Neon signs...and neon crosses?

You may already know about the Korean obsession with neon signs. What you may not know about is the Korean obsession with neon crosses. This was one of the first things I discovered after my arrival in Korea. Eagerly looking out the window of a bus from Incheon airport trying to catch the first glimpses of my new home, all I could see were glowing red crosses dotted across the nighttime landscape. While I suppose it's nothing more than the nationwide symbol of a church, the red is actually a bit foreboding. I've gotten used to it now, but it's hard not to take these signs as a warning of the fire and brimstone coming to non-believers.



To be perfectly honest, this may indeed the reason for the red color. Korean Christians tend to be quite hardcore if not downright militant about their faith. I somewhat naively expected Korea to be a largely Buddhist country. In reality, the demographic breakdown of religion goes something like this:

About half of Koreans don't identify themselves as having a religion. As for the other half, ~30% (15 million) are Christian and ~20% (10 million) are Buddhist. Korean Buddhists aren't big proselytizers and generally lay low when it comes to talking about religion. Korean Christians, on the other hand, are contrarily the most fervid recruiters I've ever seen.

I admit, I may get more attention that average Koreans simply due to the fact that I am Western. I regularly get approached by strangers in the street distributing handouts about Jesus, and have been anxiously asked by countless co-workers about my religion (regardless of my personal views, I always respond "Christian" to avoid the inevitable conflict that comes with an alternative answer). Some of my friends get calls every Sunday morning with invitations to go to church, and even tricked into attending religious functions under the pretense that they will be doing something else.

찜질방 and cruel and unusual punishments

Yesterday, I made what is quickly becoming my routine Sunday visit to the 찜질방 (Jjimjilbang). Jjimjilbang is quite possibly the coolest thing I've discovered in Korea so far. Essentially, it's a giant bath house that you pay a few dollars to use.

In the jjimjilbang I go to, after receiving a towel, a pair of shorts, and a tee-shirt, you enter a gender-segregated locker room. I can't speak for men's side, but the women's is the ultimate preening party! Women of all extremes in ages, shapes, and sizes, (and all extremely naked) can be seen getting massages, lathering up with lotion, stretching, chatting, drying their hair, putting on make-up, etc.

If you walk through a pair of doors you enter the baths. The walls of this giant, dimly lit, steamy hall are lined with shower heads so women can scrub down before entering the communal bathing area in the middle. The communal bathing area consists of of six different pools (some hot, some cold, some aroma scented). To the sides there are also several steam rooms and a massage station. I've never seen less than 40 women in here at one time!

Once you get over the whole nakedness factor...and the fact that Korean grandmas are generally very fascinated by you, hanging out in this place is quite awesome. Upstairs, and for the slightly more modest, there's a co-ed space requiring clothing. Here they have saunas and ice rooms, as well as a library, meditation room, sleeping quarters, gym, cafeteria, etc.

On this particular day when I walked into the locker room, I saw a woman sitting on the floor placing jars all over the bodies of two others two other women laying face down on the floor. Being curious, I watched for awhile...big mistake seeing as she beckoned me over and made me try.

After putting flames in the jars for a few seconds, she placed them on my back, 4 in total. As the jars cooled it created a vacuum and my skin was sucked upwards. It was only semi-painful at the time. It wasn't until I got home and laid down on my bed that I realized I had some serious painful bruising.

Doing some research on acupuncture.com, this is what I have found out about "Cupping"...

Cupping is a method of relieving local congestion by applying a partial vacuum that is created in a cup, either by heat or by suction. Cupping has been used for thousands of years. Although it is often associated with traditional Chinese medicine, the entire world once knew of this therapy and used it. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese used cupping therapy. The oldest recoded medical textbook, Ebers Papyrus, written in approximately 1550 BCE in Egypt, mentions cupping.

The article also lists the following as conditions that can benefit from cupping:

Headache, back pain, joint and muscular pain, infertility, sexual disorders, rheumatic diseases, hypertension, breast enhancement, bed wetting, common colds and flu, insomnia, stroke, fever, constipation and diarrhea, chest pain, asthma, and blood disorders.



Not to be a downer on Eastern medicine, but these marks sting like a $#@*% and I'm pretty sure they've created more problems than they've solved. Excuse me while I go grab some Advil...

Office Gifts

Gift giving is a huge part of Korean culture. The funny thing about this is the way gifts are given. You're not really supposed to acknowledge that you've given a gift. Instead, you just kindof leave it somewhere, don't take credit for it, and act like its not a big deal.

I initially witnessed this my first week of work when my elementry school co-teacher came to my middle school to introduce himself. He left a gift for the office near the door and only mentioned it offhandedly just as he was leaving.

So far, I've received three gifts at work. Each time, I have come into the office in the morning to find a parcel on my desk. All three gifts were rice cakes (go figure). To find out who gave the gifts, you have to ask around. Word eventually travels through the grapevine.



Rice cake #1 was from the new Principal celebrating his position. -It's tradition to give gifts to all your co-workers when you come to a new place.

Rice cake #2 was from a history teacher in honor of her new Hyundai Sonata. -It's tradition to give gifts to all your co-workers to celebrate a big purchase such as a car or a house.

Rice cake #3 was from a science teacher on baby's first birthday. -It's tradition to give gifts to all your co-workers to celebrate this achievement. (This tradition dates back to times when infant mortality rate was very high due to drastic seasonal changes and lack of medical care; if the baby is unhealthy, these days are passed without notice.)

This feels somewhat opposite of American culture. I'm used to people expecting gifts when they, for example, have a baby or buy a house. But this is not to say that Koreans are more generous than Americans. In fact, they get quite catty when people don't follow protocol. In my office, it is expected that the most senior teacher (who also makes the most money) will take everyone out for a meal. So far he has failed to do this, and from what I gather, the other faculty are getting quite pissed about his selfishness.

장도 Jang-Do

In Korea, sword and knife making have an extensive history. Though I know next to nothing about them, I became intrigued after hearing the story behind a few artifacts in a museum.

"Jang-do" refers to the ornamental knifes that first appeared during the Chosun dynasty. (Seeing as this dynasty spaned from the late 1300s to the early 1900s, I'm a little lost as to when during this half millennium period they showed up.) Traditionally, they were given as wedding gifts to noblewomen. No bigger than a hand and worn near the heart, they symbolized both rank and the Confucian moral obligation of fidelity. Their purpose, should a a woman be attacked and her honor compromised, was to assist her in suicide.

While I assumed this practice was somewhat archaic, it was actually common post 1905 due to the Japanese occupation. I'm not sure what's more depressing, the obligation women felt to kill themselves after being raped, or the mere fact of their peril from assailants during the countless invasions of Korea throughout history.

This practice strikes me as utterly misogynistic, nevertheless, it gives me new found respect for the toughness of Korean women. I'm pretty sure I'd rather shame my entire family than stab myself with a blade the size of my pinkie.

DE-PEN! *clap cap* DE-PEN!

Wonju Dongbu Promy is the local basketball team. A couple other native teachers and I saw them play against Busan KT Sonicboom on Friday night.

Korean basketball teams are sponsored by large companies. Dongbu group is a large chaebol (South Korean style business conglomerate) dealing with shipping, insurance, banking, chemicals, etc. and KT is a telecommunication company.

Some interesting aspects of the game are as follows:

1. Koreans like to use English chants. While "DE-FENSE!" can be transliterated into Korean simply by exchanging the F sound for P sound, Koreans have a notoriously hard time NOT pronouncing silent Es. Therefore, Koreans would ruin the rhythm of the chant by shouting "DE-PEN-SEH". To get around the problem, the chant has been altered slightly to "DE-PEN". It's quite adorable to hear.

2. The cheerleaders suck. No joke. All they do is clap, wave their hands, and walk in circles.

3. Whenever Wonju scored, a snippet of the song "Swing" by the rapper Savage was played. Namely, the part that goes...

"OH SHIT, shake that ass ma, move it like a gypsy
Stop, whoa, back it up, now let me see your hips SWING"

(I've actually heard many inappropriate English songs in public settings. The best was "Fuck You" by Lily Allen in a coffee shop a few weeks back. The chorus to this song, as you may have guessed, goes, "Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you very very much". While my mouth dropped open, these lines went completely unnoticed by the group of old ladies sipping their cappuccinos at the table next to me.)

4. A lot of the basketball players were American. Don't cut it in the big leagues in the US? Not to worry...you can be a super star in Korea! One of the reasons Wonju's team is so good is due to foreign players.

5. Tickets could be purchased at the door for 8,000 won (around $6). Awesome.

Overall, Korean basketball games are not quite the spectacle that American games are, but it was still lots of fun and served as a little reminder of home in a world where most things feel utterly foreign.

구인사 Buddhist Temple

구인사 or Guinsa is in the Sobaek Mountains near Danyang in Chungcheongbuk-do. It is the headquarters of the Cheontae school of Buddhism (the Korean descendant of the Chinese Tiantai school of Buddhism) and can house up to 10,000 monks. The temple consists of more than 50 buildings. It is nestled in a valley and built upwards along the side of the mountain (meaning that one must continually climb stairs as they wish to see more of the site).















And mother, because you insisted...here's a picture of me!

빼빼로

Today, November 11th, is apparently 빼빼로 (pe-pe-ro) day. Peperos are chocolate covered breadsticks commonly sold in Korea as a snack.



My teachers tell me today is Pepero Day because its 11-11 (which looks like two sets of pepero sticks). They also told me that the holiday is a gimmick of some candy company, but who cares?Aren't they all?

Giving peperos is kind of like giving valentines. I've received a couple. One, strangely enough, came from one of my most troublesome students in one of my most troublsome classes. Upon giving me the gift, he also declared that he loved me! Normally, the sight of this kid churns my stomach and makes me want to rip out my hair/beat him with a large stick (Korean style). Needless to say, the gift was utterly shocking and totally warmed my heart.

I suppose that kids, even the ones that I deem to be very horrid, are just kids. While I may think they purposely try to make my life miserable, in reality they probably don't give their behavior a second thought. They're just goofing off and it's nothing personal. I think children are pretty similar in any culture, and it's funny to realize how little I know about them and how much I'm learning!

Useful Korean 101

Though "blah blah blah" is sort of hard to define, I'm pretty sure the Korean equivalent is "모 모 모" (mo mo mo).

Sujeonggwa and Honey Ginger Tea

To compliment my detailing of all things tasting horrific, I think I should write about some culinary gems that I've come across during my time in Korea. I want to start with a couple beverages.

The first is Sujeonggwa. It's easy to make and tastes delicious:

8 cups water
1/2 cup peeled and thinly sliced fresh ginger
8 cinnamon sticks, rinsed
1 cup sugar

Put water, ginger, and cinnamon sticks in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer for one hour. Discard ginger and cinnamon sticks.

Add sugar and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring to dissolve.

Strain liquid into a pitcher or bowl. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least two hours and up to a couple of days.

..Alternatively, and with a bit more of a kick is a honey ginger tea. In grocery stores it just looks like a giant jar of marmalade. You basically scoop spoonfuls of it into hot water and stir.

I've never made it myself, but I assume you simply boil chopped ginger, pour it in a mug, and add a few spoonfuls of honey (the ginger chunks will sink to the bottom of the cup). This stuff is particularly amazing if you have a cold!...Like me. Sniff. Sniff.

Yummy yummy yummy!

I've decided it's high time for a post on all the revolting foods I've had to shove down my throat all for the sake of politeness. I'm going to order them from the most vomit worthy to the somewhat edible.

1. Sea Cucumber: my school's PE teacher (who, incidentally enough, is also a pervert and has asked me numerous time to call him 아빠, or "daddy", literally started shoving this down my throat at a school dinner). I suppressed the vomiting but, being a bit overwhelmed, couldn't suppress the tears! Luckily, the principal got very angry with his conduct and snapped at him to get out of my face.

2. Fish Intestines: when my Korean friend asked me if I liked "seafood", I didn't know THIS is what she had in mind. Awesome surprise after a night of drinking and a slight hangover.

3. Sea Worms: they're pretty innocuous apart from the fact that they're STILL MOVING. They are generally served as an appetizer before sashimi. The hardest part about eating them is getting ahold of them because they're slimy and like to slither away from your chopsticks! (They're in the middle of the pic)

5. Squid Ink Soup: other than the off putting grainy consistency and the grey color, it basically just tastes like chalk.

6. I swear this is a fruit. Maybe some type of lychee?

And then there is one thing that no amount of politeness could get me to try...

1. Fried Silk Worms

I've also seen this magical sea creature in shops....it's called a "penis fish" among the local foreign crowd, but I have a sneaky suspicion that's not proper nomenclature.

If any one can help me out as to what it's really called, that would be much appreciated!

More Seoul

Koreans pride themselves on technology. This is no more apparent than in Seoul where everything is digitized and you can't ride a subway without sitting next to someone catching anime flicks on their phone whilst texting. (Yes, there is reception in the subway.)

(Interactive touch screens in malls and subways)

Technology is actually a huge issue of debate in Korean right now. Much of the youth (boys in particular, but also girls) spend large portions of their weekends in their local PC방 where they lounge on leather sofas positioned in front of double wide computer screens playing hours of MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games). While in a sense being "social", older generations are worried about the impact such widespread gaming will have on child social development. Gaming may be seen as somewhat nerdy in the U.S., but here several national TV channels are devoted to matches between professional gamers. These gamers are treated, and paid, like professional athletes! Korea also operates the annual "World Cyber Games" which is modeled after the Olympics.

While too much technology may be a bad thing, some of their advances are really quite clever. Take, for example, "T-money". You can buy a T-money card and recharge it when your balance runs low at most convenience stores. It can be swiped when you get on subways, trains, taxis, and buses - no more dealing with coins, vending machines, flimsy tickets, and waiting in lines!



And what's even cooler about T-money (as well as being stereotypically Asian) is that you can opt for a cool T-money "smart" device that is not a card, but instead a thumb drive, a key chain, or my personal favorite, a cell phone accessory! And of course, everything comes in cool designs - as you can see, I opted for the sleek and sexy "Hello Kitty".

Korea's got Seoul!

Seoul is a 6,500 won ($5) and 1 1/2 hour bus ride from Wonju. It's also one of the largest cities in the world. In fact, nearly HALF the entire population of South Korea live in the Seoul National Capital Area (which includes Incheon). Though I've yet to experience most of the city, here's few pics from a recent weekend trip.

Myeondong is the city's most famous shopping district. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but it's also incredibly popular - so popular, in fact, that you can barely move without getting heckled by a street vendor or smacked by a passerby's designer handbag.



This district is also host to an array of (tasty?) Korean street food...



And in case you're not in the mood for deep fried octopus legs and dried cuddlefish there's also a fabulous...wait for it...wait for it...4 STORY DUNKIN' DONUTS. Who said Americans were the only ones with an addiction to deliciously unhealthy foods?



Oh, and one more interesting observation about shopping - there seem to be more FUBUs than there are black people in South Korea. (FUBU is a "backronym" (For Us By Us) and is a product line originally conceptualized by African Americans primarily to serve the African American market.) Tee hee. Koreans are funny.

Something Old, Something New

South Korea is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, so the entire country (even the "rural" areas) are chock full of high rise office and apartment buildings. It seems that no matter where you are, it will inevitably looks a lot like this stretch of road that I passed on a recent bus trip to Seoul.

But every once in awhile, I'll stumble upon some old city district that somehow managed to survive Korea's industrialization. While the country prides itself on technology and modernity, I quite enjoy these little touches of history.