This afternoon Julianne and I decided to head to the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu (about 4 blocks away from Itaewon), Seoul to take pictures and walk around. I've been to the memorial several times, but for Julianne it was her first visit. (You can see pictures I took of the War Memorial during another visit here, about half way into the post.)

I'm always struck by the vivid bronze sculptures standing just inside the main gates of the memorial grounds.

One of the first things that struck me when I came to Korea in 2005 was how mountainous this country's landscape is. I tried to imagine how Canadian soldiers who fought (516 died) in the Korean war would have dealt with the terrain while wearing full combat gear with a ruck sack loaded with ammo, food, sleeping bag, and whatever else they needed for the missions they completed. (Check out the Canadians in Korea website for info about the 27,000 Canadian Forces personnel who fought and served as a part of the massive UN Forces in the Korean War.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Click on the link below to see pictures and read more at Kimchi Icecream: The Second Serving . . . . I've moved over to wordpress.com and will be blogging there from now on.

Korean War/War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-gu (near Itaewon), South Korea – Revisiting the Past

J

Hard working Koreans in Seoul, 2010

I haven't been outside taking pictures very much over the last couple weeks because of the very low temperatures. Today, however, was above zero so I decided to walk around with my camera.

I'm always very impressed with the motorbike delivery guys in Seoul who work in all conditions, rain or shine. Based on how many delivery scooters and motorbikes I see every day all over Seoul, without the efforts of these Koreans I imagine that businesses would suffer a major slow down without the delivery guys. If you look closely at the center biker you'll see the special wrapping he has around the bike's handle bars . . .

Click on the link below to see pictures and read more at Kimchi Icecream: The Second Serving . . . . I've moved over to wordpress.com and will be blogging there from now on.

Hard working Koreans in Seoul, 2010

J

H1N1 and visiting a South Korean Hospital — Do NOT pick your nose and then hand out sterile masks!

Almost two weeks ago Julianne became very ill with flu-like symptoms. But she didn’t have a fever so we thought, perhaps wrongly (apparently a fever is NOT mandatory to have H1N1), that she probably didn’t have H1N1. A couple days later she was really sick and having some trouble breathing so we headed to the hospital.

The first contact people in the ER are two clerks behind a counter, and one to two security guards who monitor incoming patients and people. Considering the hype over H1N1 I was surprised that there wasn’t a person at the door taking everyone’s temperature as they entered the area. Instead, the security guards hand out masks to incoming people . . . but didn’t seem to be giving them to 100% of the people entering the ER area. (Also, inside the ER area I only saw about 60-70% of people wearing their masks, some incorrectly, and no one seemed to be asking the people not wearing masks to put them on.)

Since the security guards act as first contact people (after the two clerks) in the entrance of the ER they had sterile masks. Some of them wore them correctly, while others wore them around their neck with the nose and mouth uncovered . . .

Considering the fact that a security guard comes into contact with EVERY PERSON entering the ER I was rather disgusted with the guards not wearing their masks. If they did have H1N1 they could be infecting patients and visitors to the ER . . .

Anyways, more on this after I continue the story . . .

Julianne gave her alien registration card, national health insurance booklet, and hospital info card to the two clerks at the desk who then waved us through to the ER doors where the security guards pass out masks. We were handed masks and then walked through to the open treatment area (open as in there are no private rooms or wall dividers between each area and everyone sees everything that is taking place while you talk to your doctor–there are curtains but they are rarely pulled around the patient).

Before seeing a doctor Julianne was seated in the hallway where a nurse with excellent English asked her some preliminary questions. But when she tried to call up Julianne’s registration file on her computer we found out that the clerk at the front desk had failed to sign Julianne into the hospital as a patient–uhm, hello patient in-take procedures? I wonder why he didn’t enter her into the system . . . the nurse looked puzzled and did what should have been done earlier.

It was around this point that another nurse walked up and asked me to sign the ‘friend/family responsibility for patient form’ that you must sign if you’re the person coming in with a patient. It says things like: take care of personal belongings, be with the patient at all times, and other things along those lines.

Anyways, Julianne was having a hard time breathing and when the nurse found this out she hooked her up to a heart rate and blood pressure monitor . . . . . . .

Click on the link below to see pictures and read more at Kimchi Icecream: The Second Serving . . . . I've moved over to wordpress.com and will be blogging there from now on.

H1N1 and visiting a South Korean Hospital — Do NOT pick your nose and then hand out sterile masks!

J

It’s class time . . . and yep, no students (again).

This past Wednesday morning I go to my classroom to set up for my introduction lesson a few minutes early. This is the first week for me teaching the second grade high school boys classes (I’d been teaching the senior grades in a Suneung (“Korean SATs”) listening prep class for September and October).

I turn on the computer, the touch-screen TV, and set up my power point presentation that I use in my introduction lesson. I put on some Hip Hop music (to wake up the guys as they walk in), and write a few things on the white board like “Classroom Rules” and the 10 Xs system (I erase one X each time a rule is broken, all 10 get erased and there’s a consequence for the whole class) that I use for classroom behavior management.

I finish setting up, check my watch, and have a minute or so to wait before the boys should begin arriving . . .

No early arrivals . . . okay. Usually at least a few guys show up early to get first pick of where they want to sit, check out the alien teacher–err, foreign English teacher, and chill out while waiting for the class to begin.

The class bell goes off, and I’m standing in the doorway. I see another young Korean English teacher, and he asks me, “Are you teaching now?” I respond, “Yes, but I have no students” and begin laughing.

He seems astounded by this, and I tell him that it’s a pretty common experience for native English teachers that an entire class just doesn’t show up, and nobody tells you anything about why . . . sometimes this happens for legitimate reasons and other times it’s just plain poor communication and a lack of professional courtesy to make sure the native English teacher is informed about a schedule change, cancellation, or whatever the case may be.

I wait two more minutes, and then decide I’m going to do something I rarely do anymore . . . . . . . . . .

Click on the link below to read more at Kimchi Icecream: The Second Serving . . . . I've moved over to wordpress.com and will be blogging there from now on.

It’s class time . . . and yep, no students (again).

J

Getting my criminal background check and renewing my passport . . .

I got on the bus this morning to get my criminal background check and apply to get my passport renewed . . .

I began to remember how much I used to HATE taking the bus because of the crappy schedules and waiting and waiting and waiting for the damn bus to arrive . . .

Getting on the #12 Wharncliffe I quickly realized that the route had changed since I'd last been on it . . . luckily it still went downtown.

Seeing Canadian Tire in the background was strange because I felt this bizarre urge to go in and wander around when I had no reason at all to do so . . . lol.

My dad earlier on in the week had pointed out how Loblaws grocery store company has changed its name to Loblaw--don't know why and I think it's just weird. Why drop one letter?

After finishing a new part of the route we began to head downtown . . . but not before I was taken by this construction site--the last time I was home it had just been a huge farmer's field . . . talk about things changing.

Then there was a big patch of Wharncliffe road under construction . . . I really don't know why I took this pic other than it looked a little interesting . . . maybe because there weren't 20 workers and 10 supervisors roaming around the site like you see in Korea . . .

Crossing the Thames River (yes, there's more than one) I noticed some giant water streams in the far background and wondered what the heck they were . . .

Once I arrived in the downtown core area (London, Ontario) I headed to a place called Kinkos to make a photocopy of my passport info page before I had to turn it in for the renewal process . . . the girl inside wouldn't let me do color copies or a scan so I just did a black and white for 0.25 (2 copies). When I finally get all 13 items that the recruiting company I'm using, and SMOE, want I'll be mailing them; a copy of the information page on my passport is one of the items on the list.

Walking around the downtown core I cringed to see that somebody had decided to install metal tree sculptures and paint them with garish colors . . . I guess they add 'something' to the downtown core atmosphere . . . 'something' . . .

After getting my copies done I jumped on another bus for the 2 minute ride up to the police station.

Inside I handed my I.D. and form to a clerk who then proceeded to ask me a bunch of questions for the sensitive positions check . . . I was laughing at myself because I hadn't bothered to read over the box with the questions for 'office use only' and kept getting surprised by them.

For example, would I be supervising the children alone? handling their money? etc, lol. I said no to almost everything . . . and then wondered how they check you for the things you do say you'll be doing for your job . . . the best question was 'would I be in a position of trust with children?'--uhm, yes, and whenever I play card games as part of a lesson activity I make sure to cheat so they learn the lesson that they should never unconditionally and blindly trust a teacher--it's really funny once they realize I am 'capable' of cheating when playing card games like Uno with them; I put together five or six cards and place them on the pile like they're a single card . . . the more socially saavy kids catch on pretty quick . . . and then we all have a good laugh with a lot of "Teacher, NO!" comments . . .

I THINK Canadians are now being allowed to do the basic criminal check (ah Korea, make up your freakin' mind!) but I opted to go with the sensitive position one just to be on the safe side--I really don't feel like hearing from my new Korean supervisor or an immigration officer in the Toronto Korean consulate, or worse yet the one back in Korea, that I have the 'wrong' background check when I've already done all the legwork . . .

The one thing that sucks about the sensitive position check is that it takes 7-10 days to process and get back--so I'm going to photocopy the receipt and mail it with the other 13 items/documents and show the actual completed check itself later on . . . hopefully that works out. I think it will cause the recruiting company wants the documents ASAP, and one cannot get blood out of stone.

Speaking of legwork I walked about 10 blocks to get to the passport office . . .

Inside I asked what I needed to do to renew my passport and was handed a form. I thought I'd prepared everything I needed (passport photos, etc) but then when I got to the part about filling in the names of two people who have known me for more than two years who can vouch for my identity . . . I stumbled because I didn't have the addresses and other info the form wanted me to fill in for them . . .

I also asked myself who the heck was I going to put in the slots as I've pretty much lost touch with most of the people I knew as acquaintances and friends because that's generally what happens when you move to the other side of the planet to teach English . . . I thought back to the Health Psyschology course I took in university and one of the fundamental rules of relationships: proximity is a major influential factor in who you are friends with. I figured out who I'd ask but then realized I'd have to return to the passport office tomorrow because I just didn't have their phone numbers and addresses . . . argh. You think you're prepared and there's ALWAYS something that is missed, or a surprise . . . oh well.

Back outside I began walking to where I'd catch the bus home and saw this lovely little car,

Nice . . .

I then missed the damn bus by 10 seconds . . . I decided to head over to the Galleria mall that is in the downtown core of London to see what movies were playing.

Unfortunately nothing was playing that I wanted to see. The only movie that looked interesting to me was Johnny Depp's new movie, "Public Enemies" but I would have had to wait 2 hours to see it . . . no thanks.

Instead I decided to walk around the mall to see what had changed--pretty much the entire mall's stores had changed . . . wow.

To 'calm my nerves' I decided to grab a booster juice (aka smoothie) and head back out to the bus stop to catch my ride home.

All in all not the most productive day, but at least my jet lag is beginning to dissipate . . .

J

A month without kimchi -- woohoo!

After arriving back in Canada I gave myself one day to rest and recover from jet lag, and spend time with my parents.

I then began the task of compiling the THIRTEEN items the recruiting company and Seoul Metropolitan Education Office want me to submit . . .

The first thing I had to do was fax them a signed copy of my contract with a waiver against suing the recruiting company. I thought the waiver was quite amusing and have been trying to imagine reasons why an individual would sue a recruiting company for helping them find a job teaching English in South Korea, lol.

The fax cost me $21.00 . . . I freaked out for a minute when I realized that I wasn't sure if I had to fax my contract to a number inside Canada or if I had to fax it to a Korean number--check out the international fee PER PAGE! I had to fax 14 pages . . .yikes!

I then got new passport photos done because I have to get my passport renewed as it expires in about 4 months. I decided to get 6 made so that I have extras on hand when I need them: the cost? 19.99 fee for taking my picture and first two copies, 9.99 per two copies after that . . . the total? $45.00

While I was in the shopping mall where my mom's bookstore is I later saw outside the building that played a fairly large role in my middle school and high school years for socializing and seeing movies. It was being torn down . . . my sister and I used to go see movies here all the time. The theater showed titles that had been out for at least a year but nobody cared because the ticket prices were 80% less than at the regular theater--you can't beat 2.00 to see a movie on the big screen.

This is a shot of the bus stop outside the townhouse complex where my parents live. They're kind of on the edge of the city although there has been a lot of development and expansion of the area lately--it's always surreal to come home and see massive big box stores have been built while you're gone, etc.

It's amazing how place and memory can be so intertwined . . . this bus shelter has a LOT of memories for me from middle to high school to university . . .

Looking down the street waiting for the bus to come. On the left is the townhouse complex where my parents live (and I used to live), and on the right is a very small patch of forest with a large farmer's field . . .

I took the bus to my university (pictures of that to come later) . . . and I went to the student services office to get new copies of my transcripts. Four copies and $48.00 later I was on my way . . .

I then headed downtown to my city's police headquarters to apply to get my criminal background check . . . however, I found out that I had to show them proof of residence in Canada to apply. They wouldn't let me use the addresses in South Korea where I've been living for the past five years for the blanks on the application where I had to write my addresses for the past five years . . . uhm, okay . . .

When I explained to the clerk why I was applying and where I'd been living she said, "Well then, the Korean government should be doing their own checks" with a scathing tone of voice--I agreed, laughing, and said, "Yeah, expat teachers have been saying that for YEARS!"

Anyways, I go back this morning (it's 4am here, and yes my jet lag has messed with my sleep schedule) with a bill in my name with my 'permanent address in Canada' on it so that I can get my criminal background check done while I wait which is cool cause I was worried it'd take forever to get one done--7-10 business days is too long a wait for me because I need to send these documents in one big package back to Korea to the recruiting company's office who will then send it to Seoul's education office who will then send me a 'letter of appointment' saying I have the job so that I can then go and apply for a new E2 work visa . . . ugh.

One irritating thing about the document gathering process is that I will have to go to the Korean consulate in Toronto (a two hour bus ride plus travel time inside the city itself, bus ticket cost will likely be $90.00) to get a Korean consular stamp on my criminal background check and university degree . . . apparently this is only for Canadians, other nationalities have a slightly different process . . .

Anyways, on a lighter note my dad made my mom and I dinner. Hmmmmm, chicken and vegetables . . .

Note the absence of kimchi and anything red and spicy!

Oh baby . . .

Well, time to go watch some TV--hundreds of channels in English to choose from with hundreds of programs in ENGLISH--oh so many choices . . . oh yeah.

J

SMOE Orientation in Seoul, South Korea: my packing list for the orienation-quarantine-24/7 lock down . . .

Yesterday I had an interview with SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Education Office). It went well, and I think I got the job.

During the interview I was asked if I had any questions. My only real question was about how SMOE intends to manage the mass influx of foriegn teachers fresh off the plane and packed into one location for an entire week with H1N1 making its global rounds . . . all it takes is one infected person and things begin to get interesting . . .

My sense of what I heard is that the orientation is going to double as a quarantine. That the foreign teachers attending the orientation will be under a 24 hours a day lock down . . .

I also learned that there will likely be Korean medical staff present at the orientation to do medical checks for all the foreign teachers (instead of later after the orientation, though I'm also betting that some schools will still try to force their teachers to get another done anyway) at the orientation. The medical staff may also be staying for the duration of the orientation to do daily temperature checks of the foreign teachers to see if anyone is getting sick . . .

I imagine that a fair number of the foreign teachers at the orientation will be people who have already been living and teaching in Korea for a while so they won't be too shocked by the differences in medical treatment culture . . . but for the newbies I wonder how they'll react when they're still jet-lagged and suddenly get to experience the very open and very public style of medical checks that usually happens.

With all this in mind I've begun making a mental list of what I'm going to bring with me,

1. lap top
2. movies and TV shows on DVD
3. snacks: chocolate, crackers, etc.
4. a ton of books: novels, and a few academic books to exercise my brain
5. hand sanitizer
6. cans of tuna, ramyeon noodles
7. my camera
8. meds: tylenol, gravol, etc (though from other foreign teachers postings on quarantine it seems like they might not let me use them . . . we'll see about that)
9. decks of playing cards
10. my Xbox .. . maybe ....

And the brainstorming continues . . .

If hundreds of teachers fresh off the plane are packed into an orientation . . . I think we can pretty much expect that at least one of them is going to be an H1N1 carrier . . .

I'm sure I'll have some pretty interesting posts during the last week of August . . .

J

Anti-mosquito white chemical fog truck (thermal fogger) in South Korea -- Ah, to be young and free and run and frolic inside poisonous clouds

When Julianne and I headed out to get dinner tonight we ran into the infamous anti-mosquito fog truck.

I've been wanting to get good quality video of this vile scourge for a long time. Usually what happens is the thing has already driven by when I notice it's in the neighborhood, or it's too far away by the time I get my camera out to film it.

Tonight, the timing and location were perfect. I got an excellent close-up of the rig itself, the truck, and the kids running after the truck and playing in the chemical fog . . .

Here it is,

I decided I should do a bit of reading cause I'm no expert on pest control and don't know much about chemicals and mosquitoes . . . an excerpt from the wikipedia.com's entry on mosquitoes has some relevant info.

Mosquito control (from wikipedia)

Adulticiding

"Control of adult mosquitoes is the most familiar aspect of mosquito control to most of the public. It is accomplished by ground-based applications or via aerial application of chemical pesticides. Generally modern mosquito-control programs in developed countries use low-volume applications of pesticides, although some programs may still use thermal fogging. DDT was formerly used throughout the world for large area mosquito control, but it is now banned in most developed countries. Controversially, DDT remains in common use in many developing countries, which claim that the public-health cost of switching to other control methods would exceed the harm caused by using DDT. It is sometimes approved for use only in specific, limited circumstances where it is most effective, such as application to walls.

The role of DDT in combating mosquitoes has been the subject of considerable controversy. While some argue that DDT deeply damages biodiversity, others argue that DDT is the most effective weapon in combating mosquitoes and hence malaria. While some of this disagreement is based on differences in the extent to which disease control is valued as opposed to the value of biodiversity, there is also genuine disagreement amongst experts about the costs and benefits of using DDT. Moreover, DDT-resistant mosquitoes have started to increase in numbers, especially in tropics due to mutations, reducing the effectiveness of this chemical; these mutations can rapidly spread over vast areas if pesticides are applied indiscriminately (Chevillon et al. 1999)."

I guess for those of us expat/foreign English teachers that come from home countries/regions that don't have a serious mosquito problem, and where we haven't seen trucks spraying chemicals every spring/summer/fall, we tend to react rather harshly and condemn the act.

I'm trying to open my mind up to the idea of chemical spraying being the better of two evils . . . not fogging resulting in health problems (diseases spread by mosquitoes) and costs that South Korea might not be able to deal with, etc. I can do it, but I still get stopped by the outrage that nobody (i.e. adults, parents, etc) stops the kids from playing in the chemical fog.

I include this next video from youtube cause it shows a guy using the fogger in full protection gear . . . something that I have yet to see in Korea.

This next video shows a guy using a hand-held fogger and spraying INSIDE people's homes--wow.

And then you have this guy back in America making his own custom-design fogger that can be attached to his lawn mower . . .

I did a quick Google.ca news search for "mosquito fogging" . . . and found some articles . . .

Conditions ripe in Winnipeg for surge in mosquito numbers

Mosquito fogging set for this week

Va mosquito pool contains equine encephalitis

Anyways, I'll continue to cover my face with my t-shirt, and close the apartment windows whenever I hear the brrrrrrr of the approaching fogger truck . . . and hope that Korean parents are one day educated to understand that the fog truck is a health hazard for their children--and that they'll STOP them from playing in the fog . . .

J

Couplehood taken to extreme levels in South Korea--the horror, the horror!

While Julianne and I were eating lunch in a major department store's food court we suddenly noticed this girlfriend popping her boyfriend's zits . . . and just when we thought it couldn't get any worse she picks up two TOOTH PICKS and finishes the job.

NOTE: This may have nothing to do with 'couplehood' culture in Korea. It may be more about individual personality traits and relationship eccentricities . . .

BUT SERIOUSLY! Pop your zits in private!

PLEASE!

J

The Mega-Itaewon Project . . . Coming Soon . . .

This weekend I'm going to Seoul for some much needed rest and relaxation . . .

One of the things I love doing is taking pics of anything and everything in Korea. I also like blogging about it--as you can see.

Something else I like to do is blog about topics that new foreign teachers need to know in order to adapt and adjust to life in Korea. When I first came to Korea almost five years ago the orientation I went through was garbage, and I felt like there wasn't much support or info easily available . . . etc.

If the weather is good this weekend I'm going to spend a huge chunk of time walking around Itaewon taking pics of all the different stores and restaurants you can find there. I don't know if I'll be able to finish the project . . . but it will be fun to try.

J

After the rain storm -- Chuncheon, South Korea mountain skyline

Got back tonight from dinner to see this outside our apartment.

Living in an area surrounded by mountains is amazing.


And now back to watching Men In Black on CGV . . .

J

Singing her heart out in the 'key of O' -- nore bang singing in front of M department store, Chuncheon, South Korea

Seeing Koreans give 1 BILLION percent effort for activities that have group approval reinforces my belief that it's 'easy' to get Korean students to speak English if you can find the right 'access codes' to a class' "collective mind" . . .

Case in point this girl singing her heart out in the 'key of O' with a large group of people watching proves this (I'd use the word "strangers" but in Korea the concept of 'everybody is part of one big social family' doesn't allow for the meaning to apply correctly).

She could be one of those American Idol people who think their singing is amazing, but if she isn't and is still willing to get up and sing when she knows she's missing a lot of the notes . . . well, then there's hope for getting Korean students to speak English in front of their peers . . . and miss a lot of grammar and pronunciation points, etc, but still do it anyways.

I know it's not as simple as just getting the entire class to think it's a good idea to speak in English, and for their friends to speak in English too . . . but even with the best lesson plan, lesson content, and teaching method it can be an enormous challenge to get students thinking it's a good idea to speak in English if they think the class is going to laugh at them, or give a large collective "HORRRRRR" if they speak English well . . . I seriously want to get that collective HORR sound on video . . . it's something that unless you've taught English in Korea just can't be understood.

Anyways, just some random thoughts about the cultural phenomenon about how individual behavior can be off the charts as long as the group approves . . .

J

A: "Jason, isn't it delicious?" B: "Uhm . . . yes?"

One of the 6 month trainees in my class brought in a traditional Korean dessert/snack for all of us to have after we finished the last class I'd be teaching them for the program.

The trainees kept asking me if I thought the rice/potato dried pieces (I'm not sure what the name of it is) was delicious . . . I said it was to be polite all the while chewing on a small piece and thinking: what the hell? it's dry, there's hardly any flavor, and the texture is . . . something else.

Here's a shot of it.

And here's a close-up . . .

I can really only think of one thing that comes even close to a comparable flavor in western cultural food from Canada: burnt toast with no butter or any kind of sweet flavor topping/sauce . . .

I guess I should be proud of myself for having developed diplomacy and tact skills after nearly 5 years in Korea. When I first came here I held to my personal belief about always telling the truth in every situation . . . I've learned that this is not a universal value and that telling the truth is NOT always the best choice. Often, if you tell the truth in Korea, it leads to unnecessary stress and conflict that could easily be avoided if you just take the time to learn the expected/scripted responses for the role foreign teachers play on the Korean stage of 'reality' . . .

I don't know whether or not it's a case of my taste buds just not being developed enough, sensitive enough, to 'savor' the subtle flavors of this snack . . . or if it's just a case of I didn't have my mother and/or grandmother indoctrinate me into seeing it as delicious over the course of my childhood . . . maybe if I eat more of it I could learn to appreciate the flavor more . . .

Maybe . . .

Anyways, the 'moral' of this story is that one should just generally say 'it's delicious' every time they're asked that question in Korea--unless of course your face is turning inside out and green from trying not to be sick or something from the food you're eating at the time, lol.

I wonder where the trainees are taking me for lunch . . . knock on wood.

J

My birthday: an evening with my girlfriend, steak at VIPS, roses, a love motel, and my first bath in almost a year . . . oh baby!

Last week I had my 35th birthday. It's the fifth birthday I've had in Korea and it was the best one so far.

Julianne and I headed out to dinner . . . and to 'get my birthday present' as Julianne put it. I had no idea what she was planning.

To mark the occasion I brought along my camera . . .

Julianne looking beautiful . . .

Sun setting as the taxi driver flies over a bridge . . .

And then we arrived at VIPS.

Julianne and I ordered steak dinners. You also get access to the salad buffet . . .

I was trying to order in Korean and our waiter, a guy in his early 20s, told me he could speak English. Okay . . . thing is, if you don't know what a "potato" is when I'm telling you my side dish selections you might not want to say that . . . lol.

Just for fun I put my camera on the table with the timer on and took some random shots . . .

Steak . . . for $32.00 not bad.

Apparently Julianne likes to put a lot of cherries on her ice cream . . . lol. I went for chocolate syrup.

After VIPS Julianne got us into a taxi and took me to find my present . . . a love motel? Interesting . . . hehe.

The hallways in these places always make me laugh.

Julianne is such a romantic--I had no idea! She put rose petals all over the bed, and had a dozen roses for me too. Wow . . .

I really liked the backless couch in front of the bed. I considered posing "George-style" (think Seignfeld) but forgot to do it later.

Behind the bed were these cool screens that were also back lit.

Most love motels that charge more than 50 or 60 for a night have a big screen TV . . .

. . . Internet . . .

and other amenities like a heated toilet seat and bidet rig . . .

and the piece de resistance: A JACUZZI BATH TUB!!! Oh baby . . . !

Pretty much every foreign teacher that comes to Korea finds themselves without a bathtub in their apartment. It's something that, if you like to take baths, really sucks. I like baths. After being on my feet all day teaching, or walking a lot, it's nice to have a good hot soak.

There are only two places a teacher can generally find a bath in Korea: a love motel, or a public bath house.

Let's just say it was a little surreal to find myself able to take a long hot soak on my birthday--Julianne's surprise was awesome.

In the corner next to the tub was also a shower.

Back in the bedroom I noticed the funky psychedelic multi-color glowing light in the ceiling above the bed . . . lol.

There was one in the jacuzzi tub room too . . . .

Let's just say that Julianne's plan for my birthday really surprised me--and I'm NOT easy to surprise.

I'll finish this post with a pic that I really like because of the shadows and lighting . . .

Not a bad looking ol' geezer for 35, eh?

J

Chuncheon really IS surrounded by mountains--and I have pictures to prove it.

I'm sitting here waiting for Julianne to get home from school so we can go eat dinner . . . and since I haven't been blogging regularly in a while decided to put up another post.

Something I still have a hard time believing even after living in Chuncheon for almost 2 years is that the city is SURROUNDED by mountains . . .

This is the view that Julianne and I see from our apartment door.

Mountains . . . everywhere . . .

Every time I go home to Canada it always strikes me how FLAT everything is where I live.

It also strikes me how much geography shapes a culture . . . in Korea vertical thinking is the paradigm. Rank and hierarchy dominate every facet of the culture.

In Canada things are much more horizontal--in the sense that there is a sense of 'equality' that allows for a little more negotiation of power in everyday situations, and less of a focus on rank and social rituals that must be observed between two people of different ranks.

Something I had to hammer home in a cross-cultural lesson I made about 'how to be polite in English' is that North Americans actually DO have a system of rituals and cultural rules for being polite. Many of the Korean trainees in my class had this general feeling that anarchy reigns in English culture, and that there is no respect for rank, etc. It was great for me to see how interested they were in learning about the general rules of politeness for some very common day to day situations . . .

Anyways . . . Julianne should be home soon.

J