Dear lovers
I had a thought. I miss you people dearly and skype/facebook do not do us justice. So lets get real here. I am proposing a way to stay connect with those of you ladies who are super super far away and those who are just far away from me at the moment. I want to try this with those of you who are willing and able to play in this game.
I have found myself experiencing many cool things in my Korea experience but missing the opportunity to talk about it at lenght with people of the same caliber of conversational ability. Lets just say my Korean sucks and not many Koreans with english ability want to talk about the pros and cons of their education system. At the same time I feel like you are also going through many cool life changes and learning a lot of life lessons and I want to share in that growth as well.My idea is for a blog that is similar to the plot of the "julie and julia" movie, where she has a set amount of time to finish something. The twist is that I want to send you a package once a month with something that made me say "wow" or threw me for a loop and I would like to recieve the same in return. Then, in true 2010 fashioin, we must blog about it.
This is a hard thing to explain so let me try with an example. Say one month I go to a temple stay and learn about buddhist culture and perhaps find enlightenment. Ill send you some buddhist prayer beads and an account of my experiences. You ponder how this experience may or may not fit into your life and what you may have gained by going on such an excursion. In turn, maybe you went to a cool bazaar or read a great book or found a new hobby, tried a new food...send me a snippit of that experience and reveal to me what you got out of it. Not everything has to be super exotic, but I think it will be a cool way to reach out and still be involved with each other's lives.
Here is my address: I am looking forward to seeing what pops up on my doorstep!
Olenka Lenets
대구 북구 산격 2동 양우아파트 101동2001호
Monday, October 25, 2010
Rain cleansed my Seoul
So I finally saw a Kpop Concert. It was spectacular, I loved every minute of it. I also loved the cheerful and alcohol-ful crowd of peers I hung out with. The open container laws do not exist here and so we had many hours of waiting we filled with shot taking. There was also a time during which my partner in crime that night- Jenna and I scaled a fence, ran around the track of the Olympic stadium and made our way into the VIP area to catch the best acts at ultra close range. Did I mention the entry was free? Did I also mention the whole evening was surreal and badass?
On the way to Seoul I had some time (I'm talking 4 hours here) to fill so I wrote an entry in my journal that I intended to retype, it's more of a thinker than an entertainment piece so feel free to skip it and look at my updated photo album instead because I posted videos and pictures of RAIN! HOLY SHIT RAIN!!!!
Title-- Standing Room: Lost in Thoughtnation
Current location: Globally speaking I am in route from Daegy to Seoul. About 2 hours in the 4 hour and 5 minute trainride on the Mugunghwa train. This is the slowest train tacking on an extra 2 hours and 15 minutes to the "bullet" like KTX train time of something just under 2 hours.
Also, I am currently positioned on the floor, near the rubber accodian thing that keeps two traincars from smashing the shit out of each other when the train makes stops or takes a "sharp" curve. I occsionally have to give up my seat as people pass or get on or off the train, but I've claimed my territory pretty well so no one tries to move into my staked-out spot while those transitions are happening.
I had originally opted to use the machine and buy myself a KTX ticket. While waiting and eating spoonfulls of peanut butter a station worker approached ever so expectedly, asked me where I was from and without missing a Korean beat commented on my overwhelming beauty. Once that was out of the way I thought I would ask about my ticket. I paid 40,800 which i standard fare for KTX. One can only make that table cheaper by purchasing a "table" ticket which is exactly what it sounds like a table on the train with four seats around it. Leg room is a little crunched but for 25 won a pop (which is 100 won for the table for those of you who do not enjoy simple math) it is a sweet deal and my most preferred way to travel. But back to the story. I had to purchase the KTX because the slower train is usually sold out. I have not wanted to try the ticket people but since the station attendant talked to me first, I figured he was bored enough to spend the extra time to deal with my poor Korean skills.
Thus, the train I am taking now has a LOT of people, mostly the young rebellious type (though there is an older man in a suit ballin with us cool kids), using the standing oom option. The cost is a very reasonable 16,200 won and the experience is priceless. Im not saying that this is the way Im going everywhere from now on, but knowing that getting to Seoul is cheaper than my taxi ride from the Phantom of the Opera last night is a good feeling. Right now Im crouching next two college age dudes with spectacular style. One of them is attempting coyly to decipher what Im inking. Good luck buddy!!
The business man and hisundoubtably real Gucci loafers and swanky leather bag is not pleased to be standing so close tothe bathroom and periodically having 3 year olds scuffup his kicks, but I am amused. I think the main difference between the seats and the standing room is that the latter has to be alert. When Koreans et on trains someone hits the magical internal snooze button they are all born with and everybody passes out. You can hear a pindrop if you open the sliding door to the compartment and the conductors even walk around and tell you to be quiet.
Standing room is a different ballgame. You have to be alert, but still quiet. This leads peple to be pensive. Several round me are brooding, one main is definately fantasizing and a handful are planning. One woman deliberates as the young child who's hand she is holding painfully counts the minutes of maybe seconds when they can unclock of this silence and be a typical screaming Korean toddler. By having the luxury of blissful mindless sleep removed from the equation, standing room passengers are forced to think and be preset minded, yet quiet, perhaps some unwanted contemplations arrise on an occassion that allows thoughts to wander to the sound of a creeking zxel and a thrashing rubber thingy.
On the way to Seoul I had some time (I'm talking 4 hours here) to fill so I wrote an entry in my journal that I intended to retype, it's more of a thinker than an entertainment piece so feel free to skip it and look at my updated photo album instead because I posted videos and pictures of RAIN! HOLY SHIT RAIN!!!!
Title-- Standing Room: Lost in Thoughtnation
Current location: Globally speaking I am in route from Daegy to Seoul. About 2 hours in the 4 hour and 5 minute trainride on the Mugunghwa train. This is the slowest train tacking on an extra 2 hours and 15 minutes to the "bullet" like KTX train time of something just under 2 hours.
Also, I am currently positioned on the floor, near the rubber accodian thing that keeps two traincars from smashing the shit out of each other when the train makes stops or takes a "sharp" curve. I occsionally have to give up my seat as people pass or get on or off the train, but I've claimed my territory pretty well so no one tries to move into my staked-out spot while those transitions are happening.
I had originally opted to use the machine and buy myself a KTX ticket. While waiting and eating spoonfulls of peanut butter a station worker approached ever so expectedly, asked me where I was from and without missing a Korean beat commented on my overwhelming beauty. Once that was out of the way I thought I would ask about my ticket. I paid 40,800 which i standard fare for KTX. One can only make that table cheaper by purchasing a "table" ticket which is exactly what it sounds like a table on the train with four seats around it. Leg room is a little crunched but for 25 won a pop (which is 100 won for the table for those of you who do not enjoy simple math) it is a sweet deal and my most preferred way to travel. But back to the story. I had to purchase the KTX because the slower train is usually sold out. I have not wanted to try the ticket people but since the station attendant talked to me first, I figured he was bored enough to spend the extra time to deal with my poor Korean skills.
Thus, the train I am taking now has a LOT of people, mostly the young rebellious type (though there is an older man in a suit ballin with us cool kids), using the standing oom option. The cost is a very reasonable 16,200 won and the experience is priceless. Im not saying that this is the way Im going everywhere from now on, but knowing that getting to Seoul is cheaper than my taxi ride from the Phantom of the Opera last night is a good feeling. Right now Im crouching next two college age dudes with spectacular style. One of them is attempting coyly to decipher what Im inking. Good luck buddy!!
The business man and hisundoubtably real Gucci loafers and swanky leather bag is not pleased to be standing so close tothe bathroom and periodically having 3 year olds scuffup his kicks, but I am amused. I think the main difference between the seats and the standing room is that the latter has to be alert. When Koreans et on trains someone hits the magical internal snooze button they are all born with and everybody passes out. You can hear a pindrop if you open the sliding door to the compartment and the conductors even walk around and tell you to be quiet.
Standing room is a different ballgame. You have to be alert, but still quiet. This leads peple to be pensive. Several round me are brooding, one main is definately fantasizing and a handful are planning. One woman deliberates as the young child who's hand she is holding painfully counts the minutes of maybe seconds when they can unclock of this silence and be a typical screaming Korean toddler. By having the luxury of blissful mindless sleep removed from the equation, standing room passengers are forced to think and be preset minded, yet quiet, perhaps some unwanted contemplations arrise on an occassion that allows thoughts to wander to the sound of a creeking zxel and a thrashing rubber thingy.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Photocontest entry.
I love this picture not for what it looks like but for what it represents. In the image itself you see the majesty of the Haeinsa Temples: intricate carvings, beautiful banners flapping in the wind and a light mist rising over the surrounding mountainside are simply breathtaking and few reminders of the fact that it is 2010 actually exist. The real treat for me however is the monk who is taking, what I am assuming is, his laundry out in a basket. The casual way he goes about his business, a chore of daily living, makes me realize how different and perhaps opposite my interpretation of the temples are in comparison to him. This is his life, his job, his norm and for me it is the first time seeing something so spectacular. While he is simply doing laundry I am busy accumulating pictures and memories to make the most out of the experience. This duel perception can be expanded to my whole experience in Korea. Up until the point of taking this picture I was seeing the world through a tourist lens, almost for the purpose of checking off points of interest on a “must see” list. This made me realize however that this is more than just a photo-opportunity. The real experience of Korea is watching the interactions of the people within their natural environment (no matter how exotic it is for me), in a place they simply call their home.
Monday, October 18, 2010
sooo...there IS a downside.
So let me just say first that there are many many upsides to being a "waygook" or foreigner in Korea. Automatically you are told that you are beutiful and most people want to interact with you and show you Korea in a positive light so you are gifted with apples, ramen or free drinks at the bar.
Another upside is that you can get away with things because you are an American- getting on a faster train "accidentally" is only met with a slight wave of hand if even confronted at all. It also allows for a certain "free pass" when dealing with cultural issues.
But, this weekend I have also come to experience the negatives of the extra attention and the constant state of confusion I live in when interacting with my host family. I was told the family was going hiking on the mountain where their temple is located and invited to join. Knowing that it would be a good portion of my Sunday spent underneath beautiful changing leaves and an incredible view I could think of nothing better and immediately said yes. It was told to me on the car ride over that 25 to 30 other people would be joining us and we would all eat at the mountain- great, the explains the lack of breakfast as well as removes the permenatly attached host sister (parasite) from my arm (this is what I am thinking on 3 hours of sleep...a friend and I had danced it up until 6am the morning of the trip and I was woken up promptly at 9 am to get a move on). Once we arrive the family meets up with the employees of my host father's business and we begin a meal of stewed chicken and what else- kimchi...I notice the soju and beer being brought out but only thnk to myself that the men will have a hard time hiking if they drink this early (10 am). The meal is cleared and now the crowd is moving outside to a volleyball/soccer game. I am indeed the honorary guest so my host dad picks me for his team and i play the front position. Im actually not horrible at the game and it is a lot of fun. Our team loses but not after my host dad crowns me "homerun king" for kicking the ball too hard--over the fence too hard.
Alright, we should be moving on to the hiking portion of the day right? I wish, everyone goes back inside and the men get a few more rounds of beer and soju and the kids start up the "naerebang" machine which is basically karaoke. Hmmm....beautiful day outside.....people drinking.....kids getting comfy near the tv....why R WE NOT HIKING? My host mom informs me in korean that we will only be at the restaurant that day and it will be night when we go home. Alright, well, lets make the best of it, I sit and watch the kids for a while but they suck and I am bored beyond tears. I literally did not bring anything but clothing, not even my phone, because I was told HIKING!!!
About an hour of killing time later I ask my host mom if I can still go hiking by myself, she gives me the whole - I am worried spiel- and then hands me her cell phone and gives me two hours on the clock--I am off!
The nature is beautiful and it has been WHILE since I saw changing leaves in such capacity and quantity. At this moment the frustration of the whole hiking fiasco wears off and a calm that only strolling through nature can ignite has soothed me.
Upon arrival back at camp Awesome at the foot of the mountain I realize that NO ONE HAS MOVED THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS GONE. However, the men have certainly not wasted time getting hammered. I take back the fact that one one moved...one man is propped up with cusions on the floor where he passed out drunk.
This is where the real fun begins, when the drinking had not begun yet my foreigner status was something that had kept the men of the group at bay--they were probably too shy to say hello or make a mistake speaking english. Luckily for them, the beer has lowered their inhibitions to the point where they do not mind making English mistakes and don't really care if they make an ass of themselves approaching me.
In the hour that followed I had multiple unsolicited papparazzi photoshoots, one dude (who had a bloody nose from falling over drunk) kept shaking my hand, another kept trying to drag me off places and motioning me to come over. Nunchi was the thing that kept me from screaming in their face.
However, hostmom did not have her nunchi on that day, she did not read that situatioin as unconfortable for me and certainly didn't do much to stop them. I also explicitly went up to her and said- "I DONT LIKE THIS". her brilliant response "ME TOO"
Well, I MEAN, you speak Korean and can tell them to leave me alone or something....I do not have to meekly partake in this foreigner hounding. Finally a sweet pregnant wife of one of the workers told the man to stop coming over and to leave me alone. They got the hint, presented me with a bag of apples and left.
After the amazing "HIKING" experince they all went to eat dinner. I stayed in the car and slept. I told my co-teacher today about the event and she is supposed to make a phonecall tonight. We shall see what happens.
Another upside is that you can get away with things because you are an American- getting on a faster train "accidentally" is only met with a slight wave of hand if even confronted at all. It also allows for a certain "free pass" when dealing with cultural issues.
But, this weekend I have also come to experience the negatives of the extra attention and the constant state of confusion I live in when interacting with my host family. I was told the family was going hiking on the mountain where their temple is located and invited to join. Knowing that it would be a good portion of my Sunday spent underneath beautiful changing leaves and an incredible view I could think of nothing better and immediately said yes. It was told to me on the car ride over that 25 to 30 other people would be joining us and we would all eat at the mountain- great, the explains the lack of breakfast as well as removes the permenatly attached host sister (parasite) from my arm (this is what I am thinking on 3 hours of sleep...a friend and I had danced it up until 6am the morning of the trip and I was woken up promptly at 9 am to get a move on). Once we arrive the family meets up with the employees of my host father's business and we begin a meal of stewed chicken and what else- kimchi...I notice the soju and beer being brought out but only thnk to myself that the men will have a hard time hiking if they drink this early (10 am). The meal is cleared and now the crowd is moving outside to a volleyball/soccer game. I am indeed the honorary guest so my host dad picks me for his team and i play the front position. Im actually not horrible at the game and it is a lot of fun. Our team loses but not after my host dad crowns me "homerun king" for kicking the ball too hard--over the fence too hard.
Alright, we should be moving on to the hiking portion of the day right? I wish, everyone goes back inside and the men get a few more rounds of beer and soju and the kids start up the "naerebang" machine which is basically karaoke. Hmmm....beautiful day outside.....people drinking.....kids getting comfy near the tv....why R WE NOT HIKING? My host mom informs me in korean that we will only be at the restaurant that day and it will be night when we go home. Alright, well, lets make the best of it, I sit and watch the kids for a while but they suck and I am bored beyond tears. I literally did not bring anything but clothing, not even my phone, because I was told HIKING!!!
About an hour of killing time later I ask my host mom if I can still go hiking by myself, she gives me the whole - I am worried spiel- and then hands me her cell phone and gives me two hours on the clock--I am off!
The nature is beautiful and it has been WHILE since I saw changing leaves in such capacity and quantity. At this moment the frustration of the whole hiking fiasco wears off and a calm that only strolling through nature can ignite has soothed me.
Upon arrival back at camp Awesome at the foot of the mountain I realize that NO ONE HAS MOVED THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS GONE. However, the men have certainly not wasted time getting hammered. I take back the fact that one one moved...one man is propped up with cusions on the floor where he passed out drunk.
This is where the real fun begins, when the drinking had not begun yet my foreigner status was something that had kept the men of the group at bay--they were probably too shy to say hello or make a mistake speaking english. Luckily for them, the beer has lowered their inhibitions to the point where they do not mind making English mistakes and don't really care if they make an ass of themselves approaching me.
In the hour that followed I had multiple unsolicited papparazzi photoshoots, one dude (who had a bloody nose from falling over drunk) kept shaking my hand, another kept trying to drag me off places and motioning me to come over. Nunchi was the thing that kept me from screaming in their face.
However, hostmom did not have her nunchi on that day, she did not read that situatioin as unconfortable for me and certainly didn't do much to stop them. I also explicitly went up to her and said- "I DONT LIKE THIS". her brilliant response "ME TOO"
Well, I MEAN, you speak Korean and can tell them to leave me alone or something....I do not have to meekly partake in this foreigner hounding. Finally a sweet pregnant wife of one of the workers told the man to stop coming over and to leave me alone. They got the hint, presented me with a bag of apples and left.
After the amazing "HIKING" experince they all went to eat dinner. I stayed in the car and slept. I told my co-teacher today about the event and she is supposed to make a phonecall tonight. We shall see what happens.
Monday, October 11, 2010
It's time for another piercing.
In the past weeks I've traveled to Busan, had fish eat the dead skin off my feet, went to Jinju for a few hours to check out a lantern festival, traveled to Seoul for the 60th anniversary of Fulbright and also attended a conference in Gwangju.
I think I have hit the point in my stay where I can still take pleasure in festivals and enjoy the new places I visit, but at the same time the "newness" has worn off and I can tell you exactly what kind of chicken soda cups the festival will be serving up and the booths start to look the same.
One thing about Korea that makes me fascinated is the hype and importance that is given to events that probably don't deserve that type of attention. For example, we practiced for hours at a time for the Fulbright song that plays for approximately 2 minutes and the audience wasn't even able to hear us over the piano. Keep in mind the the performance was prefaced with a 7 course dinner with included WINE and thus many of my chorus companions had to focus more on the act of standing than on hitting the F Flat. But an overwhelming amount of importance was put on the song during the practice. Epic Fail.
Another illustration of this phenomenon is that my school had a relay race with another school. The race lasted exactly 2 minutes and 4 seconds but the event began right after lunch (noon) and when I had to leave at two forty the students were still anticipating the race. There were camera's, the students wore shirts that were especially designed for the event. A troop of 4th graders danced in age-inappropriate outfits to age-inappropriate songs using ...you guessed it, rather age-inappropriate moves. A band came with drums and they had moved the students around the field and positioned them in probably 4 different location. If this had been done at my school in Glendale, someone would have started a fight and maybe 40% of the students would have ditched. The Korean students managed to keep up their enthusiasm and do and re-do the wave until the principal was satisfied with the way it looked on camera. So the ability for a small relay race to turn into a 3 hour event WHILE STILL MAINTAINING CONTROL is a miracle that can only happen in Korea.
One of the presenters we had at a conference told us of the cycle that one goes through when entering a new culture. The honeymoon period is the first, everything is new and exciting, then comes rejection, there is a fourth one but I do not remember it so we will pretend there are only three. I think I have past the honeymoon and I do not foresee myself rejecting very much about Korea, but there is a stage of frustration that certainly comes on from time to time. I still don't know how to work the bus system efficiently and have to spend 30 minutes on the internet figuring out where in the world i have to get on because even though most things in Korea make very logical sense having a bus stop at each bus stop apparently does not. Another thing that Koreans do not like is having street names. I have no clue about where I actually live street wise and rely on the note that my hostmom wrote for me the first week I was here that tells the taxi drivers where I belong, it is like an adult doggie tag.
This weekend I have felt a surge of restlessness and my patience was tested. I have not had this frustration due to a lack of control of a situation in quite a while. I unfortunately let it get the best of me and had it not been to a stop we made in a beautiful park I would have been spitting hellfire at the next person who crossed my path. However I escaped the weekend with a super cool free new jacket that is perfect for traveling, presents for my parents and another trip to the VIP area at a club. There is still a slight resignation of gripe lingering inside me and though I have talked it out and now typed it out, it seems there is only one way to release the negative energy--get pierced. I can clearly link the need to do something impulsive and edgy when I have an internal knot that no deep breath can untangle. Right now the frustration is coming from my inability to do things myself that I would have been able to do in America.
SO MOM, Do not hate me, but I am getting either dermal or something else in the ear. :)
Off to some Kpop dance class and a 5k run.
I think I have hit the point in my stay where I can still take pleasure in festivals and enjoy the new places I visit, but at the same time the "newness" has worn off and I can tell you exactly what kind of chicken soda cups the festival will be serving up and the booths start to look the same.
One thing about Korea that makes me fascinated is the hype and importance that is given to events that probably don't deserve that type of attention. For example, we practiced for hours at a time for the Fulbright song that plays for approximately 2 minutes and the audience wasn't even able to hear us over the piano. Keep in mind the the performance was prefaced with a 7 course dinner with included WINE and thus many of my chorus companions had to focus more on the act of standing than on hitting the F Flat. But an overwhelming amount of importance was put on the song during the practice. Epic Fail.
Another illustration of this phenomenon is that my school had a relay race with another school. The race lasted exactly 2 minutes and 4 seconds but the event began right after lunch (noon) and when I had to leave at two forty the students were still anticipating the race. There were camera's, the students wore shirts that were especially designed for the event. A troop of 4th graders danced in age-inappropriate outfits to age-inappropriate songs using ...you guessed it, rather age-inappropriate moves. A band came with drums and they had moved the students around the field and positioned them in probably 4 different location. If this had been done at my school in Glendale, someone would have started a fight and maybe 40% of the students would have ditched. The Korean students managed to keep up their enthusiasm and do and re-do the wave until the principal was satisfied with the way it looked on camera. So the ability for a small relay race to turn into a 3 hour event WHILE STILL MAINTAINING CONTROL is a miracle that can only happen in Korea.
One of the presenters we had at a conference told us of the cycle that one goes through when entering a new culture. The honeymoon period is the first, everything is new and exciting, then comes rejection, there is a fourth one but I do not remember it so we will pretend there are only three. I think I have past the honeymoon and I do not foresee myself rejecting very much about Korea, but there is a stage of frustration that certainly comes on from time to time. I still don't know how to work the bus system efficiently and have to spend 30 minutes on the internet figuring out where in the world i have to get on because even though most things in Korea make very logical sense having a bus stop at each bus stop apparently does not. Another thing that Koreans do not like is having street names. I have no clue about where I actually live street wise and rely on the note that my hostmom wrote for me the first week I was here that tells the taxi drivers where I belong, it is like an adult doggie tag.
This weekend I have felt a surge of restlessness and my patience was tested. I have not had this frustration due to a lack of control of a situation in quite a while. I unfortunately let it get the best of me and had it not been to a stop we made in a beautiful park I would have been spitting hellfire at the next person who crossed my path. However I escaped the weekend with a super cool free new jacket that is perfect for traveling, presents for my parents and another trip to the VIP area at a club. There is still a slight resignation of gripe lingering inside me and though I have talked it out and now typed it out, it seems there is only one way to release the negative energy--get pierced. I can clearly link the need to do something impulsive and edgy when I have an internal knot that no deep breath can untangle. Right now the frustration is coming from my inability to do things myself that I would have been able to do in America.
SO MOM, Do not hate me, but I am getting either dermal or something else in the ear. :)
Off to some Kpop dance class and a 5k run.
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