The Interview

Alright, Meg's voice has primarily been silent up to this point. I asked Meg the following ten questions:

(1) Meg, tell me what is your most memorable moment in Korea?

My favorite moment has been the dinner party with our work. It was a great way to introduce us to the Korean way of sharing a meal. There is nothing better than literally sharing a great meal with amazing people. In fact, I enjoy every opportunity I get to have a traditional Korean meal. There is something about everyone eating from the same dish that I really enjoy.


(2) What is your favorite Korean food?

My favorite is Dak galbi. It's a chicken dish served with vegetables in a spicy sauce. It's cooked right in front of you and absolutely mouthwatering.



(3) How do you like teaching?

Teaching is challenging. It is definitely a learning process for both the children and myself. I enjoy it now because I am in Seoul. It is not something I would see myself doing forever.


(4) What age do you enjoy teaching the most?

I connect better with the higher level kids who are about 14 years old. There are only 2-3 kids in these classes so each one gets a lot of attention. Also, I enjoy talking with them and am amazed with how intelligent they are. If I had it my way, I would only teach these classes. Teaching the lowest level kids can make me want to pull my hair out some days!


(6) It must be hard being (usually) the only female, how do you handle all the testosterone?

Well, having 3 brothers, I am pretty used to being the only female. However, the initial group of guys I was hanging out with here were definitely different than my usual crowd of guys I am used to. Let's just say they have a lot of testosterone. Now that I have met some more people, I feel a lot more comfortable. It's all about getting to know as many people as you can so you have options. I was a little frightened at first that I was going to be spending everyday with the same group of guys. I do have my Korean friend Julie to save me and I am extremely grateful for her friendship.


(7) What places are you looking to explore outside of Korea on this trip?

Of course I would love to go to as many Asian countries as I possibly could. If I had to narrow it down, it would definitely be China and Japan. I really want to take a trip to the Great Wall.



(8) What have been your favorite Korean "tourist" places?

My favorite place has been Seoul Tower. From here, you can get a panoramic view of the entire city. It really is a chilling feeling looking out at such a colossal city and realizing you actually live there. I have heard it's even better at night so my next plan is to get up there to see the city all lit up.


(9) How have you found Korean people? Are they friendly or rude? What do you think?

I think they are extremely friendly and curious. The Koreans I have met that speak English have been really helpful and are always asking me if I am taken care of or need anything. Like all big cities, I do feel they are rude when it comes to driving. Also, the fact that they have no concept of standing in line kind of gets to me.


(10) What is your biggest pet peeve on the other side of the world?

My biggest pet peeve deals with the restrooms. First of all, 80% of the time there is no toilet paper in public restrooms. I have grown accustomed to carrying my emergency baby wipes with me. Many times the restrooms are located outside in a separate building, or at least a little ways from wherever you are. If there is toilet paper, the dispensers are located on the walls before you get anywhere new the restroom or toilet. It's kind of awkward for me to grab my toilet paper before I enter the stall, basically displaying to everyone what is about to take place. It is not uncommon to find the men's and lady's toilet in the same vicinity. For example, I ran into John Roe last night in the bathroom while I was washing my hands. Only in Korea will I ever bump into John in the restroom. Some of the restrooms only have these floor urinal type things, we like to refer to them as "squatters", and no "sit down toilet". I'll sign off with that thought in your heads....

(- equals Editors Note)

-A quick story based on this pet peeve. John, Doug, and I were out getting some food. It was late at night, so we were the only people in the joint. John left the table to go to the restroom. We were eating at a hole in the wall, worse than the Peanut. The bathroom is outside in a separate building. Lets just say John came to the place with two socks, and left with one. "It just hit me. When you got to go, you gotta go." Those were his famous last words. He also ran into the problem of not locating the toilet paper before heading into the restroom. This was also down over a "squatter."

-- I have always been a fan of delegation.* A blog that writes itself, I think I am going to do this more often! Maybe a weekly guest, with Meg coming in and writing every other week. This could be the start of something.


*Everybody has a childhood story that pretty much sums up their personality, this is mine: I was at Nanny and Popa's house and they assigned me the task of raking leaves. People have called me a lot of things, but I have never been called a diligent worker. I floundered out there in the lawn, toiling between work and play. Two doors down was my friend Lance and across the road was my friend Jessica. I soon got them to participate in my chore, and before you know it, Lance and I were jumping in the piles of leaves that Jessica was raking. Procrastination, laziness, and somehow always having friends to help you out for no apparent reason is the summation of my personality! So thank you, for anyone that has helped me live my motto, "Think smarter, not harder."