Shylock in Korea |
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Wherein I share my experiences teaching English and living in South Korea. Won't you please leave a comment so I'll know you've been here? visit and read
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Tuesday, October 08, 2002
Sunday, September 08, 2002
Saturday, September 07, 2002
09.07.02 | korea | day 186 | saturday Big changes are in store at shylockorea. Soon the address will change to shylockutah.blogspot.com (you may visit the site now though it's incomplete), everything will be centralized, and I'll post my pictures in a photo gallery. Hooray! Sunday, September 01, 2002
Friday, August 30, 2002
Thursday, August 29, 2002
08.30.2002 | korea | day 178 | friday Weight loss. What a great thing. The latest visit to the scale shows a loss of 2 kilos (4.4 lbs.) in just two weeks! I have expended considerable energy trying to understand just how did and does it continue to happen? I think it's the culmination of a hundred daily decisions, made consistently over a period of time. But specifically what about the areas people tend to focus on in the whole weight management equation? Such as...
Since the usual suspects don't explain it, here's my revolutionary thought as to what might be one if not THE biggest variable contributing to my plummeting body mass and the ruination of my extensive Big & Tall wardrobe: milk.
Yes, milk. That wonderful milky fluid, milk. For as long as I can remember, wait, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah, my new physique. Actually I was talking about milk. For as long as I can remember, I've managed to guzzle 2-3 gallons of skim milk a week. Consistently. Then I came to Korea where, unfortunately, it's not available in large containers and, though I've seen ads promoting civic responsibility in supporting Korea's two dairy farmers, I've managed to skate through the last six months (SIX MONTHS!) by drinking probably less than two gallons! This wasn't a conscious choice, just happenstance. I've always loved milk and I thought ,since I was drinking skim, that quantity wasn't an issue but now I wonder, because of all the variables I've considered, this represents perhaps the most dramatic departure from my previous habits. Is it possible this radical drop in my dairy intake could be responsible for my dramatic weight loss? Wednesday, August 28, 2002
08.29.2002 | korea | day 177 | thursday Some time ago I arranged to do a language exchange with a student at Kangwon University in town. His name is Yoon Hyun-sung but he goes by his family name of Yoon for short. A friend of an acquaintance works in the English Department on campus and she found Yoon for me based on his English language skills, which are superior, and his interest in improving them - he's studying to take the TOEFL test for the third time. This is an important English language benchmark test which is used, among other things, as a university placement tool in Korea. His scores have been excellent the previous two times he's taken it but he wants to take again to further improve his chances of transferring to a better school. Now for a list of things we have in common - they're spooky. Like I did, Yoon is majoring in English, and based on his appreciation for Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, he adopted, long before we met, the English name of Richard! Wow! That's the list. I never said it was a long list, just a spooky list. S P O O K Y ! Our plan is to meet twice a week for an hour at a time - one hour studying Korean and the other studying English. I'm thrilled at our fortuitous meeting as we share the common interest of English literature and it appears our alliance is already bearing fruit: today he helped me find and register for a beginning Korean language course which will be taught on the Kangwon University campus twice a week, for 1 hour and 40 minutes at a time, for twelve weeks, for 140,000 won (about $112). I'm full of optimism. 08.28.2002 | korea | day 176 | wednesday If a tree in a forest falls and nobody is there to hear it, will the UN World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg still manage to blame it on American wealth? Tuesday, August 27, 2002
08.27.2002 | korea | day 175 | tuesday Is there a place alongside a pursuit of spiritual goals for assertive, even aggressive pursuit of temporal goals? Must one sacrifice such trivial things as charity to compete with others who appear to hold no such standards? After recently receiving a tougue-lashing from a co-worker over some problems that could have been rationally discussed and easily resolved, I found myself succumbing to self-doubt and realized I was at a crossroads. Should I grant a victory to the negative voices in my head, become immobile for fear of offending yet another poor, magnanimous soul, fade away, and acquiesce to those around me with harsher tongues and stronger wills? Or should I instead write such people off as jealous, self-centered hypocrites with nothing but destructive, ulterior motives? I choose neither. They aren't in my nature, contrary to what some might think. To allow others such dominion over my behavior grates on my nerves and while I acknowledge it may indicate a need for greater humility, I can't see past standing up to gross mischaracterizations of my behavior or personality. Rather I must conclude I have no choice if I am to remain faithful to my own mores but to filter out the harsh language and its symptomatic self-doubt, review my behavior and make necessary changes in light of divine principles, re-examine my long-term objectives, renew my efforts to obtain them, and alternate distracting voices be damned! Sunday, August 25, 2002
08.25.2002 | korea | day 173 | sunday What few entries I've written about my recent 12-day trip to China have been moved to a new blog at shylockchina. More posts to come soon, I promise. Friday, August 23, 2002
08.24.2002 | korea | day 172 | saturday On August 16 I penned the following: Let me take this opportunity to remind the Rupert-ian that it was a humble Provo boy, who only lives to serve others and bring happiness to the world, who was the David to his Backgammon Goliath and that said Provoan is still waiting, patiently, for his Championship t-shirt. :P Allow me to step out from behind the mask and tip my hat to said Rupert-ian for his retort which also follows. (I include it here as the comments on this blog have a habit of disappearing.) I'm aware that most people won't appreciate the genius buried within the text. That's most peoples' loss. The revised story of David and Goliath - as disillusionedly referred to by [Shylock], but truthfully penned by an Oremite with four kids: Priceless. Thursday, August 22, 2002
08.22.2002 | korea | day 170 | thursday I made a crazy mad dash to Incheon this morning - no small feat - to meet Brian who was on his way home and return a duffel bag of extraneous items he didn't want to tote around the mainland for his last two weeks in the country. Generous guy that I am, I offered to do this to save him the hassle of yet another long train ride. What should have been a mere six hour round trip circuit on trains and subways grew to eight hours by the end because of a missed train in the morning and a wrong subway line taken from Seoul to Suwon instead of Incheon. Subsequently I missed two hours of class in the afternoon but the director was understanding and helpful enough to find a substitute and I returned in the nick of time to teach my remaining two hours. In Incheon we had time for a Koreanized Chinese meal in Chinatown across the street from the subway station - bokum-bop, mandu, and chow mein. We then wound our way up the steep granite steps on the hillside to two stunning monuments. The first was the Korea USA Centennial Monument dedicated in 1982 to commorate 100 of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. Six flying steeples, angled inward and encased in steel shingles, sheltered the square, and two enormous, bronze circular abstractions, looped together stood in the center. Built overlooking the Incheon harbor, they seemed a fitting complement to the better known monument ensconced further up the hill, about ten minutes by foot: the statue of General Douglas MacArthur. After a bit of trouble we found the small park that serves as the grounds for this flattering monument. I failed to notice the dedication date of the site but the grounds were well kept and we encountered a small crowd of local old men under a small pavilion, likely engaged in a game of "badook" as they sought shelter from the steady rain that was pestering us with our one umbrella. The simple 12 foot granite column upon which the simple bronze statue of MacArthur stood, dressed casually in a windbreaker and hat and sporting binoculars, belies the grand language in the plaque at the base in which is explained the reason for this tribute to America's five star general and Korean War hero. Words like "genius," "inspired," and "eternal gratitude" described the man and the invasion he led at Incheon which led to the eventual liberation of South Korea as well as the way Koreans feel or should feel about the role the United States and other UN forces played in defending their liberties. Phrases like "the malignant scourge of Communism" and "the eventual reunification of Korea" offer commentary on the still existing division and hoped for resolution of atrocities that senselessly divided this small peninsula. Quite an approbation to a leader and his country. Tuesday, August 20, 2002
07.28.2002 | china | day three | sunday {This post has been moved to shylockchina. Thanks for your interest.} Monday, August 19, 2002
08.19.2002 | korea | day 167 | monday a china/korea gripe The worst thing about China: all the second-hand smoke I had to inhale! Korea is bad in contrast to the States but something about China makes Korea feel like a ward social. Although almost all men smoke in both countries (I've seen very few women smoke), China just seems worse. After 4 or 5 days in the country I lost the patience I've had over the last five months and became more than a little irrated whenever a cab driver or someone at a nearby table would light up. I've seen a t-shirt in Seoul that I'm tempted to buy: one man asks another man, "Mind if I smoke?" and the other responds, "Mind if I fart?" I'll admit to having more than my fair share of 'gastrointestinal pressures' but I do what I can to avoid giving offense to others. Is it too much to ask that smokers do the same? I advocate their freedom of choice and I am opposed to the tactics of the anti-smoking zealots in America in spite of my religion but enough is enough. I feel the need to rant because a day or two ago I was stuck next to a chain smoker in a PC room who felt the need to blare some annoying Korean music on his computer while I had to breath his smoke as I courteously listened to Rush Limbaugh with headphones! It's his right and no one was stopping me from leaving but I still got annoyed. So I unplugged the headphones, allowed Rush to blare from the speakers, and gave the green light to my 'repressed intestinal energy' and within five minutes he left, visibly annoyed. Hooray! Chalk one up to reciprocal rudeness as a solution to societal problems! Sunday, August 18, 2002
08.18.2002 | korea | day 166 | sunday When I was teaching my Housewives class on Friday I told them about my weight loss. They asked how much I'd lost. I had to tell them in kilograms and since one kilogram is about 2.2 pounds, I told them I'd lost 4 Kg which is 8.8 pounds (at the time I didn't realize I'd actually lost 10.4 pounds!). They were so impressed - one woman piped up and told me I'd lost a baby! Hilarious! I countered by saying I'd be happy if I could lose 2 or 3 more babies. I have a lot of fun teaching them - once a week for two hours. They show so much concern for my welfare that I often tell them they are my 12 Korean mothers. The topic of discussion for the day included a page in the textbook about a fortune teller. That led into a class discussion comparing American and Korean supersititions. Here are some of the more memorable ones I can remember:
Friday, August 16, 2002
08.17.2002 | korea | day 165 | saturday Today I enthusiastically and egocentrically announce that I have lost 10.4 pounds since arriving in Korea 5 1/2 months ago! Try in vain to imagine how ecstatic I am. 08.16.2002 | korea | day 164 | friday A certain BYU graduate living in Orem with four children, endless church callings, more coins than he knows what to do with, an affinity for a vampire named Buffy, a penchant for college football and volleyball, and the past holder of the title: BYU Intramural Backgammon Champion, recently disparaged the "Comments" on my blog. He noticed they all clump together and don't adhere to the entries they're meant to address. I'm working on the problem and should have it fixed soon. And let me take this opportunity to remind the above mentioned Rupert-ian that it was a humble Provo boy, who only lives to serve others and bring happiness to the world, who was the David to his Backgammon Goliath and that said Provoan is still waiting, patiently, for his Championship t-shirt. :P Wednesday, August 14, 2002
08.15.2002 | korea | day 163 | thursday Yet another holiday today; what a great country. It's Liberation Day, celebrated on August 15 in "memory of the Japanese acceptance of the Allied terms of surrender in 1945." Monday, August 12, 2002
08.12.2002 | korea | day 160 | monday After ultimately enjoying David Copperfield so much, I've embarked on a Charles Dickens reading spree. Yesterday I finished Oliver Twist and I'm am already 100 pages into Great Expectations. I am enjoying the great variety and depth of characters as well as the treasure trove of memorable quotes. Accordingly, I've established a new blog called Book Report to share these things with any who may also find them interesting. 08.12.2002 | korea | day 160 | monday recently sent . . .Dear Malena 'Mae' After your countless emails, dozens of letters, untold post cards, too many care packages, costly phone calls, a plethora of telegrams, a dirth* of faxes, daily warm and fuzzy feelings I get that tell me you are thinking of me, more bouquets of flowers than I can shake a stick at, a gaggle of tel-exes, two singing telegrams, and even a smoke signal saying you love me, that least I can do is send you this postcard to say hi. Your mentor, model, and mime instructor, Richard. * OK, I later realized I meant to say 'dearth' not 'dirth,' which isn't even a word, but unfortunately it has the exact opposite meaning I intended: a scarce supply; a lack of] Friday, August 09, 2002
07.27.2002 | china | day two | saturday {This post has been moved to shylockchina. Thanks for your interest.} Wednesday, August 07, 2002
07.26.2002 | china | day one | friday {This post has been moved to shylockchina. Thanks for your interest.} day 156Two days back in the country now and the rain has finally paused. The streams and rivers have tripled in size since I left and the rain was still falling in relentless torrents as I returned to Chunchon and Weesing. I was unable to write in my journal each day while in China but I've managed to take notes on everything I did each day. I will fill in the blanks and post my actual journal entries in serial form over the next two weeks. I also have almost 200 great pictures from my trip and will post some of the best on my page at Ofoto.com. You need an invitation to view the pics so contact me if you'd like to see them and haven't rec'd one. Wednesday, July 31, 2002
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
day 142low-fat vs. low-carb "The nightmarish prospect is that the government's incessant exhortations to eat less fat and more carbs may have inadvertently contributed to the obesity epidemic that has expoded out of control in the last two decades. The supposed link is that low-fat diets inexorably drive people to eat more carbs, which often make them hungrier, can make it harder to burn off fat and can increase triglycerides, which increas the risk of heart disease, the very danger that low-fat diets are trying to avert. Instead of low-fat diets, some researchers say, we should emphasize low-carbohydrate diets, the very opposite of the current approach." - quoted in the International Herald Tribune; see The National Institutes of Health Tuesday, July 23, 2002
day 141Today is Wednesday and I will leave for China Friday afternoon. I'll take the train to Seoul early in the morning to do some last minute shopping and errands and then I will meet Yun-kyoung, Brian's Korean friend who has been great helping me obtain my Chinese Visa and making a reservation on the ferry and picking up the ferry ticket itself. All of the legwork for these things had to be done in Seoul which would have made so much more work for me. We will meet so she can give me the visa, my passport which she needed to get the visa, and the ferry ticket. My plans were almost siderailed. A few days ago I came down with a mildly nasty case of athlete's foot week:swollen left foot (CURSE THE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY! - deaf left ear, broken left arm while a paper carrier for The Salt Lake Tribune, broken left hand on my mission, sliced the tip off my left middle finger while working at The Pizza Press in Tremonton, athlete's foot on the left, left-lopsided mouth when talking. Where is my cowlick? LEFT SIDE! Where are all my girlfriends? They LEFT me! But I digress...), itchy, painful to walk, and an internal infection in the foot itself on top of it all. Mr. Kim helped me find a determatologist who diagnosed the problem and gave me medication and ointment. It feels much better now so I'm not concerned about walking but the doc said it will take several weeks to completely heal. I've never had this problem before so I can't help wonder if I got it from the high humidity or perhaps I picked it up at a public bath. For what it's worth, I found it interesting that this dermatologist was a woman. She was totally competent, not that I would expect any less, but I was impressed nonetheless. If you guage how advanced a country is by the opportunities available to both sexes, I'd say Korea is doing pretty well. Brian's tourist visa to China expires on August 6th so he wanted to come back with me close to that date. The school break ends on the 4th so I took a couple extra days off and I think we actually will return on the 6th. So, if you count the travel time on the ferry, that makes for a 12-day vacation. Not bad, huh? (Actually I think I would trade it all if I could come home for a week and go to the Utah Shakespearean Festival - very sad to be missing it.) Of course I'm excited to go to China but I think it's more of the mild, calm, assurance of "I know I'm doing something cool and unique" - excitement of adulthood, not the mega-hyper, tremble in the knees, constant surge of adrenaline, "OH MY HECK I THINK I'M GOING TO BURST A VEIN AND DIE THIS VERY MINUTE IF I DON'T GET SOME KIND OF SATISFACTION!" - excitement of childhood. I miss the excitement of childhood. day 140Doug kindly directed me to an article about blogging. I haven't read it yet but will comment here when I do. Sunday, July 21, 2002
day 138If you've never had cause to question the morality, audacity, and lack of shame of the Left's agenda, DO NOT skip this interview with Peter Singer, the so-called 'godfather' of animal rights and a professor at Princeton University. The group that conducted the interview, CNSNews.com, is also a great place to visit. Saturday, July 20, 2002
day 137(originally posted 5/13/02)As you may know, I am a devoted fan of Rush Limbaugh. His program recently led me to an article at National Review online, written by John Derbyshire titled Why Don't I Care About the Palenstinians? It's a tough read but a brilliant commentary on the never-ending trouble in the Middle East and it echoes the frustration I have with the Palestinians. Please don't mistake my tone or reference to this article as a dismissal of the complexity of the conflict in the Middle East. I don't for a minute believe that the problems between the Israelis and the Palestinians will disappear if we just adopt the attitude that the Palestinians are a hopeless cause and don't really want peace. (Although it's difficult for me to NOT adopt that attitude myself - living on the opposite side of the globe, untouched by the senseless, never-ending death and violence, and less educated than I ought to be on the origination of the State of Israel in 1967 and the conflicts preceding and following it.) I am simply offering my honest reaction to a situation that appears to be escalating beyond the levels that already seemed more than anyone should have to bear. ANY one group can get bogged down in their own list of offenses and justifications for revenge but where and when does it end? At what point do you decide to move past it all, look forward, and live for the future? (originally posted 5/18/02)Tammy recently shared the disgust she felt when she read Eminem raps U.S. vice president's wife She said, "This is the kind of thing that disgust me in America. This is the kind of thing that is going to destroy America. This is the kind of thing that I feel so powerless to do anything about. It just irks me to no end that I have to sit and hear about this crap and I can't shut him up!!!!!!!!!!! Free speech????? What about the ears that sometimes end up hearing that junk?! What about the teenagers who are so influenced by it because we can't control everything they do and they don't alwyas know the difference between right and wrong? I wish somebody would assassinate this guy. I wish the terrorists would have flown those airplanes into the MTV music awards---I would have celebrated. I'm not joking. I would not have considered Janet Jackson, Eminem, or any of those "watch me with my baggy pants hanging down to my knees and my sunglasses on and my bandana around my head, and my chain hanging out of my pocket and my 'cool' way of walking with my hands swaying from front to back as if I'm somethin' special" jackasses a loss!!!!!!!" Wow! THAT is what I call a passionate response! I agree it's despicable to use such inflammatory rhetoric, especially when it is clearly used for such transparent, self-aggrandizement. Even more offensive to me is that he would target the wife of someone I hold in such high regard. What I love (notice my sarcasm) is how extremists like this use the phrase "free speech" to defend what they do while dismissing any moral obligations they have as members of society to remember the influence they exert on other people. But don't you dare bring up that argument because you'll be accused of imposing your morals, religion, or standards on them and taking away their agency! The Constitution and the Bill of Rights be damned if we don't couple it with the moral responsibility we all have as recipients of the sacrifices of our ancestors! I don't know if I'd go so far as to wish assasination or a terrorist plane crash on eminem or the MTV Music Awards but I certainly share your feelings (which I'm inferring you have) that many people place WAY to much importance on most celebrities as if we should aspire to be like them and if we fall short we are somehow inferior. So many people have their priorities mixed up. I don't believe it's the job of the government to fix these problems. I believe that's the role religion plays in the American equation and if you remove religion - whatever faith, as so many people are wont to do, good-bye USA. (originally posted 5/19/02)Nicholas D. Kristof's article Arafat and the myth of Camp David in the International Herald Tribune added to my understanding of the challenges facing the Palestinians. Of course the problems they face are complex. Who could intellegently deny they're under tremendous pressure and working against overwhelming odds and still it seems they have yet to demonstrate a consistent, real desire for change. (originally posted 5/20/02)Feminism hijacked by George Will. Ever the voice of reason, Mr. Will tackles what I consider to be one of the two most pernicious agendas to hijack society's attention and resources: feminism. Coed dorm rooms -- a big yawn? by Mona Charen. Ms. Charen addresses my second vote for destructive attention and resource killers: the homosexual lobby. Some passion about Israel by Marianne M. Jennings. "There will be no peace or Nobel without Reaganesque blunt force. Communism's tyranny was defeated, not with negotiations, but with a show of military strength coupled with clear oratory." Photo-partisanship by David Limbaugh. Subject: why it is hypocritical of the Democrats to complain about the Republicans' use of a September 11 photo of President Bush to raise campaign funds. (originally posted 6/11/02)Charity: Perfect and Everlasting Love by Elder Gene R. Cook. Not exactly a political reference but it struck me with such clarity when I watched to it the other day I felt it deserved a link. I plan on reading it and devouring it again and again. Sunday, July 14, 2002
day 131David Copperfield It's not often I've read a book of such scope and magnitude as Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. My only motivation in reading it is that it was the biggest, cheapest book I could find at Media Play before I left for Korea that was also a classic, an area I've wanted to concentrate on recently. I knew nothing about the book and I never anticipated it would take me over three months to read and become one of the most difficult books I would ever undertake. At over 800 pages and full of the language commonly used when it was published in 1850, be prepared for a challenge. In the end, the undertaking was more than worth it. The story purports to be the autobiography of the fictional character David Copperfield. It was originally published in serial form in England and then later released in book form. I have little worthwhile to report on the book other than how it affected me. I can't recall reading a secular book that had such a profound impact as to make me want to be a better person. Copperfield recounts the people and events of his life from birth through, I believe, his early thirties. Without preaching, he weaves a credible and vast cross-section of experiences that show the triumph of honesty and hard work, the consequences of deception, and the importance of character. The book contains, by my count, 44 significant characters, most of whom wind up reaping the consequences of their actions, good and bad. Just as Dickens expressed his fondness for Copperfield, I was sorry when the book came to an end. In perhaps the same way I am enamored by Shakespeare, David Copperfield won me over through Dickens' insights into human nature. His observations are keen, succinct, and timeless. This book was a chore but I am a better person for reading it. I am conscious that may sound silly but it remains a statement of the truth. Memorable Quotes "Barkis is willin'." -Mr. Barkis, page 60. "I feel as if it were not for me to record, even though this manuscript is intended for no eyes but mine, how hard I worked at that tremendous short-hand, and all improvement appertaining to it, in my sense of responsibility to Dora and her aunts. I will only add, to what I have already written on my perseverance at this time of my life, and of a patient and continuous energy which then began to be matured within me, and which I know to be the strong part of my character, if it have any strength at all that there, on looking back, I find the source of my success. I have been very fortunate in worldly matters; many men have worked much harder, and not succeeded half so well; but I never could have done what I have done, without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one object at a time, no matter how quickly its successor should come upon its heels, which I then formed. Heaven knows I write this, in no spirit of self-laudation. The man who reviews his own life, as I do mine, in going on here, from page to page, had need to have been a good man indeed, if he would be spared the sharp consciousness of many talents neglected, many opportunities wasted, many erratic and perverted feelings constantly at war within his breast, and defeating him. I do not hold one natural gift, I dare say, that I have not abused. My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest. I have never believed it possible that any natural or improved ability can claim immunity from the companionship of the steady, plain, hard-working qualities, and hope to gain its end. There is no such things as such fulfillment on this earth. Some happy talent, and some fortunate opportunity, may form the two sides of the ladder on which some men mount, but the rounds of that ladder must be made of stuff to stand wear and tear; and there is no substitute for thorough-going, ardent, and sincere earnestness. Never to put one hand to anything, on which I could throw my whole self; and never to affect depreciation of my work, whatever it was; I find, now, to have been my golden rules." -David Copperfield, page 559 "There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose." -Mrs. Strong, page 610 ". . . I should be thankful to him for having saved me from the first mistaken impulse of my undisciplined heart." -Mrs. Strong, page 611 "It's very much to be wished that some mothers would leave their daughters alone after marriage, and not be so violently affectionate. They seem to think the only return that can be made them for bringing an unfortunate young woman into the world - God bless my soul, as if she asked to be brought, or wanted to come! - is full liberty to worry her out of it again." -Betsey Trotwood, page 613 "Of all my books I like this the best. It will be easily believed that I am a fond parent to every child of my fancy, and that no one can ever love that family as dearly as I love them. But, like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield." -Charles Dickens Significant Characters A nearly exhaustive list, probably of interest to no one but me.
day 131A Korean Wedding Yesterday I was privileged to attend the wedding of one of my now former co-workers from Weesing, Seung-mi. I went with David and Bomi Orr. David used to work at Weesing and is the person I corresponded with to get a job in Korea. His wife Bomi is Seung-mi's sister. They are both LDS, though Seung-mi is not, and they have two children: Keana, about three years old, and Shyann, five month. The wedding was a mix of Western and Korean tradition. The wedding hall was white, elaborate, and, like the ceremony itself, quite indistinguishable from similar sites in the West. The bride and groom wore a traditional white dress and tuxedo, as did the family members who arrived early to greet the guests. A gift table was set up to receive presents and from what I could divine money appeared to be the most appropriate and common gift. As Seung-mi marched in, escorted by her father, traditional music was played on the piano. Her husband, already standing in place, marched part-way down the aisle to take Seung-mi from her father, which he did with a deep bow. Both ceremonies actually consisted of a lot of bowing which of course isn't uncommon in Korea but it was remarkable to me how much both sets of parents were involved in both ceremonies and the deep, sometimes fully-prostrate, bows to them seemed to signify a great amount of respect and gratitude for the parents' roles in producing the bride and groom.
The bride and groom were very solemn throughout it all and rarely touched each other, let alone held hands. After they marched out of the hall, they returned for professional pictures. Although I'd recently bought a digital camera in the hopes of taking my own pictures, the two video cameramen who roamed the hall throughout the ceremony mostly got in the way and prevented me from getting anything really meaningful. The final picture the photographer took was of friends and non-family guests surrounding the bride and groom. The Korean portion of the ceremony took place a short time later in another very small room with limited standing room. Dressed in brilliant traditional clothing, arms folded with elbows outstretched, and looking very solemn, they sat at a low table as more pictures were taken with immediate family. As his parents and then her parents sat at the table, the bride and groom repeatedly bowed to them, three times, fully prostrate. Seung-mi had to be helped up and down each time as her costume was very restrictive. The table had a variety of Korean food that appeared to be more for show than anything else with the exception of what appeared to be roasted chestnuts. Each set of parents in turn gathered up large handfuls of the chestnuts and ceremoniously threw them into an embroidered white apron stretched between the bride and groom. Then, what I think was soju, a Korean alcoholic beverage, was served in a small cup and passed around the table for everyone to take a sip. Of course this was a very important day and everyone was very happy. Afterwards food was served in a basement cafeteria: kimchi, octopus, rice, hot peppers, Korean-style sweet and sour pork, and a dozen other things I couldn't identify, all served in the traditional Korean way as side dishes. It was a unique experience and I enjoyed myself immensely. Wednesday, July 10, 2002
day 128My clever nephew I hope Natalie doesn't mind but I want to share a quote from her five-year old son Scott in a letter she recently sent me. I can't remember the last time I've laughed so hard. "Now I'll tell you Scottie's latest questions. Last week while riding in the car he asks, 'Did Jesus make the moon?' I answer 'Yes.' 'Did Jesus make the sky?' 'Yes.' Did Jesus make himself?' ??? The next day he asked, 'When is Jesus coming again?' I answered, 'I don't know when he's coming again but what do you think we can do to get ready for him to come?' Scottie answered emphatically, 'We can clean our room and do the dishes!'" Friday, June 28, 2002
day 116Sweet revenge The most rewarding and frustrating group of students I teach are pre- and early-teen middle-schoolers. They have matured to the point where you can have semi-intelligent conversations with them which are facilitated by the fact that their language skills have also advanced beyond "Hi. How are you? I'm fine, thank you. And you?" HOWEVER, they can be little SNOTS! To quote Mr. Schroeder, my 9th grade English teacher at Pleasant Grove Junior High, "All educators consider jr. high students to be the armpit of the school system." Bingo! These little brats can be rude, insensitive, ungrateful, non-responsive, and above all, disrespectful. The way they snicker, point, tease, drop BRILLIANT little English words like "fat," "crazy," and "homo," really displays their supreme intelligence. English swear words and that universal bird that always manages to get flipped only make teaching these little angels the ultimate experience in pleasure. HA! So, before I start sounding cynical and disheartened, here's a rewarding bit of revenge I exacted yesterday. It actually began on Wednesday. I'd dismissed the students and as they filed out of class behind me, several of them patted me on the back. I'm no slouch and I immediately wondered if they were sticking signs on me. I thought no and dismissed the idea. But later, in the teachers lounge, Carly and Moon found two stickers - one that said, "I'm crazy!" (Korean children LOVE this English put-down!), and "I love Cally." (Their misspelling, not mine.) I was furious and ready to give it all up for five minutes. Then I realized what a small thing it was and how I've been guilty of doing the same thing myself. So, how to retaliate? On Friday, the next day I taught the class, I had Yeddi, the 10-year old daughter of Mrs. Kim - one of our Korean teachers, who often hangs out in the teachers lounge and has perfect English, help me make up nine signs (for nine students, an almost even split of boys and girls), written in Korean. They said things like "I'm ugly," "I stink," "I'm crazy," and "I like girls." When I entered class I had all the students line up and face the wall as I taped one sign to each student's back, since I couldn't really guess who'd been responsible for putting the signs on me. Actually I'd earlier singled out two students I was confident wouldn't have done it - two well-behaved girls (Ja-young and Seung-hee) - but I made them submit to this punishment as well though their signs said, "I'm pretty," and "I'm smart." This was great fun. Before I let them return to their seats I took several pictures and then made them keep them on for the entire hour. They were unhappy with this punishment but I took great satisfaction my little juvenile revenge. What made it even more embarrassing for them and more humorous for me was that a few other teachers had heard of my plans so they crowded around the windows that surround the classroom and as their own students gawked at my little ritual and their teachers told them, "See, this is what happens when you're bad." The little thing that kind of spoiled all my fun but ultimately made me laugh even more at the futility of trying to get payback was that only eight students were present that day. The one missing student, Jae-chul, was, after the adamant convincing of the other students, the one who had actually put both signs on my back so he wasn't even in class to receive his punishment! And, unknown to me, they said he wouldn't be coming back as his mother had decided not to send him to the hagwon for English lessons anymore but get him a private tutor instead. But when I asked the students if they'd known about the signs on my back when he'd done it, they admitted they did so I condemned them for being just as guilty. Little devils. day 116Two big Saturday adventures Two cool adventures today. Small and meaningless to others perhaps but cool and fun for me. Adventure #1. The front tire on my bike went flat yesterday so I headed to a nearby bike shop this morning to get it repaired. Remember that I know practically no Korean so any time I head out the door to do things like this I have to either rely on the other person knowing a little English or on hand gestures. I arrived at the bike shop, showed the owner and his wife the tire was flat and they immediately began working to fix it. After 10 minutes they couldn't find a hole so I assume the problems was with the stem which they replaced. The whole process took less than 15 minutes and when it came time to pay, the refused to accept any money! How nice is that? I would have gladly paid 10,000 Won ($8) for the convenience of the fixed tire but they wouldn't hear of it. I plan on going back next week to buy a patch kit and a pump. Adventure #2. This is the really cool one. After taking care of my bike it was time for lunch. Becaue of my limited language skills I've never ventured into any of the more than a dozen Korean family restaurants in my extended neighborhood. It's made it frustrating when I want to eat out and I don't have the luxury of a Korean speaking partner. Too heck with it, I thought, I'm tired of being too chicken to find a place to eat on my own. The big problem after the language barrier is that Korean restuarants, I've been told and noticed, normally cater to serving meals to two or more people and here I was alone. So, caution thrown, wind involved, a handful of Korean phrases in my notebook, and I began my hunt. The first two restaurants turned me away once they understood I only wanted to order for one person. A little embarrassing but expected. The third little restaurant I wandered in was a little corner place. It was empty and the owner, a middle-aged woman, was asleep in the corner. I interrupted her, "Ahn nyung haseyo?" She immediately jumped to her feet, listened to my plea, and happily seated me, appearing to completely understand that I only wanted to order for one. After ten minutes she brought me a bowl of brown rice (the first time I've seen BROWN rice served here),a bowl of some kind of radish-tasting noodle to be mixed with the rice, an oyster/noodle soup that tasted fine plain but tasted even better when she mixed in some (hot) Korean red pepper paste. She hovered over me throughout the meal, making constant remarks and I guess suggestion in fast Korean. (Why she thought I'd understand I don't know but even I find myself speaking in full English to foreigners when I know they don't understand, hoping they'll divine what I'm saying, somehow.) The whole time I'm eating, feeling so proud of myself for taking the risk of finding a place that would serve me traditional Korean food and not just resorting as I've so often done to McDonalds, Burger King, or KFC, I was reminded that this is where the adventure lies. Even while you live in a foreign land you can so readily retreat to the safety of your apartment, losing sight of the wasted opportunities that lie inches outside your door. I know some will think this is all so elementary and that it will only convince them how dense and slow-witted I am at times. Regardless, I felt the need to record for my own benefit, if for no one elses. Thursday, June 27, 2002
day 114No more TV I went to the Hyo-sin Sauna, a public bath in Chunchon, before class today. So relaxing. It's my second time there and my fourth time to a public bath since coming to Korea. Yesterday was my 12th anniversary since coming home from my mission. Nothing more significant to me than simply noticing the coming and going of the date and marveling at the passage of time. I got rid of my television and VCR a week ago yesterday. It's been a real security blanket for me since I've been here, something nice to come home to hand watch each night. Lately though it's become much more of a waste of time and I've wanted to just take it back to the school but was afraid I'd go into some kind of withdrawl shocks. I finally did it though and it's been one of the best decisions I've made in recent memory. Make all the arguments you want about the evils of modern television but I'll defend how it's gotten me through some pretty long stretches. Ultimately, for me though, it's been doing more harm than good. I'm sure I'll be able to outlast the urge to retrieve it (made easier since Carly took it for herself at my invitation). Monday, June 24, 2002
~ not finished yet ~Provo vs. Chunchon Provo, Utah
Chunchon, South Korea
Sunday, June 23, 2002
Utah vs. South Korea Utah
South Korea
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
day 104Cripes I thought this internet apathy was over but it remains. Tomorrow is a holiday - election day - and I'm planning on catching up then. Thursday, June 06, 2002
day 96I'm getting over a prolonged aversion to the internet and emailing. It happens to me every now and then, I don't know why. Unfortunately it means I've fallen behind on my journal entries, a problem I plan to rectify soon. Sunday, May 19, 2002
day 77Scouting in Korea
Since then, several of my students have come to class wearing their Cub Scout uniforms. They look very sharp! Of course uniforms differ around the world which is probably why I didn't notice them for a while but now that I know what they look like, I can avoid them. The different badges, pins, neckerchiefs, and belts buckles make someone like me, who tries not get caught up in collecting frenzies, envious. I wonder where the local scout office is so I can rush over and stock up on souvenirs. I can only imagine how happy my father would be if I came home with a big box of Scouting trinkets. I can also picture the green, jealous faces of all the men in the carpentry shop at BYU, the other High Counselors in the stake, and every Scouter in Provo! Ha, ha. [Note to self: confirm with the Bishop that it's only a sin to covet and not to cause someone else to covet.] Saturday, May 18, 2002
day 75Carpentry and woodworking in Korea
For the first three weeks I lived with another teacher from Weesing on the 12th floor of a 14-story building. What a unique experience for me. Of course now I live on the ground level of a more traditional three-story apartment building in the type of neighborhood that seems to be the other unique way of living in Korea. In what is the closest thing to a suburb that I've seen, these small apartment buildings are sprinkled among dozens of small markets, family restaurants, PC rooms (where it only costs you 1,000 won - about .75 - an hour for a high speed connection to the internet), and miscellaneous other businesses, many with their own apartments on the upper floors, on narrow congested streets. Speaking of suburbs, I asked my housewives class a few weeks ago about them and they just drew a blank. Don't take my word for it, but my impression so far is that the concept of owning and living in your own house on your own untouched piece of property is almost unheard of here. Apartment living is the norm. That, along with the high rise phenomenon is, I'm sure, a result of a large, growing population that doesn't have the luxury of spreading out like we do, they must spread up. As for the apartment building like mine, they are constructed exclusively out of concrete. I have yet to see a wood or timber frame structure other than an occasional anomaly in the countryside. The walls, floor, and ceiling in my tiny studio apartment are all solid concrete which at least has the benefit of making noisy neighbors nonexistent. Also, the roofs on these buildings are flat and usually allow access by way of the stairs, as mine does. A-frame roofs just don't exist. (I actually did see what appeared to be a new timber frame house with an a-frame roof out in the country when I was on the train a few weeks ago. It really caught my eye as being very out of place.) A new commercial building started going up a few weeks ago down the road from Weesing. It was fascinating to watch the footings and foundation go in - the concept was the same as I'm accustomed to seeing in the States but it was different enough to make me question the wisdom of the placement of rebar and utility conduits. Once the concrete floor was poured, the steel frame arrived and now most of what they are doing seems all very similar to what I've observed back home. As for woodworking, I haven't seen much. I've noticed two or three lumber stores but they are nothing like the customer-friendly places, like Anderson Lumber and even Home Base, we've grown used to. I've seen several people using table saws and other tools at these businesses to process plywood, with no blade guards, fences, goggles, masks, or ear plugs of any kind. On the other hand, I have noticed a lot of woodcarving. At the tourism office in Chunchon, they sell an unbelievable array of items made my local craftsmen. It's not limited to woodcarving but wide range of masks, statues, trinkets, and other things difficult to describe are impossible to ignore. They are beautiful. It's easy to immediately make plans for the things you want to buy but I can usually restrain myself with the reminder that I'm here to earn, not spend, money. Thursday, May 16, 2002
day 74I've been dragging the last couple days with a mild cold. It hasn't been enough to prevent me from working, fortunately, but I look forward to feeling better. My housewives' class insisted on treating me to lunch after class this morning. One housewife volunteered to offer her house as our eating place. Her adopted English name that she's used for several years is Lena (Yay! Grandma Sanders and Malena) We had kimbop, rice and meat wrapped in dried seaweed - one of my favorite Korean dishes, and lamyun, comparable to ramen that everyone knows in the States but oh, so much better and much more than just a cheap cup-o-soup meal. I neglected to mention how they thoughtfully presented me with some gifts last week before my birthday. They gave me a slice of chocolate cake, some homemade cookies, and three pairs of dress socks. The cake, which I ate later, was awful; the cookies, which one woman proudly made in her oven - a novelty appliance for most Koreans, were decent, and the socks were EXACTLY what I needed as I've, quite shamefully, been wearing white socks to church lately. Regardless of the taste of the cake or whether or not I needed socks, could you possibly be more touched by the thoughtfulness of the showed? I pretented to get all teary-eyed in class and said I felt so lucky to have so many "mothers" in Korea. Oh, they thought that was funny! (Most of the women in class are closer in age to being older sisters to me rather than mothers.) Tuesday, May 14, 2002
day 71Sunday marked my 68th day in Korea and my 33rd birthday. It was a pretty low-key day but I was perfectly content to spend it that way. After attending church in the morning, where we watched parts of General Conference from a video tape sent to me by a friend, I went to lunch at Mr. Sao's (pronounced 'saw') house with Carly. He's the man at CHB bank where we have our accounts that's been so helpful since we set up the accounts two months ago. He speaks enough English to communicate with us and a few weeks ago he said he's like to have us over for dinner. The date we set just happened to fall on my birthday. We met and ate with his gracious wife and two young children. Before dinner they presented me with a birthday cake and candles and sang "Happy Birthday" to me in English. Dinner was kimbop, bulgogi (delicious meat), and cold jap-chae. After lunch, I spent the rest of the night at home and called Mom to wish her a happy Mother's Day before I went to bed. They were on their way to church so we only spoke for a little while. I called again Monday morning and talked to Grandma Anderson who was visiting for dinner and also Julia, Hailey, and Amelia. The day before my birthday I went to Seoul again and spent the day with Tammy. We went to the shopping district of Dongdaemun again and then on the lunch at TGI Fridays where I treated myself to fajitas for 22,000 won! (about $16.50) Afterwards we went to see the Seoul Temple. It was beautiful but so hidden, in spite of being on a hill, amidst all the confusion of office buildings, apartments, and industrial growth. I'd hoped to stock up on garments since I'd heard they stocked American sizes (yes, they acutally make different sizes for the smaller-than-average Koreans) but the selection was so limited I didn't buy anything. Later that night Tammy was unable to escort me back to the Cheongyangni train via the subway so I had to brave it on my own and, in spite of my treapidations, I made it, on time, and didn't miss my train. Monday, May 13, 2002
day 70I was finally paid on Friday, May 10. The day before I'd gone to Jim's office to bemoan the trials of functioning without money (yeah, shame of me for complaining about such a trial). I said I was ready to ask Mr. Kim for a letter of release from my contract. I told him what an insult it is to not receive payment in full on time. Why should I care about the students or doing a good job teaching if I was doing it for free? I was furious, with no patience to work under such conditions. He promised me I would be paid by the end of the day. The end of the day came and went and I wasn't paid but I was paid the next day so all my worries have been solved and now I can worry about more important things. Jim told me this is a problem of the past now and that come June, I'll be paid on time. We'll see. My work schedule also changed a bit on May 10. I no longer teach the class with my favorite problem student, Jee-hoon. It's been replaced by an advanced reading class that I teach three times a week during the regular dinner hour. So on the days I teach that class, I have to take my dinner alone and earlier that the other teachers. I don't mind so far because it's an advanced class, which is usually fun to teach, and they are well-behaved so far. On Wednesday, May 8, I went with Carly, Jim, and Michael to see the movie Spiderman. Loved it. Many of the current movies that are showing in the States also find their way to Korea (and Chunchon by default) where they are shown with the original English and Korean subtitles; so it's just like the real thing. The one movie theater I've been to in Chunchon is very old but very big. The sound system isn't anything to get excited about and the refreshments are about as old, stale, and unexciting as you can imagine but as long as you're seeing the movie you'd want to see back home, who can really complain? I had wondered about videos before I came to Korea. Video stores are almost more common here, from what I've seen, than they are in the states. Of course there is a large selection of Korean-language videos but the largest percentage of movies available in these video stores are original American movies with Korean subtitles! And the selections are usually very up-to-date. Thursday, May 09, 2002
day 66As you may know, I am a devoted fan of Rush Limbaugh. His program recently led me to an article at National Review online, written by John Derbyshire titled Why Don't I Care About the Palenstinians? It's a tough read but a brilliant commentary on the never-ending trouble in the Middle East and it echoes the frustration I have with the Palestinians. Please don't mistake my tone or reference to this article as a dismissal of the complexity of the conflict in the Middle East. I don't for a minute believe that the problems between the Israelis and the Palestinians will disappear if we just adopt the attitude that the Palestinians are a hopeless cause and don't really want peace. (Although it's difficult for me to NOT adopt that attitude myself - living on the opposite side of the globe, untouched by the senseless, never-ending death and violence, and less educated than I ought to be on the origination of the State of Israel in 1967 and the conflicts preceding and following it.) I am simply offering my honest reaction to a situation that appears to be escalating beyond the levels that already seemed more than anyone should have to bear. ANY one group can get bogged down in their own list of offenses and justifications for revenge but where and when does it end? At what point do you decide to move past it all, look forward, and live for the future? Monday, May 06, 2002
day 63I've been learning the differences between the work cultures in Korea and America. Like Korean children who almost universally attend school six days a week, most Korean adults, from my observations, work six, if not seven, days a week. (In fact, there was recently some kind of national referendum up for vote about reducing the work week from six days to five days. I don't think it passed.) Also, when payday arrives, many employers have the nasty habit of not paying on time. Unfortunately I have to suffer through this particular idiosyncrasy at Weesing. Mr Kim, the hagwon director, is notorious for paying his teachers late. Five to ten days late is the norm but I've even heard of him paying one teacher twenty days late. And when you consider that payday is once a month, the problem becomes even nastier. Also, everyone has their own payday, based on when they started working here; there isn't a universal payday, like the first Friday of the month, for example. And to top it all off, Koreans do not use checks, only cash and credit cards. So, when you receive your wages, you get enormous stacks of cash that you have to carry around conspicuously until you're able to deposit it all in the bank. Why am I bemoaning this problem? Yesterday was my payday, I'm down to 2,000Won in the bank ($1.60), I have bills to pay at home, I'm out of food at home, my refrigerator died over the weekend (the hagwon will get it fixed, it's just a question of when), and I'll be surprised if I get paid before the week is over. (Wait, deja vu! It sounds like all my old problems have followed me from Provo! Curses!) I handed Mr. Kim my hours this morning and he promised to pay me tomorrow or the day after. We'll see. Thursday, May 02, 2002
day 59I was on a roll with my classes yesterday. I've been experiencing a little bit of burn-out, days where I find it hard to care whether or not the students are learning anything and where or not I'm teaching effectively. But the last two days I've come into school early to do what little preparing I need to do before class and to think of ways I can more effectively convey the concepts I'm teaching so that the students will actually learn something and not just waste their time. (Is that a run-on sentence?) I've also grown weary of waking up late (9-10 AM has been common for me lately) so I've been going to be earlier and setting my alarm to wake up at 7, even though I don't have any commitments until three in the afternoon. It's all paid off in that I've been able to go into class, with my agenda for the comfortably in the back of my mind, and focus on each student. Classes have gone faster, I've been less tolerant of misbehaving students and therefore able to restore order faster when they get out of line, and I haven't run out of steam and energy by the end of the day. I've been getting more done each day and I don't feel like everything is passing me by. It feels, to me, like a continuation of the spirit I felt on Sunday. Monday, April 29, 2002
day 56I've always enjoyed teaching but haven't ever had a real chance to do it outside of church. Now that I'm here, I love it: I love the children, the teaching, the language, everything. Of course there is the bad, mixed with the good, but even the bad turns into good sometimes as an experience I had on Friday April 19 illustrates. The week previous, on April 12, I taught a particular class of students for the first time. The name of the class, which uses the name of the textbook they use, is "Let's Go 2." It is a beginner level class, with two girls and four boys, all around 12 years old. One boy, Jee-hoon, immediately proved to be a problem. He is enormous, sumo wrestler huge, with an attitude to match. He wouldn't sit still or shut-up for anything. The look of defiance in his eyes whenever I tried to maintain control of the class conveyed contempt, disrespect, and arrogance. His behavior was extremely disruptive and made teaching the class a joke. When class was over and he walked by me, I tensed my gut, thinking he might slug me, so deep was his disrespect and obvious his bullying nature. I was VERY discouraged. After class I asked Jim, the assistant to the hagwon director, for his advice. He knew and had previously taught Jee-hoon and knew the key to controlling him. He said there was one thing this boy feared - his own father. Jim told me how to use this to me advantage and so I waited until the following Friday to teach the class. The moment I walked into class, I heard chaos and Jee-hoon walked up to me and pushed a tasteless troll doll in my face to shock me and watch my reaction. I ignored the doll and told him to sit down. He did not. I told him to calm down and take his seat immediately. He did not. Knowing this was a beginners class and that he wouldn't understand 98% of what I was about to say, I said very sternly with my finger in his face, "Listen! You sit down right now! You sit down right now and do what I tell you and remain calm and if you don't remain calm and do what I tell you I'm going to write your name on the board (pointing to the board) and every time you get out of line I'm going to put a mark next to your name and at the end of the class I'm going to report everything you've done to your FATHER!"
I am not exaggerating what happened next. The INSTANT I said the word 'father,' the smirk that had been on his face vanished and he looked pale. He'd been backed into a corner by then and he immediately sat down. The whole class was silent. Jim had told me there was no question he would know the word 'father' and that this would be exactly how he would react. It was spooky. This would be a good story if it ended there but it got even better. I felt the class still had the chance to get out of control so I gave them all a piece of paper and started reciting vocabulary word they'd recently studied and told them to write the word and draw a picture of the word. The moment of Jee-hoon's fear had passed, though he was still a little disruptive, but it was a significant change from the previous week. He took to my writing/drawing assignment in a way that surprised me. I noticed he is an amazing little artist and he loves to draw. Each student was so proud and insistent that I see and approve of every silly little drawing they each produced. (Imagine hearing, day after day, the shouts of perhaps the most common English word Korean students know: "Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Teacher!") At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I found myself rooting for Jee-hoon by the end of the classs that he might actually be learning English. Now I think he is a sweet, misunderstood kid who just needs to be challenged in the right way. In fact, that's my current theory which has been borne out through a half dozen of my own experiences: the problem students in each class that are the most disruptive are usually the brightest students and they are simply bored and need to be challenged. Once I find a way to challenge them, they become some of my favorite students. Sunday, April 28, 2002
day 54I've spent several hours cleaning up my blog entries and making the format uniform. I've also figured out how to add a 'comment' button so I'm very excited to hear from everyone reading this. For reasons I can't explain, church today was far and away one of the most spiritual experiences I've had in a long time. The speakers (in Korean of course), music, translation from Elder Johnson, and the atmosphere all combined to invite the spirit in a beautiful way. I was the only English speaker in our little Sunday School class besidess the missionaries. We spent time getting to know the new missionaries in the district and then went around the room sharing our favorite scriptures. Sister Partridge is from Lindon and just entered the mission field; Elder Judd is from New York and has been out 4 months; and Elder Johnson is from Seattle and has only three months to go. Wednesday, April 24, 2002
3.6.02.wed.day 1My flight touched down at Incheon Airport outside Seoul around 6:50 PM local time. I was hot and tired and nervous about the chance I might get lost in the whole checking-through-customs thing. In spite of the many comforts of flying Singapore Airlines, I was unable to catch more that an hour or so of sleep on the 12-hour flight. Speaking of flying comfortably, I've never had a more luxurious experience than my 12 hours on Singapore Airlines. Scalding hot towels to wipe away the sweat and exhaustion, two full-service and very tasty meals, refreshing cold water or orange juice every hour or so, soft drinks offered several times, snacks every few hours, a personal bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and slipper-type stockings to wear throughout the flight, and every passenger had their own television monitor with 20 different movie channels, 20 different music channels, and 35 different Nintendo games to play! The movies were on a 2 hour rotation so you could watch up to six movies along the flight. (I watched Shallow Hal, a Robert Redford/James Gandolfini prison movie, and a third one that escapes me at the moment.) One of the channels also included a real-time graphic of our flight path and where we were along that path, the estimated time until arrival, how long we'd been in the air, and the time and temperature in our destination city of Seoul. On top of all this the flight was barely half full so there was plenty of room to spread out and sleep. I had the row of two seats by the window to myself but some people sitting in the center row had 5-6 seats to themselves so they could lie fully prone which made sleeping a non-effort. The stewardesses were so gracious throughout the entire flight I felt like I was flying first class. What an experience. It was a long walk from the gate and then about a 20 minute wait in line at the customs desk before I could get through to my suitcases at the luggage turnstiles one floor down. All this was had to be done by myself as it appears they have similar restrictions on non-passengers mingling with passengers in Korea as they do in the states. After going through another gate I finally found my ride: Michael, a Canadian teaching at Weesing and Jim, a Korean who also works at the school, drove me to Chunchon, a two-hour drive. I called Tammy on the drive home to let her know I'd arrived safely. She was on her way to teach a class at her new job at a university in Seoul. When we arrived, late, I spent the night at Mike's apartment where it appears I'll stay until the Hagwon finds an open studio or one bedroom apartment for me. There are two other Koreans staying in this apartment. They are apparently professional golfers and speak limited English. 3.7.02.thu.day 2My first night of sleep was peaceful despite the feeling of being lost on the other side of the world. Mike took me to lunch at McDonalds at the LG Mart, about a 10 minute walk from our high-rise, 14 story apartment building. There are at least a dozen of these high-rises in our neighborhood which lends a big-city feel to this city that everyone continues to tell me is a small town. Because David Orr, the teacher I would be replacing as well as the person who had spent the last four months corresponding with me and helping get this job set up, had already moved onto another job, I needed to start teaching today. No time to rest whatsoever. At Weesing in the early afternoon, I met Mr. Kim, the school's director, and most of the Korean native teachers. Trying to remember their names was futile. Feeling like an effective teacher on my first day was even more futile. Without so much as even some guidance on what he wanted me to teach, Mr. Kim took me into a room full of Kindergarten-aged kids, didn't say a word, and left. Well, he did say, "Do introductions." The kids did know a good amount of English but at that age it's not much more than just vocabulary and I wasn't in a frame of mind where I knew to talk in simple terms, slowly, and wait for them to understand. Fortunately I made it through the class and went on to teach four more classes that afternoon and evening. Each class starts at half past the hour and lasts 50 minutes. After class, most of the native English teachers ordered Korean take-out food. I had omu-rice: a plain omelet wrapped around rice, drizzled with catsup. Good stuff. I talked with Tammy again today. I asked her to call home to my family to tell them I'd arrived safely as I don't begin to know how to do it myself. 3.8.02.fri.day 3After just a day in the country I felt comfortable enough to walk to McDonalds and order my food. Yay me! I thought I was ordering a quarter-pounder but it turned out to be something like a tulkbo-burger, some kind of tasty pork thing. I liked it. My plans to go to Seoul for the weekend were almost derailed by some kind of conference Mr. Kim had previously signed up for and the new teachers were required to attend but since word got out that I had already bought my train ticket I got a pass. 3.9.02.sat.day 4I arose early to catch a cab to the NamChunchon train station which would take me into Seoul. Tammy had given me minimal directions which I thought was enough but I found myself more lost than usual when I tried to determine if I was getting on the right train. So I put on the "lost and helpless" look Tammy said I should use whenever I actually am lost. Within a few minutes a group of middle-school aged girls approached me to offer help. Although their English wasn't the best I was grateful they tried and we were finally able to understand each other to the point I felt like I was getting on the right train. But even after all that I still wasn't sure so I was even more grateful when, 15 minutes into the ride, one of the girls came up and gave me a sheet of paper explaining that I was in fact on the right train to Seoul and that I should get off on such and such a stop where they were also going and they would offer me any more help if I needed it. Relief city! Although I was tired and extremely thirsty, I could finally relax enough to watch the scenery which I found particularly fascinating. I got off in Seoul and had to wait 20 minutes for Tammy to show up. I might have been worried still if that same group of girls hadn't approached me to see if everything was all right. Tammy finally did show and it was nice to see her after our almost three year hiatus. We rode the subway to another part of town to an LDS chapel where a scheduled singles activity was in progress. After a little instructive dance, a talk by the Branch President, and lunch, we jumped back on the subway and made our way to her apartment where I could finally catch my breath, cool down, and rest. Tammy lives in a third story apartment with a private stairway where her two bunnies, Toki (Korean for bunny) and Trouble have free reign. An amazing sight on the subway - a very old woman was making her way up some steps and along the platform at a snail's pace. Standing at full height she might have measured 41/2' but instead she was bent over at a severe angle, beyond 90? She was holding a cane to help her along and a man in his 20s was helping her. I thought he was her son but when she came to the subway door he let her go and as Tammy and I were converging on the door at the same time, we helped her to her seat. Tammy attributed her condition to a country-wide deficiency of calcium many years ago and said this was a common sight in the country. Amazing. Later in the evening we went to dinner out in the busy Western-part of town, Itaewon I think. It was full of many other foreigners which was a welcome sight after only a few days of being in the country and me feeling like a minority. After dinner and a stop at Baskin Robbins we came home to watch "Unbreakable" with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. I'd seen it before but Tammy found it boring so we didn't finish watching. 3.10.02.sun.day 5We attended District Conference in Seoul. We had to take another dizzying array of connecting trains in the subway system to get there and it was again nice to see such a full chapel of Western faces. We rested and visited the rest of the afternoon and then Tammy made dinner. In talking I became depressed and overwhelmed at the prospect of going back to Chunchon and teaching again. Although I was able to learn a lot about how to teach in just two days, I was definitely not excited about going back to the city alone. Talk of getting set up with a cell phone eventually turned to talk of me just taking Tammy's phone so that I wouldn't feel so remote. This wasn't the cure-all to my depression but eventually those feelings of wanting to flee faded and I was able to focus on teaching better and learning the language. We took the subway and tried to catch the evening train out of Seoul but missed it by 10 minutes so I had to spend the night again. 3.11.02.mon.day 6Tammy drove me to the train station mid-morning and I caught the train back to Chunchon. When I got off the train there was such a large number of people waiting to catch cabs back in to town that we all had to wait in line for the next available taxi. After 15 minutes it was my turn. I rode home, walked to McDonalds for lunch, and came home to rest for an hour before heading back to class. I went to work in the afternoon. For the rest of the month, my schedule is Monday and Tuesday from 3:30 to 9:30 and Thursday from 2:30 to 9:30 and Friday from 4:30 to 9:30 with an hour break for dinner each evening for a total of 18 hours. That gives me Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday off. 3.12.02.tue.day 7I felt an almost quantum-leap (thank you Doug) advancement in my ability to teach today. I don't know what to attribute it to other than feeling more settled and more aware of what the students need. This is actually starting to be fun. 3.13.02.wed.day 8I had lunch with the six missionaries serving in Chunchon. Elder Ellis, from Holladay has been out 13 months, Elder Pope from Delaware has been out 9 months, Elder Curtis from Alpine has out 7 months, Elder Doh from Deagau, Korea, has been out 18 months, Sister Huffaker, from Salt Lake has less than 3 weeks left, and Sister Nam from Kwangju, Korea has been out 7 months. We ordered take-out and then played Phase Ten. Good stuff. 3.15.02.fri.day 10I went to Maverick's bar after work with the other teachers for a farewell party of sorts for Mac who is leaving next week for another teaching job in China. It wasn't my first time in bar of course (thank you Paul Tomini) so I just ordered a Coke and enjoyed the company. Unfortunately the smoking got to me after a while so I left. 3.17.02.sun.day 12I attended church at the Chunchon branch, again at the behest of the missionaries. Of course I would have attended on my own but their regular invitations to participate with them have been welcomed as they are a kind, wholesome group of people to hang out with. I was asked to stand and introduce myself in Priesthood Meeting which I did and my words were translated by Elder Curtis. Later in the meeting the teacher actually asked me several questions and, when I got over the surprise, I answered with Elder Curtis again providing translation. It was unusual to me to be included like this but a pleasant way to feel included. 3.19.02.tue.day 14I opened up a bank account at Chohung Bank with Jim's help. Carly also came and afterwards we picked up Mike from Weesing and took them out to lunch at Burger King in Myung-dong. This was my first time in downtown Chunchon (that I know of - it's all such a blur sometimes) and I was struck with how much it resembled Seoul - busy, chaotic, everything you can think of for sale. Mike and Jim took us to what I later realized was the black market - many western items that you can't find anywhere else for sale at increased prices. Interesting. Went with Mike and Carly to Maverick's bar after work and had a nice time chatting. Elder Ellis called while at the bar to invite me to join the missionaries on their p-day at the church to play basketball and visit. 3.20.02.wed.day 15I joined the missionaries at the church. While some of them played basketball outside, Elder Pope was watching the Super Bowl on tape which his father sent him from home. I stayed inside with him and worked on typing this day-by-day account of my experiences in Korea. I had gone to a PC Room (commonly called in Korean a PC bang - pronounced 'bong') earlier in the morning and after leaving the missionaries and indulging in a long nap, I spent the rest of the evening at the PC Room. As I walked home, Tammy and I chatted on my phone, something we do almost daily. My phone is amazingly small and very convenient but it has a tendency to drop a lot of calls. 3.21.02.thu.day 16Early in the morning before I went to bed I called Julia to wish her a happy birthday. I had a chance to talk to Amelia for a minute and as cute as she was I was a little sad that I'm already forgetting the sound of her voice and all her endearing mannerisms. Later I called Bonnie to check on Shylock. When Tammy called in the evening, our conversation led her to decide she would come to Chunchon to visit for the weekend, or at least Saturday. She is more than a little distressed over Toki who was just mysteriously injured and went blind. He may not survive the night. 3.22.02.fri.day 17I went to the Hagwon early to spend some time organizing my papers and office supplies. Carly was at the school teaching and we ordered some take-out chicken together. It wasn't enough to fill us so we went down to a street vendor next door and ordered some unknown but tasty food. Michael, Carly, and Jonathan invited me to go out with them after work. Jim was scheduled to join us later. I long ago decided there's nothing inherently wrong about going to a bar and, since I enjoy hanging out with this group, I figured it beat reading or listening to music back home. At the bar we continued our day long game of challenging each other to Simpson's trivia. I suppose, if nothing else, our common interest in the show makes for a fun diversion. In spite of the fun though, after two hours the cigarette smoke had gotten to me and I went home with an upset stomach before Jim joined us. 3.23.02.sat.day 18After waking late and enjoying lunch at McDonalds, I spent a few hours at the LG Mart food court, where McDonalds is located, catching up on reading the Korean newspapers I've accumulated, written in English of course. I trip later to the PC bang proved more annoying than worthwhile. Korean children seem to have more of a fascination with computer games than I can say I ever observed in American children and it seemed that most of the computers where occupied by young rowdy kids, running around, without much regard for manners and not bumping into the adults. When Tammy called I decided to leave and come back later. Tammy had decided to put Toki down and she was feeling pretty sad. After commiserating together, I was amazed to learn how expensive it was - 50,000 Won to put him down and 150,000W to dispose of the body, which translates to a total of about $150. When she'd taken him to the vet earlier in the week for a pain shot, she was only charged 20,000W, about $15, for the visit. When I returned to the PC bang later, I spent some time at www.myfamily.com setting up a site for myself where I can post these writings, pictures, and anything else I choose for family and friends back home to view. Now to get a digital camera. 3.24.02.sun.day 19Slow day. Spent most of it catching up old paperwork, reading scriptures, and journal writing. Living out of suitcases has long-grown old; I am ready for my own place without the two rude, neanderthal Koreans I've had for roommates. Michael is the exception. Although we don't share much in common, and the fact he's from Canada (ha, ha) I've grown to enjoy his company along with that of Carly and Jonathan. Unfortunately Jonathan's contract runs out at the end of the month which means he's leaving. Too bad. The new teacher, Curtis, is supposedly also from Utah but I know nothing else about him. 3.27.02.wed.day 22Though it wasn't ready for me to move in, Jim took Carly and me to see my new apartment. Although it is a nice high-rise apartment and a bit larger than Carly's apartment, I later decided, after thinking it over and talking about it with her, that I wanted Carly's apartment instead in exchange for mine. Carly agreed to the exchange. 3.28.02.thu.day 23Michael and I moved my few belongings from his apartment to my new apartment with the help of one of the school's buses and bus driver. Then we moved Carly's belongings to her new place. The feeling of finally having my own place is so refreshing. I feel like I can relax for the first time since entering the country. 3.29.02.fri.day 24We all met after work at Maverick's for a farewell for Jonathan. The number of teacher's who came out to say their good-byes versus those who came to see Mac off says something, I think, as to Jonathan's popularity. 3.30.02.sat.day 25Carly and I took a cab to LG Mart and had dinner at McDonald's. We saw David Orr and his family. Mr. Kim later met us so he could go with Carly to buy her a hand phone at LG Mart. 3.31.02.sun.day 26I was late to church. What a bad habit to establish. I went to the school in the evening and went out to dinner with Jim, Michael, and Carly. Later in the evening when Carly was at my apartment, Jonathan called to ask what items we might want from his apartment as he was preparing to move out. We spent the rest of the evening making several trips back and forth between his nearby apartment, taking things he was giving away. The only thing of consequence I inherited was a wicked, carved Korean god which made a nice addition to my desk. 4.1.02.mon.day 27Today is April fools day and the first day of our new schedule at school but I didn't find much to laugh at. One of my new classes, a Gogo 1 class which is for very young beginners, got so out of control I had to remove a student from class, the first time I've had to do that. The kid was goofing off and simply wouldn't listen to me. When I told him to leave he didn't so I packed up his stuff and physically removed him. He was terrified and tried grabbing onto everything in sight to stay in class. It wasn't pleasant but class was so much easier to manage when I returned. My new schedule is thus: Mon - 2:30 - 9:30 with one hour off besides dinner, Tue and Thu - 3:30 - 9:30, Wed - 6:30 - 7:30, and Fri 10:30 - 12:30 for a two hour housewives class and 5:30 - 9:30. Dinner is from 7:30 - 8:30 each night and I have Saturdays and Sundays off. Before class I exchanged the last of my traveler's checks. 4.2.02.tue.day 28I met Elders Curtis, Ellis, and Pope for lunch at Fusion, my treat. Carly just happened to show up at the same time so we all ate together. It was a nice visit and Carly asked several questions about the missionaries. After lunch we went back to my apartment, sans Carly who stayed behind to write some letters. The Elders shared a message with me and it was all very spiritual. As they were preparing to leave, Carly stopped by so we could walk to school together. She joined us for a closing prayer. 4.3.02.wed.day 29With the help of the same school bus and driver,I moved the items Carly inherited from Jonathan to her apartment. I later had lunch at Fusion Cafe which is becoming a regular habit. After my evening class, I had pizza with Carly at me place. We watched Chicken Run. After the movie we went out for a walk and found two new posters to add to our collection. 4.6.02.sat.day 32One month down, eleven to go! Unbelievable how time has flown. Tammy and I spent the day visiting, eating out at her favorite places, and window shopping, especially at an enormous underground shopping plaza in Chunchon shaped in the fashion of a subway train line. For dinner we ate a remote restaurant where they served about 20 side dishes which included octopus, raw crab in shell, oysters, two kinds of kimchi, a tofu soup, fried vegetable patties, and some delicious beef strips. After dinner we had a few minutes to visit with Tammy's friend Mrs. Jung who lives across the street from Weesing. She and her husband have three young boys. They are all very friendly and I hope to have a chance to spend more time with them. Tammy caught the late train to Seoul. 4.7.02.sun.day 33To my embarrassment I overslept and was 90 minutes late for church. I had been asked to teach the English Sunday School class but Elder Curtis ended up teaching in my absence and said later he'd always expected to teach it today anyway so it was no big deal. I met Brother Deemers for the first time today. He's a High Priest, in his mid-40s I believe, serving at Camp Page in Chunchon. I think he's from Texas and serves in some sort of medical capacity in the military. A very nice guy and I'm glad to have another English voice in this sea of Korean speakers. 4.8.02.mon.day 34I met Curtis for the first time today. What an odd bat. He's 38, single, and LDS - though not practicing from what I can divine. When we went out to a bar to welcome his arrival, he drank and smoke in moderation. He spoke to me one on one about his mission and how it was the greatest experience of his life but left no explanation as current lifestyle, not that he owes me one. He also has an awkward way of participating in conversations and, as a self-proclaimed drummer, a nervous habit of drumming his fingers (or even his drumsticks sometimes!) It's hard not to read all of this as deep seeded insecurity. Why any of this should matter to me or even drive me to write about, wonder about it, or talk about it with anyone else is a matter of frequent self-examination. I have determined to strive for politeness with him, if nothing else. Mr. Kim paid half my salary to me today in cash with a promise to pay the rest tomorrow. As the 10,000 Won bill is the largest they have, the 1,000,000 he paid me was a sizeable stack of money. 4.9.02.tue.day 35The English teachers went out after work for drinks (see yesterday). We had a nice time and I met Junnita (see tomorrow). Carly and I left around 1 AM so we could get enough rest for the activity we had planned for Wednesday. No money today from Mr. Kim. Tomorrow he tells me, again. 4.10.02.wed.day 36In the later morning I went with Carly and Junnita, another English teacher she'd met from New Zealand, to Jungdo, a resort island in Chunchon. After taking a 5 minute ferry ride (2,200 Won round trip), we ate lunch and then rented mountain bikes for 3,000 Won and rode around the island. The day happened to be very cold and windy but it was the kind of cold and wind that helps you appreciate the outdoors, not ruin it. After maybe three hours we took the ferry ride back home. I spent the rest of the afternoon before my one class of the day at 6:30 looking for a dowel or closet rod to install in my upper half of my dresser to allow me to hang up my clothes. I have spent a considerable amount of time the past two weeks looking for anything I could use to make a makeshift closet rod to no avail. I finally had to settle for a 10,000 Won kit that fits inside the dresser. This was more money than I wanted to spend and I was discouraged I had to buy a kit rather than being able to build something on my own. I received a card from Shylock via Bonnie at Weesing when I went to school to teach. The envelope had a paw print from Shylock and the card had a tuft of her hair taped inside. It was cute and the other teachers got a big laugh out of it. Today I did finally get the rest of my money. Many people have told me Mr. Kim is famous for not paying on time, though he always does eventually pay. This concept is so foreign to me as I can't fathom a business lasting two months back home that engaged in such a practice. I anticipate each month is going to require me to daily bug him for money, something I know I will abhor. 4.11.02.thu.day 37I had to remove a boy and girl from a Let's Go 4 class today. I've had this class from the beginning and these two students have always been a thorn in my side. Before I threw them out, the whole class was being so noisy I had to resort to a 5 minute lecture, asking them why they couldn't understand the most basic instructions to be quiet. I know they likely couldn't understand everything I was saying but it's impossible they missed the gist of the lecture. Somehow they did though which is why I had to remove those two troublemakers. It was pretty awkward for a few minutes but once I got past that, teaching became SO much easier. Tammy was finally able to get me a new phone card in Seoul and I called her after work for the details so that I could actually use the card without having it in my hands. 4.12.02.fri.day 38Called Mom & Dad at 8 AM; it was 5 PM Thursday for them. Dave passed his medical exam in Oklahoma; Natalie will be returning with him to look for a house and they will probably move the middle of May. Julia is no longer selling Mary Kay. I taught my first housewives class at 10:30 AM. It's a two hour class, primarily for adult women with more advanced English skills. I've been nervous about teaching it for some time but I always knew it was just first-time jitters. After going through basic introductions, we spent an hour studying from the designated textbook and the final hour just talking about everyday things to give them a chance to practice their conversational English. Later in the day I taught a Let's Go 2 class with two girls and three boys, probably an average of ten years old. This was the first time I'd taught these particular students and it was a nightmare. The girls and one of the boys were well behaved enough but one giant, sumo wrestler of a boy was so rude, disprespectful, disruptive, and uncooperative as to make the make the 50 minute class nothing more than a waste of time. The third boy was so A.D.D.-like, trying to make him just concentrate, that it was like teaching a three year old. I finally had to resort to making everyone copy words off the whiteboard and write them 5-10 times each, depending on their good or bad behavior. When class was over, I dismissed everyone but the two boys and made them sit for a minute or two before letting them go. What a battle of wills that class is going to be. My consolation for the day was the party I'd promised my next class of advanced students I've had since starting at Weesing. We'd reached the end of a major section in the textbook. So, after a tough spelling test, we had M&Ms, Sun Chips, cookies, grape Fanta, and Pocari Sweat (a Korean Gatorade-like drink). 4.13.02, sat, day 39After meeting Carly at the bank to loan her some money and dropping my laundry off at the laundry mat, I spent several hours at the pc bang emailing and listening to Rush. I went to Weesing to order take-out and eat with Carly, Jim, and Mr. Kim. Later in the evening I went to Fusion to read (David Copperfield), have a drink, and enjoy the atmosphere. I called Bonnie around 11:30 PM to thank her for the card and inquire after Shylock. 4.14.02.sun.day 40Today was Ward Conference and I counted 50 people in attendance - a record since I've been here. I taught the Sunday School lesson in our little class of English speakers, chapter 3 from Gospel Principles. It was Sister Huffaker's last day in the ward (she's going home Wednesday) and Elder Curtis' last day (he's being transferred to Seoul I think). After church the sisters of the ward served pibimbop for lunch, a Korean dish I've come to enjoy. Brian called during lunch from New York to tell me the money he'd been hoping for to come to China to teach for the summer has been approved. He'll be there during June, July, and August I think. I am hoping to have some time off to visit him there for a week or so. Mr. Kim invited Michael, Curtis, Jim, and me over for dinner at 7:30. His four year old son kept us entertained while his wife prepared dinner. She is actually Japanese and I'm told the food she served was more of a traditional Japanese meal that Korean. We at a sort of clam soup, rice, and a breaded pork cutlet with a barbeque-like sauce. Delicious. Carly didn't come as she'd gone to spend the day in Seoul with Junnita. 4.15.02.mon.day 41Lunch at Fusion. I spent some time there afterwards catching up on my writing. Promptly at 2 PM, some kind of air raid or invasion siren sounded up in the city and ran for 3 minutes. Tammy called during the drill to tell me what it was and that it runs either monthly or every six months. Through the window I could see activity carrying on as normal so I wonder how Koreans are supposed to know if it's a drill or the real thing. When I was walking to the school at 3 PM, Michael called to ask my whereabouts since I was supposed to be at school for my 2:30 class! Big-time brain lapse! |
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