And to think I Saw it in Gumi...

When I was a little girl, my mother used to read a Dr. Seuss book called, "And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry St." It was about a little boy who is walking home and he sees all these things on his walk home but at the end you find out that he was making them up.

Everyday on my walk to work or home, I see so many things I thought I'd share here some of those things. My building is located in a popular date district with nice restaurants, bars and a huge public parking lot in between two streets. I love it here. Every morning I walk down 8 flights of stairs and start out towards the institute. I pass a few restaurants, a daycare, some hair salons, a dry-cleaning store, more restaurants and a 7-11. With the exception of the 7-11, at 6:45am everything is closed and empty. I usually see people with bags cleaning the street with huge trash bags and pickers, or a dustpan and broom. I pass a small hair salon every morning and I'm amused to find that although it's closed the people who run it do not understand English and their sign is hanging in the window, "Open". It's closed. Trust me, I've checked. Then there's this old couple who ride a scooter. And everyday around quarter to 7 the old man drops off his old wife, whom I think works as a gypsy nim (cleaning lady). Every single morning without exception I see them across the street from the 7-11. Outside the 7-11 I usually see a business man or two, maybe a child waiting for the bus. But other than these aforementioned, the streets are quiet and empty. When I'm walking home around 9am, the street is beginning to wake up and stir. By 10am, the people come out in force. By 12 the restaurants are beginning to fill with shoes at the entrance. The dry cleaners have their clothes at the curbside ready for pickup and the pre-school is brimming over with screaming Korean children. Trash has been mostly picked up and the buses are annoyingly always on time. Right now until June 2nd, we have elections in the city of Gumi and man do those Koreans know how to advertise. There are floats with techno music going up and down the streets all day. The people on the float can be the candidates or just hired dancers who wear white gloves and bow and wave to everyone. I cannot tell you how many times my class has been interrupted by a candidate's float music. And when there's no election, the street vendors use the same method for advertising their products; driving down the street like an ice-cream truck with products instead of Yankee Doodle.

By nighttime, all the businessmen come out drinking or on dates. There is a street vendor selling packaged snacks and stunning flowers. So a guy can run by and pick up some roses even if he's late for his date. Then after the movie or a drink they can grab some snacks and head for a walk in the park. The lights at night are bright and romantic, if you have time for that sorta thing. But since I get up so early, I prefer the quietness of the morning to the busyness of the night.

And I promise you, this is all honest to God truth.

I Breathe Everyday, Just like You Do Halfway Across the World...

Somehow I always thought blogging from Korea would be a breeze. Just write what happens everyday, right? Well I'm beginning to realize it is somewhat more complicated than I had originally thought. First of all, alot of things happen in one day for me. I meet people, prepare for class, figure out what to eat, take naps, showers, brush my teeth, drink coffee, water, milk, etc etc. And frankly, I'm beginning to discover that living in a foreign strange country can have it's boring moments as well as interesting ones. Unfortunately for me, I'm not a Hollywood celebrity and not everyone cares that today I bought dish-washing soap. Sometimes I wish my life was like Sidney Bristow's, saving the world from a fiery death on a daily basis. However, when I think about that more, I realize that would be too stressful for everyday life. I always wondered what it would be like to have the same work friends be my weekend friends as well like on Alias, where the work dominates your entire life. Now I know. And to be honest, it is best compared to having soup everyday for dinner. It's good and satisfying, but not extraordinary everyday.

Sometimes I realize that wow, I'm in South Korea, arguably one of the most dangerous places in the world. And I'm alone. This is enough for a few chapters of the beginning of a book. But after a while, I realize I have to write a chapter on ordinary things like going up and down 8 flights of stairs at least five times a day, or crossing the street without looking and almost getting killed multiple times. Or trying to get my co-worker, a stubborn Korean who refuses to learn English, to crack his serious countenance with a smile or a laugh. Or learning my address in Korean. These are all things that may be funny or interesting at least once but then loose taste after a while. In end, my blog may not always tell of every moment of everyday, but after all, do you REALLY want to hear about how I washed my dishes before bed last night? Really??

Cooking Korean with my Friends

Sometimes I come to a sudden realization that I am living, by myself, in a foreign country where I don't know the language or culture. This is my first time being independent ever, and I'm doing it in a such an alien place to me. So far so good, I haven't completely run out of money yet or anything, but then again I have no one to tell me to remember to lock my door at night, or that if I don't buy groceries I won't be eating this week. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be independent in my own country but I realize this is what I have now, so I have to deal with it. I like it.

Today I learned a bit more about some of my students. One guy in my class is just a few years older than I but has been married for a year and is expecting his first child in a few months. Another one of the students is alot older, she's maybe in her 30's, and she lives by herself. She strikes me as being really lonely and I wish I could help her, but I'm not sure how. For now, all I can do is pray for her and open my home to her. Speaking of opening my home, God is paying me back for all those lonely moments I felt in the last few months. I prayed for companionship and friendship, and suddenly I remember why they say "be careful what you wish for". It brings to mind the verse of the Bible that says, "He will open the floodgates of heaven". There have been soooo many people here in my apartment this weekend. I feel as if it's been absolutely full all weekend long. I was actually surprised to be able to fall asleep last night at a reasonable hour. On Friday I had nine people here, on Saturday night, I had four, and Sunday, some students showed up to cook for me and brought all their friends: about 12 people from noon to 8pm. Think of my kitchen like, say, a shoebox. And that shoe box is inside an apartment the size of a closet. Now add 12 people. It was mad full.
These things maybe stressful to some, but for me they bring me joy. I'm realizing that I enjoy being alone because it's something that I was forced to learn, however, I love to have people around me at all times.

I must be a very social person.

Why be Yourself, When You Can be Like Me?

This weekend was my one week anniversary of living in here in Gumi. It was a great weekend. Friday was busy running around to get everything ready to feed friends on Saturday night in my tiny apartment with a tiny kitchen. It came out really great. We had burritos and deviled eggs, and played games. There were about 15 people all crowded into my apartment. We played games and ate food and listened to music.

Today Sunday, I accompanied Kristina for an outing that required a buffer.It turned out quite well, we passed through a beautiful park which I proceeded to take some great and silly pictures. After this we discovered the most acute and direct torture tailored especially to Joanna. We went to the public library at Gumi. There were thousands upon thousands of books, yet I could not read a single one. It was like being Superman without powers. I have the cape, yet I cannot fly.

In the afternoon, Lynn, Ann, Kristina and I went out for some dinner and coffee. It was great because I got to learn alot more about Korean culture. We talked about weddings and a single girl's livelihood. The respect for the in-laws is key in this culture. The way they described it to me reminded me Lane's wedding in Gilmore Girls. Good Korean girls do not leave their homes until they are married.

Also in Korean culture uniformity and conformation is essential. The Korean culture is like one big family. Girls and boys refer to each other as sister and brother. Every elder is respected like a grandparent and having someone older than you scold you on the street is not so unfamiliar. Respect and following the others is so important. That is why becoming Adventist is so difficult because there is so much one breaks away from in accepting the message. When you are Korean, you are expected to be Korean. When you are a foreigner you are respected as a foreigner. Everything is forgiven when you are a foreigner. But a Korean is not forgiven for breaking the norm. It is so distinct from American culture where individuality is prized and encouraged.

Be yourself. Not so much in Korea.

More than a Number...

In Korea, I noticed people usually look and seem younger than what they actually are. Then I realized that it's because they calculate their age differently than in the US where most people look older than they are. For Koreans, they begin counting their age when they are conceived so when they are born, they are automatically 1 year old. Then, their birthday is calculated by the lunar calender so it falls on a different date each year. While this is all very confusing to me, I have been told that in Korea, I am 24 years of age.

Because of Children's Day today, classes were canceled and everyone has the day off. As a treat for us foreign teachers, Pastor Ryu took us to Costco about 40 mins away. Coming with us was Lynn, Kristina's Korean roommate and the Pastor's wife and daughter. His daughter looks like a tiny delicate porcelain doll. And sooo well behaved. During the whole ride, she sat still and sang to herself. When I first met her in class, before I knew she was the Pastor's daughter, I thought she was about 3 years old and thought it weird that she was in such an advanced English class. However, she's 5 and reads English better than most American 5 year olds.

The scenery here on the interstate (or I guess the highways would be a better term) looks just like the East Coast at home. There's greenery and mountains and exit signs. The only difference is that EVERYTHING is in Korean. Even the instructions painted on the lanes. Costco was a few floors tall, and backwards than what I'm used to. The parking is on the upper most levels, the main food and electronic level is one level underground, and the housewares and clothing was on the lowest level. There are electronic ramps, like if you took electric stairs and flattened them out, so you can take your cart with you to each level. Lynn was with us for a while but then we all split up and Kristina and I went off by ourselves. Kristina noticed that alot of Koreans were curious to see what two obviously foreign girls were buying and stared at the products in our carts.

This afternoon, one of our Korean co-workers is taking us (K and me) downtown for the Children's day festivities, so maybe I get a chance to take some pictures of Gumi.

I'll tell you what I told my classes yesterday-- Go find a child to play with!!!

Watching Friends in Gumi

Having my own apartment in Gumi, South Korea is like playing house on a large scale by myself. The people here are very nice and helpful, even with a klutz like me.

I arrived Sunday with Kristina which was fortunate because we became friends during orientation. The bus ride was three hours long to the minute. Apparently, punctuality is extremely important. The bus was to leave Seoul at 10:05am. We said goodbye to Leo and Aaron and boarded around 10:00. I was surprised to feel the bus begin to move at 10:05 on the second. We arrived in the sweltering heat to Gumi, S. Korea.

Gumi is nothing like Seoul. It's smaller, cleaner and brighter. The streets are clean and there are hills surrounding the town. Oddly, the mix of underdevelopment and high tech is evident here as well. There are trash bags on the street everyday waiting to be picked up and a few stores and houses look shabby. However, behind my school there is a huge Samsung tv billboard. Printed billboards aren't good enough for Koreans. They have state of the art water purifiers instead of water fountains, but they don't use ovens. Their washing machines would make Rosie the Robot green with envy, however, they don't use dryers. Go figure. In all, Gumi is a lovely city. It's small and homey, but modernity is all around you.

My apartment is actually really nice. It's pretty big as far as Korean apartments go. And everyone who visits is jealous of my couch. My kitchen is tiny, but my room and living room are huge.

In the time I've been here, I have climbed enough stairs to reach heaven. As well as billboards, Koreans don't believe in elevators. For them the number 4 is bad luck, as in China and Japan, so there's no 4th floor. My apartment number is 501 but it's on the fourth floor. Kristina's apartment is on the third floor of her building. Giovanni and Aby's apartment is on the second floor of my building. In Napoleon's famous words...

Luckyyyy.