Chosun Bimbo

Korean ABCs

Terribly boring week so here is a bit of a diversion cooked up after seeing similar things around the place. Enjoy:

A is for Ajossi - Old Korean men clad in checkered polyester pants pulled up around their nipples who spit and curse a lot. The female equivilant lacks the polyester pants, but instead are almost always wearing the latest perm.

B is for "Bravo your life" and the hundered other non-sensical english catch phrases used by every large scale Korean company to embue some sort of modernity and sophistication but make no sense at all. (B is also for BABO!)

C is for Children. Korean children are at the same time my biggest source of amusement and frustration. I never remember being so thoughtful as a nine and ten year old. But at the same time I remember being just as much a little shit!

D is for Dokbokki. My favourite Korean dish, Red pepper paste, Rice cake, Cabbage, Onion, Spring Onion and Dried ground fish.

E is for electronics. In particular the Seoul suburb of Yongsan: a veritable cornocopia of electronic goodness, where, for reasonable prices, you can pick up anything from the latest camera to bootleg DVDs to chipped PS2's with hard drives full of bootleg games.

F is for Frappucino. Not the quintessential Korean thing I know, but being able to get Frappucino in a bottle is a godsend considering...

G is for Good coffee. Or rather the lack of it. The nearest Latte is a 40 minute bus and 20 minute taxi ride away. Christ I hate living in such a small town sometimes.

H is for hanbok. The traditional Korean dress. Girls get it really good: bright coloured silky robes, pretty buttons and head dress. The guys - MC Hammer pants and a very efeminate vest!

I is for Idiot. And fool, ass, dullard and anything else that can be loosly translated into Babo. Never fails to amuse the kids when you attach Babo to the end of someone's name, you have them rolling in the aisles when you call yourself babo too.

J is for Jung Chul Interlab. Yes the world famous in Korea franchise english language programme that I have been pontificating to my students for the last year and a half.

K is for Korean Penninsula. A country divided, DaeHanMinGuk - The Republic of Korea, South Korea, Home. And Chosun - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, BukHan also known as communist North Korea.

L is for Let's Speak Korean. A short language programme shown 3 times a day on Arirang TV - Korea's English language station. I bought the book, listened to (half) of the tapes and still can't form a proper sentence in Korean. L is also for Lisa, the sexy Korean American co-host of Let's Speak Korean.

M is for Mandu Ramyon. Basically Wonton Noodle soup. Mmmmmmmm yummy!

N is for Nang Myon. Korean's eat seasonally - Nang Myon is a cold dish consisting of noodles in a cold (sometimes iced, sometimes partially frozen like slushee) mustardy vinegary broth. Perfect for those summer evenings when you don't want to sweat buckets eating hot kimchi chiggae

O is for Ooops Bar, My home away from home away from New Zealand. Where else in Nonsan can you pick up  five dollar beers, six dollar shots and good looking bar staff. Not to mention the huge amount of free shit (and new friends) I have got out of the place.

P is for Playstation. Playstation 2 and Playstation Portable. What better way to while away a cold minus 3 winter's afternoon than battling it out on the track playing Gran Turismo 4? Or for that matter playing Tiger Woods golf on the KTX bound for Seoul. God bless you Sony corporation of Japan

Q is for Quickly. One of the things I've had to get used to is "Korean Time" everything is done at a relativly relaxed pace. For those of us who like to organise the big things a couple of weeks in advance it can be troubling. Try organising a new washing machine! Fuckin' a week and a half mate!

R is Rice. in Korean "Bab" Found in many forms and in many culinary ways. If you come to Korea, along with Kimci, you'll be eating a lot of rice. Thing is: if you want to buy some at the store be prepared - minimum quantity available: 10KG!

S is for Soju. The work of the devil I tell you! Goes down like water but as you now know if you have read any of these posts makes your eyes bulge out of your skull the next morning, you feel like someone has inserted a 13 inch rusty nail into the back of your brain and you spend the next two days wondering why someone (ie YOU) has scrawled happy birthday in Korean really badly on all the 10000 won notes in your wallet!

T is for TV. 75 channels ranging from the latest korean drama to CNN. All mine for W2200 a month (Thats about $3.00)

U is for "ㅡ" the totally unpronouncable Korean vowel. Sort of like that sound you make when you throw up. "euugh!".

V is for "Very Goooooood!" The ultimate compliment you can pay to a 9 year old learning English. They love it.

W is for Won. The Korean monetary unit - W1000 equals roughly $1.30 New Zealand. There are only 3 denominations of notes: 1000, 5000 and 10000. So imagine the hassle when you go to buy a new Laptop and want to pay cash.

X is for ktX. Korea's bullet train. Starting in April last year the KTX is the quickest (90 minutes) and most comfortable way to get from Nonsan to Seoul. Plus with a Samsung card there are first class lounges with free coffee at every major station

Y is for Chinese new Year. Another excuse to get drunk just after Christmas. Excellent!

Z is for Zaitun. The Korean military unit in Iraq. Did you know Korea has the third largest number of troops in Iraq after Britain and the US?

And some more pics from Wido courtesy of Cpt Park:

Stafford and Sam

who are these two again?

I have to stop people from taking pictures of me when a) I am drunk or b) hungover!

The Devil's work

It's not often I get drunk and make a complete fool of myself (well not THAT often) but last night was a bit of a write off.

It all started when I got a message from Ken inviting me to dinner. We went to the BBQ place around the corner from the apartment, and the Soju started. It all ended with me throwing money at Jieun (literally) after writing happy birthday on the notes. I think they were only W1000 notes but I just don't remember.

I have decided Soju is the Devil's work. This morning I could hardly stand and wasn't able to keep my eyes open until at least lunch time (several kids had to keep waking me up in class). This inspite of 8 hours sleep - Ladies and Gentlemen I was in bed and asleep (comatose) before 11.

Thankfully the regular hangover cure of Dokbokki worked a charm after work and this evening I am feeling considerably better.

Summer is officially over in that afternoon classes will resume from Monday. Autumn started on the calendar last week and it is still as hot as hell, but sadly the lazy hazy days of summer are gone...or are going.

I am now in the process of seriously considering my options for next year with only six months left on my contract here in Korea. I would like to stay a bit longer perhaps, but the novelty is wearing off - even though it has taken 18 months - usually I get bored far more quickly. The former Auckland Teacher's College (now UofA) requires interviews in December, meaning it will be pretty impossible for me to attend from March. Secondly I don't think there is a second semester start for Dip Tchg. I need a couple of stage two papers in English to qualify for a targeted subject scholarship so I thought I might go back to varsity in second semester and start Teacher's College March 2007 (I will eventually become a real teacher) and how the hell am I going to pay for all this. (well there was a reason for coming to Korea in the first place wasn't there?)

The primary sources of my election coverage are TVNZ and Russell Brown. I was rolling around with laughter when I saw National's new Taxathon ad. Don't mean I'll vote for the right wing bastards though!

Celebrity Treasure Island

Wow! So much has happened since my last real entry (short one liners from mobile phones aside). I tell ya, these morning starts are killing me!

First things first it was with sadness that I opened this morning's Korea Times to learn that former PM David Lange passed away (Shit I was astounded last week to learn he had his leg chopped off.) I don't think anyone else deserves more credit than Lange for stirring up some sort of self awareness of what it is to be a New Zealander. I was still in Primary school when he resigned as PM (and I remember that day very clearly, even now), but in the ensuing years I have studied a fairly large amount on the '84 Labour Govt. and learnt that New Zealand owes a great deal to David Lange's forthright steadfastness in the face of both International powers (ie the USA) and his critics at home.

He will be missed.

On to some more pleasant things. Finally I have managed to get those pics from Sam of some raucous drunkeness a month or so ago and they are presented here for your viewing pleasure:

Mental note: don't let people take pictures of you after half a dozen beers and a bottle of Jonnie Walker. Here is Sam doing his day job:
He flys a Black Hawk for the Korean Air Force. Here he is again (Front aircraft left hand side:)
Any way it is timely that I should post these as Sam (Captain Park) invited me to go with him and some of his friends to Wido for the weekend. Wido is an Island off the west coast of Cholla Buk Do about two hours drive from Nonsan. We left Nonsan at about 10am on Saturday after picking up some BBQ meat and supplies. Arriving at Gyokpo for lunch (Black noodles - yummy). On the way we stopped off at this film set where this really famous historical drama on KBS is filmed. The series is about Admiral Yi Soon Shin who fought off the Japanese in like the 16th century using "Turtle Ships" so that was kinda fun.

The ferry ride took about 40 minutes and was the usual korean fare when it cam to transport - as many people on as possible sit any where its all good, but not to say unpleasant.

Here are some Turtle ships used by the production at the warf where we caught the ferry to Wido

We finally arrived on Wido and proceded to our accomodations - a lovly log cabin type arangement seconds from the beach where for the first time in well over 2 years I went swimming, and not in the relativly safety of a pool by god's own ocean - It was fantastic. And I got some sun (ahgain for the first time in I don't know when) Indeed Terribly sunburnt but hey...

Here is the ferry.

The view from the batch we were stayiing at was amazing and could have been any beach in New Zealand - pangs of home sickness... Any way. So we had dinner, way to much to drink and went to bed - all that sun and swimming makes you very tired! Sunday it was back to civilisation and finally Nonsan. Sam is another positive indictment on Korean People: We met at a bar and have only seen each other maybe 3 times in total but was kind enough to iinvite me on holiday look after me and show me another beautiful part of Korea. I have decided that it is not Korea per se, but Korean people that I like about this country. They are warm and by in large friendly and always willing to make a foreignors stay more comfortable.

GO KOREA TEAM FIGHTING!!!!

In other news today is August 15. In the West it is of course VJ day, or Victory over Japan, marking the end of World War two. In Korea it has more significance in that it marks the end of Japanese colonial rule on the Penninsula. (I mean I'd celebrate that...wouldn't you?) So it's another public holiday which means the second short week this month (Assah!) I could get used to this. Unfortunately due to Calenderical vaguries Chusok (Korean Thanksgiving) lands on a Sunday next month so only one long weekend in September Oh well!

August 15 is also Ji eugn's 21st birthday. Happy birthday 'Bizzare Girl'!

SUMMER HOLIDAY

Blogging live from the ferry terminal waiting for tickets to Wido. Its as hot as 100 maoris in a hangi

Dokbokki (Another long one)

Not quite the essential Korean dish that Kimchi is, but Dokbokki is a favourite amongst most kids in Korea, and me in particular. Essentially it is made of Dok or rice cake, onion, garlic Dried fish and Red Pepper paste in a sort of soup. It is relativly spicy (the Red Pepper paste) and i always receive admiring glances from Koreans whenever I sit down at a retaurant to consume a large plate of it's garlic-y rice cake goodness.

So what better way to end the month and start two days (plus the weekend) of Hogwan summer vacation than teaching the kids at school the recipe in English while fellow Korean Teachers Kelly and Sophia slave over a hot plate on the hottest day of summer making the stuff to feed the kids!?

I have to commend Sophia on her introduction of doing something interesting on the last Friday of each month as it means I don't have to do any real teaching and the Kids are always so well behaved in front of their Korean Teachers. (Trecherous little shits!) Sophia is really mean to the kids in that she wouldn't let them have any of the Dokbokki until they had named at least like 3 or 4 of the ingredients in English. I'm a push over by contrast giving away reward stickers and such willy nilly - they don't respect me honestly...

The weather has been hot this week so far and doesn't look like it is gonna cool down any time soon. To prove the fact that the spiders here are huge look at this giant yellow one outside work:

After work I took this month's hard earned salary and sent a vast swathe of it home, which continues to make me feel really good about myself. Pitty most of it will end up in the IRD coffers.

I received an email from the Grandparents, who reported the safe arrival of the Parents back in the country, and they really enjoyed the photos, and subsequently emailed Mum who will probably still be clearing her email as you read this after 9 weeks away from work.

So four days holiday loomed come 5 o'clock on Friday afternoon and I was fucked if I was goona sit and have to watch my crappy piece of shit TV for 4 days. So what Did I do? I went and layed down a hundred thousand (just over a hundred bucks) for a semi - new 22 inch Samsung TV. And shit have I been missing out man! Not only does the playstation look better but I have like 60 channels I had no idea I had on the shitty old one including OCN (lots and lots of English programming: CSI Vegas, Miami, NYC, Movies etc) Super Action (Your Action Movie Channel), Home CGV (More of the same) and a good - well better picture when I watch CNN. Bloody hell mate - the 2000 won I pay for cable seems even more cheap now man - 60 odd channels -  for 2 bucks - can you believe it!!!!?

So Friday night I got drunk and ate chocolate cake while watching Sex in the City and went to bed.

As a result Saturday was a bit of a right off but oh well, 3 more days to go.

Sunday I woke at a reasonable hour to go to Daejon to see Korea play China in the soccer. Awesome! I have never been to an international soccer match before and I would have to say this was a pretty good introduction. B seating cost W30000 (more than I thought) and the view was pretty good at Daejon World Cup Stadium. England has the Balmy Army, NZ has those fellas in the 70s uniform at the cricket and Korea has the Red Devils and truely amaziing to see them in person shouting screaming and singing (as well as booing at the appropriate time.)

The game was pretty good too even for a soccer neophyte like myself. China plays pretty dirty - one player recieving a red card only 6 minutes into the first half. Both teams were goaless at half time and first blood went to China. Korea followed up shortly with a goal from a free kick and spent the last 10 minutes or so of the match exclusivly in the area but couldn't get past the Chinese keeper. From what I picked up on MBC Sports there is some contention as to the strength of Korea's offence - the number of shots they made in those last minutes really should have resulted in a goal and remember China had been restricted to 10 men for most of the game.

It was actually a double header at Daejon with Japan playing North Korea afterwards but I only stayed long enough to see the DPRK team and have all the blue and white unification flags come out and to hear a raucous BOOOOOOO! when the japanese team came out. heehee.

It was a son of a bitch to get from the stadium back to the bus terminal to come home to Ninsan and I ended up standing waiting for a taxi for almost an hour but got on the bus in time to meet three Pakistanis who work in a factory here in the 'Big N'.

Got back to Nonsan in time to take a chocolate cake rouund to Ooops to give to Yunhee to apologise for my rash of no-shows at dinner time and ended up sitting with Jieun who was drinking rather than working behind the bar for a change. She is really pretty, but even in Korean I gather she is a bit of a freak and learnt (appropriately) that if you translate her nickname means 'Bizzare Girl'. It was and will continue to be a point of immense hilarity from now on. Although I am gonna avoid Ooops for a while me thinks in the face of current morning classes and a funny feeling I'm getting there at the moment. Had a semi-run in with a (older)guy at the bar until he noticed I was wearing my buddahist beads and could communicate there meaning in Korean. So I won't be there for a while - notwithstanding Ken's next visit to Nonsan and Jieun's birthday which I managed to be invited too.

As a result Monday was a bit of a right off but oh well, 1 more days to go.

Monday I tried to plug into the internerd at work but there was no power...no lights no computer, no modem no shit. There are renovations going on upstairs at Koreo E Sukool so I imagine that had something to do with it. I was faced with the same issue on Tuesday on the last day of my quote 'vacation' and so for only the second or so time in a year and a half (and first time in Nonsan if memory serves) I availed my self of a PC Bang - an Internet cafe. Which is always a good experience cos you can smoke, the connection is lightnening fast and they always have comfy seats. It's a bitch you can't plug in your laptop though.

It rained a couple of times during the (long) weekend, but not once during the day. Was woken at 4am Monday morning by a hell of a storm that had passed by a more reasonable hour and it wasn't until Tuesday night that there was a consistant down pour. Other parts of the Penninsula have seen mammoth amounts of the wet stuff - pretty lucky here in Nonsan. And it has rained briefly here today (Wednesday).

So anyway, now that I have written this offline at home I will go into work and hope there is power to post! Also looking into downloading v2.0 firmware for my PSP - depending on what the word on the street is. I have found a wifi hotspot here in Nonsan - conveniently it's Lotteria - as the new firmware apparently has a web browser. (no Java though apparently) So we'll see how it goes. Until next time this is yours truely...signing off.