Jamaica has been good to us

When Ryan and I came to Korea, we joined a fitness center called Jamaica Fitness. Because gym memberships in Korea can cost around $1000/year, we opted to join for six months. Gyms also tend to close unexpectedly leaving people hundreds of dollars out. Our gym membership was due to expire at the end of February, but we weren't sure when. So, we decided we would continue to go to the gym until they stopped us. We went in February, and March and April and May . . . and now it's June and they have never said anything to us. Everyday we scan our membership cards and everyday the people at the front desk just smile at us and let us through. We're not sure if it is a glitch in the system or if they don't speak enough English to tell us our membership is expired so they keep letting us go through. Either way, it's saved us about $600 so no complaints here. I love Jamaica!

Mmm, Smell that Fresh Air

Weather forecast today from Weather.com:
St. Louis: 75 F Partly Cloudy
Honolulu: 78 F Sunny
Boulder, CO: 65 F Sunny
Seoul: 81 F Widespread Dust

Ruff, ruff, ahhhhhhh

Ryan and I watch the dogs on the rooftop next to us when they're playing. The other morning we were watching the 3 dogs playing with each other. They looked so happy.

A little while later, we noticed the owners were on the rooftop and one of the dogs was really still. He suddenly lit a torch and started burning the dog . . . but the dog didn't move. He flipped the dog over to do the same on the other side. As he flipped the dog over, we saw that the dog was completely stiff. He was puppy meat for another Korean soup. It was awful.

Sun, Sand, & Still in Korea

We spent last weekend in Busan. Busan is a city in the south of Korea on the coast. It has beautiful beaches and plenty of things to do. We went to the aquarium, hung out on the beach, went for a hike, visited the APEC 2005 building, went on a cruise, watched fireworks and visited some ancient tombs. We also stayed in an awesome hotel with real beds and a shower room that doubles as a sauna with a jacuzzi tub.

I'm glad we went to Busan because it changed my perceptions of Koreans. Most of the people on the streets in Seoul are rude. They try to run into you, elbow you, kick you, push you, slam doors on you and beat you down with their oversized purses and bags. They stop in the middle of a crowded street and look at you like you're crazy for trying to walk around them. They are also heavily involved with cell phones, video games, books and anything that keeps them from actually paying attention to people around them while they're walking.

Busan was different though. The people were very kind. They were polite and opened doors for people. We even had Koreans stop to ask us if we were lost or needed help finding anything. The atmosphere was peaceful and calm. If I ever come back to Korea, I'm going to Busan.

Teacher's Day

May 15th is Teacher's Day in Korea. My students brought me flowers, chocolates, tea and body lotion. They also took me out for dessert and coffee in my last class. Ryan's students . . . well, Ryan's students bought him a can of orange juice from the vending machine after he made them feel guilty for not bringing him anything.

Have Another

The other night, I had a student walk in late to class. Well, actually he stumbled in an hour late and ran into my desk where he knocked everything over. His face was bright red and his eyes were watery. He was SMASHED!!!

He is normally one of my best students in my Intermediate Business class. He is in his 40s and always wears a suit to class.

The other students were laughing at his pathetic state. He then decided he wanted to make a speech and stood up in front of the classroom to explain his company and their products. He stumbled over his words but his English was surprisingly good considering his situation. Ten minutes later, he took a seat and was ready for me to continue class. The rest of class was still laughing and making fun of him. As I attempted to continue class, he continued to giggle at everything I said. I don't think most teachers have to deal with this problem.

Wedding Bells

We attended our first Korean wedding. It started somewhat normal with the groom in a suit and then the bride in a big white dress walking down the aisle. After that, it became interesting. No one in the audience really paid attention to what was going on. There were lots of conversations going on and people walking around and walking in and out of the room. The groom read a poem that he wrote and then the parents gave them advice. A lady kept going up to the bride to pat her forehead but the bride kept turning her head away and looked pissed off about it. There wasn't a minister but there was a guy with a microphone to the side. Then there was some live music. Afterwards, the guy with microphone told the groom to kiss the bride. The bride refused the kiss and then they were married. We were ushered into a big cafeteria with tons of food and beer (It was 11am). The bride and the groom changed into their traditional clothes, han bok, and greeted their guests while we ate. By noon, everything was over and it was time to leave.

My best friend, Megan, is getting married in 3 months in the U.S. I think I'll enjoy that wedding A LOT more.

Yeah . . . I'm going to need you to go ahead and come in on Saturday

I felt like Peter in Office Space this week. I had this horrible feeling all week that my director was going to tell me I have to work Saturdays this month. So I tried to avoid him all week and spend as little time near him as possible. I thought it was working until I walked into work on Friday afternoon and my name was on the Saturday schedule. Apparently, no speaking was required.

I keep telling him to hire more business teachers but maybe the English isn't translating well.

Ryan Bought Me Flowers!

They came from an old lady in the subway. He haggled her down to almost nothing. She didn't know what hit her.

A New Breed of Bums

Earlier this week, Ryan and I walked by a beggar on the street. We've grown quite accustomed to this in the busy areas of the city. He was dressed in the shabby clothes with his face partially hidden. There was nothing out of the ordinary until his cell phone started to ring. When he pulled out his cell phone to answer the call, we noticed that his phone was nicer than our phone. No doubt he had a camera, MP3 player, games and television on his state-of-the-art phone. I wondered how he paid for the phone or the monthly bill. He must be doing pretty well as a bum. I half expected him to suddenly pull out the automatic remote to his BMW to unlock the doors and head home after his busy day at work.

Achoo! Blahhhhhhh!

The flu has been going around the teachers at YBM. Unfortunately, our management is not smart enough to give us sick days. If we are sick, they deduct pay from our salary. Therefore, everyone who is sick still comes to work to share their symptoms. What started as one person with the flu has affected the entire office.

The flu hit me on Monday. I missed my first class but I was too hard-headed to miss more. So I went to class, dizzy, light-headed, with a fever and a stomachache. Part of me hopes the flu hits the management or at least the students complain about their near-dead teachers pathetically attempting to teach as they curl up in a ball under the desk. Would it be so much to ask for a few sick days?

What Are the Chances?

Since I've known Ryan, there have been two concerts that he endlessly talks about. The first one is the Garth Brooks concert. One of his goals is to see Garth in concert again which is difficult because Garth had retired from traveling and performing. Coincidentally, less than a month after we left Missouri, Garth announced a concert in Kansas City, MO. Ryan just stopped sulking about not going to see Garth when another concert was announced in Missouri: Jimmy Buffett.

Ryan talks about Jimmy Buffett concerts with such love and admiration. I even had the opportunity to go a Buffett concert with Ryan a few years ago in Chicago. He was counting down the days again until Jimmy's next concert. We were just informed recently that Buffett is performing in St. Louis in April. What are the chances? Ryan's two favorite performers come to Missouri within a few months when we're in Korea.

Yellow Dust

In Korea, there are four seasons: Summer, Autumn, Winter & Yellow Dust. The yellow dust season is somewhat similar to Spring in the U.S. The winds start to change which bring in the warmer air. Unfortunately, Korea is in close proximity with China and so when the winds change, they start to blow from China. This means that all of the yellow sand, toxins and pollution blow into Korea from China. The sky actually takes on the color of a grayish yellow. This is a sensitive subject in Korean-Chinese relations.

On average, 200 Koreans die each year as a result of the yellow dust and 2 million Koreans get sick from the toxins. Many people choose to wear surgical masks to avoid breathing the toxic air. On Monday, every elementary school & kindegarten in the South of the country was closed due to the dangerous air. Seoul wasn't hit so hard and so Ryan and I still had to work. As great as a day off would be, I would prefer the Chinese toxic air to stay out of the city.

West Coast Swing

Ryan and I signed up to take an 9 hour swing dance lesson on Saturday. The instructors were from California and so we jumped at the opportunity to do something fun in English. West Coast swing is a little different from your typical swing and has a little more hip-hop style to it. One of our teachers at YBM, Hanna, also came with us.

I was surprised when we first got there because the only other students were Korean and they were all real dancers. The teachers, Jordan & Tatiyana, were nice enough. We stuck through the first two hours and picked up some basic skills but then Ryan took off. Hanna and I hung on through until the end. We were getting really good, although a lot of the guys had really sweaty hands and were a little "too" into it.

The lesson ended at 7:30 and then there was free dancing. Hanna and I went to grab some food and when we returned, it felt like we were walking into the scene from "Dirty Dancing" when the main character walks downstairs and sees how all of the workers really dance. Our swing dance classmates were throwing each other around and flipping each other. We tried to show them up but our dance experience includes ballet and club dancing. We finally admitted defeat to the swing, salsa, ballroom dancing experts and took a seat and watched the pros.

Almost Normal

We spent part of our weekend at my brother's apartment. Kevin and his fiance, Monica, are in Tokyo and they had graciously offered to let us crash at their palace. Compared to our one room accommodation, they're equipped with luxuries like 2 bedrooms and a huge living room with an oven in the kitchen (i baked cookies and banana nut bread this weekend!), a bathtub in the bathroom and a private deck. They also have the ability to control their own heat and water temperature. They live like royalty compared to us. They're also in walking distance of great restaurants (non-Korean) and a shopping district. There are many non-Koreans in their area which is nice because we don't get stared at everywhere we walk.

It was definitely a nice change and a good break from living in a box. For example, when Ryan got grumpy I could go to another room and shut the door. What a luxury!

Holiday Madness

In Korea, Valentine's Day is solely for the men. The women are supposed to get their man some chocolate while the women receive nothing. March 14th is "White Day" which is the day when the men must give the women sweet candy. I'm looking forward to this holiday. There's also a holiday for the single people on April 14th. This day is called "Black Day" and single people are supposed to eat black noodles with their single friends. I've noticed that every month, there is a holiday that is somehow related to food.

On a side note, the 6ft tall lighted Christmas tree is still on display outside the 7-11 down from our apartment. Should I tell them that the holidays are over?

Lunar New Year

We took a short hiatus from blog writing during the Lunar New Year. We had a 5 day break which was heaven. We spent a few days at the Seoul Grand Hyatt. We slept in a real bed on a real mattress. We enjoyed luxuries like TV, chairs and ice.

We spent one night ice skating on the outdoor rink behind the hotel. We had a beautiful view of the city and river. All and all it was a great mini vacation. We did make one mistake by eating at the Terrace Restaurant. We walked into what we believed to be the cheapest restaurant. We proceeded to our table where the drink menu showed $9 beers and $12-$34 glasses of wine. We indulged in the buffet which was stacked with chicken, fish, beef, pasta, fruit, vegetables, ice cream, cake, pie, cookies, etc . . . it was delicious. When we got the bill though I think we both threw up a little in our mouths. It was one of the most expensive meals I've ever eaten. Oh well, here's to living it up in Korea.

Swimming With Piranhas

This past Saturday, Ryan and I met Kevin and Monica for dinner at an awesome Mexican restaurant. After the big meal, we walked around the area when Monica spotted a sign that said "Doctor Fish" on the seventh floor of one of the highrise buildings. Kevin and Monica got very excited which should have been our first clue that this place would be interesting.

We ascended the seven floors step by step. As we reached the 7th floor, Kevin tried to block our view from the inevitable. As we walked in the door we were instructed to remove our shoes. This actually isn't all that strange in a Korean restaurant. As we were led to our seats, the waitress began to explain something about a foot bath and fish and oil and I looked at her with a blank face. What is she talking about? Kevin explained after she left.

We were served tea/beer/coffee and cake and then led to foot baths where we washed our feet. We then followed the group to the middle of the restaurant where there was a huge pool with little fish. As we lowered our feet into the water, the fish swam to our feet. They began to suck all of the dry skin off of our feet. Apparently it's therapeutic. They tickled at first, but before we knew it, we had 30 fish sucking at our feet. (Well, except for Kevin, I think he maxed out at about 5 fish . . . he couldn't handle it). It was crazy! Only in Korea . . . and Turkey & Japan, apparently.

I Don't Want Your Socks!

Every night this week we've been stopped on the street outside our subway station at about 10:30 pm by the same two people. As soon as they see us, they run over and start reading from a card . . . "Hello, I am a student from Mongolia, I am having trouble paying for school and I would like to sell you some socks. 3 for $10. Will you help me pay for school?"

The strange thing is that hundreds of people walk out of our subway station every minute but they always zone in on us. They don't realize how many times they have stopped us. One night they followed us very close to our apartment so we took a few extra laps around the block so they couldn't follow us home. I'm not entirely convinced that they're even students or that they're from Mongolia. I'm going to start speaking French or Pig Latin next time.

Stone Age

January 24th - Christmas lights and Christmas trees are still in every major restaurant and retail shop. Is it like that in the States? I can't remember anymore . . .

On a side note, my laptop is now at the repairman. We are looking at 6 days without internet, phone, movies, etc. We drowned our sorrows today with Sbarro's pizza and Smoothie King.

That's Huge!

Ryan and I have grown accustomed to the smaller portion sizes in Korea. The soda cans hold about 9 oz of soda and all the restaurant meals are significantly smaller than the U.S. We visited an international grocery store and were shocked to see the usual American 12 oz cans of soda. In our eagerness to have a little piece of home, I purchased a Root Beer and Ryan chose the coveted Dr. Pepper.

As we began to drink, we noticed the cans seemed gigantic! We finished about half of the can and realized we couldn't drink anymore. We were defeated. We threw away the cans with half the precious sugar drink still in there. I feel a little ashamed as an American that I can no longer sit down and drink a full 12 oz soda can.

Kimchi Mondu

I constantly long for food back in the old U.S. Every now and then I'll have a craving for something that I can't find here. But, there is one food in Korea that I have grown quite addicted to. It's not the sweet rice cakes (good, have the consistency of bread dough covered in powdered sugar), Suneday (dried pig intestines), Dok bolki (rice rolls in spicy sauce), kimbap (rice& veggies wrapped in seaweed-still good), shrimp & prawn pizza or any of the other various local grub. My addiction to Korean food lies in the kimchi mondu. Even after I return to the U.S., I have a feeling I will crave this food. Even with my limited knowledge of the Korean language, I have ensured that I know enough words to order this tasty food from the street vendors or local restaurants. It's a bargain at 2,500won for a box - roughly $2.50. I can eat the stuff at any time of day and sometimes I wake up with a craving for it. Yum! Anyway, off to dinner . . .

He Can Cook!

We're now entering our six month in Korea and Ryan has seemed to finally find the kitchen this week. He has cooked two meals this week which is more than he has cooked the first 5 months. I don't want to jinx it but it's a rather exciting thing for me. He's in the kitchen right now watching his chicken cook and congratulating himself. It's really cute.

Winter in Korea

For the past two months, we have worn scarves, ear muffs, gloves, hats, heavy coats, long underwear, tights, long socks and occasionally face masks when we have left the apartment. I'm not sure if it's because it's colder here than St. Louis or if it's because we have to spend so much more time outside walking. In the U.S. we can pull up our car next to the door or into the garage and spend minimal time outside. Here, we have to walk everywhere. I can't wait for spring.

Additionally, I used to mistakingly consider shorts and mini skirts as seasonal attire. Apparently, I am wrong as Korean girls continue to wear shorts and mini skirts with tights and boots, even as the temperatures creep towards negative digits. My error.

Down For the Count

My computer is officially out of service. Every time I try to turn it on, it decides it wants to stay off. I have had the computer for a year and a half. The warranty was only for a year so I'm left out high and dry. Do companies know how to make products so that they make it just past the warranty? As I was a student of Marketing in my undergraduate days, I do think this is a good method to ensure that you maintain customers. I had no complaints about my Apple for its entire life. I never had one virus or even an error message. And now I am addicted to my macbook so of course, if it is unrepairable, my next purchase will be an Apple. It makes me a little sick how aware I am of these marketing strategies and yet I remain a victim.

Unfortunately, my computer was our only phone, internet, CD player, DVD player/television, weather channel, and it has all of my pictures on it. It provided hours of entertainment. Now, I just have Ryan. While we are in the midst of deciding what to do, we have been keeping ourselves entertained with the dogs that live on the roofs next to us. One of the roofs has over ten dogs on it at all times. There are two big dogs and 3 1 yr old labs and then 5 or 6 new puppies that are always playing. It's not quite as entertaining as my laptop, but it will do for now.

Precious Sleep

I assumed with our new schedules that we would be able to keep up with our blog more and keep in better touch with friends and family. After all, we aren't waking up at 5am anymore to arrive at school in time for our 6:30am classes. However, the 9+ hours of sleep we're getting has left us with less time. After all, we have to be at school for 8 hours, commute time can take up to an hour and our workout and shower time takes up the rest of our day. We agreed to work Saturdays this month for overtime with the misconception that we would have too much time on our hands. However, our mood during our waking time is much improved.

On a side note, it's January 17th and everywhere we go still has Christmas trees, Santas and Christmas lights up. I think they're confused.

Next, please.

My brother took us to this crazy sushi restaurant. When you walk in, the sushi chefs are all standing in the middle of the restaurant and they're supposed to yell something at you . . . but I think the sight of 4 non-Koreans threw them off a little and they just kind of stared.

The best part about this restaurant is that all of the food is on a conveyor belt that circles around to all of the tables. If you see something you want, you just take it off and eat it. You can try anything from sushi to shrimp to chicken to ice cream to mystery food. It's just passing by as you eat your meal.

At the end of the meal, the waiters count up the number of plates and you pay based on how much you eat. Each plate has a different color so if you grabbed a yellow plate, it costs $1 and if you took a black plate, it's $10.

I think all food should be served on a conveyor belt. It was so cool.

Zzzzz

We received new schedules for the month of January! We are no longer working from 6:30am until 10pm. Our first classes now begin at 2pm. We have gone from sleeping on average 3 hours a night to sleeping 10 hours at night. We are welcoming this happy change.