All These Things That I've Done

Apologies for the potentially pretentious blog title - been recently listening to an old album by The Killers. It's brought back so many memories and created an onset of nostalgia. That's what I love about music; how it has this magical ability to transport you back to another moment in time instantly. So many different things have happened in these last few weeks that I'm going to have to default to being lazy and use bullet points! Blogging is surprisingly hard work! But in a way it's like writing a diary and to me it's important. I had wanted to write a diary while I was in Ghana but due to years of typing everything I've sadly lost the capability to put my thoughts down in pen to paper. We literally had internet twice in the time I was there, both occasions serving only to update Facebook. It's a shame now I think about it as I fear I will slowly lose those little memories that made the experience so unique. Having a terrible memory certainly doesn't help either! Anyhow - on with the story...

• Finally made that trip and found Uirimji. All thanks to a wonderful Irish lass called Una. We took the scenic route through the rice fields and I finally felt like I was living in the countryside! As stated before, Uirimji is the oldest resevoir in South Korea and it's pretty much Jecheon's only claim to fame. It was very pretty and I can see us going back there often, particularly during the summer. We also went to the fun fare I'd read about and made it onto a few rides. Surprisingly expensive but I guess they have to make money somehow. There was this crazy ride in particular where it spun like a tumbling coin - the operator is able to control the velocity, i.e. degree of incline, speed and direction. He certainly took full advantage of this knowing waygooks were onboard! There were two Korean guys on the ride as well and using the momentum they managed to perfom incredible stunts - one did a backflip so high I seriously thought he would misjudge it and either land on someone or fall off the edge! There were the typical Swan boats of course which we didn't get a chance to go on - cheesy but it's got to be done!

Uirimji - in case you hadn't guessed!

The mental ride!

• Went to Seoul for the second time and accomplished what I'd set out to do - shop! And boy did I shop! Spent far too much money that weekend, not only on clothes and shoes, but on partying and all that's involved. But it was definitely worth it. My new found loves are UniQlo and Forever 21. We don't have Forever 21 in the UK (yet) - it's like a combination of H&M and Topshop (with H&M prices!) but I can see it taking off big time here (there)! We took the Express bus again (cheaper to bus to Seoul but cheaper to take the train to Cheonju, the main city in Chungbuk) from Jecheon to the East terminal in Seoul. Then took a subway following Line 3 (orange), changed at Chungmuro for Line 4 (blue) heading to Myeong-dong. Here you will be able to shop to your hearts content - bog standard high street stores as well as upper-end branded stores. Also discovered ABC Mart, which I wouldn't have guessed, sold shoes! Very similar to Schuh in the UK. Stores in Korea generally only carry sizes up to 250 (UK 6) - I require either 255 or 260, depending on the style of the shoe. Bagged myself a bargain pair of slip on Vans - very important as I tend to walk everywhere (thus wearing down the limited number of flats I'd brought) and you'll inevitably end up needing to take your shoes off for various reasons (e.g. traditional restaurants, visiting friend's apartments, school, etc).

Went a little crazy!

Myeong-dong

• Wandered aimlessly around Namdaemun Market (right down the road from Myeong-dong station) sampling various street foods and picked up some treasures! Yes, this included shoes. Paid way more than they were worth but beggars can't be choosers! Haggling is allowed here though so I did manage to get it down quite a bit. Randomly came across a big bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which I was told you wouldn't be able to find in South Korea! Therefore I bought them without a seconds hesitation. Burts Bees' and Carmex can also be found here. Look for a store that descends into a basement (if that makes sense) - all the others I'd seen were on the ground floor. You'll be able to find cheap souvenirs, western products (including foodstuff) - mainly things imported from North America and the States - even maple syrup. Prices were obviously higher but not crazily so. Have yet to find any postcards strangely enough - need to look harder!

Namdaemun Market

• Actually felt like a foreigner for the first time in South Korea! This was mainly whilst I was in Namdaemun Market - as it's frequented by many waygooks the shop keepers instinctively know who is native and who isn't. Before coming to South Korea I'd read about what to expect, i.e. stereotypical behaviour, and I can mostly say I haven't really experienced them. Now I'm starting to wonder if they mainly stem from experiences in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. All I can say is I really don't enjoy the attention and would rather be left alone. I know now for sure I made the right choice in opting for a 'rural' area. I believe it's very important to have a supportive community of waygooks - you need a degree of 'normality'; also I fear my English will regress to child's speak. However, I didn't come to Korea to seek home from home. How can you truly learn about and experience the culture of a different country if you do not immerse yourself fully in it? I came across various waygooks (noticeably in Songtan - US military base) that I found to be shockingly rude and arrogant. This was probably due to them being military men and thus their reasons for being in Korea are different. Nevertheless, I think many people forget that they're in a different country with language being a major barrier, never mind the culture and customs. Yet they seemingly make little to no effort to change or adapt their language/behaviour, instead expecting the natives to accommodate them.

Songtan - US Military base

• On that note I have to admit that yes, it still annoys me when Koreans think I'm Korean and can speak Hangul - if anything though, this annoyance is directed at myself. Despite going to a Korean class once a week I feel like my progress has been painfully slow and am ashamed to say, I've yet to learn how to read and write Hangul. I know the vowels and almost all the consonants but it's remembering the rules when it comes to blending them - with regards to speaking and writing. I'm not really a 'schedule' person but I think that needs to change if I'm going to be disciplined enough to achieve this goal! I am forcing myself to use all the Korean I do know as much as possible, especially in the classroom. It is quite pleasing also to listen to a conversation and be able to pick up key words - sometimes enough to understand what on earth is going on! 'Talk To Me In Korean' is a fantastic site - I like the laid back way Hyunwoo Sun presents the lessons and we actually met him in person at the EPIK Orientation (he was one of the lecturers)! However, as it's mainly audio based I have to load it all first as my internet speed isn't the best and as mentioned I'm very forgetful!

• Never thought this would happen and my family are shocked, but I've taken up Taekwondo! In the past I'd avoided all martial arts - it annoyed me when I was younger that kids thought I knew Kung-fu just because I was Chinese, but really the main reason is due to my complete lack of coordination! However, I needed to do some form of exercise and with the class I go to you only have to pay 60,000 won for the gi (Dobok) and that's it! Classes are on 5 days a week, running for about 50 minutes. From what I've heard you generally pay at least 50,000 won (depends on how many classes you go to per week) and that's just for a month. So it's too good of a deal to not take advantage of. At the moment I'm going 3 times a week. Ideally I should go more (I need the practice) but I have other commitments and am conscious of the need to be realistic. Although my initial reasons for going was just for the exercise I actually really enjoy myself and want to make the most of it but do not want it to become a chore and end up resenting it. Progressing through the different belts is an incentive of course (I'm a sucker for things like that)!  Will post more information about the classes (e.g. structure, various forms, etiquette, etc) in the future once I know what I'm talking about.

• Finally gave into the urge and dyed my hair red again! I'd been red for close to 4 years (different shades - gradually getting lighter over time) but dyed it back to it's original colour when I went to Ghana. As my nearest and dearest know, I hate my roots showing with a vengence and didn't want the unnecessary hassle I knew it would bring. I'd always intented on going back to my roots anyway and thought it would be a good time to. Lasted almost 9 months (apart from having highlights put it). Yet coming here I seem to be surrounded by people with red hair and the envy got too much! It was a complete impulse buy (came across it and really liked the look of the colour) and I was worried it would be a bit unprofessional for school (in the past I'd always went a shade of brown for school placements). Luckily Wendy, my co-teacher, approved and reassured me it was fine for school - to be honest most people haven't really noticed, especially the kids (you try not feeling like a hyprocrite telling kids to be happy with what they are born with - not easy). More recently I'd taken full advantage of having a wonderful sister as a hairdresser (I have to be nice when she's wielding scissors near my hair) but prior to that I'd dyed my own hair for over 2 years so I know what I'm doing. As expected all the instructions were in Korean. However, the solutions were the same proportion as packet dyes I've used in the past in the UK. You end up with slightly more dye but I attribute this to the generalisation that the majority of Korean women have quite long hair (I used to use 2 packets when I had long hair). Thoughtful as always, the Korean dye came with a plastic gown to cover your shoulders (plus the bog standard gloves) and a fantastic comb/brush applicator. The only thing it didn't come with was the 'intensive conditioner' but to be honest, the ones you usually get aren't that great anyway. If like me, you have very dark hair, leave the dye on for at least 45-50 mins, but if you have quite light hair then I would recommend following the instructions verbatim (they do use numbers!). 

•  Skype has become an absolute god send - helps that my connection seems to have improved and I can generally chat with video. Facebook is great for keeping in touch on a basic level but lacks that personal involvement you get from interacting with family and friends face-to-face; when you're on the other side of the world video calling is the only alternative! Working around the time difference is irritating but unavoidable. Not being able to be present for certain events, like Mother's Day (which I somehow forgot but managed to make up for!) does suck though. It made me realise just how much I'll miss in terms of events (birthdays, holidays, friends giving birth!, etc) over the course of being away from home but it's a sacrifice I knew I'd be making. Therefore, Skype and Facebook has become indespendible and has helped ease the guilt! 

• Realise this is a ridiculously long blog post - really need to do this weekly in future. So I'm going to finish by sharing with you my experience of staying in a 'Love Motel'. Don't worry, it was just girls who stayed there (in our room that is). Surprisingly nice - will probably blog properly about it again. Main thing is - we somehow ended up watching 'Korean Playboy', cringeworthy to say the least.... 

Everything you need for a naughty stopover...

One month in...

Thursday 17th March. Officially the EPIK Spring 2011 intakes' one month anniversary! What can I say...

Well first week of teaching went well! Bit rustly on the first day as students were getting used to the timetable - very frustrating when you're trying to start a lesson and everyone ends up coming in one by one! However, by the second day my co-teacher, Wendy, and I had it down to a tee. We found the best way was to do a very quick introduction and then launch straight into the 'Classroom Rules'. Tedious, yes. Nevertheless, as I've found with every teaching experience I've had in the past, the students need to know from the offset what is expected from the lesson and from the students themselves. Giving the students English names has also helped and been quite fun! I did try and make sure it somehow resembled their Korean names (phonectically) but for some reason many of them have ended up with quite 'British' sounding names!

Two things stood out in particular during my presentation about myself. Firstly, there were really varied answers given when I asked the students where they thought I was from; I had everything (apart from the obvious) from France to Thailand! Secondly, when displaying the picture of 'My Family', if I didn't specifically point out it was my family, the students responses varied from relatives to friends. Granted, my mum appears younger than her actual age but not that young! These both reinforced what I had read or been told previously. South Korea is a very homogenous society that follows a Confucianism philosophy. This means there isn't a large immigrant population so many assume I'm Korean and they still very much hold the ideology of the nuclear family. I've come to the realisation that whilst I sometimes envy the other waygooks that aren't of 'East Asian' descent (e.g. excusing themselves using the 'foreigner stamp'), I know from previous experience that I value my anonymity above all else.

Unfortunately, one month in has also coincided  with getting ill for the first time in South Korea. Now, I know apparently everyone gets ill at the beginning - namely coming down with the classic cold/flu sore throat thing, and I totally thought I was going down the same road. Instead, after a relatively casual night out, I was violently sick on Friday morning. I had 1 (weak) cocktail and 3 (light) beers and I can honestly say I was practically sober. The last time I was this sick was on New Years Eve. Undertandably though, I was extrememly wasted and due to the suggestion of my clever sister, Yick, ate a spicy pot noodle (Shin Cup - Korean in fact!) before going to bed. My body protested within a few hours and consequently I spent the majority of New Year's day in the bathroom. A memorable way to start the year for sure. Therefore, I cannot really explain why I ended up being sick this time. Wendy knew something was up when instead of devouring my lunch, as I usually did, I only picked at it. Whilst I haven't been physically sick since, I keep feeling nauseous and have severely lost my appetite. Before you jump to conclusions, NO, I have not been knocked up! I had to somehow explain this in my first attempt at obtaining some Korean drugs at the local pharmacy. My venture resulted in two sets of drugs, one which has no English whatsoever, the other (after Googling) is to treat poor appetite and stomach problems. I'm down to my last dose but am not entirely sure they're working....

Another lunch I couldn't enjoy! The Korean mums at the Center where I've started to volunteer treated me to lunch after our first Taekwondo session. I really hope I got the message across that I normally love Korean food (most foods really) but still, I couldn't help but feel impolite.

A bunch of us waygooks met up on Saturday night and went bowling in a very retro looking bowling alley. I played my usual game of gutter balls and random strikes/knocking most of the pins. Whoever said 'practice makes perfect' needs to meet me! I think I prefer playing against my students as at least that way I can pretend I'm 'letting them win to boost their self-esteem'! Bonus: Met some more lovely waygooks! After, we popped over to Western Village where crazily enough I randomly met another waygook, Michael, who could speak Cantonese! This is the second time I've come across an English person who could speak my mother tongue. Stangely enough Michael even resembled the other guy I knew. Small world?

You can't see but the screens won't even let you enter names/initials. It just lists a letter 3 times. I was 'KKK'.

Torture. More delicious food I couldn't eat. Rice, Kimchi and an Egg. It comes with the lid on and gloves - shake it to mix up! Praying my appetite comes back soon.

We ended the night going to a 'Norebang' (Karaoke). Think this was my 3rd or 4th experience of going to one and it always ends up with everyone having a horse voice and at least one rendition of Oasis' Wonderwall. I'm most definitely ensuring I'm suitably intoxicated the next time I end up in one. Being the only sober one can be an interesting experience but not one I'd like to repeat too often!

Our very first payday is scheduled for the 25th - cannot wait to restore the funds and go exploring!

Getting to know Jecheon

As I mentioned in my last post, Jecheon is considered to be one of the three main cities in the Chungbuk province and I'm very grateful to have been placed here instead of somewhere smaller and more rural. Most of the people I've met (English) really like living here as whilst it's a city, it's small enough that there is a community feel and most of the 'waygooks' (Korean term for foreigners) live nearby. There is a Lotte Supercenter (supermarket) 5 minutes from my apartment. Very useful if, like me, you're one of those people who does not write lists and therefore ends up forgetting to buy things! There are also convenience stores galore that generally open to the late hours (many are 24 hrs apparently). Very convenient as they ALWAYS sell 'pot noodles' and have hot water on a dispenser. I do kind of miss grabbing a western style kebab/chips (or fries - too much time spent around North Americans!) after a night out though. We did find some very yummy southern style fried chicken when we went out in Seoul but it was surprising expensive for what it was!

There's one on EVERY corner!

Main intersection

Pun or spelling error?

Downtown

It doesn't take long to explore the area around the city center as everything is quite linear and built up. Wendy, my co-teacher, did advise me that in general clothing, shoes, etc is very expensive in Jecheon and the best places to shop is either in Cheonju (the main city in Chungbuk) or Seoul. Either way it's a 2 hour bus journey so I think we'll be regular visitors to Seoul!

We went shopping yesterday and happened across our first pet store where the unbelievebly tiny dogs caught our eyes. They were all so adorable! Upon entering the store though we were struck by how much it smelt (foul) and how excited the dogs became. They were all in display boxes with glass walls with seemingly no separation from their litter and  newspaper for bedding. Being it was such as small store I'm hazarding a guess they don't have a different area for them when the store is closed. Communicating in extremely limited Hangul we understood that to buy one it would be anything from 200,000 to 300,000 won which is roughly £100-150. Having never really had a pet beyond a goldfish (the poor thing) I wanted to rescue them all so much. However, it's too cruel and unimaginable for it to be left alone in my apartment whilst I'm at school. Also, as I'm planning on travelling after, what on earth would I do? Needless to say we had to tear ourselves away!

Apparently there are two extremes of a 'dog's life' in Korea. On one hand it's follwed the western trend of people, mainly young women, parayding the cute and small dogs in handbags and carrying them around like babies. On the other hand, there is of course the widely debated consumption of dog meat in Korea, among the other East Asian countries. Whilst I would never dream of consuming dog meat (knowingly) myself, I recognise now how this cuisine came about and respect that each nation has their controversial issues.

Last night was also the first time we went out properly in Jecheon (for the night scene as opposed to just eating!). I'd done some research and read that 'Rock & Roll' was apparently the place to be for the foreign community and we decided to check it out. I did discover early that day though it was the next street from mine! Unfortunately, there weren't any waygooks around and the bar itself wasn't busy. Upon leaving however, we finally met our first waygook, Aaron, who informed us that Rock & Roll was no longer the 'it' scene and everyone had moved onto either Bottleneck or Western Bar, again both very close. We hit the jackpot with Western Bar where a bunch of waygooks were playing darts! They were mainly North Americans but sadly no British, but apparently there are some (I do quite miss the accent as I'm slowly but surely picking up the dreaded 'twang'). Everyone was very nice and merry though. Was too busy talking so forgot to take pictures but I'm assuming we'll be meeting up again very soon!