I'm A-OK

View of Seoul from the Seoul Tower

I'm sure most of you have heard about the bombings here in South Korea on Tuesday, and I want to try to put your mind at ease as much I can.

First, although this was the first time North Korea killed civilians in an attack, most sources I've read or spoken to agree that this is "just another stunt" by the North. I'll admit, it's a bit unnerving to live in a country where you see plumes of smoke on TV one day, and it's business as usual the next. My South Korean friends told me they're just used to it. I think that's incredibly sad to have to be "used to" bombings and threats on a regular basis.

The good news is that China isn't supporting their latest scare tactic, although they're not really taking a stand against them, and the North seems to be worried that their only source of outside support right now is coming from China, which is why they're demanding money from Seoul and Washington.

Seoul and Washington's take on the matter is called "strategic patience" which I take to mean that they'll let the North throw little fits, without doing much in retaliation. By continuing to wait it out and not give aid, they're hoping to starve out and further isolate the North Koreans, which I don't totally agree with. Many North Koreans are already starving to death and are trapped under a bloody regime of terror. Also, I feel that letting them get to a point of sheer desperation isn't the best idea. Then again, I don't want Seoul and Washington to retaliate on a full-blown war level, so I guess it's a good thing I'm not making the decisions in this matter. The cost for Seoul would be devastating, while the North seems to view civilian and military casualties as cheap and utterly expendable.

To put your mind at ease, I want to assure you that I'm not in any danger here and the US embassy (which I am registered with, rest assured) hasn't issued any warnings or evacuations.

I think if it did come to evacuations, I would be absolutely devastated to leave my children behind. But it hasn't come to that, and I'm confident that it won't, so for now I'll continue to teach and explore and grow.

Thank you for all your emails of concern and your prayers - they mean a lot!

Seoul Lantern Festival

Last weekend I went to the Seoul Lantern Festival with some of my friends and it was both breathtaking and ridiculously crowded. It's definitely a plus to be a 5'10" American woman in such situations, though, because I had a pretty good view of the lanterns, and my friends could find me easily if we got separated.

Some hanging lanterns and some lotus lanterns in the stream. Lovely!

This one was my favorite - a woman in a hanbok sitting in a lotus bloom.

The hanging lanterns up and down the stream really made the whole night sparkle.

Some of the lanterns were two stories high!

There was a special lantern in honor of the G 20 Summit... President Obama sure looks happy about it!

Not sure what this lantern is... looks like an angry red genie bursting out of a flaming box.

Hey! I know that lady!

If you ask me, the Seoul mascot is a bit... cheesy. It's hard to believe this is what they want representing them to the world.

Yay! It's almost Christmas!!

I had a great time taking in the glowing sights and spending time with my good friends. I highly recommend seeing a lantern festival if you come to Korea - they're spectacular! Luckily you don't have to plan your travel itinerary around one because they happen quite frequently in different areas all over SoKo. In fact, festivals of any nature always seem to be going on! I like that they find ways to celebrate even the little things in life, like kimchi. Yes, there is a kimchi festival and I want to go!

Chez Moi

I can't believe I've lived here for over four months already... and I haven't shared any photos of my apartment! Mee ahn hamneeda! (Sorry!) So, with no further adieu, I give you Chez Becky:

I love my view! I'm on the 17th Floor, so I really get a birds-eye view of Sanbon and beyond!

My Living Room, which features an entire wall of windows! Love it!

Living Room/Desk area. I found that fabric on the wall at Dongdaemun Market and it really spiced up the place! I used the remainder of the fabric to cover my headboard!

I'm really lucky to have an American style bed... and a Queen Size at that! No sleeping on the floor for me! :) (And a big Thank You to my mom for the amazing sheets! I love them!)

Kitchen/Entryway. You can see my tiny washer (no dryer) and miniscule cooking range. It only has two tiny burners! Still, I've made do, but I miss having an oven for sure!

Entryway/Kitchen/Bathroom. Yes, I am totally Korean and I take my shoes off indoors and leave them at the entryway. Plus, you can see my little bathroom slippers that I wear in there, too.

Not a super exciting photo, but I figured you might like to see the telecom device that rings when someone rings my doorbell. The little TV turns on and I can see them outside my door, and pick up the phone and talk to them if I want to. This is particularly handy for avoiding Jehovah's Witnesses. The little dial knob to the left is to turn on my floor heat, which is how all buildings are heated here in South Korea. Quite cozy!

View of my apartment from the front door.

My little fridge, complete with a magnet from Janice (Thanks, J!) and some family memories. (Em, I need more pictures of the girls!)

And here is the Shathroom. Hmm. Maybe I need to come up with another name. Anyway, my entire bathroom is the shower! You can see the square drain on the floor and the shower head is just right there on the wall. It's a little annoying that everything gets wet every time I shower, but I'm getting used to it. It makes cleaning the bathroom a breeze, though. Scrub it up and hose it down! :)

More bathroom. It's hard to make it look very inviting when everything gets doused all the time. This little plant seems to like the climate, and the candle is just out of range of the shower, so at least I've got that going for my bathroom! :)

Et voila! I hope you liked my little tour!

To Market, To Market

The Chungang Market in Anyang.

If there is one shopping experience I absolutely love, it's a good market. I miss the Farmers Market back home in Charlotte a lot, but thankfully SoKo has some options as well. Last weekend I strolled around Anyang looking for some Christmas presents for my family, when I stumbled across the Chungang Market. Hooray!

Spices, beans, roots and lots of things that I can't pronounce.

The Chungang Market is a semi-outdoor market that is simply bursting with stall after stall of vendors selling everything from underwear to intestines. Yup, I said intestines. You can watch a woman measuring rice, then walk two feet away and watch another woman gutting a pig. I won't lie, some of the sights were a bit traumatic.

Ginseng!

Although South Korea is very techno-savvy and seems to be rushing into the future at light speed, I love the fact that they're still very much into Slow Food, farmers markets and alternatives to Western medicine.

Another SoKo Shopping Adventure

A creepy statue outside of Costco: "Let's look fondly at that little girl crying on the wall!"

Yesterday my friend Sheila and I decided to brave the Seoul bus system and make another trip to Costco. The whole trip usually takes about five hours and is a pretty jarring experience due to the language barriers, crowds and - most of all - the bus drivers.

I'm not sure if the bus drivers here in Seoul have had any sort of driving education, because they wield their massive bus like it's a Mini Cooper through traffic. I wish there was a way to adequately describe how terrifying this experience is, but there are no words. Let's just say that everyone looks particularly pale and shaky when they get off the bus, especially us waygooks.

While we were waiting for the bus, I decided to have a little sip of something to calm my stomach before the inevitable storm, and found this tantalizing selection:

Mmm! I love random!

Besides the usually beggars and business people at the bus stop, on this particular trip we had the pleasure of seeing an ajuma with maroon hair and purple velvet ruched pants. Pretty sweet.

A fashion statement, indeed.

After a long and somewhat stressful shopping endeavor, I left with some nice tastes of home: Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa, Kashi cereal, Cheerios, Carr's Table Water Crackers, Craisins, Tampons and - hallelujah - cheese! It's nearly impossible to find decent cheese in SoKo, and for a decent price.

A slight disparity in size: bulk Craisins vs. "bulk" tampons.

All in all, I'm glad there's a Costco where I can get some nice American products from time to time, even though the journey is long and nauseating. Enjoying some cheese and crackers makes it all worthwhile, and at least I know the Costco products aren't eons old like some of the things at the Foreign Foods Market in Itaewon:

I'm pretty sure this deodorant is older than me. Plus, they syrup I bought there already expired. Thanks, Foreign Foods Market.

SoKo Wedding

I like his sparkly suit jacket!

I had the honor of being invited to my coworkers wedding this past weekend, and I jumped at the chance to see a Korean wedding in action.

When we arrived at the wedding hall (Koreans don't usually get married in churches) we took pictures with the bride in the "Bride's Room", which was basically a public room where wedding attendees and whoever wanted to could gawk at the lovely lady. I felt like I was intruding to be in a picture with her right before her ceremony, but according to my Korean friends, that's how it's done.

The wedding hall.

The ceremony itself was super short. There wasn't a bridal party, and the bride and groom walked down the aisle both ways together. Probably the most unusual part was during the wedding, people were talking and milling around like they were just at some party and there wasn't a solemn exchange of vows happening. One woman behind me answered her phone and had a nice little chat. It was weird.

After the ceremony, there was a huge buffet, which we all paid to eat. Instead of wedding gifts, you give an envelope of money prior to the ceremony and get a meal ticket in return. Not exactly romantic, but I guess you don't have to worry about gift receipts, either.

Let's eat!

During the buffet, the bride and groom literally jogged in, lit something resembling an Olympic torch for the cameras, cut the cake for the cameras and held up a glass of champagne for the cameras... then left. No dancing. No greeting the guests. No enjoying their dinner. And promptly after eating, everyone left the banquet hall, too.

Although it was a beautiful wedding, I think I'd like my sacred ceremony to be a little more... sacred. No cell phones. No cash for food ticket deals. And there will most definitely be dancing.

Things I Miss Most

Missing the North Carolina Mountains

Here's a random list I thought of while I was enjoying a cup of tea (one of my daily half-dozen) and just reminiscing about home.

• Seeing Friends and Family- skype is great and all, but man, I miss you guys.
• Whole wheat products- they don't exist here. I saw what I thought was some wheat bread, but it turned out to be the regular white bread with brown food coloring. No lie.
• Cottage cheese- not sure why I miss this, but I do. Korea doesn't have much going on in the dairy department.
• Understanding my surroundings- oh, how I took this for granted!
• Amelies French Cafe in Charlotte- I miss meeting friends there, doing art, reading and sampling the many tasty pastries.
• Cabo Fish Taco in NoDa- My favorite restaurant in Charlotte.
• Art stores that carry my printing supplies- can't find them here, so I'm at the mercy of friends and family back home to send me supplies I need. Kind of frustrating.
• Shoe shopping- they don't carry anything over a size 7 here... so I can look at all the pretty, inexpensive shoes, but I might as well be Cinderella's stepsister. *sigh*
• Feeling like a normal-sized person- not some ridiculously tall behemoth of a woman.
• Lack of crowds- too. many. people.
• Driving where I need to go- taking the subway is okay... but it takes forever and is packed with throngs of people at any time of day or night. Standing room only for an hour trip? Yay.
• Trader Joe’s- oh, how I mss thee!
• Target- I took Target's awesomeness for granted all these years... never again!
• The mountains of North Carolina- they're just way better than the mountains here. For one thing, you can actually get away from people and enjoy a scenic overlook. Not so much here. It's literally like the sidewalk just extended up a mountain and people are just continuing on their daily lives.
• Autumn activities with my family- pumpkin carving, apple picking, cooke decorating... sigh.
• Magazines in English- that don't cost $15 and up at the one English bookstore over an hour away from where I live.
• Really good scented candles- I don't know why, but they just don't have quality scented candles here. Over the weekend I saw some "scented candles" that smelled like car fresheners and a small one (think votive) was 20,000 Won (about $18). Crazy.
• Baths- I just have a shathroom (shower/bathroom combo) with no tub in sight. Oh how I miss my bubble baths with a nice book...
• The Farmers Market- I just love the Charlotte Farmers' Market. Sure, there are markets here, but they're just not the same.
• Machine drying my laundry- So many of my clothes are crispy and crinkled from line drying. Sure, I feel green and all, but sometimes I'd just like a nice, fluffy towel instead of a body-size piece of sand paper.
• Baking- no one has ovens here... and I miss baking so much! Especially with Autumn here, I want to make my mom's famous pumpkin cookies.
• Fires- especially this time of year; I love a good fire in the fireplace or out at a campsite.
• Feeling like I belong- I really like it here, but I am still very aware that I'm an outsider, a foreigner, a waygook or however else you want to say it. I'm at the mercy of kind bilingual Koreans and while I have my little niche of friends, I still know I don't really fit here.

Of course, out of all of these things, the ones I miss the most are my family and friends. I dream about you guys a lot and I hold you in my heart.

Who wouldn't miss this? Me and my snuggly little buddy, Grady.

Noraebang!

Noraebang in Seoul!

I was never really crazy about karaoke in the States. Call me boring, but standing in front of an audience of total strangers while my voice cracks like a choirboy going through puberty is just not my idea of a good time. Nevertheless, when I heard about the popularity of karaoke in South Korea, I decided to give it a whirl. Maybe my hoarse and raspy vocal stylings would sound delightful in Korean! (Side note: they don't.)

After a tasty Thai dinner, a group of friends and I went out for some noraebang, which literally means "singing room" in Korean. While the idea of frightening away all my friends wasn't particularly appealing, at least my humiliation would be in private. We checked into our private room and all my inhibitions immediately flew out the door... it was awesome! It was karaoke on steroids; big screen TV, strobe lights, disco balls, tambourines... you name it! One interesting addition was that the TV/karaoke machine had all these random silent movie clips in the background of the song lyrics; everything from Korean ministers preaching to a sappy love scene with a boy and girl running through a field and then crying. It really added a certain... something.

While I'm fairly certain I did, in fact, frighten everyone else present, I had a great time! I sang (read: croaked/shouted) until I practically lost my voice. I'm hooked.

My friend Monica rockin' the tambourine!

Yes, we were singing Kris Kross "Jump"...

Korean Fare

Korean side dishes, called banchan

Before coming to South Korea, I had never heard of Korean food. Ever. When I told people that I was considering moving here, everyone said, "Hope you like kimchi!" I had to look it up online to see what it was. Honestly, I was frightened.

Since moving here nearly three months ago I have fallen in love with Korean food. Not only is it colorful and delicious, it's very nutritious. Some sources say Korean food is the healthiest cuisine in the world. I'm pretty sure those sources are Korean. Still, it's quite good.

I'm sure I've only tried the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many varieties of Korean fare, but some of my favorites so far are bulgogi (Korean BBQ), naengmyeon (cold noodle soup), lotus root, dok bok ki (similar to a rice pasta, though they're called rice cakes) and - yes - kimchi. Kimchi isn't really a main dish, it's pretty much always served with banchan (side dishes) which come with all Korean meals. In Korea, there's no tax on food in restaurants, no tip and all the side dishes are gratis. You can eat an amazing meal for less than $8... and I've even had amazing meals for less than $2.50!

It's quite a relief that the food here is amazing, and I'm looking forward to all the new dishes I have yet to try. Luckily I get to try a lot of new things since I basically just point at the menu and hope whatever they bring me didn't used to be someone's pet. It's always an adventure...

Seafood soup. I found out later that some of the weird, brain-like things in the soup are "warty sea squirts". Appetizing, huh?

I'm learning how to make some Korean food... and this is my first attempt at preparing lotus root. It turned out really well!

Dok bok ki from a street vendor. You stand at the cart and spear the rice cakes with a long toothpick, and to drink, they pour you hot fish juice broth out of a vat of boiling fish cakes. Mmm... refreshing?

SoKo Signs

One of my favorite pastimes here in Korea is reading all the misspelled, inappropriate or misused English. If I wasn't so embarrassed about being an obvious tourist, I would take pictures of some of the English shirts that people wear, which say things like; "This is very many", "San Flanklin", "Little Dartling" and some that I won't post here due to their graphic and profane nature.

Luckily, there are plenty of other funny signs that aren't being worn by people who would probably glare at me and tell me to move back to "San Flanklin" if they saw me taking their picture.

Enjoy!

This is a little button in some public bathroom stalls... an "ambiance" button if you will. In English it says, "Press PUSH button, then it sounds flushing." If you're feeling a little self-conscious, simply push this button and either a loud flushing sound or classical music will come out. Granted, as soon as other people here a concerto coming out of your stall, the jig is up anyway.

Poor advertising strategy.

Nobody tells ME where to approach my hands!

This sign was after three previous flights of stairs, and I think it's pretty obvious that the steps continue on ahead... but who knows, maybe some people just think "Well, I'm pretty sure that was enough steps" without looking and plummet to their death.

This sign made me happy (seven times, actually) until it left me hanging there at the end. WHAT will I happily become...?! ARGH!

When you want to appeal to a truly International clientele... O'Kim's Brauhaus.

Hanbok Day at School!

One of my favorite students... Flower! She kind of reminds me of a little Korean me. :)

Yesterday we had a special Chuseok day at school. Chuseok is the Korean harvest holiday and it's a time for visiting family, eating yummy traditional food and paying homage to one's ancestors. I got a hanbok specially made for me for the occasion (yes, even though it's a tent, it required measurements!)

All the students wore their hanboks and we made traditional Korean rice cakes and played traditional Korean games. It was so fun to see all the kids in their festive garb! I even went to school early so I could take the bus to pick the kids up (usually the Korean teachers pick them up and the foreign teachers stay at school.) I greeted the mothers "ohmonim annyeong hasseyo" and the fathers "ahbonim annyeong hasseyo". The kids were delighted to hear my Korean... as were their shocked parents!

Teachers: Monica, Sue, Sheila and Me

Standing Students: Andrew, Anny, Hoya, Jeff, Ryan, Jenny, Nana, Kim, David and Flower

Sitting Students: John, Daniel, Justin, Sam, Emily, Stella and Alvin.

After we picked the kids up, we had a few "regular" classes (teaching in a hanbok was anything but regular!) Then it was off to make rice cakes. Rice cakes are made out of dok which is basically rice powder and water thats steamed to make a very sticky, chewy dough. We rolled and flattened little dough balls to make little crescents and filled them with edamame seasoned with sesame oil.

I'm pretty sure this was the only rice cake that came out the right size and shape!

After rice cakes, we played traditional games; tug-of-war, yut (a game played with four sticks) and archery. Even though the arrows had suction cup tips... it's still a risky game with a bunch of kids, if you ask me. Luckily, everyone left with eyes and limbs in tact.

I had a great time learning about Chuseok and I felt honored to be given a hanbok and showed the traditions of a culture so different from my own. I'm excited about the next holiday when I get to wear my hanbok: New Years!