Finally!!

Korea

Day 1

Well ... I am here!  These past few days have been a blur.  I feel like I lost a day, and I pretty much have when you consider the 14 hour flight and the 13 hour time difference.

The flight was good.  Other than being crammed in a window seat I have little to complain about.  The meal was great (steak and potatoes with green beans, followed by cheesecake), and so was the complimentary beer. The flight attendants were really great about making sure my food had no peanuts or peanut oil, and came around constantly with juice and water. I give Asiana Airlines a thumbs up. Travelhub, not so much.

I was skeptical about booking with one of these online companies and I was right to be (I have used Flight Center in the past, but had trouble with the website that day, and having just got my visa on May 26, my employer wanted me in Korea on June 2, so I had no time to spare).  While the price was right, you don't get much in the way of service.  For example, I originally booked my flight to Seoul via NYC.  At around 11PM on the day I booked, I realized that my connection from Toronto arrived at Laguardia (this is the itinerary that they gave me), yet the second leg of my journey departed from JFK. Not a problem normally; though I'd have to collect my bags and take a shuttle to JFK - 11 miles away - then go through the whole process of checking in, clearing immigration, and security all over again.  Flighthub, however, didn't alert me that I'd have only 2 hours to make that connection.  Not humanly possible, especially since check-in closes 1 hour before take off.

I was lucky, however.  When I booked, I paid for (unbeknownst to me until later) Purchase Guarantee, which allowed me to cancel the booking provided I had done so before midnight. So, with 40 minutes to spare ... I cancelled and re-booked at the same price, losing only $20.  I flew via Chicago, and arrived in Seoul on June 2, at 4:00PM. Cleared immigration with no problem, collected my luggage, and found my recruiter, Alistair, within about 20 minutes. A travel agent would have alerted me that 2 hours would not have been enough.  A travel agent would not have booked that flight, knowing it wasn't possible.

I slept in a guest house that first night, in Incheon.  The airport is on an island, and everyone who lives on that island pretty much works for the airport, or for businesses that service the airport.  Many pilots and flight attendants stay in the guesthouse I was in, the O'ville. I had a roommate, Amaal, who is from South Africa.  We had 2-3 hours to rest up before we all met for dinner.  Since I wasn't feeling for spicy food, Alistair suggested a soup with beef and noodles.  It was awful. No taste, and not filling.  I left dinner absolutely famished and headed to a corner store where I bought cereal and milk. I also bought yogurt and bread for the next morning.  Alistair paid for our breakfast, but since we had to leave at 8 am, breakfast was happening at 6:30, and there was no way I was getting out of bed any earlier than I had to.  I managed to get about 4 hours sleep that night; not nearly enough, since I'd been awake for about 36 hours (with only a 2 hour nap on Sunday morning).

Day 2

I may as well have went for breakfast because I was awake at 5am anyway.  I took my time getting ready, and at 8am we all set out.  We spent all morning driving; Alistair brought Martin, a British teacher, to his school in a suburb of Seosan (I think that's how it's spelled).  He seemed pretty bummed with his placement. 20 minutes outside the city, his town appeared to be a run down industrial suburb.

I had NO IDEA what I was in for.  We get little say in where we are placed.  Our preferences are considered,  but the decision is not ours.  I did tell them I wanted to be in an urban area with as many western amenities as possible (I learned from my mistake in China), but all I knew was that I was going to a small city. Gyeryong is twice the size of Grand Falls - Windsor.  That's still pretty deceptive, since I am a 20 minute bus ride away from a city of 3.5 million.  Sorta changes things. Originally, I was placed at a middle school in Gongju, but since I had to fly to Canada for paperwork, my arrival was delayed. That school needed a teacher as soon as possible, so I was placed at an elementary school in Gyeryong instead. Turns out that this turn of events worked in my favour.  I cannot imagine a better placement.  Gyeryong is Korea's smallest city, but it IS a city. It's got a cute little downtown, dozens of coffee shops, restaurants, a gym, my school, great parks (a national park, too), and a train station; the KTX train can get me to Seoul within an hour, and I'm 20 minutes to Daejeon.  What more could I ask for??

I met the principal, vice principal, my co-teacher, and several other teachers.  They helped me settle into my desk (in the grade 6 classroom), showed me to my flat and helped me carry all my things, and took me shopping so I could get a few things I needed right away: a kettle, milk, sugar, coffee, a mug, and some yogurt, cheese, and a few other snacks to hold me over until I had more energy to shop.

That evening, the Chinese teacher (I cannot remember her name, oops) joined me for dinner.  After 2 meals of Korean food, I just wanted pizza.  Luckily, we ran into Ifan (a teacher from the UK), who suggested we go back to Home Plus, as the pizza at the food court is the best in town.  Turns out it was pretty good, better than Czech pizza, in fact. After dinner I tried to stay up until dark at least, and I believe I managed to stay awake until 10pm.  I'm really lucky.  My bed is cozy, my room is nice and dark when I need it to be, and it's so quiet.  It's the complete opposite of my Prague situation.  No more noisy junkies and crying/barking neglected dogs. Sleep was glorious and undisturbed that night, as I managed to sleep a solid 8 hours.

Speaking of Prague, since I left I have been feeling fantastic.  Now that I can finally sleep like a normal human being, I feel like myself again.  Further, the minor health issues I had all but disappeared, my foot included.  The body needs rest in order to repair itself, and I feel like it has. I have heard the term "emotional vampire" before, but have never truly experienced it until now. It feels great to have that evil person out of my life. It has been an expensive month, and I've traveled many miles; Europe to Canada, and Canada to Asia, but it was worth it. It's too bad I didn't get to see my family, but it was great to reconnect with old friends; in addition to my body, my spirit feels replenished.

Day 3

Up bright an early, Wednesday entailed a visit to the hospital in Daejeon to have a medical exam.  I need this for my Alien Registration Card, the document that allows me to remain in Korea (and get internet in my flat and a cell phone). After a short bus ride, I was led around to many different queues for various things and after paying about $160, giving 2 vials of blood, having my vision and hearing tested, and chest x-rayed, I was told I need to give 2 urine samples.  Anyone who knows me would expect this to be easy.  Less than 48 hours after my flight, however, I was still dehydrated; I drank over a liter of water and still needed to wait around to give them what they needed.  :(  My co-teacher Libby treated us to lunch, and we took the bus back.  I grabbed a little cash at an ATM, and headed home.  I had a date with my pillow that I managed to prolong until 8PM!!

Day 4

It's been a busy few days.  I am grateful to have a few days to settle in before I have to go to work.  My flat is furnished, but there are no dishes, cooking utensils, pots, pans, etc.  I've had to make a few trips and I still don't have everything.  I had to buy cleaners (this place was really dusty and I need to mark my territory), a laundry rack (no dryers here), a kettle, bowls and cups, cutlery, paper towels, toilet paper, slippers (no shoes permitted in school), an adapter, new earbuds (because my existing ones decided to break).  Also, I don't have wifi, so I feel a little cut off from the world.  I've been spending time at Home Plus, using their wifi, and I'll be heading over later to call the family.  I'll update more later.

Cheers!  

Personal space, privacy, and the individual.

One of the most difficult challenges I face here in China is adjusting to the lack of privacy.  Yes, I knew this coming here.  Yes, I am aware that I am in THEIR country. Yes, I knew it would be crowded, and yes, I knew that due to the cultural differences, I'd be more reliant upon others and was prepared for the "idea" of having less privacy; but that doesn't make it any easier.  In fact, I wasn't even fully aware of how privacy and individualism/personal autonomy go together at all until now.

When I lived in the Czech Republic, one of the first observations made by myself and some of my American friends was how Czech people (and likely other Europeans) appear to be very quiet and reserved in public (on the subway or tram, for instance).  I remember thinking at first, "Why do they all look so grumpy?" Contrast this to us North Americans, who are very open with our emotions in public.  We chit chat, laugh, and joke around (often very loudly) with our friends on the subway, and it's often very obvious what kind of day we had, or what sort of evening we are about to have.  We see very little wrong with displaying our feelings in public, and to an extent, have little trouble striking up conversations with others in public, strangers or not.  A Czech person (I don't remember who, perhaps one of my adult students), explained to me that Europeans just aren't as free to express their emotions in public, and that it was a private thing.  Striking up a conversation in public with a stranger was viewed as an infringement on that person's privacy.  Having said that, Europeans are more willing to help a stranger in public, or give their seat to an elderly or disabled person.  I enjoyed having that sense of privacy while still feeling like I was part of a community (like in Canada, people WILL come to help you if needed)  I enjoyed sitting quietly on the subway with no one to talk to after work.  It's my way of shifting gears from "work mode" to "non-work mode".  In fact, one of the first things to irritate me when I came back to Canada was all the talking in public. Go figure.

Privacy as I know it, has almost no meaning here in China. I don't know if this is the result of culture, communism, a combination of both, or any other number of forces playing out, but I have felt very little privacy since I arrived.  I'm not talking about the invasion of privacy that I expected, like having my employer bring me to have my visa physical done, or having her help me shop for food, a gym membership, or bringing me to the pharmacy.  I'm talking about privacy on a different level.  I feel like my privacy is invaded to a level where I know longer feel like I am even a human being.  There is no separation of professional and personal.  There's no separation of the individual and the community.  When one person has to do renovations, they make as much noise as they want, and everyone suffers. No one says anything, and "disturbing someone's peace and quiet" is an alien concept.

My utilities in my flat, my decision not to take Chinese medicine for my cold, what I am having for lunch, and what I did on my days off have been topics discussed in our meetings.  I've received text messages on my days off about work, asking me to check my email (non-urgent issues).  What I see as private issues of other staff members are discussed in our meetings.  Changes in my work schedule are not communicated to me (changing the class schedule requires the school to contact 40 students but no one thinks to contact the ONLY teacher).  Why?  Because I am not an individual, I am an object that someone "owns."  When the time comes to teach that lesson, someone will come and get me and command me to teach, like a trained seal.  Why tell me that the lesson times change when they think they own me 24-7?  After all, I am in Sujiatuo, where could I possibly be but in my apartment?  (The few times I did go into the city, the police contacted my employer just to make sure I didn't move, after I checked into a hostel for the night).

When I go out, people stare at me.  Not just one discreet glance like we all do when we see something a little different (I'm thinking a drag queen in downtown Toronto ;)).  They stare, almost to the point where they might walk into an oncoming bus if not careful.  People shout "Hello", just to see what they'll get back.  If you reply to be friendly, they will follow you.  Not to hurt you, but it's as though you're an alien from outer space, and they want to take a photo with you as if you're some strange phenomenon that no one would believe existed were it not for the evidence (like a 3-breasted woman). I've had experiences in restaurants where parents (while they're eating, and I am trying to), force their kids to come stand at my table and practice their English with me, with no consideration for my feelings (or the child's).  Again, I am not a person, I am this THING for their kids to amuse themselves with, or practice on.

If the landlord or a worker needs to come to my apartment, they'll ring the doorbell first, but if that door isn't locked, they're coming in; they don't wait for you to let them in.  On the bus, people rub up against you, crawl over you, push you, rub their sweaty, smelly bodies up against you, and make no effort to avoid it.  I feel violated every time I go out. (It's much easier to tolerate in February than it is in June when its 38C.)  Again, I am not so much complaining, as I am describing.  I knew it would be this way, but it's hard to get used to; in fact, I think it's impossible to get used to.

It's all about the little things ...

Having been here for almost 4 months, and having now lived on 3 continents, there are definitely a few things that I miss about home, and about western culture in general.  In no particular order :

1. Coffee.  The coffee in China is awful.  At best, you can get ground coffee beans at Starbucks; not exactly my coffee of choice.  Most supermarkets have instant coffee; either Maxwell House or Rich Blend.  Very expensive, and not that great.  
2. Coffee shops/cafes.  Canadians like their coffee, and it goes without saying that cafes are a part of European culture.  Not so in China.  One of the simple pleasures in my life include sitting at a cafe, watching people, sipping coffee while I read a book or surf the internet.  It's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon; it's something to do after a walk, or just something to kill time and experience a change of scenery, or to catch up with friends. I cannot do that here and I miss it.
3. Tea.  You'd think that being in China, I'd find a tea that I liked.  I bought a Chinese green tea.  Didn't like it.  Black tea is different here; what we call black tea, they call red tea, and I haven't been able to find any.  They drink milk tea, which is OK, but it's generally powdered, and instant.  No thanks.  I managed to find Lipton tea here, but it's not my favorite.  I'm surprised that there isn't a Mark's and Spencer's in Beijing (there might be one in Shanghai), since its a city of 20 million people. 
4. The weather.  I miss going for a walk or jog in the rain.  It rarely rains here.  I also miss bundling up on a cool day and going for a walk.  The air is so dirty here, that there really is no pleasure derived from being outdoors.  Summer Palace was nice; I enjoyed smelling the juniper trees - lord knows there are few pleasant smells in this city, but I'm not travelling an hour by bus and paying $5 just so I can walk trails packed with tourists.  
5. Clean bathrooms.  I've seen what I thought were dirty bathrooms in Canada, the USA, and Europe, especially at 2am in a bar when people have been drinking.  Nothing can prepare you for how filthy public bathrooms are in Beijing.  People urinate on the floor, fail to flush after number 2 (and with the squat toilets, it just kinda sits there, no water or anything, so you can imagine the smell), and throw the toilet paper - after using - on the floor in the corner of the stall.  There's no reason for this, it can be flushed down.  It's gross.  Public bathrooms don't have hand dryers or paper towels, soap, OR hot water. 
6. Diversity.  For a city of 20 million, Beijing really isn't international (at least, that's my impression) Toronto is international.  No matter what you feel like doing: belly dancing, yoga, tai chi, going for dim-sum, it's all there. Mexican food? No problem.  Foreign films? Why not?  Not here.  Maybe it's because I'm in the 'burbs, but beyond a couple McDonalds' and pizza joints I've seen, I really have no clue where to go for Mexican food, fish and chips, Karaoke, to see a film, or to do anything other than what Chinese people do, which isn't much.  The buses and subways shut down early.  Everyone goes to bed early and everyone is up and about by 7am.  They do Chinese dancing outside, play ping pong and badminton, but that's about it. I'm pretty certain this is due to censorship from the government.  I don't have a clue where to buy music.  My phone's app for downloading tunes won't work here.  It's pretty isolated from the west.  I'm certain it will change eventually

A Cold Per Month ...

As the three month mark slips by, I slip into my third cold.  I started feeling it last night after I came home from classes.  Didn't feel good at all when I woke up today, and have had a sinus headache all day.  I'm hoping this turns out like the other 2, and lasts only a couple days.  The worst part is feeling terrible in the morning.  I'm sure I'll live though.

May has been more exciting than the previous months.  I've been to Summer Palace, went onto Beijing to meet some teachers for quiz night and beer at an Irish pub, stayed in a hostel all night, and visited a hair salon operated by a group from Paris where I paid way too much to get my hair cut and highlighted.  The only thing french that's not expensive is french fries, it seems.

The teaching is coming along; I enjoy getting to know my students and especially love watching them change from shy little things with no confidence or ability to concentrate, to children who are actively participating in and enjoying my activities, making friends, and learning what's expected of them in the classroom.  I receive hugs and kisses all the time; they fight to be the student who gets to hold my hand when we do the "Hello" and "Good-bye" songs, bring me snacks, and follow me to my office on our break.  Not a bad gig at all.  Granted, I do have a couple of terrors, and it seems like every class has an alpha male, but they're just competing for my attention.

3 months down .. almost

I haven't blogged much lately, because there really isn't that much new happening.  In one week I'll hit the three month mark, and I must say I am much more comfortable here than I was before.  I'm still creeped out by the hygiene issue here (many people don't wash their hands after using the toilet), but oddly, I haven't gotten sick.  The noise from the renovations in my building has died down, so it's much more peaceful.

I'm eating a LOT less meat than what's typical for me.  I've been eating eggs, and tofu.  Occasionally I'll eat pork, which tends to be pretty lean, but even then, not in large amounts.  Chinese dishes that do have meat have it in much smaller portions than what I am used to seeing.  Works for me.  The 8 pounds I'd put on over the fall and winter (due to lots of drinking and NO exercising) have melted away.  Also, like in Europe, processed foods are rare.  It's easier to eat healthy here.

The teaching is coming along.  I have a couple of naughty students; both boys. One flat out does not like me (he receives NO discipline from his mother - I saw that for myself); probably because at home he is King, and in my class he's not.  The other just  seems to want my attention.  It's all good.  The classes are fun for them; they're learning, and the parents are happy, so I guess that's all that matters.

It's beginning to look a lot like summer.  We've had temps in the 30s this week, so the sandals and summer dresses are out.  I still have not done any tourist things, and I really should, since I'll be busy soon and won't have the time.  I keep saying I'm going to Summer Palace, but on my days off I just love to hang in my flat.  I'll get there eventually.

Nothing else new to report.  Peace and love to all.  The latest photos are here.

Today's Lunch

Late lunch, early dinner ... it's all good.  Freshly made hand-cut noodles with tomato, egg, and baby bok choi; washed down with a HUGE (600ml) Chinese beer, for a grand total of $2.12CAD.  It really is cheaper to eat out than to cook at home.

Games People Play

I had a pretty good day today; not as productive as usual, but good nonetheless.  I went to school with every intention to plan lessons.  Instead, we (Amy, Eva, and I) played Jenga and held an impromptu meeting.   I suppose it was productive in the sense that there's no longer a need for meeting on Friday, but I didn't get much else done.  We had bought Jenga for school, and spent some time talking about how we could incorporate it into the English lessons for the older groups.  We also discussed how we would deal with a  particular problem student (a 10 year old of course; the toddlers are actually a breeze to handle).

I got a letter in the mail today from Mom and Dad.  They sent it mainly to see how long it would take to arrive, if it arrived at all.  Of course, Mom decided to throw in a few Tetley tea bags, one of which I will be savoring later tonight, and a few pairs of foam earplugs so I can try and get a little sleep with all the noise here.  Funny thing:  The mailman said they had trouble reading the address as it was written in English (of course!).  Eva told them that we had to do this, since the Canadian postal service would likely be unable to read the Chinese address.  We all agreed that next time, we'd put both.  Being the only anglophone in the area, something tells me from here on in, I probably won't have much trouble anyway now that they know where I am.

I decided to take my TA, Eva, for noodles this evening.  A new restaurant just opened here, downstairs from the school.  The noodles are hand cut, delicious, and cheap.  I had a HUGE beer (600ml) along with noodles with tomato and egg.  Eva had beef noodles.  The bill? 21RMB; exactly $3.43CAD.  At that price, why cook at home??  I think that restaurant will see much more of me.  They have rice dishes on the menu too.  I can't wait to go back again.

Speaking of food, I am almost a pro when it comes to eating with chopsticks.  In fact, I ate my noodles with them today.  I did ask for a spoon, but I didn't use it until the end, when I wanted to fish out the last remaining yummy noodles.  I was finished my meal before Eva, and she's Chinese!

The knee feels great today.  In fact, many times I forgot it had even hurt at all.  I may even go to the gym tomorrow.  Treadmill only though.  I'm not gonna push my luck with squats, lunges, burpees, or anything with too much bending.  I'll give it another week, just to be safe.  

Nothing else to report today.
Until next time, Zaijian! XO