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1) This is a photo of a lady carrying vegetables at the fish market in Busan, South Korea. 2) Next is a photo of fresh dog meat for sale. Notice the live dogs in the background which are killed on the spot once you purchase them and then are slaughtered for you take home. In the foreground is some dog meat with a little tail sticking out. 3) This is a portrait taken at Moran Market in Bundang, Seoul, S. Korea. 4) Keychains and a large cock at Moran Market, Bundang, Seoul, S. Korea 5) Lastly are some chicks for sale at Moran Market. They were in the pet-animal section, not the food-animal section. Mind you, once the chicks growup, they could possibly turn into the food-animal type.




At Moran Market, the pet dogs are sold right across from food dogs. The major difference is that the pet dogs are very small and often times are caged with the cats. One of the vendors had a grown cat in a mesh bag and was slamming it around. The food dogs are more scrappy looking, and obviously, larger. They look like the lean mixed breeds you might just find on the street.

One of my friends commented to me that it was interesting that I could understand Korean's eating of dog, but I could not understand their drinking habits. I feel that what a culture eats, is decided just by cultural ideals. Americans find eating dog a difficult concept because dogs are considered part of the family, almost human. On the other hand, I cannot understand why Koreans will go out and drink so much alcohol that they are completely wasted! Where I come from, it is understandable for teenagers or even college-aged adults to do this. But I figure you grow out of it in your early to mid-twenties, hopefully. I feel that it is irresponsible and trashy to get so drunk. Pretty much every night you walk around between 10pm and midnight, you are bound to find some puke on the street, smell some puke, or see someone puking. But, on the other hand, drinking is a form of bonding here and it is considered impolite to turn down a drink. So you have to keep drinking in order to, well, basically save face. I believe when the elder stops, then it is okay to stop, but not before. With all that said, I still think dthat this is gross and trashy and I don't plan on puking before my stay in Korea is up. The chances of me trying dog are much higher. (I know this is getting fairly controversial, please don't hate me too much)

I have many interesting pictures I want to share with you, but they are not really connected in any way. Just like my thoughts that I record on this blog--I find them all fascinating kernels of thought, yet they aren't really connected and end up sounding like well you know, diarrehea of the mouth.

Hopefully the photos will load tonite, as it is primetime to load in the states. It is almost feeling too cold for me to ride my bike home. Yesterday (Monday) we had a cold front move through after the drizzle turned hard rain on Sunday, October 22, 2006. So yesterday I rode the subway turned soju-express. On the way to work it is fine and I usually enjoy some music or a few pages of my current novel (now it is The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan). But after I have gotten used to the fresh air of my bike ride home every night, it is difficult to get used to the soju fumes coming off all the salarymen. It is akin to going into a bar that is riddled with smoke and then feeling like you've smoked a pack of ciggies. Except, you have just drunk a bottle of soju! Well, maybe it's not like that exactly.

One of the photos that I hope loads is of my trading card collection. Since I have moved to Bundang, usually bi-nightly you can find these little cards stuck in every car parked on the street outside of my apartment. This is one reason I like riding my bike home because you see, I am collecting these cards. So it is like Christmas when I see there is a new line out. Tonite was one such night. I scored four new cards to add to my collection. Perhaps in 50 years these will be retro cards like pin-up women from the 50s in America. They are double sided cards usually with two different photos, if not two different girls in different poses, wearing different outfits. Sometimes there is just one photo with an advertisement with the phone number on the reverse. They vary from slutty to sexy to prudish and obviously there are all types (sizes) of girls. I am not clear on if this is just a phone sex operating service or if it is essentially call-a-prostitute. How did these girls get in that line of work or did they just pose for the pictures and then they have other jobs? Maybe it was just a one time modeling opportunity to make some extra cash. Maybe I can do that along side working at the academy! Wouldn't that be fantastic!--the kid's parents come out of a restaurant and see a picture of their kid's teacher is a school girl outfit with a short skirt. (Looks like these photos will not load tonite)

Another of these pictures is of a cathedral printed on a skrim that hangs over construction. It is very strange and I can't really figure it out. Can you figure it out from the picture?

Additionally here is a photo of a mask I bought this weekend in Namdaemun Market. My school branch is 'requiring' us to dress up for halloween for two days, so both sets of classes can have some spookey fun. I figure rather than dress up as a bouquet of flowers (paste fake flowers to a hat, wear all green and wrap myself with a piece of newspaper and a ribbon) or Kim Jong Il, I'll save the utter embarassment of a terrible costume with a hideous can't lose mask. I will definately load more photos of myself and Sam masked (I will keep mis mask a secret until the photos are unveiled). But I put my mask on in the subway and I received some snickers from young and old alike. THEN, an older Korean fella started essentially yelling at me. I didn't really know what to do as my voice was muffled in the mask PLUS I can't really speak Korean. So then Sam tells him, "She's American," in Korean. He keeps going on and then I feel like an idiot like perhaps Korea is like parts of America.... Maybe there are laws against wearing masks in public places like that for fear you are going to rob someone or that you are a terrorist. And then I thought maybe there was some obscure Korean custom that I never read about and maybe I was offending everyone. Hence, I took the mask off and then another old man said, "Rude. That's better. More polite."

I asked my Korean counterpart coworkers to which they responded that maybe the older Korean folks are just of another generation and cannot understand anything new, hip, or different. They said that I didn't do anything wrong (just so I can set the record straight for any of you that plan to come to Korea to wear a mask on the subway) and it should be fine.

The other photo is of an undergarmets vendor watching t.v. at 8 p.m. on a Saturday night.

You Know You're in Korea When....

you know you're in korea when you are eating a homemade salad at work and you take out your tupperware, ready to get some fresh greens and as you are poised to chomp down on a luscious piece of lettuce, you see a snail slink across it's habitat, ie your meal. this happened to sam today.

you know you're in korea when the only oven you have is the equivalent to an easy-bake in both size and ability. tonight i am trying to "cook" a "chocolate cake". i have a small tin to make a bread, so i loaded it up with half the batter thinking that would be pefect and not flow over the edges. little did i anticipate, the "cake" would cook on the first half inch and then quickly begin to burn at about minute seven. we'll see how this works out. i just scooped out most of the batter and put it back in to cook about an inch thick. in the process i've already consumed my fair share of liquid cake. yum.

you know you're in korea when you are walking down the street and you see the above sign advertising how you should change your face.


i don't have any more 'you know you're in koreas whens' right now, but i do have a beginning list of items i've found in my basket at the front of my sweet bicycle. for the fall season i have decorated it with fake sunflowers and then a secret admirer put some fall leaves in the bouquet. it is quite festive! but what is not festive is what i find in it at my 2:15pm weekday departure to work.

1) various soda cans
2) chip wrappers
3) 1 dirty kleenex
4) a cigarette butt

i just want to say thank you to everyone who keeps me entertained on my midday walk from my apartment to my bike when i wonder what present i will have today. i am thinking of fashioning a 'NOT YOUR TRASHCAN' sign in korean to put in my basket. but i think that just may solicit more unwelcomed gifts.

last night we went out for one of our coworker's birthdays. we went to the local irish pub called dublin's. i usually hate that place as i've had a few negative run-ins with idiot foreigners but last night there seemed to be enough fresh meat foreign teachers that it wasn't too annoying. everyone else seemed to be concentrating on whom they could take home with them for the evening. [if anyone could shed some light, could you please tell me when to use 'who' and when to use 'whom'? thanks. this is much appreciated as it is an area i feel sheepish in front of my students.) while we were there i introduced a new kanuk coworker, mike, to sam, my boi. mike has only been here 1 week and arrived the day after n. korea did they nuclear bomb test. welcome to s. korea buddy! anyhow, he then says to sam that he looks really familiar and does her have a blog. we concluded that mike has maybe seen my blog. so we go home that night and google s. korea + bundang + avalon (school) and the first thing that pops up is the "Turbulent Twenties". HAHAHAHhahaahah it makes me feel famous but at the same time... violated? is that weird? but it's crazy how available information is on the web. it just goes to show you.

another thing that popped up was one of sam's coworker's blogs and a friend of mine. you can see her stuff at http://kerrithelinguist.vox.com/ i like her.

kerri and i went shopping on sunday and ate a late schmacy breakfast at a sidewalk cafe in jeongja. 11 bucks for a nicely prepared waffle, real syrup, sausage (in korea that usually means a HOT DOG!), undercooked bacon, two eggs, and coffee. it was a fun day.

the day before i rearranged my apartment. it feels much more open and creative. i should take a photo when i clean it (again) and post that. i can't imagine what a place like this with a great view like i have would cost in let's say... NYC. strange. we are very fortunate here. i spent the rest of last saturday watching sex in the city, gilmore girls, and some reality show about trainers in LA headed by a lesbian trainer. it also focused on her relationship with a jealous girlfriend. i ended the night by eating a $5 dollar pizza and watching a chick flick with ashton crutcher. sam spent the weekend in sokcho and seoraksan. it's supposed to be the most beautiful area b/c it's mountains right by the ocean. i think he will have photos up soon at www.samaugustgray.com

p.s. for those of you that are wondering... since my three month stay here at avalon,, we've had 2 scheduled vacations. the first we spent on the southwest part of s. korea in mokpo and islands. the second vacation was chuesok and we went to the south east area of south korea, namely busan. and then came inland to gyeongju and dageu. those were our big trips, but we often take weekend outings, esp for hiking. you see, s. korea is the size of indiana and has the most fabulous transportation system. you seriously have NO NEED for a car here. that will be a hard adjustment to make getting back to the states. IF, i ever come back! maybe that will be kim jong il's say, not mine

but i am talking about this because some people are confused how we can travel so much. a trip to the other end of the country takes about 3-4 hours by train. and 2 hours to the middle of the country. i do work too ya know! i work from 3-10 pm m-f. yep, so there ya go natalie.
:)

My once a two week blogging quota

It's Friday, the 13th of October. I hope something really spooky happens today. It is 2 thirty in the morning. I am again sustaining a 72% cacao chocolate high. I am relaxing and enjoying a glass of red wine while listening to pandora.com--for those of you that have not yet experienced the sweetness of pandora, you can type any any song or artist and it will fabricate a station to your tastes! So you can find artists much like the ones you already like without much effort.

SO... this week it's back to the old grind after Chuesok vacation. Chuesok is like Korean Thanksgiving, but more celebrated in Christmas fashion. There is a ton of food, a gathering of family, making of songpian (sp?) which is korean rice cake and is quite tasty, and oftentimes a wearing of hanbok which is korean traditional dress. Furthermore, people get money and gifts. Avalon gave us sets of shampoo, conditioner, with a ton of toothpaste and brushes to probably last all year. These gifts come in varying monetary value, but some a elaborately wrapped and this costs a fortune.

For good ole chusey, Sam, Carrie, Ann, Don, and myself headed down to the Southeast coast to check out Busan. Don split off from us to chill with his cousin while we explored. We hit the fish market, some clothing markets, and supposedly the largest sauna in asia. It can accomodate 2,000 people at once and I had freshly squeezed mango juice as well as a full body exfoliation, hair washing, and facial. Mind you, all this was occuring with me lying naked on a massage table by a naked old korean lady. it was something everyone should experience! there were a few domes above the different temperature baths and this is what it felt like to be a greek goddess. galavanting around in the buff with natural light and freshly squeezed juices. i left glowing.

sam and i went to one of the markets but didn't stay for long b/c we weren't really into shopping. the fish market was much different than tskigi in japan... for one, it was stinkier! it may have had something to do with getting there at 10 am instead of 6 am. I have footage of a octopus trying to escape on the blacktop. here sam and i feasted on eel cooked over a burner with hot spicy sauce of course! before i came to korean i was told they had two flavors--HOT and salty. i thought i was being very exotic, but then i realized i have eel all the time at sushi joints. it just felt like it was stranger, the way it was cooked.

we also swam in the ocean!! it was so clear and calm and bit chilly, but refreshing.
one night at a little chicken joint near the beach, sam and i decided to plunk down for dinner. it looked quaint and homey with natural wood decoratings and such. it turns out that most everyone just orders out from there as we noticed not a single soul entered the joint as we ate. furthermore, some of the platform seating area that you enter shoeless was taken up by piles of junk like some lady's old house. which, i do think they lived behind the restaurant. a teenaged girl came and then left again when a male suitor arrived. so we were sucking down some domestic beers and then got on the fried chicken (a korean favorite) and we pull a leg off the stack and what do we see? a piece of chewed up mint flavored gum (i sniffed it) deep fried in all the grease. now, i have a theory, actually two theories as to how that gum arrived on our plate of greasified chicken. one) someone could have been walking by the restaurant and disposed of their gum in the big vat of grease out front used to cook their chicken. who knows how often they clean it. or two) the woman was pissed that we actually sat down in the joint and decided to give us a little surprise. at least it was deep fried and disinfected. only in korea! you know, i would have never let this fly in america. i would have raised hell and made sure i got a meal on the house. but we kinda of chuckled and then pushed away any idea of being sicked out and ate on. we peeled off the skin infected with mint gum germs.

i think this is it for any wittyness i have in me tonite. no more photos will upload b/c all you guys in the states are hogging the damn thing.
by the way, these photos are of sam in front of a great tree outside of a little temple in gyeongju. then there's a photo of some squid or octopi, i can't remember. can you tell? someone tell me!

oh and finally, a photo of a young girl that we actually ate dinner with on Chuesok day. Her family saw us riding around Gyeongju and they had just finished their feast. They asked us in. We had rented mountain bikes from town and were on our way to hike and see temples. I was wondering if we would be able to find any restaurants open that holiday or if we would have to subsist on quickie-mart food (which isn't sooo sooo bad like American style q-m food, but still). Luck shined upon us which just shows you have to have faith. We feasted and had a few pre-hike beers. I tell you, that helped me up the rocky incline and had NOTHING, i say nothing to do with me falling off my bike and two older koreans laughing at the misfortune. it was a fun, light silly fall so don't worry!

October 1, 2006 4:17 in the morning

Two Clowns

Inwangsan Shamanist Hillside Walk in Insadong, Seoul, S. Korea

These are Seonbawi (Zen rocks) and are said to look like a Salvador Dali painting by Lonely Planet writers. It's true. The rocks have been "so eroded that they look like robed monks." This is where women come to pray for a son. There is another photo below of the Seonbawi from the opposite side with the cityscape in the background. I could definately feel a spiritual energy while in this area. Sometimes I almost felt creeped out.

After nightfall, they unfurled the razor-wire to enclose the lookout points. We were hiking along the wall that divided the city from the surrounding area back in the day. Now I think it is just one big Seoul sprawling area. It was the first time I consciously felt confronted with teh fact that S. Korea is still in a war. We saw a lookout that had a mesh fence around it, a barking guard dog, and a sparse slab of concrete with a naked basketball hoop. Two guards around 20 years of age were playing ball. All the guards wore matching plaid shirts and resembled American office workers on a Friday casual day. Then, once nightfell, men with big guns began to patrol the wall. We hiked back along the steps painted in white (we realized the reason they were painted once it became dark--we were all of a sudden able to make a somewhat treacherous and lengthy journey more timely and safe). A Korean man was on the journey with the four of us. I wrongly assume that Koreans can't understand what I am saying. This was more of a problem when I first arrived, although I still slip up. For example, during this outing we took a break and ate squid and tangerines on a large boulder. As we were sitting there, the sun began to set and people were hiking past us back to the temple area. It was becoming brisk out. I exclaimed as two older Korean men passed, "HEY, we should get some Mickey Mouse gloves like them!" They stopped and chatted for a bit. The older gentlemen mentions that he used to live in FLORIDA!! I could have just died. Furthermore, we are starting to curb our habit of speaking about highly inappropriate material as dinnertime conversation. So, back on topic, we were afraid we would get lost and I said, "Maybe we should follow this guy." It turns out that he is very well versed in English and he was actually trained by the US Army. He still works for them.