Sunday, August 01, 2010
More Photos Up!
Check out the link to the right for the latest batch of photos. More still to come...
Closing Ceremony Speech
This is the full text of the speech I gave at the graduation ceremony. I amended it on the fly here and there, but basically it's the same:
Administrators, Colleagues, Students, Volunteers,
It doesn’t seem possible that four weeks ago, we all sat in this very room, anxious to begin the Hanyang International Summer School program of 2010. We were nervous, some of us, jet lagged, many of us, excited, all of us, to embark on the international education of a lifetime.
Students, you have spent four weeks cramming your heads with formulae, theories, practices, technical diagrams. You’ve written more than you thought possible in a four-week span. You’ve learned how to mike up an interview, how to format a screenplay, and how to work in a team where not everyone shares the same native language.
You’ve seen some of Korea’s most prized historical areas, learned the history and pride of a people who have developed the strength and han to endure any and everything. I hope you have learned from each other as well as from your professors, sharing your views with other students. This is truly an experience that will continue to resonate within you for months, even years to come. Sometimes it will surprise you – the change that has occurred that you may not even recognize at this moment.
You might find yourself reaching for new experiences after this summer. You might realize that there is always more than one way to understand a situation, a reaction, a word, a gesture. You may discover that despite all the pressures of exams, final projects, and loads of writing, you will miss this place like you’ve missed no other.
Professors, I hope I can speak for us all when I say that it has truly been a privilege and an honor to work with these bright, energetic, funny, talented students from all over the world. Their hard work will do more than earn them grades; it will change their futures forever, and hopefully, they might just remember us when they remember their time in S. Korea.
Programs like this one are, in my estimation, an essential part our future. A future we can believe in, one that promotes cross-cultural dialogue and which fosters a recognition of how our differences can become our strengths, not our weaknesses. I’m sure you’ve heard it said that we are all the same. I would like to respectfully disagree with that notion. Biologically, yes, of course, we are far more similar than different. But our cultures, our languages, our ideas about what it means to be human, to be an adult, to be a child, a father, a daughter…these are the ideals that often separate us because we can’t grasp how anyone could possibly understand these basic concepts of life any differently from our own views. This is why culture shock exists. We are NOT all exactly alike. But, if we can embrace that, and seek to understand the value in these differences, then we can begin to create understanding where there was ignorance, tolerance where there was hatred. We may even decide to adopt the ideals, values and concepts that another culture espouses once we understand them on their own terms, as opposed to simply contrasting them with our own perspectives.
You young people have heard the message before, I’m sure: you are the future. I would add to that: you have the power to co-create a future that we all need, based on what you’ve learned here and what you will continue to learn throughout your lives. Together, we have shared this experience, so we are bonded, and we have a responsibility to carry forward what we’ve gained this summer. I want you to look around the room and recognize that you are now part of something larger than yourself. You are now part of the international community.
So don’t forget the lessons you’ve gleaned on this campus, in this city, in this country. Don’t forget the way you feel right now, this very moment, and the way you felt that first day of class. Don’t forget any of it. This is the gift that Hanyang University has given us, to live our lives with more awareness of this human race, and of our place in the world.
To those in the Office for International Cooperation, I salute you for of your hard work and joyful dedication to your students and professors. Thank you, everyone, for making unforgettable memories here at Hanyang University this summer.
I wish everyone a safe journey to your homes in the coming week, and I hope we will one day meet again.
Komapsumnida.
Administrators, Colleagues, Students, Volunteers,
It doesn’t seem possible that four weeks ago, we all sat in this very room, anxious to begin the Hanyang International Summer School program of 2010. We were nervous, some of us, jet lagged, many of us, excited, all of us, to embark on the international education of a lifetime.
Students, you have spent four weeks cramming your heads with formulae, theories, practices, technical diagrams. You’ve written more than you thought possible in a four-week span. You’ve learned how to mike up an interview, how to format a screenplay, and how to work in a team where not everyone shares the same native language.
You’ve seen some of Korea’s most prized historical areas, learned the history and pride of a people who have developed the strength and han to endure any and everything. I hope you have learned from each other as well as from your professors, sharing your views with other students. This is truly an experience that will continue to resonate within you for months, even years to come. Sometimes it will surprise you – the change that has occurred that you may not even recognize at this moment.
You might find yourself reaching for new experiences after this summer. You might realize that there is always more than one way to understand a situation, a reaction, a word, a gesture. You may discover that despite all the pressures of exams, final projects, and loads of writing, you will miss this place like you’ve missed no other.
Professors, I hope I can speak for us all when I say that it has truly been a privilege and an honor to work with these bright, energetic, funny, talented students from all over the world. Their hard work will do more than earn them grades; it will change their futures forever, and hopefully, they might just remember us when they remember their time in S. Korea.
Programs like this one are, in my estimation, an essential part our future. A future we can believe in, one that promotes cross-cultural dialogue and which fosters a recognition of how our differences can become our strengths, not our weaknesses. I’m sure you’ve heard it said that we are all the same. I would like to respectfully disagree with that notion. Biologically, yes, of course, we are far more similar than different. But our cultures, our languages, our ideas about what it means to be human, to be an adult, to be a child, a father, a daughter…these are the ideals that often separate us because we can’t grasp how anyone could possibly understand these basic concepts of life any differently from our own views. This is why culture shock exists. We are NOT all exactly alike. But, if we can embrace that, and seek to understand the value in these differences, then we can begin to create understanding where there was ignorance, tolerance where there was hatred. We may even decide to adopt the ideals, values and concepts that another culture espouses once we understand them on their own terms, as opposed to simply contrasting them with our own perspectives.
You young people have heard the message before, I’m sure: you are the future. I would add to that: you have the power to co-create a future that we all need, based on what you’ve learned here and what you will continue to learn throughout your lives. Together, we have shared this experience, so we are bonded, and we have a responsibility to carry forward what we’ve gained this summer. I want you to look around the room and recognize that you are now part of something larger than yourself. You are now part of the international community.
So don’t forget the lessons you’ve gleaned on this campus, in this city, in this country. Don’t forget the way you feel right now, this very moment, and the way you felt that first day of class. Don’t forget any of it. This is the gift that Hanyang University has given us, to live our lives with more awareness of this human race, and of our place in the world.
To those in the Office for International Cooperation, I salute you for of your hard work and joyful dedication to your students and professors. Thank you, everyone, for making unforgettable memories here at Hanyang University this summer.
I wish everyone a safe journey to your homes in the coming week, and I hope we will one day meet again.
Komapsumnida.
The Aftermath
I feel guilty (a little) for having neglected my blogging. Honestly, the last 2 weeks in Korea were jam-packed with grading, travel, injury, and preparations to come home. I will clarify...
The weekend that students went to the Boreong Mud Festival, I decided to stay on my own in Seoul. Best decision ever! Despite the pouring rain, I went to Jogyesa Temple on Saturday. I had a tour by a very kind man who was brave to speak so much in English (and with Buddhism, the concepts are sometimes difficult enough to express in your own language, much less a second one), and he was very patient with me. I had a chance to meditate in the great hall by myself for a precious little while. I wanted to return to the temple the following week, but it was the last week of the program and I was too busy with grading and speech-writing to return.
The following day, I went to the sauna by myself, and as I expected, wondered why in hell I'd waiting nearly 3 weeks to go! It was marvelous - soaking in hot spring-fed baths, scrubbing all the dead skin off (you would be amazed/disgusted by how much dead skin comes off!) and then more soaking and lounging in the steam room and actual sauna room. Glorious!
Spending the time alone was very good for me, but I also got to have dinner with one of the student volunteers, and enjoyed the time we had to just sit and be relaxed. So much of the time in Seoul was running to and fro, with large crowds of students, and having a lot of fuss made about most things. This weekend was the quiet before the storm...
The program ended on July 23 with a graduation ceremony in which I gave a speech to the students (I was very honored to have been asked). Leading up to that was a crazy week of reading and grading student work, the students falling asleep in class due to lack of sleep, and my attempts (eventually successful) to get my plans together for a trip to Ulsan, the city I once worked in.
I was very sad to see the end of the program, but by now I've taught enough of these summer programs to be slightly inured to the depression that can easily set in after an intense schedule that forges close friendships. Everyone was exhausted by the end, but thrilled with our efforts and the experiences of our four weeks together. I felt very bad, however, for one group of students whose film was not screened due to technical difficulties. My heart ached for them - I've experienced that myself, and I know how heartbreaking and disappointing it is.
My time in Ulsan began with me spraining my ankle while getting into a taxi (only I could manage that, I'm sure). The injury has not been totally debilitating, however, and with inexpensive acupuncture easy to come by in Korea, the healing process was sped up. I enjoyed seeing my former home and some of my students from years ago - still working on their English language skills and still with the most wonderful sense of humor. They were very grateful that I remember them and that I took the time to visit. I promised them we'd always be like family, which is definitely true. I spent a day at a creek with my former director and her family, gingerly stepping on the rocks and dunking my feet in the cool water. I also spent a lovely day at the beach with my former room mate. Got a little sun and enjoyed the waves. My friend and I did some shopping together - she made sure I was able to get the things I wanted to bring home as gifts.
After returning to Seoul, I had to pack all my stuff, say good bye to dear friends, and spend one last morning at the sauna (spring-fed bath house). All of a sudden it was time to leave my little apartment, and it seemed as if 5 weeks had flown by in the space of days. Off to Incheon Airport, then, last bits of duty-free shopping, and it was time to board. The flight was uneventful, and to my great surprise, went by quicker than the flight over.
Now I'm still in the clutches of jet-lag, but each day is getting a little clearer. I spent the first 48 hours in a fog (so much so that I double-paid for my first meal back in the States - a wasted $25 that the waiter apparently felt was his %100 tip). I've been sleeping a lot in the late afternoons, and waking up at 3:00 a.m. covered in sweat, disoriented and not at all sure what time it is or where I am. This is my least favorite thing about traveling to Asia - the return jet lag. Ah well, it'll pass in a couple more days.
Now I have to sort out my memories, photos, and things to do this week. Slowly get back into life as it normally is, but not without some profound if not entirely obvious changes... more on that back at Fred In The Can.
I'll be posting more photos here, however, so keep checking for those. There are tons more photos - going through them is a chore, but one that is worth the effort.
And so, from my couch in Upstate New York... it's great to be home, but I do miss my Korea.
The weekend that students went to the Boreong Mud Festival, I decided to stay on my own in Seoul. Best decision ever! Despite the pouring rain, I went to Jogyesa Temple on Saturday. I had a tour by a very kind man who was brave to speak so much in English (and with Buddhism, the concepts are sometimes difficult enough to express in your own language, much less a second one), and he was very patient with me. I had a chance to meditate in the great hall by myself for a precious little while. I wanted to return to the temple the following week, but it was the last week of the program and I was too busy with grading and speech-writing to return.
The following day, I went to the sauna by myself, and as I expected, wondered why in hell I'd waiting nearly 3 weeks to go! It was marvelous - soaking in hot spring-fed baths, scrubbing all the dead skin off (you would be amazed/disgusted by how much dead skin comes off!) and then more soaking and lounging in the steam room and actual sauna room. Glorious!
Spending the time alone was very good for me, but I also got to have dinner with one of the student volunteers, and enjoyed the time we had to just sit and be relaxed. So much of the time in Seoul was running to and fro, with large crowds of students, and having a lot of fuss made about most things. This weekend was the quiet before the storm...
The program ended on July 23 with a graduation ceremony in which I gave a speech to the students (I was very honored to have been asked). Leading up to that was a crazy week of reading and grading student work, the students falling asleep in class due to lack of sleep, and my attempts (eventually successful) to get my plans together for a trip to Ulsan, the city I once worked in.
I was very sad to see the end of the program, but by now I've taught enough of these summer programs to be slightly inured to the depression that can easily set in after an intense schedule that forges close friendships. Everyone was exhausted by the end, but thrilled with our efforts and the experiences of our four weeks together. I felt very bad, however, for one group of students whose film was not screened due to technical difficulties. My heart ached for them - I've experienced that myself, and I know how heartbreaking and disappointing it is.
My time in Ulsan began with me spraining my ankle while getting into a taxi (only I could manage that, I'm sure). The injury has not been totally debilitating, however, and with inexpensive acupuncture easy to come by in Korea, the healing process was sped up. I enjoyed seeing my former home and some of my students from years ago - still working on their English language skills and still with the most wonderful sense of humor. They were very grateful that I remember them and that I took the time to visit. I promised them we'd always be like family, which is definitely true. I spent a day at a creek with my former director and her family, gingerly stepping on the rocks and dunking my feet in the cool water. I also spent a lovely day at the beach with my former room mate. Got a little sun and enjoyed the waves. My friend and I did some shopping together - she made sure I was able to get the things I wanted to bring home as gifts.
After returning to Seoul, I had to pack all my stuff, say good bye to dear friends, and spend one last morning at the sauna (spring-fed bath house). All of a sudden it was time to leave my little apartment, and it seemed as if 5 weeks had flown by in the space of days. Off to Incheon Airport, then, last bits of duty-free shopping, and it was time to board. The flight was uneventful, and to my great surprise, went by quicker than the flight over.
Now I'm still in the clutches of jet-lag, but each day is getting a little clearer. I spent the first 48 hours in a fog (so much so that I double-paid for my first meal back in the States - a wasted $25 that the waiter apparently felt was his %100 tip). I've been sleeping a lot in the late afternoons, and waking up at 3:00 a.m. covered in sweat, disoriented and not at all sure what time it is or where I am. This is my least favorite thing about traveling to Asia - the return jet lag. Ah well, it'll pass in a couple more days.
Now I have to sort out my memories, photos, and things to do this week. Slowly get back into life as it normally is, but not without some profound if not entirely obvious changes... more on that back at Fred In The Can.
I'll be posting more photos here, however, so keep checking for those. There are tons more photos - going through them is a chore, but one that is worth the effort.
And so, from my couch in Upstate New York... it's great to be home, but I do miss my Korea.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Week 3
It's almost inconceivable that today begins the third week of this program. It's an exciting time - students are feeling the heat of all the work they have to do (especially the production and screenwriting kids), and teachers are faced with mid-term papers, projects and tests to grade. I, myself, have a small stack of scripts that I am working through. I give myself one week to grade them, just in time for my students to turn in more work for me to grade.
I know I've been lame about photos. They'll all come at once and then you will be BLOWN AWAY.
I spent the weekend doing a variety of things: Friday night was the big party hosted by the office for international cooperation here on campus. They rented out an entire bar that was more like a below-ground lounge (very cool) with a DJ and free drinks. And yes, there was some drama as the students unaccustomed to free booze that isn't shitty beer didn't know their limits. I, however, had a great time and went with the non-drunk crowd to sing noraebang. After that, I hung out with the office for international blah blah crowd that had to stay to settle things with the bar. Those guys work SO hard - most of them are students, maybe all of them actually. Grad students and undergrads. I really appreciate all the hard work they've put into this, so it was nice to have some snacks and another round of drinks with those folks. That got me home around 3:30 a.m.
Saturday they took us to see Nanta, a live cooking/comedy/"Stomp-esque" performance in Myeongdong, a trendy area of Seoul. After that was dinner and then a few of us came back to the area near campus and had coffee and dessert. Yesterday, Sunday, I wrote all afternoon and time slipped away like water through a seive. Had lunch with a couple students, and went for a lovely walk in the exercise park across the road. I need to get some photos of that place - it's incomprehensible to Americans, I think. As I was walking I realized that on any given Sunday night, most Americans (including myself under most circumstances) are sitting their butts in front of the TV or computer. Here, people are out walking, biking, skating and exercising. I need to take that lesson home with me. Too bad there are no cool walking places near my apartment. I have my walking "routes" but it's not the same. But what I do have at home is a POOL, which I miss terribly.
I was going to go to a public bath yesterday, but lost the nerve to go alone. I've gone alone before - when I was in Ulsan three years ago - but it's not as much fun (as "fun" as being naked and scrubbing the dead skin off can be). No problems. I will go by myself if I have to by end of the week.
Coming up this weekend: the "Mud Festival" at some beach. The mud supposedly makes your skin feel great. I plan on hanging out in the swimming beach, myself. Get me to a beach, NOW! I need my waterrrrrr...
I know I've been lame about photos. They'll all come at once and then you will be BLOWN AWAY.
I spent the weekend doing a variety of things: Friday night was the big party hosted by the office for international cooperation here on campus. They rented out an entire bar that was more like a below-ground lounge (very cool) with a DJ and free drinks. And yes, there was some drama as the students unaccustomed to free booze that isn't shitty beer didn't know their limits. I, however, had a great time and went with the non-drunk crowd to sing noraebang. After that, I hung out with the office for international blah blah crowd that had to stay to settle things with the bar. Those guys work SO hard - most of them are students, maybe all of them actually. Grad students and undergrads. I really appreciate all the hard work they've put into this, so it was nice to have some snacks and another round of drinks with those folks. That got me home around 3:30 a.m.
Saturday they took us to see Nanta, a live cooking/comedy/"Stomp-esque" performance in Myeongdong, a trendy area of Seoul. After that was dinner and then a few of us came back to the area near campus and had coffee and dessert. Yesterday, Sunday, I wrote all afternoon and time slipped away like water through a seive. Had lunch with a couple students, and went for a lovely walk in the exercise park across the road. I need to get some photos of that place - it's incomprehensible to Americans, I think. As I was walking I realized that on any given Sunday night, most Americans (including myself under most circumstances) are sitting their butts in front of the TV or computer. Here, people are out walking, biking, skating and exercising. I need to take that lesson home with me. Too bad there are no cool walking places near my apartment. I have my walking "routes" but it's not the same. But what I do have at home is a POOL, which I miss terribly.
I was going to go to a public bath yesterday, but lost the nerve to go alone. I've gone alone before - when I was in Ulsan three years ago - but it's not as much fun (as "fun" as being naked and scrubbing the dead skin off can be). No problems. I will go by myself if I have to by end of the week.
Coming up this weekend: the "Mud Festival" at some beach. The mud supposedly makes your skin feel great. I plan on hanging out in the swimming beach, myself. Get me to a beach, NOW! I need my waterrrrrr...
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
becoming lush
This morning the buzzing whine of cicadas seeped through the closed windows. I opened the one closest to my bed and heard the sound that tells me it is summer.
Cicadas in the U.S. sound different from the ones here. I rather like the Asian breed of cicada - their buzzing sort of murmurs and pulses like a wave, rather than just droning and then dropping off like the ones back home. Either way, that sound is the mark of deep summer, where things are growing, working, spreading, seeping. Becoming lush.
I've been in Korea two weeks, now. Sort of a flash in the pan to the rest of the year, but very productive. I'm so happy to be here (now that the issue of money is no longer an issue), yet what I'm really looking forward to is spending a few days in the Ulsan area, where I lived back in '02-03. The countryside will be a relief, as will the smaller city that I know much better than Seoul. I hope to see all my old friends there, and enjoy a night of samgyapsal and soju. If all goes as hoped, I'll ride the bus from Seoul to Ulsan with my former director from the school I taught for. But even if that doesn't happen, I will enjoy my bus ride. After all, I'm making a film called "Korea Dreambus!" aren't I?
I've worked on the opening bits to the script for the film, and now I have to start playing with my footage, all B-roll. I've decided to focus now on the personal story, and leave the orientation video until I get home, because that should be relatively easy. I do have a couple more interviews I want to get before I leave that will take the place of the few that were unusable from three years ago.
Today is our day off in the middle of the week, though students certainly have plenty to do, and I have some things to accomplish as well. I'm hoping to make time later to visit a temple that isn't too far from here on the Metro. If I don't make it today, hopefully this weekend.
Friday the International Office has planned a "mid-term party" for everyone. They've rented out a bar and there will be food and drink available for students and faculty. Then Saturday they have some other thing planned - a performance by Nanta, sort of a Korean "STOMP" but with cooking and food. I saw something like it when I was in grad school and it was really fun. And at some point hopefully this weekend I will also make my way to the "sauna" which includes hot spring-fed baths, sauna rooms, a swimming pool, and a place to lie around and relax. It's a Korean thing, but I do love it, being a water baby. I am lamenting the absence of swimming pools here, so the sauna will be my water fix for awhile.
Until next time...
Cicadas in the U.S. sound different from the ones here. I rather like the Asian breed of cicada - their buzzing sort of murmurs and pulses like a wave, rather than just droning and then dropping off like the ones back home. Either way, that sound is the mark of deep summer, where things are growing, working, spreading, seeping. Becoming lush.
I've been in Korea two weeks, now. Sort of a flash in the pan to the rest of the year, but very productive. I'm so happy to be here (now that the issue of money is no longer an issue), yet what I'm really looking forward to is spending a few days in the Ulsan area, where I lived back in '02-03. The countryside will be a relief, as will the smaller city that I know much better than Seoul. I hope to see all my old friends there, and enjoy a night of samgyapsal and soju. If all goes as hoped, I'll ride the bus from Seoul to Ulsan with my former director from the school I taught for. But even if that doesn't happen, I will enjoy my bus ride. After all, I'm making a film called "Korea Dreambus!" aren't I?
I've worked on the opening bits to the script for the film, and now I have to start playing with my footage, all B-roll. I've decided to focus now on the personal story, and leave the orientation video until I get home, because that should be relatively easy. I do have a couple more interviews I want to get before I leave that will take the place of the few that were unusable from three years ago.
Today is our day off in the middle of the week, though students certainly have plenty to do, and I have some things to accomplish as well. I'm hoping to make time later to visit a temple that isn't too far from here on the Metro. If I don't make it today, hopefully this weekend.
Friday the International Office has planned a "mid-term party" for everyone. They've rented out a bar and there will be food and drink available for students and faculty. Then Saturday they have some other thing planned - a performance by Nanta, sort of a Korean "STOMP" but with cooking and food. I saw something like it when I was in grad school and it was really fun. And at some point hopefully this weekend I will also make my way to the "sauna" which includes hot spring-fed baths, sauna rooms, a swimming pool, and a place to lie around and relax. It's a Korean thing, but I do love it, being a water baby. I am lamenting the absence of swimming pools here, so the sauna will be my water fix for awhile.
Until next time...
Saturday, July 03, 2010
I've dreamed of my Mom almost every night since coming to Korea, and just now, trolling through my posts from the 2004 summer in Wuhan, China, I found a comment that she'd left on the blog. I really miss my Mom - somehow more here than when I'm at home.
I keep thinking I have to call her or email her or something. It's a little disconcerting. We're coming up on her birthday - July 13. I will do something special here to commemorate that.
It's true that we never stop needing our mothers, I think.
I keep thinking I have to call her or email her or something. It's a little disconcerting. We're coming up on her birthday - July 13. I will do something special here to commemorate that.
It's true that we never stop needing our mothers, I think.
And then there were nine...
Korea continues to be a place of challenges and wonders. For example, I felt quite proud of myself this morning for cleaning my cute little apartment (using a tiny broom you have to stoop over to sweep with, a hose to spray the bathroom down even though the floor isn’t planed correctly to empty into the drain, and a cloth to “mop” the floor by hand). I stopped feeling proud and started whining like a baby when I jammed my finger on an unseen piece of broken toilet and ripped a chunk of skin off.
That sucker bled for quite awhile – at least 30 minutes – during which I cursed this country, the idiot who built the toilet that ran in the middle of the night, causing me to have to constantly move the lid that caused the crack that ripped open my finger, and the university for not having bought better toilets. I also swore (literally) that I would never again work for anyone in this country because things get all f’ed up when you’re trying to negotiate and do business across cultures that don’t understand each other and that have vastly differing toilet technology. Also, my frigging finger was bleeding. A lot. I took a shower and cried as my finger bled through the four band-aids I’d wrapped it with.
In the shower, I lamented my finger and the fact that I had had to play the ugly American to get my airfare reimbursed yesterday. That’s right – I had to write a sternly-worded email in which I admitted the embarrassing truth that I’d maxed out my credit card here because I’d used it to buy my airplane and bus tickets and I only had about 13,000 KRW left on my person (that’s about $12). I finally got my money in an envelope yesterday at around 4:15 after class, and while I was jubilant on the inside, I wondered how these Koreans must see me now after my email tantrum.
So anyway, somehow I got my bleeding finger under control, after about three more band-aids (I must’ve been psychic the day I picked up the pre-medicated band-aids in the pharmacy when I was in to buy my antibiotics). I finally got a band-aid on that didn’t bleed through, and I finished my toilette – which consists of trying to get out of the bathroom with dry feet, and keeping my glasses from steaming up after a shower without the aircon on.
I’m really trying not to lean on the aircon too much. I use it at night because it gets awfully stuffy in here, but during the day if it’s not too hot out (or muggy, which is often the case), I’ll open both windows and the door to get a cross-breeze. This is how it is right now, and it’s rather comfortable here as long as the only thing moving are my fingers on the keyboard. At the moment, my finger is fine, the band-aid is fine, and I am able to type without a problem, which is all that counts when you’re a writer. Which I am.
The wonders of Korea are many and varied, and include but are not limited to: riding the bus for $.85, riding the subway for under $2, eating amazing food for under $5, and the complete omnipresence of things like corner shops that really are on the corner, in which you can purchase ice pops for $.50, a can of beer for a buck (and then drink it in a park), and hard boiled eggs ready to be eaten.
Tonight I will go to Itaewon, a very international part of Seoul that houses bars and restaurants galore. I’ve been there once before, seven years ago, and only vaguely remember the glory of a soju cocktail. After that it gets blurry. I’m pretty sure noraebang (singing room – private karaoke) was involved at some point. I’m not such a heavy drinker as I was then, but the evening will hopefully be as fun and exciting.
Tomorrow – and this is what I’ve been waiting for most – I will go with a couple students to the jinjilbang – like a sauna, hot tub, skin care clinic and women’s haven all rolled into one. This is the thing I’ve missed most about Korea, with a close second being the ondol flooring that heats the room in winter. That’s right – warm floors. Can you think of anything more awesome for a woman with poor circulation in her feet? Holy crap, I spend six months of the year with blue feet back home!
What’s that you say? Where are the f’ing pictures? You’re not really in Korea, you’re just reading from a guide book and repackaging it here on this blog! Okay, truly I will get pictures up soon. I’m trying to figure out the easiest way, because doing it Blogger’s way is a huge pain the ass if it’s more than two photos. I think I will try using Picassa web, since I’ve used it before. You’ll know soon enough if that works!
That sucker bled for quite awhile – at least 30 minutes – during which I cursed this country, the idiot who built the toilet that ran in the middle of the night, causing me to have to constantly move the lid that caused the crack that ripped open my finger, and the university for not having bought better toilets. I also swore (literally) that I would never again work for anyone in this country because things get all f’ed up when you’re trying to negotiate and do business across cultures that don’t understand each other and that have vastly differing toilet technology. Also, my frigging finger was bleeding. A lot. I took a shower and cried as my finger bled through the four band-aids I’d wrapped it with.
In the shower, I lamented my finger and the fact that I had had to play the ugly American to get my airfare reimbursed yesterday. That’s right – I had to write a sternly-worded email in which I admitted the embarrassing truth that I’d maxed out my credit card here because I’d used it to buy my airplane and bus tickets and I only had about 13,000 KRW left on my person (that’s about $12). I finally got my money in an envelope yesterday at around 4:15 after class, and while I was jubilant on the inside, I wondered how these Koreans must see me now after my email tantrum.
So anyway, somehow I got my bleeding finger under control, after about three more band-aids (I must’ve been psychic the day I picked up the pre-medicated band-aids in the pharmacy when I was in to buy my antibiotics). I finally got a band-aid on that didn’t bleed through, and I finished my toilette – which consists of trying to get out of the bathroom with dry feet, and keeping my glasses from steaming up after a shower without the aircon on.
I’m really trying not to lean on the aircon too much. I use it at night because it gets awfully stuffy in here, but during the day if it’s not too hot out (or muggy, which is often the case), I’ll open both windows and the door to get a cross-breeze. This is how it is right now, and it’s rather comfortable here as long as the only thing moving are my fingers on the keyboard. At the moment, my finger is fine, the band-aid is fine, and I am able to type without a problem, which is all that counts when you’re a writer. Which I am.
The wonders of Korea are many and varied, and include but are not limited to: riding the bus for $.85, riding the subway for under $2, eating amazing food for under $5, and the complete omnipresence of things like corner shops that really are on the corner, in which you can purchase ice pops for $.50, a can of beer for a buck (and then drink it in a park), and hard boiled eggs ready to be eaten.
Tonight I will go to Itaewon, a very international part of Seoul that houses bars and restaurants galore. I’ve been there once before, seven years ago, and only vaguely remember the glory of a soju cocktail. After that it gets blurry. I’m pretty sure noraebang (singing room – private karaoke) was involved at some point. I’m not such a heavy drinker as I was then, but the evening will hopefully be as fun and exciting.
Tomorrow – and this is what I’ve been waiting for most – I will go with a couple students to the jinjilbang – like a sauna, hot tub, skin care clinic and women’s haven all rolled into one. This is the thing I’ve missed most about Korea, with a close second being the ondol flooring that heats the room in winter. That’s right – warm floors. Can you think of anything more awesome for a woman with poor circulation in her feet? Holy crap, I spend six months of the year with blue feet back home!
What’s that you say? Where are the f’ing pictures? You’re not really in Korea, you’re just reading from a guide book and repackaging it here on this blog! Okay, truly I will get pictures up soon. I’m trying to figure out the easiest way, because doing it Blogger’s way is a huge pain the ass if it’s more than two photos. I think I will try using Picassa web, since I’ve used it before. You’ll know soon enough if that works!
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Uphill
Getting to class remains a challenge (up trillions of steps in the noon-day heat and 90% humidity), but class itself is starting to gel. For one thing, the tech works and I could show my DVD clips today. It's a bit tough on some of the students who are taking class in the morning. Round about 2:00 I see their eyes glaze over. I know it's not their fault. I try to give them a break around 2:15 so they can get some coffee or water and stretch their legs. It's also that I can get some coffee and stretch my legs.
Speaking of legs, Korean women are damned skinny. I mean really - a Korean-American student I've befriended who lives in L.A. says even she thinks they are abnormally skinny. I guess Americans aren't the only ones obsessed with looking like models. These girls dress to the nines just to go shopping, with all their super-bling hair, purses, shoes, jewelry and makeup.
OH YES - just now I heard some guy hock a lugey outside my window. Yessss...and as one of my students pointed out the other day, you don't always hear them spit it out.
Back to the Korean girls - yeah they like to look me up and down on the subway. I wish i could hear what they're thinking: "she's so fat...look at her ankles...those shoes are so five years ago...where's her bling?...I bet she's American." Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly care what they think of me, but it makes me feel better to know that I am actually eating, not starving myself. I seriously wonder if these girls eat.
Going out with my little gang in the evenings has been fun, though I took last night off. The students went to either a water park or an amusement park, and I stayed in. Slept a lot, took the bus on my own to the E-Mart where I bought a cheap desk lamp, a shirt, some suction-cup hooks, and a notebook. I chalked it up as a huge success.
Making the small things work are the greatest successes. Knowing how to go grocery shopping on your own, getting the tech to work in your classroom, figuring out how to put together a desk lamp with no directions and no screwdriver. These are the things that make life what it is in S. Korea.
I've also got some script written for my film - but I have yet to get the hard drive up and running. I will need some help with that, I suspect, based on my failed attempt before I left the States. One problem at a time, you know. Soon, though, very soon...
This weekend I am going to the sauna, and hopefully also to Bongeun-sa, an historic Buddhist temple in Seoul. I'll probably go by myself unless students want to go with me; most of them are going to a baseball game. I need some quiet meditation to ground me.
The only real problem I have at the moment is waiting for my airfare reimbursement until next week. First it was "this week," then Friday, now it's "next week." Meanwhile, I have bills to pay and my stash of Korean Won is dwindling at an alarming rate. I am not a big fan of how things have been organized here, but to some extent I know that is cultural, and to every extent, there's not a thing I can do about it, so I have to keep my wits about me and keep calm. There's a Korean word for that, but I can't transliterate very well. It's something like "chim chak ha geh itta." Yeah. That.
Photos coming soon!
Speaking of legs, Korean women are damned skinny. I mean really - a Korean-American student I've befriended who lives in L.A. says even she thinks they are abnormally skinny. I guess Americans aren't the only ones obsessed with looking like models. These girls dress to the nines just to go shopping, with all their super-bling hair, purses, shoes, jewelry and makeup.
OH YES - just now I heard some guy hock a lugey outside my window. Yessss...and as one of my students pointed out the other day, you don't always hear them spit it out.
Back to the Korean girls - yeah they like to look me up and down on the subway. I wish i could hear what they're thinking: "she's so fat...look at her ankles...those shoes are so five years ago...where's her bling?...I bet she's American." Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly care what they think of me, but it makes me feel better to know that I am actually eating, not starving myself. I seriously wonder if these girls eat.
Going out with my little gang in the evenings has been fun, though I took last night off. The students went to either a water park or an amusement park, and I stayed in. Slept a lot, took the bus on my own to the E-Mart where I bought a cheap desk lamp, a shirt, some suction-cup hooks, and a notebook. I chalked it up as a huge success.
Making the small things work are the greatest successes. Knowing how to go grocery shopping on your own, getting the tech to work in your classroom, figuring out how to put together a desk lamp with no directions and no screwdriver. These are the things that make life what it is in S. Korea.
I've also got some script written for my film - but I have yet to get the hard drive up and running. I will need some help with that, I suspect, based on my failed attempt before I left the States. One problem at a time, you know. Soon, though, very soon...
This weekend I am going to the sauna, and hopefully also to Bongeun-sa, an historic Buddhist temple in Seoul. I'll probably go by myself unless students want to go with me; most of them are going to a baseball game. I need some quiet meditation to ground me.
The only real problem I have at the moment is waiting for my airfare reimbursement until next week. First it was "this week," then Friday, now it's "next week." Meanwhile, I have bills to pay and my stash of Korean Won is dwindling at an alarming rate. I am not a big fan of how things have been organized here, but to some extent I know that is cultural, and to every extent, there's not a thing I can do about it, so I have to keep my wits about me and keep calm. There's a Korean word for that, but I can't transliterate very well. It's something like "chim chak ha geh itta." Yeah. That.
Photos coming soon!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
It's a good thing...
...that I like kimchi, because it comes with every meal. Mainly I eat in the student dining hall (cafeteria, or "mess hall" as I've come to think of it) because it is cheap, and though the meals are well-balanced, they are becoming monotonous (rice, soup, kimchi, two meat or fish-based dishes, one veggie-based dish). Still, they get me through the day and are fairly tasty. So far the only thing I haven't been able to eat was the anchovy stuff.
...that I got here early, because I already know the basics of how to get around, how to get a power adapter, the easy way to get to the classroom building, where to buy water, etc. I met some other faculty today at the opening ceremony of the program, many of whom came in yesterday or Saturday. They are still jet lagged and have no idea what to do or where to go. I have to say the program isn't doing a great job of orienting the faculty. We had to ask for the same handouts the students received, and for our own tour of campus (at high noon in the heat of the day, I might add).
...that I have my own washing machine, because I'm easily going through two outfits a day with this intense humidity and heat.
...that I enjoy exploring, because after all, isn't that what traveling is all about?
...that I live alone, because I would go nuts with a roommate on top of jet lag and culture shock. So far my culture shock has been minimal, but I've noticed on this trip and my last trip to Korea that it comes sooner than my first time here, perhaps because I've already been through it (honeymoon stage is pretty much over). However, I also know how to recognize its symptoms, and I know better than to take it too seriously. This enables me to brush off a lot of the disorientation and relish the small victories. It's always very good to come back to my room, crank up the aircon, and just chill out by myself when I feel a wave of irritability coming on.
...that I love Korea! I am very happy here and I'm excited for class to begin tomorrow.
...that I got here early, because I already know the basics of how to get around, how to get a power adapter, the easy way to get to the classroom building, where to buy water, etc. I met some other faculty today at the opening ceremony of the program, many of whom came in yesterday or Saturday. They are still jet lagged and have no idea what to do or where to go. I have to say the program isn't doing a great job of orienting the faculty. We had to ask for the same handouts the students received, and for our own tour of campus (at high noon in the heat of the day, I might add).
...that I have my own washing machine, because I'm easily going through two outfits a day with this intense humidity and heat.
...that I enjoy exploring, because after all, isn't that what traveling is all about?
...that I live alone, because I would go nuts with a roommate on top of jet lag and culture shock. So far my culture shock has been minimal, but I've noticed on this trip and my last trip to Korea that it comes sooner than my first time here, perhaps because I've already been through it (honeymoon stage is pretty much over). However, I also know how to recognize its symptoms, and I know better than to take it too seriously. This enables me to brush off a lot of the disorientation and relish the small victories. It's always very good to come back to my room, crank up the aircon, and just chill out by myself when I feel a wave of irritability coming on.
...that I love Korea! I am very happy here and I'm excited for class to begin tomorrow.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Three Time's a Charm
Day 3 in Korea. Most of my basic living needs are now met. I have internet access, albeit somewhat unstable, I have tasty things in the cupboard, cool drinks in the fridge, shampoo and body wash in the shower, and I know how to work my washing machine.
A few observations:
- My tiny command of the Korean language has come back to me easily. I was able to ask if I could pay for something with a credit card, for instance. I would really love to take a Korean language class, if they'll let me. I can easily read the alphabet, though my vocabulary is shockingly tiny, and my grammar is hideously deformed.
- This being my third time, I am able to take on the roll of oeguk (foreigner) with aplomb. This means I'm not so highly frustrated by the things that require more thought and assistance than they do back home, such as how to operate the washing machine and how to buy meal tickets. For example, yesterday I bought 2 meal tickets worth 2000 KRW (less than $2). Breakfast was only 2000 KRW, and somehow I got in my head that lunch would be more. I gestured to the cafeteria ajuma (lady) with my two meal tickets, and she tapped the ticket box for me to put them in. I did. Then realized by the time I got to my table that ALL meals are only 2000 KRW, and I'd just paid for two meals. I ate lunch with three brand new friends, two Koreans, and asked the guy to help me get my ticket back. He was astounded at how I could've made such a mistake. This is typical - a Korean can't imagine why a oeguk would do such a stupid thing. I had to explain to him that in the U.S., lunch would probably cost more than breakfast, and I thought the ajuma had gestured for me to put two tickets in the box. I wasn't offended at his questioning my sanity, because I've lived here before. Ahhh...Korea.
- Hair coloring is back in Korea. During my first year here from 02-03, everyone colored their hair red or blond. Three years ago, the "natural look" was in, so everyone had their natural black hair, and girls wore it long and wavy with very pale makeup. Now, I'm seeing red highlights and more dramatic makeup. I rather like the current style.
- The current shoe style for women is really sexy. I wish I could wear those high wedge heels. Gone are the metallics that were prevalent 3 years ago (and of course I have a pair of metallic sandals because the States are always a year or two behind Asian styles).
- Although I've been here before, I am still charmed by many things all over again, such as the national habit of walking briskly in the early evening in the parks and streets. That kind of regular exercise is so healthy, and the infrastructure here really supports it (see my previous post about the cool exercise park across the street). The cold drinks! So many, so cheap, so unique! I love the small chilled coffee drinks that are like .40 (yes, that's 40 cents). Multi-floored department stores that include a grocery store - shopping carts that lock onto the flat escalators between floors. The oil change place in the garage of said department store - get your lube done while you go grocery shopping!
- The World Cup. Of course this place is nuts for soccer, and S. Korea has advanced, which means this city will be in spasm tomorrow night from 11 p.m. on. I plan to go to Itaewon to hang with a friend and watch the game. I'm not a regular soccer fan, but it's hard not to get caught up in the fever here.
Time for dinner. It's a good thing I love Korean food, because there's no eggs or cereal option for breakfast. Kimchi, rice, meat, fish, veggie. For breakfast! Don't worry I have yogurt in my fridge, as well as fruit and buckwheat tea.
Day three a success - tomorrow is the tour of Seoul City. I'm looking forward to it, as I've not seen a lot of Seoul in past visits.
A few observations:
- My tiny command of the Korean language has come back to me easily. I was able to ask if I could pay for something with a credit card, for instance. I would really love to take a Korean language class, if they'll let me. I can easily read the alphabet, though my vocabulary is shockingly tiny, and my grammar is hideously deformed.
- This being my third time, I am able to take on the roll of oeguk (foreigner) with aplomb. This means I'm not so highly frustrated by the things that require more thought and assistance than they do back home, such as how to operate the washing machine and how to buy meal tickets. For example, yesterday I bought 2 meal tickets worth 2000 KRW (less than $2). Breakfast was only 2000 KRW, and somehow I got in my head that lunch would be more. I gestured to the cafeteria ajuma (lady) with my two meal tickets, and she tapped the ticket box for me to put them in. I did. Then realized by the time I got to my table that ALL meals are only 2000 KRW, and I'd just paid for two meals. I ate lunch with three brand new friends, two Koreans, and asked the guy to help me get my ticket back. He was astounded at how I could've made such a mistake. This is typical - a Korean can't imagine why a oeguk would do such a stupid thing. I had to explain to him that in the U.S., lunch would probably cost more than breakfast, and I thought the ajuma had gestured for me to put two tickets in the box. I wasn't offended at his questioning my sanity, because I've lived here before. Ahhh...Korea.
- Hair coloring is back in Korea. During my first year here from 02-03, everyone colored their hair red or blond. Three years ago, the "natural look" was in, so everyone had their natural black hair, and girls wore it long and wavy with very pale makeup. Now, I'm seeing red highlights and more dramatic makeup. I rather like the current style.
- The current shoe style for women is really sexy. I wish I could wear those high wedge heels. Gone are the metallics that were prevalent 3 years ago (and of course I have a pair of metallic sandals because the States are always a year or two behind Asian styles).
- Although I've been here before, I am still charmed by many things all over again, such as the national habit of walking briskly in the early evening in the parks and streets. That kind of regular exercise is so healthy, and the infrastructure here really supports it (see my previous post about the cool exercise park across the street). The cold drinks! So many, so cheap, so unique! I love the small chilled coffee drinks that are like .40 (yes, that's 40 cents). Multi-floored department stores that include a grocery store - shopping carts that lock onto the flat escalators between floors. The oil change place in the garage of said department store - get your lube done while you go grocery shopping!
- The World Cup. Of course this place is nuts for soccer, and S. Korea has advanced, which means this city will be in spasm tomorrow night from 11 p.m. on. I plan to go to Itaewon to hang with a friend and watch the game. I'm not a regular soccer fan, but it's hard not to get caught up in the fever here.
Time for dinner. It's a good thing I love Korean food, because there's no eggs or cereal option for breakfast. Kimchi, rice, meat, fish, veggie. For breakfast! Don't worry I have yogurt in my fridge, as well as fruit and buckwheat tea.
Day three a success - tomorrow is the tour of Seoul City. I'm looking forward to it, as I've not seen a lot of Seoul in past visits.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Settling In
Good morning, Korea! I managed to hold off on going to sleep until around 8:30 p.m. last night. Woke up around midnight, took some Nyquil tabs, slept until 5:00 a.m. Not a bad night's sleep for my first night here. Still feeling a bit logy, but that's par for the course with a 13-hour time difference. (I've changed the date stamp on this blog to match local time in Seoul, so you can more or less figure out when I am operating.)
My room is sweet. I will get some photos up here if and when I can figure out how to do that (see next paragraph). I have a large bathroom with a roomy shower stall and a washing machine for clothes - very convenient. The kitchen is eat-in with a little hot plate stove top, tiny fridge, and TV (which I haven't turned on yet). The armoire is in the kitchen area since the bedroom has 2 twin beds (larger than American-sized twin beds) and two desks that run the length of one wall with hutches that reach the ceiling. I am enjoying these desks - lots of space to organize stuff and have room for teaching work as well as writing work. Oh, and there's aircon in both rooms, which is extremely fortunate. The view from the windows is of campus - green and landscaped up a hill. Very pretty. The only downside to the view is that there's a parking garage exit down there, and every time a car leaves a buzzer goes off. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to get much use at night (or else my earplugs blocked it out as I was sleeping).
I have no idea what's on tap for today (which is Thursday, BTW). I believe more students are arriving, so I might just have a day to chill out by myself. I'm trying to get the showrunners here to allow me wifi access. There is a computer in the room, but it's all in Hangul and there's no way for me to Skype here, which is a serious bummer. I am hoping they will allow me the wifi access. It'll make my life simpler if I can do everything from my own laptop. I also need an adapter so I can plug my computer in. I haven't been able to charge anything up because I have no adapters - that was supposed to happen yesterday and didn't. Ah well, with luck it'll happen today. I'd like to use my time to get some writing done today since I don't have any responsibilities.
I now have 9 students enrolled in my class. 4 Americans, 5 Koreans. I'm hoping for one more between now and Monday so that I have an even number of students - always makes pair work easier when there's a not a group of 3 taking longer than everyone else. There's an opening ceremony/orientation on Monday, then actual classes begin on Tuesday. I am so pleased that I gave myself a couple extra days to get acclimated before I have to teach! Pat on the back.
Last evening I went for a walk in this lovely walking/biking trail that's just across the street from campus. It lines a river tributary and is located directly under an elevated freeway. I think Seoul did a fantastic job of utilizing this space and making it so fresh and green. They even have classical music piped through! The place was busy with walkers and cyclists - clearly it gets a lot of use. Not a homeless person in sight - which is what most Americans would expect to see in a park by the river under a freeway, right? That's not to say there aren't any homeless, but I didn't see any. Mainly older Koreans out for their evening stroll, and some younger people on bikes both sleek and casual. It was a great way to end the day and get myself really ready for sleep. I'm going to shoot for evening walks there every day.
Not sure what today holds, but here's to more adventure! I should be meeting up with a friend who lives in Seoul either tonight or tomorrow. Spend some time in Itaewon. Hopefully with charged camera battery by that point.
My room is sweet. I will get some photos up here if and when I can figure out how to do that (see next paragraph). I have a large bathroom with a roomy shower stall and a washing machine for clothes - very convenient. The kitchen is eat-in with a little hot plate stove top, tiny fridge, and TV (which I haven't turned on yet). The armoire is in the kitchen area since the bedroom has 2 twin beds (larger than American-sized twin beds) and two desks that run the length of one wall with hutches that reach the ceiling. I am enjoying these desks - lots of space to organize stuff and have room for teaching work as well as writing work. Oh, and there's aircon in both rooms, which is extremely fortunate. The view from the windows is of campus - green and landscaped up a hill. Very pretty. The only downside to the view is that there's a parking garage exit down there, and every time a car leaves a buzzer goes off. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to get much use at night (or else my earplugs blocked it out as I was sleeping).
I have no idea what's on tap for today (which is Thursday, BTW). I believe more students are arriving, so I might just have a day to chill out by myself. I'm trying to get the showrunners here to allow me wifi access. There is a computer in the room, but it's all in Hangul and there's no way for me to Skype here, which is a serious bummer. I am hoping they will allow me the wifi access. It'll make my life simpler if I can do everything from my own laptop. I also need an adapter so I can plug my computer in. I haven't been able to charge anything up because I have no adapters - that was supposed to happen yesterday and didn't. Ah well, with luck it'll happen today. I'd like to use my time to get some writing done today since I don't have any responsibilities.
I now have 9 students enrolled in my class. 4 Americans, 5 Koreans. I'm hoping for one more between now and Monday so that I have an even number of students - always makes pair work easier when there's a not a group of 3 taking longer than everyone else. There's an opening ceremony/orientation on Monday, then actual classes begin on Tuesday. I am so pleased that I gave myself a couple extra days to get acclimated before I have to teach! Pat on the back.
Last evening I went for a walk in this lovely walking/biking trail that's just across the street from campus. It lines a river tributary and is located directly under an elevated freeway. I think Seoul did a fantastic job of utilizing this space and making it so fresh and green. They even have classical music piped through! The place was busy with walkers and cyclists - clearly it gets a lot of use. Not a homeless person in sight - which is what most Americans would expect to see in a park by the river under a freeway, right? That's not to say there aren't any homeless, but I didn't see any. Mainly older Koreans out for their evening stroll, and some younger people on bikes both sleek and casual. It was a great way to end the day and get myself really ready for sleep. I'm going to shoot for evening walks there every day.
Not sure what today holds, but here's to more adventure! I should be meeting up with a friend who lives in Seoul either tonight or tomorrow. Spend some time in Itaewon. Hopefully with charged camera battery by that point.
Touch down
The Eagle has landed (again). I'm in Seoul, more or less in one piece, about to head to a discount department store with the students to pick up necessities, led by our fearless leader Chun.
I'm definitely jetlagged, definitely sleep deprived, and I left the U.S. with a cold, which has only hung on during transit. I'm hoping after a couple nights' rest it'll be gone. I don't want to start teaching on Monday with a cough.
It's great to be back, even in my present condition, and I'm deriving extra, vicarious thrill from the students' reactions to things so far. This being my third time in the country, I still have a period of adjustment, but I now realize how much I actually do "get" over here that a new-comer has yet to experience.
Will check in later with more detail once I'm back to normal (whatever that means).
I'm definitely jetlagged, definitely sleep deprived, and I left the U.S. with a cold, which has only hung on during transit. I'm hoping after a couple nights' rest it'll be gone. I don't want to start teaching on Monday with a cough.
It's great to be back, even in my present condition, and I'm deriving extra, vicarious thrill from the students' reactions to things so far. This being my third time in the country, I still have a period of adjustment, but I now realize how much I actually do "get" over here that a new-comer has yet to experience.
Will check in later with more detail once I'm back to normal (whatever that means).
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
A little over a week to departure time. I am finally feeling on top of things enough to allow myself some excitement (as opposed to just nerves - there is a difference, you know).
Express mailed my passport and visa application on Thursday; expecting to get it back by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. This is what I'm telling myself, anyway.
The trial packing was successful. I may have to bring a production kit since one of the students couldn't come after all, and we have to get this thing to Korea one way or another. With luck, I'll have only one carry on, but if I have to bring two to accommodate the production kit, so be it.
This week I will finish creating my students' materials packet by Tuesday so I can photocopy them at work. Speaking of students, I have four students from the college I work for during the academic year, and four Korean students. Chances are I may have a couple more signed up before the first day of classes on June 28, but for the time being, I've got eight. A nice, round number.
Thankfully, I don't have to buy anything else. I've got all I need, with the exception of a couple protein bars for the bus ride into New York. Did you know that the worst thing about a five hour bus trip to NYC is the toilet? In Korea, long bus rides are broken up with frequent rest-stops at very well-appointed service areas. There is no need for a stinky blue toilet whose walls you don't watch to touch without latex gloves on.
Two weeks from today I will be in Seoul, trying to get on the right sleep cycle. How will it feel? What will my digs be like? Will I have a tub or a Korean-style shower stall bathroom? Is there a pool on campus so I can swim every morning? Will my severely compromised tolerance to alcohol be tested by soju on my first weekend in the country? So many questions. Answers forthcoming, so stay tuned.
Express mailed my passport and visa application on Thursday; expecting to get it back by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. This is what I'm telling myself, anyway.
The trial packing was successful. I may have to bring a production kit since one of the students couldn't come after all, and we have to get this thing to Korea one way or another. With luck, I'll have only one carry on, but if I have to bring two to accommodate the production kit, so be it.
This week I will finish creating my students' materials packet by Tuesday so I can photocopy them at work. Speaking of students, I have four students from the college I work for during the academic year, and four Korean students. Chances are I may have a couple more signed up before the first day of classes on June 28, but for the time being, I've got eight. A nice, round number.
Thankfully, I don't have to buy anything else. I've got all I need, with the exception of a couple protein bars for the bus ride into New York. Did you know that the worst thing about a five hour bus trip to NYC is the toilet? In Korea, long bus rides are broken up with frequent rest-stops at very well-appointed service areas. There is no need for a stinky blue toilet whose walls you don't watch to touch without latex gloves on.
Two weeks from today I will be in Seoul, trying to get on the right sleep cycle. How will it feel? What will my digs be like? Will I have a tub or a Korean-style shower stall bathroom? Is there a pool on campus so I can swim every morning? Will my severely compromised tolerance to alcohol be tested by soju on my first weekend in the country? So many questions. Answers forthcoming, so stay tuned.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
C-4: The work visa, not the explosive.
I awoke Monday morning to an email from my Korean employer in which I was informed I'd be needing a C-4 visa. This, 2 weeks before my plane leaves. I also received a bunch of paper work to fill out, which didn't turn out to be that difficult, but I am now waiting for a sealed contract from the university in order to apply for the visa. I am promised by the Korean Consulate that it will only take a day to process once they've received it.
And I am reminded of how things work in Korea: last minute. It's a good way to get re-acquainted with this manner of doing business, which doesn't always make sense to a Westerner, but which seems to work just fine in Korea.
The culture shock has already begun... but at least I know what I'm in for.
And I am reminded of how things work in Korea: last minute. It's a good way to get re-acquainted with this manner of doing business, which doesn't always make sense to a Westerner, but which seems to work just fine in Korea.
The culture shock has already begun... but at least I know what I'm in for.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Jade Monkey Prepares to Fly
Kimchi and kimbap, here I come! Onchon and sauna, get ready! Seoul and Ulsan, be prepared! Here I come!
It's been six years since I taught in P.R. China, and three years since my last trip to S. Korea when I started working on a documentary about life as an expat EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher. This summer, I am returning to Korea to teach at Hanyang University in Seoul. I will also finish the film I started three years ago, and I'll spend a few days in Ulsan, where I lived from 2002-2003 as an EFL teacher.
At the moment, I have located my passport (yay!), which involved several hours of tearing up my office and then finding it right where I'd expected it to be, and I've already planned out what bags to bring. I even ordered a sweet little over-the-shoulder purse for ease of movement and keeping the motto "always be prepared in Korea." My experiences in that country have given me a firm foundation for knowing that you can't really predict what will happen or when, so better to have your act together.
I will be traveling with two, possibly three, students from the college where I teach. The Korean documentary professor at that college (I'll call him Chun) has organized this yearly trip to a university in Seoul, usually bringing 9-12 students. This year, he invited me to submit a proposal to this university for a class in screenwriting, and they were happy to have me on board. Anyway, back to the students. I've already found myself bubbling over with enthusiasm to help them have the best possible experience. I've created a "pre-departure guide," and as I said, I'll be traveling with at least two of them. I am so stoked to share my "second home" with these young travelers, most of whom haven't been abroad before, much less in Asia.
So far I've finished the syllabus for the course, but I'm still collecting clips and materials. I've got a week of vacation coming up in Massachusetts to visit my people there, but after that I will have to hit it hard to get everything together in two weeks.
Keep checking back for updates - I'll be doing that as often as possible. Be prepared for the glorification and condemnation of all things Korean in the weeks ahead!
It's been six years since I taught in P.R. China, and three years since my last trip to S. Korea when I started working on a documentary about life as an expat EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher. This summer, I am returning to Korea to teach at Hanyang University in Seoul. I will also finish the film I started three years ago, and I'll spend a few days in Ulsan, where I lived from 2002-2003 as an EFL teacher.
At the moment, I have located my passport (yay!), which involved several hours of tearing up my office and then finding it right where I'd expected it to be, and I've already planned out what bags to bring. I even ordered a sweet little over-the-shoulder purse for ease of movement and keeping the motto "always be prepared in Korea." My experiences in that country have given me a firm foundation for knowing that you can't really predict what will happen or when, so better to have your act together.
I will be traveling with two, possibly three, students from the college where I teach. The Korean documentary professor at that college (I'll call him Chun) has organized this yearly trip to a university in Seoul, usually bringing 9-12 students. This year, he invited me to submit a proposal to this university for a class in screenwriting, and they were happy to have me on board. Anyway, back to the students. I've already found myself bubbling over with enthusiasm to help them have the best possible experience. I've created a "pre-departure guide," and as I said, I'll be traveling with at least two of them. I am so stoked to share my "second home" with these young travelers, most of whom haven't been abroad before, much less in Asia.
So far I've finished the syllabus for the course, but I'm still collecting clips and materials. I've got a week of vacation coming up in Massachusetts to visit my people there, but after that I will have to hit it hard to get everything together in two weeks.
Keep checking back for updates - I'll be doing that as often as possible. Be prepared for the glorification and condemnation of all things Korean in the weeks ahead!
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