Doin it like Moses, Korean style.

The starfish wanted to say "hi". ps. I did not put them there.

yo, yo . I hope you all had wonderful week! It is a short week for me, because I don't have school on Friday (Korean Labor Day). I am going to buy a guitar tomorrow. I have always wanted to play, but I never had the time or patience to do it. Now I have the time, but we will see if I have the patience. Hmm... I will let you know. I know a few people who play here, so I am hoping they will feel like helping a musically challenged human. Yes, I am human. Maybe I will shock everyone and be an amazing player. Then I will call up Kenny Chesney or John Mayer (we are very close) and tell them to add me to their band. That sounds wonderful. Maybe I do have a plan after Korea...

Last weekend I went to a southern island called Jindo, which is connected to Korea by bridge. It was a quick weekend- overnight bus Friday night, arrived at about 430 am, and left Sunday afternoon. We had a hotel reserved but when we called to get the exact location, they told us that they gave our room away. In a panic, we called a few other hotels from our handy tourist info and luckily someone answered. Most of the places around Korea close at night. The people who work there live there as well, so they don't stay open to answer phone calls from desperate foreigners. We ended up staying at this youth hostel next to the festival- perfect location. Our room included blankets and a mat to sleep on. Yes, I paid to sleep on the floor. I don't know how Koreans do it. Some Koreans chose to sleep on the floor, especially older people. The younger generations mostly sleep on beds. One of my businessmen students sleeps on the floor every night at home- by choice. Strange. My back was killing me by the end of the weekend. Anyways, Jindo was having the 'Parting of the Seas Festival'. Yes, doin it like Moses. That's how I roll. For two days, Three times a year, the sea literally parts and you can walk to a nearby island. We didn't quite make it to the island due to the tides raising and not wanting to swim back to the beach. There was starfish EVERYWHERE. It was pretty cool. I think I saved at least 20 starfish from death-by-human-feet. I'm sure they were thankful by my heroic acts.



My group of friends I went with!



People were gathering seaweed and cutting it from the sea, being the tides were so low. They were also digging for clams, mussels, and other creatures.

Korean woman who was clearly very "smart". Her boyfriend/husband looked very annoyed. Check out her high heels.


Being silly.

chillin. Searching for seaweed and other unknown creatures.


Doin it like Moses, Korean style.

Korean grandmas being super cute. I want to steal one and bring her home. The statue represents the legend behind the parting of the seas. "According to the legend, an old lady, who was left alone after all the Jindo villagers took shelter in Modo (nearby island) when dangerous tigers showed up in Jindo, eagerly prayed to the Sea God hoping to meet her family again, and the Sea God listened to her prayer and parted the sea, granting her wish."


My first Korean mullet experience. SO hot.

Korean grandmas are known here for the HUMUNGOUS visors and elaborate hiking gear. They would fit in with the Colorado fashion.


Future Christmas card.


Well, my weekend has begun. It's Buddha's bday on Sunday, so I will be headed to a temple to see the celebrations. Have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy. Relax. Take your vitamins. Don't kiss strangers who look like they have the flu. love. xoxo

ps. My friend Reuben left this week and is headed back to MN to work at Youth Works this summer. Nan and Paul, if you're reading this, we (Brittney and I) think you should "find" a reason to fire him so he comes back quicker. K. thanks. Sorry, Reuben. Not. :)

6th month Anniversary. Awwww.

My neighborhood!

Hello! I have been slacking on this lately, sorry. Well, the cherry blossoms have completely disappeared here in Korea. They were beautiful! It crazy how time flies. I went to another cherry blossom festival here in Seoul! It was really cool. Somehow, the trees here appear to change colors at night- almost like lights were shining on them or that they were decorated with lights...hmmm... I wonder how that happens. Nature is so mysterious. ;) Here a few pics!



Even dogs with diapers need to see the cherry blossoms...






I had a day off a weekish ago and I went to the west coast of Korea and spent the day at the beach. It was so relaxing and a great change of scenery. It took about 3 hours to get there, so didn't have much time. We ate an interesting lunch of unknown creatures that the little town was known for. When they are ready to eat, the clam looking ones open up on their own. Strange. I am not a fan of rubbery textured creatures, so I was pretty proud of myself for eating it. I think the wine helped. ha. I felted really awful as the creatures were cooking because the were still alive. The seafood that you eat in Korea is usually VERY fresh. There are tanks outside the restaurant that are filled with crazy creatures- some that you would wonder how ANYONE would ever think of eating. The view from the beach was not clear during the day due to the yellow dust that is in the air these days. It is some sort of pollen from China that blows here every spring. I think it is almost gone, thankfully. You could feel it in the air. I acquired allergies here, which I have never had in my life. Some people where face masks here to avoid the dust. I'm a tough guy, so I don't need it.





Today, I have officially been in Korea 6 months! I can't believe how fast time has passed. I have done a lot of things that I never dreamed that I would do, EVER! Actually, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would live in Korea. It wasn't that I didn't think it was possible, it just never crossed my mind. I have talked with my friends a lot here about this ride that we are on and none of us ever thought that we would do this. I am so grateful for this experience. I wouldn't change a single thing about these last 6 months, although I wish I didn't have to miss out on all of your lives back home. One of my closest friends got married yesterday- my first friend in my group of friends and I was so bummed that I missed it. Love you, Claire.

I have a lot of exciting things to do in the next 6 months here in Korea and Asia- I can't wait!!! I'm going to do my best to live in the moment and enjoy my time here.

I hope you are all well. I just read about the Swine flu that is going around-scary. Be careful. Take your vitamins.

Did you know...

- I got head butted on my back by a granny who wanted me to move out of her way while I was waiting for a crosswalk sign to turn green.
- During holidays, it is customary for your family to visit your husband's family first and spend the most time there. Basically, the wife's family gets the shaft. Lame...or wonderful if your wife's family is rather annoying.
- Of few of my businessman students had a wild evening out last week and the oldest student,50ish, passed out during class. It was hilarious and tried so hard not to laugh.
- One of my 4th grade students pointed to his middle finger and told me that he knows what it means and then proceeded to say it. I had to turn around and compose myself- put on a serious face and then scold him. Geez... teaching cute, clueless kids is so hard sometimes.
- My middle schoolers gave me a test to see if I was a psycho path. Apparently, I passed and I am a full-fledged psychopath. I like to remind them daily. Sadly, they aren't afraid of me.
- It is common for most Koreans to begin dating in college, because they don't have time to date in highschool- too much studying.
- It is common for a couple to invite 4 of their single friends (2 girls and 2 guys) to dinner, sort of like a blind date. At the end of the "date" the females will write the name of the guy that they like on a piece of paper and then they will start dating if the feeling is mutual. I guess there used to be a popular dating show that followed those rules and it has been adopted into the Korean dating culture. strange.

You Ate WHAT!!!!!

Hello! I have been without my computer for the past week, which has completely sucked! I never realized how dependent I am on it these days. It's my only source to the outside world- phone, tv, news,etc. So, I hope all of you have been well. We found out that my gpa's cancer has not spread, so they will be removing a portion of his ear and he SHOULD be CANCER-FREE!!!! :) woohhooo. He is quite the fighter. Thanks for all your prayers. He said that he could feel them.

Last weekend I went south to a cherry blossom festival. Apparently, it is one of the largest in the world. We took an overnight bus Friday night and arrived in Jinhae around 5:00 am- southern coast. We hadn't made any arrangements for a hotel, so we ended up walking around for a good hour or two before we found something that was available. As much as I love adventures and living in the moment, I do not enjoy walking around at 5:00 AM looking for a place to sleep. Brittney and I talked about how we felt we were having deja vu- simular to our unpleasant sleeping experience in Tokyo. However, this time we were not alone and we were only followers, not leaders. Phew. The festival was a lot of fun. I felt like I was on vacation, which was greatly needed. The blossoms were beautiful, but my favorite part was being in the harbor and smelling sea air. AMAZING. It has been about 4 years since I have been along the coast. The harbor was filled with old navy ships and the navy base was right next to the harbor. I saw a lot of cute navy boys in their uniforms. Oooolala. Now I know how my gpa hooked my grandma. ha.


The Jinhae experience was very.. interesting. I had a great time! I tried food that I never thought I would eat, EVER! I was pressured to try octopus. When I say octopus, I mean octopus that was still moving. It's like how chickens still run around with their heads cut off (gross)- octupus do the same thing, but with their tentacles. It was very amusing. Thankfully, I washed it down with a shot of Soju. The Korean alcohol of choice. ha. I have attached a video for your viewing pleasure. The piece I ate was very small, but it still counts. I was terrified. There wasn't much flavor, but the texture was awful. You have to chew it really well before you swallow, or otherwise the tentacles can attach and stick to you. People have actually died from eating it so fresh and choking. ha. I'm a badass. I also ate stinky tofu soup! It was really stinky but SO good! The old woman (in her 70's/80's) said her soup was famous. She goes to the mountains and gathers wild vegetables that she makes into side dishes. It was so good!




Click on video. I look and sound like goon. I was really afraid and finally gave into the pressure. Beware. Don't judge me. I guess you can, if you want.


Octopus!!!


Creatures unknown. The mussels were delicious!




My friend Brittney and Dianne at the pier.




Ahhh... I told you couples like to wear matching clothes. haha. I love it!


Yes, here is proof that Koreans DO eat bugs. grody.


ahhh how cute.












Ohh la la. They were calling me.










So, it was a great trip! I have made a few decisions about my future plans. I will be leaving Korea Nov 13ish and then I will be traveling for about 5 weeks in Southeast Asia with my friend Brittney and possibly others. I'm currently trying to get Brad Pitt to join us, but he isn't sure if it will work with his schedule. We are planning on going to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. We have A LOT of planning and research ahead of us and I can't wait!! I'm so excited! I'm not sure where I will go after that, but i'm sure it will come to me..eventually. If you have any advice, jobs, traveling advice/tips, Easter candy (ahhh I am CRAVING it) or anything else that would be beneficial, please pass it along.


I will be posting another blog ASAP. I am almost caught up! Love you all! :)

xoxo

ps. Grandpa- the navy pics are for you. :)

Canned Bugs

Well hello there. I'm am writing with a better attitude and more positive outlook on life. It's funny how getting rid of anger in your heart (or at least trying) makes everything better. There is no news yet on my Grandpa's condition, but he is surrounded by people who love him- in thoughts, prayers, in person, in spirit, and via phone contraptions. I am currently sipping on some mediocre mango juice that was given to me last night from a Korean man at my neighborhood mini mart. He asked where I was from, why I was here, and my age. Apparently from those crucial facts, he decided that I needed some mango juice in my life. I thanked him, bowed, and left the store. As I was leaving, he said that he would see me tomorrow. I thought that was funny being I had never seen him before and he was just a random man in the store. It's just a guess, but I am assuming that he had a few shots of soju (Korean liquor that goes down like water). Hmm.. I think I should take advantage of my "American celebrity status" and go to more expensive places and casually mention that I am an American. I will keep you posted on my schemes.


Random thoughts of the week/ encounters... Be excited

- There are many beggars near the subway stations and in the more touristy areas. The beggars are usually physically handicapped or they are "faking it" to make more money. Some lay on platforms that have wheels on the bottom and they move themselves with their arms- scooting around a certain area. They have half of their legs covered and feet with some sort of fabric or rubber covering. They are trying to make it seem like they have no feet. Apparently, it used to be a common practice to cut off people's feet if they were handicapped, so others would be more likely to give more money or help them. I see this man near my subway station everyday and I always used to feel so bad for him, until I found out that he was an impostor. I tutor early in the morning and take the subway. I saw him setting up his "station" and he was WALKING. Yes, he has feet! I was so angry when I saw him and I wanted to go chew him out so badly, but I knew he wouldn't understand what I was saying. Grrr...

- Korean women wear shorts year-round. They like to sport tights/leggings under them.
- Korean women make me look like a slob, even on my best day. They wear heels EVERYWHERE. Some even wear them hiking. Stupid. They are dressed up almost daily.
- I rarely see old people with gray/white hair. I think they all get their hair dyed or have some sort of secret that I am unaware of.
- Some major cosmetic surgeries here are lightening of the skin, eye surgery to make the eyes appear rounder, and narrowing of the face and nose. Also, the usual one's that are common in the US- lipo, implants, etc.
- Korean people are very superstitious. The number 4 is an unlucky number here. In Chinese characters it means death, so Koreans try to avoid it at all costs. Many buildings use the letter H for the number 4. Imagine my confusion when I was trying to find the 4th floor in the elevator a few months ago. Also, they do not keep a room fan on throughout the night. All fans (so I've heard) have an automatic shut off. They believe that if it is kept on through out the night, they will be sucked out the window or into the fan. Yes, very strange.
-It's not strange to see men and women holding hands or locking arms with their friends of the same sex. They are very touchy-feely people.
- Even toddlers know that it is respectful to bow and do it. SO cute.
- I have a class of 3rd graders that gives me Korean language tests and sadly, I usually fail. I would love to take some classes, but none are offered when I am available.
- I want to somehow steal Koreans metabolism. Many eat awful food, but somehow stay freakin tiny! The only way I could be that small is to stop eating all together. Considering that I just finished breakfast and I am already thinking about what I will be having for lunch, I don't think that is in the cards for me.
- I was grocery shopping yesterday and saw that they sell canned bugs. They look like fatty grubs or meal worms. GROSSSSSSSS.
- Koreans are crazy about the WBC (World Baseball Classic). They were so PISSED that Korea lost to Japan. Due to Korea's long conflicting history with Japan, Korea always wants to be bigger and better than Japan. I was telling the business men this morning that I'm guessing the majority of the American people are unaware of the baseball league/championship and the fact that we lost to Japan this past week. Almost everyone follows it here and it has been the major topic of conversation among my students. Some even watched it in school!


Alrighty. That's enough for now. I am headed to a cherry blossom festival this weekend and it is supposed to be beautiful! Spring has arrived in Seoul and it is wonderful. Flowers are starting to bloom. I can't wait for summer! Hope the weather is warming up for you as well.


xoxo

Hello, Korean Father.

yo. yo. Hope you are all having a great week. I started the new school year this week. I have a few classes that are the same, but the majority of my classes are full of new students. I still have most of my favorite classes. I have a few of my kindergartners from last year's class, which is strange to say being I had them last week. ha. My new kindergartners are SO cute. I will take some pictures of them soon. They know pretty much ZERO English. They can say their name and write it. It is going to be very challenging, but fun. I am going to have to learn some more Korean words just to get by with the kindies.

There is this little hole-in-the-wall convenience store in my neighborhood. I stop there for the essentials- chips, chocolate, and other healthy goodies. For some reason, the owner of the shop reminds me of my dad. Yes, he is Korean and does not have ANY gray hair (sorry, dad), but there is just something about him that says, "Hi, I'm Dale Schwartz's Korean Twin." Yesterday, I was buying some goodies and he decided to give me a box of 4 Coca Cola glasses. There were not many words exchanged being we cannot understand each other, but there was a feeling of respect. I was completely blown away by his gift and felt very grateful. I don't really need any glasses, but they will be my new favorite items in my apartment (AKA the box) because they were given out of love. I thanked him (Kamsamida) and bowed. I do a lot of bowing in this country. It is the ultimate sign of respect. I may bow out of habit when I come home, so please do not think you are a king/queen. However, feel free to bow to me whenever you would like. :) So, I left the store with a huge smile on my face and my hand in my bag of chips. If you were wondering, they were delicious.

Another sign of respect is to take and give things with two hands, especially to someone who is older than you. Or you can use one hand, but you should be touching that arm with your other hand. For example, take chips from someone using your right hand and at the same time, your left hand should be touching your right arm. Confusing, I know.

For lunch today, I ate acorns. They were ground up and made into a brown jelly- it looked like jello, but had a harder consistency. It was ok- not great. The whole time I was eating it, I was picturing squirrels and how pissed they must be that we stole their acorns. Maybe South Koreans should stop worrying about the North and make sure that the squirrels aren't going to retaliate against them. hmmm...

I gave up everything celebrity gossip for Lent. It's not going so well. I have almost cheated by accident SO many times. I have a few websites that I USED to go to frequently (perezhilton/ people) and it's automatic to look them up when I am on my computer. I have never followed through with "giving things up" before, because I usually quit and tell myself that I don't have to do it being I'm not Catholic. We'll see... Oh no. Now I have to do it being I have made it public. Crap.

It's MARCH!!

Hellllllooooo. I hope you Minnesotans are enjoying your fresh spring snow. ha. I'm actually a LITTLE jealous. I don't think we will be getting a big snow here. The weather has taken a turn towards spring, which is making me VERY happy. A new season makes for new adventures and time to soak in the sun (you all better use sunscreen). However, I am going to soak up some of the last traces of winter and go snow boarding this coming weekend. I haven't done it since I was in 5th grade(?) during Ski Jammers (ski lessons extravaganza every Sat) and tried for an hour or so. It didn't end well. Out of frustration for my lack of awesome skills, I took off my board and walked down the hill. I haven't tried it since, but
i think Korea will be the perfect destination to be awful at something. For some reason, I have never-ending patience here. I think it's due to the fact that I am frequently lost or confused about something, so EVERYTHING takes longer. ha. I'm not sure how great the boarding will be, but I will probably be on the bunny hill and falling on my butt the majority of the day. It's all artificial snow and I'm pretty sure the mountains are more like really big hills- nothing compared to the beautiful mountains of Colorado. Anyways, I am pretty pumped and a tad nervous. If you have any tips, please pass them along.

This weekend, I went to this place called Nami Island which is on the Han River. It was pretty hilarious and odd. Supposedly, this island gained it's independence from Korea 2 years ago. I think it was more of a touristy place than anything. I guess they used to film a soap opera there. lame. They were having a festival for foreigners for the next 2 weekends, so we thought it was the perfect time to go. Plus, it was free entry for foreigners. The website said to bring your passport for proof of our "foreigner status", but got there and realized our faces gave us away. Who woulda thunk it? We got to the island and we were immediately being filmed and interviewed about the Nami experience. It was so strange. We were practically the only foreigners there. The island seemed like a small state fair in the middle of nature. I saw random bunnies that were clearly not native wild bunnies. I think the "Nami people" must have dropped off some random animals from the pet store to make it more of an animal friendly island. weird. I think it would have been better if we went during spring when everything wasn't brown and dead looking.


did you know...


-Squid, Pumpkin, sweet potato, red beans, and corn are staples in food here. If I don't know what something is, it's likely to be one of those. Have I mentioned that I HATE SQUID? I can't escape it. I walk 10 feet and I see it.
- One of the first things you would ask a potential boyfriend of girlfriend is what he/she blood type is. Strange. I guess O is the best. B is the worst. I am bloodtype A, which is an ok type. Apparently being Type "A" means that I am timid. hmmmm...
Koreans also love you if you have a narrow face, a skinny and long nose, round eyes, and very white skin. Basically, they love people who do not look Korean. It's very sad. Most Koreans, like some Americans, are very self absorbed. They are constantly looking at themselves in mirrors or anywhere they have a reflection, and taking picture of themselves on their phones. It's very funny. I can't tell you how many people I see on the subway just staring at themselves in their pocket mirrors, MEN and WOMEN. ha.
- I saw a couple wearing matching bunny ears.
- I saw an old grandma wearing a black hat with neon pink letters that said 'PIMP'. I'm guessing she doesn't know what pimp means.
- I got a card from one of my kindies, Christine, that said " Thank you for being my teacher. I liked learning in your class. I love you." I think there is a still a puddle near my desk where my heart melted. Those 3 sentences made all the bad days worth it.
- One of my alchy adult students' Bruce, (who named himself after Bruce Lee and I like to call "suck up") decided he needed to tell me that he was going to use the toilet for about 10 minutes. Apparently the alcohol from the night before was ready to leave his body. Gross. I love hearing these things at 745 a.m. It makes the beginning of class interesting and I get to laugh to myself or out loud for a good minute or two.
- I was eating a tofu/seafood soup the other day and had to remove a few disgusting things: fish brain, squid tentacles, and whole shrimp- head and legs still attached. Just another day of eating food in Korea. Inspecting my food is very important.
-You know your in Korea when a little child runs up to get a sample of sardines and eats it like candy. GROSS.
-Most, if not all koreans live with their parents until they get married. Thank God it's not like that in the US. My parents could be stuck with me until I'm 40 or worse...FOREVER! ha.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Well, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, actually, you still have one more day. Lucky you. Well, my little kindergartners graduated. It was cute and they were all dressed up - girls in all white and boys in suits. I brought my camera, but my battery was dead, so I have no pictures. So sad. I'm going to steal some from coworkers. I had to help out with the ceremony by calling kids names over the microphone and telling about the awards they received. I was not excited to do that. I tried to get out of it, but I guess they wanted freckles. I HATE speaking in from of a lot of people. I was so nervous. My voice was shaking a bit and I was trying REALLY hard not to laugh. I made it through without completely embarrassing myself. I did laugh a few times, but not directly into the microphone. I learned a few things from that day. 1) I hate public speaking. 2) I think it's really annoying hearing my voice in the microphone. 3) I may have to rethink my future career as the next Britney Spears.

Today, I went to a movie. It was an awful kids movie called The Secret of Moonacre. It was the only movie playing at that time and I really wanted a movie experience, so I caved and saw it. Of course, I bought popcorn and I would like to report that it tasted pretty close to popcorn in the US, minus the butter. They also make caramel popcorn and it smelled wonderful. Next time I will try it. When you buy your movie ticket, you are assigned a seat in the theater. It's nice, because you don't have to worry about getting there early enough to get a good seat! However, it does make some things complicated. Back in my "bad ass" days, my cousin Katie and I would occasionally go to two movies in a row. We would pay for the first ticket and then sneak into the next movie. Please don't tell the cops. I am VERY remorseful, not. Sorry mom. Anyways, having an assigned seat would make sneaking into movies very difficult if it was a busy night. I think Korean theater owners are reformed movie-stealer-bandits and wanted to deter hoodlums like myself from making bad choices. Good job. Mission Accomplished.

I would like to report that I am 98.3% better. I'm not quite fully healthy, but so close! It's very exciting. I have been in a little rut lately. I think the homesick bug has bitten me pretty good and have been trying to come out of it. This is the longest I have been away from home or at least from someone/something familiar. The more people I meet here, the more it has become apparent that I am so blessed to have all of you in my life. Thanks for being the rock stars that you are! I have been here 4 months now, which is crazy. It has gone by SO fast, but right now, it worries me that I still have many months to go. I know I will get out of this rut and be fine, so I just need to take it day by day! I knew I would I have these feelings eventually and I still signed up for it. It's time to suck it up and continue. Time to walk it off...

I wish you all a happy and peaceful week. That jobs will be found and stress will leave your mind, at least for a few days. That bodies will be healed and broken hearts mended.

Love you all. xoxoxo

did you know...
- Younger Korean couples like to wear matching outfits. I'm not kidding. It's hilarious.
- Korean men enjoy their man purses and you should too.
- Many Korean public bathrooms do not have toilets. They are porcelain holes in the floor that you squat over. I'm not a fan.
- Seoul, the 2nd largest city in the world, closes their subway at 12 am. Annoying.
- The Korean Won (currency) is doing AWFUL right, which is not making the exchange rate very fun.
- As much as I tell you silly things about Koreans, I love the people and the country.
- People are not worried about the North Korean conflict. They have a lot of faith in their military and the US. I'm not sure if
that makes them naive or idiots.
- According to my alchy business men, men in Korean have pride issues, too. It must be a biological flaw (among others) that all men have huge issues with asking for directions when they are lost. Just thought I would throw that out there. Very crucial findings.
- Oh, and women still have no issues. I know you were wondering.