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I have never seen so many children as I have in this place. There are children EVERYWHERE. It doesn't matter where I go, or what time it is. Kids get up early and stay up late (thanks to the superstudent education system), so there's no time of day I haven't seen them swarming the streets, restaurants, and stores. Even when I think they're supposed to be in school, they're all over the streets. I still haven't quite figured out the school schedules here.
Before I worked at a school in LA, I would literally go months without seeing a single child. Actually, I think I figured something out from coming here. Angelenos don't actually procreate: they just replenish their massive population by enticing people to move there with eversunny weather and the film industry.
I think the family unit is much stronger here than it is in the US (or at least, where I've lived), so instead of leaving the kids home while they go out, parents take their kids along with them WHEREVER they go. Koreans also work longer hours at school and at their jobs, so they really work hard at relaxation when they have free time. Thus, family field trips.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Things I Don't Miss
Driving, and paying for gas. That's for the birds.
Soda made with high fructose corn syrup. I've noticed that soda tastes infinitely better outside the US, I assume because it's made with real cane sugar.
Having to leave my apartment to do laundry, and having to pay for it. Apartments come with their own laundry room and washing machine here.
City noise. In Koreatown, I was constantly bombarded with sounds of car alarms, people yelling or partying, cars honking (or crashing), sirens, and loud music. Here, the only sounds I hear at night are the occasional cats yowling or fighting. In the morning, I sometimes hear the produce trucks with their loudspeaker recordings screaming out what they're selling, but they usually don't start until a little bit before I get up.
Understanding the commercials. They're so much less annoying when you don't know what's being said.
Having to pay utility bills and rent. Here, each month, the amounts for my flat apartment management fee, my cell phone bill, and my internet bill are just taken out of my paycheck. And my rent is free, of course.
Commuting to work. At the job I was working before I came here, I drove 35-40 minutes to and from work each day. Total distance: SIX MILES. Here, I walk to work. It takes three minutes.
Having to talk to other people all the time. I do have to talk all day to my students, which kills me, but other than that, I don't have to converse much. The language barrier has its advantages.
High priced movie tickets. It's not super cheap here, but it's cheaper than in LA. I pay about seven dollars for a ticket here, and I just found out last night, that although they don't seem to have matinee prices here, they do have, let's call them "nuit," prices for late night shows. Only 5 dollars.
Vacuuming.
Soda made with high fructose corn syrup. I've noticed that soda tastes infinitely better outside the US, I assume because it's made with real cane sugar.
Having to leave my apartment to do laundry, and having to pay for it. Apartments come with their own laundry room and washing machine here.
City noise. In Koreatown, I was constantly bombarded with sounds of car alarms, people yelling or partying, cars honking (or crashing), sirens, and loud music. Here, the only sounds I hear at night are the occasional cats yowling or fighting. In the morning, I sometimes hear the produce trucks with their loudspeaker recordings screaming out what they're selling, but they usually don't start until a little bit before I get up.
Understanding the commercials. They're so much less annoying when you don't know what's being said.
Having to pay utility bills and rent. Here, each month, the amounts for my flat apartment management fee, my cell phone bill, and my internet bill are just taken out of my paycheck. And my rent is free, of course.
Commuting to work. At the job I was working before I came here, I drove 35-40 minutes to and from work each day. Total distance: SIX MILES. Here, I walk to work. It takes three minutes.
Having to talk to other people all the time. I do have to talk all day to my students, which kills me, but other than that, I don't have to converse much. The language barrier has its advantages.
High priced movie tickets. It's not super cheap here, but it's cheaper than in LA. I pay about seven dollars for a ticket here, and I just found out last night, that although they don't seem to have matinee prices here, they do have, let's call them "nuit," prices for late night shows. Only 5 dollars.
Vacuuming.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Things I Miss
Couch, or at least armchair. Something to sit on that doesn't require me to put a pillow behind me or under me.
Living in an apartment that doesn't smell like sewage two or three times a day for 30-60 minutes.
The Daily Show, even though I never got to watch it back home. I see commercials for it on CNN sometimes, and man, that show is so funny.
Knowing about company events before they happen, and knowing which days I get off ahead of time. We had an open house kind of event for the parents of our students, and I wasn't told about it until the day before, and was told nothing about what the event was. My boss called it a "seminar" and I thought it was a teacher workshop that involved us learning how to be better teachers. Boy, was I wrong. Additionally, Korea has many "holidays," but we don't get all of them off. I rarely know for certain which upcoming holiday I'm getting off.
Getting Monday off in honor of a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday, or holidays that always fall on a certain day. They don't do that here, so we miss out on a lot of days off.
Being able to buy dairy products at a reasonable price. A quart of milk costs as much as I used to pay for a half gallon. Cheese is so outrageously priced that I get government cheese from Kent. Ice cream is ridiculous, too, and they don't have chocolate, anyway. They do have neopolitan ice cream for a decent price, but the quality isn't very good, and I don't like vanilla, so it makes me angry to buy it. I still do, though.
Wheat bread. They have wheat bread here, but it's like, gourmet. It costs twice as much to get a tiny loaf of wheat bread (not just tiny as in fewer pieces, but tiny as in the size of each slice, too) as it does to get a giant loaf of white bread, which has about three times as much bread.
Really, buying affordable food in general--dairy, bread, peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti sauce, pasta, most fruits and vegetables, butter, eggs, juice, canned soup (which I don't buy), cereal, even all the Korean food I buy like mandu and seafood patties are all two to four times what I'd pay in the US. Pretty much the only food that doesn't cost and arm and a leg is rice. My apartment actually came with rice. I haven't touched it.
Not having to take my work home with me. I've greatly reduced the amount of it I take home with me, so now I only take home homework to correct on Friday, but that usually means I give back homework a day late. Oh, well.
Not having to strongly enunciate in order to be understood.
Bedsheets and pillowcases. They use one thin quilt (not fitted) as a bottom sheet, and the only covering is the bedspread. Pillowcases are replaced by frilly pillow shams.
A dresser and closet. I have to put my clothes on shelves and hang my button down shirts and dresses on my drying rack.
Counter space.
Instant access to hot water. Here, you have to turn on the hot water and wait for it to warm up.
The rest of my wardrobe. I didn't have much room to bring clothing and such, since a lot of my suitcase space was spent on toiletries that they either don't have here, or which are really expensive. Consequently, I'm wearing pretty much the same clothes all the time, even though I have bought a few more shirts since I've been here.
Affordable toiletries. I didn't bring enough facial wash and moisturizer to last me the year. A bottle of Clearasil costs over 13 bucks. Man. Korean products aren't as bad, but are still a bit pricey.
Shower stall or curtain. Korean showers are just part of the rest of the bathroom, and pretty much wet all the time. I have to use a rag to wipe off my toilet seat and cover in case I want to use the toilet in the next five hours.
Trash cans with covers.
My Mac. This PC is bullshit.
Being able to call any number or go anywhere or read any sign without needing a translator. I try to practice my limited Korean skills whenever I can, though.
Dad's massive TV.
My yoga studio in LA. The yoga here just doesn't cut it. I'm changing studios this week, though, to a more traditional hatha yoga studio that Heather found. It's cheaper, too.
Probably more stuff, too, but I'll do this again in a couple months.
Living in an apartment that doesn't smell like sewage two or three times a day for 30-60 minutes.
The Daily Show, even though I never got to watch it back home. I see commercials for it on CNN sometimes, and man, that show is so funny.
Knowing about company events before they happen, and knowing which days I get off ahead of time. We had an open house kind of event for the parents of our students, and I wasn't told about it until the day before, and was told nothing about what the event was. My boss called it a "seminar" and I thought it was a teacher workshop that involved us learning how to be better teachers. Boy, was I wrong. Additionally, Korea has many "holidays," but we don't get all of them off. I rarely know for certain which upcoming holiday I'm getting off.
Getting Monday off in honor of a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday, or holidays that always fall on a certain day. They don't do that here, so we miss out on a lot of days off.
Being able to buy dairy products at a reasonable price. A quart of milk costs as much as I used to pay for a half gallon. Cheese is so outrageously priced that I get government cheese from Kent. Ice cream is ridiculous, too, and they don't have chocolate, anyway. They do have neopolitan ice cream for a decent price, but the quality isn't very good, and I don't like vanilla, so it makes me angry to buy it. I still do, though.
Wheat bread. They have wheat bread here, but it's like, gourmet. It costs twice as much to get a tiny loaf of wheat bread (not just tiny as in fewer pieces, but tiny as in the size of each slice, too) as it does to get a giant loaf of white bread, which has about three times as much bread.
Really, buying affordable food in general--dairy, bread, peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti sauce, pasta, most fruits and vegetables, butter, eggs, juice, canned soup (which I don't buy), cereal, even all the Korean food I buy like mandu and seafood patties are all two to four times what I'd pay in the US. Pretty much the only food that doesn't cost and arm and a leg is rice. My apartment actually came with rice. I haven't touched it.
Not having to take my work home with me. I've greatly reduced the amount of it I take home with me, so now I only take home homework to correct on Friday, but that usually means I give back homework a day late. Oh, well.
Not having to strongly enunciate in order to be understood.
Bedsheets and pillowcases. They use one thin quilt (not fitted) as a bottom sheet, and the only covering is the bedspread. Pillowcases are replaced by frilly pillow shams.
A dresser and closet. I have to put my clothes on shelves and hang my button down shirts and dresses on my drying rack.
Counter space.
Instant access to hot water. Here, you have to turn on the hot water and wait for it to warm up.
The rest of my wardrobe. I didn't have much room to bring clothing and such, since a lot of my suitcase space was spent on toiletries that they either don't have here, or which are really expensive. Consequently, I'm wearing pretty much the same clothes all the time, even though I have bought a few more shirts since I've been here.
Affordable toiletries. I didn't bring enough facial wash and moisturizer to last me the year. A bottle of Clearasil costs over 13 bucks. Man. Korean products aren't as bad, but are still a bit pricey.
Shower stall or curtain. Korean showers are just part of the rest of the bathroom, and pretty much wet all the time. I have to use a rag to wipe off my toilet seat and cover in case I want to use the toilet in the next five hours.
Trash cans with covers.
My Mac. This PC is bullshit.
Being able to call any number or go anywhere or read any sign without needing a translator. I try to practice my limited Korean skills whenever I can, though.
Dad's massive TV.
My yoga studio in LA. The yoga here just doesn't cut it. I'm changing studios this week, though, to a more traditional hatha yoga studio that Heather found. It's cheaper, too.
Probably more stuff, too, but I'll do this again in a couple months.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Public Urination
One day a couple months ago I was at the park, sitting by a big Greek theatresque structure, which had a nonfunctioning fountain at the base. There were a ton of kids playing around the area, as always, and as I looked at one little boy playing on the steps, I saw a funny sight. Ever so nonchalantly, he pulled down his pants a little and took a piss right on the steps. Then he pulled up his waistband again and went on with his play.
Tonight as I walked out of the building I work in, I saw another little boy standing outside a parked car with one of the back doors open. His pants were around his ankles and he was, for some reason, pulling his shirt all the way up past his chest. It was dark, and I thought it would be rude to keep looking right at him at such close proximity, but I'm pretty sure he was also peeing. Right at the car, too. There was someone I assume was his grandmother sitting in the seat next to the open door, who noticed a lot of people were now coming out of this and other buildings, so she hurried him up, starting to pull him back toward the car. As I got past the car, I started laughing, and so did his grandmother. I wonder if this practice segues into sleazy adult public urination, or if they curb it by adolescence...
No pictures this time. Sorry.
Tonight as I walked out of the building I work in, I saw another little boy standing outside a parked car with one of the back doors open. His pants were around his ankles and he was, for some reason, pulling his shirt all the way up past his chest. It was dark, and I thought it would be rude to keep looking right at him at such close proximity, but I'm pretty sure he was also peeing. Right at the car, too. There was someone I assume was his grandmother sitting in the seat next to the open door, who noticed a lot of people were now coming out of this and other buildings, so she hurried him up, starting to pull him back toward the car. As I got past the car, I started laughing, and so did his grandmother. I wonder if this practice segues into sleazy adult public urination, or if they curb it by adolescence...
No pictures this time. Sorry.
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