Rude Boys, Bus Wrecks,Clogged Toilets and More!

The randomness I record, when I am too lazy and disorganized to write! I promise I'll be back at the writing soon, but for now enjoy another day of my ugly mug!

Where's The Robitussin When You Need It?

I would sell a non-vital organ for some cold medicine right now!

Who's Having The Best Day Ever in Korea?

Ignore the pineapple head! :)

Rugby Day in Seoul

Today I went to a South Korean "Rugby Day," where I watched the men's teams play in a tournament, kids learning touch and played a sevens match. It was an exciting day and just like everything in Korea, I constantly find myself surprised. Most of all, I was surprised by the formality of the day. All of the players had to line up according to height and stand for the national anthem, then a few players were recognized with presents and plaques. Now, I don't speak Korean, but I clapped anyway and I can only assume they are basically a big deal in the rugby world.

Next, our team was introduced and we were gawked at a bit, seen as the example for foreigners playing sport in Korea. The match itself was a lot of fun, although it made me realize just how out of shape I am. It also made me remember how much I just love rugby. It never feels like I am under pressure, the way I used to feel when I played basketball. I literally enjoy every minute of it, even the minutes where I am sucking air and wishing I hadn't had a cheeky little drag of a cigarette on the weekend. 

The best part of the whole day was watching kids running around with a rugby ball and loving every minute of it. I am so glad I still feel that way and I am excited every time I see a kid smile upon scoring their first try. I remember what it felt like and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to play in Korea.

Future Ruggers!

The Fried Chicken Diet

Fried chicken everyday, life is good in Korea!

Since I have been in Korea, I can tell I have already lost a pretty decent amount of weight. Not intentionally, as I don't have the greatest eating habits. Here is a standard day in my Korean life.

Breakfast:
1 Instant Sweetened Coffee (with an additional pack of black coffee to make it stronger)
2 donuts or any crazy flavored Korean pastry

Lunch
Rice
Kimchi
Pickled Raddish/Mushrooms/Fruit
Spicy chicken or beef with eggs (I always skip the fish)
seaweed soup or sometimes spicy meat soup

Dinner
Potato soup

Random snacks throughout the day:
Paris Baguette sausage dog
Paris Baguette egg tart
Paris Baguette donuts
Fried Chicken (at every opportunity I get)
Paris Baguette cheesecake

Delicious cheesecake!

Now, I'm not sure if this means that I just ate everything I could possibly get my hands on while I was living in the U.S and Scotland, or if my eating on a schedule is good for me. I really need to start getting more fruits and veg into my diet outside of school lunch. As good as potato soup is, I'm pretty sure I have made it for dinner for the last week and a half.

Every time I pass a fried chicken shop I find myself lingering in the window, before eventually going in and buying everything I can figure out how to ask for in English or very bad Korean.

Exhibit A

This chicken obsession is getting out of control

My goal for the next month is to eat as much fruit and veg as possible, which should be much easier considering I get paid next week!

Oppa Waygook Style

Going out in Seoul isn't so much different than going out in the U.S. Excect here, since most people don't have phones yet, we will meet up outside of a subway exit (as opposed to someones flat/apartment), go to a 7/11 and do some pre-gaming on the way to the bars. It is strange to be able to drink on the streets again, after leaving Scotland over 8 months ago. Our poison of choice is almost always Soju, Cass or Makgeolli (Korean rice wine). Last weekend we went out with some of our coordinators from Epik and to say it was a shit show would be an understatement. We went out in Hongdae to a club called S Club (I kept thinking of S Club 7 the TV show). Here are a few observations.

1. There are military men everywhere you go, eager to flash their money and drag their knuckles on the ground in some sort of primitive attempt at mating.
2. Koreans love Hip Hop and love learning new dances. On multiple occasions I had women come up to me and ask "Show me how you dance like Beyonce." A Funny request, but a welcome challenge.
3.They don't buy shots, they buy bottles. More than once I had a lovely Korean man direct me over to their table, open a bottle of Jack Daniels or Absolut and pour me a drink. Sharing seems to be a big part of the culture.
4.Korean people just don't seem to sweat! I was dancing like it was going out of style and I swear I was sweating buckets. To the left and the right of me there were Koreans doing the humpty hump, soulja boy, Gangnam style and any other combination of dances and none of them were sweating! At one point I was happy to see a tiny bead of sweat roll down my dance partners face!
5. The Dj's in Seoul are simply the best! It is an amazing blend of Western music with K-pop influence and loads of house and dubstep, done properly! It is some of the most creative DJing I have ever heard.
6.There are always a few who can't handle their liquor...or should I say soju! Case and point below:

I look forward to many more Soju nights to come! Hopefully I will never be this guy!

9/11 Reflections from a South Korean Classroom

Yesterday I had briefly mentioned to my students that today was "9/11." Some  thought it was my birthday and they brought in a cheesecake from Paris Baguette, they smiled, clapped, gave me a few candies and said "Happy Birthday." I said "thank you so much, but it isn't my birthday."

"Yesterday you said 9/11 was a day to remember." One of my multi-co students explained to the others that it wasn't a happy day. They had so many questions, things I never thought I would ever talk about or even be asked for that matter. I was surprised that it made me so emotional. "What happened?" "Can we see the video?" or "Oh, I remember this, so many people died" were some of the responses. More than anything I heard them say "why" and I had no good reason to give them because there wasn't one. It was something I had thought about and asked myself since 9th grade gym class when they wheeled in the televisions and I realized America was about to change so much.

One of my students said something very poignant to me "why will you remember when is something you can never forget?" Even though the English wasn't spot on, I understood the intent. It was very true. This is my third year spending 9/11 in another country, my third year feeling very sad and not having many Americans to confide in, but it is also the first year that I have shared my grief with anyone.

When class was over, one of my students left me this....

"Remember 9/11/01 <3"

I learned a lot about my kids today. I learned about their capacity for kindness and understanding, I learned that feelings transcend language barriers, but I also learned that tragedy is human, not nationalistic.

I'm a Boss!

Yes! Today is a day of (pardon my French) getting shit done! I fell asleep at 8:00 pm last night, reading Wuthering Heights. I must have needed sleep because I feel so efficient today. I made it to work with time to spare, said bye to the kids going on their field trip, set up my classroom and then headed off to my ARC appointment. Not only did I not get lost today, on the way to Anguk, I also was in and out of the Korean Ministry of Immigration in 20 minutes. I got in line, a few people tried to budge me and I put on my "Sasha Fierce Maggie Moo Does Not Play" face. That seemed to be sufficient and they went back to their places in line. I pulled out my reservation, my forms, made a copy of my visa and was good to go!

Next, I headed to the SMOE office and got stuck in the elevator for about 10 minutes. At least I was looking cute, otherwise I would have been excessively embarrased that I didn't figure that each elevator only went to certain floors. Between floor 6 and 11 I simply pretended I was in a fashion show. When I finally got to the office I picked up my contract, but was sad that my favorite coordinator, Anthony wasn't in!

I found a popeyes chicken and my jaw hit the floor when I tasted how much better it was than in America. When I arrived at school there was a cheese cake waiting for me that my friend Travis had delivered. I made it back in plenty of time to catch the baseball game finish my food, get my internet set up and pretty much be all around efficient bad ass! I needed a day like this.

Thanks Korea! I think I'm in love!

There's Always One Student

Warning: Super Angsty Ranting Emotional Entry

I observed a few of my  fellow teachers classes today, just to get a feeling for the student dynamic. It's like the second I started teaching I forgot what it felt like to be a kid, particularly a 16 year old kid. Two girls walked into the classroom twenty minutes late, both of them beautiful, but one in particular incredibly disarming and perhaps even a bit mysterious. They talked through the whole class, put their feet up, texted- you know typical teen rebellion bullshit, but that's not what I noticed. I found myself getting a bit angry, upset that the teacher hadn't stopped them and upset that they seemed to set the whole mood of the class. The one in the particular, held up her hand mirror, fixed her hair and put on a coat of lipstick. She looked dead at me; the first direct challenge I have ever been given by a student. What I saw was a wildness I haven't seen in a very long time. Something I used to do. I saw a bit of myself in her and I felt guilty for immediately thinking of punishment. I crossed out my notes about discipline. I can tell my normal methods won't work, especially since her English level is very low.

She left the school temporarily last year when she got pregnant and gave away the child.Basically unheard of in Korea, although quite common in the U.S. Since she's returned, the teachers dislike her, she acts up all the time,the kids are afraid of her and I find her impossibly interesting and terribly sad. I always tell myself to stop taking my work home with me, but I have a feeling she will be my motivation to learn Korean much faster than I thought I could. I am going to understand this girl if it kills me.

Shopping in Korea

Anyanghaseyo All!

Where is the night market?

As if my life wasn't already a comedy of errors, shopping here is downright hysterical! First, let me just say if you are an avid shopper Seoul is the city for you! There are night markets available for all of your late night fashion needs, some of which don't open until 10:00 pm. Now, in the U.S I'd like to think I'm an excellent shopper. I hit the sale rack, find something cute and I can be in and out in a half an hour or less. In Seoul? Not so much.

When I first arrived I managed to destroy a few pairs of shoes in the lovely typhoon weather, because honestly everyone must wear oxfords in a downpour. Shoe shopping was a fantastic practice mime session. For some reason the second anyone speaks Korean to me, every word I've learned goes out the window and I become a bumbling mess! It's frustrating because I've practiced!  이거 얼마예요? [Igeo Eolmayeyo? or How much is this, is something everyone should know. Instead, I stand their pointing at the object, smiling ever so slightly, before turning bright red and having the Korean woman at the counter giggle and type the amount into a calculator that she waves in front of my face.

"Oh, only 10,000 won" I exclaim (roughly $8.80). And in perfectly clear English she says "and we carry your big size.Are you a 250?" "Yes, I am," I say. A size 8. She smiles, shoves the shoes in the bag and sends me on my way.

If only all of my shopping had been so simple. My next stop was E-Mart, the Korean equivalent of Walmart, but much more trendy and with more free samples!Trying to enter the store was already a bit of a maze and being one of the only foreigners all eyes are on me as I slowly make my way in through the exit door. The security gaurd is polite and welcomes me to the store. She says something in Korean, which I can only presume is "can I help you with anything." The lost puppy look seems to be universal. I smile and mime out a shopping cart and she produces one quickly, like an NYC street magician. I nod and manage to stammer out kamsahamnida (thank you). She seems satisfied with my attempt.

The days trip is to finally find some sheets for my bed, so I can stop living A La Trainspotting! Now I've heard that Western bedding can be expensive, but there is no way I was prepared for the prices I found. One fitted sheet averaged 54,000 Won. I frantically scanned the sheleves for something less, before coming across a hideous red and orange Island print fitted sheet. I shook the package hoping it contained a flat sheet and some pillow cases as Korean shopping is always full of surprises.After realizing I have been in the same section for literally an hour and a half I begin snatching mismatch bedding from the shelves and make my way to the home decoration section. It is a battle to fit my cart down the aisle and I can't help but feel like I am being challenged by the folks in the store. I stop to grab some batteries and someone pushes their cart right in front of where I am standing and begins slowly searching the rack. It takes me a while to realize that people here aren't doing it intentionally they are just not as self aware as the shoppers I have met in the U.S. I squeeze my way between the carts and shimmy over to the batteries. There are so many selections. I reach for one and a woman taps my hand. She hands me a different package "these better" she says and smiles. I thank her and race or the front.

The checkout line seemed mildly less daunting, until the woman at the checkout scanned a few items and set them aside. "Oh, I'd like those" I said. She made an "x" with her hand and mumbled something quickly in Korean. "No, but I want those" I exclaimed. Again, she made an "x" and it was clear I was not going to get them. The total read "80,000 won" and I went to place my card in the machine" "Anio" she yelled. "Uh, I don't understand" Again, I tried to place the card in the machine. She ran around the front of the register in a hurry, I imagine if she had been in the Olympics she would have cleared it, no problem. "give your card" she said, snatching it from my hands and giving me a cool smile. Apparently she needed to run it herself. I started to enter my pin and she smacked my hands "no type" she said and printed a reciept, waving me out the door. Next time, I think I'll pay in cash!

My First Week in Seoul

I don't even know where begin, so I think I'll try making a list. My first week in Seoul has been crazy and definitely memorable.

1. I rode on the back of a motorcycle in downtown Seoul.
2. I discovered that Burger King is not only edible here, it's delicious
3. I had a bucket of water thrown on me and was consequently saved by a cute Korean man (see number 1)
4. I tried intestines (not bad and very spicy).
5. Almost got in a fight with a Samoan man outside of a bar
6. Met the majority of the kids I will be teaching
7. Broke up 3 fights at school
8. Went out to dinner with my co-workers and was taught how to properly hold chopsticks (even though I'm still terrible).
9.Bought my first Guinness in Asia.
10. Managed to finally stop getting lost on the subway.
11. lived alone for the first time ever.
12. started creating lesson plans for my first week
13. Went out in Gangnam.
14. Survived my first rush hour subway sausage packing.
15. Managed to make my very stern and solemn security gaurd smile.
16. Stayed out until 6 A.M and drank soju on a roof top.
17. Took the longest taxi ride of my life!
18. Ate my weight in Paris Bagutte
19. Purchased a phone.
20. Made my apartment semi presentable
21. Managed to find a few hair products that don't make me look too Rachett out here in this heat!
22. Danced my ass off to Gangnam style.
23. Ate a whole tub of Kimchi.
24. Coached my first rugby training.
25. Opened up a bank account and got a debit card.
26. Set up an ARC appointment.
28.Spent over an hour trying to figure out how to buy sheets in E-Mart
29.Found an amazing little chicken & beer shop that I will frequent!
30.Wandered around the city in the rain.
31. Went to a hipster party in a warehouse where sausages cost $6.00