Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Being the black sheep is the crappiest of the crap!!
I've always been an 'inbetweener'. Never quite fitting into a particular peer group at school; dating the 'cool' boys at university - but never really being in with the cool crowd. That's the way I like it. Doing my own thing is what I value most: I hate feeling like I have to conform to the expectations of others.
Being pigeonholed is something I've fought against for so long...I therefore really struggle to understand why I hate the way I am treat in Korea. Granted, I am a foreigner in a country of xenophobes, but it really irks me that my opinions don't count in the office; that people will not sit near me on the subway; that I am treat like a second rate citizen, or worse - a ghost. I shouldn't care right? I am after all, an inbetweener...so why is it that I feel like a black sheep?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Love of Korean food...
I realise that most of my posts about Korea tend to center around food. I'm actually not a huge food lover to be honest: I eat when I'm hungry...and the affair between Food and I stops there. I don't eat for emotional comfort, I don't eat out of boredom and I am certainly no food addict. However, it would seem that I have a deep interest in Korean food.
Today I went out again for lunch with colleagues. We went to a tongkatsu restaurant. Pork cutlet is yummy and it's one of my favourite meals by far. I always get lunch paid for as I am the youngest in my department and Korean culture dictates that the elders (usually) pay for the meal.
I decided I'd order something randomly from the menu. Oh, the adventure! Random ordering is ALWAYS hit or miss in Korea. My order was erring on the side of miss today - the pork cutlet arrived in a bowl full of boiling onion water. The usual sides were there, but I couldn't figure out why my pork cutlet was swimming in water; and I struggled getting the pieces out the bowl with my chopsticks.
Happily, I can report that the tondkatsu soup was very tasty, as was the German/Canadian diplomat sitting at the other table. Another happy work day!!
Today I went out again for lunch with colleagues. We went to a tongkatsu restaurant. Pork cutlet is yummy and it's one of my favourite meals by far. I always get lunch paid for as I am the youngest in my department and Korean culture dictates that the elders (usually) pay for the meal.
I decided I'd order something randomly from the menu. Oh, the adventure! Random ordering is ALWAYS hit or miss in Korea. My order was erring on the side of miss today - the pork cutlet arrived in a bowl full of boiling onion water. The usual sides were there, but I couldn't figure out why my pork cutlet was swimming in water; and I struggled getting the pieces out the bowl with my chopsticks.
Happily, I can report that the tondkatsu soup was very tasty, as was the German/Canadian diplomat sitting at the other table. Another happy work day!!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Another thing I love about Korea
GALBI. How could I have not mentioned my favourite marinated-meat dish on the below list? I am a happy bunny at present. I have just got back from having lunch with some colleagues. Mr Kwon treated us to galbi...I am most full and content. Oh my happy days:)
10 Things I LOVE About You, Korea...
1. Korean men: even if I am getting over the yellow fever, they are still nice to look at. (The under 30s businessmen in particular.)
2. Kimchi: so much better than sauerkraut.
3. Heated toilet seats: going for a pee has never been so good.
4. Ondol (Korean underfloor heating): in my opinion not as effective as the old radiator, but still nice to walk on in the cold mornings.
5. Korean stationary: cute & colourful.
6. Noraebang (Korean karaoke): words cannot express how much I love banging in the norae.
7. Seoul skyline: I will always remember the mountainous backdrop of this amazing city. Stunning.
8. Seoul subway: the best in the world.
9. Incheon Airport: OK, so the subway may not be the best in the world...but IA was ACTUALLY voted the best airport worldwide.
10. Korean TV. Just messing -- it really sucks.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Winter Wars: S.Korea v UK
My boss and I have this unspoken competition with each other regarding whose country is the best. In the 'snowed-under contest' I think it would be fair to say the UK is winning. Clearly.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
ADD Child is BACK!!
I have been living with a Korean family for coming up 4 months now. For the most part, it is a mildly pleasant experience. The apartment is big, warm, and equipped with basic Western mod-cons (oven, drum washing machine, large fridge) -- a rarity in Korea. Constant family disputes aside, the experience would be perfectly bearable were it not for one small, but terribly obnoxious thing...ADD Child. Yes, that's right. The 10-year-old boy I teach is my current bête noire.
For the past week ADD C was shipped off to stay with his grandparents because 'the old lady' has moved back to the country and he no longer has a guardian during the day. The stillness of the house was short-lived, and Peace of Mind and I had only become briefly acquainted by the time he returned home.
I should perhaps mention that the purpose of my staying with the family is purely for the benefit of ADD C. I am there to help him with his English. It seemed like a perfect deal; I teach 4 nights a week in return for free board. I should have realised that something was amiss long ago.
Four months down-the-line I find out that ADD Child has an IQ of 130 and has a tendancy bounce off the wall ALL THE TIME. For example, last night he came into my room to watch a movie and a conversation about the pencil he had thrown at my head a few months ago quickly ensued.
Conversation:
Me: 'Stop kicking me or you can go down stairs'.
ADD C: laughs
Me: 'It's not funny. Be nice'.
ADD C: 'It is funny - like the time I threw a pencil at you, and the lead stuck in your head'.
Me: 'I'll probably die of lead poisoning now...and it left a scar'.
ADD C: looks at my brow and then scratches me on the scar...'Now you will have a bigger scar'.
And so it is. I now have a new wound where the lovely chap took a chunk out of my forehead. I have covered it up with concealer to no avail.
In hindsight of last night's scrap, I can't help but think of two things:
1. If this is what parenthood is like, you can stick it
2. Grad school better be worth it
For the past week ADD C was shipped off to stay with his grandparents because 'the old lady' has moved back to the country and he no longer has a guardian during the day. The stillness of the house was short-lived, and Peace of Mind and I had only become briefly acquainted by the time he returned home.
I should perhaps mention that the purpose of my staying with the family is purely for the benefit of ADD C. I am there to help him with his English. It seemed like a perfect deal; I teach 4 nights a week in return for free board. I should have realised that something was amiss long ago.
Four months down-the-line I find out that ADD Child has an IQ of 130 and has a tendancy bounce off the wall ALL THE TIME. For example, last night he came into my room to watch a movie and a conversation about the pencil he had thrown at my head a few months ago quickly ensued.
Conversation:
Me: 'Stop kicking me or you can go down stairs'.
ADD C: laughs
Me: 'It's not funny. Be nice'.
ADD C: 'It is funny - like the time I threw a pencil at you, and the lead stuck in your head'.
Me: 'I'll probably die of lead poisoning now...and it left a scar'.
ADD C: looks at my brow and then scratches me on the scar...'Now you will have a bigger scar'.
And so it is. I now have a new wound where the lovely chap took a chunk out of my forehead. I have covered it up with concealer to no avail.
In hindsight of last night's scrap, I can't help but think of two things:
1. If this is what parenthood is like, you can stick it
2. Grad school better be worth it
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