First Two Weeks in Korea

Wow! I cannot believe it has only been two weeks! I am finally starting to settle in, and so many of you have asked for an update. So much has happened. I have seen so many things. I have experienced so much already! Where to begin is really the question! :-) Let's take things by topic, shall we?

My Apartment
My apartment is a small studio on the 4th floor of a building with no elevator. Each day the climb gets a bit easier, but first I have to make it up the hill to the building! :-) I'm very close to the highway and the hospital is within a 5 minute walk. (That is important for my parents to know). It is clean and modern and I really like it. I finally learned how to get the stove to light last week, so now I can cook. My first attempt was ham, potatoes, onion and cabbage. YUMMMMM!!! Just a little western meal in my Korean apartment! The strangest thing to get used to is the shower. I have to turn on the hot water about 5 minutes prior to showering, then turn it off when I am finished. Also, there is no tub...only a shower that encompasses the entire bathroom. It truly is a BATH room. lol Regardless, it is just the right size for me and I really like it.

My School
I really, really like my school. There are about 5 Korean teachers and one other English speaking teacher. He, Teacher Mark, has been very helpful in helping me get settled here. His wife is Korean, so he knows a lot of the "ins and outs" of things and can help me understand Korean traditions and such. I have a great schedule. I get to school around 1:30p.m. and the students come at 2:00. I teach two 25 minute classes then have a 10 minute break. I start over again at 3:00 until 3:50, then a 10 minute break. This repeats with the classes increasing in English proficiency until 7:50 pm. Then I clean up and go home. Total contact hours: 5 per day, 10 classes, and very minimal lesson planning. I could not ask for anything better. Next month, my schedule will shift by 30 minutes (I'll go in 30 minutes later), then back again the following. This makes for a nice break in routine and lets me see all of the kids in the Hagwon. :-)

Transportation
In order to explore more of my town, I bought a FANTASTIC bicycle!! It has been absolutely wonderful and I am so grateful to have it! Of course, it's hot pink with a basket and a bell and could not be any more adorable. lol... I traded my Jeep 4x4 for a hot pink bike...hmmmm... that just makes me giggle.

Transportation in Korea is second to none! I decided to take a trip to Pohang last weekend and hopped the intercity bus (which is majorly comfortable and actually fun to ride) and just a mere 1.5 hours later, I was shopping at a "supercenter" type store! It was really fun to see some American brands with Korean writing. (Go P&G!!) I took a walk down the "walking street" and managed to find a wonderful pizza place where I devoured a bacon and onion pizza. DELICIOUS. The sauce kind of reminds me of Dewey's. This is not LaRosa's, Cincinnati! After that, as I was walking by Starbucks, I saw a couple of western-looking girls and stopped to chat. We became fast friends and actually spent the Chuseok holiday together...more on that in a minute.
I grabbed a quick, cheap taxi back to the bus terminal, bought my ticket back to Uljin, and I was quickly on my way home! What a great day trip!

FOOD!!!
Everyone is asking me about the food. Well, for the first week, Ramen noodles and fried chicken were my best friends. I have since expanded my palette and tried more traditional Korean food. I have decided that I do like Bulgogi and Kimbap, but am not a fan of kimchi. I am also a HUGE fan of the Korean barbeque restaurants where you cook your own food on this grill in the middle of the table. In Pohang during Chuesok holiday, six of us found this delightful place called "Meat King". Yes, it truly was!! It was a buffet where you could have, cook, and eat as much meat as you wanted for 13,900 won (about $13.00). Couple that with some Korean Rice Wine mixed with "cider" (tastes like Sprite), some Korean Beer, and lots of water, and all the little tasty sauces and sides, you have yourself a fine, fine meal! Additionally, we had to take our shoes off at the door and sit on the floor at the low tables. It was very cool.

People
Korean people are generally very kind to me. One teacher from school took me out to "noribong", which is KARAOKE!!! Needless to say, I had a blast! The teachers at school are always more than willing to translate something for me, help me find a bus schedule, buy a cell phone, or even translate menus for me so I don't end up eating something I have no desire to eat. They always invite me to sit with them and ask me daily if I have eaten. If I tell them I have not, there is ALWAYS an offer of some food, whether it is half of their sandwich, some bread, noodles, or some rice. This is an important cultural thing which I find very endearing. They seem to genuinely care for one another and, well, if they don't, they at least keep up a good front!

When I go into the shops in town, I always greet them in Korean and sometimes they will answer back in English. This is not as common here as it was in Europe, but they genuinely appreciate the effort I take at butchering their language. lol... I really am trying, but it is not easy. It also seems to be common to walk away with a "free gift" after making a purchase. Let's see, I have gotten a bike lock, coffee, a wrinkle filler face mask (stop laughing), and some little stickers for the kids. Yes, the people here are very kind, and I like them. The ladies in the picture on the right helped me choose my bike, unwrapped it for me, gave me the lock, then posed for the picture. One funny thing... I knew I had been frequenting the local chicken place too often when I walked in for the third time in a week and the guy behind the counter says, "Ah! Fried Chicken? And Pepsi?? Sit anywhere!". Yes, I have become a regular already. lol

Shopping
I've been getting a lot of questions about prices. Well, it really depends on what you want to purchase. For example, if I go to Lotteria (Korean McDonald's for lack of a better explanation), I will spend about three times as much to get a burger (which is gross anyway), fries (tasty), and a Pepsi than I would across the street at the 24 hour Korean "Diner". I can eat very well on about 3,000 to 4,000 won there (under $4.00) and not finish my entire meal.

When it comes to shopping in the stores, it is much the same. Beef is VERY expensive here, but chicken and pork are reasonable. I have yet to see anything that resembles a tv dinner, but you can buy a bag of chicken nuggets or frozen cheese sticks. Again, they are far more expensive than the fresh food you can get in the market. The only problem with buying in the market is the language barrier, as there are not many prices posted, and it is hard to purchase a small amount of anything. For example, last week I tried to buy two apples. Well, that was not going to happen. I ended up with the basket of about 12. Yeah....Other than that, I love to go to the market and just wander around. You never know what you will find!

Entertainment
Well, Korean television is entertaining...for a minute. lol There are a few English stations, but I have yet to figure out a schedule of what is on and when. I did catch an episode of "Bones" and "NCIS" in English with Korean subtitles. That made me happy. :-)

Noribong, aka Singing Rooms, are very popular here. I have been twice and had a blast both times. It is not like back home where you go in to some random bar with random people. You actually get your own "room" with a comfortable sofa-like seating area, a big table, two mics, and lots of songs in both English and Korean. It is a great social time and it is most helpful that I can actually sing! :-) The picture on the left are my Korean friends who introduced me to the art of Noribang. They are all teachers. Although I can enjoy fried chicken and beer as much as the next person, it is nice to sing a bit while partaking in said beverages and snacks.

Another social thing is called Jimjibang. Now, I suggest you just google it and decide for yourself, but three of us Western girls with tattoos and piercings braved the "Korean Bathhouse and Sauna" and had a simply delightful time! I cannot remember the last time my skin felt so soft and wonderful. I have included a simple link, http://www.seoulstyle.com/art_naked.htm, which explains it a bit better than I believe I can, but suffice it to say, we have decided to make it a monthly thing within our little group of friends to visit the Jimjibang and scrub each others backs to become "silky monkeys".

What I Miss From America
Strangely, I miss macaroni and cheese. I have been able to find Hershey's, so I am good on the chocolate front. I miss my friends and family. I really, really, really miss my boys. I must say, however, I am very grateful for the Internet, Facebook, and Skype. I don't know if I could be this far from everyone without it, especially Brandon and Bryan. I think I actually talk to my boys now than I did when they lived with me! lol :-)

What I Like Most About Korea
Today, what I like most about Korea is being close to the sea and being able to ride my bike down to the ocean and just sit and read. I like riding my bike all over town and discovering little places I had previously missed. I like learning about the culture and practicing what little vocabulary I have. Mostly, I like teaching. I love the kids and I love teaching. I don't have behavioral issues, they listen, they engage, and they are eager to learn as well as teach me things! Most of my Korean vocab has come from my students and I am grateful for that.

Well, friends, this is a long post, but there were lots of questions from you all I wanted to be sure to answer. Should you have any other questions or are curious about anything, please let me know and I will address it!

Until next time, I will try to stay out of trouble (teehee) and stay safe on my Korean adventure. Love to you all!