Some Seoul

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2010-07-22T05:16:00.001+09:00

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Busy in Seoul Day to day

2008-09-15T09:33:00.007+09:00

Below you will find some information I talk about often. These paragraphs are taken from emails I sent over the last few months. I warned you last post that there would be a lot of information here. I hope you find it useful and not too long.

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"Hello Friends. I have talked to all of you in the last week or so about how I spend my time here in Seoul without working and without spending lots of money. I realize our conversations were all different but I thought if I just put my info in one email it would save my fingers. I just want to tell you too that it has been nice to get together with you lately. I hope to spend more time with you - and possibly see you at a volunteer gig!"

"Here are some links you might already know about but if not, they will be helpful for getting around in Seoul. The first is the interactive bus map. It isn't working properly right now in that you can't search for a place. However you can look at the map and select your starting point and ending point directly on the map and then click the Route from A to B for information on using the bus. These maps only work best using Internet Explorer:
Here is the bus map
Here is the subway map too:

Here is a FANTASTIC map of Seoul where you can search for cultural things and so much more! I think it is still in its developmental stage but still a really neat map.

As far as places to volunteer go, I am working at two. The Second Hand Rose is a thrift shop on the US army base open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I do their bookkeeping and I also co-chair the Welfare committee. You don't have to be a US citizen to volunteer at the thrift shop, but you will need to get in touch with someone who does to sign you on to the Yongsan Garrison so you can work at the shop or visit. The thrift shop is 100% volunteer run. All proceeds go to USFK worthy organizations and Korean charities at a rate of 50% 50%. As Welfare Co-chair I help distribute funds. In 2007 The AWCTSA (American Women's Club Thrift Shop Association - separate but related to AWC) gave away nearly $200,000 to great causes!"

"This site also works best on Internet explorer.
The Seoul Global Center is located nearby at the press center near City Hall. I volunteer there once a week answering phones but they are looking for more volunteers in several areas. They will actually to cover most of your transportation costs to and from as well as a little extra for lunches. They need volunteers to answer phones, help with office work, and to teach classes. Their website has a fantastic job board page too in case you're looking for employment. They are looking for volunteers to do cultural exchanges, kind of like Hello Friends, for the fall. You could be a Cultural Exchange Volunteer. They are looking for people from all cultures to share their heritage with Korean students in Seoul. Sign up now to learn more about it as it will start soon. Tell them I sent you... they may or may not know who I am yet but if they do know me they'll like that."

"There are orphanages to volunteer at but I don't have all the information about that. I have friends that do spend a good deal of time at a a couple different organizations. You could check this link for the Eastern Social Welfare Society and then find a contact person yourself. This page also has a lengthy list of orphanages in Korea where you might volunteer. (For the blog- if you write me an email I can also personally give you a contact name for volunteering as long as it's OK with the coordinators- I'll need to ask.)"

"I have joined two women's groups in Seoul: the AWC - American Women's Club and SIWA- Seoul International Women's Association. Both are good in their own way.

SIWA is the larger group and it has women from every country it seems including Korean women. In the fall there are class sign ups (just happened last week) with offerings from Basic Korean to flower arranging and everything else in between. If you missed it, that's OK. Join anyway. Many of the teachers are also members. If you are a member and want to take a class they might make an effort to squeeze you in. And the classes are so worth it. But if you can hold out there will be another round of sign ups in early spring. You can find the classes they have listed under "Activities" on the top navigation bar. SIWA will start up their coffee mornings on August 27. They have monthly coffee mornings with very entertaining speakers and activities. Their site also showcases wonderful tours."

"AWC runs monthly coffee mornings in much the same way. Meetings are generally smaller and speakers and other guest cater to the American woman. AWC hosts Hello Friends which is more of a cultural exchange program with schools strictly outside of Seoul. The American Chamber of Commerce sponsors transportation, meals, lodging (for overnights) and tourist entrance fees. I have really enjoyed this program. You go into schools and spend anywhere from and hour to two "teaching" a class, then you go out to lunch and see something touristy in the area. If you do a two day trip you will go to another school the next day and do the same thing. Contact them now if you are interested so you can find out when the orientation meeting is to sigh up for a few tour dates. You wouldn't have to do every trip. The program is arranged so you just pick a few or even one if you want. The list just came out and is filling fast. Check with Sunghee Park for available openings. Seung Hee Park at 011-719-7285 or seungheepark@hotmail.com."

"In addition some of you may be interested in other social and hobby organizations. There is fabulous list on Seoul Global Center's page."

"Anyway I know this was a long email. I should probably put some of this in my blog- I haven't posted there in too long mostly because I have been busy with all of this stuff. I hope this helps you out in some way or another."

"Take care all and keep me updated. If you find some interesting opportunities I'd love to know about it too."

"I am so happy you are interested in getting around Seoul. There is lots to see and do and a wonderful network opportunities for women."

Off Sabbatical

2008-09-09T12:42:00.015+09:00

Oh it has been a long, long time since I last posted. I meant to tell you ahead of time that I was going to take a sabbatical but I didn't realize I was going to take one until I was already on it. I have no long and boring self-depreciating things to tell you about why I did not post... just that I didn't. And instead you might be interested to know I was doing a lot of exploring. That is what this blog is about anyway...right? Yes.

Now that it's all out in the open I can begin anew. That was easier than I thought.

I have doled out so much information over the last few months to newcomers that I have become known as somebody who can tell you about what to do, where to go, and how to get there in Seoul. I rather like that fact too. I didn't mean to become the informant that I am, it just kind of happened. That's pleasing to me. It proves I've grown.

When I look back on myself before I came to Korea, I remember a tiny, compact, rubber-band ball of a girl. I bounced hard and away from things I thought I wasn't interested in or didn't have time to do. But now the rubber bands have disintegrated, as rubber bands do as they age, and are no longer useful. They are no longer so tightly bound around me. Instead I am left as a larger, slow rolling, heavy marble core. I glide around with what seems to be easy grace. There is a steady hum as I make my path. But really I only roll in the direction with the least resistance. Which is good because I find myself in places and doing things as the opportunities arise. I say "yes" just to see what will happen. Everyone who has had marbles as a kid has lost track of one or two . . . Where did they go? What are they doing? They probably just easily rolled off to some nearby place and then from there continued to glide into another area which presented itself and so on and so on. You see, marbles have a path that isn't necessarily planned but it is somewhat predetermined. Marbles can't by themselves roll uphill.

I wouldn't call where I am a comfort zone. It isn't so much an uncomfortable zone either. It's just a matter of being open to what happens. I am now a volunteer for a few good causes. I get to try out new career hats and develop my personal interests. I guess if I hadn't been so busy rolling around saying "yes" to every new opportunity, I would have been writing more here. But I think that would have gotten stagnant. Now that I am writing here I should say that I am so happy I took the break because I can now share many bits of useful information along with my evolving perspective of my life abroad.

Neat.

How about a couple pictures. Within my future posts, I'll be catching you up on what I've been doing here as well, now that I'm off sabbatical. Here is a brief synopsis:

March - May: Volunteering with Hello Friends, Sewing Class, Hanji Class.

March - Present: Bowling League

April - Present: American Women's Club Thrift Shop Association (AWCTSA) Bookkeeper and Welfare Co-Chair, Thrift Shop Volunteer.

May: Trip to Kuantan Malaysia with MHS and...

Visit to Jeju-do with Hello Friends.

June: Visit with my mother and Aunt Lana.

July- Present: Volunteer with Seoul Global Center answering calls from foreign residents about Seoul, Quilting Club member, Book club member.

August: Romantic rainy trip to Cheongpyeong Lake and Nami Island.

Since I have been here: Writing, reading, sewing, making stuff, making friends and exploring Korea.

Thanks for reading my latest news.

Next post: How I make my way day to day in Seoul. Information packed.

More pictures from a good friend for the Herbal Market-Gyeondong Market

2008-03-31T07:48:00.007+09:00

A wonderful friend of mine here has a neat site called "Enjoy Itaewon." She also owns a shop in Itaewon called "the Wellbeing Shop." She is multi talented as she is also a massage therapist! She takes two classes with me; Hanji and Tailoring. Check out this link for even more photos of our trip to the market. Jiyoung you're great!

Trip to Herbal Market

2008-03-26T14:08:00.015+09:00

I recently went on a trip to a local herbal medicine market. A friend of mine, who is Korean American, took me one day. It was wonderful. It was a destination I was curious about especially since I love Green Tea Latte. Yes, that's right. Good ol' Starbucks... actually I frequent Dunkin' Donuts more often because the prices are much better and it tastes great too.

I really should come back in another post and just go into a little detail on the coffee business here in Korea. You might be thinking, Oh she's in Seoul but she goes out for coffee! Or worse... She goes to Starbucks? Dunkin' Donuts? That's right I do. There are so many places to go and get coffee and tea. So so so many! Especially coffee. The different chains line many streets on both sides and sometimes there is hardly a block between two shops of the same name! I'll save this for another post.

Anyway back to the story.

So I love a Green Tea Latte. I looked it up on the Internet to find out how to make it. Apparently there is a powdered form of green tea made in Japan. They use a bit of the powder and put it directly into the milk, steam the milk and add some sugar. Well, as it turns out green tea is just as much a staple here as it would be in China or Japan...maybe more. Here in Korea it's called Nok-cha. Cha means tea and Nok is a shortened word for green.

As I was saying, I originally became interested in going to the herbal market with my Korean friend one day because A) she is a friend and invited me, B) she speaks Korean and C) I wanted to see if I could find some of this powdered Green Tea. Long story short I found the tea in a little packet. I could read the Hangul on the package too! So now I make stovetop Green Tea Lattes with a whisk. The foam doesn't even come close to the easy job Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts make of it, but it's good enough.

Recently there was an opportunity to join a tour to a local herbal medicine Market with a tour guide through SIWA. I decided to go on the tour and it turns out it was the same market I had previously been to. It was really wonderful the second time around as well. We had a guide, Mrs. Moon. Mrs. Moon also teaches a few Korean culture classes through SIWA. (One is a language and the other is language and cooking! I might sign up for that in the fall.)

Mrs. Moon knew what lots of the herbs were for and asked the shopkeepers if she didn't. She also took us to a Korean herbal pharmacist. Like many Korean business people, relationships are key. You develop a relationship and keep coming back to the same vendor all the time. They give you deals and such. Mrs. Moon had come to this particular pharmacist before with other tours. So, we were treated well.

There were twelve of us. There was tea and ginseng candy to go all around. Several of us bought the tea and some even asked for medical advice. All the drawers here contain the same kinds of ingredients we also saw on the street just outside the door. We all took his card, as is customary, and said we'd return.

The colors and variety of herbs and food here are amazing and so far from normal Western markets that it's hard to realize it all in only a few hours. So far this is my second trip and I still haven't absorbed it all fully. I made plans with another tour participant to come again soon.

I tried to take pictures to capture the feel of this place. There are always the vendors who sit on the ground selling their herbs right next to another vendor with the same herbs. How does this work? I have no idea. They look cold and I wonder how long they've been doing this job. Has it been passed down to them? Do they pay for this spot? What time do they get here? A motorcycle passes down the isle hardly wide enough for two people. He's got a delivery to make. It's a common sight.

Inside the market Mrs. Moon takes us downstairs to an indoor fish and poultry market. She warned us outside on the street not to buy the fish outside. She said usually those fish were frozen. The vendors buy them in bulk ice chunks and then let the weather thaw them during the day as they sell them to passers by. She said it isn't fresh.

Walking down the stairs to this underground market we see piles of chicken. It looks like we're entering a dark room because the glow off the chicken is so red. There are bins full of every part of the chicken. Any part you want to buy it's here. The chicken and other meat are butchered on stumps from a tree. I'm still amazed at how pink the meat is until I realize the little trick. The lights are surrounded by a pie tin painted red on the inside....Very clever!

There are piles of fish and the floor is wet. It smells strong. Mrs. Moon points out her favorite varieties and gives us names in Korean, which I cannot remember now. There is so much fish. Again the vendors all see to sell the same thing. It's relationships I think that keep a business in business here.

The market is a way of life here. Very interesting indeed. I know now looking over these pictures, that this is so foreign to what I was used to in the States. I know that when people at home see this, some words of amazement, disbelief or wonder will be uttered. But, while I'm in it, even while I'm walking around in it, it feels normal. I guess it's what the body and mind does to keep us in tune with our surroundings. I'm not saying I don't feel all the amazement, disbelief or wonder but it's more like a dream. The kind of dream where you wake up and think it was all real. Except I'm walking around in this dream all the time, and I get to have some say as to what happens next. I am dreaming but I am awake. That's the normalcy I am feeling. This wonder, this amazement is the norm. It's really quite wonderful and sometimes pretty awful. I guess it's all part of experiencing a new culture.

Here is a web album with more photos.

Blog photos Herbal Market

I also want to say Thank You to everyone. It is nice knowing you all are reading about my journey. I love your emails and your comments. I know I haven't been very good at responding to you all but know that I read what you've written, sometimes more than once. I recently wrote to my mother-in-law that it had occurred to me that some of you will know more about me than I will about you when we get back. I like putting myself out here. But please, if you have a link to your blog, wikki, photo stream, web page or online store, send it to me so I can learn more about what you are doing. I'll even link to your site from here if you'll give me permission. Oh yeah and I just started using Facebook! Thanks for all your love and support.

Hiking at Bukhansan

2008-03-06T18:15:00.002+09:00

Hiking. Koreans love it. In fact it's what everyone does on Saturday and Sunday. The weekends were meant for hiking in Seoul. You can get on any bus, or subway car in the city and chances are you'll see more than one Korean with hiking boots, parka, one or two walking sticks and a sturdy backpack complete with bell, sitting pad, and dangling stainless steel cup.

Seoul is surrounded by mountains most of which have peeks that can be reached and descended from in less than a full day. Although not very high, the mountains are VERY steep and rocky. The hikes are short relative to hiking I've done in Colorado, but the hiking is real. In many cases it seems I might be risking my life while following these trails. If these trails were in the US, some parts of them would be marked too dangerous for the general public.

Also neat is that mountain worship is alive and well in Korea. Many, but not all, mountains are considered sacred and are covered with shrines and temples for several different religions such as Shamanism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and variations within. There is an American expert here who has written a couple of books on the topic. Click here to check out his web page.

Our most recent hike was to Bukhansan. Here is a temple on the path to the peak.

Here's another:

Our hike was actually not on the weekend but instead Lunar New Year. We learned from our first hike a few weeks before, that we would need more than our boots to get to the top. We bought a version of a crampon that attaches to the bottom of our boots with stretchy rubber straps. Chains run along the length of the boot with sharp metal teeth beneath the toe.

Why do we need these?

The trails are covered with ice because of all the natural runoff combined with the snow-pack due to foot traffic... It's really quite something to see. Imagine a stone steps made of hard granite, each step made up of a few large stones uneven by placement or by shifting over time. The stones have ankle twisting gaps between them. Picture those steps to be twice or three times as tall as is comfortable for walking. Perhaps you can see about 50 to 70 of those steps right in front of you as you walk....but you know there are several hundred more around the next turn. And finally- they're covered with ice and snow. Take a look:

But the hike was beautiful.
If you look above our heads in this next photo below, you can see the peak we went to. I don't know if you can make it out, but there is a flag waving on the top.

The friend we went with said "See that flag? That's where we're going."

At first I thought Okay, I'll just go along with it... kinda like "Oh... ha, ha. Right...that peak...Oh yeah I see the flag."

As the peak came into and out of view during our hike, the flag would be mentioned as everyone bent and craned to find it between the tree branches. I tried to not ask again, but I just had to...

"Really? Are we really going to that flag?"
"Yes!" our friend would say.

I felt like my leg was being pulled- or torn off.

"Really? I'm serious! Are we really going there?"
"Yes!"

And it was true. We hiked to the peak up ahead in this photo.

Looking down through the trees in this picture, Seoul is visible. It was so much quieter up there on the trail. The air was so clean. It was marvelous.

That steel cable visible in this picture is meant to use so you can tow yourself up the mountain. Mabybe it's there so you won't fall off the side of the mountain too. Nice safety device.

We're not quite to the top yet. Still several hundred feet of sheer rock face left to go.

We walked along a winding trail near the peak of this enormous rock face, after climbing up the crevice behind MHS. There are better photos of us coming down the same crevice in the web album. ( The link is up ahead.)

Ahh. The peak! Of course the pictures do it no justice. It was breathtaking.

Now we're at the top. Here's a picture of MHS looking out over Seoul.

Looking down from the peak.

The peak was worth the challenge.

There are some other pictures I left out but you can see them on my web album by clicking on the little link below. (I got word after I posted this the first time that the link didn't work. Here it is fixed, hopefully, now. Enjoy.)

Blog Photos Bukhansan 2/7/08

Take care everyone!

Sorry for the Delay.

2008-02-28T19:09:00.005+09:00

Sorry for the delay. I know I haven't been very good about the blog lately. I had actually been working on another blog for the class of students I left behind in The States. I had a few activities and everything for them but I haven’t heard any feedback from my old school so I’m not sure if they are interested or not. That was a little depressing. That reminds me: “Culture shock is a bitch.” –YBILH

I just got over a major cold which prompted a good deal of wallowing...I was stuck in bed for three days! But I've been sick for about a week total. I slept almost constantly for those three days only waking up for a few hours here and there. It was awful. I wonder if anyone else starts feeling useless when they get sick. I know I did. There was just too much thinking-time on my hands.

So, I was wallowing over here (just a little bit) during the last week, in self pity. Well I guess I can’t really call it self pity. Well OK, maybe that’s exactly what it is! See, it’s still hard to admit it. It’s just that I keep thinking about what I’m going to do when I get back. Will I still teach? Will I be able to teach? Will I be too out of touch by then? My heart tells me no but then I see all the technology that's being integrated into my old school …I can’t be there to have it and to be a part of it and I am so jealous.

Of course I have many things to be thankful for. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to see and try new things. And, I have a break from teaching now. What teacher doesn't want that? Maybe this is the fork in the road.

I think just letting the past be the past will do me best. That's hard to do.

There are so many things to catch up on. As I do more things and they add up I feel more overwhelmed about blogging. Here are just a few major things that have happened here. I should list them to keep myself on task but I don't promise to write about all of them anytime soon.

I'm taking classes- sewing design and Hanji craft.
We’ve gone hiking.
I’ve gone fabric shopping in Dondaemun Shopping Center- Wow.
Flea market- no camera that day...The oddities were almost indescribable.
I'm working on setting up a volunteer teaching gig.
I'll be volunteering for a major women's conference.
I learned to use the bus. Now I can see where I'm going.
Went to the 100 Languages of Children exhibit in Seoul.
Actively involved in upgrading my style with a fashion consultant who is starting up so her services are free.
Finally have a routine for getting groceries and getting them home without forgetting anything and all while avoiding the major traffic times of day.

OK – That’s a good start. It's pretty neat here really. I feel better after writing the list. I intend to keep my chin up and worry about what I'm about to do next.

Cheers.

What is something?

2008-01-25T11:25:00.000+09:00

To be something.

What is something? Is it too late?

I think being here helps put a grip on that for me. I mean, I know the answer is "No." It isn't too late for many things. I actually love the stories in the news of people who decide, late in life, to pin themselves down and become something like a doctor or actor.

But why does it take so long to figure it out and then to take action? I think it's because they come to a point where they say "Ya know what? I'm just gonna do it! I have always wanted to do ______, and I'm just gonna do it." They know the pattern of their life, they have always known what drives them, what makes them happy, what they really want. I think that deep down we all really know. Something in us knows. It's just that our beliefs and the beliefs of others around us can limit our potential. Some old beliefs can be limiting.

Maybe being something- is just a collection of experiences that when accumulated to a certain level or amount, make it eligible to receive a label-like gymnast for instance.

The subway is a waking dream
Sitting on the subway I look around at all of these people. I cannot understand the words that exit their mouths. I cannot eavesdrop on their conversations- even if there was much talking on the subway. Everyone looks different- and everyone looks different.

I realized, in a way apart from the obvious, that the people on the train are not one entity. There are old, young, short, tall, smart, stupid, clumsy, dreamy, weird, poor, helpless, etc. People here are like people everywhere. I can only wonder where these strangers fit in. Where I fit in... Sometimes it's like I'm an outside observer looking in. Like I'm in a dream- I can't quite figure out what's going on. I’m only going on hints. Which one of these people is me? What will I do next?

This life is Reverse Minesweeper
It's like that game on MS Office. Minesweeper. Where you click a square and if you didn't hit a bomb the squares all clear around it. There’s a number that shows up in the squares near the edge of a cleared field telling you how may bombs are in one of the adjacent squares. If you’re strategic, you can clear all the squares around all the bombs and win the game.

I feel like I am playing that game in reverse- the bombs are good in real life. I have to hunt and clear away the bad squares in order to find the good bombs. When I say bad I'm talking about feelings, opinions, beliefs, situations, failure, guilt, fear, sadness, a cold, homesickness, stressful decisions etc. Good bombs are things like self-discovery, successes, new friendships, great experiences, a good cup of tea, pictures of home, a nice conversation, red wine, making something, a yummy Korean meal, learning a new word and so on.

If I never cleared the bad, experienced the bad, I wouldn't know where to look for the "good bombs."

Like Dreams
Like dreams and Reverse Minesweeper, I feel I am working backwards- who I am is waiting to be discovered. It possibly already exists. I’m going on hints. I’m clearing the field. I’m looking for the good bombs. And when I collect the experiences, I can figure out what I am supposed to be doing next. Like the strangers on the subway, I too fit in. Because I keep trying to push the veil aside, I charge onward and develop new experiences.

I’m constantly in the search for who I am.

Being here helps put a grip on that for me.

I like the challenge.

Dreaming of an Old Woman

2008-01-23T17:38:00.000+09:00

Dreaming of an Old Woman
I had the strangest dream the other night. It was a dream about my great grandmother on my mother's side. My grandfather's mother. In the dream she was an old woman, rather tall, and not the person I remember from pictures that adorn the top of the dusty upright piano in my grandparent's sitting room. I went to see her at a nursing home in the dream. It was a decision I had made and then followed through with a sense of purpose. I wanted to go and tell her something. When she saw me, she did not know who I was and went through a series of exclamations and questions about that. As I named off relatives, she started to settle down. She came to realize that she did know me after all. In the end, I began to cry as I told her I was sorry I hadn't gotten to know her better; that I hadn't spent enough time to get to know her. I felt that she accepted my apology and was confused by it at the same time. She seemed to cast it off as not being that big of a deal. Then I woke up.

As I lay in bed for the following ten minutes or so, drifting in and out of sleep, I began to search my mind. Why hadn't I spent more time with her? I remembered that she had died many years ago. Wait... I had watched her die - when I was 5. Maybe I was 4 or 6. My eyes opened. I had barely known her at all but I suddenly remembered the face of the dying woman who lay resting in a little antique bed in a small bedroom, in a very large old house, on a cliff that sat at the edge of the bay in Marblehead, Massachusetts. A tear rolled down her face as she closed her eyes and passed on.

So, in those waking moments, thoughts began to flutter about the passage of time in my life, either short or long depending on how I looked at it. I recalled events of the week and the connections I had made that serendipitously connected to this dream.

Who did my great grandmother represent? Surely it wasn't actually her, but a part of me. Maybe a part of me I do not know. One that I may fail to realize. An old part? An aging part? Wise? I didn't come to a conclusion but again thoughts connected in seemingly random ways.

Next Time...
There have been times in my life where I allow myself to succumb to the realization that I will not be a ______. I was 26 when I decided it was too late to ever become a gymnast. I've also given up rock star, model, actress, famous artist, Olympic sprinter or marathon runner, and princess or queen, among others. In doing so I've actually caught myself thinking, "oh I'll do that next time." I'm not sure when I realized I had been saying that to myself. But the time I actually thought about what that might mean, I blew myself away.

"Next time."

Maybe my grandmother in the dream was a representation of my letting something go. Something I hadn't gotten to know. Maybe an old part of me who didn't know or recognize me anymore except through our relation to other parts. Maybe a part I do not need. Perhaps I am shedding parts of myself to better realize what it is I am to become or to determine my place here and now.

This Place
This place,
Seoul,
Takes some getting used to.
Used
Too.
I am in the thin layer.
It floats at eye level.
And veils the depth
I desire
To
See.

Hold this thought. There's more. I'll bring it full-circle next post.

New Year's Eve 2007

2008-01-07T18:43:00.001+09:00

We had a wonderful holiday season here. No snow to speak of still but it is plenty cold. (We just had snow two days ago) I spent a lot of time looking for someplace to be on New Year’s Eve. I found out that for the calendar New Year there is a celebration at Bosingak, which is a bell tower in the Jongno area. After midnight the bell is tolled 33 times. I was so excited since we live in Insadong. One of the nearest subway stations is Jongno-sam-ga. So this Times Square like event would be right in our neighborhood! Yippi. You should see some video of this event from years past. We have yet to post ours.

So MHS and I decided to scope out the square one day to see how far of a walk it would be from our house. It wasn't far at all. Maybe 10 minutes. After we got there we took some pictures. I tried to get my bearings and looked for our apartment complex. It turns out our balcony faces Bosingak and we can see the entire square from our place! Well not the entire square, but we can see the entire bell house. (I am working on my exaggerating or embellishing or enhancing or whatever it is.)

In this first picture you can see our apartment building!
In the following shots there is a crew setting up for the big event.

We decided to invite some people over at the last minute. It was great. There were about 12 of us all together. I made pizza which was a big hit. One of our guests insisted on making a Spanish omelet. She spent a good deal of time in the kitchen preparing it but it was worth it. YUM! Here we are eating it in this next picture.

We also had an impromptu dance contest.

And although it might look like it, it was NOT the Elaine Benes dance, dance contest.

We played our own version of Pictionary too. What a great bunch of guests.

Some of our guests left early to beat the subway rush. There were some though that stuck around. Good thing they did. I was prepared to watch the entire New Year's thing from our balcony windows. Luckily one friend got us all excited at the very last minute. We were having such a good time we all acted on impulse. It was bitter cold outside but he got us to run down to the square at 11:45. We got there with plenty of time to spare and caught the bell ringing and saw all the roman candles for ourselves. I think because of the cold there wasn’t such a large crowd. It didn’t matter anyway- we were pretty warmed up from our little party.

Us.

The group that stuck around.

Happy New Year!

NANTA for Christmas

2008-01-07T18:26:00.000+09:00

MHS got us tickets to Nanta for Christmas. That was really neat. Anyone who has ever been to Benihana’s knows how exciting it is when the chef throws your food all around in front of your eyes. Imagine that, except on stage with four chefs, and instead of a hot grill these are the prep cooks in the kitchen, and they are fantastic percussionists too. They used all sorts of kitchenware and utensils to create great music. They pounded on everything like in Stomp.

You're not allowed take pictures of the show so we took pictures beforehand of ourselves waiting for the show.
At first MHS was not amused....
Then he got into it...

Then I became unamused...

Here is the stage before the show:

It was very exciting. The show was supposedly non-verbal but there was plenty of English wording and a bit of speaking too. The story was funny as well. We went to a matinee so there were several Korean families with their kids. The kids loved the show and laughed and clapped throughout. I did too.

In the middle of the show the performers looked for someone to come on stage to help out. MHS and I were sitting in the VIP section on the main floor, which basically equates to seats about halfway up the theater with a walkway in front of us instead of another section of seats…. Did I mention that there were many Korean families there? Well, I should have said mostly Korean families. It became very apparent as soon as they asked for volunteers. As they got off the stage I immediately said to MHS “Don’t look! Don’t look! Look down!” I tried covering my eyes and looking down as I said this. His reply “We are the only non-Asians in this whole place!” He was right. We stuck out big time. They came right up to him and pulled him up. The audience clapped. I laughed at him as he had to go and then as I turned to settle back in my seat there was another performer ready to take me. I tried to stay put but he asked for help from the audience so I went up too.

While on stage they put us in to some traditional Korean costumes and handed us some kind of soup and instructed us to eat it. We thought it was pretend but they were serious and, well, we were on stage. It tasted OK. I think some kind of cheesy potato soup. They went on miming about a fly buzzing around the stage and got the audience laughing about that. If we stopped for a second to watch they instructed us to eat. Of course the audience loved that too. Finally they asked MHS what he thought and he gave thumbs up and we were free to go. They slipped a little envelope into our hands as we walked off stage. We checked it out… It was a Nanta cell phone charm- cell phone charms are all the rage here. It was cool. There was a piece of paper to put my email address on so they could send a picture but we haven’t seen that yet.

IF you are going to go see Nanta don’t read the following paragraph…I am going to post it in the background color so if you want to read it you will need to highlight it with your mouse. Here is the spoiler: That funny costume we had on. It turns out we were the royal couple all the cooks were preparing the great feast for at the end of the Nanta story. At the very end they showed a huge picture of the two of us eating our soup and smiling at each other. The cooks were a success. The royal couple liked their meal.

Here is something odd. When we left the theater there was a large bulletin board that showed all of the actors. There are different actors for each day. We got the purple group. They were good. So you wanna know what the characters names are? Manager, Sexy Guy, Head Chef, Nephew and ......Female. We thought that was extra funny.

What does that mean anyway? Does that assume that all the other jobs are various male positions and the only thing that the woman could be is female? Or does it mean Who cares what she does ... she's a hot female? Maybe it means something else entirely. It seems there truly is a ways to go here as far as womens issues are concerned. It isn't this bulletin board that gives me that idea in case you were wondering. It is generally known and accepted right now. I just think this bulletin board was a good reminder.

One last thing for the crafty in me. Did you notice the first picture in this post? The poster in the theater is all made by hand with cut paper. Koreans have a love affair with their paper. Origami is extremely popular here as well. Paper is used in many aspects of Korean life and culture. Insadong street is literally filled with shops that sell the most beautiful paper along with calligraphy brushes inks and other supplies. I buy it. I use it. And I love it. More on that later. Here are some more close ups of this excellent work.

Bye for now.

Kimchi Making for the Poor

2007-12-18T18:28:00.000+09:00

Ok! I want to post but I am not in the mood to write. I want to put out so much information about everything that I have been doing and it just keeps on piling up. So here goes. I am going to rewind to the first week I was here. In later posts I will fast forward to this week and last week. Sound good? It’ll be fast but if you have questions you can just send them my way and I will answer them. Oh...The images in the body of the post are clickable. They will enlarge quite a bit if you'd like to see more detail.

During my first week here I met so many people. There were so many new faces and names to remember. The place where we live is filled with foreigners. People here are from all over the world. Many of them have lived this type of life for many years. Most of the people I meet are women since many are here because of their husband's job. Some are just like me. This might be their first assignment or second. The fact that I am a woman here is really fantastic for meeting other women. There must be a blogger out there for the expat trailing spouse who is a man, but I haven’t met him or his audience.

The reason why it is so fantastic is because all of us women are in the same boat. We have followed our husbands to new countries. Many of them move every few years or so to a new country. Another thing that is so great is that these women have all sorts of previous or current careers and outside interests. Some are writers, artists, speakers, graphic designers, teachers and so on. These women don’t sit around and eat chocolates all day. It's great. The women are smart, funny, sensitive, traveled, great conversationalists and really interested in meeting new people. That is how I got swept up in all the fun and activity I have been involved with over the last 3 and a half weeks.

Let me get back to my first week:

I met some women at breakfast in my residence who were going to go make Kimchi for charity. Kimchi is the national food of Korea. It is served at every meal. Basically it is very spicy fermented cabbage. It is quite crispy too. Not at all like the hard kind we are used to in the states. The cabbage is floppy and has a character much closer to a head of green leaf lettuce, just a little sturdier. The cabbage is marinated in salt water for several hours before the next step of adding the seasonings. The cabbage is then rubbed with a seasoning mixture containing hot pepper paste, radishes, carrots, peppers, leeks, garlic (lots and lots) and ginger. Sometimes mussels or other sea creature is added to the mix as well. The ingredients can vary based on the type of Kimchi or the region in which it is made. Since Kimchi is served at every meal it is a very important staple for Koreans, especially the poor. It is said to have medicinal benefits.

I was invited to go with some women to help make Kimchi for winter. I have never made Kimchi before that day and had no idea about how it was done. This particular Kimchi making for charity was held at a Buddhist temple in Seoul. We knew where to go, but like everything here in Seoul, it was a bit tricky to find out exactly where to be since there are so many little alleys and side streets. We found the place and were among some of the first to arrive.

We were to bring a pair of cotton gloves, a pair of rubber gloves and an apron. We were also instructed ahead of time to dress warmly as we would be making Kimchi, as it is usually done, outside. We had a beautiful morning. No wind, very cool, and sunny. When we arrived we were shown where to sit. Ahead of us were long tables very low to the ground. They were probably plywood or some other strong surface but we couldn’t tell since they were covered with blankets and then thick layers of plastic. On top of the plastic were piles of cabbage and piles of the Kimchi seasons. The seasoning mixture was so red. It was really quite beautiful and the smell of the red pepper paste made my mouth water.

Next to the table were teeny tiny stools. We put our things down and got dressed. First we put on the cotton gloves and then rubber gloves and then aprons. I took some pictures before I sat. What a long way down that stool was! If you are a lower elementary school teacher like I am then it doesn’t seem so bad. If not, like the ladies who I was with, it was like sitting on a very small stone.

Other women surrounded us but they were also Korean and didn’t speak English. So we couldn't ask how to do it. We watched what they were doing and then just copied them. Here is what we were supposed to do:

First you take a cabbage and then you lay it on the table and pull back the first leaf.

Take the seasoning and rub it into the leaf.

Leave a little of the seasoning between that leaf and the next and move on to the next one.

You do this to each individual cabbage leaf. When you finish, the cabbage is all covered in red sauce. Then you wrap some of its own leaves back around itself to make a nice looking cabbage package.

Now, I thought I copied the other women and did exactly as they did. But one of the Korean ladies in charge was a younger woman. She didn’t think so! She kept walking up and down the rows behind us. She spoke very loudly in Korean, and sometimes would come over and speak directly to us, and basically mimed that we were doing it all wrong. It was very funny because as more and more westerners arrived we all found ourselves staring at the older Korean women and doing what we thought was exactly what they were doing. But still we kept getting redirected either from the Korean ladies at the tables with us or from the boss lady walking around behind us. I think all Korean women think their way is the expert way of making Kimchi. I think they were just having a little fun with us too. They would smile and laugh at us as well. We got in trouble for that too!

The boss lady kept telling us to stop talking! We found out from a man who kept delivering cabbage and seasoning to our table, that she said we would contaminate the Kimchi by breathing on it when we talked. I got in trouble the most- and I wasn’t even talking! That is the truth too! The older western ladies I was with were cackling up a storm and the boss lady would come down and tell me to stop talking! That made everyone laugh too…We thought it was because was the youngest looking There is a great amount of respect shown to elders in Korea. It was just easier for her to blame me. That way she wouldn’t have to yell at the older western ladies. We all thought that was pretty funny too.

Anyway it was a great day. By the time we were done we were covered in Kimchi. It was a good thing we had on aprons but our backs got a good bit too. Each time the men would deliver more seasonings we would inevitably get splashed with some of it. It was in our hair, on our faces and basically any place that wasn’t covered by the gloves or aprons. In the pictures you should take notice of the extra “arm gaitors” as I’ll refer to them, that the Korean women wear in addition to their bright pink gloves. It protects them all the way up to the armpit!

We stayed for two hours and worked hard the entire time. By the time we left, there were so many other volunteers there, they had to set up new tables. It was a great experience.

The goal was to prepare 3,000 cabbages that day. After our part, the Kimchi was put into containers and will be fermented for a good length of time.

Koreans claim that Kimchi is emerging as one of the world’s most popular dishes. It is good but definitely a taste to get used to.

I found out later that the way the western women knew about the event was through SIWA. SIWA stands for Seoul International Women’s Association. I ended up joining the organization last week. I’ll put the link up so you can check it out if you would like. I will also post some information in the links about Kimchi.

The pictures I took that day were beautiful. Really gorgeous. Everyone had red gloves. The Kimchi was red too and just beautiful. The pictures are some of the best I have taken here so far. I will probably enlarge them and frame them for the apartment. This last picture is my favorite.

Thanks for reading. If you have questions please post in the comments. Until next time. An-nyong-ee ke-seyo.

Time Slows

2007-12-04T13:59:00.000+09:00

Sorry for the long delay. In the last 3 weeks we have moved out of our home, drove cross country to the east coast with our two large Labrador retrievers to drop our dogs with MHS’s parents, visited and had Thanksgiving with our families, and then flew here to Seoul. We arrived last Saturday the 23^rd.

If anyone plans on visiting us here I suggest flying Korean Air. The service is great and the seats are wide. Passengers not only have a TV on right on the seatback in front of them but also a retractable remote, which comes out of the armrest. The remote allows each passenger to play a movie but also to pause it, stop it, fast forward or rewind it! How cool is that. No more missing the best part when the captain comes on to tell you to “please fasten your seatbelts.” Also the remote, turned sideways, becomes a joystick to use for the variety of games a passenger can play.

The flight attendants are sharply dressed in suits that vary slightly but all within a certain color scheme. Their hair is done up similarly as well. They are all very nice and speak English too. Just when you think you might be getting thirsty, an attendant seems to be coming around with a tray full of glasses of juice for you to pick from. It’s great!

When we arrived in Seoul a driver was there to greet us from our residence. He took us home but it took almost two hours. Traffic in this city is unbelievable. I couldn’t tell you how many miles away the hotel is from where we live but I can say that a good portion of that trip was spent inching along a five lane expressway in a sea of cars as far ahead or behind as you could see.

As soon as we got home we checked in went upstairs and crashed. It was about 5pm. We slept until probably 3am, got up, unpacked our suitcases and checked our email until about 5am and then fell back asleep until 7am. The second time we got up we decided to go get breakfast. Our residence doesn’t serve breakfast on Sunday so we ventured out to Dunkin’ Donuts of all places which is just around the corner and down the street.

This past week has been so packed with things I have done it is really hard to sort it out into manageable posts. It feels as though I have been here for a couple of months. It has only been a week and three days… I can hardly believe it. I feel like I am absorbing so much information that time has actually slowed down.

I remember as a child that the summer seemed to last for an eternity. We were doing so much as kids playing, discovering, thinking, and constantly learning about our surroundings. As the years passed by it seemed that each new school year came on more quickly. As a young adult, I would count the weeks and days of summer I had off until the new term at college began. The amount of time was always the same but seemed to come more quickly.

In order to adjust to this place it seems that I have had to be so present. Everything I see I wonder about. When I figure out new words it is sometimes by accident… I just realized the train conductor was saying “3” in Korean the other day. Out loud I said “Oh it’s three!” My mind is constantly collecting information. Just as a child new to this world I am new to Korea and everything around me seems important. Just like a small child, I forget the answer to the question I just asked and have to search my mind for the answer again, or even ask again…Everything is something to know.

I envy a two or three year old that sits on his mother’s lap in the subway. I’m sure he is asking, “What’s that?” over and over again as he points to his surroundings. If only that was acceptable for adults to do!

My perception of the passage of time has changed to a much slower version. There is so much to tell you about this past week. Let me move on to another post to separate these thoughts.

A final note: If you are looking for the hustle and bustle of life to slow down maybe the trick is to learn something brand new! I will be following that advice out of necessity. I’d like to know if that is how it works for others.

Scared

2007-11-05T08:58:00.001+09:00

I was sent out on my own to explore this very, very large city. MHS said that I should go and look around. He wouldn't be able to go with me because he had to work.

This all happened on Saturday.

His job is pretty demanding especially now since it is so new and they are still trying to get things underway. The hours are long and not very rewarding. It seems that there is so much to do, it should have been done yesterday and what is supposed to be done today is unclear and possibly undetermined... If you can't quite figure out what I mean, well then, you get the idea about how it has been for him.

Anyway... He suggested that I go out and get my bearings. I agreed wholeheartedly. Really I did. The problem arose when I discovered that I was scared to do it alone. I knew when he took this job that I would be on my own a lot. I knew that and tried to prepare myself for it. I guess my first encounter with the realization of that fear came along with the suggestion to go out on my own. Well... it came when I found myself considering not even going out because I didn't know where to go...

So what did I do? Not cry, not whine, and not sit around doing nothing... Instead I spent a few hours scouring the Internet for some perfect map. It didn't exist. I tried to plan out my day and figure out where I would go and what I would do when I got there. After all my searching, in my mind there was nothing worth doing or seeing in Seoul. I felt I could not find anything to do... Or was it that there was too much to do? Yes. In a city so large and so accessible the thought was ridiculous. Nothing to do? Ha!

All of my planning got me nowhere because I wasn't really planning at all. I was just stalling. I was making prerequisites for my travel and making it OK to "work" on what I was going to do. Deep down I knew that's what I was doing... But it wasn't until MHS gently checked in with me a few hours after he had gone to work (I was to call him when I left the hotel... never did) that I cried and whined and got mad.

I already knew, well before I started searching, where I should go. Insadong. That's where we think we will live. There is a park there called Tapgol park. It was just that I couldn't find a map anywhere that showed all of the street names... I was so afraid of getting off the subway and getting lost! I had no phone and no way of contacting help. At least that was my excuse. Seoul is really a pretty safe city.

Before I left MHS actually walked me all the way down to the subway. He made sure I had money on my subway card- TMoney. I had to do it. My heart thumped heavily as I walked towards the subway entrance gates. My stomach dropped when I heard the "ping" of my t-money card being scanned.

I made it all the way to the Jongno 3 station. The thirty minute ride wasn't so bad. Signs are written in English so it is easy to find the way out.

However, my fears were confirmed when I reached one of the six exits from Jongno station 3. I was in the middle of an Asian city- no English street signs- all Korean. I was clueless. I went back down and looked at a lit map in the tunnel below. There was an old man looking at the map too. I think I was talking to myself- out loud. The man kept looking over at me.

Then he asked me something in Korean...
YIKES!
I think I laughed. I told him I didn't speak Korean.

Then he spoke to me in English and asked where I was trying to go. Luckily Tapgol park was right on the map we were looking at. I pointed to it and he told me he would walk with me and show me where it was. I thanked him profusely.

When we got back out to the street he said "This way." He held out his arm and made a sweeping motion in the direction we were to walk.

I don't remember our conversation but I do remember I found out that he was also not from Seoul. He was from Busan and was looking for musical instruments. He said he was not too familiar with the city but knew enough to get around. As we walked, he would stop and begin to talk to other Koreans and ask them directions. They pointed and waved their arms around as they discussed landmarks and turns in the road. Each time the direction giver would look at me a couple of times... Probably trying to figure out if I was with this guide or just standing around. We actually were redirected at least twice! That same scenario of going the wrong way played out a couple of times.

When we finally got to Tapgol I was thrilled. I thanked the man again. I thought he would be on his way. I didn't want him to feel like he had to stay with me. I don't exactly know how I said it but I tried to convey that I really appreciated his help and that he was off the hook. I wish I could remember exactly what he said to me... it sounded so thought out... The gist of his response was that he was a "countryman" and I was a guest in his country. He said it was his duty to help me.

And then he said he was hungry for lunch!

Was he trying to ask me to buy him lunch? I felt silly that I hadn't already offered to buy him a drink or something to eat. It hadn't even occurred to me! I was more than willing and said I would buy him lunch. That's not what he wanted. He wanted to buy me lunch! I had eaten not even two hours before. He was persistent. We went back and forth over the issue. I finally said he could buy me something to drink. He ended up buying me a bottled Starbucks drink from a street vendor right outside the park...

He gave me his Korean name but then just said to call him "Lucky."

I think I was the one lucky enough to run into such a nice man... such a nice guide. A charge of confidence came to me as we parted ways. I had such a positive outlook that I actually went back to the subway, went one stop further to Anguk, and walked down Insadong Gil all by myself.

Wow.

And now I'm an expert...

;-) Yeah Right.

Begin!

2007-11-02T09:34:00.000+09:00

My husband's job has led us to Seoul, South Korea. Because of the contract status, I am not allowed to work. That got me thinking... There is something I am supposed to do here. It's a test. I figure this is a great opportunity to do some personal growth and share it. I am not one to sit around and do nothing... I need to have an assignment. I need a challenge. With that in mind I have decided to propose some contemplation questions to guide this blog.

1. What will I uncover about myself as I explore Seoul?

2. How can my experiences benefit others?

3. How will this short period of time in a land so foreign change my husband's and my life forever?

4. What is worth seeing and doing here in Seoul?

Well...Let's see.

Test taker- Begin!