Love in Korea

March 14, 2014

 

Happy White Day Everyone!!!

As I was walking to work this morning, I noticed a lot of shops with grand displays outside containing flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, etc.  I have heard of White Day before, but was unsure of the exact date.  When I got to work I got the low-down.   

I entitled this blog “Love” because in Korea, love is big.  In the U.S., February 14^th is Valentine’s Day, where the man gives flowers, chocolate, and/or jewelry to his female love.  Well, in Korea this works differently.  Every month on the 14^th there is a love-related day that people celebrate.  The most popular ones are in February, March, and April.  Here’s the run down:

 

January 14^th: Diary Day

            This is the day when couples or close friends exchange diaries/journals to one another as a way for the other person to record events throughout the year.  More exactly, it’s a way for them to write about one another and their time together.

February 14^th: Red Day/Valentine’s Day

            Unlike in the States, in Korea on this day the woman must give the man a gift.  This is not only for a special love, but also for coworkers and friends.  The men don’t have to do anything except enjoy the gift.

March 14^th: White Day

            This is the day when the men have to return the favor and give something to the women.  The trick here is that the man must spend at least 3 times as much on their gift to her as she spent for him.  This is, of course, the case with love relationships.  In the workplace, the men can give small boxes of chocolates to their coworkers (as I received today).

April 14^th: Black Day

            This day is for all the single people out there!  This is a more recently created holiday that is becoming more popular every year.  On this day, everyone who is single and did not receive anything for Red or White day spent Black Day eating Black foods.  This may sounds gross, but in Korea, there are many delectable dishes that are black, such as jajangmyeon (자장면) (noodles in a black bean paste).

May 14^th: Yellow Day/Rose Day

            On this day, couples typically wear yellow clothes and exchange roses to one another.  Single people eat yellow curry.  Yum!

June 14^th: Kiss Day

            As stated in the title, this day is spent kissing the one you love as often as possible to show your love for one another.

July 14^th: Silver Day

            Not only is this French Independence Day, it is also a day in Korea when couples exchange silver rings, better known in the States as “promise rings”.  This is when they typically promise to get married, kind of like an engagement.  It is also when a lot of couples choose to introduce their loved one to their parents.

August 14^th: Green Day

            Couples spend this day hiking, walking through the park, and just enjoying the green spaces all around them.  Despite the busy areas, Korea has a lot of beautiful mountains and green spaces where couples can take leisurely strolls in the warm summer night.   Singles enjoy the alcoholic beverage called soju (소주), which comes in a green bottle. 

September 14^th: Photo Day/Music Day

            On this day, couples take photos together being all lovey-dovey and then spend the night at a noraebang (노래방), literally translated as “singing room”, otherwise known as a karaoke bar. 

October 14^th: Wine Day

            As clearly stated in the name of the day, couples spend their time drinking wine and enjoying each other’s company as the weather begins to turn chilly.

 

November 14^th: Movie Day

            Couples watch movies on this day, eating popcorn and holding hands.  Aww.

 

December 14^th: Hug Day

            HUGS!  People everywhere are hugging!

 

So that is a general outline of the Korean love holidays.  I hope that has been informative and helpful. 

My coworkers were so sweet today!  One male teacher handed out little boxes of chocolate for all of the women and I had some female coworkers giving out chocolates, doughnuts, and someone even brought in 호 두 과 사, which a DELICIOUS sweet walnut bread.  I ate quite a few!  One student brought me a bag of sticky taffy.

Walking home I saw many couples holding hands and being romantic.  One was walking through the park, hands clasped, with the woman holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand.  So romantic.  J

 

 

 

사랑해요!!

 

My School in Korea

March 3, 2014

 

Today was the first day of the new semester at my Hagwon (private school).  This means that the students were moved up to their new classes at a higher level and I was teaching all day long.  I really like the schedule though because I move from room to room to complete lessons.  This may sound like a drag, however I like conversing with different children throughout the day and teaching each group different subjects at different levels. 

The day begins by removing my shoes in the foyer and adorning some lovely slippers that match my outfit so well!  (sarcasm alert!).   This is a tradition in Korea. Even in the apartments there is a small foyer with which to remove the shoes before entering the household.  I believe it is a sign of respect to not make the house filthy as many in traditional Korean home slept and ate on the floor and didn’t want to make their living areas dirty.  So, I along with all of the other teachers and the children must change into slippers before entering the school.

My school is on the eighth floor of a building in the middle of a trendy area.  It is cool to go up an elevator to the eighth floor, remove my shoes in the foyer, and be able to have some pretty sweet views from that high up.  Also, there is a KFC and a Starbucks right across the street that I can see from my classroom window, and a Dunkin Donuts around the corner.  Really funny!   

I was assigned to work with the 6-1 and 6-2 classes in the kindergarten.  These are the children who are 6 years old Korean age.  This age is different than in the U.S.  As I was told, and I may be wrong, but when you are born, you are 1.  When the Lunar New Year occurs, another year is added on.  So, for example, I am 27 today in international age, but am 29 in Korean age. It is interesting and also very confusing at times.  Sometimes I am not sure how old the children actually are.  They seem so little! 

The school set up and children are also very different than my previous kindergarten in the U.S.  Here, the children have periods, like in an American high school, only they stay in their homerooms and the teachers move from room to room (probably because they are so little).  The children are also dressed in uniforms and bring their own backpacks with the school name and logo.  The foreign teacher’s job (i.e. me) is to make the children happy, otherwise the children will be unhappy, complain to their parents and I am in hot water.  So, we laugh, play games, and complete the correct number of workbook pages I have been assigned to work on. 

The workbook thing is something else that is completely different than my previous employer.  Before, I wrote all of my own lesson plans and made the curriculum based on the children’s interests and had play as the main focus of the day. Here, play is definitely incorporated, however it is in a limited space with limited time and little room for creativity.  The workbooks are something that I am not used to, however I do like them in a way. As long as not too many pages are assigned, I still have the freedom to make the learning fun with games and other activities.  The children also crave the workbooks, since they have been using them from an early age, and the parents expect their children to complete the books as it is an indication of the amount they have learned.  For example if Susie doesn’t finish her book, then she is behind and not smart.  This is something that is a bit more challenging to get used to culturally, but I accept it as is because I am assimilating into their culture.  I can see the results of this method.  On the one hand, the children are losing creativity and statistically Korean adults are some of the unhappiest in the world, however education wise, the children are incredibly advanced!  They are fluidly speaking, reading, listening, and writing 2 languages by early elementary age.  It is massively impressive.  I think Americans (politicians) really needs to get their butts into gear and work on the education system in the U.S.  Working on key skills in early childhood and a adopting a stricter system and curriculum will, in my opinion, yield far better results so we won’t be subpar with the world in education. 

In terms of names, the children are also all assigned English names from the beginning of their induction into the school.  Some of the names are cute, trendy, and compliment the child, whereas other names are old fashioned and do not match the child at all!  It is kind of amusing. It does, though, make remembering all of their names even more difficult because their names don’t really match who they are.  It’s tough, but also important for them to begin their English immersion at the school.

Only English can be spoken at the Hagwon, and the children are reprimanded with a stern word when they speak Korean.  Obviously this is more relaxed with the younger children, simply because they don’t know very much English.  The teacher of the 5years said that many of her children only knew the word “pickles”! 

The children also receive a hot lunch everyday (as do I as I partake with the children).  I enjoy the hot meal with them as it is a good time to continue English learning with manners and a good way to get to know them better (such as who is the slowest eater in class!).  Every day, the children take out their lunch trays from the backpacks along with their spoon and chopsticks.  The tray has 5 little compartments: 2 large and 3 small.  The rice is served in the large compartment on the left hand side with the soup served on the right.  Kimchi (the spicy cabbage) is always served as well and is placed in the top middle small area.  The other two small compartments are a vegetable and a protein of some kind (tofu, egg, chicken, etc).  The cook is amazing!  Not only is she a very nice woman, she is also an excellent cook!  The rice is always perfect and I love the veggies and Kimchi.  Yum!

By 2:30, the kindergarten children on the bus and heading home and the elementary kids start coming in.  They have already been to school all day and are at the Hagwon to learn English. Obviously their curriculum is more intense because they are older and have acquired more English-speaking skills.  They are able to read far better than a lot of American children older than them, and the Korean children are reading in their second language!  I am still amazed at how far along these children are. 

Overall, the children are very kind, cute, and respectful.  They know the routines well and I really have very little discipline problems.  Yeah, some are very chatty and silly in class, but the small class sizes make these issues much easier to handle. In some classes I have seven children, others I have ten.  In one elementary class in the afternoon I only have two students!  I am really impressed with how the children really do act like sponges and I can see their progress so quickly!  They speak English much better than I thought they would before I arrived in Korea.  They amaze me.  J

좋은 하루!

Seoul Hiking from Dongdaemun to Seodaemun and Prison Museum

March 1, 2014

I had an awesome Saturday!  Last week I signed up to do a hike around Seoul with the Seoul Hiking Group on Facebook.  It was the best decision!  The night before a friend showed me how to use the subway system and it is super easy!  You just take your transport card (to be bought and filled at any convenience store or at the station) and then you swipe in upon entering the terminal and then find your line.  Now from where I live, there is only Line 1, which is one of the main lines, luckily.  For today's trip, I just had to stay on this line for about and hour and twenty minutes until I reached Dondaemun Station.  So in the morning, I walked to the station (I may have gotten on the wrong road, but I got myself to the station anyway!) and got on the incorrect platform.  I didn’t think it was correct so I asked a Korean man, “Seoul Yuk?” which means Seoul Station.  He pointed me to the right direction.  I thanked him in Korean and then hopped over to the correct place. 

I met up with the group outside of the Dongdaemun station and we set off from there walking.  We walked straight from the bustling city streets of Seoul to mountains all in a few steps.  We climbed and climbed and climbed!  The amount of stair-steps I walked today astounds me.  I wish I brought a pedometer to measure all of the steps.  Anyway, we walked along the fortress wall that once surrounded a vast area of Korea to protect it from outside soldiers.  It was built over 500 years ago, and some of the original stone still remains.  Along the way were traditional Korean homes that people are still living in as well as pagodas in little niches adjacent to the wall.

 

   

Along the walks on the street I saw a shop with a traditional Korean garb displayed in the window.  I have seen this before, however I am still amazed at how vastly different it is from the Japanese kimono when Japan is so close to Korea in location.  I like the Korean clothing, however, with the large dress at the bottom and the stylized jacket on top.  I haven’t learned the names of each of these pieces yet, but I will!

 

As we climbed higher, the views became more and more amazing.  Unfortunately Saturday was not the best day for this hike simple because of the high amount of smog that blew over from China.  That definitely made me sad.  On a clear day, you could see all of Seoul and beyond from the tops of those mountains! 

 

The hike itself was definitely a heart-pounder because of the incredible amount of steps to undertake!  Ahjummas (older ladies) were passing us, so I knew that it could be done.  I felt like an out-of-shape American with the Koreans not only passing me, but passing me well dressed! I was huffing and puffing, along with all the other foreigners in my group. 

 

We continued along the wall climbing and then we reached the military area, where I had to fill out a paper about myself and they had to check my passport.  After this, I then wore a tallow tag around my neck to identify me as a visitor.  You may ask yourself, “Could I place my yellow tag under my jacket?” and the answer is most definitely NO.  Some foreigners did and the guard, and there were A LOT along the way, stopped them and told them to keep it out. Some of the men were actually military in their camouflage gear and holding a serious rifle.  It was kind of frightening.  So, I stayed in line and kept my tag out! 

At one point in the climb, we stopped at a resting area and I saw that we had climbed 293 meters above sea level so far.  Then I turned and saw the next part of the mountain to climb.  It was steep and high!  I was very glad for a break to rest and have some delicious chocolate tea biscuits another hiker gave to me.     

After climbing the really steep next part, we reached the top and it was 342 meters up.  A large boulder was there and I climbed on to get my picture taken.  I was at the very top of the mountain!  It was really amazing…until a Korean man gruffly told me to move in Korean!  Well, I enjoyed my minute at the top!

 

Then there was more climbing on top of more mountains and very steep steps or rocks down.  I bit scary, but I survived!  We walked around to a place called the Zen Rock where people go to pray for many things, such as for children. We had to be completely silent there and we watched as the men and women lit incense and candles and knelt on mats in front of the rock to pray. It was beautiful being so high up the mountain in a peaceful area where you feel that you are becoming one with your surroundings. It was awe-inspiring. 

We then climbed down this mountain and made our way to the more bustling parts of Seoul where we stopped at an old prison and looked around.  It was VERY busy, mainly because in Korea, March 1^st is Independence Movement Day in Korea.  I saw the prison cells where they had fake prisoners and guards randomly placed.  They were creepy looking!  There were more ceremonies outside for this special day and on the buildings outside were two GIANT Korean flags.  They were really huge!

 

Finally it was dinner time and Warren, our leader, took us to a hole-in-the-wall Korean BBQ restaurant in a marketplace.  They ordered some makgeolli, a rice based alcoholic drink, which was really good, and then they grilled the pork on the circular BBQ in the middle of the table.  I had the tofu soup which was spicy and delicious! 

 

Overall it was a fantastic day and I will definitely be signing up for more hikes with Warren in the future.  I was so happy be outdoors getting exercise and meeting new and interesting people along the way.  I definitely made a lot of friends yesterday and left feeling very happy (though my quads will probably hurt tomorrow from all those steps!).    

 

평화

 

 

 

First Day Craziness!

February 25, 2014

Today was a very interesting day and not how I thought it would go.  My director picked me up at 9 this morning to take me to the hospital for the medical exam I need in order to stay in the county.  My director is a woman not to be messed with, just to let you know.  She walks as if there is a fire on her butt and doesn’t slow down for anything.  Think of a typical American business woman on her phone while driving, breastfeeding, and drinking coffee all while mapping out the work schedule for the day, only multiply that by 10.  That is my director.

I say this because I was rushed from one room to another where they measured my eye sight (which I thought I would fail that test haha), my hearing, my height, weight, and blood pressure.  They then pushed me to the bathroom and told me to pee in a cup.  I was then rushed to another room and told to lay down and pull my shirt up.  So far up that everything was exposed, but I was NOT to completely remove my shirt.  Honestly, it would been easier just to remove the shirt.  Anyway, the doctor then clips these, well, clips on my wrists, ankles, and bare chest (yes, even those…) to measure my heart.  I was a bit mortified because that was never done like that before!  Anyway, she finishes, I dress and then they sit me at the desk and stick a needle in my arm to draw blood.  Before I could say “ow” I was rushed to another room on the first floor where they took an x-ray of my chest.  I then speed-walked across the hospital lobby to meet with another doctor.  After sitting in the waiting room for literally 5 seconds, my director was tapping her feet and calling every nurse to ask when it was my turn.  I then get called in, the doctor listens to my heart, says I’m good and we leave.

Yeah.  That was only the beginning of my day. 

She then took me to the Paris Baguette shop and told me to pick out some bread…quickly.  I chose two items and she grabbed some milk.  She paid and we ran to the car and drove to the school.  When we got there (after she parked in the handicap spot, oh and p.s. she’s not handicapped) we went to the 8^th floor where the school is and I was told to sit and eat in the teacher’s room. I ate it quickly (not really knowing what was to happen next) and waited.  Another teacher gave me a tour of the small school and then a Korean teacher handed me a schedule for the day.  I followed it to a tee, observing the classrooms and helping out where I could.  In the afternoon, they had an orientation for the new Kindergarten students and their moms.  I, along with the other teachers, had to introduce ourselves and then do a song with the children.  We then took the kids into classrooms and did a “cooking” activity where they assembled hamburgers, one for them and one for mom.  The kids were then dropped off to their parents and we were pretty much done. 

Overall I like the school.  The children are as cute as anything and the class sizes are small. The children know a lot more English than I thought they would and they are fast learners.  I am looking forward to working with them. 

After work some of the teachers and I went out to dinner around the corner from where I work in Dongtan and I ordered Kimbimbab.  I enjoy this rice and veggie meal, though I look forward to trying other foods soon too. 

Oh and I took the bus home with two teachers.  This was my first time on a Korean bus and it was a very bumpy ride.  A lot of stopping short and I was dismayed at having put 2000 won in the box and not receiving change.  I should have gotten 900 back, but here they don’t have those automatic money payment things on the buses, where you zip the money in like a vending machine and it spits out the correct change.  Here I put the money in and the driver was impatient as he gestured for me to keep moving.  I wasn’t going to argue with a grumpy Korean!

When I got home everyone else went out to meet people or do classes.  I spent the evening working out the subway maps and finding events to do in the area or around Seoul.  I’ll keep you updated on any fun adventures I undertake!

 

안녕!

 

My Neighborhood

February 24, 2014

 

After getting settled a bit in the apartment this morning, I decided to go out for a walk to check out where I live.  I took a picture of the placard on the wall of my address, just in case I didn’t find my way back (which is highly probable knowing me).

I walk out and where there were lights on the buildings last night, today I see tons of billboard-style ads and signs on the buildings. These buildings are tall too!  The signs just keep on going up with them.  The corner off of where I live seems to be the main intersection until you get to the highway on either end of the main street.  I say this because there were more lanes for the cars and the street had a lot of signs, stores, and pedestrians.  I concluded that this must be an important street.  Anyway, I walk up and down one side of the main street and look into the shop windows and just try to get a feel for how things are configured and sold.  There were stores for everything from lingerie and shoes to fruit and meat.  I continued walking around the corner and found a nice little play area for children.  There was a climber and benches.  It was so cute!  Next to this there was a market going on where they were selling fish, waffles, clothes, treats, and spices.  It was really cool.  After walking this for a bit, I decided to head back to the main street where I saw some oranges being sold.  One woman asked the man how much for the bowl, he told her, and then bagged it up.  I thought, “I could do that!”.  So I asked in English, more so using gestures, to ask how much for a bowl of the big oranges.  He said 10,000 Won and I agreed.  It’s a lot of oranges and will last the week.  Yay! 

It’s a beautiful day too!  About 50 degrees F.  I think I might go back out after lunch and see if I can buy some rolls at the “Paris Baguette” store around the corner.  It would be a good idea to have food for breakfast.  Fun adventures!  J

안녕!

 

  Yeah Dominos!  Where's Victor?

 Really Tall!!

The cute little children's park I found.

At the market behind the playground.

 

Traveling to Korea

February 24, 2014

Hello from South Korea!  Yes, I made it here safely and surprisingly had a really good flying experience.  Philly to Chicago was not a problem, though security in Chicago took FOREVER!  Made it to my gate and walked onto the Asiana aircraft and was in awe.  It was a very large plane. Three rows with 3 seats in each.  There were about 40 of these 9 seat rows through the whole plane.  I was in seat 31A, which means a window.  Not cool for a 14 hour trip to be squished with 2 people next to me. However, the plane was not filled, so the couple who were supposed to sit next to me moved elsewhere and I got the entire row to myself!  I was very happy about that. 

The service on the plane was great.  The flight attendants were polite and you were offered a drink pretty much every hour.  The food was good too. My first meal was Kimbimbab, a Korean dish with veggies and rice.  There was also a side cup containing some little dried up sea creatures. I opened it, got a whiff, saw the eyes, and promptly closed it. That was not for me.  After receiving small snacks packs throughout, the final meal was rice.  I got a dish containing one half rice and one half Kimchi, a spicy cabbage.  I started eating and then realized that under some Kimchi there were a few tentacles.  Yes, tentacles. If you know me at all, you know that tentacles on a living breathing octopus freak me out, let alone chopped up into bits in my food.  So needless to say, I pushed those aside and ate the rice.

Above is the first meal, Kimbimbab.  It came with a tube of Korean spicy pepper paste.  I didn’t use it though, the spicy Kimchi was enough for me!

Below is the second meal.  Yup, there’s tentacles in that bowl there on the left.  The rice was good though!

Incheon Airport is a really nice airport.  I managed to find everything very easily and it was very clean.  I went through the usual, immigration, baggage claim, and customs without any problems.  They did lose the tag on my blue suitcase unfortunately and they ripped the front, but I am just glad it arrived along with me.  I exchanged some money at the currency exchange booth and then headed out to the mass of people waiting for the loved ones.  I had to wait about 20 minutes for Kim, the man who words at EduCon, to pick me up.  Apparently there was no parking and the airport was abnormally busy.    Anyway, he drove the hour and a half to the apartment building and I met three other teachers there.  They are having me stay in this one apartment until the one teacher moves out, and then I move to the building next door into her apartment. 

The apartment is not bad.  There a working bathroom and the bed is long, which is nice.  I was afraid I would be too tall for a normal bed here.  The one Korean teacher set me up with a package of teeth cleaning products (toothbrush, paste, and a tongue cleaner) along with shampoo, conditioner, a tiny towel, a bottle of water, a fork and spoon pack, and some bread and juice in the fridge.  I didn’t realize until later that there was no toilet paper. I am just glad I brought my little travel Charmin toilet paper pack.

Utensils and Tooth Kit

 mmm, breakfast and lunch!

 

 

So today I need to head out and explore, if anything just to try and buy some food.  I learned the trick to converting the money.  One Dollar equals about 1000 Won.  So if an apple is 4000 Won, then it is $4.  That makes life a bit easier.  The language and writing system is something that will take a lot of practice and getting used to.  I think it will get better with practice and using it, along with hearing it spoken.     

Oh, so the neighborhood my apartment is in is labeled as a “suburb”, but it is not like an American suburb.  I was in awe last night walking through the “town” with the other teachers because it is most definitely a city.  There are tall buildings everywhere and bright lights on every building.  There are lots of cars, people, trash, and noise, and that was just from seeing it on a Sunday night!  I cannot imagine what it must be like out there now on a Monday morning. I will find out soon as I head out though!

 

안녕!

 

 

Pre-Departure!

February 13, 2014

I got my flight and visa information a few days ago and it has been a whirlwind ever since!  Having a concrete date of departure for February 22^nd is a relief that I have been waiting a long time for.  I sent my passport in to the Korean consulate in New York and just got it back yesterday (which was a relief to have it back in my possession again).  At this point, I am just getting last minute stuff done. 

Last night the Literacy Council (the school where I teach English to adults in the evening) threw me a nice little Bon Voyage party.  That was really nice to see how much people are going to me miss me and to know how much they care.  They are a truly wonderful group of people. Nancy made little cherry cheesecakes and they got two of those large chocolate chip cookie cakes with writing on top.  One said “Good Luck Ashley” and the other said “Anneyong” in English and Korean. So Cool! 

Tomorrow is my last day of work.  Did I mention today is a snow day?  Yup!  We got a HUGE nor’easter storm and we got over a foot of snow dumped on us.  So I am home today, which was excellent for getting stuff done and spending time with the kitties.  Tomorrow is my official last day and I couldn’t be more glad of it.  I am ready to move on to something new.  After work Victor and I are headed to his parents to have a goodbye party up there.  I’m super excited about that!  I am hoping the roads are okay despite the huge snowfall we have gotten.  

Other weather concerns plague me about the flight as well.  I’ll be flying into Chicago, which everyone knows that Chicago in winter is not good.  Snow snow snow!  I really hope I don’t get stranded in the airport in Chicago!  AHH!  Although I hear it is a nice airport…  Think of the positives!  I checked the weather forecast ad it looks like heavy rain in Chicago for Saturday, which is much better than snow.  Much much better!

 

I'm rambling!  Sorry.  Other posts will be more interesting as I begin my adventure!

 

안녕!!