Been a while...

It has been a while since my last post. Things have been crazy here with all the classes that we're taking to get ready for teaching. We start classes at 9 in the morning and we get out at 5:30, minus a lunch break. Which is crazy because the kids i'll be teaching will be going to school for like 10 hours a day. I don't think there is any debate on whether or not the Koreans value education. Despite all of the wonderful education I've been receiving I would have to say the best part of being here is the nights out in Jeonju. This city is considered a small city and it has 600,000 people in it. So i guess San Fran should now be considered small compared to asian standards. Its funny how it seems so big to me when I'm about to embark on a year in Busan, with a population of 4 million. So all of that rambling to say that it's been hard to post when you wake up at 8 and are busy until curfew at 1 in the morn. However, I think it'll be easier once I get to Busan and there are not hundreds of westerners around all of the time.
It's almost as if I don't know where to start. The differences between Korea and America are fascinating and so common. It's kind of cool to be in a situation in which people are so respectful and caring about others, not wanting to alienate one another, and "save face." That is the biggest phrase thrown around Korea, as it is so important. Basically it means that Koreans never want to do anything that disrespects others or make another feel badly. Therefore, they would rather lie or beat around the bush that actually say what they are thinking. I see good and bad from that. There is a level of love and care that Americans don't have in which they want to make others feel comfortable but at the same time it is the American way to be straight forward and not run around the issue.

With that said I guess I'll talk about what's been going on the last few days. There definitely has been a lot of Kimchi consumption, to the point that myself and a few friends went out for pizza today so that we could have some western food. Although the pizza had no sauce, so it was basically cheesy bread, except really expensive because they don't have a lot of cheese lying around Korea.

I found out that it is official and that I may be able to go to North Korea. There is a tour that goes into a southern town in North Korea, open to westerners, and it only costs abotu 300,o00 won, which is like $275. It's interesting because the girl who told me about it is Korean-Australian, but when she went she had two Americans with her. She took a picture with those two Americans and the two N. Korean tour guides and she was in the middle. I guess she felt them pressing against her with their bodies during the picture and she wondered why. Later she found out that they were intentionally doing that because they wanted to make the point that they were moving as far as possible away from the Americans because they hate us so much. A funny side note is that in that town they actually sell books in English stating how it was America's fault that the Korean War happened. I have always heard about that, but it's weird to see how true these rumors actually are; and to actually be basically in the same country that all this hate is coming from. Regardless, they actually give us tours, I mean if they make $3 a month, $275 a tour is hard to resist, but there are so many rules aparently. One is not allowed to point at any time, or allowed to take pictures until given permission, and definitely not allowed to stand near any of the statues of the beloved Kim Jun Il. Nevertheless, I think it would be worth it. I mean how many people, especially Americans, can say that they've been to THE north korea. it's a little risky, but would be so worth it. if everyone else that I plan on going with chickens out I might just hang out at the DMZ and do some bungee jumping or something, so that I can at least get some risk involved.
Other than that, it has been great getting involved in Korea. I mean im not in the location I will be living for a year, but it is nice to communicate with Koreans and get to know what they're like. A friend and I went to a driving range today, which is completely different than any i've ever been to, and it only cost 10,000 won, which is less than $9, for unlimited balls and 80 minutes of time. Although it made me want to learn Hangul, which is Korean, because we were lucky one man knew very basic English; otherwise there's no way we would've gotten in. Although I will say that once we were in the Koreans were amazing. One man who was next to me helped me with my swing and gave me advise, although I was just some stupid American and not very good at golf. I think it was because I was his Junior, and in Korea someone's junior (younger than them) is to be treated almost as if they were their child and taken care of. He definitely took care of me, to the tone of a few strokes of my game if I was a regular. All I could do was to try to show the most respect as possible. I said things like annyonhaseyo, which is the formal version of "hello" or "kamsamnida" which is "thank you," and i say kamsamnida all the time.
I feel as if I am cutting the blog short but it's 2:30 in the morning and i've been up til about 4 every night with this crazy schedule so I am falling asleep as I write this, but I want to keep up with it (kara). Hopefully my posts will be more consistent, but although it's only 1 in the afternoon in Plymouth, it's definitely Wednesday here and I must get some sleep. Until next time.

annyeonghi gyeseyo (goodbye)