It's been a long time since I've answered my formspring questions. Sorry to those of you who'd been waiting on an answer.
Do you see colored girls in Korea? Like blacks, Hispanics or mixed girls? I mean I often here stories of Caucasians dating up there but...I'm curious.
I'm not exactly sure what perspective you are coming from (are you a man who wants to hook up with "colored girls" or what?), but I will answer. There are many non-white, non-Korean girls living in Korea. The largest groups I've encountered are Chinese and Filipina students and African-American and Hispanic soldiers. In the English teaching community, they are about proportional to what you would find among college grads from the seven countries eligible for E-2 visas, except that there is about a 70/30 male/female ratio and a much higher percentage of people with any Korean blood within that teacher community compared to a normal population. I come from a very, very diverse part of America, so I tend to think the foreign English teacher community is not very diverse (mostly white, middle class). However, people from less diverse areas think that the expat teaching community is very diverse. So I guess it depends on your perspective. If you actively seek out non-white women, you will find them, but I seriously doubt you will be impressed by the number of them you find (except in certain areas of very large cities). I will say that in Korea, more of my non-Korean friends were white than anywhere else I've lived/worked in my life except during college.
My husband is thinking of going to South Korea to be a teacher, I was wondering how long it took you to get internet hooked up in your apartment?
Your husband wants to go to South Korea, and the only question you have is about length of time for internet hookup? You have some restraint, m'dear. Depending on which service you choose and how well supported you are at your school by the teachers who take care of these things, it could take between 3 days and 2 weeks from the time people start asking around. However, in my first apartment, internet was already set up. In my second apartment, Min Gi shopped around for good deals for about a week and then found one and a week later, I had internet. In the last apartment, we transferred the contract from the second apartment, and I think I was without internet for only a day or two. South Korea prides itself on being the most wired country in the world. It's not for nothing.
How did you deal with the long flight over there? I want to travel but I hate to fly. Any tips for getting through it?
I like to deprive myself of sleep and fatty foods for the 36 hours prior to takeoff. I sleep better on the plane that way, and sleep so well the first night that I usually only experience mild jet lag after. On the plane itself, I read, listen to music, doze off, get up and walk around/stretch, play with the in-flight entertainment center, and always ask for at least 2 cups of water when they come around and offer. Sometimes I find the free red wine helps me zonk out even more quickly, but be careful about hydration. Planes are nastily drying environments.
Are there any remains of the Marine base at Marble Mountain???
I was not specifically looking for the Marine base at the Marble Mountains in Vietnam. However, I recall there was a marker for the lookout point the Americans used and the platform was there and my motorcycle taxi driver mentioned the base (he was a South Vietnamese soldier during that time). The effects of war there struck me more in the extreme shell damage to the temple sites and ancient carvings.
I remember reading how you and your husband speak English at home and every Tuesday it is Korean language day. So now that you are coming back to America, will you do a language swich-a-roo to keep in practice? I would think speaking Korean back in the US [would be helpful].
As you recall correctly, we usually speak English at home and for awhile we were doing Korean on Tuesdays. Right before I left Korea, Min Gi was in hardcore English study mode because he hopes to be able to work and function comfortably in his new country, so my Korean studies were sadly neglected. Currently, we are in separate countries, so I am not speaking much Korean at all these days, with him or anyone else. We will probably speak English at first in America because we are going to stay with my parents, and it is a little rude to speak another language around people who don't understand it when everyone is perfectly capable of communicating in the host's language. I would like to re-start the Korean Tuesdays when we are set up in our own house and then perhaps increase it to 2-3 days a week, as my Korean studies pick up more and I grow my skills.
That's all the formspring for now, but feel free to ask me a question anytime. I'm less crazy stressed now that the move to the U.S. is about 50% complete, so I should get to answering them faster.
Showing posts with label formspring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label formspring. Show all posts
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Weekend and Q & A: Food Allergies; Spiders
I had a delightful weekend, although it was rainy off and on both days. On Saturday, I woke up early and had a nice little hike with my husband. Then a friend (Paige) and I went out to Ulsan to visit Hayoung (the Korean MC at our wedding) who has taken ill once more. We got lost for a bit and ate a lot of dairy-based junk food which made me roll around in pain for about two hours, vowing to go vegan as soon as the pain was relieved.
On Sunday, Min Gi and I awoke even earlier to meet Min Su and In Shil (the in-laws) for a trip out to the Bong-hwa area of the Nakdong river for three hours of rafting (I would hardly call it whitewater, though). Our guide was a Physical Education major at a university in Daegu (I didn't catch which one) who lamented the fact that he was single and then proceeded to entertain us like a gag-show comedian for three hours. We also dove off of very big rocks into the river, which was a little terrifying, but fun. We ate tiny freshwater fish (so much for veganism) and visited a 500 year old village famous for a kind of cookie that tasted like sugar-coated gingerbread. Min Su sent pictures to Min Gi that I will post in short order.
Now for more formspring fun.
If you have allergies and still refuse the food, are you offending them?
By "them" I'm going to assume you mean Koreans and that this is a follow-up to my previous comments about trying not to refuse food because it is considered rude. Refusing food in Korea is like refusing to shake someone's hand in a Western country. I recommend you try to explain why you are refusing the food--most will be understanding, but yes, you're probably going to offend some people. That's just the way the world works. You'll be seen as a weirdo and very unfriendly. At best, they'll dismiss it as a foreign oddity. At worst, you will permanently damage your professional relationship.
I'm lucky that Korea has a pretty high number of Buddhists and therefore at least a passing acceptance of vegetarianism, if not a clear understanding of what that always entails (and I admit my eating seafood is not helpful to future foreign vegetarians... sorry guys!) Still, I offend people by not eating meat, but it's just a few. For example, after one semester at my school, they hired a new nutritionist. I had been eating in the school cafeteria (a MUST DO for foreign teachers in Korea if you want to make nice with your co-workers), but the new nutritionist LOVES meat. Seriously, the woman puts meat in everything, even the rice. I was only eating once a week, but paying for all the meals, so I finally just said I couldn't do it anymore. It was ok because I'd already established myself at the school, but I can see hostility/resentment/confusion/curiosity about my absence from the cafeteria in newer teachers to the school. It does not send a positive message.
Most Koreans are overwhelmingly accommodating of my food limitations (and sensitive to the preferences/limitations of other foreigners--especially spicy food because they firmly believe foreigners cannot eat spicy food) because Koreans love food (really!) and want you to love their food, too. Hopefully your bosses and other people who have a serious influence on your life in Korea are going to be understanding. I really recommend not refusing anything for the first couple months, even if you don't eat it. Fake it. Eat the rice, but pick at everything else. Take it home and toss it out there. Accept a new food, but don't take a bite until later when you can confirm what's in it (Korean teachers do this all the time, so I assume it's ok).
If you have life threatening allergies, you can try to explain this to the teacher/co-worker who speaks the best English, but food allergies are not all that common here (even Koreans with an allergy to alcohol--which is a common allergy in Asians--will consume it and just deal with the bright red, blotchy face they get as a result). It's possible they won't really understand. I'm not saying eat a food that will send you to the hospital, but I am saying that you might have to work double time to repair cultural bridges.
Are there a lot of spiders in South Korea?
What an odd question. But I guess now that it's summer, I'm seeing more of all kinds of life here, including spiders.
I encounter spiders in Korea at about the same rate I encountered them in the U.S. (I lived near Washington, DC). There are very few in my house (because I have cats). There are more in the countryside and mountains than there are in the cities. Some have very pretty colors. Most are tiny and harmless. Spiders are called Keo-mi (거미) in Korean. Beyond that, I know nothing.
Keep the questions coming, guys.
On Sunday, Min Gi and I awoke even earlier to meet Min Su and In Shil (the in-laws) for a trip out to the Bong-hwa area of the Nakdong river for three hours of rafting (I would hardly call it whitewater, though). Our guide was a Physical Education major at a university in Daegu (I didn't catch which one) who lamented the fact that he was single and then proceeded to entertain us like a gag-show comedian for three hours. We also dove off of very big rocks into the river, which was a little terrifying, but fun. We ate tiny freshwater fish (so much for veganism) and visited a 500 year old village famous for a kind of cookie that tasted like sugar-coated gingerbread. Min Su sent pictures to Min Gi that I will post in short order.
Now for more formspring fun.
If you have allergies and still refuse the food, are you offending them?
By "them" I'm going to assume you mean Koreans and that this is a follow-up to my previous comments about trying not to refuse food because it is considered rude. Refusing food in Korea is like refusing to shake someone's hand in a Western country. I recommend you try to explain why you are refusing the food--most will be understanding, but yes, you're probably going to offend some people. That's just the way the world works. You'll be seen as a weirdo and very unfriendly. At best, they'll dismiss it as a foreign oddity. At worst, you will permanently damage your professional relationship.
I'm lucky that Korea has a pretty high number of Buddhists and therefore at least a passing acceptance of vegetarianism, if not a clear understanding of what that always entails (and I admit my eating seafood is not helpful to future foreign vegetarians... sorry guys!) Still, I offend people by not eating meat, but it's just a few. For example, after one semester at my school, they hired a new nutritionist. I had been eating in the school cafeteria (a MUST DO for foreign teachers in Korea if you want to make nice with your co-workers), but the new nutritionist LOVES meat. Seriously, the woman puts meat in everything, even the rice. I was only eating once a week, but paying for all the meals, so I finally just said I couldn't do it anymore. It was ok because I'd already established myself at the school, but I can see hostility/resentment/confusion/curiosity about my absence from the cafeteria in newer teachers to the school. It does not send a positive message.
Most Koreans are overwhelmingly accommodating of my food limitations (and sensitive to the preferences/limitations of other foreigners--especially spicy food because they firmly believe foreigners cannot eat spicy food) because Koreans love food (really!) and want you to love their food, too. Hopefully your bosses and other people who have a serious influence on your life in Korea are going to be understanding. I really recommend not refusing anything for the first couple months, even if you don't eat it. Fake it. Eat the rice, but pick at everything else. Take it home and toss it out there. Accept a new food, but don't take a bite until later when you can confirm what's in it (Korean teachers do this all the time, so I assume it's ok).
If you have life threatening allergies, you can try to explain this to the teacher/co-worker who speaks the best English, but food allergies are not all that common here (even Koreans with an allergy to alcohol--which is a common allergy in Asians--will consume it and just deal with the bright red, blotchy face they get as a result). It's possible they won't really understand. I'm not saying eat a food that will send you to the hospital, but I am saying that you might have to work double time to repair cultural bridges.
Are there a lot of spiders in South Korea?
What an odd question. But I guess now that it's summer, I'm seeing more of all kinds of life here, including spiders.
I encounter spiders in Korea at about the same rate I encountered them in the U.S. (I lived near Washington, DC). There are very few in my house (because I have cats). There are more in the countryside and mountains than there are in the cities. Some have very pretty colors. Most are tiny and harmless. Spiders are called Keo-mi (거미) in Korean. Beyond that, I know nothing.
Keep the questions coming, guys.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Q & A: Meeting Taboos, Babies, Food
I feel like I should try to get an advice column, it's so much fun answering questions. Heehee. More from formspring:
What is the biggest NO NO you could do when meeting new people in Korea?
Essentially the same "no no"s you would find with human interactions everywhere--don't throw things, yell, frighten, shock, or embarrass them. If you trespass on Korean culture a bit, I find that Koreans are very forgiving of foreigners, especially if you've been in the country a short time. More forgiving than most expats I've met are of Koreans violating Western sensibilities (in Korea!!!), which is rather shocking since Westerners are supposedly more "open-minded."
One thing that Koreans do take rather personally (in my opinion) is the refusal of food. If someone offers you something to eat, you are being very rude not to take it, even if you're full or don't like it. Take it. Eat a bite. It probably won't kill you. (Although I draw the line at meat, dried squid, ojingo, and the roasted silkworm larvae, bondaeggi).
If you'll be here awhile, ask a lot of questions about how you "should" do things your first few months to learn the normative cultural interactions. Ask a variety of people. Imitate people of your same age and gender as much as you can. Try not to be confrontational until you've learned how to bring up differences of opinion in an appropriate way. And please don't be racist and judge all Koreans on the basis of the behavior of a few unsavory characters. I sure wouldn't want to be judged as an American based on Paris Hilton.
For teaching in schools, Jason of Kimchi Icecream had a great post about some of the more subtle interactions at the office/in the classroom for those new to Korea: Cultural Taboos and Native English Teachers in South Korean Public Schools.
Are you and your husband trying for kids? If so, what is it like having a baby in Korea?
Not at the moment. Moving to another country in two months with no jobs makes life too unstable for starting a family. My friend Gwen recently had her first baby here in Korea, though. She assures me that having a baby in Korea is pretty swell. Although take the attention and interference from ajummas that you got on a daily basis as a foreigner here and quadruple it if you walk around with a half-Korean baby.
There are a LOT of cultural ideals built up around birth and children in any culture, but remember that Korea is a land with a very low birthrate, despite the near-worship of motherhood and children, so they have more baggage than most countries. Also remember that within roughly three generations (by Western counting, meaning a 20-year generation difference, not the 10-year difference Koreans often use to refer to "generations") went from being like a third-world country to a fully developed one. Most 30-somethings here were born at home, not in hospitals. Many 50 and 60-somethings had siblings that died within the first few years of their lives. Koreans are not skeptical about gynecologists at all because they have LIVED what a big difference having medical access for births makes.
What foods do you miss the most living in Korea?
After being here for three years, not that much, really. I've adapted to what's available. I've learned to make (using some substitutions) most things I craved like hummus (though I would kill for some pita bread...yum!), burritos, and Indian-style curries. It can be hard to locate some ingredients and lacking an oven limits my cooking pretty substantially, but otherwise I don't feel the least bit deprived these days.
When I first got here, I found it hard to buy only seasonally available fruit (I can be kind of picky about fruit, but I've gotten better), to pay that much for real cheese and wine (only available at Costco... though now sometimes showing up at HomePlus and Emart), and having such a limited selection of pre-made sauces like salsa and spaghetti sauce. Also there is no diet coke, only coke zero and coke light and neither are really all that good.
Still... would kill for a really good traditional Mexican style restaurant in Daegu and will dance in the aisles with glee of Safeway, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's at the availability of quality whole grain products.
What is the biggest NO NO you could do when meeting new people in Korea?
Essentially the same "no no"s you would find with human interactions everywhere--don't throw things, yell, frighten, shock, or embarrass them. If you trespass on Korean culture a bit, I find that Koreans are very forgiving of foreigners, especially if you've been in the country a short time. More forgiving than most expats I've met are of Koreans violating Western sensibilities (in Korea!!!), which is rather shocking since Westerners are supposedly more "open-minded."
One thing that Koreans do take rather personally (in my opinion) is the refusal of food. If someone offers you something to eat, you are being very rude not to take it, even if you're full or don't like it. Take it. Eat a bite. It probably won't kill you. (Although I draw the line at meat, dried squid, ojingo, and the roasted silkworm larvae, bondaeggi).
If you'll be here awhile, ask a lot of questions about how you "should" do things your first few months to learn the normative cultural interactions. Ask a variety of people. Imitate people of your same age and gender as much as you can. Try not to be confrontational until you've learned how to bring up differences of opinion in an appropriate way. And please don't be racist and judge all Koreans on the basis of the behavior of a few unsavory characters. I sure wouldn't want to be judged as an American based on Paris Hilton.
For teaching in schools, Jason of Kimchi Icecream had a great post about some of the more subtle interactions at the office/in the classroom for those new to Korea: Cultural Taboos and Native English Teachers in South Korean Public Schools.
Are you and your husband trying for kids? If so, what is it like having a baby in Korea?
Not at the moment. Moving to another country in two months with no jobs makes life too unstable for starting a family. My friend Gwen recently had her first baby here in Korea, though. She assures me that having a baby in Korea is pretty swell. Although take the attention and interference from ajummas that you got on a daily basis as a foreigner here and quadruple it if you walk around with a half-Korean baby.
There are a LOT of cultural ideals built up around birth and children in any culture, but remember that Korea is a land with a very low birthrate, despite the near-worship of motherhood and children, so they have more baggage than most countries. Also remember that within roughly three generations (by Western counting, meaning a 20-year generation difference, not the 10-year difference Koreans often use to refer to "generations") went from being like a third-world country to a fully developed one. Most 30-somethings here were born at home, not in hospitals. Many 50 and 60-somethings had siblings that died within the first few years of their lives. Koreans are not skeptical about gynecologists at all because they have LIVED what a big difference having medical access for births makes.
What foods do you miss the most living in Korea?
After being here for three years, not that much, really. I've adapted to what's available. I've learned to make (using some substitutions) most things I craved like hummus (though I would kill for some pita bread...yum!), burritos, and Indian-style curries. It can be hard to locate some ingredients and lacking an oven limits my cooking pretty substantially, but otherwise I don't feel the least bit deprived these days.
When I first got here, I found it hard to buy only seasonally available fruit (I can be kind of picky about fruit, but I've gotten better), to pay that much for real cheese and wine (only available at Costco... though now sometimes showing up at HomePlus and Emart), and having such a limited selection of pre-made sauces like salsa and spaghetti sauce. Also there is no diet coke, only coke zero and coke light and neither are really all that good.
Still... would kill for a really good traditional Mexican style restaurant in Daegu and will dance in the aisles with glee of Safeway, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's at the availability of quality whole grain products.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Q & A: Travel in Korea
Formspring seems to be blowing up now. Which is awesome. I'm happy to answer your questions, but it takes me a bit to get to them all thoroughly. I prefer to answer one at a time. Also, you can send questions via e-mail, as always.
If someone were to go to Korea, what are a few must see places to go?
I never got the chance to blog about it properly (but I did upload my photo album), but my visit to the DMZ changed my entire perspective on Korea, its history (especially recent), and on my own country's military operations abroad. I don't think there is anything like it anywhere else in the world, and given what's been happening lately, it may not be around for much longer. I would venture to say that for a tourist in East Asia, it alone is worth the side trip to Korea. The USO in Seoul offers the best tour around--you get to go into the restricted Joint Security Area (판문점) with the blue buildings that they're always photographing for the news.
Other than the DMZ, "must see" recommendations would depend highly on your travel preferences. One of the best tourist trips I made here for the culture was to Haehoe village in Andong to see the traditional mask dance. I adore temples in the mountains, but others find them dull and too similar after one or two. My favorites include Haeinsa, Bulguksa (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites; while in Gyeongju for Bulguksa, check out the other sites), Yonggungsa (one of my banner pictures is from this temple...), and Daewonsa. Jogyesa is great if you hit it around Buddha's birthday when it is covered with lanterns. The palaces in Seoul are worth a look, as is the Jongmyo shrine. I loved the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.
For nature--hike a few mountains and see some beaches. I have not been to Seoraksan in Gangwondo nor to Jirisan in Jeolla (the two most Koreans love on the peninsula), but I feel like I'm missing out because a lot of the "lesser" mountains have been some of my happiest trips in Korea. It's hard for me to dislike a beach, even the super crowded ones in Korea. We have a trip planned for Jeju in August and I expect I will add this as a "must see" upon return--my one and only un-blogged, un-photographed trip there was a one night Swing Camp and it was enough to make me fall in love with the island. For natural beauty in Korea, I've yet to find something to top my trip to Somaemuldo via Geojedo.
For cultural experiences, Seoul offers taekwondo demonstrations and classes for pretty cheap. You should also check out Insadong. There is nearly always some kind of local festival happening somewhere and they are usually quite fun. I think an all night out on the town (and Koreans really do party ALL NIGHT, they're wild!) should include a good Korean jeon shik or dol seot bap restaurant, a noraebang (singing room), and makkoli jip or soju house (I prefer the food at makkoli jip)--not necessarily in that order. Visit a mungujeom (stationary store)--trust me... it's worth it.
Blog readers, help me out here! What else is a "must see" in Korea?
If someone were to go to Korea, what are a few must see places to go?
I never got the chance to blog about it properly (but I did upload my photo album), but my visit to the DMZ changed my entire perspective on Korea, its history (especially recent), and on my own country's military operations abroad. I don't think there is anything like it anywhere else in the world, and given what's been happening lately, it may not be around for much longer. I would venture to say that for a tourist in East Asia, it alone is worth the side trip to Korea. The USO in Seoul offers the best tour around--you get to go into the restricted Joint Security Area (판문점) with the blue buildings that they're always photographing for the news.
Other than the DMZ, "must see" recommendations would depend highly on your travel preferences. One of the best tourist trips I made here for the culture was to Haehoe village in Andong to see the traditional mask dance. I adore temples in the mountains, but others find them dull and too similar after one or two. My favorites include Haeinsa, Bulguksa (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites; while in Gyeongju for Bulguksa, check out the other sites), Yonggungsa (one of my banner pictures is from this temple...), and Daewonsa. Jogyesa is great if you hit it around Buddha's birthday when it is covered with lanterns. The palaces in Seoul are worth a look, as is the Jongmyo shrine. I loved the Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.
For nature--hike a few mountains and see some beaches. I have not been to Seoraksan in Gangwondo nor to Jirisan in Jeolla (the two most Koreans love on the peninsula), but I feel like I'm missing out because a lot of the "lesser" mountains have been some of my happiest trips in Korea. It's hard for me to dislike a beach, even the super crowded ones in Korea. We have a trip planned for Jeju in August and I expect I will add this as a "must see" upon return--my one and only un-blogged, un-photographed trip there was a one night Swing Camp and it was enough to make me fall in love with the island. For natural beauty in Korea, I've yet to find something to top my trip to Somaemuldo via Geojedo.
For cultural experiences, Seoul offers taekwondo demonstrations and classes for pretty cheap. You should also check out Insadong. There is nearly always some kind of local festival happening somewhere and they are usually quite fun. I think an all night out on the town (and Koreans really do party ALL NIGHT, they're wild!) should include a good Korean jeon shik or dol seot bap restaurant, a noraebang (singing room), and makkoli jip or soju house (I prefer the food at makkoli jip)--not necessarily in that order. Visit a mungujeom (stationary store)--trust me... it's worth it.
Blog readers, help me out here! What else is a "must see" in Korea?
Sunday, June 27, 2010
What's the best part of living in Korea?
Wowee... my first formspring question. I'm a cool kid now, right?
And what a doozie it is. I have three years of blog entries about the best parts of living in Korea!!!
Obviously, the best part has been the relationships I've made here--my husband, his family, our friends (both Korean and expat), my swing club members, my taekwondo and Korean language instructors and classmates, my students, my co-workers, local shop owners, my doctor and his nurse and all the ladies at the International Clinic at Dongsan Hospital, neighborhood kids, random ajummas on the subway, my vet and his wife, taxicab drivers--nearly all of my interactions with people in Korea have been overwhelmingly positive. Being a foreigner makes you a natural object of curiousity and interest for many Koreans, and being an open-minded, culturally sensitive, genuinely interested resident in your host country turns that curiousity into lasting and powerful relationships.
Other than that, I would list different things on different days. Today, I like how low-stress my job is that I can spend all day Sunday reading three books and not worrying about school tomorrow (and yet my job is very fulfilling for me). Yesterday, I would have said how much I love hiking here when Min Gi and I embarked on a three hour adventure that began with a trailhead a five minute walk from our apartment. Before that I might have mentioned the extensive and efficient public transportation system, the many varied entertainment and activity options in a big city like Daegu, the ease of domestic travel, the accessibility of fruit and vegetable markets, the fact that I learn something new everyday, the relatively low cost of living, the obsession with cuteness that both sickens and fascinates me.
Honestly, the expat lifestyle here is what makes Korea so great for me. It's a culture that is very demanding on its own participants, and I'm not really sure I'd like it if it were my own culture (especially as a woman), but as a sort of privledged insider-outsider, it's an easy, comfortable fit.
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