I Forgot Hello Again!

My first weekend in Seoul was spent exploring the city - both the tourist attractions and those places one would only know after living here for several months (Thanks Adam!) Adam has found my first reactions to Seoul refreshing as he has become used to this city and no longer views certain things as unusual! He said that it is nice to remember how he felt when him and Jasmine first arrived in Seoul.

Friday I spent the afternoon at school with Adam and have a new found respect for what he does! His job as a seon-saeng-nim (teacher in Korean) is truly one that I would find very difficult. After speaking with Adam and Jasmine it seems as if much of their time is devoted to discipline and order - but they both find time in their hectic days to appreciate the phenomenon of a child learning and growing due to their efforts! It put a smile on my face to see "teacher Adam" interact so lovingly with his kids despite the fact that he has the most challenging class in Sullivan School - he is a great teacher!

Friday night after school a group of Adam's co-workers, Adam and I went out for a traditional Korean barbecue. The restaurant had a grill set into the table, on which we cooked galbi and samgyeopsal (beef and pork). We were provided all the raw ingredients for our dinner, one of which was kimchi. Kimchi is (as Adam described it to me) a pickled cabbage mixed with spices and a red paste. At first I did not care for it, but after eating it a few more times this past weekend I can understand why people like it so much. After dinner we went to Itaewon for a few drinks, a part of Seoul that is relatively close to the Army base - so as you can imagine we were not the only group of foreigners!

Saturday Adam and I went to Insadong, an area of Seoul where the street is lined with shops and you can buy anything you can imagine. On our way out Adam directed me down a side street and into a tiny sliding door where we drank "the most amazing cup of tea!" (It was really good) We then decided to make our way to the Seoul tower to see the city-scape at night - a sight I wish my camera could have captured! The Seoul tower provides a 360 view of Seoul, a city so immense the lights don't stop in any direction.

Sunday, one of Adam's co-workers Jonie (who has lived in Seoul for 4 years) brought us to the Korean Folk Village, an attraction of traditional Korean houses, markets, food, artisans, and performers. It was about an hour out of Seoul, but well worth the trip! We saw several shows, my favorite being the traditional farmer's dance. After a few hours in the sun we headed back to Seoul and joined Jasmine and her friend Sean for dinner in Itaewon.

I am slowly learning simple Korean phrases - however in the beginning I had a very difficult time remembering anything. Adam would pronounce "hello" slowly and make me repeat him, but the minute I stopped rehearsing it in my head it slipped my mind! Currently I can say with confidence; hello, thank-you, yes, no and I can tell a taxi driver how to get me home. Not much I know, but enough to survive a walk down the street.

I have also become comfortable with the subway system - I am equipped with a map and Adam has given my very detailed instructions as to what to do if I am to become lost. I plan to make my way to a book store this afternoon while Adam is in school to purchase a Japanese phrasebook. I forgot to pack my Lonely Planet book on Japan and am really regretting it...

Adam has parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday - a bit different from home. His parents will come to school in the morning to observe Adam teaching a lesson and then he will meet with each set of parents individually for about 10 minutes. This being such a big deal Adam does not want me at school with him until after Wednesday - which is completely understandable as I would prove to be a distraction to his students and slow the progress of his routine (which needs to be perfected for the parents). Adam's students come from very affluent homes and a big thing they will be looking for is equal opportunity. If their child does not get to do or say as much as the other children Adam's principal will surely hear about it.

I am slowly realizing how much my experience in Seoul will help me once I get to Tokyo. Although the Korean and Japanese cultures are very different I know that my time spent here will be the perfect introduction to my summer! I have adapted to the time change, I am comfortable with the language barrier and I enjoy ordering food not knowing what I will be served!