Strep Throat in Korea

Yes, from the title of this post, you can all guess that I've been sick! It's been going around my office, since my managers won't let people leave and get the rest they need and deserve when they're sick! They're making people stay at work with contagious diseases, and it's now spread throughout the entire staff. So, when we're all tired, cranky, and hardly functioning, they only have themselves to blame! Such is Korea.

The healthcare system here is great, though. I just get about 2% of my pay deducted each month, and I'm covered for any normal thing that could happen to me. It cost $3 to go to the doctor, and I didn't even need an appointment. Being a foreigner is a bonus, too, because they know me after just one visit! The doctor was wonderful, and he speaks very good English. Though, no words were really necessary, as he only looked at my throat for half a second before backing away! Being allergic to pennicillin is a great thing here because I got put on wonderdrugs instead. My strep throat cleared up in 3 days, where everyone else took over a week to recover. I am really grateful for that!

Pharmacies are amazing, as well. They package everything into dose-sized pouches. So, I'm on 3 medications, but I don't take them all everytime I'm supposed to take medicine. So, the pharmacy puts all of my morning pills for one day in a pouch, the afternoon pills in a pouch, and the evening pills in a pouch - FOR EACH DAY! So, for 3 days worth of medicine, I had 9 labeled pouches. This is what service should be like for everyone - no more fumbling through bottles trying to read the small print and open the child-proof caps! They're tear-open pouches! Wonderful! I did have to get a prescription for tylenol... I guess they don't sell that over-the-counter here in Korea. I know they have some type of Korean acetominophen, but not name-brand Tylenol!

Anyway, I've spent the weekend recovering and resting in my apartment. It was beautiful weather outside, too... I went to the farmers market and for short walks around town just to get some fresh air (well, as fresh as Korea gets around here). I'm all better, now, ready for the new week ahead!

The first REAL day of Fall

You know that feeling of the air biting you as the wind whips your hair into a mess. The first REAL day of Fall. Not the scientific start of Fall in September, but that first time you realize that Fall is here, and Summer is behind you. That was yesterday, and it was glorious! The first time you have to wear a warm jacket because it is actually cold (the other times were for mere comfort, but you would have been fine without). The first time you wake up to a chilly room and realize you might want to close your windows now. The first time the wind picks up and blows the clouds across the sky. In Korea, all buildings have a lobby with double doors that open to the rest of the world. Since I've been here, these doors have always been open, even in the rain. Yesterday, for the first time, the doors closed. Fall has announced its arrival. Every year, I forget how much I love the Fall... until it happens!

Scenes on the Street

It's time for another montage of pictures you'll only find in Korea!

This is a case, yes a CASE, of Spam sold at Walmart during Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). Chuseok is a time of gift-giving (instead of Christmas). I don't know what the fascination with Spam and this country is, but it's strange... Note that the light blue can is "Mild" Spam...???



Yes, people actually buy the Spam casses en masse... those 7 blue cases are Spam containers ready to be loaded onto a bus... Someone's family is super-lucky!





Another bit of merchandise from Walmart. Now, if it seems like Walmart is the only place that sells such strange things, don't be fooled. They're just the ones that don't care if I take pictures!







Every Sunday, the restaurant on the first floor of my building receives a shipment of vegetables. Now, in North America, would the FDA approve of veggies being stored on the street sidewalk?




What would you do with the cabbage on the street? What else but make kimchi ... on the street! Needless to say, I haven't eaten at this restaurant. I can't get over the street-grime!

Performing Arts in Seoul

The past month has been one of performances! I attended the Seoul Drum Festival in the beginning of October... loved it so much the first night that I had to go back the second! Then, I attended a performance in the Seoul Performing Arts Festival.... that was strange... billed as "A transvestite Alice in Wonderland meets a dwarf Little Prince." Who wouldn't be curious about that free performance? Below are video clips of both.


The Seoul Drum Festival ran from October 7-9. The setting was one of the many palaces in Seoul (a lesser-visited one), and it made for a very picturesque evening.



This first video is of a group from Belgium, New Dimension. They remind me of STOMP! in their use of non-conventional percussion instruments. For example, they use kneepads and chairs to create rhythm here.


If the video won't play in the blog, click New Dimension to access it!

The second video is also of New Dimension, this time using garbage cans!

Click New Dimension 2 if you can't see it on here!

This third video is of the Korea Percussion Orchestra doing Mozart. They are incredible.

Click Mozart if you can't see the video.

If you liked that, you'll like their version of Carmen, too!

Click Carmen if you can't see the video.

Finally, there was a Korean contemporary percussion group named Jamstick. Watch how they fly across the stage and are still able to play the flight of the bumblebee!

Click Jamstick if you can't see the video.


Now, onto the Seoul Performing Arts Festival. I found online a free performance of Alice. The following quotation directly from the website sums up my feeling on the performance: The result is that the audience is attracted into a world of integrated convergence by crossing the world of nonsense where lingual explanation is impossible. ( And, yes, lingual explanation was impossible!) For those of you who have seen or heard of "Les Petites Societies" you may understand the complete lack of understanding behind the art!

This first video is of the dwarf Little Prince (this is how it was billed) singing "Alice." At the end of the video, you can see the gigantic Alice, who was a person lifted up on a forklift with blue and white fabric draped down. Really... what?!!!!

Click dwarf Little Prince if you can't see the video.

Now, the dwarf Little Prince went into another song, during which two people dressed in black started to repel down the side of the building, which was partially cloaked with a white sheet. All of a sudden, they began to "dance" to the song.... again... what?!!

Click Repellers if you can't see the video.

I was thoroughly confused throughout the entire performance, as were the people around me! Nevertheless, it gives me a great memory of Seoul!

James and His Harem

A musical clacking sound came from somewhere within the Nuribang, like castanets, but in a Middle Eastern setting. Carved stone and pseudo-ivory lined the walls. Ornate wall furnishings and decorations with carved elephants and embellishments towered over us on all sides. Led down the hall and asked to remove our shoes, the 9 women and James scuffled in our bare feet or socks to the room. Two large platform beds with oversized pillows and elaborate canopies filled the space. Three weaved cushions were scattered on the floor. A basket of tambourines and marracas sat at the front of the room.

On the beds were three thick books. It was time to get started. With a push of a few buttons, the ambience grew more exciting. Music came blaring out of the speakers, a few of the girls started to dance, and then one of the Korean teachers picked up the microphone and began to sing along! Yes, folks - a Nuribang is a private Karaoke room! Equipped with an excellent sound system, two screens, a mirrored wall, and... wait for it.... a laser light show! After the semiannual workshop for my school, my director took several staff members out for dinner, drinks, and a bit of self-created entertainment! He bailed on us partway through dinner, but left our Vice Director, James, there to pay the bills! The setting was hilarious since he was the only male! It was James and his harem, for sure.

Nearly 2 km of stairs up a mountain

As the sticky season has just about ended, the mountain-hiking season has commenced. My first attempt to hike Inwansan a month ago was met with disaster. Poor air quality, high humidity, and intense sunlight caused me to abandon my quest before even reaching the halfway point. With burning lungs, I headed back down the stairs.

Saturday, I finally made it to the top. The humidity has gone, and the air quality was much better - I could see the whole city from the top of the mountain. The trek up the mountain: nearly 2 km of stairs! My butt was definitely worked! I actually made a pact with a friend to come hike the mountain every weekend - we are going to have the most toned glutes ever! Ha!


This picture is from a flat area after the first section of the ascent. If you look closely, you can see the path of stairs going up the mountain as it follows the telephone poles. The wall on the left is the reconstructed wall that once surrounded Seoul. Final destination: The tallest peak.


At this point, you can see part of Seoul through the trees. The views of the city are quite impressive as you get higher and higer up the mountain.


At some points, the stairs are as tall as my knees! The entire path in this section is lined with a rope.... just in case! I had to grab on several times when coming down.











At other times, the stairs aren't so defined... It's choose- your- own- footing time!

I'm on top of the world!

Views of Seoul from the top of the mountain

Update on Work

Chaos: the perfect description for the past few days and probably the next few. The Korean school year begins in March, so September is the semester break. We don't have a vacation at this time, but classes change on September 1st. I went from teaching 5 disctinct courses in the afternoon (I taught each course to more than one class of students, but I only had to plan for 5 courses) to teaching 8 different courses, all of which are more intensive and require more planning! I didn't receive my books for the courses until yesterday, which didn't leave much time to wrap my head around these new classes. So I felt a bit like that headless chicken today.
Our afternoon schedule is broken up into 3 blocks of classes. A distinct group of students comes to the school for each block, and they sit through 2 classes in that block. I'm used to teaching the same course twice in one block (to 2 different classes). So, in one day, I only have to prepare for 3 courses. Now, I only have that situation during one of the blocks. During the other blocks, I teach different courses each period. Meaning I have to prep for 5 courses everyday. It's a HUGE difference! I'm teaching more reading classes now, though, which I'm quite excited about.

The big news for me is that I earned a promotion to Kindergarten Supervisor. I will be responsible for curriculum management and new teacher training on top of my regular morning teaching duties. It comes with a wonderful (ha!) raise of 50,000 Won a month (a whole $50! I know, I know - don't spend it all in one place!). Money is not the incentive to take the position - now I have the authority to implement some programs/practices that I've been anxious to see across the board. We'll see how it goes. Today was my first "official" day as Supervisor. Slowly, I'll manipulate things to work my way (I'm the only trained early childhood teacher on staff).

I'm looking forward to the weekend - it will be a nice relief from the chaotic atmosphere of work the past few days. Though, I do have a rather large pile of books staring at me.... I feel like I'm back in school with all of these textbooks laying around and no time to read for pleasure! That's an exaggeration. I do have plenty of downtime. In fact, a mountain is calling my name, wanting to be hiked tomorrow. A bit cooler now, the sticky season seems to have ended. Thank GOODness!

In case you haven't noticed, I've placed a link on the right to my online photo albums. On this site, I've posted the most interesting photos to tell of my adventures concisely. If you have any interest in perusing hundreds of photos (or you need to kill some time), click on the links to see more. Unfortunately, the first 3 I uploaded did not upload the descriptions. There are just too many photos to go through and re-do it. I'll be more careful from here on out.

I'll leave you with some photos of Hwajeong! Anyeonghikasayo!



My apartment building

I live on the 3rd floor, which is the floor right above all of the signs. You can't see my window, as I face the back of the building (and can have a conversation with the neighbors in the building across the narrow alley). On the 2nd floor, there is a Kumdo studio. This is a form of martial arts that I highly recommend googling (it's worth looking at the photos!... Imagine my face when I went to see what it was all about and saw strange figures dressed in hooded robes, metal masks, and large sword-like sticks!).

The entrance to my work building is a large ad for the Gestapo Hof Bar. WHAT???? This makes me laugh daily. I work in a building with a Nazi bar. Sad, sad, sad.

My work building at night (when I get off work). Notice the blue POLY written on one of the higher floors (the 7th). This is a view of the side of the building. The windows under the Y are those of the computer room. My room is around the corner to the left.

The "center" of town... at least, the transit hub. The structure in front of you is the top of the subway station. I go down into the bit with the curved roof on the left. The square fountain in front has only been active once since I arrived. There is a homeless man who lives in a tent that sells interesting, abstract paintings here in the plaza. After payday, I'm considering making a purchase... as a conversation piece if nothing else!

The main drag at night. We have dubbed it "Rodeo," as it's a pedestrian zone full of shops. This is a pretty typical Korean suburb, with the neon lights and busy pathways. Everything here is open quite late, so there are people milling about until well after midnight. This photo was taken close to 10pm on a weekday.