One thing I really like about buying clothes here is that I can easily find clothes that fit. I am very thin, and whenever I go shopping in America I usually find a small selection of clothes that aren't large, extra large, or extra extra large. I feel bad for people who come here and are normal size by western standards (large), they usually have a tough time finding clothes that fit. Thankfully, I don't.
This post could easily turn into a very long post about the pressures Korean women face about their weight. I feel so bad for some of my friends here who are extremely thin but think they need to lose weight. I however, shall not post about that today.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
No more short days
No more 3 hour work days. I'm back up to 5 hours a day now. I guess I shouldn't be complaining too much but I do miss those short days. One of my friends at work found another job but he forgot to tell me. I knew he was looking but he didn't tell me until after he left. Kind of sucks but these things happen.
It got cold all of a sudden these past couple of days, there is a saying here for it "Winter hates Spring flowers". Well...I hate Winter.
Anyway, gotta go meet a friend for lunch.
It got cold all of a sudden these past couple of days, there is a saying here for it "Winter hates Spring flowers". Well...I hate Winter.
Anyway, gotta go meet a friend for lunch.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
No title
Haven't had much motivation to write lately, just been enjoying my time. I'm sooo glad winter is pretty much over as the cold weather has been such a drag. The winter here is too cold and too long. I used to love cold weather when I lived in Chicago but now I hate it.
Work is going fine, but I'm looking forward to finishing my contract and finding another job. I'm tired of living in Suwon, I'd rather live in Seoul. Suwon is a mid-sized city but with Seoul so close there really isn't much to do here. A lot of the foreigners who live in my building will be leaving soon. With schools having a hard time attracting new teachers it might be a while before I see some new faces. I don't mind though, I didn't move to Korea to live in a college dorm anyway.
Well, that's it for now.
Work is going fine, but I'm looking forward to finishing my contract and finding another job. I'm tired of living in Suwon, I'd rather live in Seoul. Suwon is a mid-sized city but with Seoul so close there really isn't much to do here. A lot of the foreigners who live in my building will be leaving soon. With schools having a hard time attracting new teachers it might be a while before I see some new faces. I don't mind though, I didn't move to Korea to live in a college dorm anyway.
Well, that's it for now.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Don't really feel like posting
I don't really feel like posting much these days. Now that I'm living here I'm also not really following many blogs from ESL teachers. I guess it's time for another break.
My posting style has changed lately, it's become more personal and not about activities or culture. It's also become much more negative. Just keep in mind that 95% of the things I experience over here do not end up on this blog, especially the good things. As much as I rant on here sometimes, I'm generally not a negative person.
Anyway, break time.
My posting style has changed lately, it's become more personal and not about activities or culture. It's also become much more negative. Just keep in mind that 95% of the things I experience over here do not end up on this blog, especially the good things. As much as I rant on here sometimes, I'm generally not a negative person.
Anyway, break time.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Oh the stories I could tell
Some of the people who come here are just plain weird. I've hinted at it before but never really written about it. The stories I could tell about these people would probably not be believed anyway, so I will give you the watered down versions. On the surface these people are actually very nice, and that's really all you need to function here in Korea, after all Koreans don't really know how we're supposed to act anyway. Get under the surface and you're opening up a whole can of worms.
Some of the people I've met...
This particular person is extremely friendly, and I generally like him. Some of the strange conversations he's had with me and other people include: instead of teaching people English we should hire dolphins and teach people to speak dolphin. His solution to make the world a better place includes getting a machine gun and killing the bad people? I'm not sure how he came about that brilliant plan.
The next person will do anything, and I mean anything if someone challenges him to do it. I won't go into the details but he told me a story that would make your teeth hurt if I told you. He is incapable of standing up to peer pressure and will literally risk his life because of peer pressure. Oh, and he's obsessed with his height. He's stopped talking about it recently but he used to always complain that everyone here is taller than him. Oh, he used to complain about fat chicks with the guy I'm going to talk about next, until he got a girlfriend who is on the heavy side.
The next guy is probably the biggest misogynist I have ever met. I have NEVER had a single conversation with him where he did not bring up his favorite topic "fat chicks". The only time he stops talking about it is when a girl he is interested in enters within earshot. He's incapable of looking me in the eye for some reason, every time I talk to him he has to look away from me. He's never said a single nice thing about anyone here. Oh, and he loves to complain about his roommate. It's kinda funny though, if you're a male in your 20s and you come here agreeing to have a roommate, you are an idiot.
This last one is a girl. First time I met her she told me not to crack my knuckles because it would cause arthritis. I told her that was just a myth and she freaked out...here are some of my favorite quotes from that conversation. "I'm a scientist I majored in biochemistry". "Go ahead and challenge me I used to work in a lab". "Every time you crack your knuckles a little bit of liquid escapes from your bones and thats what causes arthritis". Needless to say she has some serious issues.
These are just a couple of the foreigners I have to deal with. My Korean friends are always wondering why I enjoying spending time with them and not the foreigners. I just tell them they are younger than me, or they always want to go out drinking and I don't. I don't tell them the real reasons...I'm too embarrassed.
Some of the people I've met...
This particular person is extremely friendly, and I generally like him. Some of the strange conversations he's had with me and other people include: instead of teaching people English we should hire dolphins and teach people to speak dolphin. His solution to make the world a better place includes getting a machine gun and killing the bad people? I'm not sure how he came about that brilliant plan.
The next person will do anything, and I mean anything if someone challenges him to do it. I won't go into the details but he told me a story that would make your teeth hurt if I told you. He is incapable of standing up to peer pressure and will literally risk his life because of peer pressure. Oh, and he's obsessed with his height. He's stopped talking about it recently but he used to always complain that everyone here is taller than him. Oh, he used to complain about fat chicks with the guy I'm going to talk about next, until he got a girlfriend who is on the heavy side.
The next guy is probably the biggest misogynist I have ever met. I have NEVER had a single conversation with him where he did not bring up his favorite topic "fat chicks". The only time he stops talking about it is when a girl he is interested in enters within earshot. He's incapable of looking me in the eye for some reason, every time I talk to him he has to look away from me. He's never said a single nice thing about anyone here. Oh, and he loves to complain about his roommate. It's kinda funny though, if you're a male in your 20s and you come here agreeing to have a roommate, you are an idiot.
This last one is a girl. First time I met her she told me not to crack my knuckles because it would cause arthritis. I told her that was just a myth and she freaked out...here are some of my favorite quotes from that conversation. "I'm a scientist I majored in biochemistry". "Go ahead and challenge me I used to work in a lab". "Every time you crack your knuckles a little bit of liquid escapes from your bones and thats what causes arthritis". Needless to say she has some serious issues.
These are just a couple of the foreigners I have to deal with. My Korean friends are always wondering why I enjoying spending time with them and not the foreigners. I just tell them they are younger than me, or they always want to go out drinking and I don't. I don't tell them the real reasons...I'm too embarrassed.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Blah
I knew it would happen sooner or later, and I knew it would happen around the four month mark. The newness is completely gone and now things are starting to get on my nerves. I am no longer living in paradise. As much as I love the complexities of Korean culture, sometimes things just really confuse or piss me off. I even briefly entertained the notion of moving to another country to teach. Then again I must remember that I am currently in the "everything is awful" phase of culture shock. One thing I am quickly learning is that during these first couple of months everything is either really good or really bad. There seems to be a very small middle ground. Some days are the best in my life, some days are completely terrible. These mood swings are very annoying as I am used to a secure and stable life in America.
It's odd though, even as bad as things can get, my life is still much better than the secure and stable one I lived in America. As long as I am able to put things into perspective then I should be fine. Writing helps to organize my thoughts. When I started this blog entry I was pretty depressed over recent events, but I feel much better about things now. I have only been here four months and I must remember two things: culture shock, and I will stumble along the way. I will make mistakes but I will always pick myself back up and turn things around.
You might be wondering what brought this on. It's just a combination of things, women problems, culture shock, and minor work problems are the main things. I am learning so much though, all these problems are worth it.
One very important lesson I have learned is about expectations. Don't have expectations, they only get in the way. Enjoy something for what it is, not what it could be.
It's odd though, even as bad as things can get, my life is still much better than the secure and stable one I lived in America. As long as I am able to put things into perspective then I should be fine. Writing helps to organize my thoughts. When I started this blog entry I was pretty depressed over recent events, but I feel much better about things now. I have only been here four months and I must remember two things: culture shock, and I will stumble along the way. I will make mistakes but I will always pick myself back up and turn things around.
You might be wondering what brought this on. It's just a combination of things, women problems, culture shock, and minor work problems are the main things. I am learning so much though, all these problems are worth it.
One very important lesson I have learned is about expectations. Don't have expectations, they only get in the way. Enjoy something for what it is, not what it could be.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Just stuff
For todays post readers I will just talk about random things in no particular order.
This evening I've been thinking a great deal about the movie "Office Space" and about my life this past year. When I first watched the movie Office Space I really didn't enjoy it much. It wasn't very funny, frankly it was boring. I was still in college at this point and hadn't really worked in a big office environment yet. I really didn't appreciate the beauty of the movie. Fast forward a couple of years and now its one of my favorite movies of all time. If you haven't watched it I really recommend it. When people ask me why did I come here, I usually ask them if they have watched the movie Office Space. That movie was my life before coming here. The main character hates his job, his girlfriend is psycho (broke up with mine about a year before coming here) anyway to make a long story short the main character learns not to care about his crappy life and just enjoy it, eventually he follows his dream and ends up as a construction worker but the point is, he's happy. The movie is full of quotes I think about often, here are a few of my favorite:
Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.
Bob Porter: Don't... don't care?
Peter Gibbons: It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime; so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.
Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?
Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.
Bob Slydell: Eight?
Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.
Peter Gibbons: What would you do if you had a million dollars?
Lawrence: I'll tell you what I'd do, man: two chicks at the same time, man.
Peter Gibbons: That's it? If you had a million dollars, you'd do two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Damn straight. I always wanted to do that, man. And I think if I were a millionaire I could hook that up, too; 'cause chicks dig dudes with money.
Peter Gibbons: Well, not all chicks.
Lawrence: Well, the type of chicks that'd double up on a dude like me do.
Peter Gibbons: Good point.
Lawrence: Well, what about you now? what would you do?
Peter Gibbons: Besides two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Well, yeah.
Peter Gibbons: Nothing.
Lawrence: Nothing, huh?
Peter Gibbons: I would relax... I would sit on my ass all day... I would do nothing.
Lawrence: Well, you don't need a million dollars to do nothing, man. Take a look at my cousin: he's broke, don't do shit.
Bob Slydell: You see, what we're actually trying to do here is, we're trying to get a feel for how people spend their day at work... so, if you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Bob Slydell: Great.
Peter Gibbons: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh heh - and, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour.
Bob Porter: Da-uh? Space out?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.
Peter Gibbons: So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.
Dr. Swanson: What about today? Is today the worst day of your life?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Dr. Swanson: Wow, that's messed up.
Michael Bolton: Peter, you're in deep shit. You were supposed to come in on Saturday. What were you doing?
Peter Gibbons: Michael, I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be.
Anyway, now that I've posted half the movie's dialogue go and watch it.
This brings me to another topic. Last Friday I went out for drinks and food with my friends Sun and this other Korean I work with. Anyway the three of us are almost the same age, and we all have similar personalities. We're also at the same points in our life and each of us has been thinking a great deal about our futures lately. My Korean friend has been wondering what he's going to do about his job, if he wants to get married, where he will live. Sun has been very worried lately that she will end up an old unmarried woman, shes 27 western age (29) Korean and has been under a great deal of pressure from her family to get married soon. I'm also wondering about my future but in a different way. The 3 of us were a bit gloomy when we were talking about our futures but when it was my turn I decided to try to cheer everyone up. I just came right out and said "I have no idea what my future holds and thats exactly how I like it". I proceed to tell them I treat my life like an adventure, if I'm unhappy with something in my life I think about it, then I change it. I hated my life in America, so I came halfway around the world to start a new one. I told them I don't care when I get married or what country I live in. I could leave for Japan in one year, end up living in Korea for ten, move to china, or go back home. I have no idea and that makes me happy. I haven't planned out my life. I try to leave every door open that I can and when the time comes I just pick one and end up some place new.
Anyway, that's it for now, later!
This evening I've been thinking a great deal about the movie "Office Space" and about my life this past year. When I first watched the movie Office Space I really didn't enjoy it much. It wasn't very funny, frankly it was boring. I was still in college at this point and hadn't really worked in a big office environment yet. I really didn't appreciate the beauty of the movie. Fast forward a couple of years and now its one of my favorite movies of all time. If you haven't watched it I really recommend it. When people ask me why did I come here, I usually ask them if they have watched the movie Office Space. That movie was my life before coming here. The main character hates his job, his girlfriend is psycho (broke up with mine about a year before coming here) anyway to make a long story short the main character learns not to care about his crappy life and just enjoy it, eventually he follows his dream and ends up as a construction worker but the point is, he's happy. The movie is full of quotes I think about often, here are a few of my favorite:
Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.
Bob Porter: Don't... don't care?
Peter Gibbons: It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime; so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.
Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?
Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.
Bob Slydell: Eight?
Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.
Peter Gibbons: What would you do if you had a million dollars?
Lawrence: I'll tell you what I'd do, man: two chicks at the same time, man.
Peter Gibbons: That's it? If you had a million dollars, you'd do two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Damn straight. I always wanted to do that, man. And I think if I were a millionaire I could hook that up, too; 'cause chicks dig dudes with money.
Peter Gibbons: Well, not all chicks.
Lawrence: Well, the type of chicks that'd double up on a dude like me do.
Peter Gibbons: Good point.
Lawrence: Well, what about you now? what would you do?
Peter Gibbons: Besides two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Well, yeah.
Peter Gibbons: Nothing.
Lawrence: Nothing, huh?
Peter Gibbons: I would relax... I would sit on my ass all day... I would do nothing.
Lawrence: Well, you don't need a million dollars to do nothing, man. Take a look at my cousin: he's broke, don't do shit.
Bob Slydell: You see, what we're actually trying to do here is, we're trying to get a feel for how people spend their day at work... so, if you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Bob Slydell: Great.
Peter Gibbons: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh heh - and, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour.
Bob Porter: Da-uh? Space out?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.
Peter Gibbons: So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.
Dr. Swanson: What about today? Is today the worst day of your life?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Dr. Swanson: Wow, that's messed up.
Michael Bolton: Peter, you're in deep shit. You were supposed to come in on Saturday. What were you doing?
Peter Gibbons: Michael, I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be.
Anyway, now that I've posted half the movie's dialogue go and watch it.
This brings me to another topic. Last Friday I went out for drinks and food with my friends Sun and this other Korean I work with. Anyway the three of us are almost the same age, and we all have similar personalities. We're also at the same points in our life and each of us has been thinking a great deal about our futures lately. My Korean friend has been wondering what he's going to do about his job, if he wants to get married, where he will live. Sun has been very worried lately that she will end up an old unmarried woman, shes 27 western age (29) Korean and has been under a great deal of pressure from her family to get married soon. I'm also wondering about my future but in a different way. The 3 of us were a bit gloomy when we were talking about our futures but when it was my turn I decided to try to cheer everyone up. I just came right out and said "I have no idea what my future holds and thats exactly how I like it". I proceed to tell them I treat my life like an adventure, if I'm unhappy with something in my life I think about it, then I change it. I hated my life in America, so I came halfway around the world to start a new one. I told them I don't care when I get married or what country I live in. I could leave for Japan in one year, end up living in Korea for ten, move to china, or go back home. I have no idea and that makes me happy. I haven't planned out my life. I try to leave every door open that I can and when the time comes I just pick one and end up some place new.
Anyway, that's it for now, later!
Friday, February 02, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Always keep your options open
One thing I'm quickly learning (and shocked I haven't learned until now) is always keep your options open for as long as you can. You focus on one thing and close the door on other things and you may not get a second chance. Do not close the other doors until you are absolutely sure you have whatever it is you want.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
I work 4 hours a day
I can't help but marvel at the number of hours I work. I teach 4 classes a day, thats it. They are 40 minutes each, so technically I work less than 4 hours a day but add a little prep time and it evens out. I used to work 6 hrs a day but we got a new teacher. His name is Anthony, and so far he seems very normal. It might have to do with the fact that he is in his 40s or 50s. Apparently he also has a Ph.D. in something, but I haven't asked what his doctorate is in yet.
He moved into the officetel next to mine and a couple of weeks ago he knocked on my door with a picture of a Korean woman in hand. He asked if I thought the woman was pretty, and she was. Curious I asked him why are you asking (with thoughts of maybe he isn't so normal after all dancing in my head), oh because my Korean girlfriend is looking for someone to introduce her to and she picked you. I declined because I was seeing Sun at the time. This past Saturday Sun and I had a conversation, at the end of which we agreed to remain friends but go no further. So, with that confusion cleared up I asked Anthony to introduce me to his girlfriend's friend. There is no set date but the next opportunity he gets I will meet her.
It seems everyone has a girl they want me to meet.
He moved into the officetel next to mine and a couple of weeks ago he knocked on my door with a picture of a Korean woman in hand. He asked if I thought the woman was pretty, and she was. Curious I asked him why are you asking (with thoughts of maybe he isn't so normal after all dancing in my head), oh because my Korean girlfriend is looking for someone to introduce her to and she picked you. I declined because I was seeing Sun at the time. This past Saturday Sun and I had a conversation, at the end of which we agreed to remain friends but go no further. So, with that confusion cleared up I asked Anthony to introduce me to his girlfriend's friend. There is no set date but the next opportunity he gets I will meet her.
It seems everyone has a girl they want me to meet.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Pictures and things
This past Saturday I went to Seoul with my friend Sun (nickname of the girl I'm interested in) to dance at a Salsa bar. Dancing is something I've always wanted to try but never had the courage to do. I'm glad she invited me so I can actually learn how to dance. Right now I'm learning Salsa dance. Sun's favorite type of dance is Jazz, and she is really good too. I met her brother and two of her friends. They don't speak English well but we still managed to communicate. Sun is starting to encourage me to study Korean more and more these days. I promised her I would start studying 1 hour every day.
I keep telling myself that I'm not one of those gifted people who can pickup languages easily. But I've been thinking about that all day today. What it really comes down to is desire. I remember in high school I didn't do very well at all. I hated high school and never put any effort into it. When I started going to college I was always wondering if I was as smart as everyone else, after all I did terrible in high school. I used those thoughts as motivation to study and learn as much as I could. It worked and I ended up leaving community college with honors, and almost graduating with honors for my bachelor's degree. The reason my GPA slipped wasn't because the material was more difficult, I had just lost my desire. By then I knew I was just as smart as anyone else and the desire to prove it to myself went away. Well I think I might be in the same situation now with the Korean language. All I need is the motivation to study hard and I know I can master the language. The good news is that I now have that motivation, my friend Sun.
Here are some winter pictures from the area I live in taken last month.
I keep telling myself that I'm not one of those gifted people who can pickup languages easily. But I've been thinking about that all day today. What it really comes down to is desire. I remember in high school I didn't do very well at all. I hated high school and never put any effort into it. When I started going to college I was always wondering if I was as smart as everyone else, after all I did terrible in high school. I used those thoughts as motivation to study and learn as much as I could. It worked and I ended up leaving community college with honors, and almost graduating with honors for my bachelor's degree. The reason my GPA slipped wasn't because the material was more difficult, I had just lost my desire. By then I knew I was just as smart as anyone else and the desire to prove it to myself went away. Well I think I might be in the same situation now with the Korean language. All I need is the motivation to study hard and I know I can master the language. The good news is that I now have that motivation, my friend Sun.
Here are some winter pictures from the area I live in taken last month.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Friday, January 05, 2007
Caught and confronted...
During my last class on Friday the students were busy working on a short speech I asked them to prepare. All of a sudden one of my middle school students asks me if I know Randy teacher. No, I told him. He left before I came here. Another student asked me if I knew Tim teacher. Nope he left before I got here too. From behind me I hear one of my middle school girls ask, Kevin teacher do you know (name of female teacher I'm dating)? I turn around quickly and search for something to say...Why, I asked. Because I saw you two eating lunch together last week, was it a date? No I told her. Then why wasn't S. teacher with you (Canadian teacher)? I don't answer the second question and walk back to the podium to pretend I'm busy. I look up from the podium and notice all the students are staring at me. Your face is red a student says. I quickly blurt out that she just wants to practice her English. Lies, another middle school girl shoots back. Go back to work I tell my students. I look back at my book on the podium and hear another voice softly say "but (blank) teacher is ugly."
Sigh.
Sigh.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Best date of my life
Here we go with the personal crap again, anyway...
I'm having trouble falling asleep tonight. The problem is that today I had the best date of my entire life. Yesterday I made plans to meet with my Korean female friend (notice I didn't use the words Korean girlfriend), it was planned as a group date. She is still very shy about her English so I always make sure to bring a Korean friend along to make her feel more comfortable. Last night I asked my best Korean friend to come hang out with us and he said he would, the 3 of us were to meet in the lobby of my building at 1:30pm (we all work in this building, but I'm the only one who lives in this building). Anyway, this afternoon I went down to the lobby to wait for my friends. I met the girl I'm dating, but my other friend curiously didn't show up. We tried calling him but he didn't answer. I had a feeling this would happen sooner or later. See, he's been acting as the go between for us. He speaks good English and Korean, so we rely on him to communicate sometimes. But I had a feeling he wanted to start cutting the bond, and I'm so glad he did.
After about 5 minutes of waiting we decided to go grab some food. We went to this place known as "the crazy ladies restaurant" (don't ask). Anyway, we sit down by the window and she looks at me and says "uh oh", I ask what's wrong? The sun is in your eyes she tells me. I tear my eyes away from her beauty and notice that the sun is in my eyes. The sun is not only in my eyes but I'm actually squinting quite a bit. I didn't even notice I was so focused on her. We moved to another seat with less sunlight and she asks me if I can read the menu. I tried to impress her with my Korean reading ability but I was so nervous all I could read was the order of "mandu". Anyway, we had such a great time, she was trying so hard to practice her English. We even practiced my Korean a little bit. She was so happy that I could tell her the days of the week in Korean. She taught me that in Korea the first meal of the day usually consists of rice (I had ordered noodles). She then went on to tell me she wants to teach me so much but her English just isn't good enough. We made plans to study English and Korean together soon. After eating we went to dunkin donuts for coffee and donuts. We had so much fun, it was almost time for us to go back to work but she confessed she didn't want to go back to work. As we were walking back we ran into another teacher in our school which made for an awkward situation. Koreans are very conservative on the outside, and it was a little embarrassing for another teacher to see us together. I didn't really care but I could tell she was embarrassed because she got shy again.
This was by far the best date I've ever had. Our conversation was limited, but the substance of the date was humongous. She's such a generous and kind person. I did my absolute best to return the kindness and generosity. I hope I succeeded.
I'm having trouble falling asleep tonight. The problem is that today I had the best date of my entire life. Yesterday I made plans to meet with my Korean female friend (notice I didn't use the words Korean girlfriend), it was planned as a group date. She is still very shy about her English so I always make sure to bring a Korean friend along to make her feel more comfortable. Last night I asked my best Korean friend to come hang out with us and he said he would, the 3 of us were to meet in the lobby of my building at 1:30pm (we all work in this building, but I'm the only one who lives in this building). Anyway, this afternoon I went down to the lobby to wait for my friends. I met the girl I'm dating, but my other friend curiously didn't show up. We tried calling him but he didn't answer. I had a feeling this would happen sooner or later. See, he's been acting as the go between for us. He speaks good English and Korean, so we rely on him to communicate sometimes. But I had a feeling he wanted to start cutting the bond, and I'm so glad he did.
After about 5 minutes of waiting we decided to go grab some food. We went to this place known as "the crazy ladies restaurant" (don't ask). Anyway, we sit down by the window and she looks at me and says "uh oh", I ask what's wrong? The sun is in your eyes she tells me. I tear my eyes away from her beauty and notice that the sun is in my eyes. The sun is not only in my eyes but I'm actually squinting quite a bit. I didn't even notice I was so focused on her. We moved to another seat with less sunlight and she asks me if I can read the menu. I tried to impress her with my Korean reading ability but I was so nervous all I could read was the order of "mandu". Anyway, we had such a great time, she was trying so hard to practice her English. We even practiced my Korean a little bit. She was so happy that I could tell her the days of the week in Korean. She taught me that in Korea the first meal of the day usually consists of rice (I had ordered noodles). She then went on to tell me she wants to teach me so much but her English just isn't good enough. We made plans to study English and Korean together soon. After eating we went to dunkin donuts for coffee and donuts. We had so much fun, it was almost time for us to go back to work but she confessed she didn't want to go back to work. As we were walking back we ran into another teacher in our school which made for an awkward situation. Koreans are very conservative on the outside, and it was a little embarrassing for another teacher to see us together. I didn't really care but I could tell she was embarrassed because she got shy again.
This was by far the best date I've ever had. Our conversation was limited, but the substance of the date was humongous. She's such a generous and kind person. I did my absolute best to return the kindness and generosity. I hope I succeeded.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Why did you come here?
Why did you come here is my least favorite question. I have been asked this question multiple times in one day, multiple times in one conversation, multiple times by the same person. It's complicated is my standard reply. It's always complicated they usually say. You have a degree in Computer Science, you used to work for America Online a big company, why come to Korea? How am I supposed to explain to them that I wasn't happy working at a big company in America. How am I supposed to explain to them that the dream they have of living in a western country has no value for me. I usually try to tell them that I wanted to travel, to see the world, to learn another language, to learn another culture. This answer doesn't always satisfy them. I used to work for a big company in America, why would I ever give that up? This decision of mine did not happen over night. When I first graduated university I knew all about teaching in Korea, it was fun to dream about but I had no intention of actually doing it myself. After all I had just worked my butt off getting my degree and why should I just throw it away. Well, 2 and a half years in corporate america changed my mind. It was the same routine every day. Wake up, work, go home. That is just not enough for me. I want more. That is why I am here. I have really good days here, and I have really bad days here, but each day is unique. I believe it's more important to enjoy your life than to always worry about the future. If your mind is stuck in the future how can you enjoy the present? You can't, you can't enjoy the present. Screw that.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Yongsan
This past Saturday I went to Yongsan Electronics Market. This place has everything you could possibly want as far as computers, cameras, video cameras, pirated dvds, game consoles, mp3 players, dvd players, its a great place to find cheap electronics. I bought a used xbox with some games which cost me more then I'd like to admit. I didn't want to get the xbox 360 yet but I really needed something besides my Nintendo DS. I'll need to make another trip there to pick up some speakers and a wireless router.
Sunday I went over to a friends apartment to fix her computer. I met her at some random party and we get along pretty well. She was hanging out with her other friend whom I also know from some random party. I managed to fix her computer then we went to a Korean restaurant where I had my favorite Korean food, Mandu. The three of us agreed to make plans to hang out again soon. Then I jumped on a bus headed back to Suwon Station, took the subway to Hwaseo Station and walked home from there.
I had some trouble finding her place. She lives in Yeong Tong which is on the other side of Suwon and I have only been there once. I could have taken a taxi but I wanted to get used to the bus system. I got on the correct bus, but it was headed in the wrong direction. I ended up at some bus depot at the edge of Suwon. I could tell the bus driver was a little confused and when I said Yeong Tong he laughed and said "No...*korean words here*". He told me to wait 5 minutes while the bus got an oil change. A minute later he came back on the bus and said "Man...follow me". I followed him, he pointed to another bus with exactly the same number and said Yeong Tong. I got on that bus and ended up in the correct area. I told this story to my friends and they both said that has never happened to them before. I was at the correct bus stop and got on the correct bus but for some reason it went in the wrong direction and know one could tell me why. Lesson learned: Always ask the bus driver if the bus is going to your destination, and hope that he understands your terrible western accent.
Oh, one more thing before the pictures of Yongsan. I told my friends in Yeong Tong that I've started dating a Korean girl and that it was very difficult because of the language and cultural differences. I said to them I think it's very difficult for western women over here because of the poor dating pool. I mentioned that western women don't really like to date Korean men and they told me it was because women like men who speak the same "language" as them. Now this might seem trivial to you, but it really struck a cord with me. I don't think men really put communication at the top of the relationship priority list. The girl I'm "dating" really struggles with English and I often have to use small words and speak slowly, but I'll be damned if thats going to stop me from dating her. I figure with enough time her english will get better. I can be patient, I mean what else do I have to do?
Anyway,
I often wonder if I should post stuff like this because for one it's very personal, and two I have to be very careful so I don't come across as being a "bad" person. If you knew the guys I hang out with you'd understand why I'm trying very hard to give a good impression of westerners. However, I want to be as honest as possible about my experiences over here, it's a delicate balance.
Now, let me explain why I put "dating" in quotes. We've just started having dinner together during our breaks at school. She knows I like her but we're just barely starting to get to know each other better. I put "dating" in quotes because its so early in the get to know each other phase. So we'll see what happens. Also, being a very humble person I don't like to read more into a situation, I always try to downplay things. Gah, which brings up another topic that I will save for later. I ALWAYS feel guilty when Koreans tell me "America so big and strong". Or "America is so rich". I always try to downplay it.
Anyway, pictures of Yongsan, enjoy!!!
Sunday I went over to a friends apartment to fix her computer. I met her at some random party and we get along pretty well. She was hanging out with her other friend whom I also know from some random party. I managed to fix her computer then we went to a Korean restaurant where I had my favorite Korean food, Mandu. The three of us agreed to make plans to hang out again soon. Then I jumped on a bus headed back to Suwon Station, took the subway to Hwaseo Station and walked home from there.
I had some trouble finding her place. She lives in Yeong Tong which is on the other side of Suwon and I have only been there once. I could have taken a taxi but I wanted to get used to the bus system. I got on the correct bus, but it was headed in the wrong direction. I ended up at some bus depot at the edge of Suwon. I could tell the bus driver was a little confused and when I said Yeong Tong he laughed and said "No...*korean words here*". He told me to wait 5 minutes while the bus got an oil change. A minute later he came back on the bus and said "Man...follow me". I followed him, he pointed to another bus with exactly the same number and said Yeong Tong. I got on that bus and ended up in the correct area. I told this story to my friends and they both said that has never happened to them before. I was at the correct bus stop and got on the correct bus but for some reason it went in the wrong direction and know one could tell me why. Lesson learned: Always ask the bus driver if the bus is going to your destination, and hope that he understands your terrible western accent.
Oh, one more thing before the pictures of Yongsan. I told my friends in Yeong Tong that I've started dating a Korean girl and that it was very difficult because of the language and cultural differences. I said to them I think it's very difficult for western women over here because of the poor dating pool. I mentioned that western women don't really like to date Korean men and they told me it was because women like men who speak the same "language" as them. Now this might seem trivial to you, but it really struck a cord with me. I don't think men really put communication at the top of the relationship priority list. The girl I'm "dating" really struggles with English and I often have to use small words and speak slowly, but I'll be damned if thats going to stop me from dating her. I figure with enough time her english will get better. I can be patient, I mean what else do I have to do?
Anyway,
I often wonder if I should post stuff like this because for one it's very personal, and two I have to be very careful so I don't come across as being a "bad" person. If you knew the guys I hang out with you'd understand why I'm trying very hard to give a good impression of westerners. However, I want to be as honest as possible about my experiences over here, it's a delicate balance.
Now, let me explain why I put "dating" in quotes. We've just started having dinner together during our breaks at school. She knows I like her but we're just barely starting to get to know each other better. I put "dating" in quotes because its so early in the get to know each other phase. So we'll see what happens. Also, being a very humble person I don't like to read more into a situation, I always try to downplay things. Gah, which brings up another topic that I will save for later. I ALWAYS feel guilty when Koreans tell me "America so big and strong". Or "America is so rich". I always try to downplay it.
Anyway, pictures of Yongsan, enjoy!!!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Internet
Finally got an internet connection in my apartment. I asked my Korean friend to call them and he did. Turns out the operator speaks very good english so I was able to do the rest. The technician came the very next day and hooked everything up. The connection is EXTREMELY fast. However, even though it tested at about 25Mb/s the test server was here in Korea. Using test servers in the states I only get about 3.5Mb/s. Still, its the internet so I'm happy.
I talked to a friend from college while we played an online game for a while today. I was telling him all the stories that I can't post here. Some of them are just too complicated to write about, and some of them aren't appropriate. I'd really like to start podcasting but I might wait for a while. I have so many interesting stories but I need to be careful that the people involved don't read them so they don't become upset or get in trouble etc. Another reason I want to get into podcasting is because it's just easier to talk about a story, rather than write about it. Its like when they make books into movies, so much is left out. Well when I write about my stories so much is left out, but when I talk about it I can usually tell the story better.
I have some pictures that I took one day when I was walking to HomePlus. I will probably post them soon and take you on a short 15 minute walk there.
Another idea I have but haven't gotten around too is taking pictures of konglish writing I see.
This weekend I'm going back to Yongsan Electronics Market. I will do my best to take pictures and document the journey. I intend to get myself an xbox and some games. I was thinking about getting the 360 but I'm probably going to hold off on that for a while. Sunday I'm hanging out with a friend from England, she wants me to fix her computer than we'll go see a movie or dinner or something.
I have many things planned for this blog. Now that I have a reliable internet connection I might get around to doing it. I just have so much going on that I haven't been able to devote the time needed to really polish this thing.
My school is growing really fast. We now have classrooms on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors of our building. Our english department will be on the 5th floor starting the 16th. I was up there the other day and its all brand new, very posh. I'm starting to feel bad for the Koreans I work with, they don't make as much money as I do and they are treated a little worse. I'm pretty much treated like an untouchable, they don't make me do any extra work or anything. While the Koreans have to do office work and all kinds of extra stuff, makes me uncomfortable.
Anyway, thats it for now.
I talked to a friend from college while we played an online game for a while today. I was telling him all the stories that I can't post here. Some of them are just too complicated to write about, and some of them aren't appropriate. I'd really like to start podcasting but I might wait for a while. I have so many interesting stories but I need to be careful that the people involved don't read them so they don't become upset or get in trouble etc. Another reason I want to get into podcasting is because it's just easier to talk about a story, rather than write about it. Its like when they make books into movies, so much is left out. Well when I write about my stories so much is left out, but when I talk about it I can usually tell the story better.
I have some pictures that I took one day when I was walking to HomePlus. I will probably post them soon and take you on a short 15 minute walk there.
Another idea I have but haven't gotten around too is taking pictures of konglish writing I see.
This weekend I'm going back to Yongsan Electronics Market. I will do my best to take pictures and document the journey. I intend to get myself an xbox and some games. I was thinking about getting the 360 but I'm probably going to hold off on that for a while. Sunday I'm hanging out with a friend from England, she wants me to fix her computer than we'll go see a movie or dinner or something.
I have many things planned for this blog. Now that I have a reliable internet connection I might get around to doing it. I just have so much going on that I haven't been able to devote the time needed to really polish this thing.
My school is growing really fast. We now have classrooms on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors of our building. Our english department will be on the 5th floor starting the 16th. I was up there the other day and its all brand new, very posh. I'm starting to feel bad for the Koreans I work with, they don't make as much money as I do and they are treated a little worse. I'm pretty much treated like an untouchable, they don't make me do any extra work or anything. While the Koreans have to do office work and all kinds of extra stuff, makes me uncomfortable.
Anyway, thats it for now.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Birthday part 2, and dating
So much for the break I was going to take. Anyway, this post is going to get a little personal and complicated. After you read this post you’ll probably realize why I stopped posting, my life is getting complicated!
For my birthday I decided I really didn’t want to tell anyone or celebrate. A few people knew and I got a few gifts. After work I went up to my room and started reading. Around 11 o’clock at night I got a call from a Korean friend/co-worker and he asked me if I wanted to go to a party in 30 minutes for our schools anniversary. I said yes I would like to go. He then proceeded to ask me why I didn’t tell him it was my birthday and I had to explain to him I didn’t like to celebrate. I went down to the school and hung out until it was time to leave. All the schools teachers (there are maybe 20 or 25) went to a traditional Korean restaurant and ate. By now everyone knew it was my birthday and people were coming up to me wishing me a happy birthday. Around 2am we got up to leave the restaurant.
This is where things get a little complicated. As we were leaving a woman, I shall refer to as woman A, came up behind me and started leaning against me as we were walking. Now I don’t care what culture you are from, if a woman leans up against you to stay warm it sends certain signals. By this point I was very drunk and I have a feeling she was pretty drunk as well. Ahead of us woman B was walking (she has also shown some interest in me but I’ve been told she changes her mind constantly so I decided to just leave her alone). Anyway, all of a sudden the best friend of woman B grabs woman A gently by the arm and starts talking to her. I turn around to see if woman A is going to come back, when woman B touches my arm and whispers to me “Follow me”. I asked her where we were going and she replies “Too drink”. Who am I to turn her down? We followed a group of about 6 or 7 other Koreans (including the school’s president) into a bar and sat down. Woman B comes to sit next to me but unfortunately there was no seat to my right, and the seat to my left was already taken. As soon as she sees this she sits next to the person on the other end of the table. Woman A walks into the bar about a minute later and walks right up to sit next to me but realizes there is no chair. So she ends up sitting next to woman B. Another teacher comes in this time male, and pulls up a chair beside me. We talked and drank until 5am at which point we all went home. It was obvious to me that both woman A and woman B wanted to spend some time with me. What isn’t obvious are their intentions.
Anyway,
Dating here is extremely confusing for me. I thought a while ago that woman B really liked me. I asked her out to dinner and she said yes. The day we were to eat dinner she changed her mind and said no. She is very friendly to me when we go out with the bosses of the school, but isn’t so when we are alone. I get the feeling that she might just be using me as a status symbol, maybe to better contract negotiations when her contract is finished. However, this analysis of mine could be false and maybe she is just trying to help me through a difficult situation.
Woman A is extremely beautiful, and very sweet. Even though she is an English teacher, her English isn’t nearly as good as woman B’s which would make any sort of relationship difficult. I’ve also been told by my Korean friend that she uses the normal form of Korean with him, not the polite form like she should, which is a little rude. Her nickname is “Ice Princess” because she looks a little cold. In Korea when you call a woman “Princess” it’s actually a very good thing, no negative connotations like in the west.
Anyway, last Friday I went to dinner with my boss, and 4 other male teachers. I’ve had my eye on another female teacher (woman C) we work with but she teaches math and I don’t know how good her English is. My friend told me he would introduce us when he got the chance. Well that chance came last Friday when we were walking down the stairs. She was walking right behind us and my friend kind of turns in her direction and points at her. At which point I nodded letting him know that’s her. This is all in full view of her mind you. All of a sudden he turns around and starts talking to her in Korean. I’m thinking “oh great what in the world is he telling her”. She starts smiling and covering her face with her hand (very common when Korean’s are embarrassed). After about a minute they finish talking and she goes on her way. My friend tells me she would like to go to dinner with me next week. We finish walking down the stairs and enter the restaurant where my boss and the other male teachers are waiting. After some chitchat (mostly in Korean) the teacher next to me asks if I’m looking for a girlfriend, I replied “Yes I am”. He smiles at me, nods and says “Ah ok, I will help you look”. Wonderful I think, now I have two male Korean teachers who are going to introduce me to every woman who speaks a little English, *sigh*.
I actually just got back from dinner with woman C and things went well. There were 5 of us this time, myself woman C, woman C’s friend, my best Korean friend/co-worker and the other waygooken teacher I work with from Canada. I found out that woman C doesn’t speak English too well. She’s a little shy, but extremely sweet. I’m really not sure what to do but I’ll just take my time and slowly figure things out.
I think dating over here is very difficult. I have to be careful that I don’t misinterpret any signals, or give off the wrong signals. I have to be careful which words I use as they might not know what the words mean. As difficult as it is I think it’s worth it. I think I’d rather learn about the Korean culture with someone I’m very close too, rather than just friends. Oh well, we shall see what happens.
For my birthday I decided I really didn’t want to tell anyone or celebrate. A few people knew and I got a few gifts. After work I went up to my room and started reading. Around 11 o’clock at night I got a call from a Korean friend/co-worker and he asked me if I wanted to go to a party in 30 minutes for our schools anniversary. I said yes I would like to go. He then proceeded to ask me why I didn’t tell him it was my birthday and I had to explain to him I didn’t like to celebrate. I went down to the school and hung out until it was time to leave. All the schools teachers (there are maybe 20 or 25) went to a traditional Korean restaurant and ate. By now everyone knew it was my birthday and people were coming up to me wishing me a happy birthday. Around 2am we got up to leave the restaurant.
This is where things get a little complicated. As we were leaving a woman, I shall refer to as woman A, came up behind me and started leaning against me as we were walking. Now I don’t care what culture you are from, if a woman leans up against you to stay warm it sends certain signals. By this point I was very drunk and I have a feeling she was pretty drunk as well. Ahead of us woman B was walking (she has also shown some interest in me but I’ve been told she changes her mind constantly so I decided to just leave her alone). Anyway, all of a sudden the best friend of woman B grabs woman A gently by the arm and starts talking to her. I turn around to see if woman A is going to come back, when woman B touches my arm and whispers to me “Follow me”. I asked her where we were going and she replies “Too drink”. Who am I to turn her down? We followed a group of about 6 or 7 other Koreans (including the school’s president) into a bar and sat down. Woman B comes to sit next to me but unfortunately there was no seat to my right, and the seat to my left was already taken. As soon as she sees this she sits next to the person on the other end of the table. Woman A walks into the bar about a minute later and walks right up to sit next to me but realizes there is no chair. So she ends up sitting next to woman B. Another teacher comes in this time male, and pulls up a chair beside me. We talked and drank until 5am at which point we all went home. It was obvious to me that both woman A and woman B wanted to spend some time with me. What isn’t obvious are their intentions.
Anyway,
Dating here is extremely confusing for me. I thought a while ago that woman B really liked me. I asked her out to dinner and she said yes. The day we were to eat dinner she changed her mind and said no. She is very friendly to me when we go out with the bosses of the school, but isn’t so when we are alone. I get the feeling that she might just be using me as a status symbol, maybe to better contract negotiations when her contract is finished. However, this analysis of mine could be false and maybe she is just trying to help me through a difficult situation.
Woman A is extremely beautiful, and very sweet. Even though she is an English teacher, her English isn’t nearly as good as woman B’s which would make any sort of relationship difficult. I’ve also been told by my Korean friend that she uses the normal form of Korean with him, not the polite form like she should, which is a little rude. Her nickname is “Ice Princess” because she looks a little cold. In Korea when you call a woman “Princess” it’s actually a very good thing, no negative connotations like in the west.
Anyway, last Friday I went to dinner with my boss, and 4 other male teachers. I’ve had my eye on another female teacher (woman C) we work with but she teaches math and I don’t know how good her English is. My friend told me he would introduce us when he got the chance. Well that chance came last Friday when we were walking down the stairs. She was walking right behind us and my friend kind of turns in her direction and points at her. At which point I nodded letting him know that’s her. This is all in full view of her mind you. All of a sudden he turns around and starts talking to her in Korean. I’m thinking “oh great what in the world is he telling her”. She starts smiling and covering her face with her hand (very common when Korean’s are embarrassed). After about a minute they finish talking and she goes on her way. My friend tells me she would like to go to dinner with me next week. We finish walking down the stairs and enter the restaurant where my boss and the other male teachers are waiting. After some chitchat (mostly in Korean) the teacher next to me asks if I’m looking for a girlfriend, I replied “Yes I am”. He smiles at me, nods and says “Ah ok, I will help you look”. Wonderful I think, now I have two male Korean teachers who are going to introduce me to every woman who speaks a little English, *sigh*.
I actually just got back from dinner with woman C and things went well. There were 5 of us this time, myself woman C, woman C’s friend, my best Korean friend/co-worker and the other waygooken teacher I work with from Canada. I found out that woman C doesn’t speak English too well. She’s a little shy, but extremely sweet. I’m really not sure what to do but I’ll just take my time and slowly figure things out.
I think dating over here is very difficult. I have to be careful that I don’t misinterpret any signals, or give off the wrong signals. I have to be careful which words I use as they might not know what the words mean. As difficult as it is I think it’s worth it. I think I’d rather learn about the Korean culture with someone I’m very close too, rather than just friends. Oh well, we shall see what happens.
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