KOREA Week XIV Review

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 2:38pm

Another week. Another Won.

I saw my first full-length Korean movie this past week. Korean teacher/friend Jessica and I had burrito lunch in Beomgye followed by an afternoon at the movie theater. We saw the recently released Korean film, Take Off, about the 1998 Korean Olympic ski jump team. Obviously, the film was in Korean, which I did not mind because I could follow along fine without an understanding of the dialogue, and Jessica was more than willing to fill in any gaps. The movie was great; humorous in all the right spots and an endearing story. I later learned that the Koreans took home several medals that year, and again four years later at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Also this week, I discovered a DVD rental store in Sanbon, so I have been busy renting videos from there. The cost for a one night rental is 1,500 Won. Last night's movie was Frost/Nixon, which I equally enjoyed. Tonight's feature is Valkyrie.

July classes (month 3) ended on a quiet note. Most students are on vacation the last week of July and the first week of August, so attendance is low. Since Korean schools are on holiday now, many parents use this opportunity for some type of obligatory family holiday. Some companies are even closed during this time, except my language school, of course, because we have no dedicated summer vacation like the many other hagwons. While many foreign teacher friends are off this week scuba diving in the Philippines, camping on Cheju Island, eating sushi in Japan, partying in Hong Kong, or sightseeing in Cambodia, I remain in Korea teaching the less fortunate and more dedicated students who remain behind to study English. Other students have discussed their upcoming vacation plans in class, and many fathers have complained about the impending expense and dreadful duties of a full week spent with the family. It's funny to listen to them vent their frustrations about spending entire days with their kids, when, it would seem, all they wanna do is relax by themselves and drink soju.

Sadly, there were no late night hikes to SuriSan this week. No Teddy Pendergrass and no monsoons. In fact, I did my best to be in bed every night this past week between midnight and 12:30am. Perhaps it was the absence of my foreign friends, or the desire to achieve more than 3-4 hours sleep in a night. Either way, it felt good. I have also resumed cooking in my apartment. Some of my favorite meals this week include marinated bulgogi, Australian strip steaks from E-Mart, pan fried tofu with sesame oil and red pepper flakes, pasta with white cheddar sauce (gift from the U.S.), poached eggs, cereal, and scones with a Korean strawberry jam. All delicious.

To add to the culinary experience, I have been sampling red wines, including a semi-sweet Spanish wine that sells for only 5,500 Won at 7-Eleven, and an Argentinean Cabernet for 6,500 Won at E-Mart. Sweet wines are most popular in Korea, and dry reds from the West coast of the U.S., South America, or Europe are limited in selection and expensive, so finding a semi sweet red or Argentinean Cab at a decent price in Sanbon is actually a blessing. Enjoying wine with meals in restaurants, at home, or anywhere else in Korea is something I very much miss, and I probably have not communicated this as much as I should. For as much as Koreans love their alcohol, and as delicious as Korean food is, it is a major disappointment that more dishes are not paired with yummy wines to enhance the flavors. Instead, crummy Korean beers and Korea's own interpretation of East Asian firewater (soju) are the favorite pairings.

I taught Saturday morning class again this week, and afterwards B.H. and I traveled to Seoul for a Han River cruise and a trip to historic Gwanghamun. The boat ride is something I have wanted to do since viewing the Han for the first time and after reading several travel articles about this. The one and a half hour boat ride left at 3:30pm from Yoeuido, the financial capital of South Korea, which is somewhat similar to lower Manhattan. The Han River is wide, maybe one kilometer in parts, and it divides Seoul into Northern and Southern halves as it flows West toward the Yellow Sea. Surprisingly, there were not many boats other than the occasional ski boat or jet ski rental, but the views provide an interesting perspective to the size and vastness of this city. Cost of the boat ride was only 14,000 Won, which, I should add, included a magic show for the kids.

Saturday, August 1 was also the grand opening of the recently completed boulevard in Gwanghamun, so there were thousands of people gathered for the ceremony and to view the gardens. Gwanghamun is the historic location of many government offices, including the presidential palace (the Green House), and the U.S. Embassy. Gwanghamun was also the site of many former Japanese buildings during the colonial rule in the early to mid twentieth century, most of which, have been torn down. Another black eye in the sorely bruised national history that is Korea.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/08/01/200908010042.asp

After Gwanghamun, we walked around Gyeongbokgung Palace (one of three historic palaces in Seoul) and visited Samcheong-Dong, quaint neighborhood located next to Gwanghamun and the palace, where we shared another fine samgyeopsil dinner and enjoyed mak-ju (beer). The trip to Gwanghamun was not complete without a visit to Seoul's largest bookstore, located in the basement of the subway station, and home to a rather large English selection. Here I purchased two books, a map of Korea, and successfully applied for the Kyobo Book Club and discount card. Best part of the membership; there was obviously some type of confusion when the staff entered my information and my card is written with the word "Name" as my actual last name. So from now on I will be known as, "Mr. Name Ethan" at the bookstore. Watch out.

Monday classes begin month four for me. While I am always excited to meet new students, I am sad to see some students leave. James, a student from Step 4 class Tuesday/Thursday mornings, announced he is taking the month of August off to travel with his family and "catch a rest." Eugene, a student from another Tuesday/Thursday Step 4 class, is interviewing and completing job training this month, so she has retired from her class. Kate, a 28 year old student from Monday/Wednesday Step 5 class, is eight and a half months pregnant and will soon burst or give birth. I'm not sure which. Je-Heon, a business student from Tuesday/Thursday night class, left last week to begin his graduate studies at Texas A&M University, so the other business students and I joined him after class Tuesday to celebrate over a couple of beers at Wa Wa Western Bar and offer some last minute advice prior to his departure. Other students have disappeared for weeks at a time, then reappear one day suddenly as if they never missed a class. Teacher James warned me of this when I first arrived, but I am just now experiencing this. I have said this many times before, but I really love my students and it's always great to see them, especially after a one month hiatus. As for the students who attend class regularly, I have noticed tremendous improvement with their English, and most importantly, their confidence when speaking both inside and outside the classroom.

Other happenings:

So I agreed to teach a children's class this month, Korean age 10. Day one of class, the students told me they did not know Bugs Bunny so I searched for a quick "what's up doc" video on YouTube to introduce them. Unfortunately, the video I accidentally selected (first result in the YouTube search) was actually an imitation bugs bunny cartoon from Family Guy. It featured Bugs Bunny saying his famous line moments before Elmer Fudd shot the rabbit several times. At first, unaware of my mistake, I thought Bugs Bunny was somehow faking this and would turn out fine, but just as I was starting to wonder how this was possible, Bugs Bunny lay in a bloody mess and Elmer Fudd reached down and broke the neck of the wascally wabbit. No joke. It was disturbing to watch even as an adult. Fortunately the kids did not cry, but the look on their faces suggested they did not like the video, nor did the seem to like Bugs Bunny very much. The saddest part of all, 10 year old student Christina told the class five minutes earlier that her favorite animal was a rabbit. I wish I had realized my mistake sooner, and I wish I were making this story up.

I discovered cheap incense, a 60 pack for only 900 Won, at the discount store last week. After my discovery, I spent nearly twenty minutes attempting to describe an incense holder to the clerk using hand gestures and simulating a burning incense reed. Just before giving up the cause, the clerk directed me to a tucked away corner of the store containing the fireworks selection, which I was previously unaware of, but most pleased to learn about. No incense holder, but a wealth of fireworks.

Twenty minutes must be the featured time this week, for that's approximately how long I waited at McDonald's today. Since this was only my second visit to McDonald's in Korea, I can tell you the burger was not that tasty, and the McDonald's employees were horribly inefficient. After watching them for only a few minutes, I realized the crew were not very skilled at multi-tasking; something, which is a necessary part of almost any service job, especially in fast-food. And, to add further enjoyment to the passing time, I watched a young Korean man attempt to juggle two large trays of food, only to drop them both, spraying coca-cola and french fries over half of the people waiting in line. I can honestly say I saw it coming and moved out of the way just in time. Unfortunately, the young Korean man did not have the same foresight, as he was carefully trying not to spill the two large trays of food instead of watching the back of the woman he walked directly into. Good stuff.