Going up to Country

Need a break from the drudgery of a 1-8, Monday-Friday job? Tired of pesky 5-12 year old children? Then it seems like Muju is the place for you!

Taming Muju is not a task for the light hearted. Just to make it there, you have to get up before the butt crack of dawn. The bus that goes up to country * leaves at 4:20 in the AM! That means to make it to bus pickup on Saturday morning, I am waking up before I usually cash my Friday night in. In fact, my buddy Travis was at a bar located right down the street from where our bus pickup was located.

*I think I got carried away with that link, but it is one of my all time favorite songs; it just always gets me in a better mood.



(Travis is on the right, Justin on the left)



I once, at length, wrote about how hard it is for me to get up in the morning. That McDonald's breakfasts are the only thing that gets me through. Waking up before McDonald's even serves breakfast is just wrong!















As you can see, skiing (as with pretty much everything in South Korea) is super-duper packed, but Muju was so beautiful it was well worth a few long lines and a couple crashes on the slopes.














Meg paid five dollars for her skiing coat in China! Oh the beauty of knock offs! (and sweat shops)
















The picture to the left is pretty breathtaking. The whole mountain was frosted over giving it a real Winter Wonderland look. Hats off to Meg for taking some really fine pictures!














Has anybody seen the show Meet the Natives? It is a show on the National Geographic channel here in South Korea. I've fallen in love with it, even though I've only seen one episode. The insight the "Natives" showed within only five days of being in America was incredible. Anyway, during one point in the episode, (they were in Montana on a ranch learning about cowboys) they described mountains as being so tall, that they could touch clouds. The ski lift actually vanishes into the clouds at the top of the mountain.

Student Profile

Jayne: 10 years old.










Jayne is a twin, and it's easy to see that Jayne is the dominant twin. She's in a more advanced class than her sister. Because Jayne got to the Junior Master class, which is the top level of our academy, her mom rewarded her with a brand new cell phone. Her Twin, Stacey, got nothing. Jayne is a conversational student, but is very shy, what Jayne excels at is writing. She writes logical, concise debates. She plays the piano and the violin. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up. She is one of my top students.

Childhood

The differences between Korean and western culture are vast. Despite my 14 months of residence in this beautiful country, I am by no means an expert on Korean culture. So I'll stick to just to a difference in childhood between Korea and the United States.

The kids right now have a month off of public school. They also get around 5 weeks off in the summer, so Korean children do indeed partake in the year round school schedule. And, as I found out on Friday, just because the students are off of school doesn't mean they're not going to school. I'll give you some examples.

The youngest student I teach is 5 years old. She's a young five years old, too. She is so little. Her feet don't even come close to touching the ground when she sits in her chair. They dangle happily, as if they're better off not touching the ground. She wears pigtails everyday. She has the biggest dough eyes. She looks like a doll, just like a porcelain doll. She can read and write and answer who, what, where, why, and how questions. Her name is Candy, and she is cute. She's been learning English for over a year now. But she is only 5, and cries here and there. Her mom brings her to the academy everyday. I think she misses her mom, and that's why she cries.

Once the bell rings, signaling the end of class, she'll start to put all her things away, but the problem is, she's only five. She's very slow at it. Zipping up her backup takes a colossal effort from her. She gets a panicked look on her face as she sees all the other kids running out of the classroom like it's on fire, and I know that she truly needs my help. You can tell that she just wants to run out with the other kids (those kids are 6-8 years old) and play. So I'll help her, and she'll run off to go to the next place.

The next place could be her loving mother's arms, or it could be a piano academy. It could be a Korean language academy. The point is, even though she's five, I'm sure there is another lesson to be taught on some subject. And Candy, at the expense of her mother's checkbook, will be attending that lesson with her big, helpless eyes fixated on another teacher even though she is five years old. At least, that's what I think, but she could be in her mother's arms for all I know.

Here's a schedule that I do know. Human, who chose his own name, has a sense of humor. He's 12, and he's the tallest kid in the academy. His English level is conversational, although he never leaves his trusty stand by answers of "maybe" and "I don't know" far away. He's independent, and always sits at the back of the room. He elects for public transportation rather than the shuttle buses my academy offers every student. He navigates his way through a city of 3.8 million people seamlessly. He doesn't have a cell phone, which is a big deal in Korea. I mean, hell, even little Candy has a cell phone. He loves computer games and hates school. During his winter break, he's attending six academies!

Academies are extra-curricular, private institutions that teach the children something. And believe me, there are academies for everything. Human's academies are: English, math, clarinet, Korean, computer,* and an academy on how to speed read.** Even when he does not have school, HE HAS SCHOOL. There is no time to play. He goes all over the city to attend these academies. He takes the subway or buses to get to them. The guy is lucky to get 7 hours of sleep with his schedule.

I have another student who is at a swimming academy from 10-4 Monday-Friday. He's in a swimming pool practicing his breast stroke to become the next best swimmer. His brother has the same schedule only substitute swimming for golf.

Childhood is truly vocational training here. All work and no play. The innocence of growing up is lost when you're 12 and already grown up. I know that some people from the western world wish they would of utilized their time more efficiently growing up, you know, actually learned that second language, followed up on those piano lessons, or studied harder. I do anyway. Well, South Koreans are very efficient with their time growing up, and I am here to tell you it's a shame. There's more to childhood than preparing for adulthood.

* That's all he told me is computer. I don't even know what that means it's so vague, but he gave me the "I don't know response" when I asked him questions on it.

** At the University of Missouri, in large lecture halls, I would always see these fliers scattered about the floor advertising clinics to help improve your reading pace. This was at college, and here Human is doing it at 12 years old. It's crazy over here.

Journal Entry Day 2

Continuing this mock journal series. A fictional account of adventures in Southeast Asia.

It was almost one o'clock in the afternoon when humid air hit my lungs and sunshine touched my pale skin. I explained to cab driver after cab driver, that I had a ride, that I knew where I was going, that I did not need to be bothered. Thailand has beautiful beaches and ethically challenged public transport drivers. To curtail this, the Thai government setup an English booth where they would translate your destination to the driver. They tell you a price to expect to pay in an effort to avoid the infamous Thai runaround. There's a phone number to tattle tale on the driver, if anything is suspicious. Of course, as with anything governmental, there wan an inefficient, long line.

It must of been the sunshine, because the sleepless flight was not rearing its head mentally. Physically, I had bags under my eyes, that you could ski down. And Pobby, the driver was quick to let me know, "You look sick." "Do you have swine flu." Anyway, that's what I think he said. The rest of the exchange went something like this:

Me: Bobby, do you think I have swine flu? (note: Many Asians, especially in Korea, have English nicknames to make it easier on foreigners. They seem to like these names as well, that's why I thought his name was Bobby.)
Pobby: Pobby, Pobby.
Me: Javy? (English can be very hard to understand...)

Pobby was now showing obvious displeasure in our inability to get past the most rudimentary of conversations. Giving up on having a conversation on my health, Pobby worked through the adversity and said, "Like Bobby, but P." Check mate. "Pobby!!!" I yelled, bringing a smile to his sweaty face. Thailand is known as the land of smiles. I know this due to Pobby's reckless tailgating. Being mere feet from a cab in front of us, I could easily make out the bumper sticker on the car in front of us. When Pobby ran the red light, well, that's when I started to cheer. Cheaper taxi rates are truly one of life's little pleasures.

Getting took advantage of; however, is one of the worst things. Pobby, not worried about any foreigner reporting him, pulled into a filling station off the highway. Pobby handed the gas station clerk, a man that checked in at about 5 feet, all the money in his hand, which totaled less than three dollars. And, in that moment, I became confused. This should not happen, I thought. On the other hand, it was only for a minute, and the meter might of gone up fifty cents. Poor Pobby is probably down to his last smoke judging by the bent and weightless pack of Marlbaro Reds. I can't say anything. He only put three dollars in the cab.

"Pobby, no more red light running, okay?" Yes, Yes, we almost out of gas back there," he said, flashing a million dollar grin, that let me know that this vacation was not about sweating the small stuff.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving really crept up on me this year. I didn't even know it was turkey day until about two o'clock in the afternoon! Last year, if you can recall, Meg and I went to Outback Steakhouse with another friend to get a little taste from home. It wasn't a turkey dinner, but how can you ever go wrong with steak? Since Thanksgiving is all about tradition, Meg and I set out to repeat that feat. Outback steakhouse happens to be two subway stops away from where I live. Once again we were treated to some fantastic fillets, cheerful service, and a taste of home. We followed that up with a walk on the beach. I love this place. Here is a Korean commercial for Outback:

My Training Week

If you're not interested in a couple of paragraphs dedicated to how much my life sucked last week, then spare yourself ten minutes and skip this entry. Consider yourself warned.

When your leaving your country/home for a year, your health is not a big priority. In fact, it doesn't make the list. Up at the top of that list, is hanging out with friends and family, and that's exactly what I did. I ended up in Manhattan on a Saturday night with the intention of tying one on, and believe it or not, when you set out to tie one on, you do it rather easily. With my immune system hammered drunk the next day, I was vulnerable to all the elements.

Everybody should be aware by now of the hardships of flying in a single aircraft for over 10 hours. I certainly am. I wasn't aware; however, of flying for over 10 hours sick with the flu. Let's just save some space and say it was crappy.

The next five days was spent either in a training room or in my hotel room studying. It was seriously as intense as finals week back at Mizzou. I took four written tests, listened to seminar after seminar on teaching techniques, and I taught using the techniques that were given to us. Basically, it felt like a real job. It felt like I'm getting old and have some responsibility in my life. I just wish I felt good while attending this hell week. Instead, I was trying hard not to cough up a lung. I was trying not to sneeze nuclear yellow snot all over myself. These were not the ideal circumstances.

They don't really tell you this when you're in America; they just gloss right over it. They tell you that 87% of the people that come to training end up with jobs, but they didn't tell you that training was in essence an extended job interview. An interview that could theoretically cost me up to 1300 dollars (the cost of a round trip ticket), if it didn't go well. Fortunately for me it went well, and I was offered the job. If you're interested in the grammar part of my test, check out a few of the items that were covered on my test. (this was a portion of our study guide)

Subject and Verb Agreement

Conditional Verb Forms

Dependant Clauses

Parallel Structures

Story Time

I was in Southeast Asia for five weeks. The time frame is too long for me to write about in my normal way. I need to write about just the specific events, which sounds easy enough. The only problem is I cannot write that way. I don't know why. I'm going to write a fictional journal based on some of my stories/experiences.

Day 1

Flying is not much fun, period. Flying to the other side of the world, across the Pacific, across 12 time zones is going to be dreadful. I'm standing in an international "que" in the Big D. From the city of fountains to Dallas, Texas, took two hours, now I have a three hour layover here in George Bush's state. Big must be the motto of Texas, because they have big stadiums, big trucks, and BIG people. "Everything is bigger in Texas." Observing obscenely obese people standing stationary on moving walkways with high fructose corn syrup pumping through their veins, one hand holding a soda the other candy as if they're at the movies. This cringing sight will make you want to get the hell out of Texas. Yet, as far as my journey goes, the bigness of Dallas is perfect, after all this is the biggest trip of my life.

Traveling in a plane from Dallas to Bangkok, Thailand will be awful, and there's just no way around it. 18 and a half hours spent on a plane with crying babies, sniffling ill, and complainers does not make for an enjoyable day. My only chance for salvation happens to be the Nyquil pills in my pocket. I hope the six pills I popped do the trick. I already missed out on the airline carrier since I'm flying American. American Airlines home of the most 50 year old washed up, working women in the world. These women literally hate stewarding, but are still there thanks to unions and other "rights" supplied to them by "progressive" thinkers. 45 year old men can thank those progressive thinkers as well. These aren't my ideal flight attendants. That certainly includes Thor, a gay man about the age of 50 who was just a little too friendly if you catch my drift.

These were not the faces of American Airlines in the 50's or 60's, and these are not the faces of the airline carriers occupying Asia. I'd do anything to fly Korean Air and not just for the free booze they provide. The stewardesses are beautiful, gracious, caring, and not a day older than 35. Although, Asians age well, so they could be much older. Oh well, American Airlines be damned, I'll be on the beautiful beaches of Thailand soon enough.

Entry Part Two Day 1

Despite six usually knock me on my ass pills, no crying babies, a dark, quiet cabin, and a small passenger sound asleep next to me I still can't sleep. Oh, it's so frustrating. The excitement of my future undertakings are at epic proportions. I want to do it all: eat delicious, fresh food right from a street vendor, play sand volleyball on some of God's best beaches, chat/drink with people from all over the world, seek out hidden, off the map tourist treasures, head to the cheesiest tourist attractions, and ride an elephant. I've wanted to ride an elephant my whole life. This will be the holy grail of my vacation. With five weeks at my disposal dispersed amongst only two countries, I should have ample time to accomplish that feet.

For the past three months, I've lived at home, with my parents, with no car, no phone, no bed, and no life. I'm ready for adventure. I'm ready for freedom. I'm ready for Asia.