Mannequins and Museums

My working hours have been increasing slowly but surely over the past few weeks, growing from 18 the first week to 25 this past week to 31+ this week. That's proven to be a blessing because it's allowed me to get things settled and also to acclimate myself to longer and longer days of teaching. I feel as though in this month alone I will have talked more than I did my entire last semester at Brown! While that is probably a huge overstatement, I do talk virtually from the second class starts to the second it ends two hours later. Repeat 3+ times and it's obvious that teaching SAT has most assuredly given me ample time to practice the art of speaking. I've found myself verbally unloading everything on my mind on a given topic during class and I've also found myself ending my sentences in upspeak (rising intonation) and reflexively asking "Does that make sense?" or "Right?" I am thankful that the students have grown more comfortable as the weeks have gone on, which makes the class more enjoyable and worthwhile for all of us. Seeing these kids spend every day of their summers at the academy, trying to cram 50 new vocab words into their heads and complete a few hours of homework every night has forced me to reflect on my 10 week course at Han Sam SAT as I was preparing for the SAT. The Han Sam course seems like nothing compared to classes here.

I could launch into a discussion and theories as to why students (at least until college) undergo such intense and continuous education, but I'll save that for another time.

Last Monday, I wanted to try Korean dorm food so I went with Janice and her dad to the school her dad teaches at, Dankuk University. The entire school recently moved from central Seoul to the Bundang area, so everything is brand new- they've even constructed an enormous artificial waterfall.






Dorm food was surprisingly cheap (about $3) and filling so I may be returning soon.


The trip also gave me a chance to visit the mannequins in the museum at the university. The mannequins weren't exactly the most talkative people I've met, but as I was the only one in the museum, some company was better than no company!




Yesterday I ventured out to Seoul Grand Park and the Seoul Museum of Contemporary Art despite the rain and humidity. I'd been wanting to see Nam June Paik's "The More the Better" ever since learning about it in Contemporary Art and finding that it was still housed in Seoul, and seeing the structure in person did not disappoint. I'm not entirely sure as to what Paik intended the tower built from 1,000 Television screens to mean, but I like to see it partly as a comment on the decidedly Asian method of filling the night skyline with thousands of flashy neon signs.




I also took pictures of other works I enjoyed before realizing there was a sign that said "No Cameras". Thank goodness I'm not in another East Asian country where breaking the rules could lead to strict disciplinary action!

Jesus and Buddha riding into Seoul

"Natural Habitat"

Pop quiz:

Is this person Chinese, Japanese, or Korean?




Answer: Chinese



Is this person Chinese, Japanese, or Korean?




Answer: Japanese



Is this person Chinese, Japanese, or Korean?



Answer: If you answered Chinese, you're wrong. According to my students, this person is Korean. They swore I was lying to them when I said I was Chinese.



Let me take this opportunity to give a shoutout to Korean markets. Not only do they offer free samples every hour of every day, they have samples in each of the food groups- breads, fruits, vegetables, and meat! The icing on the cake is the man that stands outside each of these supermarkets and bows to me as I leave. Even when I don't buy anything, I feel like he's thanking me for coming to eat samples!

Last weekend, I subwayed over to the Gyeonbokgung area, which is home to the main Chosun palace. This palace served as the main palace except during the times when it was burnt down. There, Janice and I met up with Pauline who I hadn't seen in over a year. The three of us spent some time in Samcheongdong, an area sporting more of a "village" feel and where some traditional dwellings are still preserved as homes.











Once Wonhoe (who I haven't seen in two years) got off work, he came to pick us up. After dropping Pauline off, we bypassed the Gyeonbokgung, as Wonhoe explained that it would be interesting only to "white and black" people.

Instead, we made our way up a steep, windy road to the top of some Korean mountain whose name I cannot remember at all. It was a great place to enjoy the smog. And the view of Seoul, of course.







From the mountain in the north end of Seoul, we made our way over to Gangnam, in the south end of Seoul. Traffic in the city's bad, but I have to say LA still wins the award for most congested roads.

(Samsung headquarters)

Since Janice had already shown me her favorite things about Seoul, Wonhoe wanted to show me (and Janice) "what guys like to do." The first thing on the list was a trip to the batting cages. I never got to find out what the rest of the list was because after the batting cages, Wonhoe had to meet a friend for dinner.

While we waited for Wonhoe, Janice and I hung out and ate at Dr. Fish. At the Dr. Fish cafe, every food or drink purchase gives you access to their extensive library (all in Korean and unfortunately Chon Hangung marul motaeyo) and an all-you-can-eat bread bar.






The piece de resistance, however, is the eponymous Dr. Fish. In actuality, there's not just one, but nearly a hundred Dr. Fish's. For an extra 2000 won, you can receive your very own treatment by these Dr. Fish's.

Just stick your feet into the pool...




And let the fish eat your feet!



It was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had being tortured.

Wonhoe ended up hanging out with us at Dr. Fish after his dinner, so I'll have to wait until next time for the next installment of What Guys Like to Do in Seoul.

Matters of "Seoul"

Lame pun, I know.

Upon entering Seoul, one would be hard-pressed not to notice the sheer number and frequency of crosses which not only appear throughout the city, but which appear in prominent places, often vying with high-rises and skyscrapers for real estate along the skyline. Only the number of churches in the state of Utah can rival the number of crosses dotting the Seoul cityscape!

According to a book I read (which, incidentally, did not cite any sources), roughly 25% of Korea is Christian, and most of those who are Christian are in the upper-class. Though the overall percentage is relatively low, the pervasiveness of Christianity here appears to be quite high because, I assume, it is espoused by people with power and influence. It's been somewhat shocking to see how overtly faith is manifested here, especially since I have been immersed in political correctness back in the US for so long.

Case in point: The academy I teach for is a Christian academy, and I was informed of this when I interviewed for the position. They offer subtle clues too, for those who haven't picked up on the affiliation, like the phrase "Light of the world" which is emblazoned on the academy's logo. Two Fridays ago, the last day of training before classes began, all of the teachers were informed that following training there would be a short blessing by the owner/director of the academy followed by a catered dinner. We were assured that they were not trying to convert anyone. Maybe something was lost in the translation.

What was supposed to be a half hour prayer/blessing for the teachers and the summer session was actually an hour and a half sermon by the director, who it turns out was a Messianic Christian. He poured over Bible verses for the duration of the sermon, at different points taking time to explain why "Yahweh" and "Yashua" were the only correct ways to refer to God and Jesus, and to add in "I hope no one here is going to hell." The sermon was followed by a time of passionate prayer, and the singing of numerous Korean hymns, sung most loudly by the director's wife and young daughter. Those of us teachers who were Christian went along with everything, but the non-Christian teachers later said the service was quite jostling for them.

I should take an aside to say that I am pleased with the way the academy is run- I was expecting the worst after hearing horror stories about other academies and even about unpleasantries with my specific academy- the service was the only moment of unexpectedness.

I later heard from a friend here in Korea that most of the directors of academies in the Seoul area are probably devout Christians. I told Janice about the service, and after she finished laughing, she remarked that at best, maybe someone would become Christian because of it. It's hard to say at this point, but the whole experience definitely led to further conversations about Christianity among the teachers.

Last Sunday, I went to the English service for Janice's church. She had told me that the church she went to was actually a branch of the main church, so I was expecting a medium-sized church with a handful of attendees to the English service. Instead, the church was a building roughly five stories high, and the English service had at least 200 people in attendance. It was almost surreal sitting in the service- I felt like I was back in Cornerstone in LA (Francis Chan's church), from the auditorium to the worship to the preaching. Not only that, it was encouraging to see just how much the church is thriving in Korea. Based on my visits to neighboring China and Japan, there seems to be a huge difference in spiritual climate between Korea and its neighbors. Because of that fact, and also because of the fact that Korea has historically been a "middleman" and conduit of ideas, I am inclined to view Korea and its Christianity as having much larger implications that I had previously thought.

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Now, for something completely unrelated:
Some of you may be wondering if a goshitel is a dorm, an apartment, or a hostel.

If I'm not mistaken, by definition a goshitel is a place where students live to study for their exams (i.e. the bar or its equivalent). In actuality, "goshitel" refers to a number of residences which are typically small, one-room spaces furnished at least with a desk. On the lower end, there's goshitels which are pretty much standing room only, with no bed, and inhabited by immigrants who are looking for work. On the other end, there are luxury goshitels which are equipped with private bathrooms and have a reasonable amount of floor space. So they can function as dorms or small apartments, but goshitels are really a different type of residence altogether.


Others of you may be wondering how I'm sleeping in my goshitel, with so many lights and possibly noises.

Luckily, my room doesn't have any windows, so the neon light display outside doesn't bother me at all. Since my room is close to the middle of the building, it's also pretty well insulated from street noise. I actually had to sign a contract before I moved in saying that I wouldn't slam my door, talk on the phone in my room, etc. since silence is virtually golden here.

The Land of Kimchi and Kimbap

Things have a way of balancing themselves out. My SAT Writing classes actually seem to be going as well as could have hoped for. My goal of learning Korean, however, has been going nowhere. Virtually all of my conversations with non-English speakers here has consisted of a combination of speaking English (which the listener obviously cannot understand), nodding, pointing, shaking my head, and saying "kamsahamnida". At the very least, I'll need to double my vocabulary of one Korean word if I hope to survive any longer.

At this point, I don't think I can give an accurate assessment of my job in its entirety. I've only taught two days, as Monday was the day students took their diagnostic SATs. Instead, I'll recount my impressions of something far less complex- the city of Seoul.

For those not picking up on the sarcasm, Seoul is actually quite complex, and strikingly different from what I had imagined it to be. I had expected a "Korean version of Tokyo," whatever that may have been. In many ways, Seoul is similar to Tokyo, but it's also a curious amalgamation of China and Japan. This makes sense, since geographically Korea sits between the two nations and has historically served as a "middleman" between the two countries. The city's also much denser than I had expected. Nearly everyone in Seoul lives in an apartment, and the high-rises continue as far as the eye can see. Pollution poses a definite problem, as smog is everywhere- understandable due to the high density of people. [The area I live in, Bundang, a suburb of Seoul, has fewer problems with pollution.] The streets of Seoul are jam-packed with people and the building-fronts are overflowing with restaurants, cafes, and shops. Speaking of food, one of the best things about Seoul is the cheapness of most types of food. I've had chicken kalbi cooked for me on a tabletop grill for less than $5. I discovered that a soft serve sets you back less than 50 cents. And I even found a sit-down Italian restaurant offering lunch specials for under $5 (no tip required). Somewhat confoudingly (at least initially), however, red meat and fruit seem to be more like luxury items here. At the market, I could only find small portions of meat for $20 and up, and fruits like apples average $1-2/each while a small pack of grapes cost me $3. Admittedly, these prices are nothing like Japan's, but considering the bargain rates of other foods, the fruit/red meat inflation is disappointing, especially because red meat is a staple of my diet.

[Edit 6/12: I've actually been frequenting a little vendor lady outside my subway stop who sells foot-long skewers of chicken and beef for less than a buck. I'm sure there's something wrong with the meat, but it tastes good at any rate.]

It amazes me that despite this drive to develop anywhere and everywhere, massive cultural and historical sites still remain in the city. This past weekend, Lil Kim took me to the Changdeokgung Palace which, at various points in history, served as the main palace of Korea.





We also passed through the Insadong market, a center for traditional arts and crafts and modern fashions.



Boiled moths- tasty!

It reminded me of similar areas from my trip to Japan.

Finally, we visited the Cheonggyecheon Stream, a recently reopened river meant to bring a sense of nature back to the city, and Seoul Plaza, an area for mass events like protests.


Outdoor movie screening along the stream. Offering fun, free things to do is a smart move, especially if you want to prevent crazy people from burning down your national treasures.



Seoul Plaza- Protesting sparked by President Ro's suicide



Free performance in Seoul Plaza

Finally, I'll leave you with a picture of the building my goshitel is in (8th floor).

Living Life Like Harry Potter/R Kelly

Tomorrow morning will mark the end of an era- as my alarm goes off and I rise out of bed, it will be the first time in two weeks I have woken up more than two consecutive days in the same place. As proof:

May 24, 25- Woke up in Young Orchard
May 26- Woke up in the Hampton Inn and Suites, downtown Providence

May 27- Woke up at Brian Lee's house
(just kidding)

May 28- Woke up (next to Brian Lee) in the North Carolina Best Western Smithfield InnMay 29, 30- Woke up at Alberto's house in MiamiMay 31, June 1- Woke up at David's old place in Providence

June 2, 3- Woke up at home in CA

June 4- Didn't sleep

June 5, 6- Woke up at Janice's family's apartment in Seoul

June 7, 8 (& 9)- Woke up in my goshitel in Bundang





As you can tell, my room is actually not that bad. True, it's about 7' x 6' x 8'. I had actually been expecting the worst, but this place is surprisingly livable. As an added bonus, there's free rice, ramen, and kim chi! The worst thing so far has been the mosquito that attacked me last night. We engaged in a fierce battle which I eventually won, but not before the mosquito got some good hits in. Hungry little bloodsucker.



At the very least, living in a goshitel/closet has given me a sincere appreciation for the plights of Harry Potter and R Kelly.