B-Boys and Green Smoothies

On Saturday, Erik and I went to see a hip hop dance performance with our friend, Lacie.  It was a good show, and it was also interesting to see Korea's own unique brand of hip hop.  There were definitely some dancers there who could bust a move.  One guy spun so much on his head that the wore a helmet; it was like watching the spins of an ice skater upside down.  You'd have to be so strong to pull off the windmills and spins that we saw; to be good at break dancing, you have to be dedicated. 

The music that some of the crews chose was interesting.  There was classical music, oldies, and even Brittney Spears, (and of course hip hop), but there was a lot less rap than I would have thought.  A big difference is that back home, if you're going to break dance or Step, your song has to have a base line.  Several songs at this performance had little or no base.  I would definitely say that many of the dancers had some real soul to their moves, but it was funny to see them attempt to imitate thug culture (at times in skinny jeans and ties).  All in all, it was an entertaining couple of hours, and a good time.  I'm glad I went; although I think it was more of an impromptu nap time for Erik.  :P

On a completely different note, Erik and I went Christmas shopping for each other (together) today.  We came away with some good stuff, and I was a good girl and wrapped everything and put it under the tree...except for one thing....a blender.  I just couldn't wait to make myself some green smoothies.  I'm going to try to have one for breakfast every morning.  For those of you who don't know, a green smoothie is a smoothie with the normal stuff like yogurt (if you're not vegan), fruit, and an equal amount of leafy greens like spinach, kale, etc.  They come out green colored, but tasting like fruit, and they are a great way to get leafy greens into your diet.  Yum!

Let it Snow!

This morning on the way to work, Erik and I discovered snow covering the cars.  Excited by the opportunity, I promptly grabbed some and lobbed a ball at Erik's back.  A perfect hit.  :)  This is definitely the earliest in the year that I've ever seen snow before.  I was surprised, especially since everyone's been telling me that it only snows once a year or so in Busan.  That's fine with me; I don't want to have to walk through it everyday on my way to work.  But who knows, maybe this winter will be the exception to the rule.  This summer certainly was.  It was supposed to be humid with little rain after the monsoon season, hot, and sunny; instead, it was hot and rather wet.  In China this winter, they're already having record snowfall, with collapsing buildings and all.  I know our winter won't be anything like that in Busan, but maybe there will be more snow than usual.  Only time will tell, but I could do with a few more snowball opportunities. :D

Persimmons, Boong-a-Bang, and a Christmas Tree

For the past month, I've been noticing people selling mass quantities of what I thought were tomatoes, until my coworker Ryan informed me that though they look like tomatoes, they are sweet like fruit.  I'd never heard of anything like that before, so I asked my students what they were called.  (We're studying a story about fruit at the moment, so it fit the discussion nicely.)  They told me they were called gam, and that I should put them in my refrigerator.  They also said that when ready to eat them, I should cut them in half and eat the fruit with a spoon, like a grapefruit.  Wandering through the produce isle of Home Plus today, I looked for gam, and was surprised to find "Persimmons" printed on the package.  Sure, I've heard of persimmons before, but I never saw or ate them in the States.  Maybe when I passed them in the supermarket, I mistook them for tomatoes.  At any rate, I bought a bag and tried some today.  I really enjoy them; they are lightly sweet with a good flavor and very filling.  I think I'll keep buying them while they're in season (until December).

Yesterday, I also tried my first authentic Korean boong-a-bong.  Boong-a-bong are bready/doughy pasteries filled with sweet red bean paste; they are sold in the shape of a fish (the boong-a fish, to be precise).  A nice warm snack on a cold winter's day.   In Dallas, I bought them in the frozen section of Super-H-Mart (a big Korean supermarket), and liked them.  But the hot, fresh authentic Korean version straight from the street vendor is so much better.  They are delicious, and I bought five for one dollar! 

This weekend I couldn't resist the urge to buy a Christmas tree.  And of course, once I got home I couldn't resist the urge to put it up.  I think I've started early this year to make up for the fact that I won't be seeing my family this Christmas.  I'll be making the holiday bright by overdoing it on Christmas songs, decorations, and baked goods.  :)  Our tree is simple: waste high, with red and gold ornaments (no lights), but I think it's got character, lol. 

Tomorrow, Erik and I will have been married for six months.  Time flies when you're having fun!  :)

Pepero Day!

Today is Pepero Day here in Korea.  Pepero is what in the States is known as Pocky.  People exchange pepero, because the date is 11/11, which looks like four sticks of pepero.  Remember on Valentine's Day in elementary school when everyone would exchange little valentines, and some would be tiny boxes of candy with the valentine printed on the side.  That's basically what happens on Pepero Day; you get lots of boxes of Pocky with a note written on the box.  It's only half way through the day, and I've already got six boxes and some jumbo sticks of it.  Yum!  I think I'll go try dipping some in my coffee...

The Comforts of Home

I love being in Korea; it's taught me a lot.  It's also given me a new found appreciation for the things unique to my home in the US.  Sometimes, I find myself fantasizing about spacious houses and hot apple pie, which is how my brain lets me know that I'm a little homesick.  I don't mind; it gives me something to look forward to at the end of the year:  hugging my family and friends, cuddling with my dog, wide-open spaces, green fields of grass, suburbs, the countryside, lack of censorship, ditching the crowded subway for my spacious car, clean air, having a full kitchen and an oven, finally being able to use the things I got at my wedding shower, being able to buy western food EVERYWHERE, a greater selection of vegetarian food, nearby coffee shops, sugar-free and low fat options, the list could go on forever...

I used to be one of those college kids that felt embarrassed to be from the US, and did nothing but complain about it's flaws.  While I'm still embarrassed about America's foreign policy, living so far away from home has taught me that it's just that: my home.  It might have flaws, but I'll never feel more comfortable than I do in America.  It's a pretty nice place to live, and when I go back, I'll spend more time enjoying it instead of griping about it.

Similarities and Differences

I remember before I came to Korea, I imagined how different it would be.  I read the travel guides and prepared myself for the culture shock that I knew would come.  I read that you must wear socks, even with sandals, or you may be chastised on the street.  That you won't have access to western food, medicine, or personal hygiene prodcuts.  That sleeveless shirts are taboo, as is holding hands and eating rice with chopsticks.  The list went on and on as to how different Korean culture is from American culture. 

When I arrived in Korea, I was surprised to find that going sockless and sleeveless is okay, no one cares what you eat your rice with, the local supermarket has everything from Pace picante sauce to Clean & Clear face wash, and Korean couples hug and hold hands in the street just like American couples. 

I was so sure that Korea would be completely different, but what surprised me is how similar it is.  Sure, there are many differences, such as the abundance of squid and octopus restaurants, but in many ways it's similar to America.  No matter where you are, people need to eat, sleep, work, go to school, etc.  As a result, there are the same restaurants, apartment buildings, office buildings, schools, and shopping malls that you find anywhere you go.  The names and brands might be different, but they are essentially the same.  Coming here taught me that, first, people are just people.  The world is a lot smaller, and people a lot more similar, that I ever thought. 

Air

I really like Korea, but the thing I dislike the most is the air quality.  I think a mixture of the yellow dust blowing in from China and the car exhaust mixes together to form a cocktail that spells kryptonite for my lungs.  I've got bad allergies and light asthma, which only exacerbates the problem.  I feel like I've been in bed with allergies for half the time that I've been here; whereas I never got sick at home in the US.  It can pretty frustrating at times.  There's so much to do here, that I hate wasting time by being stuck in bed.

The air quality here is pretty terrible.  Many days it seems as though you could cut the air with a knife, and the mountains that are a mere mile away are barely visible.  I don't feel like I can really 'breathe deep' here.  Busan is much smaller than Seoul, and right by the ocean, so the air quality here is much better than our neighbor to the north.  I think I'd have pneumonia by now if we'd chosen to teach in Seoul.

Hopefully my nose and lungs will adapt!  I leave you with a 30-second 'poem' I wrote while eating dinner at Loving Hut (pretty much the only place you can get vegetarian food in Busan) one evening:

    sweet mist
 on the air
      reeks of sewage
and carefully fermented kimchi
   laced with car exhaust

        breathe deep

capture the crude facsimile of 'progress'
     seeping into your pores

Intro

I'm a teacher at a hagwon (a private kindergarten / after-school academy for elementary and middle school kids) in Busan, South Korea.  I've been here for about four months, and so far I'm really enjoying myself.  Korea is a beautiful country, and the kids and my coworkers are fantastic.  That being said, there are some downsides to being abroad: the constant stares, the inability to communicate, the lack of creature comforts, etc.  For the most part, though, living here is a blast.  On the weekends I have my choice of beaches, mountains, or bustling city centers.  The shopping is cheap and endless, as is the dining.  There's always something to do, and something to learn.  Here I hope to post my thoughts about my stay in Korea and about life in general....if I can find the time... :)