Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Working with a culturally diverse group of people has its benefits.  On Saturday night, I experienced the benefit of having a Canadian co-worker in October - Thanksgiving dinner. Canadians celebrate their own Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October with traditions very similar to Americans. They eat turkey, watch football (Thanksgiving Day Classic doubleheader), and pass out.  

In honor of this holiday, and because we were all starving for a hearty meal, my co-workers and I decided to have a Thanksgiving potluck.  Because I still haven't quite figured out the Korean grocery store inventory, I wasn't sure what the potluck spread could include besides rice and seaweed.  Andrea and I were assigned cheese cubes and Rice Krispies Treats.  "Do they really sell Rice Krispies?"  I wondered.  "Actually, do they even have marshmallows here?"  

A Saturday afternoon at the grocery store isn't the best idea.  With so many carts and even more people, it's hard to find what you need.  When you can't read any of the labels or signs - it moves past hard, and down the road to impossible.  Once we found the cereal aisle our doubts were confirmed... no Rice Krispies.  Surprisingly, we had already found the marshmallows so we decided to improvise like experienced chefs in their own kitchens.  No Rice Krispies?  Okay, how about Corn Flakes?  Perfect.   

We used our creative licenses and added peanut butter to the mixture.  They turned out very similar to the peanut butter ball recipes we later found online (minus a few ingredients).

The entire Thanksgiving feast was a culinary success - especially considering we are all without ovens.  We dined on cornish hens, cajun chicken, corn, peas, Stove Top stuffing (sent to us by someone's lovely mother in the states), mashed potatoes, cheesecake, and various appetizers. We all ate more than our fill, enjoyed each other's company, and then returned home to complete the Canadian tradition... sleep.

On this Thanksgiving I was thankful for Canada.  Thankful their cuisine does not include white rice, kimchi, or seaweed soup.  

Strolling

I usually carry my camera with me everywhere just in case I miss the perfect picture.  This has been quite helpful in capturing the major experiences of my trip so far, but I still have several random images that didn't quite fit into my previous storylines.  I've decided to host a mini tour of the town I call home, and the quirky things I love about it.  

Here I am - your tour guide, Renee.  Or Holly depending on where we are.  See how I'm in the wilderness with my faux Coach bag?  I really should have brought a more practical purse for my many excursions.  Also note the water bottle in my left hand.  In the craziness of packing, I left my Nalgene bottle at home.  For those of you who know me well you might recall my attachment to the Nalgene bottles I own.  I scoured the Korean countryside and finally found a new one in Namdaemun.  Tucked away in a sporting goods shop behind hiking boots and backpacks, it was covered with dust but calling my name.

On our way to work everyday we pass through the breezeway of what is commonly referred to as, "the RUSSIAN apartments."  One would never know Russians inhabit the area of Ansan, but apparently an agreement of some sort has been made between South Korea and Russia, and the blue apartment complex has been donated to our Northern neighbors.  Really, that's all I know.  This is only significant because the Russian women have a reputation that falls along the same lines as the women in a red-light district.  Unluckily for me, being blonde doesn't automatically peg you as an American.  One day, someone is going to ask me if I'm Russian and I will know exactly what they mean.  I will simply respond with a "no".  Because I'm not.

Mega churches in America have nothing on Korean churches.  This is Dongsan - my new church (largest church in Ansan) and the actual place where my hair was poked.  Andrea estimates the church to have nearly 15,000 members.  With 10 levels and 2 wings, Dongsan is an overwhelming experience not meant for those seeking an intimate congregation.  The English service is located on the top floor while various Korean services meet simultaneously throughout the building.  Thanks to the compassionate English-speaking pastor and the church van, we are able to make semi-frequent trips to Costco with the other foreign teachers.  One Sunday, Andrea and I plan to visit the largest church in the world.  Located in Seoul, it boasts a congregation of 780,000!

 

Fresh fish - literally.  Many restaurants offer the freshest seafood next to pulling it out of the ocean yourself.  Large tanks with live water animals line the streets near our school.  Unknown fish, crab, squid, and eel round out the selection and fill the streets with a "unique" smell.

Unlike the fish tanks, these puppies are NOT located outside of a restaurant.  Surprisingly, there are several tiny pet stores that sell even tinier pets.  Small puppies and kittens (mostly white for some reason) play in the window front of each store.  Though the animals are small, the prices are not.  $300 for one white kitten!  We've seen many people walking their pets around the city and just like the size of Korea's napkins, trash cans, and post-it notes - all of the animals are miniature.

Here are a few more tid-bits about the area:

1.  Leaving a tip in a restaurant or with your cab driver is not customary.  

2.  U-turns are permitted everywhere and at anytime - even in the middle of a traffic jam.

3.  Many people (including us) do not have an oven in their kitchen. 

4.  Green lights mean go.  Yellow lights mean go.  Red lights mean go.  It doesn't matter.

5.  Sprite is often referred to as cider.

6.  Honey mustard is a very common condiment. 

7.  Bring your own toilet paper into a public restroom.  They rarely provide it for you.

 

Blending In

Saturday was partly sunny and warm - a perfect day for an excursion into Seoul.  Andrea and I decided to check out the infamous district of Itaewon.  An English-speakers paradise amid the confusion of South Korea, Itaewon boasts cheap shopping, western restaurants, and American dollars.  Unfortunately, Itaewon isn't just well-known for its shopping, and nightfall brings out a new crowd in search of a different kind of entertainment.  One of many red-light districts in South Korea, Itaewon is perhaps the most famous among servicemen and other foreigners who turn the night streets into drunken battlefields and sleazy hotspots.

We navigated the 1-hour subway ride, even gaining seats after only a few stops, and walked out of the station to a sight we had all but forgotten about. Americans... everywhere. Not only Americans, but also Canadians, Brits, Irish and Scottish folk in the form of teachers, backpackers, tourists, and military personnel.  A surprising wave of annoyance rolled over me as I realized how many other foreigners actually visit this country. Suddenly, I wasn't the token blonde anymore - there were more of us EVERYWHERE!  True, I've only been in South Korea for 11 days and I shouldn't claim to be the ONLY blonde, English speaker in the whole country, but I honestly fell quickly and comfortably into the role of a rare spectacle.  I even had my hair touched by a passerby at church last week.  She walked right up behind me and poked at my curls - I guess to see if they were real, or held magical powers.  

Thankfully, it didn't take long to overcome my self-centeredness and I admitted the sound of English being spoken was like music to my ears.  The colorful shops sold everything from postcards and pantyhose to mink blankets and cowboy boots.  A rack of obscure, American CDs stood across from a shiny display of Coach purses and Louis Vuitton wallets.   We stopped in an English bookstore (What the Book) and found over-priced, new and used books and week-old magazines.  The lack of English literature in Korea, and my love for bookstores was too powerful; and I caved under the pressure purchasing two new paperbacks.  On our way back to the train station we found a foreign food market, and decided to check it out for future reference (when our craving for American groceries is most intense). Salsa and Ranch dressing - now we know where to go.

Crooked, narrow streets in Itaewon

Of course there's a Starbucks!

One of the 500 Dunkin' Donuts I read about.  I still haven't stopped at one - holding out until the craving is unbearable!

One of my regrets after leaving Austin was that I never bought a pair of boots.  I never thought I'd have the option while in Korea, but it just seems wrong somehow...

We left Itaewon and took the train to Namsan Park in an attempt to ride a cable car to the top of Seoul Tower.  Once we hiked up the impossibly huge hill to the cable car stop we discovered other people had shared the same idea for a Saturday afternoon.  There were hundreds of people in line!  We put the activity aside for another day and rested in the park before heading down the mountainous hill to Namdaemun.  The shopping in Itaewon is nothing in comparison to the hustle and bustle of the Namdaemun market.  Table after table full of merchandise turns the city streets into a maze of consumer-frenzied hunting grounds.  Prices are low - very low, and anything goes. Women's undergarments for $2, designer bags at $10, and leather coats for a fraction of the original cost compete for the attention of every passerby.  It's overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time.  The smell of street food mingles with the crowd before colliding into the booming voices of the vendors. Eventually your brain is overloaded and all you want to find is the way out.  

We had an eventful day and our feet were begging for a break so we headed home. Unfortunately,  the subway was packed and our car was standing room only for the entire hour. I spent the ride counting how many men held their girlfriends' purses...

This is as close as we got to the Seoul Tower.  We'll come back again on a less obvious day than Saturday.

 

The craziness of Namdaemun Market

First Day and First Day Off

Thursday was our first official day of work.  We received confusing schedules, piles of books, and a list of student names to bring with us to class.  Prior to Thursday, everything about our job was in a haze.  On Thursday, it was still unclear.  Thankfully, the other foreign teachers empathized with our situation, having been in the same spot themselves only a few months earlier, and gave us pointers prior to each class.  "Jenny is smart.  Bill is the class-clown.  Keep these two far away from each other.  Play BINGO, and you'll be fine."  Everything seemed pretty standard, and my recent memories of substitute teaching came flooding back.  With substitute teaching you never know what to expect.  Sometimes there are lesson plans, sometimes there aren't.  You just go with the flow so that's what I did on Thursday.  I only had a few classes, but things seemed to turn out just fine.  My youngest kids loved me while the older students seemed indifferent.  Some things never change no matter what country you live in!  

Things to laugh about:

1.  There is another teacher named, Holly, at my school.  To reduce confusion, I have been asked to go by my middle name, Renee.  On the class schedule I am listed as Renee, the Korean teachers call me Renee, and the students refer to me as "Renee Teacher."  I don't recognize the name as my own and have already been unresponsive twice - in one day.  I might have an identity crisis before the year is over.  

2.  When I was a student, I loathed two subjects:  math and history.  Because God has a sense of humor, I was asked to tutor students, at my school in Austin, in math.  I guess the irony was too great, and a repeat performance was necessary.  I've been assigned to teach Korean middle school students American History.  The previous teacher left me some tips:  "All the students hate this class.  It's way too hard for them so just move slowly and try to simplify things. Because it meets late at night, they are very tired and will probably fall asleep.  Good luck."  

Most hagwons (English schools) in Korea are situated inside a shared commercial building.  ECC is located on the 5th floor with various restaurants, convenience stores, salons, and other businesses occupying the remaining tenant space. 

After completing our first day of teaching we were rewarded with a Korean national holiday, Foundation Day.  Although we are not Korean, it is an exciting holiday - no school.  Andrea and I decided to take the opportunity to further explore the city we live in.  We hopped on the subway and headed into downtown Ansan (only 2 stops away).  The downtown area is quite similar to where we live with shops and restaurants lining the streets illuminated by neon signs.  The sidewalks were flooded with well-dressed men and women; something that has become a common, but intriguing sight.  I have never seen more fashion-conscious people gathered in one place.  Girls wear dresses and stilettos everyday while men suit up in perfectly pressed tight jeans and ties.  Each couple looks as though they have stepped off the cover of a style magazine and onto the streets of Korea.

Before coming to South Korea, I scoured the Internet for advice, tips, and general information about its people and culture.  One website noted that male/female couples rarely show affection in public.  They often walk separate from each other and link arms with their own sex. I've found this to be only half-true.  Yes, males will hold hands with other males or throw an arm over the shoulder.  This is quite common and carried out by young boys as well as, older men.  Less surprisingly, females do it too.  The false information I received is in the lack of affection between a male/female dating couple.  Everywhere I go, I see young couples holding hands, or walking arm-in-arm.  This of course is true of people throughout most of the world, but my favorite display of Korean affection is when the man carries his girlfriend's purse.  The Korean man is unashamed to throw a purse over his shoulder, or sling one on his arm for an entire evening.  They are unconcerned about its color, size, or shape.  Hot pink?  Doesn't matter.  Over-sized brown leather?  Even better.  Red patent leather with gold embellishments?  Perfect.  I see more men carrying purses than women.  

Every city in Korea has a slogan.  Bravo Ansan, Hi Seoul...

Our first time to fly solo at the subway station.  The trains are less crowded where we live, but standing room only in Seoul.

A view of downtown Ansan.  They LOVE neon signs here!

Remembering my name is Holly and not Renee, we had to stop here for dinner.  It reminded us a bit of Panera, or Starbucks with sandwiches.

One of many western restaurants.  They also had Outback Steakhouse, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut!

Finally - Korean Food!

We finally had our first Korean meal the other day!  We hadn't been opposed to eating Korean food by any means, but fear always got the best of us as we walked past restaurant windows unable to read the menu or identify the pictures.  Thankfully, some of our co-workers invited us to one of their favorite places.

When you enter many authentic Korean restaurants you are instructed to remove your shoes - bare feet are considered clean.  This practice is also done in the home, including our apartment, to keep the floors spotless.  Sitting on the floor is a common practice, but not so convenient if you are wearing a skirt.  *Note to self.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of our meal - Daeji Galbi, maybe.  Raw pork was delivered to our table and set over an open grill to cook while the silver tube sucked up the smoke.  Along with the pork, traditional side dishes (tofu, rice, onions, kimchi, potato balls, hot sauce) were served and replenished frequently.  Once the meat was fully cooked and cut up by our servers, we rolled it in a leaf of lettuce and garnished it with onions and rice.  Voila - delicious lettuce wraps! 

Ah, kimchi - the most beloved food in all of Korea.  Kimchi is a spicy, fermented dish typically made from cabbage.  Traditionally, the cabbage would be buried underground for a length of time while it fermented, and then served alongside rice and other staple dishes.  Despite how it sounds, I decided to give it a try.  "When in Korea...."

Not that bad.  It was quite spicy, but my newer Texas taste-buds had no problem handling it.  It was crunchier than I expected, which was a welcomed surprise.  All in all, I'd eat it again.  Maybe not everyday, but some times.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Here are some pictures of our apartment and the surrounding area.  I had every intention of putting them in a coherent order, but my blog had other plans.  I apologize for the not-perfect arrangement and promise to do better next time.  :)

The view from my bedroom of an elementary school across the street.

Each morning, the school bell (or song) rings from loud speakers around the block.  I no longer hear it in my sleep, but on the first morning I almost had a heart attack.  It's quite loud! 

The shorter building in front is the elementary school, and the taller one is the middle school.  They both share the large field on the left.

Speed limit

Our kitchen is stocked with Pringles and yogurt.  I don't know why we keep leaving the grocery stores empty-handed.  It shouldn't be that confusing.

Living room

The apartment was fully furnished/decorated.  Most everything you see was here when we arrived - except the Macbook, of course.

Now, this was a surprise.  Everything on those shelves with the one exception of my new, brown rain boots was left by the previous tenant.  The apartments are passed from one teacher at our school to the next and what doesn't fit in someone's suitcase becomes a permanent fixture in the apartments.

Along with the storage shelves, the washing machine is located on our enclosed, back balcony.  Sliding glass doors separate the balcony from our living room on one side and the outdoors on the other.  Because we do not have a dryer, the extra space in front of the washer will be set up with a drying rack.

This is part of our apartment complex - most apartment buildings here look exactly like this.

Building 509 - that's us!!  There are 15 floors total - we live on lucky 13...

This is the view from our front door into our living room.  To the right is the kitchen and my bedroom is the first door on the left.  The white door in the top, left corner is Andrea's room, which is next to our bathroom.

My lovely bedroom.  This is taken from the door so you can see a corner of my bed and desk.  The first set of sliding glass doors opens onto my enclosed balcony/walk-in closet.  The second set opens to the outside.  It's very private...

Here's my bed with the leftover art work from the previous tenant.  The mattress is about 1" thick and rock hard.  I have yet to purchase a comforter, but my Maryville blanket is nice and cozy.  Hey Austin people - notice my p.j. pants... Hook 'em :)

New Experiences

Our school

We've had two days of training so far and everyone seems wonderful.  There are 4 staff members and currently 16 teachers (including us).  We are replacing 2 of those teachers (one leaves next week and the other leaves next month) leaving only 14.  Seven are Korean while the other seven are foreign (6 Americans and 1 British).  The kids are unbelievably adorable!  I knew before coming here that I love Asian kids, but seeing so many on a daily basis will be amazing.  :)  Yesterday, Andrea and I had the opportunity to observe different classes of various ages.  The amount of English the students know at such a young age is impressive.  We talked with a few middle school students about the school system in Korea and learned a lot about the pressure they are under to learn the English language.  Getting into a good high school is almost as important as getting into an established University so middle schoolers are under immense pressure to study and excel on the placement tests before high school.  Once in high school, the pressure for greatness continues and many students stay at school until midnight studying.  They have a motto that says "sleep 3 hours a night and you pass, but 4 hours you fail."  Here's a breakdown of a typical student's schedule:

Elementary:  Korean school 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

                        English academy 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Middle: Korean school 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

English academy 4:00 pm - 9:45 pm (3 nights/week)

Math academy 4:00 pm - 9:45 pm ( 2 nights/week)

High: Korean school 9:00 am - Midnight

When we asked what the students do for fun, they were hesitant to answer.  Most students do not have time to play or explore other interests.  They were interested in hearing about the different school clubs Americans are involved in, because on average they are unable to participate in extra-curricular activities due to their heavy schedules.  Obviously Americans and Koreans are at two different ends on the spectrum, neither one having a good balance in their educational efforts.

Shopping

In desperate need of food, Andrea and I stopped at a small market on the way home from school.  The selection was dim while the cost was surprisingly high.  We left with Pringles, cookies, milk, orange juice, cereal, grapes, and paper towels with a total purchase price near $30.  After talking with some teachers at school, we learned of a store called Home Plus.  We still needed food and decided to make a brave attempt at taking a taxi for the first time. Getting there was easy.  The taxi driver pulled up and knew exactly where we wanted to go when we said Home Plus.  The store is a short distance from our place and a sight to see.  It has 4 levels with everything imaginable.  The first level contains a food court similar to those at most U.S. malls.  Our jet lag was settling in making us cranky and we were starving so we settled on KFC instead of the Korean food options.  

The grocery store is located on the second floor so we headed there next.  Surprisingly, they had some American food options.  We picked up some bananas, yogurt, cheese, lettuce (we forgot to get dressing), and various other non-food options before we were simply too tired to search for anything else.  Before leaving, we had to make an important trip to the third floor. That morning (our first one), I plugged my hair straightening iron into the power adapter and blew the fuse.  It smoked for a bit, but luckily did not cause a fire.  Needless to say, my expensive Chi was ruined and the power adapter melted.  Luckily, Koreans use those too and I found one in the electronics department!  

Getting home wasn't quite as easy as finding Home Plus.  Mr. Kim had written down our address in phonetic English, but the taxi driver seemed unable to read it.  He kept saying something to us in Korean, but we could only respond by repeating the name of our apartment. After awhile, another taxi driver came over to assist.  The two men stood arguing for bit before waving us into the van.  We were not sure if they had figured it out, or if we were going to drive around the city.  Luckily, he pulled into the complex in less than five minutes.  We have since had our address translated into the Korean characters so hopefully we won't have that problem again!

Communication 

We have no idea what people are saying to us.  So far, we use hand gestures and pointing to get what we need.  Paying for items isn't hard if the cash register has a display.  Otherwise, we cannot understand the person when they give us the total so we get out the credit cards. 

Tonight we are making our way into Seoul for a going away party.  We're either taking the subway or a bus so I'm sure I'll have a story to post!  

Arrival

"Oh, man.  What have we done?"

It was hazy as we landed in Seoul and stepped off the plane.  Perhaps it was just an overcast day, but I was hoping it would not be a symbol for the rest of the year.  Our first impressions of the country came from the bathrooms.  Automatic toilet seat covers.  Nice.  They probably have those in America, too, but I've never seen them so I'll give Korea a point.  

We were told the director from our school would pick us up at the airport.  If we had any problems, we were to call a woman named Cho.  As soon as we stepped through customs, we began looking for someone who might be looking for us.  By the time we got down to the baggage claim, our bags were the only ones on the carousel.  It took all the strength we had to pull them off and load them onto a cart; two carts actually.  A woman at the information desk told us to step outside and there we would probably find our director.  She was half right. Someone was waiting for us outside, but it wasn't Mr. Kim.  The man said nothing, but handed us a piece of paper.

Dear Holly and Andrea,

Welcome to Korea!  I hope you didn't have any problems during your travel.  For your convenience, I have sent a van to pick you up at the Incheon airport.  Even though the driver can't speak English, he will drive you safely to your destination and then I'll meet you when you arrive in Ansan City.  For your reference, you can call me on my cell phone at ###-#### at any time after your arrival to Korea.  I am looking forward to meeting you soon.  Best Regards, Mr. Kim.

Ha!  This was a perfect beginning to our trip.  The hour long car ride from the airport into Ansan was very quiet.  The lull of the car put both Andrea and I to sleep leaving the driver alone with his dashboard T.V.  When I woke up, it was dark outside and we were off the main highway.  We made a quick stop at the school (so the driver could get paid) before heading to our apartment.  Mr. Kim was waiting for us as we pulled up.  

Most of the apartments in Ansan look exactly the same - very tall with not a lot of outside pizazz.  Ours is no different.  Luckily, they all have elevators so getting our bags to the 13th floor was not difficult.  Mr. Kim commented on how heavy our bags were as he pulled them into the apartment.  We were pleasantly surprised when we first entered our new place - fully furnished and very spacious.  There are two bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen/dining room, living room, and an enclosed balcony/laundry room/storage room area.  Thankfully, our bathroom is Western style with a shower/tub combination (it is usually typical in Korea to have the shower head directly over the toilet with slanted floors for draining).  

While we walked around the apartment, Mr. Kim pointed out how to use the washing machine, heating system, and gas stove.  He fixed a broken fluorescent tube bulb and then offered to take us to dinner and show us how to walk to school.  We accepted and stepped out onto the streets of our new city.  The school is a 10 minute walk from our apartment.  Many shops and restaurants line the streets along the way.  Mr. Kim led us to a place called, Paris Baguette where they set out breads and pastries for customers to pick from.  Confused about the procedure, Andrea and I hastily chose a long baguette and 2 cookies for our dinner.  This also acted as our breakfast the next day until we were able to go to the mart (grocery store).  

After Mr. Kim left us for the evening, we inspected our new apartment further.  There are a lot of interesting details about the place like, our many sliding glass doors.  My bedroom has an attachment, separated from the rest of the room by sliding glass doors, that opens to the outside with another pair of sliding glass doors.  This is where my closet is located.  Our living room also has sliding doors that open onto an enclosed balcony where we have storage shelves and a washing machine.  Opening the outside sliding doors lets in a cool, refreshing breeze. The heating system Koreans use heats the apartment from coils underneath the floor.  We've been told this system is amazing and when clean, can actually be used to dry your wet clothes!  :) Our only disappointment are the beds.  Thankfully, they are long enough, but the mattresses are rock solid.  This will take some getting used to since it feels like I am camping outside on the ground every night.  Again, this is a typical Korean nuance.

Our set up is above average and I'm relieved to feel so comfortable in our new place!  I will post pictures soon.