mry crsms frm KOREA

 Chrimbus brunsh

Shabu Shabu dnr

Christmas weekend was filled with food, snow, friends, and soju. It was a little weird not being at home, but nevertheless I had a splendid time sans the hangover(s).

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Winter Semester

Last week we started the beginning of a new semester. It is always a VERY busy time because we must make syllabi, tests, answer keys, along with preparing our new material/reading class books, etc...

My life still doesn't feel real here. And when I am too busy to even think, time flies, and I wake up on a Saturday morning and can't believe  the week is basically over.

I am trying to be optimistic about this semester, but INTENSIVES are looming ahead, and I can't help but feel anxious.

Intensives start on December 26th and they invlove all of us coming in an hour and a half early every day for a month and teaching 2-3 extra classes a day. (AH!)

Pro---extra pay
Con---no life

3 weeks. 3 weeks. 3 weeks.

Lady Angry Birds?

What my students have driven me to buy...

and forced me to think is cute.

Koreans are so kind!

In my drunken stupidity, I lost my iPod touch last Friday night. Since I have owned it, I have become quite addicted to the thing, so when I realized I had dropped it in the street somewhere on my way home, I was unbelievably angry with my clumsy self. I raged for quite a bit when I got back to my apartment, and woke up in a sloppy, pitiful stupor that quickly turned me into a maniac "needing" an iPod immediately. Somehow, I found someone here in my town selling a used touch for 300,000 won (about $260) so I quickly handed over the paper to have an iPod once again. Well, 4 days later I get a call on my Korean cell phone from a Korean who speaks little to no English saying that he found my iPod and that HE WOULD BRING IT TO ME. At first I found this a bit creepy so I said we could meet right by my place. Anyways he brought it to me in perfect condition, saying he found it on the side of the road. How do things like this happen here?

Happy Pepero Day 11.11.11!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, folks'----today is the day my students have been talking about for weeks. Whilst I have been selfishly anticipating my birthday, they have been rapping about Pepero Day.                                                                           
So, you little poopheads, I hope you're all happy because it's finally here! And really, I am quite excited as well!
For those who don't know (I mean, why would you?) Pepero Day is like the equivalent to Valentine's Day in the US. You give Pepero sticks to your friends and loved ones.

So, what is Pepero? They are these little sticks with chocolate, chocolate with nuts, or strawberry flavored white chocolate on the outside or inside, depending upon which type you get. They are incredibly delicious.

Kimchi Jjigae

This is my favorite soup on the planet. You can buy it at many Korean restaurants. My favorite lower priced one is from Gimgane and it costs 5,000Won (equiv is about $5). There are nicer restaurants with a big community bowl, and it is served with an egg and other sides. It is a little pricier, but no price is too expensive for this Korean treat.

Korean Halloween

How Reading Star Celebrates Halloween.

Family Mart

or 7 Eleven
or GS25

whichever you please.

These are the drinking grounds for many Koreans and foreigners alike. Well, what the hell is this place? To me an (almost) native Atlantan, it seems a bit strange to drink at "Gas Stations" (or what I call them). Really though, they are conveniece stores and they have no pumps. They are EVERYWHERE and have almost anything your heart desires...from soju to beer, wine to whiskey, ramen to razors...it's amazing. There are 10 within a mile from my house, and one right across the street. The awesome thing about most of them are they have outdoor seating.  So, you go in, buy a few huge beers for you and whomever, and sit outside and drink...for super cheap! So it feels like you are "going out" with the comfort of having anything you want at your fingertips. This is especially good when you don't want to clean your place for company. Also, walking home from work many times you will last minute decide to stop and have a beer or 2 (which ends up being.................................).

Kimchi Festival

I went to the International Kimchi Festival this weekend.  There were booths of vendors like at any festival in the US, but this one was dedicated solely to kimchi, seaweed, and pork. Kimchi is Korea's national food and the Koreans think very highly of this dish. Over the past 2 and a half months, I have really grown to love kimchi, so I was really looking forward to going to this festival. One of my favorite types is kkaennip kimchi which is made from perilla leaves. mmmmm.

The votes are in!

A couple nights ago, a few of us did a blind taste test to have an unbiased decision made on the best of the shitty korean beers.

2/3 said Max was their favorite
1/3 said OB was the best

BEFORE this taste-test, all tasters thought OB or Cass were the best (due to marketing/brand packaging/"brand loyalty").

All tasters agreed that this test needs to happen again soon (we don't want to believe Max, the "grossest of the gross" could really be our palate pleaser). All tasters also agreed that next time there would need to be a better palate cleanser in-between tastes, at least better than pineapple candies and cherry juice.

The Big Debate

Which is the best of the shitty korean piss-beers? We have a few to choose from. Results to come later.

Korean Wedding

This past Saturday I attended a coworkers wedding.  This was unlike any wedding I have ever seen/heard of. When you get to the "venue " (which is a wedding hall where multiple weddings are happening all at once in different rooms that all look like this) you find the Bride Room first where the bride is sitting like so---->

You get some pictures with the bride, and then you move on to the Wedding Room. In here, people are getting up/walking around/talking on cell phones....basically the exact opposite of what you "should" be doing at weddings in the US.

Next, the wedding starts and lasts a very short time. Lights are flashing like crazy and there is most definitely a fashion show-like runway (see video above). Oh, and the best part are the flight attendants with swords.

ANYONE can walk into your wedding. I may have to crash a few weddings while I am here, they are pretty neat.

After the wedding, we followed the crowd of people into a huge buffet area where they have all different kinds of korean dishes. It was delicious. Warm beer and soju were sitting on every table, too.

KPOP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLmBbyX5f5I

Coffee and Cat

This place actually exists.

My Dong

In Korea, a neighborhood is known as a 'dong'.  My dong is Bongseondong and here it is:

 The walk down my street on the way to Mart Mart, our supermarker

 Salesmen...everywhere

Rooftop views

Karaoke or something like it

Address

 For those of you who have been asking!!!


#505 Woori Offictel,
Bongseondong, Gwangju
Namgu, Jeollanamdo
503-060

Jet Lag

The time difference has been one of the most difficult things about Korea so far...
I flew in last Saturday night and for the past week I have averaged about 5 hours of sleep a night. I usually won't fall asleep until after 2am, and wake up before 8am every morning. I feel and look like a zombie night-crawler.

packing hell

This past week I have dedicated the majority of my time to packing up my place. Friday my mom came to help and Saturday my friend helped me move some belonging to her dads house.  4 days and still so much left to do...

Well, well, well...

Finally got what I have been waiting for for weeks.

3 Months?

Waiting to hear when I leave for Gwangju...this process of getting all of the documents has taken what feels like forever.