I’m sure this will be the first of
many stream of consciousness blogs that I write during my time in
Korea. Things move along so rapidly during these early days that it
seems the only way to keep up with them is to mentally regurgitate my
thoughts onto this screen. These are sure to be a collection of my
thoughts, likes, dislikes, observations, and questions while here...
The cicadas are a deafening yet
comforting reminder of the back of Wade Street. Not even the hustle
and bustle of the city in the evening can drown them out in certain
areas.
Coffee reigns supreme in Korea.
There is a coffee shop on every street corner, easily rivaling
Seattle, Washington. As I’ve shown before, there is even a coffee
house sharing space with a Christian church within walking distance
of my apartment. Coffee is the dessert of choice here and the number
one selling toothpaste flavor is… you guessed it, coffee!
My nights are spent with 6 foreign
co-teachers, both American and Canadian, waxing philosophically at
Korean bar-be-que restaurants over a small fire on the table
contained by bricks. Cigarettes are smoked, oriental beer is passed
around in cups only slightly larger than shot glasses, and ribs
sizzle across the metal grating. Although the food and drinks are
inexpensive, the moments are valuable. They seem to be a great crowd
so far, very welcoming and very interesting. Perhaps there’s some
intangible bond between us because for one reason or another, we all
ended up in Korea.
Young fashionable Korean guys are
easily spotted due to their pants ending 4 or 5 inches above their
ankles. Young Korean women have an affinity for wearing the shortest
shorts they can find coupled with their sexiest shoes. While this is
perfectly acceptable in the culture, women who expose their shoulders
or wear something too low cut will draw the ire of the elder
generation. Thick-rimmed glasses have both male and female fans,
with and without lenses.
Although I work very long hours at
school, there are certain things that ease the length of the days.
First and absolutely foremost is that I spend all day barefoot or in
socks. If you know anything about me at all, you’ll know that that
is worth its weight in gold to me.
We made a robot.
Our largest local grocery store is
Mega Mart which is comparable to Wal-Mart or Sam’s back home. The
difference lies in the fact that inside there are vendors cooking and
yelling to get your attention in hopes that you’ll try a sample of
what they have to offer. And of course there are delicacies that we
just don’t get to experience in the West.
Squid
Octopus
Cuttlefish
Sea Snails
Wild Bird Eggs
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