2008년 1월 26일 토요일
Korean Kids are ADORABLE (post 2)
Well I'll be teaching adults from now on. I'm really going to miss those kids... I'm actually sad right now. They're so adorable and fun - I don't know if they'll understand why I'm not teaching them anymore... ... ...
Oukryundong Market
Different parts of the city have market places. The part of Incheon where I live, Oukryundong (in Yeonsu Gu) has a market place. The food here is super cheap compared to other places. Amidst a busy modern city, market places are reminiscent of India or my time in Egypt.
They sell all kinds of stuff. I have to hold my breath when I walk past the fish. ACK!!! It smells SOOOO bad. But you can buy some hot food, ready to eat, like waffles. They'll make you a waffle, put butter and syrup in it, then they fold it 'n half and you walk and eat it.
They also have these special green pancakes - Korean pancakes. They're real good. I forget the Korean name for them. Maybe I'll find out later and edit this post (probably not though :) - they have something sweet in the middle - like hot maple jelly or something, I don't know... that doesn't really make sense, but I don't know what it is.
They sell all kinds of stuff. I have to hold my breath when I walk past the fish. ACK!!! It smells SOOOO bad. But you can buy some hot food, ready to eat, like waffles. They'll make you a waffle, put butter and syrup in it, then they fold it 'n half and you walk and eat it.
They also have these special green pancakes - Korean pancakes. They're real good. I forget the Korean name for them. Maybe I'll find out later and edit this post (probably not though :) - they have something sweet in the middle - like hot maple jelly or something, I don't know... that doesn't really make sense, but I don't know what it is.
BigBang (song): Last Farewell
Here's another BigBang song. I think this is my favorite musician in Korea right now (that I've heard). Although... I DID hear this Korean violinist named Kim Chee-Yun and she was AMAZING! There are many amazing musicians out there... but the violin music she wrote and played was SO my style! It was like... Stravynski on violin!!! FYI: Stravynski is my favorite pianist... or wait, he is a close second. George Winston is first.
Anyway - this BigBang song is extremely popular in Korea right now. When you walk down a city block, it's likely you'll hear this song playing in front of one of the stores. It's not my FAVORITE song they do, but I do like it and it's catchy.
Anyway - this BigBang song is extremely popular in Korea right now. When you walk down a city block, it's likely you'll hear this song playing in front of one of the stores. It's not my FAVORITE song they do, but I do like it and it's catchy.
2008년 1월 13일 일요일
My friend Forrest Dawkins
Forrest Dawkins came to visit (no relation to Richard Dawkins).
It was a blast. We had a great time. Forrest is a friend of mine from my days at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He's a real funny guy, and we have similar views. So it just happens that we both accepted teaching jobs in South Korea the same year. He started a few months before me. The only sucky thing is that he's real far away. He's in the extreme southeast of Korea. I'm in the extreme northwest.
But he came up to the area to visit some friends and was able to spend the night at our place. We relaxed and played some Halo 3 online (my gamertag is Psalm51 in case you care).
Forrest also gave me a sweet Xbox game called Assassin's Creed. MAN it's SO awesome! Basically, you're an assassin and you have to carry out all these missions. The game play is amazing, the world you play in is HUGE, the graphics and detail are awesome - it has a gameplay feel similar to the Grand Theft Auto games. Man... you have to get it, or at least rent it.
It was a blast. We had a great time. Forrest is a friend of mine from my days at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He's a real funny guy, and we have similar views. So it just happens that we both accepted teaching jobs in South Korea the same year. He started a few months before me. The only sucky thing is that he's real far away. He's in the extreme southeast of Korea. I'm in the extreme northwest.
But he came up to the area to visit some friends and was able to spend the night at our place. We relaxed and played some Halo 3 online (my gamertag is Psalm51 in case you care).
Forrest also gave me a sweet Xbox game called Assassin's Creed. MAN it's SO awesome! Basically, you're an assassin and you have to carry out all these missions. The game play is amazing, the world you play in is HUGE, the graphics and detail are awesome - it has a gameplay feel similar to the Grand Theft Auto games. Man... you have to get it, or at least rent it.
Our New Futon!!!
Mike and I bought a futon. The room in our apartment that has the TV in it was pretty bare and uncomfortable. This futon is awesome. It's really comfortable and the cushions are thick. The back part is split in half and you don't have to just put it back all the way. You can put it back just a little so you can lean back and watch TV or whatever.
It cost about $200 - no tax - and it was delivered and set up for free. We're so happy with the purchase.
It cost about $200 - no tax - and it was delivered and set up for free. We're so happy with the purchase.
hash browns - or mini vege burgers?
Just an example of a food mishap. This is NOT a rare occurance here! I'm always trying to find more things to eat that I like - so probably once a week I go to the store and try something that I THINK I want. Little do I know...
so I bought these things from the frozen section.
So I see these and I think to myself, "SWEET! HASH BROWNS! I'm going to buy these and make myself steak and hash browns!' So I bought them and cooked 'em up! ... ... ... ...
And I tried a little taste of one of these - even though it was immediately clear they weren't hash browns. They turned out to be mini vegetable patties... and they weren't very good. *sigh*
so I bought these things from the frozen section.
So I see these and I think to myself, "SWEET! HASH BROWNS! I'm going to buy these and make myself steak and hash browns!' So I bought them and cooked 'em up! ... ... ... ...
And I tried a little taste of one of these - even though it was immediately clear they weren't hash browns. They turned out to be mini vegetable patties... and they weren't very good. *sigh*
Korean toilets... and the squatting
Pretty much all Koreans know how to squat. Professional squatters. Basically, this is what it's like. Stand up straight. Now bend your knees until your butt is touching your heals (NOT the ground). Your feet should still be flat on the ground, and you should be comfortable sitting in that position for at LEAST 15 minutes. That's squatting in east asia. At first, it's really funny. You can sometimes see people squatting while they wait for a bus or while they wait to cross the street.
Why is everyone so good at squatting? Because very often you need the squatting skill if you want to use a public restroom (especially if you're female). It's not uncommon to see a public toilet that looks like this:
So a couple weeks ago, I was waiting for a bus and there was this really cute little kid and her mom. This kid looked so young but also very alert and aware of her surroundings. She loved to smile and play little games - so I tried to make a funny face whenever she looked my direction. We ended up riding a bus and playing peek-a-boo for a bit. But anyways, here's the little girl and her mom, and they're also displaying the professional squatting. :) :D
I'm not a professional squatter... and I probably won't leave Korea with that skill.
Why is everyone so good at squatting? Because very often you need the squatting skill if you want to use a public restroom (especially if you're female). It's not uncommon to see a public toilet that looks like this:
So a couple weeks ago, I was waiting for a bus and there was this really cute little kid and her mom. This kid looked so young but also very alert and aware of her surroundings. She loved to smile and play little games - so I tried to make a funny face whenever she looked my direction. We ended up riding a bus and playing peek-a-boo for a bit. But anyways, here's the little girl and her mom, and they're also displaying the professional squatting. :) :D
I'm not a professional squatter... and I probably won't leave Korea with that skill.
Koreans and dogs
I get a lot of comments from... EVERYONE... about eating dog in Korea. Yes, yes, Korea is pretty much famous for eating dog meat - but dog meat is on its way out. In the past, dogs weren't really seen as pets like they are today - so it was okay to eat them. With the younger generation in Korea - people are growing up seeing dogs as pets and in pet store windows. To them, the thought of eating a dog is appalling.
So most people don't eat dog, but you can still find it on a menu here and there. I haven't tried any - and I won't ever (on purpose).
But another thing Koreans like to do is dye their dog's hair different colors. Most dogs in Korea are really small (at least in the city where I live). It's pretty normal to walk past a pet store and see a dog in the window with blue fur. Accessorizing the dogs is pretty big. Some people like to put clothes on their dog, other people give their dog a funny haircut, other people dye their dog's fur.
Anyway - when I get more pictures to show you - I'll definitely post them - but for now here are just a few. :)
So most people don't eat dog, but you can still find it on a menu here and there. I haven't tried any - and I won't ever (on purpose).
But another thing Koreans like to do is dye their dog's hair different colors. Most dogs in Korea are really small (at least in the city where I live). It's pretty normal to walk past a pet store and see a dog in the window with blue fur. Accessorizing the dogs is pretty big. Some people like to put clothes on their dog, other people give their dog a funny haircut, other people dye their dog's fur.
Anyway - when I get more pictures to show you - I'll definitely post them - but for now here are just a few. :)
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