I'd read all about it, and even listened to a podcast about it, before returning home to Ohio. But nothing can prepare you for going back. Everything is different, and strangely unfamiliar. All the comparing and judging I did when I arrived in Korea has now been reversed. I find myself preferring some Korean things. For example, Korean showers (which lack a separate shower or tub) are infinitely easier to clean than American showers. Hose it down at the end of cleaning yourself, and its done. And I miss Jeju Orange juice, and Post Almond Flakes (holy crap they're tasty!). But walking into Whole Foods or Giant Eagle and seeing dozens of limes and avocados for so cheap, or a wine section larger than a shelf (and under $10!) is more exciting than I can describe. :D:D:D And CHEESE!!!! As I saw on a teeshirt I hope to someday own: PRAISE CHEESES! ;)
But it's really weird, and immensely disconcerting. I learned to really enjoy shopping in Korea and not being able to understand the conversations going on around me. I often knew I was being discussed, but I didn't have to care because I didn't know exactly what was being said. Here, my first retail experience (in MicroCenter, buying US adapters for my bought-in-Korea electronics) was so irritating because there was a guy in the next aisle arguing with his girlfriend on the phone. I just kept thinking, "Shut up! Shut up! Stop fighting about stupid sh--!" I don't care to be that involved in ridiculous conversations that don't concern me. And boy, let me tell you, there are some ridiculously stupid people having ridiculously stupid conversations everywhere I seem to be.
And I don't know if it's from having a more global outlook, or from living abroad amongst so many teachers who were involved in world affairs, or what, but I'm finding that the vast majority of people here seem to be way more concerned with who won American Idol than anything in the world outside their backyard. Now, I fully understand that everyone is built differently, and some people are perfectly happy to live on the street where they grew up, never travel outside of Ohio, and only think about their direct dealings, but I personally have trouble understanding this point of view. I guess I'm a gypsy, and know that I could never live here again. And they probably think the same of me. It's just frustrating.
I'm also finding that people are more unmotivated, irresponsible, and unreliable than I had taken them to be. Perhaps it's just that I was so much less so when I left, that I looked up to those traits in others, and maybe I glorified the truth a bit. I am willing to admit that that is possible. It's just shocking.
I am trying to work on dozens of projects this summer, and made a fairly strict plan in my mind of how to accomplish everything without going crazy. Others don't have this schedule. They are just continuing on with their daily lives, and I need to remember that. I'm just frustrated, and am realizing every day that I can't wait to leave again. Not the people (that I like :), mind you. Just the crazy, summer-is-short-so-let's-do-everything-in-3-months thing. I want my own space again. I want a steady income again. I don't want to clean other people's houses and help them move again. It needs to be done, but it might just kill me by the end of August.
[[big sigh]]
Blowfish.
The inspiration.
07 June 2011
09 May 2011
Cambodia, the first: Phnom Penh part 1
(Soon I will have pictures to post, but I can't upload them from where I am.)
Jazmin and I arrived in Phnom Penh on Friday night around 10pm. The visa process was fairly easy. I just had to hand over my passport and completed forms, which got passed down a line of 5 or 6 people for various checks and stamps. I paid my $20 USD for the tourist visa, and we were off. Luckily, we had the forethought to arrange our hotel and an airport transfer before we left, so we could easily avoid the tuk-tuk drivers and touts crowding the exits. We also remembered to withdraw and change money to US Dollars at the Seoul airport, which has made everything tons easier.
We are staying at the Cara Hotel, about a block back from the Riverside area in Phnom Penh. It's clean and nicely decorated, and our room is quite large. Air conditioning and no bugs make us happy girls. :)
Our first morning, we decided to sleep late; after all, it's the first day of vacation! We finally got up and about around 1pm Cambodian time (two hours behind Korea, and 11 hours ahead of US EST). We ate a lovely lunch at Fusion Sushi, the restaurant within our hotel. I enjoyed chicken teriyaki (which tasted just like my mom's) and freshly squeezed watermelon juice, while Jaz tried a Bento box and fresh apple juice.
Full and happy, we began our walk in search of the Riverside area, otherwise known as Preah Sisowath Quay. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the moist heat felt rejuvenating. (It was 87 degrees Fahrenheit when we landed at 10pm, and the usual high is around 91F.) We found a tuk-tuk driver named Narang who took us to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, both within the same complex. It was beautiful, and the Buddhist architecture and idols were breathtaking. (Although, if I'm honest, the similarities were so strong to the Thai versions, that it was a bit like, "Wow, another temple.") We enjoyed our walk through the complex however, and took some (hopefully) stunning photos.
Upon exiting, some people approached us, selling water and books. So many people seem to have signs (in English and Khmer) explaining that they are land mine victims or were disable in some other way, and could we please help them. It's heartbreaking. On one hand, you want to help as much as you can, but on the other, you don't want to encourage begging and such. Jaz and I each decided to buy a book, and I was glad to buy Voices of S-21, a book I intended to buy anyway. Win-win.
Next, Narang took us to break our large bills into something useful. Most places here prefer Dollars, but many food carts and such only take Cambodian Riel. Regardless, we wanted small bills, to avoid having everyone see that we were carrying lots of cash (which stays in my money belt with my passport at all times). We headed to the Central Market, an Art Deco structure with four arms and hundreds of stalls. Purses, jewels, imported toiletries, souvenirs, amazingly beautiful flowers...you can find it all there. I easily found a day bag/purse - to avoid carrying my backpack everywhere with me - for $8, and two packs of postcards for $1 each. Narang dropped us at Kiwi's Restaurant & Bakery for dinner, and we parted for the day. (His fee for several hours was $2, but we gave him $3. We also made plans for him to pick uis up the next day.)
Kiwi's was nice, but we ordered way too much food. By that point, we were starving! I had a pad thai and a Coke; she had fried chicken, fries, and a Pepsi; and we split a delicious caesar salad and fruit salad. We found that even Coke and Pepsi girls can live together in harmony here! :D
After dinner, we walked back to the hotel for some much-needed showers and relaxing; it's amazing how sweaty and salty you feel after four hours walking around in 90 degree temperatures! After a bit more down time, we left for the Amara Spa, on the Riverfront, but linked to our hotel with free transportation. I had a one-hour massage and one-hour foot reflexology. About 10 minutes into the foot treatment, I wondered why in the world I thought that was a good idea. I am extremely ticklish, especially on my feet, my left ankle has been sprained so many times that it always hurts a bit now, and my "broken" toe (on the same foot) from 15 months ago never healed, so it still hurts a lot. Once she changed to the other side, I began to relax a bit more though. Jazmin said her milk bath and sugar scrub were lovely.
I stayed up until 230am reading the Kindle guidebooks, trying to make a plan for the next day, our last full one in Phnom Penh. More on that tomorrow.
Jazmin and I arrived in Phnom Penh on Friday night around 10pm. The visa process was fairly easy. I just had to hand over my passport and completed forms, which got passed down a line of 5 or 6 people for various checks and stamps. I paid my $20 USD for the tourist visa, and we were off. Luckily, we had the forethought to arrange our hotel and an airport transfer before we left, so we could easily avoid the tuk-tuk drivers and touts crowding the exits. We also remembered to withdraw and change money to US Dollars at the Seoul airport, which has made everything tons easier.
We are staying at the Cara Hotel, about a block back from the Riverside area in Phnom Penh. It's clean and nicely decorated, and our room is quite large. Air conditioning and no bugs make us happy girls. :)
Our first morning, we decided to sleep late; after all, it's the first day of vacation! We finally got up and about around 1pm Cambodian time (two hours behind Korea, and 11 hours ahead of US EST). We ate a lovely lunch at Fusion Sushi, the restaurant within our hotel. I enjoyed chicken teriyaki (which tasted just like my mom's) and freshly squeezed watermelon juice, while Jaz tried a Bento box and fresh apple juice.
Full and happy, we began our walk in search of the Riverside area, otherwise known as Preah Sisowath Quay. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the moist heat felt rejuvenating. (It was 87 degrees Fahrenheit when we landed at 10pm, and the usual high is around 91F.) We found a tuk-tuk driver named Narang who took us to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, both within the same complex. It was beautiful, and the Buddhist architecture and idols were breathtaking. (Although, if I'm honest, the similarities were so strong to the Thai versions, that it was a bit like, "Wow, another temple.") We enjoyed our walk through the complex however, and took some (hopefully) stunning photos.
Upon exiting, some people approached us, selling water and books. So many people seem to have signs (in English and Khmer) explaining that they are land mine victims or were disable in some other way, and could we please help them. It's heartbreaking. On one hand, you want to help as much as you can, but on the other, you don't want to encourage begging and such. Jaz and I each decided to buy a book, and I was glad to buy Voices of S-21, a book I intended to buy anyway. Win-win.
Next, Narang took us to break our large bills into something useful. Most places here prefer Dollars, but many food carts and such only take Cambodian Riel. Regardless, we wanted small bills, to avoid having everyone see that we were carrying lots of cash (which stays in my money belt with my passport at all times). We headed to the Central Market, an Art Deco structure with four arms and hundreds of stalls. Purses, jewels, imported toiletries, souvenirs, amazingly beautiful flowers...you can find it all there. I easily found a day bag/purse - to avoid carrying my backpack everywhere with me - for $8, and two packs of postcards for $1 each. Narang dropped us at Kiwi's Restaurant & Bakery for dinner, and we parted for the day. (His fee for several hours was $2, but we gave him $3. We also made plans for him to pick uis up the next day.)
Kiwi's was nice, but we ordered way too much food. By that point, we were starving! I had a pad thai and a Coke; she had fried chicken, fries, and a Pepsi; and we split a delicious caesar salad and fruit salad. We found that even Coke and Pepsi girls can live together in harmony here! :D
After dinner, we walked back to the hotel for some much-needed showers and relaxing; it's amazing how sweaty and salty you feel after four hours walking around in 90 degree temperatures! After a bit more down time, we left for the Amara Spa, on the Riverfront, but linked to our hotel with free transportation. I had a one-hour massage and one-hour foot reflexology. About 10 minutes into the foot treatment, I wondered why in the world I thought that was a good idea. I am extremely ticklish, especially on my feet, my left ankle has been sprained so many times that it always hurts a bit now, and my "broken" toe (on the same foot) from 15 months ago never healed, so it still hurts a lot. Once she changed to the other side, I began to relax a bit more though. Jazmin said her milk bath and sugar scrub were lovely.
I stayed up until 230am reading the Kindle guidebooks, trying to make a plan for the next day, our last full one in Phnom Penh. More on that tomorrow.
30 April 2011
Pension Scheme in Korea for Foreign Workers
So, if you teach in Korea, your company will take money from your pay, as at home, and deposit it and a matching amount into your Korean pension fund. Depending on your country of nationality, at the end of your contract, you have different options. Some countries automatically roll that amount from Korea into your pension fund at home; others force you to forfeit that money. Americans can get it refunded to us in cash; not just the portion that we paid, but the whole thing! Woohoo!
(* Due to new rules, I do not know how to handle this if you are re-signing with the same company.*)
In order to make that happen, you must go to the pension office before you leave Korea to apply for it. (You can do it from home if you forget to do it here, but it's a lot more hassle.)
You will need:
* passport
* Korean ID card
* airplane ticket home
* bank book for deposit information
In Daegu, the main office is just outside the Beomeo subway station, at exit 4. It's in the LIG building, so you can either use exit 4, or go up the LIG escalator. Go to the glass elevators, and up to 11F. Turn right from the elevator, and it's the first office on the right, "NPS" or National Pension Service.
A woman helped me, and we had no problems with communication. I just had to fill out some forms and show her my documents, and she told me how much and when to expect my refund. The whole process took about 10 minutes. I chose to have my refund deposited into my KEB Easy-One account. This account automatically transfers any amount that I put into it to my account in the States. There is no fee for this account, so I will leave it open when I leave Korea. At the end of June, I will receive more-or-less one month's salary. Yippee!
(* Due to new rules, I do not know how to handle this if you are re-signing with the same company.*)
In order to make that happen, you must go to the pension office before you leave Korea to apply for it. (You can do it from home if you forget to do it here, but it's a lot more hassle.)
You will need:
* passport
* Korean ID card
* airplane ticket home
* bank book for deposit information
In Daegu, the main office is just outside the Beomeo subway station, at exit 4. It's in the LIG building, so you can either use exit 4, or go up the LIG escalator. Go to the glass elevators, and up to 11F. Turn right from the elevator, and it's the first office on the right, "NPS" or National Pension Service.
A woman helped me, and we had no problems with communication. I just had to fill out some forms and show her my documents, and she told me how much and when to expect my refund. The whole process took about 10 minutes. I chose to have my refund deposited into my KEB Easy-One account. This account automatically transfers any amount that I put into it to my account in the States. There is no fee for this account, so I will leave it open when I leave Korea. At the end of June, I will receive more-or-less one month's salary. Yippee!
28 April 2011
My First Last Day of Work
So, at the end of my first class today, my kids started crying and hugging me, which made me cry, which made them cry harder, and I couldn't stop. I tried to go to the bathroom to calm down, but it was full of concerned students, and when I turned around, word had spread that I was crying, so there was a whole academy of students staring at me, which didn't help. By the time I got to the teacher's room (to 8 shocked and concerned teachers and my replacement, a nice introduction, I'd say *rolls eyes*), it was nearly time to get to the next class to show the new girl what I1 is like. Luckily, the rest of the day was far more composed...
27 April 2011
Work Going Away Party
The effort was appreciated, and a couple even seemed sincere, but for the most part my "Going Away" work party was a bunch of people sitting around bullshitting each other. "Good luck," meaning "Good riddance." I sure hope the new girl is "their kind of people" and doesn't feel as unwelcome and harassed as I have felt. 2 more days.
26 April 2011
우리동네, A Must-See Korean Movie!
I'm watching a really good, creepy, gritty murder mystery movie in Korean. I'm still putting it all together, but lots of twists! (It would help if there were subtitles!) If you ever feel like looking up 우리동네, it's well worth it!
24 April 2011
My Last Night Out in Daegu
I had the most amazing goodbye night out last night! It was absolutely perfect, and I couldn't have asked for better friends in Korea. Gorging on Indian at Maya (both the owners hugged me and wanted pictures, said they would miss me and loved me~I think I go there too much!), game room craziness!, Cold Stone at midnight, 3.5 hours at noraebang singing until we were all hoarse, and a sleepover (and I made them take freebies home with them...less to donate!)...Thank so much to Jaz, Sergio, and Rob for coming out to celebrate with me! You're the best, and will be sorely missed.
And the word of the day, kids, is Coq!
Well, that's certainly a big ~~!!!!
Miriam, PK, and I at Maya
If they use the "M" in McDonald's font to sell water ("mul" in Korean), is it McMul?
What do you see here? We saw two potentially unfortunate protrusions from her undercarriage...
Sergio striking a striking pose.
According to a guy I know, this is Tanuki, a Japanese raccoon dog. They're a type of dog that looks like raccoon, common in Japanese folk lore and known for their large testicles. And boy, does he have those!
21 April 2011
The Plan
So, my time in Korea is quickly coming to an end. (7 more work days! Woot!) After, I have many plans. (This will be a very busy next few months!)
I finish my contract on April 29th, Friday. That weekend I must finish up packing and cleaning, and will move out of my apartment by early Monday morning.
I will go to Seoul to sightsee and friendsee for a few days.
Then Friday, May 6th, Jazmin and I will travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A few days there, then on to Siem Reap, and the Angkor ruins for a few more days.
When we tire of ancient ruins (is that possible?), we'll head for Koh Chang, Thailand. We're not sure if we'll need to go to Bangkok first. If not, we'll go beaching/jet-skiing/relaxing in a hammock/massaging for a week or so, then go on to Bangkok. Somewhere in there is a day trip to the Ayutthaya ruins and the tiger temples.
Late Saturday night, May 21st, we head back to Korea, arriving at dawn on the 22nd. A couple of days more of sightseeing in northern South Korea.
On Tuesday, May 24th, my vet will bring Hayes up to the airport to meet me. We leave Incheon at 5:10pm on the 24th, and arrive in Detroit at 5:40pm on the 24th. :D:D:D
(Korea is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and the flight is 13.5 hours, thus the LONGEST 30 MINUTES OF MY LIFE.)
I will stay with my friend Cindi in Detroit overnight, and my dad will come up and take me home on the 25th. I will likely sleep the rest of that day. ;)
Over the summer, the plan is to:
*go to Lake George as much as possible
*see family and friends
*go through and purge most of the stuff I have in storage
*help my grandmother and mother each find their own apartment or condo
*help each of them purge, pack, and move everything they own
*visit my friend Tami in Montana and see Yellowstone NP
*enjoy the many festivals in Columbus this summer (Pride, Comfest, etc)
*visit my friend Amy in Boston in August
Then, by mid-September, I must make my way to my new home in London! More specifically, Kingston-upon-Thames, where I will begin my Master's degree in Human Rights in late Sept. It's a one-year program, and in the summer of 2012, the summer Olympics will be held in London, as will World Pride!
Beyond then, who knows?
I finish my contract on April 29th, Friday. That weekend I must finish up packing and cleaning, and will move out of my apartment by early Monday morning.
I will go to Seoul to sightsee and friendsee for a few days.
Then Friday, May 6th, Jazmin and I will travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A few days there, then on to Siem Reap, and the Angkor ruins for a few more days.
When we tire of ancient ruins (is that possible?), we'll head for Koh Chang, Thailand. We're not sure if we'll need to go to Bangkok first. If not, we'll go beaching/jet-skiing/relaxing in a hammock/massaging for a week or so, then go on to Bangkok. Somewhere in there is a day trip to the Ayutthaya ruins and the tiger temples.
Late Saturday night, May 21st, we head back to Korea, arriving at dawn on the 22nd. A couple of days more of sightseeing in northern South Korea.
On Tuesday, May 24th, my vet will bring Hayes up to the airport to meet me. We leave Incheon at 5:10pm on the 24th, and arrive in Detroit at 5:40pm on the 24th. :D:D:D
(Korea is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and the flight is 13.5 hours, thus the LONGEST 30 MINUTES OF MY LIFE.)
I will stay with my friend Cindi in Detroit overnight, and my dad will come up and take me home on the 25th. I will likely sleep the rest of that day. ;)
Over the summer, the plan is to:
*go to Lake George as much as possible
*see family and friends
*go through and purge most of the stuff I have in storage
*help my grandmother and mother each find their own apartment or condo
*help each of them purge, pack, and move everything they own
*visit my friend Tami in Montana and see Yellowstone NP
*enjoy the many festivals in Columbus this summer (Pride, Comfest, etc)
*visit my friend Amy in Boston in August
Then, by mid-September, I must make my way to my new home in London! More specifically, Kingston-upon-Thames, where I will begin my Master's degree in Human Rights in late Sept. It's a one-year program, and in the summer of 2012, the summer Olympics will be held in London, as will World Pride!
Beyond then, who knows?
17 April 2011
Last Out with Kate
When I abruptly left my first job, I couldn't tell my coworkers. I was afraid that they would be blamed for knowing about but not stopping my departure, and I wanted to keep them from needing to lie. I felt so guilty at the time, but I thought that was the best thing to do. After I returned, we were still waiting for several weeks for my visa and new ID card, and there was still a chance that my former boss could stop it from coming through. After all that was finally settled, we were all just busy. So, a year later, we finally got time to meet up again, just in time for my final departure.
It was really great to see her again. I hadn't realized how much I missed her! Catching up was great, and she filled me in on how my "running" had affected the old job and bosses.
So, I guess they found out that I wasn't coming because I was really late. They actually didn't notice, but my co-teachers did. Someone went to my house, and found us and my stuff gone, save a bag of stuff I forgot. They were angry, of course, and blamed my friends, the other teachers. But they didn't know about it, so it was okay, more or less. In the year since I left, they have had FOUR other foreign teachers come AND GO. The most recent girl just "pulled a runner" last month. All of the Korean teachers that I worked there with have gone except for Kate, who will leave next month, in theory.
I was told that each teacher has complained about the amount of work and ridiculousness, and with each teacher it has been reduced. My bosses have now decided that I was the most responsible and hardest working, and they screwed up by treating me so badly. (I think that's a major WIN for me!!!) One of the Korean teachers that started after I left stood up to the boss-man about his incessant shouting at everyone, telling him that we are adults, and there's no reason to shout at everyone all the time.
One of the teachers that I thought would be there forever, Kelly 2, told them that she was moving away, then opened her own academy. Right in front of the apartment complex where my old bosses live. And all of her GnB students quit on the same day, and followed her to her new academy. :D:D:D If that's the biggest F-U I've ever heard of, I don't know what is. I couldn't be more proud of her. :)
All in all, it was delightful to see her again. I wish we had done it sooner, and more often.
It was really great to see her again. I hadn't realized how much I missed her! Catching up was great, and she filled me in on how my "running" had affected the old job and bosses.
So, I guess they found out that I wasn't coming because I was really late. They actually didn't notice, but my co-teachers did. Someone went to my house, and found us and my stuff gone, save a bag of stuff I forgot. They were angry, of course, and blamed my friends, the other teachers. But they didn't know about it, so it was okay, more or less. In the year since I left, they have had FOUR other foreign teachers come AND GO. The most recent girl just "pulled a runner" last month. All of the Korean teachers that I worked there with have gone except for Kate, who will leave next month, in theory.
I was told that each teacher has complained about the amount of work and ridiculousness, and with each teacher it has been reduced. My bosses have now decided that I was the most responsible and hardest working, and they screwed up by treating me so badly. (I think that's a major WIN for me!!!) One of the Korean teachers that started after I left stood up to the boss-man about his incessant shouting at everyone, telling him that we are adults, and there's no reason to shout at everyone all the time.
One of the teachers that I thought would be there forever, Kelly 2, told them that she was moving away, then opened her own academy. Right in front of the apartment complex where my old bosses live. And all of her GnB students quit on the same day, and followed her to her new academy. :D:D:D If that's the biggest F-U I've ever heard of, I don't know what is. I couldn't be more proud of her. :)
All in all, it was delightful to see her again. I wish we had done it sooner, and more often.
07 April 2011
"Nuclear Rain"
So, apparently today we're getting "nuclear rain" from Japan. The kids were so freaked, and didn't even want me to open the window. We then had a brief discussion about gravity and how rain falls DOWN, not SIDEWAYS through the window. (It's not really all that harmful, just hysteria.)
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