Seaweed Pie

Fantastic

2008-11-05T10:11:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post to share my excitement about President Obama being elected. After seeing Bush elected a second time, I lost faith that the electoral system was working as it should; besides the discord between popular vote figures and the actual election results, I couldn't understand how there could be that many people (living next door to us) who thought and felt so differently that I did about social issues, war, etc. It was disheartening.

Seeing all of those people last night--all over the WORLD--rallying together to show their support for change, has given me a sense of optimism, not only for our neighbours in the United States, but for the world.

Because I needed another hobby

2008-10-30T15:38:00.004-03:00

It looks like I've caught the Bread Making Bug. The colder weather tends to make me want to spend more time in the kitchen, and soup with good bread always sounds so good when you're cold coming home from work in the evenings.

My first attempt was successful--a nice round loaf with french herbs. Subsequent attempts have produced weapon-like structures, barely edible and tasting slightly of beer. Still, I'm determined. I've read a couple books from the library, and decided to buy Baking Artisan Bread . I like the author's writing style, and he gives tips on how to achieve good results without having to go out and buy equipment (for example, making a steaming tray out of metal utensils in a pan).
My goal is to be able to make whole grain bread eventually-- and not have it weigh sixty pounds.

This is the Pan Francese recipe from the book.

Creamy Leek & Potato Soup

Chop an onion and 2 leeks and cook in butter until soft, in a saucepan. Add 2 cloves of garlic and cook another minute on medium heat. Add 5 cups of vegetable stock and 2 chopped potatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes, covered, on low heat.
Allow to cool a minute or two, and puree (I love my hand blender for this!).
Add lots of pepper, a touch of salt, and a touch of cream if you have it; the potatoes make this soup pretty creamy and I find it isn't really necessary to add cream.

I was actually out of bread tonight so I toasted some muffins in a frying pan to go with it, and that was pretty good.

Make lots and you'll have left overs to freeze and defrost, some chilly evening soon!

Marvin the Pee-er and other cats

2008-10-12T20:30:00.002-03:00

Does anyone know what would cause a cat to pee excessively? Marvin has been peeing a lot. Much more than usual. It seems like all he does sometimes is go back and forth between his water dish and his litter box (mixing things up every now and then with a number 2) and we're a little concerned. He seems healthy and happy otherwise, but it is strange. Of course Marvin has always been a bit strange, with his love of chocolate, gum and salty armpits (tries to lick them).

Within the last two weeks I have encountered 7 cats while walking to work or doing errands. The first one surprised me, and I expected that he would run away when he saw me. Instead though, he came right over and wanted to be petted. The same thing happened with the others! Each time they surprise me by walking over to me as I pass them on the sidewalk, and each time they're surprisingly friendly and want to be petted. I don't remember ever seeing so many cats just hanging around on the sidewalk, or ever being able to reach down to pet a cat who didn't know me like that. These ones have all been exceptionally snuggly and friendly, rolling around on their backs and swishing around my legs!

I'm kinda thinking there is something strange going on here. I've concluded that two possible things are happening:

1. Some kind of foreign intelligence (possibly from outer space) is attempting to tell me something via these soft and inconspicuous messengers. Most likely something to do with the upcoming election, like a warning about Steven Harper and the Conservative government and its detrimental effects on our environment, culture and health care system.

or

2. Cats in Halifax did a lot of reproducing last winter.

I'm leaning toward number 1, though.

Home

2008-10-04T21:04:00.003-03:00

A little discombobulated, but home.

monday string beans, sunday cicadas

2008-07-19T03:34:00.004-03:00

Another day, another walk. I take a lot of walks, and the camera helps me to see things in a positive light. Instead of being aware that someone is staring at me, I'm busy looking for a good picture. Something I can take home with me that goes beyond the day to day, from the particular to the whole.

I've always liked how the vendors take the time to arrange the fruit in these perfect pyramids.

A lot of women here use parasols to protect themselves from the sun. They are very apt at holding their parasol while biking, one hand holding it and the other on the handlebars. It has been so hot lately, even when the sun is not out. My days of caring about pit stains are long gone, and I've become somewhat accustomed to being sweaty most of the time. Even my eye lids were sweating today.

These guys were having a heated discussion as they walked by. Maybe about all the homework they have, maybe about North Korea...probably about video games.

For the last few weeks I've noticed really loud sounds coming from the trees on my way to work in the morning. One day I realized it was so loud I could barely hear my iPod. It sounded like a million little bird-crickets (brickets?). I asked the Korean teachers and they told me the sound is made by cicadas. So since then I've been determined to see one. I've been pausing under the trees, attracting even more attention and curious stares than usual, to try and get a glimpse.
Today I tried again.
Staring up at leaves that were no more than two feet away from my face, I suddenly saw what had been in front of me the whole time--and jumped about 6 inches off the ground. Although I knew they were big, their size still surprised me. What unnerved me even more was the way in which they cling to the underside of leaves, upside down, like they're going to fall off (and into your hair) at any moment. Once I saw one, I saw others everywhere I looked. As the wind blew their leaves around threateningly, I slowly stepped out from underneath them.
There are several species of cicadas, and since seeing these ones I've seen different-looking ones (deceased) on the ground, so I get the impression a single area can harbor several species.
The batteries in my camera died just as I found these guys, and so I couldn't zoom in at all. I'll get a better shot soon.

Various items from July 12 and 13th

2008-07-13T02:40:00.005-03:00

After trying in vain to create a cohesive posts with these photos, I'm admitting defeat and resolving myself to a Mish Mash entry for this week. Above, two men relaxing in front of the river this morning. I feel so silly. I finally figured out what all those seemingly abandoned chairs on the side of the road are for-- for sitting in! Why be uncomfortable when you can drag your lazyboy out?

Some shoes I found for a really reasonable price yesterday. I've never had yellow shoes before :)

I also treated myself to a pack of crayons. Here in Korea, it seems there are generally two kinds of crayons, this being one of them. The others come in a plastic tube and the crayon itself is pushed out of the top. Those ones also have harder texture, so I like the ones shown above better. However, it would be nice if they have more of a point on the end. I accidentally bought another pack of crayons, thinking I was buying markers. How frustrating to not be able to read packaging sometimes. Oh bother.

Sunny and I at Seomun Market on Saturday. Seomun Market is the oldest and largest tradition market in Daegu, and one of the oldest in Korea. Seomun means "west gate" because the market is located where the west gate of the Daegu Castle used to be. The market dates back to the Joseon Dynasty. Seomun Market is part of Deagu's main shopping district, which is primarily concentrated in the downtown core. This area has been the city's shopping district for centuries. The market is huge, composed of several blocks and buildings. You can find anything from furniture to electronics to western deodorant to dried octopus.

Sunny bought me some lunch and we sat to eat outside. We had Korean pancake, and sujebi, a Korean soup.

I also had my fortune told yesterday, something I've been wanting to do for a while. It's not uncommon for people here to get their palm read or their cards read on a regular basis, and the results are often taken seriously enough to affect their decision making. For example, a coworker recently mentioned that as a child her name was changed after her parents were advised to do so by card reader. Another coworker told me that her parents no longer approve of her boyfriend because a fortune teller suggested he was incompatible with their daughter.

Hope you're having a good weekend,

Between the drops

2008-06-29T05:10:00.011-03:00

It seems the rainy season has started here, and this weekend was a dark and wet one. Although many people really dislike the rain, I enjoy it. Particularly at night, and as an escape from the heat of summer. The grass almost appears greener in the rain. The air smells fresh, and it feels easier to breath after a storm.

There is a quietness when it's raining too...I guess because people don't generally like to be out in it.

Walking by the river today I found this pretty blue bug. I wonder how long it took him to get up that far, and if he completed his mission before getting blown off, eaten, or worse, smooshed. I bet there's so much going on in his tiny, little, fragile world.

This crane was very dramatically and deliberately sneaking around in the water looking for fish, when I spotted him. His long legs made him look a little like a gangly teenager, but he got his fish.

This family looked perfectly happy to swim in the rain, going back and forth from one side of the river to the other. Actually I remember thinking as a kid, that swimming in the rain made the water feel warmer.

Another nice thing about the rain is that it makes you appreciate a cozy coffee shop and a cup of tea. The lady working here even gave me a towel to dry off with, and an umbrella to use on the walk home.

2008-06-17T21:55:00.002-03:00

wig of curls

2008-06-16T08:30:00.007-03:00

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place where you could sprain both your elbow and your chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to land
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig of curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

Luckily, that isn't how the book ends.

2008-06-16T08:30:00.000-03:00

Tere takes a walk with Darlene's rhinoceros

2008-06-07T04:55:00.004-03:00

I packed up my sketchbook, notebook, camera and a snack, and went hiking today. Actually, it was more of a stroll... with a lot of breaks.
I came across this happy family along the way, smiling cheerily among the trees.

Darlene, I'm not sure if I told you that I brought this guy along with me to remind me of you guys. Here he is, enjoying a view of the forest from a totem pole--in Korea! He says hi.

I must have taken a wrong turn along the way, because I didn't end up at the top of the mountain. Instead I hit a dead end where someone had been growing vegetables. I found a log across from the makeshift garden (and the scarecrow complete with a motorbike helmet), to have my snack.

The ants and beetles fought for space on my log, while white butterflies hovered nearby. I thought to myself, This is probably the closest I will ever be to being in a jungle. I could almost feel things growing around me, feeding off the heat and humidity. So much green, and everything so alive.

And then I walked home...

the city

2008-06-01T08:28:00.005-03:00

A second hand clothing store downtown. It seems that unlike at home, it isn't the younger generation who appreciates second hand treasures, it's the older one. These shops are filled with older ladies.

While waiting for Emily to get her bang trim at the hair salon.

At Min's friend's lovely coffee shop. He gave us ice cream and cookies with our coffee,

and let us walk his dog afterwards.

Countryside with Min

2008-05-18T07:30:00.003-03:00

Last weekend, we were taken by Min (a wonderful tourguide!) to her grandmother's house in the countryside. About an hour and a half outside the city, and way up in the mountains, Min's grandmother lives and works on her farm. Although she lives by herself, the houses in this small and remote area make up a community. They are mostly older people, who have lived here for generations. Min said she feels sad knowing that in a decade this area may very well be deserted.

It was so quiet except for the mooing of a nearby cow, and the air smelled like burning wood.

We took a walk and looked around at everything, and then Min's grandmother made us supper. Afterwards we decided to see if we could find a place to have tea "downtown"; by the time we got there, it was about 8 o'clock, and all the lights were out in all the shops, everyone home for the night, the streets deserted. So we came home and enjoyed the silence instead.

Life seems so simple here, and it's hard to imagine that the city is a drive away.

People pt. 2: ladies

2008-05-10T06:49:00.004-03:00

In Korea, older women are referred to as Ajumas. I'm not sure whether there is a specific age when one goes from being an ordinary, middle aged woman, to being an Ajuma. Perhaps it coincides with the birth of a grandchild, or with the retirement of her husband. Once an Ajuma, a woman assumes not only a certain social position, but a particular style of dress. Because of this, Ajumas all look remarkably similar to one another. Visors and perms seem to be hallmark features of the "Ajuma look", but short pantlegs and hiking boots are also common.

I remember when I first arrived, going for a walk and coming across an older lady, smiling politely at her...and receiving an icy stare in return. Since then I've been shoved and pushed and glared at numerous times, by these mysterious and aloof characters. I still don't quite understand the intention, or how such a transformation in personality can happen with age, and on such a large scale. Apparently though, there are exceptions to the rule.

She's not your average Ajuma. I see her often in my neighbourhood, and she always gives me the biggest smile. For the past few weeks I've been saying hello when I see her, and a few days ago I asked if I could take her picture. She is always working when I see her, but seems so happy.
Some of the older people make extra money by picking up cardboard and tin to be recycled. The position is not a coveted one. They are often seen carrying massive loads behind them, on bicycles or carts. I asked my friend Min if there was a title given to these people, and she said they are called gomulsang, but that this term is somewhat disrespectful.

The foreign teachers here have all helped me so much, and are so much fun to be around. Thanks guys.

They hang from a lamp at the YMCA where I take language lessons.

Happy Mother's Day :)

In a week

2008-05-05T06:59:00.003-03:00

It seems like a lot has happened this week. A few bits and pieces:

I met a little blue friend on my walk to work Tuesday morning. I think his mom owns a store near my place. He came right over for a snuggle, and let me take a few pictures.

Out for supper after our teachers' seminar on Thursday. I tried lychee, coconut rice, and different kinds of rice cakes.

This is a Korean clown. Today is Children's Day, and so on Friday we celebrated at school. I actually found him to be a little less creepy than our North American clowns. Now, guess what the kids received as a gift on their special day...

You guessed it, giant beetles! I tried not to look their way too much because I felt bad for them stuck in these little jars, but I ended up spending about 15 minutes at lunch time, rolling the jars around, trying to help out the ones who had flipped over on their backs.

Yesterday we made a trip to Busan, a city in the south of Korea. I loved the fresh air, and realized how I miss being near the ocean. It was really nice sitting by the water a few hours.

This was our Beach Snack. Gimbop (rice and a few other things, wrapped in seaweed), sweet potatoes, and some red bean-filled fish treats--my favourite I think.

The life guard, looking spiffy in his speedo.

This poor guy was thrown into the water by his friends. At least they were considerate enough to take his pants off beforehand :)

This week I also learned something, which is that you can ask for help if you get lost. On Saturday after my language class, I decided to to make my way back to the bus stop independently. I took a wrong turn and ended up walking an extra 20 minutes or so before finding it, and when I did find it, I was frustrated to discover that it wasn't in use because of a Buddha parade going on. I was hot and hungry and becoming irritated with the crowds, so I suppose I wasn't thinking straight; I kept walking until I got lost again. I don't have a cell phone, and I didn't have enough cash for a cab, so I started to panic a little... I decided to ask a foreigner if they knew where I could get the bus I needed, and they sent me on a five minute walk in another direction. I found the bus stop they had referred to, but my bus didn't stop there! I was dripping with sweat and shaking because I was so hungry. I stopped to have a few melted Hershey Kisses from my purse, then approached a friendly looking woman. She suggested I cross the street. So I walked another few blocks down the street, looking for a crosswalk, but couldn't find one. So I decided to ask an older man nearby how to cross, and he told me I had to go underground. I was afraid I'd get lost again down there, so he went with me. We emerged on the other side, but still no bus stop in sight. As we walked, the man asked some people on the street if they knew where I could get my bus, but they didn't know, and they asked some girls walking by. So at this point I had a group of 6 or 7 Koreans around me, discussing the situation, and I had my note pad out, trying helplessly to communicate with them. The girls thought they knew where to go, so we all followed them further down the street. We found my bus stop and they made sure I knew where to get off before leaving...how nice is that?

ymca and coconet mirk but no new shoes

2008-04-27T03:00:00.007-03:00

My Korean language class at the local YMCA is turning out to be kind of fun. I found the first week a little daunting, as there was a lot of reading out loud and I felt rather conspicuous with my lack of experience. This week though, we focused more on vocabulary. I hadn't realized there were so many Korean words based on English words. The Korean writing system, called Hangul, doesn't always translate perfectly to English because the Korean language is made up of different sounds, and some English sounds do not exist in Korean (there is no "f" sound for example), but it's pretty close.

"Sweater" in Korean characters, spells something like suhwetah
Earphone is iapone, waffle, wapul, escalator, esuhcalaita, and my favourite, apple pie, apul pai.
This phonetic translation seems to work well for the most part. My American friend was a little hurt however, when we got to the word latin american, which translated to something like ratin american. The sounds for "l" and "r" are often interchanged it seems.

I'm also really excited because the YMCA apparently gives courses in natural soap making! If the timing works out I'd really like to do this.

Coffee here is a little different than at home. Coming from a place where there is a Tim Hortons on every corner, it's been a little hard to get used to. There are coffee shops, but certainly not as many, and it's usually the fancier stuff; I'm a cheap, regular coffee kind of girl. Interestingly, a lot of the coffee shops take their names from American movies (Sleepless in Seattle), and themes are popular. They tell me there is even a coffee shop devoted entirely to Oprah. This weekend we made a visit to the Barbie Cafe:

Lots of pink...

and more pink! I tried the hot coconet mirk, and it was great, served in a big glass mug.

Afterwards, Emily and I decided we would try out this photo place where you can decorate your pictures Korean-style. It turned out to be much more complicated than we expected, and we had to ask the staff for help a few times. By the third time, the guy was literally running his hands through his hair in frustration... :-s

Today my main goal was to find sandals, so I went to large department store here where they sell clothing and groceries, feeling confident I'd be able to find something relatively attractive and inexpensive there. But I walked in and was overwhelmed by the crowds and couldn't find the escalator, so I got my peanut butter and left. Oh bother, maybe next weekend.

I've been working on some papier maché beads to brighten up my place, inspired by the ones Hanna made. Mine are definitely much lumpier and not as pretty, but they were fun to make :)

The birds

2008-04-20T05:27:00.005-03:00

Last week I found some stretchers for a really good price at an art store here, and so this weekend I was excited to paint! I had been painting a little bit on paper, but I find canvas much nicer to work on. I decided to just paint for the sake of painting, with no sketching before hand and allowing myself no more than half an hour on each one. Just to have fun and get back into it. It's both really nice and a little scary how you can lose yourself when you do something you like; time flies and you can completely detach yourself from your surroundings.

Even the pigeons stare at me here.
This afternoon I spent some time at a nearby park, doing crossword puzzles and watching the kids and the birds. I was curious about whether or not there would be pigeons here in Korea, and if they would be the same as ours at home.

Happily, pigeons do live here too. Unfortunately they aren't any easier to photograph than their Canadian counterparts.

There were some elderly men eating snacks and chatting nearby, and they fed the pigeons, which helped somewhat to keep them in one place. I was impressed when one of the men stopped a little boy from chasing the birds, saying he should feed them instead (at least that's what I gathered from his hand motions, and that's what I like to think :)

I feel like I have to be somewhat sneaky when I take pictures of people. Sometimes I just hold my camera in my lap and tilt the view finder to get a shot, and pretend I'm looking at pictures I already took.

Last week I found a coffee table outside, and this weekend a cute little basket and a shelf (actually there were two wardrobe units a piano out there too, but I'm running out of room now) so I'm having fun decorating!

I hope you're having a good weekend.

Time

2008-04-15T06:27:00.003-03:00

When I arrived in Daegu it was winter. Nothing that compared to winter at home, but nonetheless, there were no leaves on the trees and the mountains were gray. Now, it seems summer has arrived, or at least a very summery spring. Flowers have sprung up seemingly overnight, and everything is green. Today was so warm it felt more like July than April.

I sat outside during my break yesterday and took some photos as I sat in the sun. A lot of the cherry blossom petals have fallen off already, but some trees are still white with them. The bumblebees buzz among them by the dozens, and you are occasionally greeted with a whiff of their pretty smell. Such a nice contrast to the grit of city life.

Although I'm surprised at how quickly the season seems to have changed, it sometimes feels like I've been here forever; so much has happened and I feel like I've experienced so many things already. Time is something I think about almost constantly. I'm liking it here, but I still find myself counting the months ahead more than once a day. I break up the time in my mind, as though I can shrink it down somehow. Simultaneously, I am aware that in the long run a year is not that long, and I really should be enjoying every minute of this. As I start to carve out a life that feels normal, I can't help but think about my life back home in comparison. I feel like I'm living in the future, in the past through memories of home, and in two places at once.

I asked one of my Korean friends recently, when her birth date was. She didn't answer immediately, and so at first I thought maybe she hadn't understood my question. Then she hesitantly said it was May 13. Her boyfriend realized what we were talking about then and jumped in, correcting her by saying it was in fact June 25th. I thought this was a little odd and wondered if perhaps my friend was in somewhat of a bad relationship...afterall, she knows her own birth date, right? I let them bicker about it for a few seconds. It was a little awkward. Then, becoming aware of my confusion at the situation, they explained the discrepancy. Apparently, because my friend is Buddhist, her date of birth according to the Buddhist calendar is May 13th. However, according to our calendar it is June 25th (I may have this backward). There is something called Shadow Time, which is responsible for this difference in the two calendars. I haven't had much luck find information about it, so I'll have to ask my friend about it again.

My goal at the moment is to try and stop looking forward so much, and to stop looking back over my shoulder, to be more in the present. I've decided to take a Korean language course, and today I bought some canvases and paint; it's nice to focus on the smaller things.

Day to day

2008-04-08T02:57:00.002-03:00

I hate to admit, I feel like I'm still experiencing everything here through a veil of homesickness and culture shock. I know it's normal for some people to have a hard time adjusting, I just wish I wasn't one of them! I've been lucky to have good people around me, here and at home, to talk to. They all say the same thing in one way or another; be positive, this is a good thing. How does that Dolly Parton song go? "One day at a tiiiiime, Sweet Jesus..." I can hear Chris telling me to please stop singing.
The roses are in my neighbour's yard.

View from my kitchen window. I really like the ornamental gates that are quite common in these small neighbourhoods.

Doing a little knitting. This is going to be a stuffed rabbit. If I can find the stuffing.

Did I mention there were some super nice people here? Ashley, a teacher from Vancouver, found this chair outside her building, and actually arranged for someone to come and pick it up and take it to my place. It's actually really comfy, and fits in with my feminine decor quite well.

Ah, my Hello Kitty toaster. It seemed like a score when I saw it at Home Plus-- the cheapest one there, and so cool!

Behold the toast it produces...every morning:
If I'm not there watching for the ribbon of smoke that indicates it's done, and if I don't forcibly slam it and slap it so that the toast comes out, I end up with a kitchen filled with smoke.

The odd thing is that one side always has this bizzare burn formation on it. Like it had an encounter with a landing spaceship.

Been doing a little painting and sketching too. When I get paid I'm planning on getting some stretchers.

Hope everyone is doing well, wherever you all are :)

A little bit of culture

2008-04-06T03:32:00.003-03:00

This weekend, Emily (who is also from Halifax) introduced me to her favourite Juke restaurant. Juke is a Korean rice porridge. It comes in various flavours, and has a mild and comforting sort of taste. Typically, you are served several side dishes along with your meal. We had gimbop, which is rice wrapped in seaweed, and a cold soup. Afterwards we were brought a cup of rice "juice". It was by far my favourite Korean meal so far, and I'm looking forward to having Juke again soon.

Gimchee (or kimchee) is a fermented vegetable, usually cabbage, that is served with pretty much every meal. It's used to add to other dishes for flavour, and is often eaten on its own as a small side dish. I actually haven't found it appealing until I tried this stuff. It seemed a little less tangy and a little spicier than the kimchee I've had before. Sometimes it comes in small pieces, and other times you are given a pair of scissors to cut it with.

We picked a great day to visit Duryu Park, which is in the western part of the city. It's a really beautiful park, and the landscape seemed almost surreal.

The cherry blossoms are everywhere now, and they really are beautiful. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture with my camera how they float off the branches and fall to the ground.

Older men often sit together and play games. Sometimes they just sit together on picnic blankets and hang out.

At first we thought he was a woman, and as he walked by with his cart a few times, we wondered what he was doing. Then eventually he set up shop and put on some music, and started dancing while people watched. We were snapping pictures when suddenly he pulled up his skirt and revealed a huge plastic penis. We're still not really sure what the story is, but it looked like he either put something in the penis, took something out, or just touched the money to it (for good luck perhaps?). It happened so quickly, we both looked at each other to make sure we had actually seen what we thought we saw. I'm thinking there must be some cultural significance to this "show", since it seemed completely acceptable to everyone around. I will have to do some googling and post an update.

The people

2008-03-29T00:17:00.003-03:00

You told me before I left that I would meet amazing people, that I would learn about how people lived elsewhere and that it would be a great experience. It's not that I didn't believe you, but I guess I didn't understand the impact or the importance this would have. This is part one of the People series.

Above is one of my afternoon students, Sarah. Before class everyday, she and her friends come to say hi while I'm preparing. They always ask "how are you, Teacher?" and sometimes even share some of their candy with me.

Yuria is head teacher, and she works so hard, always rushing around yet never complaining. She has gone out of her way to make me feel at home here.

My littlest ones. I will have these kids the whole year. They are 4 Korean age, 3 western age. A very challenging group, but I have a feeling that will make it even more rewarding in the end.

Also a tough crowd, my 6 year olds (5 western age). These are two of seven that I will have all year as well. The lady on the left is...very active shall I say (notice the bandaid on the forehead). They're all so cute though, in their own way.

Sometimes I get a bit stressed at the thought of starting another day...all the yelling, the noise, the crazyness of working with kids, and I imagine working at an office somewhere, where it would be 9 to 5 and quiet. Then I realize that in the noise and the chaos there is a lot of laughter. The kids are so happy, and that is really nice to be around. It certainly isn't boring :)

All of the sudden

2008-03-25T06:24:00.003-03:00

This morning was one of those mornings I just couldn't get into work mode. I kept forgetting I had to get ready to start the day, and instead my mind wandered with thoughts on this and that. As I ate my peanut butter toast I started to really wonder what I could do with this experience in terms of my creative/art life. One of the things I wanted to do when I came to Korea was to gain a different perspective, and use it as inspiration for my painting.

I decided that when I got to work I would ask some of the Korean teachers if they knew of anywhere in the city where one could take painting or pottery classes, or anything traditionally Korean. It turns out there's a traditional black and while pottery place right here in Chilgok, within walking distance of the school. I got her to right down the name of the place so that I can recognize the sign, and this week I'm going to see if anyone there is willing to teach a foreigner (trying to not get my hopes up because that might be a problem). I'm really starting to get excited about learning something knew and something Korean, though.

I think those are cherry blossoms. They surprised me on my walk to work, seeming to have bloomed overnight.

These kids work hard. Nine fifteen am and they're doing a work out, and some of them are at our school taking English classes until ten at night. I love seeing their bright purple outfits on a sunny morning.

I've mentioned that a lot (most) of my furniture is from the street. This is how I find it sometimes, actually in the street. This chair mysteriously appeared about four days ago. I decided to take a picture of it before it was finally collected by someone...

But it seemed to just stay there as the days passed. People just walk around it.

Here it is at night, same spot. I confess, at this point I actually started to look at it and decided I liked it better than one of the chairs I have now (also from the street) so I took it home. I wonder how long it would have stayed there...there's a little stool across the street from my place that has been sitting in the road for almost two weeks.

Another thing I get a kick out of is the parking. Koreans seem to be a lot less anal about where and in what direction you park. It seems you can park just about anywhere you want.

Including right on the sidewalk.

I hope you're having a nice Tuesday evening/morning :)

My pad

2008-03-23T00:23:00.003-03:00

Finally, what you've all been waiting for. Dum da da dum... photos of my place! They're a little dark, but they'll give you an idea:

This is my table where I hope to create a little reading and eating area. The table cloth isn't really my style, but I'm pretty happy with how it cheers the place up with its floweryness. I'm surprised at how difficult it was to find, and I paid more than I should have. I justified it by reminding myself that I could easily have spent that much money on a couple coffees or eating out. Plus it makes a huge difference in my living environment, right? It's funny the things that are easy to find here and the things that aren't. If I had been looking for a fancy lace cleanex box cover, no problem. An apron or padded underwear, no problem. But a table cloth, that's a challenge.
It looks a little barren there now, but I think a painting above the table and a stack of books will help.

I found some frames at the dollar store,

My coffee bar. I covered a space heater with a piece of plywood and fabric I brought from home. It helps to have another surface, and all my coffee and tea things are easy to get at.

My bathroom, with its nice ceiling. The shower is in the corner up there, and works pretty well.

I like these doors.

I found this in the garbage pile across the street a couple of weeks ago, and dragged it home. I'm not sure if I'll end up getting cable or not, so I might get rid of the tv and put a nice vase or something on top instead (that would mean those ugly cords would be gone too). There is a little drawer at the bottom that opens, and I found little bits of rice in there.

I hope you're all having a nice weekend :)

A kind of solitude

2008-03-22T05:39:00.003-03:00

My language exchange partner asked to reschedule our meeting today, so I decided to explore the area a bit more. Actually, I had an ulterior motive, which was to find a table cloth or something that could serve as a table cloth. I scored a table yesterday and I'm working on a drawing/eating-toast-in-the-morning/nice-place-to-put-a-potted-plant spot in the apartment. Anyway, I did find a table cloth and even got a slight discount. I had a nice walk and didn't get lost :)
This is the first Saturday I've been here that I haven't had plans to go out with anyone, my first solid day without somewhere to be or someone to be with. I realized how much I depend on being busy to take my mind off of being alone. This is so odd because I've always enjoyed being alone and doing things by myself. The kind of solitude you look forward to, to just do your own thing, has always been a big part of my life. There's a difference between loneliness and solitude and I think I'm finally starting to move from one to the other.

More and more, I appreciate certain aspects of Korean culture. Friendship and loyalty are highly valued, and reflected in daily life. Even my older, tougher students are not ashamed to hug one another, and many (both guys and girls) will walk arm in arm. I have already witnessed numerous times, two business men casually carrying a drunken friend between them down the street.

The girls in the photo above eventually came over to talk to me while I sat on the bench. They introduced themselves and told me with total sincerity that they thought I was beautiful. They asked my age and where I was from ("Ohhhh, oooooo....CANADA!") and whether I could speak Korean. I told them I could only say two or three words, and they were completely impressed ("SO smart!") even though they themselves could speak ten times as much English as I could Korean.

Now I'm off to take a nap.

The other side of the world

2008-03-18T07:39:00.002-03:00

Here I am in South Korea, literally on the other side of the world. I planned and planned for this but never could have prepared myself for the impact this has had on me already. I arrived February 25, but just had my internet hooked up in my apartment yesterday, which is why I haven't updated sooner; in a way I'm almost glad I wasn't able to post here when I first arrived, because I was such a mess and I think much of what I would have had to say was a bit on the dreary side.

Luckily there are some really nice foreign teachers here who have kept me busy, and the Korean teachers have also been very kind. Most of all, my friends and my family have been amazing with their support and encouragement. I realize how lucky I am to have these people who love me! I think I surprised myself at how badly I was handling the situation ( I had read lots of blogs written by foreign teachers in Korea who seemed just fine and apparently had little problem adjusting and figured that's how it would be with me) and I know I wouldn't have gotten through the first week without all the support. I imagined it to be difficult around the two or three month mark, when life got a little mundane, but I didn't anticipate the shock to be so intense at the beginning.

I'm still finding it difficult sometimes to imagine being here a year. I go back and forth between seeing the big picture and feeling like a year is so fleeting in the context of the rest of my life, and feeling completely overwhelmed at the days and months ahead. Everyday things are changing and I notice different things about my new environment, and in one day I can go through a whole spectrum of emotions.

The days at work go by quickly and are a bit hectic, which is good. At home I've been keeping busy reading and writing letters, and sprucing up my apartment with garbage pile finds (a desk, a chair, a tv cabinet and an end table so far!). I actually like my apartment quite a bit, with its heated floors and pink wallpaper :) I'm planning on setting up a space to paint when I get paid, and I've got some yarn to keep me going until then (thanks Emily!).

Here are a few pictures of my neighbourhood and of Apsan Park where we hiked last weekend.

Seomun Market

People gather at this spot on the mountain to hoola hoop,

I hope everyone at home is well, and talk to you soon :)