Lackidasical Me

I can't believe I only blogged 5 times last month. I could blame it on many things, but ultimately it came down to me being lazy and feeling like I didn't have much to say. Or, as I've said previously, I was probably happy. Because being happy/having too much fun always makes me skip out on blogging ^^

In my last post, I talked about my fail Korean. Since then things have gotten slightly better. I decided to drop out--okay maybe drop out isn't quite the word for it--to take a break from taking classes at YBM. I need to sort out how the language is working and get to a place where I feel comfortable with it, instead of piling up more grammar and vocabulary that I'll only end up forgetting come next class, when we move onto something new.

I feel really good about my decision, although I DID miss out on my last class, which is something of a regret. I didn't even tell my teacher that I wouldn't be there, and by that I mean she didn't hear it from me. I was pretty bothered by that, since I felt like I owed her at least that much. And whatever, I'm a sentimental person so there was some feeling there of something that I choose not to dwell upon.

That being said, I have yet to really talk about my language partner.

So about a month ago I finally got brave enough to get myself a language partner. Having talked to some people for advice on how to procure a language exchange partner and not a future boyfriend, I ventured into the dangerous waters of .com/languagepartner. I randomly selected a website, #1 on my google search, and browsed the website a bit.

The profiles of people had their name (first only), their age (GDI), location, what languages they spoke, what languages they were studying, and a short blurb on what they were looking for. Putting up pictures of yourself wasn't required, or even the norm.

All good things so far.

BUT when I looked at just WHO was posting profiles...it seemed like an awful lot of american GUYS wanted to learn Korean. And, much to their luck, hey, there seemed to be an awful lot of korean GIRLS who were willing to teach them.

In other words, shadiness/dating website/warning flag.

Maybe I should have stopped there. But I had invested all this time on this website already, that I just went ahead and put up a short blurb.

I'm not even kidding, my email got like 10 messages in 15 minutes. From a lot of guys.

And thus began my screening process lol. It was like a line up and I got to pick hah. I was, naturally, super hesitant to choose anyone of the opposite sex, because I didn't want to deal with trying to dodge fake language exchanges. Anyone who I got a creepy vibe from were automatically dismissed. However, I also didn't want to completely dismiss people who honestly wanted to better their English based on their gender.

So I screened heavily--sending potentials messages asking specifically why they wanted a partner and what they wanted to focus on. I also checked for their english level. If their english was too low, we would have problems communicating. If their english was too high, I grew suspicious as to why they needed a partner. It was a plus, however, if a person had previously taught/tutored Korean to a foreigner.

After much labor, and being stood up by my first choice (haha), I took my chances with a guy. We will call him John haha. John's english was really good, and he had lived abroad in Australia for a period of time, and had even taught Korean before. What he wanted now that he was back in Korea, was someone to speak english with so as not to forget it...and also to improve his knowledge of english idioms/slang that we use in conversation.

So our first meeting was sort of a disaster. There was never anything more awkward. We went to a charlie brown cafe (!!!) and I was hyper hyper shy. I didn't even want him around me when I ordered my coffee in Korean. Needless to say, there was no Korean spoken on my part that night.

We met again and it was like he twisted my arm to get me to speak Korean. I realized that as nice as a guy as he is, he's also really seriously about teaching me Korean. He pulled out handouts for me, gave me homework, AND a quiz. I kind of wanted to die, my head was exploding.

A few days later, he messages me to check if I'm doing my homework.

Yikes.

Because it's just him and me, I feel way more responsible for the work he gives me. My improvement is utterly in my hands. It's overwhelming but also really exciting. He's patient with me but firm, and it both instills fear and drive in me.

SO YAYY!

Additionally, I've been supplementing my learning with lessons from TTMIK and to be honest, I haven't been this excited to learn korean in a while.

^__________^

The Exotic Foreign Teacher

Though it’s hard to tell from her exotic looks and true American accent, she was a huge Korean culture-a-holic and the picture of T.O.P on her desk would have screamed that.

With a slightly flushed face,looking alternately at a recorder and interview papers, she handled all of the questions carefully, every now and then grinning at tough ones to answer.

Michelle had walked a bit hard way to become an English teacher in a foreign country. Until deciding to come to Korea, she spent many days agonizing over it, and one of the things that held her back was her family. It was the hard one for her family to allow her to live in other parts of the world alone. However, many Korean friends of hers, Korean foods caputring her tastes, and unique Korean culture led her to Korea finally.

After having arrived at Korea, she adapted well in a new lifestyle and culture despite her family's concerns. Being excited over the Korean drama "City Hunter" and her favorite K-pop group "Big Bang," it was apparent to evertone that she was almost Korean, but she said she had a long way to go. " I think communication with local people is the most important thing. So I guess I'll be like a Korean when I become good in Korean and communicate with Koreans naturally."

She got used not only to her new life but also to her job as a teacher. At first, as a native speaker, she had a lot of troubles being close to her students because they were scared of her. But staring the same culture like K-pop formed intimacy between her and the students. She smiled saying that sometimes a few students came up to her, gave Big Bang stickers and tried to use English to tell her news of Big Bang.

An excerpt from my school's newspaper about me, the foreign native teacher.

I'm DYING LOL.

hangul jal motaeyo

I'm getting really frustrated with how little I've progressed with Korean. I might have said this earlier, but in my Korean class, we burn through chapters in something like 2 days, which means grammar points have just been flung at me, and while that in and of itself isn't difficult during class, it's a completely different thing once I'm in a situation where I need to use it.

Because being able to use particles correctly when they are in a worksheet in front of you is not the same as being able to use them correctly when talking to someone.

We move from grammar point to grammar point so quickly and without having enough practical use to feel neither comfortable nor competent. When I'm actually talking to someone I can't make heads or tail of anything and so my korean fails me.

I realized yesterday that I haven't actually put together Korean sentences. This is not okay.

I'm hesitant to sign up for the next class. It's a difficult situation because I like the class--the people are great--and the teacher is wonderful, but its the structure of the class that I'm frustrated with. Grammar is important, of course it is, but I need to be able to speak. I need conversation practice. I need to be able to use what I've supposedly learned.

Incidently, the things that have really stuck with me thus far and the things I've learned from taxi drivers or out of necessity. Taxi drivers are great--sometimes--for teaching you odd words that have oddly enough become very handy. Likewise, when I wasn't feeling well and had to stumble into a pharmacy, I learned how to say what hurts.

Maybe it's because the korean we're learning in class is, like most studied languages, not the way in which you speak. Maybe the class isn't for me. Maybe I need to try a new method. Maybe I need to step up my studying game.

Which is another point of concern. Maybe I'm still burnt out over all that schooling that I've done, but I don't understand how lazy I've become in terms of studying Korean. Sure, I mean when I was a student the only thing I was really responsible for was studying, and thus made it a point to study, but I don't see why that has changed now that I have this 8-5 job. This bothers me, because I don't like feeling like a slacker.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I need to make up my mind soon.

Also, I'm supposed to meet my Korean language exchange partner tomorrow. I'm already dreading it.

Gwanghwamun, night.

Gyeongbukgung, 경복궁

Living at the opposite side of the city, I don't often get the Gwanghwamun (광화문) at night. This is where Gyeongbukgung (경복궁) is, as well as Admiral Shin's plaza. Cheonggyecheon (청계천) stream is nearby, and there are many business centers around...so not much to do by way of relaxing.

But it was definitely one of those nights whre I was happy I was alive and living in Seoul.

Admiral Shin & his plaza

I was lucky enough to get this picture seconds before the water and lights turned off. The water glows blue here, but the lights change from blue to green to purple.

It's definitely heating up in Seoul and many people and families come her to play in the water :)

King Sejong, (세종대왕) called Great, creator of the Korean written language

Reunion with Totos, or, I eat very well in Korea

You might have remembered that I when I first got to Korea, I had to go through a 9 day orientation, where I was placed in one of four classes. Each class was led by a Korean English instructor, and ours was named Totos.

A few of the girls from our class came together last week to hold a mini-reunion with Totos!

We headed out to my favorite area of Seoul, Samcheongdong (삼청동). The area is known for its cute little shops, its coffee and tea houses, and being next to the Blue House. The whole area is quite quaint and just very charming.

And we basically went on a food crawl.

First up, macaroons at Cafe Amandier in Insadong (인사동).

(Mine: left column, top to bottom: Olive oil, coffee, sesame salted caramel)
(Friend's: right column, top to bottom: Tiramisu, green apple, chocolate hazelnut)

I've tried a lot of macaroons at Amandier, where a Belgium chocolatier makes a whole of other deliciousness besides macaroons, but olive oil I think is my favorite. yummmyyy.

After that, we were off to 삼청동 proper. First up, mandoo (만두), Korean dumplings.

these were amazing. this one was meat, but the best one was the vegetable one, not pictured.

From then we headed to get some soup and I wished I paid more attention to name of what I was eating, because it was really good. Seafood in soup is never a bad thing. Plus we had potato pancakes and I fail because I didn't take pictures of any of the food. So instead, here's us at the restaurant.

Julie, Totos, and Olivia

with Christina and Cherish

Lastly, we headed to one of the cute little cafes for coffee and dessert. Something that I like about Korea cafes is that Royal Milk Tea is almost always available :) For dessert? Giant waffle with green tea ice cream.

I eat very well in Korea.

It was a wonderful night spent in the company of good people, good conversation, and great food. Totos remains one of my favorite people, within Korea or not, and I admire her a lot. I can't wait for her wedding later this year :)

My Everest, called Bukhansan

Seoul is surrounded by mountains and tons of people go hiking on the weekends. Bukhansan is the "big mountain" which has many different trails that differ in difficulty. A few mondays ago, a couple of friends and I went to tackle this mountain.

I had been dying to get to some nature. Seoul is a great, metropolitan city that has a lot going for it, but I am, and will always be, girl that needs open spaces and nature . Since going to Busan, I hadn't really been around anything but this concrete jungle, and was nearly desperate for some clean air, some green spaces, a different skyline.

After like an hour bus ride, we arrived at the Bukhansan national park. After purchasing a map (not worth it) and asking the guard for the easiest trail, he recommended to us Baekundae Peak.

Baekundae, it turns out, is the tallest peak at Bukhansan. 836 meters! 2700+ feet!

Let me just say that if this trail is supposed to be one of the easiest in the park, I don't want to know what the others are like. For some reason I thought there would be a lot of switchbacks and a gradual incline. That was not what I got.

The first part of the trail is fine and really pretty. You walk the trail along a pretty ravive and there a few big rocks to climb around but other than that it's relatively easy. That is maybe, the first half hour of the estimated 2 hour trek to the peak of Baekundae.

From that point on, it's less hiking and more like rock climbing. The way you get up the mountain isnt on a ground trail, but basically a rock/stone path. all the way up, up, and UP. My calves were dying. On parts of the trail, you walk along sheer rock, where you pull yourself along using this cable that was put on the path.

It's only a 3.3 km hike, but the vertical climbing makes it seem a lot longer. Instead of taking 2 hours to reach the peak, it took us 2.5 hours because we stopped a lot along the way. I really liked that, thought, because while on the trail you really have to watch your footing to make sure you step correctly among all the rocks, and it's only during these rest stops can you see the park before you. As you get higher, the town below disasspears into the trees and all you can see are bits of sky and horizon inbetween the trees :)

And then, the final part to the top is a long set of steps. I'm not sure if this was better or not than the rock climbing. But then, once you get to the top of the steps you get a pretty awesome view of the park. It's here that you can stop, relax, eat some lunch...

Or, you can continue up! From here continue up towards the peak, which is essenctially an giant granite rock. The way you get around this peak is by pulling yourself up nooks and crannies using nothing but the pull wire. It's a bit dangerous, and I suppose if I were afraid of heights, then I couldn't do it. But be it as I neither care about heights, or apparently my safety as I wasn't wearing even proper hiking shoes, we headed to the top and took pictures with the ahjummas and ahjussi's who climb baekundae on the weekends as if they were just going for a casual morning stroll.

I had a lot of fun hikinhg Bukhansan, and would definitely like to go back, but next hiking trip I think I'll opt for another mountain, equally as beautiful, if not a bit less killer on my calves. I was wobbling around for 2 days after!

The Ides of June

I've been remiss about blogging. Things have just gotten crazy busy the last two weeks with classes, more classes, and oddly enough, a semi-social life. To catch on the things I've been doing...

Namsan Tower

I said I would get to Namsan every 2 months or so, but I didn't count on me going at night. I basically avoid namsan at night because it's even more of a couple destination then than in the daytime! Thanks to a friend for making me go~~ it is rather pretty :)

Sports Day!

My school held it's annual sports day, which was on a Saturday (I never work Saturdays), but I came in just to see the students. Each class made their own shirts/costumes and rather than being sports events like we think of in the States, they were more like games. Unexpectedly, I was forced to join the tug-of-war. Lost both times >__<

National Museum of Korea

I've been trying to cut down my spending, since summer vacation is coming up and I need to save up~~among other things I need to pay for~~so I've been trying to go to things that are free. And the National Museum of Korea (permanent collection) is exactly that. I really enjoyed this museum because it takes you through the history of the peninsula--from the paleolithic to the Joseon Dynasty.

The historian in me was really pleased with this timeline. It showed the accomplishments of the Korean people set against those of both China and the West. It definitely peaked my interest, since I am, as a historian of the West, more familiar with the European course of history, to see Korean history display against the events I know so well.