These days I walk without crutches, smart I don't know, more convienent, most definitely. SO after I got my daily honk to get out of the way the other morning, I limped myself to the bus stop. While crossing the main street, as I was focusing on the ground making sure no potholes snuck up on me, a dude in an electric wheel chair zoomed by. I looked up and this old guy was cruzing....in the road! This is the first time I've seen, no sorry, the 2nd time I've seen someone in an electric wheel chair (in Korea). But this one had to have turbo speed becuase it was CRUISING and in the road non-the-less! As I'm gimping myself to the bus stop, cringing when any Korean gets close enough to possibly shoulder swipe me, I obvisously was a bit jealous...not only was he moving faster then I was, he had wheels! The way traffic flows here is beyond me and then to have a electric wheel car in the road. The cars just by passed him as if he was a dead animal in the road. They didn't slow down, they'd leave a foot gap between him and their car waiting for a opening to pass him...it was seriously nuts, but I am still jealous.
Chuseok, round two.
It's once again Chuseok, one of Korea's biggest holidays. I'd say it's comparable to our Christmas day but more like the holiday of Thanksgiving. Families gather at the eldest son's house (every year, every holiday, is what I hear...sucks for that guy!!) It you are married you are to prepare many foods as well to bring (This as we all know, well most of us, means the wife prepares it). I don't remember but in during the morning they celebrate the dead and in the evening eachother. All week I've been asking the children what they will be doing but it's like they don't even understand what I'm talking about. Maybe I still need to grow up but I love holidays, if it's not for the presents, it's for the food or the time off! These kids don't even have the excitement for that. Thursday during our kids gym time, they got to play a few of the traditional games of the holiday. One is smiliar to hacky sac, another you throw an arrow or spear into a bucket and the third is tug-o-war. All of these are crammed into 25 minutes while photographers are in the kids faces making them pose for pictures in each activity. One of my students parents brought in song-pyeon (rice cake filled with different things like white bean paste or sugar and sesame) and a traditional drink (of which I don't know, it's a light brown cloudy liquid with (what I think look like) rice-crispies floating inside of it. ) I tried some and it just tasted like a sugary milky substance (nothing that I need to drink again). The majority of my kids didn't like it as well. It was still fun, but after the kids eating all theses things with sugar in them you can image how my class went. The last couple of weeks my class has been in boot camp. From having to work after the surgery, I had zero energy and really put zero efforts into keeping the kids controlled. Basically I showed up to work, tried to put a smile on my face for the kids, and attempted to get through the days work. After all this sugar, I was expected to do book work with them. Of course, none of them could sit still. I pick my battles and usually try to work with what I got. Instead of E class boot camp, I let them squirm around a bit and shout the answers to help the drug of sugar pass. Well, this didn't fly with Adeline. She came in making all the children sit nicely, quietly.....all the goods. Could they? No. It almost made it worse. I look at her, laugh and say "this is why kids always need playtime after a sugar party."
Here are some pictures from our Chuseok celebration at school.
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| My class |
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| Minah and Steve |
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| Jaegi- Korean hacky sac |
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| Anna and Minah |
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| Brian and Jian getting pushed and shoved into a pose for the camera (Brian's usually the only one who smiles on cue for the camera) |
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| Brian and Jian getting ready to play Tuho (throwing arrows into a barrel thing) |
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Tug of war -It looks like we won however, we did not. In our defense, we are the youngest....and maybe the smallest class.
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Chuseok fell on a Monday this year, so we got an extra long weekend having Monday and Tuesday off. I planned to do absolutely nothing. Saturday, I made a Costco run which will most like be my last give or take a few things (like coffee grounds, Cooks champange, and sparkling water). I also scrubbed my house. I haven't been in the shape to do it since the surgery (over a month ago), so you can imagine he filth. I scrubed my bathroom floor which wasn't my best idea. I almost fell a few times. If you ever need a workout/ challenge try cleaning with only one leg. Once finished, it was, as it always is, totally worth it. Sunday, I decided to venture out and check out Gyeongbokgung Palace, I thought it had festivities for the holiday (only because it said it on-the-website!) but turns out I was wrong. It's on the outskirts of the city so it had still nice scenery and was by far the most enjoyable palace I've been too.
While enjoying the company of myself and the song that was playing in my ears, I must have looked like I needed friends. As I was sitting on a bench, a group of Cambodians swarmed me. A younger guy asked if he could have a picture with me. "Sure" I say. Then, another one asked....and then another, and another.....I think I had atleast ten pictures taken. Do you ever wonder what people do with pictures they take with complete strangers? I do. Once they moved on, I decided to move about myself. I decided to take a less traveled route and found a small door. Of course I had to go through it! I found nothing too exciting but I did find a potential sweet photo portrait (for those who know how much I love to take pictures of my head!) I climb my gimp ass up this wall and just as I'm ready to take the picture I see in a glimpse, a guy behind my camera. Here I am, surronded by a bunch of walls, haven't seen anyone go through for the last 30mins, I have my head phones in (the number one indicator I don't necesarily want to be talked to) and here is this guy out of the blue saying something to me. I lower my camera, take out my head phones to find out what he wants becuase he obviously is talking to me." Can I take your picture for you?" he says. In my head I'm thinking, do I look like I want you to take a picture for me? Did I ask you?! (Yes, I know I sound like an asshole. It's always nice when some one offers to take a picture for you if your by yourself, but not when I specifically choose a spot where no one else was!) Anyhow, me being the pleasent person that I am, say "sure.." Then I give him specific instructions that I want the scenery of the mountains in the picture and just part of me on the side. He takes the picture and starts jabbering away about all sorts of things. Meanwhile, I'm still standing up on this wall because I don't know how nor want to have him watch me get down. Finally, after probably 5-10 minutes, I decided he's not leaving anytime soon. He then tells me all these things I should do that are around the area, I said "ok, thanks". Then, he tells me we should go. UGhhhh...."We?" First off, I'm not done here, my knee hurts and I already have a plan for the day. He never gets my subtle hints that I'm not interested. Eventually, I cave. As much as I sound like an asshole, when it comes to strangers I try to subside myself. What can it hurt, right? It's a nice thing to have someone explain things if I have questions I suppose. We end up going to a huge market, I don't remember the name. It sold fruits, veggies, fish, meat, medicine...everything. I'm pretty sure he had me walk up every aisle. He'd point out everything that was Korean. I found it humerous because the basic tomato he called a korean tomato, a korean pear (known to us as an asian pear), Korean corn, etc. (I found it humorous...and I stand corrected if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure they are only called Korean becuase they were actually grown in Korean, nothing special, just not imported). SO here we are, my knee is killing me, I ask questions here and there but I'm always cut off to be talked to about what ever he deems worthy. There are so many people cramming the walk ways, not including all the bikes and scooters transporting things. My knee is killing me, I definitely did not bring enough drugs with me for this. I had asked him why he wasn't with his family for the holiday. He tells me his family and relatives are all at his house so he doesn't want to go home. Sweet! He doesn't want to go home, how am I suppose to rid of him. After a good hour and half (at least) walking through the market I tell him I can't walk around anymore, my knee hurts too much. "Ok, what do you want to do now?" He asks. For an out (becuase my knee pain isn't enough), I tell him I am suppose to meet some friends. He asks me at what time? I hadn't looked at the time for a while so I guessed a time hoping it was somewhat close....Nope! Of course....I tell him we can get some food to introduce me to something new if he's hungry but after that I had to go. He takes me back on the subway and go to Jongno food market. Here there are tons of open restaurants that you just sit and order ( I wish I had took a picture). As we go through to find a station he wants to eat at, whichever one looks the freshest or is known to have good food because they all look the same, I point out all the things I've had, tried, or aviod. I don't know if he thought I was saying those were the things I wanted to try becuase next thing I know that basically everything he ordered. He ordered rice cakes covered in a sweet/spicy sauce, fish sausage which is serve in a broth, and a black Korean sausage. When we were finished he asked the lady how much? which he translates to me and begins to walk away. Really, dude?!! I could careless to pay, but don't just walk away. You invited yourself to be my friend for the whole day and you can't just ask for me to pay...you just walk away? (Korea!) I pay and have him direct me out to the subway. We past a station , and I why can't I go in this one? He said becuase we needed to go further up and take a right. I assumed it was just to a different subway line. I should have just took the first subway station considering my knee. As we walk farther and pass another one, I stop and ask again but more firmly, "where are we going?" He says "to Insadong." A whole other neighborhood! At that point, I got really annoyed and said No, I'm not going to Insadong, I'm going home. Nice meeting you, thanks for showing me around....good-bye!" (All with a smile on my face, of course!)
Gyeongbokgung Palace
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| As I walked in to the palace they were just finishing the changing of the guard's ceremony. |
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| The entrance to the street. This is where the guards stand. |
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| Everyone was taking pictures with the guards up close and personal. I was too embarrassed to do my straight arm shot ( since I was by myself) so i just took a picture of him. |
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| But then I got creative |
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| The Korean guy told me what these were for but I forgot.... or I might have just stopped listening (we all know I have that problem). |
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| The time I appreciated someone asking to take my picture. |
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| The mini door I found. |
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| The picture the dude took....do you SEE any mountains?!! Picture potential, failed. |
The Market
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| Dried frog. Looks meaty! |
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| River turtle. Apparently they eat these. |
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| Poultry |
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| Ginseng |
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| Bird decorated for the holiday. If you can't see, the feet are what is attached to the beak. It's a bit too morbid and cannibalistic for me. |
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| Many different type of pastes. Red, white, brown bean and chili pastes. |
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All kimchi. I learned there are over 200 different types of Kimchi in Korea. I don't know if this meant recipes or different forms.
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After the day's excursions, I ended up meeting a few friends for a few much needed drinks. The next day, needless to say I about fell over when I got out of bed from the excruciating pain in my knee. I again decided to it easy and met up with a friend to lounge around. On Tuesday, to finish the holiday I went to the Twins vs. busan bears baseball game. It's not quite the same as a PGE Beavers Thirsty Thursday but at a baseball game, I'm always thirsty! This was a big game, and the stadium was packed...as it usually is (I never would have thought Koreans liked baseball) At the 8th inning, one of the friends I was with hit another friends beer can out of their hand. The beer went down the backs of the three Koreans sitting in front of us. They were already not happy with us having our feet on the seats (they had sat down after the people who had been sitting there the whole game (with our feet there) had left, so I pretty much didn't care) but now they were pissed. All 3 people turn around and started yelling at us in Korean. My friends continuously said they were sorry, I'm speaking in English telling them that we are sorry but there is nothing we can do about it...they continue to go off in Korean, I keep talking to them in English, what do they want us to do.... I mean seriously, we can buy you beers, kimbap...what?!! I was super embarrassed and ya, it did suck, but what is yelling in Korean going to do to a bunch of foreigners who obviously don't speak the language going to do? After probably 5 minutes which felt like 30, they left and we finished watching the game. It was a good holiday.
75 days! Next destination, THAILAND. December 1st......who's coming?!!!!!!!
