This blog is intended to be a series of random anecdotes, videos, and other media about my daily life as a curious foreigner in in foreign countries. From my misadventures, endearing cultural experiences, friendships, and strange encounters, to the coffee shops and language pitfalls, I promise to share it all!
I have been experiencing cultural overload the past few days. Currently I am holed up in my motel room in Seoul like a recluse trying to figure out how to impart to you the chaotic past few days that the proverbial hourglass of life has been burning away. I am torn between obliging myself to rest or to share some of my experiences with you I have partook in over the past month. In a way it is great, since sometimes I feel hard up for topics to expound upon (I wrote about food courts once,) and recently I have been feeling backlogged of things to mention. These days this is definitely not the case. After returning back from Poland after a relaxing vacation, I thrust myself unexpectedly into foreigner tourist mode in Korea quite quickly. Mind you I'm still jet-lagged. Most normal creatures would still be recovering from their long journey; not me. Anyway, because of these exhaustive past few days, I am going to give my brain, and body a break. I'll expound on many of the exciting things I have done in Korea in the next few days. Regardless, I am especially excited to share with you something that I have been experimenting with recently. This is a slide show of photos from my trip to Poland. So please enjoy and leave positive comments!
On Thursday I found myself short of funds so I intuitively reached into my secret luggage hiding place and seized some traveler checks that I had procured in Korea in order to exchange for some Polish Zloty. * Because of some befuddling reasons foreigners aren't allowed to use their Korean Atm cards outside of The RoK, I guessed it would be simply be a much of a muchness to transfer that same amount into checks. When it came to going on vacation with traveler checks I didn't have any problems. It had worked in Thailand, and it was problem free in Japan-and I even managed to receive an even exchange in sunny Cambodia!# However; just an FYI, that if you come to Poland with travelers checks, you'll either becloud the exchange agents and bankers or just get sent back out into the cold from where you came from.
When it finally did become apparent that I had found a place that was able to exchange my checks, which was in the main bank in the center of Warsaw, I was given a number and instructed to wait. I was used to waiting the ususual four or five minutes that is required in Suncheon. Furthermore I was expecting to be offered a free yoghurt drink by a pleasant bank clerk. Alas, neither of those possiblilites were the case. However, what I was verily expected to do was wait, and wait I did. After about thrity minutes the clerk hesitantly called me to her kiosk and glanced at the three hundred dollars in checks I had placed on the counter. She asked to see my passport, and then in the manner of a Vogon checking prisoner release forms instructed me to fill out some information on some dotted lines, which chewed up another half hour or so. When this was completed, some tidy little stamps were place on each document, which required my signature on each form. After signing, it was time for the signature inpsection on each piece. In completion of this step, I was told to write my home address. When this was completed, the clerk disappeard-with my passport. When she reappeared, she dutiffuly returned my passport, but disappeared again. Glancing at my mobile phone I noticed it had been just over an hour since I arrived in the bank.
When she re-reappeared she promptly gave me a sheet of paper with the exchange rate on it, but no money. However, she quickly instructed me to go to another window. I assumed that's where I would receive my money. Which was actually true. After an hour and ten minutes I exchanged my travelers' Checks. It was an even exchange rate to boot! So, if you come to Europe, I think it is best to use a bankcard, or cash. Even though American Express says 'don't leave home with out it,' you should leave the AMX Travelers Checks at the bank back home-or be prepared to spend much more time in a bank then you would in Korea-without yoghurt drinks!
Please don't think I am having a lousy time in Poland. In the end I was just pleased to get a fair exchange rate and be able to practice my Polish in a natural setting. It was so cold outside anyway, and the warm bank was a cozy place to duck out of the snowy, sloshy streets of Warsaw. Besides, when you are on vacation waiting isn't such a dilema. Anyway, it was cold last week. So cold in fact that I was completly unprepared by not actually packing long underwear. I never wore long underwear around in Korea. By not doing this I forgot how cold other parts of the world can actually be. Now that I have procured some, it isn't an issue, and the daytime tempratures are actually nearing zero! Since things are starting to warm up, I think I will saunter outside a bit today instead of looking at the days pass from inside.
*I have never really appreciated this law against foreigners. to me it seems a bit strange that those who are working legally in a country aren't able have the same monetary rights the locals have. Despite this being a positive blog about Korea, I thought it was necessary to write about in this entry since I wanted to explain my reasons for requesting traveler checks in the first place.
#It wouldn't take a genius to see that the above mentioned countries in the paragraph are all Asain, so I should have therefore done some research before I came to Europe instead of assuming that Europeans offered the same exchanges as Asains...anyway for your amusement, my number one rule in life is NEVER to ASSUME ANYTHING. It's also ironic that I ALWAYS ASSUME things.
Well, it seems a new year has crept into existence. At least for me it has happened rather suddenly like a late spring snowfall. I felt like saying: 'oh it's you again Mr. New Year, didn't realize it was so soon. Well it's nice to see you, but please forgive me when I continue to write 2008 for the next six months or so.'
So anyway it's the time for many of us to break our resolutions(if we have any.) Not that I'm being a pessemist either, but have you met anyone who has ever made a New Year Resolution and actually kept it? It is in my experience that the people I have seen stop smoking, give up eating too much junk food, take up exercise after a twenty year abstention, take up the challege to watch less TV and etc. have all made the change in their life at a different time. I haven't met or heard of anyone who found the New Year prfound enought to actually empower individuals to change themseleves. Regardless, it's still a new year and if we have something 'new' well I guess we don't need to worry about 'old' 2008 if we don't want to.
Old 2008 was a great year for me. I had the good fortune to edutain so many curious Korean High School Students in Suncheon. They we mostly great students simply because of the fact that many of them at least tried some of the time. What if us Californian High School students had a Native Mexican Teacher in our classroom. Honestly, would ANY of us give a hoot? It would be a MASSIVE joke for a majority of us Bay Area teenagers, whom are mostly concerned with where they would go for lunch, and who's car would they pile into. Anyway; Although I had some discipline problems early in the year, I have to say it only took me a few minor adjustments to get things rolling. One only needs a little self-actualizatoin-and I emphasize a little!
Furthermore this year I started to fulfill a small dream of a few years standing of trying to play soccer. I had the good fortune this year to play with the Suncheon International Football Club. I must first say that soccer looks so simple and managealbe on television. They players don't look like their moving fast, but they're in fact sprinting like leapords, and have the agressiveness of Lions. For me this turned out to be a humbling expereince for about six continuous months. It wasn't until our final match in freezing December where I felt confident that I could compete with the teams in the region here. It just need to be in better shape next year, since another daunting task is being able to run around a soccer pitch for 90 minutes. Anyway, I'm half way there, which isn't a bad thing, is it?
Regarding sports, I also managed to obtain a black-belt in Taekwondo. It took me a year and a half of stretching, kicking, and doing forms, which in the end gave me the skills to sucessfully pass a Korean Black Belt Test. Despite the notoion that many people think a black belt equals Bruce Lee, it's acutally far from true. In Korea a Black Belt simply means you are offically ready to 'start' learning a martial art.
I also managed to volunteer a bunch of times for UNESCO as an American Cultural Presenter, which was a joy and a burden at the same time. Imagine spending seven or eight hours of prep time during your workweek, then waking up at seven a.m. on a Saturday and traveling two hours to speak to anywhere between 50 and 100 children. It's rewarding but tiring. In the end though, it was a great experience-and the free parties were a bonus!
Finally, I want to say I am currenlty on vacatoin away from Korea. I am presently typing away from my girlfriend's ThinkPad labtop computer in wonderful Poland! I will be away from Korea for an entire month, which is another nice thing about my life in Korea. When one teaches with a public school, they are afforded a plethora of vacation leave. So anyway, I spent my New Year's Eve here in the Warsaw City Center in an old fortress eating fusion Turkish and Mexican Food, while trying to immitate salsa dancing while ringing in the new year with free cocktails till five in the morning. I spent yesterday sleeping, and today i'm ready to start the new year. So from a korean teacher in Poland, Happy New Year!
I don't think I have ever eaten so much in one sitting at any time during my existence on this planet in a single day. If you put the food I consumed on a scale, you would undoubtedly have to buy a new scale after breaking it. Actually I fear the simple act of weighing myself. I wouldn't tip scales, but annihilate them. That's okay though, because today is Christmas. After strategically skipping breakfast, I sauntered downtown for a giant potluck style turkey dinner with fifty other teachers living in Suncheon, where we partook in a messy affair of eating copious amounts of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, lashed with tons of gravy topped with many other regional dishes including; pierogi, garlic bread, smoked salmon stuffed with cream cheese, and even a few vegetables on the side. Of course, that was the second best part. The highlight in my opinion was the rich, succulent desserts that were ripe for the picking after dinner was consumed. In record time I devoured a immodest slice of carrot cake, and a even larger slice of pumpkin pie with a dollop of whip cream. However that wasn't enough to satisfy me, so I inevitably had to load my plate a second time. In this round I just plopped down a couple of heaping scoops of a pudding, gram cracker, crumbly dish that somehow managed to melt in my mouth like fresh snow on a floor from boots in a warm cottage. In the end the final tally was four plates; two lunch, two desserts, and one giant stomach ache in the end.
Currently as I am typing away at ten o'clock on this chilly evening, the pain from all of this eating is beginning to subside. Because of this feeling of relief I am able to take a moment to reflect on the past few days in Suncheon and recall with a sense of pride that I was able to enjoy a Christmas holiday filled with joy, friendship, cheer, a little wine adding some cheer assistance, and an amazingly large feast that was quite favorable to the taste buds. Additionally, something else that I think I experienced for the first time in a long time is that I didn't feel any inclination to buy any presents. This has been the first time, I enjoyed Christmas without buying or receiving a single present! In spite of not receiving a 'Red Ryder BB Gun,' this Christmas was a grand experience.
As a majority of Koreans don't really celebrate Christmas the way we western consumers do, I didn't feel compelled to make a list of all of those creatures that end up on the gift receiving end of my life every December. Instead of gift buying here, I simply burned a few Cd's for folks to give them a taste of my own holiday taste, then I simply donned a Santa Hat and became Jolly for a week. I must say, that I have been having a fabulous time this holiday. This past week at school we have been making Christmas cards, playing games, and rocking out to 'Ultra Lounge Christmas Classics.' Although Christmas is a multi-million dollar economy boosting holiday, I was just as happy giving the consumer life a skip. The only consumption I was happy to partake in was the stomach filling sort.
That's not to say that Koreans don't avoid Christmas. The neon lights here are blinding, the decorations are ubiquitous, the in-store Christmas carols are omnipresent, and Frosty, Rudolph, Santa and his gang of characters are in full force here. It's still a national holiday, which most Christians celebrate. As not all Koreans are Christan, a majority of Koreans don't really celebrate the holiday like most of us do when it comes to gift giving. Therefore there isn't that social pressure of feeling an obligation to buy presents for people.
Unfortunately I have noticed an increase in Christmas buzz this year around The ROK and in light of this it seems that Christmas related things have been much more convenient to find. There was only one or two shops that had Christmas cards last year. However, you can find in numerous shops around downtown where you can not only find cards, but other Christmas accessories like mugs, plates, stuffed animals hats, and other creations. You can even find shops with trees-plastic of course. Therefore I guess it's just a matter of time before the notion of feeling compulsed to buy gifts becomes a way of life here too. As Koreans develop quickly, it will almost certainly be a way of life here too. Regardless, I had a joyful, food centered Christmas with a few friends that was quite memorable. I hope you did too. Merry Christmas!
There are two words in the English language that have left me befuddled today when it came to noting the difference between the pair. The words are; ubiquitous, and quintessential. I get the gist. I not a genius, but I can use a dictionary. The former meaning being everywhere at the same time, while the later means a perfect example of something. That's fine, but in the context of the main idea of what I wish to expound upon in this anecdote involves a food that is a little bit of both of that pair of wonderfully sounding words. It's ubiquitous because; well it's everywhere that's for sure. It's at the market, at school, on the street, at home-in fact you would be hard up to find a location in which it didn't turn up. That's ubiquitous! Now the thing which I am writing about is also a perfect example of what we eat in Korea-it's very quintessential. It's the same food-stuff that I've nearly consumed twice daily in the last couple of years-give or take a few days. It's the same edible substance that would generate many negative comments in the school cafeteria if your tray didn't have it. It's also the same fare that is not only served up in a plethora of main dishes, but it's also served with EVERY Korean meal as a side dish you partake in. Actually, I can feel it in my stomach at this moment after my evening feed. For those of you who aren't living in Korea, I'll help you. That food is Kimchi. Yes, it's the ubiquitous and the quintessential thing here. I like to call it 'quintiquous!'
Anyway, for those of you who haven't had the grace of good fortune to sample this little delicacy, then I guess a short description is imperative. It's essentially spicy, fermented cabbage. Depending on the region of the country various ingredients are mixed with the leaves and then stored in a large pot for several months. The usual assortment of things that comprise kimchi are: cabbage, salt, red chili pepper, anchovies, and garlic. The Kimchi is then often used to make into a stew and to be served cold on the side with your meal.
That being said; When I came to Korea I should note I was a little intimidated by the exotic redness and distinct peppery, fermented taste. It took me a few sittings to get accustomed to eating it, and even a few more to develop a fondness for it. As of now I eat it every day. My favorite is Kimchi Jigae, which is a spicy soup with Kimchi, Tofu, and Pork. If I am feeling a little daring I'll devour a bowl of 'Chamchi Jigae,' which is the same but with tuna. However, I also enjoy it ala carte! I relish using the kimchi on the side to mix with my rice. That way I am able to curb the spiciness a little and enjoy the somewhat bland rice more. It's a win win!
Historically Kimchi isn't a new development either. I think chronologically it's technically older than Jesus. As far back as 2600 years ago a report was found in a Chinese text of a mysterious thing called 'Ji,' which pre-dated the later translation, which was later called 'Chimchae,' which meant 'soaked vegetables.' Later it linguistically evolved into what is today's Kimchi. Also, Kimchi used to be quite spice less. It wasn't until about 8 hundred years ago when the original method of soaking cabbage with salt water morphed into a method of preparing the spicier ingredients that give Kimchi it's notable flavor. That notable flavor of course is on the tip of every creatures tongue in curious place.
As I was writing last week, I noted that some individuals made themselves famous by eating copious amounts of McDonald's hamburgers and nuggets on a daily basis and then living to tell the tale; albeit barely. Well, for your information, I have been eating more than copious amounts of Kimchi here on a daily basis and I just want to inform you my dear reader that I am not only living, breathing, and quite contentedly typing away right now, I am in fact probably much healthier than those unfortunate souls who felt compelled to partake in their greasy challenge. I think they should consider eating kimchi every day for a while. At least it'll be healthier. That is because Kimchi is laden with vitamins. One serving has almost all of the required vitamin c you need for a day. It also has four or five other essential vitamins and nutrients (including a few from the a-z vitamin list that I don't really understand which vitamin does what.)
So as I mentioned earlier eating kimchi at first might be a bit daunting because of it's spiciness, however one must admit that it's easy to get an acquired penchant for this tasty vegetable. Since it's tasty for most of us-so tasty in fact that we eat it every single day with full compliance and little struggle, and since it's so darn healthy, it's hard to argue that kimchi is a bad thing. Since my blog is about good things in Korea, why not write about it? Also remember that it's ubiquitous, so when someone is taking your photo here, remember to say 'Kimchi!'
Teaching at a public high school in Korea can be a breezy undertaking. Despite the fact that many foreign teachers are blessed with the daunting task of entertaining, and having to elicit English speech from close to a thousand noisy, often uninterested students weekly, it must be noted that we only have to teach twenty hours a week. Yes, in America, we tend to be captivated by the stories of the prodigious ability of Korean students in the classroom. After living here I must attest that most of that is true, however these Koreans are still students. In my case High School students. So it would only be logical to accept that even Korean students like to be boisterous and turn a deaf ear to their patient American teacher from time to time. It can be disconcerting at times. Although in my opinion, the perks one receives as a high school teacher in Korea heavily outweigh the negatives. At least in my case-especially on Fridays. Since I only have two classes on Fridays, I essentially have an entire day to myself.
If you are reading this in your own nation thinking: "well, I could use an extra day to tidy up around here." Or maybe:"I really want to have more time to sit in a coffee shop and read this highly captivating book I was just given by my friend who said it was unputdownable." Then you are not me! As I am already afforded a light day every week, I have the luxury to spend it idly reading, going to the bank, playing a little guitar, sending postcards to long lost overworked friends, searching for movie times, or even writing in this blog. Whereas my situation two years ago in America was quite different. I actually had to WORK for eight hours. These days I am bestowed with a nice opportunity to ease into the weekend.
Yesterday, in fact was Friday and I must say that I took full advantage of my light working duties to partake in one of my favorite activities; reading. Actually, on Thursday a friend loaned me a book that was rumored to be a good read so I snatched it from him and deposited it in my bag for Friday. I had no intentions of making Friday a reading day, but sometimes once I start something, it's difficult for me to finish. Anyway, the book in question was Chuck Klosterman's IV, which is an unedited creation of interviews with famous people. However, my short description is just to give you the basic idea of the book. What's interesting is not really the concept of the book itself, but the nexus of it is the fact that the interviewer is able to speak to such a diverse sweep of preeminent, big cheeses. He had em' all from Plant, to Brittney.
Anyway, one article that I found curious was Mr. Klosterman's brave undertaking of trying to survive for an entire week on mere diet of McDonald's Chicken Nuggets. Surprisingly he lived to write about it. That was back in 1996, and since he did in fact live to tell his brave tale, he was also fortunate to interview later the gentleman who created Super Size Me. Super Size Me of course is the documentary about the guy who only eats McDonald's for 30 days. Unlike Klosterman, he was afforded the luxury of eating french fries and burgers. However, he ate McDonald's for an entire month! That's a lot of burgers, fries and cokes!
So, as I was reading about McDonald's on my relaxing Friday, I suddenly had the urge to take a little field trip away from school. Around one o'clock yesterday, I sauntered outside, jumped on the 77 bus and traveled five minutes to old downtown to the ubiquitous golden arches. I hadn't sampled their greasy, bland, boxy tasting food for a while, so something inside of me made me compelled to partake in a McDonald's binge. I just had a sudden calling. Reading does that to me sometimes. Especially reading about food. For example; if anyone reads Haruki Murakami novels, they know that writer uses spaghetti a lot in his stories. Every time I read Murakami I crave spaghetti, and only spaghetti. So now here I was at McDonald's with a Shanghai Spicy Chicken Sandwich, a spicy chicken burrito thing, fries, and a Coke right in front of me. It was a quiet, but ambitious challenge, and I rose to the challenge and devoured the food in under five minutes. I was hungry.
Anyway, despite many human's distaste of McDonald's, I have to say if you don't partake in these greasy adventures on a rare occasion, then it is you who is missing out. Although, as I was pondering those brave writers and filmmakers who rose to macho challenges of eating one thing for a particular period of time, I naturally had to think of all the brave, unnoticed souls who curiously eat the same thing in Korea every day and never seem to complain. That food of course is Kimchi. Since I was eating McDonald's, I told myself that I hadn't eaten Kimchi yet this day.
The striking thing is that I can't remember a day in Korea, where I didn't eat it. What was even more unsettling is that I had already made plans to eat pizza with some friends for dinner at Mr. Songs Pizza in a Cup, and he didn't serve Kimchi on the side; just pickles. Therefore, I was looking at my first kimchiless day in Korea. Here I was on a quiet Friday, satisfied from a rare fast food fill, about to return to a pleasant read in a coffee shop. That's how Fridays are for me; pleasant. However, it was strange to discover that I wouldn't eat Kimchi for a day. I actually like kimchi. Since I enjoy sampling it, and it is one of most ubiquitous things in Korea, I think I will take a pause for today and write a short tribute to it next time. It's time for lunch, I'm thinking Korean food today.
For those who haven't been acquainted with me socially as a foreigner living in Suncehon would be quite taken aback by some of the nicknames that are thrown at me by basic default. At least it surprises me. Since I have a bass guitar, which no one else in Suncheon really does, I go by 'Music Dan.' Also I guess not many other people are from the San Francisco Bay Area down in these parts, therefore it seems that I have been labeled by some as 'San Fran Dan,' or just 'San Fran' for short.
The fact that I have never really lived in San Francisco is a detail that is easily overlooked or not seriously regarded as an imperative requirement for my title of resident San Franciscan. I am actually from a small town called Castro Valley, which is about 35 kilometers from downtown San Francisco. Anyway, despite my Californian breeziness, and knowledge of the San Francisco Bay Area, it must be noted that those things did nothing for me in San Francisco. Unfortunately I was just some guy named Dan, who wasn't interesting in San Francisco's eyes. There is nothing wrong with normalcy, but it's just so much more gratifying to come to Korea and to be regarded as diplomat from a place that is so wonderful.
I think it's a good thing too. I enjoy talking about my home and offering advice on places to visit and making recommendations on things to do and see. Because of my interest of making San Francisco seem attractive to Koreans and foreign residents alike, I volunteered for the UNESCO Cross Cultural Awareness Program in Jeollanamdo Province. I think it's quite a rewarding opportunity to go to schools and other venues to give brief but informative presentations about one's homeland. I have been doing this for about a year now, and I have to say that it's been quite an amazing experience.
What's compelling for me is the fact that I am afforded some opportunities to be regarded as someone to be counted on. Maybe that sounds odd, but the fact that I have spent most of my life swimming upstream as a small fish fighting to be a person who does have some experience and some things to share with the world, makes me feel like a slightly bigger fish for a change. For me it has been wonderful to come to Korea and be inaugurated as 'San Fran Dan,' to speak on behalf of such a majestic place. I even get to showcase my musical skills as well, since at the end of the presentation I usually give a short American musical demonstration. So in short I could also be called 'San Fran Music Dan.' However, just Dan will suit me just fine. It's nice to feel important for a change.
I think in life we all want to leave footprints. Speaking on behalf of myself at least, I want to exist in a place where my actions are noticed from time to time, while the results of those actions leave a positive impression with whoever happens to cast a passing glance or attentive ear. The fact that I was graced with the opportunity to act as sort of a cultural diplomat in Korea has been a endearing experience. The fact that it's so convenient for many of us foreign characters living here to partake in these types of programs makes it even more appealing to live here.
