December 23, 2009
Some of my students wanted to say Merry Christmas to my friends and family and decided to sing a familiar tune. Make sure you wait for the best part which is in the middle when Michael starts hitting Angel, yelling “Time!” and calling her crazy. Ha. I love my students.
And I love and miss you all as well of course! :0)
Merry Christmas!
December 20, 2009
One of the first things I noticed upon arriving here was how suspiciously familiar the coffee shop next to my work place looked. The color, logo, layout… they all looked exactly like a certain ubiquitous coffee shop I’d left behind in Minnesota.
And that’s how I met Starbuck’s South Korean brother… Tom & Tom’s. Actual Starbucks exist here as well but I guess sibling rivalry is not as strong in Korea because Starbucks is letting Tom & Tom’s co-exist with him here. Maybe someday he’ll let him move to the US as well but that’s doubtful. 
And in other news I’ve uploaded more pictures to good old facebook, which is available to public viewing (regardless of whether you have a facebook account) here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30713634&l=c9a97d5ce6&id=110400019
And I’ve uploaded an additional album dedicated to the plethora of trendy, odd pencil cases I see everyday. I’ve included one picture below. If you’d like to see the rest you can do so here (again, public viewing so even if you don’t have facebook you’ll be able to see them): Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2022618&id=110400019&l=9128a7fc51
December 15, 2009
Once upon a time…long ago… in a magical land called NCU, I decided to pull a prank on a friend, which ended disastrously, as all my pranks do. And as an “apology” for that prank I decided to create the weirdest comic ever… out of my PC notepad application
I’d actually forgotten about it but have recently been rummaging through my old xanga on the hunt for some previous writing for a project and happened to find this “what the hell?” moment.
Yes, Yes, I had a xanga, for about two (ish) years in college. But then, so did those fabulous and intellectual gurus Christopher Fletcher and Josiah Norton, and talented photographer/creative crazy man Simon McConico (who the “apology comic” was actually created for). So take that modern bloggers who sniff with disdain at the “has been” that is xanga.
Due to being technologically impaired (which hasn’t changed) the comic basically consists of drawings done solely by mouse, with dashes of painting and typed captions scattered here and there. I thought I’d share it out of nostalgia and just for a silly laugh- as it really is the epitome of the word silly… and just plain odd.
Here’s a segment to “whet your appetite.”
And if you want to read the rest you’ll have to click here. Enjoy!
December 4, 2009
It’s been three months and I still feel like an “observer” rather than someone who’s actually living here. Some things are “familiar” in that I know which aisle the yogurt is at in E-mart, though i still can’t read what the majority of them say. I also know where some of my favorite restaurants are but have still only tried 15% of the dishes served in those restaurants due to every single item being completely new to me and my ability to only eat one at a time.
I take the same path to work, sometimes changing a few streets to “spice it up” now and then but EVERY SINGLE TIME I see something new… no matter how often I’ve walked the same path.
I’m starting to understand some of the why’s and what’s and how’s of various customs and traditions but am still very much aware that despite this knowledge I’m not really a “part” of it all.
It’s a strange, strange thing. I’m “in” this new world but almost feel like I’m not really “in” so much as I’m walking around on top of it… as though South Korea were inside of one of those glass shaking globes… and I’m turning it round and round, peering at the sights, shaking it up and down to see what else I’ve missed.
But I’m already very much in love with some of the people and things here. One of the most surprising discoveries I’ve made here is how much the people love to laugh and have fun. Everything is colorful, bright, exciting, adventurous.
When it comes to fashion especially, everything and anything goes. I’ve had boys come to class wearing bright pink pants. I laugh almost every day because there is almost always something to laugh about. And as cliche as this may sound the kids are definitely doing a number on my heart.
And now for some photos…
We went to a restaurant that serves a massive amount of food by rolling an entire table full of it to the empty table you sit at, and then sliding that table on top of your empty table.
poor little dead sea creature…
almost everytime i see any signs in English, they have a typo of this sort… and it always makes me laugh… this particular typo is just perfect.
this is from the wall inside one of my favorite coffee shops (Minto). the atmosphere of this place is beyond amazing and this wall is just one of many.
found this sign in the subway- it definitely made me laugh. Smoke SOS! “Oh honey I’m so glad we bought those phantom of the opera masks for our Smoke SOS situations. They’re soooo much trendier!”
my students ALWAYS carry these crazy and imaginative pencil cases (and must each have a huge assortment as they usually have a new one each day). Peter brought this one Monday. Notice the english phrase at the bottom?
one of my students (Angel) who recently attained her black belt and decided to wear her uniform to school. She gave me a demonstration at which point I quickly discovered she could totally take me… anytime.
the subway is full of these cartoon signs depicting what you should and should not do whilst riding the subway. they crack me up. i’m not sure what exactly this particular guy is doing “wrong” but he does look like he’s saluting and has a mean face. they also always give the person doing the “wrong” thing a pig nose… haha…
I decided to make my own tree by painting 6 separate trees, gluing them to my wall in “tree” formation and adding some painted decorations. I then picked up some lights at the store and plugged them in to discover they also blink (and then clapped my hands in delight.). My room now looks very “christmasy.”
The End- until next time.
December 1, 2009
…how vital it is to create. how vital creating is to feeling alive. there’s something about…
*i know it might seem odd that i didn’t just post my thoughts here, but… it just fits better with my tumblr collection of favorite creations via various internet sources…. you’ll see what i mean.
November 20, 2009
**I know I promised photos and they ARE coming soon! But in the meantime…
I used to frequently engage in texting many of my friends about funny or random occurrences. As that’s no longer an option I’ve actually been keeping a little green notebook in my bag at all times, which I try to remember to pull out and jot notes in whenever something unusual happens. It’s not that sharing these things is a necessity… perhaps some of said friends were relieved about my moving to another continent ensuring those texts would no longer occur (haha too bad I’ve resorted to other measures!) But it’s just a stupid compulsion I can’t rid myself of, which I hope, nonetheless, will entertain you in even the smallest fashion.
** This first portion of “Things I Would Have Texted” is actually solely dedicated to a book I recently picked up in a Korean bookstore. I decided to save the other things in my little notebook for another note as this one is quite long without it (you are welcome)
And so without further ado, here is
So I bought a couple of “teach yourself Korean” books from a local bookstore. I should have looked at them better before buying them because I’ve discovered that one of them called “Surviving Korean” is more funny than it is helpful. It contains a slew of the most ridiculous and random things I’m almost 90% sure I’ll never have a reason to say… and if I do my little green notebook will fill up fast! Here are some examples: (and yes these are directly copied from the book.)
“She has beautiful legs.” (I’m not sure how this qualifies as a ’survival’ phrase?)
“He is a real estate broker.”
“Bananas are long.” (I guess if I’m REALLY desperate for a conversation filler that will make me seem extremely awkward this might do… )
“There are many kangaroos in Australia” (Once again, what does this have to do with surviving KOREA???)
“Would you go to see the ‘Fever of Saturday Night?’” (!??!!?!?!?!?!?)
“The machine lifts up the rocks.” (The book provides absolutely no explanation as to WHY I would ever need to say this… just this phrase with the Korean pronunciation and symbols below it.)
“I am pretty.” (Apparently this is for when I need to give myself a pep talk in Korean as there is NO way I am going to go around saying this to anyone.)
“A queen has dignity.” (Why? When? Why? In what logical universe will I ever need to consider this a survival phrase!?)
“Please, grind the strawberries.” (!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Once again… What!? And what if I want someone to blend or smush rather than grind them? Or what if I want to eat them whole!? Come on survival book, you’re failing me miserably! Also, what exactly do you grind a strawberry for????)
“My teeth are shiny.” (I do want to say this one only because it is SO RIDICULOUS!)
“Wind blows.” (Yep… just like that. Wind blows. I can picture myself saying this and then hearing crickets chirping in the background because really… what WOULD your response be to someone saying, “Wind blows.”)
“That xylophone is cute.” (I promise I’m not making these up.)
“A bomb is dangerous.” (Oh goodie… Now if I run into a Korean creating a bomb I can accurately explain this is a bad idea.)
“Look, there is border!” (Yes they forgot the “a” between is and border, but more importantly I suppose this phrase is vital if I’m kidnapped to North Korea and have to make a run for it. If I hear someone yell this I’ll know I’m close to SK again… har de har har.)
“I’m here to claim a traffic sign.” (So if my traffic sign gets arrested, I guess I can always use this handy dandy phrase from my survival book… )
“Sleeping with an enemy.” (Yep, just like that. I’m not sure why survival in Korea necessitates knowing this odd and incomplete sentence but then, I probably don’t want to know.”
“Eyebrows are above the eyes.” (Aaaand we’re back to the awkward conversation fillers!)
“Illegal parking lot” (Um… am I suppose to look for signs with this phrase so I know they’re illegal and don’t park there?)
And that’s it for now folks… I love and miss you all, (especially the harrassing you with text-messages part).
*** Part II coming to a blog post note near you on a date that is yet to be determined.
October 25, 2009
I’ve been realizing I ought to try and take more pictures. Sometimes when I’m out walking I find myself wishing my eyes were little cameras and with one blink would start recording the things I see. There’s just too much to take in. My normal walk to work is no longer a “normal” walk to work in that I’m not still not used to the sights and sounds and smells. Every day I see something that makes me chuckle or want to whip out my teensy notebook expressly meant to jot down things I’d like to remember.
I suppose I could whip my camera out more but I feel like such a dork taking pictures all the time and as my camera is obviously common I can’t pull off the “I’m a photographer and these shoots are clearly for my flickr account so scootch over you’re ruining my scene” look.
And while I’m honestly thrilled about being in another country, I find myself really missing people back home and wishing I could share my experiences with them. I always had this hunch that the most beautiful parts of life are not necessarily the scenes you see or events you attend and instead are the people you see/attend them with. And now I’m even more convinced of that.
It’s weird this feeling of truly enjoying my surroundings while also truly missing people at the same time. I’ve always loathed (and sometimes ranted) about that expression “you can’t have your cake and eat it too,” but I guess that might fit in this instance. (Although I still say the expression itself is completely ludicrous. Cakes are meant for eating so in that respect you CAN have your cake and eat it too!)
All this to say I’m going to make a better effort to take pictures and put at least a few up with my posts from now on. Even though I can’t have you (the people I love and enjoy) here with me, and I am no longer there to force you to smell the latest tea I’ve discovered, or give you copies of a book I think you really need to read (ha) I CAN still take pictures and write mini stories and relentlessly e-mail you in an attempt to make you look at and read them.
Miss you all… a lot.
-Me
October 11, 2009
Hey artsy friends (there are many of you). Go to http://phoenixrenovatio.wordpress.com
read “Gallery Request: Doubt”, follow the directions and submit something.
The End.
P.S. I also recommend reading the other articles on this site if you enjoy challenging and thought provoking stuff. It’s blogs like the one above which make me wish the synapses firing in my brain would do so at a more efficient rate.
October 5, 2009
In Minneapolis I had a few favorite reading spots, chosen not only for the ambience of the destined location, but the route I had to take to get there. I love walking, especially through beautiful areas, and seeking out a “special spot.” I wasn’t literally invisible to the public in those spots, but in my mind I was and I would spend hours reading and writing and mulling and people watching
Today I decided to take a walk to a park I’d discovered a week or so ago, in hopes I’d find a new place to do the aforementioned activities and engage in a combination of contemplative and nonsensical thoughts.
So I followed a fenced garden, along which was planted a row of incredible and mysterious dark fuschia bushes… when I turned the corner the inside of the fence was lined with the proud, tall faces of sunflowers. Crossing the street from that garden led me to the park and inside of the park I found a bench sitting in the perfect patch of sunshine.
And the very best part of all is that while I sat and read my Roald Dahl book, and wrote in my journal, dragonflies kept landing on my shoes and on my hands… they would sit for a few minutes and fly off due to a slight nudge on my part, only to be replaced by another a few minutes later… and now, I am forever ruined for normal spots, that are not laced with sunflowers and inhabited by dragonflies….
September 22, 2009
I do not like hospitals. I never have, and probably never will. I’ve also never understood the architecture of most hospitals. It’s as if the fear of dying or having some disease is simply not enough and the architects said, “Hey, let’s add the ugliest and most unfortunate shades of grey, yellow or brown, harsh lighting and mountains of starchy fabric in the form of pillow cases, sheets, nurse uniforms etc, AND make them colossal and impossibly hard to navigate!” The “information” desks are always put into some less than ideal corner and the maps are often giant blocks of color that mean absolutely nothing unless you search out the 2nd “wall” map telling you what each color means.
And actually this is probably where my biggest problem with most hospitals lies. I tend to get lost in them. Well, in all truth, I tend to get lost within 5 inches of anywhere, but in hospitals it’s a given. Leave me in a hospital, armed with any and all sorts of directions and I will, inevitably, get lost.
Combine this propensity for easily getting lost with the leaving of me in a foreign hospital full of signs I cannot read along with people I cannot understand/who cannot understand me… and you’ve got the recipe for one of the more arduous experiences I’ve had since arriving in South Korea.
This morning the director of my school took me to the hospital for the “medical check” necessary for sustaining my visa. I was already somewhat nervous about the “getting a medical check in another country” part and what that entails, but I figured I’d just get through it and be done.
As previously stated hospitals already confuse me, and this Korean hospital was LARGE and full of signs in Hangeul. It was also full of distracting oddities such as people selling shoes in the hallways, so when we arrived I found most of my attention captured by things going on around me and was not taking note of the path we were taking. I also assumed I’d be led wherever I needed to go as this is how it’s been since I arrived, whether I always want it or not.
However, Mr. Lee did not seem to know where we were going either so we spent quite a bit of time wandering 3 floors and asking various people at desks where we should be. This further muddled even my vaguest notion of where we’d started and were now ending up.
Upon finally locating the correct desk Mr. Lee informed me the principal was supposed to meet me but was running late. He then explained he had to leave and I should wait for her. I definitely did not have any intentions of wandering about and also did not have the first clue as to what was expected of me so I sat down and proceeded to “wait” until I was brought out of my sleepy reverie at the sound of “Sumo?… Sumo?” (which is how almost everyone here pronounces my name).
I looked up, realized the man at the front desk was gesturing to me and made my way forward. I was then informed I would need to visit the cashier’s desk to pay, go to the x-ray area and then head back to this location for the remaining procedures. And by “informed” I mean they had to say this about 5 times in choppy half sentences and various gestures before I caught on to what they were saying. It then also dawned on me that I was going to have to do this alone since my “companion” had deserted me.
After further gesturing and bewildered looks on my part, (I think they realized there was no one to help me out) the lady behind the counter took pity and led me to the “cashier” area where I could pay for the check up. She then pointed at a seat to wait for the cashier, said something to the equivalent of “after pay x-ray 1st floor, next find me” and smiled. I said “sure” (while inwardly screaming “I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?” and attempted a smile and a half nod, which I’m sure made me look more queasy than anything and… she left.
…. Now of all the things I imagined happening during this medical check I did not anticipate wandering about this intensely large hospital, trying to find the stations I ought to be at based on what I “guessed/hoped” was told to me. Nor did I anticipate I would be going through x-rays, getting my blood drawn and other procedures without anyone to translate what they were saying to me. Of all the ways to make a hospital visit more terrifying… try going through one where you can understand about 3 of the words being said to you.
And to top that off I had about 3 minutes left on my pre-paid cell phone so using that was not an option as eventually I would need it to locate my principal and get out of there!
So…. I took a big breath and sat down. Upon further inspection of the location I realized there were little neon signs above each desk, flashing numbers. This was actually something I recognized and it occurred to me that I’d probably have to acquire one of those numbers in order to visit the cashier desk. And so I got up and successfully hunted down the number dispensing machine, waited for my number to be called, handed over the paper filled with NOTHING that I could read, (for all I knew it could have said I was getting my left leg and a kidney removed) and paid my fee.
That was the easy part. I was now supposed to find the “x-ray” area… somewhere. Now if this part of the event were being shown on CSI or some other detective show, the screen would freeze on a close up of my eyes and turn into a fuzzy memory of past events, because suddenly I remembered that during the previous “wandering” done with Mr. Lee we had stopped at one desk and I’d heard the lady say “x-ray.” Thanks to spending 4 weeks with very little English spoken to me, my ear now catches anything and everything remotely understandable thrown it’s way. And luckily it caught that particular word.
On a small sidenote, I’d like to say that people have been making fun of my “way” of finding places for a long time. I tend to give directions through landmarks or odd looking things (i.e. Go past the twisty bridge and take a left after the tree that looks like Elvis’s head.) And while I realize that normally the photographic memory tool IS a silly way to find anything , it’s been working for me for 25 years and today it was my lifesaver. I am proud to say I proceeded to FIND that x-ray desk based on the brief 13 seconds of memory I possessed in which we had mistakenly walked up to it.
I then managed to figure out what they wanted me to do based on more choppy half sentences and made my back to point A. And to my delight I made it back there without a hitch, once again based on previous sights.
It is now my firm belief that anyone wishing to find a cure for their fear of needles should be dropped off at a foreign hospital and forced to traverse the halls alone, while following directions for various medical tests made almost entirely from gestures for an hour. Because, believe me, after that harrowing experience, the sight of a needle plunging into your arm is much less frightening.
But I survived. And after a lovely lunch of “mandoo” bought by my principal, sitting in the sanctity of a coffee shop while writing this, I am actually quite proud of myself. It may not sound as dramatic as it felt but it was an experience I am glad to have had. I also have a feeling hospital visits in the US are going to be far less daunting to me now….
