Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Placements
We found out about our placements today! There was a lot of buildup to the moment so that even though I wasn't overly anxious about it at first, the atmosphere of anticipation and nervousness was kind of contagious. I didn't have too much of a preference though so I think I would be happy just about anywhere. So... (drumroll.......) I will be teaching at an elementary school in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do on the eastern coast of Seoul. The name of my school is 포항대흥초등학교. (Don't ask me how to romanize it... It's possibly something like Pohang Deheung Chodeung Hakyo.)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Songnisan 속리산
This weekend, we went to Songnisan (속리산), a mountain about a 3-4 hour bus ride away from Chuncheon.
We had our first experience with squatter toilets which we were warned about in a previous workshop...
(I actually took this picture from somewhere on the internet.) For those who have not traveled to Asia before, you squat facing the dome part and do whatever you need to do into this toilet. (The proper way of squatting was also previously demonstrated in the workshop.) You also do not throw toilet paper into the toilet but into the waste basket usually conveniently provided as shown. In the restaurant where most of us first encountered these types of toilets, it was a unisex bathroom so some of us (i.e. me) ran into guys using the urinals strategically placed right outside the toilet stalls. (The urinals are basically normal urinals as far as I know.)
Anyway, back to Songnisan and the more refined cultural differences between South Korea and the U.S... Besides the toilets, we also got to eat actual Korean food (not the kind we are usually served at the university cafeteria)
We checked into our hotel a couple blocks down from the restaurant, and after listening to a speech about Buddhism given by an American monk,
we went to visit a temple
where there were not-so-American monks.
The executive director of the South Korea program (far right), gave a speech at the hotel and told us to forget about work, Korean homework, the practice teaching at the summer camp coming up and to just enjoy and relax at Songnisan.
We were originally planning on going hiking, but it rained all day Saturday so we spent the majority of the afternoon in the hotel playing cards.
It was still a good way to spend the weekend relaxing and getting to know each other. Ironically, Bethany taught us a game called "shit on your neighbor" or "fuck your friends" (a variation on spades if you've ever played that before).
On the last day, the weather cleared up and got hot and humid again. There were ajummas on the side of the street selling mushrooms or corn to passersby.
We're back at Kangwon University and orientation life now. We jumped back into the swing of things in the customary way: pretty much right after getting off the bus we had a placement workshop on our (very marginal) say in where we want to teach after the next 4 weeks.
Unfortunately, on the last night in Songnisan, a mosquito bit up my arms/ hand so my right elbow and one of the knuckles on my right hand is all swollen. I can't make a proper fist with my right hand (which should make Taekwondo difficult later today)...
We had our first experience with squatter toilets which we were warned about in a previous workshop...
(I actually took this picture from somewhere on the internet.) For those who have not traveled to Asia before, you squat facing the dome part and do whatever you need to do into this toilet. (The proper way of squatting was also previously demonstrated in the workshop.) You also do not throw toilet paper into the toilet but into the waste basket usually conveniently provided as shown. In the restaurant where most of us first encountered these types of toilets, it was a unisex bathroom so some of us (i.e. me) ran into guys using the urinals strategically placed right outside the toilet stalls. (The urinals are basically normal urinals as far as I know.)
Anyway, back to Songnisan and the more refined cultural differences between South Korea and the U.S... Besides the toilets, we also got to eat actual Korean food (not the kind we are usually served at the university cafeteria)
We checked into our hotel a couple blocks down from the restaurant, and after listening to a speech about Buddhism given by an American monk,
we went to visit a temple
where there were not-so-American monks.
The executive director of the South Korea program (far right), gave a speech at the hotel and told us to forget about work, Korean homework, the practice teaching at the summer camp coming up and to just enjoy and relax at Songnisan.
We were originally planning on going hiking, but it rained all day Saturday so we spent the majority of the afternoon in the hotel playing cards.
It was still a good way to spend the weekend relaxing and getting to know each other. Ironically, Bethany taught us a game called "shit on your neighbor" or "fuck your friends" (a variation on spades if you've ever played that before).
On the last day, the weather cleared up and got hot and humid again. There were ajummas on the side of the street selling mushrooms or corn to passersby.
We're back at Kangwon University and orientation life now. We jumped back into the swing of things in the customary way: pretty much right after getting off the bus we had a placement workshop on our (very marginal) say in where we want to teach after the next 4 weeks.
Unfortunately, on the last night in Songnisan, a mosquito bit up my arms/ hand so my right elbow and one of the knuckles on my right hand is all swollen. I can't make a proper fist with my right hand (which should make Taekwondo difficult later today)...
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Surviving the First Week
I've only been in Korea for a week but it feels like so much longer! I'm sure time is only going to fly by from here though... Korean language classes started on Wednesday and it's so much more intense than Japanese courses when I was studying abroad in Japan - Korean class every morning for 3-4 hours straight. Our first quiz is on Monday! In the afternoon, we have workshops on adjusting to Korean culture, teaching, etc. Friday, we went out to dinner with one of the speakers, Michael Hurt. We had Dakgalbi which is chunks of chicken breast cooked with vegetables and dukbokki (rice cake-ish things) in gochujang (a spicy chili sauce).
It gets a little messy because you wrap everything in a leaf of lettuce and eat it with your hands like a sandwich. So they gave us aprons to wear while we were eating it!
Yesterday we took a trip to Seoul. There were about 30 of us at the train station taking up a lot of space and getting in everyone's way! When we got to Seoul, I broke off from the group to meet with KB, a friend I met studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai in Japan. Ended up taking the wrong subway line and went in a roundabout way that took an extra 20 minutes. (Maybe I should have traveled with the group after all...) We finally found each other an hour later and had lunch at a Japanese restaurant (which was kind of 懐かしい). We both had places to go/ people to meet though, so after lunch, we went around the National Museum for 20 minutes before we had to split. A lot of people were asking me why I don't have any pictures of myself (which would be because I'm the one taking them..) so I asked KB to take this at the National Museum:
Me in Korea!
(Korea is circled in red where the guy is pointing)
KB
After lunch and the National Museum, I went to Samgakgi, a station away, and met with Rachel who is modeling in Seoul. It's ironic because we grew up in the same neighborhood since we were 2, went to college (although we didn't really keep in touch) and while I was studying abroad in Japan two years ago, by coincidence, I ran into her on a train platform in Osaka! It turned out that she was there for about 2 months modeling. Now, two years later, we're in the same country again on the other side of the world!
Duho, from Lehigh, also joined us for dinner in the southern part of Seoul. We had some kind of pork barbecue. I didn't take pictures of the food (it was delicious, basically eaten the same way as dakgalbi) but Rachel and I found the women's restroom interesting...
Girls, now you can really have a bathroom party! And they wonder why girls go to the bathroom in groups... But when you're in there by yourself, which one to use?
To make for another interesting photo, on our way back to the station, we saw this outside a seafood restaurant:
Yummy...
It gets a little messy because you wrap everything in a leaf of lettuce and eat it with your hands like a sandwich. So they gave us aprons to wear while we were eating it!
Yesterday we took a trip to Seoul. There were about 30 of us at the train station taking up a lot of space and getting in everyone's way! When we got to Seoul, I broke off from the group to meet with KB, a friend I met studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai in Japan. Ended up taking the wrong subway line and went in a roundabout way that took an extra 20 minutes. (Maybe I should have traveled with the group after all...) We finally found each other an hour later and had lunch at a Japanese restaurant (which was kind of 懐かしい). We both had places to go/ people to meet though, so after lunch, we went around the National Museum for 20 minutes before we had to split. A lot of people were asking me why I don't have any pictures of myself (which would be because I'm the one taking them..) so I asked KB to take this at the National Museum:
Me in Korea!(Korea is circled in red where the guy is pointing)
KBAfter lunch and the National Museum, I went to Samgakgi, a station away, and met with Rachel who is modeling in Seoul. It's ironic because we grew up in the same neighborhood since we were 2, went to college (although we didn't really keep in touch) and while I was studying abroad in Japan two years ago, by coincidence, I ran into her on a train platform in Osaka! It turned out that she was there for about 2 months modeling. Now, two years later, we're in the same country again on the other side of the world!
To make for another interesting photo, on our way back to the station, we saw this outside a seafood restaurant:
Yummy...
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The Beginning
So I've never really done this blogging thing before, but when somebody suggested starting one while I'm in Korea, I thought it'd be a good idea to keep everyone updated on what I'm doing/ where I'm going! (And I can be lazy about e-mailing everyone separately...)
Two days ago (not including the day lost from flying through time zones), I flew from Allentown airport to Chicago O'Hare, and, after a 6 hour layover, connected to the 14-hour flight that took me to Incheon airport in Korea. We arrived a little after 4am yesterday and pretty much immediately took a 3-hour bus ride to Chuncheon.
this is what everyone looked like right after a 12-14 hour plane ride
Then, I began my first steps into the "real world" with (what else?) orientation. Right after lunch on the day we arrived.
We're staying at a dormitory in Kangwon University. It's pretty much hot and humid and by the end of the day I feel like I'm swimming in my own sweat.. We've been having our meals at the cafeteria mostly (not a very good representation of Korean food I don't think). The university's KEY Club gave us a little tour of the campus.
Yesterday was such a long day, I passed out at the end of it at 9pm and woke up this morning at 6am thanks to jet lag. We jumped right into things after breakfast with a language placement test (reminded me of orientation at Kansai Gaidai in Japan). Although the Japanese language placement test would have been a lot easier if all we had to do was a 自己紹介 (self-introduction) and an interview which is what we did for the Korean placement test. (*I don't know any Korean besides the hangeul we were obligated to study before we got here.) I got placed in the beginner class, no surprise, along with 80% of everyone else.
In the afternoon, we went on a photo scavenger hunt, looking for things such as a couple wearing "couple tees," a foreign car (which was surprisingly hard to find), a normal (American-sized) can of Coke and a woman smoking in public (which we didn't find at all).
a delivery vehicle
doing push-ups in Future Square
in front of E-Mart
We already have homework too: Cultural Adjustment Checks, which we turn in weekly (one due tomorrow). And in proper college procrastination style, I started this blog instead of my homework..
Two days ago (not including the day lost from flying through time zones), I flew from Allentown airport to Chicago O'Hare, and, after a 6 hour layover, connected to the 14-hour flight that took me to Incheon airport in Korea. We arrived a little after 4am yesterday and pretty much immediately took a 3-hour bus ride to Chuncheon.
this is what everyone looked like right after a 12-14 hour plane rideThen, I began my first steps into the "real world" with (what else?) orientation. Right after lunch on the day we arrived.
We're staying at a dormitory in Kangwon University. It's pretty much hot and humid and by the end of the day I feel like I'm swimming in my own sweat.. We've been having our meals at the cafeteria mostly (not a very good representation of Korean food I don't think). The university's KEY Club gave us a little tour of the campus.
Yesterday was such a long day, I passed out at the end of it at 9pm and woke up this morning at 6am thanks to jet lag. We jumped right into things after breakfast with a language placement test (reminded me of orientation at Kansai Gaidai in Japan). Although the Japanese language placement test would have been a lot easier if all we had to do was a 自己紹介 (self-introduction) and an interview which is what we did for the Korean placement test. (*I don't know any Korean besides the hangeul we were obligated to study before we got here.) I got placed in the beginner class, no surprise, along with 80% of everyone else.
In the afternoon, we went on a photo scavenger hunt, looking for things such as a couple wearing "couple tees," a foreign car (which was surprisingly hard to find), a normal (American-sized) can of Coke and a woman smoking in public (which we didn't find at all).
a delivery vehicle
doing push-ups in Future Square
in front of E-MartWe already have homework too: Cultural Adjustment Checks, which we turn in weekly (one due tomorrow). And in proper college procrastination style, I started this blog instead of my homework..
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