I go from ups to downs. There are cultural barriers that frustrate me and in my distressed state are enough to make me want to go home. When a boss speaks to me in a way that I find condescending, to having my schedule switched two minutes before my day begins, to the overall relationship of the boss and coworker, I have had my fair share of culture shock. Its times like these we need to sit back and remember a motto that my former boss was always fond of using, "Seek first to understand before being understood". I came across this article last night when I was in the PC Bang looking up solutions to dealing with the Korean Workplace. I stumbled across this website posting of an article written by a gentleman named Kevin Smyth, that couldn't have been a better help to solving my recent mood swing. Like any normal human being, I desperately wanted to be understood and found it offensive that the Koreans weren't doing things the way that I was accustomed to. However, after I learned a bit about the Korean way of thinking in the workplace, I applied it to my situation and it made me think that things weren't so bad. I looked at the situation from their eyes and realized that they were simply doing what their culture has trained them to do. I will definitely talk about this technique I learned when asked in an interview to tell of a time I had a conflict in the workplace.
Anyways, after work, a bunch of the "part-timers" and I went out to eat chicken and beer. It was a good time for me to talk with coworkers and I really like these "part-timers". What have I been doing? Well, read below to find out!
This is a post from my other blog.
Well, this last week I had to work on Saturday, for an event called Market Day. During class, we give out points for participation and the students get to spend their points on prizes, food and games. The event was chaotic but it was nice to see some of my students. After the event, we cleaned up our respective stations and the 2nd in command (the boss wasn't there) tried to tell us that we had to stay and help put the rooms back together. One of my coworkers argued that the part-timers (non-teaching staff) were actually on the clock getting paid to do this. The second-in-command told us that they were busy doing other things. My coworkers countered that we were told that the event was supposed to get over at 1 and that it was already almost 2 and that they had things to do. She tried to deny that she said that, but one of the other coworkers offered to show her the email. In the end, we were free to go. Anyways, afterwards I took a much needed nap and then took the subway for a 2 hour ride to the other side of Seoul. I ended up in Gangdong Office Station to meet Susie. Susie is a fellow Korean Adoptee that went to KIM (Korean Institute of Minnesota) with Leslie and I, back in the day. We walked around and she showed me her place. We exchanged stories on our experiences and compared schools. Her place is pretty nice! And, its clean. Afterwards we went to dinner at this Chinese Restaraunt after giving up on our failed attempt to find Western Food. After dinner, we went to E-Mart, which is sort of like Homeplus. E-Mart is a giant shopping center not unlike our Target or Walmart with multiple (around 6) floors, selling foods, to cosmetics, to home furniture, to electronics, at a discount price. She walked back to her place and I walked back to a subway station. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the subway closes early on Saturday. I called Eun Ju to ask if I could stay at her place, because I wouldn't be able to get back to Bucheon. So I had to get off at Samsung Station, which is where I was originally located during the week of training. I took a taxi and told him to take me to Shillim Station. He kept driving even though I said, "here is fine". So I got out and went to another taxi. I told this driver to go to the apartment complex that Eun Ju lives in. He had no idea where it was, and of course it didn't show up on his GPS. So Eun Ju gave him some directions and somehow I ended up there. I ended up at her place at about midnight. She and her mom and dog were there. Eun Ju had just gotten done scolding Kerri (the dog) for peeing on the bed that she had set up for herself in her parents room. I thought it was kind of funny, but didn't say anything. Eun Ju's dad came home and me and her and her parents chatted until about 2. Eun Ju's Dad told me to tell you guys that I didn't find my birthparents, but rather made a Korean family where he and his wife are the parents and Eun Ju and Hae-Ri my sisters. Eun Ju said that was strange but the dad thought it was funny. He thought that you guys would think it was funny too. In addition to having an American family and a Korean family, I have an American dog and a Korean dog, lol. When it was time to go to bed, Eun Ju was in her room getting ready and Kerri walked in to pee on her actual bed. I think she smacked him. Now that was funny. Needless to say, I decided to sleep on the floor, in the living room. I turned the fan on and fell asleep.
Eun Ju's grandma lives with her, and she gets up several times in the middle of the night. She checked up on me at least five times, I think. I'd wake up and she'd be looking over me and then she'd walk around and then go back to sleep. She gets up approximately 6 hours earlier than everyone else. Daylight came and as she was walking towards the living room I woke up and she told me to go back to sleep. Except it was hard, when she sat down right next to me on my mattress and turned on the tv, which was blasting for about 6 seconds when she would turn it off to go back in her room. She did that about 3 times every 30 minutes. I woke up and found that the fan was gone. I'm pretty sure that she took it away. Koreans believe that you will die if you leave the fan on while sleeping without any windows. They call it fan death. Anyways, when it was time for me to wake up so I could make my other appointment, Eun Ju's grandma insist that I eat. I don't think she cooks anymore, because she brought out the bread you get from the gas station and made me eat at least 4 slices. She tried to get me to eat the whole bag, but I insisted I was full, so she had a few pieces herself. As I was getting ready, I saw her open the doors to everyone's room to peek inside and then close them. I asked if they had any extra toothbrushes since I couldn't find mine. She looked and couldn't find any so she told me to use her's. Um....I thanked her, went into the bathroom and told myself that if I couldn't find a toothbrush, I'd use my finger. Luckily I did find an extra one that they keep for such occasions. I said goodbye to her and she told me to come visit again. As I walked out across the street to the bus station, I got a call from Eun Ju telling me to come back and have breakfast. I have no idea how they all got up at the same time so fast like that. When I told them about the grandma feeding me bread, they thought it was pretty funny. Eun Ju's mom cooked some cold noodle dish that's good for your health and we all ate. Then I headed for the bus so that I could take the subway to Theresa's place. I met Theresa and her husdband and son at the Shinsege Department Store. It's a mall, whose bottom floor contains such stores as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Hermes, etc. all within the same vicinity. We had pizza at one of the restaraunts upstairs. The area where Shinsege is is so much cleaner and nicer than Bucheon. The bathrooms are actually clean and have toilet paper, soap and paper towels. I really miss such luxuries. After lunch, the four of us walked around a park and then went to the bookstore. After browsing around the bookstore, Veronica met up with us. Veronica and I went to Dunkin Donuts to wait for the people who I met 3 weeks ago at the coffee shop, who were the children of her friend. This friend's daughter had a sister in law whose brother in law (or whatever) works at my same company. They had invited me to simply hang out with them.
It was a really nice evening! There is the daughter (whose a 30 something woman) and her husdband and four year old son. There is also her brother (who speaks English) and his wife. The young son gave me a picture that said, "I love you" and "Brother Andrew Good Boy". That was cute and made my day, lol. We drove somewhere to eat at an Italian restaraunt. It was a really nice dinner. Afterwards, we went to the lady's apartment to have coffee and hang out. Seriously, this was probably like the nicest apartment in Korea that I've seen. It was super clean and the bathroom floor wasn't wet. The lady paints/decorates furniture for a living so her place was really unique and beautiful. After the evening I went to Veronica's sister to spend the night. I made it back to Bucheon by taking an express bus.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
One Month Anniversersary
It's been about one month since I've been in Korea. In a week, it will have been one month since I've been in Bucheon. How would I describe my experience? Well, being outside of my comfort zone: the familiar, I would have to say that its been a bit of a rollercoaster. I am a very stable person, but being abroad takes its toll on me and my personality whether its in Trier, Germany or Bucheon, Korea. I can be extremely happy at times and without warning, hit an all-time low.
I live in an Officetel in the Sangdong part of Bucheon. I am located in the redlight district, so I definitely can't say my neighborhood is boring!
Although there are fights about everynight between drunken businessmen, Korea is pretty tame and as a man I feel overall very safe at night walking alone by myself (I'm not sure how it would be for a woman, since I'm a man and therefore benefit from male privilege). So what is my day like? I usually wake up in the morning at around 11 AM. When I first got to Korea, I would wake up at 7 or 8. Mornings are the hardest part of the day. Homesickness usually hits me the worst there and there have been times when I had absolutely no desire to get up. I would miss home like crazy and my emotions would reach rocky levels not seen since my adolescence. I drag myself out of bed, shower in my lovely bathroom, get dressed, walk down the street to work and make a stop at the convenience store for my daily cherry coke, rice-filled seaweed cakes or sandwich. Then I go up to the 5th floor into my classroom and prep for my classes. If I haven't already, I correct tests, grade online homework and look over my books at the material I will be teaching. Then, classes begin! Once my students get there, I usually have a positive outlook on life. My kids are ages 8-12. I have an average of 7 classes, each running about 40 minutes. I work from 2-8 PM. My kids are all good kids and a lot of fun. They seriously make me smile both inside and outside. We read each chapter per lesson and I will either teach a reading section or a speaking/conversation section. It's really quite simple and I have finally gotten the hang of it down. I've come a long ways from the scared-to-death newbie I was on my first day. I feel much more comfortable interacting with kids and a lot of my parental instincts have begun to kick in. Afterwards, I usually like to correct my tests and other homework. I could go home, but I prefer to do it right there. Once work is finished I get something to eat. There have been times when I've gone out with my coworkers. So far I've gone out to eat, I've been to the bar a few times, I've sang karaoke to the point where my voice didn't work right for two days, and I've gone bowling.
I work just five days a week, as opposed to the six days a week I've heard that others have to work. On the weekends I usually go to Seoul. It takes about an hour. I have to take a 20 minute busride to Bucheon Station. From there I take the subway to Shindorim Station, where I transfer to Shillim Station. Once I get off, I have to hop on a bus to get to my friend's house, where I usually stay on the weekends. Me and her, her boyfriend and her sister usually hang out, go shopping, go to the park, the PC Bang (Internet Cafe) or simply hang out and watch tv. To be honest, I haven't been keeping up in this diary because I've simply been writing about what I've been doing in my letters home and because I've been so fucking homesick. But, things are starting to look up. A few of my Korean coworkers have asked me to go out with them next week. I may be able to get out of this shitty Officetel and I may have a new "Sprachpartner". Thing I would like to do: Get involved with the Korean Adoptee Community in Korea, find a good church, find a Korean class where I can learn about the culture, language and history, find volunteer opportunities where I can meet like-minded people, keep up with my piano lessons.
I live in an Officetel in the Sangdong part of Bucheon. I am located in the redlight district, so I definitely can't say my neighborhood is boring!
Although there are fights about everynight between drunken businessmen, Korea is pretty tame and as a man I feel overall very safe at night walking alone by myself (I'm not sure how it would be for a woman, since I'm a man and therefore benefit from male privilege). So what is my day like? I usually wake up in the morning at around 11 AM. When I first got to Korea, I would wake up at 7 or 8. Mornings are the hardest part of the day. Homesickness usually hits me the worst there and there have been times when I had absolutely no desire to get up. I would miss home like crazy and my emotions would reach rocky levels not seen since my adolescence. I drag myself out of bed, shower in my lovely bathroom, get dressed, walk down the street to work and make a stop at the convenience store for my daily cherry coke, rice-filled seaweed cakes or sandwich. Then I go up to the 5th floor into my classroom and prep for my classes. If I haven't already, I correct tests, grade online homework and look over my books at the material I will be teaching. Then, classes begin! Once my students get there, I usually have a positive outlook on life. My kids are ages 8-12. I have an average of 7 classes, each running about 40 minutes. I work from 2-8 PM. My kids are all good kids and a lot of fun. They seriously make me smile both inside and outside. We read each chapter per lesson and I will either teach a reading section or a speaking/conversation section. It's really quite simple and I have finally gotten the hang of it down. I've come a long ways from the scared-to-death newbie I was on my first day. I feel much more comfortable interacting with kids and a lot of my parental instincts have begun to kick in. Afterwards, I usually like to correct my tests and other homework. I could go home, but I prefer to do it right there. Once work is finished I get something to eat. There have been times when I've gone out with my coworkers. So far I've gone out to eat, I've been to the bar a few times, I've sang karaoke to the point where my voice didn't work right for two days, and I've gone bowling. I work just five days a week, as opposed to the six days a week I've heard that others have to work. On the weekends I usually go to Seoul. It takes about an hour. I have to take a 20 minute busride to Bucheon Station. From there I take the subway to Shindorim Station, where I transfer to Shillim Station. Once I get off, I have to hop on a bus to get to my friend's house, where I usually stay on the weekends. Me and her, her boyfriend and her sister usually hang out, go shopping, go to the park, the PC Bang (Internet Cafe) or simply hang out and watch tv. To be honest, I haven't been keeping up in this diary because I've simply been writing about what I've been doing in my letters home and because I've been so fucking homesick. But, things are starting to look up. A few of my Korean coworkers have asked me to go out with them next week. I may be able to get out of this shitty Officetel and I may have a new "Sprachpartner". Thing I would like to do: Get involved with the Korean Adoptee Community in Korea, find a good church, find a Korean class where I can learn about the culture, language and history, find volunteer opportunities where I can meet like-minded people, keep up with my piano lessons.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Bucheon
Okay I am super down right now, but rather than rant on this blog and bring more negative energy in, I am going to do this exercise that worked well when I was feeling the same way in Germany. By focusing on the positives, I will bring more positive energy into my life. Here goes. I was able to get done with training really fast and will start working right away. The material seems easy enough and I think that things will go well, I am excited to start teaching and think of it as a new adventure. My family is a phone call away if I really do need something. My friend from Japan is a two hour plane ride and is at least on the same side of the world, which is comforting. I have some great friends and my host family in the same country that are here if I need them. They are just an hour away and in fact, some of them live in the same province. I trained with just one other person, which gave me the opportunity to ask good questions. I have my own place, which is MINE. I am independent now. I get to decorate it how I want it and it is in the city. Bucheon is actually a pretty good size and there are flashy neon lights. I am confident that the Good Lord has brought me to this place for a reason, this place I'd never even heard of before I came here. He has a plan for me and I just gotta trust in Him. I'm anxious to discover the gift He has laid before me. I am confident that I am going to meet great people down the road. When I was first beginning university I didn't find my group of friends until like a couple months down the road, and they were none of the people I met during orientation. In fact, even though they were at orientation, I hadn't noticed them. During my study abroad to Germany, there was an orientation for Auslandstudenten and I remember feeling super lonely and missing my friends back home. I remember EXACTLY sitting at that restaraunt like it was YESTERDAY (even though it was almost two years ago) sipping wine and mingling with the people at my table and feeling lonely because I knew we didn't click. They were great people, but I didn't see them much after that. The people who I cliqued well with didn't come into my life until I was settled down and the person who impacted me the most, Kim, didn't come into my life until a couple of months afterwards. I hadn't even noticed her, even though she was living in my same Studentenwohnheim (dorm). So, logic would dictate that the people I am to meet are right here. They will come into my life when they are meant to, I just need to give it time. I'm going to get internet and an adapter so that I can use Skype and everything in my Officetel. Also, they are going to put in a TV, which will be nice. I have my own stove and fridge and washing machine. The shower isn't right next to the toilet so I will be able to keep the bathroom pretty clean. There is good shopping in terms of food. The food here is really fresh and it will enable me to eat healthier. I can't wait to see the results in a few months (in Germany I dropped 40 pounds, then gained back 20 after being back home). There is this new city that I have to explore and master. It still is a city to me. I mean I come from Minneapolis and it seems similar. Oh and I will have the perfect chance to work on my Korean, which will verbessern die Chance fuer eine gute Karierre (improve the chances for a good career). I plan on keeping up with my Japanese as well, which I studied throughout high school and college. Korean and Japanese have similar grammars, so once I can jump over the barrier that's blocking my current progress in Korean, it'll enable me to improve my Japanese as well. I can't wait for the opportunity to comunicate with more people. Well, I feel a little better already. I only work 5 days a week, as opposed to the 6 I anticipated. I have weekends off which will be swell. I will be able to take the KTX down to Busan to see Kim!!!! (The girl who had the biggest impact on my life while I was in Germany). Who knows, maybe I might finally find a boyfriend. Yeah, I feel better.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Raw Fish, Pizza and the Zoo
May 28
I didn't do much in the morning that day. I took the subway and then the bus to Eun Ju's house. Her parents were really surprised that I was able to do it myself. The Korean Transportation is really quite efficient and isn't so hard to figure out, I think. So to me, it wasn't a big deal. I went with Eun Ju's parents to Theresa's parents house in the "burbs" of Sungnam City in the Gyeong-gi Province. To be exact, they live in the Bundang District. I think. We picked up Veronica and Jae-Min and went to Veronica's place. We sat around for a while and then went to eat black bean noodles. Afterwards we went back to their home and Thomas (Theresa's Dad) came home and said hi and I briefly saw Theresa. Veronica took me to a movie. The only thing is, she went to one movie and I went to the another. So we both sat in separate theaters watching a movie at the same time. I went to go see Terminator and she went to see some other movie. Christian Bale, who played John Connor was cute but in Terminator 2 I had the biggest crush on Edward Furlong back in the day. Afterwards they dropped me off at Veronica's sister's place for the night.
May 29
That day I went with Veronica and four other old ladies to their Pastor's apartment for a bible study/church service. We then went to the countryside to visit the ocean. On the way, we stopped at a rest stop and then at a restaurant for raw fish. I put on my Minnesota nice smile and prayed that I wouldn't throw up. The fish was slimy and if you think Sushi is raw, you haven't had this. There was salted minnows, raw slices of fish, cooked fish, clams with hot sauce, spicy fish soup and these unidentifiable food objects. All I knew was that they didn't look like fish, were slimy and tasted...interesting. Well, with the help of some Soju (cheap ass Vodka) I got it all down. The Pastor kept toasting everything, from my arrival, to the death of the former Korean President and just about everything in this life to keep his drink going. In the end, the Pastor threw up.
Yeah, I don't really want to think about that anymore, so next subject. We arrived at the ocean near this strip of cute little coffee shops. We sat by the ocean and the ladies started singing folk songs. The Korean countryside is quite different than the city. I had gotten quite accustomed to being in the chic Gangnam District. The Coex Mall makes you feel like you are a guest star on the Jetsons.
I don't know if its the glass elevators, the cute beeps and chirps that machines make, flat screens pouring out advertisements in front of escalators and even on the credit card pad where you input your signature, the giant interactive touch screen map in the mall, the elevator buttons that aren't buttons, but touch screens or the chic fashion statements that people make, but I really feel like I'm in the new millennium. The countryside has a slower pace of life, but it has trees and plants and GRASS, and is quite different indeed. Anyways, afterwards we had to make all these pit stops to visit some of the ladies' relatives that lived in that area. We finally made our stop at a noodle house to have cold noodle soup (mool naeng myeon) before we went home. FYI: There are some drivers in Korea that actually obey the stoplights! I had to sleep at Veronica's sister's house again.
May 30
I spent that day with Veronica's sister, who ever so graciously allowed me into her home. We went to go shopping at a store, had lunch and then I was on my way to Seoul. It was really nice to be back at my hotel. It's just me, I like to be independent and having to depend on other people is kind of uncomfortable for me. I checked my mail and got a message from my company telling me that I had to be there at the hotel the next day because they were going to hand out thermometers and provide entertainment, because we had all spent the whole week in the hotel avoiding the Swine Flu. Oh wait, no we were SUPPOSED to, that's right. Oops. Seriously, NONE of us followed that rule, I'm guessing. Chungdahm Learning did however, shut down their schools, I heard from another person's blog. I told my recruiter that I had plans. He said that it was okay for me to leave the hotel, and just be sure to constantly wash my hands and avoid touching or talking to people and wear a mask. I simply told him, "why of course!". I was supposed to have dinner with Eun Ju, but she had to cancel because of work, so I was able to set something up with Soon Oak. Its a good thing because it was getting a little hard staying with Eun Ju's Aunt, who was constantly prying into my business, interrogating me on what methods I would use to survive ALONE in Bucheon, nagging me, screeching at me to sit up straight and monitoring my every move (which is a Korean way to show parental love and affection). I should say that I'm glad my parents are actually pretty fucking cool. Anyways Soon Oak came to meet me and told me that her parents would want me to stay the night. She knows that I like to sleep in my own bed and am uncomfortable at other people house and told me she felt the exact way so she just came up with an excuse for me. Her mom had cooked dinner and we ate. I played with Soon Bae's kids and Soon Bok's kid. Soon Bae's husdband is super nice and told me that I should probably spend the night, as our plans for the next day required us to get up early. I told him I had something to do that night that my company required of me. I took the subway back by myself.
May 31
I got up really early and went to their district so that we could meet. I went to Soon Oak's parents house and we had breakfast and then we all headed for the Zoo.
FYI: Soon Bae's daughter is incredibly clingy and does not by any means understand the concept of personal space. We watched various animal shows and went around looking at different animals. We had lunch at the zoo and then we went home and stopped to pick up PIZZA!!! Afterwards three of the sisters and their spouses were going to the public bath. Soon Oak and I went to the subway station and she got off at her stop and I got off at mine. I'm back at the hotel and its night time. I had received a message from the company saying that my training will start on Tuesday and that we may not take the elevator at the building because of the potential to catch the swine flu.
I didn't do much in the morning that day. I took the subway and then the bus to Eun Ju's house. Her parents were really surprised that I was able to do it myself. The Korean Transportation is really quite efficient and isn't so hard to figure out, I think. So to me, it wasn't a big deal. I went with Eun Ju's parents to Theresa's parents house in the "burbs" of Sungnam City in the Gyeong-gi Province. To be exact, they live in the Bundang District. I think. We picked up Veronica and Jae-Min and went to Veronica's place. We sat around for a while and then went to eat black bean noodles. Afterwards we went back to their home and Thomas (Theresa's Dad) came home and said hi and I briefly saw Theresa. Veronica took me to a movie. The only thing is, she went to one movie and I went to the another. So we both sat in separate theaters watching a movie at the same time. I went to go see Terminator and she went to see some other movie. Christian Bale, who played John Connor was cute but in Terminator 2 I had the biggest crush on Edward Furlong back in the day. Afterwards they dropped me off at Veronica's sister's place for the night.
May 29
That day I went with Veronica and four other old ladies to their Pastor's apartment for a bible study/church service. We then went to the countryside to visit the ocean. On the way, we stopped at a rest stop and then at a restaurant for raw fish. I put on my Minnesota nice smile and prayed that I wouldn't throw up. The fish was slimy and if you think Sushi is raw, you haven't had this. There was salted minnows, raw slices of fish, cooked fish, clams with hot sauce, spicy fish soup and these unidentifiable food objects. All I knew was that they didn't look like fish, were slimy and tasted...interesting. Well, with the help of some Soju (cheap ass Vodka) I got it all down. The Pastor kept toasting everything, from my arrival, to the death of the former Korean President and just about everything in this life to keep his drink going. In the end, the Pastor threw up.
Yeah, I don't really want to think about that anymore, so next subject. We arrived at the ocean near this strip of cute little coffee shops. We sat by the ocean and the ladies started singing folk songs. The Korean countryside is quite different than the city. I had gotten quite accustomed to being in the chic Gangnam District. The Coex Mall makes you feel like you are a guest star on the Jetsons.
I don't know if its the glass elevators, the cute beeps and chirps that machines make, flat screens pouring out advertisements in front of escalators and even on the credit card pad where you input your signature, the giant interactive touch screen map in the mall, the elevator buttons that aren't buttons, but touch screens or the chic fashion statements that people make, but I really feel like I'm in the new millennium. The countryside has a slower pace of life, but it has trees and plants and GRASS, and is quite different indeed. Anyways, afterwards we had to make all these pit stops to visit some of the ladies' relatives that lived in that area. We finally made our stop at a noodle house to have cold noodle soup (mool naeng myeon) before we went home. FYI: There are some drivers in Korea that actually obey the stoplights! I had to sleep at Veronica's sister's house again.May 30
I spent that day with Veronica's sister, who ever so graciously allowed me into her home. We went to go shopping at a store, had lunch and then I was on my way to Seoul. It was really nice to be back at my hotel. It's just me, I like to be independent and having to depend on other people is kind of uncomfortable for me. I checked my mail and got a message from my company telling me that I had to be there at the hotel the next day because they were going to hand out thermometers and provide entertainment, because we had all spent the whole week in the hotel avoiding the Swine Flu. Oh wait, no we were SUPPOSED to, that's right. Oops. Seriously, NONE of us followed that rule, I'm guessing. Chungdahm Learning did however, shut down their schools, I heard from another person's blog. I told my recruiter that I had plans. He said that it was okay for me to leave the hotel, and just be sure to constantly wash my hands and avoid touching or talking to people and wear a mask. I simply told him, "why of course!". I was supposed to have dinner with Eun Ju, but she had to cancel because of work, so I was able to set something up with Soon Oak. Its a good thing because it was getting a little hard staying with Eun Ju's Aunt, who was constantly prying into my business, interrogating me on what methods I would use to survive ALONE in Bucheon, nagging me, screeching at me to sit up straight and monitoring my every move (which is a Korean way to show parental love and affection). I should say that I'm glad my parents are actually pretty fucking cool. Anyways Soon Oak came to meet me and told me that her parents would want me to stay the night. She knows that I like to sleep in my own bed and am uncomfortable at other people house and told me she felt the exact way so she just came up with an excuse for me. Her mom had cooked dinner and we ate. I played with Soon Bae's kids and Soon Bok's kid. Soon Bae's husdband is super nice and told me that I should probably spend the night, as our plans for the next day required us to get up early. I told him I had something to do that night that my company required of me. I took the subway back by myself.
May 31
I got up really early and went to their district so that we could meet. I went to Soon Oak's parents house and we had breakfast and then we all headed for the Zoo.
FYI: Soon Bae's daughter is incredibly clingy and does not by any means understand the concept of personal space. We watched various animal shows and went around looking at different animals. We had lunch at the zoo and then we went home and stopped to pick up PIZZA!!! Afterwards three of the sisters and their spouses were going to the public bath. Soon Oak and I went to the subway station and she got off at her stop and I got off at mine. I'm back at the hotel and its night time. I had received a message from the company saying that my training will start on Tuesday and that we may not take the elevator at the building because of the potential to catch the swine flu.Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Land of the Morning Calm
I finally made it to Korea! I've been here a few days but I will document the first few days that I was here. These were taken from my facebook blog/emails.
May 23, 2009
I am finally here in the Land of the Morning Calm. I left yesterday, or whenever on May 22. I left the airport and said goodbye to my family and left for Chicago.
Being a holiday, it was pretty crowded but I was able to make my way around. I boarded the plane, which was very crowded and was on my way to Korea. The flight was really, really, really...long. I sustained myself by sleeping, watching two or five movies and eating the meals. 
I flew Korean Air, so the flight attendants were really good about bringing hot towels, food and drinks. The only thing is, that it was really hot, but maybe Koreans have less body heat or something. The two girls next to me had on blankets. I arrived at Incheon Int'l Airport and had to fill out a Quarantine Form as well as get a scan. There is a huge paranoia about the epidemic formerly known as "Swine Flu", which is called Influenza A or something here or H1N1. 
I think the paranoia is even bigger in Japan because Japanese tourists came wearing masks. I'm not kidding either. So I had to go through immigration and then I met Eun Ju, Theresa and her husdband Tony. 
It was really good to see them and they were there to meet me and give me a ride to the hotel. I called my recruiter and as it turns out, there was a change of plans. I tried to search through my brain for the emotion called surprised but couldn't find it. Korea is a lot different than say, Germany, where people's days are planned to the leather. So we came to a different hotel. It actually works out spifftacular because I have a room to myself and I don't have to have a roommate! Thank God! Or as Madea would say, "Hallelujer" 
I took a shower and then the four of us went to a Traditional Korean Restaraunt to eat. I had some spicy soup. For desert there is this cider drink that is traditional in Korea I think. Then afterwards Eun Ju and I went to "play" around the town. Being downtown in the chic district of Gangnam, the nightlife was bustling. Like, I mean I really couldn't believe it. Whereas in other places of the world, everything is closed by 9 or 10, things are still busy then. It felt like it was the middle of the afternoon because there were so many people. Nightlife in Korea isn't just necessarily bars and nightclubs. 
People here shop, shop, shop. Stores are super crowded and the movie theaters are even more packed. In fact, you sometimes may have to make reservations for hot movies a day in advance.
Eun Ju and I went to a cafe, Paris Baguette to have PatBingSu, which is a delicious Korean dessert. We said goodbyes and then I slept. I think I have handled jetlag really well! I got up once at three and just layed there and was up again at around 6 or 7. I had breakfast (Eun Ju and I bought my breakfast while shopping the night before) and cleaned a little as well as took care of some emails.
May 24, 2009
I am in my hotel room right now. The hotel room has a tv, fridge, bathroom, bed and a bunch of nice free things. It is super small, but that's okay. I am doing some work right now, I have to look over a bunch of grammer things to prep for tomorrow before training. Its interesting because I find that I don't understand a lot of the rules, because English is my first language. But once I translate some of the English words to German, (because the grammar of English and German is similar) the lightbulb in my brain turns on! I will go shopping today with Eun Ju. I will look around for cell phones and take my cell phone with and ask. (I got a call that day from my recruiter saying that training was canceled and to sit tight. Luckily I know people here or I might've gone crazy!) I went to Eun Ju's house for dinner and to spend time with her and her sister and mom. Btw, Eun Ju is my host sister from 10 years ago. It's hard to believe that its been 10 years (1999) since I was in Korea for the first time.
May 25, 2009
Hi Dad,
No, I don't think the flu is actually spreading, but I am not 100% sure. There is a huge concern and I was called by the central office asking about my health. I told them that I was fine. We all have to get a physical tomorrow, as policy of the company. As for today, I went hiking with Eun Ju's mom and Eun Ju's dad came home. He was very kind and most hospitable and told me that his home was mine. He told me to come back later that evening to spend the night. I thanked him a lot. Eun Ju's mom and I then went to the hotel to wait for Soon Oak. I met Soon Oak and her husdband. She told me that she just got married last November. I was really surprised and thought that she was just kidding. We went to her and her husdband's place and it was really nice. Afterwards we headed for a place to have dinner with her and her family. FYI: I videotaped a little bit of it, but I had to be discreet in naming the sisters. Although the sisters all know, their husdbands are unaware of E's (my sister) existence. I will have to show you a picture of them, we took a picture later. When I saw the youngest sister, I thought it really looked like E. Not a carbon copy, necessarily, but really, really similar. Her personality though, is not like E's. We then went home and waited for the second oldest sister to come home. I'm really , really tire so I'll teld more tomorrw. Btw, is North Korea on the news? Its been the only thing on the news today, as well as the Japanese news and I saw that it was on a bit of the American news, but I don't have full access to the news back home?
Write tomrorw more,
Andrew
NOTE: I waited that day for E's second bio-sister to come home. She seemed a little quiet and was a little hard to talk to, unlike the other siblings. I was so tired that night I came back to the hotel and crashed.
May 26, 2009
I got a new phone!! I went with Soon Oak to get a phone.
It's a really, really sweet phone. Companies here give there phones names like April or Autumn, Icecream or Lollipop. I got the icecream phone. It lights up in the front and makes sounds that are funny and not unlike those heard at the casino. It can write in both Korean and English and I think that Rubie would really love this phone. Two words to describe it: Colorful and Cheerful. The model is LG-LU1600. 
It can make international phone calls. Oh and it allows me to watch tv too, listen to radio, look at a subway map and go on the internet. It takes pictures and video. I guess the only thing it doesn't do is cook! lol. I will send pics of it once my computer has access to the internet. Also, here is my phone number if you are in Korea: 010-2475-xxxx. And now about me. Yesterday I went with Soon Oak to the doctor. We are required by the company to get a physical. Even though I got one in the U.S. and many others had to pass one to get their teaching visas, the company only trusts the Korean doctors' word, I guess. The process actually went fast. I had to do a blood test, urine test, interview, blood pressure/weight measurement, and xray. I was literally in and out for each of my stops. Its really efficient and I was probably out within a half hour. Afterwards I went to dinner with Soon Oak and her friends. We had Korean BBQ. Then I went home. Btw, Korean phones here are really advanced.
May 27, 2009
So far I've taken it easy today. It's really hot, so I've stayed in my room and read and watched t.v. I will go to dinner with Soon Oak later. We will meet at the Coex Mall. There is this map, that's an interactive map. It's like an iPhone, where you touch the screen and you can get directions that way. The Koreans thought it was normal, but I'm like, "whoa". Tomorrow I'm supposed to see the rest of the host family and spend some time with them.
May 23, 2009
I am finally here in the Land of the Morning Calm. I left yesterday, or whenever on May 22. I left the airport and said goodbye to my family and left for Chicago.
Being a holiday, it was pretty crowded but I was able to make my way around. I boarded the plane, which was very crowded and was on my way to Korea. The flight was really, really, really...long. I sustained myself by sleeping, watching two or five movies and eating the meals. I flew Korean Air, so the flight attendants were really good about bringing hot towels, food and drinks. The only thing is, that it was really hot, but maybe Koreans have less body heat or something. The two girls next to me had on blankets. I arrived at Incheon Int'l Airport and had to fill out a Quarantine Form as well as get a scan. There is a huge paranoia about the epidemic formerly known as "Swine Flu", which is called Influenza A or something here or H1N1. I think the paranoia is even bigger in Japan because Japanese tourists came wearing masks. I'm not kidding either. So I had to go through immigration and then I met Eun Ju, Theresa and her husdband Tony. It was really good to see them and they were there to meet me and give me a ride to the hotel. I called my recruiter and as it turns out, there was a change of plans. I tried to search through my brain for the emotion called surprised but couldn't find it. Korea is a lot different than say, Germany, where people's days are planned to the leather. So we came to a different hotel. It actually works out spifftacular because I have a room to myself and I don't have to have a roommate! Thank God! Or as Madea would say, "Hallelujer" I took a shower and then the four of us went to a Traditional Korean Restaraunt to eat. I had some spicy soup. For desert there is this cider drink that is traditional in Korea I think. Then afterwards Eun Ju and I went to "play" around the town. Being downtown in the chic district of Gangnam, the nightlife was bustling. Like, I mean I really couldn't believe it. Whereas in other places of the world, everything is closed by 9 or 10, things are still busy then. It felt like it was the middle of the afternoon because there were so many people. Nightlife in Korea isn't just necessarily bars and nightclubs. People here shop, shop, shop. Stores are super crowded and the movie theaters are even more packed. In fact, you sometimes may have to make reservations for hot movies a day in advance. Eun Ju and I went to a cafe, Paris Baguette to have PatBingSu, which is a delicious Korean dessert. We said goodbyes and then I slept. I think I have handled jetlag really well! I got up once at three and just layed there and was up again at around 6 or 7. I had breakfast (Eun Ju and I bought my breakfast while shopping the night before) and cleaned a little as well as took care of some emails.May 24, 2009
I am in my hotel room right now. The hotel room has a tv, fridge, bathroom, bed and a bunch of nice free things. It is super small, but that's okay. I am doing some work right now, I have to look over a bunch of grammer things to prep for tomorrow before training. Its interesting because I find that I don't understand a lot of the rules, because English is my first language. But once I translate some of the English words to German, (because the grammar of English and German is similar) the lightbulb in my brain turns on! I will go shopping today with Eun Ju. I will look around for cell phones and take my cell phone with and ask. (I got a call that day from my recruiter saying that training was canceled and to sit tight. Luckily I know people here or I might've gone crazy!) I went to Eun Ju's house for dinner and to spend time with her and her sister and mom. Btw, Eun Ju is my host sister from 10 years ago. It's hard to believe that its been 10 years (1999) since I was in Korea for the first time.
May 25, 2009
Hi Dad,
No, I don't think the flu is actually spreading, but I am not 100% sure. There is a huge concern and I was called by the central office asking about my health. I told them that I was fine. We all have to get a physical tomorrow, as policy of the company. As for today, I went hiking with Eun Ju's mom and Eun Ju's dad came home. He was very kind and most hospitable and told me that his home was mine. He told me to come back later that evening to spend the night. I thanked him a lot. Eun Ju's mom and I then went to the hotel to wait for Soon Oak. I met Soon Oak and her husdband. She told me that she just got married last November. I was really surprised and thought that she was just kidding. We went to her and her husdband's place and it was really nice. Afterwards we headed for a place to have dinner with her and her family. FYI: I videotaped a little bit of it, but I had to be discreet in naming the sisters. Although the sisters all know, their husdbands are unaware of E's (my sister) existence. I will have to show you a picture of them, we took a picture later. When I saw the youngest sister, I thought it really looked like E. Not a carbon copy, necessarily, but really, really similar. Her personality though, is not like E's. We then went home and waited for the second oldest sister to come home. I'm really , really tire so I'll teld more tomorrw. Btw, is North Korea on the news? Its been the only thing on the news today, as well as the Japanese news and I saw that it was on a bit of the American news, but I don't have full access to the news back home?
Write tomrorw more,
Andrew
NOTE: I waited that day for E's second bio-sister to come home. She seemed a little quiet and was a little hard to talk to, unlike the other siblings. I was so tired that night I came back to the hotel and crashed.
May 26, 2009
I got a new phone!! I went with Soon Oak to get a phone.
It's a really, really sweet phone. Companies here give there phones names like April or Autumn, Icecream or Lollipop. I got the icecream phone. It lights up in the front and makes sounds that are funny and not unlike those heard at the casino. It can write in both Korean and English and I think that Rubie would really love this phone. Two words to describe it: Colorful and Cheerful. The model is LG-LU1600. It can make international phone calls. Oh and it allows me to watch tv too, listen to radio, look at a subway map and go on the internet. It takes pictures and video. I guess the only thing it doesn't do is cook! lol. I will send pics of it once my computer has access to the internet. Also, here is my phone number if you are in Korea: 010-2475-xxxx. And now about me. Yesterday I went with Soon Oak to the doctor. We are required by the company to get a physical. Even though I got one in the U.S. and many others had to pass one to get their teaching visas, the company only trusts the Korean doctors' word, I guess. The process actually went fast. I had to do a blood test, urine test, interview, blood pressure/weight measurement, and xray. I was literally in and out for each of my stops. Its really efficient and I was probably out within a half hour. Afterwards I went to dinner with Soon Oak and her friends. We had Korean BBQ. Then I went home. Btw, Korean phones here are really advanced.May 27, 2009
So far I've taken it easy today. It's really hot, so I've stayed in my room and read and watched t.v. I will go to dinner with Soon Oak later. We will meet at the Coex Mall. There is this map, that's an interactive map. It's like an iPhone, where you touch the screen and you can get directions that way. The Koreans thought it was normal, but I'm like, "whoa". Tomorrow I'm supposed to see the rest of the host family and spend some time with them.
Friday, May 15, 2009
T-Minus One Week
Can you believe it? In a week from now I will leave Minnesota for Korea. Yesterday I said some goodbyes. I said goodbye to my hairstylist who I've had since I was a teenager, at the salon that I've gone to my entire life. I thanked her for all the years we've had. We reminisced on the times we've harassed each other (playfully), when my dog was a puppy and had a biting problem, middle school, high school and college along with all my fun part-time jobs she got to hear about.
My mom and I were both getting our hair done and we went to get lunch at Hoban, my fave Korean restaurant that I've been going to since I was a youngling. I said goodbye to Mrs. Kim and thanked her for the food all these years. I said goodbye to some of my co-workers at the country club, as well. I spent some quality time with my dad. We went to Murray's, a place in Minneapolis for lunch with WCCO's Sid Hartman. Hopefully we can all see Angels & Demons on Sunday, after my niece's birthday.
My mom and I were both getting our hair done and we went to get lunch at Hoban, my fave Korean restaurant that I've been going to since I was a youngling. I said goodbye to Mrs. Kim and thanked her for the food all these years. I said goodbye to some of my co-workers at the country club, as well. I spent some quality time with my dad. We went to Murray's, a place in Minneapolis for lunch with WCCO's Sid Hartman. Hopefully we can all see Angels & Demons on Sunday, after my niece's birthday.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Almost There
I can't believe that I'm almost going to be in Korea! To-Do-Before Tasks I've completed:
- Obtain the proper travel documents necessary to work/reside in Korea (I got my F-4 VISA a long time ago)
- Sign Contract
- Purchase Plane Ticket (I already got me plane ticket!)
- Have Bonvoyage (See more below)
- Complete Current Job (Almost there~~~)
So my parents and siblings threw me a grand party in honor of my college graduation/bon voyage. It was a great party and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My relatives came as well as my friends. Everybody came at once and it took a lot of energy on my part to schmooze with everyone. But the house was really crowded and everyone seemed to be chatting and enjoying themselves. It went over really well! I got some money as a congratulations for graduating but more so to help me in my upcoming sojourn. To be honest, it feels like my high school graduation open house was just yesterday and I reflected on how the circumstances of my life have dramatically changed in such little time. The future is definitely a most uncertain thing, for "always in motion is the future" as Jedi Master Yoda has articulated.
I'm almost done with my current job. I can't believe how fast it's gone! When I first started telling people about how I didn't really couldn't stand the atmosphere, everybody told me, "it'll go by faster than you know". Wow, they were actually right! I survived our two really big events, Easter and Mother's Day brunches, where its nonstop moving, carrying and lifting. I have my last day this coming Saturday.
I plan on spending the last few days I have with family and friends. I'd really like to see the Star Trek Movie as well as Angels & Demons. I read the book during my down time while in Germany and have thus waited for them to finally make a movie out of it! Yet even though I've come a long way, I still have some things to do:
- Sell my car (and get the cash so I can start paying off my student loans)
- Start packing (I've made a list of what to pack and have edited it, but I won't actually start till later)
- Buy some nicer clothes to wear
- Buy necessary toiletries
- Tell my bank and loan companies that I'm leaving
Seriously, I can't think of anything more, but if I do, I'll add to it.
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