여보세요! 남한에서 인사!

For those of you who don’t speak Korean, that says: Hello! Greetings From South Korea! I guess its pretty much official now, I am here, I am doing this. And most importantly, I am loving this.

After publishing my first post on Friday morning at 5:45am, I decided that since I wasn’t going to be getting any more sleep, I might as well make my way out to see Chuncheon. I wandered about three miles towards the center of town, past alley-way fish markets, 15 Hyundai dealerships and hundreds, literally hundreds of what I thought at first to be barber shops… it turns out that they are actually escort services. These litter the streets, and I would later learn through the help of one of my Korean co-workers, that I am in fact, staying in a hotel that works in con-junction (word choice?) with these, ahem, libido businesses. That sure explains the red glow that emanates through the hallway in the middle of the night. 

I passed by a Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Dunkin Donuts, thereby being the only American entities in my presence…gotta love that for all the intangibles our country tries to export, namely Freedom and Democracy, it is our fast-food chains that leave our most physical mark. Not even our pop music stands a chance in this land where even the elderly men seem to know every line to the Jonas Brothers/Britney Spears-esque excuse for music that blasts from every restaurant, convenience store and laundra-mat on the main street. 

Speaking of pop music, what an odd way to start my trip by pulling up BBC News only to find out Michael Jackson died! Personally, I can’t really be saddened or sorry about this, not that I wish any ill will on Jacko what-so-ever. More than anything, I am relieved for a man who’s life was in the public eye since age 5 and who the last fifteen years have been anything but kind to. Here’s to hoping he’s at peace, riding some ferris wheel somewhere in the afterlife.  Right or wrong, he did make Thriller people. 

I returned to my hotel after my walk and prepared for my first day of training at the school. The school is located on the 7th floor of a building in the Hoopyeong District of Chuncheon, right down the street from my apartment. The school is made up of six small classrooms, a teacher’s discussion room and a presentation room. I will be teaching children from age 6-15, focusing mainly on basic grammar structures, vocabulary, reading and writing. I sat in the classes I will be taking over for next week and met many of the kids. They are full of energy similar to American students, and they all shouted “Michael Jordan” when I informed them that I was from Chicago. I can tell already that just maintaining their attention, particularly for the younger students, will require a lot of my energy, and should challenge me on a daily basis. I cannot wait to start. 

I met the two other American EFL teachers, Josh and Ashley, both of whom will be departing in the next few weeks. Both are from the States, and have had positive experiences in their year-long stay in Korea, which is very encouraging. We went out on Friday night for my first Korean BBQ and Soju experience. Upon entrance it is required that one removes their shoes, and everyone sits on the ground around a table with a grill in the center. After being served a generous portion of raw pork, beef and lamb ($7 all you can eat!!!) we begin to grill and wait to feast. It is a communal meal, everyone shares, and you are continually instructed by the owners to eat until you can eat no more. 

While waiting for the meat to cook we began to drink the dangerous Korean liquor called, Soju. Think Vodka without the strong bite, and with a hint of lime….it really goes down like water. Even more, it costs only $1 a bottle. Without delving to deep, seeing that it was my first full day in Korea, and a few teachers last weekend in country, the Soju kept coming and coming. 

After dinner we made are way to the university district to a bar frequented by EFL Teachers, simply called “Sheriff Bar.” The name is quite fitting, for when you enter you are greeted by a full-sized covered wagon with tables and chairs to give you the full “Western” experience…I guess. It is the Korean equivalent of a dive bar. Dart boards line the walls, the air is cast in second hand smoke and most importantly, the drinks are cheap. I celebrated late into the night with my new co-workers, (Korean bars are open until 5am!!!) and made my way back to my hotel to sleep off the night and the continuing effects of jet-lag.

I was awoken abruptly, early the next morning to a sharp knock from Mr. Choo, the man who picked me up from the airport. He informed me that we needed to go to the hospital so I may get my Korean physical. In futility, I tried to explain that I had already had one in America, to no avail. The next two hours were spent walking from one floor of the hospital to another, in and out of offices and back and forth from the waiting room while Mr. Choo discussed at length the desired appointment for me, all the while pointing at me, yet speaking in Korean, never stopping to explain what was going on. My head was spinning, I was exhausted, but could do nothing but go along. In the end, I had blood drawn, a simple process that took no more than thirty seconds, and I was out of the hospital before the blood dried on my arm. 

I slept for the remainder of Saturday, which was much needed at that point, seeing as it was still technically the middle of the night to my body. I awoke around 9pm to another knock at my door, this time much more pleasantly, as I was invited out to dinner with some co-workers. Wisely avoiding the Soju, I enjoyed a tapas-style (the style is called Anju in Korea) Korean restaurant where we enjoyed a sweet & spicy shrimp and noodle dish, and an order of cheese fries that would make even the heartiest Wisconsinite quiver in their knees. I’ve never in my life seen this much cheese piled on to fries, and I lived with Chris Timmons for two years. 

I made the acquaintance of a few english-speaking Koreans over dinner and they offered to show me around the city today, (Sunday) and also told me with much excitement that they would give me Korean lessons, an offer I will surely accept. I made it an early night, in order to best be ready for a day of exploration today. 

I got up early once again today and set out for a jog through town. One of my favorite ways to see new cities, countries, and places in general is to run through them in the morning before anyone is out. One of my greatest memories from my trip through Europe two years ago was a morning I woke early and ran from my hotel to The Louvre before any shops had opened, before any of the tourists were clogging the Palaces’ courtyard, before the sun had even risen. Running at a quick clip to the composed tension of “The Divided Sky,” I had the great fortune of arriving in the main courtyard as the sun began peaking its beaming brow over  the ancient walls, basking me in a warm, shining glow. It is forever my image of Paris, the Paris you must try to see, before all the lines, before the cars clog the streets, before the wine is poured and the bread is baked. It was with this in mind that I set out this morning to see the university I had heard so much about. 

What I was about to find out, is how incredibly inclined Chuncheon is. Numerous times I stared up at five or six blocks rising above me, yet with each conquered hill I absorbed wider views of the city that I will call home for the next year. Mountains wrap this valley in all directions, and beyond the immediate boarders of the city, there are more mountains, and in the mist, where one has to squint to see, even more appear. Lush green forests cover these rocks that rise from the Earth, upwards towards the heavens, like a blanket to keep cool on summer evenings. It is spectacularly beautiful. I am constantly reminded whenever I find myself in a place of great incline, that this is where I belong. Chicago has got a piece of my heart, but the mountains have my soul.

The University campus did not disappoint, as I bore witness to some of the most inspired architecture I had seen yet, (Asia is not known for its architecture by any means) ran through the picturesque quad, down into a pine forest that emptied to a small lily pond, and back up to the main hall. I rapidly returned to my hotel, as the majority of the trip was downhill. 

The afternoon brought my first Dakalbee experience. Dakalbee is Chuncheon’s famous dish that has spread through east Asia like the burger in America. It is a true ode to the simple feast: Chicken, Cabbage, Onion and Garlic cook on a grill in the middle of your table in a spicy chili sauce. Once ready you simply pile however much food you want into a piece of lettuce, fold it like a tortilla and feast. It is an array of spicy, crunchy, simple goodness. I cannot stress the simplicity of it enough. Once everyone has had their fair share, the sever brings over a plentiful of rice and pours it on the grill to simmer with the remaining Chicken and spices….and then you feast all over again! Why this isn’t a rave in every college town in America is as confusing to me as why the Donner Kebabs haven’t made the trek from Europe. Someone needs to get on this…..where is Andrew Zimmerman and Anthony Bourdain to promote good food when you need them??? I made a promise to myself when I was in Europe that if I ever made it rich I would buy a Donner Kebab business in Holland, ship it to the US and start the franchise in a college town, I may have to make the same far-fetched promise to this new wonder of the culinary world.

The rest of the day was spent continuing to catch up on the jet-lag, I really hope I have this down my next week, and writing to all of you….you are out there, aren’t you?

I continue my training tomorrow and Tuesday, receive a cell phone, and expect to move out of the 1-900, “Love you long-time” Hotel and into my own apartment on Wednesday. I hope all is well back home in the states. I see Milton Bradley has finally proven to everyone he has the self-control of a love-sick 16-year-old girl, the Cubs bullpen can’t hold a lead, and sadly Mark DeRosa is now a hated Cardinal….if anyone ever questioned whether or not the Baseball Gods really hated the Cubs, I think 2009 has proven that they certainly do. 

Until next time…..

“Embracing the situation is our only chance to be free”

-Jeff Tweedy

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