Merry Christmas!

On our way to Incheon Airport (for Malaysia) and I just figured out how to blog from my phone --yay! So, it's the perfect time for a quick holiday message.
After celebrating Christmas with my coworkers (Kris Kringle, potluck dinner, snow and all) and happily Skyped family and friends, I can really appreciate the simple  joy of Christmas time.  Getting packages with all the fixings from home and opening presents from new-found friends made me think about what really matters.
Its not about outspending, outsmarting, or outlasting (survivor-style); it's really the creature comforts and the company that makes Christmas what it is. And, even though I missed being home, I've learned how close people can feel despite the distance. I was still able to see my loved ones open their presents, visit everyone from the comfort of my jammies and partake in the traditional meat and mashed potatoes dinner.
Anywho, before I get too deep about.my skins-in, white pepper and mashed potatoes, I really want to wish everyone a happy holiday season! Hope everyone has a lot of love and laughter during the festive season :D
PS, now that I've taken another step into the technology world of blogging (via smartphone), I promise to post more blips as I travel along.
PPS, I have decided to stop counting my blog by days. Not only have I lost count of exactly how long I've been here, I've also stop focusing on the countup/countdown. Just taking it one day and one adventure at time. Speaking of which, we're pulling up to the airport now :)

Yes, this is my Christmas tree.  No, it doesn't normally tip to the side --this was just the result of posting from my phone and not understanding the need for a "turn counter-clockwise" button.

Day 95: Sunday, November 27

Long Week? Welcome to the Real World

So, after another looong break from blogging, I hope I can play catch-up well enough to satisfy those of you who have been prodding me to write again (ahem, Victoria Collis).  The fact is, I am falling into the Korean concept of work, wherein you keep your nose to the grindstone and you lift your head up for air just in time to go back to work again.  To clarify, this isn’t a complaint –I feel very fortunate to be working in a profession I feel so passionate about and my coworkers and bosses are truly terrific.  If anything, it seems as though I am becoming accustomed to the culture in a very intrinsic way, and my tourist approaches to understanding a Korean lifestyle have fallen away to a more meaningful experience.  I see that hard work is a standard for most Korean people and I can certainly respect it enough to follow suit when it is asked of me. 

This past week, our regular number of seven foreign teachers was down to five and that left everyone picking up the slack.  At the same time that we were filling in the gaps, we were also welcoming four new people to replace a handful of veteran teachers.  Hectic to say the least, we were all losing our prep periods and I ended up working the majority of my days from 9am to 7pm with one 25-minute lunch break.  Long, tiring days are not the type of thing that recruiters tell you about when they are trying to persuade you to come here, but I strangely find them the most satisfying.  Even better, when I can leave at the end of the day, grab a quick meal (with my hard-earned won) and go home to mark papers and prep for reports, I feel like I have truly arrived in adulthood.

Rewinding back to my undergrad days, there was always a lot of talk about the “real world”.  Not the TV reality series, but the ominous world of work and adult responsibilities that were soon to come.  Being somewhat self-sufficient at the time, I remember thinking how silly it was for my elders to assume that I was not yet experiencing the “real world”.  I worked, I studied, I stressed and I felt as though I knew the meaning of money; surely, I must be a part of that allusive adult world they speak of.  Clearly, the members of the adult club were just being condescending, or elitist, or just plain cruel to tell me otherwise –or, at least that’s what the somewhat of a doofus, 21-year old Jenni thought.

Me, at 21 years old, trying to balance the weight of the world.  Wait, that's not the world, it's ice cream.

Then, when I graduated university and worked three part-time jobs, making ends meet in my basement apartment, I wanted to smack my younger self for thinking she had any idea what the “real world” was.  Though the life of an undergrad student can be stressful and demanding at times, it does not pose the same kind of gut-churning life pressures that the working class are privy to.  Naturally, I thought that I really had a sense of what adulthood was about.  Driving from one workplace to another in a car I paid the insurance on, making grocery lists and low-budget plans with friends, I had finally arrived in the “real world”.

Glamour grad at 23.  Being an adult is apparently all about looking fabulous.

Two years later, I feel it necessary to look back on my younger (less experienced) self once again and laugh a little at what I thought I knew in vast contrast to what the reality may have been.  In this case, those earlier jobs were stepping stones to becoming more responsible, but they didn’t require the same sort of dedication that salary work demands.  This week, being somewhat hellish, didn’t provide any clock-out sort of situations or regulated break times –just long days of blood, sweat and maybe a couple tears.  However, with every day that passed by and every  “to do” was checked off my seemingly never-ending list, I couldn’t help but feel that THIS is the “real world”.*

Present day: "Jennifer Teacher", remaining fairly sane on a field trip with Blueberries

*Being the realist that I am, I can imagine a point in my future where I look back at this epiphany and think that I still missed the mark, but for now, I would like to rejoice in feeling a bit like a grown up.

Day 60: Sunday, October 23

The Upside of Anger 

After a couple of maddening realities at the closing of this week, I’ve decided to channel the anger into a more positive and productive task: making a list of the things I have to look forward to in this wonderful country.  The fact that I am doing this should come as no surprise to anyone who knows how list-obsessed I am, so, without further ado, here is a jot-notes version of my exciting agenda...

*baking in our newly-purchased toaster oven –Hilary, Andrea and I have shared custody of it for $23 each

*setting up a trick-or-treat activity with the different afternoon classes at Wonderland and teaching them the traditions of All Hallow’s Eve
*dressing up for Halloween (possibly going as a walkman alongside my iPod friends) and partying with my co-teacher April
*hiking the mountain that is in Gwacheon
*visiting my friend from home, Emily, who lives in a more southern part of South Korea; in order to save time, I will be taking the KTX (fast train) which is sure to be exciting
*filling Hilary’s tiny apartment with balloons for her 22^nd birthday –shh, don’t tell her! –and then heading out to Hongdae wherein my RA instincts will probably come raging back
*welcoming the three new teachers that are arriving near the end of November, including my good friend Jason from Teacher’s College at Western
*attending a K-Pop Concert being held by YG Entertainment, a producing company of a lot of famous Usher-like artists here in Korea
*celebrating my 25^th birthday in a foreign land (that believes I am actually 26, and then will be 27 in January) ; needless to say, I will try to find some way of marking my quarter-life crisis before I am immediately flung into my late-twenties
*heading to Malaysia for winter break!  :D

Day 54: Monday, October 17

NOT a Bad Case of the Mondays

This week started unlike most weeks I have had here –wherein the Monday is a slightly dreaded return to the working world –because this Monday rocked.  Not that “The Mondays” is a particular uneasiness reserved for the Asian part of the world, but I certainly felt it more here than in any other workplace environment (Formex excluded).  However, with the gradual flip of the switch, my Monday was actually quite productive and dare I say, fun! 

My brutish Blueberries still brought lots of energy but I was able to channel it into enthusiasm for our TinyTalk (textbook), high-fives and hugs.  Of course, there were still slip ups since they are children and having spontaneous fits of dancing, crying or daydreaming is just natural, but correction of such situations seemed much easier to handle with our recent bonding.  Also, I think it was highly beneficial that I had the opportunity to go on a work trip with a handful of my coworkers, my supervisor, Ann and the directors of my school: Mr. Cho and Eileen.  Having a chance to see my superiors far removed from the work environment (read: slightly tipsy in a Buyeo Norebong), I was able to create that more personal connection that I crave in any of my relationships with people.

From left to right: my co-worker, Chad; my supervisor, Ann; Wonderland's director, Eileen; Andrea, Hilary, myself; and Wonderland's co-director, Cho.  Taken this past weekend when we were on an hiking/cruise/bus tour of Buyeo, South Korea

Ultimately, the day seemed to fly by.  It helped that I utilized my juggling skills to spontaneously thrill and amaze my first period class and then continued to be popular with my planned Snack Party in third period.  By the time my fifth and sixth period classes rolled around, I realized that my all-male classes were finally starting to task risks in their written and oral communication.  Not only is my advanced class willing to ask questions like “Why is Canada so big?”, they also seem more capable of correcting eachother’s English in a whiteboard peer-editing exercise.  As someone who has been trained to teach English, it delights me that I can start to use the strategies that proved successful in Canadian classrooms; it’s a far cry from the ‘duck, duck, goose’ and hangman skills that I often elicit in my lower-level classes.   

Also, my middle-school boys have now come to the realization that their high-frequency use of Korean will not deter me from teaching them English –particularly because I’m sneakily hinting at their interests (such as the “beautiful and perfect” Korean singer IU or the ever-popular game of Angry Birds) in our conversations so they have no choice but to be drawn in.  Thankfully, a teenage boy’s capacity to talk about the hotness of a famous actress, singer, etc. is universal; beyond creating conversation, it keeps the chatter interesting until our class comes to an end at 7:30pm.

Day 48: Tuesday, October 11

October Already

After a three-week hiatus from blogging, I realize that I have a lot of stories to catch up on.  Also, I’ve become aware of how quickly time can pass here.  When I first arrived in Korea, I felt like I was constantly counting down.  Only a couple of hours until the orientation will be over.  Two more days until I move into my apartment.  Two and a half weeks until I could get my Alien Registration Card, and only one day after that until I can get a cell phone.  The most common advice I received upon arrival was “give it time”.  Being the somewhat impatient and perfectionist person that I am, it was difficult to give myself time to just adjust to work , Korea, and the overall feeling of being so removed from home.   

That being said, acquiring fulfillment at Wonderland, finding some delicious eats, meeting wonderful people and enjoying some really fantastic time out & about has made time pass so quickly.  I don’t look at the clock nearly as much, so before I know it, it is 7:35pm at the end of my work day or 5am on a Sunday morning after a big Saturday night out.  I’ve been forewarned that the speed only picks up from here, so, while I attempt to slow things down enough to get my to-do list done, I promise to continue logging more blogging soon.  

P.S. Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Nicole, myself and Hilary enjoying our Gwacheon gourmet at Hilary's apartment.  Our version of Thanksgiving included chicken with Swiss Chalet gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and sweet corn.  Andrea, the newest addition to Wonderland, is the photographer.

    

Day 19: Monday, September 12

Happy Chuseok!

As I previously mentioned, I was privy to an extra-long weekend off of work because of the holiday Chuseok.  Chuseok is known as the Korean version of Thanksgiving Day and it has the same amount of food and activity-based traditions that we have in Canada.  The holiday stems from the custom of Koreans thanking their ancestors –through Charye, memorial services –for the year’s harvest and sharing their abundance with family and friends.  Giving that everyone is getting together with their family, many Koreans return to their hometowns in countryside; this left subways and shops around Seoul far less busy than they usually would be –yay!  Unfortunately for above-ground travellers, Korea’s traffic is atrocious because the already strained highways become packed with families who are wanting to visit family and their ancestral graves to fulfill their familial duties.  Koreans are required to participate in Seongmyo (visiting ancestral graves) and Beolcho (clearing the weeds around the grave).  

Other Chuseok traditions include wearing the Hanbok (traditional dress) and buying new clothes for every member of the household; this custom is known as Chuseokbim.  The idea of giving is very apparent around Chuseok as the grocery stores prepare gift packs and Wonderland’s staff room makes way for oodles of fruit and cakes that the parents have brought to give thanks for their children’s education.  Even the foreign teachers received gifts from the principals: delicious (I hope) plum wine!

Day 18: Sunday, September 11

A Touristy Trip to the National Museum of Korea

Despite my original Chuseok plans to go visit my friend Emily in Ulsan, fate (and the sold-out Korail trains) would have it that I stay in Gwacheon and explore surrounding areas by subway.  After looking at a couple of different options for touristy activities, Hilary and I agreed that the best idea would be to see what the National Museum of Korea has to offer.  With the city shutting down for Chuseok, Museums and other attractions make it a point to stay open and then take a day off after the holiday –in this case, the Museum will be closed on Wednesday.

The National Museum of Korea also seemed like a great option because is that it is on the subway line that runs through Gwacheon (line #4, which is also known as the light blue line).  So, Hilary and I boarded the subway train at Gwacheon Government Complex, which is a two-minute walk from our apartment block and made our way to the Museum.

Going up the stairs to the National Museum of Korea

Coming up to the Entrance of the Main Exhibition Hall

Front Foyer of the National Museum of Korea

It’s important to note that there are two exhibit halls at the museum.  The main part of the museum has three exquisite floors and offers free admission. The other section is reserved for a special exhibition that changes as often as an exhibition at home would, but the topic did not really appeal to Hilary or I, so we went for the free and easy route... without an English guide (gasp!).  After picking up the pamphlet for English-speakers, Hilary and I headed for the 3^rd floor of the Museum.  Surprisingly, the entrance to each gallery and all of the artefacts were labelled in both Korean and English.

 

On the 3^rd floor, there was the Asia Gallery and the Sculpture & Crafts Gallery that housed my favourite section of the whole museum, the Buddhist Sculptures.  Both galleries were organized into 5 sections, depending on place of origin and/or material of the artefact; India and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, China, the Sinan Shipwreck Collection, Japan, Buddhist Sculpture, Metal Crafts, Celadon, Buncheon Ware and White Porcelain all had their own sections in the galleries.  Overall, there were 600 works in the Sculpture & Crafts Gallery that captured the essence of Korean crafts, and a total of 970 artefacts showing off the “universality and diversity of Asian cultures” in the Asia Gallery.

Buddhist Sculptures

Open Lotus

Fuxi and Nuwa

The explanation for Fuxi and Nuwa... interesting!

Spices from the Sinan Shipwreck Collection

Then, when we arrive on the second floor of the museum, there were two more galleries: the Donations Gallery and the Calligraphy & Painting Gallery.  At the entrance of the Calligraphy & Painting Gallery, there was a live-sized mock-up of a Sarangbang (Scholar’s Studio), with all the typical furniture that one would see in the gentleman’s quarters.  As a part of Korean history and culture, Confucianism has a hierarchal system much like the caste system of India wherein the Scholar was considered to be the highest.  More recently the hierarchy seems inverted so the Scholar has less modern-day worth, but education is still highly valued and the Scholar is still a prominent figure of Korean culture.  Within the Donations gallery, there were nine main contributors, some of which were of Japanese descent and had donated in the hopes of re-establishing positive bonds between Japan and Korea.  Since the 800 artefacts were donated from a variety of private collectors, the Donations Gallery showed a wonderful array of culturally-diverse remnants, ranging from roof-end tiles to bronze helmets, duck-shaped vessels to Buddha heads.  

Buddhist statue and yours truly :D

One of the prettiest Silk Screens in the gallery

Japanese Warrior... accessories not included

Hindu Deities Masks

Finally, we walked down to the 1^st floor to the Prehistory & Ancient History Gallery and the Medieval & Early Modern History Gallery.  While the Neolithic, Palaeolithic and Bronze Age sections of the gallery showcased things that could be on display in Canada (for example, arrowheads), there was approximately 10,000 relics displayed from the Palaeolithic period to the Unified Silla and Balhae periods.  Between the two galleries stood a Ten-Story Pagoda with carvings of traditional Buddhist images.

Gold Crown from the Silla Kingdom, nicely showcased in glass... makes you want to plan a heist doesn't it?

If you're wanting to feel small, I strongly recommend standing beside a ten-story Pagoda.

Last, but not least, Hilary and I began to explore the outdoor exhibits area of the National Museum.  While overlooking the Botanic Garden for Traditional Dyes, it started to,  so we quickly strolled over to the Reflecting Pond to snap a couple of pictures of the Cheonjajeong (pavilion with Celadon Roof Tiles).  Although we were being rained out, we were just happy it didn’t happen earlier, particularly because there was a call for thundershowers all weekend.   

The Reflecting Pond... it's usually more reflective when the sun is at full force.

Day 17: Saturday, September 10

Grocery Shopping in Gwacheon

The first night I was in Gwacheon, I was taking to the nearby grocery story, Kim’s Club.  At the time, I was with my “guardian” Mr. Cho, who is the co-principal of Wonderland, and the items he pointed out weren’t the most appetizing.  I saw some viable food options here and there, but overall, I found myself getting lost in the aisle of oils without any English label in sight.  I was able to find one jar of Peter Pan peanut butter, one bunch of bananas, a ten-pack of yogurt and a big bottle of water.  While the store seemed overwhelming and the options seemed to be few at the time, I had hoped that it was first day jitters that had me concerned about my local mart. 

This is the entrance to Kim's Club, once you've stepped off the escalator.  On the left there are animals you can buy like mice, Guinea pigs, bunnies, turtles and fish for pets.  On the right there is Hilary.

Hilary suggested that she give me a tour of the place one night on our way home from work, and I’m so glad she did.  Not only did she seem to expertly dodge the places of the grocery store that looked and smelled unfamiliar, she led me straight to the goods that would appear on the good ol’ Canadian Food Guide... and some goodies that wouldn’t make the nutritional cut –yum!  I was quickly putting meals together in my head –mostly pasta and rice dishes with some appearances from vegetables –keeping in mind that I am working with a double-burner hot plate.  In 2009-2010, I had the fortunate opportunity to live in a basement apartment with a simple kitchenette, so I more than experienced in the creative cooking department.  Unlike the apartment in the basement, I do not have a microwave or a toaster oven in my current apartment, so it’s just me and my beloved friend hot plate.

My ol' pal, the stove. Joined here by his friend, the drying rack.

Anywho, I shall return to the telling of my most recent Kim’s Club experience.  As I have previously mentioned this weekend is leading into the Chuseok holiday, so there is a lot of preparation taking place in Korean homes.  Part of the Chuseok festivities is a ritual of giving; a gift pack of tuna or spam, a case of fruit (since fruit is expensive, particularly when it is imported), a bundle of rice cake treats, or a set of wine and/or pastries are all excellent presents for Chuseok.  And, that being said, all grocery stores and shops that regularly sell food are packed with Chuseok gift sets.

Rice cake-y treats :D

Just within the entrance to Kim’s Club, there is a Pizza Mart where you can buy whole pizzas for 11,900won (almost $12); I did that in the first week that I was here since I was staying in the motel, but this time, Hilary and I had decided to share a Half & Half Pizza (half Combination Pizza and half Cheese).  You put in an order and about 30 minutes later, your 18inch pizza is all ready to go, wrapped with a bow for easy handling when you opt for takeout.  So, with the extra 30 minutes that Hilary and I have, we tour around Kim’s Club, looking at the stationary section called Morning Glory and I took a couple of photos of the places within Kim’s Club that entertain me the most.

The Pizza Mart

 

 

On the left is the edge of the candy aisle and beverages just a wee bit beyond on the right.  Although Ginger Ale is not available, there is a delightful cider that tastes like the offspring of Ginger Ale and Sprite.

Only $1.40 for a pre-breaded crab, that's still alive and crawls around just as you are walking past.  They are sneaky, particularly when they know you're afraid of them.