By the way, it rains here.

First of all, it's time to celebrate, kids!  The 2012 London Olympics are exactly just one year away!

Secondly, God bless the ajumas*!

I had to go pick up my standard medical check today.  It's a short bus ride and a shorter subway ride away from home.  And, you know, I knew it was going to rain, but I didn't go back for my umbrella.  My foolishness caught up with me as I exited the hospital building.  I tried my best to not look like an idiot foreigner, but the facts were I didn't have an umbrella in monsoon season.  (The rain from yesterday was the heaviest Korea's seen in 20 years.  Subways were flooded, and 32 were killed due to the extreme weather including mudslides.)

It was still raining when I got out of my subway.  While waiting for the pedestrian crossing sign to turn green (jaywalking never happens here), the ajuma beside me looked and spoke and moved her umbrella over me.  "Oh!  Gahmsahmneeda!*  Gahmsahmneeda!"  This 55-year-old lady walked me across the street and then she stayed with me and tried to help me find my bus.  We got confused, and she told me to get on the wrong one, but I told her that this wasn't mine, so she smiled, waved, and headed off.  What a lovely lady.

So I waited again for the right bus.  It was taking forever, wasn't it?  I thought they came by more frequently than this.  I was using the hard covers on my day planners as a pathetic shield.  My khaki colored blouse was the kind that clearly shows every raindrop.  Then I saw the college-aged girl next to me start, start again, then lean over to me with her umbrella.  She told me, "Ah, this is my bus," and she headed on.  Then a third lady, another ajuma, shared with me!  She also had to go to her bus before I did, but, dang!  These ladies blessed me SO much!

I wish I could have explained my deep gratitude to them, but all I could do was say "thank you" and bow to them.  I asked a Korean friend how to say "thank you very much," but I have already forgotten.

Tomorrow I go to get my alien registration card!  That will be a one and a half hour ride on the subways.  I believe I'll be bringing a book.

Also, God bless my mom for sending me my rain boots!
They'll be here in 7-10 days!  Awesome Possum Sauce!

*Ajuma- n. Korean for married woman.  Typically applied by expats to middle aged to older women who act like they are the boss.

That ajuma totally body blocked me from getting on the subway!

I always walk next to an ajuma when I cross the street because ain't no one running over her!

*Gahmsahmneeda- Thank you

Soju and norebong

As I sit to write my first legitimate update from Korea, I am a little overwhelmed by how much I could be writing about.  The school, the kids, the food, the apartment, the co-workers, etc.  For now, I'll hit upon last night as it was an excellent exposure to parts of the Korean culture (possibly more of the Americans-in-Korea culture).

Last night SLP (the school where I work) took us to a Korean BBQ restaurant for a welcome and good bye dinner.  When I walked into our reserved room, I too of my shoes and left them on shelves by the door.  Walking to the table, I saw that there were cushion mats on the floor around the low tables.  In the center of the tables were sunken grills where the meat is cooked.  The servers come by every once in a while to flip and to cut the meat, then they set the done pieces on a ledge attached to the grill.

Once the meat was ready, we take it and add flavor, onions, kimchi, salad, egg souffle garlic, or what have you, and we wrap it in sesame leaves or lettuce leaves.  My favorite combo was the soy/sesame/sweet sauce soaked onions with the egg souffle and the meat wrapped in the lettuce.  There was savory, sweet, salty, and just amazing flavors all together.  I can't wait to go back!

The dinner was a great place for me to get to talk with the other co-workers.  Jeremy has said that everyone hangs together.  Essentially, he said, this group of 16-18 people are going to be my social life for the next year.  I foresee a lot of ludicrous behavior in my future.

My new found friends drink at any occasion.  In the name of gathering experiences, I have tasted soju (lower alcohol percentage than vodka, more than beer) and maehwasoo which is a light, sweet plum wine.  (I've never liked what I've tasted of alcohol, and I still don't love it.  Let it be noted, I am perfectly okay with that.)  Because dinner was free, everyone ordered much, much alcohol.  Near the end of our time at the restaurant, there was plenty of ridiculous behavior.  I couldn't help but laugh, but I also was glad that I was going to remember the evening the next morning.

After dinner, we all headed to a nearby norebong.  This is the Korean equivalent of karaoke.  I've never been to karaoke in America, so my comparison will be lacking, but here's what it was like.  We walked down stairs to a small room with disco lights, a small table, couches around the edges, a large tv, and two microphones.  We selected what songs we wanted and they popped up on the screen, then the microphones were passed around and everyone started dancing, singing, and yelling.  The norebongs don't serve alcohol, and my friends snuck plenty in with them.  The booze was flowing, and the cigarettes were lighted.  Even without drinking, I enjoyed goofing off with them and making a fool of myself.  The whole thing was just a crazy, silly dance party.

I didn't take any pictures, so may I direct you to Sarah's pictures which give a pretty good depiction of my own experience.  We just had one tv, though, and ten more people.  And I'm pretty sure our room was smaller.

via International Sarah
I don't know this girl, by the way.  Just found her pictures through Google.

Last thing for now: I got lost on my way home.  I mean lost-lost.

I thought I knew my way back, I was pretty sure I remembered where to turn, but after about 7 minutes of walking, I couldn't recognize where I was.  I went back to where I started and tried again, but it still didn't work.  I kept ending up on a street near a park that I knew, a church that I didn't, and a police station that I really wanted to trust.  I've always had a steady sense of direction, and I couldn't understand why this sense told me I was in the right place because I definitely wasn't.  I didn't know how to get to where I was, it was 1:30 in the morning, and I had no cell phone and no way of contacting my friends.

I tried to remember what I had read about the Korean police force.  Nothing.  I have read nothing.  I was pretty sure I was safe on the streets, my roommate told me that she has never had to worry about her safety here, but going up and initiating a "I'm lost and vulnerable" conversation with a man was a big deal.

I walked up to the police man on the steps of the building.  "Bootakhamneedah... SLP... school?"  The man told me to wait a second, and he called over another policeman while explaining, "English... English."  Another man came out, and we tried to get my meaning across.  We got as far as "English school," and the first man finally exclaimed "Hagwon!" (private school)  "Yes!  Yes!  Ne!" I answered.  He led me inside to a map and gave me directions.

Passing the park on the way to where he had indicated, I thought about how I'd never slept in a park before.  It couldn't be that bad, right?  I'd just find someone who could speak English tomorrow morning if I had to.  After 2 minutes, though, I recognized where I was, I came to the school, and I was home free!  I ran into my roommate on the way, and I yelled her name and caught up with her.  "Guess what, Sarah!!  I got lost!  I got lost-lost!"  The poor girl got nervous for me right there, but I was fine, I took care of myself, and Jesus was totally there with me the whole time.

So, that's the first chapter of my adventure.  Pretty crazy, right?

I'm in Korea!

Just a quick update for now because I need to iron tomorrow's clothes, shower, get sleep, and get ready to go for training in 9 hours:

Besides a 1.5 hour delay and some scary turbulence, everything went well.  I had an excellent plane buddy during my Charlotte to San Fransisco flight, a 15-year-old girl on her way to hike through California for 3 weeks.  I watched Soul Surfer on my next flight at her recommendation.

I'm unpacked, and my room is set and ready for sleeping.  I'll get a video up for you guys in a while.

It's warm and humid here.  I'll have a fan going all night, and I can't imagine sleeping under more than one sheet.

That's all for now!  Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!  I thought of all the intercession that was going on for me, and it brought me courage on many occasions throughout this day.  You guys are amazing.

Korean vlog #2 - 2 Days To Go!

Tumbling out, just for you, are my thoughts and feeling about my fast approaching experience with Korea, compete with fried green tomatoes.

See other vlog entries: One, Three, Four, Five

Tips for living in Korea!

From Chris in Korea, here's a list of things I'm going to be keeping in mind over the next couple months.  Hopefully it will become second nature after then.

21 Rules for Expat Life in Korea

And, from CNNgo, a similar set of 12 Rules for Expat Life

And, this will be a good thing to read before you come and visit me.  : )

Looking for another helpful site for expats?  I highly recommend Korea4Expats.  Just found it this week!

Lastly, you can check out a lengthy list of photos showing the typical Asian poses that the younger generations consistently use in all their pictures.  I will be mastering said poses and will be sure to post them all over my blog to give you something happy to look at. Every.  Day.

Anticipation

I just realized!  I'm really excited to get to give you guys stories of  firsthand Korea!  My research will be interviewing locals and expats!  My pictures will be ones I've taken!  My thoughts will come from someone who has seen and heard and touched and tasted!  And smelled.

And I'll be able to start in...

Korean Culture: Beauty Standards

 "There is only one definition of beauty here, and that is having wide eyes, pale skin, no fat, and looking perfect all of the time."

- Sharon from Life After Cubes

From all I've read and heard, she is absolutely right.  During my first phone conversation with Emily (who was about to go back to Korea for another year to teach), I was told that, if I were nice and pretty, I'd have no problem getting a job.  I was told that, if I were blond, I could confidently ask for a higher salary.  I was told that the students had no problem telling female teachers what they thought of how she looked.

I know that we in the West have high, nearly unattainable standards of beauty, but, if you can imagine, the Koreans have tighter standards.  And, as Sharon says, "Koreans openly admit to their country’s hyper-obsession with beauty. A few Koreans have told me that if their daughters were not deemed 'pretty' by society’s standards, they would encourage them to get plastic surgery."

Details on Korea

It is evening, I am tired, and I am distraught and discouraged.  The good news is I know when I'll be leaving, and I have a name for my housemate!  I'll leave the state at 05:00 next Sunday morning, and I'll leave the country around 13:00 that afternoon.  I should arrive in Seoul around 17:00 Monday!  I'm so glad I have that important detail nailed down now!

I got two emails today.  One was from my Footprints contacts showing me a link to The Arrival Store which has done an excellent job of reminding me of all the things I need to buy in order to live well in my apartment.  I don't know if I'll be able to fit towels or sheets in my suitcase, so I think I'm going to have to buy some, and that's never a god sound to the ears of a recent college grad.

My other email was from my contact at my school asking if I would be okay having a male teacher for a housemate for two months.  When I read the email this afternoon, something in me shut off, and I didn't even register the rest of the email until I reread it 30 seconds ago.  The email encourages questions and gives a sense of concern for my well being, so I feel a little bolstered in my request for solely female housemates.  But gosh!  I had assumed all of that potential discomfort and had a very strange couple hours after reading the email!

Whatever happens, I'm sure I'll be fine.  Also, I am completely sure that God is in control, He loves me, and I have no reason to panic.  Ever.