I arrived in Nowon-gu Seoul almost exactly one month ago to the hour. At this time a month ago I was getting settled into my hotel room and going out to eat my first dinner with Mr. J and Hannah. This month has passed by incredibly fast. It seems just yesterday I was arriving and I'm still getting my feet under me. Everything moves very fast and you have to think on your feet. Plus, of course, there are the kids which are more than enough to keep anyone busy. My kids are great, for the most part. A few behavior problems but nothing that I can't handle. And even the ones who are a bit more rowdy have great personalities. Overall, I have no regrets at all about my decision to come live and teach over here.
Things I like (in no particular order):
My apartment - Compared to the apartments the other teachers live in it really is a palace. I have a ton of room and even a guest bedroom and a lot of storage space. YAY me! If I decide to stay in Korea another year I'll probably stay at the same school just for the apartment alone!
My dog - Rowdy and rambunctious as he is I still love him and he's always good for company and a laugh. I have discovered his favorite games are tug, chase, tennis ball fetch, and soccer. Don't regret adopting him for a moment even though he is as rowdy as a kinderpeon.
Gingko trees - The streets around Nowon are lined with gingko trees. Their leaves are turning this gorgeous golden color and they are dropping their fruits. Every day as I walk to and from school I see these grandmothers and grandfathers with bags picking up the gingko fruits from the sidewalks. I'm half tempted to grab a bag this weekend and try some myself!
My kids - They all are such colorful personalities and try very hard. I have my favorite classes and while there is some yelling done there is also just as much laughter and stickers given out as well.
The weather - The days have been full of blue skies and soft breezes. It was perfect summer weather when I started and now every day is a perfect fall day meant for long walks in the woods.
The mountains - I live in a town surrounded by mountains. I can go out on my balcony hallway to my front door and see mountain peaks on three sides. Mountain hiking trails are just a short walk away. I don't like living where it is flat or just hills. I want real mountains and I have them here.
The markets - There are street vendors and little sidewalk shops all over the place. It's not superstore shopping here in Korea. It's still very much mom and pop style little shops. It's a big change and one I actually like an awful lot. Every week for a few days these street vendors set up a little market with everything from fresh food to furniture on the sidewalk outside my apartment building. I love walking down a street and seeing vendors with a dozen different types of beans or rice in baskets on the sidewalk. At lunch and dinner time street cart vendors sell dumplings, chicken on a stick, fish pastries and all sorts of other foods. There's this family who sells all sorts of plants right by one of the intersections on my walk to school. Every little type of cactus and potted plant you could imagine up to small trees. And in the afternoons and evenings and nights everything comes alive with lights as the shops and little eateries really come to life with their neon signs and street displays. You never know exactly what you might find along the street or around the corner and everything tastes fresh and good.
Chestnuts - Always one of my favorite yearly treats at home. Here they are cheap and everywhere. I've had them ever since I got here and have them several times a week!
The people - For the most part everyone has been really great. The Koreans have all made me feel welcome and my fellow foreign teachers are a lot of fun. It's strange how everything is so very familiar and yet different too. The kids play and go to school. The little girls wear pink. Yet they chatter on in a different language. Everyone goes to work everyday and lives their lives much as we do in the States. Yet, everyone lives in an apartment and nobody has a house. I don't speak the language but so far that hasn't been a big problem. The subway stops are all in English and so I can get around easier. Yet, despite how familiar everything is there is no denying that I'm in a different country. The feel of everything is different. The food certainly is! I'm getting good at eating with chopsticks but, I must confess, I do not like kimchi. I haven't yet had a chance to really experience local cuisine but once I get paid next month I'm going to make an effort to eat out more.
Couchsurfing - Okay, that's not specific to Korea but I do like keeping in contact with other Couchsurfers in the area and getting notices and such of different events and gatherings happening in the area that I might not know about otherwise. It's a good way to meet new and interesting people to explore a country with.
Subways - They are in English and very safe and fast.
Shoes - I like the habit of taking off your shoes as you enter a building and sticking them in little cubbies. It just makes me giggle and it's also a good way to keep my shoes from being Mycroft chew toys.
Korean eateries - It is fun to eat with chopsticks sitting on the floor or if you are lucky on a cushion or mat. The food is brought to you hot and with a lot of sides (most of them kimchi in at least a half dozen forms). You drink water you pour from a little decanter into a bowl. It is fun to have a menu either in pictures or not and to point and not be sure what you'll be eating but enjoying it anyway. That's how I got a soup with a fish head in it!
Cleanliness - It's amazing how very clean everything is here. There are people who just walk around on the sidewalks picking up with poles the tiniest bit of trash. Everything is immaculate and landscaped with wide sidewalks for people to walk on. Trust me, I know, I walk a good hour and a half a day. Not a slow walk either but a powerwalk.
Just being on my own - It is wonderful to be on my own. Really on my own. I have my own job, my own apartment, and my own dog. My own life far away where I can just do what I want and be myself without any baggage to carry with me. And I have a wonderful view. I'm out of that basement. I can walk out my front door and there are mountains wherever I look and the sun is shining brightly down with a sweet breeze. You can't beat it.
Seoul - so much happens in this city and I have only explored the smallest bit of it. So many different events go on here from street festivals to sports events to broadway musicals. Phantom of the Opera started playing the end of September. If it's still there after I get paid I want to get myself a ticket some weekend! If you want to go out to eat there are places all over. If you want to go clubbing you go to Itaewon. If you want museums or music and dance there's that too. There are mountain trails to hike on and riverside trails to bike on. There's everything you could need.
Things I don't like:
This is going to be a very short list.
The Korean attitude towards dogs - This is NOT a dog friendly culture. There are a few tiny pet shops but they cater only to little toy breeds. If you have a larger dog like I do then finding any basic supply aside from dog shampoo, pee pads, and food is a serious problem not easily solved. I am going to have to either go online or get stuff shipped from home. There is also a fear of larger dogs causing people to react badly to Mycroft though it has not caused any real problems as of yet. A third of the people back away, a third ignore him, a third want to pet him. I have not had anyone run away screaming or try and make trouble.
The absence of real cheese - I miss brie, rochefort, cheddar, and blue cheese. It is all but impossible to find. Maybe I can find some at Lotte for a XMas present to myself.
Having a DVD player made in Korea which will not play any of the DVDs she brought from home.
Having my laptop be funky - I want a new computer! This laptop makes it hard to mix, record, and chat on skype with family and friends.
And that's it. I told you it would be a really short list. I am not homesick at all and never really have been. Oh, I miss home cooking and western food every now and then but I have gotten rather good at cooking for myself. They have broccoli here and I have lemon and butter so I eat that a lot - it's one of my favorites though I can't make it as good as Mom. But that's really it. I am doing absolutely fantastic! I'm in Korea and loving it and have no plans or desires to be anywhere else for at least the next year.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Korean Thanksgiving October 3 - A Most Unexpected Day
The weekend I got Mycroft (October 2nd) was also the weekend of Korean Thanksgiving. I had a five day weekend which was really great. That Saturday (the 3rd) Mycroft and I went into the woods for a hike. That hike is something I don't think I'll ever forget. Not because the weather was perfect but because of what happened.
It was Mycroft and my first hike together. We walked a long way to try and find a trail that led up into the mountains. We finally did and down near the bottom we ran into this old Korean man. I think he was in his 50s or 60s and he didn't speak a word of English and my Korean is limited to goodbye and thank you. Yet, he couldn't get enough of Mycroft. I sat down next to him and he just started grinning this infectious grin, chatting to Mycroft, and laughing up a storm while petting him. It really was the sweetest thing and quite striking simply because of how most Koreans react to larger dogs. It was so atypical.
After I gave him a bit of a dog trick show and we played tug with Mycroft's towel tug toy I made he made a gesture as if to ask if I was going up the mountain. I nodded yes and next thing I knew I had a hiking companion. The day really was perfect - sunny, warm, and with just the right breeze. It was all uphill so every now and then we'd end up finding a nice place to sit down and rest. Then the man would play with Mycroft. That tug toy got thrown for Mycroft to fetch more times than I can count and the man laughed and grinned the entire time. He was having an absolute ball playing with my dog. I can't really convey how infectious he was. He'd start grinning and laughing and I'd find myself doing the same.
We climbed all over that mountain that day. He found some grass at one of our stops and braided it into three separate braids - one for me, him, and Mycroft - which he left growing on the mountainside. Maybe it was for good luck.
We didn't really talk. Well, he talked in Korean a lot and I did a lot of smiling and nodding. We mainly used basic sort of sign language. He made eating motions and that way he asked me if I wanted to eat. I wasn't sure if he was inviting me down to town for lunch or not but it turned out that he was inviting me to eat on the mountain. About an hour or two after he asked we found ourselves walking into a little lunch cafe on the side of a mountain. Korea has a ton of backpackers and the trails were hopping. Some enterprising folks had hiked in camp tables and chairs as well as raman, some basic sides (including tiny dried herring the size of minnows I fell in love with), and this funky white drink that looked like milk but was either carbonated or beer of some sort (which I didn't much like but it was wet).
I ended up getting a raman and we split one of those white drinks which was poured into bowls. Mycroft got tied to a tree nearby but don't think he was forgotten. One man brought him water in a cup and my hiking partner fed him tons of those little fish as snacks and I gave him a hard boiled egg (popular side dishes and even sold by street vendors). We sat and ate and felt the breeze and every few minutes Mycroft would get another treat.
After lunch we headed back to the trails. I had no clue where we were but was happy enough to follow him. It was getting late so I motioned back to the town and so we started our way back. But, on the way we came to what I think was the top of the mountain. The path to get up it was REALLY steep and you literally had to scramble up boulders. I expected Mycroft to balk but that dog didn't bat his eyelash but instead tackled them like a veteran mountain climbing dog. It was narrow, it was twisting, it was not far from vertical but we climbed that mountain trail and came out on the top with a fantastic view.
After the mountaintop it was getting late and so we really started going downhill, slipping and sliding, pulled along by a very happy dog. We laughed still at all our close escapes and grabbed tree trunks to stop ourselves from going head over heels. We found this little park where we sat by a waterfall for awhile before heading back into town. We hugged one another goodbye and then, 6 hours after Mycroft and I started, we went home.
I don't even know the man's name and I doubt I could pronounce it even if I could. But I certainly won't forget him. It was one of those unexpected days that stick in your memory simply because of kindness found when not looking. Mycroft and I could have taken that hike by ourselves but it was made so much richer by an unknown stranger who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was a meeting that could have been missed so easily. But I saw the man smile at my dog and we went over to say hello. Sometimes, that's all it takes.
That whole day put me in a philosophical mood and I often think back on it and smile. Neither of us spoke the same language but laughter needs no translation and a black and white dog brought two strangers together for a very special thanksgiving day. Instead of turkey I had raman on a mountainside but I wouldn't trade it for all the turkeys in America.
I wonder how many of those special moments we end up missing because we are in such a hurry we just pass them by. We don't even see them or think to look for them. How much richer would our lives be if we just let go of all the crap and clutter and took our dogs for a walk on the mountain - figuratively and physically.
I met a man on the mountainside who laughed at my dog and it made more of an impact than the National Museum and Changdeokgung Palace. When I think of Korea I'll always see him sitting on the mountainside and grinning. I'll be going back and take Mycroft with me. Perhaps that's what an angel is. A person who shows up unexpectedly and makes a difference and then vanishes as quickly as they came.
It was Mycroft and my first hike together. We walked a long way to try and find a trail that led up into the mountains. We finally did and down near the bottom we ran into this old Korean man. I think he was in his 50s or 60s and he didn't speak a word of English and my Korean is limited to goodbye and thank you. Yet, he couldn't get enough of Mycroft. I sat down next to him and he just started grinning this infectious grin, chatting to Mycroft, and laughing up a storm while petting him. It really was the sweetest thing and quite striking simply because of how most Koreans react to larger dogs. It was so atypical.
After I gave him a bit of a dog trick show and we played tug with Mycroft's towel tug toy I made he made a gesture as if to ask if I was going up the mountain. I nodded yes and next thing I knew I had a hiking companion. The day really was perfect - sunny, warm, and with just the right breeze. It was all uphill so every now and then we'd end up finding a nice place to sit down and rest. Then the man would play with Mycroft. That tug toy got thrown for Mycroft to fetch more times than I can count and the man laughed and grinned the entire time. He was having an absolute ball playing with my dog. I can't really convey how infectious he was. He'd start grinning and laughing and I'd find myself doing the same.
We climbed all over that mountain that day. He found some grass at one of our stops and braided it into three separate braids - one for me, him, and Mycroft - which he left growing on the mountainside. Maybe it was for good luck.
We didn't really talk. Well, he talked in Korean a lot and I did a lot of smiling and nodding. We mainly used basic sort of sign language. He made eating motions and that way he asked me if I wanted to eat. I wasn't sure if he was inviting me down to town for lunch or not but it turned out that he was inviting me to eat on the mountain. About an hour or two after he asked we found ourselves walking into a little lunch cafe on the side of a mountain. Korea has a ton of backpackers and the trails were hopping. Some enterprising folks had hiked in camp tables and chairs as well as raman, some basic sides (including tiny dried herring the size of minnows I fell in love with), and this funky white drink that looked like milk but was either carbonated or beer of some sort (which I didn't much like but it was wet).
I ended up getting a raman and we split one of those white drinks which was poured into bowls. Mycroft got tied to a tree nearby but don't think he was forgotten. One man brought him water in a cup and my hiking partner fed him tons of those little fish as snacks and I gave him a hard boiled egg (popular side dishes and even sold by street vendors). We sat and ate and felt the breeze and every few minutes Mycroft would get another treat.
After lunch we headed back to the trails. I had no clue where we were but was happy enough to follow him. It was getting late so I motioned back to the town and so we started our way back. But, on the way we came to what I think was the top of the mountain. The path to get up it was REALLY steep and you literally had to scramble up boulders. I expected Mycroft to balk but that dog didn't bat his eyelash but instead tackled them like a veteran mountain climbing dog. It was narrow, it was twisting, it was not far from vertical but we climbed that mountain trail and came out on the top with a fantastic view.
After the mountaintop it was getting late and so we really started going downhill, slipping and sliding, pulled along by a very happy dog. We laughed still at all our close escapes and grabbed tree trunks to stop ourselves from going head over heels. We found this little park where we sat by a waterfall for awhile before heading back into town. We hugged one another goodbye and then, 6 hours after Mycroft and I started, we went home.
I don't even know the man's name and I doubt I could pronounce it even if I could. But I certainly won't forget him. It was one of those unexpected days that stick in your memory simply because of kindness found when not looking. Mycroft and I could have taken that hike by ourselves but it was made so much richer by an unknown stranger who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was a meeting that could have been missed so easily. But I saw the man smile at my dog and we went over to say hello. Sometimes, that's all it takes.
That whole day put me in a philosophical mood and I often think back on it and smile. Neither of us spoke the same language but laughter needs no translation and a black and white dog brought two strangers together for a very special thanksgiving day. Instead of turkey I had raman on a mountainside but I wouldn't trade it for all the turkeys in America.
I wonder how many of those special moments we end up missing because we are in such a hurry we just pass them by. We don't even see them or think to look for them. How much richer would our lives be if we just let go of all the crap and clutter and took our dogs for a walk on the mountain - figuratively and physically.
I met a man on the mountainside who laughed at my dog and it made more of an impact than the National Museum and Changdeokgung Palace. When I think of Korea I'll always see him sitting on the mountainside and grinning. I'll be going back and take Mycroft with me. Perhaps that's what an angel is. A person who shows up unexpectedly and makes a difference and then vanishes as quickly as they came.
Mycroft
Well, it's been 16 days now since I got my border collie I ended up naming Commander Mycroft Beckert Barrett. I just call him Mycroft. Most of you know how Elizabeth's XO in Gaia is Mycroft. Well, Mycroft is my XO in Korea. Also Mycroft Holmes was the brother of Sherlock Holmes and a genius. Border collies are the genius breed in the dog world. So, the name actually fits all around. Though, in Gaia and in the Holmes stories Mycroft doesn't eat my furniture. My Mycroft tends to want to do that. I've no regrets about getting him, though. I got him and his enormous palace of a dog crate from a New Zealander living in Korea by the name of Ben. Mycroft's a year old and I swear his crate would be more suited for a Great Dane. I could fit two Mycroft's in there easily.
I took the subway to Itaewon and met him and Ben. My first view of Mycroft? Him taking a poop on the sidewalk. It was rather messy too since he had the runs at the time cause Ben got him puppy chow by mistake. Anyway, he was very happy and excited to see me and proceeded to rip my arms out of the sockets by pulling me down the street. That is a habit I am still trying to break him of two weeks later. Ben and I put him in his crate and proceeded to have lunch at a pub down the street. I had a cheeseburger and it was a DAMN good cheesburger! Cooked just right, juicy, and with a ton of fries. I ended up eating it all. It was the first truly Western food I'd had aside from the spaghetti lunch at the National Museum (took forever to get BTW).
After lunch the taxi van came and we got the crate in the trunk with a lot of effort. The taxi driver wasn't very happy about having Mycroft in the back seat with me. He was scared of big dogs. I don't see his problem considering Mycroft was a perfect angel laying on my legs the entire two hours it took us to get back. Traffic in Korea is hell. Don't drive if you can help it.
The taxi driver helped us get the crate up to the elevator (under protest cause he just wanted to drop us flat) and Ben and I lugged the thing into my living room. It is now what you call a feature there. I should get some boards and cover the top with them. It could easily be used as a table.
Mycroft hasn't exactly been the easiest dog. He gets into EVERYTHING and even though he'll mind when you say no or to leave it you'll catch him back doing what he isn't supposed to do two minutes later. So like a man! But, at least he doesn't bark inside his crate even though he pulls like a son of a gun. That makes taking walks hard. He sees me as the dogsitter and not as Mistress and therefore willfully does what he knows he should not. He's a border collie. He's smart enough to know what he can and can not do after all this time.
Part of the problem is the full schedule. It's proving a bit difficult to exercise him as much as he needs since the walk to school is longer than I expected. But both of those problems will be fixed once I get a bike. He loves running by the bike, I've been told, and that should make him happy and my commutes much shorter.
Another problem is Korea's view of dogs in general. Yes, it's true, they still do eat dog over here. I won't eat it and not all Koreans will but their idea of a pet dog is a toy poodle, maltese, pomeranian, and other toy breeds. Mycroft in Western culture would be considered a medium size dog. They consider him a monster sized dog. A third of the people who see him ignore him, a third point and make kissy faces, and a third back away and are scared. I haven't had anyone run screaming yet but I've heard it happens. I never know what'll happen when the elevator door opens though the rule of thirds seems to apply there. I'm teaching him to sit and be quiet but he is a VERY enthusiastic jumper when people are interested in him so it makes things a bit problematic. I don't let him jump up on people but he can get so excited that it can scare people who were already scared. If they ignore him though he'll ignore them which is nice.
There also are no stores like Petco where you can buy everything you need for your dog. There is dog food sold at grocery stores or at the tiny one room pet stores but anything else from leashes to bowls to dog toys is of a size to suit a toy poodle. So, finding toys and other things for him to play with has been quite difficult. Most of it is too soft and too bloody expensive. I only just found him a could tennis balls at Home Plus (Korean version of WalMart) last night on the way home from the music concert (they have a MALL in their bloody soccer stadium) and it was surprising the difference it made. He's carried that ball around with him ever since, happy as a clam, and my corrections have drastically reduced. True, he gets it stuck under the bed about a dozen times a day for me to fish out but it still was worth the 5000 won. There is an online pet store that has a ton of stuff but it is all in Korean. I have a Korean bank account now so I might try it sometime if I can figure it out. I really do need a full set of doggie gear. All I got right now is two tennis balls, poop bags, bowl, food, leash, and a monster sized crate. Oh and the dog clicker I brought from home.
Still, no regrets at all. Every transitioning period has its rough spots and it's only been two weeks. I'm teaching him tricks. I've already taught him to spin in a circle and jump on his hind legs. I'm working on bowing now. It's fun when little kids and others are interested in him to put on a quick little trick show. I want to do doggie freestyle dancing with him someday but that is a LONG way away. I'd settle for him telling me when he needs to go out, stopping eating my furniture, and not pulling my arms out of joint. But, nobody's perfect! He's my boyo and I love him and together we're going to take on the world together. He just needs some manners first!
I took the subway to Itaewon and met him and Ben. My first view of Mycroft? Him taking a poop on the sidewalk. It was rather messy too since he had the runs at the time cause Ben got him puppy chow by mistake. Anyway, he was very happy and excited to see me and proceeded to rip my arms out of the sockets by pulling me down the street. That is a habit I am still trying to break him of two weeks later. Ben and I put him in his crate and proceeded to have lunch at a pub down the street. I had a cheeseburger and it was a DAMN good cheesburger! Cooked just right, juicy, and with a ton of fries. I ended up eating it all. It was the first truly Western food I'd had aside from the spaghetti lunch at the National Museum (took forever to get BTW).
After lunch the taxi van came and we got the crate in the trunk with a lot of effort. The taxi driver wasn't very happy about having Mycroft in the back seat with me. He was scared of big dogs. I don't see his problem considering Mycroft was a perfect angel laying on my legs the entire two hours it took us to get back. Traffic in Korea is hell. Don't drive if you can help it.
The taxi driver helped us get the crate up to the elevator (under protest cause he just wanted to drop us flat) and Ben and I lugged the thing into my living room. It is now what you call a feature there. I should get some boards and cover the top with them. It could easily be used as a table.
Mycroft hasn't exactly been the easiest dog. He gets into EVERYTHING and even though he'll mind when you say no or to leave it you'll catch him back doing what he isn't supposed to do two minutes later. So like a man! But, at least he doesn't bark inside his crate even though he pulls like a son of a gun. That makes taking walks hard. He sees me as the dogsitter and not as Mistress and therefore willfully does what he knows he should not. He's a border collie. He's smart enough to know what he can and can not do after all this time.
Part of the problem is the full schedule. It's proving a bit difficult to exercise him as much as he needs since the walk to school is longer than I expected. But both of those problems will be fixed once I get a bike. He loves running by the bike, I've been told, and that should make him happy and my commutes much shorter.
Another problem is Korea's view of dogs in general. Yes, it's true, they still do eat dog over here. I won't eat it and not all Koreans will but their idea of a pet dog is a toy poodle, maltese, pomeranian, and other toy breeds. Mycroft in Western culture would be considered a medium size dog. They consider him a monster sized dog. A third of the people who see him ignore him, a third point and make kissy faces, and a third back away and are scared. I haven't had anyone run screaming yet but I've heard it happens. I never know what'll happen when the elevator door opens though the rule of thirds seems to apply there. I'm teaching him to sit and be quiet but he is a VERY enthusiastic jumper when people are interested in him so it makes things a bit problematic. I don't let him jump up on people but he can get so excited that it can scare people who were already scared. If they ignore him though he'll ignore them which is nice.
There also are no stores like Petco where you can buy everything you need for your dog. There is dog food sold at grocery stores or at the tiny one room pet stores but anything else from leashes to bowls to dog toys is of a size to suit a toy poodle. So, finding toys and other things for him to play with has been quite difficult. Most of it is too soft and too bloody expensive. I only just found him a could tennis balls at Home Plus (Korean version of WalMart) last night on the way home from the music concert (they have a MALL in their bloody soccer stadium) and it was surprising the difference it made. He's carried that ball around with him ever since, happy as a clam, and my corrections have drastically reduced. True, he gets it stuck under the bed about a dozen times a day for me to fish out but it still was worth the 5000 won. There is an online pet store that has a ton of stuff but it is all in Korean. I have a Korean bank account now so I might try it sometime if I can figure it out. I really do need a full set of doggie gear. All I got right now is two tennis balls, poop bags, bowl, food, leash, and a monster sized crate. Oh and the dog clicker I brought from home.
Still, no regrets at all. Every transitioning period has its rough spots and it's only been two weeks. I'm teaching him tricks. I've already taught him to spin in a circle and jump on his hind legs. I'm working on bowing now. It's fun when little kids and others are interested in him to put on a quick little trick show. I want to do doggie freestyle dancing with him someday but that is a LONG way away. I'd settle for him telling me when he needs to go out, stopping eating my furniture, and not pulling my arms out of joint. But, nobody's perfect! He's my boyo and I love him and together we're going to take on the world together. He just needs some manners first!
The National Museum of Korea
My first weekend in Korea at the end of September had Hannah and I going to the National Museum of Korea. It's a gorgeous museum. There are three floors and it has very high ceilings. Everything is done in marble. It's not a museum like the Smithsonian that handles all science and history around the world. The National Museum just deals with Korea specifically and thus Hannah and I thought it would be a good intro into Korean culture. It certainly was.
The first floor dealt with Archaeology and History. It went from Paleolithic times with stone tools up to the early 1900s and the end of Korea's rule by a King. There were beautiful artifacts all over - most labeled in English as well as Korean. There were few informational panels that were written in English but English tours are available as well as MP3 tours you can rent (They were all out the day we visited). There were plenty of video rooms too that showed short movies that were well done in both Korean and English. Unfortunately, the Korean movies did not have English subtitles but all the movies were well done. My favorite artifacts on the first floor were the golden ones. They had some absolutely exquisite golden artifacts and jewelry from various archaeological investigations. Including a golden crown that was all intricate lacework. I have pictures of it in my Facebook page.
The second floor held a lot of furniture, calligraphy, and pottery from various times. It was almost more art gallery than anything else. I wasn't able to spend too much time going through this floor because I spent most of my time on the first and I didn't even make it to the third floor or tour the very extensive grounds around the museum. But, what I did see was beautiful and impressive and well warrants a return visit. A must see on my list of things people should go to when they visit Korea.
The first floor dealt with Archaeology and History. It went from Paleolithic times with stone tools up to the early 1900s and the end of Korea's rule by a King. There were beautiful artifacts all over - most labeled in English as well as Korean. There were few informational panels that were written in English but English tours are available as well as MP3 tours you can rent (They were all out the day we visited). There were plenty of video rooms too that showed short movies that were well done in both Korean and English. Unfortunately, the Korean movies did not have English subtitles but all the movies were well done. My favorite artifacts on the first floor were the golden ones. They had some absolutely exquisite golden artifacts and jewelry from various archaeological investigations. Including a golden crown that was all intricate lacework. I have pictures of it in my Facebook page.
The second floor held a lot of furniture, calligraphy, and pottery from various times. It was almost more art gallery than anything else. I wasn't able to spend too much time going through this floor because I spent most of my time on the first and I didn't even make it to the third floor or tour the very extensive grounds around the museum. But, what I did see was beautiful and impressive and well warrants a return visit. A must see on my list of things people should go to when they visit Korea.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
September 23rd - Tuesday
This morning I took my first walk through Nowon-gu. I woke up early for me (around 7am) since I was beat last night and crashed around 11pm. I didn’t want to laze about in bed on a beautiful day and I was hungry so I got dressed and headed out to find some breakfast. The first thing I came across was this little alley with a sign saying Sanggye (pronounce sAHN- gEE) Market. I figured I might find some food there and decided to explore it even though in the US in major cities you don’t go down side alleyways unless you want to get mugged. Anyway, I turn into this opening in this building and there I am in this really nice supermarket with pretty much everything you could imagine. All of it in Korean, obviously, but still everything. All you would need for Oriental cooking plus some others that are more Western. Someday I’ll have to go on a photo tour of a Korean supermarket to show just what is there. I ended up getting myself a packet of soft baked squid – literally a whole squid – and some Korean beef jerky along with a Coke. The squid I ate for breakfast while walking down the streets and taking a good look around.
Everything is very compact in Korea. The shops are all stacked vertically on top of one another. You might have a 4-6 story building. On the bottom floor at street level you’ll find lots of little one room shops selling anything under the sun. Then each floor above that is filled with different shops. And each shop uses the outside wall as signage. It ends up making everything very colorful – especially at night when neon signs are lit. There are little side streets everywhere and these are all very pedestrian friendly though cars still drive through. They’re filled with shops and eateries. And then you have all the street vendors. I’ve never seen so many street vendors in my life as I have in Korea so far. They sell everything from shoes, to toys, foods to camping gear. And they are all over – especially near any major intersections.
Eventually, I turned around and walked back to the hotel where I met Hannah just coming out looking for her breakfast and coffee. We walked the other direction til we found a coffee shop. We both got coffees and she got a choco pastry. We sat and chatted for awhile til my feet stopped hurting and then we headed out to finish our walk. After the walk we headed back to the hotel for the first meeting with Hannah our supervisor who Mr. J brought by at about 11:45am. They were supposed to be here by 11am but they ran late. They both are very nice. We went over a few things and I start training Thursday at 3pm.
After lunch, we headed for Nowon Station and Lotte (pronounced Low-tay) Department Store. That place is amazing! It is 10 floors tall, I think, including the two basement levels. The basement floor we started out on had a door in from the subway (we saw it and decided to investigate). It was all a supermarket with everything you could think of at expensive prices. It was well lit and floored in marble. The entire department store was! The rest of the floors except for the top were all designer clothes and way too expensive jeans. I liked a red leather wallet I saw but it was way over 100 bucks. We saw a fur coat that was over a thousand. The top floor is a movie theater. But all the signs for the movies are in Korean and I don’t know if the American movies have Korean subtitles or if they are actually in Korean. Heh. It’ll be fun when I finally go to a movie!
Everything is very compact in Korea. The shops are all stacked vertically on top of one another. You might have a 4-6 story building. On the bottom floor at street level you’ll find lots of little one room shops selling anything under the sun. Then each floor above that is filled with different shops. And each shop uses the outside wall as signage. It ends up making everything very colorful – especially at night when neon signs are lit. There are little side streets everywhere and these are all very pedestrian friendly though cars still drive through. They’re filled with shops and eateries. And then you have all the street vendors. I’ve never seen so many street vendors in my life as I have in Korea so far. They sell everything from shoes, to toys, foods to camping gear. And they are all over – especially near any major intersections.
Eventually, I turned around and walked back to the hotel where I met Hannah just coming out looking for her breakfast and coffee. We walked the other direction til we found a coffee shop. We both got coffees and she got a choco pastry. We sat and chatted for awhile til my feet stopped hurting and then we headed out to finish our walk. After the walk we headed back to the hotel for the first meeting with Hannah our supervisor who Mr. J brought by at about 11:45am. They were supposed to be here by 11am but they ran late. They both are very nice. We went over a few things and I start training Thursday at 3pm.
After lunch, we headed for Nowon Station and Lotte (pronounced Low-tay) Department Store. That place is amazing! It is 10 floors tall, I think, including the two basement levels. The basement floor we started out on had a door in from the subway (we saw it and decided to investigate). It was all a supermarket with everything you could think of at expensive prices. It was well lit and floored in marble. The entire department store was! The rest of the floors except for the top were all designer clothes and way too expensive jeans. I liked a red leather wallet I saw but it was way over 100 bucks. We saw a fur coat that was over a thousand. The top floor is a movie theater. But all the signs for the movies are in Korean and I don’t know if the American movies have Korean subtitles or if they are actually in Korean. Heh. It’ll be fun when I finally go to a movie!
September 21-22nd – Written Sept 23rd 7:40AM
Yesterday morning – but it isn’t yesterday it was… hmmm… Monday morning 4AM EST or… about 38 hours ago though it just feels like yesterday cause my time traveling really was one REALLY long day considering I flew into the future and had a day which literally didn’t have a night. And I didn’t even need a Tardis! Anyway, I woke up my parents after staying up the whole night packing, eating Krispy Kremes, and playing WoW. We got ready and went off to the airport.
My plane at Cleveland was delayed so instead of getting off the ground at 7:40AM we got off the ground at 9:20AM. It worked out okay though cause I got to Chicago in plenty of time to get through security and even get on the internet to skype call Mom and get on the net to chat and email the audiodrama crew a bit. I also found me a Jamba Juice store and grabbed myself a Strawberry Energizer! A most welcome treat considering I didn’t even know there were any outside of California and I love those drinks.
The plane to Incheon arrived right on time. I was in seat 48A – about midway between the wings and tail. It was a bit noisy (I couldn’t hear any of the announcements) but I had a great view from my window seat. Yes, I got a window seat. YAY! Another really cool thing was that each person had a touch screen terminal in the seat in front of them with movies, maps, games, etc. I was going to listen to Leviathan (and I did while waiting for the plane in Cleveland) but watching movies that weren’t out on DVD yet that I hadn’t seen won me over. In between sleeping (very little) and eating (even less cause the food stank) I watched Night at the Museum 2, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Star Trek. The plane ride took about 13 hours total. I did get some really neat video – especially over Russia and landing in Incheon. I’ll post all the video clips on YouTube when I actually have the net again.
We landed in Incheon no problem (4:10pm Korean time) and there was no problem getting through Customs and my luggage. I used my one 100 Won coin to call my school and then I tried using my AT&T International calling card to call home. No go. I tried several machines but finally bought one of their 10,000 Won (10 buck) calling cards made to go with the machine and it worked fine. I let the parents know I was alive and then I spent another 1000 Won to get on the internet to send out messages to Gaia, DP, and BSAP that I was alive and also to update Facebook.
By this time I was absolutely starving. There was a French place selling bread that I planned on grabbing something at but, while updating Facebook I forgot all about it and wheeled the trolley with my luggage out to the bus to Nowon-gu without it. Lucky I did though cause a minute or two after buying my ticket (14000 Won) the bus came (at about 6pmish Korean time). It had REALLY nice cushy seats! I sat right behind the driver. A Korean woman sat next to me but we didn’t talk cause she didn’t speak English and I have no Korean (yet).
The TV in the bus was playing some sort of Korean news or talk show or maybe it was a cooking show. These Korean folk were going through little segments about dishes – from catching the Octopus to cooking it or picking the fruit to finished product. I must say, the dishes all looked REALLY good. Even the Octopus!
I sat in my seat looking out the window and very jazzed. I was tired but there was no way I was going to sleep on this drive! We went past the seat and through Incheon. Let me tell you, the dirt there is ORANGE! I’m serious. There were excavations and the dirt was the color of rust. Rather pretty, really.
Koreans drive on the same side of the road and car as we do in the States. Even the trees and grass looked really similar. If it weren’t for the Korean writing on all the buses and cars as well as signs (paired with English translations!) it could have been a highway back in the States with towns on either side. There were a LOT of apartment buildings, though. Lots of them and they have numbers on the side that you can see for miles so you know which one it is.
The land got more and more hilly the further you got to Seoul til you got to the outskirts of Seoul and there were actual MOUNTAINS! Squeee moment! Ever since that summer in Alaska I have loved mountains and Seoul is surrounded by them. But these mountains are almost a cross between the Alaska mountains and the Alleghany Mts. The Alleghany Mts are old and low and little more than rounded hills. The Alaska’s are tall and rugged and really wild. Well, the Korean mountains around Seoul are lower like the Alleghany Mts but they are more rugged though covered with trees like the Alaskas. They have a wild feel to them too. The whole area has that feel to it so far – wild, ancient, artistic, civilized but still untamed. I love it considering the feel of the US is tired.
We got to Seoul itself and the city is fantastic. You know how when you are at the boardwalk of a beach and the shops are all neon and bright colors with tables and such set up in the street? All the business areas of Seoul are like that (that I have seen). There are several stories in each building and each story might have a different business. And they use the outside wall of their story for advertising so buildings are covered in brightly colored and neon signs all in Korean and there are people walking underneath looking at the street vendors. Very cool. There are also lots of trees. And, boy are there a lot of bicycles! Bike racks and stores are all over the place!
We got to Nowon and I was dropped off the bus. My manager Mr. J was there to pick me up. He brought along his car and drove me to my hotel (this little place – see my videoblog for a tour) while pointing out things around me in the city. It has a bedroom with TV, mni-fridge, condom vendor (I’m not kidding), and a full bath with tub. The bed just has one pillow and a comforter over a cover sheet but I slept well enough.
I watched TV a bit (CSI Miami of all things!) on a Korean/English station until he brought the other new girl. Her name is Hannah and she’s from Seattle. She knew even less than I did because I think she thought our hotel rooms were actually our apartments. I guess all the research I did and getting ahold of the current tenant in my apartment was unusual. But, she’s very nice. We were both starving and so Mr. J walked with us through Nowon in search for food. We ended up in a little place that sells fried chicken and beer. It was in a complex of shops that cater to those living in the apartment building above. 9,000 Won for a big plate of fried chicken and a few side dishes. The chicken was very good but hot both in temperature and spice. It hit the spot! We ate and chat. Mr. J treated us (unexpected and very nice of him). I like him a lot. His English isn’t the best but he is very good natured and obviously wants to make sure that Hannah and I are happy and settle in nice. He walked us back to the Hotel and reminded us that he and Hannah (the Korean one) will be coming by at 11AM Wednesday (today). I lay in bed a bit and watched CSI New York (The one where Horatio shows up to try and catch Darius) before passing out.
I slept the whole night through and woke up bright eared and bushy tailed. I’m not worried about jet lag. Go me! There is no internet in this room so I dunno when I’ll be able to update Facebook and check my email or skype my parents. Aside from the meeting at 11AM I have today off. I’m going to clean up a bit and go find myself some breakfast. Perhaps I’ll find an internet café that I can go to later. Oh! Now that it is light out I can see through my window and there is a MOUNTAIN not far from me! Look out, Seoul, I have arrived!
My plane at Cleveland was delayed so instead of getting off the ground at 7:40AM we got off the ground at 9:20AM. It worked out okay though cause I got to Chicago in plenty of time to get through security and even get on the internet to skype call Mom and get on the net to chat and email the audiodrama crew a bit. I also found me a Jamba Juice store and grabbed myself a Strawberry Energizer! A most welcome treat considering I didn’t even know there were any outside of California and I love those drinks.
The plane to Incheon arrived right on time. I was in seat 48A – about midway between the wings and tail. It was a bit noisy (I couldn’t hear any of the announcements) but I had a great view from my window seat. Yes, I got a window seat. YAY! Another really cool thing was that each person had a touch screen terminal in the seat in front of them with movies, maps, games, etc. I was going to listen to Leviathan (and I did while waiting for the plane in Cleveland) but watching movies that weren’t out on DVD yet that I hadn’t seen won me over. In between sleeping (very little) and eating (even less cause the food stank) I watched Night at the Museum 2, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Star Trek. The plane ride took about 13 hours total. I did get some really neat video – especially over Russia and landing in Incheon. I’ll post all the video clips on YouTube when I actually have the net again.
We landed in Incheon no problem (4:10pm Korean time) and there was no problem getting through Customs and my luggage. I used my one 100 Won coin to call my school and then I tried using my AT&T International calling card to call home. No go. I tried several machines but finally bought one of their 10,000 Won (10 buck) calling cards made to go with the machine and it worked fine. I let the parents know I was alive and then I spent another 1000 Won to get on the internet to send out messages to Gaia, DP, and BSAP that I was alive and also to update Facebook.
By this time I was absolutely starving. There was a French place selling bread that I planned on grabbing something at but, while updating Facebook I forgot all about it and wheeled the trolley with my luggage out to the bus to Nowon-gu without it. Lucky I did though cause a minute or two after buying my ticket (14000 Won) the bus came (at about 6pmish Korean time). It had REALLY nice cushy seats! I sat right behind the driver. A Korean woman sat next to me but we didn’t talk cause she didn’t speak English and I have no Korean (yet).
The TV in the bus was playing some sort of Korean news or talk show or maybe it was a cooking show. These Korean folk were going through little segments about dishes – from catching the Octopus to cooking it or picking the fruit to finished product. I must say, the dishes all looked REALLY good. Even the Octopus!
I sat in my seat looking out the window and very jazzed. I was tired but there was no way I was going to sleep on this drive! We went past the seat and through Incheon. Let me tell you, the dirt there is ORANGE! I’m serious. There were excavations and the dirt was the color of rust. Rather pretty, really.
Koreans drive on the same side of the road and car as we do in the States. Even the trees and grass looked really similar. If it weren’t for the Korean writing on all the buses and cars as well as signs (paired with English translations!) it could have been a highway back in the States with towns on either side. There were a LOT of apartment buildings, though. Lots of them and they have numbers on the side that you can see for miles so you know which one it is.
The land got more and more hilly the further you got to Seoul til you got to the outskirts of Seoul and there were actual MOUNTAINS! Squeee moment! Ever since that summer in Alaska I have loved mountains and Seoul is surrounded by them. But these mountains are almost a cross between the Alaska mountains and the Alleghany Mts. The Alleghany Mts are old and low and little more than rounded hills. The Alaska’s are tall and rugged and really wild. Well, the Korean mountains around Seoul are lower like the Alleghany Mts but they are more rugged though covered with trees like the Alaskas. They have a wild feel to them too. The whole area has that feel to it so far – wild, ancient, artistic, civilized but still untamed. I love it considering the feel of the US is tired.
We got to Seoul itself and the city is fantastic. You know how when you are at the boardwalk of a beach and the shops are all neon and bright colors with tables and such set up in the street? All the business areas of Seoul are like that (that I have seen). There are several stories in each building and each story might have a different business. And they use the outside wall of their story for advertising so buildings are covered in brightly colored and neon signs all in Korean and there are people walking underneath looking at the street vendors. Very cool. There are also lots of trees. And, boy are there a lot of bicycles! Bike racks and stores are all over the place!
We got to Nowon and I was dropped off the bus. My manager Mr. J was there to pick me up. He brought along his car and drove me to my hotel (this little place – see my videoblog for a tour) while pointing out things around me in the city. It has a bedroom with TV, mni-fridge, condom vendor (I’m not kidding), and a full bath with tub. The bed just has one pillow and a comforter over a cover sheet but I slept well enough.
I watched TV a bit (CSI Miami of all things!) on a Korean/English station until he brought the other new girl. Her name is Hannah and she’s from Seattle. She knew even less than I did because I think she thought our hotel rooms were actually our apartments. I guess all the research I did and getting ahold of the current tenant in my apartment was unusual. But, she’s very nice. We were both starving and so Mr. J walked with us through Nowon in search for food. We ended up in a little place that sells fried chicken and beer. It was in a complex of shops that cater to those living in the apartment building above. 9,000 Won for a big plate of fried chicken and a few side dishes. The chicken was very good but hot both in temperature and spice. It hit the spot! We ate and chat. Mr. J treated us (unexpected and very nice of him). I like him a lot. His English isn’t the best but he is very good natured and obviously wants to make sure that Hannah and I are happy and settle in nice. He walked us back to the Hotel and reminded us that he and Hannah (the Korean one) will be coming by at 11AM Wednesday (today). I lay in bed a bit and watched CSI New York (The one where Horatio shows up to try and catch Darius) before passing out.
I slept the whole night through and woke up bright eared and bushy tailed. I’m not worried about jet lag. Go me! There is no internet in this room so I dunno when I’ll be able to update Facebook and check my email or skype my parents. Aside from the meeting at 11AM I have today off. I’m going to clean up a bit and go find myself some breakfast. Perhaps I’ll find an internet café that I can go to later. Oh! Now that it is light out I can see through my window and there is a MOUNTAIN not far from me! Look out, Seoul, I have arrived!
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