Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Family times, Peter Pan, a market and more
Today was not the restful Sunday that I hoped it would be.
Per my new routine I awoke around 6:30 and got to work on getting things sorted out in my apartment. I put things away in the kitchen and ironed for about 3 hours before heading off to church. Catholic Mass is held on campus in one of the theaters. Unfortunately I didn't get the memo that it would begin next week. Another new family also showed up not knowing there was no Mass. The five of us decided that we should have coffee and a treat so we headed off to Peter Pan.
Peter Pan is a lovely bakery a few blocks from my school. There are dozens of treats to try and a lovely selection of bread. Each one of us selected a pastry and had them cut into little bits so that we could try several of them. Although some were unique, all were good. I also had the opportunity to teach this family some of the Korean that I had picked up during my Korean lessons. Knowing milk in Korean is helpful when getting coffee.
After consuming most of the treats it was decided that we would brave the city to go to a large Korean market. It took 1 bus and 3 subways, but we made it without getting lost. Not knowing what I was getting into I assumed it would be a farmer's market. In reality it was a massive flea market. Upon first look it seemed like a street of booths, most of which weren't open. We decided to go down a flight of stairs to see a few more booths when we realized it was a maze of streets lined with booths. I ended up buying two pairs of socks, a hat, and some food storage containers. On our way back to the school we decided to stop for lunch at Starbucks knowing we would find something we would enjoy. It was a lovely morning and made me realize that I can successfully navigate public transportation here, which is a great feeling.
A few minutes after returning home I once again went down the hill. This time however it was to purchase some electronics. At the base of the hill there is an LG store. I feel that I will benefit from having a microwave, a camera, and a tv. After much internal debate I decided to get the TV so that I can relax and crochet when I want to. We ran into another couple from school that had done a great deal of comparison shopping and with their notes we were able to have them reduce the price of the TV we were all interested in by about W50,000 (roughly $45.00). So, I purchased my first adult TV today. It will be delivered on Tuesday. Now I need to find a DVD player that will read my DVD's.
I puttered around my apartment for the rest of the afternoon and made my first real dinner. I made pasta with "rose sauce" (that I think is very much like a vodka sauce), grilled chicken, and a side salad. I called my apartment buddy (we share a landing so I made her my buddy for when we go out in big groups) and another new science teacher. My buddy wasn't available but Colleen joined me for dinner. We ate, talked, and enjoyed ourselves.
Following dinner all of the new high school teachers had dessert at our principal's house. It was lovely to sit around and chat with the other new teachers over decaf coffee and more goodies. It was a great way to end the week of new teacher orientation. Tomorrow starts the week of orientation for the whole school. I am looking forward to meeting about 150 new people.
Per my new routine I awoke around 6:30 and got to work on getting things sorted out in my apartment. I put things away in the kitchen and ironed for about 3 hours before heading off to church. Catholic Mass is held on campus in one of the theaters. Unfortunately I didn't get the memo that it would begin next week. Another new family also showed up not knowing there was no Mass. The five of us decided that we should have coffee and a treat so we headed off to Peter Pan.
Peter Pan is a lovely bakery a few blocks from my school. There are dozens of treats to try and a lovely selection of bread. Each one of us selected a pastry and had them cut into little bits so that we could try several of them. Although some were unique, all were good. I also had the opportunity to teach this family some of the Korean that I had picked up during my Korean lessons. Knowing milk in Korean is helpful when getting coffee.
After consuming most of the treats it was decided that we would brave the city to go to a large Korean market. It took 1 bus and 3 subways, but we made it without getting lost. Not knowing what I was getting into I assumed it would be a farmer's market. In reality it was a massive flea market. Upon first look it seemed like a street of booths, most of which weren't open. We decided to go down a flight of stairs to see a few more booths when we realized it was a maze of streets lined with booths. I ended up buying two pairs of socks, a hat, and some food storage containers. On our way back to the school we decided to stop for lunch at Starbucks knowing we would find something we would enjoy. It was a lovely morning and made me realize that I can successfully navigate public transportation here, which is a great feeling.
A few minutes after returning home I once again went down the hill. This time however it was to purchase some electronics. At the base of the hill there is an LG store. I feel that I will benefit from having a microwave, a camera, and a tv. After much internal debate I decided to get the TV so that I can relax and crochet when I want to. We ran into another couple from school that had done a great deal of comparison shopping and with their notes we were able to have them reduce the price of the TV we were all interested in by about W50,000 (roughly $45.00). So, I purchased my first adult TV today. It will be delivered on Tuesday. Now I need to find a DVD player that will read my DVD's.
I puttered around my apartment for the rest of the afternoon and made my first real dinner. I made pasta with "rose sauce" (that I think is very much like a vodka sauce), grilled chicken, and a side salad. I called my apartment buddy (we share a landing so I made her my buddy for when we go out in big groups) and another new science teacher. My buddy wasn't available but Colleen joined me for dinner. We ate, talked, and enjoyed ourselves.
Following dinner all of the new high school teachers had dessert at our principal's house. It was lovely to sit around and chat with the other new teachers over decaf coffee and more goodies. It was a great way to end the week of new teacher orientation. Tomorrow starts the week of orientation for the whole school. I am looking forward to meeting about 150 new people.
Miso, the Oregon Trail, and a street fair
The production last night, Miso, was beautiful. Miso is the story of two young Koreans in love and the challenges they faced. Most of the production was dancing to live music. There were a few times when a narrator sang bits of information, but as it was in Korean I haven't the slightest clue what was said. The music and dancing were amazing. It looked like the female dancers were gliding around the stage.
After the production 6 of us decided to grab a drink in Sinchon (I spelled it wrong yesterday). We set out with no particular place in mind and simply picked an alley. For a point of reference someone compared Sinchon to Times Square. It isn't quite as big, but there are lots of flashing lights, busy alleys, people, and vehicles. The first thing that I noticed was that once off the main road in Sinchon there were carnival games EVERYWHERE! As with most carnival games guys were trying to win stuffed animals for various ladies. It was just so weird to see so many game booths down every alley.
We ended up at a bar called the Oregon Trail. It was dark and somewhat dreary. The group of people near us were sharing a yard of beer that was being dispensed by a crazy contraption that had ice contained in the main tube to keep the beer cold. It was quite impressive, although from what I tasted wasted on low quality Korean beer. Once settled we reviewed the menu (an English version with photos) and ordered our drinks. Jack Daniels seems to be the available whiskey of choice here, which is good for me. In addition to the standard drinks of beer and cocktails we also ordered soju, the Korean version of saki. It doesn't taste any better, but I have experienced it. We also ordered some appetizers. We ordered a lovely fruit platter and a potato platter. The fruit platter had pineapple, melon, apple, banana, grapes, tomatoes, an orange, fruit cocktail, and something that was tasty, but that I had never seen before. The potato plate was a combination of all things good. There were tater tots, waffle fries, regular fries, and seasoned fries. These wonderful things were served with ketchup and honey mustard. Needless to say there was nothing left over. Also, we were given bowls of little puffed treats. Apparently these treats are often served for free at bars here in Korea. These treats tasted like fruit loops. We had two rounds of those.
On our way to catch a taxi we passed a photo booth shop. A little shop with 4 photo booths big enough to hold groups larger than 6. We went it and had a blast taking silly pictures. After we finished with the photos (six in all) we had the opportunity to photo shop them. While I didn't participate in that portion there was a great deal of fun to be had adding special effects to the photos (such as stars and crowns). It was only once they printed out that I realized each photo was the size of a stamp and was actually a sticker. Can you imagine the fun stickers like those would be to put on student work?
All in all it was a memorable first Saturday night in Seoul.
After the production 6 of us decided to grab a drink in Sinchon (I spelled it wrong yesterday). We set out with no particular place in mind and simply picked an alley. For a point of reference someone compared Sinchon to Times Square. It isn't quite as big, but there are lots of flashing lights, busy alleys, people, and vehicles. The first thing that I noticed was that once off the main road in Sinchon there were carnival games EVERYWHERE! As with most carnival games guys were trying to win stuffed animals for various ladies. It was just so weird to see so many game booths down every alley.
We ended up at a bar called the Oregon Trail. It was dark and somewhat dreary. The group of people near us were sharing a yard of beer that was being dispensed by a crazy contraption that had ice contained in the main tube to keep the beer cold. It was quite impressive, although from what I tasted wasted on low quality Korean beer. Once settled we reviewed the menu (an English version with photos) and ordered our drinks. Jack Daniels seems to be the available whiskey of choice here, which is good for me. In addition to the standard drinks of beer and cocktails we also ordered soju, the Korean version of saki. It doesn't taste any better, but I have experienced it. We also ordered some appetizers. We ordered a lovely fruit platter and a potato platter. The fruit platter had pineapple, melon, apple, banana, grapes, tomatoes, an orange, fruit cocktail, and something that was tasty, but that I had never seen before. The potato plate was a combination of all things good. There were tater tots, waffle fries, regular fries, and seasoned fries. These wonderful things were served with ketchup and honey mustard. Needless to say there was nothing left over. Also, we were given bowls of little puffed treats. Apparently these treats are often served for free at bars here in Korea. These treats tasted like fruit loops. We had two rounds of those.
On our way to catch a taxi we passed a photo booth shop. A little shop with 4 photo booths big enough to hold groups larger than 6. We went it and had a blast taking silly pictures. After we finished with the photos (six in all) we had the opportunity to photo shop them. While I didn't participate in that portion there was a great deal of fun to be had adding special effects to the photos (such as stars and crowns). It was only once they printed out that I realized each photo was the size of a stamp and was actually a sticker. Can you imagine the fun stickers like those would be to put on student work?
All in all it was a memorable first Saturday night in Seoul.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The E-Mart and manicures in Shincon
The title pretty much sums up my morning and afternoon. A few of us went to the E-Mart which I will compare to Super Target for lack of anything else. It is a store with 8 floors, each a different department. I walked out with trash cans, a toaster, a slow cooker, some spices, tomatoes, trivets, and more. It was the best shopping experience I have had thus far. Not too many people there as we arrived as the store was opening. It also helps that I have had a lesson on Korean manners and some important phrases.
Upon returning from shopping I literally dropped my stuff in the front door and met up with my friends to get manicures. We walked through Yonsei University into Shincon and sought out a place to get our nails done. The first place we went was booked for hours but was in a mall with many familiar stores (Lush and the Body Shop to name two). The second place was able to help 3 of the 5 of us right away. My new friend Allison and I took to the streets for some lunch. After much walking and debating we ended up at 7-11 as we wanted something to grab and go. Allison had the last ham and cheese sandwich. I had some cheese and "peanut cream" sandwiches. They were little pockets of white bread which I thought would be filled with peanut butter. There were filled with a peanut flavored cream. It looked like I was eating Marshmallow Fluff sandwiches. They were quite good after I got over the sight of the cream.
The lady that did my manicure knew a bit of English, and I know a bit of Korean so we were able to exchange a few words. After all was said and done the manicure was W10,000 which is less than $10.00. I hope that I can find my way back there next week for a repeat.
Allison and I made our way home by ourselves despite a few missed turns. The fact that my school is located above the largest hospital and university in the area is a huge help.
Tonight we will be going for dinner and theatre. I believe we are having dinner at On The Boarder. We will also be taking the subway for the first time. I can't wait to figure out the Subway system. Tomorrow we may be going to Itewan, exciting times.
Upon returning from shopping I literally dropped my stuff in the front door and met up with my friends to get manicures. We walked through Yonsei University into Shincon and sought out a place to get our nails done. The first place we went was booked for hours but was in a mall with many familiar stores (Lush and the Body Shop to name two). The second place was able to help 3 of the 5 of us right away. My new friend Allison and I took to the streets for some lunch. After much walking and debating we ended up at 7-11 as we wanted something to grab and go. Allison had the last ham and cheese sandwich. I had some cheese and "peanut cream" sandwiches. They were little pockets of white bread which I thought would be filled with peanut butter. There were filled with a peanut flavored cream. It looked like I was eating Marshmallow Fluff sandwiches. They were quite good after I got over the sight of the cream.
The lady that did my manicure knew a bit of English, and I know a bit of Korean so we were able to exchange a few words. After all was said and done the manicure was W10,000 which is less than $10.00. I hope that I can find my way back there next week for a repeat.
Allison and I made our way home by ourselves despite a few missed turns. The fact that my school is located above the largest hospital and university in the area is a huge help.
Tonight we will be going for dinner and theatre. I believe we are having dinner at On The Boarder. We will also be taking the subway for the first time. I can't wait to figure out the Subway system. Tomorrow we may be going to Itewan, exciting times.
Friday, August 6, 2010
CostCo and a night on the town
A lot happened today. We were introduced to the staff, we learned about Korean culture, we met with the head of our divisions, I received my teacher's edition Biology text, we went to CostCo, and then had dinner 'off the hill'. Some things were more successful than others but all taught me something.
A little background on my school. I am teaching in a foreign school in Seoul. I live on campus with a the majority of the staff and their families. The staff ranges from young singles (like me) to near retirement married couples. There are at least 8 married couples that are new this year of the 35 new teachers. My school is situated on a hill in the Northern portion of the city right above a university. Above my school is a mountain. Part of the temptation for some folks is to stay safe and secure on the hill and only venture our when necessary. Some of us that are more adventurous decided to have dinner out tonight. It may have helped that we had two ladies fluent in Korean and a guy that has been living in the area for the last 11 years.
After a crazy shopping expedition at CostCo we came back, unloaded our goods and set off. We ended up at a 24 hour joint that had an English menu posted on the wall in addition to the Korean menus. I ordered gubap, a dish similar to sushi in that it is stuff rolled up in rice and seaweed. I ordered a vegetable gubap and a beef gubap. The table also received an assortment of kimchi and dumplings. As I had eaten some very spicy kimchi (fermented vegetables) at lunch I avoided the kimchi tonight. I enjoyed my gubap very much, but each roll was twice the size of a roll of sushi from the States. My dinner was less W 4,500 which is less than $4.50. I was able to try a bite from some of the other dishes. My favorite was a pork and sweet potato cutlet. It was breaded, fried, and served with a sweet sauce on top. It was amazing. Koreans also seem to really love their sweet pickles so I ate the ones my friend was served with her pork.
After dinner we wondered around a bit and stopped in a corner store for some ice cream. I had the Korean version of a Drumstick and it was a wonderful end to a full day.
Tomorrow the girls are going for manicures and then we will be going to dinner and theater in the city. We will be taking the subway for that adventure.
MY apartment is coming together. I have been doing a little every evening, and a good bit in the mornings. This weekend should get most of it situated. A few trips to my storage unit and I will be mostly clutter free, for a while at least.
A little background on my school. I am teaching in a foreign school in Seoul. I live on campus with a the majority of the staff and their families. The staff ranges from young singles (like me) to near retirement married couples. There are at least 8 married couples that are new this year of the 35 new teachers. My school is situated on a hill in the Northern portion of the city right above a university. Above my school is a mountain. Part of the temptation for some folks is to stay safe and secure on the hill and only venture our when necessary. Some of us that are more adventurous decided to have dinner out tonight. It may have helped that we had two ladies fluent in Korean and a guy that has been living in the area for the last 11 years.
After a crazy shopping expedition at CostCo we came back, unloaded our goods and set off. We ended up at a 24 hour joint that had an English menu posted on the wall in addition to the Korean menus. I ordered gubap, a dish similar to sushi in that it is stuff rolled up in rice and seaweed. I ordered a vegetable gubap and a beef gubap. The table also received an assortment of kimchi and dumplings. As I had eaten some very spicy kimchi (fermented vegetables) at lunch I avoided the kimchi tonight. I enjoyed my gubap very much, but each roll was twice the size of a roll of sushi from the States. My dinner was less W 4,500 which is less than $4.50. I was able to try a bite from some of the other dishes. My favorite was a pork and sweet potato cutlet. It was breaded, fried, and served with a sweet sauce on top. It was amazing. Koreans also seem to really love their sweet pickles so I ate the ones my friend was served with her pork.
After dinner we wondered around a bit and stopped in a corner store for some ice cream. I had the Korean version of a Drumstick and it was a wonderful end to a full day.
Tomorrow the girls are going for manicures and then we will be going to dinner and theater in the city. We will be taking the subway for that adventure.
MY apartment is coming together. I have been doing a little every evening, and a good bit in the mornings. This weekend should get most of it situated. A few trips to my storage unit and I will be mostly clutter free, for a while at least.
CostCo
In about 3 minutes I will be heading off to the CostCo in Seoul. Yesterday I bought stuff based on the pictures on the front. That gets to be very tricky yet adventurous. Today I am planning on getting a microwave, tv, and a mattress pad. I hope I don't go overboard like I did yesterday. I will be here for two years, I don't need everything this week.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Day 1 in Korea
I made it to Seoul. About 30 hours of traveling and 3 delayed flights I arrived in Korea very late Monday night. An administrator from the school was there to meet me and another teacher that arrived on the same flight. We piled into a van and drove about 40 minutes to the school. I wish I could tell you what the city looked like an night but I was too tired to look.
Once making it to the school and gettig all of my bags to the apartment I managed to call home, eat some Pizza Hut pizza, shower and make my bed before going to sleep.
I'm slowly getting settled and adjusted over here. I have a lot of space in my apartment so it is just a matter of putting my things away logically. I have an apartment that while small is more than enough for one person. My bedroom has windows on two sides and it is only big enough for my bed and a night stand. There are 4 sliding doors made of wooden frames and paper that seperate my bed from my study and the biggest closet I have ever had.
Today (Tuesday) went well. The medical at the hospital was good. The doctor in charge of the international clinic is American although born and raised in Korea. All the staff speaks fluent English and is very nice. They made the physical go very smoothly. The clinic is a short walk through Yonsei University. It took about 10 minutes to get from the school to the clinic which is part of a large hospital with an excellent representation. We also stopped at the Starbucks in the hospital. I had a little taste of home with my iced white chocolate mocca.
I went to the embassy as well today to start the paperwork for my Korean drivers liscense. I don't know how much I'll be driving but I want to have the ability to if needed.
We also went to a market here. I bought some carrots, peppers, peanut butter, sugar, and soap. It was expensive but close. We will be going to CostCo later in the week and I'll stock up there. The market was playing American music (Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Frank Sinatra to name a few.)
Everyone here is very nice and welcoming. I have been meeting the administration and all of the new teachers. While the majority of the teachers are American there are several from England, a handful from Canada, and a few from France. A number of these teachers have taught overseas at other schools. It has been fun to hear their stories although I don't know how much I retained. I might have to hear it all several times before it sinks in.
Although they say it is monsoon season there was no rain today. It was hot and humid, just like home.
Some things are different, but I think I'll do nicely here.
Pictures to follow once I find my camera and start taking them and then acquire a computer.
Once making it to the school and gettig all of my bags to the apartment I managed to call home, eat some Pizza Hut pizza, shower and make my bed before going to sleep.
I'm slowly getting settled and adjusted over here. I have a lot of space in my apartment so it is just a matter of putting my things away logically. I have an apartment that while small is more than enough for one person. My bedroom has windows on two sides and it is only big enough for my bed and a night stand. There are 4 sliding doors made of wooden frames and paper that seperate my bed from my study and the biggest closet I have ever had.
Today (Tuesday) went well. The medical at the hospital was good. The doctor in charge of the international clinic is American although born and raised in Korea. All the staff speaks fluent English and is very nice. They made the physical go very smoothly. The clinic is a short walk through Yonsei University. It took about 10 minutes to get from the school to the clinic which is part of a large hospital with an excellent representation. We also stopped at the Starbucks in the hospital. I had a little taste of home with my iced white chocolate mocca.
I went to the embassy as well today to start the paperwork for my Korean drivers liscense. I don't know how much I'll be driving but I want to have the ability to if needed.
We also went to a market here. I bought some carrots, peppers, peanut butter, sugar, and soap. It was expensive but close. We will be going to CostCo later in the week and I'll stock up there. The market was playing American music (Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Frank Sinatra to name a few.)
Everyone here is very nice and welcoming. I have been meeting the administration and all of the new teachers. While the majority of the teachers are American there are several from England, a handful from Canada, and a few from France. A number of these teachers have taught overseas at other schools. It has been fun to hear their stories although I don't know how much I retained. I might have to hear it all several times before it sinks in.
Although they say it is monsoon season there was no rain today. It was hot and humid, just like home.
Some things are different, but I think I'll do nicely here.
Pictures to follow once I find my camera and start taking them and then acquire a computer.
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