A Weekend in Seoul

Well, it’s approximately 3 days until my next birthday. Which will bring me to the end of year 40 and my two year time frame to do “40 New Things.”   This past weekend provided me the opportunity to ensure that I have reached the goal, just under the wire!  So, without further ado….here is the final four.

37.  Seoul Art Center and Leem Museum of Art.

After looking through a “Korea Travel Guide” I received from my recruiter, I decided on visiting a couple of museums . I got to see some cool and interesting art, some historical pieces of Korean pottery, and some art work that just made me scratch my head and wonder how it classifies as art.  I even got to meet the daughter of the artist featured in one of the exhibits.  Good times  Neat fun. Really!

38. Greek Food in Korea.

Nine years ago this week (was it really 9? Crazy!) I was in Greece with some good friends studying Multicultural Issues in Family Counseling, celebrating multiple birthdays of classmates on the trip (including my own), eating authentic Greek Food and drinking red wine.  This weekend I went to Itaewon, the “foreigner district” in Seoul and decided on Greek food for dinner.  I ate grilled fish with an appetizer of Spanakopita and Tzatziki. It was quite good, but being that this is Korea, it also came with a pickle and some sort of pickled cabbage something or other. And salsa. I have come to terms that pickled something comes with most meals. Pickle after a slice of pizza actually helps cut the greasy taste/feeling. But the salsa with Greek food leaves me wondering. I have no idea.

39.  Being hit on waiting for the train. Subway adventures.

First of all let me say that, given the right circumstance, I would probably be willing to give my number to a guy I just met on the subway. Let me reiterate, given the right circumstance. I actually had three conversations with men on the underground this weekend. First was with a man who gave an offer of help as I was looking at the map on the wall trying to figure out where my exit up into the city above was. He was nice. And he had the sense to realize that his level of English and my level of Korean were not going to get us anywhere. Nice to meet you. Thanks for your help. Bye.

Second was with a Football player from Cameroon. I actually started this conversation. Maybe it’s just me, but there is something about seeing another foreigner here that seems to forge an instant bond. Unless the other person only stares at you in ways that even the Korean Ajummas and Ajeossis don’t, or avoids eye contact with you like the plague. Okay, so that’s probably unfair. I don’t always talk to every foreigner I run into either. But I do have that sense that I could if I wanted to.  We had a nice little chat for a few minutes and then I got off at my stop.

The third one, however, takes the cake. I was looking at the subway app on my phone. Just trying to figure out my route. Out of nowhere I hear this voice asking me a question. The conversation went something like this:

Him: “Where are you from?”  – It was a very intense ‘where are you from.’

Me: The U.S., Florida.

Him: I have an American friend

Me: Oh really?

He repeats himself.

Him: Do you need help?

Me. No, thank you. Have you visited America.

Him. I’m Korean.

Me: (slower and with gestures this time) No, have you visited America?

This continues for a few rounds. He never did understand what I was trying to ask him.  After I gave up on trying to make small talk there was just silence. He did not go away and just stood there staring at me. After what felt like endless uncomfortable silence…

Him: Do you speak English?

Me: Um, yes?

More uncomfortable silence and attempts at conversation, asking me the same “can I help you” question until the train finally arrives. But no rest for the weary, because he was determined. He stood by me on the train. I couldn’t leave to go sit because there was nowhere to sit. Then he starts saying something to me in Korean. I continue to say in both English and Korean “I don’t understand you.”  He either didn’t understand me or didn’t believe me. Finally, in English, he manages to ask me for my “Korean number.”

Me: Sigh. No.

Finally, he gets the idea and leaves. I do give him props. It’s not easy to walk up to a stranger and ask her for her digits.  I’ll be the first to admit that my flirting skills are minimal. I can’t remember the last time a man asked me for my phone number. Okay, well, maybe I can..but this was one of the most uncomfortable conversations/situations I’ve found myself in with a person of the opposite sex in a while.  I’m sure he is probably a nice person. But my woman’s intuition was in high gear. Kick it up to 11. Stranger Danger.

Dear Jesus, can you please put a nice guy who loves you and likes me in my path? And if English isn’t his first language, can you please make sure he is fluent enough that we can have actual conversations? That would be really nice. Thanks. Amen.

 

And finally…..

40.  The Love Boat. I mean, Motel.

Love Motels. They are a thing. And they are exactly what you think they are.  Some people, like me, do use them for things like sleeping, or business trips and such. I think the fact that I stayed in one deserves the final and top spot of my 40 things list. But mostly they are for the other thing. I saw more than one drunk Ageossi in front of the hotel or in the hallway this weekend.

If that’s not clear as mud. Let me submit this photo. What do you see here with your complimentary tea and coffee that you wouldn’t at an ordinary hotel?

Frankly, the deciding factor for me in choosing this hotel was location (it was near where we were supposed to meet for the DMZ tour which got cancelled) and the fact that there was a bathtub, which I don’t have in my one room.

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And just a few other pictures of the amenities provided in my room at this fine establishment.

Yes, I’m watching The Avengers.

 

And just for fun, a Bonus.

41.  Sometimes, it takes you years to reach and realize your goals. I’ve been working on this list for two years. Sometimes,  goals are reached much sooner.  One of the places I went to go see this weekend was described in the guide book as “a picturesque gingko-tree lined street.” I don’t know what I was expecting. Something more park-like I think. All it was was exactly what the book said. A tree lined street.

Sometimes, your goals take years of dedication and hard work to accomplish. Sometimes, you know in all of about two seconds that you’ve seen all there is to see.

 

[And that’s all she wrote. Not really, but this brings this project to a close. I will continue to write my Korea updates on my theadventurous1 blog. See you there!]

28 through 36.

So, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything here, or on the Korea blog. I’ll probably do most of my writing there. But in order to not completely abandon this page, and so I can keep better track of reaching my “40 new things in two years” goal, I will at least make a list of the new things I’ve done since February with short comments if needed.

28.  Made a purchase at a Pawn Shop. – This was before I left and the purchase was a new to me laptop. It’s done it’s job, for the most part. But I can’t say I’m 100% happy with the purchase. That’s not to say I’m not grateful for it. I am.

29.  Total travel time: Two Days. – I’ve made long trips before as a kid when we lived overseas. But this one was probably about 3 times as long. 3 legs, the longest of which was 14 hours. No, I will not be going home for Christmas. Jeju-Island anyone?

30. Seoul Subways. – Not too much to say here. It was actual fairly easy, but I can also see how it would be easy to get lost.  There was one transfer which if I’d been alone the first time I may have gone the wrong way.

31 & 32 – Cherry Blossom Festival & Donghaksa Temple.  – The Cherry Blossoms in full bloom are amazing. Walked through a very large National Park where the temple is located. The main building was actually closed/under construction, but there were other buildings and things to see there.

33. Kimchi. More than one would think is possible to eat. Its not bad. I prefer the radish kimchi. You can put any new food I’ve tried in this category.

34.  Learning the language. – Have I written about this one before? I’ve learned other languages before. But even when I was in Haiti I don’t think I got to the point where I needed it to function. I’m still very raw and basic in my abilities. I’ve said I feel like a functional illiterate. It’s hard. Mostly because I can be a bit of a chicken and it’s scary to try. But I have to.

35. Miso. – Miso is a Korean Musical. There was lots of dancing, some singing, and arguably the best drum-line I’ve ever seen or heard in my life.

36.  Bug Larve.  – I know I put food in a category already, but this one deserves a line of it’s own. Yes, I said food. Larve was tried and found to be not to my liking. Blech.

So, there are probably more, but this pretty much bring me up to where it’s at. I’ll write more details about my first two months here in S. Korea at http://theadventurous1.wordpress.com/

Eyebrow…..Threading!

Those of you who know me well know how long it took me to even consider getting my eyebrows waxed, let alone try anything else. Once I did it, I liked it and have continued to do so when needed. Today, as I was working on getting a few last minute things taken care of before I move to Korea, I stopped at the mall and wanted to get my brows waxed while there.

When it was my turn to sit in the chair, I looked over and the lady had something resembling a string in her hands. What the Farkle? Long story short, today I had my first experience with getting my eyebrows threaded, and my chin. I’m not going to lie, it was fairly painful. I’m not sure I could do it again, but I do like the results. I’ll have to consider it.

This should be about 27 of 40. 13 more to go between now and June 2015.

The Menstrual Cup

I don’t really even know where to begin on this one. I will try to write without being too…whatever. Basically, if you are female and have a menstrual cycle, you need to try a menstrual cup! I first learned about them approximately 5 years ago. I didn’t try one until just recently. What in the world was I waiting for? Apparently I was waiting for moving to South Korea.

I’m pretty sure this thing is going to be life changing. There are plenty of blogs and YouTube videos out there which you can search for to learn more. I don’t think there is a need for me to go into too much detail here since there is a plethora of information out there. But what kind of friend would I be if I don’t at least tell you about them! Try it. Now.

Selling All of My Stuff

As you can imagine, there is a lot to do in a short amount of time before I move across the globe. One thing being, I am trying my utmost to sell everything. I mean all of it! I didn’t really debate storage. I don’t want to deal with that. What’s the point? The contract is for a year, but I really don’t know what will happen in 2016. A year is going to fly by and if I want to stay I really don’t want the stress of having to think about keeping things in storage. The operative word being ‘things.”

I was reminded of the story of Jesus in the Bible when he says to the man, “sell everything you have an follow me.” The man couldn’t do it. He had too much stuff. I don’t want my attachment to things (because let’s face it, I do like things as much as the next person. I am human.) to keep me from being able to “go” and to really live my life.

So, hello Craigslist! So far I’ve sold two items of furniture. I only have about a week and a half left to get it all gone. I’ll be having a yard sale next week. Hopefully I’ll get rid of most everything then. Two days of sell, sell, sell, and then up to my mom’s for a week before I head out.

Key point of this being on my new things list is that I am trying to sell everything.

The Singing Christmas Tree

This past Christmas I had the opportunity to go hear/see our local Singing Christmas Tree. This kind of thing has been around for a while, but it was a first for me. It was a fun concert. Appearances by Fat Elvis, Bollywood dancing, and Jesus (of course).

Thanks for the ticket, Teri!

My friend Teri is on the right. The person on the left is another friend of hers who, for the life of me, I can’t remember her name. No pictures of me, though.

The “You’re Going to Korea?” Story

This entry will cover about 5 items on the ‘new things’ list. None of them were on the original list of ideas when I started out. I’m going to talk about K-Dramas, EPIK,  Skype interviews, Hangul/ learning Korean, and teaching ESL.

It all starts when, after months of seeing friends on FB post about their favorite Korean Drama TV programs, I decided to give one a try.  Several days later I emerged from the vortex! The first one I watched was The Greatest Love and it was well worth the watch.

As I found myself watching more and more, I decided that it would cool if I actually knew some Korean and maybe I wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on subtitles. This lead me to look for language learning information. One site I found, which I highly recommend, is talktomeinkorean.com.  I also found myself watching numerous YouTube videos made by ESL teachers who were already living and teaching in Korea. The more I watched the videos the more I found myself thinking “I used to be a teacher, that looks fun, I can do that!”   It really wasn’t too much later that I had submitted my application via a recruiter, Korvia Consulting.

EPIK stands for English Program in Korea. Basically it is a program through the Korean government through which native English speakers are placed in public schools to teach English.  I have come to understand that the program has been downsizing quite a bit over the past few years and don’t hire nearly as many teachers as they used to. It is very competitive and I am quite fortunate to be going.

I had two interviews, once with the recruiter and one with EPIK itself. Both interviews were through Skype. I won’t say too much about it  other than it was a somewhat surreal experience to be interviewing via Skype at 9 o’clock at night.

So, back to the learning Korean “thing.”  I also ordered a workbook and have gone through the whole thing, as well as the first level offered through the website I mentioned earlier. I think I’ve done okay, but you really can’t tell until you have a real opportunity to use it. Which I haven’t.

As far as teaching goes, while I have spent years in the education field, as a teacher and in other roles, I have never taught ESL. So, there isn’t much to say right now. I’m sure I’ll have lots to say in the future.

So, now you know. That, my friends, is the short version.  All of this happened in just a few months. You can read more details about it on the blog I’ve started to document my time in Korea.  The Adventurous One.

Fondue Fun

This will be a much more fun post than the one I just wrote, but it is also about food! When I turned 40 last year I decided that I wanted to go eat somewhere I had never been before. I debated between The Melting Pot and Colorado Fondue.  I went with Colorado Fondu.

My mother came down to help me celebrate ‘the big four-oh.” I had a party and made dinner for all friends who were able to make it. But back to fondue.  Since you can order one meal for two people, my mother and I shared. I chose the vegetarian plate. It was so yummy! But let me tell you, there was SO MUCH FOOD! We would have been just fine with the appetizer and dessert only option. No entree. I will remember this for next time, for sure!

Food Stamps and Pantries

If my count is correct, this post brings us up to ‘thing 16 & 17.”  These things are certainly not anything I really want to write about. Nor were they in the plan of the kinds of things I wanted to add to my “40 New Things” list.  I’ve put off writing about it for so long that I couldn’t tell you the exact date I had to humble myself to make use of these two things.  But it was definitely in the time frame of the two years I gave myself for said new things.

I’m not sure which was harder. Going to the food pantry down the road, or applying for food stamps.  Maybe they were both equally hard. Neither were easy.  You don’t think when you graduate with your Master’s Degree that a few years later you will be so broke that in order to feed yourself it comes to this.  A Master’s was supposed to make things easier.  It hasn’t, but that is another story.

I will leave my thoughts about it at this. If you have never found yourself in the position to have to use either of the two services named in the title of this post, you really might want to keep your opinion to yourself. It takes an awful lot of pride swallowing to ask for that kind of help.

I have more thoughts, which I will keep to myself. This is not the place for them. It was hard. I had to use the food stamps for about 1 year. I hated doing it and probably should have continued to use them a little longer but my pride couldn’t take it anymore.  It’s been at least a year since I used either.

Now I am getting ready to follow a great opportunity which will take me out of the country.  I hope to be able to really get focused on paying off the monster amount of grad school loans I have.  Note to anyone thinking about going back to school. Do yourself a favor and take the slow route and pay as you go. You’ll thank me for it later if you do, I promise.

My “Senior Discount” at Dunkin’ Doughnuts

I actually wrote this in a Word Document when it happened in June of 2014. I just never got around to posting it on the site. So, the date of posting is actually about 7 months after this occurred and I wrote the entry.

***

The Big Four-Oh is looming closer and closer. From the writing of this entry, it’s less than 48 hours away. Last week, I was going about my business. Driving from appointment to appointment when I was overcome with the craving for a chocolate eclair and a big glass of ice water. When part of your job is driving around in the heat for a good chunk of your day ice water is always a good idea. Especially living in Central Florida.
Anyway, I knew I would be driving by a Dunkin’ Doughnuts. Generally speaking I am not a fan of Doughnuts at all. Let alone to stop at a DD for a tasty pastry. But stop I did, and I was rewarded with another first. Not a first I was planning on being a part of my “40 things to do” list. But it is on the list now, like it or not. As the young whipper snapper rang up my purchase, I noticed what was listed on the register. What I saw surprised me in such a way that I actually felt at a loss for words. I stumbled over what to say next, if anything at all. What did I notice, you ask? “SENIOR DISCOUNT, 10%” Wha – Huh?
I have always bee one who looks young for her age. Up until the past five years or so, this has always bothered me. I think there has only been one other instance of being mistaken for older than my years. I can’t recall specifics but it must have traumatized me because I seem to have blocked it out.
When I finally did point it out after what felt like forever, but was probably only mere seconds, her response was a brief pause followed by “Oh, I give everybody the discount.” Okay. Perhaps so, because as I sat in the restaurant waiting for it to be time to drive to my next appointment and eating my eclair there did seem to be an abundance of actual senior citizens make their way through the store.
So, literally one week shy of turning 40….at 39 years of age. First Senior Discount. Party on Wayne, and party one Garth!