Ah the joys of Summer

So, as you might have guessed I am finally over most of the all-encompassing illnesses Korea has offered to me. (And my immune system so happily accepted). The past two months have been ridiculously busy. I'm preparing for a performance in two weeks. My dad and sister are on their way in 3 weeks and the weather is brutal.

It's supposed to be rainy season, but it's rained maybe 3 out of a projected 14 days. So we're back to sunny and humid as hell. Summer vacation is around the corner and we're going to Cambodia and Malaysia! WOOT. I should probably go looking for some tours to do in Malaysia.

Anyway, sorry for the lack of updates. I really suck at keeping a blog....or diary....or journal. Always have, always will.
Corinne

Ah, Korean Tv.

Here are some commercials that 'made me giggle' as I sit in bed for the third day with some strange and unknown intestinal bacteria. Oy. Someday Korea you and I will be friends.

Won Cashing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flA6bD_OzJA

Cooky Phone Commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdIwfFcZZ-E

Lollipop Phone Commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne0iLznyw4M

Sexy Utility Vehicle (Feat. "If You Seek Amy" by Britney Spears)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzle3pri6BE




Until next time.

This weekend was the Lotus Lantern Festival in Insa Dong, Seoul. It was awesome. I learned so much, including that a Korean text called the Jikji, is the oldest printed text from a metaloid printing block. It's was made one hundred years prior to Gutenberg's Bible. I was so shocked. After having acquired a Bachelor of Arts in English, I assumed I had been told the histroy (or what we knew thus far) of printing. Oh, how wrong I was.

The Jikji "contains excerpts from teachings of the most revered Buddhist monks (Korean) throughout generations" (paraphrased, Wikipedia "Jikji"). Alongside this stunning text is the Tripitaka Koreana, considered to be the most comprehensive Buddhist canon. Containing over 52 million characters, every one carved by hand in a back breaking process that is awe inspiring. The characters are not Korean which are (comparably simple) but are rather Chinese. The woodblocks are maintained in a single facility in a temple in the mountains in South Gyeonsang province (which I will be making a trip to see!). As if the sheer amount of characters wasn't impressive enough, or that it's hand carved, or that it's still preserved, let's just talk about the fact that has NO KNOWN ERRORS! Or that it was produced during a war. OR that before going to work, the people working on it would bow one to three times for each character. (You guys do the math....3x52million).

I'll be posting an article I found about Korean printing soon, I just needed to share this awesome story (I mean awesome by its dictionary definition not its colloquial one). I feel slightly jipped having not learning about it it my linguistics classes.

So it's been a while...but I'm keeping up my once a month posts...so here goes.

Seoul Land: Pretty great, but not really for adrenaline junkies. Though in the same park (Seoul Grand Park) there is a Zoo, Seoul Land and Contemporary Art Museum. Definitely worth the trip.

Hongdae: We've been spending our weekends in Hongdae (Hongik University) and it's been pretty great with the exception of one person who (always) turns the night downhill. Zebekiah has been in a trans/prog/psychedelic/industrial/math/rock phase. Not really my cup of tea, but live music is always interesting.


World DJ Festival: Totally awesome. We made floor pillows, got airbrushed tattoos and alcohol. We heard some really awesome Korean rock bands, which is a breath of fresh air when compared to the blaring K-Pop we are normally surrounded with.

1. Wiretap in My Ears: (내귀에 도청장차) - Korean rock/glam rock band. Totally kick ass.
2. Gukkasten (국카스텐): We didn't actually see them perform but could hear they're awesome guitar metal licks from across the festival.



I think that's it for now...there are students running around my classroom....oy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDN7Nx5J6No&feature=player_embedded

WATCH THIS VIDEO!!!!!!!!!! Or I will kill you................grrrr.

Oh the joys of children, and Kimchi.

Every blog about Korea, every website, every tourist book you ever read, hear, or search will have an entry on Kimchi. So get ready for my contribution.

Kimchi 김지 - fermented...holy fermented batman... cabbage. It's usually pretty spicy or pungent or just disgusting. However, I have had some flavors of kimchi that are pretty delicious. Of course I couldn't tell you what kind it is (they all have names) or where I had it. There are also different kimchi for each season. Winter kimchi is the most fermented due to preservation. Spring is on its way and I've been seeing more and more of the green leafy kimchi. We'll see how spring, summer and fall kimchi compare withe winter.


Ode to Teaching Children

The semester is finally starting after a month+ break. I'm teaching 3-6th grades with three different teachers. It's confusing to say the least, but hopefully everything will settle down soon. Days like today are days I wonder "why in the world would anyone voluntarily get a degree and then dedicate their lives to teach this age group???" Today alone I had a crier in every class, boys beating each other up, and a boy who sprayed water in my face! All before lunch!!!!

I'm not much in a blogging mood so expect longer and more frequent posts in the future, but forgive me this entry.....

Breathe Deep, Seek Peace.

Korean Driving

So it occured to me yesterday while on the bus, to THANK GOD for making it through the bus ride. (Both to and from school). When we first arrived in Korea we were told that the transportation system was cheap and fast. We assumed the subway and buses were on time and of course cheap. Well they definitely are cheap. It's less than a dollar for one way and only charges more depending on the amount of time spent on your particular mode of transportation.

Taxis are also super cheap. Most start at a base fare of $2.25. And then only go up 10-20 cents every few m/km. (not sure which...) This makes returning home after a night of drinking incredibly easy. I just have to know how to say Suwon Station and I'm on my way. Keeping in mind the entire time that this driver has my life in his hands and maybe, just maybe, if I don't pay attention to his driving I won't have a panic attack.

I take the bus every day: To and From school. I have two choices for routes: 31 (the more direct route of the two) or 30 (less direct but stops at a Dunkin Donuts near my school). I realized yesterday that I should watch for which bus I take in the afternon because HOLY CRAP if I take the 30 on my way home, I obviously have a death wish that day.

Since being here i have not seen one accident, which is a shock in and of itself. There are little to no traffic laws here. And if there are, no one (not even police) follow them. The buses are flat fronted so they (without hesitation) pull up on the back end of another car or bus. My 30 bus driver never stays inside his lane, frequently has bursts of Korean road rage, and tailgates every single motor vehicle on the road. AND THEN proceeds to honk them out of the way. Regardless of whether or not it's a red light. When I mentioned that my driver doesn't stay in his lane, I don't mean it's like driving on I-85 in traffic, he drives on the OTHER side of the road, if need be.

There are a ton of people here, and most take public transportation, but there are a fair amount of car owners and taxis on the road. Thus, Monday morning traffic is just as we all know and love it. However, if you are a big green bus, you can just honk and wrangle your way through ALL lanes to get where you need to be.

Once you arrive at your destination, say a silent (or not so silent depending on how bad the ride was) prayer that you made it safely.