trash and treasure

This post is mainly to show you the layout of my apartment. It's basically a box with a kitchen, a bedroom, and a living room all wrapped up in one, with a bathroom/laundry room on the side. But Check it out...So I've been here in this apartment, this room, for about three weeks now, and its finally come to a point where I'm comfortable. When I moved in, it felt like the smallest place ever, and it was incredibly dirty. The first few nights I woke up with a sore throat, probably from dust inhalation. But anyways, I've added a few things and cleaned it up a little bit.

-one man's trash is another man's treasure-

So when I first entered the apartment, it was fairly empty. There was the table, the bed and the tv. Now, I'm not saying that I need stuff to live comfortably, but if there was a choice in having a furnished apartment, and not having one, I would definitely choose the former. In this next picture you'll see some of the highlighted items I got to make my apartment feel a bit more homey.

The desk, the little table, and the couches were picked up, not at a store (I don't make that much here!!), but on the side of the street. These pieces of furniture were garbage, probably being replaced by newer items.
Sprite's slogan "Image is nothing, thirst is everything... Obey your thirst"; I don't think that they showed that commercial over here, because image is definitely not nothing. I don't want to generalize the population and suggest that all Koreans are obsessed with their image, but in my experience it seems that the culture is geared towards the importance of people looking their best. For instance, there are mirrors scattered throughout the city, both little and big. I have seen maybe one in five people continue to walk past the mirror without checking themselves out and ensuring that they still look good. It's funny to see the amount of people looking into the back of their cell phones, trying to see if their hair is still good. Also, there's plastic surgery advertisements everywhere. It's not just the ad that's worth commenting about, but beneath these advertisements is a mirror. So people are to look into the mirror, judge themselves, and then look a little higher towards the model in the plastic surgery poster... disgusting.
Anyways, so as I took my newly acquired pieces of furniture home and washed them off outside (they were garbage after all), it was amazing the amount of dirty looks I got by people walking by. Maybe they were more confused looks rather than dirty ones... but it seemed that no one understood why I wouldn't just buy something new. I can understand how people who live here and have some extra money would rather buy new pieces for their home. But as for me, these stray pieces of furniture work out great. If I needed a new chair, and I didn't mind that someone sat in it before me, I'd have no problem finding it.
Although I understand the need to upgrade to newer stuff, it feels like such a waste to have so many perfectly good items sitting on the curbs. What can be done about this? While the Korean people turn the other way while walking past a dusty coffee table, the foreign English teachers visiting the country are thinking "Sweet! A new coffee table for my place!" Perhaps we just need more people who are unfamiliar with this culture of image.

Geez.... Time for an update!

Alright! So I officially have the internet in my apartment now. And, I officially have an apartment (goes well with my internet). I also have a job, and a salary, and a toaster oven; hopefully this blog will address all the newness that follows with moving to a place of my own in Korea.
It was on September 12th when I finally settled into my apartment (pictures to come). In most English academies when a new teacher comes to fill the older teacher's position, he literally does that; replaces the old teacher in almost every aspect. Even my teaching schedule still has 'Jeremy' on it where 'Chris' should be written. I moved in on a Wednesday morning to an apartment that was not much to look at. The wallpaper was 'off white' a little bit more than it should have been, and the place smelled like moth balls (apparently there was a problem with mold..). The apartment, when first stepping through the door, had its kitchen on the right, its bedroom on the left, and its bathroom and shower straight in front. Yet, there were no walls dividing the different rooms (the bathroom has a glass sliding door); it was all in one room. This is what is called a studio, and it is the most common type of apartment that is offered to a foreign teacher.
So, after getting my place, I went to my new job. Now, I don't know how most schools work, but I think that mine is unique. There are four other Korean teachers who work at my school, and their job is to teach the kids English grammar. They speak a little bit of English, enough to understand if I have any issues in the classroom. These teachers each have their own class that they teach during the 2:10pm to 8:30pm day. My job is to teach each of their classes once a week. So, without going into anymore details, I teach 29 classes per week, and I only see one class more than once. Almost every class that I teach, I only see them once a week. That equates to about 200 students (learning their names is difficult).
Unfortunately, with this many students and seeing them so rarely, it's difficult to develop any type of personal 'student-teacher' dynamic. It makes it challenging to chart their individual progress, because they seem to all blend together with the once a week that I see them. But my job really isn't very difficult. I'm hired because I know English and have a good western accent, and lets face it, because I'm white. The parents want to know that their kid is being taught by an actual foreigner. So whenever there is a parent who comes to the school I must be present, just so long as they can see me and know that their child is learning from a white kid.
My neighborhood is... Korean. By this I mean that there are no foreigners in this area, at least none that I have seen. Usually, when you walk past another white guy you kind of look at each other and say "hey, what's up?", just for the fact that you'll be understood. It's pretty funny. But anyways, in my area there are no Outback Steakhouse's, or TGIF's, or any of those western food places. There are however Korean barbecue places and traditional Korean markets all over the place. All I have to do now is learn the language...
So there's a bit of info about where I am, and what I'm doing. It seems that I daily come across some issue, or some contrast to the culture that I'm used to that makes me want to blog about it. But I'm done for now.
Here are some pictures of the Busan Aquarium - it was awesome.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54147&l=ab75f&id=517865133

Small face, big eyes

That my friends, is the definition of cute. This is what I was told by one of my students. The attitude towards one's image here is so funny. In class one day the kids were to do this collage about themselves. So while flipping through the magazine, they would point to every woman they could find and say "ugly... ugly..." (but it would be more like "uh-guh-lee"). Only the old men, and the cartoons with big eyes get the favored title of 'cute'. It's odd because you see a similar concern about image in adults too. If there is a mirror to be walked past, whether it be ten inches or ten centimeters, almost everyone that I've seen will stop and check themselves out... It's funny. And hey, we may do this back home and I've just never noticed it, but those who I've seen were very obvious in doing it. Anyways, just an interesting thought.
So, Becky and I are headed to Busan! Our contract to work at Haeundae Beach turned out to be a contract to work near Pusan university instead (communication errors I guess..), but this seems like a good thing... Haeundae was SO packed, and since I visited all I've heard is negative things about it. Though a busy place in the summer, it's supposed to be empty in the winter. The cold winds that come off the ocean make it a harsh place to live in those chilly months. And it is one of the most expensive areas in Busan as well... So, we head to the cheaper, more student oriented life near the university. We leave in two days, and actually start teaching in early September.
How fun was 'How Fun English Camp'? Well, I must say it has both positives and negatives. I've really enjoyed hanging out with the other native teachers I've met, as well as the T.A.'s. And the food has been great. Because there are hardly any western options I've been forced to dive into the local food, and besides kim chi (and those odd mini hotdogs), I really like it. Yet the one overarching issue that seems pervasive among the western teachers is this wall that has been placed in between 'us' and 'them'. This is an issue that'll be talked about in later blogs I'm sure, but I wanted to mention it quickly here. It seems like the staff here have this idea that they need to protect their own interests by placing a divider between the Korean people and the foreigners. Thus, we teachers are on a need to know basis, and it seems like we never need to know. I wonder if there is this overarching mindset passed down through generations that makes Koreans feel like they need to protect their identity or way of doing things from outsiders. Is there still a spirit of oppression among them? I don't know. It might just be at this camp (and probably is just at this camp) that the westerners are told "you wont understand because you're not Korean". And although this is true, after running into a few westerners who have been here for years, some who are even married and are settling down here, it seems like there is no way to be truly accepted as a local if you were not born here. (Disclaimer: this is just my experiences here at this camp. In no way am I generalizing any other part of Korea to be of this mindset.) And it's not the end of the world that westerners are restricted on how far they can enter into the Korean here (at How Fun), but it does pose a problem with building any type of community or friendship. I just think it's too bad that we can't click a bit more with the staff here... they seem like really cool people.
Anyways, hopefully this post doesn't jump around too much. It's late and my mind isn't on any one topic. For more pictures check out:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38693&l=d04e1&id=517865133

The meaning of pilgrimage...

The word pilgrimage seems to be one of those words that often escapes definition, at least one that is more specific. And as I learned in May of this year, the reasoning behind the journey for each individual is usually quite subjective. As I walked this trail called St. Cuthbert's way, a path that dates back to around the middle of the 7th century, I pondered the possible reasons that I would want to walk this 100km trek from Melrose, Scotland to Lindisfarne England. My reasons are many but they wont be discussed in this blog. Instead, I'll give you the run down on a bit of the history of St. Cuthbert and this trail according to "The Scottish Borders" brochure.

The life and progress of St Cuthbert has provided the inspiration for this route to be developed. St Cuthbert started his ministry in Melrose in about 650AD. After a period at Ripon, he came to Lindisfarne to be Prior. While here, he became famous for his healing powers. He was appointed Bishop of Linisfarne, and for several years travelled widely, preaching the Gospel.

He spent the last part of his life on Inner Farne island in retreat, died there, and was buried on Lindisfarne. Eleven years later his coffin was opened, and hjis body was found to be perfectly preserved, which led to his beatification. In the following centruy the Community of St Cuthbert was responsible for the Lindisfarne Gospels, perhaps the greatest work of art of the Anglo-Saxon period.

- The Scottish Borders Council; 2007.

I hope these videos will play ok for you, and give a brief glimpse of our trip. They are in order, so if you are one of the pilgrims viewing, start from here moving down. That way you get our walk in order... Enjoy.

The island of Iona... it was so beautiful.


To be that man who walked a thousand miles and falls down at your door...


St. Cuthbert must have been in shape...


Of the bus, onto the trail


The darkest woods and the greenest fields


We near the end of our journey.


Credits

Recap.

Coming to Korea seems like such a blur to me. But then again, so does the last few months. I went from SSU, a safe, secure, consistent home, to living at home; traveling to Scotland; staying at my cottage; and then just bouncing around seeing friends before I jet out of the country. And now that that's done, it almost feels like I have to catch up to myself. The camp job is pretty intense as well; there seems to be very little free time. This weekend Becky and I get to travel to Jeonju to visit Rachel, Becky's sister. I'm looking forward to the weekend, catching up, not only on sleep but on life in the past little while. Here's a few pictures from the trip thus far. My facebook has a bunch of shots up as well and you can check that out at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38693&l=d04e1&id=517865133 .

Arrival. Here's the plane we flew in (or one just like it!)

Korean BBQ. Jeremy suggested I check it out. It was pretty awesome. The brown stuff in the jugs are 'brown rice water', and it taste... like water that rice has been sitting in. It's almost like a tea.
I thought this was a cool picture.
Don't you want to go in here?! Hof and Soju... pretty much like a bar. Soju is their type of local wine/hard alcohol. It's 21% and taste (in my opinion) similar to vodka. Hof I believe, is other alcoholic drinks. I did think this picture was pretty funny though.

This is one of the kids from my class - a pretty funny guy.

This is a picture of me. Or rather, a picture of the guys drawing a picture of me.

Ok. So, the camp is made up of six different classes that are based on skill level. Each of those classes has their own classrooms named after a well known school in the US. So I can actually say that "I teach English at Stanford University". Pretty cool eh?