A Korean BBQ

I went to a Korean BBQ restaurant that one of the teachers from school recommended.  The waitress spoke in English which was a real plus.  She seated me at a table that has a gas grill in the center.  This is used to cook the food.  Generally several people would eat together but I went alone.  The food that I ordered was for two people as they don't prepare this for one.  Needless to say I could not even begin to finish all the food that was brought.

I ordered the pork.  They brought meat from around the rib area and either fat or some other type of substance.  I tried one small piece but didn't enjoy it much and avoided the rest.  One piece of the fat "jumped" off of the grill!

I was given many side dishes.  The macaroni salad was rather sweet but it was pleasant as I tried to use it to cool my palate after I took a nibble from the end of a hot pepper. (just to be sure it was really hot) (come on, you know you would have too!)  The stone bowl had egg.  When they brought it to my table the bowl looked like soup boiling.  After the substance cooled down, it turned out to be egg which had an omelet like texture and was very well scrambled.  There were two types of kimchi a jellied substance that was very spicy, a sauce, raw garlic, raw onions in a vinegar sauce, pickled vegetables and lettuce to wrap up the meat (and raw hot peppers).  I think that was everything. Anyway, it was very good, but would have been better with someone to share it with.

I enjoyed talking to the waitress, but only got to chat with her for a few minutes.  I will try to talk to her some other time.  By the by, that restaurant is beside an antique store.  The antiques look just like the ones in the US.  Most of them look European.  I don't quite understand it.  Maybe more on it later.

They cut the meat with scissors.  One of the Americans who has been here for years says he only uses scissors in the kitchen now as they are more handy than knives.  The fat is on the top left part of the grill.

These are part of the side dishes served with the meat.

This is the eggs after they cooled.

Cherry Blossoms

Hello and happy spring to all!  I have been thinking of spring the past two weeks.  Here in Korea there are several famous cherry blossom festivals.  The Koreans feel the Japanese take too much credit for their cherry blossoms when the festivals and trees are more beautiful in Korea.  I didn't go to the more famous festivals as they are in the southern part of the country and I haven't figured out the train and bus systems yet.  I didn't think a weekend when there could be more than a million people visiting the same area would be a good time to try to find my way alone.

The trees here and the fascination with the cherry blossoms reminded me of the poem by A. E. Houseman:
                                                       Loveliest of Trees
         

LOVELIEST of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now, of my threescore years and ten,	5
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,	10
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

While I agree that "fifty springs are little room to look at things in bloom", I don't think I have to do it with 2 million others.  Here are some of the photos of cherry trees and other flowers and flowering trees that I have found mean spring has come to Korea!

Cherry trees at night down the street near my apartment.

A lovely view between the buildings

I saw these and knew spring is here!

Nice photo if I do say so and this is right across from my apartment house.

Mother Heather

There is something that I don't understand.  The Koreans in my neighborhood seem to think I am the other teachers' mother.

When I first came to work, the students at the school and the man at the convenience store thought I was the mother of the teacher I replaced.  We told them, that no, I wasn't her mother.  The English speaking teachers know we don't even look alike.  Also, Cassie was from Canada and I am from the US.  That isn't too far apart I guess, but I would have had to be very young when she was born.

Last week I stopped to eat at a Chinese restaurant very near my apartment.  The waiters kept asking me something.  I tried to use my Google translate, but it didn't make any sense.  Then a cook who could speak English came out and said they wanted to know where my daughter was.  They had seen me walking with Ulandi, the girl from South Africa and assumed she was my daughter.  I said she wasn't my daughter, just a friend.  They apologized profusely and I said there was no need.  I said I was from the US and she is from Africa.  ( I was trying to say that we are from opposite sides of the world so relationship would be distant at best.)  The waiter said, "I sorry!  I sorry!  I love you!"  It made me laugh.

I guess all non Asians look alike to some Koreans.  They can't tell when there is no resemblance between us at all.

I told the story at work to see if I do look like Ulandi or Cassie's mother but the Korean teachers there thought there was no resemblance either.  Now, one of the teachers has taken to teasing me by calling me mother.  She giggles every time.

Gardening Makes Friends

Here is a post for all the gardeners out there!

I have been longing for the green to come back into the landscape.  (I have never seen the Korean landscape in green, but I trust it does get green.  There has to be some reason for all of the hoop houses here!)

I found a small flower shop across the street from where I work.  I have been in a number of times already (Lots considering I have only been in country for a month).  I got gifts for several people there and several "gifts" for myself.  I have some mint I bought from a truck in Seoul, rosemary and a flowering succulent I got at the neighborhood florist.  They help to make my apartment more cheerful.

My houseplants

Today I took some garbage outside.  The garbage is split into separate parts.  The glass, plastic, metal and paper that can be recycled is put into a recycling area in my building.  The food portions that can be composted, are put into little yellow bags and all other trash is put in blue trash bags.  The yellow and blue bags are just put in the corner of a dirt area that should become a garden when things turn green here.  There doesn't seem to be dedicated places to put the trash and in some places, it is just on the sidewalk.  I guess the garbage collectors just travel the streets and pick it up where it is deposited.

Anyway, I was taking garbage out and I saw a little old lady working with some "soil".  I put on other shoes and returned to help her.  She was putting what I think is manure into some bags.  I tried to help her but she told me (OK, she spoke Korean but with her gestures and a few words I knew I could make out what she was saying) that I shouldn't help because I was in a skirt and it would get dirty.  I tried to let her know it was OK, but she kept pushing me away.  I did help a bit, but only a bit.  Then I decided to try to see if she wanted some cuttings of my mint or rosemary plant.  I took a coffee cup with water and the plants outside to her.  I cut some mint and put it in water.  She let me know she already had rosemary and didn't need any.  She chattered away at me and I caught almost none of it!  Then she was worried about returning my coffee cup.  I tried to let her know she could get it to me when ever I saw her but she seemed concerned so I invited her into my apartment.  She came in and was fascinated with my plants and thought the fake flowers in my kitty litter dehumidifier were very pretty.  She told me how to care for my plants, (I understood about 2 words out of 100) and I showed her my book of vegetable diseases.  She looked through it thoroughly.  I offered her tea, but she wouldn't accept as she was going to get back to the garden. I hope she returns sometime to visit with me again.

I found it amusing and interesting that even though she can't speak English and I can't speak Korean, we both speak gardening and can enjoy the same things.

An English Speaking Church

I went to Seoul last weekend to find an English Speaking Church.  The web says there is an Anabaptist group in South Korea but I couldn't find where they meet for church.  Also, it seems they moved their location and I couldn't find that either.  I ended up finding an English speaking Baptist church.

I found the location of the church and it turned out to be within spitting distance from Phillies where I went for the orientation the previous weekend!  How's that for great!

The church is made up of more than just Baptists.  They accept people from many denominations there.  Some became members and others associate members (so they didn't have to formally become Baptists).  They also have people from all over the world at the church.  The scripture was read to us in Chinese.  I met some Anglicans, a man from Brazil who is a missionary to East Timor, several Americans, a girl originally from Korea but who had lived in LA, Singapore, Hong Kong and (Thailand I think).  There were people from several other countries as well.

The pastor went over the values of the church and the first one is "It's all about Jesus".  As long as people believe in Jesus as the son of God and as God, they will find themselves at home in the church.  It was very interesting.  I intend return to this church.  I don't know if I can go every weekend until I find a bit of a cheaper way to get there as the cost of the taxis, subway, and then lunch adds up.

It was interesting though as several of the English teachers from my school went to Seoul for St. Patrick's day and to drink green beer.  I went to find a church!  I said something about the nice people I met there and one of the teachers from South Africa said, "I am sure they were nice, they were at church!"  I asked how often she had been to church and she said she had only been two or three times. I am glad she got a good impression of church going people!

Apartment Woes and Other Troubles

One of the problems I have had is that my apartment blew a circuit breaker.  I had my computer and internet on the circuit that quit on me and I had to get a different extension cord to  use for my computer.  Also, one morning when I went to take a shower, I had no hot water.  It turned out someone in the building (not me!  I promise!) did something that made the entire building loose our heating. No heating meant no hot water!  What a horrible shower time!

One of  my partner Korean teachers for the preschool classes got into a car accident last weekend.  She ended up in the hospital with no major injuries or broken bones though.  She was gone all week which meant much more work for everyone and a very stressful week too when we had to make lesson plans.  This is my first time making lesson plans so it took sooooooooo long to do them.  Also, having substitute teachers for my homeroom class is HORRIBLE!  The substitutes are too "nice" to the students and the children walk all over them.  Then the children test the boundaries again with me! It is like having a "first day of class" all over every day!  AUGHHHHHH!

Another of my partner Korean teachers broke her phone.  Her daughter is in day care and she needs a phone.  I lent her my phone so I didn't keep up with emails at all.  She returned it to me for the weekend, but I promised to lend it to her again on Monday if she needs it.  Also, she got sick on Thursday and I ended up having a class of 15 for two periods that day. I made it through which is a minor miracle.

I got sick on the second week of school.  I almost lost my voice. That is very unusual for me and very unfortunate for a teacher!  It turns out over half of the English teachers at the orientation in Seoul also had problems with illnesses and loosing their voices.  There is something about coming here and the climate, viruses, or maybe just stress that makes nearly all of us get sick.

My apartment is very muggy.  I would like to get a dehumidifier, but the only one I found at the local Emart costs $450 and is way too large to fit comfortably in my apartment.  In looking up alternatives, I decided to try cat litter to see if it will help take some of the moisture from the air.  I put it into flower pots and put fake flowers in it.  Yes, I even decorate kitty litter!  A little old Korean lady I will tell about in my gardening blog really liked them.  She thought they were so pretty!

My Kitty Litter containers

I found a locksmith, but he didn't have the right type of key to make a copy for me.  I have a small dread that one day my landlady is going to ask for my key back.  I did get the neighbor man who helped me when I was locked out a gift set of juices.  I heard that they probably prefer alcohol, but I don't know him enough to know if that is true or not and I wouldn't get alcohol as a gift anyway.  When I gave it to him he was in pajamas.  I hope it wasn't at an inconvenient time for him.  Maybe my trying to be polite backfired!  Ah, well I guess he knows I had good intentions.

I found the post office but it wasn't open when I went.  That was OK even though I would like to buy stamps.  The problem is that I need to understand how the address system works so that I can send and receive mail.  Packages need to be sent to work so someone is there to receive them while letters can be sent to my house (if I can figure out which is my mailbox).  The girl who was in this apartment before me never even used the mail here.

I went to Emart as I mentioned above in trying to find a dehumidifier, and I wanted to buy Q tips and toilet paper.  The cotton swabs they have here are for makeup removal.  When I asked the girl about what to use for cleaning out your ear she showed me a sharp stick they use.  I decided not to try my luck.  I tried to buy toilet paper and the employee started to put a second set of 30 rolls in my cart telling me they were 2 for 1 price. (It is something like one plus one here and I don't fully understand the sales yet.)  I thanked her but said I only wanted one.  She insisted so I didn't buy that brand.  I don't know how to explain that in an apartment the size of mine, I can't fit 60 rolls of toilet paper!!!!  I would just waste it as it would get wet, dirty, something.  I don't even have enough room under my bed for that much toilet paper!

OK, enough of the petty problems for one blog.  On to better things.

A Visit to Seoul

First, I am sorry to all who follow my blog when it is sporadic.  I have had computer troubles, illness etc.  So please be patient with me.  I will endeavor to post more regularly.

On the weekend of the 12th and 13th, I went to Seoul for an orientation weekend with CIEE, the group I used to find a job in Korea.  There were almost 20 other teachers from the US and Canada who had arrived in Korea at about the same time I did.  We were all meeting with representatives from CIEE.  We were given a tour of Seoul and talked about the Korean culture, food, how to be effective as teachers, what was expected of us, and more.

I took the subway to the center of Seoul.  The subway here is unlike any I have used before.  It is very clean and all of the passengers seem to know the proper etiquette.  There are several seats in the front of the car that are for disabled, mothers with children, or elderly people.  These seats are kept free at all times even when the car is full (except for rude foreigners who don't understand).  There are another 2 to 4 seats that are designated for pregnant women.  These seats can be used until an expecting mother arrives and then are expected to be vacated.  If a seat is empty it is catch as catch can.  I gave up my seat to an older woman once.  When another seat was vacated, she tried to get me to sit in it.  I told her no, it was ok, but she moved to the other seat so I would take my original seat.  She was very kind.  The subway was confusing when it was explained to me by my school administrator, but after I realized how it worked, it was not nearly so daunting!

The CIEE group met at a hotel and traveled to an American pub/restaurant called Phillies to meet.  There were people from many places in the US and even one from the town in PA I was born in!  He knows my relatives there.  There were several from NY, NY.  They seemed more different from me than the Koreans I have met here.  Isn't it strange that I can see similarities between myself and others when we have to understand only the most basic of communications but when we can communicate better I start to see just how different we are.  Some of the teachers seemed nice and others made me see why we are "ugly Americans".  Maybe ugly is too strong and it should be ignorant Americans.  I guess I thought if they traveled here they would have some idea of the culture or just how to be polite!  Also, there were several of the teachers who are vegetarian.  I find it a bit odd to travel to this country of meat lovers when you are a vegetarian.

We went to see one of the palaces.  It is in front of the Blue House which is Korea's version of the US's White House where the Korean President lives.  The palace has been rebuilt as it was almost totally destroyed during WWII and the subsequent Japanese occupation.  I took some photos, but I would like to return when there is green and leaves on the trees!  I realize I don't appreciate buildings without gardens or trees to go with them.

The palace building with the throne room.

Throne Room of the Palace

You can get in free if you wear the native dress.  Our group photobombed this group of Koreans who were only too happy to cooperate.

The Blue House where the Korean President lives.

They are trying to save the trees.  Each is individually wrapped and propped up.

We found the area of Seoul where all of the foreigners hang out.  I found a bookshop with used books in English!  I also found a large bookshop that sells new books and has a decent English part.  It is much busier than any Barns and Noble I have been in except around Christmas time!

I also found a Starbucks and was able to buy some real coffee beans so I can brew my own at home. One of the things here is when you order a drink at a restaurant, it is not very large, and you can't get refills.  If you want more, you just buy a second soda.  Also, there are not very many restaurants that serve diet soda.  Apparently the frequency of diabetes is rather high here due to the fact that they put sugar in almost EVERYTHING.  Even the chips that are cheese chips are sweet!

We stayed in a hotel that is called The Hotel The Designers.  Every room is different, designed by a different designer.  The room I stayed in had a fancy toilet that sprayed water at you.  It also had a bathtub the size of a child's swimming pool.  What a luxury!  It was the only bath I have had since being in Korea!  The breakfast was interesting though, it was a mix of breakfast and lunch type items.  No, it wasn't supposed to be brunch.  You could eat nachos or pasta salad with your eggs.   Oh yes, and no meal is complete without pickles!

A bathtub fit for a queen, but the tub and sink are in the room with the beds.

Pasta salad and pickles for breakfast anyone?