I feel stronger about my views since living in Korea because of the debates I have had with foreigners, about the USA, and I feel that I have a more worldly and broader perspective than I did before leaving the states. Many people from within the USA laugh, or make light about the new hatred for America from other nations, nations that used to be our close allies. But, it's real, true, and very scary to think that "yes, I am connected with this hatred, and this problem." For me, this realization of being considered part of the problem, was difficult and upsetting.

In one conversation I had with a man from the Netherlands, he asked, "If everyone hates your government, why don't you do something about it?" This question came after 30 minutes of talking about issues within the country and when asked I had no answer. The only thing I could think to respond with was, "how?". How can people rise up in such a large nation, with such a variety of views, ideas, and opinions? It's not like we live with only one other idea or option. If people decided to rise up and kick Bush out there would be too many people trying to lead, too many opinions, too many differences, and inevitable more violence due to the vast differences that make our country what it is. The man just stared at me and said, "in my country, we are critical of our government, so why aren't Americans?" Needless to say, this debate went on for over an hour, at a bar, probably between the time of 1 and 2am. I ended the debate with, "thank you for sharing your opinions with me, it is nice to talk with someone who is from a different perspective." and I walked away.

I left the conversation feeling truly challenged by what that opinionated foreigner had to say. I now realise that this change we need is on the cusp of actually happening. It is happening peacefully and respectfully, through preconditioned rules that have been in place for decades. As I sit in front of my computer watching You Tube or CNN, I am overcome with emotions that I have never felt before. One man has stood up to the challenge, taken the initiative, devised the start to a better path. He has not been muddled by nay-sayers, corrupt by the media, or discouraged by various challenges that have faced him. John McCain made fun of Barak Obama at the Alan Smith Dinner by saying that "being a Messiah is out of his pay grade", but I do not think that it is out of line to say that Obama is the closest thing to a "Messiah" this country has seen in my life time.

Jared and his sister, Lee Ann, had the privilege to meet Mr. Obama at a used book store on the south side of Chicago. He said he was simply wearing a hooded sweat shirt and a jacket browsing through the isles alone. Jared said "Hello" and Lee Ann said she had just gotten back from Kenya and said " They love you there sir.", Mr. Obama replied with, "yes but, how did you like it?". She said she liked being in Kenya very much. Then, Jared said he wished him good luck in the upcoming election, Mr. Obama shook his hand, looked him in the eye and said "Thank you". He is a man who is in touch with the people. Who has not lost himself in money or greed, and can still ask the opinion of a stranger in a book store.

I left the United States feeling discouraged, angry, and embarrassed about our government. As a teacher, the 8 years of Bush's rein has made it even more difficult for educators to do what they are passionate about, because of new and unfunded policies. I became a teacher because I love helping, I love learning, I love making education possible for people that did not think they had a chance. Listening to Barak Obama makes me excited to be an educator and he refuels my drive to make things happen. I do not expect all of his ideas and plans to come true. I do not expect a drastic or rapid change in anything. I do expect a turn in the right direction, and a clean and honest start from a man who has our nations best interest at heart. I expect Americans to open their eyes and make this change happen, and stop being comfortable with bad news.

As I end my political rant, I am sad to be out of the country at this historic time, and I would give almost anything to be in Grant park on election day. For the good and the bad, I miss my home country, my friends, and especially my family. I am going to have to settle for calling in sick from school, and watching live broadcasts from my computer. But, I can say that if all goes well, I will re-enter the United States of America with more respect than I left it.

Gyeong-ju: Bikes, Tombs, Mr. Koons, and Buddha!

On the first weekend of October we had a glorious long weekend.  No school on Friday!!  Originally we had planed to go to Seoul, but our plans fell through due to poor planning.  After sleeping in until a peaceful 10:30am we decided to spend our long weekend in Gyeong-ju.  The capital city of the Shilla dynasty from the 5th century.  Gyeong-ju is known for housing more tombs that you can count and monuments, statues, and temples to boot.  Also appealing was the availability of renting and using mountain bikes to get around, and a man made lake. By noon we were on a $4 bus to this mystical land.  

One hour later we were in Gyeong-ju.  We had no plans other than to find a place to stay for the night and rent some bikes.  We walked around to find that the hotel we had our eyes on was booked, so we decided on the neighboring hostel.  Mr. Koon's hostel was a funny, cozy, quirky place.  But, the recommendation from Lonely Planet let us know, not to be afraid.  Plus, it was only $35 for the night.  Mr. Koons spoke English and Japanese and greeted us wearing questionably dirty shorts and a ragged old t-shirt.  He showed us to our room with a double mattress on the floor and we quickly put our stuff down and headed out for some sight seeing.  As we walked out the door he handed us home made maps that he himself had created, that had recommendations of restaurants, bike rental places, and tourist attractions.  He seemed like the epitome of someones crazy uncle.  

Then, we rented bikes, and were off to see some tombs.  We entered this grassy park looking place, where there were large mounds.  The large mounds were the actual tombs.  The larger the mound, the more important the person who was buried there.  It was the same philosophy as the Egyptians, but toned down a couple notches.  Most of the tombs we saw were from around the 5th century when the Shilla empire ruled over Korea.  It was wonderful to be surrounded  by these man made things that were SO OLD!  The only thing that occurred to us when we saw the line for the one tomb you could enter was... everyone else took this weekend for a holiday too.  It was a Korean National holiday, kind of like Independence day.  So, foreigners and Koreans alike were also seeing the sights.  

Next we road our bikes to the lake.  This was a beautiful trek that stayed mostly on bike paths.  This I really appreciated because it is rare to find bike helmets here in Korea, no less one you can rent.  So, no worries family and friends, I was very cautious and came out with all my limbs, appendages, and an un-cracked skull!  :-)  

We got to the lake after several detours, and found ourselves in the middle of a concert.  A concert where grown adults were riding around, in pairs, on big wheel cars and motorcycles.  Yes!  Adults were renting and scooting around on toys meant for a 5 year old child.  I found this hilarious until they also seemed to have the same sense of direction as a 5 year old and you had to watch where you were walking so you wouldn't get taken out at the shins.  After seeing this, we got a couple beers, sat on the side of the road and watched a night time badminton match.  It was a long day!   

Saturday we got up early, had a quick egg Mc muffin and tried to ride our bikes to a mountain to see a monumental Buddha.  The biking thing didn't last long, as we realized we were going to have to pass through a mass of mountains to get where we were going... So, we boarded a bus and went to see Bulguksa Temple.  After another detour we arrived at the park where the temple was along with a large Buddha we had come to see.  As I said, it was Korean Independence day.... so picture Disneyland type crowds.  

We were able to tour the temple, which was from the 5th century also, but was destroyed during the Japanese invasion.  It was only rebuilt in 1975.  It was still an amazing masterpiece to be seen!  The architecture and details are things that need to be in front of you to truly appreciate.  We then hiked for an hour.  An hour straight up hill, to see the Seokguram Grotto.  The grotto houses a Buddha that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. The United Nations has created this list to help preserve national treasures.  This Buddha has been included on the list because:  

"...as a masterpiece of Far Eastern Buddhist art. The complex that it fors with Pulgusa Temple is an outstanding example of the religious architecture of the region and of the material expression of Buddhist belief."  - United Nations (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/736)

We were able to finally make it to the top of the mountain to see this treasure, to see there was an hour long line.  But, who's going to complain when they have the opportunity to see something so unique, masterful, exquisite, and powerful?  So, we waited ..... and finally were able to see the magnificent Buddha for about 1 minute.  It was totally worth it, and I feel luck to have looked upon this treasure with my own eyes.  The Buddha was built in the 8th century and untouched by invasions.  It was about 15ft tall and surrounded, in a key hole shape, by 11 other deities.  It was a very calming and extreme experience.  

We then descended  the mountain, jumped back on a bus, and picked up our bags that Mr. Koons had been holding for us all day.  We went to the train station to buy another $4 bus ticket!  and waited for our departure. 

It was a beautiful weekend, filled with serene landscape and magical sculptures.  I left with the feeling of satisfaction, exhaustion, and feeling closer to the country that is now my home.  

The risky game of "side walk chicken"

It's a strange feeling to acknowledge that living in Korea has suddenly lost it's shock appeal. Suddenly life has become just life and work just work.  There's few new daily discoveries and sleeping takes precident over exploring a new neighborhood or market.  It's funny that in as little as a month, such a foreign culture can become home, and a new apartment can be considered comfortable.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still having a blast, and I like my new comfortable routine.  But, it's hard to imagine becoming comfortable in a foreign place until you actually do it.  

On my 25 minute walk home from school (straight up a mountain), I frequently think about comparisons between living in Chicago and living in Busan.  I think about all of the things that were great about Chicago, and then try and compare them to my new life.  Here is a list of those thoughts that have crossed my mind:

1.  Friendly people:

People in Busan are some of the most friendly people I have ever met in my life.  They may stare at you, but the harder they stare the more they would like to talk to you.  It's been told to me that Busan (being a southern most city) is like the friendly south of the USA.  It emanates "southern hospitality" and wholesome values.  The fellow foreigners I meet are also SUPER friendly, but of a different accord.  There are 2 kinds of non-Koreans here.  People who are lookin

g for an adventure, and people who can not function in their home country for one reason or another.  Therefore, when meeting people, it's rather easy to pick out the travelers from the people who are..... lets say ... more than a little "off".  All in all, I have met some wonderful, genuine and interesting people.

2.  Public Transportation: 

I had always admired cities with great public transportation systems.  While living in Chicago, I was not dependant upon the public transport, so it took me longer to form the attitude that most patrons of the CTA(Chicago Transit Authority) acquire.  As I became more reluctant to use my car, I realized that the bitching and whining I heard daily about the system, was accurate, and the CTA was less than convenient.  Waiting 20-45 minutes for a bus seemed unacceptable, and no one ever knew when that next train was coming by.  

Here in Busan, there are buses that run strange, but very frequent routes, and I have never waited more than 5 minutes for one.  That is the same for the subway.  The subway is known to be the cleanest and one of the best run subway systems in the world.  It's quiet, clean, steady, and a train comes every 5 minutes.  It starts and stops SO accurately that there are specific gates where the doors open and close.  Therefore, the drivers have to make sure the doors open at precisely the correct spot.  WOW~  Chicago you have a lot to improve upon!  

3.  Sidewalk etiquette:

A mystery here in Busan is the way Koreans walk.  Whether it's the sidewalk, in an alley, at a mall, in a hall way, or any other walkable area, it is unknown whether there is logic behind their motions, or if they are just holding their ground thereby protecting their territory.  When I first got here, I was walking down the street and thought to myself, "I wonder which side of the street should i walk on"  I was thinking this because there are 1/2 dividing lines on most of their paths, so naturally I would assume that if you are going in one direction you walk on the right side, and the other direction the left.  NOT SO>   There is no correct way to walk down the street, and no rule, etiquette or common habit.  

Here's an example:

You are walking down the street.  You have the whole sidewalk to yourself.  (it's a big sidewalk)  Then, in the distance, you see a man walking towards you.  Out of common sense you pick a side of the path to walk on, so the man can comfortably pass you.  At this point, the man refuses to move out of the way, continues to walk either in the middle of the path, or barge directly into you. Thus, leaving you with no other choice, but to quickly move to another but much more uncomfortable direction, or even into the street.  

While walking in a mall, woman and men alike, do NOT move out of the way when they are walking towards you.  They will not adjust their line of direction.  They will make eye contact with you and allow you to think that they see you coming, and that they should compromise on how to walk by each other.  But, that is just not the case.   Lesson learned...  While walking anywhere in Korea,  it is a constant game of sidewalk "chicken".  One has to be constantly on allert to who's going to step on their foot, knock them with a large purse, or just shoulder chekc them into a wall.  I am unsure whether it is a common trait, or a threat against foreigners.  Either way, while walking in Korea, be prepared to get pushed, knocked into, or move out of the way!  I never thought I'd miss the Chicago sidewalks.... but I do!

3.  Access to THINGS:

One thing that I miss significantly is being able to want something, and then going to get it.  I love being independent and self-sufficient.  But, here in Korea, little tasks such as buying groceries is significantly difficult.  The first time I went grocery shopping I spent WAY too much time just staring at bottles and packages looking for a trace of English.  Sometimes I end up buying stuff, just because it has some English words on it to allow me to distinguish what it might be.  I realize that that is part of the deal while living in a foreign country... but it's hard that a trip to the grocery store will leave you with a headache from staring at the packages too long, and not the food you intended to buy.  

4.  Great City:

I loved Chicago because it is a great city!  I love the busy-ness, the hubbub, and the fact that it never sleeps.  In Chicago I had access to everything, and opportunities seemed easy to come by.  Here, the city is wonderful.  Bars don't seem to close.... ever, people are always out and about, and if I knew the language I'm sure things would be much easier to come upon.  Even the pristine subway is never crowded enough that you feel claustrophobic.  Both cities are awesome places to live!  I am super happy that I have had the opportunity to say that I have lived in both of them.

Those are just a few things that come to mind when comparing Chicago to Busan.  All in all, both are amazing places and I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to have lived in them.  I have more to come about my thoughts.  

Including:  

Fashion- The country of Socks and Sandles, 

Food- Spicy, fishy or both?, 

Manners- I will sneeze in your face, step on your toe, and push by you without saying "excuse me", 

and many many more subjects that may culturally surprise you!  

All is well!  

 

School Days, Rule Days...

I was blessed with the experience of working at a low income, inner city, Chicago School before I had embarked on this adventure. It taught me how to stand my ground, think on my feet, manage my own classroom, create a curriculum and much, much more. I can not imagine what it would be like for people coming straight out of college to teach in a school here.

My job is like any other teaching job, and very similar to any school in the states. I work at an all boys middle school with 700 students and about 40 staff members. Since I joined the public school system here, I had no idea as to what type of school, environment, student body, or location my school would be. Therefore, I feel very lucky to have been placed at a great school with a friendly atmosphere.

When I met one of my 4 co-teachers the day she picked me up from the airport, she said the first day I should introduce myself. Then, the morning of the first day of school she picked me up and wondered where my lesson plan was. I said it was in my head, because I was just planning on saying the basics... "Hi my name is Jennifer, I'm from the USA and I'm an art teacher and artist... yadda yadda yadda..." When I got to school I found out that I had 4 classes each 50 minutes long and it was up to me to teach them.

I quickly made a lesson plan, including a map of the USA, and some questions for the kids to fill in.... and my first 2-3 classes were just me talking about and introducing myself. I was to teach this lesson 22 times that week and to 700 students. Needless to say, by the 5th lesson I had added some other visuals and perfected my introduction. I also added a speaking and oral introduction part for the students to introduce themselves to the class.

This was all okay because I understand what a lesson plan is, time management, and all those other things that teachers should know after going to school and teaching for a year. But, teaching experience and a teaching degree is in no way needed to be a teacher here. So, I'm just blessed that I got this tough position and understand how to deal with it.

I have heard that most teachers here get a small grace period where their co-teachers at least tell them what to do. I was just thrown to the trenches... into the pit... dance monkey dance!

Another good thing about teaching in Chicago, was I learned to be tough from the start. So, it was obvious to me, that to teach classes of 35 teenage boys at a time, I needed to have some gruffness to me. So, I was quick to lay down the law, and I was quicker to call out the trouble makers. One class said their prior teacher, whom I am now friends with, was nicer and "Why don't you smile like Maggie teacher?". The co-teacher of that class even suggested that I smile more so the students like me. I'd rather have the students behave in class, and do their work, versus walk all over me and therefore, have to struggle to get them to do their work. So, I said I had a plan.

During the second week of class I had a great lesson. It involved American breakfast foods with 2 You Tube Videos of how to make pancakes and another of how to make hash-browns. Then they had a worksheet and a game to play. Most classes LOVED the lesson and the game, and were entertained, so they did not have a problem with behavior. One of the last classes of the week, which was a special-ed class to begin with, decided to continue their bad behavior. At the end of the game the boys just started hitting each other. They were doing so, playfully, but they were still hitting each other. So, I called the first 5 boys that I saw to the front of the room and had them stare at the class. (They had no idea what I was doing) I then told them that if anyone ever hit another person in my class we wouldn't play games anymore. Then, I told the boys at the front they could sit down and the whole class was silent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnCVZozHTG8

All in all, the classes are great! The boys are very nice and the teachers are very supportive to whatever I feel like teaching. That lends itself to be fun, but also a lot of work. Teaching teenagers is not much different than teaching preschoolers. The more visual stimulation and activity they get, the easier it is for them to pay attention. Therefore, I have a lot of work a head of me to keep these kids entertained!

I have so much more to tell you! Keep coming back for more!

Culture Shock

Dear Friends and Family,

I am excited to say that I have now been initiated into the wide world of blogging.  I feel as though I should all of a sudden be surprisingly witty or have something very profound to say, but I am positive that is not the case.  I just want everyone at home to be able to, in a small way, experience the wonderful adventure that I have embarked upon 2 weeks ago.  

It all started after a grueling and exhausting 27+ hour flight from LA, to Dallas, then to Tokyo, and finally to Busan, South Korea.  After we landed, we snatched up our luggage and were whisked away by 3 teachers from our schools.  We arrived at our apartment, which is a glorified studio, but bigger than we had expected,  and were asked to go out to dinner with our new co-teachers.  We decided that sleeping was a much better idea, and instead, they ordered us fried chicken.  We were able to force down a couple pieces of chicken and then collapse onto the smallest and hardest bed you can even imagine.  The bed was so hard that it prompted a swift trip to the store to get a new bed the next Monday.  

On our first trip out of the apartment, we found and explored what is basically a much nicer version of Walmart called "Home Plus".  They have everything, but by having "everything" nothing has any English on it.  So, trying to buy groceries for dinner is a time consuming task.  Even the vegetables are packaged differently and look slightly smaller or bigger than I am used to.  So, our first shopping trips consisted of me staring at bottles and bags, trying to decipher what the heck i was looking at.  Over these weeks though, I have become very creative and sought out certain staples that makes it slightly less of a scavenger hunt to cook dinner.  

This strangeness of language is far from the only thing different about my daily routine here.  I am unable to go out of the house without people staring and trying to talk to me.  You would think that TV would have prepared the Korean population for seeing people of fair skin and hair, like myself, but this is not the case.   They are such a nationalistic country that they rarely experience anything that is not Korean.  That being said,  the small amount of foreign English teachers that are here are all they know about meeting people from other nations.  Therefore, people stare and stare and stare some more.  I have found that it stops them and makes them smile if you stare back smiling and say "anyan-ah-say-oh" (hello).  But that gets tiring after the first 4 people you see on the street.  

The train is a different story.  I can't smile and say hello to everyone on the subway, so the constant staring is just something that has to be ignored.  You would think that after a 30-40 minute subway ride a person might want to look at something else... but that is not the case.  I heard of a guy who got so sick of someone stairing at him on the train, he just took out his camera and took a picture of the person staring.  Lets just say, I've considered it.  

Children are a different story here.  They are ALL learning English and are very eager to speak to foreigners.  Therefore, if a child is between the age of 3 and 9 they will do anything to come and say "Hello".  I have seen children almost jump out of car windows to look and greet me... and that is not an over exaggeration.  Children may be eager to say "Hello", but  when you respond with anything, they usually have NO IDEA what you are saying.  Even a simple "Hi, how are you?" usually gets blank stares.  So, the best thing to do is usually respond with "Hello" back and try to walk away.  If the child is persistent, as most children are, they will follow you and keep saying "hello"  over and over and over again... and this has turned into something that is super cute, or super annoying depending on the situation.  Still though, when a tiny child musters up the skills to say Hello on the street, it is one of the cutest things ever!

Now, it took me a while to size up why people were exactly staring.  But, coming from a culture where diversity is considered the daily norm, and especially because I just moved out of a city, my mind was not on par with where the Koreans are coming from.  Yes they have seen many people with blond hair and blue or green eyes on TV, but few have seen one in person.  So, my attributes actually make me a very rare and never seen before reality walking down the street.  Jared described it as, if you always watch the discovery channel, and see tigers all the time on TV you are used to seeing Tigers on TV.  But, if you see a real life tiger walking down the street, it's a different story and you might stare at it as long as you could.   So, I guess I'm the equivalent of a rare and glorified species that most have never seen in person before.  HA! - never thought that would happen.  

Just to finish up this concept of being stared at, I'll explain what happened when we tried to go to the gym for the first time.  Now, I'm expecting going to the gym to be an experience, like everything else here... so I was prepared for something out of the norm.  But, as soon as I walked in, I took off my street shoes, and saw that Jared, who was a head of me, was trying to give money to the desk person.  All of a sudden there was a phone shoved in my face by a man and on the actual phone there was a video of a live person saying Hello to me.  Like a deer in headlights, I said Hello back, and waved... and the man stepped away to continue talking, about who knows what.  I stood there... dazed and confused.   Jared turned around and asked what just happened, and it took me a couple minutes to collect myself and really understand that I was just saying hello to a video on some strangers cell phone...  We continued to the work out area, which was another experience, but that's for another time.  

All in all, people are super friendly and eager to help you get around here, I just think I might take up wearing big hats and sunglasses all the time to fulfill my new movie star persona.

All is well, thanks for reading!