Last night we were treated to a belated welcoming celebration. Knowing little about Korean customs besides what we have read in our outdated guide and etiquette books, we weren't quite sure what we should bring as an ice breaker or gesture of gratitude. When looking at what was customary to bring, our sources told us "a can of tuna."
In America its easy...you bring beer. We haven't read any guide books on America, but if there is a section that entails what to bring to social gatherings, we are almost sure it would say beer. A can of tuna...customs and culture aside, if you met the people we work with, they would have the same reaction as I think any American would upon being given a can of tuna at a party..."What the F*@K is this!" Relying on our instincts, we decided not to be contingent upon the chicken of the sea, and did what our guts told us to do...we bought beer.
No one got drunk last night, but the beer was well received. It was funny to think that because of where we are, we seriously had to consider whether or not to buy beer or a can of tuna fish.
Someone needs to be editing some books.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
More on More
We have finally ventured beyond the concrete curtains into what Koreans deem "the outdoors." For those that have not heard by phone or email, we have been befriended by a resident neighbor who goes by the name Ingdon, or so we think (in all honesty, we are not quite sure what his name is...we feel horrible about this in case anyone is wondering). He and his family were kind enough to take us hiking this past weekend, and from there the fun endured.
The trip started out well enough. Ingdon was kind enough to drive us a whole 10 kilometers to go hiking, which doesn't sound far, but the drive in actuality took 40 minutes. Whatever time we think it will take to get somewhere it usually takes about double the time we expected. We were happy enough to be along for the ride.
We started out on a dirt road, the first indication of a good hike, as any Montanan knows. Starting from the base we passed a great deal of little orchards and greenhouses for hot peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and mushrooms. The majority of produce around the region is grown locally, giving sprawl here a more benign definition. We even passed by a traditional style American home; white paint, blue shutters and all. It was reminiscent of rock creek in two ways: one in the aspect that Ingdon informed us that only rich people could afford property like that, and two, well, it was by a river and looked like a ranch. And then, lo and behold, we heard DOGS!!
Now this was a sad sight. There were obvious signs approaching what we were to see. Two dogs were chained up and obviously malnourished during the beginning of our hike. We passed by sadly and I think in some ways, understandingly. We have heard the rumors and they are true; Koreans eat dogs. But what we approached was a bit much...a dog farm. Normally we have no problem with farming edible animals...just not adorable, playful ones that we consider pets. But as Ingdon carelessly pointed at them like the meat bags they were while cordially saying, "We eat those," the hike resumed uninterrupted.
We can't really recognize any of the foliage, at least definitively. Awesome flowers, pretty trees, and really red leaves are about as far as we got. And wouldn't you know it, in true Montana fashion the weather went from sunny, to cold, to rainy in a matter of an hour or two. But what was truly aesthetic was what we got to do upon reaching the summit. At the end of the hike we found ourselves under a tree gently covered in rain, eating a traditional style of Korean food called "gim-bahp," rolled by Ingdons own mother, drinking warm coffee in the presence of people kind enough to share their day with us, who don't mind communicating with smiles. And for the first time, we felt like we were somewhere truly unique.
The trip started out well enough. Ingdon was kind enough to drive us a whole 10 kilometers to go hiking, which doesn't sound far, but the drive in actuality took 40 minutes. Whatever time we think it will take to get somewhere it usually takes about double the time we expected. We were happy enough to be along for the ride.
We started out on a dirt road, the first indication of a good hike, as any Montanan knows. Starting from the base we passed a great deal of little orchards and greenhouses for hot peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and mushrooms. The majority of produce around the region is grown locally, giving sprawl here a more benign definition. We even passed by a traditional style American home; white paint, blue shutters and all. It was reminiscent of rock creek in two ways: one in the aspect that Ingdon informed us that only rich people could afford property like that, and two, well, it was by a river and looked like a ranch. And then, lo and behold, we heard DOGS!!
Now this was a sad sight. There were obvious signs approaching what we were to see. Two dogs were chained up and obviously malnourished during the beginning of our hike. We passed by sadly and I think in some ways, understandingly. We have heard the rumors and they are true; Koreans eat dogs. But what we approached was a bit much...a dog farm. Normally we have no problem with farming edible animals...just not adorable, playful ones that we consider pets. But as Ingdon carelessly pointed at them like the meat bags they were while cordially saying, "We eat those," the hike resumed uninterrupted.
We can't really recognize any of the foliage, at least definitively. Awesome flowers, pretty trees, and really red leaves are about as far as we got. And wouldn't you know it, in true Montana fashion the weather went from sunny, to cold, to rainy in a matter of an hour or two. But what was truly aesthetic was what we got to do upon reaching the summit. At the end of the hike we found ourselves under a tree gently covered in rain, eating a traditional style of Korean food called "gim-bahp," rolled by Ingdons own mother, drinking warm coffee in the presence of people kind enough to share their day with us, who don't mind communicating with smiles. And for the first time, we felt like we were somewhere truly unique.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
After a week
Depsite Jet lag, bad beer, and the unfamiliarities of language and food, Sally and I have found South Korea to be quite comfortable. There are mountains in all directions, dressed in foliage completely familiar in appearance yet ufamiliar in their identity, and though they pale in comparison to those seen in Montana, we consider ourselves fortunate enough to be in the presence of something familiar.
Adapting to the time change is definately taking the greatest toll on us thus far. There simply isn't enough green tea to keep you awake, and the only coffee you can find is instant coffee, which I think after countless tests, doesn't have caffine. But luckily in the entertainment front there are a few American tv stations that continually run an array of "Super Action" movies, because "action" movies just aren't extreme enough for the people here. Acccompanied by super action are any one of the romantic comedies starring Uma Thurman, Lindsay Lohan, or Hillary Duff. All sports viewing has been outsourced to Korean Soccer, who's announcers just under the Mexican announcers rank about second in auditorial excitement. Commercials and Korean music videos are an excellent source of comic relief. Most commericials never reach a plot Sally and I can comprehend. A man will be hiking through a scenic mountain range humming to himself when suddenly, a mcdonalds emblem flashes on the screen. BOOM! Commercial over. Ofcourse! He was thinkin Big Mac the entire time!
We haven't figured out how to reach the vast metrapolis that is Seoul, but have mustered up the gumption to walk to our local city of Gwangju, which packs a population just under 300,000 people. Most of the city was lost in translation, so the majority of our time was spent admiring what we couldn't comprehend and guessing what was what. We were fortunate enough to finally stumble upon a peoples market, where you can find anything from socks to squids. You could actually purchase both at the same stand if you wanted. We didn't yet see the infamous dogs and cats for sale, though we have heard the rumors that the bigger peoples markets around South Korea hold merchandise that proves a bit more challenging to the nerves. All in all, what we saw we expected: crazy drivers, colorful tents, scary looking food, and alot of people. Can't wait to see Seoul!
To our families and friends, we love you guys.
Adapting to the time change is definately taking the greatest toll on us thus far. There simply isn't enough green tea to keep you awake, and the only coffee you can find is instant coffee, which I think after countless tests, doesn't have caffine. But luckily in the entertainment front there are a few American tv stations that continually run an array of "Super Action" movies, because "action" movies just aren't extreme enough for the people here. Acccompanied by super action are any one of the romantic comedies starring Uma Thurman, Lindsay Lohan, or Hillary Duff. All sports viewing has been outsourced to Korean Soccer, who's announcers just under the Mexican announcers rank about second in auditorial excitement. Commercials and Korean music videos are an excellent source of comic relief. Most commericials never reach a plot Sally and I can comprehend. A man will be hiking through a scenic mountain range humming to himself when suddenly, a mcdonalds emblem flashes on the screen. BOOM! Commercial over. Ofcourse! He was thinkin Big Mac the entire time!
We haven't figured out how to reach the vast metrapolis that is Seoul, but have mustered up the gumption to walk to our local city of Gwangju, which packs a population just under 300,000 people. Most of the city was lost in translation, so the majority of our time was spent admiring what we couldn't comprehend and guessing what was what. We were fortunate enough to finally stumble upon a peoples market, where you can find anything from socks to squids. You could actually purchase both at the same stand if you wanted. We didn't yet see the infamous dogs and cats for sale, though we have heard the rumors that the bigger peoples markets around South Korea hold merchandise that proves a bit more challenging to the nerves. All in all, what we saw we expected: crazy drivers, colorful tents, scary looking food, and alot of people. Can't wait to see Seoul!
To our families and friends, we love you guys.
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