Life in Korea: Ten Things I Want You to Know

1. My perspective of a big city has now been permanently altered. I used to think Bangkok was a big city but it is completely dwarfed when compared to Seoul and it’s outlying areas. Imagine taking a cab for over 30 kilometers and seeing skyline after skyline after skyline. When we did the math a friend and I discovered we live 71 km away from each other in different suburbs of Seoul. The scale of things here is mind boggling. 2. The food is delicious and can be very cheap. Rotisserie chicken trucks are my favorite. You can buy two whole chickens for ten bucks from an old man, out of the back of a truck, on the street. 3. Women wear 4 inch heels, including sling backs, on the icy sidewalks. You see a lot of people with broken ankles and arms during this time. 4. There is vomit on the sidewalk, and in stairwells, and in the street, every day of the week. The locals like to party. 5. Old ladies body check you in the subway. If you are claustrophobic do not ever move to Korea. Or Asia for that matter. Your bubble of personal space does not exist here. 6. Korean is fairly easy to read. With a small amount of effort just about anyone can learn the alphabet in a short amount of time. 7. The other night I got off the bus at 10:30 pm on a Sunday. There was a drunk man in the bus lane stumbling around on the road. The bus driver patiently inched forward. No horn or anything. My best guess is he sees this all the time. Eventually the drunk guy saw the bus and moved out of the road. The following Sunday I got body checked by two different men reeking of alcohol on the bus. 8. Korean people are very kind and friendly. If you ask a stranger for help they will often lead you to your destination. The only people I find intolerable in this country are cab drivers. 89% of the time they just suck. I find that I am far more trusting of people on this side of the pond than back home. I would never buy chickens from an old man with a dirty truck in America. 9. There is a large population of foreign expats here and it is very easy to meet people and make friends. It’s kind of like bein in college all over again, but with salaries. I have lucked out in the social department as I have the most amazing friends as well as a wonderful boyfriend. 10. I have completely fallen in love with Korea and the people here. It’s a harsh realization that this life I have built here is temporary, and will not last forever but all the more reason to enjoy it while we can. People will move, things will change, and contracts will end. In the mean time I choose to focus on the good and build relationships with people that will continue. And hey, we will always have Korea.

Japan

Let's start out with a few fun facts about Megan that not everyone knows. First off I have a history with Japan although this was my first time actually traveling there. My Mother was born in Okinawa and my family lived there for some time in the 1950's. Growing up we often had Japanese exchange students stay with us. They would leave gifts and magazines. I have one particular memory of a Japanese fashion magazine that I would spend hours looking over and imagining outfits in my head. When I was in third grade my mother enrolled me in Japanese classes. She was convinced that Japan would become what China is now to the world. This also led to a round of "head, shoulders, knees and toes" where I lost most of my front tooth which to this day is actually a fake. I also have loved sushi since I could eat solid foods, and by the age of 3 would sit at the sushi bar with my mom happily consuming anything put in front of me (often from other patrons who were just amazed that this small child voluntarily ate raw fish). I have always dreamt of a trip to Japan, and although it's rather obscure, have always felt a connection to the culture. A cheap, direct flight to Osaka from Seoul, combined with virtual tour guides (as I have friends who have lived/ traveled there in recent years) made this trip just fall into place. And of course when I found out about the whale shark... well that just sealed the deal! I arrived on a Saturday in the evening and had 3 full days to explore. I took a bus to Kyoto and arrived at my hotel with a pretty high fever that night. I had opted to stay in a "capsule hotel" which was originally created for business men and literally just enough room to crawl into and sleep, kinda like a coffin. Sounds appealing right?! Now some have been modified for tourists and the one I stayed in had it's own television, universal adapter and plenty of room to sit up and move around. This was about half the price of the cheapest hotel I could find. It had a big cozy blanket and a door that closes shut so it's somewhere between a hostel and hotel setting. I slept wonderfully both nights and the third opted to upgrade to my own private room since I was under budget. The first morning I was still quite sick but got up and found myself some udon noodles, yummm. Then promptly took a bus to Kinkakuji, more commonly known as "The Golden Temple." It appears to be sitting on water and is as beautiful in real life as the photos suggest. It was peaceful and I even saw a few cranes among the rocks on the pond. From there I walked a short distance to Ryoanji, a very famous zen rock garden and temple. Walking around the grounds here was beautiful as well. To end my day in the northern part of Kyoto I took the train to Arashiyama, a well known historic area situated on the edge of the city next to the mountains. As soon as I stepped off the train I immediately followed one of my golden rules for travel: if you see locals waiting in line for any kind of food it must be good. This happened to be a delicious spongy cake and mine had white chocolate in it. I wandered around, went to a few gardens and temples, bought a few presents and souvenirs and made my way back to the hotel. Still not well and wanting to pace myself I relaxed for about an hour then headed over to Kyoto station to enjoy a dinner of sushi and the best shrimp tempura I have ever had. Again selecting the restaurant by where the locals were lined up in wait. The next morning I felt a bit better and decided to make my way to the southern part of Kyoto. First stop was the Fushimi Inari Shrine. You walk through a bright orange maze of tunnels and the grounds are littered with large and small buildings in the same color pallet. It's beautiful. It was very touristy so it took some patience, but I managed to get the photos I wanted. As I left I decided to try "octopus balls" for the first time. These are fried up dough balls with cooked octopus inside and a very common street food in the area. It must be only brave tourists who try these because as I sat down to enjoy them an old woman flashed an approving smile and nod my way. It was only about noon and I was already on the same train line that runs to Nara. A small city about 50 min from Kyoto with lots of history and white spotted deer you can feed by hand. I decided to go for it even though that same day my plan had been to hit up Kiyomizudera temple as well. This proved to be a good decision as while I was on the train the weather turned a bit stormy and Kiyomizudera is at the top of a hill. I arrived in Nara and was surprised that it was a bigger city than I expected. A very friendly tourist information guide explained to me how to use the bus system and off I went. I would also like to mention how many friendly, helpful, and kind Japanese people I met on this trip. Even a few Koreans too! I walked around Nara Park, fed the deer, and went to see the HUGE Buddha that is housed in an amazing shrine of a temple. Towards the end of the afternoon I made my way back to Kyoto. I was determined to make it to Kiyomizudera as I was leaving for Osaka the next day. Well I did make it, but just barely. Literally running up the hill coughing my lungs out, I got to the top just in time for sunset but was not allowed entrance into the actual temple as it was closing time. Happy to see the sunset, but feeling a bit defeated for missing out on the rest of the grounds, I headed back to my hotel. That evening is when switched over to a private room from my cozy little capsule. Let's talk about the bathrooms for a second. When you walk into the toilet room the light automatically switches on and the toilet seat pops up. Not only are the seats heated but there are digital buttons for everything you could need from a bidet to a "hip wash" with a little drawing of a bum. The shower in the shared portion of the hotel was just like a regular bathroom where you lock the door and take your shower. However, in the private rooms the shower is something like a cross between a spray tanning booth and time machine. It's literally a complete standing capsule with a rain and side spray function (be sure to close the capsule door before using!). The best way to sum up the bathrooms is that they are just really cool. On my last day I resigned to head back up to Kiyomizudera early in the morning after checking out of the hotel, and then on to Osaka to visit my whale shark friend. I made it up to the temple early enough that there were very few tourists and it was so beautiful overlooking the city! I am not sure if it is always open, but there is a graveyard on the side of the hill. I wandered down through it all alone which is not something I usually make a habit of, but I had seen other graveyards and was intrigued by how different they looked. While walking around I was acutely aware of the fact that it felt peaceful and beautiful and in no way eerie. Like most things in Japan the headstones are side by side and are all very close together. It made me think of my Grandpa who used to say we should be buried vertically because it would save a lot of space. The train ride to Osaka was about an hour. I had all my stuff with me which was just a duffle bag and purse, but still lots to carry while touring around town. Luckily the aquarium had lockers. If you have me on facebook you are probably painfully aware by now of the level of obsession I have for sharks, and if you know me well already then that is just old news. When I entered the area with the whale shark I just about lost my mind. No one told me they had adult hammerheads in the same tank?!! (which are my very favorite species of shark) Trying to contain my excitement but standing in awe like a giddy child I spent more time circling that tank than I care to admit. Let's just say I kept thinking "Megan, you have a plane to catch you need to leave now..." Then 20 more minutes would go by, then 30, and so on. On my way out I purchased the souvenir professional photo AND the largest stuffed whale shark in the gift shop. To say that this experience fed my obsession might be a slight understatement. My shark came in handy as a pillow on the plane ride home. I made it back that night to Seoul with a slight delay due to stormy conditions in Osaka. Everything went smoothly and I really didn't want to leave. Upon return home I was happy to see my friends but I had just enough time in Japan to fall in love a little, and it left me wanting more.

The Holidays

When I first arrived to an empty apartment with only a mini fridge and foam mat on the floor, I thought to myself "This sucks and is not what I expected..." Immediatly followed by telling myself, "don't rush it, buy a few things at a time and by Christmas time you will make this feel like your home." Well that time has arrived faster than I imagined and I do indeed feel at home. Christmas Eve I came back after a nice dinner with friends and snuggled up with my new pajamas from my Mom, my Christmas tree lights on, and a movie playing in my cozy bed just as snow began to fall at midnight. This is about as good as it gets when you can't be with your family. One glass of red wine, and a steak dinner prior to this made it all that much better. This is my second holiday season away from home and what I have learned about myself is I don't care about presents, just people. I was very lucky this year to have a turkey dinner but the tree and the food don't matter if you are lonely or don't have loved ones to be with or even miss. Christmas Day some of us met up to see the Tim Burton Exhibit which just opened at the Seoul Museum of Art. I had brought it up to my friends and coworkers Erin, Ian and Paige and we decided on it. We invited some of our other friends, Tiffany and Michael. Recently my friend Meryl who I met while traveling in Bangkok arrived in Korea so she came too and even brought along a few new faces which was nice. The museum was packed but the exhibit was awesome and we were there for hours. It is divided into three parts and very well curated in my opinion. After a short walk in the bitter cold we found a Vietnamese restaurant to warm up in. This is where I parted ways to catch a taxi and head to a dinner party (with an actual turkey!) hosted by our friend Na and her boyfriend Ahmed. More often than not when us foreigners try to get a cab if it's even the slightest inconvenience the driver waves us off and says "get out". I walked out of the restaurant and a cab driver stopped. I showed him the address in korean but it wasn't easy to read on my phone. He took the time to find his magnifying glass and enter it into his GPS. Normally I take the metro or bus or just walk, but in this bitter cold weather I splurged for the cab. I was so thankful that he helped me instead of kicking me back out into the cold. A small Christmas miracle perhaps? I made it just fine to the dinner party and was so delighted to be a part of it. Did I mention there was a turkey?! After two plates of mashed potatoes, corn, turkey and a few glasses of red wine I snuggled up on the couch to enjoy the wonderful company and conversation. Eventually Paige and I made our way home and I immediatly crawled in to bed wishing I didn't have to work the next morning but content on a very lovely Chirstmas full or fun, food, and great company. The rest of the week was a little tedious as most people have it off, but we do not. Mentally it was hard to get back into the swing of things, especially knowing that as soon as the weekend came again it was 4 days off and New Years. Most of the weekend I spent relaxing and grabbing a bite to eat with friends. Gearing up for the big day I suppose. New Years turned out to be a blast and exactly the opposite of last year where I was in the moutains in a tiny Burmese town drinking whisky and dancing my ass off to Shakira. This time it was the same thing in a club full of Koreans in one of the biggest cities in the world, complete with a headbutt to the face. Followed immediatly the next day by one of those hangovers where you swear you will never drink again. Now it's back to work and that feeling you get on January 2nd with the realization that the holidays are officially over. It's back to the grind. I am thankful to have my birthday in February to look forward to and a long weekend in Kyoto/ Osaka. I don't believe in New Years resolutions, so I will just leave you with this: 2012 was an amazing year, and all I can hope is that 2013 will be even better. To my friends all over the world I wish you only the best in the year to come! OH and in Korean years I am officially 29 years old now ;)

It's All Relative

It's that time of year again, The Holidays. And for most expats this brings inevitable homesickness. For me it always begins with Thanksgiving as that weekend is the anniversary of the tragic death of my cousin, her fiance, and his 3 year old daughter in a plane crash. I was set to be her maid of honor the following March. The anniversary on top of being alone for such a family oriented holiday always makes me a bit pathetic. Those of you who know me, and have lived with me abroad know this is not something that happens often. I am human afterall, and given the lifestyle I have chosen it's inevitable. No one ever said this was easy. This past week I have been missing my family just wishing I could sleep on their couch and live out of a suitcase from a trailer. I promised myself when I was home I would not wish my time away for this exact reason. That feeling where you would do just about anything to see them (and their kitties too). The good news is this always passes. As time goes on I find myself wondering if I will ever feel guilty for this time in my life I have spent on another coninent. My friends and family are nothing but supportive and it is only my own guilt that comes into play, no one is forcing it upon me. This is who I am and I recognize how lucky I am to have people in my life who love me enough to let me live this very selfish and independent life with no guilt trips. I am missing weddings, and births, and engagements, and birthdays yet not one person close to me has ever made me feel bad for that (but I do anyways, of course). This year Novemeber 27th marked the 7 year anniversary of the loss of Heather and her family. Whoever said "time heals all wounds" is full of it, that is not always the case. For whatever reason this year was a particularly difficult one for me to endure. It's not just because I am away from home as it was the same situation this time last year in Thailand. I guess it just hits hard sometimes. Thanksgiving day here I was feeling particularly down. I had an incident with my boss that day and felt like I had been hit by an emotional truck. That afternoon I had to go get my Alien Card from immigration. On my way home an old woman sat next to me on the subway. We got to talking and I came to find out she was 74, married for 50 years, and quite spry. She had studied English at multiple Universities and told me how pretty I was along with asking me why I wasn't married. 3 times. This was the first time a stranger on the metro had taken up a conversation with me. She was very kind and little did she know how much I needed it at that very moment. Her name is Mrs. Kim and she even took down my phone number as I got off the train. I haven't heard from her yet, but I hope I do so I can thank her for her kind words. This has all had me thinking a lot about time. I will try not to get too philosophical on you, but recognizing these days like Thanksgiving and Heather's day made me realize that time is all relative. I felt like a train wreck on Novemeber 22nd, and Novemeber 27th. For my relatives back home it was stil the 21st and 26th. They felt these things the following day. Each year passes and we recognize birthdays, anniversaries, holidays on a given day but when you live on another continent that reality is different for you. I suppose if you are a glass half full type you can look at it like I get two Christmas's and two birthday's each year. For the harder stuff I chose to keep it limited to just that one day if possible. Turns out regardless of the time zone we are in it doesn't make any of those feelings any less real, and sometimes you have to face the fact that even going half way across the world will not outrun the things you will always carry with you.

You Know You Live in Korea When:

I have become very aware of the fact that being an expat in Korea comes with a completely different lifestyle than that I have led in other countries, which were also much smaller cities. There is always an invite, something to do or see, and you are constantly meeting new people. It is a ton of fun but sometimes feels like a transport back into University. You attend work with the same people everyday (just like class), walking to and from together. You eat all your meals together and live in the same building which instantly feels like a dorm. "Hey wanna get food?" "Sure just come down to my room." Then there's that sudden realization one day: Oh wait, I am 27 years old and this only sort of feels like reality. Immediately followed by "I am having too much fun to care." Plus someone else is paying for my apartment and I am making great money, instead of taking out 30 grand in student loans. The party scene here is reminiscent of my time in Spain. A night out can easily turn into not going home until 5 or 6 am. I am not even talking ridiculous night clubs in Seoul. More like a group of us in Ilsan dancing like idiots to 80s/90s music, (Michael Jackson's "PYT" along with Next "Too Close" are common favs) till we realize McDonalds just opened for breakfast and its probably time to go home. The great thing is aside from the party scene there is so much to do and see. I have recently gotten involved with a group called PLUR who does various projects to help the homeless in and around Seoul. On Sunday nights I have joined a group that walks around and gives out food. There are over 1 million homeless people in the city and it is a significant social issue. Most of them are old and many have mental disorders. There is a lack of retirement support or what we would call social security and most of them are made up of the population that fell through the cracks with no family to take care of them, or services to help with their mental health. It seems like there is always a festival or free cultural event going on somewhere and this place is so huge that the possibilities to explore seem endless. Have I mentioned how many skylines this place has?! Ilsan is starting to feel like home and I really love it here. We have our regular spots where people know who you are, and wave to you as you walk by, even though you've never exchanged more than hello, thank you, and goodbye in Korean. Literally across the street from my apartment building is a mall with an imax theater (which I have not been to yet, go figure). Anything you could possibly need is available which is beyond convenient. Dangerous too. Koreans dress very well. Sometimes they also dress ridiculous, and I love it. Sweater leggings? Fuzzy hoodies with bear ears sewn in? Mittens with strings? A reindeer sweater?! YES PLEASE. The latter I could not resist. I needed some socks so I bought a few pairs for a buck. They have chickens on them with some writing in Korean. I wore them to school only to find out the writing is the equivelent of "sexy moaning" in korean. WIN. I finally got a real paycheck for the first time since last June which felt great. My apartment has come together nicely with bits and pieces from people leaving and a few very frugal purchases on my part. I hardly recognize it from a month ago and it feels like my own little home. All in all things are good and this girl is loving it. So the moral of the story is: You know you live in Korea when you are happy to wear moaning chicken socks, reindeer sweaters and dance to MJ till 6 am.

A Little Bit of Culture Shock

It's been one month since I arrived and things have not gone the way I anticipated. Korea is not like I thought it would be but then again I don't really know what I expected. Maybe it was the 6 months of anticipation? I suppose I had this idea that it would be just like any big city transplanted into Asia. It's definitely not like anywhere I have seen before so its hard to explain as I have nothing to compare it to. It is on the biggest scale imaginable. How many skylines can one place have?! I am fairly certain that my first few weeks were filled with some serious culture shock, something I have never experienced upon arrival in a new country. When I first moved to Thailand I was lonely but it was somehow easier as I was so enchanted with my surroundings. Here it is the opposite, I already knew, and have met lots of great people in the city, (and one not so great, but it happens), but was miserable the first few weeks. School also took some getting used to. Things are very chaotic and different than any teaching job I have held. Now that I am getting the hang of it things are much better. I am getting used to the fact that there are no garbage cans, anywhere, and gas mask stations in the subway. The thing is there are about 20 at each so I would more likely die from the mob than the actual gas attack. I suppose these are the Korean equivalent of an old wives tail but believed by many nonetheless: If rain touches your head your hair will fall out, and if you fall asleep with a fan on you will die. One of the first things that struck me was how quick people are to pop off (yea like Jersey). The whole people yelling at strangers thing took some getting used to as Thailand is the extreme opposite. I have gone through the ringer with my washing machine. It is finally being fixed after 6 weeks and quite a few ruined clothes along with a lovely little flood in my apartment. I wasn't greeted with an actual bed and slept on a foam pad on the floor for the first month averaging about 4 hours of sleep per night. Oh yes and I have been to the doctor like five times for everything from digestive issues to a gnarly cough. So here's the good news... It's like a switch flipped and I found my groove. I am finding Korean people lovely and endearing now that I understand them a little better. I know what's going on at school about 86% of the time, and my surroundings are becoming familiar enough that its starting to feel like a home. I really like Korean food too but miss things like green chiles and mac n cheese. Adventures are also good and exploring makes me feel better. The first month of a transition is always the hardest, but this was a doozy.

Toto We're Not in Thailand Anymore

It has been a week since my arrival in Korea. I am not sure I was prepared for how different it is than anywhere else I have lived. The travel portion went smoothly and I was immediately thrown into working the next day. This proved to be welcome as my apartment contains only a mat on the floor, no internet, cable, or TV for that matter. After 3 days at school I got the next 6 days off for Korean Thanksgiving. Luckily I do know a few people in the city and made a friend from school who has been really good to me. A description of this place is still not something I can put into words at this point. I can say however, that I am a lot more overwhelmed by Seoul than I expected. Over 10.5 million people! Its nuts. The level of modernization was so quick it seems that society as a whole hasn't quite caught up. The juxtaposition of uber modern meets traditional is incredible. Again I don't really know how to articulate this any further. The cost of living seems to be on par with America and they looove their tech gadgets. I went to get a phone and ended up with a used Galaxy, it's really a  nice phone. The people in the shop all lined up at the counter to help me and we made lots of hand gestures. As soon as they discovered my new tablet it was promptly taken for a game of Angry Birds Space. A sales guy brought me a mango soda. They were delightful although no English was exchanged. At school my hair has been the major topic. The kids keep asking me why my hair is light and my eyes are blue. They are so curious. Some of them smell me. The last day before break a few teachers asked if they could touch it and likened it to "Barbie Doll Hair." Funny thing is I have been to multiple countries where its noticed, but not to this extent. It's a little much sometimes as I am not big on being the center of attention but I understand the natural curiosity that comes with foreigners who look so different. People stare at me constantly, but I will take it over being called "Falang" all the time.  So far I have gotten to know my home area of Ilsan, had a few subway excursions, and seen the inside of lots of bars. It's amazing how even a well traveled westerner can still be completely overwhelmed by a new place. I am missing the comforts of having a home, and this vagabond lifestyle makes those fleeting. The locals are perfectly kind but I have noticed they do not smile the same as Thais or Oregonians. So far if I ask for help from a stranger, I shall receive, but the overall demeanor is more subdued. It's not good or bad, it just is. I appreciate the directness but still feel I have a lot to learn. As this first week comes to a close I am very aware of how whelmed I am, not over or under, but just so. I am longing for the familiarity of Thailand and home but excited to continue on this new journey.