This weekend, a member of the high school staff's wife died after a 10 year battle with cancer. Dionne and I have worked with Mario, so we thought it would be appropriate to venture to the hospital in Seoul where the funeral was being held. I felt like it was a rare opportunity to look deep into Korean culture, so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in observing how Koreans honor their loved ones. It was surprisingly similar to what we're used to in Iowa.
Instead of having a visitation and a funeral, they have a visiting period of three days. So, imagine a three day visitation. Christian funerals are held on a special floor in the hospital where they died. We walked into the basement of the hospital and found the room where we needed to be. Outside the room were huge floral wreaths with messages printed on huge ribbons hanging from the wreaths. We removed our shoes and were instructed to sign our names in the guest book. Next, we were handed single white flowers with a black ribbon tied around the stem and shown into an empty room with a wooden alter. Because they do not view the body, a picture of Mario's wife was on the alter. We placed our flowers on a pile of others' flowers. Then, we stepped back and prayed. Once we were finished with our prayer, we greeted Mario and two of his wife's brothers. The whole situation lasted maybe two minutes. There were no long winding lines like American visitations, possibly because we were there at 8 pm, or maybe because the body lays in wait for three days instead of two or three hours, giving people much more time to pay their respects. There is no church service like we would have in the U.S. After the three days have passed, the body gets buried in the family burial plot which are often in the mountains because they are still considered sacred land.
Next, we were ushered through a hallway and into a fellowship room with about 12 long tables set up with sporadic groups of Koreans dressed mostly in black eating. If we hadn't eaten kimbap on the bus ride to Seoul, we would have been fed a huge Korean meal with all of the trimmings. Instead, we munched on fried vegetables, cherry tomatoes, oranges and mixed nuts as we talked and observed those around us. We stayed for about half an hour. When we got up to leave, we went to the table where the administration from two of the Kyunghwa schools were sitting to say goodbye to Principal Suh. She was so concerned about how we would get home and offered to drive us to the bus station! We assured her that we would be fine. As we walked out and said goodbye to Mario, he was also concerned about us getting home. Once we convinced him that we would be able to catch a bus, he thanked us again for coming. Then his nephew retrieved our shoes and we were on our way.
As I write this, I am struggling with what to say about the experience. So many things about the experience were very indicative of Korean culture, but also very similar to the funeral practices I have experienced in the U.S. I am continually blown away by how two cultures so far apart, and so different on the surface, can be so similar in the strangest ways. But, just as I marvel at those similarities, I marvel at the big differences too. Today during lunch, we were talking about the funeral and Toni told us that single, engaged or pregnant women do not traditionally attend funerals. I don't really understand why, but this is still practiced! One of the teachers at the high school is pregnant and when she tried to arrange going to the funeral, other teachers wouldn't let her go! I guess the things that are different are REALLY different...
3.22.2011
3.19.2011
Phone Fiasco
Last weekend, I tried to call Maria. I got some recording that said my phone was not set up to make outgoing calls, per my request. I thought that was weird, so I tried to call Diane. Same thing. I was not pleased. Since it was Friday night, there was nothing I could do about it until Monday. The lack of phone service made for an interesting weekend trying to coordinate a meet-up with Diane, confirming my language exchange with Yeeseul and offering up my couch to Maria. My phone could receive calls and texts, but not being able to make calls and send texts felt pretty paralyzing.
Monday morning, I brought my phone to Hyunjoo to see if she could help me fix it. She called my cell phone company and after some research, she asked me if I had done anything to change my bank account information. DUH. Before Christmas, I had to close my first bank account and open a new one at a different branch of the bank to enable me to wire money home. Since my cell phone bill is automatically deducted from my bank account, I hadn't paid my phone bill in three months! They had been sending me texts to tell me such vital information, but of course, since they were in Korean, I assumed they were spam texts. Oh Noelley. (I love that they don't shut down your service, but just disable your ability to make calls... So Korean!)
So, Monday after school, I traipsed down to the E-Mart building to visit my phone company with a handwritten memo in Korean to present to the phone company worker. With a few clicks of a mouse, a phone call to Hyunjoo, and a swipe of my debit card worth three months of phone service, my phone was back in business. Nice. Today, as I prepare to meet Diane for our weekly adventure in Seoul, I am extra thankful to have a fully functioning phone!
Monday morning, I brought my phone to Hyunjoo to see if she could help me fix it. She called my cell phone company and after some research, she asked me if I had done anything to change my bank account information. DUH. Before Christmas, I had to close my first bank account and open a new one at a different branch of the bank to enable me to wire money home. Since my cell phone bill is automatically deducted from my bank account, I hadn't paid my phone bill in three months! They had been sending me texts to tell me such vital information, but of course, since they were in Korean, I assumed they were spam texts. Oh Noelley. (I love that they don't shut down your service, but just disable your ability to make calls... So Korean!)
So, Monday after school, I traipsed down to the E-Mart building to visit my phone company with a handwritten memo in Korean to present to the phone company worker. With a few clicks of a mouse, a phone call to Hyunjoo, and a swipe of my debit card worth three months of phone service, my phone was back in business. Nice. Today, as I prepare to meet Diane for our weekly adventure in Seoul, I am extra thankful to have a fully functioning phone!
3.17.2011
Back Into the Swing of Things
School started two weeks ago today. Getting back into the 8-5 schedule took a little (read: A LOT) getting used to, but now I've gotten to a point where I feel like we've been in session for months. A few changes have occurred in my school life. I'm still adapting, but things are still just as amazing as they ever were!
I had been teaching the class with the higher level English speakers, but this year, Dionne and I switched so that the students would be exposed to different teaching methods and styles. So, now I teach the lower level of students. Teaching the lower level students also means that I have a co-teacher for every class. It is nice to have another teacher in the class to help facilitate activities, explain points (though the students seem to rely a little too much upon the impending translations) and help keep the students in check. They also provide me with some valuable feedback. Having another teacher in the classroom definitely takes some getting used to (and is, at times, a bit tough), but in the long run, this will make me a better teacher and it is fun to get to know a whole new set of girls at every level. That being said, they must have revised the way they split the classes because about a quarter of each of my classes are comprised of students I had in my classes last semester... I enjoy having a couple of students in each class who are used to the way I teach and my personality.
My first lesson in each class was spent introducing myself since I hadn't taught many of the students. I gave them time to ask me questions and boy did I get some doozies! Here's a sample:
Student: What is your skincare line?
Noelle: I use a special washcloth.
(Student nods, blushes, says something in Korean, covers her face and repeats the Korean inquiry to Ji Hye, that class's co-teacher)
Ji Hye (laughing): She thinks you're beautiful and wants to know if you've had plastic surgery!
Noelle = flabbergasted
Apparently, though I have yet to see it, Diane and I were on t.v. when we were at the women divers' show in Jeju. Grace (one of our co-teachers) and several students have told me that they were watching t.v. when, all of sudden, there was Noelle Teacher. A couple of students were extra excited to tell me that they saw me on t.v... One day, I unlocked the door to our classrooms to shrieks of, "Noelle Teacher (sounds like Tea-cha)! You. On t.v. Jeju Jeju!!!!!!!!!" I think they were more excited about it than I was :)
I started teaching an after school class four times a week to nine first grade students. Today was the second day of the class and I can already tell that I am going to LOVE this class! They are adorable. I printed out questions on small strips of paper and made them answer the questions to get a piece of candy (today I brought in leftover candy canes and they went bonkers over them!). My favorite answer:
Question: Are you a morning or a night person?
Student: Night person. In vacation, I stay up 4 a.m., sleep to 2 p.m. 2 p.m. I wake up. Eat. Watch t.v. Eat. Play computer game. Eat. Talk to cat. Eat (by this time, the whole class joins in a chorus of EAT as she says it... Delightful).
So, I've decided that it's nice to be back into the school routine. Having (essentially) six weeks off was nice, but I'm glad to be back to a sense of normalcy, routine and adorable interactions with students, teachers and my old pal, Principal Suh.
I had been teaching the class with the higher level English speakers, but this year, Dionne and I switched so that the students would be exposed to different teaching methods and styles. So, now I teach the lower level of students. Teaching the lower level students also means that I have a co-teacher for every class. It is nice to have another teacher in the class to help facilitate activities, explain points (though the students seem to rely a little too much upon the impending translations) and help keep the students in check. They also provide me with some valuable feedback. Having another teacher in the classroom definitely takes some getting used to (and is, at times, a bit tough), but in the long run, this will make me a better teacher and it is fun to get to know a whole new set of girls at every level. That being said, they must have revised the way they split the classes because about a quarter of each of my classes are comprised of students I had in my classes last semester... I enjoy having a couple of students in each class who are used to the way I teach and my personality.
My first lesson in each class was spent introducing myself since I hadn't taught many of the students. I gave them time to ask me questions and boy did I get some doozies! Here's a sample:
- Are your eyelashes real?
- What is your ideal type? (meaning what do you look for in a boyfriend)
- What is your skincare line?
- Why is your hair short? / Why do you hate long hair? (they think that since I have short hair, I hate long hair...)
- Do you have a boyfriend?
- How did you get so tall? / What did you eat to make you tall?
Student: What is your skincare line?
Noelle: I use a special washcloth.
(Student nods, blushes, says something in Korean, covers her face and repeats the Korean inquiry to Ji Hye, that class's co-teacher)
Ji Hye (laughing): She thinks you're beautiful and wants to know if you've had plastic surgery!
Noelle = flabbergasted
Apparently, though I have yet to see it, Diane and I were on t.v. when we were at the women divers' show in Jeju. Grace (one of our co-teachers) and several students have told me that they were watching t.v. when, all of sudden, there was Noelle Teacher. A couple of students were extra excited to tell me that they saw me on t.v... One day, I unlocked the door to our classrooms to shrieks of, "Noelle Teacher (sounds like Tea-cha)! You. On t.v. Jeju Jeju!!!!!!!!!" I think they were more excited about it than I was :)
I started teaching an after school class four times a week to nine first grade students. Today was the second day of the class and I can already tell that I am going to LOVE this class! They are adorable. I printed out questions on small strips of paper and made them answer the questions to get a piece of candy (today I brought in leftover candy canes and they went bonkers over them!). My favorite answer:
Question: Are you a morning or a night person?
Student: Night person. In vacation, I stay up 4 a.m., sleep to 2 p.m. 2 p.m. I wake up. Eat. Watch t.v. Eat. Play computer game. Eat. Talk to cat. Eat (by this time, the whole class joins in a chorus of EAT as she says it... Delightful).
So, I've decided that it's nice to be back into the school routine. Having (essentially) six weeks off was nice, but I'm glad to be back to a sense of normalcy, routine and adorable interactions with students, teachers and my old pal, Principal Suh.
3.15.2011
Spring Break - Round 2: Jeju
For three of the four years of my college career I had pretty unforgettable Spring Break experiences with some of the best sorority pals a girl would ask for. I was just getting used to the idea that Spring Break was no longer a reality for me...until I realized that I'm a teacher. Spring Break still exists! Hurrah! Diane and I took full advantage of our two weeks off by spending the latter part of our break on an island off the southwestern coast of Korea called Jeju. It is often referred to as Korea's Hawaii. Even though the temperatures weren't tropical caliber, it was a nice getaway to new surroundings before plunging back into a new school year.
Since we left the Monday after our all night excursion in Hongdae, we were still wiped as we boarded our short flight from Seoul to Jeju. However, upon arrival to this lovely island, experiencing jacket-free fresh air, lush surroundings, grass, (and green grass at that), and palm trees, we felt instant rejuvenation.
We arrived at our hostel, Tae Gong Gak Inn and Guesthouse (if you ever go to Jeju, STAY THERE!!! It's amazing!), after a long bus ride to the other side of the island. We were warmly greeted by the innkeeper Peter. [For those of you who know Carl Anders Helander, this man was a Korean version of him! It was uncanny and delightful!] Peter and Sylvia (the innkeepers) took care of any question we had or reservation we needed, . They delighted in helping us plan our day trips, suggesting where to eat and getting to know us. It was the perfect place to stay!
Our first full day, we got a pretty late start. We began our day with an awesome lunch of hairtail fish soup and grilled mackerel. We weren't overly excited by the hairtail fish soup but the texture and crunch of the mackerel was so good that we picked that fish clean.
Next, we went on a submarine ride to get an up close and personal look at the fish that live around the island. In order to get to the submarine, we had to ride a shuttle boat out to where the submarine would start its journey. Diane and I were two of four foreigners on the submarine trip. The men in charge of herding people from place to place showed us to the front of the line. While we were waiting for our boat to arrive at the submarine, a frantic young Korean boy came running over to me, asking (in Korean) if I had seen a blue coat. Homeboy was freaking out and I had no idea what he was saying. Diane had been sitting on something and pulled it out from under her and lo and behold, it was his coat. Fast forward 10 minutes. We were now on a different boat and waiting in line to board the submarine. The frantic boy (now quite calm and charming) was standing in line right behind us. He started asking us questions in impeccable English. He told us he was 12 years old and his English name was John. He was so cute and quite the conversationalist! As we were climbing into the submarine, he said, "I think this look very ... funny." He melted my heart. Presumably, since we were special foreigner guests, we were told to sit in the front of the submarine... pretty sweet seats! The fish we saw from the submarine were pretty cool, but nothing tropical or super amazing to spend time writing about. What was more cool, to me, was riding in the front of the submarine and watching as we descended into the depths of the water. So cool!
Immediately upon exiting the submarine and getting back on the boat that would transport us back to shore, I was tapped on the shoulder by little John. He asked me a barrage of questions about our time in Jeju, teaching, America, etc. The icing on the cake was when he asked me for my phone number! What a charmer!
Right in the middle of our conversation about who knows what, John's grandmother came over and pointed out a huge swarm of seagulls following the path of the boat. John immediately halted our riveting conversation and screeched "CAMERA!!!" as he began snapping shot after shot of the seagulls. Then, his grandfather gave us some french fry shaped chips so we could feed them.
That night, we ate an awesome dinner of black pork that is a Jeju specialty as well as a Jeju variation of three layered pork belly meat. 'Twas tasty. Then, we went to a waterfall that is specially lit up at night.
As we were gearing up to leave the waterfall, I noticed a Korean man taking a picture of the group with which he was traveling. I offered to take the picture so that he, too, could be in the picture. Despite my offer being in English, he began to explain some photo requests in Korean. He didn't stop when I gave him a bewildered "I have no idea what you are saying to me" look. Luckily, between his accompanying gestures and Diane's Korean vocabulary, we were able to understand what it was he wanted (though I can't remember now...). As I was snapping their pictures, he continued to talk to me in Korean until a young girl in the group yelled, "She's a foreigner!" Everyone started laughing and he profusely thanked us as we walked away after giving them back their cameras. Later on, toward the end of our time in the waterfall park, we ran into the group again and the man asked us if we were walking back to our hotel. When we said yes, he looked super impressed. I have no idea what was so impressive about us walking back to our hotel, but it gave us a good laugh.
The next day, we shared an all day taxi tour with a Canadian teacher and her mom. Our taxi driver's name was Mr. Go and he was delightful. He was a bodybuilder (and wasn't hesitant about showing us a picture from a bodybuilding competition in which he was sporting a chiseled bod and a Speedo.. Yikes.) and was eager to practice his fairly impressive English skills with us. Also, he insisted on following us around, explaining things and taking pictures for us at any possible Kodak moment. (And when I say he took pictures, I mean he did everything in his power to make sure we got the best possible pictures. He was climbing railings, squatting, standing on fences where one false move could result in his imminent death... Homeboy was d-e-d-i-c-a-t-e-d.) He was so nice and so fun! And, upon hearing that Diane enjoys listening to K-Pop music, he produced a pretty impressive mix c.d. that he played for the first part of the trip (the second part was an 80s mix - it made me feel like I was in a Rocky movie :) ) The day was spent touring around the east side of the island to various geological and other natural structures and various points along the coast. There about 85 pictures of Diane and I standing in front of a significant place, view or point in varying poses - peace signs, thumbs up or awkward standing with big smiles. I'll spare you and just show the biggies...
These pictures were taken at a trick art museum... There were probably about 30 reproductions of famous (and not so famous) pieces of art and locations that were painted to include something interactive. They make for some real sweet pictures!
Jeju is famous for a group of old women who dive to retrieve seafood from a small cove. Everyday, they put on a short demonstration and we went to watch. As we arrived, we noticed a camera crew from what is basically Korea's version of PBS. The film crew was following the daughter of a famous Korean actor around to various tourist locations in Jeju. There was also a small boy at the show who was completely enthralled by the little girl being filmed. He kept wandering over to her, and each time he came over, she reached into her pocket and gave him a small piece of chocolate. He kept coming over to talk to her, but I suspect he was using her for her chocolate :) At any rate, this exchange was adorable to watch. Once she stopped handing him chocolate, he lost interest in her and took an interest in Mr. Go. From what we gathered, Mr. Go was not married or a father (though he did receive a curious amount of phone calls :) ) but the interactions he had with the most-adorable-Korean-boy-ever prove that he should indeed join the club known as Fatherhood. When the women divers brought back an octopus, Mr. Go and the cute little dude were right in the mix, picking the creature up and waving it around. This was quite easily one of the most adorable things I have seen in a really long time... Aside from little John, of course!
Our last day was spent in much the same fashion as the previous day. Sylvia and Peter arranged for us to be shown around by Mr. Go again, this time for a half day on the west side of the island, ending with Mr. Go dropping us off at the airport. We visited several points along the coast (including the one below that boasts rock formations that are somehow in the shape of hexagons) and other notable sights. We also visited a green tea museum and experienced the marvel that is Mystery Road, a road in which your car coasts downhill though it appears to be traveling uphill. Crazy biz.
This day got a little more interesting though. The last destination on our day was a sex museum and collection of erotic statues and pieces of art called Loveland. To our surprise, Mr. Go followed us into Loveland and not only looked around with us, but also proceeded to point out and explain what we were looking at. If that wasn't awkward enough, we saw an inordinate amount of old ladies roaming around Loveland. The three of us received our fair share of strange looks as we walked around Loveland together... Nice.
Thus ended our Spring Break excursion to Jeju. Before we left, we had already started planning our next trip. It was so easy to be there and there was an endless amount of excitement to behold. I loved it so much there that in the event that I grow tired of living and teaching in Gwangju but still have a desire to live and teach in Korea, I would consider relocating to Jeju... So amazing!
Since we left the Monday after our all night excursion in Hongdae, we were still wiped as we boarded our short flight from Seoul to Jeju. However, upon arrival to this lovely island, experiencing jacket-free fresh air, lush surroundings, grass, (and green grass at that), and palm trees, we felt instant rejuvenation.
We arrived at our hostel, Tae Gong Gak Inn and Guesthouse (if you ever go to Jeju, STAY THERE!!! It's amazing!), after a long bus ride to the other side of the island. We were warmly greeted by the innkeeper Peter. [For those of you who know Carl Anders Helander, this man was a Korean version of him! It was uncanny and delightful!] Peter and Sylvia (the innkeepers) took care of any question we had or reservation we needed, . They delighted in helping us plan our day trips, suggesting where to eat and getting to know us. It was the perfect place to stay!
 |
| After an early dinner, we walked to this fresh waterfall. Notice that Diane is standing on a rock :) This picture just doesn't get old... |
Our first full day, we got a pretty late start. We began our day with an awesome lunch of hairtail fish soup and grilled mackerel. We weren't overly excited by the hairtail fish soup but the texture and crunch of the mackerel was so good that we picked that fish clean.
 |
| I called this "Demolition Derby" |
Next, we went on a submarine ride to get an up close and personal look at the fish that live around the island. In order to get to the submarine, we had to ride a shuttle boat out to where the submarine would start its journey. Diane and I were two of four foreigners on the submarine trip. The men in charge of herding people from place to place showed us to the front of the line. While we were waiting for our boat to arrive at the submarine, a frantic young Korean boy came running over to me, asking (in Korean) if I had seen a blue coat. Homeboy was freaking out and I had no idea what he was saying. Diane had been sitting on something and pulled it out from under her and lo and behold, it was his coat. Fast forward 10 minutes. We were now on a different boat and waiting in line to board the submarine. The frantic boy (now quite calm and charming) was standing in line right behind us. He started asking us questions in impeccable English. He told us he was 12 years old and his English name was John. He was so cute and quite the conversationalist! As we were climbing into the submarine, he said, "I think this look very ... funny." He melted my heart. Presumably, since we were special foreigner guests, we were told to sit in the front of the submarine... pretty sweet seats! The fish we saw from the submarine were pretty cool, but nothing tropical or super amazing to spend time writing about. What was more cool, to me, was riding in the front of the submarine and watching as we descended into the depths of the water. So cool!
Immediately upon exiting the submarine and getting back on the boat that would transport us back to shore, I was tapped on the shoulder by little John. He asked me a barrage of questions about our time in Jeju, teaching, America, etc. The icing on the cake was when he asked me for my phone number! What a charmer!
 |
| John! Cutest 12 year old ever |
Right in the middle of our conversation about who knows what, John's grandmother came over and pointed out a huge swarm of seagulls following the path of the boat. John immediately halted our riveting conversation and screeched "CAMERA!!!" as he began snapping shot after shot of the seagulls. Then, his grandfather gave us some french fry shaped chips so we could feed them.
 |
| I had that 'gull eating out of my hand...literally :) |
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| After several attempts, so did John. (My face is not staged, I'll have you know...) |
As we were gearing up to leave the waterfall, I noticed a Korean man taking a picture of the group with which he was traveling. I offered to take the picture so that he, too, could be in the picture. Despite my offer being in English, he began to explain some photo requests in Korean. He didn't stop when I gave him a bewildered "I have no idea what you are saying to me" look. Luckily, between his accompanying gestures and Diane's Korean vocabulary, we were able to understand what it was he wanted (though I can't remember now...). As I was snapping their pictures, he continued to talk to me in Korean until a young girl in the group yelled, "She's a foreigner!" Everyone started laughing and he profusely thanked us as we walked away after giving them back their cameras. Later on, toward the end of our time in the waterfall park, we ran into the group again and the man asked us if we were walking back to our hotel. When we said yes, he looked super impressed. I have no idea what was so impressive about us walking back to our hotel, but it gave us a good laugh.
The next day, we shared an all day taxi tour with a Canadian teacher and her mom. Our taxi driver's name was Mr. Go and he was delightful. He was a bodybuilder (and wasn't hesitant about showing us a picture from a bodybuilding competition in which he was sporting a chiseled bod and a Speedo.. Yikes.) and was eager to practice his fairly impressive English skills with us. Also, he insisted on following us around, explaining things and taking pictures for us at any possible Kodak moment. (And when I say he took pictures, I mean he did everything in his power to make sure we got the best possible pictures. He was climbing railings, squatting, standing on fences where one false move could result in his imminent death... Homeboy was d-e-d-i-c-a-t-e-d.) He was so nice and so fun! And, upon hearing that Diane enjoys listening to K-Pop music, he produced a pretty impressive mix c.d. that he played for the first part of the trip (the second part was an 80s mix - it made me feel like I was in a Rocky movie :) ) The day was spent touring around the east side of the island to various geological and other natural structures and various points along the coast. There about 85 pictures of Diane and I standing in front of a significant place, view or point in varying poses - peace signs, thumbs up or awkward standing with big smiles. I'll spare you and just show the biggies...
 |
| In front of the largest lava structure of its kind in the world, which is inside the world's second largest lava tube. Eat your heart out A-How. |
 | ||||
| An action shot of Mr. Go taking a photo. Intense. |
Jeju is famous for a group of old women who dive to retrieve seafood from a small cove. Everyday, they put on a short demonstration and we went to watch. As we arrived, we noticed a camera crew from what is basically Korea's version of PBS. The film crew was following the daughter of a famous Korean actor around to various tourist locations in Jeju. There was also a small boy at the show who was completely enthralled by the little girl being filmed. He kept wandering over to her, and each time he came over, she reached into her pocket and gave him a small piece of chocolate. He kept coming over to talk to her, but I suspect he was using her for her chocolate :) At any rate, this exchange was adorable to watch. Once she stopped handing him chocolate, he lost interest in her and took an interest in Mr. Go. From what we gathered, Mr. Go was not married or a father (though he did receive a curious amount of phone calls :) ) but the interactions he had with the most-adorable-Korean-boy-ever prove that he should indeed join the club known as Fatherhood. When the women divers brought back an octopus, Mr. Go and the cute little dude were right in the mix, picking the creature up and waving it around. This was quite easily one of the most adorable things I have seen in a really long time... Aside from little John, of course!
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| Hustling for some chocolate... |
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| Mr. Go takes over... |
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| This kid was so curious... and delightful. |
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| With the woman diver who caught the octopus. She was real funny... |
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| Mr. Go stood on a corner like the one we're standing in front of to take this picture. So hardcore. |
Thus ended our Spring Break excursion to Jeju. Before we left, we had already started planning our next trip. It was so easy to be there and there was an endless amount of excitement to behold. I loved it so much there that in the event that I grow tired of living and teaching in Gwangju but still have a desire to live and teach in Korea, I would consider relocating to Jeju... So amazing!
3.02.2011
Spring Break - Round 1: Meeting Diane's Pals and Packing with the Husteds
Much of the first portion of Spring Break was boring to hear about, unless you enjoy reading about how I slept until noon, watched stupid amounts of t.v. on the internet (watch The Big Bang Theory - sooo funny!!), didn't feel well (how is it that a little cold can make you not feel like moving? I'll never understand) and ate lots of popcorn and oranges. WOO HOO! Big stuff, eh?
When I wasn't being painfully boring, this is what I was up to:
Packing with the Husteds: Dionne, Scott and Jonah had been living across town in a really nice apartment that was too big for one of their friends rather than living in the tighter accommodations provided by our school. The lease on that apartment was up at the end of February, so they had to move into a small apartment up the road from me until a larger, more family appropriate space opens up in May. I spent a delightful afternoon helping them pack up their old apartment. Hanging out with them is always delightful and this afternoon was no exception. It's comforting to spend time with a family, though it makes me miss the witty banter I so enjoy with my family. We had great conversations, a fine mixture of funny and serious, and once we were finished packing, we sat down to an awesome meal of lasagna and green salad, nicely complimented by a red wine. I hadn't really been missing Italian food, but it was such a nice treat to have some familiar food in a family style setting. Plus, Dionne is an amazing cook, so dining at the Husted's was a treat in and of itself. During dinner, more delightful conversation ensued as well as many laughs. I'm so glad to be neighbors (sort of...) with the Husteds. I can only imagine the fun times in store over the next year and a half!
Insadong and Dongdaemun with Diane's friends from college: Much like Jill visited me in January, Diane had some pals to show around Seoul in February. Her college friend Nicki goes to graduate school in Australia, so over her break between semesters, she (and her friend from high school Michael) traveled around Asia for about a month and joined us in Seoul for one of the last portions of their adventure. Also, when Diane and Nicki studied abroad in Japan for a summer, they became good friends with Eri, who now lives in Tokyo and works for Olympus. We spent a day together roaming around Insadong and shopping in Dongdaemun and then ate at a fun barbecue dinner in Hyehwa. Such a fun day! It was fun to meet Diane's friends from another phase of her life. They were delightful and so so fun!
Hongdae: No trip to Seoul would be complete without a raucous night of clubbing in Hongdae, so Saturday night, we indulged a little. Maria and I went with Diane, Nicki and Eri, starting our night with a solid dinner and drinks at a Cajun restaurant in Hongdae. Maria had on some pretty dramatic eye makeup that was attracting looks from men all over the restaurant. We had a blast watching her make eyes with several of the guys in the restaurant. At one point, the group sitting in the adjacent booth got up to leave and they started talking to us. We learned they were on their way to a noraebong and wished them well. A couple of minutes later, one of the guys from the table came back into the restaurant, approached our table and presented Maria with a bottled coffee drink. Almost before she could even thank him, let alone talk to him at all, he disappeared through the door to rejoin his noraebong group. So random. Such is Korea.
We made our way to the same club to which we went when Jill was in town. We danced the night away from 12:30 to 5:30, experiencing several colorful moments with various fellow club goers. Maria met a really nice Korean college boy of whom we all approve. The rest of us tried to avoid getting too familiar with the plethora of intoxicated Korean men who were intrigued by our exotic foreignness. Once again, all I can say is: Oh Korea. At the end of the night, we were in line at the coat check when Nicki started conversing with the bouncer of the VIP section of the club. He invited her to enter the VIP section and then tapped me on the shoulder and told me to join her. We walked in and wandered around the seemingly deserted (given the time of the night) VIP section and found our way up some stairs to a private bar. A couple of female club employees rushed over to us and started talking to us, commenting on how tall we both were. It got pretty weird pretty fast, and just as I was suspicious we were being pimped out to dirty old men with an interest in tall women, they handed us bottles of water and showed us to an area that overlooked the still over-crowded dance floor. We stayed there and danced a little more until Diane texted me, telling me she had our coats and it was time to leave. Another night in Hongdae was thus conquered. Holy cow, was I worthless the next couple of days after staying out all night, arriving home at 7:30 Sunday morning. Ouch, but fun nonetheless.
When I wasn't being painfully boring, this is what I was up to:
Packing with the Husteds: Dionne, Scott and Jonah had been living across town in a really nice apartment that was too big for one of their friends rather than living in the tighter accommodations provided by our school. The lease on that apartment was up at the end of February, so they had to move into a small apartment up the road from me until a larger, more family appropriate space opens up in May. I spent a delightful afternoon helping them pack up their old apartment. Hanging out with them is always delightful and this afternoon was no exception. It's comforting to spend time with a family, though it makes me miss the witty banter I so enjoy with my family. We had great conversations, a fine mixture of funny and serious, and once we were finished packing, we sat down to an awesome meal of lasagna and green salad, nicely complimented by a red wine. I hadn't really been missing Italian food, but it was such a nice treat to have some familiar food in a family style setting. Plus, Dionne is an amazing cook, so dining at the Husted's was a treat in and of itself. During dinner, more delightful conversation ensued as well as many laughs. I'm so glad to be neighbors (sort of...) with the Husteds. I can only imagine the fun times in store over the next year and a half!
Insadong and Dongdaemun with Diane's friends from college: Much like Jill visited me in January, Diane had some pals to show around Seoul in February. Her college friend Nicki goes to graduate school in Australia, so over her break between semesters, she (and her friend from high school Michael) traveled around Asia for about a month and joined us in Seoul for one of the last portions of their adventure. Also, when Diane and Nicki studied abroad in Japan for a summer, they became good friends with Eri, who now lives in Tokyo and works for Olympus. We spent a day together roaming around Insadong and shopping in Dongdaemun and then ate at a fun barbecue dinner in Hyehwa. Such a fun day! It was fun to meet Diane's friends from another phase of her life. They were delightful and so so fun!
Hongdae: No trip to Seoul would be complete without a raucous night of clubbing in Hongdae, so Saturday night, we indulged a little. Maria and I went with Diane, Nicki and Eri, starting our night with a solid dinner and drinks at a Cajun restaurant in Hongdae. Maria had on some pretty dramatic eye makeup that was attracting looks from men all over the restaurant. We had a blast watching her make eyes with several of the guys in the restaurant. At one point, the group sitting in the adjacent booth got up to leave and they started talking to us. We learned they were on their way to a noraebong and wished them well. A couple of minutes later, one of the guys from the table came back into the restaurant, approached our table and presented Maria with a bottled coffee drink. Almost before she could even thank him, let alone talk to him at all, he disappeared through the door to rejoin his noraebong group. So random. Such is Korea.
We made our way to the same club to which we went when Jill was in town. We danced the night away from 12:30 to 5:30, experiencing several colorful moments with various fellow club goers. Maria met a really nice Korean college boy of whom we all approve. The rest of us tried to avoid getting too familiar with the plethora of intoxicated Korean men who were intrigued by our exotic foreignness. Once again, all I can say is: Oh Korea. At the end of the night, we were in line at the coat check when Nicki started conversing with the bouncer of the VIP section of the club. He invited her to enter the VIP section and then tapped me on the shoulder and told me to join her. We walked in and wandered around the seemingly deserted (given the time of the night) VIP section and found our way up some stairs to a private bar. A couple of female club employees rushed over to us and started talking to us, commenting on how tall we both were. It got pretty weird pretty fast, and just as I was suspicious we were being pimped out to dirty old men with an interest in tall women, they handed us bottles of water and showed us to an area that overlooked the still over-crowded dance floor. We stayed there and danced a little more until Diane texted me, telling me she had our coats and it was time to leave. Another night in Hongdae was thus conquered. Holy cow, was I worthless the next couple of days after staying out all night, arriving home at 7:30 Sunday morning. Ouch, but fun nonetheless.
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