Hello everyone!
Last week Emily and I went to go get our health check done. As if going to hospitals isn't scary enough, its ten times worse when you have no idea what people are telling you! We signed in and got our vitals checked, then were handed a checklist of places we had to go. the laboratory, blood test, urinalysis, electrocardiography, and physical exam were on the 3rd floor. X-rays were on the 5th floor. Let me just note that I hate needles, and hate even more getting blood drawn. The only time I did it i felt like passing out. It was a horrible experience. So, anticipating the same kind of reaction, I dragged my feet up the steps to the 3rd floor. I started to calm down a little because I knew no matter what I had to do it. We went to check in on the 3rd floor, and to my horror, there was a table set up in the lobby with 2 girls behind it drawing blood! I was like COME ON!!! I turned the corner and some them filling up someone's vials. It was a nightmare, and right in the lobby???? Who does that? Anyway, it finally got done. Although we had to wait and extra 45 minutes because Emily peed when she woke up and therefore couldn't fill the cup.
One thing that's strange is every once in a while, business cards are slipped under everyone's doors promoting "escort services". They are also promoted by guys driving around on bicycles and throwing stacks of them into the streets, like the Mean Girls scene where Regina George throws those papers in the hallway.
My bathroom is the size of a standup, square shower. The shower head is one of those movable ones, and is attached to the sink. Like the drain thing that lets water go down the drain or stops it, there is something for if you want to use the faucet or the shower. Anyway, one night when I was really tired, I dragged myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I threw on the water, and, forgetting to change the settings after I got a shower that morning, the water from the shower head sprayed me and I was soaking wet. It was miserable.
School has been going alright. Its still strange to think of myself as a teacher. Some of my classes drag on but others are really fun. It depends on if they want to talk to me or not. I am starting to be told by kids I don't even have that I have big feet and a big nose. They just tell you how it is I guess.. :( Anyway, our one lesson was on video game addiction. This led to naming other addictions and someone said TV. I told them when I was home, I would watch Spongebob for hours at a time. The guys just started laughing at my and one of them called me immature. I was like gee.. thanks..
Kimchi is growing on me. It is fermented pickled napa cabbage. In one of my classes, my student told me she went to the United States and stayed with a host family. She said all she ate every morning was cereal, and every lunch sandwiches. She was like "US was so boring! I ate the same thing every single day! They don't have any food!"
I was like "All you eat every morning is rice and kimchi! All you eat every day for lunch is rice and kimchi! All you eat every day for dinner is rice, kimchi, and chicken!" and all the students laughed, because it is true. They all eat rice and kimchi all day. I guess its supposed to be good for you and keep you "regular", but they have panic attacks if they don't eat kimchi one day.
I went to the grocery store by where I live (groceries are soo expensive here! I don't know why.. probably because there is not much room for them to grow their own stuff). I was just walking around with a bag of kimchi when I was stopped by these two girls making tofu at one of those sample stations. They hassled me to come over and try it so I picked up a toothpick, stuck a piece of tofu, and ate it. I said thank you and did my best impression of how to say it was good without speaking.. I rubbed my stomach with one hand and gave the thumbs up, when the one girl cooking said "delicious right?" I was like whaaaaaat I felt like an idiot but I said "Yeah very delicious". The girl next to her didn't speak any English and started giggling. Then her female asian instincts kicked in, the ones that love feeding people. I was walking away when the girl called me back. I turned around and the girl not cooking had 2 pieces of tofu on a toothpick and handed it to me. I was like nooo thanks though, but she kept putting her hand in my face, so I grabbed it, ate it, said mmmmmmmm thanks, and walked away. Then, you guessed it, I got called back again and the same thing happened. I thought I was starting to learn the secret and decided to outsmart them. After I ate it this time, I walked behind them as fast as I could and turned the corner. I let out a sigh because I thought I was safe. I continued shopping, making sure to not go back by their table. However, a couple of minutes later, the girl who wasn't cooking turned the corner and started running towards me with a toothpick in each hand with 2 pieces of tofu on each, and a huge smile on her face. I was like ohhhh no. She gave them to me, I ate them, gave the toothpicks back, bowed, and she walked away. She went back, got more tofu, and found me again! I was like who is this!! why does she keep throwing tofu at me! After I ate this time, I ran for the checkout and left the store. I decided it was the only way. I was so full by the time I got home I wasn't even hungry for any of the groceries I just bought.
On Sunday, our day off, me, emily, gina, and a guy named alan from New Orleans went to see the palace. It is located in the old city center, and has a statue of King Sejong the Great, the guy who made the Korean language.
There was also this little shrine, I forget what its for though :x
We were all hungry, so we went and grabbed a bite to eat. South Koreans are known for using all the animal. I don't know if its because of Buddhist/Confucius influence, or when Japan occupied Korea and made their food stock miserable, but they do. Emily found a good chicken heart and other entrails in her dish, and that was about it for her. She just sat there speechless for the rest of dinner.
After that, we tried to get into the palace, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, and supposedly has a gorgeous garden in the back. However, we were too late. The outer walls are always open, but the inside wasn't.
This is Gina and Alan.
We then walked to Insadong, which is an antique and artwork street in Korea. It was pretty neat, and is well known for its tea. They also had handmade paintings and crafts. My mom gave me a frog before I left with ridges on its back and a stick you rub across it. When you do this, it is supposed to sound like a frog. Her reason for giving it to me was because "it is asian". Well, she couldn't have been more right! I saw tons of these in Insadong:
We went to a tea shop called "Old Tea Shop". The entrance was like a jungle and the stairs were really creaky. It was a great place. They serve your tea with these little cakes covered in like honey and sesame seeds or something. Anyway, there were like exotic birds just flying around and chillin. They eat the cakes if people leave them on the table, and sometimes even while you are sitting there. Here are some pics of the place
That table to the right is a fish bowl with glass over top!
Alan me and Emily!
This guy is the bravest of the birds. He's chowin on some cakes left by these guys.
The bathroom has a stone bowl in the middle of it with live fish.. on the floor.. with no covering overtop of it. It was a neat idea, but a hassle to get around. Not the best execution.
I bought this tea cup in Insadong for $5. I also bought some loose leaf green tea for $10. Its so good! This is how it works..
Theres a little piece that goes inside the cup with holes at the bottom. You put the loose leaf tea into this part, and pour hot water overtop.
Once its done steeping, you take out the strainer and the bowl becomes your cup! Enjoy!!
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