15 Reasons I should Have Moved to Korea Sooner (and 5 things that worry me about having done so now)

1) They don't use forks and knives.
Chopsticks and spoons. They're just so much easier!

2) I really really really (I can't stress this enough) like K-Pop. How can you not? It's so easy to dance to, the stars all dance and it's like relieving my 90s era childhood with some electro, rap and R&B mixed in. Loving it. ^__^.

Check it Out:

: 

(As a side note, a bunch of the K Pop stars (namely Minzy from 2NE1 and a buch of the guys, the key one being Seungri, from BIGBANG) got their dance training in Gwangju! I stumbled across the latter's studio today. Too bad I'm not a hiphop dancer!)

3) Korean houses tend not to have too many chairs. This means I get to sit on the floor and it's normal!

4) Korean houses have heated floors  - all floor sitters know that this is crucial to staying warm in the winter.

5) It is perfectly normal to see people brushing their teeth anywhere, anytime. Such a great idea. No more food in teeth or bad breath after a meal!

6) Koreans believe that egg belongs in soup - this means that not only does the yolk not run everywhere, it naturally separates from the white, allowing me to avoid it without making it obvious.

7) Standing on Korean buses when they are racing about the city (or just from one stop to the next) without landing on the lap of the person next to you is a workout and a half. No wonder everyone's in shape!

8) The absence of ridiculous safety standards means that fun has not been dismantled. There are children's playgrounds everywhere! (many with a good set of parallel or uneven bars). 9) Koreans also like smothering things in spicy red sauce.

10) It is expected  that you keep your windows open even in the middle of winter - hah! no more people thinking I'm crazy on that count either! (there is a perfectly rational reason for this. Energy is gas based and there is worry about fumes.)

11) Everyone here likes hiking. It is a mountain covered peninsula though, so I suppose there might have been some problems if they didn't.

12) They really like their food. And they like to have lots of it on the table :D.

13) Everyone shares their food. This means no one threatens to stab you with a fork when you just want to try something.

14) All people take their shoes off when entering the house. Yay! No more OCD inspired cringing when people casually stroll across my floors in their outdoor shoes!

15) Not too sure how I feel about this one. It might be a bit much, but then I'm all for openness. Bowel movements are a regular topic of conversation... 

And with that, I will move on to the 5 things that most worry me about living in Korea
1) Despite their crazy driving, no one but the bus driver to Incheon Airport seems to be overly concerned with seat belts.

2) All rooms which do not have heated floors - namely bathrooms and hallways - seem instead to act as refrigerators. It seems like it's almost always colder inside than out!

3) Houses here have heated floors...

4)   You can buy a whole bottle of MSG  - powder or liquid - at, not only the supermarket, but your local 7-11.

5) Old people keep showing me up. No one will let me carry anything and the ajummas (older ladies) here all seem to be both far stronger and far hardier than I am. One I passed earlier was carrying a parcel that looked to be twice my weight without even looking strained!

EPIK Teacher Training in Jeonju

For those of you who don't know, I am here in Korea working as a guest native English teacher in the public school system as part of the English Program in Korea (EPIK). Twice a year the Korean government brings over roughly a thousand native English teachers to be placed across the country in order to help foster English language skills in schools. As part of our placements, we undergo a week-long intensive training course held at one of three institutions in the country. As I am working in Gwangju City in the Southwestern Jeolla-do province, I along with the rest of those placed in the South attended training and orientation at Jeonju University. 

 The morning view from our dorm room window.

Although the training schedule was intense EPIK made sure we had time to do some cultural activities as well.   And one of these was...

Taekwondo!

 (Yes, that's right, I could totally take on one of the members of Korea's National Taekwondo Team)
As part of our orientation we were treated not only to a demonstration of the amazingly INCREDIBLE (I can't stress that enough) abilities of the Jeonju University Team (which includes a number of the national team members), but a class with them as well! I  don't think I can even begin to describe how good they were. They were breaking boards while doing flips 7 feet in the air! and the whole thing was choreographed to music by their coach! With comedy routines worked in to collect the broken board bits! *shakes head in wonder*

We also got to take a trip to Jeonju's famed traditional Hanok village. 

Check out this traditional Confucian School:

This is one seating arrangement I wouldn't get tired of. A bit cold in winter though I imagine!

While in the village we also got to observe Hanji (paper) being made in the traditional way.

 (with a few modern improvements of course)

 This paper is then used for any number of things, including:

Clothing to be burnt for the dead and...

 

window panes!

 Our EPIK mother Soonhee showing us the mulberry tree from which the paper is made.

 the various stages of the mulberry to hanji transition

We also got to try Jeonju's take on Jeolla provinces famed bibimbop :)

What's a cultural experience without music and dance?

 I'm not even going to pretend our attempts at traditional drumming sounded good...

And our dancing?

Well, I'll let the professionals show you how it's done...

Seoul!

One of the interior gates in Seoul's Gyeongbuk Palace.

Having arrived in Seoul and picked up my new cell phone late in the evening of February 15th, my first priority was to make it out to the Hongdae University area with all of my luggage for the next year in the cheapest manner possible. This was made both very convenient and easy by the existence of the AREX train linking Incheon airport directly to down town Seoul (Toronto Pearson, please take note!).

While this first part was rather easy, lugging my luggage through the streets of the University district on a busy evening was not! Thank you so much to Soeul-ite Lauren for spotting me and helping me not only navigate, but carry things to my hostel!

Korean street signs are very confusing until you realise:

1) Nobody uses them.

and

2) They are actually very logical. All major streets have names, all small streets branching off that artery are given the same name and a number, these are all in numerical order with the even streets on one side and the odd on the other.

Simple, No?

I did not make the above connection of course, until I spent an hour wandering in circles the next morning on my way to ballet class (yes, that's right, ballet class). Fortunately, figuring I'd get lost, I'd given myself approximately that much time to find the studio and only wound up running in about 30seconds late!
 (Class was excellent by the way and for all those looking to find dance classes in Seoul, I recommend Seoul Tanz Station. English language website is here:  http://www.seoultanzstation.com/ )

After Ballet it was time to meet up with some Seoul-ites, my friend Minjung and her sister SoJung for a great few days of food and cultural experiences. Not only did they ensure I was fed delicious hot pot while sitting on the floor in the traditional manner, they found a place where I could try on Hanbok - traditional Korean clothing.

SoJung and I in traditional Korean Hanbok.

Minjung and So Jung's family were such wonderful hosts! Their mother kept me well fed with delicious foods like Bulgolgi and Ddeok Gook. The also made sure I got to try great deserts like Hoddeok! I wish I had pictures, but my hands were too cold to take any!

Still, we managed to brave the -13C weather in order to go visit Gyeonbok Palace, a 14th century palace (restored in 1865 after it's destruction by the Japanese in the 16th century) located in the heart of Seoul. It was beautiful and we made it just in time for the changing of the guards.

The 'guards' parade in front of the main gate to Gyeongbukgug.

More of the traditionally dressed guards.

The grounds just go on and on. This is a Pagoda in the back.

 Proof that it was, in fact, freezing.

Minjung and I outside of the Blue House, seat of the Korean President.

Hard to believe that Korea, now one of the strongest economies, was the poorest country in the world a little over 40yrs ago. Check out the contrast between pictures of a re-construction of a 1970s street and the one of modern-day Korea below.

One of the reconstructed traditional streets in Gyeongbukgung's Culture Museum.

A traditional drum tower surrounded by modernity.