South South Korea

• This weekend Sunny, her husband, and I went on a road trip to the southern part of the country. Sunny’s husband drove while us girls snoozed in the back seat for the 4 or 5 hour drive Friday night after work. Sunny’s husband was competing against 15 of his co-workers that weekend at a country club. Surprisinly, he won first place; even after only getting 2 hours of sleep that night. Her husband was sharing a room with 3 other guys and I think they spent to evening drinking and singing. Sunny and I on the other hand cleaned up and then went right to bed. We had a big day ahead of us and needed our rest. So no matter how many text messages she got asking for us to join the party she turned them all down.
• The next morning we were up at 7 and packed and out of the hotel before 8. Sunny drove us further south to a green tea farm. It was beautiful! Rows and rows of green tea growing on a hill side. We climbed to the top of the mountain and were rewarded with a breathtaking ocean view. Then, we made our way down the back side of the mountain, the shady side with no tea, and were rewarded once again with another 2 breathtaking views. The first was of fresh, cool, water falls. The second was of an ajima (pushy, older married Korean woman) who passed me on going down the trail in high heels. It was muddy and rocky from the waterfalls but that didn’t stop ajima! My jaw dropped! But surprisingly, she wasn’t the only Korean girl I saw hiking in heels, but she was the only one hiking faster then me.
• After a lovely lunch of seafood bimbibap we went to the next green tea farm. But not before getting our very own green tea plants! Now I can make my very own fresh green tea, I don’t even need to dry the leaves first, just take it straight from the source. At our next green tea farm I we were able to wander down the rows of bushes and found some green tea seeds. So hopefully since I can’t bring the actual plants home, I can bring some seeds and start my own plants when I get back.
Oh, I almost forgot, we also enjoyed some yummy green tea ice cream. So once I grow my plants back home, I am expecting to borrow mom’s ice cream maker and make my own green tea ice cream too!
• Next, we went to a famous Korean author’s museum. There was a really nice lotus pond and a replica setting for his book. It included homes and tools that the characters used in the book. Without knowing much about the book asides from the setting, which was the period after the war, it seemed like a Cinderella type story. Rich guy or girl falls in love a poor person of the opposite sex that works for their family. The replica village was very nicely done. You could go into the different rooms and practice using the various tools etc.
• After the author’s museum, we went to a folk village. This was not like any other Korean folk village I have been too. This one was actually a village. It was still active and in use by people who want to live a traditional life style. Sunny said that some of the houses were pensions and people pay to stay and live a “traditional Korean existence.” It was really neat to see people living, farming, like they have for decades; although they do have the addition of mechanical farm equipment like trucks and tractors. We were there before the sun set so I don’t know if they had electricity or not.
In addition to traditional homes, they also serve tourists traditional foods. One of these foods is bon-day-gee. Sunny was excited to share this dish with me. She bought a cup full and enthusiastically offered them to me. I should mention that bon-day-gee is a traditional dish from a time during the war when sources of protein were scarce. Bon-day-gee are cooked beetle larvae. Mmmmmm. And yes, I was brave enough to try it. It didn’t taste bad, and thank goodness they didn’t really pop in your mouth, just a squish. I have tactile sensitivity to any food that pops in my mouth like cherry tomatoes or fish roe.
When we were walking around the traditional village, snacking on bon-day-gee, we encountered a replica of a prisoners being punished. We got some great photos of our own form of punishment... being forced to eat bon-day-gee! Don’t worry, I am not going to have Sunny teach me how to make don-day-gee in cooking class so you are all safe from having to eat cooked larvae.
• After the traditional village, we drove to meet her husband in GwangJu. Here we had dinner together and then I boarded a bus for a 3.5 hour ride back to Seoul. Sunny and her husband live an hour away from my house on the other side of town so dropping me off at home would have been really out of the way for them. They were so nice. They helped me get my ticket, and her husband even boarded the bus with me and made sure I found my seat. So sweet of them! I slept the whole ride home. What a great weekend!

Cultural Differences

• I got a great book the other day, its called “Ugly Americans Ugly Koreans.” It has fantastic examples of how Korea and American behaviors and standards differ. It doesn’t pass any judgment, just states cases of where we differ in our expectations. For example, “Koreans tend to eat without much talking, and then get up and go. Americans tend to socialize a little, eat with moderate conversation, and then talk a great deal afterwards. Koreans are more likely to move to a new location after a meal.” It’s a really helpful for me. Plus, it confirms many of the interesting observations and generalizations I may come up with.
• I am fascinated by the cultural differences I encounter. For example, in the dressing rooms, you often have to take your shoes off before entering, and then there are a complimentary pair of high heels to wear, just incase you only had your flats with you. Also, as Melissa knows, even if you want a bigger size skirt or shirt, if you try it on and it looks good on you, the shop attendant may refuse to give you a different size. She may insist that it looks fine and will not get you a different size.
• Another difference is that if you buy a beer at the liquor store, you can pull out the folding chairs and folding table and sit down with your beer (or soju) and drink it right there in front of the store. It is so much better than drinking in a smoky bar! You can just sit out on the street drinking a beer, people watching, and enjoying snacks from the GS.
Really, in Korea, it seems like you can drink any where. My book says that public drunkenness is acceptable unlike in the states where it often holds a social stigma and may even land you jail. But here, it’s common to see businessmen dressed in fine suits staggering down the street. Or, drinking beer at the movie theater like it was a US sporting event. Which I think is a great practice by the way! Vicki and I got two beers and a bag of popcorn for less then $8 total!
Even I am guilty of drinking in public. One day Sunny and I went to TGIF and ordered dinner and long island ice teas. Unfortunately, Sunny realized after we ordered that because of a holiday schedule the last bus to her home that evening was leaving in half an hour. So we ate our meals as fast as we could. She then asked me if I though they would have “to go” containers, and I thought she was referring to our left over meals, but she wasn’t. She meant “to go” containers for our long island ice teas! Sure enough, they gave us “to go” cups with lids and straws so we could enjoy our long island ice teas on the bus ride home. Sunny then apologized for having to rush when eating our meal, and hoped my digestion would be ok. I told her it would be fine, and plus, I had “tea” to help my digestion hahah! Defiantly a funny bus ride home that night!
• Another difference here in Korea is that people like to dress up for all occasions. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen a relaxed Korean in a t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. “You may seem some Koreans dressed more appropriately for an evening out at a fine restaurant than for a day hiking mountain trails.”
Yesterday it was pouring rain and girls were still walking around in mini skirts and open toed, high heel shoes. Rain or shine, they dress in style. This also goes for amusement parks. As my dad puts it, “You’re going to take photos when you are at the amusement park so you need to look good.” Makes sense right? This must be why the raft ride at amusement park has a huge tarp in the center that you pull over your body so you won’t get wet. I mean, you want to ride the rapids, but you also can’t get that silk skirt soaked, right?
• A lot of differences have to do with having and raising kids. An example I see often, and is stated in my book is that Korean parents are indifferent to the children disturbing others in public. “Most Koreans do not seem to be bothered in the least by children running around and making noise in public. Americans, on the other hand, think children should be strictly controlled in public by their parents.”
Oh, I also learned that when a Korean woman is pregnant she will have a lot of tangerines or oranges. I guess the fresh smell is supposed to help with the morning sickness. So, if you see a woman eating tangerines or oranges you can joke around that maybe she is pregnant.
After a woman gives birth she can go stay at a special care facility. Here, there are nurses to care for your baby 24 hours a day, and the job of the new mother is to sleep and eat. The mother can see her baby whenever she wants to, but her primary job is to take a few days to recover before being required to go back home and care for the new baby, her husband, and her household.
I think this is a great system. Maybe I should open up one of these facilities in Manhattan Beach or some other neighborhood where people can afford it. I would offer recovery yoga, facials and massages, etc. Too bad new born babies creep me out otherwise this could have been a great new business to pursue. You know me, I don’t think babies get cool till they are over a year old.
Another interesting difference I learned about is that Mothers lose their identity after having a child. I was talking to a woman who has two children and she explained to me that only at our work is she called by her name. Teachers, other parents, and even her own parents do not call her by her name. Once you become a mother you are referred to as such. So for example my mom would no longer be called Susan by her parents. They would call her “mother of my grandchild Renee.” Parents would call her “Mother of Renee,” or “Mother of Angela.”
I explained that as a teacher, I would only refer to a third party this way. So, I might say, “Nick’s mom came in to talk to me today.” Or maybe a parent referring to another parent from the same class may use this as well; “I invited Jane’s mom to help set up for the party.” But we would never directly call this person “Jane’s mom,” or “Nick’s mom.”
The woman from work said that there is now a change among some mothers because they feel they are losing their sense of self. I mean, to exist as “Susan” for the first 25 or so years of your life, and then all of a sudden, not to be called this any more, even by your own parents? I can see that this must be extremely difficult for a woman. You cease to be that person any more; your only importance now lies in your title as mother to this child. So, she said that some mothers are trying to use their real names with each other, but this is difficult to do. It’s just not customary, and breaking customs around here is frowned upon.

Not Japan but Korea

• So long time no write huh? Sorry about that! Every spare minute I had went to making my own website. That’s right! It was Allie Pippin’s idea, and Lucas’ prompting, that lead me to develop a website featuring pictures and descriptions of the activities I have participated in. Check it out if you have any free time. http://www.wix.com/rbazant/Resume_Bazant
• Well, since I have not written in so long I am afraid I must skip over the rest of my Japan trip. Really, you are just missing too many Korea stories so I can’t hold off on updating you on that. So if you are dying to know more about it please take a look at the Japan photos on my Facebook page.
• Asides from keeping busy making that website, I also have been keeping busy at the gym. Guess what Jackie, I started running again. Well, I walk for two minutes then run for 4. I do this for half an hour and burn 275 calories, twice a week. Then, I do other weight lifting and ab exercises afterwards.
I even get my friend Sunny to go with me sometimes. Although she is an expert at finding excuses not to workout with me. One time she came over to my house claiming that she didn’t have shoes to workout in so she couldn’t go. I gave her a pair of complimentary Lotte Hotel slippers to wear and told her we are going anyways! The next time she told me that we should make kimbap for our work picnic. I told her it was a great idea and we would defiantly make kimbap after we worked out! Hahaha! I won’t take any excuses from her!
• I mentioned making kimbap for my work picnic, but Sunny has been teaching me to make other Korean dishes as well. I have also made yubu chobap, and kim mu chim. Yubu chobap is actually Japanese. It’s the bean curds filled with rice. Kim mu chim is a seaweed salad with sautéed garlic stems. It is better than it sounds I promise. I have also been using my rice cooker. I love it! I will never cook rice in a pot on the stove again! If you don’t have one and you cook rice once a week or more, this is a must have item for your kitchen!
• Asides from working out and having cooking class together, Sunny and I also took a pottery class. It was my first time using a pottery wheel. It’s much harder than it looks. I needed a lot of help from the teacher, who didn’t speak any English asides from “Stop!” So, she would yell stop and take over for a bit and fix what ever I did wrong, and then hand it back over to me. It was a great experience. It will be fired and sent to my office sometime in the next week, so pictures of the final product will be available soon.
• The other weekend my friends Sai, Jay, Jay’s girlfriend, and I went to a house in the countryside. It was an artist’s compound with different cabins for showing films, displaying photography, and everyday living. It was amazing. It’s what I want to have someday. We got to enjoy a bimbibap buffet and listen to a concert by the pond. It was very special. I hope that someday I have a place similar to this and I can share it with you all as well.
• Oh, one last story before I end this blog entry (next blog will be stories of how Koreans and Americans differ). So I like to style my hair differently every day. I have short hair so I like to have fun with it. Some days I have my bangs out, sometimes they are to the side, or I may pull them back for a bump-it look. Other times I may put a headband in and wear the back wavy. Well, I get asked almost daily if I cut my hair. It’s really funny. Most of the girls at work wear their hair long and straight. Its strange, guys have really creative hair cuts and obviously spend time styling it, but the girls don’t often style their hair differently day to day like I do. So the result is… “oh, did you get a hair cut?” I just chuckle and say, “no, I just pulled it back /pined it up / let it down etc.”