Jessie's First Full Week in Korea

After a busy weekend, Monday morning came way too quickly. We planned to meet a Korean friend Ruth for lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant. The group of us consisted of Ruth, Jessie, Amy, Kay and myself. We had a wonderful lunch that consisted of rice paper wraps filled with various veggies, freshly cooked beef and delicious peanut and hot sauce.

The day was so beautiful that we decided to buy some ice cream and take a stroll along the beach, which was right outside of the restaurant (it’s a hard life!). We walked for a while and then came to a work out area that faced the ocean. This was Jessie’s first experience seeing one of these areas and it reminded me of my excitement when I saw one for the first time… such a foreign concept for Canadians.

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We spent the next hour testing out the workout equipment and having a great time.

Eventually, it was time for Kay, Amy and I to go to work, but luckily Ruth had the day off and recruited Jessie for an afternoon for hiking Geumnyeonsam Mountain. This was a relief for me because I knew Jessie would be bored if she spent another full day with me at work. Ruth is a wonderful and optimistic person, and I was sure that Jessie would have a blast with her.

Sure enough, when I came home that night, I was told various stories of all of their adventures hiking up the mountain (I haven’t even hiked that one yet!). One of Jessie’s favorite things was the “Starbus” van that sold snacks and drinks on the mountain. She told me that she and Ruth relaxed with a bottle of Maggoli which is Korean rice wine and enjoyed the stunning views.

Tuesday morning was an early wakeup. We met my friend Amanda at the subway station and boarded the train to the Shrine. This shrine was a monument set up to honour the Korean soldiers who fought against the Japanese. It consisted of beautifully manicured gardens, traditional houses and many different historical artifacts.

Although the shrine is much more beautiful in spring when everything is green and blooming, it was wonderful to see it and experience the beauty that is still present in winter. I think Jessie really enjoyed it.

Afterwards we had the option of going to a market or heading home. I was tired from our early morning, so I opted for a quick nap before I had to go to work.

On Wednesday, I took one of my 10 vacation days and spent the day with Jessie. I had a huge itinerary for us to do and we had a nice early start to the day. First, we made our way to the aquarium. I had found a coupon online so we got in for half price (although it seemed to puzzle them employees, I think they just didn’t want to have to speak English to us, so they let us pass).

The aquarium is a beautiful place full of different aquatic life. My favorite displays were the penguins, otters, sea turtles, sting rays and sharks. A few of the sharks were quite comical. One had crazy teeth and looked like it was in severe need of braces. Another had a dramatic back deformity. All I could think of when I saw him was my Chiropractor back home and what he’d say if he saw the shark!

We were lucky enough to see a feeding show of the sharks and large fish. I couldn’t figure out which were better to watch: the fish or the captivated toddlers in the audience. Overall it was a great way to spend the morning.

After the aquarium we walked around the Haeundae market. This is where Jessie tried her first Pajon (Korean style pancake) this one was filled with a green grass similar to chives. Unfortunately this Pajon was pretty oily but usually they’re very tasty. She also tried some tempura vegetables, shrimp and kimbap…. She loves kimbap!

Soon after, we got back on the subway and arrived at the BEXCO convention centre. Currently there’s an exhibition going on called Trick Art. This is an area where there are many different paintings and displays that you can take pictures with and interact with. It was a great time and was fun getting to be silly with Jessie. By the end of it though, we were done with pictures.

Originally we had planned to go to Nampodong which is a large shopping area, but by this point we were already winding down. We stopped off at Suyeong Market and bought some fruit which we brought home and then went down the road to a highly recommended traditional Korean restaurant.

Jessie had been looking forward to a traditional Korean meal on the floor so this was the perfect opportunity. The menu was very reasonable and we both ordered a stewed beef meal. The meal came with a beautiful assortment of fresh vegetables which would be used as wrappers for the meat and rice. It also came with a spicy fish stew, seaweed soup and a large amount of Korean side dishes…. Quite a table full of food!!

Jessie and I enjoyed the meal. I think she enjoyed it more than me because these flavors were new to her (the taste of Kimchi is beginning to get old for me now) but it was very good. We finished the meal off with a tasty ice cream from next door.

After eating and sitting on a warm floor, I was feeling a bit drowsy. Jessie agreed to pausing our day of adventure for a quick nap as I was quite knackered… well after 30 minutes I was ready to go out and embrace the world again, but Jessie was dead to it. I could not get her to wake up… she was out!

She didn’t get up until after 9pm, so the remainder of our plans for the day were shifted to next week (no problem at all). I decided to make the rest of the evening into a cleaning spree so that our apartment didn’t look quite so horrendous. I already had a lot of stuff to begin with, but the addition of Jessie, her backpack and two large suitcases make my apartment into more of a madhouse.

We went to bed a few hours later… it’s amazing how tiring touring can be.

Thursday morning was also an early one. We left the apartment early and headed off to Igiedae Park which is a beautiful mountain /costal walk right along the ocean. The views are breathtaking and it’s only about a 40minute walk from my house. The day was amazing! It was a high of 15 degrees…. Much warmer than previous days. We had such a fantastic time walking around and meeting fellow Korean hikers along the way. It was a great way to spend time with Jessie.

I’ve noticed over the past week that I can relive the excitement of Korea through Jessie’s experiences. Over the past year, I’ve grown accustomed to the many wonders of life in this country. The fact that Jessie is experiencing all of these things for the first time causes her to react in a very expressive way… this reminds me how wonderful these things are and that I shouldn’t overlook them as much as I do. Igiedae was one of those things… I had forgotten just how valuable and beautiful the coastline of Korea can be if you stop to appreciate it…. Thanks Jessie!!

Once we got to a plateau in our walk, we came across a little bar/café/beverage area and sat down. We ordered some Maggoli from a very cute old Korean man. The Maggoli was a little off but the view was beautiful. Sitting in the morning overlooking such a fantastic view with my sister, who I haven’t seen for a year…. It’s the best! I think the old man saw that we weren’t downing the Maggoli too eagerly, so he came and gave us both a cup of coffee as “service” which means Free of Charge here. It was so sweet. When Jessie went up to pay for our drinks he thanked her by saying “Sank you, Sir”…. Awww!!!

Unfortunately our walk came to an end a little while later because I had to get to work. We had some slight confusion after ordering a cab but eventually we found one and made our way to work… the rest of the day was not nearly as exciting.

Jessie's Arrival

This past Thursday has probably been one of the most exciting days for me in my adult life. It was the day I would pick up my little sister in the airport after not seeing her (or any of my other family members) for almost a year. The entire day I was nauseous with anticipation and was constantly thinking of her arrival (which was scheduled for 9pm). My classes flew by and I couldn’t help but tell my students the exciting news. They were also excited to meet Laura Teacher’s sister.

At 8:15, my boss met me and told me he’d drive me to the airport. This was an extremely nice gesture, as I thought I’d have to take the train there and back. We had a wonderful chance to talk together and I got to know more about his life and stories of his youth… he’s a very interesting person.

The wait for Jessie’s plane to arrive was made longer due to the fact that she was delayed. As I was waiting for her to walk out the doors I could hardly contain myself. My boss was telling me all about his dreams and ambitions for the next five years and all I could do was stare at the door with my nerves on end.

Finally, she walked through and I rushed over to hug her. Being as we’re so close and it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen her, of course I started bawling as soon as we hugged. My poor boss came over and saw me in a weepy mess of joy and didn’t know what to do. I don’t think he’s used to females that emote as much as I do.

My boss kindly drove us back to my apartment where we hauled her two large suitcases and she began unpacking. Inside them were many assorted baked goods from home… I was so excited to taste them—they bring back many flavors of home for me. We stayed up until about 1:30am talking and then drifted off to sleep, happy to be reunited again.

By 6am, Jessie was wide awake because of the time difference. Due to the small size of my apartment, this meant that I was also awake. It would take her a while to adjust to the time difference, but for now, we just decided to roll with it.

We had a nice breakfast together. I made her a special meal of chocolate chip pancakes with beautiful red strawberries on top… something I had been dreaming about and craving for days beforehand. Afterwards I took her to a bible study that I have been attending at a friend’s house. This apartment was right on Haeundae beach and gave Jessie a great view of one of Korea’s top beaches. She also met some wonderful women and enjoyed a nice morning together with the group.

Afterwards we took a stroll along the beach and ended up at my work. We ate some Korean food for lunch (Jessie LOVED it!) and then Jessie sat in on my classes for the day and met some of my students.

By 10pm, when I finished work, Jessie was pretty exhausted and so we decided to go home. On the way, we passed the spa where I have a membership, so I made an executive decision and told Jessie that we’d go in for just a little bit. Well, she was pretty apprehensive because this is the naked spa, where you bathe and relax with other naked women… she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it. I decided that she just needed to plunge in, so I told her she’d be just fine.

Afterwards, she told me it had been one of her favorite things so far. We both came home a little while later; relaxed, refreshed and ready for a good night’s sleep.

Saturday morning came all too quickly. Jessie was still recovering from her jetlag and woke up at 7am… at least this was an improvement from the morning before. We had a nice breakfast and then went for a long walk along the beach and surrounding boardwalk. The morning was so beautiful and was the perfect opportunity to take pictures.

In the afternoon, we headed to the Busan Cultural Centre for a traditional Korean performance. The Gukak Chamber Orchestra played a very interesting selection of songs including Sujech'on, Gayageum Sanjo, Gyeonggi Folk songs, Daepung-ryu, andPansori. These were great to experience as they are very different from our typical western style of music. Jessie and I decided that when there was no rhythm or beat in the songs we considered it to be quite unpleasant noise, however as soon as there was some type of beat, it was much more enjoyable. Overall it was very well done.

Afterwards we took a stroll to the nearby UN cemetery however it had closed so we went to a stationary shop and Jessie bought all sorts of ‘cutezy’ items. Note: Korea is packed with all things cute… Jessie was like a kid in a candy store.

Following the shopping spree, we met up with some friends for a delicious shabu-shabu dinner. This is a meal similar to hot pot, where you get a large pot in the centre of the table and add various meats and veggies. Apart from being a little spicy, it was very delicious. This is also where Jessie tried her first taste of Soju… quite the facial expression at that one!

The evening ended fairly early after a warm cup of tea and plans for the following day…

Sunday morning we started with Church. I was curious to see what Jessie thought, but she was warmly welcomed and really enjoyed it. She finally was able to meet my beloved Anna who has become my Korean grandmother. Anna was thrilled to meet Jessie, as she has heard so much about her the past year. The two of them quickly grew very close, and we are all excited to get together later this week.

Afterwards we headed to Haeundae area. We walked around and then settled on a restaurant overlooking the beach where we had two different dishes. Although one was a bit spicy again, both were delicious and Jessie thoroughly enjoyed the Korean flavours of kimchi.

We walked along the beach and made our way to the boating area where we were thinking of boarding a boat cruise that would take us to nearby islands. Plans changed when we saw the prices of the tour and we decided to be economical and take a beautiful walk to the APEC house. The APEC house was built for the 2005 Leader’s meeting and luncheon. It cost around 19 million dollars to build and is now open to the public for viewing. It was interesting to tour around it and see the various rooms and information boards.

The area around the APEC house is covered in beautiful gardens and manicured paths. We spent some time wandering around and finally walked back through the city and made our way home.

Jessie and I took a little rest and then wandered out for our last outing of the day: SPALAND! Spaland is another naked spa but it is a world class attraction. This was my first time visiting this particular spa, and it definitely puts the other ones to shame.

There were so many jaw dropping rooms and facilities it’s impossible not to have an oasis retreat. We spent some time in the baths (one of which included an outdoor steaming hot waterfall) then made our way to the Jimjilban part, which is where you put on a uniform and just relax.

We visited various rooms but my favorite was the last area where we sat in leather recliners and had body massages…. Amazing! It’s needless to say that I slept well that night… what a wonderful weekend.

Welcome to the World, Baby Taehan

As many of you already know, my good friends Nicholas and Sora are expecting their first child. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to grow very close with them both and have been there for their wedding, a baby shower, their first Christmas as a married couple and now for the birth of their first child.

Earlier this week, Amy and I went over to Sora and Nicholas’s house for dinner. We were all picking dates predicting when baby Taehan would enter the world. Nicholas was sure it would be Friday, I put my name in for Saturday, Sora decided it would be Sunday and Amy guessed for Monday. The plan was that the winner would get a gift of their choosing. I had my fingers crossed.

Sora and Nicholas came to the hospital on Saturday night, after her water broke. They spent the night waiting and on Sunday, Sora went through 13 hours of labour to deliver baby Taehan at 7:56pm. He is a beautiful and healthy baby and weighed in at 3.2kgs, which is about 7 pounds. Taehan’s name means grand and loyal one.

At around 11:30pm, Amy and I went to the hospital (which is conveniently located across the street from me) to visit Sora, Nicholas and Taehan. Sora looked remarkably good and was in high spirits considering she just had a baby. The nurses all seemed very friendly and we enjoyed catching up on the experience.

At that time, Taehan was with the nurses being checked and monitored. By about 12:30am, the nurses brought him in and we were able to watch both Nicholas and Sora interact with their new treasure. They were both so captivated by this precious little baby.

For Amy and myself, it was the first time that I had seen a baby so young. He was only about 5 hours old when we saw him. He was so tiny and perfect!

Nicholas and Sora were both getting used to handling him and taking on the role of parents. I know that they will be wonderful parents and I’m excited to stay in contact with them both and watch Taehan grow up.

Congratulations Sora and Nicholas!

Keeping Up Appearances

Coming to Korea, I understood that I would probably stick out like a sore thumb. If not for the fact that I’m 5’10’’, then definitely because I’m blond haired, blue eyed and a broad German. I didn’t expect to blend in with all of the Koreans around me, rather, I wanted to embrace being different and experience what it feels like to be a foreigner.

Over the past ten months, I have definitely had the experience to feel different. I have come to learn that Korean people as a whole tend to be very appearance oriented. Every surface that has a reflection will be used to check oneself. People spend their time on the subway fixing their hair in the window reflection (yes, even men) or using their compact mirrors to ensure that their makeup has not changed. I regularly see women pull out full sized hand mirrors from their big purses for the sole reason to look at themselves while they wait to arrive at their next destination. I’ll admit, most Koreans, especially the young women, are very attractive. BUT how do you know when the value placed on outward appearances has shifted from being normal to obsessive?

Throughout my time in Korea, I have had numerous experiences where people have treated me negatively because of my weight. My first experience was when I was in a women’s clothing store and the owner chased me out saying “you largey size… you too big”. The ironic thing about this experience was that I was looking at a purse. Even if I was buying clothing for myself and perhaps nothing would fit… shouldn’t it be my discovery to make instead of being shooed out of a store like I’m the plague?!

On another occasion, I went to a chiropractor because I had been experiencing a bit of back pain. I go to the chiropractor regularly in Canada, so this was nothing out of the ordinary. He was a very nice man, and seemed to be able to perform his job well. His English was a little lacking but he was able to communicate that my only problem was obesity. He suggested that I try some Korean diet pills and then all of my problems would ‘melt’ away. Now, I’m no expert, but I would have assumed that a chiropractor would be more interested in my bones and joints than prescribing me some hard core drugs which are created to feed on the insecurities of women and create billions of dollars of profit each year.

The experiences haven’t all been negative though… it seems that some individuals ‘appreciate’ my appearance. While I was traveling with my friend Diana, we were in the subway station climbing up some stairs. The area was pretty deserted and the mood was quite calm. All of the sudden I get a giant slap on my behind. I shriek because it took me by surprise, but I expected it to just be Diana. Nope! It was an old man with a large smirk on his face. When I gestured as to why he would just slap me on the butt, he just shrugged as if to say ‘why not?!’… now there’s some respect! Another man on the subway felt that it was necessary to tell my Korean friends that he loved the shape of my butt. Repeatedly he made hand gestures which emphasized the fact that my behind sticks out like a booty. This, of course, drew a fair amount of attention to me, and as the foreigner, I just laughed along at the crazy old man who says whatever pops into his head.

One might think that this only happens occasionally and randomly, but I recently learned that judgments and insults have also been flying in my workplace. One of the Korean head teachers at my school claimed that he didn’t know my name, and therefore referred to me as ‘pig-girl’ and ‘fatty-girl’. Now, not only is this immensely juvenile and immature, it also speaks volumes to the level of professionalism of a 30-something man who’s in a position of authority. The fact that a person would blatantly dehumanize and discriminate against someone in their workplace, in front of other colleagues shows illustrates a total disregard for competence and intelligence and focuses solely on the importance of physical perfection.

Last week I went to the doctors and was told again that I am obese. Now, if you’ve read my blog before and have seen pictures of me, you’ll notice that I’m no supermodel, but I’m also not at risk of falling over dead due to heart failure. In Canada, I feel very comfortable in my own skin and would classify myself as normal. In Korea, however it seems that this is somewhat of a joke. Recently, I have been wondering whether North America is just too accepting of differences among individuals or whether Korea is just ridiculously blinded by the fact that people are individuals, they are different and their worth should not be determined by the first glance you give them. I have decided upon the latter.

Not only is it mentally and emotionally destructive for people to put so much focus on obtaining perfection for their outward appearance, it’s also physically damaging. An article I read said that 13% or Koreans ages 15-59 had used diet pills, and 86% had dieted in the past year. This is especially surprising since the obesity rate in Korea is only 3.5%... clearly there’s something wrong with the way people perceive the term ‘healthy’. Many of these pills contain substances that are illegal in other parts of the world because they can be so damaging to one’s health. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/03/27/2010032700362.html

Now, obviously this topic has had an effect on me, since I decided to write this blog. It’s evident that the discrimination I’ve faced isn’t one of my favorite parts of Korea. The good thing for me though, is that I will return home to a country where I feel comfortable and accepted. This is not true for the kids I teach in class every day. When I have young girls complaining that they’re hungry but that their mom’s won’t give them more food because they don’t want them to get fat it pisses me off! These kids have so much academic pressure put on them, but to burden them even more by telling them that they’re not good enough physically… come on!

This country has grown at an incredibly rapid pace over the last 50 years and it is continuing to develop at lightning speed. I think that ambition and vision are vital for success but another important quality is balance. The competition in this country is huge, and everyone is just trying to get ahead, but when people push themselves so hard, they lose a sense of balance. Once balance is removed, people become irrational and this is where damage can occur. Somewhere, it seems that the balance has shifted between internal and external beauty.

It’s evident that Korean parents put endless resources into developing their children’s minds, but in a society that’s also so fixated on outward appearances, where will these kids learn the importance of strong character and a good personality? What will happen to future generations? And how will a country that is so rapidly emerging in the world ever be able to relate on a global scale if they can’t accept differences and individuality.