Hello August

In a few hours, July will be in the books. The group is off to Seoul today, so I have a nice chance to take a breather, work in my internship, and spend time catching up.

First, I officially crossed another card off the list by visiting the waterfall. It was extra fun because I got to spend time with the Ansan students who had just returned from Lakeland.



1. Kal Guk Su (hand cut noodles)
2. Waterfall
3. Toast Bar
4. Makkolli
5. Beach
6. Chinese Restaurant

I have now completed 4 of 6. I suspect I can find some Kalguksu quickly, but the beach may be tough. Maybe there will be a beach nearby Gyeongju?

Street Scenes in Ansan

Monday Lunch

I am lucky that every day I meet students who love to eat as much as I do. Today, my class from the previous week took me out for Chinese. So much fun!

First Korean Pizza ... sort of

For all my friends at Nicky's, and anyone else who is interested, here is the first Korean pizza parlor that I've been to in Ansan. For about $6, I got a pepperoni and cheese pizza and a Chilsung, which is the equivalent of a Sprite. They also had garlic sauce available, but it was not garlic butter like I had hoped. Straight up garlic in a smooth paste. Wow!

I especially freaked out on the dough roller, which is very similar to the one we use!







And yes, every pizza gets a bow!

More Seoul...

These pictures were taken by my new friend Hellen.

Photos from Seoul

Today: Seoul

After a week at Ansan College, we are settling into a groove. Some of us are enjoying Soju and Makkoli each night (and morning), while others are having their fun a bit less conspicuously. As best I know, we have all settled into a nice groove.

Two nights ago, I spent time with my friends from my GSI:A morning class. We had dinner at the CRAZY CHICKEN, and enjoyed boneless chicken much like what you could find in America. It was very good, and I felt very much at home. We then visited the singing room. I am really impressed by how well Korean people can sing. It's a fun social activity here, and I've yet to see even a hint of embarrassment by anyone about performing in public.

The next night, I went to dinner with a large group of 20-25, and then split up into smaller groups to explore the neighborhood. I went with my 'A' buddy group (Smart Group) to another singing room and later to play "pocket pool". The "pocket" distinction is important because you will quickly notice that most tables here do not have pockets. There is a 4 ball variation of the game that is popular here, which I know nothing about ... yet. However, most pool halls do have at least one pocket table.

I am very happy that people here are being thoughtful about making plans with me. I have been to the singing room three times in seven days, and I don't think that's a coincidence. I am happy that the warm welcome has lasted an entire week, and I really hope that I am not wearing them out!

I have also discovered a page where the students are posting pictures of us. This might be very handy since there is some reluctance among our group to share.

http://club.cyworld.com/ClubV1/Home.cy/54261397

Maybe there will be more pictures added today, because we are going to Seoul. I'm hoping my broken camera can continue working so I can take many pictures of Doesku Palace, Namdaemun Market, and the many interesting places along the way. I've also sent an invitation to a Korean student at Lakeland. I am interested to see how the students will get along with her. If she can make it, she will have an excellent time.

Get ready for pictures!

First Card Completed!

The first day two days of school have gone well. I'm spending very little time online due to all the activities both in school and out. I am learning to adjust to my broken camera display, and the pictures are still coming.

We went to the Toast Bar for lunch today. I had trouble understanding what a toast bar was, when the Ansan students at Lakeland suggested it. A toast can either be a bread or a salutation. In this case, it is bread. This place makes tasty homemade style sandwiches on toast. I had one with ham, egg, cheese, a little mustard, and sauce for about $1.20. Fantastic! It's a shame they are only open until 6pm.

Anyway, I have five more cards to go.







My lunch buddies: Chloe, Lynn, Bella, Stella, and Claire.

Korea Translation ... for age?

As it turns out, not only does the time zone shift 15 hours once you arrive in Korea, your age shifts one or two years too!

On January 1, no matter the actual date of your birthday, your age increases! This was explained to me as a way of keeping social order between people of different ages. If someone is one year older, or one year younger, they will be treated differently. Because of the confusion it creates when birthdays are less than one full year apart, they all just take their lumps on New Year together.

So, in my case, I am one year older. If I have not already reached my birthday, I would be TWO years older. As of now, there is no way to turn back the clock ... but I am working on it.

-t

Korea: Fact or Fiction

We had another fantastic day meeting more Ansan students. We saw our first 3D movie "Shrek", and had lunch at Lotte Mart. Lotte Mart is located near the Home Plus store. These are two HUGE shopping centers, and only a few meters apart. Lotte Mart has an entire floor dedicated to a food court, a movie theater, and more things to buy than most in Sheboygan have ever seen.

This being my fourth day, I've been able to confirm or disprove a lot of conceptions about Korea.

"Korean people are very nice."
FACT: I've had several people speak to me in english on the street. Shopkeepers are especially nice. The weekend crew at the Family Mart has been so kind that I visit them daily. I also had a fun experience at a nearby 7-11, where the cashier greeted me before seeing my face. She had a surprised look for a moment, but was very kind and cheerful. Most cash registers here display the total price, so the amounts are always clear.

"You will need to learn to use an asian toilet."
FICTION (so far): Ansan City is very urban and advanced. In some ways, it feels like New York City with it's older areas and neighborhoods. The culture shock isn't anywhere near what I thought it would be.

"You will eat kimchi at every meal and learn to love it."
FICTION: Kimchi will be AVAILABLE on the side at every meal, but it's usually served as a side garnish. Every meal that I have had has been fantastic. I don't know the names, but there has been vegetables with deep fried egg, buckwheat noodle soup (with ice!), and many other delicious foods that would fit in with an American diet.

Soon, I will be off to meet with our professor and discuss our first classes. This is where the REAL fun begins.




It's a bad picture, but YES it says SMOKED BRATS. Sold one block from campus. John Cook brand! They are different than Wisconsin, but still very good! It is my secret, and I'm telling no-one!



This is a Korean concrete mixer!


This is the view of the sand soccer and baseball field next to our rooms. Ansan only has intramural sports, yet most of the players I have seen had professional looking uniforms.

Off-Campus pics

No Words

This morning, we had a short meeting to chat about Ansan College rules and Korean etiquette, and then it was time to leave campus with another small group of Ansan students.

We had a fantastic lunch at a Korean BBQ, where they cook at the table. Then we went shopping at Home Plus, the store that ousted Wal-Mart in Korea. It was mostly similar, except that you didn't get your groceries bagged. There were stainless steel tables past the checkouts where you ... get this ... packed your goods in their recycled boxes and taped them closed. I also had a shopping buddy, who seemed cautiously amused when I told her that her name is easy for me to remember because it sounds very much like a quality meat (mignon).

After that, the students took us to the new Tom Cruise movie, and then we visited a "song-room". Song-rooms are a lot like karaoke, except as you might guess, it is done in a small room with a few good friends. The word karaoke has an interesting connotation here, having to do with a seedy atmosphere.

Many of the Ansan students here were impressed by the cards made by the Ansan students at Lakeland. Many have said that they will help me search these out.

I also had my first Makkoli and Soju today ... and my second ... and my third ... These Ansan students are amazing, and I can't wait to begin to return their kindness in the classroom.

Ok, I guess I had a few words after all. Enjoy some of today's pictures.








-t

Land of the Morning Calm

Right now, it is 6:45am and I am enjoying my first morning in South Korea. The flight here was excellent, and Korean Air is an amazing airline. Our 13 hour flight was made a lot more bearable with the excellent food and service. I got started on some Korean cuisine (Bibimbap) before we even left the hemisphere. It was fantastic. It's also worth mentioning that air travel in general is much more dignified and calm than the "cattle call" we experience at home.

We were met at the airport by many smiling faces from Ansan College, including our lifeline Professor Kapper. The students seemed excited to meet us, and the 45 minute ride from the airport to the school went by very quickly with all of the discussion. We were then treated to a wonderful meal of Korean-style Hamburger Steak at the on-campus restaurant and had a good conversation with Director Son, who some people may know from his stay at Lakeland last year. People in Korea have really treated us well! Technology is a different story.



As it turns out, the display on my camera was damaged some time during the flight. The camera still takes fine pictures, like this one of an interesting building near the airport, but I can't see them until I download the images to the computer. I did take a few test pictures and will start taking many more once our day begins. I hope to find a store where I can purchase a new one ... maybe they will be next to the umbrellas.

So far, so good Korea. I can't wait to see what today brings.

-t

An Early Start

I got a head start learning about Korean culture by sitting in on the ELI class from Ansan. Within a few seconds of entering the room, I was welcomed to sit down by one of the students with a hearty pat on the table. I said hello, but instead of immediately explaining myself, I sat with the class just like a regular student and watched how things developed. It took a bit of prodding to break the ice.

Instructor: "Does anyone have any questions about anything?"
silence
"Does anyone have any questions about anything in this room?"
silence

When the instructor finally stood directly behind me and asked the question, they could no longer avoid the subject. When I told them I was heading to Ansan, the room let out a collective "ohhhhh". We had a great discussion about things to do and see in the area! All the suggestions sounded good, and I have a stack of cards to help me on my search. I had a good time, and I hope they find me and say hello upon their return to Ansan in a few weeks.
















10 hours and counting ...

-t

53 Hours and Counting ...