KOREA Day 33

Fri, May 29, 2009 at 12:10am

Highlights this week include:

Tiger, student from Step 4 Class, asking me about the Norae Bang in the middle of class and telling me he heard me and the other foreigners had a good time at 4 in the morning Sunday. Thanks Tiger. Apparently, he met or knows one of the other Western conspirators and my name was mentioned somewhere in their conversation. This, I can assure you, really throws off classroom discussion as the students want to learn more about my virgin experience at the karaoke facility.

Korean man in Starbucks leaning over and loudly farting, not once, but twice. Silly and juvenile, I know, but it was actually very funny as I sat there sipping my coffee and emailing via laptop. Wasn't sure that's what he did at first, then he did it again to reaffirm my suspicions. Both times involved a most noticeable lean as he relieved himself. Thank you strange Korean man for delivering humor to my morning.

James and I were treated to lunch by Young (pronounced Yu-ung), a mutual student of ours. She is a mid 40's housewife, retired doctor, and mother of three small children. The day after our lunch she arranged a personal introduction for me with the Director of the Gunpo Central Library System and a tour of their new, state-of-the-art Sanbon facility. Not only do I now possess a library card, but also an invitation from the Director to check out in excess of the three books maximum allowance, and for longer than the two week limit. In light of this special treatment, I have somehow managed to agree to read English books for 30 minutes each week to a group of schoolchildren. A small price to pay for personal favors from the Library Director. Ah well. Actually, I sort of told Young I was interested in some type of volunteer work in the area and she suggested I consider doing this. The meeting with the Director, I now realize, was to solidify this agreement. Nonetheless, it was very nice of Young to help me with the library card and to arrange this. I shall keep you posted on how the storytelling goes.

Alvin and Tiann have suggested a weekend trip to the Philippines, and Alvin has located cheap airfare from Seoul. I have also learned that Alvin is an avid scuba diver, so we hope to incorporate some diving into this trip or another. Hope to finalize these plans soon.

I'm afraid my sleep schedule has gotten terribly out of hand lately. I am currently operating on a vicious system where I do not fall asleep until closer to 1-2am, awake at 530-545am for morning classes, and then nap from 12-3pm. It's ridiculous and I hope to soon rid myself of this awfulness. I do, however, manage to still exercise, which is my only saving grace.

The weather has become increasingly warm this week. Sunny days approach 85-90 degrees and nights can hover around 70-75 degrees. I have been told the summers are warm and sticky, but if this is only the last week of May, I cannot wait until July/August.

No Saturday classes for the Birdman this week. I am not entirely sure of my weekend plans, though I do intend to take a small trip Saturday and do some exploring. I am anxious to get out of Sanbon, if only for an afternoon.

Friday marks the conclusion of my first month teaching. Most classes are scheduled monthly, so next week's schedule may be new, though I expect many classes to remain the same. Nearly all students have renewed their classes, and James has promoted some of his students from lower level classes, so my average class size may increase. The school has been aggressively marketing, and I was told they hope to add another American teacher sometime in the summer. Regardless, I have survived month one.

Korean cell phone has arrived! A free phone was not available, so I purchased the OZ Cyon model made by LG. Cost was only 30,000 Won. It's a slide phone complete with camera, MP3, text message, and FM radio features. TV phones are significantly more expensive and most other phones require a two year minimum contract. Chargers are not standard with Korean cell phones, though I purchased mine for half price (5,000 Won) because the sales woman is a student of the school. She also included, free of charge, a plastic case for the phone. FM radio feature is pretty cool, and so far, I receive 2-3 English stations along with perhaps 8-10 Korean stations. The best part, however; I was able to select my telephone number: 82-010-395-ETHAN.

Kick off your high heel sneakers, it's party time!

KOREA Day 30

Tues, May 26, 2009 at 7:30pm

There is much mourning in South Korea following the death of former President Roh Moo-Hyun. Outside my apartment building, and in the center of Sanbon, there is an alter with a large picture of the fallen president, and many people have placed flowers. Crowds have gathered here forming long lines to pay their respects. I have witnessed many people bowing, praying in front of the alter, and crying. It's crazy to see so many sad people. I cannot recall a reaction like this, in my lifetime, to the death of a U.S. president. One of my students probably said it best, when he compared this event to the tragic death of Princess Diana in England. President Roh, it seems, was truly a man of the people, and I was told, brought positive change to the Republic of Korea. His sudden death is a tragedy.

Obviously, not everyone feels as strongly about this. Some, I have learned, did not agree with the man's politics, nor his pending corruption charges. The students, however, do not seem to mind discussing the man in class or what he meant to the nation. In fact, almost all my classes Monday and Tuesday started with this discussion. Monday's announcement concerning the recent North Korean nuclear test does not appear to have any noticeable affect on the South Korean people. At least not yet. Their minds and thoughts are elsewhere.

http://inthefield.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/28/goodbye-president-roh/

After posting the Week IV update late Sunday afternoon, I hiked to the top of Suri Mountain. It's roughly 30-45 minutes to the peak, depending on the trail and rate of speed, and it's a damn good workout. My shirt is usually well soaked and I am short of breath by the time I reach the top. So when I arrived around 7:30pm Sunday night, it was dusk and was a beautiful spring evening. There was a middle-aged Korean man at the top drinking coffee, smoking a cigarette, and enjoying the view. He spoke broken English and later introduced himself as Kook, a 52 year old technician from Sanbon. He offered me a cup of coffee from his thermos and I shared a granola bar with him. He also spoke some German, so we were able to share a few words before I exceeded my limited vocabulary. We enjoyed relaxed conversation (in English) for perhaps thirty minutes before both heading back down the mountain. During our descent, he invited me to have dinner with he and his son at a nearby restaurant. A most gracious offer, which, I accepted. Together, we feasted on samgyeopsal (Korean BBQ - thinly sliced pork similar to thick-cut bacon) and Kook and I shared three bottles of makgeolli. This, you may remember from the KOREA Day 10 Update, is the milky Korean rice wine, which tastes sweet and sort of similar to Squirt. It's actually kind of good, especially when consumed in "one shot" (Gun-ba), and toasted with new friends.

After dinner, Kook and his son invited me back to their apartment for coffee and bagels. He actually offered me more makgeolli or soju, which I declined because of early morning work. It turns out, he and his son share the spacious 15th floor penthouse apartment overlooking the mountain, and he has two adopted small dogs that he said were once homeless. After a tour of their home, I was invited upstairs to the rooftop where he maintains a beautiful garden filled with several potted plants and herbs. After listening to him identify each plant by it's English name and talk about how long he has been growing them, it was obvious he spent much time caring for these plants and they are truly his passion. Kook sort of looks like Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) from The Karate Kid, especially when tending to his garden.

The 16th floor garden was pretty cool, and the coffee and bagels were a fine after dinner treat, but what was most amazing was the entire evening. I left my apartment at 6:30pm with every intention of taking a quick evening hike and returning to my apartment for a relaxing dinner and preparations for the coming week. Instead, I met a new friend who bought me dinner, practically poured makgeolli down my throat, and invited me back to his residence to share more stories and show me something that is most special to him. But this is not an isolated experience. My short time here has been filled with stories like this which make for good blog updates and enrich my relationships with many Korean people. I continue to be impressed.

Peace and love in Korea.

KOREA Week IV Review

Sun, May 24, 2009 at 6:00pm

This week started out well and Monday was a great day. My new immigration card arrived so I am now legal to teach in Korea and receive Korean health care benefits. Yeah! Care package #1 also arrived from the U.S. so I'm rockin' mac & cheese, instant oatmeal, and microwave popcorn in the apartment. In addition to western food items, I received a full-size bath towel to replace the smaller hand towel I had been using. A most welcome addition. Thank you Mom!

Tuesday morning my alarm did not sound, and I was ten minutes late for class. Not a big deal, but not how I like to begin my day. My alarm; I have no clue why it did this, but it seems to be working fine now. (as if I am making this up) Other classes this week went well, and I am forging good relationships with nearly all my students. In fact, I very much enjoy my classes and I often look forward to discussion with the students.

I watched my first American movie in Korea on Wednesday; Star Trek. I'm not certain if it was the overall experience, including Korean subtitles at the bottom of the screen, or the movie itself, but it was great! James and I went between morning and afternoon classes, for a price of only 7,000 Won, and snuck snacks and beverages in to the theaters. There are no previews and the seats do not recline in the theater, but at 1:15pm the theater is damn near empty. Also, Korean theaters are assigned seating when you purchase your ticket. Seriously.

I received my first Korean haircut early this week, and I'm incredibly pleased this did not turn out half as bad as I had imagined it might. Actually, it's a damn fine haircut, especially when you consider the barber and I could not communicate at all, aside from small hand gestures relating to the length and style of my haircut. James, my teaching partner at the school, mistakenly asked for the "sport cut" last week and was butchered, marine-style. This mistake, I was careful to avoid. Cost of haircut; only 5,000 Won.

James, I recently learned, volunteers some Saturdays teaching English to North Korean refugees in Seoul. I remain very impressed by this, and he provided me with a great article from the February 2009 National Geographic magazine featuring the place he volunteers and some of the refugees who managed to escape. It's a good story and makes you realize just how good we have it compared to others in this world. Check it out:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/02/north-korea/oneill-text

B.H. continues to impress me with his friendship and generosity. After class Thursday, he presented me with a book entitled "Living in Seoul; An Urban Survival Guide for English-speakers". What a great thing. I believe he is of Buddhist persuasion, thus explaining his kindness and generosity, though he denies any type of religious affiliation. The book is published by the Seoul Global Center, a one-stop resource center for foreigners in Seoul, I guess, and seems most informative.

My students failed to show for class Friday morning, so I had a solo breakfast, watched a Korean drama on the TV in the restaurant, and practiced my Korean. Breakfast was a broth based soup with vegetables and a cooked egg, side of rice, kimchi, and pickled radish. Not your typical American breakfast, but still good. I do very much miss the greasy American breakfast I love so much; coffee, eggs, hash browns, bacon, and reading the morning paper. Mostly, I miss the company these breakfasts are most memorably shared with; whether it was an afternoon breakfast with roommates/friends in Toledo, recovering after a long night with friends in Chicago, Sam's No. 3 with Jay in Denver, or casual conversation with Dad at the Monroe Street Diner. All fond memories.

After class Friday night I went to NaNa Bar with James to visit a former student of his, who bartends there. Her English name is Kay and she is attractive. Her Korean friend, Yun-a, who was also there, is very attractive. I'm not entirely sure, but I think, and hope, the four of us are making plans to hang out again soon and perhaps do dinner or something. I later ran into Alvin (Week II Review) and we headed to the Pirate Bar together. I was saddened to learn that Marcus's mother passed away earlier this week so he had to fly home to the U.S. Hopefully he will return to Sanbon in a week or so. Friday night I was forced to behave, and proudly, I made it to class on time Saturday. The four students and I had casual conversation and we also read and discussed an article from the L.A. Times on Green Tea production in Southwestern Korea. It's another good article and makes for good class material. They are a good group, ages 30-50, and seem to enjoy our time together during the three and a half hour class period.

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-greentea13-2009may13,0,1965007.story

Saturday afternoon I connected with B.H. for udon noodle lunch and we later hiked SuriSan. Typical of most Korean mountains, SuriSan is home to 4 Buddhist temples. We hiked perhaps 2-3 miles to a most beautiful temple located on the Western side of SuriSan, and furthest from Sanbon. The temple consisted of two larger buildings for religious purposes and several small buildings. Both the larger buildings are of wooden construction and are built with a view of the Southern slope of the mountain. Inside and out, they are very ornately decorated with vivid and most detailed paintings. There was chanting monk music playing over a speaker, and inside the temple were many lit candles along with inscribed pieces of paper hanging from the ceiling. B.H. told me families can write their names on the paper, and with a small donation, suspend the paper from the rafters to help bring peace and harmony to their families. There was a couple meditating inside one of the temples, so we were able to quietly observe them without disrupting their prayer service. It was all fascinating. Regrettably, I did not bring my camera this trip, which gives me a proper reason to return soon.

Many have probably learned of the tragic news which struck South Korea Saturday. The former South Korean President, Roh Moo-Hyun, leapt to his death off a mountain cliff near his home. He and his presidency were recently tarnished with news of corruption, and it was interesting to discuss this with B.H. during the long walk back from the temple. He told me that the fallen president was first viewed, and elected because of this, as a man of the people. He was more democratic in principle, and despite the recent allegations, committed to improving the lives of poorer Koreans and restoring ties with North Korea. (Both not a bad thing in my opinion) B.H. felt that, even if guilty, the money in question was not a large sum, and that he did not have strong relations with the media, which, ultimately, led to his fall from power and loss of popularity. I think that, despite the corruption charges, B.H. liked President Roh and was disappointed by his death.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124304112887849211.html#mod=whats_news_free?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1

Saturday night I met with three students from my Step 4 class for spicy chicken dinner and beers afterwards at WaWa Western Bar. It felt really good to spend time with and learn more about the students. They also provided me with honest feedback on the class, and suggestions for improving our classroom time and materials. Some have asked for my help with their writing skills, and have offered to bring in homework for me to review with them. I, in turn, have suggested we gather for coffee at Starbucks following class each week to spend more time in a relaxed setting outside the classroom. B.H.'s daughter is one of the students in this group, and we spent a good deal of time discussing her father. Apparently, he thinks very highly of me and enjoys our time together. She is a good girl, age 23, I think, and curiously, speaks English with little to no noticeable Korean accent, something, which she attributes to the large amounts of American television and movies she enjoys watching. I told her I would like to provide B.H with a gift for his generosity and asked her if she could help me with ideas for this. She, of course, told me this was not necessary, but later offered some suggestions. She also suggested I call him "hyung-nim", which is Korean for "older brother" but can also be used as an honorary title amongst friends. All in all, it was a nice night filled with good people, good food, cold beer, and great discussion. They were most appreciative for my time spent with them. In fact, they enjoyed this so much, they paid for everything and refused to allow me to contribute.

Late Saturday night, I called Alvin via Skype and we agreed to meet at the Pirate Bar for some darts. While I had every intention of making the trip to Seoul for Sunday morning hashing, this, unfortunately, did not happen again this week. In fact, my feet did not hit the floor of my apartment until well after 3pm Sunday. Bar darts at the Pirate Bar is partially to blame, though a large group of us later hit the Norae Bang at around 4am. Norae Bang is not a bar, but is actually a karaoke facility with several private rooms complete with large projection screen, U-shaped couch, tables, and a large book of music for us to peruse. Yes, after only four weeks in Korea, Ethan has visited the karaoke facility, and it was just like you can imagine. A group of 20-25 drunken Westerners singing their favorite songs from 4am-7am with little to no regard for the integrity of the performance or the song's actual lyrics. Despite this, it was an absolute blast. Oh, and I almost forgot, large, multi-colored wigs are provided for additional entertainment purposes.

I have made friends with a few of the group and I very much like them. Some are planning weekend trips to other Asian nations, and I hope to go with. We also discussed planning a camping/hiking trip somewhere in the Korean peninsula. It's all happening.

This weekend is Memorial Day in the U.S. and I truly wish I were spending it in Northern Michigan. Monday marks my four week anniversary in Korea and I'm pleased to announce I'm having a great time. The people are tremendous, the food is delicious, and the experience is most rewarding. In many ways, it's everything I imagined, and I'm delighted to be here.

Check It Out and Please Help Support

My cousin:

http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/05/04/celebs-support-ut-students-eco-friendly-clothes/

http://greenblog.theecokey.com/2009/04/01/wwwbarleyandbirchcom.aspx?results=1#SurveyResultsChart

KOREA Week III Review

Sun, May 17, 2009 at 11:57pm

So I recently learned that one of South Korea's most notorious serial killers lived not far from here, and was caught only four months ago.

Seriously, check it out:

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/south-korea/090209/serial-killings-grip-south-korea

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE51312120090204

Saturday morning class went well. Three students showed, and it was a Step 6 class so the students were well versed in English. In three hours time, I learned about their backgrounds, their reasons for studying English, and we read/discussed a travel article from the Wall Street Journal. I have used this article in two prior classes, and it allows the students to read aloud, makes for great group discussion, and introduces new vocabulary. It's a good article written about the Chollipo Arboretum, located an hour from here, so the students seem to enjoy reading about it.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124167666204195343.html

After class, I met with student and friend B.H. for spicy lunch, followed by a train ride to Seoul. Lily, unfortunately, called the school that morning and was not feeling well so she bailed on the trip. Fighting the wind and rain in Seoul, we visited the National Museum of Korea, and completed the first floor of the giant 3 floor complex. They say it takes over 11 hours to completely view all the galleries housing it's 12,000 exhibits, and it stretches over 4 kilometers long. It was a great museum and we agreed to return again soon for the other two floors. In an article I prepared for Monday class, I read that the museum's 10 millionth visitor was celebrated Sunday and was given a special prize. We, unfortunately, missed this occasion by only one day. B.H. rented me an English audio tour, but it did not work well and the headphones were too small for my large Western ears, so I stop using it halfway through the tour. I also met a cute blonde student from Washington D.C. and we exchanged email addresses. She told me she enjoys her time in Korea so much, she would like to return here after graduation and teach English. True to typical Ethan form, I later realized my fly was down this entire time. Most smooth. After the museum, B.H. and I returned to Sanbon for spicy chicken dinner and discussion on a variety of topics. Aside from the rain and the fly mishap, it was a very good day.

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=040000&biid=2009051662648

Late night Saturday I met up with Marcus at Jack's Bar, and we visited the Pirate Bar. My dart game has not improved much, but after only three months in Korea, Marcus has become quite good. Because of the damn pirate bar, and my inability to sleep late any day this week, I missed Sunday morning hashing. I'm a little pissed at myself, but it sure felt good to sleep in. The congestion seems to be going away so I hit the gym Sunday afternoon to help sweat out any remaining traces of this. I also used Sunday night to help prepare for this week's classes and organize my teaching materials. Most good.

I am excited by the thought of soon receiving care packages from parents back home. This thought has made me think of what I miss most my first three weeks here. I miss Chipotle very much. I'm not sure if there is one in/near Seoul, but I would travel far for this. Mexican food, in general, does not exist in Korea and that's really too bad. Koreans, especially considering their love of spicy food, have no idea what they're missing. I miss pizza, but James and I had a pretty damn good pizza Sunday for dinner at Mr. Pizza. Strangely, I also miss American television. No clue why, but the World According to Jim is very popular here, as is CSI Miami, and NCIS. American movies are also broadcast on a few channels. All are in English with Korean subtitles at the bottom. I'm ashamed to mention some of the crappy movies I've watched in the past three weeks, so I will omit this. Korean softcore porn is sometimes found on Channel 30, which is always good for a laugh.

Late Sunday night I strolled around Sanbon and took some photos. During my stroll, I viewed some crazy Korean sculptures, was almost hit by a bus (they really are crazy drivers), and I saw a drunken Korean man being arrested for driving. He was standing un-cuffed next to two police officers watching while the tow truck hauled his car away. It was kinda funny to watch and I should have taken a photo of this. This made me wish I had a video camera to post videos. Perhaps in time. Perhaps..

Question to you: I am curious to learn the preferred online photo viewing website. Snapfish? Flickr? Photobucket? Others? Please let me know your thoughts so I can post my photos for all to see.

KOREA Day 19

Fri, May 15, 2009 at 2:15pm

This week was somewhat uneventful. More great Korean meals and settling into my daily routine. I discovered a fantastic Indian restaurant about a block away, and visited again for the second time this week. The owner speaks fluent English, and apparently, gets mad with James if he does not visit at least once a week. Fine by me. The food here is really great. I suggest the chicken curry with nan (Indian flat bread). This is the second meal I have eaten without chopsticks or "jeot garak" in Korean. I also tried Lotteria, Korea's own version of McDonald's, which was pretty terrible. I will probably avoid this in the future.

James has become a good friend and has been a tremendous asset my first weeks in Korea. Not only has he shown me around, introduced me to his favorite restaurants, and accompanied me on many trips, but I enjoy speaking with him over fine Korean meals. He also has been teaching ESL for many years (two in Japan and two in Korea) so he is a an excellent resource at work. I think he was a little lonely being the only American instructor at the school, so my arrival is most welcome for him. Currently, he is delighted, as he just purchased a 45" tv for his tiny apartment. I have not seen this, but apparently it keeps him well occupied and works well with his Wii system. If his apartment is anything like mine, I have no clue how a 45" TV fits.

My immigration card arrived mid-week, though, I was told they put the wrong address on the card so Immigration services has to remake and send me a new one. Not sure how that happened, but it kinda sucks, as I was really hoping to do some banking and purchase a cell phone this weekend. I have asked some students and the school staff to help me search out the best cell phone deals currently being offered. Apparently, free cell phones are possible with certain promotions. Most phones here are two years more advanced than US models, and many feature TV, GPS, internet, an English/Korean dictionary, games, etc.

Wednesday night I ran for over an hour at the running track, located across from E-mart. It's very frustrating running on the track here, perhaps even my biggest frustration yet, as the locals do not seem to have any regard for runners. Instead, people walk in all directions on the track, others walk across the track, children ride bikes on/near the track, etc. It's most annoying and I am searching for other places to run. I did learn, however, of a bike path that connects the countryside near Sanbon to Seoul and then stretches for many kilometers east and west of Seoul along the Han River. It's supposed to be great, and makes me wish I were a biker to utilize this.

Friday was Teachers Day in Korea. Many students brought me gifts, such as a green tea latte from Starbucks, Korean pastries, cards, and a very elegant hand mirror. James received some nice dress shirts, a box of doughnuts, a fountain pen, etc. We are also being treated to lunch next week by a mutual student of ours. Not a bad gig at all.

Saturday afternoon I have plans to visit Seoul with B.H. (student from KOREA Week I Review) and another student, Lily. I am not sure where we are going, but this was their suggestion to properly introduce me to and show me around Seoul. No complaints with me. Sunday morning, I hope to revisit the Hash Harriers for a run and beer drinking celebration.

I am, unfortunately, suffering from minor congestion and a sore throat, so I have been taking medication and drinking Robitussin, which makes me tired. I'm not sure how this started, but I really hope it leaves me soon. Korean folklore is that Soju helps overcome sickness, so last night, I drank a bottle. This, I regret to inform you, did not work.

Will update again soon. Have a great weekend!

KOREA Day 16

Tues, May 12, 2009 at 9:50pm

It rained all day Monday and Tuesday morning. Perhaps this, and not the Korean beer from the weekend, is why I took two naps Monday? Dinner Monday night at a Vietnamese restaurant helped remove me from my funk. A delicious bowl of soup with shaved beef, sweet onions, and hot peppers was accompanied by a dish of rice and pork. It was a generous portion, and unlike Korean dishes, it was not terribly spicy.

I'm seriously loving the food here; trying something new every day. I have discovered some favorite restaurants, and I have cooked a couple simple dishes in my apartment. These usually consist of rice, fried eggs, pan fried tofu, etc. It's not gourmet, but it'll do. Strangely, I'm really hungry for macaroni and cheese and would pay good money for this now. One of my favorite restaurants is a Korean chain called Sinpo Woori Mandoo, and is great food for around 3,000-6,000 Won. Mandoo are these little hand-made Korean dumplings and filled with a variety of ingredients. Their menu has many other Korean favorites, and you are sure to leave deliciously full. Check it out: www.sinpomandoo.co.kr

I continue to run the streets of Sanbon or hit the gym most days, which helps me keep sane. Plus, it's sort of a necessity since my food consumption is way high. I've heard many foreigners warn of the "adult version of the freshmen 15 lbs." after arriving in Korea. This is no joke. I know many friends back home who, I'm sure, would share this ridiculous love affair of Korean food with me.

Classes are going well. I teach a total of 20 classes per week (an average of 4 classes per day), including a 930am-1pm Saturday class twice per month. I usually have a 6 hour break mid-day between morning and evening classes, which is perfect time for a nap, followed by lunch, and a workout. This coming Saturday will be my first Saturday class and I am not very excited about it. I was really hoping to revisit the Sanbon pirate bar again Friday night, and spend a full day Saturday hiking SuriSan Mountain. Friday night is also Open Mic Night at Club Psycho, starting at 11pm and located in Anyang, which is only two subway stops away. This is supposed to be a big hang-out for Westerners in the Gunpo area. At least Saturday is overtime pay, and 930am start time is better than the 630am Monday through Friday start time.

My Korean continues to improve. It's a day to day thing, but I probably know 20-25 Korean words now, and I learn more each day. It's usually enough to communicate around town, with a few hand gestures to help out when necessary. The people here are surprisingly patient and entertained by any attempt to speak the language with them. I am certain that I would be beaten, robbed, tortured, and possibly raped if I acted this ignorant and naive with the language in the U.S. Seriously, the people so far are great. They may push their way on to elevators and the subway, but that is the Confucian way and is what it is. If they do not know you and do not know where/how you fit in to Korean society, then no harm no foul. You can't let it bother you. Plus, I am larger than most Korean men and women so that helps some.

If you have Skype on your computer, please call me! My reception is hit or miss in the apartment, but I would love to speak/video conference/chat with all of you. I'm not going to lie; it's sort of lonesome here, but no worries; it's to be expected and all is good.

Bests from Korea,

KOREA Week II Review

Mon, May 11, 2009 at 1:22pm

Thursday, I received the results of my physical, taken last week at the Sanbon Hospital. Pleased to tell everyone I passed this (drug screening, std test, blood pressure, vision, hearing check, etc.), so Friday afternoon I went by train to Suwon (5 stops away) to the immigration office to formally apply for the immigration card. It was a lengthy process (imagine the DMV times really bad), and I napped while waiting almost two hours for my number to be called. When it was finally my turn, the immigration officer made a joke about my last name and asked if I was secretly a pirate from the Caribbean. Good one, like I haven't heard that before.. Once I receive the immigration card, I can open a Korean bank account and purchase a cell phone. Yeah! Many of my students want to exchange numbers so we can chill out and do the cool things Koreans do. I am not entirely sure about this, but I also think I can receive calls from the US via Skype at little or no cost to you, so I will post my new number.

Friday night after class, I had dinner with James and a mutual student of ours. His English name is John, and he speaks the most fluent English of any Korean I have met. He is an English professor at a university in Incheon, and, apparently, he studied in England for three years and lived in Vancouver. He is a nice guy, and the three of us munched on fried chicken and french fries at a pirate themed bar/restaurant. The chicken was pretty damn good, and made me miss Western food. This was the first meal I have eaten without chopsticks.

After dinner, I went to Jack's Bar and encountered my new friend Marcus (see KOREA Week I Review), along with two of his co-workers Alvin and Tiann. Alvin and Tiann are both South African, and all are cool dudes. We played darts for a couple hours, then headed to another pirate bar (it's popular here in Korea) filled with foreigners. There must have been thirty of them, and Friday night at the pirate bar is the place to be. Beer is incredibly cheap here, as is Soju. The four of us shared a pitcher of grape flavored Soju, which tasted just like grape Kool-Aid. Also, the beer is served in ice mugs (plastic mugs with a removable ice insert that is molded to fit the mug). It's kinda cool, especially when you are finished with the beer, you remove the ice mold and hurl it at a target on the wall. If you hit the target, you win a prize. I missed the first time, but won a free beer on my second attempt. Go to YouTube and type "pirate bar Sanbon" if you want to see videos of this.

Saturday I slept until 3pm and didn't do much, mostly because I didn't get home until around 4am. Sunday I traveled to Seoul for the first time and met a group of Westerners. The train ride to Seoul was a pain free 45 minutes and cost only 1,500 Won. The group is for Hashing, which is entirely new to me, but basically they gather weekly to run a 4-6 mile course and socialize afterwards. Check it out. It was cool and I will probably do it again this week. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers) The run was slightly difficult and mostly uphill, but it was good to see Seoul and hang with a different crowd. They are a mix of teachers, nurses, military personnel, and business people living in/near Seoul. A couple people were from Ohio and one dude was from Chicago. Afterwards, we went to a bar in Itaewon (the American neighborhood of Seoul) for Quiz Night, and I returned home to Sanbon around 11pm Sunday night.

That's my story. Hope all is well in the Western world.

KOREA Day 10

Weds, May 6, 2009 at 11:45pm

Tuesday was a great day; sunny and 80+ degrees. I slept until 11am, had breakfast (leftover doughnut from Anyang trip, cereal, green tea), visited the PC Bang, and went to the gym. After the gym, I purchased some tteokbokki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tteokbokki) and returned to the apartment. Mid-afternoon, I decided to leave the children of Sanbon behind and venture to SuriSan Mountain for some hiking. Because of Children's Day (Korean holiday), there were mad kids everywhere in Sanbon. Seriously, it was nuts.

Now I should preface this story by adding that previously, I was told the #2 and #3 buses service SuriSan. This being said, I left my apartment with my backpack and headed toward the nearest bus stop, located across from E-Mart. After only ten minutes, the #3 bus arrived and I hopped aboard. The driver seemed friendly, smiling and not at all phased by my awkwardness with the unfamiliar bus procedures. Moments later my bus card/subway pass cleared, deducting 700 Won from my CityPass account, and I took an open seat near the driver. Now it's important to note that, at this point, I was all smiles as I prepared to leave Sanbon for my day on the mountain. Or so I thought..

Unfortunately, my smile quickly disappeared and was replaced with fear, followed by panic and a mixture of other emotions. This all started when the driver began racing through the busy streets of Sanbon, shifting gears (manual transmission), swerving in and out of traffic, bouncing over speed bumps, accelerating through red lights, and narrowly missing multiple pedestrians. I only wish I were exaggerating to make the story more enjoyable, but there is no need. Everything happened as it is told; word for word, event for event. At one point, I am almost certain he clipped the side mirror of a parked car, and knocked over a scooter, also parked on the side of the road. The best part, however, began shortly after the ride commenced, just as things started to get hairy, when "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas began playing on the bus radio. I swear, I am not making this up.

So, the panic set in soon after the song was finished and I realized after a couple turns, that we were no longer headed toward SuriSan Mountain. Yes, after only ten days in Korea, I know enough to recognize when we are headed the opposite direction from the mountain. Instead, we were now headed back toward, and soon past, E-Mart and on to the next town. Realizing there was not much I could do about the situation, I decided to sit back and enjoy the ride, as best I could given the craziness of the driving. Figuring we would eventually return to Sanbon, we drove to Busan City, made a few stops, narrowly missed hitting more pedestrians, and returned to the E-Mart only 30 minutes after the journey began. The driver seemed only slightly puzzled when I did not exit the bus and instead got off at the very same stop I entered. Because I felt satisfied with my bus experience for the day, I walked to SuriSan, which is perhaps only 1 mile or a twenty minute walk from the bus stop.

SuriSan was fantastic. It was a challenging hike, exactly what I was hoping for, and I probably did 5-6 miles, through some very steep and rocky terrain. I located a trail map online, but it's in Korean, and there is a description of the trails with some pictures. (http://www.austinbike.com/mtb/surisan/index.asp#_self)

I encountered some mountain bikers, in addition to several hikers, and a some families who, no doubt, dragged their young to the mountain for some forced exercise. No wildlife, other than the two old Korean men (age 80 years?) who took my photo at the summit, and forced me to chug a glass of fermented rice wine (makgeolli) with them. Again, no joke. Some great photos were taken at the top, and are posted. The descent was only slightly difficult, following the makgeolli, and the steepness of the hill. Half-way to the bottom, and in the middle of no where, there was a playground with free weights and outdoor aerobic equipment. Most bizarre, but there were several Korean men working out in the middle of the forest. At the bottom of the mountain, I caught the #2 bus for downtown Sanbon, and without incident, returned home around 8pm.

Wednesday, I taught two morning classes, both Free Talk English, and had a delightful lunch with Jinny (see KOREA Day 5). Went to the gym afterwards and ran four miles before class this evening, so I feel good and am ready to soon retire into a reclined position in my hospitable bed. I have finally overcome my fears and plugged the laptop in, so I am writing this from my apartment listening to music.

Life is good..

KOREA Day 8

Mon, May 4, 2009 at 5:45pm

Monday; start of Week II in this foreign land. I taught two classes this morning (630-8am and 1030am-12pm). Both were Free Talk classes, which means no set format or text book, but instead open dialogue. B.H., my golf friend, was the only student in the first class. We discussed Korean competitiveness in the business world; in particular manufacturing processes, and management comparisons with U.S. corporations. B.H. has visited the U.S. several times when working for Hyundai, which is pronounced "Hun-day" in Korea. I was surprised to learn that labor organizations are strong in Korea, and are often a challenge to Korean competitiveness and economic growth. My second student was Kelli, early 30's mother of one, who speaks very good English, and wants to visit her sister in California. Tonight I teach two classes, both Step 4, and a little more formal than this morning's Free Talking format.

After class this morning, James and I took the train to Anyang, which is the town located to the North of Sanbon and just the other side of Suri San Mountain. I purchased a Korean Rail Card (900 Won one-way fare) and three stops later we were in Anyang, which is much larger and busier than Sanbon. It was nice to get out of Sanbon, if only for an hour, just to experience life outside this town. While there, we walked around for a short while, and purchased a dozen fresh doughnuts at Krispy Kreme as a gift for the girls in the office at school. Unfortunately, only nine of these doughnuts made the return trip to Sanbon. I guess Anyang is still considered part of Gunpo City, so it is also served by the Gunpo Bus System. Apparently, many Americans live/work in Anyang, so I will return next week for Open Mic Night at Club Psycho, an Anyang hang-out for ex-pats.

This afternoon I purchased a gym membership, located just two blocks from my building, for 33,000 Won/month. I have toured approximately four gyms since arriving in Sanbon, and I am pleased with my selection. The other gyms are located several blocks from my building, and each are priced 80,000-120,000 Won/month. Melissa, our delightful school secretary, located this fantastic deal for me and suggested I check it out. Way to go Melissa! Tomorrow, I begin weight training with Korean Hans and a strict diet of kimchi and green tea. Joking about the diet, but most serious about the weight training with Hans. Hopefully this turns out better than screen golf.

No classes tomorrow because of Korean Children's Holiday, so Ethan gets to sleep in and relax. I was told this is like a second Christmas for children. They are lavished with presents, and paraded around town like monkeys on a leash. Well, sort of..

I hope everyone likes the blog. Photos arriving soon, once I step out on the ledge and plug my laptop into the power converter. Wish me luck.

KOREA Week 1 Review

Sun, May 3, 2009 at 1:38pm

Late Friday night I was treated to a brilliant display of fireworks, in honor of Buddha's Birthday (Korean holiday) and my arrival in Korea. The fireworks were viewed with little obstruction from my apartment window, and were a real treat. After this, I ventured out for an evening stroll. The streets were alive with families enjoying street vendor food, listening to musicians performing, watching fireworks, and other celebratory happenings. Apparently, The Buddha's birthday is a really big deal here. Most cool. I have also been told that Kim Yun-a, international figure skater and Sanbon native, made a public appearance this weekend.

After this, I returned to Jack's Bar and was greeted by the fire-breathing, juggling bartender from Thursday night (he obviously remembered me), and I also met "Jack" the Korean proprietor, who kicked my ass in a game of Cricket (bar darts). I later learned he and two of his staff members are Korean champions in Cricket, and are nationally rated, after he proudly showed me a tournament poster featuring their names at the top. I met another American ESL teacher named Marcus from Mississippi. He is a shaggy haired, chain-smoking fellow, but a nice guy, and we talked for over an hour. He's been living here three months and likes it very much. He says Sanbon is much better than Seoul, where the congestion and pollution are ridiculous. His only complaint, which he talked about for a good ten minutes, was his former girlfriend who invited him to live here with him, returned to the States just 5 days after his arrival. Bummer, but he says he will remain the year.

I have spent much time walking the streets of Sanbon and now have a better understanding of my immediate surroundings. It's a really nice town. Sanbon, apparently, is a Dong (large neighborhood) composed of many areas. I live in the old city or downtown area. The streets are narrow here and it's the major commercial district (maybe 20 square blocks?). My building is located directly in the center of Sanbon, and is approximately one block from the hospital and two blocks from the subway station. Gunpo City is the larger area (Si-city), including the numerous apartment towers located to the East of downtown Sanbon, and more commonly known when describing the region. There are two subway stations servicing Gunpo City (Sanbon Station and Suri San Station), and a complex bus system. Suri San is the tall mountain located immediately to the North/West of Gunpo, and is 450 meters tall at it's peak? There are many hiking trails through the mountains fed by three trailheads. The trailheads are located near bus stops, which is served by the Gunpo City bus system via a large ring road surrounding the city. I have walked this ring road, but apparently the bus service is only 600 Won or roughly $0.60 one-way. This service will help make getting around Gunpo, including mountain hiking trips to Suri San Mountain, far more frequent for Ethan.

When touring the streets of Sanbon, I have noticed some interesting observations about Korean metropolitan centers, or at least Sanbon. First of all, the buildings are perhaps 6-10 stories tall on average, but unlike in the U.S., they are filled with retail stores on every floor (such as Jack's Bar, which is located on the eighth floor of a neighboring building). When walking the streets and alleys, one must always look up to read the signs identifying the tenants and floor number of the business. It hurts your neck after a while of practicing this. As an example, other tenants in my building include: a large bookstore in the basement, sunglass shop and restaurant on street level, PC Bang and billiards hall on the third floor, wellness spa on the fifth floor, children's playland on the 6th floor, and countless restaurants and bars located throughout the building. I'm not entirely sure of this, but I suspect I am the only resident of the building. Another major difference is the main entrance to every building and elevator lobby are not clearly identified. In fact, they are not identified at all, so you really have to look hard to locate. Most buildings also feature a parking garage in the basement level 2, in which cars enter/exit via a small car elevator.

Saturday I slept until 11am, had breakfast, and visited the PC Bang or computer cafe. PC Bangs are large computer rooms with loud Korean music, and mostly filled with young adults playing interactive computer games. Cost is very cheap; I paid 2,000 Won ($2.00 USD) for an hour and a half worth of internet time yesterday. No video games for me. Last week, I purchased a power converter from 110V American service to 240V Korean service, but am frightened to use this. Cost was only 30,000 Won at a local electronics store, but I do not want to risk frying my laptop. So, until I overcome this fear, I remain without music in my apartment, and I am kickin' it at the PC Bang with the Korean kids.

I met my new friend, and student, B.H. at 3pm Saturday for screen golf. It's a small indoor facility on the third floor of a commercial building located closer to the mountain and apartment towers. Apparently, he lives nearby, and his health club is located on the second floor of this facility. I was provided the largest golf shoes they have in stock and a glove to use. We then loaded the computer and practiced for roughly thirty minutes. I imagine the Golfzon system we played is just like a golf simulator at a golf clinic. I learned how to place the ball so the sensor registers it, and the importance of properly following through on your swing so the sensor records it accurately. (Note: it's a very sensitive machine and the computer will place your ball way off the grid if not performed well). After thirty minutes of warm up, we loaded an 18 hole course and began playing. Despite a magnificent 20 meter chip shot on the 6th hole and a fine 10 meter put on the 7th hole, I was a modest 20 over after 9 holes. My host was a strong +6. For those of you familiar with my golf game, this comes as no surprise. I will spare the bloody details of what happened over the last 9 holes, but the second half of the game was played at roughly the same pace as the first 9 holes. I was, unfortunately, not the Tiger Woods my host was hoping for. Either way, we had a good time and enjoyed pleasant conversation together.

After golf, I was treated to another fine Korean meal followed by doughnuts and green tea latte at Dunkin Doughnuts. This meal was perhaps the spiciest I have experienced during my short time here. Like a traditional Korean BBQ with the gas grill located at the center of the table, a dish with beef spare ribs was served in a pot filled with onions and a bubbling, fiery red pepper sauce. Most hot! Several pickled vegetables accompanied this in side dishes, along with rice soup in a clear broth. The rice soup was very bland compared with the main entree, but the pickled vegetables served as a nice palate cleanser, and short-term relief from the heat of the peppers. My most embarrassing moment to date was when I placed what I thought was a pickled root vegetable in my mouth, only to realize it was some type of shellfish, perhaps a small crab, and had to politely excuse myself (with a full mouth) to dispose of this mistake. My host was pleasantly entertained by this display of awkwardness, and assured me not to feel bad. Once again, there was far more food on the table than two of use could realistically consume, and we left much behind.

After only one week, I am making progress and learning new Korean words each day. I really hope to learn the Korean alphabet (Hangul) this week, which will help me read Korean and properly pronounce words, despite the fact I may have no clue what the words mean. Obviously, this is probably the best way to effectively learn the language, though I have been complimented on my efforts thus far.

Annyonghi Kyeseyo!

KOREA Day 5

Fri, May 1, 2009 at 5:44pm

I have completed my first day teaching, having taught two classes Friday morning; 630-8am and 9-1030am, and an evening class 8-930pm. All three classes went well, considering it was my first day and I was working on roughly 5 hours sleep this morning. I know this will only get easier in time, but holding conversation and discussing points of dialogue with students is not terribly difficult, especially when you recognize the students have been studying English for many years and are nearly fluent. I am only helping them overcome their nervousness of the English language, whether it be speaking without hesitation, reading aloud in class, or using proper grammar. We also have text books to follow for every class I teach, which provides discussion points and exercises for the students.

Every student has a self-appointed English name, or a creative name they prefer to be called in class and by English speaking teachers, such as myself. This morning's students introduced themselves to me as Julie, B.H. (short for Byung Hak), and Tyger. Julie is a 40ish mother of two, Tyger is a 21 year old man returning from world travels as part of his mandatory military commitment, and B.H. is a retired Engineer after 25 years with Hyundai Motor Co., and is currently searching for another job. All three students are enrolled at their own expense and determination to improve their English skills. It's a Korean holiday this weekend, Buddha's Birthday, so I was told many students were absent for family celebrations, Soju chugging festivals, etc., despite being the first day of classes. Most will probably start fresh next week following the long weekend. B.H. returned for the evening class and was my only student, so we enjoyed casual conversation for the class period. After class he invited me to play screen golf with him on Saturday at his local club. Apparently, we have a 3pm tee time. I can only imagine this is like a golf simulator, but I will soon confirm and update accordingly.

So Thursday night I was invited to a local bar with James and another teacher from the school, Jinny. She is Korean, but speaks fluent English, after living in Australia for over a year. Like most Korean women, she is small and petite, and most cute, but unlike other Korean women she speaks English with a profound Australian accent. What an amazing combination! Perhaps I will elaborate on this at a later time..

Since Thursday night was my first bar experience drinking with other Koreans, everything I read about this seems to be true. First of all, Koreans do not like to drink on an empty stomach, so when we arrived food was promptly ordered for us. Thin, breaded, lightly fried pork cutlets, similar to Japanese style Tonkatsu, with a terriyaki-like sauce was served. Another fine Korean dish. A side plate with very small fried fish (similar in size and shape to shoe-string fries) and a mayo-ketchup dipping sauce accompanied this. I'm sorry to report this dish was not as good as the pork. Regardless, they never allow your glass to become empty, so the beer flowed like water. The beer pitcher was this massive container with a lid, that was made of very thick clear plastic and looked like a small keg with a handle. Seriously, the size and thickness of this thing looked as if you could drop it out the 8 story bar window onto the street below and it would safely bounce back. The Koreans I befriended told me I look like Bruce Willis. (Not certain if this is a good thing?) They then provided what I was told is a complimentary Korean name for me, though I can't recall the specifics of this. It was a really good time. At one point in the night, Korean hip hop began playing over the speakers and the lights dimmed. The bartenders then began a most impressive fire breathing and bottle juggling routine. I was told one of the bartenders is training for a national competition. I'm not certain how many glasses of Korean beer I enjoyed prior to being reminded of early morning classes, and politely excusing myself. James, who does not drink, was the responsible party here. I was too busy learning Korean handshakes and teaching my new Korean friends how to pump fists and other variations of the American high-five. Good stuff..

So after class this morning, mostly feeling tired from the nervousness of this morning and the beer last night, I returned to my apartment and had an incredible 3 hour nap. It's relatively peaceful sleeping in my apartment, despite the busy noises of the street below. It's also somewhat dark with the blinds down, and there is a nice breeze with the windows open. Sadly, I was awakened at 230pm by my Landlord with a tremendous surprise.. Now I haven't been entirely honest when describing my apartment earlier. The bed I was provided when I first arrived was small, sort of like a large kids bed. In fact, my feet dangled off the end of it. Laugh all you want, especially those who remember me sleeping in a Spiderman kids tent after a wedding several years back, but I am totally serious. The Landlord and her two workers have greatly improved my accommodations, despite interrupting my most relaxing nap. But wait , it gets better..

As I stood there half-awake watching the Landlord direct her two goons, I noticed something very different about this bed than any other bed I have called my own. I'm not sure what gave it away first. Perhaps it was the four wheels they used to wheel the new bed into the room, or perhaps it was the collapsible side rails. Either way, it's all good. Ready for this? I am sleeping in a 100% authentic hospital bed, complete with collapsible tv tray, and (best part) the back raises and lowers to make eating, watching tv, taking medications, and drinking through a straw easier! No joke. After the wheel locks were secure in their locked position (don't want to wake up in the middle of the room after a rough night's sleep) I spent a good twenty minutes playing with this feature. I'm sure their will be more good stories involving this , but for now, it's a great improvement and I am most pleased.

That's the news from Korea. Have a great weekend!