This Viking

This Viking and I see eye to eye on all things Korean. I am Andrew Blair and I approve this message:

http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=-aY7w2dpQ7s&feature=related

So the Won has recovered some and it looks like it will stabilize against the ever-unstable dollar. For now, at least, my plans are intact. All we can do is wait and pray. 

After this last post I got restless. I was disappointed in the economy (as we all are, I'm quite sure) but also disappointed in myself and my decision to come here. It seemed like, perhaps, the Korean 'salad days' were behind us. I would not be sitting in the fabled 'cat-bird seat' after all.  I languished through the beginning of this week, sleeping in, not going to the gym. Even daydreaming about places I could have been other than here. Then, of all times, one of me younger classes started giving me a hard time for the first time. They begin talking back with a defiant "NO" when I gave them a direction. I'd say, "Be quiet, please, I can't hear Kevin's question." and get a "You be quiet!!" right back like a bullet from a gun. There's even a kid who stares me down sometimes. "Stare ME down?!!!" I wanna scream in his flat fugly face! I was about to crack. Then suddenly, I thought hard on it today, waking up in a better mood and working out at the gym before school: "This couldn't have anything to do with me, could it? Those kids are brats, right? It's not that I've been a shitty teacher this week, is it?". Well...I was going to find out for sure. I went in to work early and organized a fail-proof lesson for the little monsters in my first period class that was fun and new and fresh. Very little book work, lots of moving around and games, games, games. I was sure that they were going to hate it. Not so... they had a blast. Gone were the snide remarks, gone was the name-calling behind my back (I'm starting to get the hang of Korean kid-speak) and the laughter had returned to take it's place. Don't get me wrong, I still wanna wring a few necks here and again. Teaching children is STRESSFUL to say the least. However, I realized beyond a shadow of a doubt that these kids can sense a defeatist attitude, even if they can't define it. Let's face facts here, as a youngster my class sent teachers to the sanitarium!!! They are nowhere near the hell-raisers we were. Plus, the curriculum is outright boring! How can I blame them for getting distracted. Half of these 'pint-sized migraines looking for a host' are HIGHLY under-medicated (ADD, ADHD, and other easily treatable conditions simply do not exist here.... yeah, right). That being said, I once again take two steps back to step forward once (the story of my life)  and accept that I am NOT the teacher alone, but the teacher, the babysitter, the clown.... I am the whole fucking show. And the show must go on. With just a little effort on my part, it can be not only fun for these heathens, but memorable, as well. Here's to making it great. 

Korean Won Plummets

I can't tell you how disappointed I am in light of this new revelation. I was planning on saving close to 15,000 USD this year. If my contract ended today, that same amount would be worth about 8,000 USD. And it's getting worse every day. This was a graph of the projected fall of the Korean Won vs. USD in the coming year. It's not even 2009 and the Won has fallen (on the graph: risen) to 1400 per USD. That's off the chart!!! It was predicted to settle before 1200...months from now!!!!

This article explains it better than I can. All the foreign teachers here are in an uproar. We just took a 50% cut in pay over a period of weeks. A mass exodus is approaching. I might be onboard. Taiwan? Tokyo? Prague? Anywhere but here? 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aD50HUGZzgck&refer=asia

More than a few people have asked me where I've been and said that the blog was lacking... To all: my apologies, I didn't think anyone was that interested. But I am happy to report back to duty and report my daily, if not, weekly updates for those who are watching and reading. Thanks for looking and I won't let you down again. 

Last week was "Chusock", the Korean Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one. Typically they have a five day weekend, but every 5 years or so Chusock lands on a weekend. This, I am sorry to say, was one of those years when we only got monday off. Nonetheless, it was a welcome respite from the day to day. I recently posted this in a Korean Teachers Forum (a place to vent or vamp on whatever suits your fancy) and I think you all might enjoy it:

 I did not understand what Chusock was all about until a few students explained it to me today, and still, it wasn't clear. "You visit the graves of your dead relatives. Sweet... sounds like a blast." But I was just out walking after work and could truly FEEL the difference in the energy around my neighborhood in Seoul. For one, there were more people in the usually crowded restaurants than I've seen before. Two, they were all happy, and I mean really happy, not just punch drunk. Three, there was laughter everywhere, more than I've heard the entire time I've been here (granted only three months). There is a real sense of relaxation, like the whole city just took a long, deep breath and sighed collectively. It's as intoxicating as it is contagious, and I for one am truly happy to be here right now. Now I get it, this is "the Season" so to speak. I've been a little down recently (don't hate, I'm not pouting) and this evening turned it all around for me. You know, it's easy to say that "we determine our level of satisfaction" in life, and that "happiness comes from within". All of this is true to some extent, but I gotta tell ya, when Korea is happy, it makes it a whole lot easier for me to be happy, too. I'm gonna go for another walk. 

Since then I have been in a great mood. I wake up earlier than I have in months and try to get more done through the day. I take pride in my job and strive to be the best teacher I can be for these kids. Korea is Korea, and it certainly IS NOT Barcelona or the south of France and never will be. But it is what I make of it, and for now, at least, I'm getting by just fine, I might even be liking it. Dare I say it? Okay, here goes.... work is the best part of my day. 

Who is this guy? 

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

Boracay was beautiful, even though it rained everyday. Moving on....

Koreans love english and incorporate it into everything especially their fashion. Of course, with this come the inevitable spelling and grammar errors everywhere you look. I see shirts all the time that say things like "Love, Piece, and Happyniss" or "The best thing in lives are frie". This one, on the other hand, has no errors and for that is very impressive, in terms of grammar. Equally impressive is the fact that this nine year old kid appears to be so unashamed at being that intoxicated at half past noon:

I just realized that the photos uploaded as thumbnails, here are a few images that I enlarged for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!!!

The Boryeong Mud Festival in Daechon South Korea

The mudfest was incredible. We were supposed to go with a group of nine, but after all it turned out to be me, my co-worker John, and his girlfriend Houn. We didn't care though, they missed out on a great time. I was a little misinformed about the festival and its history, however, so let me set things straight. Mudfest has been going on for ten years now and was the brainchild of the tourism committee in Daechon (a small, sleepy coastal town about 70 miles from Seoul). They wanted to attract people to their town to boost the economy and decided to throw a festival with the town's only export: Facial Mud. Once a small company, 'Mud Rang' harvested their slurry near the town so it seemed only natural to involve their business with the festival. Ideas flowed, synapses fired, and the Mudfest was born. They truck 100 tons of mud down to the beach and set up a huge stage for bands, activities, booths, food huts, and mud dispensing stations. It's not the mud 'fight' that I had been told about, though, it's a more tranquil 'self-application' done with a paintbrush. People get really artistic about it...very cool to watch. The lack of craziness with which the application part is done is made up for in the mud slip n' slide, the pool, the wrestling arena (yes... mud wrestling), the concerts, and the general atmosphere created by 5000 drunken, muddy Koreans and foreigners mingling with each other in the sun for two days straight. The only real peace to be had outside of the confines of your own hotel room is in the ocean, washing away the grey earth and floating in the cool waters of the salty yellow sea. Okay, let the pictures begin:

On the way:

We arrive and it's crowded:

But where's the MUD?!!

Ahh, I found it!:

Apply mud to self:

mmm.... squishy

What's left to do but take a group photo:

Now let's walk around a little:

Maybe a little mud wrestling? Hmm, that's more of a spectator's sport if you ask me:

Let's go hear some music:

Go to Mud Jail, directly to Mud Jail, do not pass 'go', do not collect 200$:

Anyone for a refreshing swim... in mud?:

Then later that night, a really brilliant fireworks show choreographed to tunes from the likes of Queen and David Bowie:

"Bowies in Space"

And lastly, the result of too much Soju. This guy was down for the count at 11:30:

Anyway, it was a great time. After we got cleaned up we went to sing Karaoke at a "Norebang" (pronounced Nora bong). This is a Korean favorite where you get a private singing room for you and your friends without the embarrassment of having to crucify your favorite tunes in public. All in all a very fun trip and even though I have only been in Seoul for a month now, it was nice to get out of the city. So much so that when I got back on Sunday I decided to grab my jump balls and commit to leaving South Korea for my vacation in two weeks. After a little research I decided on Boracay, Philippines for a week on the beach. I am really looking forward to that. I hope you enjoyed mudfest as much as we did!!!

Boryeong Mud Festival

Here I come. We were going with a big group of nine people and everyone backed out except for me, my coworker John and his girlfriend Hon. So the three of us are leaving at 9:30 tomorrow morning. Check out the official website to see just how crazy this festival has become. It's supposed to rain, so the mud will be extra slurpy. MMMMMMM. I'll be sure to take pictures. 

http://mudfestival.or.kr/lang/en/index.jsp

Got the apartment. Ready for a tour??!!!

Okay but please, leave your shoes at the door:

The luxury bathroom equipped with an 'in the wall' shower head and no, we don't need no stinkin' curtain. Here in Korea, when you shower, everything gets wet. OH YEAH!

The laundry room. Very spacious and a killer state of the art dryer:

The living room designed by Marc Jacobs and furnished by Pottery Barn:

The magic place, or 'bedroom' in english, where I toss and turn on the concrete mattress. However, the sheets are silk and the blanket is real mink (sorry PETA), and I got both for 30.00$ 

This is the storage area/microwave place:

The kitchen right out of "That 70's show". I actually dig it and managed to cook a few great meals here already. Italian (with rice), German sausage (and rice), and breakfast (rice and eggs with bacon.... and rice):

 

The entertainment center: FABULOUS

yeah, it's a 16" 

And finally,

The Library:

     I know its not much but it's free and its mine for one year. Believe me, if your thinking to yourself "hey that's not bad" just scale your imagination down by about 10 square feet whatever it may be and THAT'S the real apartment. Don't let the pictures fool you, this place is SMALL. But hey, I'm no Shaq O'neal so no big deal for me. I can do this for a year....... I think. 

So here I am in Seoul, South Korea after a 16 hour fight (24 of travel time) and I'm tired and hungry!! I met my director, Anna, and the recruiter, Sammy, at about 11:00 When do these people sleep?? Anywhoser, they checked me into a motel and I gave them gifts, said goodbye, and passed out for a good 10 hours. MMMMMM.  When I woke up I turned on the TV and WHOAA MY GOD. The first two channels were straight Korean Porn. HEEEEELLLLOOOO KOREA! I found out later that this was called a "Love Motel", one of many in the city where you can check in by the hour or by the week if you know what I mean, nudge nudge. This would explain all the scented oils and such on the counter. To tell you the truth, I didn't mind so much. I had a couple of days to relax and get the feel of things (: .....Hey now, let's keep this blog 'G' rated, shall we?

The first room they gave me was WAY TOO SMALL:

So they 'upgraded me to a sweet' on the second day:

     

A difference of a whole 4 square feet!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!

     I am not complaining though. They are paying for it, so I really don't have anything to complain about. All in all it's a pretty sweet deal: I'll be working six hours a day, five days a week, with paid vacations and no rent, medical insurance, and severance for 2500.00 USD a month. Not too shabby. We'll have to wait and see what this rent free apartment looks like, though. Fingers crossed!

So, it begins. It's Saturday, June 7th, two years and one day after coming back to newport beach to take care off some "issues", and I'm off to Seoul tomorrow. I am so excited I can't even begin to describe it (but I will). I feel like my life and all the challenges have been leading up to THIS. The promises that things will get better and new, exciting adventures will come to pass...this is what they were all talking about! And I made it! I'm here... I'm leaving... I'm gone. 

...Kimchi Nation here I come.