Korean kids are crazy. They yell and hit each other during class. The teacher walks by and smacks them on the back when they're misbehaving, and then they smack each other on the back when she walks away.
If you're eating with Koreans, always finish what's on your plate. If you don't, people will ask you if you're on a diet and why you don't like hot dogs. And by people, I mean students walking down the hall that you haven't even met yet.
Before using a washing machine in a new apartment, make sure that the drain hose is actually IN the drain.
My neighborhood keeps getting better and better! There are so many trees and so many parks and so many restaurants! I found a place that sells HUGE delicious dumplings for $1 on my way home last night. So much for losing weight...
On the busy streets without a pedestrian light, Koreans just walk out into traffic and the cars stop. Do NOT try this yourself. ALWAYS wait for a Korean to cross the street. Korean pedestrians are amazed when they see a foreigner, but Korean drivers don't see foreigners at all!
Seoul is crowded, especially if you go to a tourist area on a holiday. :)
There are agricultural plots everywhere, even between the subway rails and the roads.
There's a small river that runs by the bus route to my school, and it is gorgeous in the morning!
There are mountains everywhere! Everywhere! Every time I take a bus, I feel like I'm on vacation! (Living in Houston, you only see mountains if you're on vacation.) I can't wait to climb a mountain or two this weekend.
Free Korean food at lunch is awesome, but you'll be hungry again at 2pm.
It's so weird when Koreans stare at me when I'm walking down the street, but I've noticed that I stare even more when I see another foreigner! I need more friends! When my friend was here last weekend, I wanted to walk up to some foreigners we saw and start talking to them, but she said that is not a good way to make friends here.
We went to Insadong last weekend and found an amazing French bakery where some really tall Korean men work. (Either that, or the floor behind the counter is raised.) We ate bulgogi and looked at all the Korean souvenirs and food vendors and found a street with antique shops. The Buddhist art in the antique shops have pieces that look distinctly Indian, and pieces that look distinctly Chinese, but none from the pre-Joseon period that look distinctly Korean. Buddhist monks in Korea hosted monks from all over and copied their art. I need to get a Korean Art History book!
Avoiding Power Point presentations in school has finally caught up to me. I have literally never made a Power Point, and my co-teacher usually uses two every class. I'm expected to make complicated games with home pages and sound effects and clip art and I have no idea where to even start!
Other than that, I am excited to clean and set up my apartment. (The last teacher left it really dirty.) I am super excited to start teaching! I get to teach part of a class tomorrow and I'm having fun coming up with activities. I'm very glad my first Power Point isn't due until next week. I'm excited for Thursday when I'm going to travel and hour and a half to have chicken and beer (followed by watermelon) with my friend. And I am super excited for this weekend when I will climb a mountain and finally go out in Seoul at night!
I miss all of you a lot!
If you're eating with Koreans, always finish what's on your plate. If you don't, people will ask you if you're on a diet and why you don't like hot dogs. And by people, I mean students walking down the hall that you haven't even met yet.
Before using a washing machine in a new apartment, make sure that the drain hose is actually IN the drain.
My neighborhood keeps getting better and better! There are so many trees and so many parks and so many restaurants! I found a place that sells HUGE delicious dumplings for $1 on my way home last night. So much for losing weight...
On the busy streets without a pedestrian light, Koreans just walk out into traffic and the cars stop. Do NOT try this yourself. ALWAYS wait for a Korean to cross the street. Korean pedestrians are amazed when they see a foreigner, but Korean drivers don't see foreigners at all!
Seoul is crowded, especially if you go to a tourist area on a holiday. :)
There are agricultural plots everywhere, even between the subway rails and the roads.
There's a small river that runs by the bus route to my school, and it is gorgeous in the morning!
There are mountains everywhere! Everywhere! Every time I take a bus, I feel like I'm on vacation! (Living in Houston, you only see mountains if you're on vacation.) I can't wait to climb a mountain or two this weekend.
Free Korean food at lunch is awesome, but you'll be hungry again at 2pm.
It's so weird when Koreans stare at me when I'm walking down the street, but I've noticed that I stare even more when I see another foreigner! I need more friends! When my friend was here last weekend, I wanted to walk up to some foreigners we saw and start talking to them, but she said that is not a good way to make friends here.
We went to Insadong last weekend and found an amazing French bakery where some really tall Korean men work. (Either that, or the floor behind the counter is raised.) We ate bulgogi and looked at all the Korean souvenirs and food vendors and found a street with antique shops. The Buddhist art in the antique shops have pieces that look distinctly Indian, and pieces that look distinctly Chinese, but none from the pre-Joseon period that look distinctly Korean. Buddhist monks in Korea hosted monks from all over and copied their art. I need to get a Korean Art History book!
Avoiding Power Point presentations in school has finally caught up to me. I have literally never made a Power Point, and my co-teacher usually uses two every class. I'm expected to make complicated games with home pages and sound effects and clip art and I have no idea where to even start!
Other than that, I am excited to clean and set up my apartment. (The last teacher left it really dirty.) I am super excited to start teaching! I get to teach part of a class tomorrow and I'm having fun coming up with activities. I'm very glad my first Power Point isn't due until next week. I'm excited for Thursday when I'm going to travel and hour and a half to have chicken and beer (followed by watermelon) with my friend. And I am super excited for this weekend when I will climb a mountain and finally go out in Seoul at night!
I miss all of you a lot!
OMG, I LOVE reading your posts!! I'm not there, but I feel like I am anyway because of all of your great descriptions. (So did you get your chicken and beer and watermelon?)
ReplyDeleteLove you,
Joanne
my guess is korea is like naples ... if they THINK you are going to stop if they keep coming, they are going to keep coming ... you just have to not see THEM - and then you can cross whereever ;-)
ReplyDelete