One Month Ago

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.