The Reign Has Ended

I am writing this to say goodbye. I like the title I picked for this post because I think it's catchy. To me it means two things: 1. I, aka, Queen For A Year, am retiring this blog and 2. Lately, I have had some hard times and in being proactive and making a change I hope that personally my life will improve and that the "rain" will end. I was thinking about the song from the musical Annie "The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow they'll be sunshine...."

I will be returning to Eastern Canada on Monday, March 19th, 2007 so I will no longer be living and teaching English in South Korea so it seems like the right time to say goodbye to you and this blog. Moreover, I have not posted since just prior to Christmas 2006 and some of you may be wondering why. I feel that I owe you an explaination. I could very easily just let you assume it was because I was busy planning my return to Canada but that is not the truth. I have always tried to be honest and maintain my intergrity in keeping this blog so to lie to you by omission now goes against the grain. I just can't do it. So, here's the truth.

I have not been doing my weekly post recently and the true and primary reason for this is that unforunately rather than promoting understanding and discussion I have received several "comments" [which although I chose not to publish - at the time] I feel hurt and personally attacked by. This has taken the fun out of blogging for me. It's one thing to write about your own personal experiences while in your own country and culture and surrounded by the people you love and who love and support you. However, it is quite another thing entirely to try and write a weekly blog when far from home. As some of you know, Korea is called "The Hermit Kingdom" [even my Lonely Planet Korea book calls Korea that] and it can be a very socially isolating place for a Westerner. To live here and has been a series of ups and downs but to live my life more publically became too much a strain for me.

After four years here, I will be leaving Korea permanently. I feel that I have given Korea more than a fair chance and I have come to the conclusion that it is time for me to go home. I came here very idealistic and I leave some what dishearted. The truth is I no longer feel comfortable living and working in Korea nor do I feel that I can make a difference here. One of my critics who I had chosen not to publish [at the time] made a comment on my post about Korean Bakeries which I titled "Not Quite Right" and he told me and I quote him "Bob Barker has left a new comment on your post ""Not Quite Right"": Heard it all before.... not quite right? or night quite what you're used to?If you dont like it, go home. " And, I have chosen to go home.

I am aware of the fact that people who write blogs often receive a lot of judgements by people who don't know them and some of them are even harassed over cyberspace. I alluded to this a little bit in talking about Shawn Matthews committing suicide in Beijing and that some people said that one contributing factor was that we deleted his Korean Life Blog and had given up blogging - which he loved in response to hassassment.. I talked about this in my post titled "Goodbye Shawn" [here a link to that post

Goodbye Shawn

found in my June Archive]. Although, thankfully, I in no way have received the same amount of harrassment that Shawn did I feel as he did - compelled to stop blogging. It's no longer fun and enjoyable. It not longer makes me feel less isolated and more understood but rather the opposite.

I wrestled with how much I wanted to get into the negative comments and rather I wanted to put them here for everyone to see and read. But, in the end I decided to because I want people to know the truth and I, also, want to serve as warning to other bloggers - becareful what to write. If you are too candid you will be criticized and sometimes even personally attacked.

Sunday, February 25th, 2007 I received what I consider to be my worst "comment" so far. Of course, the harshes of of the negative comments were made either with someone using "Anonymous" as their ID or another obvious fake ID names. At the time this really annoyed me since prior to this very moment [when I just removed my e-mail address] I have always had my name, photo and even my e-mail address posted on this blog for the world to see. I would have like to personally answer these people. However, now I have decided that it is a good thing it was done this way as it allowed me time to calm down and thankfully now and I more collected. I have chosen not to respond to these critics because I have come to the conclusion that there are some people who read blogs with their own personal agenda of finding fault. I no longer am idealistic enough to think that I can change the minds of these "hard liners". It is the more moderate people who have always been the target audience of my blog - at least in my mind.

Thus without farther ado here is the latest "comment".
"Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""Not Quite Right"": I work at an English Language Center in the U.S. We receive students from every part of the world, and found your blog through a friend. She emailed me the entry about the discrimination you face in Korean. After I read that post, I continued reading the rest of your blog. First of all let me state that the "discrimination" you mentioned you are experiencing in Korea is the same here. I mention this because I can add the voice of many people from many countries with many experiences, not just one person from one country relaying one experience.

I think the reason you are so outraged is because you somehow have taken the title "queen for a year" to heart. I hope that you understand that people are allowed to assign their own rules in their own country as they see fit. They do not have to give you special privileges because you are a white Canadian.

I kept reading your blog because I thought that you were just going through an adjustment period, I was wrong. I also cannot believe your attitude in your later post. You state that some things in Korean are "not quite right." I find it unimaginable that you have lived in Korea for 3 years and you are still fighting against the culture. Other countries are not a different version of the "first world" as many westerners would like to think. If it exist in Korea, then it is just right from bean curd popsicles to eating dogs. I am sure that if you had encountered the same puffed air dessert in France you would rave about it.

I am well versed in the ways of the ugly American, but the ugly Canadian, for some reason I didn't think it existed. I guess I was wrong. "


Another comment I received but did not publish at the time was this one. "chacha has left a new comment on your post "New Furniture": Nobody says white people get a lot of male attention. They just stare because they're wondering wtf you're doing there. Don't flatter yourself, babe."

I even received what I consider to be attacks on my ample figure. For example I got these two comments. "leone has left a new comment on your post ""Not Quite Right"": Perhaps it's a good thing that Korean cakes don't taste so good to you - think of your figure!!!! "

"Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Adventures in Cooking": why are your boobs next to your belly button"

Moreover, even my right to express my opinion and experience was questioned. I write as a white, Canadian woman because that is what I am. I never made a secret of that fact. I can only write about my experiences through my own eyes. However, again and again, I was told that because I was a "white Canadian" I could not write about discrimination or I think that only when a "white Canadian" experiences racism do I think that it is important Here is one such criticism I received on my post "Discrimination Against Foreigners in Korea".

"Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Discrimination of Foreigners in Korea": i am a korean canadian, living in US. although i feel sorry for your troubles, for most of us, it's pretty much the same. your post makes it sound as if korea is the only country that treats foreigners like this, but it simply isn't true. i work with a company here in US, in California, and whenever i have people come on an extended business trip from, say, Korea, they go through the same: need to deposit $500- $5,000 to get "secured" credit card (you can only use up to the amount you deposit). they have to deposit $500 (another $500 if they want to call overseas) to get a mobile phone service, if they can get it at all.

I'd love to join a local country club, but alas, my money is not good with them. apparently, i have to be white and old (they say, you must know a member and get recommended by one - sure if you are new, you'd know people like that)

You claim that you can navigate through most websites in Korea, apparently not so. I don't have Korean citizenship, so when I signed up for Cyworld, for example, I used my Canadian passport to sign up. And I do use it frequently. i.e. Cyworld does accept foreigners. and yes, i have nate/nateon messenger as well.

Foreigners in Korea feel they are discriminated against, sure, I think that is true to some extent, but I am not sure it's any worse than what people get when they come to either Canada or US. i certainly hope anyone is implying that only when a canadian/american gets discriminated it's worth blogging about while the other way, it's just way of life here. "

***

Not all comments were negative and some were very favorable and encouraging. To those of you who enjoyed my blog and wrote to thank me let me offer my thanks to you. I appreciate your support. I feel you understood the true spirit of my blog - which was not intended to be a social commentary or political lighting rod but rather a frank and sincere personal account of my sojourn in "the land of the morning calm".

It is with mixed feelings that I say goodbye to you and this blog. If you enjoy my writing and want to hear more from me don't fret. I am in the process of writing a book about my adventures living and teaching English in South Korea. Moreover, it will not just be a recap of my blog but a include fresh new ideas and material. I have always planned to write a book about my experiences and therefore although I used this blog to try and discipline myself to consistently write and to try and hone my writing skills nonetheless it was always with the knowledge that I needed to save some of my funniest and most dramatic experiences for my book.

I plan to keep this blog as it is and later offer an excerpt from my book as well as a link showing where you will be able to purchase my book - as soon as I complete it.

Rest assurred this will not be the last you hear of me or my writing. "Queen For A Year" was rather tame or so I thought - and yet it invited a level of viciousness that was - at least to me -shocking! However, through this experience I have become even more convinced that words are power - they can hurt or they can heal. They have the ability to convey emotion and allow others to learn and grow vicariously though another person's experience. It is with this hope that I embark on the next chapter of my life and journey.

Ann

Christmas in Korea

It has taken a lot to get me into the spirit of Christmas this year. It just doesn't seem like Christmas to me without snow. This time of year seems to naturally lead to reflection and I amazed to realize that this will be my third Christmas in Korea. Wow! It seems like so long ago I first arrived here in South Korea and yet time has gone fast.

To get into the spirit of the season I have consciously made an effort to try to feel more seasonal. My journey went something like this:

I noticed a lady selling roasted sweet potatoes in the market area behind my apartment building and I could actually smell them [amazing with my bronchitis] and they smelled so good. I stopped and got some for my dinner. They were delicious! Since then every Friday night I stop and chat to the vendor and buy some more sweet potatoes for my dinner. The wood fire is so pretty sometimes I just stand and watch it for a few moments and think... it does seem a little more like Christmas.

Last week when I made my weekly visit to Dunkin' Donuts [its my mid week treat] I saw a poster and was able to read that they were offering a new "Holiday Coffee". It looked good so I ordered one and sat drinking it and looking at the decorations and started to get into the Christmas spirit.

Across from my apartment building is a Korean Beef Restaurant [a Galbi Restaurant as I would call it] and they have some nice lights out for Christmas. But, I have to admit is still looks strange to me to see outdoor tables and Christmas lights at the same time. It's too cold to even consider eating outside in my hometown in Canada anytime around Christmas.

Mega Mart the large supermarket [small department store] near my house has some lovely Christmas lights. I went for a walk last night to look at the Christmas lights around here and took this picture.

Another shot of the Christmas lights outside Mega Mart.

We put up a few decorations in the teachers' room at school. And, that made it feel a little cozier and a little more seasonal.

This Santa Claus is on display at one of my schools. I love that his banner is on him in Korean. I wish I could read it. Just when I think my Korean is improving I can't read a simple Christmas banner. Ba hum bug!

Even the subway stations are decorated for Christmas. This is the Nampo-dong Subway Station Christmas tree.

Last night in the Nampo-dong Subway station there was a band wearing Santa hats and preforming. They were pretty good and a number of people stopped to listen and enjoy the music.

This is "Julie Teacher". She is the Elementary School Korean-English teacher at one of my schools. She gave me a lovely red scarf for Christmas.

Yesterday, at my Yong-do school we had a Christmas party and of course there was pizza. Here's "Harry" enjoying some pizza and posing for a picture for me.

I snapped this picture of my students digging into the pizza. I guess pizza really is an international favorite food. Notice that it's still so hot that the cheese is stringy. YUMMY!

My Grade 6 student "Rocky" surprised me with a Christmas present of a set of 4 Cappuccino Mugs. They are so pretty and huge. Lately, I been making a mug of hot chocolate at night and curling up on my bed with it. There I've been watching Christmas shows which I download using bit torrents and watch on TV via my Xbox and the FTP program [that sends them to the Xbox without me evening having to burn them to a DVD]. Who knew I'd even become so technologically sauvy? Not me.

This week I had a class on how to make a Christmas card in English for my students. I expected them to take the cards for their families. However, some of my students surprised me and gave me the card they had made at the end of the class. They wrote really nice messages like "I love you" and "Annabelle Teacher, Pretty". I am so flattered.

More Christmas cards and postcards.

Another Christmas card from a student.

This Grade 5 student wrote in English and smaller on the left in Korean. I am embarrassed to say I had to get a Korean-English teacher to help me read the Korean message. I speak Korean much better than I can read or write it and I think in that way I have fooled the children into thinking I'm much better at Korean than I actually am.

Still more Christmas cards.

More Christmas cards and postcards. I feel so loved.

Last but not least I finally broke down and bought myself a new digital camera. I've been wanting one for a long time. I love my old digital camera but it's only 2.0 mega pixels and it doesn't do on well close ups. I have been wanting to take clear, crisp pictures of some of the Konglish I see daily but haven't been able to with my old camera. This is a Sony Cybershot camera with 7.2 mega pixels and a macro feature that lets me do close ups of printed material.

I am considering this to be my Christmas present to myself for surviving my ill health and getting into the Christmas spirit in spite of being far away from the people I love most int he whole world. Merry Christmas to me.

***

Well, I'm off to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" on my Xbox and TV and drink some hot chocolate.

***
Merry Christmas everyone.

"Not Quite Right"

I picked the title of this post from the quote some of us westerners sometimes use about South Korea that it is "the land of not quite right".

What do I mean by that? Well, mainly that things aren't done here like they are back home. For example, often you will order a ham and cheese sandwich in a restaurant and get served a ham, cheese and jam sandwich. One time at the restaurant chain "Bear Mountain" I ordered chicken quesadillas and they were served with sweetened whipped cream [like you might use as a dessert topping] of course I didn't expect this or realize it until I had spread it over my meal and thus ruined the entire thing. I have learned that even when things look right and are presented in the way you are used they still might not be correct.

I have been thinking about this in regards to food lately. Maybe because I have a terrible cold and have had for weeks now - nothing smells or tastes good to me. This got me thinking about the fact that in Korea nothing smells good. You can walk by a fried chicken shop or a bakery and smell nothing. I'm not sure if it is the pollution or what. But, it sure is different from back home. When I lived in Moncton, New Brunswick and attended Moncton High School there was a bakery about 6 blocks away and the smell used to waft in - especially in the fall and spring when the windows were open. The odour used to practically drive us to distraction. I can't speak for anyone else, but I was rendered like one of Pablov's dogs with my salvating. It was the most fragrant and delicious smell imaginable.

This got me thinking about the fact that Korean people say they don't like sweets. What I am wondering is if that is true. Is it that Korean people don't like sweets or that they don't like that they make here and call "sweets" cause quite frankly I don't like them either. They look like real cakes and are decorated beautifully but they are mostly puffed air and sometimes some sweetened cream. I have never had a cake here [not even for someone's birthday] that actually tasted like a cake. They don't use icing sugar or frostening on cakes or cinnamin buns. The cake is always a light sponge-like cake. I've never had a confetti cake or a cherry loaf or even a real chocolate cake. I'm not sure if it is because it is difficult to find the necessary ingredients [real cocoa powder is very hard to find] and from the taste of the "chocolate cakes" I've tried from bakeries they used cocoa mix [cocoa that has been cut with sugar and milk powder and is ready to make a cup of hot cocoa] or if they just don't know the difference.



A picture of a normal Korean bakery and the delicious "looking cakes". If only they tasted even 25% as good as they look....

Apparently, I am not the only one to dislike Korean bakeries. Last weekend I went to visit my friend "Ray" in Ulsan. And, I picked up a copy of the November issue of the "Ulsan Pear" an English magazine about living in Ulsan. In it there was an article about "Stohrer Bakery". The article by Jim Saunders starts like this, "Bakeries in Korea seem to be a rather hit-and-miss affair. A casual glance around your local Paris Baguette or equivalent reveals a lacklustre number of tasty looking goods on offer that also seem to contain a strange mix of fillings (sweet potato anyone?). And when an unsuspecting pastery that looks really good spills bean paste into your mouth it can rather darken the day."

The article goes on to take about a bakery in Ulsan called the "Stohrer Bakery" owned and operated by Mr. Son Su Dae who gained experience in Japan and France. It continues to say that although expensive the quality is great and it does seem to attract a upper class clientele. This piqued my interest. And, adds to my hypothesis that Koreans would actually like "Western food" if it were actually prepared and served correctly here.

I convinced "Ray" to join me on my quest to find this bakery. Truthfully, it didn't take much persuading. "Ray" and a few of his friends had tried to find the bakery a few weeks before without success and I think "Ray" was just curious to see how I would go about trying to find it since I have only been to Ulsan a handful of times and had always managed to get lost while there. But, knowing my persistence he knew it would be interesting to watch. The fact that the bakery was difficult to find just made me more determined than ever to find it. That's just the kind of girl I am. I guess you could say I like a challenge. Whenever, life gets hard and frustrating here in Korea I just pretend I am on "The Amazing Race" and that this is a "roadblock" [a task that only one player can perform before the team can move on].



A picture of the tarts in the Stohrer Bakery. They were delicious. I bought a plum one.

Needless, to say we found the bakery and as promised it was quite expensive and the quality was great! I couldn't be more pleased. I should confess that I used the phone number of the bakery and recruited a Korean University Student to call and get me directions. And, later I talked to a Korean guy and showed him the directions and got him to point me in the right direction.

It was an interesting quest and the bakery treats were a delicious reward.



The most delicious treat at the bakery were the chocolates. They were very expensive at 1,300 won [over $1.30 Canadian] a piece but they were exceptional! Yummm... My mouth waters just thinking about them.

**One note of interest: When the University Student called the bakery to get directions she told the person at the bakery that "Two foreigners were trying to find the bakery" and that she was calling for us to get directions. I've noticed that whenever I ask a Korean to help me they always say "wae-guk-in"["foreigner"] and somehow that is a pertinent part of the equation. I'm not sure why this is and why it matters.



A funny picture I took the other night of a lady taking her dog into the bakery with her. It's even funnier if you think about the fact that Korea is a country where men still eat dog meat especially in the summer to help improve their "stamina".

Chulsok 추석

The eve of Chulsok 추석 [the Korean Thanksgiving Holiday] is upon us. This time of year gets very hectic and busy for nearly everyone. I am amazed at the shopping and expense that go into the holiday preparations. For example, nearly every company gives each of their employees a gift set as a Chulsok present. In fact, I got a lovely, gift set that included Rice Day shampoo, hair conditioner, body wash, bars of soap and toothpaste.

Even after over three years in Korea I am still amazed by the cultural differences. For one thing gifts here are not individualized but sets that come already prepared and the same thing is given to everyone regardless of age or gender. I guess I'm still used to gifts being painstakingly chosen for each individual on my list according to hobby or personal interest. Moreover, if you were to give someone back home in North America bars of soap or toothpaste for a gift it would seem like you were telling them they were smelly or dirty and they'd better use this. I love my gift set, now that I am now used to the idea of getting personal care items, and it is a very practical gift.


Here is a picture I took at Mega Mart a large department store near my home of some of the gift sets. These ones include bars of soap and toothpaste.

Another cultural difference can be seen in the Korean love of SPAM. And, no I don't mean junk e-mail [ha, ha]. I mean the canned luncheon meat. The Koreans love it and give it to one another in gift sets. They even go so far as to consider it a "luxury" item. My friend "Ray" has told me that it is only in Asian countries where there is a history of US Military involvement or presence that Spam is considered a delicacy.



This is a picture of a gift set of Spam. Back in North America we consider Spam a food that you eat when you're poor or running low on cash just before payday but at over $ 32.00 for this gift set here Spam isn't exactly cheap.

"Ray" and I talked about the Korean love of Spam tonight and in taking about it he found this article about Spam being considered a desirable gift set item. Here's the link. (Thank you- "Ray".)

Watercooler Story on Spam

Also, Wipipedia has an article about Spam that tells about the link between its popularity and countries with a US Military history. Here's the link to that.

Wipipedia Article on Spam

In case, I forgot just what an important occasion Chulsok is I would soon be reminded when I saw the sales clerks in the supermarket in their beautiful Hanboks 한복 [traditional Korean clothing].




Here is another picture of a Hanbok. This is one as seen from the back with the intricate embroidery on it.



There are, also, tuna gift sets [which although cheaper by half than the Spam gift sets] we foreigners seem to enjoy and appreciate more.



This lovely sales clerk was kind enough to pose for a picture near the gift sets.



I noticed these Korean cookies and snack sets and wanted to take a picture of them especially when I saw a box just above them wrapped in the cloth that older Korean women routinely use to carry their packages. I guess it is much more durable than a plastic bag and much better for the environment in the long run and gosh darn it sure looks pretty, too.



I would be remiss if I didn't mention the gift sets of Korean liquor. I believe this is a traditional rice wine since the label on the bottle says 법주 [bab ju] and "bab" is the Korean word for rice and "ju" is the word for any type of alcohol in Korean.



Last but not least the most expensive gift for Chulsok would be these boxes of Korean Ginseng. 인삼 [in sam]. Ginseng is considered a health food and is highly desired and the price is reflective of that. The most expensive box of ginseng I saw was priced at over $ 178.00 dollars. W0w!

***

Well that's my post for this week. On Tuesday I am off to Taiwan with my friend "Ray". I can't wait. Yipee! I will be away for more than 6 days so I will not be posting an article next weekend. However, I promise to take tons of pictures in Taiwan and I'll write about my trip and post tons of pictures sometime the following weekend [October 14th to 15th].

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice about places to go and things to see in Taiwan.

Vacations

When I thought about coming to teach in South Korea over three years ago I thought about how nice it would be to travel on my vacations. I had several friends who had taught here and they had all gone to Thailand for their Christmas vacation, etc. I thought I would be able to do the same. Well, the fact of the matter is that if you work at a "Hogwon" [private language school] often you don't get more than three consecutive days off for a holiday. It is true that some schools close down for a week in the summer and a week at Christmas time giving the teachers that work there time to travel but from my experience this seems to be the exception - not the norm.

I hope very much that if I come back for another year to teach in Korea that I can get a job in a university or a public school. That way I would get about five weeks of vacation time in the summer to travel.

So far, I have seen most of Korea even traveling to the DMZ [Demilitarized Zone] for the Lunar New Year in February 2004 and I've been to Fukuoka, Japan at least three times on over-night Visa runs. But as for traveling and getting to see a lot of Asia I have not really gotten to do so. With one exception. In February 2005 for the Lunar New Year's holiday I got to take a tour of Beijing, China. I went with Kangsan Travel [an English Travel Agency here in Busan - I have a link to them on the sidebar of this blog].

Right now I am trying desperately to get plane tickets for Chulsok 추석 [the Korean Thanksgiving holiday]. It is based on the Lunar Calendar so the date changes each year. This year it is from Thursday, October 5th to and including Sunday, October 8th. Moreover, Tuesday, October 3rd is a legal holiday 개천절 [Kae Chun Chul] what we call Foundation day in English and I managed with much begging to get my boss to give me Wednesday, October 4th off. What that means is I have from Monday night at 10 pm until the following Monday afternoon at 2:00 pm off on holiday - almost a whole week. It is almost unheard of to get that much time off in Korea and especially from a private language school. I am so excited I can't stand it!

However, despite what I thought - that it was a time when every Korean went home to see their families - it seems that in actuality every Korean has already booked airline tickets out of the country. I some how managed to get two tickets booked for October 3rd to Taipei, Taiwan but so far I can't get any tickets back to Korea. I am on the cancellation list and I pop by the travel agency everyday to see if seats have become available but so far there are still no tickets. I could come back on Tuesday, October 10th no problem but there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY EITHER MYSELF OF MY FRIEND CAN GET ANYMORE TIME OFF WORK!!!

Everyone keeps telling me I should have booked my tickets months ago. Maybe I'll find out when Lunar New Year is in 2007 and book my tickets now. At least that way I might finally make it to Thailand. I'm not kidding - I'm considering it - quite seriously. It seems that there are no extra flights put on for holidays - making travel at any holiday time a nightmare. Well, I've learned my lesson. As the Boy Scouts say "Be prepared". Come next holiday - I intend to be.

***

Here are some pictures from my first real vacation in Korea. I went to the DMZ and did the 3rd tunnel tour in February of 2004. It was amazing to see.

This is looking out the window and looking over North Korea. This was taken from the Dora-san Observatory.

This is the Dora-san Observatory where you can look over towards North Korea.


This was taken inside the 3rd tunnel. This was a tunnel that was discovered in 1978 and was only 44 kms and less than one hours drive from Seoul. It is said to have been capable of moving a full divison per hour and was designed by North Korea for the purpose of making a surprise attack on Seoul. Scary!

This fence marks the boundary of the DMZ or should I say No-Man's Land - between North and South Korea.

Every Lunar New Year South Koreans hold a rally where they show their support for the reunification of North and South Korea and their desire to see their relatives who live in North Korea.

Here is a watch tower that is located in the DMZ. It is so stark looking that I wanted to use Black and White Film [I didn't have a digital camera at this point so I had to scan this photos into my computer] to emphasis that aspect of the scene.

***

Stay tuned for up-dates on my potential trip to Taipei.

My First Full Day in Korea - Part 2

Saturday, January 25, 2003: Noon 'Til Midnight

Well my first day in Korea was half over. It was lunch time and after meeting "Amber" my first Canadian and fellow teacher I felt so much better and more optimistic. I felt like maybe things would work out and be okay, after all.

It was 1:00 p.m. and neither Tony nor Mr. Kim had shown up and neither had Mr. X. the school's owner and boss. So after some conversation in Korean [that of course I couldn't understand] Ms. Park was able to take me away from the school. I started to understand I was not only free for the rest of the day but for the rest of the weekend. I won't have to return to school until Monday. Yipee!

I needed to go shopping. I needed some food. I wanted to buy bread, peanut butter, and orange juice. I was not ready to eat rice for breakfast everyday - at least not yet. Also, I needed to buy a towel and a hairdrier. Ms. Park with much gesturing and some help from a Japanese Teacher at the school let me know that she would take me shopping for what I needed and then take me home to the apartment. I was amazed at her kindness but then I remembered that no one has given me any keys to the apartment yet. Soo maybe she didn't volunteer to help me maybe she was drafted. In any case I was just too happy to really care why it was happening.

It is when we went shopping that I realized that my changing only around $ 80.00 CDN into Korean Won [at the money exchange at the airport] had not been such a smart move since the banks were all closed and there were no money exchanges in Gumi. But, I did have enough money to buy absolute necessities especially with Ms. Park speaking Korean to all the shopkeepers and beating them down in price for me.

I didn't really notice it so much at the time but when I got back to the apartment I saw that no matter what the price tag said I had paid less. I then learned my cardinal rule for shopping in Korea - NEVER PAY FULL PRICE FOR ANYTHING!

After shopping Ms. Park took me back to our apartment. Then she showed me a corner store only about 2 minutes from our apartment. A husband and wife ran the store and the husband spoke some English. Ms. Park talked to him and introduced me and the husband translated for me. When they discovered I was Canadian [not American - like they had assumed] they seemded even more excited and happy to meet me. I get the feeling that maybe Americans aren't so popular here. What was that about?

This corner store was only about 2 minutes walk from my apartment. The husband and wife who ran it seemed very nice and when Ms. Park introduced me they give me some free bread. The husband laughed and told me "Korean people eat rice. Americans eat bread."

This was the Kia car dealership in Gumi, Korea. I used it as a landmark when I was trying to find my way from the apartment to the school and back. I was so amazed how uniform in looks and behavior Korean people seemed to be. This picture shows what I mean. With only one exception everyone is wearing black clothing. It lead me to nickname Gumi "The City of Black Clothing".

Around 4:00 p.m. "Lucy" the teacher I was replacing showed up at the apartment. She had finished at the English Camp and she was leaving Gumi tomorrow by bus for Seoul. She gave me her keys since she was spending the night at some other teacher's apartment. I walked her [and helped her carry her luggage] to the main street so she could catch a cab. It was then that she pointed out "Amber's" apartment - it was only 3 houses away from mine. And, she invited me to her going away party that night. Since I didn't know how to get there she told me she would call "Amber" and get her to pick me up about 9:00 p.m.

Things were looking up. I was going to a party later and I have my own set of apartment keys. So, I decided to go for a walk to explore the neighborhood. I had to becareful and notice landmarks since I didn't have a cellphone and couldn't speak enough Korean to ask for directions if I got lost. Not to mention I didn't even know the address of my neighborhood little own the address of my actual apartment building.

Around 6:00 p.m. I was starving and after looking in the windows of a various buildings trying to guess what kind of business they were (since I couldn't read any signs) I finally looked in a window and saw multiple tables with cushions positioned around them on the floor. BINGO! I had found a Korean restaurant - or so I thought! It looked exactly like the Korean restaurant Mr. Kim and Tony had taken me to last night. I decided to go in and see if I could order anything to eat. I was so hungry and it was no wonder so far that day all I had eaten was some rice, some dried seaweed, some bug larvae.

I went into the building and whipped out my Lonely Planet Korean Phrasebook and started to talk to the woman working there. She was very kind. Her name was Mrs. Kim. But what I soon realized with the help of my book was that this is a Soju Bong [Soju is a kind of rice alcohol] and this was a drinking room]. It wasn't a restaurant at all! When I realized my mistake I was embarrassed and wanted to leave but Mrs. Kim wouldn't let me leave.

This is Mrs. Kim. She worked in a Soju Bong in Gumi. It is a drinking room. But I didn't know that. I looked in the window and saw all the tables and I went in and using my Lonely Planet Korean Phrase Book tried to order a meal. Mrs. Kim took pity on me and called and ordered Chop Chae [Sweet Potato Noodles with spinach and fried meat] for me. She wouldn't even take a penny - or should I say won - for it. She was so kind. She tried so hard to speak English to me and we used my phrasebook and practiced on each other. I used The Lonely Planet Korean Phrasebook and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting or needing to speak some Korean. It's divided into sections based on need, ie. there is a section on eating out/ordering in a restaurant. That's the one I used here.

For information on this book go to
Lonely Planet Korean Phrase Book

This is picture of Chop Chae. It is a dish made of sweet potato noodles with onions, spinach, and fried pork or beef. It is good and not too spicey. It's a food my Korean friends had made for me in Canada so I knew I like it. My supper was EVER so much better than my breakfast!

After my meal I went back to the apartment and had a short nap and then I got up and got ready for the party. "Amber" came to get me a little after 9:00 p.m. and we took a taxi to some other teacher's house. There were so many people at the apartment that I couldn't keep them straight. After a couple hours there I felt like I needed to get away. I met a guy from New Zealand and his Korean girlfriend and they were leaving to go to some bar downtown. They invited me to go along with them. So, I decided to go. But not before I manage to borrow 50,000 won from a fellow teacher. I was amazed at how nice everyone was being. Also, one of the teachers wrote out the address of my apartment. He wrote out the Korean words in phonetically in English and told me if I say this to the taxi driver I would get home. So, off I went to explore more of my new city.

Here I am at WABAR my first night out in Korea. Wa-Bar was amazing. It had drinks from all over the world. It even had my favorite beer - Molson Canadian. I was smiling cause I felt like I found a "home away from home" there at Wa-Bar.

Here is a picture of Wa-Bar. See all the colorful bottles. I always said, "If you can't find your favorite drink at Wa-Bar then you just can't find it in Korea."

My First Full Day in Korea - Part 1

Saturday, January 25th, 2003 Morning

My first day in Korea started early. I was was exhausted. I woke up at 9:10 a.m. and took a shower. With much motioning, etc. Ms. Park was able to show me how to turn the hot water on and off. I realized that it took about 5 minutes to heat up so I brushed my teeth and rummaged through my suitcase for some clothes to wear while I waited for the water to heat up. It was then that I discovered that I hadn't thought to pack a towel. Big Mistake. I had to use a T' shirt to dry off on after my shower. It was not a good start to my day. I was mad at myself for my over-sight. [If you ever go to live in Korea and teach English make sure you take a towel and some sheets. I'd suggest queen sized sheets cause you can always fold them under if their too big but you can't made them stretch.]

I wished I could have slept in cause my jetlag was terrible! But Mr. Kim had told me that he would come to the apartment to pick me up at 10 a.m. to take me to the hogwan [school] and meet the owner.

This is Bon-Daeg-ee. It is some kind of bug larvae. It has a smokey oyster taste and it's very crunchy sort of like eating celery.

Ms. Park, my Chinese roommate, ate this for breakfast with a bowl or rice and some kim (dried seaweed). Since I didn't have any food (getting to the apartment around midnight didn't exactly leave me any time to go grocery shopping) Ms. Park insisted that I share her food.

I gotta tell you. I didn't appreciate it at the time. I felt put on the spot to be polite so I sort of just tried to choke it down (truthfully I ate the rice and kim and tried one bon-daeg-ee and then hid the rest under a small pile of rice I left in my bowl). Later, I would learn that Ms. Park had a family back in China to provide for on less than half the salary I was guaranteed in my contact and she couldn't really spare the extra food. [I must admit that I still won't eat bon-daeg-ee. Even the smell of them makes my stomach queasy.] So I doubt it would have helped me eat any more of them than I did at the time but at least it would have made me more fully appreciate the extent of her sacrifice and kindness.

After we had eaten breakfast and it was after 10 a.m. and still Mr. Kim hadn't showed up to pick me up and take me to the school. I wondered "What's up with that? I guess he isn't too worried about punctuality." I figured that if last night was any indication of his tardiness than I would have a least an hour or two to wait so I decided to go back to bed and go back to sleep. But, alas, I couldn'tt.

Ms. Park was upset. She was so worried and so scared that she began pacing the floor and trying to call people on her cellphone. I wasn't not sure what was going on. I wished I could speak Chinese or even Korean then I could just ask her what's up.

Finally, at 11:00 a.m. Ms. Park put her winter coat on and motioned for me to do the same. And, we walked to the school. It was about a 15 minute walk. I should have been paying attention so that I could find my way to school and home again but I was too tired to care. Also, I was worried. It couldn't be a good sign that Mr. Kim kept blowing me off. I worried "What if he forgets me when it comes time to pay me?" Was it some reflection on me? I had so many questions and so few answers....

When I got to the school neither Mr. Kim nor Tony were there. No one seemed to speak English at the school and everyone just sort of ignored me. It was like they don't know what to do with me. Ms. Park rans off to teach a Chinese class. [I found that out later because I got bored and gave myself a tour of the school. I went looking in classroom windows and I saw her teaching. At least that explained her anxiousness earlier. Maybe she gots paid by the class and wasn't on contract like me.]

I wanted to go home and go back to bed and to sleep but I wasn't sure I could find my way back to the apartment and I didn't have any keys, anyway.

What was going on? Why was I at the school? I wasn't doing anything. And, where were the other Westerners? There were supposed to be at least 6 or 7 other "Native Speaker" English Teachers there. But instead there were only some administration staff and Chinese and Japanese Teachers. I was bored and I hadn't even thought to bring a book to read.

So, I just sort of wandered aroundthe school and tried to get my bearings and figure out what was going on. Just when I was so bored I want to cry I meet "Amber" another Canadian. She was from Newfoundland and like a good Newfoundlander she took me under her wing. She bought me a cup of coffee out of a vending machine and told me that all the other English Teachers were at the "English Camp". This wass "vacation time" in Korea when the kids were on holiday from public school so they went to camps to learn things like English or computers or whatever. Well, at least that cleared up the mystery for me. I felt so much better just meeting someone who spoke English and was from the East Coast of Canada. I felt reassured to learn that usually the school was bustling with other English Teachers and everyone was Canadian. Maybe all the confusion and the not picking me up on time - or at all - was because of the "English Camp".

This is "Amber" she was my first friendly face from home. God bless the Newfoundlanders who are so kind and wonderful to everyone. I wouldn't a made it without them.

I felt much more hopeful after meeting "Amber" and learning what was going on with the school and the other English Teachers. It didn't seem to be a personal thing against me. But I was left thinking, "All this happened and it isn't even lunchtime. What will the rest of the day bring?"