A Visit to the Neighbors

When I was seventeen I assumed I lived in the greatest part on Earth. Now, ironically 15 years later I still believe that is true. I can affirm that the San Francisco Bay Area is the most awesome place on this small planet. However, when I was a young naive lad I had never been to another country, and I was quite ignorant in believing that it wasn't necessary to go anywhere else. Like a typical Californian youth, I felt like all one needed in life was a job that provided the income for unlimited Taco Bell, convenience store stops, a Blcokbuster Card, a guitar, and a car to provide an occasional weekend beach visit. Yes, when I was young I was at the center of the world in northern California. The Bay Area for many of us was, is, and will always be 'hella cool.' It wasn't until a year later when I graduated high school that I realistically gave any thought to seeing another country. Like many young people who live in the land of a 21 year old minimum drinking age, we discover a place south of our tightly controlled border as a respite for tequila popping and cheap burrito binging. I was one of those creatures who, at the ripe young age of 18 discovered Mexico as a place for a young man to partake in such enterprises.

So in the summer in 1994 I visited our neighbors in Mexico. I came, drank, ate, and left with the experience that there are other places out there. When I came home, the visit to Mexico left me with an impression that there was so much more to see in the world. Actually, it had quite a huge impression on me, since I've spent most of the last eight years living in foreign countries. Now looking back at my life it seems mind boggling how many places I've seen; and to think it all started with a visit to the neighbors, where I discovered that foreign countries have something different, unique and interesting to offer.

As this blog is about life in Korea, I told myself I wouldn't write about other countries. Despite this, I will make an exception this week. The reason being is that I have just returned from a visit to Korea's Neighbors, Japan. Since Korea is Japan's neighbor I think it is fitting that I can state that another great thing about living in Korea in fact is its' proximity to Japan. Since many millions of humans have visited Japan, I won't go into too many details about things to see or do there. I will just tell you that if you haven't been, then you are simply missing out.

If you are an American and if you have been to Mexico, you will see that there is a huge difference between the two lands. I can attest that despite the relative close geographical distance both countries are both appealing, and compelling in a variety of their own separate ways. For example in America, everything is readily available. There is nothing like American convenience. Whereas in Mexico, things tend to move at their own pace-and if there is a soccer match on, then the pace becomes immeasurable. So for us living in Korea, Japan is an amazingly enchanting country to visit, which has many differences to life in Korea. Many people living in Korea seem to think that there aren't many differences between the two countries so they ignore Japan come vacation time and travel to more 'exotic' places like Thailand, or The Philippines. There are indeed differences.

The Koreans like to eat really spicy ramen soup, but if you like cheap sushi, and salty ramen visit Japan. In Korea you can learn taekwondo, but if you want to see a great baseball game, come to Japan. If you want to be left alone when you travel, come to Japan. Although, many of us know that if you want to be greeted by an innumerable amount of adorable children, come to Korea. The kids like to greet foreigners here, so if you are in Korea for a short stay, it's a wonderful experience. In Japan, you won't feel like an honored guest or anything, but if you like anonymity, then it's a good break from life in Korea. Additionally if you like to improve your language skills, then Korea is a better place to carry a phrasebook. Less people use English in Korea-with the exception of Seoul, where English is widely used in tourist areas. In Japan however, you can speak English, because they seem to be more used to foreign visitors. These are just a small array of examples about the diversity between two geographically close, but distinctly different nations.

So if you are in Korea, and if you do decide to visit Japan, then congratulations! Getting there is easy too. My illustrious, beautiful, travel agent/girlfriend casually arranged plane tickets from Seoul to Nagoya in Japan for 370 dollars return. It's a pretty good deal. The flight time is about two hours, and during that time, you actually get a pretty tasty lunch, with unlimited drinks to boot! Once safely on the ground in Nagoya, you can just jump on an express train for downtown for about 8 dollars. From there, you can catch a bullet train to anywhere in the country you desire. In Japan, bullet means what it means-bullet. We traveled 140 kilometers to Kyoto, in the time it takes for me to drink a half a cup of coffee; about 35 minutes.

You can also take a boat to Japan from Korea. This is what most people do. There is a hydro foil service from Pusan to Fukuoka. This Journey is about three hours and cost around 270 dollars return. I've heard it's a good service, but you need to book in advance, As many people seem to prefer the boat to the plane, because of it's cheaper rates. I get sea sick, and I am used to sitting in uncomfortable economy seats on planes, and eating single serving meals while wearing a tight seat belt. It's a miserable experience, but it's what I am accustomed to, so I'll stick to the proverbial friendly skies.

Traveling can be a life changing, rewarding experience, which money nor fame can give. Since I have no money, and I am far from famous-except at my school, I can say visiting different foreign countries at least give me a great deal of satisfaction, and a little understanding about the world we live in. Despite this notion of going to far away foreign lands bringing enchantment, it's interesting how unique the places that are geographically close to us also seem to be. If you go from California to Tijuana the food gets decidedly spicier, but if you go from Seoul to Tokyo you might look into your ramen and ask, what happened to the spice?

A Note to My Readers, AKA a Note to Myself

Dear readers,
This note is to inform my patient, consistent 'readers'-actually me, (since I am the primary reader of this blog,) that I will be taking leave from my self appointed post as a blogger of interesting things in the land of Kimchi between the week of the nineteenth to the twenty-sixth. As I will be vacationing in Japan, I will be unable to utilize my time to write anything Korea related. I know how this must come as a great shock to the scores of my global followers that I would actually leave this great nation to partake in sightseeing adventures somewhere else. Despite this, please be confident that I will be back shortly and I will carry on with this historic task of sharing things about life here with you-or to myself.

If you aren't me reading this, then congratulations! You are one of the few. If you are still reading on, then thank you again. If you are now thinking what a terrible narcissist the author is, then you might be right, but bear in mind that I love what I am doing. There are many things that give great pleasure to people, and putting words together to create sentences is one of those things that strangely makes me content. I have played guitar for the last twelve years; and I thought it was something that would give me satisfaction, but I always felt like I was always striving to achieve something. There was never an end. I always felt like I was trying to climb a mountain. If you are always climbing the mountain it kinda sucks the joy out of the whole trip. Anyway, these days guitar is still a great hobby, but with writing, I find it's something I just enjoy doing. It's an enjoyment where once I stop, I find it easy to lose track of time. It's gotten to the point where I am happy wasting away a Friday night simply rambling in my diary about how great Korea is because there are Styrofoam sidewalks. So it's because of this that I am informing my ardent blog readers; but most likely myself. That as kimchi is red, I will undoubtedly will return next week. This is what I like.

A Dirty Weekend, But Somebody's Gotta Do It!

It's a Friday evening in the middle of July in Suncheon. The weekend has commenced. Since it's the warm time of the year, life has become a twenty-four hour T-shirt and Sandal affair. I love this time. I despise hiding in my flop-house apartment while watching the harsh, wretched, winters. Life for me is waiting in the dugout for the spring and summer seasons. After August, I feel like the season is over and I head back to the bench to wait for spring training. Sorry for the baseball metaphor, but I'm an American and a baseball person to boot. Speaking about being an American, I notice that all of the Americans on this glorious July evening have disappeared. It's summer and I feel like the only foreign teacher in town. No one stays indoors around here. They must be somewhere, So where are my friends? After a few minutes of contemplating this little glitch in the Suncheon social scene, because sometimes my brain takes time to make realizations, and after a short lived period of intense concentration, I finally recall that this weekend is the Boryeong Mud Festival. Of Course! That's where everyone has gone. It's one of the biggest summer events for foreigners and Koreans in South Korea, and since I'm going to spend all of my money in Japan next week watching-yes; Baseball. I'm the only foreign teacher in this town not attending the weekend event.



So everyone else will be doing exactly what the name Mud Festival might suggest; playing like a child in the mud. I am here alone this weekend, but since I attended last year, I think I am qualified to share a few experiences with you. Since 1998, foreigners and Koreans alike congregate to a massive beach in the town of Boryeong and completely cover themselves in mud for a few days, then hose off and call it a weekend. The beach is about 2 kilometres long, and along that beach there is a plethora of themed tents each specializing in some sort of mud shenanigans. For example, there is a mud prison where you can submit yourself to a short period behind bars, while you wade in a pool of slushy mud. If that's not for you there is the giant mud wrestling pool, where the US GI's tend to end up and partake in throwing each other around. They provide a big part of the entertainment, as they can really throw each other. There are also hundreds of Koreans taking photos, since the most prized photos are always highlighted to advertise the following year's festival. So watch out if you go because you will feel like a mud caked celebrity. The highlight for me actually is the where you get painted in an assortment colors of mud. There a several tents scattered about that will just paint you head to toe in various colors, and will also draw interesting designs on you with a selection of brushes. I think I ended up looking like a giant, hairy, smurf with brown mud cracked feet. I would look strange anywhere else, but in Boryeong it's business as usual. It's kind of an enchanting experience to be covered in mud among thousands of others.



The town of Boryeong has a unique overabundance of mud. It was also an unrivaled idea that gave them this strangely popular festival. Instead of using mud for agriculture, the town decided to try to use it to lure the tourist here. There is even a centrally located mud museum, and an interesting gift shop where you can buy actual mud soap. Talk about irony. So the idea of mud tourism has worked here. Since 1998 the Mud Fest has become one of the most popular festivals in South Korea. This is a country that isn't in need of festivals either. To name a few, there is the Buddha Street Parade in Seoul, The Jinju Lantern Festival, and the Pentaport Rock Festival in Incheon, which the bands Travis and Underworld will headline this year's bill. In just over ten years of existence, the Mud Festival is something that has become a cultural phenomenon, and a playground for young and old. That's right the kids come too.



It's not just foreigners and, Korean college photographers who partake, but Korean families come out in huge numbers to experience the muddiness. I really like this bonding between Koreans and foreigners. During my sojourn here, I sometimes feel like I haven't had many opportunities to mix with Koreans. Despite my best efforts to be a good diplomat I feel like foreigners and Koreans keep sort of a safe distance between each other. Maybe we are all just too different and it's easier to maintain our own singularity. We like to stay on our own islands. I can live with this, but I was delighted to see that this doesn't really exist at the mud festival. It's rare to see people interacting as one. I guess everyone is essentially the same at the Mud Fest because at the end of the day, everyone is covered from head to foot in brown, crackly mud.


So after everyone cakes themselves with mud, and a well deserved shower, most people regroup for the evening program, which includes; a rock concert, fireworks, and food and drink on the beach. After watching a few cover bands on the main stage, I floated over to the quieter side of the beach with some friends and smuggled a few cans of Hite and some bottle rockets and enjoyed the clear summer evening watching the fireworks pop over my head as the mosquitoes gnawed at my freshly showered legs. It was a lasting, captivating experience. So it's a pity that I'm holed up in Suncheon for the 2008 festival, but that's life. Sometimes you have to give up something to get something better in return. I am looking forward to seeing baseball in Japan though, and I think that can be another unique experience, which will be worth writing about. So, before I get back to my quiet weekend, I leave you with this advice. If you are thinking about coming to the Mud Festival, bring a change of clothes, and book a comfortable room early. It's the place to be in the middle of July.

A Happy Head

In Suncheon, the town where I hang my hat these days, there is a monstrous chain store called Home Plus. In Home plus you can buy almost anything you need for your home and your kitchen-plus! (sorry I had to say it.) Anyway, it's a convenient place to shop. As a matter of fact, I bought a new Ipod Nano to replace the one I had washed yesterday, then I immediately retreated to the lower level to purchase my weekly groceries. Just like that, talk about accessibility! Because of this handy novelty most foreigners tend to congregate here on a daily basis. If you ask me, if you took the top five places where you would find a non-Korean face in Suncheon; Home Plus would rank in the top 3. The other two would be in the Shidae Apartment elevator, because that's where all of us wonderful English Teachers reside; the apartment, not the elevator, and probably Elvis bar, which is a little bar which has an overabundance of vinyl albums and whose owner is patently called Elvis. What is also attractive to foreigners at Home Plus is the top floor because it has a food court style restaurant that has enormous portions of food for as little as four dollars a meal, but what is curiously appealing is something that lies right besides the food court. There you will find a relatively affordable hair dresser that gives you the greatest head massages for no charge. If you get your hair cut there, you will also be treated to a complimentary double wash and dry, with a no -nonsense, intense scalp massage.

If you are foreigner in Korea, you won't have to make any appointments. Just walk in, and they will see you. Since you are are a visitor to Korea, they will usually try to expedite your visit. Koreans want to give their nation a hospitable face regarding customer service with foreigners. As a bonus If you do have to wait they will graciously offer you some coffee to keep you awake for the entire five minutes you might actually have to sit there unattended. See they will go out of their way to get you a seat with a hair-stylist who will consequently try to speak a little English-but you shouldn't expect much. Their English isn't great, and their hair cutting English is lacking a vocabulary bank. They will mostly just tell you how handsome you are. Koreans like to pay compliments. Even to less hairy folks like me. At the least there will be hundreds of magazine photos to choose from to match the hair style you want. My Korean is non-existent and I usually manage by choosing a picture of David Beckham or someone much cooler and hipper than me and hope that they can mysteriously create the same

Once you are in a chair, you will be asked again what you want them to do with your hair. Just show them Beckahm! Then you will be whisked away to the sink by a stylist in training; usually a girl just out of high school, where she will begin phase one of your hair transformation. Then after a quick shampoo and dry, you get led back to your 'head,' hair cutter, who works on your hair with a passion that I really don't understand, but I just let them work away, and hope that they remember the picture revealed to them. As he cuts, there is another assistant who stands there with a giant sponge and removes the little hairy bits that tend to scratch a little. So if you're counting, that's a total of three people working on your hair. I think there are less people assigned to surgically remove a brain tumor. Once the hair is cut, and it's closely matching the photo, although most likely much shorter than you had anticipated, then it's time to hit the sink again.

This is the part where the girl massages your scalp-after another shampoo and towel dry of course. It's isn't just tender Korean hand touches poking at little points of your head, but it's an intense, brain tingling, stress relieving affair, that leaves you refreshed till dinnertime. Your cranium feels like it's being kneaded like pizza dough, but in the end it feels so delightful. So after your deep brain press, you just hop back in the chair, and girl assistant number two turns on a hair dryer and dries the little parts girl number one missed. Then the head cutter instructs girl number two where to apply the gel to make your hair look stylish.

You then walk to the counter and pay your 11,000 won tab. By the way that's like 11 dollars. I don't have to tell you how much more a cut of this opulence would be in America. The cheapest place in my little home town charges 14 dollars, and that's by moaning, hungover, miserable ladies who just chop your hair with noisy electronic clippers for fifteen minutes and expect a tip in the end. In Korea, you never have to tip-anywhere! If you try, the Korean will just give you your money back informing you that you had paid too much. After paying-who is another lady by the way, you will then be thanked greatly by receiving many countless bows from all three ladies, then you will escorted to the main door by the head stylist who will bid you a safe journey home. Then you will receive one final courteous bow, and you'll walk out with a smile, much shorter hair, and a relaxed scalp.