Pink Stuff...

I had a White Christmas...

kind of...  I got back from the teacher's trip on Friday around 5.  Luckily, they bus dropped me and a few other teachers off at a subway station that happened to be on my line!  I had enough time to run to a couple stores to scoop up a few gifts for 2 of my friends so we could do a gift exchange, run home, drop my things off, and head off to Western Seoul, Banghwa, where my friend lives (over an hour away).

We had a nice night eating Pizza School pizza, drinking wine, exchanging gifts, and watching Love Actually.  Sometimes it's nice to just hang out at someone's house.  We rarely do that because our homes are not very big and people live all over the city so it's easier to just meet out.  I left around 11:30pm and caught the last train home, arriving at my station at right around 12:45am.  It was snowing as we left and was snowing when I got home..so it was a white Christmas Eve Eve.

On Christmas Eve, I just went out to meet a couple of friends in Hongdae.  On Christmas Day, I went to SH's brother's house for a traditional Korean Christmas dinner (and when I say traditional, I just mean Korean food).  It was cute though because they had decorated a large potted plant with some Christmas lights so it felt a little like Christmas.  We also had a "Christmas cake" because Korean bakeries sell cakes for all occasions.  They couldn't find the cake candles so we lit a single candle, turned off the lights, and sang "Silent Night" in Korean.  Overall, it was a nice Christmas in Seoul ^^

at the motel..

just updating from the motel..since it's cold outside and we have some free time.  this is legitimately kinda like a love motel.  they even have the attendant behind a window and lotion bottles and robes in the rooms.

they actually rearranged it so that the room I'm in has a bed.  however, I have to now share a bed with my coteacher which is slightly more awkward than sharing space on the floor.

currently sitting on the floor in one of the rooms with no bed with 5 other female teachers flailed about talking in korean about students..I think.  hope they don't mind my typing up this post on my phone.

thank god for smart phones..last time I took a trip like this, I had my old flipper.  at least now, I can be messing around on my phone to make the times less awkward.

**update..moved rooms to where all 8 of the males on this trip are playing cards, drinking, and betting money.  the afternoon just got more interesting I think.

Happy Winter Solstice

I may have said this before, but winter is really here this time..not getting above 40* for the duration.

Today is winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.  I'm hoping this means our teacher outing doesn't last too long, and I can escape into my shared room to the floor early tonight.  I brought 2 new Cosmos to keep my occupied during any down time I have.  For some reason, I haven't found any time to read them while I'm at home so it works out perfectly for the long bus trip.

Late to work

Today, I was late to work because I (stupidly) took the wrong bus.  I swear I thought I read the number on the bus correctly, but I must have just been hallucinating.  Anyway, the bus I got on does go the same route as my normal one for about 10 minutes or more so I wasn't really paying any attention.  There was one point where we were going under some bridge that felt really unfamiliar, but then I looked out the window and it looked like the road was blocked off or something.  So..I thought for some reason the bus was taking an alternate route around construction.

It wasn't until people were still pressing the stop button that I semi-realized something was weird.  How could they know where the stops were on this "alternate route?"  I finally glanced up and realized (to my horror) that I was NOT on #103, I was on #152, which I have never taken and have no idea where it goes.

In order to save myself from embarrassment, I decided to just stay on the bus until I reached the next closest subway station, where I could just take the subway to school instead.  Well, what do ya know?  There were no more subway stations along the entire route.  Oh yes, I rode the bus all the way to the end of the line as we just kept making turns higher and higher into the mountain area of Seoul.  When we pulled into the parking lot, I realized I was going to have to get off and go back the other way (as the only other buses I saw around were local buses).

It did cross my mind to just take a taxi, but at that point, I literally had no idea where I was or how expensive it would be to get back to my school.  So, I called my coteacher to tell her I'd be a little late because I accidentally got on the wrong bus this morning.  Luckily, I didn't have any classes today so she just said to "take it easy."  Soo, yep.  That's how was I was 50 minutes late to school.

Kim Jong IL is DEAD!

I was kinda behind on the news so I discovered this news this afternoon right after lunch via fb status updates.  I say to my coteacher: "OMG Kim Jong Il died?!"  She just glanced up, shook her head, and kept writing whatever she was working on.  I guess it's not big news afterall?  

Winter Break

PS. I booked my winter vacation to Thailand.

...will be here in a month!!

We haven't decided on any specifics except a return flight to Bangkok.  So many options, but not enough time to do them all...Chang Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui??

Drinking culture

I got this nice little message the other day from kbf.  The "he" in the message is the CEO of the school he works at.  They went out after school, 10 pm-ish until 5 am.  This made me think about the drinking culture in Korea and work-related meetings.

It's totally common and acceptable to go out drinking with co-workers and bosses.  You will be encouraged to drink a lot and potentially sing a terrible song at a norebang with them.  You must accept any shots that are poured for you, otherwise, you are rude.  (I have seen some of the female teachers at my school just pour the shots out into an empty water glass when the person who poured it isn't looking)  In fact, these meetings have a name in Korean, 회식 (hweshik), and you are expected to attend (even if you already have plans).  

However, as a foreigner in Korea, I often  try to wiggle myself out of these and (I think) it's not looked down upon as much as if a Korean person were to refuse to attend.  A lot of times, they tell me about some dinner with very little notice so I am usually not lying when I timidly say I already have plans.  Sometimes, I just don't want to go so I just act strange about it..like "oh, I didn't know..." or "oh, nobody told me.." or "I forgot.."  These dinners are not really all that fun for me.  For one, everyone is just speaking Korean which is fine during school, everyday, but do I really want to be spending my time outside of school sitting alone looking at my phone while everyone talks to each other?  Granted, my main coteacher does usually sit next to me so sometimes she will translate something for me, but still, I mainly feel like a burden to her and it's just uncomfortable all around.

My friend posted this as his status yesterday, "Sometimes I miss my old job where I was only forced to socialize with coworkers once a year."  This is so true life.  At my job back home, I never hung out with coworkers (except for like maybe 2 who were my age, and not really all that often).  The only time we did anything outside of work together was maybe a holiday party/retirement party, and actually, these were usually in the office anyway.

I've already committed on going on my 2nd overnight trip with school next week.  It usually goes over like this...coteacher: "can you join us on the teacher's trip?" me: "where are you going?" cot: "we haven't decided yet.." me: "oh.." cot: "so can you come?" me: "I guess so.."  And, there you have it.  I don't know why they think an overnight trip is necessary at all.  Like couldn't we just go eat dinner somewhere in Seoul and then go home to our own beds (or floors for some)?  Instead, I'll most likely have to go on some outdoor adventure in negative degree weather, eat dinner sitting on the floor, drink soju, and then sleep on the floor with 4 other Korean ladies who don't really talk to me.  Awkward.  Can you tell I'm excited?

Santa U Are The One

YouTube Challenge - I Gave My Kids a Terrible Present

Public bathrooms

I think I may have mentioned the mass availability of public restrooms in Korea before.  It's awesome...seriously, better than any other country I've ever been to in offering toilets to the general public.  Most of them are even cleaned and kept up by ajummas on the daily.

Toilets are actually more common than trash cans.  For some unknown reason, there is never a trash can in sight when you need one.  I've heard this is because  after 9/11 and other terrorist activities, the government felt that trash cans could be used for terrorist attacks...which really is just crazy.  Anything could be used in a terrorist attack.  Anyway, I'm getting off track...I have two complaints about public restrooms.

1.  Since toilets are so widely available, this means that some public establishments (ie: restaurants) don't have their own bathroom.  This means you have to go outside to some alley to use the bathroom which can be very cold during the winter.  These are also the ones that probably don't have toilet paper (this complaint is not that major).

2.  (not really a complaint about the toilets themselves..) but the obnoxious Korean girls who are either taking forever or throwing a fit because somebody else is already in there.  I was reminded of this 2 times in the past week, which is why I decided to write about this.

Example:  I was in the bathroom in a restaurant.  It only had 1 stall and a small area to wash your hands and/or wait.  I was audibly peeing when I heard someone come in.  I figured she obviously knew someone was in there, however, a few seconds later, she tugged on the door (luckily it actually locked).  I didn't do or say anything in response because, again, I thought it was obvious that I was busy in there.  Then I flushed the toilet and was, ya know, buttoning my jeans and belt when she said something and then knocked on the door and yanked on it AGAIN.  Come on, girl, really?  When I opened the door, I just gave her a death stare.

This kind of stuff happens ALL the time.  I will say it is usually alcohol induced at like bars or restaurants, but still, why?  Even if people are waiting in line, it's almost guaranteed some Korean girl will walk right up to the door and try to open it and then knock on it as well.  The only thing that does seem to work (at least for a few seconds) is if they knock, you knock back...from the inside.  This lets them know somebody is in there (because obviously the locked door or audible business doesn't do the job).  Certainly, not all Korean girls are like this, but a lot of them are, and I just don't understand.

where's the TOLLET?

Skyping from school is cold..

Spotted: snowflakes.

Unfortunately the photo I tried to snap out my classroom window didn't pick up the white specks in the air.  Anyway, enjoy the view of the soccer field and apartments behind my school.  and Happy Friday^^

School toilets

Now that it's winter, I have a new favorite stall in the bathroom at school.  Normally, I opt for 1 of the 2 "western" style toilets (they have seats).  However, the seat is COLD because, of course, there is no heat in the hallways or bathrooms.  Also, unfortunately I have never really mastered the "hovering" technique.  It's either sit or squat for me.

THESE DAYS, I choose squat.  I also like to choose the stall all the way at the end of the row because in the mornings, a lot of sunlight shines in and makes it a little warmer (or so I like to think).  Anyway, thank you "college" for preparing me with the skills to "pop a squat" when necessary.

Miracle on 42nd Street

My experience with 족발

I've eaten 족발 (Jokbal) a couple times before without knowing what it was.  If I had known first , I probably never would have eaten it.

I was once asked, "Can you eat pig's feet?"  Of course, I was like..."What!  No!"

found this on wikipedia..ew 

The first time I ate it was at some random "celebration" for re-arranging the auditorium at school.  I'm pretty sure they told me it was just pork so I had some of it.  The second time was with a Korean family who told me it was pork that many Korean women like to eat because it is not very fatty.

I had it for the third time this weekend, only this time, I finally realized what I was eating...pig's feet.  Luckily it comes sliced up so it doesn't actually look like it comes straight from the pig (until you get to the bottom of the platter where the hooves are?).  It's actually pretty delicious.  I also had some leftover the next day, and it tasted strangely of turkey as cold leftovers.

this is the 30,000won portion which I'm pretty sure is meant to serve 4 people...comes with  spicy buckwheat noodles service

wrap it up with some shrimp sauce, ssamjang, and a pepper in a lettuce leaf...enjoy in preferably 1 bite (1 shot!)

It's time.

There are 2 videos regarding gay marriage currently circulating the internet (I'm sure some of you have seen in the past couple of days)...



and this one..for 19 years old, this kid makes an amazing speech.



This fight for equality has been a long battle in America, and it makes me think, will it ever even become an issue in Korea?  The Korean population, especially older people just ignore the fact that there are same sex relationships, if not downright look down upon them.  While there is certainly a gay population, most gay Koreans feel they have to hide it from their family (and maybe friends?).

United Colors of Benetton just did an UNHATE campaign using pictures of various leaders from various countries.  It was very strange...but still, I wonder what Korean people think when they see this image.

Kim Jong Il and Lee Myung Bak sharing a moment

Hu Jintao and Obama