Sorry for the lack of substance in this post, I swear I'll update you all on how things are going in the next few days.
I stumbled across this article the other day and it is definitely resonating with me during this adjustment period. 19 Things You Should Stop Doing In Your 20s
I'm a recent college grad with a decent amount of life experience, but still terribly naive in many ways. Starting my first real full job has forced me to learn some hard lessons fast. Those realizations are only multiplied by the fact I'm working and living in a foreign country. Some of my favorites (and most applicable) are:
1. Stop placing all the blame on other people for how they interact with you.
13. Stop considering the same things you've always done as the only options there are.
15. Stop approaching adverse situations with anger and frustration.
If you have the time, read the article and let me know what you think about it!
xo Julie
Friday, November 30, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Bukhansan, Noraebangs, and Volunteering
Hello Internet world! Its been a busy, busy week here in Korea. I feel like I'm starting to find a good balance at work between my teaching duties and all the administrative things I need to get done, so I've been feeling pretty productive. The next instructor arrives in a week. I'm working on making sure she has everything she needs in her apartment so her transition can be smooth (hopefully!).
Good news, I found a place to play trivia in Anyang! This summer, my dad's friends graciously let me crash their weekly guys night trivia game and I had been hoping to find a place here to carry on the tradition. Luckily, there is a pub right near my house that is run by an American and does English trivia on Thursday nights! Its also a great place to meet other expats living in Anyang.
On Saturday I did another hike with Climbing in Korea. I'm starting to think I should rename my facebook album "Pictures of Julie on Mountains (in Korea)". I'm really loving the challenge these hikes offer. Just the right combination of aerobic and strength exercise plus the added adrenaline rush from the crazy routes we take to the peak. This time around I felt a bit more knowledgeable about what to expect and found people asking me questions about the best way up various sections and such. I also got to reconnect with the girl I met from UVA a few weeks back! Its good to feel like I'm starting to create a group of friends in Seoul/Anyang that I can explore the city with!
After hiking, I had my first noraebang experience. This is the Korean version of Karaoke, but you and your friends are in a private room belting your hearts. This was definitely an activity that was eased by some soju, but I had a pretty good time. Worth the experience, even if I don't go again (although I was able to show off my rap skills, which if I may say so, are superb). See Anthony Bourdain's take on the noraebang for more context here. We followed this with a round of bowling, which caused me to miss the last subway train by less than a minute, resulting in a pricey cab ride back to the city.
Lastly, on Sunday I went into Seoul again with another teacher I met at trivia to feed the homeless. The organization meets every Sunday to buy food, package up the meals, and then distribute them to the homeless around the area. I didn't notice many homeless people in Korea at first, but lately have been seeing many people living in the subway stations. I really enjoyed volunteering for this group, although when it comes to volunteering I like to know more about the particular issue to give my actions some context in the greater socio-economical surroundings. I also like to have a bit more personal interaction with the people I am helping. However, the experience was really rewarding and I met some great people who showed me ways to find other volunteer activities.
I don't have too much planned for this week expect for Thanksgiving themed trivia which *may* include pumpkin pie....
xo Julie
Good news, I found a place to play trivia in Anyang! This summer, my dad's friends graciously let me crash their weekly guys night trivia game and I had been hoping to find a place here to carry on the tradition. Luckily, there is a pub right near my house that is run by an American and does English trivia on Thursday nights! Its also a great place to meet other expats living in Anyang.
On Saturday I did another hike with Climbing in Korea. I'm starting to think I should rename my facebook album "Pictures of Julie on Mountains (in Korea)". I'm really loving the challenge these hikes offer. Just the right combination of aerobic and strength exercise plus the added adrenaline rush from the crazy routes we take to the peak. This time around I felt a bit more knowledgeable about what to expect and found people asking me questions about the best way up various sections and such. I also got to reconnect with the girl I met from UVA a few weeks back! Its good to feel like I'm starting to create a group of friends in Seoul/Anyang that I can explore the city with!
Icicles on the mountain!
The view of Seoul from 836 meters up.
It says 0 Celsius. Enough said.
After hiking, I had my first noraebang experience. This is the Korean version of Karaoke, but you and your friends are in a private room belting your hearts. This was definitely an activity that was eased by some soju, but I had a pretty good time. Worth the experience, even if I don't go again (although I was able to show off my rap skills, which if I may say so, are superb). See Anthony Bourdain's take on the noraebang for more context here. We followed this with a round of bowling, which caused me to miss the last subway train by less than a minute, resulting in a pricey cab ride back to the city.
Lastly, on Sunday I went into Seoul again with another teacher I met at trivia to feed the homeless. The organization meets every Sunday to buy food, package up the meals, and then distribute them to the homeless around the area. I didn't notice many homeless people in Korea at first, but lately have been seeing many people living in the subway stations. I really enjoyed volunteering for this group, although when it comes to volunteering I like to know more about the particular issue to give my actions some context in the greater socio-economical surroundings. I also like to have a bit more personal interaction with the people I am helping. However, the experience was really rewarding and I met some great people who showed me ways to find other volunteer activities.
I don't have too much planned for this week expect for Thanksgiving themed trivia which *may* include pumpkin pie....
xo Julie
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Exhilaration
Today I bought a bike. It might be the best decision I've made here. The ride home from work was exhilarating. The cold night wind blew in my face, making my eyes water and my nose run. My numb fingers grasped the handlebars, occasionally pulling on the brakes. My breath appeared in white clouds that flew by my head. My legs ached as I pushed faster and further down the road. I was a disheveled, runny-nosed, wind-blown, smiling mess by the time I got home, where I cooked a steaming plate of garlicky pasta with broccoli, tomatoes, and shrimp. All in all, I'm feeling quite independent and grown-up in my home of Anyang.
xo Julie
xo Julie
Monday, November 12, 2012
Korean Logic and Other Things
Things have been going pretty well over here in Korea. I have been working a lot so exciting adventures have been sparse. This week my schedule is changing from working Tues-Sat to Mon-Fri, which is SO much better. Its nice to have my days off during the weekend when most people are available to meet up. I have spent some time exploring my neighborhood, which turns out to be in a perfect location. I live in Hagwon-ga (or private school area) which is full of schools and next to an area called Pyeongchon Food Court, which is about 5 blocks devoted to restaurants and bars. Its nice to have so many things to do within walking distance, especially as the temperatures are starting to drop.
Last weekend I went on another Meetup with a different group, to visit the gochujang (or red bean paste) festival and the Seonunsa Temple. The festival was ok, although the smell of fermenting beans and gochujang can get to you after a while. However, I did eat a bowl of the world's largest bibimbap! The temple was really interesting although I wish I had had more time to explore!
I also visited the Seoul Lantern Festival with a girl I met on the apple hike a couple weeks ago. Life size lanterns light up a stream that runs through the center of Seoul. The lanterns begin depicting scenes of tradition Korean life and end with Spiderman and Pororo (a Korean cartoon). Here are some pics for you to see, although my camera is terrible at capturing what they really look like.
Lastly, I've been encountering many instances of "Korean Logic" in my first few weeks of teaching classes. The quotes are necessary as I am starting to think that logic doesn't exist in Korea. Korean parents (who are crazy picky by the way) would like for me to have extended discussions with their children about colors/textures/etc in art class, but I cannot use a translator. I am supposed to let the child approach the art project however he wants and let them be creative, but the final product must look exactly like the example. These things are completely contradictory, but still expected of me! It can get really frustrating because I don't understand how to give them what they want. A few other non-work examples of Korean logic: while Koreans seem to fairly germaphobic (hand sanitizer, masks, etc) children aren't taught to cover their mouths when they cough and no-one will use tissues, just sniffle. Also, apparently all Korean food is healthy, including white rice, fried chicken, and soju. My logic-centered Western brain is just not getting it!
xo Julie
Last weekend I went on another Meetup with a different group, to visit the gochujang (or red bean paste) festival and the Seonunsa Temple. The festival was ok, although the smell of fermenting beans and gochujang can get to you after a while. However, I did eat a bowl of the world's largest bibimbap! The temple was really interesting although I wish I had had more time to explore!
A man with a professional video camera made us pose for this shot, followed by an action shot yelling "fighting!". I might end up in some promo add for fermented bean sauce or something.
Stirring the world's largest bibimbap! And no, there were no cases of food poisoning.
I also visited the Seoul Lantern Festival with a girl I met on the apple hike a couple weeks ago. Life size lanterns light up a stream that runs through the center of Seoul. The lanterns begin depicting scenes of tradition Korean life and end with Spiderman and Pororo (a Korean cartoon). Here are some pics for you to see, although my camera is terrible at capturing what they really look like.
The entrance to the festival.
Goblin lanterns under a bridge.
Pororo and friends (accompanied by their theme song)!
Apperently all children from America are Native Americans...
Lastly, I've been encountering many instances of "Korean Logic" in my first few weeks of teaching classes. The quotes are necessary as I am starting to think that logic doesn't exist in Korea. Korean parents (who are crazy picky by the way) would like for me to have extended discussions with their children about colors/textures/etc in art class, but I cannot use a translator. I am supposed to let the child approach the art project however he wants and let them be creative, but the final product must look exactly like the example. These things are completely contradictory, but still expected of me! It can get really frustrating because I don't understand how to give them what they want. A few other non-work examples of Korean logic: while Koreans seem to fairly germaphobic (hand sanitizer, masks, etc) children aren't taught to cover their mouths when they cough and no-one will use tissues, just sniffle. Also, apparently all Korean food is healthy, including white rice, fried chicken, and soju. My logic-centered Western brain is just not getting it!
xo Julie
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