SoKo Costco

Last week, one of my coworkers and I made the arduous trek to find bulk American goods at none other than Costco! I braved the intense nausea brought on by the brake-happy bus drivers in search of a few staples to make me feel at home: popcorn, Kashi cereal and granola bars.

While there was definitely a wide variety of familiar products (like the famous Costco muffins!) there were quite a few exotic twists as well...

I always thought these were cough drops... but sure enough, they were in the candy aisle. Whether they're candy or medicine, I'd be really disappointed on Halloween if someone put these in my bag.

I kept wondering what that smell was. Oh right... the bulk packs of dried pollack! Duh!

The gift that keeps on giving.

There were two types of mayo: "Delicious Mayonnaise" and "Fresh Mayonnaise". Makes you wonder if this implies "Old and Delicious" and "Fresh and Nasty" Mayo. Luckily, I wasn't in the market for a five gallon jug of mayo, so that conundrum was left to other shoppers.

I'm definitely registering for this when I get married. A box of canned meats? What's not to love?!

Welcome to Korea: Squeeze On In!

A Relatively Uncrowded Ride on the Subway

The motto of South Korea is, roughly translated, Benefit All Mankind. This seems like a fitting statement considering the entirety of mankind seems to be living shoulder-to-shoulder within SoKo's narrow borders. Not exactly sure what the benefit part of the motto could mean... perhaps safety in numbers?

Since moving here, I've learned that less than 2% of the entire population of South Korea consists of foreigners. Coming from the melting pot of the US, these numbers surprised me. At first I thought this was due to SoKo's stringent immigration requirements or other red tape issues. Now I'm beginning to think it's simply that more people won't fit. Everywhere you go, any time of day or night, there are people. Lots of them.

I've tried running on my neighborhood track at various times to avoid the throngs of walkers... but no luck. Whether it's 5 am or 11 pm, the experience resembles something like a Walk-a-Thon. Grocery store? Every day is like the day before Thanksgiving, minus the turkey.

There are no town homes or free-standing houses here. Everyone lives in giant towers of apartments. Hotels, restaurants, shops and clinics aren't their own entities, either. They're all tucked into large skyscrapers, with different floors for every type of business. It's all very efficient; packed in nice and tight, just like the citizens.

I still haven't gotten used to the crowds. I still get annoyed when Korean people slam into me and act like nothing happened, or step on my feet and remain oblivious. This is just a regular part of their lives and I'm trying to get accustomed to it. I have a feeling this is going to be the hardest part about transitioning to my SoKo life.

Taught

Teaching

I wasn't a teacher back in the States. I can't really remember ever teaching anyone anything at any point in time. Nope, I just paused to reflect and I really can't remember a single time that I bestowed knowledge on another person. Being the fourth of five children gave me plenty of older siblings who taught me plenty of things, and I have lots of friends who I've learned a great deal from. Actually, maybe I've showed some people what not to do. Does that count?

Moving on. I had no idea how rewarding teaching could be. Not only is it one of the most amazing experiences when a child grasps a concept that you taught them, but it's also amazing to be an unwitting role model for promising young lives.

My kids are smarter than I could have imagined and teaching them is, for the most part, a delight. My heart swells with pride when they use a correct tense, or say a complete sentence with appropriate pronouns.

While I've truly been in awe of their capacity to learn, I've also been a bit shocked by what they've taught me. Very simple life lessons that we tend to forget in the rush and stress of being a grown-up. Here are a few simple things my students have bestowed on me lately:

• It's better to focus on the good than dwell on the bad. How often in everyday situations I've complained about something that upsets me instead of focusing on the good. In my classroom, if I only focus on the one child who's acting up, I'm ignoring the wonderful progress of all my other students. Plus, I've noticed that when I laud the children who are working hard, the troublemakers usually snap into shape. This attitude has rubbed off on my children. Instead of tattling on their classmates as much as they used to, now they'll yell "Sticker! Sticker!" for the classmate who makes a concerted effort in class. (It's a reward system that seems to be working quite well!)

• Laughter is life-giving. If my kids are having an off-day, all it takes is a little play time with them and they perk right up. Sure, it's important to have discipline and accomplish our daily tasks, but a little laughter and play time makes life worth living. Plus, it's a great way to bond with kids.

• It really is the little things in life. Recently, my older class leveled up, which is exciting for many reasons. First, they stay on a level for five or six weeks, and things get pretty tedious towards week five. Second, there are all sorts of funny new little words for them to learn and pictures to laugh at. One of our new stories has lots of fruit and vegetables with cartoon faces and I've never seen kids laugh so hard. Sometimes the smallest things are the best things.

• Hugs rule. Hugs from anyone are pretty great, aside from creepy strangers, but a hug from a little kid is... amazing. I think it's due to the fact that when they're hugging you, they're really hugging you. They're not thinking about their To-Do List or secretly thinking how bad your perfume smells. Their hugs are full-body, clingy-monkey, squeeze-til-it-hurts and never-let-go. I begrudgingly have to peel them off me when it's time for their next class.

• Life is now. Be present. My kids live their lives in the moment. Whether they're sad, happy, excited or "so-so" (a new phrase they just learned), they're present in their lives. How often I have to remind myself to be present, right where I'm at, and not think about what I'm going to do after this moment, or what happened before. Just now. Just be. It's beautiful.

Honestly, my kids have probably taught me way more than I've taught them. I love seeing them everyday and learning new things about who they are and how they see the world; and bit by bit, I begin to see the world with their same wide-eyed wonder...

Korea: Fact or Fiction

Traditional Kimchi Pots

Before coming to South Korea, I read roughly a dozen books to prepare myself for the inevitable culture shock. While they were interesting reads to be sure, I found that I haven't been too shocked by the culture for the most part and many of the Korean facts I read about seem to be nonexistent these days.

I find it interesting that so much can change so fast because most of the books I read were written only a few years ago.But, as my employer noted while pointing out various cities to me on our way from the airport, "There's only two or three years' history here." What he means is that Korea has gone through a major boom economically. While there is still a rich ancient history, there has been a massive growth spurt in the last couple of years, which makes me wonder if some of the old Korean ways got lost in the mix.

Here I will recount, from personal experience, some of the Korean facts I read about and whether they appear to still exist. It's important to note that I am in no way a historian or expert on anything Korean... I'm just a waygook making some observations.

Fact or Fiction #1: Koreans eat kimchi with every meal. Fact. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, kimchi is involved. I was a little nervous about the prospect of eating so much fermented cabbage, but I actually really like it. And I eat cereal for breakfast.

Fact or Fiction #2: Koreans treat elders with great respect. Half and Half. I was expecting to see people going out of their way to honor the elderly and for the most part I haven't seen anything like it. In one instance, I saw a man yell at a particularly slow old lady in a wheel chair, "AJIMA!!!" (Which means "OLD LADY!!!") Yikes. But on the other hand, I have seen people give up seats on the subway, bow in respect and hold doors. I guess it's more of a personal respect for elders than a society as a whole. It also seems like the younger generations are the least respectful, but the same can be said for the US.

Fact or Fiction #3: Koreans never say no. Half and Half. I've heard the word "no" plenty of times. Well... maybe not that word verbatim, but some variation of it. For instance, I asked my employer for something today and she said, "It isn't possible." Not no, exactly, but that's clearly the meaning. The funny thing is, every time I've been told something isn't possible, or can't be done, my Korean counterpart will always ask, "Is it okay?" Maybe this is a little shred of the old days hanging on where it was unacceptable to say no, so instead they say no, but then ask you if it's okay that they're denying your request. Sure, I didn't really need the number to poison control, anyway.

Fact or Fiction #4: Koreans won't understand if you're over the age of 20 and not married with children. Fiction. This one has definitely changed. In fact, nowadays Korean men and women get married in their early thirties. Although one funny thing is that they're very forward with their intentions. A Korean man recently asked one of my friends in a casual conversation, "What are your plans for marrying?"

Fact or Fiction #5: Koreans wear socks with sandals and never show their bare feet in public. Fiction. Thank God! I was not going to wear socks and sandals, no matter how many ajimas harassed me. Thankfully, the majority of the Korean population seem to have grown out of their barefoot phobia and slipped in to something more fashion-friendly. They still take their shoes off indoors, which I have grown to appreciate. It's pretty fun to take my shoes off at a restaurant, pad over to a low little table in bare feet and sit down on the floor. I just pray that the table eating next to me have been practicing proper podiatric hygiene.

South Korea: Green with a Twist

The view from my apartment: Sanbon is definitely a green place.

As trendy as it is to be green in the States, in South Korea it is a lifestyle that is strictly adhered to. To give an example how serious it is here to be earth friendly, you will literally get chewed out if you recycle something in the wrong container. Luckily, if you're an expat such as myself, you can always play the DFC, or Dumb Foreigner Card and hopefully that will get you off the hook. It probably doesn't, but it's still a card I wield when necessary.

My building has roughly 12 different types of recycling containers, maybe more. Koreans sort their trash (not entirely sure what constitutes trash, because they seem to recycle everything) and their various recyclables. All the containers are labelled in Korean, but from what I can tell there are 4 different types of plastics, paper, cardboard, glass, hard metals, ceramics, compost, large broken items (?), rubber and aluminum. There's also a separate section for discarded furniture and household items, which are usually scavenged by other tenants. "Dumpster diving" is a popular way to get "new" furniture and an enjoyable activity for many people. I haven't found any treasures yet, but you can be sure that I'll write about it when I do!

Here are some other ways that Korea is green, which truly amaze me:

• It's difficult to find hand soap in pump bottles. Instead, you buy your own empty pump bottle and fill it with liquid soap that comes in - of course - a recyclable bag.
• Almost everything comes in completely recyclable packaging. From popsicles to pencils.
• No dryers anywhere. Instead, energy-conscious Koreans line dry all their laundry. While I can appreciate the hug I'm giving Mother Earth when I line dry my clothes, I would prefer if the hug my clothes gave me wasn't so... crispy.
• Public transportation is paramount here. It helps (a little) with the congestion and smog. It's pretty unnecessary to own a car in South Korea.
• They rarely use disposable plates, bowls and cups. Even when we went on a picnic for camp day a few weeks ago, everyone brought real dishes.
• If all this wasn't enough, you get your trash bag when you buy your groceries. Instead of asking for a paper or plastic bag at the checkout, you literally ask for a "trash bag" ("saregi bontu"). It's small by American standards, which serves as a reminder that you shouldn't be throwing a lot of stuff away.

Here's the twist: there are no public trashcans anywhere. Instead, Koreans throw their trash on the ground. Seriously. Despite this seemingly filthy behavior, the streets are pretty clean. The reason? Trash on the ground provides jobs. Don't ask me why emptying trash cans isn't considered a job, but anywhere you go, you'll see people in blue jumpsuits picking up little bits of trash with giant tongs.

I still can't bring myself to throw trash on the ground, but I'm also probably throwing away various things I should be recycling. I just never know, although I'm sure my Korean neighbors will help keep me in line if they catch me throwing away a used tissue or some old gum.

Deliciousness, Part II

Korean Melon

I love trying new things! Luckily, everything in South Korea is new to me, so there's never a shortage of firsts.

Yesterday I tried my first Korean Melon, and it was really tasty! I wasn't sure what it was at first glance... a gourd? A fruit? A vegetable? A piece of sports equipment? Still, I thought I'd give it a whirl, and I'm glad I did.

It tastes similar to a honeydew melon, but is much smaller and a bit sweeter, I think. There's not a lot of flesh to them, so the payoff for carefully cutting one up is nominal.

All said, I think I'll keep buying these beauties. They're tasty and relatively cheap compared to the rest of the fresh produce here in Korea. More on the exorbitant prices of produce in a later post...