Gyeongju

Traveling with some friends, I had a chance to see Gyeongju, a very traditional city in terms of culture, sights, and architecture. Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient city of Silla that ruled Korea between the 7th and 9th centuries. The city had much to offer, including some great temples, the burial tombs of ancient royalty, and very traditional roofs on several of the restaurants, houses, and other buildings. At night, I visited Cheomseongdae, which is one of the oldest surviving astronomical observatories in Asia. Among the highlights of this trip, I had the continuing opportunity to be beckoned by some of the older restaurant owners walking in the streets. Each restaurant employed the usual staff, but each seemed to also have an elderly woman working outside to bring in customers. Most of the conversation involved the words “You eat for long time,” and “delicious,” but unfortunately, we could only satisfy one single grandmother in our quest for… lunch.

A Cute Encounter

Today I was walking outside passing some restaurants, and I saw one of the students I teach at school. She was with her family eating at McDonalds. I went up to the window to wave at her, and she got out of her seat to come and say "Hello." A mouthful of hamburger, or possibly cheeseburger fell to the floor as she did so. I think she noticed.

"Teacher, I like Ottawa Senators."

Today I took a break from all the books and papers (somewhere between first and second OT) to teach my favourite class about hockey. I decided that it was time for these young learners to step up and join the Church of Alfie, and the Sens Army. They proved to be great recruits, and as such, I branded them with their new lifestyle choice.

My Relationship with the Korean Grandmother

Most places I go in this country find me having interesting encounters with the locals. Most of these encounters involve astonished looks from younger Korean children shouting the word for "foreigner" as they run over to get the attention of their parents or friends in order to share the moment of unusualness.
Other encounters, however, involve very kind people who simply want to interact with somebody that looks different to them. I've spoken to many people who want to practice their English, ask where I am from, or sneak up behind me because they were dared to say "Hello" before running away giggling.
In my experience, more than the majority of people in Korea are genuinely very nice people, who treat others really well. Something that has been happening a lot lately has been chance encounters with Korean grandmothers. Korea is a country that lends itself to a hierarchy in terms of respect for elders. When you speak to an elder, you want to ensure you are using the honourific form of the Korean language. I've been studying a bit lately, but still don't feel too comfortable having extended conversations with the obligation to carry the honourific form. Sometimes you don't have a choice...
I was coming home on the subway with a friend when a couple of seats opened up on the train. A friendly looking Korean grandmother asked me to sit down. She then ensured that, although we knew exactly how we were to get home, she would see us off the train safely. This was one of my first longer conversations with a local, and was pretty difficult, as she spoke very little English, and I Korean. I gained an appreciation for the Korean grandmother with the kindness exuding from this woman. She was so patient with me as I tried speak with her.
This past weekend I went to sit down at a coffee shop to do some reading. A very friendly grandmother sat down beside me, and gave me a napkin to wipe my hands, as I was eating something rather messy (a greasy pretzel). Maybe she felt it was her job to take care of me while I was in her country. She went over to a counter, poured a glass of water, and brought it back to me before I knew what she was doing. She fished around her purse for some candies, giving me a handful. She also ensured I had enough wet naps for when I was finished with my snack... She ended up stuffing the whole pack of tissues into my hand. We had a short conversation, and I attempted to ask her questions in her language, but I think she was content just knowing that I was comfortable.
I've been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience the cultural differences that this country has to offer. Every time I leave my apartment something interesting happens. It always makes me smile when I get a chance to interact with somebody new, as I get to appreciate the truly attractive qualities of the Land of Morning Calm.

McDonald's Guy

One of the countless gems in Korea that has really made me appreciate this country for not only its impressive accomplishments, but also its quirks, is Korean McDonald’s. On any given day of the week, and at any time, the two-decker McDonald’s near my house manages to pack itself full of people hoping to what I can only imagine is find the worst type of food they can get their hands on. McDonald’s has too become a pretty popular meeting place for those who have spent their night drinking water. So even at 4 or 5, or even 7 – if you have really ruled out sleep for the weekend – you can find a full house at McDonald’s, often with at least one person at each table with their heads down after over-indulging.
McDonald’s breakfast here however is nonpareil, and has become a real treat for mornings that I can wake up early enough before work. This leads me to McDonald’s Guy. There’s an unusual character that “works” at the McDonald’s near my place. Whenever I am there for breakfast I always see him, and he’s usually doing something strange and different every time. One time he was walking up the stairs sweeping. It took him about 10 minutes. Then, he came down backwards about an eighth of a stair at a time doing the same job. Another time I saw him pick his nose, then went on to stare at what he found for what seemed like an eternity, before walking through a door that I hope led to once of those delousing chambers. In a country that seems obsessed with efficiency, McDonald’s Guy seems to be a black sheep.

MaGu MaGu

I attended my first Korean baseball game today. It was intense. Koreans care about baseball a great deal, and choose to cheer for one or more of the 8 professional baseball teams with home fields around the country. There were several highlights from the afternoon. I think you are essentially expected to buy those inflatable plastic sticks that you hit together to make noise. I’m sure everyone in the stadium had them. The cheering was phenomenal. During every pitch of the game, supporters of each team would chant the name of the batter. Korean 3 syllable names lend themselves nicely to clever and sometimes silly chants. For instance, for Na Ji Wan, tens of thousands of people were singing “Na na na na na Na Ji Wan…” taken from La Bamba. Also the YMCA song was sung with any given player’s first and second name during the “Hey man” part. In keeping with names, it is interesting to note that 9 of the 18 players fielding tonight either had the last name Lee or Park. Korea is great because there are few places where you can get ripped off. Any sporting event back home would serve a product with ridiculous inflated prices, but in Korea they don’t do that. 10 dollars got a two-person meal of hamburgers, chicken fingers and coke. That type of food sounds normal for a baseball game, but most people were eating/serving ramen, udon, and dried cuttlefish, along with beers and personal bottles of soju for cheap. The home team’s cheerleaders came out to do a nice dance in full baseball uniforms, but soon stripped down to more appropriate attire, next to nothing, which consequently raised more than just eyebrows.

Everland

Several months back, just before Halloween, I visited Korea’s version of Disneyworld: Everland. Everland is a huge amusement park located in the same city in which I live, and welcomes visitors 365 days a year. In the summer they have a separate park exclusively for water slides and rides. I went to the theme park with impressive rides, including a giant wooden rollercoaster, the fastest in Asia, with a 77-degree drop, and a safari tour with all sorts of animals, with the highlight being a real liger. Everything was a Halloween theme when I visited the park, so they hosted many spooky rides, one being a cross between laser tag and a haunted house where ghosts and skeletons pop out, and you proceed to own them. They had an area that sold a collection of international foods from all over the world. There was a diner with the slogan “Tastes better burger. Have a fun in Burgercafe.” I always love the top shelf translation. They also had a spectacular fireworks show that puts any other I have seen to shame. Probably the most interesting thing that I got to see was a “cat show” in which well-trained cats performed pretty peculiar acts like walking on tight ropes and pull ups. Top off the night with a merry-go-round and you’ve got a repeat visitor.

A Korean Winter Wonderland

This past winter in Korean hosted an unusual amount of snow, including one record-breaking trial of 26 centimetres over the course of a single day.   While this type of storm is quite commonplace in my hometown of Ottawa, it is not usually met with such trepidation and hysteria, as it was in the gu of Korea.  As a result of this inclement weather, my school was closed for two days, while the uniform-clad army worked hard to manually shovel the streets around the districts.  As I perused the streets, I noticed managers in suits and ties throwing salt on the street and parking lots with their bare hands, as teams of employees swept the snow away from the entrances to the shops and department stores with brooms.  Several weeks later, a light snowstorm postponed my school’s field trip to see the Wizard of Oz.  I’ve also noticed that Koreans use umbrellas during all four seasons.  Not simply for rain, but also for sun, snow, and I think falling leaves in autumn too.  

Nicknames

Today, I renamed one of the kids in my class "Tom Bosely." 

Add that to "T-Bone, Tedward, Jay-Z, Hank, Annapolis, and Jimbo" and you've got my favourite class.

Christmas Quotes

Just a few quotes from some of the kids that I teach.

"Teacher, Friday is... Happy Birthday Jesus."

"Teacher is... Santa is... Jaguar class coming?"

Student: "Teacher, look I have snowflake."

Teacher: "You have what? Snowplay??"

Student: "NO... Teacher you are not listen carefully!!!"

Haunted House

Halloween at my school was fun.  Groups of teachers were put in charge of making it entertaining for the preschool kids.  One group was put in charge of arts and crafts.  Another was storytelling.  Two other teachers and I put together a haunted house.   The necessary tools were gathered: probably a box full of black plastic garbage bags to cover the walls, some construction paper to cover up the lights, some loud bass notes on the piano, and the will to make as many kids as possible cry.  What followed was the fun that WE got out of Halloween.  Most children refused to even go into the haunted house because of the quick reputation that it adopted with our first initial successes.  My yelling at the children I get to teach everyday, and jumping out and spooking them, coupled with their screams and subsequent sobs was all I needed to make this Halloween special. 

Korean Halloween

Koreans don’t really celebrate Halloween.  Foreign teachers in Korea do.  A few of us got together and had some drinks at home then took a couple of cabs to get to Seoul.  Well traffic got in the way of us being able to hold it in any longer… so we barked at the taxi to get to the side of the road and let us off.  We paid, and he drove away.  We met up with another cab full of our friends taking the same pee break as us.  We enjoyed ourselves that night, waiting to come home until 5:30 AM until the subway and busses started circulating again.  At that time my friend Pikachu and I (I was dressed as a pirate) saw ourselves walking around Seoul looking for a subway station.  Seoul tends to be busy all the time, including this time of morning.   My eye patch, leather knee high boots and frilly shirt attracted enough attention from the morning subway riders.  The last stop for Pikachu and I was McDonalds for breakfast, which is becoming somewhat of a tradition on those loooong nights.

Pepero Day

Today is November 11th.  Everyone knows that once a year people gather around on this special day of commemoration.  Although in this country we don't remember the sacrifices in the quest for an armistice, but those necessary to drive the sales by wealthy department store chains on chocolate covered pretzel sticks.  So Remembrance Day for me was overshadowed by Pepero Day!

Pepero - a chocolate coated, maybe pretzel/wafer stick.  

Pepero Day - everyone buy pepero and give it to your friends, coworkers, and teachers.  

I got bombarded today with boxes of chocolate coated wafers.  Some were chocolate and almond coated, come coffee flavoured, and some strawberry flavoured.  Then there is the "naked" pepero, which is filled with chocolate instead of coated, so that it won't melt.  

Now I have enough snacks to tide me over for a new while.  Thank you greedy trying to sell a buck, yet perhaps genius inventor of Pepero Day.  

Hooker Hill

Some buddies and I were walking in Itaewon recently on our way to meet up with some friends at a drinking establishment.  We were walking up a hill with some bars and clubs on either side of the road.  Two hookers ran out of a building, latched on to my sweater, and attempted to drag me in towards their party zone.  I resisted, and got away safely.  Fast forward and my friend and I are sitting down together when two hookers and this older, larger, unfortunately scantily clad woman begin asking us questions like if we were looking for a good time.  My friend thought it would be funny to ask how much.  It turned out that it was funny.  For a few minutes we had a pretty heated debate about how their first offer was outrageous, and how our counter offer was insulting to their... profession?  The conversation of course ended with us walking away with our pants on and wallets just as heavy as when we started, without ever having an intention to change that.

I'll have... whatever is going.

Today I was walking with my very beautiful friend  past a restaurant that smelled delicious.  It was a fried chicken place.  We walked in and decided to sit down.  A nice Korean dude came over and started speaking to us, asking what we wanted to eat in Korean.  We said something to the effect of "yes" and he left.  Next, we thought it would be a good idea to order some beer.  Apparently we already did.  He came back with some beer and some fried chicken.  Well that was easier than I thought.  With a couple nods of the head, and no idea what was going on, we managed to order exactly what we wanted.  We either caught a lucky break, or that waiter was some kind of sorcerer... Also my friend is single, and looking.

Pork...something

I haven't written in awhile.

I think I'll talk about what I had for dinner.  I ordered "pork ... something" and waited for my food.  Along came a free bowl of kimchi; a hardboiled egg; some sea weed flakes; sea weed cut up like green beans at thanksgiving; tofu, shrimp, and clam soup; a large bowl of rice; a pot of tea, and a fully cooked and glazed fish.  And the actual meal.  11000 won, shared between 2 people, so 5 dollars canadian for the most fulfilling meal I have had in this country.  And no tax.  Or tips.

WAAAAAAA

After making a 12 year old cry like a rainstorm in front of all his friends in class today, I thought it would be appropriate to shed some light on the sensitivity of Korean children. 

 

Ben Teacher: "Ok, take out your books, and turn to page 35."

Kid: "No."

Ben Teacher (looking austere but more importantly giving this delinquent a chance, maybe expecting a "nothing nothing nothing"): "What did you just say to me?"

Kid: "No."

Ben Teacher: "Get out of my class."

Kid: "No."

Ben Teacher (getting off of chair to open the classroom door, and then sitting back down on chair): "Get out of my class."

Kid: "No."

Ben Teacher: "(kid's name) get out of my class.  NOW!" (trying to/succeeding in/ looking scary.  Also lunging self at kid with the wrath of khan)

Kid (regretting birth/ whining like a little "mom are you reading this?"): "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

I don't know if I have ever seen someone literally burst into tears before.  Anyways I went up to his desk, took his book, and threw it into the hallway.  Along with his dignity.

This was most definitely not the first time I have 'made' a kid cry in my class over the 6 weeks I have been teaching thus far.  

I teach science class once a week to some 7 year olds.  We were making windmills by blowing wind through a straw and having a paper with slits in it turn in circles.  One kid thought it would be a nice idea to come and show me that he got his working.  He started to blow the air and spit that had been camping out in his mouth over the preceding minutes into my face. 

Ben Teacher (receiving a face full of stupid kid spit): "Don't blow into my face."

Kid: "WAAAAAAAAA"

Really?

When the preschool kids are bad, and yell, and fight each other, you put an angry face beside their name on the name tag board.  3 angry faces and your sorry behind has to eat lunch in another class.  Option A, you eat all by yourself.  Option B, you eat in front of another class as they ridicule you to your face... depending on how I feel that day.  A couple of days ago this one kid had accumulated 2 angry faces from being his usual obnoxious self in class.  When we were walking back to class from the washroom somehow he thought it a good idea to physically strike another kid while I was watching.  Fast forward  through all the yelling that I have learned to enjoy, and I'm giving out the kids their lunches.  When I get to his I say "Follow me" as I walk towards the exit of the class.

Kid: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

That one makes more sense.

Currently the most well behaved kid in the class.

He had option B.

Ben Teacher: "Stop yelling or I will give you an angry face."

Kid (yelling): *yell*

Ben Teacher (takes angry face, puts it beside kid's name)

Kid: "WAAAAAAA"

Oh, come on!

By the way this is the kid who cried in my class the first 3 days in a row I started teaching at this school.

Ben Teacher (still learning about kids' English proficiencies, and makes a test for the class that is way too hard for their level) 

Kid: "WAAAAAAAAA"

Oops...

Sorry.

Ben Teacher: "Please walk, don't run."

Kid (runs, takes a giant spill all over the floor, breaks glasses): "WAAAAAAAA"

Ok, that one wasn't my fault.

Korean TV

I am currently enthralled with a television program that may be the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.  

It's all in Korean so I really can't understand anything.  

There are 6 guys in full yellow jump suits.  The first thing they were doing when I turned onto the channel was one fat guy was top rocking the most basic break dance move and all the other guys would run up to him knowing they would be pushed to the ground by his fat belly.  So they run up to the fat guy and then fall down and there is a loud laughing track (fake audience) that follows.  It all happens over, and over, and over again.  Guy after guy rushes up to the one fat guy and just fall down.  I said it was ridiculous, but I never said it wasn't funny.  This thing had me and the "audience" in stitches.  

The next thing they did was one guy would be "up" from what I could tell.  He would have a guy frantically wave a certain amount of fingers in front of his face for a few seconds and then would have to guess how many fingers there were.  The object is to wave your rock fist for example so fast that the guy who was "up" would not be able to see your fingers long enough to guess that there were two fingers waving in his face. Then he would guess wrong and everyone would laugh at him and flick him in the face. The guy who showed the fingers would also slap the guy who guessed wrong on his arm with as many fingers as he waved.

Next they had staring contests with their knuckles pressed against each other on a table and pushing against each other.  The winner pushed his opponents fingers over a certain line. Sort of an arm wrestle/tug of war.  

The next thing they did was have a  competition to see who could do the most pushups on the least amount of fingers. 

Next they are danced in skin tight outfits, and the winner was the one whose belly falls out of his zipped up jumpsuit last.

Did I mention that these are all grown men? Also they have cheerleaders.

Fan Death

Wow.  Ok.

So there is an urban legend in Korea that if you turn on an electric fan (or air conditioner) and leave it on all night when you fall asleep, that you will die.

All fans sold in Korea have a timer switch on them that you are encouraged to turn on before you go to bed.  

People believe they will die from fan death I think because as your body relaxes in sleep it becomes more susceptible to changes in temperature.  They think you will get hypothermia.  I think they may also think that the fan blades will cut up all the diatomic molecules of oxygen, leaving nothing left for your body to breathe. 

I have fallen asleep nearly every day with my AC on.  I should be more careful next summer.

Epiphany

I came to an important realization today.  I am lucky to be living where I am.  My apartment, while perhaps not as aesthetically pleasing as one may desire, is in a good location, being 5 minutes from work and a great part of town.  The YMCA is 5 minutes away, good groceries are 5 minutes away, and the bus stop and subway station are 5 and 10 away.  Good show.