The pictures from my birthday weekend in Seoul are finally up. I'm just sooooo busy, I can't even find time to upload the pictures I take until weeks later.
Right, we all know that's not true. I just forget, and waste my time doing other things on the internet instead of uploading. Actually last night, I attended my first EVER in-person Korean baseball game. As it turns out, I live two blocks from the stadium where the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles play all the other major Korean teams. Deuk and I sat (stood) in the cheering section, ate ddeokbokki and mandu instead of hotdogs and nachos, and watched the home team win 4-2.
It was a good night.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Improvement
Well, I'm now at Starbucks writing for you all. Had a bit of a harrowing trip here though. After I narrowly escaped from a parking car, I was forced to ride through a sandy spot under a tree by some inconsiderate (deaf to bell ringing?) pedestrians. Coming out of the sand, I was almost knocked over - just have a road bike with skinny tires. Finally made it here and as I was locking up my bike, a delivery guy on a moped got smoked by a car turning right into an alley. He got up after a bit so I think he was alright but today is definitely not the day to be on two wheels.
Anyway, today I'd like to bring you an update on my life in Korea.
Last time I wrote to you I was in a dark place. Since then (except my sidewalk adventure today) I've had some great days and am feeling renewed. Not perfect, but much better. I had my birthday, I spent 4 days in Seoul eating foreign foods and speaking English, and the weather has turned satisfyingly h-o-t. Eighty-two degrees hot, today. (Since my attitude has improved, I can attribute some of my earlier grumpiness to Seasonal Affective Disorder, which I think has affected me a lot in Korea.)
My birthday happens to fall on a great holiday in a few countries, namely Mexico (more widely observed in the U.S. and Canada) and Korea & Japan. Luckily for me, my school observes this holiday and as it worked out this year, I also got Monday off since it was field day. So Saturday DK and I KTXed to Seoul. On the itinerary were:
At Yongsan Electronics Market, we didn't have such good luck either. The first person we asked a price from ended up to be the lowest, and from there every offer was only more expensive! Usually, I've experienced the opposite to be true, especially if you tell the second person what the first had offered you - not so for us. When we decided on a vendor, the haggling was not so successful as I ended up paying what the guy asked.
Then at the jjimjilbang the second night, we were sleeping rather soundly in the co-ed sleeping area when, at around 2:30AM, the fire alarm went off. Now, you should know that in the 2+ years I've lived in Korea, I've never had a fire drill like I experienced growing up. So firstly, the sound was new to me and secondly, I took this alarm very seriously, as did everyone in the place. To me, it sounded like our tornado alarm from school so I immediately freaked out. Plus I had noticed the new sprinklers directly above us before we fell asleep so my first thought was "I'm going to be really wet in a minute." We all scrambled out into the corridor in our sauna clothes only to learn that it was a mistake, though no one knew what had really happened. About an hour after falling back asleep, it went off again, briefly this time. Maybe someone had reset the thing and decided to test it in the middle of the night. Typical. Everyone woke up again, but no one moved that time!
Upon returning home, I was dead tired and my feet wanted me to curl up and sleep... for a loooong time. Despite that, I felt new. And comfortable. That was a nice feeling.
Anyway, today I'd like to bring you an update on my life in Korea.
Last time I wrote to you I was in a dark place. Since then (except my sidewalk adventure today) I've had some great days and am feeling renewed. Not perfect, but much better. I had my birthday, I spent 4 days in Seoul eating foreign foods and speaking English, and the weather has turned satisfyingly h-o-t. Eighty-two degrees hot, today. (Since my attitude has improved, I can attribute some of my earlier grumpiness to Seasonal Affective Disorder, which I think has affected me a lot in Korea.)
My birthday happens to fall on a great holiday in a few countries, namely Mexico (more widely observed in the U.S. and Canada) and Korea & Japan. Luckily for me, my school observes this holiday and as it worked out this year, I also got Monday off since it was field day. So Saturday DK and I KTXed to Seoul. On the itinerary were:
- Shopping for the latest fashions in affordable, trendy Dongdaemoon Market
- Haggling for RAM (memory chip) to upgrade my laptop in Yongsan Electronics Market
- Visiting one of my friends and one of his who had moved to Seoul
- Partying at Hongik University
- Sleeping in jjimjilbang to save money
- Consuming large amounts of Mexican food during the Cinco de Mayo party at Tomatillo Grill
At Yongsan Electronics Market, we didn't have such good luck either. The first person we asked a price from ended up to be the lowest, and from there every offer was only more expensive! Usually, I've experienced the opposite to be true, especially if you tell the second person what the first had offered you - not so for us. When we decided on a vendor, the haggling was not so successful as I ended up paying what the guy asked.
Then at the jjimjilbang the second night, we were sleeping rather soundly in the co-ed sleeping area when, at around 2:30AM, the fire alarm went off. Now, you should know that in the 2+ years I've lived in Korea, I've never had a fire drill like I experienced growing up. So firstly, the sound was new to me and secondly, I took this alarm very seriously, as did everyone in the place. To me, it sounded like our tornado alarm from school so I immediately freaked out. Plus I had noticed the new sprinklers directly above us before we fell asleep so my first thought was "I'm going to be really wet in a minute." We all scrambled out into the corridor in our sauna clothes only to learn that it was a mistake, though no one knew what had really happened. About an hour after falling back asleep, it went off again, briefly this time. Maybe someone had reset the thing and decided to test it in the middle of the night. Typical. Everyone woke up again, but no one moved that time!
Upon returning home, I was dead tired and my feet wanted me to curl up and sleep... for a loooong time. Despite that, I felt new. And comfortable. That was a nice feeling.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Lately...
So, lately I've been having a bit of a hard time. I've moved to a new, smaller city with fewer foreigners. I knew that about Daejeon before I took this job. I also knew that I would be working with mostly Korean teachers. I like my co-workers and have become good friends with many of them, even meeting socially outside of work. I also have a high school friend living at the edge of the city, and some friends I met here to go rock climbing with. Deuk Kyun is an hour away by train, we talk on the phone everyday, and I see him about the same amount as I did before moving here. My sister and my dad have been great about sending anything I may need, like English magazines, snacks, or other products to stave off the homesickness.
Despite all this, I have been feeling terrible. Just, incurably awful.
It's not homesickness, but culture-sickness maybe. At my past jobs, I have worked with 4 or more other foreigners and now I'm one of only 2. Don't get me wrong, I'm so pleased to have Thomas as a co-worker, but you know, we just don't *click* as instant friends. We interact at work, professionally, and usually eat lunch together, but nothing more. He's actually been feeling the same as me since he moved here, and he was the one who got me thinking about why I've been so sad. I know I can call my foreign friends anytime, and even my Korean co-workers, but I think I'm missing the daily injection of English and Western culture that comes as a result of working with foreigners. I don't notice it at work, since my co-workers speak English well and I get along with them, but when I get home I realize that I miss having foreigners in my neighborhood, foreigners to walk home with, foreign foods and products for sale nearby... My neighborhood is very much Korean. And at work, most interactions occur in Korean unless I've initiated the conversation. I then need to ask someone to translate it for me. Anyway, it's not really about these small details, but about the big picture. It's just a feeling I get from this different environment, and I'm assuming I'll adjust.
As of now, I feel OK, but I just feel fragile. Like, if something bad were to happen I would just fall apart. Fortunately, I have some things to look forward to. In June, Deuk Kyun is going to get a job here and move into my big, big, empty house. Then in July, I'm coming home for 10 days to visit friends, eat, shop, drive, and generally renew my soul. So I'll hang in there for the time being, and hopefully when summer comes it'll turn around.
Despite all this, I have been feeling terrible. Just, incurably awful.
It's not homesickness, but culture-sickness maybe. At my past jobs, I have worked with 4 or more other foreigners and now I'm one of only 2. Don't get me wrong, I'm so pleased to have Thomas as a co-worker, but you know, we just don't *click* as instant friends. We interact at work, professionally, and usually eat lunch together, but nothing more. He's actually been feeling the same as me since he moved here, and he was the one who got me thinking about why I've been so sad. I know I can call my foreign friends anytime, and even my Korean co-workers, but I think I'm missing the daily injection of English and Western culture that comes as a result of working with foreigners. I don't notice it at work, since my co-workers speak English well and I get along with them, but when I get home I realize that I miss having foreigners in my neighborhood, foreigners to walk home with, foreign foods and products for sale nearby... My neighborhood is very much Korean. And at work, most interactions occur in Korean unless I've initiated the conversation. I then need to ask someone to translate it for me. Anyway, it's not really about these small details, but about the big picture. It's just a feeling I get from this different environment, and I'm assuming I'll adjust.
As of now, I feel OK, but I just feel fragile. Like, if something bad were to happen I would just fall apart. Fortunately, I have some things to look forward to. In June, Deuk Kyun is going to get a job here and move into my big, big, empty house. Then in July, I'm coming home for 10 days to visit friends, eat, shop, drive, and generally renew my soul. So I'll hang in there for the time being, and hopefully when summer comes it'll turn around.
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