A Goodbye for Mai

I have never prided myself on being a spontaneous person… Acting impulsively is not one of those things that I’m into, known for, or comfortable with. But sometimes it can be a difficult thing to avoid, particularly living in a foreign country, where I find myself forced to succumb and adapt rather quickly.. and so, it was with Mai’s departure weekend. I couldn’t have predicted the outcome, and had I given myself time to think through it all, I would have denied myself the enjoyment that was Saturday night.

Following an intensively competitive few games of bowling, the crew headed to a beach party at the other end of the city. As is customary of our nights (days, and lives) we brought the debauchery, caused a ruckus, and began wrestling… This behaviour landed us, at 4 am, fully clothed, in the ocean. Once we were in there was no turning back, so under a moonlit sky, we frolicked in the warm crashing waves without a care .... trying to remain oblivious to how cold it would be once out, how hard it would be to get a cab, and how far it was to get home.

What followed were 4 grueling hours trying to warm up, and stay awake in order to get Mai to the airport for her 10am departure, and our tearful goodbye. A sad ending to a wonderful evening… but hurrah for the lack of sane logic that led to one of the best nights to date.

A Mid-Way Perspective

Time is a funny thing… sometimes hours can feel like they’re taking far too long to pass, and the weekend seems so far away, yet months can pass you by in the blink of an eye.. and so if feels with the past six months I have been here… and it blows my mind. I’m no longer a “newbie” though in some ways I still feel like I only arrived last month. But, I’m settling in so well, and I’m living this life now, and it’s a strange but wonderful reality. What seemed strange and bizarre at the beginning is now normalized and commonplace.. (which hopefully explains my less-than-frequent blogging). I have a life, a routine, friends, acquaintances, drama, boys.. all the great things that keep me sane…

But my six month mark also held some of the hardest times since being in Korea. In the past 2 weeks, I have said goodbye to two very close friends. Girls that have made a mark in my life and helped define the first half of my time here. But that’s the way things go, especially living in a foreign country… Most of us are here temporarily, so people are constantly in and out of our lives.. but these same individuals are part of the small circle of people that we have here… so with no family around the friendships, though brief, are insanely intense, and wonderful. So, the summers end, my six month mark, and the tearful goodbyes haven’t been easy, but they have encouraged me to remember all the great experiences I’ve had since coming here. And I’m ready to begin anew, and step up to what the next six months will offer… I’m only half way done, so my adventure is far from complete!

For the Kid in You

Generally speaking, I dislike watching movies. I think it has a lot to do with a very short attention span that often times I’m more obsessed with watching the clock than the film (and that’s when I’m not already asleep). And since I know I’m missing out on some good entertainment, culture, learning, thinking etc.., I make an effort to watch them now and again… and I think that Korean theaters may help me with my problem. The other day I tagged along with a group that was going to check out the new Simpson’s movie which was playing in the kids section of the theatre. (yes, it seemed strange to me too) Heading to the late show meant that we were the only ones watching this particular film, and walking inside we were all stunned and excited by what we found.. a theater filled with plushy couches to seat 2 or 3, brightly coloured and uber comfortable, with drawers underneath to store your goods… but that’s not even the best part… The 20 feet or so in front of the screen was just a huge soft pleathery mat. Lying down during the movie, in a theater, was cozy, and the wrestling and tumbling we could do on it afterwards was heaps of fun. Having to overlook the fact that probably a dozen kids pee on these mats weekly was just about the only problem. So perhaps these comfy surroundings won’t help keep my interest in movies, or help me find a new passion for film, but at least they provide I comfortable place to fall asleep!

A Holiday from my Holiday Life

Getting out of the country would have been optimal, but the lack of a travel companion and a body in dire need of rest were driving forces to make me stick around – which came with no regrets. The 5 days I had off were occupied with all the wonderful things that make my time here so wonderful: drinking, beaching, boardgaming, bowling, eating, and countless hours of shopping…

Shopping for me has always been a sort of therapy. Yes, I am a victim of consumerism, but having new “things” always brightens my day. Lucky for me, (unlucky for my bank account) shopping is easy to do here, and I certainly do a lot of it. But, in this country, it comes with a new set of quirks and adjustments for a westerner like myself. (beyond the facts that you can’t try on shirts, most clothes are one generic size small, and shoes for my foot size are a rarity) Take for example the shopping process itself… Upon entering a shop, employees hover around the shopper, often mere inches away, staring, waiting, intimidating. If I take one step forward, they take one step back.. and so we dance throughout my entire time in the store. I’ve left a few stores simply because I couldn’t handle the pressure, and sometimes I feel like it really impedes on my shopping. But that’s just one of those differences I have to accept living here, even if I don’t understand it. And then again it really hasn’t been that harmful given the expansion of my wardrobe over the past 5 months!

English Camp

Better late than never ... as I'm only writing now about my camp experiences of two and a half weeks ago.. but times are busy, so I hope you'll understand.

Well, over the months I've learned a lot about Korean children from my experiences here.. I've learned that they don't sleep a lot, they study like crazy, and they spend more time studying than indulging in carefree childhood fun... So, taking our students to "English Camp" proved to be an experience which they both needed, and enjoyed... and which I was happy to be a part of.

In a resortish type area, on a beautiful island not far from Busan, 40 Korean Kids, 5 Korean Teachers, and 3 Foreigners played in the sun for 3 days, in the name of English. Having been out a little too late the night before departure, my first day was a bit rough. So once the kids were in bed around 1230, I was quick to change into my pjs and rest my weary body.. Much to my dismay, my bosses felt I needed to demonstrate my drinking skills, and literally dragged me out of bed (and by bed I mean mat on the floor) to chug beer with them until 330am. Waking up at 730 had never been more torturous, and acting like an energetic counselor for my children had never been more difficult.. but I did and I lived, so all is not lost. Some key moments of our trip included seeing MC'ing the Mr and Mrs Pagoda Drag contest, Dancing onstage for my students, the lighting of a 6 foot high campfire dosed in gasoline via a shooting fire ball, spending a day in the pool, having my group win the most challenges, and a harmless ash fight that was all fun and games until I poked one of my students in the eye.

Getting away and having fun was a break these kids really needed, and so consequently I was denied one. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat, provided I could avoid the bus ride home.

Rockin' In the Free World

On one of the lesser frequented, but equally vast beaches of Busan, thousands of Koreans and a mix of foreigners gathered to party at Busan’s International Rock Festival. Musicians from around the world took to the stage to perform for a very diverse crowd of all ages. From my previous rock concert experiences, I wouldn’t have expected this one to be what it was: definitely a full family affair. Older women and men got their groove on around blankets *littered with empty soju bottles of course* at the back of the crowd, parents held their babies while rockin’ it out in a sweaty mob of fans, while dads taught their 3 year olds how to shoot roman candles. And though it made for a grueling 9am camp departure with my students the next morning, it was amazingly entertaining to witness it all. This was one I couldn’t miss.

Seeing Is Believing

Some days I think about how strange it will be to go back home one day… true, there’ll be a lot of readjusting and reverse culture shock… but one of the things I’ll miss most is the excitement and randomness of everyday life that I experience here. Take this past weekend for example: two full days in the sand and surf, where Haeundae beach has become a sea of Koreans and umbrellas….and with this sheer density of people, it seems only natural that it would exhibit many of these very quirky things which help make my time here so entertaining. Common findings at the beach are Koreans swimming in full clothing (or too small speedos), women sporting high heels, people buried in the sand, and couple photo shoots. These are just a few behaviours that are odd and wonderful and have come to be expected of a day at the beach… so my weekend hit a new level of wonderful, with an experience that topped them all.... Befriending and photographing with Korean bodybuilders. How can you top that?