Love Motels

Did I get the cream of the crop or what? This is one of the love motels in Korea. Usually people call any motel a love motel. I was in Busan one night and ended up staying later than I thought and needed a place to sleep. The next bus wasn't until 6 am.

I walked around the area I was in and chose the first motel I saw. I got a toothbrush and a razor when I checked in. When I stepped into my room, I jumped for joy. My first heart shaped bed! Well the mirror was heart shaped and the light shade (crazy right!). The actual bed was round, but who cares about those minor details. I had an assortment of hair products and lotions to choose from. The bathroom was also stocked with shampoo and conditioner. I'm not talking about the little packets they give you. They had Costco-sized bottles. The real deal. The idea is that everyone shares. They may wear masks when they are sick, but it's ok to share lotion and shampoo that has been used by other people I never met.

I never thought I could go to a motel and come out looking better than when I came in. The bed is not soft. It's hard with a really thin white mat. It's like your sleeping on the floor. But how could you sleep when you can stare at yourself in the cool heart shaped mirror?

Oh, and did I mention what you could purchase for a mere $10? Take a look.

How to eat Sya-beu Sya-beu (샤브샤브)+Kuk-su+BeokeumBap

해물샤브샤브 + 국수 + 버금밥- (seafood syabeu syabeu + guk-su + beokeumbap)
Pre-step: order and when the food comes revel in it's freshness. We had some beef, octopus, clams, and shrimp. The veggies were a medley of mushrooms, cabbage, and some other green stuff.

Step1: Make sure the brother is hot. Proceed to cut the vegetables to bite sizes and throw them in the soup. Add the seafood as you see fit. Then dip the beef in until cooked (1-2 min).

Step 2: After finishing the soup, move on to round 2. the noodles. Oh, these are so good. The soup broth is a little spicy. When you put the noodles in, wait for 5-6 minutes or until cooked the way you like. Lower the heat

Step 3: Scream "Yogio!" because now it's time for 복음밥 or fried rice. The waitress scoops out any remaining noodles and the sauce. Then she adds rice and raw egg. There's some scallion and a little bit of carrot too. She mixes everything together with a spoon and spatula. After, she just uses the spoon to smooth the rice in the pot. This is when it becomes 'fried'. When she's done we turn off the flame and use the spoon to scrap the rice off of the pot. MMM massitsoyo. Delicious!

Being Scared

Not me. I'm not scared. It's my Korean co-teacher. Actually all of them. In my program, EPIK, it specifies that we should co-teach. This way the students will hear two voices instead of just one in the classroom. Well, the way it usually goes is like this: I teach the entire 45 minutes. The Korean co-teacher will translate what the kids don't understand and help with discipline. I'm trying to integrate them because I know it has to be boring for them.

-"선생님 (literally means teacher) do you want to present the first four slides of the lecture?"

- "No, I enjoy my free-time. The students want to listen to you. Don't worry about me."

see how the self-sacrifice has a little bit of selfishness sprinkled in? haha. I don't want to speak ill of my co-teacher, but that's what she said.

-"선생님 (teacher) it has to be boring. Besides I think you should. It is good to hear two voices."

-"Well ok, maybe next class then."

HA! I got her. Did you see that? I just have to push a little.

I did this with another teacher, one who I am closer with. She jumped on the opportunity. When she was presenting I could see she was a little nervous, but she did well. All it takes is a little practice. I even saw her doing some of my gestures. It was really flattering. I know my co-teachers will find their voice soon. So, maybe I won't have to do as much work... It's a little bit of self-sacrifice with a bit of selfishness sprinkled in. But don't tell anyone ;)

Bar or Videogames...Videogames!!

The decision is simple really.

Why go to a bar when you can have endless fun in a PC Bang? These PC Bangs vary in size, but are always going to offer at least one game you want to play. Look how wrapped up Nebi is. I think he thinks he is really there. Look at the raw emotion on his face!

You know you are dedicated when you play through the pain. Your shoulders starts to hurt first from hunching over. Then your trigger finger from shooting. Next you know you are leaning your elbows on any available space while still trying to kill those bastards with guns on the screen. It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it.

Putting Kids to Work

At the end of the day it's not the janitor that cleans up, the kids are the ones to work. Everything from watering the plants to taking out the garbage in the bathroom. The kids take shifts every week. They even help the lunch ladies serve lunch. They dress up in full gear too. They have gloves, a face mask, and a hair net. It's quite amazing.

In the teacher's room, they sweep, empty everyone's personal trash cans, wash dishes and vacuum. Yes, they vacuum. Don't you wish you were the janitor in this school? You wouldn't have to do anything! Maybe fix a light bulb and turn on the heat at the beginning of the day. That's it!

Seoul, Korea: The Subway

The subway is a truely magical place. You can do most of your shopping there. You can buy a phone. You can eat. You can also share a small place with zillions of other people during rush hour. I was able to buy a pair of stolen shoes for 10,000won, which is about US$9.00. I delighted in a wonderful fruit salad and I saw a man in a state I have never witnessed before.

I had to wait against the wall while my friend went to use the bathroom (btw the bathrooms in the subways are actually clean!). I was squatting down because my feet hurt from the $9 heels I bought at a different stop-go figure. I had a few bags scattered around my feet and was staring aimlessly at all the people walking by.

Then I saw him. A man so striking that I could not take my eyes off of him. I was afraid he might catch my gaze, but soon realized he was in a world of his own. Creeping slowly down the stairs, and I mean slowly, holding the railing for dear life, an older gentlemen in a disheveled suit was trying to use the subway. I would say here, "just like everybody else", but he wasn't like everybody else. At first, I thought he was homeless, but the suit was not dirty, just disheveled. Then I thought he was mentally retarded, but I had to strike that because someone would have been helping him. Lastly, I came to the conclusion that this man was completely smashed, bombed, drunk off his ass, ... (insert any other word for drunk).

I couldn't stop laughing. You have to see the irony in this situation. This man was moving so slowly, while everyone quickly passed by. When he got to the bottom of the steps he had one hand on the rail and the other was grappling the wall. You have to image a V. The stairs were one side and the wall with no railing was the other. Because there was nothing to hold on to, the man was at a loss. He couldn't move from his spot. Have you ever watched a caterpillar walk on a stick? What happens when it gets to the end? It moves a quarter of it's body over the edge of the stick and starts flailing around to try to stick to something. The man was like that caterpillar!

My friend and I watched this man for, no lie, 7 minutes. He could not get to the turn style. It was as if he was stuck in a wind tunnel, but only him because everyone else was zooming by.

Some pictures of the students

They really don't like their pictures taken unless they throw up the peace sign.

Lost, yet Found in Translation 1

I'll working untill bottom of March. It's tooooo hard for me.I'll get a new place near meditation center, and new job-not big money.Maybe i'll move to new place next weekend. Sorry to you, because i couldn't share with you enough. My eyes are really narrow like a horse. But now i want to concentrate for me. It's time to change everything to me. So understand me^^

I wanted to be her friend and that is what she replied. That was the greatest let down ever!

The First Day of the Semester 2010

10 new faces and the familiar sound of the printer- this is what I walked in to. To my surprise, my desk was unceremoniously usurped by one of the new faces. I felt lost. Where was I to go? Fortunately, I was ushered to am empty desk without a computer. I was in line's sight of my new desk. It's just that the old teacher sitting at the desk hadn't removed himself from my territory. I wanted that seat, which was flanked on either side by my English teachers.

There's 15 minutes before classes begin. Now, as I sit at my computer desk I am forced to listen to random teachers standing and talking in turn. I'm no sure what they are saying, but I'm sure they're saying something important. After the VP and the principal (it would be silly just to write P) say some closing words the printers start rearing up again. The papers start shuffling out and the gossip resumes. Ah, the first day.

I have no classes. Instead, I will move my old teacher's stuff out and will sit in my thrown within the hour. My computer is broken so I have to stare at a black screen from 9:10 am until 4:30pm. Yessssssssssssss