Lotte World (롯데월드) Extravaganza

On Saturday, August X, I went to Lotte World with a good friend of mine. Lotte World is located at Jamsil (잠실) station. I was surprised at how awesome Jamsil station is. It’s like a huge shopping mall, really good for clothes and cosmetics.

Anyway, it was about 35,000 won for each of us for a ‘1 Day Special Pass’. It was definitely worth it. We went on many rides, and the lines weren’t even too bad, considering it was a Saturday. They have this hot air balloon-type thing that brings you along a track all around the park. That was really relaxing and enjoyable. It was a good time to talk and reflect on how our lives have been going.

They also have a roller coaster build right in the park! Indoors! I’ve never seen an indoor rollercoaster before. It was REALLY fast, even a bit violent. Rollercoasters don’t usually scare me, but this done definitely did. It was a great adrenaline rush, and since it’s indoors, there are a lot of dark places, so you can’t see exactly where your’e going.

There is also an outdoor place there, and they have a lot of rollercoasters and rides out there as well.

Note this picture. The people in the front are holding on for dear life. Buddy at the back is fixing his hair. I went on this ride, and let me tell you, the last thing I was thinking about was my hair. It was REALLY fast, and even a bit scary. I loved it. There were times that it felt like we were going to fly off the track.

Note the guy fixing his hair.

This ride scared the heck out of me. For real.

My favourite rides were:

- Atlantis (아트랜티스)
- Gyro Swing
- Something about a comet
- This drop thing. They bring you up really high, and you get an awesome view of beautiful Seoul. Next thing you know, you’re rushing towards the ground at over 100km/h. Needless to say, my pants were a bit heavier after that one.
- These ’spinning cup’ things, where you turn a disc at the middle of the cup and you spin around. They call it ‘Drunken Barrel” for a reason.

If you have a free day, and some extra cash, I highly recommend checking out Lotte World (롯데월드). It was a fantastic day.

For more information about Lotte World, visit their website.

Thoughts on teaching…

Me, Julie, Elly, Jack, Kevin, and Ryan. Eagle class.

Alright.

Yes, I am a teacher. Some people would say I’m not a “real” teacher, because I didn’t go to teacher’s college, and I don’t have a ‘teachable’ major.

I’ve been in South Korea for 1 year and 1 month, since August 2nd, 2008. To be honest, I came here thinking the same thing… this isn’t a ‘real’ teaching job… it’s just something for someone with no direction to take up, to bridge the gap between university and the real world.

Boy did I ever get a swift kick in the ass.

I now realize how important a teacher is to a student’s life, especially in a fast-paced city like Seoul. I spend more time with my kids than most of their parents are able to, and that to me is both moving and horribly sad.

You may be thinking ‘come on Mike… you just have to stand there and speak your native language… how hard can that be?’

I’d love for you to spend a day in my slippers. I’ve found that teaching is an exchange of energy between the students and I. Some days, they put out so much, which I have to counter with just as much, if not more energy, in order to keep them in line. Tired? Too bad. Hung over? Too bad. (I don’t drink anyway) Woke up at 4am and couldn’t sleep because your mind decides to go in infinite loops about how the universe was created, and how we may be as small as atoms to other giant beings? Too bad buddy.

If they’re not responding to me, not getting excited about learning, I have to push my positive energy onto them. This is the ONLY way that the kids will respect you and learn effectively, especially the 6, 7, and 8 year olds.

My day is typically like this:

Wake up at 8:45, shower, get something to eat, head to school, start teaching 7 and 8 year olds at 9:45
Lunchie from 12-1
1 – 6:30, teaching 8 – 12 year olds

Teachers of Canada, I don’t mean for this to be an insult to you, or to devalue your job. All teachers are extremely important people, I’m just expressing my perspective.

Now, if you’re still thinking that I’m not a real teacher, and that teachers in Canada have it tougher, ponder this:

- Teachers in Canada have the support of their friends and family. While I have a lot of support from my friends and family as well, they’re about 15,000km away.

- Not only do I have to teach, but I’m teaching to students whose native language isn’t English. They could be speaking Korean to each other and calling me Mr. Bojangles for all I know.

- School in Canada is free. At an English school in Korea, parents are paying a LOT of money for their kid to be taught English, and they want to see results, even if the parents themselves don’t speak English. Now, think about that for a second. Some parents don’t speak a word of English… so how can they effectively gauge their son or daughter’s progress? You get some parents who will rip their kid out of the school because they think you’re some two-bit moron who’s just here for women and alcohol.

- You know the culture in Canada, since you grew up with it. Did you know that in Korea it’s considered really impolite to toss something to someone? I had no idea. I tossed one of my older students a book and she looked at me like I killed her grandmother.

I’ll admit, teaching does have some pretty good perks. I have weekends off. I have the support of great coworkers and directors. There are times that I feel so honoured to be a part of these kids lives that it almost moves me to tears. Also, while teaching is an exchange of energy, it’s also an exchange of knowledge. Sure, I’m teaching them English, but they are teaching me more about myself and the world than I ever would have expected.

There are times that I would love to just take off back to Canada, but when I even mention to my kids that I’m leaving in March or April, they get visibly upset.

Imagine that.

Seoul Forest Park (사울숲)

Last weekend, I went to Seoul Forest Park (사울슾) with someone I met in Itaewon. She’s a photographer too, and so we decided to get together to take some photos. We had a great time, and got to see all of Seoul Forest Park. It’s really beautiful there, and they have an insect sanctuary, as well as many ponds and gardens.

After that, we went for a long walk along the Han River (한강) and got some samgyeopsal at a restaurant near my place. It was great to be with someone who actually appreciates my company. We did some photography lessons as well.

It was a great day.

Trip to the zoo

Yesterday we went to the Seoul Grand Park Zoo. It was pretty awesome, especially to see the kids so excited. I don’t know how many times I was told how to spell ‘elephant’.

There were many kinds of animals there, but the two most majestic to me were the elephant and the Bengal tigers. I actually think that I’ve never seen tigers before, so it was really moving to see them, although they were hiding under their shelter, and not too active in the Seoul summer heat. Those things could kill you with a single swipe of their paw.

Anyway, it was originally supposed to be a swimming day, but it was suddenly changed to a zoo outing. I literally got the message at 9:00am that the plans had changed. I was happy about that.

Apparently, Jack was too:

After we toured the zoo for a bit, including seeing the monkeys mating (LOOK KIDS! IT’S AN ELEPHANT!), we had kimbap under a traditionally-architectured veranda:

We took some pictures near the polar bear den.

That image seriously personifies each kid perfectly. David with the stare of his glazed-over eyes, Barbie sitting pretty, Julie being like ‘… yeah? I’m here. So what?’ Man I’m gonna miss these kids 6 months from now.

The lunch veranda was near a pool-type thing, so the kids got a bit of a swim in. It was awesome…

All in all, it was a good day.

Peace out, from Angelina.

A few cultural lessons I’ve learned

Here are some cultural tidbits I’ve learned in Korea:

1) Do not toss something to someone who you consider to be a friend.
I learned this when I tossed a book to my friend at my apartment. In Canada (and the rest of the world, I’d presume), it isn’t out of the ordinary to give something to someone by tossing it their way. This is a no-no in Korea. You should place whatever it is you’re giving to the person neatly in front of them, preferably with both hands.

2) Give money to store clerks and other such people with both hands.
This is similar to the book tossing incident. Don’t toss the money on the counter. It’s even considered rude to give the money to the teller with one hand. I don’t really understand this one.

3) Do not hail a cab with your palm facing outwards.
I was always wondering why cabs were driving right past me. Maybe it’s because I look American. Nope. I found out from my neighbour’s girlfriend that you should not hail a cab with your palm facing out, as this is considered rude.

4) Do not beckon for someone to come to you with your palm facing outwards.
This goes along with the cab hailing thing. Koreans beckon someone to come to them with their palms facing down, which to me looks like the ‘go away’ sign. The logic is this: You call your dog or pet to come to you with your palm facing down, not humans (or those whom you consider to be human). I did this once to an older waitress at a restaurant, only to be given a deeply scornful grimace.

5) Do not turn down food offered to you.
I learned this lesson when at an old girlfriend’s family gathering. They offered me the tail of an eel, which is considered to be the most ‘virile’ part, which would apparently give me the reproductive fortitude of Caligula himself. I politely gestured ‘No, you can have it, thanks.’. Big no-no.

6) Give some consideration to your friends and hosts by learning the very basics of Korean.
Another lesson from an old girlfriend. I brought a cake to a family dinner. Her sister very politely said the friendly form of ‘thank you’, which is 큼어워. I think I spelled that correctly. It’s pronounced ‘Keum-ah woh”. I sat there confused. Finally I was told that that was an informal, friendly way of saying ‘thank you’, as opposed to the more formal 감사합니다 (kam sa hamnida). Had I learned the very basics, this situation could have been averted. Learning a bit of the language also shows that you are not ethnocentric, and that you regard their language as something worthy of your attention.

7) If you get a girlfriend, forget being able to hang out with any of your female friends.
This may not apply to every girl, but from the ones I’ve dated, do not expect it to go over well if you have female friends. I even had a girl get jealous over my 14-year-old language partner, a friend of a friend who I met in Canada while getting my TESOL certification. It’s quite possible that this is an extreme case (as this girl was fit to be put in a straight jacket and heavily sedated), but generally, when Koreans have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you should expect to kiss most of your ’superfluous’ friendships goodbye, because you should be focused only on your partner. Sucks.

However, the most important lesson I’ve learned here is not cultural. Many people you meet in life will make you feel obliged to do what they want you to do, and for you to bow to their every whim. If there’s anything I’ve learned here, it’s how to say “No.” 아니. No. People will try to take advantage of my kindness and trust in others, but I won’t have it any longer.

I came here with infant eyes, trustful of others and open to society. I have learned the harsh reality that is the world, and have also learned some hard lessons in love. The number one relationship lesson I’ve learned is this: IF SOMEONE IS PASSIONATE, REMEMBER THAT IT SWINGS BOTH WAYS. I don’t use caps lock often, but this is one situation where it is pertinent. If someone suddenly and deeply falls in love with you, chances are they will be able to drop you like a bad habit just as quickly and easily. These people are toxic, and will make you question your own judgment, and the ’self’ that you’ve come to know your whole life. Avoid highly passionate love affairs at all costs. Now, there’s nothing wrong with someone falling in love with you, or you falling in love with someone, but during your first fight, take note how quickly and easily that person gets angry and ’snaps out of it’. This is a good method to gauge how mentally realistic this person is. There’s nothing wrong with passion, but remember that passion goes both ways.

I guess this should have been two separate posts, but I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, and no motivation to post anything. It’s been a tough couple of weeks for me, but I know that I’m stronger than the world around me.

One-year reflection

Tomorrow, August 2nd, marks my one-year milestone in Korea.

I’ve experienced some of the best times in my life here, and some of the very, very worst. I can’t say which I have learned more from. There have been times that I’ve thought I wasn’t strong enough to endure the pain, even this far into my time here. Some days are more painful than others, but one thing I’ve noticed every day is that I miss my family and friends. I don’t think that will ever change.

My personality is very unique. I am not like anyone you’ve ever met. To girls, I am the nicest guy who tries my best to please and understand them. I go out of my way to be generous, understanding, and caring. It is this kindness and generosity that has landed me in trouble in certain situations. I give too much of myself to others, and can be taken advantage of. Even when I know that I am being taken advantage of, I still don’t mind because I know that I am contributing to her happiness. While this sounds very good, and what every girl would look for in a guy, it has also proven to bring me a lot of pain and suffering.

This is one of the many things that I have learned about myself here.

From afar, I have watched my family change as well. My brother has become engaged to a great girl whom I love, and my family loves as well. My other brother has graduated and is on his way to flight school. Both of these people are very important to my life, and I am almost jealous of their successes.

My brother Alex

My brother Matt and his soon-to-be wife

Anyway, I just wanted to reflect on one year of being across the planet from everyone I know and love. The world can be a lonely place, but not if you’ve got a great family to support you no matter where you are. So remember this. Hug your parents. Love them for loving you. Tell everyone how much you appreciate them. One day you may end up very far apart, and no matter how long your arms are, you won’t be able to reach them for that hug that you so desperately need at times.

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Doekjeokdo (덕적도) Adventure

I woke up on Sunday morning feeling that I was wasting my youth. I decided I would go somewhere and see something that I have never seen before. I decided I would go check out the islands at Incheon.

I had the recommendation from my neighbour Doug and his girlfriend who spent the 4th of July weekend there.

I got the subway to Dongincheon station (동인천역), which took almost 2 hours, because line 1 is so incredibly slow. When I got there, I took bus 14 to the Incheon Port Authority (or something like that) and bought my ₩21,000 ticket and left 30 minutes later. The ferry ride was about an hour, and I slept for most of it. I did get to see some beautiful islands on the way though.

Once I got there, I met an old man with a big grin who handed me his card and pretty much forced me into his van once he found out that I didn’t have a room. He brought me to his love motel, called Beach Love Motel (비치사랑). He told me ₩30,000 for a room, but his card said ₩20,000. He explained that he has a variety of rooms available. His card also said free pick-up and ride back to the pier. On the way he tried to make me pay ₩15,000 for the ride there, and another ₩15,000 for the ride back. I wasn’t having any of that, and I told him that I wouldn’t pay for it.

When we got to his place, he showed me the rooms. The ₩20,000 room was literally a 10 foot by 10 foot box with no bed. I told him I wanted something a little more swanky. The ₩30,000 room was the same box, except it had a bed. I said I would take it. He then showed me a suite with a bed, fridge, shower (!) and kitchenette for ₩90,000. I told him that since I was traveling alone, I didn’t really care what the room was like, as long as I had a bed. So we settled on the ₩30,000 room.

Then I walked to the beach. That’s when I saw this:

My first thought was severe brain trauma with internal bleeding. But I didn’t care. I had to have it. ₩20,000 for 30 minutes. Rip off, but man was it ever worth it. That’s the most fun I’ve ever had in Korea by far, and the most fun I’ve had in years. I paid the guy an extra ₩5,000 for 10 more minutes. I loved it. I almost flipped it a couple times doing figure-eights in the sand. It was an absolute blast. I had my music playing loud in my headphones and the clean air blowing through my hair. I’m not bald.

I will post videos here once I get them uploaded to YouTube.

Anyway, when I got back to the motel, the guy gave me the ₩90,000 room but told me sternly ‘You… shut your mouth… ok? Shut your mouth!” Fair enough. I guess he didn’t want me telling the neighbouring couple about my deal. Here’s what it looked like:

Not bad for like $35 Canadian dollars.

This is getting long, so I’ll cut it short. Basically that night I walked around for a bit and met a nice family on the beach who was really grateful that I took pictures of them and their family. I also cleaned up the beach a bit, picking up the trash. The locals couldn’t believe their eyes. Yes. A North American who cares about someone other than himself. Who would have imagined?

Oksu (옥수) riverside

Feeling a bit down last night, I decided to go to the riverside at Oksu station, as I was inspired by a video by Michael Arnold.

I raced there as quickly as possible after work, hopping on the train from Singeumho, transferring at Wangsimni, and finally arriving at Oksu.

It was really peaceful and quiet, with a lot of Koreans of all ages walking around and enjoying the night air. I walked to Hannam station, about 2km from Oksu, taking pictures along the way:

I also made a coupe of videos:

A once in a lifetime experience

Today there was a highly publicized eclipse that swept across Asia. It was a unique experience for the children and myself, because this was a rare full eclipse that lasted for 6 minutes, which is the longest total eclipse of the 21st century.

The kids loved it. My boss had the incredible idea of using 35mm film as a filter to look through. It worked great, and none of the children went blind.

It also allowed for some great photography, and I could safely look through my viewfinder with the film in front of my lens. After watching the eclipse, we played in the playground for a bit.

It’s a good day.

everything is everything

Well, not much is new these days. We’re in the middle of monsoon season, so it hits at least 30 degrees here every day. Being a Canadian, this humidity is killing me. It’s like trying to walk through a closet full of socks, from the floor to the ceiling. When it rains, it DUMPS water down hard… sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours… and even sometimes days. I don’t mind the rain, actually I like it, but the humidity is what really gets to me. I drip sweat the moment I leave my apartment. By the time I get to school, I am pretty sweaty… and my school doesn’t really have air conditioning.

So, I missed my brother’s High School graduation, and the party, and a big yearly thing that my entire family puts on… usually about 60 people in a big park just relaxing and catching up. I really enjoyed it the last time I went… This idea of what things will be when I come back to Canada… how much will change? I’ll have been gone for about 1.7 years. Whatever has changed, I know that there will be my amazing family for me to come back to, with their arms wide open, asking me details about my experience here, which I am happy to answer. So far my experience has been somewhat reserved. I was never one to go out and party hard (except in college). I’d like to check out Hongdae this weekend if I have some time. Just have a couple drinks and see what happens. If nothing happens, well that’s cool too.