Jeonju Hanok Village

Way back in August, during orientation, we had a day-long excursion. In the morning we learned how to do lion dancing, which I've already blogged about, and made a pencil case out of traditional craft paper. Then we had bimbimbap for lunch and visited the traditional Hanok village. It is a preserved village of old-fashioned Korean buildings, as well as a palace and a temple.

 This fountain was covered in painted stones, each with a wish or a greeting on them.

 blooming trees in the Buddhist temple school

 The entrance to the Buddhist temple with a foggy mountain behind it.

 froggy

 old water wheel with a windmill

pretty colors on the palace wall

Friday's Post

Simple but heartfelt. Taking my taxi home tonight along the river, breathing in the air and drinking in the sights, I realized that I am content here. After only a month, I feel comfortable and at home.

I think that's pretty cool.

Acceptance

One of the things I most love about Korea (and about any small nation, really) is the delight the people show when you show any interest in their culture or language. Their whole face lights up. They grab your hand. They say thank you an awkward number of times or for remarkably insignificant things.

I brought in the cakes. The principal said she loved me. Her English is limited, but I knew what she meant. The viceprincipal held my hand. My colleagues gasped and ooohed. The shy gym teacher finally spoke to me in English.

The head teacher asked me if we have this first paycheck tradition in the States. When I said no, she said I was like a Korean. From a Korean, that's pretty high praise.

It's not the gift that won them over (though everyone likes cake). It's that I followed this tradition. I really did feel more integrated today.

First Paycheck

Here in Korea, when you get your first paycheck, the tradition states that you have to buy gifts for your coteachers, principal, and vice-principal. I went today and ordered cakes. I was careful to get a larger one for the principal, and I got a pre-sliced multi-flavor set up for my office.

I'm terrified that I'm going to mess this up somehow. That's right, I'm afraid that I will somehow offend people by giving them cake. Etiquette is a bit crazy in this country!

Cheeseburger!

And now to write the most stereotypical Daejeonite expat blog.

House Grill. Both locations. Oh my God. So good! Great burgers, good fries, friendly service. Go there and eat until you are fat and happy. Om nom nom. 남남남!!!!! ^^

Hiking Daejeon, part one

So there isn't actually a part two coming up immediately. It's just that hiking is a really big activity here, so I am sure there will be more hikes to come! This was my first hike, already a few weeks ago now, with Song and Arielle. We thought it was going to be a short, light hike followed by swimming in a reservoir. Except that there didn't wind up being any place to swim, and we wound up going on a 12 km, intensely hilly, four hour hike. It was awesome. We were also adopted by an old Korean man who stayed with us for the second half of the hike and made sure we didn't get lost in the woods.

 the most water we saw

 a Korean ajumma all decked out against the sun

Koreans are super into hiking. They all have little matching hiking outfits, and camelbacks, and walking sticks. We sort of stuck out in our workout clothes and ponytails!

 the view from the top

sweaty but feeling accomplished at the top

Smokey

My sweet boy Smokey passed away. He was buried in Varosliget. Dexter is doing fine, even though I'm sure he misses his brother. It's so funny. They're so small, and to so many people such insignificant little animals. But they attach themselves to your heart, and you can't help but to love them. Smokey had such a stubborn, curious personality. He was never a cuddler, but he did like to run up and grab my face or hands between his little paws and groom me. He was so brave: escaping, fighting cats, getting trapped in drawers. I missed him even before I left Budapest.

Rest in peace, my beautiful boy.

 youth

 bright eyes

 chasing strings

 so curious

 bath time

doing tricks for peanut butter

Tiny Mewling Cub

I am, once again, a helpless infant who needs every single little thing done for her.

When I first moved abroad, to Spain, I spoke the language and could generally fend for myself. Plus, I was in the happy little bubble of study abroad. At most, I needed to ask where things were.

The second time, moving to Hungary, was much more difficult. I didn't speak the language. I wasn't in a bubble. I figured it out, but it was all so difficult. I'm experiencing this again here in Korea. I need help for opening accounts, getting phones, using the bank, paying bills, everything. I'm trying hard to remember that I've done this before and that it will get easier. Certainly, I'm doing better than many other Korean newbies are: I can ride the bus, take taxis, and buy food successfully. There is that.

Yesterday I went to try to get a cell phone. We were there for three hours, and I left without a cell phone! I almost cried. I'll head back there in a few minutes to try again with my new and improved banking setup. It better work, or I might actually lose it!

Chili paste and shame

Here in Korea, it is about to be Chuseok, which the Koreans translate as Thanksgiving but to my understanding is a blend of Thanksgiving and All Soul's Day. Anyway, one of the traditional foods at this time of year is Songpyeon. These are small rice cakes, traditionally filled with a paste of either sesame seeds or red beans mixed with honey.

Last week, the home-ec teacher brought some songpyeon into the staff room for us. She was extra excited for me to try them, as a foreigner. The sixth graders had made them, and she had taken one from each student to share with the teachers.

I popped one into my mouth. Instead of delightful honey-tinged sweetness, though, I tasted fire. I spat out as much as I could. The rice cake is sticky, though, and a lot stuck to my teeth. Tears ran down my face. I chugged water.

Some of the sixth grade boys had filled their songpyeon with chili paste. The sort of chili paste of which you put one spoonful into a pot of soup. The home-ec teacher was furious.

On Friday, there was punishment. Laps were run. Bows were made. Begging definitely happened. Somehow, I doubt those boys will be making chili-paste desserts again. Poor things. I almost felt bad for them.

Frustration

My school is at the end of a dead-end street, so there is only one way to get there. Which means that every morning on my way to work, I am forced to walk at a snail's pace behind small children wandering aimlessly down the road. It's been even worse this week, as they are all carrying umbrellas that are much too large for them, so they can't even see anything.

It takes me 6 minutes to walk HOME from work. It takes me 13 minutes to walk TO work. Argh.

Volleyball and Awkwardness

My first day at my new school, a Wednesday, there was a volleyball game. I was dressed to impress, without a change or sneakers, so I didn't partake.

The second Wednesday I came prepared, but there was no volleyball.

Yesterday I brought my stuff. There was no volleyball.

Today, in a surprise turn of events, there was volleyball. Of course, today, I had no stuff with me. So I sort of awkwardly batted the ball around during the warm up, then sat down for the actual game. Alone. Awkwardly.

Eventually one of the teachers nearby made eye-contact with me. I smiled, hugely. She looked terrified. I said hello. She forced out a few sentences. One of them was in French. So I ran with it, and spoke horrible French with her for twenty minutes. Now, I know you're thinking, "But Lauren! You don't speak French!" You're right. I don't. But I speak more French than Korean and understand a heck of a lot more. So I did it. It was less awkward than sitting alone and pathetic while the Koreans run about in their full volleyball gear to spontaneous (and perfectly simultaneous) cries of "fightING!!"

Colors

Korea is a very colorful place. I don't mean that euphemistically, either. I mean there are colors everywhere. Traditional buildings are ornately painted in many bright colors. Modern buildings are covered in blinking, scrolling, flashing neon. Bags and shoes are adorned in candy colors. Don't even get me started on the K-pop, either. I sort of love it. There is always something to look at.

Bowing

Situations in which I have now, to my mind at least, successfully executed a bow:

• while walking and talking to other people than the one being bowed at
• while speaking Korean
• while going up and down the stairs
• while eating, including soup
• while riding a bike
• while getting off a bus
• while dancing
• while teaching

Situations in which I have now UNsuccessfully executed a bow:

• while getting distracted as a result, and walking into a phone pole

School Signage

At my school, there is signage everywhere. There are posters for all sorts of things. My favorite, by far, is the stair signage. I guess Koreans deliberately switched their walking direction a few years back, so most stairs have arrows still showing that you should go up on the right and down on the left. At my school, they come with additional signs all focused on reading and respecting your parents. Korea!

"Have a dream in your heart, have a book in your hand."
and
"I'll repay my parents for their love."

"Reading is mental food."
and
"Time is the only comforter for the loss of parents."