Gyeongju

[Just wantd to give a big THANK YOU to Des, Dustin and Angela for the cards.  I love getting snail mail.  It brightens up my entire day when I go to that mailbox and see something there.  You three made my day!]

#59.  Bank accounts in Korea are intensely complicated.  Foreigners who want to send money home have to have two seperate accounts.  One account is for solely Korean expenses.  One is for currency exchange.  Apparantly they don't just have one account that can do both.  Point for American banks.

Clearly from the above I finally opened my Korean bank account(s). Eventually they were opened but the process was quite the experience.  For the first time in my life I was discriminated against for being American. Over and over again.  My director went with me to translate but at every window they took one look at me, did the hand signal for no and said "No English.  No American. No." and promptly waved a Korean forward.  Ouch.    Now I know what being discriminted feels like. I guess I just never thought that being an American was something to be discriminated against.  Look at me and my pompus "Americans are the best.  Who would hate us?!" attitude. 

#60.  Postcards in Korea are hard to find.  It is not at all like America, with post cards in every touristy city.  Hell, there are post cards in every non-touristy city.  Brownsburg has post cards.  Sorry Brownsburgians (Brownsburgians?  Brownsburgites?) but who seriously would wants to write from Brownsburg with a post card.  "Hey.  I'm in Brownsburg."  Thrilling. 

Today was my first field trip with the munchkins.  We went to Gyeongju (pronounced just like it looks) which is about 40 minutes by van. We walked around and took in the scenery (gorgeous) and took so many pictures.  The kids didn't seem all that impressed but Jen and I certainly were.  There is so much history in the temples and statutes that it's ridiculous.  Hand painted statutues, murrals on walls, intricate scrolls on the tops of buildings...it's intense. 

Gorgeous temple in the middle of Gyeongju

Ghoup shot before we left.

Right as we were leaving we took a picture in front of a huge rock that had a Korean inscription.  Don't ask me what it said because I don't have a damn clue.  It was huge and other people took pictures in front of it like it was important...so we did too.  Right as we were getting up to leave a group of about 20 people started yelling "American American! Come. Come."  We ended up having to take pictures with a group of Vietnamese tourists

They were so excited to take their picture with us and every single person wanted their own photo with the Americans.  They kept jumping up to switch out cameras and just kept smiling.  We were smack dab in the middle of the group and it was all I could do to just keep smiling.  How can I not.  If taking their picture with me made them happy then why the hell not.  I'll do it. 

When will I ever be such a celebrity again.  Not in America.  Definitely not in America. 

Sally.  The cutest tiny Korean cowgirl ever. 

The amazing feats we had for lunch.  Kimbap (Korean sushi), fresh fruit,
rice balls and egg battered crab.  Yum!

Gas Station Attendants

[Got to talk to my little sister today.  We are in the mix of planning a trip for her to come visit sometime around Christmas.  Yes, I know that Christmas is forever away but it'll give me something to look forward to.  Anyone who knows us can just imagine all of the shananigans we could get ourselves into.  God help South Korea if this all pulls through!]

#58.  There are gas station attendants at every gas station.  They all wear matching outfits and run as quickly as humanly possible to the cars. Think Olympics.  100 yard dash.   It's as if they are afraid the customer is going to change their mind if they don't run fast enough.

My first thought was that having attendants was old fashioned.  Pumping gas isn't rocket science.  People should be able to do it all by themselves.  Without assistance.  It's 2010 not 1910.  In Korea that's just not how things are done.  By not switching to self-serve pumps they create more jobs for the everyday man.  Genius.  Plus as an added bonus the driver of the car doesn't get the unpleasant gas smell all over his hands.  And he can sit in the car and listen to his favorite song that just came on the radio as soon as he pulled into the station.

Sounds like a sweet deal to me.  Yet another point to the Koreans.

Keepin' the Devil Away

#57.  In Korean markets (Homeplus) there are no cold medicines.  No Sudafed-like drugs to help you get over a cold.  They have separate stand alone pharmacies that have all of the cold medicines.

Today I woke up with a cold.  I blame my little snot-nosed kids who refuse to use Kleenex, wipe their noses on their sleeves and then run to me for a hug.  And my school wonders why the kids are always sick at the same time.  Or why the teachers get sick too.  Common sense friends.

My supervisor took me to the pharmacy and after alot of the throat pointing they understood I needed medicine.  The medicine is in tiny little capsules that you have to take 3x a day.  It will help me "fight cold and keep devil away"...literal translation.

It'll keep the devil away eh? For less than $2 that is quite the deal.

Washing Machine Woes

#55.   Hagwons (private English schools) don't pay with actual checks.  They pay in cash or a direct deposit into an account.  When they pay in cash they give it to you in a paper sack.  Think the brown paper kind you took your lunch to school in.  There is no pay stub or any kind of documentation telling me how much I am getting paid for my records or what kind of deductions are being witheld. Tax time next year is gonna suck for sure.

#56.  Korean landlords have no problem coming into apartments at any time of day or night.  A quick knock on the door and yelling in Korean lets you know they're coming in.  Thanks for the notice.  I'll just stand here while you judge me for the clothes being on the floor and my music being too loud. 

I have been without a working washing machine for the 6 weeks that i've been in Korea.  Well technically it works but instead of draining the water from the machine into the pipe, it drains the water from the machine onto the floor of my laundry room.  And YES I have washed my clothes since being here.  I know what you were thinking.  Thankfully my co-worker Jen lives below me and doesn't mind me using hers.

After 6 weeks of complaining it finally got "fixed."  Now I use the " " because after the landlords (wife and husband) came to fix it...it still leaks all over the laundry room. They "fixed" it by sticking scissors down the drain and wiggling them around.  He gave me the thumbs up.  She grabs an extra fitted sheet and throws it into the washing machine, runs to me (sitting on the bed feeling as awkward as humanly possible) and holds my fingers over the buttons while she pushes the power button on and off.  On and off.  I get it lady.  You push it once...it turns on.  You push it again it turns off.  I know how to start a washing machine.  I'm pretty sure my button pushing skills aren't the reason for laundry water to spew all over my apartment. 

Needless to say she starts the washing machine and tells me "Water. No."  30 minutes later the water is covering the floor of my laundry room.  "Water. YES."

Thanks to the water lady and her not-so-magical scissors,  I have now missed my soccer game.  Sorry team.  Blame her and her scissors.  I know I do.

Traffic lights and Copyright laws

[ I got to talk to Mom on Easter.  Even though we are so far away that 10 minute conversation sure helped.  Thanks Mom! ]

#52.  In Korea the traffic lights are horizontal instead of vertical.  They still have the red, yellow and green but it's horizontal.  Some also have 4 lights instead of 3 for the arrows.  No more broken lights from swinging in bad weather.  Makes sense.

#53.  The respect that younger people have for older people is amazing.  If you are on a bus and an elderly woman gets on the bus and there are no seats?  Young people give up their seat.  On a bench waiting for the bus and you see an old man?  You give up the seat.  No questions asked.  In America this is considered common courtesy but itsn't always practiced in certain parts of the country.  In Korea it's just part of daily life.  Respect your elders.  It's simple. 

#54.  Copyright laws are not enforced.  Let me give an example.  On a billboard in downtown there is Tiger Woods holding a shirt from a specific clothing store.  Now when I say "holding a shirt" I actually mean someone photoshopped (poorly) the shirt into his hands.  Not legit.  You walk down the street and can see Brad Pitt in a store for baby clothes.  Mel Gibson on the walls in a lingerie store.  In America a lawsuit would be filed in a second.  In Korea?  Meh. Guess not.  It's just the way they do things.  Rules just do not apply.

So yesterday was Easter. My first holiday away from home.  No big Easter dinner. No Easter chocolates.  No Easter family pictures.  It was weird to spend the day in Korea of all places.  I tried to find a church to go to but all of the ones closest to me are in Korean and I didn't think I could handle an hour of church in a foreign language.  Especially in a foreign language where most of the time they sound completely angry.  Hopefully i'll be able to find a good church here with at least SOME English before Christmas.  Or at least be able to understand more Korean by then.

Well it's Monday and you know what that means.  Soccer.  2 hours of running and ball handling that proves just how unimpressive I am at the game.  Let's hope I don't have a repeat of the bodily injuries of last week.  I'm not sure my poor knee can handle another cleat imprint...even though it was totally impressive and awesome.

Or at least I think it was.

Ladies night, Nerds and Broken Cameras

[I got my first cards on Friday.  Thank you Mom, Dad and Tyler.  Getting cards make my days so much better!  They are proudly displayed on my walls as my decorations]

#47.  There is no sales tax.  If the sign says that the carrot is 1,000 Won it is 1,000 Won.  They don't trick you like Indiana does.  In America if the sign says that the carrot is $1 you can't give them that $1 and walk out.  You have to give them the buck and then rifle through your pockets and purse for that six or seven extra  cents.  Korea has the right idea.  Get with it Indiana.

#48.  It is a sign of respect to give things with two hands.  When my kids give me their homework with two hands they are being nice and respectful.  I hate to say it but I favor the kids who give me things with two hands. 

#49.  Bowing is also a sign of respect.  You enter a shop.  Bow.  You leave the shop.  Bow.  I've almost got the bowing thing down pat. 

#50.  In Pohang the USA military base is very close to the foreign bars.  There is a new wave of Marines every 6 weeks or so.  Unfortunately the military men in Korea give the military as a whole a bad reputation.  Military men automatically think that because they are white and you are white that you want to get it on.  Couldn't be further from the truth.  Yes we both speak English but the way to a woman's heart is not to stare at her chest or butt.  Or grab either one.  It's attached and it's not yours.  Hands off buddy

#51.  Koreans like to impress foreigners by speaking English.  At a restaurant I try and use Korean words for ordering.  I always think it's nice when someone in America tries to learn English.  I figured I would do the same.  Sometimes it's helpful but then you get a server who wants to show off his English.  It's impressive what they can say and understand.  It is apparant in the Korean culture of today that the majority of teenagers can speak at least minimal English.  The older generations still have no clue.  I've learned to just go with it and see what happens.

The past few days have been busy but so much fun. 

Friday.  After I got done with school and a quick workout at the gym I met up with the Jang Sang Dong crew for a little dinner.  Then the girls went to Edong (a 20 minute cab ride) to hang out with the girls of Pohang.  We had girls night complete with guitar playing, gossip and blended fruit soju drinks.  Now you all know that I do not play the guitar.  It is however something I think I may TRY to learn.  Guitars here are pretty inexpensive and I think it might be something useful to learn.  By useful I mean impressive. The blended fruit soju drink was killer.  We cut up all kinds of fruits (kiwi, pineapple, pear, strawberries) and put them in a blender with juices and of course, soju. Now Soju is a rice liquor that is most comparable to vodka but much sweeter.  It givese the drink a little kick.  Girls night was exactly what I needed.  Hours with girls who are becomming my close friends bitching about the life of an English teacher in Korea that really only they would understand.  Definitely something that will happen again..SOON!

Saturday.  This was the day of the epic Lady and the Nerd party.  One of our good friends Jana (pronounces Yanna) had a birthday so we decided to make it a theme party.  Boys as nerds.  Girls as ladies.  Let's just say that the boys rivaled the nerdiness of Steve Urkel and the nerds off of Saved by the Bell.

Tim  at his nerdy finest. 

With my co-worker Jen at TILT

And that is my weekend in a nutshell.  Sundays are my exploring day so it's off to town I go.  First stop is to find a shop to fix my camera.  I have been here about 6 weeks and already broke the damn thing.  I was in the process of taking a picture last night and someone jostled me and it fell out of my hand and onto the floor.  It was one of those slow motion "NOOOOOOOOOO" complete with the dive to catch it.  Clearly my diving skills are not up to par.  If it is not fixable i'll just buy a new one (they are less than $100 here so all in all not a bad deal) but i'm still broke as a joke...but not for long.  Payday is Monday so hopefully it'll be a big one. 

Fingers crossed.  Toes too.

Traditions

#46.  When new students come to an English school without an English name it is sometimes customary to let the teacher pick one for the student.  Today I had that joy.  I named my new girl Kelly.  Thought it fit.  She looked like a Kelly.  Hope she doesn't resent me later like Apple (the daughter of Gweneth Paltrow) will as soon as she realizes that her parents named her after a fruit. 

My post today is going to be short and sweet.  Today is all about traditions.  Here in Pohang we have started quite a few.

Mondays and (soon to be) Thursdays is soccer.  2 hours of soccer with a bunch of Korean men who speak very little to no English.  The little they do know is "nice" or "Okay". The little Korean we know is "hello", "thank you", "goodbye", "two".   Not really useful in planning the teams for soccer or for general conversation about whether the ball was in or out.  If we didn't have the hand signals we would be up a certain creek without a paddle.  You know the creek i'm refering to.

Tuesday is poker.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have never played a single poker game in my life before coming to Korea.  I still have yet to actually participate but i'm going to try for next week.  Could be interesting.  Maybe i'll find out that I am amazing in poker and win a million dollars.  Remember how I thought that maybe my soccer skills would be amazing and i'd make a million dollars by going pro?  Yea.  Two words.  Pipe dream.

Wednesday is "Club TILT."  TILT is a foreigner bar located downtown.  The entire foreign crew of Pohang ( about 40+) get together and hang out until the wee hours of the morning.  It has kareoke, cheap drinks and microphones.  An amazing combination.

Every other Saturday we have our Pohang Softball games.  If you have read any of my posts about softball you understand why this tradition will continue.  So much fun.

I'm busy.  I love it.  Plus it gives me interesting stuff to write on here about.  Just think how boring reading this blog would be if it was "I went to school and taught tiny Koreans their ABC's.  I went home.  I went to bed"  over and over again.  I would have exactly TWO  followers:  my mom and dad.  Everyone knows that parents think that their kids art work or stories are amazing even when no one else does.  Unconditional love baby.

Good thing i'm social and do more than work and sleep.  Lucky for you.