Hello All,
Another week has passed here in Cheongju. Within that time I have thwarted an alien takeover, broke up a major crime-syndicate, and reached the peak of Korea's largest summit.
Hmm perhaps the last sentence was an exaggeration. Here is the real story............
Now that I am teaching full-time the time passes much quicker than before. Perhaps my distorted perception of time is a reflection of the content of my daily activities. which have undergone a remarkable transformation following my relocation to Korea:
School starts at 4 pm, but we arrive early to prepare for the students. Prior to school, my day is rather unremarkable. After waking up I toast a bagel in a skillet pan(yes, yes it is possible). While eating breakfast, I typically perform online research on whatever oddity has captured my interest. Then I walk down to the market to pick up some fresh produce and enjoy the usual stares of the resident employees. Following the store, I go for a run and lift some 250 pounders( you know the usual). By the time I shower and have lunch I begin work. Then BAM work is over at 10:30ish and I am ready for bed. So I have related this delightful narrative to illustrate the odd life I am experiencing; a simple stream of unalloyed perceptions and experiences.
As a result of my current lifestyle, I am learning to more thoroughly enjoy the small pleasures of life. Lunch is typically the highlight of my day; I have perfected a delectable balsamic chicken bell pepper skillet and a superb ranch-cajun chicken salad. the local Dunkin Donuts has morphed into my reading spot. My daily market-trip is banal, but nonetheless enjoyable.
My walks and time spent at Dunkin Donuts are a gateway for deep thought and observations of the many that lives that bubble past and fall behind. Now more than any other time in my life I am an observer. I watch the gossiping middle-aged women, endless supply of laughing schoolchildren, the soju-greased men, and stooped ajummas. My observations have reinforced many of beliefs about people and culture. Some facets of culture are important parts of daily life and deeply connected to particular thoughts and actions. Despite some superficial differences, all people seem to share most of the same basic motivations. My observations leave me more passionately against racism and ethnocentrism. If people are essentially the same, it is illogical and cruel to judge another individual as inferior because of their fashion-sense and culinary practices. Yet, who said humans were always logical and kind?
The constant sightings of happy groups leave me pensive and hungry for close contact. Although a lot of my time in California is spent alone, with family and nearby loved ones, I rarely disliked the solitude. I still usually enjoy my solitude, however I frequently wish I had someone to share it with.
After another week I am more confident with my Korean existence and hopeful for the upcoming weeks , but still unsatisfied with my cheeseless pizza...........
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Acceptance
Well my small readership,
Another week has passed in Cheongju and I remain alive. This is positive news, although expected, it is still positive.........
This week my transition into independent-teaching is the biggest news. As Tedd unfortunately left this week( I am still crying inside), I am now the teacher of 11 classes. I feel that being a teacher is a large responsibility-- teachers are a significant source of student motivation. The composition of a lesson plans oftentimes determines the degree of a kid's attention-level. Ultimately a student decides their path through their education, but the individuals they meet along way are noteworthy influences. So taking over this week was slightly stressful because I really want to do a good job. When the classes are large, I feel that I have not delivered what the students deserve. I hope that I will learn methods of ensuring good instruction despite large class-size.
It is strange how quickly the time passes.......
I feel like a few hours after I wake up it is time for work and then bam! time for sleep. The way that time flows causes me to feel unproductive. I should intensify my efforts in learning korean(which are currently quite insubstantial). Learning Korean would greatly facilitate the fluidity of my my maneuvering. With such limited means of expression, I feel rather silly getting in cabs and going to the store.
As I stayed in Cheongju this weekend, I lack any exciting adventures to report. I did have a lot of time to reflect on existence.......
Life is full of intricate webs of human connection. We are driven to make contact with others, to share a piece of our lives. I think this drive comes from a subconscious motivation to make our personal existence real. For an individual to leave a record on this earth, another individual must witness a piece of their existence and take possession of that fragment. If we lived our lives without contacting other people, there would be no proof of one's reality. Thus, a large component of any individual's life is spent making these interpersonal connections.
I would explain the general human desire to love and be loved results from the drive to leave a piece of ourselves in this world. Although subconsciously this drive is selfish, it does not take away from the beauty of caring for other people. In my experience there is no greater feeling than embracing loved ones and enjoying their company. I believe those joyous feelings, regardless of selfish motivations, substantiate dull everyday experiences to constitute the more wondrous and mysterious elements of human existence............
Much Love,
-Holly-
Another week has passed in Cheongju and I remain alive. This is positive news, although expected, it is still positive.........
This week my transition into independent-teaching is the biggest news. As Tedd unfortunately left this week( I am still crying inside), I am now the teacher of 11 classes. I feel that being a teacher is a large responsibility-- teachers are a significant source of student motivation. The composition of a lesson plans oftentimes determines the degree of a kid's attention-level. Ultimately a student decides their path through their education, but the individuals they meet along way are noteworthy influences. So taking over this week was slightly stressful because I really want to do a good job. When the classes are large, I feel that I have not delivered what the students deserve. I hope that I will learn methods of ensuring good instruction despite large class-size.
It is strange how quickly the time passes.......
I feel like a few hours after I wake up it is time for work and then bam! time for sleep. The way that time flows causes me to feel unproductive. I should intensify my efforts in learning korean(which are currently quite insubstantial). Learning Korean would greatly facilitate the fluidity of my my maneuvering. With such limited means of expression, I feel rather silly getting in cabs and going to the store.
As I stayed in Cheongju this weekend, I lack any exciting adventures to report. I did have a lot of time to reflect on existence.......
Life is full of intricate webs of human connection. We are driven to make contact with others, to share a piece of our lives. I think this drive comes from a subconscious motivation to make our personal existence real. For an individual to leave a record on this earth, another individual must witness a piece of their existence and take possession of that fragment. If we lived our lives without contacting other people, there would be no proof of one's reality. Thus, a large component of any individual's life is spent making these interpersonal connections.
I would explain the general human desire to love and be loved results from the drive to leave a piece of ourselves in this world. Although subconsciously this drive is selfish, it does not take away from the beauty of caring for other people. In my experience there is no greater feeling than embracing loved ones and enjoying their company. I believe those joyous feelings, regardless of selfish motivations, substantiate dull everyday experiences to constitute the more wondrous and mysterious elements of human existence............
Much Love,
-Holly-
Monday, September 15, 2008
Dinner Party and Chun Dae
Well readers I have completed another week in the lovely CheongJu. Thankfully my experiences this week were much more positive......
The week proceeded in its usual manner: Wake up, run, lunch, killing time, work, and then sleep. Although it is very unexciting, I cannot complain. Throughout my entire life I have never felt completely comfortable doing nothing. In the states even if I don't have obligations I feel guilty to be unproductive. Living by myself, without any pressing obligations, I finally have the opportunity to just chill. I think learning to relax is actually productive for me.
On Friday I went out to Chun Dae for the first time after a month of residing in CheongJu. Chun Dae is the district where all the nightclubs and bars are located. There are three bars that cater to foreigners. All of the staff speak decent English and they pump some good jams. I also hit up Harlem nightclub, which is a Korean hip-hop joint. I was super-stoked to hear some Missy and Chris Brown. In reflection of Korean gender relations, men and women danced in separate groups. I saw one opposite-gender couple dancing together. Of course I used this as an opportunity to freak out some Korean men...... Ahhh the looks on their faces when I grabbed them to dance:) Priceless.
Korean dating is far different from the states. Although there are couples everywhere, their relations are very conservative. I have seen one couple publicly kissing-- in one month. Similar to middle school, PDA is very taboo. I would love to know how couples act in private. As the culture is very focused on marriage as on end(from my observations) I wonder if some of the affection is less present. I will have to continue these observations.......
On Saturday I spent several hours cooking for Tedd's going-away dinner party. {Without an oven or a microwave, finding recipes and cooking is another challenge I frequently encounter. There are so many recipes that require an oven! It is very frustrating to find something interesting and then realize I cannot make it. Once I get some extra money I hope to buy a large pot/dutch oven, so I can endeavor in baking/roasting on my stove-top. } I made a large effort to cook authentic American cuisine. I went for Cajun-themed dishes; blackened chicken, corn-tomato saute, ect. We don't have full-size tables or chairs so our party took place on the floor:) Yay I love dinner parties! Eventually I will have to throw one of my famous murder mystery parties.
Sunday was Chuseok, one of the biggest Korean holidays where Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food. CheongJu was a ghost town. During my afternoon walk, I only encountered very few people. The street that usually bustles with cabs and buses was basically desolate. Later that night our group headed out to Chun Dae again. As most establishment were closed for the holiday, it appeared as if all the bored resident foreigners were packed into the bar( which is humorously called called Roadking). Anywho it was fun to actually get out of my apartment and socialize.{ With my recent poor health and fatigue I have done very little outside of work.}
In conclusion I am feeling a little more positive about living in Korea. Nonetheless, I miss everyone and feel pretty isolated. However I am living and breathing, so it can't be too bad:)
The week proceeded in its usual manner: Wake up, run, lunch, killing time, work, and then sleep. Although it is very unexciting, I cannot complain. Throughout my entire life I have never felt completely comfortable doing nothing. In the states even if I don't have obligations I feel guilty to be unproductive. Living by myself, without any pressing obligations, I finally have the opportunity to just chill. I think learning to relax is actually productive for me.
On Friday I went out to Chun Dae for the first time after a month of residing in CheongJu. Chun Dae is the district where all the nightclubs and bars are located. There are three bars that cater to foreigners. All of the staff speak decent English and they pump some good jams. I also hit up Harlem nightclub, which is a Korean hip-hop joint. I was super-stoked to hear some Missy and Chris Brown. In reflection of Korean gender relations, men and women danced in separate groups. I saw one opposite-gender couple dancing together. Of course I used this as an opportunity to freak out some Korean men...... Ahhh the looks on their faces when I grabbed them to dance:) Priceless.
Korean dating is far different from the states. Although there are couples everywhere, their relations are very conservative. I have seen one couple publicly kissing-- in one month. Similar to middle school, PDA is very taboo. I would love to know how couples act in private. As the culture is very focused on marriage as on end(from my observations) I wonder if some of the affection is less present. I will have to continue these observations.......
On Saturday I spent several hours cooking for Tedd's going-away dinner party. {Without an oven or a microwave, finding recipes and cooking is another challenge I frequently encounter. There are so many recipes that require an oven! It is very frustrating to find something interesting and then realize I cannot make it. Once I get some extra money I hope to buy a large pot/dutch oven, so I can endeavor in baking/roasting on my stove-top. } I made a large effort to cook authentic American cuisine. I went for Cajun-themed dishes; blackened chicken, corn-tomato saute, ect. We don't have full-size tables or chairs so our party took place on the floor:) Yay I love dinner parties! Eventually I will have to throw one of my famous murder mystery parties.
Sunday was Chuseok, one of the biggest Korean holidays where Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food. CheongJu was a ghost town. During my afternoon walk, I only encountered very few people. The street that usually bustles with cabs and buses was basically desolate. Later that night our group headed out to Chun Dae again. As most establishment were closed for the holiday, it appeared as if all the bored resident foreigners were packed into the bar( which is humorously called called Roadking). Anywho it was fun to actually get out of my apartment and socialize.{ With my recent poor health and fatigue I have done very little outside of work.}
In conclusion I am feeling a little more positive about living in Korea. Nonetheless, I miss everyone and feel pretty isolated. However I am living and breathing, so it can't be too bad:)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Week 3
My lovely friends and family,
Good News! I am alive:) After the third day of sleeping the fog began to lift and the humanity crept back inside me. AH, no stomach pain-- what a novel idea:)
On the health end of the spectrum, my life was further complicated when I discovered that one of my multiple mosquito bites had developed a nasty infection. Yes, for some reason with all the other discomfort I failed to question why the bite was still itching and burning. Yay for infections! A woman can't live without them....
Besides my health concerns this week passed relatively uneventful. The most interesting thing to report is my trip to Seoul.
So Saturday morning I caught a bus to the central Seoul bus terminal. From there I managed to get lost in the ridiculously nice mall that is attached to the bus terminal. After wondering about for a bit I spotted an older westerner. After I asked for directions to the subway he very graciously went out of his way to guide me through the convoluted path to the station. I have noticed that when I meet other Westerners in Korea, they are typically super friendly. I suppose going a couple of hours or even whole day without participating in comprehensive conversation results in feelings of isolation. So decreased opportunities to fully express oneself causes an increased value to the limited opportunities present.....
Once I got on the subway I experienced further issues following 30 minutes of travel in the wrong directions. All of this was very frustrating, but I persevered and eventually arrived at the Coex mall exit. {On a side note the Seoul subway system is pretty comprehensive, but unfortunately travel on the trains is not exactly rapid. Yet in comparison to the LA metro: I think travel speed can be compromised for greater accessibility.} A lot of the malls, including Coex, are underground. I was surprised by the amount of designer apparel at the mall. The place is packed with gucci/chanel/ect. Also to my great delight there was this adorable sandwich shop called Linas. You can't appreciate the fantastic-nature of a ham and cheese sandwich, until they are not readily available:) After dropping off my stuff at the lodging school the provides in Seoul, Lauren(fellow teacher) and I hopped on the subway to meet Tedd/Michael(other instructors) and Erin(Tedd's friend) at Seodaemun Prison. The Prison was used by the Japanese to torture Korean patriots during its colonizations. It felt very sad learning about the site's history. Another example of humans brutalizing other humans. Although I know a lot about psychological desensitization, I am always astounded by the terrible potential that lies dormant in every individual. The prison struck me with a double-whammy when I was reminded of the Korean comfort women( Korean women that the Japanese sexually enslaved and then murdered). The fact that those men and so many other individuals(since the beginning of time) can overlook the personhood of another legitimate human beings makes me want to vomit. There is no accurate way for me to express how these crimes sicken me.
From the prison we went to North Seoul Tower. The tower is a random structure planted on the side of a mountain. The view was spectacular: I could see all of Seoul and further into the country. My thoughts about this experience are a) Seoul is frickin humongous b) I love/hate young Korean couples. So they are super adorable; the girls are always absolutely beautiful dressed in dresses and heels(basically at all times) and the guys, who seem to cater to the women, are just as well dressed. It is slightly overwhelming to see so many couples that are way too cute constantly. I am both jealous and taken aback( I wonder about the content of their relationships). On the tower patio we watched some Korean b-boys/girls. i was very humored to watch their performance. Their hip-hop is a lot softer than the hip-hop I am used to watching. The girls performing seemed very shy initially and basically remained that way throughout the performance.
Following the tower we all rambled down to Hongdae, one of the club districts that cater to university students and young foreigners. Hongdae is a trippy area, where I saw the largest amount of foreigners in 3 weeks. Still most of the folks appeared to be Korean students. I finally got to dance, even if it was to house music:) A lot of the foreigners I observed appeared very skeezy, but it was late at night in club district....
Well let us hope I can avoid the skeezes and have luck finding my Korean husband:)
Sending my love,
-Holly-
Good News! I am alive:) After the third day of sleeping the fog began to lift and the humanity crept back inside me. AH, no stomach pain-- what a novel idea:)
On the health end of the spectrum, my life was further complicated when I discovered that one of my multiple mosquito bites had developed a nasty infection. Yes, for some reason with all the other discomfort I failed to question why the bite was still itching and burning. Yay for infections! A woman can't live without them....
Besides my health concerns this week passed relatively uneventful. The most interesting thing to report is my trip to Seoul.
So Saturday morning I caught a bus to the central Seoul bus terminal. From there I managed to get lost in the ridiculously nice mall that is attached to the bus terminal. After wondering about for a bit I spotted an older westerner. After I asked for directions to the subway he very graciously went out of his way to guide me through the convoluted path to the station. I have noticed that when I meet other Westerners in Korea, they are typically super friendly. I suppose going a couple of hours or even whole day without participating in comprehensive conversation results in feelings of isolation. So decreased opportunities to fully express oneself causes an increased value to the limited opportunities present.....
Once I got on the subway I experienced further issues following 30 minutes of travel in the wrong directions. All of this was very frustrating, but I persevered and eventually arrived at the Coex mall exit. {On a side note the Seoul subway system is pretty comprehensive, but unfortunately travel on the trains is not exactly rapid. Yet in comparison to the LA metro: I think travel speed can be compromised for greater accessibility.} A lot of the malls, including Coex, are underground. I was surprised by the amount of designer apparel at the mall. The place is packed with gucci/chanel/ect. Also to my great delight there was this adorable sandwich shop called Linas. You can't appreciate the fantastic-nature of a ham and cheese sandwich, until they are not readily available:) After dropping off my stuff at the lodging school the provides in Seoul, Lauren(fellow teacher) and I hopped on the subway to meet Tedd/Michael(other instructors) and Erin(Tedd's friend) at Seodaemun Prison. The Prison was used by the Japanese to torture Korean patriots during its colonizations. It felt very sad learning about the site's history. Another example of humans brutalizing other humans. Although I know a lot about psychological desensitization, I am always astounded by the terrible potential that lies dormant in every individual. The prison struck me with a double-whammy when I was reminded of the Korean comfort women( Korean women that the Japanese sexually enslaved and then murdered). The fact that those men and so many other individuals(since the beginning of time) can overlook the personhood of another legitimate human beings makes me want to vomit. There is no accurate way for me to express how these crimes sicken me.
From the prison we went to North Seoul Tower. The tower is a random structure planted on the side of a mountain. The view was spectacular: I could see all of Seoul and further into the country. My thoughts about this experience are a) Seoul is frickin humongous b) I love/hate young Korean couples. So they are super adorable; the girls are always absolutely beautiful dressed in dresses and heels(basically at all times) and the guys, who seem to cater to the women, are just as well dressed. It is slightly overwhelming to see so many couples that are way too cute constantly. I am both jealous and taken aback( I wonder about the content of their relationships). On the tower patio we watched some Korean b-boys/girls. i was very humored to watch their performance. Their hip-hop is a lot softer than the hip-hop I am used to watching. The girls performing seemed very shy initially and basically remained that way throughout the performance.
Following the tower we all rambled down to Hongdae, one of the club districts that cater to university students and young foreigners. Hongdae is a trippy area, where I saw the largest amount of foreigners in 3 weeks. Still most of the folks appeared to be Korean students. I finally got to dance, even if it was to house music:) A lot of the foreigners I observed appeared very skeezy, but it was late at night in club district....
Well let us hope I can avoid the skeezes and have luck finding my Korean husband:)
Sending my love,
-Holly-
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