Springing Around

The weather’s gotten nicer and my ability to sit in front of my computer and write about, my now, seemingly normal and at times mundane life has become really difficult. I’m quickly approaching the 10 month mark, which I feel unbelievably prepared for, but also caught off guard by.  here’s the quick and dirty of my last couple months here in the ROK.

I like boys more than girls

Ever since I started teaching I could tell that I had a soft spot for the adorable little guys in my class, but now that they’re older and their personalities show through in every activity, every day, it’s become glaringly obvious just how much cooler boys are than girls, specifically 5 year olds boys.

On the girls side of Elephant Class we’ve been dealing with manipulative behavior, lying, alienating, bullying, name calling, jealousy--they are me 10 years ago.  These mini-premadonnas are vicious little instigators and their behavior is once again making me question their future as human beings. 

Thus, I focus my energy on the happier half of my classroom. The happy-go-lucky, fun loving, slightly out of control, yet receptive little men are light of my life. 

Not only are they easier to deal with and more fun, but they’re overall smarter than the girls. They’re even up to date on current world events.  Regardless if their information comes from their misinformed and highly neurotic Korean parents.  

Here’s a video of my kids explaining the earthquake in Japan, or “errscakes” as WoongJay calls it.  

After the earthquake and following nuclear meltdown, there was a pretty big fear of a fallout here in Korea, especially when rain clouds coming from the east covered the city of Seoul.  In this take WoongJay and Henry give a pretty scientific explanation of what happens if you get some of this, so called, radioactive rain on your head.


Overall they’re just a lot cooler than the girls.  Hopefully the ladies pull it together at some point, but until then i’ll keep talking about Power Rangers and Transformers.


Mary Takes Korea 

Mary Whiteside came to visit in mid April and along with her came a bag full of goodies and treats from the states.  Mom, the Brita water filter has completely changed my life.  Dead serious.

We ate a lot of food...

Some of it was really bad. Like the messy disaster of sauce and seaweed shown below.  I don’t know what we were thinking when we decided that out of all the food trucks, in all of Gangnam, we should select this squid and octopus fried delicacy.  It was far from tasty and we ended up throwing it out after 2 bites.  

She’s laughing because it’s disgusting...

 We went and saw the cherry blossoms and rode some bikes...

We drank tea...

Took pictures next to an ox made of grass...

Then Mary got lost.  I had gone to the gym in the morning and had made plans to meet her at the main intersection and we’d walk to Reggio together.  Somehow she got mixed up in the ping pong ball machine looking streets of my area and took a right when she should have gone left.  About 5 minutes past our planned meeting time I used my friends phone and gave her a call to see if there was a problem.  She had panic in her voice, but I thought nothing of it because there had been a twinge of panic in her voice since before she left the states.  I tried to stay calm, asking what she saw around her.  “Holly’s Coffee on my left” she replied.  I said “Good! Keep going straight.” completely overlooking the fact that there are Holly’s Coffee’s roughly every half block in Seoul.  After waiting a bit longer and running around trying to find her, I decided to hustle to school and try to call her again.  Once at school and on the phone with her, we realized what had happened, I instructed her to a cab, had a Korean give directions to the driver and within 15 minutes she was at Reggio, this didn’t stop the tears though.  Oh there were tears.  And frustration.  And a little scolding.  But after the panic attack subsided everything was fine and the kids were very very excited to see her.  

Then we went to Seokcho on the East Sea.  Our first night we went to a traditional Korean fish restaurant.  At one point there were 4 plats of food that were still moving.  I had some trouble with this meal and Mary didn’t eat much at all.  Fun experience, but i’m not looking to ever do it again.

We got fireworks.  The devil’s fireworks.  They were the kind you light, hold in your hand, and they shoot out balls of exploding fire.  These particular fireworks must have been poorly packed because even if held straight, the fire balls would boomerang and explode on the ground directly behind you or somewhere else in the near vicinity.  So there you are with a stick of gun powder and fire, petrified with fear, firework shrapnel flying everywhere, unable to decide a plan of action that might take you away from this perceived harm.  Looking back on it now, we very easily could have placed the fireworks into the sand, but that option didn’t even occur to anyone at the time.  

Did a lot of seashell hunting.

Went hiking. 

Then after 12 glorious days Mary went back to the states : (  

The Ostrich Farm 

I don’t know who gets the ideas for some of our field trips, or where they get these ideas from, but the trip to the ostrich farm was one for the books.  I spent the whole time freaking out trying to keep my kids away from the ostriches.  I can’t say i’ve spent much time around ostriches, but they are truly disgusting and frightening creatures.  They stare at you, much in the way that the velociraptors stared at prey in the movie Jurassic Park.  Simply terrifying.

Then we got to feed bunnies, which was a welcomed change from the vicious birds of prey.



Thankfully we made it through the day with no breakdowns, bites or injuries.  Some classes weren’t so lucky.  Shota in Dolphin class got to close to a horse and it bit his little arm.  There was mass hysteria amongst the Korean teachers followed by a trip to the hospital.  Fortunately for me and the Elephants, the day was all smiles.

Then we went on another field trip.  This time to see Dibo and the Super Band.  During the show they turned off the lights, gave out glow sticks to all the kids and had laser lights fit for a Vegas club.  It was like a rave for little people.  It was pretty overwhelming for a lot of the kids and WoongJay spent the whole time on my lap crying.  Poor little guy.

Seoraksan...again...

Just two weeks after visiting Seokcho and Seoraksan with my mom, a group of us went back for a long weekend.

I climbed inside a statue of a man outside of Emart....

We hiked. Again.  This time was far different from the leisurely hike I did with my mom.  This hike is intense and challenging, with some 800 stairs going up a sheer rock face.  I’ve done it before, which is why I continually questioned why I suggested we do it again.  

Took some videos documenting our progress.  

But we made it to the top! 

All in all it’s been a busy and bustling past 2 months.  Filled with a lot of fun and a good amount of homesickness.  At times damn near debilitating homesickness.  Thankfully that has passed.  Summer seems to have arrived and i’m about to sign my second contract.  See ya someday USA.  

we are excited. yes we are.

In only 2 short weeks Mary Whiteside will be hopping on a plane and heading out to Seoul to spend some time site seeing, shopping and hopefully cooking me a lot of food.  I am like a child before Christmas and my excitement for my upcoming visitor has been discussed greatly with the people that I spend time the most time with, Elephant Class.  They are also very much looking forward to meeting "Lydia teacher’s mommy”.  I think they are also betting on receiving some pencils or Pokemon cards or Power Ranger Engine Force memorabilia from the States.

The fact that they’re capable of discussing more than animals and colors now makes it a lot easier for us to have conversations about my current favorite topic. 

This was one of the first days we talked about our April visitor, so we were still working out the details.

So this is what a 20 grand a year kindergarten education looks like in Korea....


And lastly...sorry it’s a few days late....



The paper chain is being made tomorrow! Love you and can’t wait for you to get here!!!!

so there’s that...

Spring is just about here in the ROK and I, for one, could not be happier.  To say that the weather between late November and late February were cold is a gross understatement.  It was painful.  It was miserable. It was depressing.  I never wanted to leave my house (and for the most part I didn’t).  It was a tough couple of months.  But even though it felt as though it would never end, here we are mid March, in the mid to upper 40s, no longer battling a sever case of SAD and no longer refusing to get out of bed for anything other than a contractual agreement that allows me to stay in this country.

Along with the increase in temperature, attitude and overall outlook on life, there has been an renewed sense of desire to get out and experience the city a bit more.  With that comes a lot more subway rides and journeys around Seoul.  Now days these journeys aren’t spent gripping my own body for warmth, wiggling my toes to avoid frostbite, and assessing all possible areas that might be left uncovered and exposed to the air outside.  Since I no longer have all of these things to do on the subway, I’m able to get back to people watching.  I almost forgot how wonderful Seoul is for that exact thing.

A few weeks back I was headed somewhere by myself, when 3 elderly people sat down across the train from me.  At first glance they looked like normal Koreans over the age of 65, but before I looked away I noticed a significant amount of sparkle reflecting off all their clothing.  As I inspected it became clear that they must have put on every fur/sequin/multi-colored/flannel piece of clothing they owned.  It was at that moment that I realized it was my duty to take a picture.  My heart was pounding because I was nervous that they’d see me, or that my camera would flash, or if I did take a picture with out flash it wouldn’t turn out, then they’d of course get off at the next stop, causing another missed opportunity for greatness, so I decided to take a video.

So here’s a video of 3 Korean senior citizens that i’d love to spend some time with, maybe have some drinks with, maybe go to Vegas with.



What’s frustrating and sad about this video, is that it doesn’t even come close to giving these people’s outfits the justice they deserve.  There was so much shine.  So much fur.  So many layers.  So much, and I mean so much fake hair (those clip on ponytails are huge here in Korea) and i’m pretty sure the gentleman on the right also buys into the hype.

On another pleasant weekend afternoon, a couple of us girls went to the foreign market in Itaewon to buy some hard to come by spices and overpriced potato chips (the real, not airy kind).  After shopping we were walking around trying to figure out a place to eat when we ran into a fiery Korean woman that had a few choice words to say to foreigners that partake in unfavorable activities here in her homeland of Korea.  And like any patriotic activist, she had pulled up a chair on the street corner in the foreigner district and put her thoughts on display...

Just to clarify her sign reads “Drug foreigners return to your country! If not we will kill you on the road in daytime.”  
cold blooded murder > drugs 

 I don’t think anyone in their right mind would question this woman’s moral priorities or logic.  They seem pretty airtight.

When she noticed us taking interest in her sign she decided to show us a pamphlet she’d made which had a picture of Obama holding and uzi.  She kept muttering something about “Korean politician” and pointing at Obama.  I was thoroughly confused.  And entertained.  As can be seen in the picture below...

Skyler and I with the Korean lady who’s fightin the good fight.  

Later on that same day, about a minute and a half later in fact, we ran into some people partaking in something that I thought you might actually get killed in the street for. In the states you’d at least get taken to the streets if you did this openly in a major city with absolutely no shame.  Right outside the subway on the way to the Wolfhound we saw a Korean man dressed in black face, with a dread-lock wig, screaming something while holding a sign.  

In all honesty I found this more shocking and appalling than the woman who was threatening to kill people in the street in daylight (questioning my moral priorities at the moment).  This Korean had a crowd gathered around, everyone looking to their left and right trying to decide who was going to make the first move and at least say something about how inappropriate it was.  But as we stood there we saw people of all different races and nationalities walking by, shaking their heads in laughter, so we decided to walk away without causing a bigger scene--but not without getting a picture first. 

If the guy in the red sweater is smiling and not punching the guy behind the banner out, who am I to play moral police?

It’s really great having even the slightest want to be outside and if my outings continue to be this comical and entertaining I’m gonna be going out all the time.  So keep it up Seoul.  

spaghetti day!

When I was growing up my mom would always break spaghetti noodles in half, thus making them easier for a child to consume, but also taking away a significant amount of enjoyment from the whole spaghetti eating experience.  I remember it being a battle of wills whenever it was spaghetti night at my house.  My mom, trying to pull a fast one on me by breaking the noodles without me seeing, and me adamantly and sometimes angrily begging for her to keep them whole.  After seeing my class eat spaghetti, I understand why she was so staunchly opposed to serving us kids full length noodles.

I would also like to say that it’s on this day, and this day only, I skip up to the second floor, salivating and excited for lunch.  It’s a bit crazy how emotionally attached we westerners are to spaghetti, even if it is, like everything else in Korea, doused in sugar and MSG.  Even though the sauce is always a little on the sweet side, spaghetti day is always circled on the monthly lunch menu and I always have a smile on my face, knowing that no where on the lunch table will I see seaweed or squid.

one would think that eating spaghetti noodles with chopsticks would be like eating any other noodle, but for some reason my kids (especially JiAhn-surprise surprise) have a really hard time maneuvering spaghetti into their little mouths using chopsticks.  

Henry looks like he’s in pain here...

If you say those aren’t the cutest cheeks in the world you’re a liar. 

3 noodles at a time. 

Check out the bling around Daniel’s neck. Piimp. 

I think Andy’s mom is doing the haircutting in the Lee household. Maybe with dull scissors.  And maybe after drinking soju. 

These trainer chopsticks are pretty brilliant. I know a few adults who could seriously use a pair of them.  

Evidence

The following video confirms my earlier posting regarding the intelligence level of some of my students.  In this little clip Heather and JiAhn are attempting to play a game of Paper, Rock, Scissors--which might I mention, is a Cat Class favorite.  In the video Andy, the infant in my class (I think his mom and dad lied on his birth certificate to get an early start on his education) is well aware of the winner of the PRS battle, but JiAhn and Heather are absolutely clueless. In this relatively simple game, JiAhn thinks paper beats scissors.  Then later Heather just decides to hold her hand out in paper, and Tweedle Dum throws out a matching paper 3 or so times, all the while Andy (the infant) is aware of the correct winner and correct English name of the game...baby genius.

Brilliant.

The Boy with the Sharpie Tattoo

I’m no stranger to bizarre things happening in bars.  Working as a bartender throughout college I witnessed many odd behaviors, outbursts and an enumerable amount of embarrassing moments.  Nearly every shift we’d dub someone Patron of the Night.  This title would most often go to the drunk girl crying in the corner, or the person grinding on a pole while simultaneously using it as a brace to keep upright, but sometimes someone really special would come along and change the game completely.  There was one evening in particular where a young techno loving gentlemen came in with a group of lady friends and proceeded to fight with inanimate objects and shoot fake arrows at my co-worker and I.  You had to see it to really appreciate the beauty and creativity of this lad’s dance moves, but let me just say, it made an impression and i’m reminded of him every time I see a bow and arrow (not as if that’s often). I don’t know if anyone will ever top that individual, but last weekend while a group of us were out in Itaewon, someone came close. Very close.

Upon arrival at The Wolfhound, everyone hustled to the bar to snag pints of specially priced Red Rock, I however, having drank a considerable amount of soju on the cab ride over, opted to wait it out for a bit.  Once situated I naturally took a look around the bar to survey the patrons and almost immediately I was struck by the vibe a young Korean man was putting off from the bar.  Dressed in all black with his back  towards the bartender, both elbows overconfidently placed atop the bar ledge, beanie pulled down, eyes focused outward.  It was easy to see that he was trying to channel some sort of Korean James Dean, badass and mysterious, but it just came off looking awkward, forced and intense.  Strange vibe and all, I didn’t think much of it and went on conversing with my co-teachers.

After some time had passed I grew thirsty and decided to go get a beer.  I headed to the bar and quickly walked to the first opening I saw.  As I stood waiting for the bartender to acknowledge me, I looked to my right and noticed that there standing next to me was the Korean wannabe Brad Pitt from Fight Club.  After a few seconds he introduced himself.
“Hello.  I am Jin.  Where from?”
“Hi. Lydia. From America.”
“You teacher?”
“Yeah I am.  I teach......” And that’s when something odd caught my eye.  On both his arms, which were now place in front of him on the bar, were markings, at first glance they looked like sleeve tattoos, but as I looked closer, cocking my head to the side to get a better look, I realized that the markings were not made from tattoo ink, but from sharpie ink.  At this point Jin realized that I wasn’t concentrating on our conversation, because I was curiously and confusedly staring at his arms, then a creepy smile took over his already slightly creepy face, as if to say “yeah you like those?”

As everything fell into place, my confusion turned into giggles then quickly turned into booming laughter when I started to make out some of the things he’d written on his arms.  There were math equations, elementary drawings of animals, words like “strength” and “honor” and i’m 99% sure he had e=mc2 written on his wrist.  I’m still kicking myself for not getting a photo to document the greatness of this kid’s attempt at awesomeness, because describing it really doesn’t do it justice.  I’m talking full on, hand to shirt, writing, drawing and scrawl.  Use your imagination--then double it.

What I did next was beyond mean, and I feel bad about it, but like a giddy child with no sense of personal space or right and wrong, I licked my thumb and attempted to rub off one of his “tats”, completely forgetting that he was a real human being with boundaries.  When he realized what I was doing and snapped his arm back I came back to reality, said, “oh my god i’m so sorry”, grabbed my beer and took off.

I was still in shock when I arrived back at our table, partly because of his tattoos, but mostly because of my behavior.  And now looking back I can’t help but wonder what is more strange, a dude who sharpies on tattoos in an attempt to look badass in a bar, or a girl who, after a few drinks, develops turrets, licks her thumb and attempts to rub marker off a complete stranger.  Jury is still out, but I hope Jin found whatever he was looking for.

“Your daughter...she’s...she’s so creative. So so creative.”

There are a number of things that i’ve learned from being around children and “teaching” for these past few months.  First and foremost, I really don’t know what i’m doing.  I often think to myself as i’m preparing a lesson, or doing something that doesn’t require my full attention, how funny it would be if people knew how much I make up on the spot, or how everything feels a bit like a leap of faith, because i’m never sure if what i’m doing will pan out.  The fact that Cat Class is communicating in English and seem to have learned a significant amount is still baffling to me.  It’s also a fact that not a day goes by that I don’t become a devout christian for about 20 seconds and thank Jesus that I teach kindergarteners, because i’m pretty sure that if I were teaching older kids they’d see me for the sham that I am, and berate me with their words and i’d be ridiculed daily.

Next I realized that my job title should probably be something more like “preventer of complete and utter chaos” rather than “teacher”.  It seems that what I spend most of my day doing is keeping these tiny humans under some sort of control.  In psychology I remember learning about this thing called “the Id”, which is basically that instinctual drive to find pleasure and avoid pain.  As you grow older, people learn that you have to live within boundaries and completely giving into your Id isn’t possible, because instant gratification and living on impulse isn’t possible (some people take this to heart more than others).  I’m no expert so I don’t know if it’s all kids this age, but the member of Cat Class really haven’t grasped the concept of delayed gratification and patience is still very much a word, not a practiced virtue.  I’m in no way saying I don’t understand how this is so, because at 24 i’m still trying to get a grip on both those things.  Maybe they’ll get the hang of it earlier in life then I did, but for now it’s pretty entertaining to watch the Cats struggle with even the most simple of patience requiring tasks....


Note clever little Lara, placing the cookie in her napkin and then putting the whole napkin wrapped cookie in her mouth.  Ah K, Lara, you win.

Probably the most shocking thing i’ve learned from teaching is that some kids are just dumb. Clearly I didn’t come into this expecting every child to be a miniature Bill Gates, or well on their way to a full ride at an Ivy League or MIT, but I guess I wasn’t prepared for such a discrepancy in ability and overall intelligence.  Now i’m not saying that the less then stellar kindergarten students of the world won’t turn out all right, I myself was in the lower reading level for most of my elementary school years (difficulty sounding things out and telling left from right).  I wouldn’t be shocked if Ms. Walker or Mrs. Carlton thought to themselves, “Oh that poor little Hu girl, she’s really gonna have a tough time, that one”, I wouldn’t be shocked because that is exactly what I think about a couple of the little birds in Cat Class. But then I have to take a step back and put myself in their miniature shoes, which are more than likely on the wrong feet, because although it’s not scientific, in my experience, shoes on the wrong feet is a sure fire sign of a lesser intelligence, and realize that they’ll probably turn out alright, and if they don’t, hopefully they inherit some money or marry well.

Below is a picture of Heather and JiAhn, or Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee as I like to call them, holding cakes they made in art class of edible and inedible objects.  Surprisingly both of them have their slippers on correctly.

Next we have a couple pictures of the two little ones right after I discovered that they had eaten a significant amount of the edible AND inedible decorations that were hot glued to the cake.  Their faces really say it all....