tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55539247747825357482024-03-05T09:22:18.552-08:00i am the cheesethe cheese stands aloneiamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.comBlogger329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-45425028394219478192014-02-28T20:01:00.001-08:002014-02-28T20:01:44.521-08:00New place, new perspectiveSince being back, I am constantly reminded of how much people make a place. When I was working for a racist, lying thief, I had quite a negative perception of Korea and Koreans. Although I knew that generalizations and stereotypes were detrimental ways to view the world, my experiences made me suspicious and paranoid. Was the bus passing me because I was a foreigner or because I did something wrong? Did that old lady push me because I had a different color skin or because age dictates her rights? Do people avoid speaking with me because they are nervous about carrying on a conversation half in English and half in broken Korean or because I am not one of them? Right or wrong, I lost the privilege of allowing people the benefit of the doubt from having to constantly battle for my basic rights to be observed. <div><br></div><div>But now I am having such a different experience. I work with people who don't hate foreigners and who actually believe we are equals. As a result, I can overhear my name in a jumble of Korean that I don't understand without assuming they are spreading nasty rumors about me. I can walk on the street, receiving curious stares, aware of the innocent intentions behind them. </div><div><br></div><div>I know now that I went about this experience the wrong way last year. I waited to show my love and care and attention until I received it. Only then would I lower the defensive wall about myself. But I should have treated all strangers with that love and care--gratitude for their patience land allowing me space in their culture despite my lack of language skills and cultural knowledge. I recognize my mistake now. </div><div><br></div><div>So Americans--when you encounter foreigners in your own land, what impression do you make of the place? Do you encourage paranoia or do you foster compassion and understanding?</div>iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-3715112870936005412014-02-19T02:45:00.003-08:002014-02-19T15:08:33.734-08:00Back to the grind.Hello there loyal blog readers! I have officially been back in Korea one week...and it feels like its been a year! I already had my first craving for In-n-Out.<br>
<br>
This week, I have been participating in training for my new job. It involves sitting on a train for two hours (if I'm lucky enough to get a seat) just to get to the training center on the exact opposite side of Seoul from my locale (in reality: 22 miles away), mock-teaching a class of would-be teachers and receiving critiques, sitting on a train for another two hours to get home, and then completing hours of homework in preparation for the next day. All without being paid and without the guarantee of PASSING the training (thereby losing your potential job, being sent home, on your own dime, like the sad sack of crap you'll inevitably be made to feel like you are). Great deal, hey?<div><br></div><div>I'm lucky to have taught before, frankly. I'm leaps and bounds ahead of the other student-teachers, merely because I already know the routine. Not only do I know how to handle a class of ESL students, I know the un-taught things that matter the most: how you look (dress and full make-up/hair), being early every day, and a doe-eyed deference for the instructor mean more than any simulated teaching any day of the week. When the instructor criticizes my PERFECT simulation by telling me to do things I was already doing, I bow my head and say "yes, teacher," while the n00bs are still spluttering "but I DID that." </div><div><br></div><div>It's been so wonderful to return, despite this exercise in patience and insanity (I mean, how many days in a row can a person wake up at 6 am without being driven into full-tilt insanity? Never mind). My boss already set up my apartment, just one floor under the boyf's. It smelled all new and clean, not requiring the day-long scrub-down his required. I don't even mind having to go in on Sunday to set up my classroom without getting paid because this transition has been so easy (and because I know my boss isn't a foreigner-hating wretch out to actively ruin my time off). </div><div><br></div><div>I'm excited to start working, also. The access to technology in the classroom is insane! The televisions are smart TVs--touch screens preloaded with the entire lesson. Basically, lesson planning is all done, I just need to prepare. Doing this mock teaching has reminded me how I enjoy teaching and how excited I am to see these kids cute little fasces and help them to learn English!</div>iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-75009740820465749942014-01-30T11:22:00.000-08:002014-01-30T11:22:08.568-08:003 Days in LAJanuary 10, 2014 <br />
Phoenix to LA = 357 miles <br />
<br />
Los Angeles is not really my city. I have experienced far too many people interested in only what you can do for them to hold any dear feelings for the place.<br />
<br />
But I won't lie, as the plane touched down, the sun streaming over the tarmac, I felt light. The unusually efficient manner in which we passengers were shepherded through the terminal and our bags already whinging about the carousel when we arrived at baggage claim were both pleasant surprises. And of course, the warm, sunny LA weather greeted me at the curb--not too humid, not too hot.<br />
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I spent only a few days meeting with old friends, but it felt like a lifetime. I was reminded of all the days gone by and excited for all the days to come. Everywhere I went, it felt like a few weeks, maybe a month had passed, rather than a year-and-a-half.<br />
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I am so grateful for the kindness of old friends and the ability to pick up where we left off without a hitch. At the end of my stay, I got dropped off at the airport, the bright LA sunshine squinting in my eyes, and hopped on a plane ready to finally kick off my grand adventure after many months of waiting and a week of planning.<br />
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From the plane as it cruised over the city, I could see the Silverlake reservoir, a reflecting glint of sunset--my last view of America until 2015.iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-31126167253636785392014-01-10T14:56:00.000-08:002014-01-10T14:56:05.069-08:00Ready for kick-offAs my time left in the good ok' USA retreats, I can't help but become contemplative. It's funny the ways moving to Korea changed my life. It answered so many of those mid-level needs--having enough money, being fulfilled by my job (and doing it well!), social needs, and comfort-level needs. These are the things that you can live without, but not having them drains your sense of security and well-being.<br />
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<br /></div>
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When I'm in Korea, these needs are met. And as a result, I can focus on even higher order needs--continuing education, completing life goals, developing new and old hobbies, and exploring the world around me. </div>
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Doing another year in Korea and having the new year upon us has me reflecting on me and my life before I left and now. I have high hopes for the next year, but also worries. I learned from my naïveté last year and am full of hesitation. But I am also open to all the new experiences I am about to throw myself headfirst into.<br />
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All in all, I CAN'T WAIT.<br />
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I will try to keep you all updated on my travels--but I won't lie. I will probably be too busy having a fabulous time.</div>
iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-8145721401202083142013-12-12T09:38:00.001-08:002013-12-12T09:38:28.059-08:00Reverse Culture ShockIt is SO weird being home.<br />
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The other day, I watched a Christmas light parade and I found myself getting choked up. Seriously. <br />
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I feel more cultural pressure here, which is odd considering, Korea.<br />
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I find myself missing certain things about Korea--the freedom, the kids, some food, the stability. It doesn't help that I left my boyfriend there, too.<br />
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Too soon, and not soon enough, I'll be heading back.<br />
<br />
A Haiku<br />
<br />
I have been halved. I<br />
do not know where I belong.<br />
Home is everywhere.iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-53333216732604395762013-11-30T17:55:00.002-08:002013-11-30T17:55:43.693-08:00Post-Nano Hangover<br />
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<img alt="Winner!" class="img-responsive" height="132" src="http://cfiles.nanowrimo.org/nano-2013/files/2013/11/2013_winner_header.png" title="Winner!" width="545" /><br />
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I won! Winning NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month) isn't like normal "winning," it just means that you crossed the finish line of 50,000 words. And I did it! Barely. I "finished" my novel at 50,038 words. This is a big deal for me, someone who has always wanted to write a book but never could stick with it. I learned a lot about the contest, myself, and writing in general in that time and I am grateful for those lessons. Now that I know that I can do it, I am going to keep doing it. It feels so good to set and meet those goals!<br />
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When I first heard about NaNo, I was skeptical. I felt like there was a huge emphasis on the number of words, and not the quality. And sure, that is definitely emphasized. However, I think it depends on the person. Obviously, what I wrote was not excellent, by any means, but I think it has the potential to be. It certainly has more potential than an empty page.<br />
<br />So maybe next year, you should do it with me! Because I know I will certainly be there, slogging through to the very end. Join me!<br />
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-6562 img-responsive" height="192" src="http://cfiles.nanowrimo.org/nano-2013/files/2013/11/2013-Winner-Facebook-Cover.png" title="2013 Winner Facebook Cover" width="520" />iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-88694985048698893522013-11-24T20:32:00.000-08:002013-11-24T20:32:00.598-08:00Delicious food in Bupyeong, Bupyeong Station, Line 1: Cheap Shots!With a name like Cheap Shots, you might be surprised that I am mentioning their food. If you're even familiar with the Bupyeong area and this came up, you're probably rolling your eyes and making "duh" noises. Well, first of all, don't judge a bar by its name and second of all, don't be a jerk. Although Cheap Shots does, indeed, sell cheap shots, they are also fine proprietors of delicious foreign food in the Bupyeong club district.<br />
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The Food: Where to start? The burgers (real DILL pickles! crispity, crunchety bacon! delicious meat!), the poutine (gravy and cheese atop fries, oh my!) occupy all of my time at Cheap Shots, but I've heard great things about their salads and their wings. The variety is amazing, Tommy, the owner and chef, is a super nice guy, and the bar hosts trivia every Thursday at 9:30! What's not to like? The prices for wings are exceptionally cheap, but the poutine and burgers clock in at about 10,000. I think this is perfectly reasonable for perfection.<br />
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Getting There: This can be a bit complicated, but if you already know how to get to the Bupyeong club district or the Starbucks/Baskin Robins gateway, then that's half the battle. Skip down to the next paragraph. If you don't, we will still get you there, don't you worry! *NOTE: There is probably an easier way to get there. However, this is the one I always use and it gets me there eventually.* Get to the main turnstiles at Bupyeong station and then walk straight into the underground shopping abyss. Walk straight until you come to a long, intersecting lane and make a left. Walk straight until you come to a octagonal/circular large open area and look up. There will be arrow signs pointing you in the right direction. Look for the one that says Bupyeong Culture Street and follow it. Walk straight until you see a bunch of male mannequins and make a right out of that exit--#16 or 17, I believe. Go up the escalators. After exiting the escalator bank, turn around and walk around the corner. Bennagin's will be on your left. Follow the corner as it turns and walk straight down the street until you see Starbucks and Baskin Robin's on your left.<br />
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Cross the street. Enter into the club district of doom and try to dodge all the promoters trying to get you to go to their clubs. I promise you, they aren't that great. Make your first right and make a left down the street directly before Ho Bar II. Cheap Shots is on the third floor of the building on your right.iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-75737326271970162912013-11-17T20:18:00.000-08:002013-11-17T20:18:00.175-08:00Delicious food in Bucheon, Sinjung-dong Station, Line 7: Subway sandwiches!Sometimes you have to go where everybody knows your name. And if you live in the area, everyone will know your name here very quickly. You will also fill up their frequent customer rewards cards with alarming speed because I know from experience. <br />
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The Food: Typical subway sandwiches with a few caveats--the avocado mash is some strange, from-a-bag mixture that makes the roof of my mouth itch. The meatball subs use frozen meatballs that are smaller and less tasty than the varieties we are used to at home. The chicken used for any chicken sandwiches is of general poor quality and is also less delicious than you might be used to. They don't offer any varieties of cheese, only offering white processes slices. However, with the exception of those things, this is a great place to go when you crave something American! The cold cuts are awesome and I have no issues with the cheese. The pickles are DILL, the olives are BLACK, and they have jalapenos, hallelujah! A six inch could potentially be less than 5,000 won, but I wouldn't know because I've never been here and gotten anything less than a footlong. Apparently, this restaurant will also turn you into a pig, if you weren't one before.<br />
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Getting there:<br />
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Take Line 7 to Sinjung-dong station. Take exit 3 and go up all the escalators. Out of the escalators, make a left. Lotte Department Store will be on your left. Cross the first street you come to and make a left. Subway will be on your right. If you hit the convenience store or McDonalds, you've gone too far.iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-70551396456963165532013-11-10T20:12:00.000-08:002013-11-10T20:12:00.698-08:00Delicious food in Bucheon, Sang-Dong station Line 7: Indian Food at MacchapucchreAlthough this restaurant can be difficult to find, the food is divine!<br />
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The Food:<br />
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I am personally fond of the Makhani, a mild, creamy sauce with an accompanying meat. You can get it with naan for 11,000 won (9,000 won during lunch times 11:00-3:00). They have curry, tandoori, vindaloo, and more at reasonable prices. The great thing about this place is you get to pick the number of spiciness 1-10. The owners say they usually stick to a 7, and refuse to go up to 10, but if there are any brave souls in your group they might want to risk it! I usually stick with a 3 because I'm a wuss, which means I get really mild, delicious, full-flavored food. Lucky me!<br />
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Getting there:<br />
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Take Line 7 to Sang Dong station and take exit 3 or 4. You will have exited onto a street corner. Turn and look at the Lotteria. The restaurant is on the second floor, directly across the street from KEB. It has lights in the shape of the Taj Mahal in their window, so it may be easier to find at night.iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-27353072970109466782013-11-03T21:29:00.000-08:002013-11-03T21:29:04.191-08:00Racism on Facebook and in South KoreaA Facebook friend of mine began this horrible flame-war about racism today that has given me a lot of mixed feelings. Basically, she was bemoaning the fact that Halloween has become an excuse for blatant and forgivable racism. I can definitely see the point--I mean, when I was three, my mom painted by face with mascara for a beard and put me in a poncho and I went as a Mexican. I suppose you could say it was a different time, but it certainly wasn't the most politically-correct costume choice.<br />
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However, this friend took it several steps further--painting those that participate in All Soul's or Dia de los Muertos as culture-appropriating assholes. This accusation has its flaws, as they are not one and the same. All Soul's is a Catholic holiday, not strictly a Mexican one, and Dia de los Muertos is the Mexican mode of celebrating this Catholic holiday. As a result, not all who celebrate Dia de los Muertos are Catholic, nor are All Soul's supporters necessarily Mexican. When others attempted to point this out, they were flamed as racist mansplainers. Althought the writer of the post was saying "I hate white people" and "I hate how white people [blahblahblah]," which is, in my opinion, just another form of racism. It spreads the hate, pure and simple, and prevents people from coming together to solve problems. Of course, as a white person of privilege, I am able to say that this is, for me, the most poisonous aspect of racism in the world.<br />
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However, having another, more unique perspective--that of a white person living in South Korea, where I am constantly discriminated against, put into positions where others, possessing the cultural capital that I do not, are able to disadvantage me with their words and their actions. I suffer from the discrimination, but also the paranoia of perceived discrimination--that nagging voice in the back of my head that questions why something is happening--is it because I am white or is it because of something else that I don't understand? Being put in this position--where people have literally spit on me because of the color of my skin, where I am judged daily because of how I look--only reinforces the importance of coming together. I am lucky that I grew up in America as part of the majority, where this racism was not ingrained in my psyche and doesn't define how I perceive the world around me. I have that privilege. But I also have perspective.<br />
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I have watched this daily grind turn some foreigners here into racists against Koreans, but it only perpetuates the cycle. Whether or not a minority can truly discriminate against the majority, how does perpetuating hate in any form serve anyone? Does it vindicate the minority? I've sat around with foreigners, making their racist jokes and whining about their discrimination. But I've never felt vindicated by that. I have felt vindicated by finding Koreans who aren't intentionally racist, educating each other about our cultures and beginning to feel understood. iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-61816513605868735672013-11-03T20:06:00.000-08:002013-11-03T20:06:00.517-08:00Delicious food in Samsan-dong, Gulpocheon Station, Line 7: The best Haejjanguk in the world at EbadomAlthough Ebadom is a chain restaurant you are likely to find all around Korea, I am particularly fond of this location. If you have an Ebadom near you, by all means, check out their Haejjanguk or their kamjatang--you won't regret it! If you're in the Samsan-dong area, this should definitely be on your list of restaurants to frequent!<br />
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The Food:<br />
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I am particularly fond of the kamjatang (spicy rib soup with potato), but that is generally meant for larger groups. But the haejjanguk (hangover soup) is almost identical--sadly, without the accompanying potato. But Ebadom recently had a deal where you could order "dolsotbap" with your haejjanguk for no extra charge. This is the purple rice that comes in a ceramic dish, which means--YES!--burned crispy rice at the bottom. Give it a chance. This stuff comes out piping hot, so watch yourself! Also, if you work in the area, there is always the chance you'll run into students because there is a playground attached to the restaurant. Overall, haejjanguk will cost you 7,000 won and the dolsotbap at the mo' comes free (if you ask...). The larger dishes of kamjatang start at 23,000. They also sell steamed mandu (5,000 won), donkas, galbitang, etc.<br />
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Getting There:<br />
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Take Line 7 to Gulpocheon Station. Take the Lotte Mart exit (Exit #6 or 7, I think), and take the escalator up. Walk straight out of the escalators and continue straight across the street. Continue walking straight, with the main road on your right and a series of shops on your left. Cross the street again. At the major intersection with a light, do not cross the street, but look up above the Dunkin' Donuts. On the second floor is Ebadom! Happy hunting!iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-90139035045655371662013-10-27T19:56:00.000-07:002013-10-27T19:56:00.457-07:00Delicious food in Samsan-dong, Gulpocheon Station, Line 7: Vietnamese Shabu Shabu.Although this does not qualify as foreign food, it is certainly delicious! This is by far one of my favorite meals I've had in Korea. The restaurant is named Kkotmareum and serves up an interesting variation on typical shabu shabu.<br />
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The Food:<br />
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The food is a variation of shabu shabu, where you cook meat and vegetables in a pot of boiling broth at your table. However, the vietnamese part comes in when you make spring rolls using your cooked meat before all the veggies and noodles comes in. I like getting the "MEEL" (wheat) noodles and spicy broth. A salad comes before the meal with a delicious peanut dressing on it. The spring rolls and fixings comes with onions, cabbage, beets, cucumber, carrot, and pineapple, as well as a delicious sweet chili dipping-sauce, but they are build-your-own so you can pick and choose your ingredients. The soup comes with a wide array of veggies. After the meal, they will fry up some rice in the leftover broth, but the final product is very jook-y (porridge-like). Overall, it'll cost you ~10,000 won for lunch and 12,000 won for dinner--a steal for shabu shabu!<br />
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Getting there:<br />
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Take Line 7 to Gulpocheon Station. Use the Lotte Mart exit (#6 or 7, I think). Go up the escalators and continue walking straight. Make a left around the side of the building. On your left will be the Lotte Mart building and on your right will be a parking lot. Make your second right, so that the parking lot is on your right and a string of restaurant are on your left. Walk straight, crossing a street. Keep walking straight. You will see Samsan Gymnasium in front of you. Look on your left for the Han's Deli sign, Kkotmareum is in the same building. Make a left after the man in the kiosk allowing people into the underground parking lot. If you reach the end of the street, you've gone too far. Kkotmareum will be on the second floor of the Han's deli building, right next to Han's Deli.iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-48969351587499452522013-10-26T22:33:00.002-07:002013-10-26T22:33:49.288-07:00How to convince your friends to do NaNoWriMo with you<ul>
<li>Emphasize the competitive aspect--secretly, everybody loves the opportunity to one-up even their best friends every once in awhile.</li>
<li>Ask repeatedly--once every other second should do.</li>
<li>Explain that you have no friends to do it with and that you have no willpower to complete this monumentous task alone.</li>
<li>Pout.</li>
<li>Tell them that everybody has a novel inside of them, but only 1% of people will ever write it down. Also: don't check your statistics.</li>
<li>Talk about all the cool stuff you could be doing together, like write-ins and word wars.</li>
<li>Tell them not to bother calling you in November if they won't do NaNo. All non Nano things must wait until December.</li>
<li>Force feed them practical facts and figures that may or may not entirely be backed up by research: Writing daily is good for your psychological health! Writers are, on average, 60% skinnier than a healthy human being! Writing a novel will make you look 89% more attractive to the opposite sex!</li>
<li>If all else fails, wave around all the NaNo goods you get if you win.</li>
</ul>
iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-72667523885032946472013-10-24T18:56:00.000-07:002013-10-24T18:56:22.522-07:00Ladies and gents, it's high time for an announcement. I will be participating in NaNoWriMo 2013 (National Novel Writing Month). For those of you who don't know, this is a . . . thing . . . where you try to write 50,000 words of a novel in the 30 days of November. Yes, my description was so writerly I probably knocked you all on your ass. It's not a competition, unless you count competitions with yourself. Sort of like running . . . while sitting down!<br />
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<b>Why? </b>Why not? I'm tired of wishing I <i>could</i> write a novel, when I'm perfectly capable of <i>actually writing a novel</i>. No, this doesn't mean it will be the Great American Novel. It doesn't even mean it will be any good. But it will be a first draft of something that I wrote and hopefully finish, and I think that will be extremely empowering.<br />
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<b>What does this mean?</b> It means that I will probably be a wreck in November. Don't go expecting magical prose from me in November (because I usually provide such witty repartee). It means I'll be drinking an absurd amount of Dr. Pepper. It means I will be writing every. single. day. It means that I'll be typing away on <a href="http://www.google.co.kr/imgres?imgurl=http://stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/alphasmart30001.jpg&imgrefurl=http://stopsmartmeters.org/2012/12/12/good-tech-gifts-for-the-holidays/&h=385&w=465&sz=36&tbnid=qdv8EANy_5yoJM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=129&zoom=1&usg=__rCHI0FH4LpGKn4P8xSXMSgD0Ckc=&docid=TeKBd09MP8m9EM&sa=X&ei=IMhpUuTIPMSCrge9sYB4&ved=0CDcQ9QEwAg">the most absurd machine on Earth</a>. It means that I'll need sanity breaks, and Barro's breaks, and Barro's write-ins, and Barro's. It means that I probably won't be very nice if I'm not reaching my word count and that I'll reach manic levels of happiness when I'm succeeding.<br />
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<b>How am I preparing?</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Plotting *cue maniacal laughter* and outlining my story.</li>
<li>Setting up a back-up system so I don't lose my novel-in-progress to evil file corrupting minions.</li>
<li>Getting ahead on my schoolwork.</li>
<li>Getting together a writing playlist.</li>
<li>Nailing down every bit of my schedule.</li>
</ul>
<b>What is the story about?</b><br />
Ugh. I knew I couldn't post this here without you wanting to know what I'm writing about. And I know I'll get this question a lot in the next 30 days. But ughhhhh I don't want to. Just know, it's character-driven, it's set mostly in Hawaii, and if you want to read it, too bad!iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-38190266335625957002013-10-20T19:47:00.002-07:002013-10-20T19:47:36.309-07:00Delicious Food in Samsan-dong, Gulpocheon Station (Line 7): Jeon's BurgerEven though I've been in Korea for more than a year at this point, I find myself referring to some very "American" habits. Back home, I was a huge fan of FourSquare and would use it to find new eateries, run potential choices through for reviews and to check out the menus. Even now, if I'm out on the town, I find myself googling "delicious foreign food" + the station I happen to be at. Spoiler alert: the results are NEVER good. Although you can walk around for five minutes anywhere in Incheon or Seoul and find at least six fried chicken joints, when you're out of your normal hood, it's important to choose something special. So, for all my like-minded googlers, I thought I would add some information about my neighborhood for any wanderers looking for delicious food.<br />
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Jeon's Burger<br />
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Don't be fooled by the name. They have a burger, but it's small and only okay. They serve Hamburg steaks (hamburgers without the patties), that come served with tempura shrimp, a twice-baked spinach potato and some mixed veggies. Additionally, they have AWESOME carbonara, a really great oven-baked spaghetti, and a chicken burger that is all right. Prices range from 5,000 won (for the crappy burger) to 8,000 for the pasta dishes. Although I normal refuse to eat pasta when I'm out because of the ease of making it at home, these dishes are well worth the money.<br />
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Directions:<br />
Take Line 7 to Gulpocheon station. Use the Lotte mart exit (#6 or 7, I believe). Go up the escalators to the street level. Continue walking straight off the escalator and make a left around the building. Walk straight. Lotte Mart is on your left, a parking lot is on your right. Turn right down the street on the far end of the parking lot. On your left should be a series of restaurants and on your right should be the parking lot. Jeon's burger will be the second or third restaurant on your left. The sign is in English. Opens at 11 and closes around 9. <br />
<br />iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-21642901154606029282013-10-08T02:01:00.001-07:002013-10-08T02:01:22.642-07:00Black and whiteIt seems in a few short days, my entire life has flip-flopped. I've got from working in an oppressive, fascist workplace to being able to choose how I spend my time. My blood pressure is probably dangerously low after running dangerously high for the last 13 months, I'm well-rested, and I'm finding new things to love about Korea. <div><br></div><div>It seems like I should have known that the people you surround yourself with will make or break your experience. I was too focused on <i>starting </i>the experience, that I didn't put too much thought into the people that would also be a part of it. To say I worked at a "nightmare hagwon" would definitely not be an overstatement or exaggeration. In addition to the frustrations I voiced here on this blog, there were a litany of things that i didn't--because of potential libel issues (freedom of speech isn't exactly a <i>thing </i>here), ongoing legal battles/long-awaited outcomes/closure, or I was just rather depressed about the whole thing and couldn't bring myself to voice the horrible truth. While I'm aware that people have had it worse here in Korea (an around the world), working at my school temporarily warped my view of Korea/Koreans, stripped me of my worker's rights and at times, my dignity. And I probably had a better experience than more than half of my coworkers. </div><div><br></div><div>The difference is now night and day. I am my own boss and my interactions with Koreans are no longer fraught with drama. These interactions are friendly and pleasant. I feel free. </div><div><br></div><div>Unfortunately, I'm not as free as I feel. I still haven't received my deposit nor my flight. Although this is frustrating, I'm still in a better situation than my former coworkers. In my absence, my boss has made numerous illegal moves and new requirements. This is the only platform I have to vent these issues, but I hope that anyone hoping to sign a contract with my former school will think twice. Once I have received my flight and my deposit, I will post their name here and on any other blacklist available so that others' experiences in Korea might be more positive and less dramatic than mine. </div>iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-55502975199688695802013-09-19T22:46:00.001-07:002013-09-19T22:46:34.512-07:00Costco in KoreaWell I did it. I've been talking about it for nearly a year and on Wednesday, I actually did it. I took a trip to Costco. It's about 45 minutes away from my house, but once you're there in that Mecca of wholesale goods, it feels like an insta-trip back home, complete with actual foreigners. <div><br></div><div>When we got there, we headed for the food court. I got pizza and the boys got hot dogs. Despite not having pepperoni (only options were beef bulgogi or combo), the pizza still tasted the same. The boys said the hot dogs were good but the bread was different. By far the weirdest thing we saw was every Korean there taking a heaping plate of the free onions (meant for the hot dogs) mixing it up with ketchup and mustard and eating it straight. Blech!</div><div><br></div><div>It was a bit smaller, but all the familiar things were there--cheese, giant packs of bacon, cheese, pickles, and did I mention cheese?!? These things alone were so worth the trip. </div><div><br></div><div>When I got home, I promptly cut off a hunka hunka cheese and ate like five pickles. Mmmmmmmmmmm. </div>iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-35290119218511889882013-09-16T07:05:00.000-07:002013-09-16T07:05:02.441-07:00My Trip to the Police StationOkay, so that title is total click-bait, I'm sorry. I really did have to go to the police station, but it wasn't for being a dirty, rude foreigner. I had to go (re)start my paperwork process for applying for public schools, which required yet another set of fingerprints/criminal background check business.<br />
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So I got up super early, which for me at the mo' is all of 7:30, and I slogged my tired butt down to the Bupyeong-gu police station. At which point I found out that the fingerprinting guys (a.k.a. the CSI UNIT!) aren't open until 9 a.m. This made me .so. sad.<br />
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So I sat and waited and grumbled to myself a little bit. I'd been waiting for probably six minutes when this big-wig walks in and is speaking perfect English. With like...a twang. Like he's from the south.<br />
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The dude end up being so helpful--he opened up the CSI unit for me specifically! Now I've got my fingers crossed that the FBI accepts my prints. All in all, I hope every trip to the police station ends so well!iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-75392100503339642502013-09-13T18:49:00.000-07:002013-09-13T18:50:40.059-07:00Chuseok 2013It's that time of year again, folks. The kids get dressed up in their <i>hanbok</i>, we make <i>ssangpyeon</i>, play games like <i>tuho</i> and <i>yutnori</i>. The only difference is this year, I've got a radical camera to capture all the cute moments. Here are a few of my favorites:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTbb97pnXzfsPt7ggiQvO7yCrWqJGA0Ka3k35ACQswps2lN_6hlU7_KtphlfFW-FAicGVvgswjFhcNgHVlN7dNQNho_M6CnQkSFdAJvF8E0UPwvV4RcXVpjFvJlv9EmrwMoznEroJkGY/s1600/DSC_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTbb97pnXzfsPt7ggiQvO7yCrWqJGA0Ka3k35ACQswps2lN_6hlU7_KtphlfFW-FAicGVvgswjFhcNgHVlN7dNQNho_M6CnQkSFdAJvF8E0UPwvV4RcXVpjFvJlv9EmrwMoznEroJkGY/s640/DSC_0421.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEIyvq4NbUDggCmlTXef4dELJ8sl_61V6Lil_28GPu4nkiNN7zaT6dpeIV7sXMIPdeVGEQ5HeXQolEJ88m2fXP9HVBLpEJU-HnRymT8zG26__izv3COG20a5sOzD9C84NpMCEfP-uKMU/s1600/DSC_0435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEIyvq4NbUDggCmlTXef4dELJ8sl_61V6Lil_28GPu4nkiNN7zaT6dpeIV7sXMIPdeVGEQ5HeXQolEJ88m2fXP9HVBLpEJU-HnRymT8zG26__izv3COG20a5sOzD9C84NpMCEfP-uKMU/s640/DSC_0435.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was so cute, everyone wanted to be as close to me as possible, so we ended up with a very crowded picture!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ljPL3WcwYhwbV_wthswqiDtcHitMbsK7w4gpEUyEIhdr7ZJ1KRlcNmJm_hBS6HclB3Q46_HeHA8-sDf3wUga7NstKKWj30r5N0Nbh6Pd5wnegrF_sQYk5xSnvfduzSK7lOB3eu7kYZE/s1600/DSC_0520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ljPL3WcwYhwbV_wthswqiDtcHitMbsK7w4gpEUyEIhdr7ZJ1KRlcNmJm_hBS6HclB3Q46_HeHA8-sDf3wUga7NstKKWj30r5N0Nbh6Pd5wnegrF_sQYk5xSnvfduzSK7lOB3eu7kYZE/s640/DSC_0520.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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These two little girls killed me! They were so adorable. Here, they are being told how to wrestle. Their reactions are probably the cutest thing in the world. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ8I_pldH9O29FFuduiCYlHXACMZqNLLSwU-eK98NbNRqbFJsN1nVplOWmAC7nTHFZNC3sa34uhTiX8T8SO9Xa9vuW6N7yrJ0NZjKrX-gQs_0kymnR8YyQlKnGWWcXj-gU9sSLf37-XE/s1600/DSC_0532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ8I_pldH9O29FFuduiCYlHXACMZqNLLSwU-eK98NbNRqbFJsN1nVplOWmAC7nTHFZNC3sa34uhTiX8T8SO9Xa9vuW6N7yrJ0NZjKrX-gQs_0kymnR8YyQlKnGWWcXj-gU9sSLf37-XE/s640/DSC_0532.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFV52dN_lwoFFSjLSVbJAT6vVm5g6rwi7iJLq_wamXStaO5bebAbZxLd58SU8rzS2KVeoNFstH2hQJyPBCd3di-0B5MtemXdUcxtrJT__sGmbYb2aKS5FYqWkFVVqKeKrVP09vd0RkD4/s1600/DSC_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFV52dN_lwoFFSjLSVbJAT6vVm5g6rwi7iJLq_wamXStaO5bebAbZxLd58SU8rzS2KVeoNFstH2hQJyPBCd3di-0B5MtemXdUcxtrJT__sGmbYb2aKS5FYqWkFVVqKeKrVP09vd0RkD4/s640/DSC_0573.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Chae Been's face! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrasR2sQ7RiQvQq-ibIVOHanirLR8DK7vEYKXjokHbWS91kUuLeM1XIGrLJChv0IONqksnceDtIXDiVieA7S65GOfrzSfdkU8W5aTtA_6VR7mC8PkxMLJhukAu6dEC9-7XG58L-AMwmY/s1600/DSC_0594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrasR2sQ7RiQvQq-ibIVOHanirLR8DK7vEYKXjokHbWS91kUuLeM1XIGrLJChv0IONqksnceDtIXDiVieA7S65GOfrzSfdkU8W5aTtA_6VR7mC8PkxMLJhukAu6dEC9-7XG58L-AMwmY/s640/DSC_0594.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1X5s3lRGspZR4VitAz47VKIVNelFuRi-2FLKI8KGRSvvuRAtfvU3nUdw3zQQz3fAJZAriHTSzHfmPKi56XS-mzCFDXLlkDd-f8Nf-9ytqmLqjc2MHQOe40iItvIXvHu4b01Yx1uxYI9k/s1600/DSC_0653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1X5s3lRGspZR4VitAz47VKIVNelFuRi-2FLKI8KGRSvvuRAtfvU3nUdw3zQQz3fAJZAriHTSzHfmPKi56XS-mzCFDXLlkDd-f8Nf-9ytqmLqjc2MHQOe40iItvIXvHu4b01Yx1uxYI9k/s640/DSC_0653.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My class winning yutnori. <br />
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I love all the faces in this picture--Kat is getting a massage from June, Jin-Seo is mooning the camera, Curie's face is hysterical and Amy's "claw."</div>
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Overall, an excellent Korean Thanksgiving to all! I think I'll be putting on a traditional Thanksgiving next week. Still no turkey :(</div>
<br />iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-25390553242490144252013-09-09T04:20:00.000-07:002013-09-09T04:20:18.126-07:00It's Official!: One YearOne year ago today, I hopped on a plane for a great adventure. I said goodbye to my family, to my pooch, to my friends, and to my life as I knew it. And I came halfway across the world and found Korea.<br />
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In the last year, I've experienced so many good things. I had a great many adventures. I've met people who have changed the course of my life and who have taught me a great deal about the world and about myself. I have learned bits of two new languages and cultures. I've learned to whom I matter most in the world by the effort both myself and others were willing to put into maintaining relationships. I've experienced a sense of freedom unlike any ever before. I've been moved to continue my education. I've saved money, and I've gotten out of debt. I bought a plane ticket for more adventures.<br />
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But there have been bad things, too. I've become more jaded. I've understood and experienced oppression because of my skin color. I've felt so completely alone and isolated from the world, paralyzingly insignificant. I've bought so (so, so, so) many clothes I was just plain too fat to fit into.<br />
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It's a great feeling to be able to say the good outweighed the bad. It's how I know that I won't just be pleased looking back on my experience. I won't just see this experience as a good resume-builder.<br />
--And as an aside, since WHEN was that an important thing by which to measure your life experiences??--<br />
I already know I will look back on this experience as one of the most important, life-changing experiences of my life. To one year, Korea! 건배!iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-86878627150825301442013-09-07T18:41:00.000-07:002013-09-07T18:41:00.296-07:00Cooking in Korea: How to Prepare Before You ArriveWhen you first arrive in Korea, it can be difficult to know what to eat. You return to your collegiate behaviors and eat ramen and fried eggs for every meal. It's just so tempting because it's so hard to find familiar foods at your local stores. For example, my coworker, the Loud American, eats at least one instant ramen a day (he swears by the sesame one), and has gotten increasingly fancier with it since his arrival in MARCH, adding egg, cheese, and other chopped veggies.<br />
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But considering that instant ramen is filled with few nutritional elements and the saner amongst us will tire of freeze-dried noodles eventually, I want to help provide some insight on cooking at home with readily available ingredients. There's another wonderful and hilarious blog that provides some recipes for those of us in Korea(<a href="http://afatgirlsfoodguide.com/">afatgirlsfoodguide.com</a>), but require some online ordering from places like <a href="http://iherb.com/">iherb.com</a> or trips to out-of-the-way places like the foreign food market in Itaewon or the Costco near Seoul. Don't get me wrong, iherb is an EXCELLENT resource for those of us cooking at home in Korea and I highly suggest it. But sometimes you just want to cook something delicious as soon as you get off from work. So there.<br />
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If you, like me, frame your entire life through the lens of the food you eat, then I highly suggest preparing yourself before you come here. For example, I will be leaving Korea in November and returning in February. You can bet your butt that I'll be packing my suitcase with some key things to help make my second year of eating in Korea better than the first.<br />
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For example--instant ranch packets. I'm partial to the Hidden Valley ones, but I'm sure any will do. My mom sent a few of these in a care package and now I'm sold. Make with buttermilk instead of regular milk/cream and you've got yourself one delicious batch of buttermilk ranch. Oh? But Korea doesn't sell buttermilk? BAM! Make it yourself. One cup milk (or cream for thicker dressing) and a squirt of vinegar, a five minute wait and a stir and voila! Buttermilk. I'll save the rant of the awesomeness of vinegar for another post.<br />
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So you better believe I'll be bringing about a million ranch packets and eating half myself and blackmailing coworkers and friends with the other half.<br />
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Another thing--instant salsa. My mom sent a packet and it took me forever to use it because it didn't really look all that delicious. And then I made it and about ten minutes later it was all gone.<br />
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Canned green chiles. I made green chile pork awhile back because when my mom and brother visited, they brought a pallet of green chiles. These things add the right kind of spice to chili and pretty much anything else and are impossible to find here.<br />
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Also--spices. Every blog ever says that, but most weren't specific. For next time, I'll definitely be bringing dried herbs like oregano/Italian seasoning, cilantro (impossible to get here outside of iherb.com), thyme and rosemary. You can find bay leaves here in bulk. I'll also be bringing garlic/onion salt and powders, aromat, boullion cubes (possible to find but difficult), cumin and chili powder. <br />
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Finally, I suggest gathering up all your favorite recipes before you leave. Then, become a master at substitution. Most stores won't have what you're used to. No celery/familiar-looking spinach/? No problem. iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-47850812080538339022013-08-31T18:21:00.001-07:002013-08-31T18:29:19.053-07:00Cooking in Korea: Pasta e FagioliCooking in Korea can be tricky. Usually I find myself hankering for something familiar from back home only to realize it requires something impossible to find here, or something that absolutely requires a trip to a store far away. It's very disappoint.<br />
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So when I end up making something delicious with "local" ingredients, I know I've found a winner meant to be shared with the internets. Now when I say I made pasta e fagioli (like the Olive Garden one), I should probably use quotation marks and air quotes and all the quotes that exist because this is <i>not </i>a religious adherence to all the pasta e fagioli rules, but rather a delicious, similar-tasting version that's easy to make and with ingredients that are easy to find in Korea.<br />
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So the recipe--makes four-ish servings.<br />
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All ingredients found at Lotte Mart.<br />
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One of the smaller carrots they sell--grated<br />
One onion--chopped.<br />
Ground beef or pork--one package.<br />
Half a bottle of LM brand Rose spaghetti sauce.<br />
Two tomatoes--chopped. <br />
Small pasta shapes--3/4 cup(?)<br />
Parmesan cheese--for garnish.<br />
Tobasco/hot sauce--for garnish.<br />
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Saute onion and ground meat until onions are translucent. Add carrot. It'll look like a lot of carrot. Probably too much carrot. Don't be fooled by the excess amount of carrot. Add half a bottle of LM's Rose sauce. Drooling as I think about this sauce... Add tomatoes and a cup of water or two. Remember this will boil down as the the veggies absorb the water. Stir and simmer for however long you're feeling the simmer and the carrot gets soft and delicious and the tomato skins start rolling off. IF you have Italian herb seasoning, go for it. Pepper and salt aren't remiss either. After the simmer is done simmering, add another cup of water (if needed) and the pasta. Once pasta is soft, serve with parm, tobasco, or whatever else you have on hand.<br />
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(Not pictured: the boyf, the Loud American, the Canadian 2.0, and myself wolfing down this amazaeballs soup) <br />
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**Note: this would probably be a delicious and semi-healthy spaghetti sauce as well. The consistency of the "soup" is rather stew-like/chili-like so get your hearty on. Yumyum.iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-1365261788145015702013-08-26T04:40:00.002-07:002013-08-26T04:40:42.496-07:00What's NextI know it the post I was all hulk-smashy about everything that has been going on, but I never really talked about why there are now problems and what everything means for me.<br />
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I had a very carefully organized house of cards that came crashing down last week. Here's the gist:<br />
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The original plan: I had it set up so I would "officially" end my contract September 10, as far as Immigration was concerned and would continue working until November 1st. As of this week, I was going to switch to a D10 visa, which is the jobseekers' visa which would allow me to stay in the country for an additional three months, extendable for another three, without a job/visa sponsor. That put me in the end of February~March 10 range before I would need another job in Korea. With the D10 come certain perks (no need to resubmit those pesky and expensive documents, such as criminal background check, diploma, etc.) but there also came certain caveats (I couldn't leave the country for more than 90 days to ensure its validity).<br />
<br />
Now that my house of cards has crumbled, this means:<br />
<ul>
<li>I still have to stay in the country until the first week of November in order to be out of Korea for less than 90 days because I already bought a flight to South Africa for the third week in January and don't plan on coming back until February.</li>
<li>I will be staying in the country without a home or a paycheck for a month or more.</li>
<li>My boss could still possibly be a pain about buying my ticket so that it complies with Immigration regulations which state that the flight home must occur within 2 weeks of my contract end date, thereby complicating my 90 day stipulation, yet again.</li>
<li>I still have to pay for school during my month or more of unemployment. By magic, I suppose? </li>
</ul>
There are other complications here that I have forgotten or have yet to rear their ugly heads, but these are the main ones right there. On the plus side, my boss extended me by two weeks after I brought up my logical point about my coworker being out of the country for a week and running an English hagwon with only three native English speakers.iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-63684808724329082302013-08-21T05:55:00.001-07:002013-08-21T05:55:41.849-07:00Being bitten by the snakeSummer is still very much underway here in the big K. The humidity just broke for the first time in months, although anything I leave out for even the shortest amounts of time stills molds, including laundry, fruit, or bread.<br />
<br />
And then there's the work stuff. So on Monday night, I had a difficult time sleeping and I realized that I hadn't gotten my contract for my extension worked out yet and it's kind of coming down to the wire. Several months ago (methinks April?) I approached my boss about extending for a couple months. I really wanted to because it would work out in a carefully-timed scheme so that I could potentially work at a public school in February without resubmitting my very expensive, very time consuming documents. That was problem numero uno--framing this extension as a need of mine, when really, I should have framed it as a need of <i>hers</i>, the dragon lady aka my boss.<br />
<br />
Well after a sleepless night on Monday, I came in on Tuesday and asked my boss if I could talk to her about contracting the extension. At which point she says, "Ummmm....yeah... I've been meaning to talk to you about that for awhile but I just really didn't want to. Yeah...well, see. The thing is...we have had 30 kids drop out this month....and you know...we have nine teachers here...that is like less than 20 kids per teacher...and so yeah... we won't be able to have you extend."<br />
<br />
I was absolutely floored. FLOORED. First of all, out of the nine teachers, four are foreign staff and five are Koreans, three of which with limited English proficiency. AT AN ENGLISH ACADEMY. Second of all, she has personally told half of those parents to take a hike because she just isn't willing to compromise with parents concerned about their child's education. And to top it all off, she's known for WEEKS and hasn't bothered to say anything?!?!<br />
<br />
So I was beyond upset and asked when my final day would be. I went from a "definite" November 1, with a potential few extra weeks tossed in to a final October 4. From 10 weeks left here to less than six in a swift moment. Although this realization was shocking, it was not as shocking as my boss' utter neglect of any consideration for me, whatsoever. If I hadn't approached her on Tuesday, when would she have talked to me? When would she have done her due diligence by me and INFORMED me of what was going on???<br />
<br />
When we talked about it again today, I stood up for myself. I ensured that I would be paid entirely at a certain date, that I could stay in my apartment a few extra days to move and was assured of the work that would be required of me before I left. Of course, I will not rest assured until there has been a contract signed to the effect of all of this because she's a lying, conniving snake and a whole bunch of other words I can't write on a forum that my mother reads.<br />
<br />
But still I couldn't resist getting my digs in. So I asked about the American, who is leaving for a week after my new end date. "So you're just going to have three English teachers at an English academy?" She assured me that I was correct. So I just whistled (which she hates) and said "Wow then I am glad I won't be working here by then."iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5553924774782535748.post-75976973939213233582013-08-15T03:38:00.000-07:002013-08-15T03:38:00.440-07:00Nothing Gold Can StayI've already passed the 11-month mark here in Korea. It is so surreal to go from being that wide-eyed new kid on the block meeting all these savvy foreigners who can spit out what sounds like gobbledegook and help you navigate your way around Korean streets, food, and culture to being the person who seemed to know so much--without really knowing anything at all!<br />
<br />
Yes, a lot has changed.<br />
<br />
I think about leaving my students and I get horribly sad. I don't want to think about it for a second. I have to start training the Loud American to be me. And it's so hard. I don't want to think about my kindy's loving on another teacher, holding their hand and trying to monopolize their attention. That's MY job. I'm already mourning the loss of them and I'm not even leaving for another three and a half months. <br />
<br />
I'm sure you think I'm exaggerating, but even on their worst days, I just love hanging out with these silly five year olds.<br />
<br />
Even when they spit on me because they were holding water in their mouths and then they started laughing.<br />
Or cough in my face.<br />
Or break my shoe. <br />
Or steal my food.<br />
Or seven of them are calling "teacherrrrr!" at the exact same time.<br />
Or they bawl their eyes out.<br />
Or they cling to me and try to rip off my arms.<br />
Or play with glitter all over the table and make a huge mess. <br />
<br />
There are just as many times they come to sit on my lap for no reason at all.<br />
And come to the teacher's room to tell me a story about something that happened during lunch.<br />
Or shout "See you tomorrow!"/"Goodnight!"/"See you in 300 million years!"<br />
Or make jokes about the air conditioning sounding like a coffee maker. "Teacher wants coffee?"<br />
Or draw cute pictures of us together.<br />
Or clean up my classroom for me.<br />
Or tell people how much they love me.<br />
<br />
I'm really savoring these moments now because I know I'm going to blink, and then they'll be gone. :(iamthecheesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626553567782254809noreply@blogger.com0