1. I enthusiastically use scissors to cut up my food. Maybe it's not elegant but it's just so convenient.
2. I use phrases like "same same," "it is your privacy," and "Oh! Do you know?!?" in everyday conversation.
3. I am horrified by wearing shoes indoors. Unless, of course, they are indoor shoes.
4. I don't find it strange when five different students fall off their chairs during one class period.
5. I feel really guilty if I'm tired and want to leave the bar before the sun rises. "I'm so sorry guys, I just can't hang. It's 4 am and I really just need to go home."
6. If I can't get my way I resort to making long whining noises until people give in.
7. Forks feel kind of big and clumsy...
8. "I'd like a cop-ae latte please. Yes, that's right, a coppee"
"Let's drink a few Cass-uh and go to the dance-uh club."
"What time is it? Oh, let me check my watchee."
9. My next boyfriend will have to wear matching outfits with me, hold my purse when we go out, and stage dramatic parting scenes on the subway.
--and--
10. It's a holiday and that can only mean one thing: drink soju with your coworkers until someone is dancing with a fire extinguisher while a few others sing horrendous karaoke and someone gets sexually harassed. I forget... is this standard practice in America as well???
Happy Holidays!
Showing posts with label culture clash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture clash. Show all posts
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
10 Things I'm Thankful for in Korea
better late than never.... here goes:
10. Being able to zone out or doodle during "meetings" at work and having a perfectly valid excuse (the meetings are in Korean)
9. No longer having to attend meetings at work because I just zone out while I'm there.
8. Being able to wear jeans and big comfy sweaters everyday to school, although I am not thankful that the school isn't heated.
7. Bibimbap - a big bowl of rice, vegetables, and spicy red paste available at nearly all Korean restaurants. Every vegetarian's best friend!
6. The old lady with the walker who I always pass on the way home from school. Every day she stops, gives me a huge grin, and starts speaking in Korea. I don't understand, so I just smile and say hello, but she never gives up.
5. My Friday third grade class. In the middle of a sea of inattentive, too cool, rowdy sixth grade classes, their enthusiastic little faces prevent me from having a break down.
4. Hongdae. Yes, I said it. I might be equally un-thankful for this nightlife hot spot, but those of you who know what I'm talking about, imagine life in Seoul without it...
3. Finally working up the courage to stop eating school lunch this semester. No, I don't like eating octopus tentacles and soup broth that's had beef (or who knows what) stewing in it all day. And unlike most Koreans I don't consider plain white rice and a side of kimchi a complete meal. I've come to terms with the fact that when you are permanently settled in a place, you can compromise between cultural immersion and personal well being.
2. Taiwan, Jeju, Tsushima, Thailand, the Philippines... Getting paid well in a secure job with great benefits - including ample vacation days.
and finally...
1. Taking a huge risk with the potential for colossal failure and ending up living a great adventure, making amazing friends, and loving it enough to stick around for another year.
10. Being able to zone out or doodle during "meetings" at work and having a perfectly valid excuse (the meetings are in Korean)
9. No longer having to attend meetings at work because I just zone out while I'm there.
8. Being able to wear jeans and big comfy sweaters everyday to school, although I am not thankful that the school isn't heated.
7. Bibimbap - a big bowl of rice, vegetables, and spicy red paste available at nearly all Korean restaurants. Every vegetarian's best friend!
6. The old lady with the walker who I always pass on the way home from school. Every day she stops, gives me a huge grin, and starts speaking in Korea. I don't understand, so I just smile and say hello, but she never gives up.
5. My Friday third grade class. In the middle of a sea of inattentive, too cool, rowdy sixth grade classes, their enthusiastic little faces prevent me from having a break down.
4. Hongdae. Yes, I said it. I might be equally un-thankful for this nightlife hot spot, but those of you who know what I'm talking about, imagine life in Seoul without it...
3. Finally working up the courage to stop eating school lunch this semester. No, I don't like eating octopus tentacles and soup broth that's had beef (or who knows what) stewing in it all day. And unlike most Koreans I don't consider plain white rice and a side of kimchi a complete meal. I've come to terms with the fact that when you are permanently settled in a place, you can compromise between cultural immersion and personal well being.
2. Taiwan, Jeju, Tsushima, Thailand, the Philippines... Getting paid well in a secure job with great benefits - including ample vacation days.
and finally...
1. Taking a huge risk with the potential for colossal failure and ending up living a great adventure, making amazing friends, and loving it enough to stick around for another year.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Miguk / Hanguk
So today is the first day of month 5 in Korea which is the ending of my first semester as a teacher. I never imagined that life would turn out so well, but so far its been five months of easy going contentment spiked with moments of hilarity and excitement. I've traveled to a few places in Korea (including the beautiful Honeymoon Island), been to Taipei and am currently planning my summer vacation in Thailand. I've been hiking, biking, bar hopping, sight seeing, festival going and just generally having a laugh with the girls (sometimes we let the boys come too). Unfortunately I have not yet been bungee jumping because after biking 40 km there weren't enough spots open so I have to wait. We were bitter enough about it to bike the 20 km home with more than a few Cass under our belts but it was a gorgeous day and I can't complain. On a side note it looks like a ridiculous amount of fun and I am going back as soon as possible.
I have been enjoying some great perks at my job such as half-day Wednesdays which will soon turn into "half-day every days" during summer vacation (and the even longer winter vacay!). Other perks include surprise watermelon eating fests, field trips and guaranteed hilarious englishee mishaps at least twice a week. The work weeks just seems to fly by and there is always something fun to look forward to on the weekend (for example, this week its a group adventure south to have a beach bbq for the 4th of july).
I've also begun to get serious about learning Korean. It no longer sounds so scary and foreign and now that I have learned to read and write speaking is getting easier. I have a class in my city once a week and my coteacher has been helping me as well. It is definitely slow going, but I feel like much less of a failure now that I am learning the basics.
So, yes, life is good and I am happy, but it's important to realize how fleeting this all is. Maybe in a way that's a part of why it feels so good. This is not a life I'll have forever and even while I'm here it is continually changing. This August a lot of close friends of mine will end their contracts and head home. The same will happen again in February while I am making some tough decisions of my own. For now I plan on enjoying every moment of this ridiculous journey. Korea has it's flaws and sometimes it is down right odd, but I've always had an affinity for the quirky so I'm fitting in just fine!
I recently came a across a list of "You know you've been in Korea too long when...." In honor of month 5 I'll share a few of my favorites. Also, for a glimpse of life in Seoul (a hilarious one at that) check out this video: "Kicking it in Geumchon" It is so accurate it scares me a little.
So finally the list (with a few additions of my own)...
You know you've been in Korea too long when...
...you don't mind paying more for coffee than for dinner.
... a roll of toilet paper at the dinner table doesn't bother you.
... you like to cut your food with scissors.
... you don't event nottice the misspelled signs in Englishee
... you know the name of at least five Korean celebrities and have downloaded at least 10 Kpop songs
... you hate Japan for no apparent reason.
... you bow to all your white friends
...you enjoy bad tasting instant coffee in luxury settings (or anywhere really).
... you wouldn't dream of wearing shoes in your house (gross!) and you find it perfectly acceptable to wear slippers at work.
... you've bought everything they sell on the subway.
... you can pronounce "hyundai" correctly
... you start using Konglish in general conversation
... you think any apartment bigger than 10 square feet is HUGE!
... you stop being surprised after laboring up a mountain for two hours and running into a young woman all dressed up in heals and a young man in a suit and tie.
... you're used to getting shoved out of the way by frail looking old ladies.
... you don't bother lining up for anything.
Thanks to whoever wrote these!!!
I have been enjoying some great perks at my job such as half-day Wednesdays which will soon turn into "half-day every days" during summer vacation (and the even longer winter vacay!). Other perks include surprise watermelon eating fests, field trips and guaranteed hilarious englishee mishaps at least twice a week. The work weeks just seems to fly by and there is always something fun to look forward to on the weekend (for example, this week its a group adventure south to have a beach bbq for the 4th of july).
I've also begun to get serious about learning Korean. It no longer sounds so scary and foreign and now that I have learned to read and write speaking is getting easier. I have a class in my city once a week and my coteacher has been helping me as well. It is definitely slow going, but I feel like much less of a failure now that I am learning the basics.
So, yes, life is good and I am happy, but it's important to realize how fleeting this all is. Maybe in a way that's a part of why it feels so good. This is not a life I'll have forever and even while I'm here it is continually changing. This August a lot of close friends of mine will end their contracts and head home. The same will happen again in February while I am making some tough decisions of my own. For now I plan on enjoying every moment of this ridiculous journey. Korea has it's flaws and sometimes it is down right odd, but I've always had an affinity for the quirky so I'm fitting in just fine!
I recently came a across a list of "You know you've been in Korea too long when...." In honor of month 5 I'll share a few of my favorites. Also, for a glimpse of life in Seoul (a hilarious one at that) check out this video: "Kicking it in Geumchon" It is so accurate it scares me a little.
So finally the list (with a few additions of my own)...
You know you've been in Korea too long when...
...you don't mind paying more for coffee than for dinner.
... a roll of toilet paper at the dinner table doesn't bother you.
... you like to cut your food with scissors.
... you don't event nottice the misspelled signs in Englishee
... you know the name of at least five Korean celebrities and have downloaded at least 10 Kpop songs
... you hate Japan for no apparent reason.
... you bow to all your white friends
...you enjoy bad tasting instant coffee in luxury settings (or anywhere really).
... you wouldn't dream of wearing shoes in your house (gross!) and you find it perfectly acceptable to wear slippers at work.
... you've bought everything they sell on the subway.
... you can pronounce "hyundai" correctly
... you start using Konglish in general conversation
... you think any apartment bigger than 10 square feet is HUGE!
... you stop being surprised after laboring up a mountain for two hours and running into a young woman all dressed up in heals and a young man in a suit and tie.
... you're used to getting shoved out of the way by frail looking old ladies.
... you don't bother lining up for anything.
Thanks to whoever wrote these!!!
Monday, April 6, 2009
North Korea: the Drama Queen of Asia
From the Korea Times:
NK Accuses Seoul of Poisoning Players Before Football Match
North Korea has made a belated accusation that South Korean hosts had incapacitated its football players just before a World Cup regional qualifier held here last week, urging the international football association FIFA to look into the matter."The main players of the football team of the DPRK could not get up due to serious vomiting, diarrhea and headaches since the night of March 31, just a day before the match," an unidentified spokesman for the North's football association was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency in a statement carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency.DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."It can be said that it was beyond all doubt that the incident was a product of a deliberate act perpetrated by adulterated foodstuff as they could not get up all of a sudden just before the match," the statement said.Seoul beat the North Korean team 1-0 in the Wednesday match.The North claimed its defeat was also partly due to what the spokesman called "biased" calls by referees and accused South Korean President Lee Myung-bak of being behind the plot."It is as clear as noonday that it was a product of the Lee Myung-bak group's moves for confrontation with the DPRK and a deliberate behavior bred by the unsavory forces instigated by it," it said.
NK Accuses Seoul of Poisoning Players Before Football Match
North Korea has made a belated accusation that South Korean hosts had incapacitated its football players just before a World Cup regional qualifier held here last week, urging the international football association FIFA to look into the matter."The main players of the football team of the DPRK could not get up due to serious vomiting, diarrhea and headaches since the night of March 31, just a day before the match," an unidentified spokesman for the North's football association was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency in a statement carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency.DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."It can be said that it was beyond all doubt that the incident was a product of a deliberate act perpetrated by adulterated foodstuff as they could not get up all of a sudden just before the match," the statement said.Seoul beat the North Korean team 1-0 in the Wednesday match.The North claimed its defeat was also partly due to what the spokesman called "biased" calls by referees and accused South Korean President Lee Myung-bak of being behind the plot."It is as clear as noonday that it was a product of the Lee Myung-bak group's moves for confrontation with the DPRK and a deliberate behavior bred by the unsavory forces instigated by it," it said.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A Musing
- Squat toilets: the Asian toilet of choice. Being on the fourth floor of my school means using the kiddy toilets or walking up and down three flights of stairs every time I have to pee. They are tiny - either my aim is going to be legendary or one day I am going to pee all over my pants.
- I'm convinced that the Beatles were ESL teachers in another life.
- Statement I really hate: "You don't have to help him, he's slow."
- I get paid overtime for work done during my normal school hours.
- Yes. The answer is yes, they definitely eat dog in Korea.
- I'm really glad my co-teacher isn't into hitting students with sticks... although sometimes I would like to.
- Turns out drinking bottles of whiskey and eating dried fish with Korean business men is a really fun way to pass the time.
- While passing the time in the manner listed above I found an in with Korean Air... in the cargo department. So what if I can't get free tickets? I have been assured that if I ever need to ship my body home I can get a discount. Sweet.
- In Korea I am actually 24 years old. Here you are born one year old and everyone turns another year old at the new year. Therefore, on the new year in 1987 I turned two. I don't like this.
- It's been a month and I still only know about three Korean words. It's a bit pathetic but I swear I'd do better if Korean words weren't each one hundred syllables long! Case in point: hello - annyeonghaseyo thank you - kamsahamnida Ooo and here's a new favorite! excuse me - shillehagessumnida (I have NOT learned this one yet)
- I really love how you say hello on the phone in Korea - it sounds like YO-BO-SAY-O but you have to say it with the right tone. I wish people called me more just so I could say it...
- I really enjoy writing random lists, although figuring out how to end them is hard.
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