Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Doriannicole in Korea, vol 4

Pictures can be found in album (Doriannicole in Korea, vol 4)- Numbers correspond to numbers in Album!

NOTE: This week, I have to begin by apologizing for my Whitney-Houston’s-a-crack-head comment last week. I have been informed that Bobby left and she is ‘no longer in the drug thing.’ My source even submitted photos to corroborate this story. So, Sam, Whitney Houston WAS a crack head and she is permanently brain damaged because of it (whitney)...Now, on to me and my life in Korea!

DORIANNICOLE. That’s what everything says. I have no last name here. I am like Madonna. Just Doriannicole. My bank account is opened under DORIANNICOLE. My driver’s license says DORIANNICOLE M. My Alien Registration Card says DORIANNICOLE. Haynes just isn’t an option. So, great. One less thing for me to worry about. I even sign receipts and the forms for work DORIANNICOLE too... I do everything with the one name. J

My birthday celebration has been quite grand. I began the celebration at work on Friday, lunch with the coworkers ( Friday 1 ) Then, on Friday night, after work (around 11:00pm, I changed my shirt and headed out (Friday 3). Of course, I did not return home until 8:30am Saturday morning(Friday 39, 40 ). I was exhausted, couldn't even keep my hair in a pony tail! (Friday 38). We celebrated merrily at a variety of dance clubs. I must say, I love the Koreans! They think I can dance! It still amazes me! I met some cool expatriates and met up with some that I'd met previously. We danced, acted silly (Friday 14), danced some more, and had a great time. I DID have to get a little ignorant with one of the Korean guys( I think he stalked me the whole night) who thought I was 'easy.' (Friday 10)His English was poor, so he said what he thought pretty damn bluntly. I said what I thought, equally as bluntly, smiled and moved on to have a wonderful time. (Friday 14: I hadn't noticed yet, Friday 18:What in the hell??, Friday 23: You'd better back up!, Friday 24: Now, back to dancing!)- Thanks Aaron for snapping pictures and catching this!

Saturday, I slept till 1pm, went to Itaewon, and found a wonderful birthday gift! BLACK PEOPLE!!! A WHOLE BAR FULL OF THEM, playing spades and shooting pool, no less! (Saturday 42, 43) Now, for some of my non-colored amigos, I must say...in a place like Korea, nothing is more comforting than finding that many black people....you know why? Because, like in America, the Asians know how to keep us happy! I found collard greens, cornbread (one of my favorite foods, thanks Daddy for the nickname), FRIED CHICKEN (yes, i'm sure it was chicken), macaroni and cheese (different cheese but same idea), and a whole lot of stuff I don't eat. It was here that I learned that 'ethnic foods' usually have same names but with uh after each word...i.e (icecream = ice-uh cr-uh-eam-uh)...No, I'm not just being ignorant, it's true! Tell'em Mike! I also met a girl there who is from NC, has same birthday, same blood type, and lots of other random things in common...my twin (Saturday 41)

I also found a nice new supermarket! It has many of the things I love from home. Not everything, but hey, it's a start. American food is EXPENSIVE... like $7 for some salad dressing! And I'm not talking my Kraft Light Done Right! dressing. But I digress! I met up with some local G.I's and negotiated some base exchanges. They understand my pain and are willing to help me out with a few things...gotta love being brown!! Can you say HOOK UP! Again, there are some things I can't get but I'm getting there!

Saturday night, I enjoyed a night of Salsa dancing.(Saturday 2- Salsa Club) I had a blast! I can Salsa a little but this one Korean girl, a coworker of mine (actually sort of a boss) took us out. And she can DANCE!! WHOA!! I mean, she was flipping and twirling, and the attitude...she stands no more than 4'11'' but could outdance any latina! I was/am impressed. (Saturday 11, 16)I have attached photos but still images don't catch the essence of the dance. She is the girl in the red skirt! I was great during the random Soul train line (Saturday 27) The Salsa group was finally ready to leave (Saturday 31) When we left there, we went to eat breakfast (yes it was like 7am). I got home at 8:30 and slept till about 2pm.

On Sunday, I went to the bookstore. I have Korean books but they are not well written. I am as confused after I read as I was before I started. I needed to find something to help me learn some words. So, I went back to my wonderful educational resources and decided I was going to use picture cards! Thanks, Dr. van Olphen! So, I went to the children's section of the bookstore and bought 'readers'. Readers are flashcards, pictures on one side, korean words on the otherside. I have been using them everyday. What's great is that in a city of 24 million people, I have an unlimited supply of teachers. If I am on the train, trying to write something out in Korean, or pronouncing the words, or otherwise practicing, they will not hesitate to come and correct any mistakes I may make. Many older women, rub my back (which is sort of annoying) and smile. They tap my arm, as if to encourage me... no personal space here. But it's okay. I am getting used to it.

Monday, I ran errands and went to work (Monday 1-Ready for work). Such has been my life for the last couple of days. Today, my day off, was spent, where? AT WORK! This is going to be a NICE paycheck! :) After work though, I got all dressed up to go to one of Korea's nicest restaurants, Outback Steakhouse.(Monday 3) Yes, I'm serious. I'm still living in a hotel because have been working at a branch different from mine. It is in the far north of Seoul and I will be in the far south. So, to save a miserable commute, they have me centrally located. I am getting tired of not having a kitchen, but it's free to me, room/maid service- they like to dress my bear (Monday, 6), and an unlimited supply of Ramen noodles! I don't eat the ramen unless I am in an emergency. I am stocking them up to have in the event of a natural disaster... For fun, I also empty the random condom tray (I've not seen smaller condoms- it must be true! ) I'm sure the maids think I am a freak but it's fun nevertheless.

That's it for me. Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I enjoyed all of the e-cards! Oh yeah! I drove today! Not far, like 8km but it was very scary... that's probably the last time for me!

Have a great day!(or, as my mom would say, fake it!)

Doriannicole

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Doriannicole in Korea, Vol 3

I almost cannot believe the week is already half way over. I have been so busy this week; I haven’t had much time to take pictures. I’ll work on that for next time! Basically, this week has just been working. I had a couple of really long days and then normal ones. I teach from 4pm -10pm. The students come to me after school. So, they are in school from 9am till 10pm (poor things)! Korean children have no life until college, where ironically, they can relax a bit.

I have been teaching all grade levels this week, as I am covering someone else’s schedule until the fall term starts on the 28th. In the meantime, I will be staying in the hotel because the campus where I am helping out is closer to the hotel than where I will be living. I will be living in Bundang, a semi suburb of Seoul (like New Tampa to Tampa, or Arlington/Alexandria to DC, Cary to Raleigh, etc.) Seoul is the largest city I have ever seen! It looks like downtown from one side to the next. Every building is a high rise! But where I will be has the pretty plush parks, the beautiful scenery, the river, plenty of outdoor activities, and a beautiful lake!! In the winter, people ice skate on the lake!

I am loving the classroom. It’s not difficult, per se, but it is challenging to get all of the material covered in the time allotted. I ran behind 5 min the first day, which may not seem like much but when one class ends at 7pm and the next starts at 7pm, it is imperative that you finish and begin on time. I got it down by the second day. The students seem to like me a lot. They laugh and enjoy class which for them is a treat! They call me ‘teacher’ and I now refer to myself as such. ‘Teacher loves it when you do that!” It’s kind of odd. I mix it with first person, too, but it separates me from my job. You see, in Korea, teachers are held in high regards, so saying ‘I love it...’ would be just some brown woman saying she likes it. So what? But when ‘Teacher loves it...’ it is really something special!

This past weekend, I went to a district of Seoul (the name eludes me right now), where there are lots of universities. Many expats (expatriates) go there and have a blast with the university students. Here, the university students are a bit older than those in the States, ranging from 23-35. At 23, many are just starting their university careers. Anyway, we had a BLAST. I got home around 7:30-8:00 am!! We did some of everything. Koreans know how to have a good time! Wholesome fun! We went to a bar, mingled for a while (took advantage of the fact that men here (both Korean and non-Korean) LOVE my brown skin!!). Then we danced at a club across the street. I got my workout on! And it is true, they think I can dance!! HAHAHA! Anyone who knows me knows that I have rhythm issues! They are worse so I look WONDERFUL! Later, we went to a 24 hour spa to drop off the alcoholics (some of the people in our group) who couldn’t hang anymore. You pay 7,000 won (about $7) and they have a place to sleep, shower, sauna, hot tub, etc. We went back out and did some karaoke. Yes, I did get up on that stage and sing! I sang Whitney Houston “Queen of the Night,” (you know, from her pre-crack days J ) By that time, it was like 4:30am. We waited for the train to start running at 5:30am (mind you, we were lying outside on patches of grass...people were knocked out everywhere waiting on the train! AND no one bothered anyone! ) Took the train back to Chungdahm (where I am staying) and went to breakfast. It was a wonderful night!!! Can’t wait till this weekend! I met lots of people who are going to help me celebrate my birthday! Whooo hooo!!! PARTAY!

On a more mature note, I went to the immigration office (found it myself!), applied for my Alien Registration Card/Korean ID, and took the driving test to get a license. I did it because it was free. I passed the driving part but I failed the eye exam. Vision has to be damn near perfect and my contact prescription is old. So, I went down the street to the optometrist, got an eye exam (free with purchase of glasses/contacts), bought a $20 pair of glasses (only took 20 min to get!), and went back and passed the test!!! I have to wait one week for the license so they can put it with my ARC number. I don’t plan to drive here, though. They drive like maniacs... NYC drivers/ LA drivers have NOTHING on these drivers! I am sending pictures of me in my new glasses!

For those of you in Baltimore who know what I am talking about... Remember we called the lady at the ‘Chinese corner store’ A-Jee-Ma? Well she was Korean! And that means ‘Korean lady I don’t know well’ HAHA! I have been speaking Korean for years!! Let me find out! Anyway, I am still studying my Korean. I am glad to report that I have more than 48 million Korean teachers! Everyone here helps if they see you trying. When I have my Korean book and I am doing the exercises, they randomly come, look over my shoulder, and help me/make corrections/comment on my script. But they are always encouraging. I am really happy here.

I do, however, miss you all sooo much. I just wish you could all come here and experience this with me. This is definitely a place to visit. Forget plans to Paris. Come to Seoul! I love it. I can’t believe how great it is, more modern than the US by far. If ever you want to visit, come on!

Until next time,

Doriannicole

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Doriannicole in Korea vol. 2

I have been writing this post over the course of the last couple of days. When it gets long, then I send it to you all. Anyway, I am doing wonderfully! I love it here! I am finding food much easier and liking almost everything they put in front of me. I have learned like five ways to say no meat, and it’s working! (Sort of!) I had no idea that ramen noodles (like we eat at home) are really what people eat here. Every type of noodle, rice, or dumpling is here! I’ve had purple rice, yellow rice, brown rice, red rice, white rice, orange rice, jasmine rice, etc. Noodles follow same thing... I’ve eaten at least 4 different types of noodles. I have come to like pickled radishes (which I otherwise would NEVER have touched), quail eggs (tastes like regular eggs, just smaller), octopus (although very chewy), and lots of seaweed. I feel like the little mermaid with all this seaweed! Everything is either spicy or bland... so I am choosing spicy. There are no salt and pepper shakers on the tables and no ketchup in most places...you have to just eat food as it comes to you. Also, you can go in the market and get a full meal by trying all the samples!!! You know my cheap butt has made that a habit. (It’s...uhh...also a good way to..uhh..try Korean food?)

I have learned that there are some major offenses. One such offense is walking in someone’s house/living space with your shoes on. MAJOR NO NO! I noticed this when the hotel concierge brought my bags to my room, took his shoes off, and then went inside with a bag, came back out, put his shoes on, got the second bag, and took them off again to enter into the room. He tried to explain to me but I didn’t understand. I later left my shoes in the room by my bed when i left for work. When I returned, the housekeeping staff had taken my shoes out of the room and put them in the foyer of my room. I did it myself today and I got a smiley face note! I am learning! Another offense is not bowing when bowed to. I just copy other people so I’ve been okay. But people find it rude and disrespectful if you don’t return the bow and may not clean your room, provide breakfast, etc. J Another thing is doing anything that may ruin someone’s ‘kibun’- there is no English equivalent but it basically means their disposition. You should always try to be positive and help others maintain face. Koreans are really superficial and appearances mean everything. So, in a restaurant, the owner/cooks watch you. If you say you don’t like something out right, it injures their kibun. So instead you say: Wow, the juice is excellent! So is the kimchi. I had so much that I can’t eat the pudkim.’ They know you don’t like it, but they imagine that no one else knows. Funny to me.

If you are trying here, people will be so nice to you. They help you with directions (although if they don’t know they will make something up to save face). At one restaurant, the owner brought us a sample of everything on the menu (made without meat) so that we can learn what things are. We ate so much, we practically rolled home!

The only negative so far is the weather- it is hotter than the inner thighs of a fat chick in the sahara wearing leather pants! You walk outside and you are wet with sweat. I go jogging at 6:30am and it is already 88-90 degrees outside. The mid day highs have been hovering around 110-115. And my retarded butt has been walking everywhere. Water is free, tastes good, and is available everywhere. We have been taking advantage of that. It’s my goal in life to find a positive in every ‘negative’ so here it is: the more you deal with weather, the more calories you can burn! Ahhaaa!!

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Korea: First Impressions

It is amazing to me that one can travel for a few hours and end up in almost a whole new world. I mean, in the US, there are places one can go and seem to escape American culture, linguistically and commercially. Take Little Havana (aka Miami), parts of LA, Chinatown in the major metro cities, Little Italy, and San Francisico's Little Seoul. But this trip is much more intense than any of those.

No one knows what I am saying, who I am, where I come from, or what to say to me. This is okay for now. I will be learning Korean over the next year. Yet, despite the Confucian-influenced culture, the homogeneous communities, and the language barriers, there is so much of America here. There is Wal-Mart, Costco, Kinko's, Asics Shoes, TGI Friday's, Burger King, McDonald's, Sbarro's Pizza, Outback, and more. (For the record, I won't be partaking in many meals at these fine establishments. I am sticking to the rice and vegetables... the food at McDonald's isn't exactly appealing to my eyes. Fried tofu instead of French fries?? C'mon!)

But around these American things is a strong sense of patriotism shared by the Koreans. They are proud of their country, and work very hard to maintain their communities and their traditions. So far, people have been very helpful and inquisitive. They have asked me a thousand questions (for which I had no answer since I didn't understand the question.) Many people insist that if they keep speaking Korean to you, then you will suddenly understand them. Case in point, on the plane, I listened to someone for three hours. I can tell you four things he said in the whole conversation. But, he kept on talking.

Today, in the Coex Mall, a large underground mall near to the campus, there were many people strolling along shopping. I tried to fit in, but clearly stood out like a sore thumb. People were grabbing my hand and pulling me into places to show me stuff (like maps of where they are from, pictures of people-that maybe i should know-, where to find books to learn Korean.) My hair, which is braided now, is also a major source of interest. They want to touch it, pull it, etc. I was surprised since the hair came from over here!! (HAHA). My hips and butt are also very much on the radar here. Random people (all have been women to this point) have come and touched my butt or my hips softly, saying something in Korean to whomever they were with. It may or may not be positive. It didn't seem to matter what I thought anyway.

Now, I think it is nap time. I have been up since early this morning and I want to get rested and settled before work tomorrow. I have to be there at 10am, which is apparently early here. After this week, I will be teaching in the evenings, from 4pm to 10pm, which is supposedly the normal schedule for secondary schools here. Go figure.

Anyway, I will be using the blog as a sort of journal while I am here. I will add pictures and miscellaneous videos as I can. Keep checking back.