A grand plan; People

I figure I can pad this thing with a series of smaller entries.


I think I've mentioned it before in this blog that it's the people in this country that have made it so wonderful. Of course there have been negative encounters, but it's nothing unexpected and nothing I take personally. Besides that, the positive experiences have far outweighed the bad. So, in honour to the great people, I'll be posting a series of short entries telling about the small but memorable encounters I've had.


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Starting with the most recent...Yesterday I went to the post office to see if some undelivered mail was sitting in wait for me. I'd been to this post office before to send mail back home, so the attendant was familiar with me. I took a number and waited for my turn to make an inquiry. My number was quickly called and I went up to the counter. With a broken Korean and English mix I tried to ask if there was some mail for me there. The attendant quickly caught onto my question and began to tell me that I needed to go to another post office to check. She proceeded to point towards a typically undecipherable map fragment to try and show me. Sensing my confusion, a bystander who could speak English and Korean hurriedly came over and asked if there was anything she could help with. I gladly obliged. In mere seconds my questions were answered, I exchanged some sincere thanks, and was on my way.

Just a small gesture of helpfulness, something that seems in no short supply here.

To Laugh or Say Nothing

Haven't updated in waaaayyyy too long. Awful. No editing. Enjoy!



To this point I haven't written anything about teaching, mostly because I don't feel it fair to talk about my kids on this kind of medium. But, there's really nothing to stop me from talking about, well...me.

Now at this point in my contract, I'm not the best teacher and I will definitely never stop trying to better myself, but I have learned a few things in a short time. One of the most important things is having learned when to laugh or simply when to say nothing. Humour is incredibly important in teaching, it shows vulnerability and makes one more accessible. However, humour can also unhinge a classroom and send kids into chaos. So it takes some keen micromanaging of random events to assure that things, when they don't go as planned, still manage to go as "planned".

The first story I'd like to share was reminded to me by one of my students this past Tuesday. It happened in the first month of my time at this job. When teaching the more basic classes to younger students it becomes habit to perform as kind of a clown. Although the material is almost enough to stimulate the interest of the kids it's nearly impossible to avoid clowning around to maintain the energy level of the class. In recent weeks this has basically degenerated into random sound effects, overly dramatic re-enactments of things, and strange jokes, at the beginning my attempts were more circus like.

When teaching I like to wear dress clothing. Shirts and ties and all that. Well, the glory of long sleeve collared shirts is that they have front pockets. Now, a front pocket is very useful; it can hold pens, money, paper, even snacks. Moreover, the front pocket can be used to catch things that have been thrown in the air. Now, since my front pockets carry so much in a day, I believed that it was sewn on very strongly. As such, I took it upon myself to illustrate the difference between the prepositions 'in' and 'on' with a quick demonstration involving an eraser, my head, and my shirt pocket.

Displaying 'on' was simple, I just had to place the erase atop my head and the kids shouted out the correct preposition. Now, for 'in', I had something special in mind. I tossed the eraser into the air and attempted to catch it in my shirt pocket...the first attempt was a failure. I tried again and missed but I couldn't stop here, my kids were enjoying seeing their teacher mess up. I threw the eraser into the air once more and watched its decent. I was almost in the perfect position to catch it! I lunged forward, stretching my pocket in order to catch the eraser. I felt the eraser hit the fabric and then fall to the ground. The class erupted in laughter. At first I was confused. Then, I noticed that, hanging limply from my chest, was a flap of fabric that had once been my pocket. In my zeal to show off my 'mad skills' to the class I had torn the pocket right off of my shirt. The children pointed and laughed and I stammered for a second for what to do. Do I say nothing? Do I pretend like it was supposed to happen? Or do I laugh? I chose the last option. I laughed with the class and played around with the pocket to diffuse the situation. For the remainder of the day, about 4.5 hours, I taught with a shirt with a former pocket hanging from my chest. Honestly, I barely noticed. Sometimes you just have to laugh!

Now...for when it's better to say nothing. I consider myself more of a musician than an artist but teaching requires more drawing than singing. As such, I spend a lot of time at the board crafting crude drawings to illustrate points and stimulate interest. In the chaos of drawing both quickly and poorly my creations can sometimes end up looking like some pretty strange things. Boats as bananas, dogs as horses, and people like monsters. Sometimes its good to make fun of your own drawings or play along with the kids poking fun at them. Other times, they don't seem to pick up on what's wrong, or only a few pick up on what's terribly wrong but are a little embarrassed to say anything. This is particularly the case when drawing a map of Korea and how it's attached to the Asian continent.

I have a specific example from early on that better displays how it's best to say nothing in some situations. I was drawing a lakeside scene in order to illustrate what a lighthouse was and what a pier was. Everything was going fine at the start, the beach was there, the water, the horizon, and the pier. Then I had to draw the lighthouse. I drew it quickly, not too good of an idea. After I'd finished, I did a double take...it's shape was a little suggestive. I hoped none of the kids would notice. As I was talking about the scene and identifying the parts, I noticed one of my kids was trying to hold back some laughter. I made eye contact and he pointed at the lighthouse, "teacher, it is a.." I interrupted him, "lighthouse, yes...anyways" He kept trying not to laugh and I kept from letting on that something was horribly wrong with my drawing on the board. Sometimes it seems that if you don't acknowledge that anything is wrong the kids will follow along, despite their better judgement.

Traffic

The traffic here has a different system of logic and it's not a uniform one. In Ansan, for example, traffic behaves very different that how it behaves in Seoul.

Two weekends ago a co-worker and I biked to Seoul. The trip itself went much quicker than expected, about an hour and a half in total. The sites along the ride were beautiful. The colours on the leaves are in the midst of changing, so the normally green surfaces of the innumerable mountains are now covered in an orange and yellow blanket. The road we took wasn't too busy highway, like the highway we had taken to Icheon three weeks prior. Instead, it was a quiet two lane affair that cut a straight path from Ansan to Seoul. It went over and through low mountains, small dusty towns, and quaint farming valleys. All the while cars would calmly pass us, save for the occasional bus or truck which would force us to hug the shoulder. It was overall a very docile and uneventful ride.

Then, we found our way into Geumjong-gu in Seoul. The 'Gu's' are essentially city districts, Geumjong being about 10km from our final destination, Seocho-gu. Anyways, we came into Geumjong-gu from a road that emptied out of a small farming area with small and poorly built houses. The road itself ended with an 8 lane intersection with a confusing system of traffic lights. As we slowly inched forward on our bikes, cars kept pressing towards us, as if to goad us into moving forward even more. Taking the pressure from the cars as a kind of friendly advice, we disobeyed the traffic signals and made a right turn as soon as an opening presented itself.

Once in a more urban area the change in traffic behaviour was much more obvious. In Ansan, cars and pedestrians will often give way to others. It's not uncommon to watch cars stop and allow pedestrians to cross the road and vice versa. Well...in Seoul, it's essentially a giant game of chicken. When I first came here, I though it would have been insane, if not suicidal, to bike along its streets. It looked like there was no definite order to things...it was simply a chaotic mess waiting to quickly consume the unwary.

Well...having ridden along country highways at night alongside speeding dump trucks...Seoul didn't seem so bad when I finally biked into the city. As the traffic quickly increased in density and volume, we seamlessly fell right into the same pace as the other drivers on the roads. Cutting in and out of cars stalled in traffic, biking quickly along the shoulder behind delivery bikes, and playing cautious games of chicken with aggressive drivers at intersections, I never felt uneasy or afraid. The beast that I had first witnessed now seemed to be a symphony, cacophonous but logical. There were times where we were exiled to the sidewalk, but these instances served as another exercise in precision biking. Refusing to step down off of our seats we slowly wound our way through the throngs of people. Occasional rings of the bell and a lot patience made the entire experience feel like a living slalom.

This past weekend we replicated the same experience in the downtown area of Wonju. The traffic wasn't as aggressive but at times just as dense. Searching for the bus station we wound through the lines of traffic, at one point passing a delivery bike driver who had stopped with the traffic. He likely doubted the size of a gap between cars but I felt it was large enough to fit through. After I had passed him I heard the familiar sound of the throttle being increased on a scooter. Shortly thereafter I was cut off and passed by the same driver. I laughed and felt more like part of a team than an adversary.

This whole entry has been a bit of a tangent...but I'm still getting used to biking in this country. It's one of the few things I thought I would never do here, specifically biking on the roads in urban areas. But like many of the stranger things here, it possesses a bizarre logic. Though I may not agree with it, I basically have no choice but to adapt. I just need to invest in a competent respirator...my head scarf isn't a good enough filter for the dust and exhaust on Korea's crowded highways and roadways.

Delays

Work again consumes me....I need to make a further commitment to this blog. I often have stories to tell, but lost the will to retell them. I'll try and break the habit.

So similar, so different

So yesterday I went to my first movie since being in Korea. It was a Western film, Body of Lies. Generally a good movie. We were originally going to try and take it in at the CGV Imax at Yongsan station, but time constraints, the movie being sold out, and not showing on an Imax screen kind of cancelled that. Consequently, we simply bought tickets for a 9pm show in Ansan.

The theatre itself was pretty much identical to one in Canada. The lobby was carpeted, the colours of everything were dark save for highlights given by bright signs and advertisements. Ordering the tickets wasn't an issue, since the titles of English movies simply get Konglishised. All you need to do is add a few extra vowels strategically and many things can be ordered without confusion.

Watching the movie went by without incidence, but I couldn't help feel that things were a little off. Before the movie we bought snacks, but the selection was limited. Fountain pop was available in ridiculous sizes for surprisingly fair prices. No $5 drinks live there! Popcorn was also on sale as well as bags of dried squid bits. That was it for snacks. I actually felt cheated. I wanted something gummy or sweet. Something nostalgic, to remind me that I was at a movie. Normally, I don't think I would have yearned for that kind of comfort, but the decor of the lobby was identical in every way to a multi-plex back home.

Getting into the theatre, the hallway, stairs, and seats, basically identical. The first difference inside was that we had specific seats assigned to us. We had selected the seats when buying the tickets, which seemed strange at the time. Looking back, I wish we had a similar system back home. The second difference was a large block of empty space in front of the screen. Whereas back home we'd have rows of seating in this space, it seemed like this section, the space reserved for the late ticket buyer back home, was left devoid of seats. Now, I don't know if this is the case in each theatre, but it still seemed very strange.

The movie played, the Korean subtitles emitted a yellow glow, and the film played as any film should. Yet after it was over I couldn't help but feel strange...almost cheated; so similar but so different.

Long Road, the end of

I'm kind of going to speed through this one...Mainly because I've got another, far more interesting story.



Reaching the top of the steps I soon realised that I probably wasn't in the right area. But, in my ultimate goal of skipping the factory district on my way back I left like this road was my only option. The stairs had emptied me out onto a gravel shoulder of a vacant two lane highway. A lone white van blazed past me, driving into the tunnel. In the distance the the blinking bicycle quickly vanished behind a hill. It seemed like I would be stuck riding in the dirt until I came across another walkway. I pedaled along for a few minutes, several cars blazed pass. I felt nervous since I was essentially in all black and had only my rear reflector as a light. Then...to my surprise, I realised that there was a walkway on the other side of the highway. Relieved, I quickly ran human over to the pedestrian safe-haven and continued onward.

The area I had gotten myself into was essentially empty. Aside from a few scattered farms I drove by nothing that resembled a city. Definitely not like anything I had come to associate with Korea. Street-lights and fields, street-lights and fields. It seemed odd that there would be such a large and well kept walkway in such an empty area. With little in the way of housing for kilometres the walkway seemed like a waste of money...but, at least the country is pedestrian and bicycle friendly!

The remainder my ride through the country essentially acquainted me with the other reality of Korean society; the large divide between which exists between rich and poor. I'd heard from a friend that one of the biggest social stresses in Korea was the rapid growth of extreme poverty in contrast to the rise of affluence. Until this point, I'd never seen anything to indicate that the income divide was any different than back home. I'd seen a few beggars, some tenement style housing, and even a small slum within Seoul. But never anything to suggest that it was a widespread or serious thing. It's as if this other side of Korean life is hidden from those who don't actively look for it. Well, biking through the darkness of the country I found it. I started to come across sections of poorly put together shacks. Then every so often the rice paddies would give way to large block of shanties. Falling apart and dirty, these crude dwellings sat low to the ground. At times you could see apartment buildings in in the distance, supplying an odd contrast to how what was sitting in front of me.

I drove through the country for about 3 hours, taking winding roads which led to nowhere specific. At one point the countryside gave way to another of SiHeung's 'Urban Pods'. I quickly passed through it only to be welcomed by more countryside and more shanties. Despite the beauty of surroundings' simplicity, I couldn't help be troubled by how close together these different types of people lived.


Late into the night I finally found my way back to Ansan. Biking the final few hundred metres to my apartment building, the smells of the area were a mixture of strange and familiar. A little more bitter than the country but somehow more welcoming. I came slowly to the entrance of my apartment building and walked my bike inside. Entering the elevator I felt a tremendous sense of relief. It felt good to walk again. It felt good to be back from the middle of nowhere.

Looking back on this ride and the several I have gone on since, I'm no longer surprised by the income divide. Instead, I am shocked at how somebody could spend a year here and never come face to face with the density and frequency of these areas. True, you can always see cute little scenes of farmers in fields near any city. But it takes a little searching to find yourself deep in a large area of dilapidated single family dwellings which sits within a series of scrap metal yards. And it takes an accident to find out how welcoming, positive and loving the people in these areas can actually be.


Anyways...enough rambling here. I just needed to cap off that overdrawn story! I've got a few on the books. Maybe the 36 hour bike/walk trek will find it's way here.

Expected delay

A spontaneous bike trip is in the works here. I am leaving at 1am. We plan to bike all night and part of the day.

From here

to here




Wish me luck. For all those that want to give me a call along the way, I'm sure you could get my cell number from the usual channels.

McBulgogi Burger

A multi-lingual review:


: (


sad face


je suis triste


War es lecker? Nein, überhaupt nicht.




part 3 is coming after I cleanse my system of McDonalds and oversleeping...

Long Road, pt. 2

I guess a week between posts is too much...I've gotta start getting up an hour early and commit a little more time to this.

I've actually biked back to Daebudo twice since this entry was started. Once again at night and once during the day. I'll post some reflections on it after I finish this novel of a post series.

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So I get onto the causeway, the Sihwa Seawall. On my left is a wall and on my right side was a solid line of traffic leaving the island, I can see nothing of the sea. After about a kilometer, the wall breaks. On my left the view opens up, revealing the blackness of the sea, or on that side, 'Lake Sihwa'. The dim outline of a hill or mountain sat in the distance, shining in the water behind me were the lights of hundreds of factories and far ahead of me was the glow of neon from some Hotel. I looked back and to my right to see a neon mess of another part of Siheung. Ahead of me, across the sea, and on the right, was the lit silhouette of 3 tall buildings, which I now know is part of Incheon city.

The air was cool and my legs ached, I had finally reached the Sea. I was overjoyed. Positive emotions rushed through me and despite my better judgement, I started to sing. It was probably to keep my mind off of how tired I was, but it felt quite good to just let go. Especially after the stifling experience that was the factory district. Maybe if an hour ago I'd taken the turn which led to "Chemical Zone" I'd also be singing deliriously...but this experience was likely a little less despair ridden.

After a few kilometres of passing car after car, street light after street light, I slowly crept up to a roadside Oasis. The dull hum of a generator echoed from the street side as it powered a small food service truck thirty feet away. The vehicle was red and very similar to a Chip Truck from back home, except it said "Hot Food and Coffee" on the side rather than "Fries". People sat on plastic tables and chairs and ate Ramen, drank coffee, and pulled away at boiled eggs. I slalomed through the inconsequential blockade and kept on traveling the straight path to Daebudo. It was probably at this point that I noticed that there was barely any, if any, inbound traffic to the island. The people in the line of cars beside me delivered strange glances, perhaps on account of my pinkness but likely on account of there being little 'reason' to me travelling to the island at this hous. I was probably pedaling along to an empty patch of land. But, this thought didn't deter me. I had my goal and I kept on going.

The overall smell of the area was a beautiful contrast in comparison to what I'd gone through beforehand. It wasn't salty, as expected, just fresh...I could seldom hear water, but mostly my ride was dominated by the sound of the headwind which slowed me and the running car engines which choked my lungs. Regardless, it was beautiful on the causeway. Blackness on all sides with only the glow of lights in the distance to remind me of where I was.

Occasionally I'd see some green lights dancing in the air at the bottom of the embankment. When I came upon the second set of these lights I decided to stop and watch. Sitting far out into the water was a bouncing neon light. Dangling in the air, as if from a pole danced another. Then, in a familiar casting motion, the light flew into the water beside the other one. It was a marker used by people fishing. I watched for a while, hoping to see someone catch a fish, but, reminded myself that I needed to keep going. I got back on my seat and continued on.

In front of me, I kept focusing on a band of lights that outlined the edge of Daebudo. The closer they came the closer I was to the island. Despite using a marker to gauge my distance, the ride seemed to take forever. Few surprises occurred along the way, the only one being that I re-entered Ansan about 1/2 way across the bridge. It turns out that Ansan owns Daebudo, despite the fact that the road to it connects to Siheung. Anyways, after what seemed like an hour I reached Daebudo. The entrance to the island was a bridge which connected to the causeway. I biked along a short pathway that was barely thick enough for my bike. Being more tired than I should have been, I cautiously rode across. I didn't want to flip over the railing at this point and take a swim in the standing water below.

After crossing the bridge I was welcomed by a white statue of two cranes (or herons). I stopped to take a picture. Afterwards, I noticed that the streetlamps each had a glowing picture of a cartoon sea-creature, crabs, fish, and octopuses. I thought it was pretty cute, but it also confirmed for me that the area I was now in was much more people friendly than my earlier ride. Sitting on my bike, across from the statue, I was finally at another intersection. To the right was a dark area labeled 'pier' and to the left was a long road that led to the main part of the island. Unsure of this pier, I simply took the left turn.

I pedaled slowly up a curving hill, behind a truck selling fish, and onto another main walkway. The area quickly opened into a number of restaurants, a typical theme here in Korea. However, instead of the usual tall buildings filled with shops, this area only had a series of small one or two story buildings, each often housing only a single restaurant. In several parking lots men corralled the few cars that drove past into the corresponding parking lots, likely trying to secure more business. Being on the opposite side of the street, I was simply ignored. I continued along at a moderate pace for about 10 minutes. I passed a love motel, a restaurant shaped like a boat, and then very abruptly came to the end of civilisation. Like a line had been drawn across the road that said "no buildings after this point", the presence of roadside buildings simply stopped. Ahead of me and to the right were long roads with no street-lights. I had no light on my bike, I was fairly exhausted, and figured that I would probably need to turn back now if I had any hope of making it home. I stopped at the side of the road, sat on a marble pylon and quickly jotted down some notes. Feeling like I needed some additional rest, I laid down on the ground to take all of the weight off of my tired legs. For about 10 minutes I tried to recuperate as much strength as I could. However, having noticed a broken bottle beside my head, it was difficult to relax. After the 10 minutes, I stood up, got on my bike, and started the ride home.

When I reached the causeway this time, the wind was at my back. Pedaling was easier and my landmarks in the distance were now cities rather than a line of lights. With the conditions so much improved I left like I would have no problem getting home. Then, I started to feel extremely tired. After a few kilometers I had to stop. I put the kickstand of my bike down, pulled out a chocolate bar that I had bought on Daebudo, sat on the ground, and ate. I was too tired to continue. I just felt like I needed to sleep. So...being in Korea, I did something I've seen many people do here. Sleep wherever you are. Laying beside my bike, I closed my eyes and just relaxed for a good 15 minutes. Occasionally cars would speed by on the road beside me, but I was fairly well protected by a large steel railing. Once I was done I jumped onto my bike again...I felt recharged. For real this time.

Steeling my resolve, I pedaled quickly, reaching the other end of the causeway in about half the time it took me to reach Daebudo. At this point, I had biked about a quarter of the distance I needed to cover to get back. As I pedaled over the now uneven paving stones, I started to plan out my return route in my head. Above all else, I wanted to avoid the industrial area I'd come through. I had no interest and no desire to re-experience it. Instead, I chose to keep my eyes open for any sign of a city. I eventually came to a sign pointing to 'Oido Station' and decided to follow its vague directions which led deep into a part of Siheung City. Unaware of where I was I simply took turns at random points, knowing only which direction I had to continue in to get back to Ansan. At one point I followed another man on a bike, hoping that maybe he was also heading towards the station...he wasn't.

Regardless of my disorientation, it felt nice to be in more familiar surroundings. Much cleaner, much more alive, and far more affluent than what I had previously rode through. Crossing a large intersection I came to another sign pointing to Oido Station. Only this time the arrow pointed in almost the opposite direction. I kept going along, hoping to (since I'd forgotten my T-Money Card) follow the subway tracks all the way to Ansan. Sooner than I thought I came to the station. It was alive with people. I noticed that Dokbokki was being sold from a few tents and I definitely felt hungry enough to stop and eat. But, feeling that I should eat when I returned to Ansan, I avoided stopping. I felt that I needed to keep in my rhythm, that time was critical, and that if I stopped now I may not make it back until the early morning. So, I kept going, following what I thought were the subway tracks.

Abruptly, all the buildings ended. Even the road ended. It split off into two tunnels, one with a pedestrian walkway, another without. I obviously took the one with the walkway, mostly because it led in the direction of Ansan. Picking up my bike I went down the stairs into the tunnel. Expecting a longer stretch of road, I was disappointed when the tunnel was only about 100 feet long. It was grey inside and no cars passed through. When I got onto my bike, another cyclist went past, a blinking red light sitting on the back of his bike. I took this as a good sign. Reaching the end of the tunnel I turned the corner which led to another set of stairs. I was welcomed by a giant mass of spider webs and spiders. Apparently this tunnel didn't see a lot of human traffic. Maybe not a good sign...Undeterred, I picked up my bike and began to walk up the stairs. Was I almost home?

Long Road pt.1

This is a really big one...so get prepared to read in shifts if you don't have time, somehow the formatting got a little messed up during my quick editing, so forgive any weird chunks here and there...I think I got them all


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So I bought a Human yesterday. His complexion was very red and I liked how bad his english was. I simply couldn't say no. Besides, he promised to help me dream into my memory, again, I couldn't refuse.

With little coaxing, Human (I kept the name because I felt naming him anything else would simply be too confusing) and I went for a ride. I didn't feel like walking or running, so I rode atop Human. We quickly escaped the one hour walking border that I had previously been restricted to. We moved past the subdivision of bizarre single family dwellings and started our way up a giant hill. Reaching the top, I looked back. It was a nice vista, so I had to take some pictures. I can't wait until I get to some higher areas, to see what I can see.

After cresting the hill, I noticed a quiet staircase on the opposite side of the road. It led to a well trodden path. I surmised that it would lead to a temple. Specifically the one I have wanted to visit since I saw it two months ago. With Human, this seemed much more plausible. We crossed the road, I carried Human, due to the very precarious nature of our crossing, and got to the staircase. The pathway had a very quiet demeanour. I felt awkward taking my bike up it, so I quickly abandoned that idea. Turning back my eye caught sight of a very large spider. Sitting in its web beside it was a much smaller male spider. I snapped a couple of pictures, but the poor quality of my camera mixed with my fear of spiders prevented any sort of quality picture. Besides, I was more interested in finding the sea. Me and Human turned around and headed down the hill.

Now, the interesting thing about this city is that many pathways are made up of stone or clay tiles. Normally it would be a very beautiful way of paving. The only problem is that the tiles are simply set into sand. Sometimes they bulge upwards at odd angles, other times the shift as you go over them, and more often they tend to pike up into pyramids, deadly to the unwary. Thankfully this hill only featured the shifting kind of tiles.

We came across buildings that were very similar to the ones in my area. The only odd thing was that the air on this side of the hill had a sickly sweet smell and almost every surface had a touch of black or grey dust. Taking in my surroundings so that I could easily return, human and I started to come across some factories. Small and sporadic at first, the factories quickly grew in both size and frequency. To date, much of the Korea that I've seen has been fairly sanitised and almost disturbingly Western. The area I was entering was neither of those. Sounds of machinery inside the factories and the bellowing of boilers made it certain that there was life inside. But on the outside, there was a grime that made the area feel very unhealthy, dead or dying. It was a startling contrast to where I live, where things are fairly affluent. This area was definitely developed, but it felt very poor...very real.

Me and Human passed many factory complexes which were only split up by small forested areas and the occasional enclave of supply stores. The sea, the Sea...I wasn't sure where it was, only that it was near. Signage was sparse and all I had to go on was a curious intuition. At my first large intersection, the left turn seemed like it led to a collection of very large and inaccessible factories. The right turn led to a long straight road dominated by seemingly more accessible factories. Feeling like I needed to stay on a path/walk way I took the right turn. Almost immediately, I was welcomed by unbroken kilometer upon kilometer of factories. Employees from various South Asian countries dotted the walkways and sidewalks. Apparently they come here to escape from poor paying factories in their home countries to come to these less poor paying factories in this country. As Human and I rushed past them, I could only wonder what their working conditions were like inside these polluted factories. If the health conditions inside were anything like those outside...

This industrial park went on for several more kilometers until it was interrupted by a dirty and ill-developed industrial supply area. Cruising along, I eventually reached another large intersection. In front of us in the distance were familiar looking apartment buildings, possibly near Ansan station. To the right was a path that would eventually lead home, and to the left was seeming emptiness. We went left, crossing an 8 lane intersection with the aid of a traffic light that took several minutes to change.

Rural farms with open rice fields housing transmission towers quickly overtook the previously omnipresent factories. Though the sickly sweet odor of the district still hung in the air, it was now much easier to draw breath. Soon after cresting another hill I saw some farmers working in a field near the roadside. They wore straw hats, faded clothing, and had very tanned skin. I stopped with the intent of taking a picture, but stopped myself. I've heard that the main issue arising from this country developing so quickly was that the gap between rich and poor has become incredibly dramatic. Watching these people work away, a poorly built shanty beside them, the reality of that divide became all to real. I slung my backpack onto my shoulders again, refusing to take a picture of these people. Although it was new to me, they were simply working. They weren't a spectacle, and I certainly didn't need to show off their image to anybody back home. So me and Human just kept going, choosing instead to admire and hold them in memory rather than capture their image for display.

As we rode along a path, which was now more sand and gravel than tile, I saw only a few buildings and some oddly placed restaurants. There was also a quiet park housing a shrine which sat atop a small hill. With reaching the sea in mind, I chose to drive past the park. Besides my goal, the entry was blocked by a collapsible yellow barrier. At that moment, it was deterrent enough for me to keep going, but next time it probably won't. Slowly, we reached another intersection. Human and I slowly crept by an old woman who was walking around her truck, leaving what looked to be a junkyard. I coasted to the intersection and was quickly greeted by a barking dog. I looked behind me and was startled to see a tan coloured mastiff charging towards me. Not panicking, I simply uttered 'shh shh shhhh' and tried not to make direct eye contact. It soon left me alone. Likely because I wasn't on its property and thus not a threat. That, or it never intended to do anything in the first place.

At this intersection there was nothing straight ahead of me and to the right there were only a few buildings in the distance. I chose to go right. The rural feel of the area didn't leave but at least the path I was on was actually a path. I mentioned earlier that none of the smaller sidewalk tiles are set with mortar or concrete, and it was along this stretch that I first suffered from this lack of development foresight. Stones jutted upwards at weird angles, dove into abrupt pot-holes, and made it a bumpy ride for me and Human. But even though it was uncomfortable it certainly helped the area feel that much more real and raw. Occasionally I'd drive by bushes hiding garbage, poorly built huts on the roadside, and the occasional farm stall/shop. Then, I came to a scene which I had to stop and take a picture of. Behind an opening created in the greenery that bordered the walkway, was a lonely farmer's field. It sat empty, protected from the outside by green barbed wire and protected from the inside by scarecrows clad in the same clothing I had previously seen some farmer's wearing. It again reminded me of the divide between classes here. I still can't believe how it can be so invisible yet so obvious.

As I finished taking my pictures, a pair of cyclists passed me, using the road instead of the pathway. I thought that maybe I should follow the same route but my fear of Korean roads hadn't yet subsided. Instead, I kept riding on the haggard path, even when a long sloping hill threatened the longevity my legs, I just kept on the path. As I watched them crest the hill, I stopped paying attention to the many obstacles in front of me. Not unexpectedly, I crashed down into a jagged pothole. Human jumped out deftly and I inadvertently swore. A metallic sound echoed behind me and I dismissed it as nothing. I now figure that it was, at this point, that Human lost a nut from his seat. Poor fellow.

After I had reached the top of the hill I was dismayed to see another unending stretch of factories. By this point, the sun had started to set and the streets had remained persistently empty. The sickly sweet smell quickly came back, but the path I was on quickly came to an end. With the curbs being much larger and sharper than North American ones I simply decided to pick Human up and jog across the rode. Once on the other side, we kept going, into a new area, into the dark. Moving along at a quick pace I was just completely baffled at how many factories were here. It's no wonder that this continent is able to outstrip the rest of the world in production. Although it's a very broad generalisation to imply, I can be certain that I was not driving through the worst or most dense factory district in this region.

Crossing intersection after intersection I finally came across another road-sign, "Oido, Daebudo Island" and an arrow pointing in the direction I was going. A good enough reason for me to continue. Despite the encouragement of the sign, the factories continued. The smells and sounds persisted. Only now a new sight kept welcoming me; sporadic alleyways between buildings, black, save for the occasional headlights from a car or scooter. More than once I considered cutting through them just to see what I could see, but I figured I should simply keep on a direct path. Especially considering how my entire trip so far had been one giant detour. With the distance I'd travelled so far, it seemed like I'd never reach Oido. I was confused, lost, and determined. Maybe it would have been better if I could have panicked and abandoned the trip. But, I didn't, and that's when I came to, you guessed it, another large intersection. This time with a sign pointing to Oido (straight ahead) and Daebudo (to the left). I figured Oido was more reachable, so I continued straight ahead.

On my left was a big building that said "Steel Town". I figured it was just for that particular building. A Holly's Coffee and some other familiar stores sat on the ground floor and a fountain and steel-pipe orb sat on the outside. An encouraging sign. Non-factory life. Abruptly, my hope for a straightforward trip was again interrupted. Another walkway ended, right alongside a 6 lane road..at an intersection with malfunctioning lights. It was quite busy and I didn't want to go back to the lights I'd crossed just a minute before. I waited for a break in the traffic and ran with Human to a small lined median in the centre. Waiting again for traffic to break, I completed the run. Above the road was another sign, this time it said 'Oido, Daebudo, Sihwa Seawall' Left. Heck...sounded better than here, and all of the areas were listed as being together. It seemed closer than ever. I started going again, moving through the 'actual' steel town. A massive facility of...steel plants? It stretched for about a kilometer before dumping me out onto another road. with another ending path.

At the end of the path was a belt store with ridiculous fluorescent lighting. It seemed like a silly place to have a store, but there was so much car traffic along this road they probably understood their market more than I did. Losing my fear of Korean cars, I aggressively made my way across the road and kept speeding along. More factories. Somehow...more factories. The pathways here were also very poorly kept. Full sections of just sand and small sections of panels, having been heaved by roots, jutting out at dangerous angles. I kept biking along, feeling the air getting cooler and the sweet smell of the factories giving way to algae and maybe even water. The sea was close. I stopped paying attention again and narrowly missed snagging my face on some barbed wire coils. Jutting out aggressively from a fence were coils upon coils of razor wire. I thought it was a prison, then I saw a soldier walking towards the gates. He took a left turn and vanished behind some walls. As I passed by I saw some guards hurriedly closing the gates after having let the man inside. It was some kind of military installation. I wasn't sure if I should feel safer at this point but, considering the large amount of traffic going by I figured it was definitely for the better.

Feeling like I was closing in on my goal, I passed a big section of murals painted on sheet metal. They depicted the sea. I was close. Then I noticed that the murals were guarding yet another factory...great. Eventually I came to a large 8 lane intersection. It was packed with cars, trucks, and thankfully, fish delivery trucks. I had to be close. I crossed the street, ignoring the beautiful park in front of me, and took a left turn. A large sign sat above the roadway, "Oido" it said, a picture of a smiling child, standing in a mudflat, with a shellfish in hand. I was very close. The traffic stayed intense and I started to pass people on foot, people on bikes, and people with fishing rods. Then I started to smell poo. A sewage treatment plant stretched alongside the road. But...where there is a sewage treatment plant there is usually water. A good sign. I came to another intersection...good old intersections, and saw water on my right. On my left, a large wall obstructing my view. Above the roadway read a sign, "Daebudo Island (Ahead)12km. Oido (Right)" Since I was finally at the Yellow Sea (or the West Sea), I figured I might as well head to Daebudo. It had been dark for a while now, but that didn't worry me. As Human and I got to the top of a small hill I realised that I was about to bike along a 12km causeway to get to this Island. It was getting late and I hadn't ridden this far on a bike in a while. On top of that I'd forgotten to bring food with me (as I'd planned), I was running low on water, and my legs were just beginning to feel tired from the pedaling. I wondered if I'd be able to physically commit to the journey back. But, I only entertained this thought for a second. I'd come this far and I only had to work at 4pm the next day. I had plenty of time to stop and sleep if I needed it. Plenty of time to get back if I got lost. I pedaled onto the bridge, into the breeze, further into the night...



Getting to Daebudo and back...another day.

Too Big of a Gap

New posts are coming soonish. I get reliable internet at home on monday. Until then, I'll try and get one up tonight or tomorrow morning. It's been too long.

Whoa...

So yesterday I finally bought some running shoes for myself. It's been about a month and a half since my last jog so I decided tonight was the time. Leaving early from a social establishment, I went home and suited up in preparation for some much needed exercise . Unsure of the pace I would be able to maintain, I took my cell phone and a calling card along; intending to take a break part ways in order to make some phone calls.

At 11:45 I began my run. At 11:51 I was atop the hill in Ansan Lake park...seems I can still run. Although the muscles in my legs were unhappy after climbing the steep hillside-staircase, the rest of my body was overjoyed. At this point I decided to take it easy and soak up the smells and sounds of the night. Now, I've walked around a lot of Gojan-dong and Jungang-dong at night, but I've never really walked in an area devoid of buildings and traffic. Sauntering down the steps on the opposite side of the hill, I wondered why I hadn't explored the surrounding parks and mountains more. I'm sure not having a bike or running shoes was part of the cause...

Anyways, night-time in Korea is much different than back home. The crime rate here, at least from observation, is much, much, much lower. Ideas of safety are also dramatically different. Children will play in parks at midnight, middle school girls will cut through alleyways at 2am to get home, and tonight, I saw that girls will play badminton, in a dark park at midnight, seemingly without a second thought. It's pretty amazing. In fact, it's almost unbelievable. It's actually taken me about a month to be able to walk outside at night without thinking I'm about to be jumped, threatened, or have any number of annoying things that can happen (but likely won't) when you're alone at night in a large city. So since I was comfortable with my surroundings, I took out my cellphone and began to make phone calls. Leaning on a marble wall with a group of loud teenagers behind me, I called home. Not once, did I look behind me or worry about what the kids might be up to.

Now, apart from this little tangent, something very cool also happened when I was calling a friend. Before calling I had relocated to a bench which overlooked a marsh area. Bats were occasionally flying overhead and all manners of crickets and other insects sang loudly. It was a relaxing scene. At one point during the conversation, a bat flew over my head and then into the open over the marsh. As soon as it drifted into the open air, a large bird flew out from the trees and flew past my head. Looking at the short tail feathers, or what looked short, I thought I'd scared a pigeon or some other common bird. The mystery bird silently headed straight for the bat. It quickly closed the distance and with a dull 'thwak' caught the bat mid flight. Without hesitation it flew off into the night. I was flabbergasted...I had just watched (what I believe to be) an owl fly past my head and then catch a bat in mid air.

It's the little things in this country that have come to impress me the most. I'm glad I came.

Observations

Just a little something I found in a notebook. I wrote it while riding the subway into Seoul. I managed to get a seat on the very packed train by getting on board at Gojan Station rather then Jungang. Since I was and am still adjusting to life here, I always try to imagine what the locals think of me. Usually I think that they are more amused or curious. Other times I think that they may be judging me. Anyways...enjoy the rambling.

-----


Sitting in a chair while on a crowded subway car feels excessively greedy. Lots of people must stand around me while I, a foreigner, this wayguk, sits and writes. Now, I certainly couldn't write standing. But...I certainly can't stand sitting.

I'm loathe to look up into the faces that surround me. Should they be scowling at my comfort would cause me even greater discomfort. But, to consider that maybe I'm just one of many who enjoy a seat this train. Though I am quite a bit pinker than the rest, would it even be reasonable for them to notice my apparent selfishness?

So...I just looked around and nobody caught my gaze. It is how it is...just a fair-haired, blue-eyed stranger sitting alone. Worth no more than an occasional curious glance. But still...I can't stop but wonder. Maybe they were looking, thinking; "Look at him there, that pink fellow, scribbling away."

My stop comes soon, this entry might continue...

Geting Here - Part 3 of 3

Part 3 of an entry written more than a month ago...wow...

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So anyways...Asia...it was an old idea of mine, maybe a dream even, to one day visit some part of East-Asia. This was, of course, before university. Before I studied Asian History and before I gave up on doing anything that cost me more than $400.

Riding along in this bus from Incheon to Seoul I sat and stared out the window. Taking in the new landscape, the soil with it's reddish tint, the grass with a different shade of green, trees at odd angles, and mountains everywhere, it finally hit me. I remembered that I was deep into something that I had always wanted to do. Something that I'd forgotten about but something that had stayed deep in my brain. I started to think back to the job fair months ago...maybe talking to that recruiter was more than just an impulse. Maybe it was a sub-conscious desire managing to break through my jaded exterior. Then again, there's an equal chance that it wasn't. Speculation aside, all that I can really confirm is that I am in East-Asia. And it is good.



So...as I write this entry, sitting in A Twosome Place Cafe in Gangnam while sipping a 2500 Won espresso, I'm overjoyed that I came to Korea and I'm hopeful that I can quickly acculturate to a functional degree. Funny to think that only one day after stepping off the plane I'm realising that I'm actually here fulfilling a long-held dream. I'm not just coming to a foreign country to make a decent wage. On top of that, I'm very glad that I'm not just taking a 'trip' here. Instead of being here to do stuff and sightsee I actually feel a lot of pressure to do more than just 'experience' new things. I feel pressure not just to live, but to live in a way that is almost completely new to me. But, then again...right now it's hard to say what I think. It's not hard to forget that this is just day one...only five hours into day one. But even in that short time I already feel like I've fulfilled a dream. Because of that, I really need to give thanks to today. I need to thank the short walk I took for reminding me of the importance of a single hour...just one single hour of walking to clear my mind and realign my thoughts.


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It took that long to just recap a bit of writing from day one....woops

Updates are coming

I still don't have Internet at home...which isn't an excuse for not updating.

But, I am at war with some fruit flies...many fruit flies. Just today I figured out their game. They hatch from yellow-melons in my fridge. Then, being cold, they play dead near the door. When I open the door and feel disgust at the pile of insects at the bottom of the fridge I use my dust-buster to suck them up. They then pull off an escape more great than anything Steve McQueen was ever a part of, breed in my garbage, and then hatch to annoy the crap out of me.

Otherwise...life is good. It's just far too easy to spend money on food here. It's not very expensive to eat out but it's 1000 times more convenient than back home. Something I certainly need to get under control.

Some others...mostly raw

August 12th/08

Training.......Training



August 19th/08

Well, training is over and work has started. Each day passes like syrup. This makes me happy. Exhausted, I have trouble recalling the details of the past week. So much happened in so few days that it's almost impossible to sort through all the details at once.

I knew it would happen, just today I hit the language barrier...hard. In the late morning I tried to register the cell phone at one of the local stores. I'm pretty sure that the clerk didn't fully understand my request. But...if his refusal was honest, I'm now the proud owner of a 45000 won dictionary and camera! How keen.

So anyways...last night as I sat watching the Simpson's(in English) I wondered to myself if it had actually set in that I was in a different country. With everything being so Westernised here it often feels like I'm in some ethnic neighbourhood in Canada. Many of the cars are the same, the stuff for sale is similar, and the feel isn't that much different. Then again...I do feel incredibly isolated, even insulated, when I'm walking through the streets. Unable to speak with basically everyone is a strange but sometimes comforting feeling. I'm very much the outsider here, a mere visitor even. Tough oddly enough, I'm okay with that. Despite the isolation, I've been living more or less as I want to live. I think any misgivings at this point in time simply come from being overwhelmed. I know I'll get through it...I just need to keep smiling.

There was some old mail in my mail slot today. My apparent address is very long and very Korean. I'll do what I can do anglicise it and send it to those who need it...

I've got a lot of work to do....clearing the backlog of entries will have to wait...



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Still busy up until today. Writing the backlog along with the new stuff is difficult...so...enjoy these relics instead!

Getting Here - Part 2 of 3

So I basically answered the 'How' in part two...let's get into something deeper. Starting with a short story:


In order to get from Incheon airport into Seoul I was required to take a direct service bus. Getting the bus ticket itself was no issue as I had my wonderful seatmate/guardian Shin to help me along. When the bus came, my bags were quickly placed in the cargo area and I was guided onto the bus. About six passengers were already on board. The seemed a little shocked to see my pale exhausted self step onto the bus, but the stares were minimal. I slowly made my way to the back of the bus and took a seat. A strange red and black plastic block with a strap through it made the seat rather uncomfortable but I figured it would be one of many strange things that I'd have to get used to. The bus itself was nice although a bit narrow. One row had single seats and the row I was in had doubles. It was very clean and shiny on the inside and a quaint television kept both us and the driver occupied as we waited.

Suddenly, a voice came over the PA and delivered a message. Afterwards it was repeated in English. "Please fasten your seatbelt and enjoy your ride!" It finished. "Seatbelt?" I thought "On a bus???" I looked around my seat for the strap and realised that he awkward chunk I was sitting on was actually a seatbelt buckle. Sheepishly struggling with the belts bizarre design, I put it on. It seemed crazy to me that a bus would have seatbelts but in all honesty it seems like a pretty solid idea. I can remember hearing that seatbelts made buses less safe for passengers...but who knows. But in comparison...many taxis here don't have seatbelts. So I'm curious as to what safety actually may mean here.

Anyways, so I'm on the bus and we're making our way out of Incheon. The landscape was impressive despite its muddiness. Incheon airport, I believe, is built on a large portion of reclaimed land. We drove over the flats quickly and came to a large bridge. Alongside it was the similar soggy mud of the surroundings but ahead of us was something much greener. Quickly the landscape became more and more green. Trees increased in density and the landscape became much more dynamic. Rolling hills and then mountains came into view. The lower mountains sat beneath the haze while taller peaked mountains vanished into the clouds. At the roadside I saw a rusty shack, it's roof angled in an 'Asian' way. The kind of roof you see in any piece of folk art. With all the strange trees, cars, sporadic buildings and geographical features around me it finally hit me. I'm actually in East Asia.

I smiled.

Wooo

The Seoul subway system is an interesting creature. The times at which it stops running are strange and at times random. Tonight when I was returning to Ansan from a day trip into Seoul I was fortunate enough to encounter the unreliability of the subway.

Making my way to line 4 was fairly entertaining. I entered the subway station in Gangnam. It was pretty empty, an okay sign. I swiped my t-money card, passed the turn styles, and hustled my way to the platform entrance. At the bottom of the stairs was an impressive sea of people. This would be interesting....When the train arrived I shoved/shuffled my way to a door. An older man beside me looked to me and smiled. I responded with a reserved, "wooo". As we made it into the trains doorway, he and I began to push forward, shoving ourselves into the already packed train.

I'd like to take this time to apologise to the girl who was wearing high heels. Well...every girl seems to here. But the one whose toes I stepped on. Sorry!

Anyways, we got into the car, the doors closed, and the train began to move. 4 stops later at Sadang station I took my turn in shoving passed people to get through the doors. All good so far. I started to walk towards my transfer. At one point, an announcement came over the loud speakers and people began to run. Unsure of what was going on, I followed there pace and expedited my trip to the #4 platform. Upon arrival...I waited. Waited....waited.....then the train came. So far so good!

Aware of the long ride back to Ansan, I took out my headphones and listened to some music. Thirty minutes passed. Still good. Then, we hit the final station of the night. Not Oido...somewhere else. "This is the last stop of the night, please make sure you have all your belongings!". I stepped off the train and asked someone a simple question, "jungang, jungang?".

A man replied, "Where are you going?". Excellent, a bit of English!
"Jungang Yuk" I said.
"No train anymore." I smiled...said Taxi, he said yes. So..I just started walking for the exit. As I got closer, men in blue shirts were shouting stuff at the bottom of the stairs. "Ansan!" I picked out in one sentence. Guessing that they were cab drivers, I echoed back, "Ansan, Ansan!". A kind hand on my shoulder guided me to another stair case, which I took. It led me outside to where some taxis and other confused people stood around.
"Ansan!!! Ansan!!!" A man shouted.
"Ansan..Gojan" I replied.
A kind hand on my shoulder guided me inside his taxi. A short wait and 3 more passengers later, we were off.

Now...taxi drivers in Korea like to drive fast and they like to drive aggressively. But, after my first experience in a taxi on my first day here...this ride wasn't very hair raising. We all didn't wear seatbelts...as is the bizarre custom, if they are even available in the car. We also all sat quietly during the ride. Weaving in and out of traffic, barreling along at a respectable speed, it was actually quite relaxing. I was only mildly worried when our driver passed a car in a tunnel. But even then...I was only mildly worried.

Our driver got us into Ansan and other passengers slowly petered out. Being the last one, he asked to clarify where I was going. "Jungang Yuk!". We got closer...then he looked to his GPS. It told him we were in Jungang, the region, but not at Jungang Yuk. I wasn't familiar with the location, so I just had him go towards the station. Thankfully, we came to a juncture I recognised. I had him stop, he asked for just 10000 won for the trip, and then I walked home.

Overall, the entire thing was pretty painless. It only cost me about $10 and I had a pretty entertaining trip. I'm certainly glad that I didn't have to sleep in the station until morning and I'm very glad I didn't even consider trying to walk the distance.

Thank goodness taxis are so cheap in this country. I suppose that that's another one of those topics for another day. Prices of things here....

Editing...today I don't not not do thee okay!

The more I walk around the happier I get. All of the local people remain great. Even though there are some scattered bad things, they are so few and far between that I can't even bother to remember them. The only issue I'm having right now, is that I'm not 100% comfortable going alone to a new restaurant. I can read the menu, eat the food, but I just feel odd going in and then eating alone! It's my goal for the next few days to just sit down somewhere and eat Galbi all by my lonesome.

Anyhow...Yesterday I went to my first and maybe last ex-pat bar. As mentioned in yesterday's entry, I had gone into Seoul to meet with some friends. Well, the area that we were in had a large concentration of foreigners. I've never been to Itaewon in Seoul, so this is the most I'd seen anywhere in Korea. So the oddness began after the harrowing search for my friends. Seoul is generally a crazy busy place. During training it didn't seem all that bad simply because it was the only part of Korea I knew. Well, being in the suburbs for just a week, the difference between there and here is staggering. I digress...So I find a few of my friends and we stand around waiting for some of the others. When out of nowhere this tall blonde guy approaches us. I'm not sure if this guy hadn't gotten the memo, but there seem to be two ways that unfamiliar foreigners treat each other in public here. Generally one of two things happen. One, they simply don't say anything. Or two, one party does everything in there power to avoid the other and no conversation is ever initiated. This particular fellow, did neither.

He came up to us and said "hi". Us who were waiting looked to one another confusedly. He was white...so maybe one of us knew him? We went through a very awkward introduction and did our best not to engage him in too friendly a manner. None of us knew him. As a result, it felt like this guy was severely encroaching on our privacy. Our response was decidedly cold. To this date, I don't think that I've ever treated a well-meaning stranger so harshly. In all honesty, I feel that I should do something to break this pattern but I really don't have much of a desire to just meet other foreigners at random.

***

So yesterday, before I went to Seoul, I had to continue my quest for cell phone activation. To do so, I needed to catch subway at Jungang station and make my way to Ansan station. Getting to Jungang station on very vague directions was a little strenuous, as at the halfway point I felt quite lost. Despite my unease, I just kept walking. Since I was following subway tracks, I'd reach SOME station eventually. Even still, I was walking beside a bike path that was lined with greenery, magpies and dragonflies, so at least I had scenery and company during my wandering. Eventually, I did arrive at Jungang station. Walking past a man selling donuts at the street side I entered the building and moved to a fare kiosk. I charged my t-card with 5000 won, grabbed a route map (all in Korean...very little English here...thank goodness I can read it!) and walked to the appropriate platform.

After waiting about five minutes I boarded the train. The ride itself was uneventful but I did get to expand my knowledge of the city and landscapes. It seems that Ansan is nestled in a bowl of low-rolling mountains. They're heavily forested and dotted with sporadic electricity things. However one edge, the first I plan to visit, has a temple sitting atop it. There are probably numerous discoveries in the mountains that I can't wait to come across. Whether it be plant, insect, or hand painted warning sign, it should be entertaining!

Ansan city itself is comprised of sporadic urban pods interlaced with small farms on unused parcels of land. I'm not sure how a corn and cabbage field can sit next to 20 floor apartment buildings, subway tracks, and an 8 floor commercial building, but they make it work!

So after about 10 minutes or less I reach Ansan station. Getting inside I was greeted by the familiar shops shops food style of other Seoul subway stations, only this was above ground. Reaching the exit, this area was a little more like exterior Toronto than populated Korea. I believe that this area of Ansan is more noted for its factories than anything else. As a result, there is a large concentration of South Asian workers milling about. The whole area has a bit more of a rural feel. Fresh food vendors have assorted blankets with food on them along the steps and exits and some even sell fresh fish from buckets.

Crossing the street via an underground walkway, I emerged to find a 'Show' store. I needed to find a Show, but I'm still not sure if this was the right one. South Korea has a wide variety of cell phone carriers, I need to find a KTF...all I can find are SK telecom. I didn't check what the carrier this Show represented, but I went in anyways. Using my broken Korean, an in store phrasebook, and gestures, I was able to get across that I wanted to register a pre-paid phone. They asked for ID. I put my bag up on the counter and my arrogantly placed "Canada" pin flashed for a second. "Ohhhh, Kaenada Saram!" the girls manning the shop said to each other. The service I received suddenly became a bit more helpful! It turned out that one of the girl's wanted to study psychology in Canada in the near future. Grateful for the help I'd received thus far, I offered my e-mail in case she needed any help with her process should she ever decide to come to Canada.

I felt kind of bad when I was being helped because I was drawing a lot of attention away from other customers. I could only offer an older man sitting in a chair a confused/bemused expression and a shrug for the needless attention I was receiving. I did my best to get them to help other customers instead of trying to help me out.

So they took my money, my passport, I signed some forms, gave some more info, then they made a phone call. The result was the same as everywhere else. No use anywhere in Korea! The news wasn't hard to hear, since it was my fourth time hearing it, so I left a little dejected but not deterred. It was probably another SK, but if not, I can try it again in Seoul. Failing that...I can buy a new phone! Regardless, I made my first two (not from training/work/other people's friends) acquaintances in this country. Hopefully there are more to come! I just need to learn more Korean because barely anybody here knows English. As it should be.

Handsome man!

I'm heading for 신즌 in Seoul and a man steps onto the subway. He gets close, points, and says something. I remove my headphones and sign the body language for, "come again?"

"Handsome man! Handsome man!" He says, pointing his finger obtusely.

I smile and say thank you in Korean. He offers his hand for me to shake. I take it, we smile, he rubs his finger into my palm and pulls his hand away. I play it cool. My hand and my soul don't feel quite right for the next ten or so minutes. However....some Korean man, possibly on the DL, possibly just using some sort of cultural thing I don't understand, thinks I'm pretty handsome. Nice...

Failure to continue a story...because I'm tired.

She's onto me! The woman at the family mart is on to me. My Bulgogi Burger habit has been quickly noticed by the judicious shopkeep. Before entering the store yesterday, I thought to myself, "I bet she'll have noticed that I'm buying way too many of these...she'll probably bother me for only buying this delicious processed treat." Surely enough, even before I reached the cooler containing those precious burgers, she started to laugh and say something in Korean.

They were all out of Bulgogi Burgers.

Following a very long speech that I failed to understand, aside from some suffixes, "nida, sayo, hayo..." she pointed to another food item. "Sandoo-each". Ah, sandwhich. I could get a sandwhich! The tag said 300 won...cheaper than a burger...awesome. So I sorted through the three available packages and settled on one that looked like it was all meat. She rang it up...1700 won. Apparently the sticker was for a deal on milk. 300 won for milk with the purchase of a sandwhich. Oh well....I was hungry anyways.

So I get the sandwhich up to my appartment, turn on some starcraft, channel 78, and unwrap the latter part of my lunch. 3 halves...excellent. The cute thing, was that the crusts had been cut off. I felt like a very spoiled or coddled elementary school student. So the contents of the sandwhiches. Meat and Cheese, Meat and Cheese and....wait for it....Pasta. Yes, a pasta sandwhich. It...was barely edible. However, I ate it.

Today I went to a Kimbap place and ordered Bibimbop. 3500 won. I may give up Bulgogi Burgers for good.

And now...back to your regularly narrated program.

Getting Here - Part 1 of 3

So eventually I knew I would have to cover the reasons why I came to South Korea. Well, after a long day and no other writing backlogged, now is the time. Three parts because I'm lazy and need time to write down on paper the events of the past little while.

South Korea initially came about from me being friendly at a job fair. A recruiter was sitting idle at her booth and I had found very few pertinent jobs at the fair. A little bored and disheartened, I figured I would approach her and find out exactly what company she was representing. It turned out that she was recruiting for an English Language School in South Korea. The conversation started out with me being mildly curious and ended with me really warming to the idea of teaching English in a foreign country. With her being a personable recruiter and the pay/perks being attractive bonuses, I decided to take up the job as a contingency. Should I fail to find any other work after I graduated, I could always teach English in Korea! Frivolous, no?

As it turned out, two of my friends from University took potential positions from this school. However, after going through the interview process, the abandoned the school last minute, leaving me to hold a job with this company all by my lonesome. I was eventually offered a position in an indefinite South Korean location. Despite the work offer I still kept it as a contingency. Really, even though the offer was right there, South Korea was very far from home. I'd have to leave a lot behind to go there, especially for a year. For me, a year is an incredibly long time. It takes a long time for me to live out. My university career seemed to last a decade or more whereas some of my colleagues felt like it was just a flash in the pan. So, a year away from family and friends, permanently away, was a pretty jarring concept.

Exiting my final exams in April, I began my search for a "Real Job" with little stress on my mind. Again, if I couldn't find work, a place would be waiting for me here! Over the next month and a half, I was only able to score a few meaningful interviews. Some offers came from sketchy companies and a lot of resumes and cover letters simply went unanswered. The job search began to really get to me.

By June, I was getting quite depressed. Nobody seemed to want me. Although the job market was indeed dry, I felt that I possessed a number of marketable job skills. Sadly, with little related work experience for many jobs, recruiters and hiring staff simply ignored me. So then I had to make a decision. A few days before my convocation I received an e-mail. You have an offer for a job in Ansan. Interesting...the job has a location now. I did some cursory research and discovered that the city seemed like a really beautiful place. With time winding down on the summer and the summation of me undergraduate career approaching, I took the best option available to me, South Korea.

So with just this as my story, my being here seems a bit frivolous. Well, I was certain that my arrival would shed new insights into why I came and it definitely did.

A Story From Nowhere

So before I get back to transcribing backlogged entries...a new story, fresh from the brain, stream of thought style!

Today was my first time getting 'lost' in South Korea. Now, for people that know me well enough, me being lost isn't really a traumatic thing. Generally, I have some visual landmarks in mind and am willing to spend an indefinite time walking in carefully plotted circuits until I find them. During this period of time, I resolve that should worse come to worse, I can always fall asleep in a protected area, wait until morning, and then search for a practical way home with whatever directions I could remember. Of course, depending on the severity of my lostness, asking for help could occur sooner.

In my case of being lost, my key direction word was a large department store with an English name. Early in the morning, I went to the department store to get some supplies; pillows, bowls, a spray bottle for ironing, and a towel. During my return, I ran into a new friend who offered to show me a different area of Ansan, Jungan. I gladly accepted and quickly ran my goods back to my officetel before beginning our walk. During said walk we shared a fairly interesting conversation during which I failed to keep tabs on my surroundings. The only landmark I registered on our 20 minute walk was the bike path we took the entire time.

We sat and talked in Starbucks for a bit before I decided that I needed to return home in order to prep for teaching. Passing the tank full of live squid I had marvelled at earlier, I took 5 minutes to cross two not-as-scary-as-Seoul crosswalks and walked back towards my dwelling. The walk was very pleasant. Lots of trees, some magpies, cicadas visible to the naked eye, swarms of dragon flies, school children, apartment buildings, and lots of stuff I'd never seen before. Rather than feeling lost, I felt that because I was on the opposite side of the street, I must be seeing things from a different vantage point, thus, things looked 'new". All I had to do was keep walking and I would reach my apartment!

Well...a bunch of time passed and I passed no shops, no bridges, and nothing I'd seen before. I eventually decided that I was likely two streets too far to the north and that I would have to make a right turn eventually. I walked for another five minutes until I decided to turn. Now...it wasn't the time that made this decision, it was the apartment buildings on 3 corners and big field of large leafy vegetables on the fourth which made me decide to change directions.

Immediately I saw the vertical shops of commerce in the near distance. I kept on walking. Two school girls walked by, one ran shyly away, the other said, "Hello!", so I said, "Hello!", then she said "Bye Bye!" and I said "Bye Bye!". A good time had by all.

Following this brief encounter, I came to an intersection, 2 corners apartment buildings, one corner greenery, one corner shops. I decided to take the shops route. Right turn! Walking along, things didn't look familiar, but they looked promising. I knew that a dense commercial district was across the street from the mildly dense commercial district that I live in, so I figured I was near it. I figured I would probably come across the movie theatre if I continued on in this direction. Strutting along at my own pace, I noticed on one building a circular symbol similar to the one on the front of the theatre. I took a left!

Going down the street I saw some fresh produce stores, a good reference for future shopping, some barber shops (they're everywhere here) and the same number of innumerable restaurants. I still haven't decided if it's cheaper to eat out or shop for food here....half and half may be it. I've been eating dirty 1000 won bulgogi burgers today. They're pretty delicious, cheap, and filling. 461 calories!.....

So anyways...my view of the distance was blocked by the vertical signage which is everywhere here. A new friend once explained it to me as, "Everything in South Korea is up" and he's basically right. I'm sitting on the third floor of a building typing this in a PC 방 (PC Bang) which sits next to a Jazz bar. Yes..the signage. So the signage was blocking my view of what was coming up after this street ended. I could only focus on what was directly ahead or beside me. So, it was much to my surprise that as I neared the streets end the familiar store front of the Department store near my apartment came into view! Only mildly relieved since I was never stressed in the first place, I crossed a bridge to get to the other side of the street and went home. By the end of that small ordeal, I came away with a good idea of what my jogging route will be here. All I need is a pair of shoes!

Part two of Day 2!

The last week has been an absolute whirlwind. I've got a lot of writing to catch up on... But right now I'll continue from where I left off.


...Essentially, I had 2.5 hours to wander around and find the cafe where I was supposed to meet my friends, A Twosome Place. It should be noted that at this early point in my journey...I was still vary wary, and still am quite wary, of being a Pedestrian in South Korea. Because of this, I came to my first big obstacle. An 8 lane road. Cars speeding through with what then seemed like no rhyme or reason, I figured it would be pointless to try and cross. Little to my knowledge, it was common practice to not cross these kinds of streets in Korea. Instead, subway stations connected the street's opposing sides via a series of tunnels. Think of a small section of Toronto's PATH system and you'll understand the nature of these tunnels. Shops, shops, food, shops. But, at this point in time I was too afraid to go into the subway, in fear of being trampled or getting lost. Instead, I picked my way around a corner and walked down Teh'ran street, searching for a crosswalk.

Continuing down the street, passing various street level stores and building plazas, I was pretty surprised to see a very large and well kept TGI Fridays. People sat on the patio, the staff seemed fairly busy inside, and it appeared to be a popular place. An odd concept at first. Eventually I came upon a place where I could cross. Which I found very odd considering the congestion only minutes up the road. Still afraid of the crossing, I found a sense of relief in that several locals were also going to use this intersection. This was even more relieving considering that I didn't see any sort of button to press in order to signal the crosswalk. Patiently, I waited until the lights changed. We began to walk a bus began to turn the corner. The bus driver honked his horn repeatedly. At first, I thought we had surprised him but I guess that in this country, the bus is rarely used for frivolous reasons. Usually it's a warning, "I'm going to break the road laws" or "I'm going to hit you if you don't move!". Disobediently, my local guide(ish) just kept walking. Trying to act the same, I followed along. The bus continued to inch froward as we walked. The Bus driver was probably annoyed, but this seems to be the pace of life here. Push, push, push, or don't push.

Driver's do some funny things here though. It seems like the bigger the thing you drive, the more respect you can command. For example, in Canada, drivers will generally slow down when nearing a pedestrian. In South Korea, they often speed up in order to beat them to a cross walk or whatever else. The only real thing to worry about are the delivery guys on bikes and scooters. Being careful here pays dividends. It seems most people are, but it's still pretty amazing that I haven't seen any vehicular carnage and violence.

So the walk continues....I turn right to head back into the heart of Gangnam, only this time I'm on the opposite side of the street. I pass TGI fridays, more shops, and then reach the main street again. A quick left turn and I'm on my way again. Shortly afterwards I came upon a Twosome Place. With too much time to spare...I needed to walk more. I kept along until I hit another big intersection, only this time people were crossing it en masse. Repeating my actions from last time, I took a left turn.

I walked pass somewhat similar sights, businesses, tall buildings, only this time office towers surrendered to four and five story buildings. As is the theme of these entries...I came to a section I was uncomfortable continuing into. So what did I do? I took a left. Dodging a couple people on bikes, I stepped onto a street that looked much less western than the one's I'd been on before. Small buildings and vertical signs dominated everything. Trees became more frequent the further I went, slowly weaving into a nice canopy on each side. Cicadas of all types bombarded me with their songs while I walked. I briefly took a video of the sound...but haven't uploaded it yet. Soon!

To my left there was a sports park of some sort. Basically an outdoor track with miscellaneous equipment. Before I turned left I must have been upwind from it because when I turned the corner I was assailed by the scent of human man sweat. Before coming, I'd heard that deodorant wasn't really in vogue here. I'd never noticed, still haven't. I've even seen a special on tv about people trying it for the first time. But it was only this moment, with these guys sweating 100 feet away, that it became very real. Think of the humidity I explained before...but with sweat. It was like putting my head into a hockey bag. But I digress...it's really the only bad people smell I've run into other than the occasional old person that smells like kimchi. I'm sure I smell like cheese and wet dog to everyone here...so I suppose it's all relative!

The new street that I turned onto held a new discovery.....Bennigans, the now defunct American chain, is alive and well in South Korea. In fact...many western chains are VERY popular here. Dunkin Donuts resembles a hip restaurant, mcdonalds is always packed, and people just love Bennigans. I laughed when my Dad told me I should try to open up a Western restaurant here. Well...he may have been right! With the right coat of paint, Tim Hortons could be the next Dunkin' Donuts! Timu Holtonas!

I still had more time before needing to turn left. I came to another intersection. This time, the issue was that the light was out, just flashing yellow. To replace it were two men with batons and vests, doing there best to direct traffic but really only waving at cars that went by anyways. Reaching the intersection, the one guy tried to stop all the traffic. Savvier, I waited for a car to go through. I then kept walking. We exchanged a smile and nod. My way of saying thanks before knowing what thanks meant. Then, I heard another man yelling. The guy beside me laughed and I looked behind me. The man in the centre of the street was saying something in Korean. Then, he said, "Hellloooooo! and waved. Feeling oddly like a VIP, I bashfully waved, said hello, and kept walking Towards the intersection. Experiences like this one make me feel like I could become familiar with this country very quickly. But it doesn't stop me from feeling bad about not being able to speak much of the native language. I feel pensive and ashamed when dealing with new people. But I'm sure that will change.

By 11:05am, I'd returned to a twosome place. I figured that I may as well go in and order. The teller spoke little to no English, but it was no problem. The menu had English on it! I ordered, he looked confused, and we tried again, and he understood. Sitting down and reading the sign afterwards, I realised that the Korean translation was almost the same as the English, 아이스 카페 라떼 (a-ee-su ca-peh la-teh). Anyways...after ordering, he said something in Korean, likely four thousand won (coffee is stupidly expensive here) and handed me a number. I went to another shelf and waited for my drink. Once receiving it, I sat down, opened my book, and started writing. Sitting in a Twosome Place in downtown Seoul, listening to American top 40 music play over the Stereo, and hoping that the locals didn't think I smelled too bad.

Part one of Day 2!

I don't have a lot of free time right now so I'm just going to type up part of what I'd written on Sunday, mostly unedited, so thoughts tend to be all over the place!

8.10.08

Well, I went out for a walk, Culture shock gone. All that's left is the realisation that until I learn more Hangul, I'm just a pale idiot who can only smile, nod, and hopefully not offend anybody.

My intial impression of this city was somewhat tainted by the weather, my lethargy, and the blazing pace with which I was taken to my hotel. In fact, Seoul is not the dingy looking and insane city with a protest going on mere blocks away from my hotel. It's actually a thriving metropolis with way too many people, hilarious drivers, and a bizarre smell that hangs in the air. I haven't figured out what it is. Maybe it could be sewage, garlic, or a combination of both, I'm really not sure. I'm certain that I'll get used to it, but right now I smell it everywhere, taste it in everything. It's just so oppressive!

When stepping out of the hotel that morning, I was amazed by the cicadas. Not only the volume, but the variety. Some emit the same telltale hum of our cicadas while others chirp like birds. Then, there are my favourite ones whom I've deemed "serious business cicadas". They're so loud that you actually have to raise your voice to be heard near them. Initially, I had thought that I was hearing some sort of alarm or power tool but this assessment quickly changed as I kept hearing it as I passed by certain trees. Only then did I realise that this super loud noise was actually coming from a bug! Amazing stuff.

Back to the walk...my plan was to meet up with a friend later in the day near 강남(gangnam) station. Leaving the hotel, I only had a small map printed on the back of my hotel card holder. I had memorised specific businesses as landmarks but never bothered to geographically orient myself. My plan was that if I reached a small street I had to go the other way while if I hit a big street it would be the right way. So I took a left turn and crossed the street to the sidewalk then decided that right would be the better direction. This is where I got acquainted with the cicadas. Passing a phallus like sign post I came to an intersection...wrong way? Thankfully, no. I recognized a banner hanging on a wall from my cab ride in yesterday. So, if I took a right again, I would get to the street leading to Gangnam station! As I walked along tlong the main street I quickly came upon a half basket that protected a staircase, what I soon learned was a subway entrance. Hanging above and behind it was a large sign with a 3 on it and some hangul underneath. I stopped and slowly pieced together the word. "K...ang....na...m...oh! Gangnam!" I felt pretty happy, I wasn't lost, I was early, and since it was only 10:45, I had a lot of time to look around before meeting my friend at 1pm.