Adventures in Seoul
Current mood: disappointed

My roommate Robin and I decided to take advantage of a rare 4 day weekend and travel to Seoul. She's been there before and the KTX train is direct from Busan to Seoul, so it seemed like a fun, easy adventure.

Our first day was disastrous. We arrived on Thursday afternoon without a place to stay, so as soon as we arrived in the area of town where we wanted to be, we began looking for accommodations. The first place we walked into was too expensive, so we moved on. The second place was a little shady-looking and the woman running the place (who spoke no English) seemed quite eccentric, but the price was right. So we paid up and before we knew it, she was showing us up the stairs with blacklight wallpaper, past the extensive rack of Korean porn videos, into our room for the night, which was complete with a framed photo of a topless woman mounted over the bed. Ew. Ew, ew, ew, ew. For about 3 seconds we contemplated actually staying there, which I think is the most disturbing part of the story. Since the woman knew no English, it took us a while to explain that we wanted our money back and did not wish to stay there.

Completely creeped out and not wanting to repeat our mistake, we were very cautious about which hotels we entered...after two or three more tries, we had still not found a place in our price range. We started talking about how we could go about finding a hostel...and kept walking.

That's when it happened: a Korean man turned towards Robin as she walked past (I was right behind) and proceeded to blow snot from his nose all over Robin's jacket sleeve. She was about to cry at that moment. It was disgusting! He didn't even acknowledge that he had done anything wrong. She wiped her sleeve on a pole at the corner and from that point on we used the snot pole as a landmark. We found a hotel that was in our price range and not shady right around the corner.

After taking some time to recover in the room, we decided to give up for the day, go out for pizza and make a fresh start the next morning.

Work Party

Work Party
Current mood: cheerful

There was a going away/welcome party for both the teachers leaving and the new teachers like me. It was a Wednesday night, immediately before a four day weekend.

The party started as most do. Appetizers (kimbap, cabbage salad, fries, various meat), pitchers of beer (Hite), and bottles of soju. Then all two departing teachers got up and said a few words about their year. After, the new teachers had to do the same. It was then that Mr. Lee, the owner/director, announced that the rest of the party would be a singing/karaoke contest. Everyone had to sing, whether alone or in a group. Prizes would be awarded.

It was the oddest thing I've ever experienced. The foreign teachers, Korean teachers, and administrators all got up and sang karaoke. We were judged by a small panel, and in the end, my group (the roommates) won the award for "best manners."

Can you imagine? I don't even know most of these people. By the end of the party, everyone was drunk and most of the teachers were headed to a foreigners bar that I still have not bothered to visit. Robin and I went home in anticipation of a long train ride to Seoul the next morning.

Christmas in Korea

Christmas in Korea
Current mood: happy

This Christmas was unlike any I have ever known. I didn't think that I would have a difficult time being away from my family, as I had just seen everyone at Thanksgiving and I had been living at home for the month before I came here. When I woke up, I found it a bit difficult to get out of bed. I stayed in my pajamas, reading all morning until my parents called and then passed around the phone to my grandparents. It was great to talk to them, and as soon as I hung up, Jamie called. My spirits were lifted quite a bit and I was able to properly start my day.

I decided on an adventure for the day, a relaxing adventure if you can believe it. I decided to go to one of the famous Korean public bathhouses. After all, nothing says Christmas like a bunch of naked Korean people, right? No one spoke English at the desk, so one of them had to walk me around the first floor and show me how to lock up my shoes and where to bring the key. He then walked me to the elevator and said "two."

The second floor. I walked through a set of doors and immediately encounted the lockers where the women were in a various states of dress. Ok, I can do this. I took a deep breath, found the locker number that matched my key, and began to very slowly undress.

After the trauma of deciding to bare myself to a bunch of perfect strangers, I entered the bath rooms. In the main room there was an absolutely breathtaking view. There were also hot tubs of various temperatures, an aromatherapy hot tub (my favorite) a cold tub (mostly like a pool for kids I think), and some sinks and showers for actual bathing. Off to the side was a room where you could pay for a massage. There was also a sauna room, a steamy sauna, and an outdoor hot tub. I loved the contrast of the winter air to the extreme heat of the outdoor hot tub...but it was a trip to decide to walk out the doors naked. No one can see anything from outside. The windows from the main room look like mirrors from outside and the outdoor hot tub has a fence that's shoulder-high.

Once I got past my western fear of public nudity and embraced the rather odd comfort that the publicly conservatively dressed Koreans find at the baths...I enjoyed it. It was relaxing. And also as unlike traditional Christmas as you could get.

Korean age
Current mood: amused

Korean age is one of the strangest concepts I've encountered so far.

The kids in the kindergarten classes say they are 5 or 6...but that really means that they are 3 or 4! And they know English!

The way it works: when you're born, on your birthday, you are one. So, if you're trying to figure out your Korean age, add one to your current age. That's not too strange, here's the odd part: Koreans add a year to their age not on their birthday, but on the New Year. So in a week, we are all turning a year older! Get it? I'll be 26 before I even see my 25th birthday.

So, think about it this way. Let's say a baby is born on December 31st. The child is one on the day they are born, and turns two the very next day!! Bizarre.

Busan

Busan
Current mood: cheerful

I'm here.

I share my three bedroom apartment with a Canadian named Kim and an American from NY called Robin. They are great, positive, helpful people. Our apartment has an enclosed front porch from which I've been watching the sun rise over the ocean...

I had the morning off and so walked around the area between my apartment and my school. It's difficult to get my bearings when I can't read any of the signs...

Robin and another teacher, Holly, took me out to dinner last night and we walked along the beach. It's lit up at night by spotlights and was an absolutely breathtaking sight.

I can't believe it's Christmas this weekend and that I will start teaching a week from Monday. I don't feel prepared, but I suppose that's how it happens.

So far, so good. The weather has been mild, no snow, no need to wear the winter jacket, really. I've been wearing my black spring coat over a few layers and I've been fine. It's funny...but some of the people here where what look to be medical masks. At first I thought it was to prevent disease or maybe had something to do with the air quality...but no! They wear them to keep their faces warm. Like a nose muff. My nose always gets so cold in the wintertime...maybe I should bring this trend back to the states with me next winter! That would be hilarious.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Leaving on a jet plane
Current mood: pensive

It's now less than 24 hours from my actual departure. I've been on antibiotics for the past few days and feel much better. I've unpacked and repacked a few things. In the past few days, I've watched 12 episodes of the West Wing and the Steelers pummel the Vikings. I've eaten deep fried cheese curds, Christmas cookies, and nachos. I'm ready.

At 3:03 tomorrow, I will finally be on my way to South Korea. At 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday (Korea time), I will be in Busan.

Heartbreaking

15 Dec 05 Thursday

Heartbreaking Current mood: irritated It was disheartening to arrive back in Freedom, WI this morning. Tuesday night I received a call at 11:00 p.m. telling me that I would be leaving from Milwaukee at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. That left me with only Wednesday to get everything ready. Of course, a tremendous snowstorm started on Wednesday...so mom's school got called off at noon, dad took off from work early and my day of preparation was cut short. With my life packed into a suitcase, a large backpack, a small daypack, and a shoulder bag...we drove through blizzard conditions. It took well over 3 hours to make a trip the usually takes just under 2. Around 10:00 p.m. I got a call from my brother, who saw an email from Korea pop up on my email notifier. I gave him my password and he read it to me "Dear Emily I am writing to inform you that your travelling date have been changed. Your departure date will be 19th December." The funny thing is that after I realized I had absolutely no way to contact anyone who could give me more information, I called the airlines. The first flight, United airlines from Milwaukee to Chicago, still had me on the manifest. The second and third flights, Chicago to Seoul and Seoul to Busan via Korean Air, were cancelled. So, had my brother not been on the computer when the email arrived, I would have been stranded in Chicago. So here I am. In Freedom. Seriously doubting whether or not I can work for a school that feels it's appropriate to treat their employees this way. I mean, if they think it's ok to do this...who's to say that they won't change my week off after non-refundable plane tickets have been bought? Who's to say they won't change my flight on the 19th after a second trip to Milwaukee? Maybe my brother won't be at the computer to tell me next time.