So I got a free trip to the Hawaii of Korea! Jeju Island. Mr. Park, the coolest teacher ever, set it up. He wrote up a proposal to the head education department. He stated that the teachers needed to get some education on RFID technology. Google it if you really want to know what it’s about. Our school specializes in the teaching about this technology. It just happens that Halla University on the island specializes in this technology as well.
On the first day on the island, we took a bus to the college. I had no clue what we were doing. I didn’t have a clue as to what we were doing on most of the trip! You just learn to go with the flow and trust that they’ll make sure you don’t get lost.
We sat through a 30-minute lecture that was all in Korean. None of the teachers were paying attention, they didn’t really care. Next we all took some photos with the professors. The teachers had made a banner for the event. We all went outside and took a group photo. Then we left and went straight into vacation mode.
Mr. Park told me later on that the photos were taken to prove that we were in Jeju for educational reasons. He was going to write a report to the head department telling them how much we learned. He found a way to get a free trip for us all!
To the left is a picture of Mr. Park and I.
Next came some seafood lunch accompanied with soju of coarse. This was the start of three days touring the island in two buses.
These teachers are mostly male comrades. They have been working together in the same school for 5, 10, 15 years. They all know each other very well, like brothers. They all love to party too. I felt like I was on a bus full of old college buddies. They were handing me beers and oranges on the bus, getting the party started.
At night it was like the dorm rooms. Teachers were gathering in each others rooms for more talking and drinking. Some of them took me out to the bars and to noribong, the Korean karaoke. It was good times.
One night I ended up meeting up with the few women teachers at the school. They were partying just as hard in a noribong room. I was surprised to see my principal in there. She’s 70 years old, feared by everyone in the school, and yet here she was partying like she was my age. I showed her some of my dance moves, and to my surprise, she was able to dance better than a lot of the girls my age! She did the Tornado, it was great.
Mr. Park stayed up till about 5 a.m. each night. He’s in his late 40s and yet has more energy than most American teenagers. Good times. One teacher told me everyone loves their families, but it is so great to escape and party every once in a while. Koreans are very close to their families. I could see in their eyes that some were getting home sick. They kept asking me how I am able to be away like this for a whole year, it was only three days!
For those three days, I didn’t speak to anyone that knew English extremely well. I was surrounded by people talking and laughing, yet I felt all alone. Left with my mind and more time to think than I would ever want. Pat, if you’re reading this, I can’t believe you were able to live like this for a whole year in Russia. It would drive me crazy! I had no clue as to what was going on. I felt like a baby at the age of 26. They had to tell me where to go, when we were eating, where to sit. Half the time they wouldn’t tell me though, I had to be shown what to do. It was great to see all these cool places, but yet I was very happy to go home and be able to actually talk to someone.
Time goes extremely fast while traveling. Events happen fast and you learn fast. It has already been 5 months. I’ve broken two hearts, and gotten my heart broken. What’s the next 6 months going to be like!?
We were warned of the phenomenon called the honeymoon effect. When you come to a place like Korea for a long period of time, people go through a lot. When you first arrive, everything is new and exciting. You can be who ever you want to be! Everything that you experience is great, and even if it’s tough, it’s still exciting. You take pictures and laugh at how crazy things are.
After a while the honeymoon is over. You realize that there are some things about yourself that still hold true. Challenges that once were exciting and new become an every day routine. You start to make the place home and the routines of home come back.
Now you’re addicted to that thrill you had when you first got there. You want to chase it again! Now your addicted to traveling, chasing the dragon.
There is still plenty of drama between the foreigners, and so many things going on everywhere. It’s still never a dull moment unless you want it to be. It becomes overwhelming to people. They become hermits 6 months in, too overwhelmed. I’m not about to do that myself. I know some day I’ll be that guy talking about, “Well when I lived in Asia…” I’ve got to make the most of it. Appreciate the beauty of every moment. Easier said than done sometimes. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger… and it makes a damn good story!
We stayed in a 4 star hotel while we were in Jeju. On the first night, I was supposed to sleep on this mat with one other teacher. This is common sometimes. I was fine with it, but when he saw me take a picture of the room, he decided that it wasn't suitable for me. I ended up getting a room with a normal bed.
The Koreans are very conservative, yet they are very open when it comes to the discussion of sex. Jeju Island is the place of honeymooners. Traditionally, many Koreans don't have sex till marriage. This sex park was made to lighten the mood for the newly weds. A way to take the tension off what they came here to do. Even the old tribal statues look like penises. Something to do with the fertility god or something.
My Apartment
I live in the middle of the city, about 40 minutes from the beach. I can ride my bike to the beach in 45. I live by a river in a 4 story apartment building. The area reminds me of downtown Denver and the Platte. I have one of the best subway systems in the world right outside my apartment. There is no need for a car, and taxis are extremely cheap.
My rent is taken care of by the school. My cable, internet, heat, electricity, etc. runs about 35 bucks a month. I have an extremely advanced phone with video calling technology that runs about 20 bucks a month. This leaves me with plenty of extra spending money.
My apartment is very small by Western standards, and yet very comfortable. It is heated by hot water going through the floors. You don’t wear your shoes inside, and when it’s cold out, your feet are always warm. Every type of food that I could want is right outside my apartment. My gym, bars, bank, department store, etc. are all within walking distance.
Most Koreans don’t have ovens! They don’t bake. I’ve got two burners, and a microwave. The fridge is small, yet it’s okay, I can’t eat enough food at home to fill it up usually.
There is a washing machine in my kitchen, but no dryer. Koreans don’t use dryers usually. You hang up your clothes on a fold up wrack in your house. Surprisingly, I don’t really miss the dryer!
Korea is a very compact country with a population of 48 million in the size of the state of Indiana. They have no space for trash, so waste is treated with great care. You buy government trash bags from the grocery store. They’re not too expensive, but you are expected to put as little of your waste in them as possible. They recycle everything. Every apartment building has recycling bins where you separate your trash. This even includes a container for compost. I end up with a lot less trash here than I did in the States.
The thing that aggravates most new comers is the shower. I have a showerhead over my sink. There is no shower curtin, the whole bathroom is my shower. This is quite common in Korea. The annoying part is that you get your socks wet each time you go to the bathroom. Every bathroom comes with shower shoes. You are supposed to put on the shower shoes to keep your socks from getting wet. This concept sure saves space, but it’s a little annoying.
Jan. 17th I will be flying into Bangkok, Thailand. Cameron and I with a few other people will be spending two weeks in Thailand. This will surely bring about a good blog post, so stay tuned! Enjoy the winter cold!!
