Deep Mountain Thoughts

The nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me was that I was free spirited. The person that said it is no longer in my life, but I think the reason I thought it was so endearing at the time (and the reason why I still hold onto it) is because he believed in me more than I did. I’ve always wanted to be one of those people that are fearless to the world. I’m so proud to say that I’m finally going down that path of being the person I always knew was itching to get out. I went to a psychic not too long ago and she said that she believed in a past life I was stuck on a high mountain and merely watched life pass me by. She believed that I’m going to take this life to do everything I can to experience as much as I can. I think she was right, but I can’t help but feel I’m off schedule for some reason – meaning I was invited to a ball but I’m running an hour late. Maybe being fashionably late has its merits though - People won’t have time to judge what I’m wearing or who I show up with. They’ll just be glad to see I showed up at all... I’m just hoping I'll still be in time for cake! Ok, maybe I took that metaphor a little far, but I think you know what I'm getting at. I’d rather be late than always wonder what if... but I’m just hoping that I’m not too late for whatever is/was in store, that’s all.

On another note, yesterday was my first real hiking experience. I can see how people enjoy doing it so much. It’s a great place to do some serious soul searching and take in Mother Nature in her entirety. The mountain that I climbed was not more than fifteen minutes from my apartment building (once I knew where I was going, that is). I knew the general direction that the mountain was in but I wasn’t sure exactly how to get there. In my search for the entrance I was going up and down streets, making up my own route as I went. I couldn’t help but feel like everyone I met along the way knew I had no idea where I was going, and that I was being judged for not knowing my way around. Obviously I was being self conscious... or maybe I was just pissed at myself for not knowing everything – who knows at that point. All I knew was that I was out of breath before I even started to climb.

I knew I was on track when I saw a few Ajumas (older women) decked out in bright hiking gear and walking sticks. Not too long after I reached a sharp incline between the rows of houses and a nearby University. This had to be it. When I reached the top I saw the mountain. The bottom was full of squared off community gardens and a bumpy dirt covered walkway leading up to the base. It almost looked like it was roughly paved with concrete years and years ago. When I was finally parallel with my first tree, I was questioning if my body would even allow me to survive the climb. Don’t get me wrong, the climb itself only takes about 40 minutes or so, but believe me, you feel every step. The incline probably averaged around 30-45 degrees but the skyline when you get to the top is priceless. I just sat there and stared at the unfamiliar city below for as long as it took me to climb the mountainous mass. It was beautiful, and I knew it was just the first of many more experiences I would have here. Lots of thoughts went through my head on the way up and down the mountain; many of them had to do with my future career path. Anyone that knows me knows that I’m a bit of an obsessive thinker by nature so I got caught up trying to compare careers with mountain climbing. The best I could come up with was “What’s the view if not for the height”. The more I went over it in my head, the more I liked it. I liked it even more when I came back home and couldn’t find a match on google – so consider it an original!  

Tomorrow I’m going to an outside market with one of my friends in Nampo-dong. From what I hear it’s going to be quite the experience. Maybe I’ll even find an affordable camera so I can start posting pictures! In the meantime I guess I’ll sign off by saying – "Stay fit, and have fun! Not an original – but a great Body Break quote none the less.

First Impressions

Korea is definitely different than I imagined it to be. The only way I can accurately describe it is to say it’s conveniently sketchy in all its beauty. It has modern technology around every corner but lacks certain hygienic qualities that makes it sketchy in a way. It’s also full of beautiful oasis’s in random spots all over the city. I've gotten the chance to explore a few, and i'm definitely excited to explore a lot more in the coming months!

The People

I can’t say anything bad about how I’ve been treated. I’ve heard stories of ignorance from other foreigners but have not experienced any discrimination thus far. A good Taiwanese friend of mine told me before I came over here that I shouldn’t confuse angry demeanours or people being standoffish with people actually being upset. The language itself is harsh and the culture is based on respect for one another. Foreigners are still fairly new here so I try not to confuse the two if someone does not understand what I am trying to say.

Korean’s are blunt about certain things though. The first question isn’t where I’m from, it’s always – how old are you? Age is a huge part of their culture and how people are treated over here. Formally, you never drink or eat at a table before the eldest person has a drink or takes the first bite. It’s very old school, but I can appreciate that.

The other day the kids at school were commenting on how big my eyes were. I said thank you and they giggled (which is the normal response to things I say). I didn’t think much of it because they are pretty big compared to Asians, but when the man at the grocery store randomly said the same thing to me, I have to admit, I did come home to take a closer look at myself in the mirror that night. Some comments can make you feel a little self conscious, but in reality, they're just stating a fact and don’t mean anything by it.

My School

There are about 300 kids in total with 12 Korean teachers, and 6 foreign teachers. The way it works is the Korean teacher goes in and teaches something to a class (mainly vocabulary and sentence structure), and then the foreign teacher goes in and teaches pronunciation and different aspects of conversations. There’s also a lot of miming and drawing to explain what certain words are which is always fun. Every day is different and it’s based mainly on what emotional state each kid is in. I’m learning I have to be in a completely different mindset than other jobs I’ve held. So far it’s been a great learning experience – if only the kids knew how much they are teaching me and how much more I’m sure I will learn from them.

I teach six different classes a day and they last 45 minutes each. The kids I teach range from grade 3 up to grade 6; although every class in the school is based on language level, not age. Because age is so highly looked upon here, I was placed with the mid-range level students. I guess that means I’m middle aged (haha). The kids go to “normal” school during the day then private or “Hagwon” schools at night. That’s right, they go to school for around twelve hours a day. A day in the life, eh!  I’ve spoken to other foreigners about the schools that they teach at (or have taught at) and the Hagwon that I work at seems to be a complete gem. They are extremely fair and haven’t had any major problems with anyone who has worked there in the past. So far it seems like I lucked out on my placement which is a sigh of reliefJ

The kids are just as interested in where I am from and what my culture/family is like as I am interested in their lives. It’s a great trade off! I usually start the class off (when I am doing attendance) to take the opportunity to ask them a question about their life. Today I asked what they had for lunch and I got all kinds of interesting responses. Some are familiar, or are foods that I will probably try, others I can’t even imagine eating (dried salted squid was one of them). I also try to write a joke on the board everyday and explain what it means – sometimes I get a laugh, and other times they ask why Canadian people think that joke is funny. Leave it to me, right.

The Food

The weekend before I began my adventure I went out for Korean food at a restaurant in Halifax to show my parents the different kinds of food I would be eating for the next year. The food was great and not that far off from our usual diets. The food here - well, it's a little more unfamiliar to my pallet than expected. My first week I lived off of rice, tuna sandwiches, and japchea (which is sweet potatoe noodles and vegetables) that I found at a supermarket close to my place. I have since found multiple restaurants that I go to and crave lots of different Korean dishes daily. There is also food from all over the world here too; you just need to know where to look. They have popular chain restaurants from Canada/US like the Outback Steak House, Pizza Hut, Duncan Donuts, and McDonalds.

The Streets

From what I can tell, the same rules apply to South Korea as in Canada. We both drive on the right side of the road and have stop lights, yield signs, etc.  The biggest difference is if you’re not on a main street (which is four to six lanes wide) you're on a side street, which is only one lane wide. Imagine, being on a street that is just wide enough to comfortably fit one car; then, you through into the mix that random cars are parked on either side of the street. In the distance, you notice a large white van that is coming straight towards you and is picking up speed. Naturally, you move over to the side, but there is hardly enough room - that is, until you’re almost hugging the Tucson that is parked to your left. As if that’s not enough, you notice another car is behind you trying to get through the same avenue. Talk about pedestrian stress! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been this close to being nicked I   I. They actually have phone numbers on some cars in case they are parked on the street and cars/trucks can’t get through. Which reminds me, they have trucks that come by daily with loads of farm fresh foods for sale. They announce what they have on intercoms over and over again. It’s a great idea for a local farmer, but a bit of an annoyance if you’re trying to sleep in or nursing a hangover since the buildings are so close to the road.

 I should also note that when I first arrived I noticed that there was an unusual smell in the streets. I thought it was just wafts of Korean food, like how there’s random spots in Canada that smell like baking bread or fried chicken. Not to be too descriptive - but I quickly found out after my first BM that I couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not the most pleasant thing in the world, but that’s what you get when there’s raw sewage flowing within a few feet of the open street gutters.    

Shopping

The streets are full of shopping and street vendors. Almost every store you go into, you can find almost anything you need (and maybe a few things you don’t need, but you buy anyways). The corner store next to me sells everything from milk to shiny red buttons. Everything is fairly cheap compared to the Canadian market, so it can be easy to get carried away. The other day I was shopping in a giant upscale outdoor market close to one of the Universities and I bought a pair of shoes for 10,000 won... that’s right, they were only $10! Ok, maybe I lied, I bought two pairs – but they were flats and practical and oh so sparkly and cute. If that’s not a good enough reason, I don’t know what is! To be honest, other than getting a few other house hold things to make my apartment a little more cozy, I haven’t been shopping all that much. I’m sure I will be in the coming months though. I do after all need to find a camera at some point so I can capture some of the wonderment that is my life now! Did I just write that? I guess so.

My Apartment

I know you are all probably curious as to what my apartment looks like. I really think I should wait until I can post pictures to describe this one. For now, it’s just going to have to be one of those things that keeps you coming back to hear more!

Transportation

I can’t say enough good things about the transportation here. It cost less than a dollar to ride and the subway goes all over Busan. No need to worry if you happen to miss your train either cause you’ll be sure that another one will come along in the next 6 minutes or so. Everything is high tech and motion detected too. The escalator that bring you upstairs and down doesn’t actually start until someone steps foot on the first stair. How energy efficient! Speaking of energy efficient - I’ve also noticed in the hallways at my school, and in my apartment, that the lights don’t turn on until you step foot in them. Pretty much everything electrical is on timers too so if you don't use them they automatically shut off. Every little bit helps!   

I hope this gives you a little insight as to what my first impressions are so far.  Like always, stay tuned for my next update!  

I think i'm in love...

I try to get out and explore where i’m living as much as I have time to do, without getting too lost that is. Today, I found a quaint oasis in the middle of a construction site and a popular bar scene destination. The menu was Korean but the titles happened to be in English, which was a bonus. I was going to opt out of staying in and eating alone but the server insisted I sit down and then I thought to myself... what else am I going to do – I might as well soak it all in and take the advice that so many people had given me before I came over here. There couldn’t have been more than 6 tables and I was the only one there. The chef was behind a polished glass wall and there was mellow jazz music with English lyrics playing in the background. It was the perfect setting for an escape from the natural stress of walking around outside. I could tell already that it was a place i’d like to come back to. There were 5 different kinds of burgers on the menu so I decided to keep it simple and go for the original and a bottle of perrier. The server took my order and placed it with the chef. I grabbed a Korean Elle magazine that was laying on a shelf and started to browse through it. I was at page 5 when I heard a “Miss” from the background. I looked up and there was the chef - A larger Korean with Dreads and a broken English accent. “You want cheese and bacon since you first customer of day?” Is he kidding? Who would say no to that? I knew I liked this place! I smiled and said “Yes, please” and then smirked as I continued to flip through my magazine. In the middle of it, I ended up coming across a National Geographic add that showed a picture of a polar bear getting friendly with a photographers camera in the Arctic. It triggered something and started to make me think... what the F am I going to do with my life? Not in a bad way, more like in an endless possibilities kind of way. It really made me stop for a good minute or three, but then the thought eventually died down and I continued to daydream about all the different picturesque fashion shots as I sipped on my perrier. In the distance I heard a faint sound of a plate being placed on a counter (my serving skills were kicking in) and then I saw out of the corner of my eye that the server was coming back over... my meal has arrived! My immediate thought was... I think I’m in love. If you stack your fists up on each other, that’s about how tall this beast of a burger was. It came with a side of pickles and coleslaw... there was absolutely nothing Korean about it, except for the fact that there were sides I suppose. It was perfect in every way. I had a little trouble trying to figure out how exactly I would fit two fists into my mouth at once and quickly decided the best route would be to use my fork and knife. I cut into all the layers at once. Fresh Kaiser bun, mayo drenched lettuce, cheddar cheese, razor thin apple slices,  juicy beef patty, cheddar cheese, caramelized bacon, sliced tomatoes, raw red onions, and the top half of the Kaiser bun. Good thing there were two wooden skewers holding everything together cause this puppy was huge! I took my time and savoured the entire thing. I even left part of the bun for the end to make sure I could wipe the plate clean. The coleslaw was just as good; Earthy and sweet. At the end of the meal I put my magazine away and went up to the counter to pay – thanked the server and the chef and said I would be back. I meant it! I never expected to fall in love with a slab of meat, but today was the day.

Home Sweet Home!

Well I started my adventure for about a week now and so far so good! The flight took about 24 hours although I'm still a little confused on how to figure that one out because of all the time changes. On my flight from Halifax to Toronto I started to chat with the man that was sitting next to me before the plane even took off (you know me). He ended up being an off duty pilot that was on his way to do his regular testing down in Miami. When he asked me where I was going, he was surprised to hear I was off on a one year adventure to teach english in Korea. He then told me that he had a cousin that has been living in Japan for 10 years. It always surprises how many people know people that have come over here... anywho as corny and made up as it seems, just as the plane lifted off the ground the man turned to me and said "well, welcome to the start of your adventure!". I sware, it was like something out of a movie.

When I finally touched down in Busan all I could think about was the ability to lay vertically and sleep, and how much I was looking forward to it. At that point, tired from all the traveling, I tried not to over think things too much (as I tend to do) and just focused on what I needed to do next. So, I got my bags with no fuss at all and the next thing on my mind was finding my director. I was a little worried he wouldn't be there because I had missed one of my earlier flights due to a delay. When the doors opened to a crowd of people in the arrival lounge all eyes were on me - I forgot to mention I was the only westerner I had seen in hours by now. There was a sea of signs for almost every name in the book... everyone except me! I took a breath, found the closest information booth that was conveniently labled "?", and before I even had to try to explain anything the woman asked me if I needed her to call someone for me. She must have seen the same look on my face a million times and knew exactly what I needed. She got my information, made the call, and asked me to wait 20 minutes and someone would come get me. I did, and then a man come up to me with my name on a card. I thought it was my director who I knew had spoken english so I started to talk to him right away but then stopped quickly when the only thing I got in return was a puzzelled look. He took my bags to a taxi car and I got in. I took in all the sights and sounds on our drive and wondered where he was told to take me. 40 minutes in, I really started to question it and by that time I was straining to stay awake. Not too long after we arrived at a beautiful hotel in Centum City. Perfect! This was pretty much a garentee that I would be enjoying sleeping a nice plush comfy bed in no time! After checking in, the conceirge helped take my bags to my room. As soon as I got in I took a quick shower, changed into some pj's and plopped into bed... hard as a rock - but unusually comfortable. It wasn't what I expected, but it did the trick and knocked me right out.

The next day I wondered around a bit - ordered my first coffee americano (which is just a regular coffee here) and called the school - they were sending someone to pick me up around 2pm. I had just enough time to go to a japeness restaurant in the hotel. I was so excited to taste the sushi cause I thought it would be that much better because i'm so close to Japan now. The menu had a bit of english on it but when what I ordered arrived it wasn't what I expected at all. It had a million side dishes and the chef himself had to explain how to eat it. He said it was sushi Korean style - I was a little dissapointed but managed to eat enough that it filled me up. At this point, I should really mention how nice and patient everyone has been with me that i've met so far. I know its probably cause I was in a part of town that they deal with foreigners alot, but I was happy none the less.

When I met up with the girl from KJC she took me to the school via the subway and I got to meet all my co-workers. I also sat in on a few classes with the girl that i'm taking over her classes (and apartment) to get a feel for what teaching was going to be like. All the teachers ended up going out for supper after work to celebrate our arrival (there was another guy that started the same time as me) and also said goodbye to the two teachers that we were replacing. I like how social everyone seems to be - that's definitely something I knew I would miss about back home. The foreigners at my school really seem to look out for one another cause I guess in a way that's the only family we really have here.

I ended up going out for Halloween on the weekend and dressed up as the bearded lady. It was an easy, cheap costume! Since then, i've moved into my apartment, and tought my first class. Being completely scared to get up infront of a crowd of people, I even survived my first day teaching! I have no idea what they think of me, but at the end of the day, they're only kids. The one thing I will say is that its frustrating not being able to really communicate with them and I have a hard time understanding their english when they do speak it. I'm not even sure how much they really understand. I get a lot of puzzeled faces but I'm sure these are all things i'll learn over the next coming weeks. I do worry though cause I have no idea what i'm doing but I try not to let that show - atleast to the kids anyways. I ask my co-workers questions constaintly! So far my experience has been pretty positive. There have been bumps, but nothing I haven't been able to handle. I'm sure it'll get harder when I'm over my "honeymoon phase" of being here, but at this point i'm still glad I decided to take the chance to do something 100% different. My eyes are in this to open up.

This morning i've tasked myself with rearranging the furniture in my room. It needs a little feng shui! Oh, and I didn't end up finding my camera so it might be a while before I can post any pictures.

... stay tuned!