Leaving Life Like Harry Potter/R Kelly

To echo the feelings expressed in my "Part 1 Complete" post in July, I still can't believe how well everything came together this summer. My 12 weeks in Korea were a senior trip, study abroad, and summer job all rolled into one. Working for Hoyah Academy had its ups and downs- the staff there seemed to have good intentions, but they definitely didn't give me the number of hours they had promised back in May. Still, the positive aspects of teaching SAT this summer were plentiful. Working with high school students brought me back to my days as a secondary schooler, and I was able to get a taste of the idealism and relative innocence that accompanied that time. Teaching students about classic novels and U.S. history actually ended up teaching me why literature and history are so important, as the works and events I explained to my classes seemed so much more important and profound than when I first learned about them in high school. In a sense, teaching these ideas validated my high school and college educations, as it confirmed that my time in high school had presented all of the facts I needed to know to be an informed citizen, and my time in college had equipped me with the perspective and mind to be able to interpret and value these facts.

I had three primary goals for this trip:
1) To build up some savings so that I would be able to survive during my unemployed/minimum wage period
2) To hang out with friends in Korea
3) To see and experience Korea

All of these goals came to fruition, and even exceeded my expectations. Alas, my fourth goal of learning Korean will have to wait for another day.

A Best of List for future reference:
Best All-around Store: Homeplus


Homeplus was just two blocks away from my goshitel, and I ended up shopping there at least twice a week. Not only did they boast a grocery section with an abundance of samples and slashed prices after 7 pm everyday, they also sold clothes, electronics, umbrellas, and anything else you could possibly need for the lowest prices around. I recently found out it's primarily owned by British company Tesco, with a minority share held by Samsung.

Best Historical Site: Hwaseong Haenggung and Namhansanseong (tie)
The trip to Gyeongju was a blast, but mostly because it was a chance to get out of Seoul and also because of the company. I'd have to say Hwaseong Haenggung, which is right outside of Seoul, tops my list because of the vividness of the newly reconstructed building and the opportunity to make traditional Korean crafts, foods, and dress up in traditional Korean armor for less than $2 each. Namhansanseong isn't comprised of particularly beautiful buildings, but the way it was integrated into the mountains, the view it provides, and the 1700s town nestled in the center of the valley make this fortress a must-see.

Best "Bang" (room): Tossup
This category is too tough to call. While the PC-bang was a fun, cheap way to partake in the Korean national pasttime of Starcraft, the jjimjilbang was also a relatively cheap way to relax and get everything flowing again. And no trip to Korea would be complete without the noraebang, especially since the K-pop songs offered there are hardly as ubiquitous outside of the country.


Best Ddukbokki: The Lady in the Gangnam Dumpster
If you're ever at Gangnam station, to find "dumpster ddukbokki lady," you'll need to exit from Exit 7, make a right before the CGV movie theater, then make a left at the first street. The ddukbokki lady will be in a dumpster-looking apparatus which actually unfolds like a Transformer to become a food stand. I never met a ddukbokki I didn't like, but the slightly firm consistency of DDL's chewy rice cakes and her sauce which was a perfect blend of sweet barbequey sauce and chili paste elevated her ddukbokki to perfection.

Best Weekend Activity: Dr. Fish
I was tempted to say Lotte World, which was surprisingly fun considering it's just a big rip-off of Disneyland with some Korean elements thrown in, but Dr. Fish has to be the most memorable weekend activity for me. All-you-can-eat bread, fifteen minutes of tickle torture, and a pedicure that really rids your feet of dirt and callouses. All for only $1.80.

Most Serious Threat to Masculinity: Manbags

In Korea (and other Asian countries), many boyfriends will carry their girlfriends' purses. Yet a strangely high number of Korean males already have their own purses or manbags. This is bad enough in itself, but when a guy carries his girlfriend's purse in addition to his own, the result is a total invalidation of his masculinity.

I'll leave you with some parting shots of my home for 12 weeks:


Goodbye to the washroom where I'd brush teeth by hand
Or floss or wash my face, or do things I needed to do
The singular thing I just can't understand
Is why the place always smelled like kimchi mixed with poo



So long to the laundry room that helped me a lot
Whenever I needed to clean my work attire
I could dry my clothes quickly when the temperature was hot
But though I looked long and hard, I could not find a dryer



Farewell to the kitchen where I cooked all my meals
And ate my free rice, and sometimes kimchi and ramen
But using the stove could be a tiring ordeal
That made me long for the days when my kitchen had an oven

Adios little shower with your water pressure so low
That made washing off unbelievably slow


I bid adieu to the water filter which spewed water so cold


And to my dark shoe cubby where those shoes could grow mold


Bye bye to the trash cans, all lined up in a row
though what to dump in which can I never did know
For though I did learn to read the characters of Hangul
I never knew meanings, for I was a fool

A final goodbye to my goshitel or closet
Give me a second to decide what to posit
For all the cool times, the hot times, and the cramped times too
All I can say is that I will miss you


Thanks to all the readers of this blog, and especially for the words of encouragement. Without that, I probably wouldn't have continued writing.

I have a feeling I'll end up in Korea again some day, and when that happens you can be sure this Korean look-alike will be reporting once again from a closet. Until then, good night.