Reflections

As the year end approaches, I am feeling particularly reflective. This year has been intense in so many

ways. There has been so much personal growth that it’s overwhelming to think about all that has

happened. The biggest thing for me this year was struggling to let go of my need to control everything

that happens. It’s given me so much peace to realize that the only thing I can control is what I do and

how I feel. I spent a lot of time thinking that I could change certain outcomes and felt personally

responsible for any kind of “failure.”

I’ve always prided myself on the thought that I march to the beat of my own drum and try not to give in to societal pressures to live a certain way or do things in a certain order. But I must admit that one thing that’s really freaking me out about being in South Korea is watching loved one’s lives carry on as usual and milestones come and go and I am not there to witness them. I sometimes have to remind myself that everything and everyone will still be there waiting for me when I get back. It’s just scary to think about how fast time is going and how things are changing. But the worst thing to feel is fear. I don’t want to be fearful of what is to come, I just know that things are unfolding as they should. I’ve never felt so loved and supported as I have this past year. It helps to know that I have a strong safety net and I feel incredibly blessed to have people in my life who care so much.

If we open our minds and our hearts, we realize that we encounter people and situations all the time that can teach us more about ourselves and about life. I have three particular people in mind that really shaped experiences this year and changed my worldview. If they are reading this they will know exactly who they are. The first individual, I had the privilege to meet last December. This person was unlike anyone I’d met before and probably will ever meet. I feel lucky to know someone who I connected with on a different level. It’s very rare to meet someone who understands the very core of your being and can introduce you to parts of yourself that you never knew were there.

The second is someone that I have known for a while that resurfaced this year. This person also knows me quite well and knows that occasionally I need a little push to leap at the opportunities that present themselves. We have the utmost respect for each other, and I probably owe my undergrad degree to this individual. We had many conversations leading up to my departure that gave me the extra bit of courage to pursue this opportunity. Saying goodbye was bittersweet because it felt like closing the door to the past.

The third person was someone that has known me since I was a baby and is very close to my family. We had one of those epic, life changing talks in a pub in Toronto on a rainy day a few months before I left. Essentially, this individual gave me permission to start living my own life and to take chances. I will forever be grateful for that conversation. Sometimes you can hear the same words many times but when it comes from the right person, something finally clicks.

I look forward to starting 2014 and hope that it is full of happiness, love, and growth. Thank you all for being part of my journey. Your e-mails and skype calls have meant the world. What has your year been like? 

xoxoxo

Master Park

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for 5 months now. It’s weird to think that when I got here, the heat and humidity were so high that I thought I wouldn’t make it through the summer. And now there is snow on the ground and we’re into the negative temperatures. I have been given fair warning about Korean winters. Everybody says “Oh you’re Canadian…you’ll be fine.” But I’m not so sure.

What I wanted to talk about in this post is fitness. I’ve always been an active person. Being healthy and eating well is something that’s always been important to me. Prior to leaving for Korea I was doing hot yoga 3 or 4 times per week and was on a pretty much carb free diet. When I first got here, I was really stressed out and everything-including the food-was so foreign to me. I ended up dropping 3 pounds. I was eating like a prisoner of war and surviving on eggs, kimchi and seaweed.

It’s hard to say when the turning point was but I think I can pin it down to this one weekend in Seoul back in October. I love to read other people’s blogs and one of my favorite ones is “A Fat Girl’s Guide to Eating in Korea.” I would read her posts and cry a little on the inside because I don’t have an oven and/or access to an abundance of ingredients. So, making anything delicious and elaborate in my kitchen is out of the question.

Then one fateful day, she posted about the existence of a Dean and Deluca (a fancy gourmet American food chain) in Gangnam. You can bet the first thing I did the following Saturday was to hop on a bus to Gangnam to check it out. Let’s just say it was like letting a hungry child loose in a candy store. I made a beeline for the cheese section like I was a contestant on the Amazing Race. I think I left with close to $100 worth of food that day. Pecan tarts, cheese, cornbread, kettle chips, a small $24 bag of coffee (prior to that I was living off of instant coffee after I ran out of the bag from home, so I probably would have donated an organ for real coffee.)

Along with the discovery of that store, I was beginning to actually develop a taste for Korean food. I have found some things that I really enjoy. I think the real kicker though was the introduction of daily rice consumption coupled with the lack of exercise especially now that it’s getting colder and I’m walking a lot less. Needless to say, I have put on a few pounds in the past two months. Five to be exact. It’s not about the numbers really, I just feel like a useless blob. All I want to do now that it’s getting colder is hide in my apartment and watch movies

.

Last week I was walking home from work when I heard a car honking. I turned around and this bus driver, an older Korean man was frantically motioning for me to stop. He left the bus in the middle of a lane and jumped out. He came over and said something in Korean and then started guiding me in the direction that this group of kids was going. I followed them up two flights of stairs and arrived at the door of a Taekwondo gym. The bus driver motioned for the master to come over and said something to him in Korean. The master then turned to me and asked if he could help me (in perfect English). I told him I didn’t know a thing, I was just brought in by the bus driver. They then exchanged more words in Korean and finally he explained to me that the bus driver was the owner of the gym and he wanted him (Master Park) to start teaching classes in English. He had previously taught Taekwondo in the US for 20 years and his English was perfect.

He asked if I had any friends or coworkers who would be interested and I said that I would ask around. Long story short, I got great response from other expats and I will be starting Taekwondo soon. I am REALLY excited because I have always wanted to try it and what better place to train than its country of origin?!?! Apparently it’s good exercise and it’s also very close to my work, so I will have no excuse not to go when its -20 degrees outside.

It must have been a sign from someone, somewhere since I was chased down the sidewalk and dragged into a Taekwondo gym.  Maybe one day I will be a blackbelt ; ) This is going to be interesting. It’s a far cry from yoga. Challenge accepted.

Why Korea is like a Time Warp to the 90's

1.       Boy Bands/ Girl Groups:  There are multiple boy bands and girl groups in South Korea that could put the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls to shame.  All you have to do to form an instant bond with your elementary or middle school students here is to start talking about Kpop groups such as Super Junior or Girls Generation. They’ve got it all, from the choreographed dances with props, the cheesy lyrics, and the crazy makeup/hair/outfits. The major difference is that Backstreet Boys and N’sync each had 5 members. The average Kpop group has a small army of 8-14 members.

2.       Neon: Neon hiking gear, matching tracksuits. And neon, flashing lights and signs. Everywhere.

3.       Hair Accessories: I can’t get enough of this one. I am a sucker for cute headbands and they are everywhere here! And crazy cheap. Is it bad that it’s mostly my students who compliment my hair bows?

4.       Skorts: Who remembers those inappropriately short skirts that were somehow deemed appropriate to wear in public because they had built in shorts sewn underneath them? Well Korea is still riding this trend. Hemlines here are ridiculous.

5.       Smoking Inside: I can’t even remember the last time that I was in a public building in North America and people were smoking. Some restaurants or bars here have designated smoking areas or rooms but that isn’t usually the case.

6.       Polaroid Cameras: Remember that Christmas that your parents finally got you a Polaroid camera, and the sheer joy that came from shaking the picture as you waited impatiently for it to develop? They are still popular here. I must get one, ASAP!

7.       Bowl Cuts/Funky Hairstyles/Perms: When I was going through my chubby stage in grade 3, my mom took me to a hair salon for a routine cut. The hairstylist that I got was Eastern European and her English wasn’t great. We had some miscommunication somewhere and I ended up with a traumatizing mushroom cut. Korea is bringing it back in style. There are two types of perms here: First, the Ajumma perm is popular amongst Korean women 60+ and is characterized by short, tight curls. Second, many young people here also perm their hair, but usually in a more youthful, attractive way with long, beachy waves.

School Life

While I work on my next post, here are some pictures :) :

Notable Students:

Cutest boys award goes to: Harry and Tiger. Cutest girl award goes to Viviana. 

                  James: No introduction needed, you already know him.                                                can't see it from this angle but he has a rat tail.

Official Portraits of Myself by Some Important Artists

Little Monsters

Hilarious Mishaps

Assignment: Describe your family

                                                               She is straight, pretty and black.....

Assignment: Draw Aladdin and his lamp

                                                                                 Picture: Aladdin with a gun and Iron Man off                                                          to the right

Nope.... Was supposed to spell pencil.

Cafeteria Lunch: Bleh...It's no better in a different country

Soup and Bukhansan National Park

Hello dear readers,

I apologize that it has been an entire month since my previous post. I’ve been struggling a bit. I’ve been here for 3 months now and have reached the point that every expat must experience at one time or another. The newness has started to wear off and the realization has hit that it’s getting colder, the holidays are coming and I am a long way from home. Being here feels a bit like a new relationship: the quirks that initially attracted you to someone may eventually end up being your biggest annoyance. Also, I’ve been having a tough time with some of my classes. A lot of the kids here have no respect for foreign teachers. Most of the time it doesn’t bother me but sometimes it gets under my skin. I thought for a while that I had reached an understanding with James (my little troublemaker), but he still goes into blind fits of rage pretty much every day where he punches, bites me and pulls my hair. The frustrating part is that my Korean coworkers think it’s hilarious, or they brush it off saying “oh, he’s only 5.” It’s like there’s some weird divide with discipline here because I’ve taught middle school classes and the older kids are extremely respectful.

The way that I feel right now can be summed up by some wise words from a fellow expat that I heard this past weekend: “Sometimes Korea sucks, and sometimes it doesn’t.” It seems to be one extreme or the other. I thought it was very poetic because we were standing on a mountain in Seoul watching the sunset. And so it goes…Just when I have the crappiest of crappy weeks, I end up having a great weekend and the rest falls away.

Teaching here is tough. It can be easier or more enjoyable depending on what type of school you work at (public or private) and who your coworkers are. But in general, the office politics that are often experienced back home are multiplied here because there is a bit of a divide between Korean and foreign teachers. Many of my Korean coworkers are very non-confrontational. So if there is an issue, you won’t hear about it directly from the source. It gets passed around like a secret in a highschool classroom and eventually makes its way back to you.

Anyway, this past weekend was interesting and enjoyable. On Saturday I had plans to go to Songtan for the day, but as I was walking near my apartment, I found a dog wandering in the rain. This is not an unusual sight here as many people discard their pets like yesterday’s garbage when the novelty wears off. But this one was really tame and he came right to me. He looked relatively clean and healthy so I scooped him up and brought him home. I didn’t know what I was going to do with him at that point because realistically I don’t have time or money for a pet right now but he looked so scared that I couldn’t leave him.

My boyfriend and I brought him to my apartment, bought him a leash and some food and named him Soup. We posted a picture of him on the expat website hoping to find him a good home. For a brief moment, I considered keeping him but I knew that it wouldn’t be fair since I am at work for 10 hours per day sometimes. After an unsuccessful attempt at finding him a home ourselves, we walked back to the convenience store that we found him in front of and the lady behind the counter helped us call a shelter to pick him up. It was really sad saying goodbye. He was such a sweet dog and I hope that he finds a good home.

Yesterday we took a bus, a subway and another bus to Bukhansan National Park which is in the northern part of Seoul for a little bit of fresh air and hiking. This past weekend was supposed to be the peak weekend for fall colors and it did not disappoint. The bottom of the mountain was littered with cafes, restaurants and hiking gear shops. Koreans like to dress the part for whatever activity that they partake in, but especially for hiking. It is hilarious to see busloads of older Korean ladies and men decked out in neon gear and with hiking poles. I was really impressed with the age range of people that were doing the hike. It really is a family affair here. North America needs to adopt the smaller portion sizes and regular outdoor activity that are prevalent here.

The highlight of the hike for me was stumbling upon a pretty little temple midway up the mountain where a monk gave us water. I almost made the grave mistake of accepting the cup with one hand which is considered rude here. It is polite to receive something from an elder with both hands outstretched, while bowing your head. Other highlights included sitting on a rock and watching the sun disappear behind the mountains, and exploring the bunkers that were left over from the war. Reaching the summit was very satisfying, the view was spectacular. It felt like a tease, to be able to escape this city just for a day. Weekends go by way too fast.

Hello My Name Is: Single

THINGS THAT YOU CAN’T DO IN KOREA WITHOUT GETTING SOME FUNNY LOOKS:

-Break off 3 bananas from the economy size bunch of 20 at the grocery store.

-Go to a restaurant or café by yourself: actually I change this to anywhere where you have to sit down and linger for awhile. If you’re walking alone, you’re safe because people assume that you must be on your way to work or to meet someone. But the second you order a latte and sit down by yourself, you’re a big weirdo.

-Jaywalk: A man pretty much yelled and spat at my friend and I for jaywalking in Seoul the other day. That was a new level of hostility. Usually they just look at you like you have 6 eyes.

-Be Blonde: We’re an oddity here.

-Say that you are single: My first day here one of my Korean coworkers asked me if I had a boyfriend. When the answer was “no,” she looked as if she were about to burst into tears of pity.

-Wear a shirt that shows too much shoulder or cleavage.

THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO HERE THAT NO ONE BATS AN EYE OVER:

-Hold Hands and walk down the street with a member of the same sex in a totally platonic way.

-For Guys: Carry murses (man purses) and wear pants that are tighter than your girlfriend’s.

-Throw Garbage on the street. Whether it’s your bags of trash that you are dumping on the designated corners for pickup or the child who unwraps their icecream cone and throws the wrapper on the street. Complete disregard for our planet.

-Be publicly intoxicated and/or pass out in public places. Seems more common among older Korean men.

-Wear a dress or skirt length that would never fly in North America.

Korean Food: Beyond Barbeque

Here comes another true confession that I am not ashamed to admit: The main thing that I tend to remember about trips or places that I visit is the food.  I couldn’t tell you much about my trip to Myrtle Beach for spring break during 1^st year, but I could tell you all about the potato soup that I had in West Virginia on the way down. My family trip to Nova Scotia in high school was scenic and beautiful, but what stands out in my mind is the warm gingerbread we had at a restaurant near Peggy’s Cove. You get the idea. At home, I have spent many a Saturday or Sunday flipping through cookbooks and recipes and planning out the meal for that evening. I sometimes think about dinner before I even have breakfast. Needless to say, I get a lot of joy out of great meals-both making and eating them.

Before I came here, I had tried Korean food twice in my life. Both times were in K-town in Toronto.  Actually I’d had it three times, I went for barbeque once. I really didn’t understand why people got so excited about Korean barbeque. To me, it was just bad cuts of meat that you have to pay to cook for yourself. The other two times, I just did a point and guess thing when I ordered. I was very confused by all of the little side dishes that came out first. I thought it was what I had ordered because I just didn’t know. When you have Korean food, you are automatically served 8-10 little side dishes. They are usually an array of pickled vegetables (kimchi) and maybe some sardines or little fish and/or some type of soup.

Based on these underwhelming experiences, one of the things that I was worried about most prior to moving here was the food. But I was willing to go in with an open mind and hope for the best. Often when you eat food from different cultures in another city, it is not always authentic or representative. For this reason, I was willing to give it a fair shot.

So far, I can say that I am still waiting for that one dish that’s going to convert me. I really don’t see what the fuss is over kimchi. It’s one of those things that I’ll eat because it’s there in front of me. I have it pretty much every day because it is a staple here. But I can’t get excited about pickled vegetables in fish sauce. The best thing that I can say about it is that it’s healthy for your digestive system. Rice is also a staple here. It is in every meal from breakfast to dessert.

The flavors in the food are just lacking for me. I try really hard to avoid the mystery soups that are served with school lunches. They taste like cold water with bean sprouts mixed in. Most of the food is bland and unimpressive in terms of effort. Even the spiciest thing that I’ve tried here does not compare when I think about some of the Thai, Indian, or Afghan food that I’ve had. The other thing that I really can’t get past is how much sugar is in everything. Don’t get me wrong, I have a huge sweet tooth and I love chocolate and cakes, but I find high sugar content in things that aren’t supposed to be sweet.

I’ve been trying to cook at home for myself but I am limited in what I can do with my one frying pan, one pot and two gas burners.  Life is really much easier here if you a)eat meat and b)can deal with only eating Korean food when you go to restaurants because trying to eat foreign foods here is expensive and generally not very good. Aside from one Indian place that I’ve found that is pretty good. But $16 for vegetable curry makes it a once-in-a-while treat.

Here are 5 things that I can say that I enjoy eating here (hopefully this list will grow as time goes on):

Bibimbap: Fun to say and fun to eat. You get a bowl that has rice, lettuce, seaweed, carrots and some other chopped up veggies with a fried egg on top and some hot pepper paste on the side. Mix it all together and eat! Careful: sometimes the sauce on the side is actually this fermented soybean thing that smells like sweaty socks. Avoid at all cost.

Pajeon: Korean scallion pancake. Flat fried dough with vegetables and green onions. Not much else to say here. Yum.

Kimbap/Gimbap: Korean sushi basically. Rice, vegetables and tuna or meat rolled up in seaweed.

Songpyeon: Little chewy rice cakes filled with sesame seeds, nuts, honey and cinnamon. I didn’t care for these the first time I tried them but they grew on me. I wasn’t kidding when I said rice is in everything. I think these are specific to Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving).

Hodo Kwaja: Little walnut shaped cakes that have a waffle-like texture and are filled with warm red bean paste. Sold mostly by street vendors.

So readers: am I missing something here? What are some dishes that I should try. Not ready to give up yet.

I'm so happy, I'm so happy, I'm so happy, happy all the time

Depression must be non-existent here:

Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da

I woke up singing Obladi Oblada this morning…maybe because yesterday I decided to make these no bake chocolate peanut butter bars (that taste almost like reese’s) and then ended up eating half of the container… life goes on. Today I embarked on my first hiking trip in Korea. I was really looking forward to it because I haven’t had much exercise since I got here and also because I haven’t seen more than 3 pieces of grass and one leaf since I got here.

The only thing that I wasn’t looking forward to was waking up at 6:30 for a 7:30 bus departure. I have surprisingly gotten very comfortable with sleeping in since I don’t have to be at work until 11. I set my alarm but I couldn’t get to sleep until around 2am last night so waking up wasn’t much fun but I threw back some coffee and put my running shoes on and off I went to meet the group. . I went with three other foreign teachers whose Muay Thai master is in charge of organizing these excursions. We took a chartered bus because the hiking spot was about a 2 hour drive from Pyeongtaek.

It was impossible to miss this tour bus. As I approached the departure site, I could see an array of ajummas and ajusshis in NEON hiking gear, with poles and the whole works. I was literally prepared for an intense day of non-stop hiking up mountains and through treacherous paths and running from bears etc.

As soon as I stepped onto the bus I knew that this was not going to be your typical organized hike. The inside of the bus looked straight out of Snoop Dogg’s video for Sensual Seduction. It had multi-colored neon flashing lights on the ceiling and these Persian looking curtains with tassles.

We had just sat down and the bus had barely started moving when a lady came around and started handing out beer and soju. Have you ever started drinking before the sun has entirely risen in the sky? Key word being: STARTED. Not continued from the night before. Neither had I… until today. In North America, hiking means put on your sweatpants and running shoes and prepare for some strenuous walking where you will break a light sweat at the very least. In Korea, hiking means put on your neon finery and a full face of makeup and walk for 20 minutes until you reach a suitable place to sit and consume copious amounts of soju.

I came prepared for a workout and I was determined to get it so two of the other teachers and I left the group and continued up the river. It wasn’t the epic pilgrimage that I was picturing but I was just happy to be out of the city for a bit and the scenery was beautiful. We passed several other groups on our walk and everyone was incredibly friendly. One kind stranger shared his rice cakes with us and offered drinks.

We hiked for about 80 minutes and then made our way back to the rest of the group. We jumped back on the bus and headed back towards home, stopping on the way back for a buffet lunch. Meals here are always a guessing game. You never know quite what you’re eating until you bite into it, and sometimes not even then.

The highlight of the trip had to be the noraebang (karaoke) on the bus ride back. My previous hiking trips have never involved alcohol, karaoke and old Korean men and women dancing down the aisles of the bus. I have laughed so hard in this past month, I really feel like a kid again. That’s what I mean when I say that it’s been a rollercoaster. Sometimes you have a really bad day with your students and you miss home, and then the next day could be a complete 180 and suddenly, you fall in love with this country. Overall, it’s been a great experience so far and I am really happy that I came.  I will be spending a weekend at a Buddhist temple in the very near future and hanging out with some monks. Stay tuned.

Love <3

Sink or Swim

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I’ve been busy trying to make my apartment livable and doing end of the month comments and schedules for September at school. One month ago today I was on a plane on my way here. It’s hard to believe it’s already September. I had a pretty quiet weekend which was much needed. Sometimes I need to retreat from everything and just spend time not talking to anyone and recharge, which is why I’ve been decorating my cave and trying to make it comfortable. The city is smelly and noisy and smoggy, so it’s really important for me to have somewhere to hide when I need to.

Last weekend I went out in Songtan on Friday night with a big group of teachers. It was someone’s birthday and someone else’s going away party. Songtan is a curious place…It is right near one of the US military bases and therefore it is mostly military people and wives/girlfriends in that area. Most of the bartenders speak English and there are tons of international restaurants. It’s bizarre to see so many non-Asian people in one place. Sunday I took the train into Seoul with one of my new coworkers. It was his first time there so the responsibility of navigating was left up to me which was a scary thought. We went to Itaewon which is another very Westernized area and had brunch, and then to the Seoul Museum of Art where we saw a Gauguin exhibit. It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday.

Time to get a bit personal here, I wanted to talk a little bit about having the courage to take risks and have new experiences without sounding too preachy. When I was still in school, I fantasized about dropping out and using the rest of my tuition money to travel around. I am truly glad that I stuck it out and finished my degree. Graduating is a scary thing because for the first time in life, you have the freedom to choose what your next step is (or maybe not since the job market sucks right now). For all of these years, all we had to do to prepare for the upcoming year was buy supplies and textbooks. Now what? Well….whatever you want. I used to peruse Facebook and feel envious about everyone who was taking off on these amazing adventures all over the world. So when I happened to stumble across the job post for teaching in Korea, I thought to myself that I could either keep living vicariously through other people’s adventures or I could take that leap and create my own. Maybe your goal or dream doesn’t involve travel. Which is fine, it’s not everyone’s preference. The point of this little pep talk is just that you seize every opportunity and take the first steps towards whatever it is that makes you happy or that you’ve always wanted to try. Stop talking about it and go do it.

It’s so easy to stay where you’re comfortable or to make excuses. One of the main excuses is “I can’t afford to……….”. The reality is that people spend their money how they choose to. Is that another pair of shoes you bought? Another $30 lipstick? Another night out drinking yourself silly? I truly believe the saying that once you decide to do something, the whole universe will conspire to make it happen. You are more capable and resilient than you think you are.

2013 has been a rollercoaster so far, in the best way possible. I just feel like my life is playing out exactly the way that it’s supposed to and that things have come full circle. Leading up to my departure, I had several life changing conversations with a few different people. Maybe you can relate. Have you ever had that moment of clarity where something just clicked with you? A new perspective or opinion was presented to you that brought you great peace? Well that’s what happened for me. And that is part of what amazed me and gave me the tiny push that I needed to go through with this, was seeing the amazing outpouring of support that I got from everyone. Not at all the reaction that I was expecting, which brings me to my next point:  People will constantly surprise you, that’s why keeping an open mind is so important. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions or seek the answers you’re looking for. You may get them somewhere unexpected or from someone unexpected. I will always always be grateful for the support I’ve received this year and in this journey. You don`t have to try to tackle your goals entirely on your own, find your voice and ask for help. But then find a way to pay it forward and help someone else live their dream.

Often, your fear of a particular outcome or repercussion is much worse than what actually happens. If you go into something with an open mind, positive attitude and a little determination you will always win. Even if it doesn`t turn out exactly as you thought, you still learned something. Weigh the pros and cons of whatever it is you really want to do. If it`s not illegal, if no one could end up hurt or dead, if you won`t wind up swimming in debt if it doesn`t work out, then take a chance and do it. There is nothing more tragic than wasting years of your life doing something you hate or with someone you don`t want to be with because you`re scared of change. I have so much respect and admiration for people who go off the beaten path and follow their passion. Okay I apologize for this totally cliché motivational life speech but I hope it speaks to someone, somewhere. Next post will be lighter, I promise!

Miss you all! Keep Skyping and sending messages!

xoxoxo

First Jimjilbang Experience

So the past two weeks have been hectic, stressful, and exciting. I sometimes forget that I’m across the world until I step out of my apartment and see all sorts of neon signs in Korean. My second week of teaching went much more smoothly, I think I’m finally getting the hang of it, but I’m still learning. My kindergarten class is the most difficult because they’re so young and they don’t understand much and can’t speak English. So it’s hard to get them to sit and do any work for any long periods of time, and it’s also hard to discipline them. There is one little terror in my class called James. I can tell when I walk in in the morning if it’s going to be a good day or a bad day by the evil glint in his eye. He is fond of punching me and throwing my glasses around. Yes, I am getting bullied by a 4 year old. The classes with the older students are more enjoyable for me because I can actually converse with some of them and most of them are eager to participate.

We had last Thursday off for Independence Day so I took the opportunity to give my apartment a really good cleaning and bought a whole bunch of plants. These small changes made it feel so much more comfortable and more like my own space. One thing that I continue to struggle with here is the food. There isn’t a whole lot of variety, I am trying to be open-minded and try everything. Most of it I don’t mind, I can eat the kimchi and the rice and other pickled vegetables¸ and I’ve had some yummy ramen, but to be quite honest, I am really missing carbs (rice not included), and cheese and fresh produce. The other thing that’s different is that they seem to put lots of sugar in stuff that isn’t supposed to be sweet, such as chips. It’s still early days though, and I’m sure as time goes on, I’ll get better at grocery shopping efficiently and hopefully be able to read some of the packages.

What I really wanted to talk about in this post was my first experience at a JIMJILBANG yesterday. For those of you who don’t know, jimjilbangs are traditional Korean bathhouses/spas. Some of them are open 24 hours and offer sleeping quarters, so they are a popular alternative to hotels after a night out in the city. You can sleep there and then have access to the saunas and showers in the morning. I am hesitant to use the word bathhouse because it obviously has a very negative connotation in North America. Essentially, families, groups of friends and couples flock to these on weekends in Korea. The one that I went to was in Seoul and it was written up in the New York Times etc. A lot of tourists go there, it’s one of the better known jimjilbangs. There are gender segregated baths as well as saunas and other spa treatments that you can get. Some areas such as the saunas and the eating areas are open to members of both sexes, but the bathing areas are totally separate.

So a co-worker and I decided to head to Seoul yesterday for some pampering. She had been to this particular jimjilbang before and had had a great experience. Here is what happened:

We walk in and pay our entry fee, we are handed these inmate looking shorts and t-shirts that everybody wears. They’re like an ugly hospital green color and really baggy and you wear them into the saunas and everywhere that’s clothing mandatory.  You’re also given a key that stays on your wrist that all spa treatments and meals are charged on because you pay when you leave. You take your shoes off right away and put them in a locker near the front and then proceed to the gendered change rooms. You change into your inmate uniform and then you’re free to go to any of the floors/areas except for the male only baths (unless you are male of course).

The first thing we did was check out the different saunas. They range in temperature from freezing cold to hotter than the equator. Seriously. There was one that I couldn’t even step into because I felt my eyebrows starting to singe as soon as I opened the door. Next order of business was getting a facial. I’ve never had a facial in my life so I have nothing to compare it to but this one was pretty great. They did a bonus head, neck and shoulder massage and rubbed all sorts of nice smelling creams on my face before slathering me in goo and leaving me to lie there for 20 minutes .Prior to leaving for this adventure, I told myself that I was going to just get a facial and maybe a massage and just relax in the saunas where everybody is FULLY CLOTHED, and avoid the baths at all cost. But when in Korea……

So after our facials, we decided we wanted to go to the baths for a bit. I thought you just walk over to the baths, quickly undress and slip into the water relatively unnoticed. How absolutely wrong I was. You must remove your clothes in the dressing room and walk to the baths in your birthday suit (obviously this is in the women only zone). This would explain why there were so many people walking around stark naked in the dressing rooms when we first walked in. Anyways we went back to our lockers, disrobed and left our inmate uniforms with the rest of our stuff. I was feeling really shy at first so I tried to cover myself with the tiny towel that I was handed when we first came in. But I quickly realized that this was drawing even more attention to myself; a blonde Canadian girl in a sea of naked Korean ladies, old and young. So off we went to the baths. There were 7 or 8 different baths, some hot, some cold, some that are infused with different herbs that are supposed to have certain healing properties or whatever.

Within the bath area there are also other saunas as well as this area off to one side with a row of about six tables where you can get a body scrub treatment. I figured if I was going to try new experiences, it’s really all or nothing. So I went all in and decided to get a body scrub.  I lay down on the table and this ajumma (old Korean lady) in see through black lingerie began scrubbing me with these mits that feel like Brillo pads. It doesn’t feel pleasant at all but it’s supposed to be really healthy for your skin and removes all the dead skin cells. So she did my front side first and was trying to tell me to flip onto my side but I couldn’t understand her broken English so next thing I know, she picks me up and flips me onto my side and proceeds to scrub my back. At this point, any ounce of dignity is out the window. So after she finishes, without warning she dumps this ice cold bucket of water all over me and I screamed and she started laughing.

We finished the day with some ramen and then I hopped on a train back to Pyeongtaek. It was definitely an interesting experience to say the least. My skin feels a lot softer today and I really enjoyed the saunas and the facial. It is a pretty inexpensive, relaxing thing to do compared to the outrageous prices that are charged at some spas in Canada. Once you get over the initial fear of the nakedness, you realize that nobody is paying attention and nobody cares because everyone is naked. I won’t be a frequent visitor but I’d definitely go back. It’s probably easier when you know what to expect.

Keep sending e-mails and messages! I love hearing from everyone J

Korea- First Impressions!

Hellooo friends and family.

So I have now been in Korea for a little over a week, although it seems like a lot longer for some reason. Crazy to think that a few months ago, coming to Asia to teach English was not even on my radar. If you had told me in February that in a few short months I would be drinking soju and singing Bon Jovi at a noraebang with near strangers across the world, I wouldn’t have believed you.

The process happened extremely quickly which is probably a good thing because it doesn’t give you a lot of time to worry or think about backing out. I was job hunting one day on the U of T recent grads website, happened to stumble across a listing for a third party recruiter who matches recent grads with Hagwons (private English schools) in Korea. I applied just for fun, was never really seriously considering it, and then the next day I got a call and the process was started. The two months leading up to my departure were a blur of paperwork, phone calls, research and preparation.

I only had one interview, which was with the school that I am now working at. I just decided that if I got the job, I had to go. How could I turn down the chance to travel and experience another culture all while working and saving money? It was a no-brainer. Of course I thought about how hard it would be to leave home, to leave my friends and family behind, but when these opportunities come up you have to jump. I know that a year will fly by.

I survived my first week of teaching- They basically just throw you in with no formal training. I am usually at the school by 9:30-10 to do my lesson planning. I have 7 or 8 classes per day back to back so I have to plan for all of them in the morning. I start teaching at 11:40 and don’t finish until 8. My coworkers-both foreign and Korean, are all very nice and extremely helpful. I have already met interesting people from all over the world. I am really looking forward to getting to know my way around and becoming comfortable with taking the subway alone so that I can explore different cities.

Here are my first impressions or things that I’ve noticed since I’ve arrived…

The Good

·         Noraebang: Seriously….how did I survive without these before? It’s karaoke but you go with a group of people and you get your own singing room. SO much fun. People think that Korea is very conservative….and in certain ways it is. But they really know how to have a good time.

·         Friendly friendly people: Everybody is so welcoming and nice. Especially if you make the effort to learn a few words and communicate in Korean. People are very respectful and keep to themselves.  They might stare out of curiosity when you’re walking in the street or at the grocery store but very rarely will you get approached by strangers. (this is only based on my total of one week that I’ve been here, but I have heard other people remark about this as well.)

·         Safety:  I feel perfectly safe walking around here at any time, night or day. I don’t worry about anyone snatching my purse or cellphone or being assaulted in any way. My biggest worry is that I still don’t know my way around very well or what my street address is. So taking taxis or trying to ask for directions on my own can’t happen yet. But in terms of crime, I’m sure the crime rate here is very low, almost non-existent.

·         Transportation: Amazing subway and train system. You can pretty much get ANYWHERE, and it’s very inexpensive. I can’t wait to learn how to use the subway.

·         Communication: You would be completely surprised how easy it is to get by with just a few key words and plenty of hand gestures. With that being said, I would still like to take some Korean classes and I will devote a weekend trying to learn the alphabet.

·         Lots to do and see: Hiking is like a national sport here….there are whole sections of department stores devoted to matching neon his and hers hiking outfits. They remind me of the snowsuits from the early 90’s. I cannot wait to partake in hiking and rafting weekends.

·         Cafes: Before I got here, I was under the impression that coffee was going to be hard to find, and very expensive. This idea was due to other blogs and things that I had read.  I was terrified of this prospect as coffee is my raison d'être. I will admit that I get excited to wake up in the morning just to have coffee and read the paper. Old lady tendencies. In preparation, I took up precious space in my luggage with my French press and a bag of coffee that would hold me over until I could hunt down some form of caffeine. Anyways, whoever said coffee was a scarce commodity here probably lives in a remote village. There are cute cafes on every corner. This will make my year here much more pleasant and livable.

The Bad

·         Humidity:  I was seriously unprepared for how hot and humid it would be. Last Sunday I went to Seoul and found walking around was actually unpleasant. I think I will wait until it cools down a bit before I do any long walks/hikes. I am really looking forward to Fall for that reason.

·         Cleanliness: Garbage here is left on street corners. Anytime. It’s not a one day a week deal. It’s anytime. Sometimes people don’t even bother to put it in bags, they just dump trash on the corner. As a result of the heat and the garbage, it is quite smelly and unpleasant.

·         Smoking: It has been a very long time since smoking was banned inside public spaces in North America. For a culture that is pretty health conscious, I would say a lot of Koreans, men especially, are heavy smokers. I don’t like to breath in smoke, and I find it really unpleasant for my clothes to smell like it or to walk into my building and have it smell like smoke. I guess it’s just something I’ll have to adjust to.

I will try to post weekly updates!! Feel free to contact me on Facebook or by e-mail, It is nice to stay connected J