Seoul Discoveries

Throughout the next few weeks we found out that we are living in the second richest area in Seoul. Pretty much every person owns two Mercedes, oh, except for us. We don't have one. We don't even have bicycles. Actually, we don't even have proper walking shoes! We also discovered many things Korea provides for us. Things like padded sidewalks - all the sidewalks are covered in recycled tire. Great to jog on, and non-slip when it rains. Why don't they have these everywhere?! Unfortunately, at intersections the rubber is rimmed with marble so when you're going at a good pace on the sidewalk, as soon as you hit an intersection you find your feet flying out from under you. Okay, so not everything is fully thought through. 

Besides rubber sidewalk, some other VERY cool inventions that exist in Korea that Ian and I feel should be mandatory in other countries include: Traffic directing robots. Arrows on crosswalks going one way, and beside it going the other way so that people don't run into each other when crossing the road. No one really follows them, but its a good idea anyway. Doorbells on each table in a restaurant for service. They come when you need them, and they're not bothering you when you don't. Numbered seating in movie theaters. Choose your seats, and come when the movie starts. No line-up. Brilliant. Special stands placed at entrances that you stick your wet umbrellas into and it instantly wraps your umbrella in a plastic bag. Genius. One invention that we still think is great, but can pose a major problem for the new-comer is floor heating. When Ian and I first arrived in Korea, we learned that we had to turn the hot water heater on in order to get, well...hot water. Unfortunately, the button for it was on a contraption on the wall, which happened to have about 10 other buttons on it, all explaining themselves...in Korean. We figured out how to turn on the hot water, but with hot water also came a VERY hot floor. In the dead of summer, the last thing you need is floor heating. This dilemma plagued us for weeks, until finally one day I couldn't stand it anymore and stubbornly tried every combination of buttons on and off in order to save not only our energy bill, but what was left of our sanity.

The culture shock was setting in nicely, and continued right into our first day in a shopping mall. One Saturday morning, Ian and I went to a plaza nearby and walked up to the door of a department store. The doors were closed and standing on the other side of them were four women slowly bowing up and down, up and down, up and down. Who were they bowing to? There was no one around. As we watched, it started to look really creepy. We asked each other, "Are they robots?" I walked forward to take a closer look. I reached out to open the department store door, and met eyes with one of the robots. Her expression changed to what I can only described as panic. Instantly a security guard was at my side, sternly informing us that the department store wasn't open yet. Ian and I looked around and saw that a large group of people were standing outside waiting. We had just march right by them and right up to the door to open it. We had just ruined their perfectly timed, totally flawless, morning ritual. A few minutes later, with one final bow, the robot women stepped forward with large plastic smiles and opened the doors. A mad rush ensued, and the women resumed their creepy, perfectly timed bowing ritual. What is this scary little world we have now found ourselves living in? **Shudder**

Seoul Food

Being that Ian's birthday was the week we arrived, I had to jump into action quickly. As it turned out, the teachers at my school were all really nice, so I coaxed as many as I could to come out for our first Friday night. A group of us went out to a Korean restaurant. Ian and I had our first real introduction to Korea's national dish, kimchi, which is fermented chili cabbage. It wasn't love at first taste, although usually it isn't for the first time taster. But eventually it is said that against all odds, and wills, the flavor of fermented cabbage starts to haunt you until one day it becomes a full on craving. Then you're hooked. Its almost like an initiation. Once you can stand the taste of kimchi, you can truly make it in this country. Sort of like how kissing a fish in Newfoundland makes you an official Newfy. Well, sort of. With the kimchi came soju, the national drink. Its a very cheap rice alcohol that will knock the wind out of you if you're not careful.

Eating in a Korean restaurant is an experience all on its own. There are what seems like hundreds of side dishes served with every meal, and there is no point trying to finish any one of them, as they get refilled instantly. At the end of each meal, there is alway a table full of uneaten food that is left behind. Since doggy bags do not exist in this country, it is painful leaving so much food behind, knowing how good it would be for lunch tomorrow. No wonder South Korea is considered one of the most wasteful countries. It is SO true.

In Korea, meals are eaten communally, so if there is something you want to eat, you have to be aware that everyone else has free reign over it as well. This irritates Ian so much that for awhile, he was boycotting dinners out at Korean restaurants altogether. However, this really evolved from the fact that Ian is incapable of using chopsticks, and Koreans have, well lets say a very 'healthy' appetite. In fact, it's down right jaw dropping to watch them eat. Such little people can ingest SO MUCH food and AGGRESSIVELY! Many an injury is suffered by getting in the way of flying chopsticks scrambling to get the last piece of sweet and sour pork. So while all the food is devoured at breakneck speed, Ian is left struggling to pick up his first piece of chicken. Poor guy, he almost starved his first week here.

After dinner, we hit a few bars and a norebang, which is a private karaoke room complete with a huge screen, two microphones, a stage, free ice cream and beer, and a box of instruments to suit ones needs. No wonder norebangs are so popular over here. They are the greatest things since.....well, I can't really think of a single thing to compare them to. That's pretty much the running theme with everything we've encountered here so far. It only gets better!

Korea's Heart and Seoul

Our flight to Seoul was a complete blur. We have been on so many planes this year, that they're all starting to blend into one memory. We arrived on a beautiful day. As apprehensive as we were, we kept our smiles on, and tried to think good thoughts, as our bus from the airport drove into a grey Lego city, where each cookie cutter building had a giant number stamped on it. I imagine it is the only way anyone would be able to find their home.

Miriam, my director, met us when our bus arrived in Bundang. As we approached our area where we would be living, the scenery greatly improved. The buildings melted away, to reveal big, beautiful mountains surrounding us. I tried to look for street names, but like parking spaces, they don't really exist. "Parking" here means stopping your car anywhere, and just leaving it there, whether it be completely on the road, halfway around a turn at an intersection, on the sidewalk, or directly across our front door, which has been the case every day so far.

Finally, we arrived at our new apartment/closet, whichever way you look at it. It was everything they had said it would be. A fully furnished apartment. What they forgot to mention was that we could stand in the middle of the room and ALMOST touch all four walls. After south east Asia, the fact that we had our own bathroom (which is nearly half of our apartment), running hot water, and an actual washing machine was enough to make us barely notice the things that were lacking. ie. space. In fact, we were pleased to discover that we didn't even have to get out of bed to reach anything we needed from inside the fridge. However, I might say I was a bit surprised when in the bathroom I turned on the tap to brush my teeth, and had the shower head above the sink erupt to life and attack me with freezing water. You're probably wondering who in their right mind would install a shower head above a bathroom sink. We are still asking that question. Another surprise was our computer table which is really just a tray that slides out from under the television on the T.V. stand. So while I work on the computer, Ian can watch the top two inches of the T.V. screen. It's perfect. We spent the weekend unpacking and trying to rearrange furniture to create a bit more space. We ended up rotating it around the room until everything ended up exactly where it started. We'll get used to it right?

We also explored our area and I soon decided Bundang is one of the most beautiful places I have lived. It has a very European feel, with tree lined streets and tall thin apartments. Also, We're in a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains and forest. We can't really ask for much more.

Monday morning we were woken by what sounded like an announcement echoing through the streets. We understood nothing except for a man's urgent voice booming from a loud speaker. Omigosh, we were being attacked by North Korea! What else could it be? Bleary-eyed, we stumbled to the window to find out what the emergency was. A man in a truck full of tomatoes was cruising down the street, obviously DESPERATE to sell them. Yeesh! So if North Korea actually does attack, what will THAT announcement be like? It didn't take us long to realize Koreans LOVE megaphones. Our first shopping experience was...an experience. As we walked through the isles of dried squid and pickled pigs feet we were serenaded by a man with a megaphone, who seemed to be following us. Maybe it's that phenomenon where he knew we didn't understand, and thought it would help to speak louder. Not sure. Either way he took it too far. The longer we stayed, the louder it seemed to get, until, with grocery bags flying, we were running for the door. Yes, shopping, as it turns out is an excruciating experience, especially for the eardrums. I've decided the next time I go to the grocery store, I'm bringing my own megaphone so I can follow him around, and at full volume, ask for his help.

My first day of school went well....for me anyway. I don't know about my kids. I was nervous as anything since I've never stood in front of a classroom before. I have eight different classes teaching listening, speaking and writing to children ages 5-16. In general the kids are good. My school is called a Hagwon which is actually an after-school English school. Education is taken very seriously here, so by the time the kids come to our school in the afternoon, they've already been in school all day. When some of them finish up at 9pm at night, the majority go on to yet, ANOTHER school for something else. It actually seems cruel, but I guess that's one of the many cultural things we'll have to get used to.


During our first week, we discovered the forest across the street has about 50 different hiking trails, so we've been going on hikes every other day. What we discovered on the second day blew our minds. About a half hour down one of the trails we came across a clearing, and in it was a bunch of outdoor gym equipment! Free outdoor gym equipment under a canopy of trees, and it is very secluded. Imagine doing sit-ups, while birds fly around you. Its even better when I can get a squirrel to spot me.

I think we're gonna like it here. : )