Enjoy!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Korean Art Form - Volume 1
One of my co-ordinator's (and soon to be my) religion class students took us out to experience the artform known as Pansori. It was very interesting to say the least, reminds me of Chinese cinema (sorry, blame Yuen Woo Ping and John Woo) and is indigenous to Korea...one of the more authentic occurrences that I have been looking for and was pleased to find. Rather than give you my thought process about the show, I have included some video for you. The women are wearing traditional Korean dresses called Hanboks and the men at the end are kind of a variety show favorite in Korea. You've seen players like them in my earlier videos...just not as elaborate.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Reflective Thoughts
The first semester is over.
PRAISE MERCIFUL AND HOLY CHRIST!
I promise you...it has not been an easy semester and I've not yet begun to take on all the responsibilities that a Missionary Teacher may be asked. I see now that it shall be solely through Christ's power and reliance on Him that I will be successful in my venture here. My dear reader, as you continue with me through this journey, I encourage and solicit your prayers. You may not know what good they do but rest assured that the longer I remain here is a direct result and correlation of how much you pray. Now...on to my thoughts.
The last few days have been terribly hectic. We lost one of our teachers. Her 1 year contract is up and she is back home to California. Godspeed Jolanda Kumakaw. She's hands-down the youngest and wittiest of us all and her energy will undoubtedly be missed. We've all been avoidant of the fact she'd be leaving today so last night at the end-of-term English festival, it was a crying fest. Remember, my institute is all women except for me, my math-teaching roommate and the Director, our pastor. The children did very well at the competition yesterday and Jolanda, the Pastor and I played Paula, Simon and Randy. it was hard to pick a winner so both of my classes won. Needless to say I'm most pleased. I posted their video on facebook, but for all of you who don't get down with the social networking, you may see them below.
They were my Level A2 class, and below is my Level A3 class:
Aren't they adorable?! Mr. Front-and-Center frequently wants to answers question in class or run up to me for hugs out of class. They ALMOST make me want to have children of my own. Then the screaming and jumping starts and I return to my right mind. Anyway...I also had to say goodbye to my Level 1 and Level 2 adult students who I have come to enjoy teaching. In teaching them English, I have learned so much about devotion, kindness, patience, controlling one's temper, being an example at ALL times and in ALL situations and I have learned a tremendous amount about being humble, open-minded and one of the intrinsic truths of missionary work. You often believe you are going on a mission trip to minister to others when in fact, chief among those being ministered to...is YOU! God's children come from everywhere and they all look and behave different. Never, EVER believe that you have the foresight to see and identify them all. Anyway, they really found me a good teacher and were sad to know I won't teach them in their next levels...I myself was hoping to teach Levels 2 and 3, but I am being assigned to Level 4 because of my proficiency in teaching. God is good.
Below are some pictures of my students:-
So, this week I turned 32 at long last. I made my mind up not to have any expectations about it because year after year I am disappointed when things do not meet my expectations. My friends usually hate my lamentations about it, but I figure that for the amount of wonderful birthday presents, birthday parties (surprise and not) that I have been a part of, I want to be celebrated with that much grandeur. I deserve it. It never happens quite the way I want it...and I don't think it's difficult. Anyway, this year I got up...thanked God for life this far (which is new for me) and went on my way. The doorway to the classrooms were decorated elaborately with my name (a nice touch by my coordinator) and my class was shocked and saddened to not know from before so they could properly "congratulate me". All throughout the day I received birthday wishes and at our staff meeting, I was present with the silly hate and a chocolate cake slice. It's funny because I asked God for two things:- a good meal and cake since I couldn't be around the family this year.
PRAISE MERCIFUL AND HOLY CHRIST!
I promise you...it has not been an easy semester and I've not yet begun to take on all the responsibilities that a Missionary Teacher may be asked. I see now that it shall be solely through Christ's power and reliance on Him that I will be successful in my venture here. My dear reader, as you continue with me through this journey, I encourage and solicit your prayers. You may not know what good they do but rest assured that the longer I remain here is a direct result and correlation of how much you pray. Now...on to my thoughts.
The last few days have been terribly hectic. We lost one of our teachers. Her 1 year contract is up and she is back home to California. Godspeed Jolanda Kumakaw. She's hands-down the youngest and wittiest of us all and her energy will undoubtedly be missed. We've all been avoidant of the fact she'd be leaving today so last night at the end-of-term English festival, it was a crying fest. Remember, my institute is all women except for me, my math-teaching roommate and the Director, our pastor. The children did very well at the competition yesterday and Jolanda, the Pastor and I played Paula, Simon and Randy. it was hard to pick a winner so both of my classes won. Needless to say I'm most pleased. I posted their video on facebook, but for all of you who don't get down with the social networking, you may see them below.
Aren't they adorable?! Mr. Front-and-Center frequently wants to answers question in class or run up to me for hugs out of class. They ALMOST make me want to have children of my own. Then the screaming and jumping starts and I return to my right mind. Anyway...I also had to say goodbye to my Level 1 and Level 2 adult students who I have come to enjoy teaching. In teaching them English, I have learned so much about devotion, kindness, patience, controlling one's temper, being an example at ALL times and in ALL situations and I have learned a tremendous amount about being humble, open-minded and one of the intrinsic truths of missionary work. You often believe you are going on a mission trip to minister to others when in fact, chief among those being ministered to...is YOU! God's children come from everywhere and they all look and behave different. Never, EVER believe that you have the foresight to see and identify them all. Anyway, they really found me a good teacher and were sad to know I won't teach them in their next levels...I myself was hoping to teach Levels 2 and 3, but I am being assigned to Level 4 because of my proficiency in teaching. God is good.
Below are some pictures of my students:-
Don't you laugh at my hat. This was taken at our staff meeting. These are all the English-teaching teachers at Sangdo from Zimbabwe/ South Africa, California/Indonesia, Georgia/ Trinidad, Chicago/ Boston and Korea.
There's one thing I think is interesting to mention. I was not that impressed with just the slice of cake so I decided to go get me a whole cake later on that night. I never did though because I was tired and decided I'd get around to it the next day thinking to myself "God, a slice of cake wasn't exactly what I had in mind...". I came home and ate my ramen and had an ugly conversation with a friend who essentially proved the need to be a part of my past and not my present or future. And went to my A2 class who all sang me happy birthday (which left me grinning like an idiot) and then my A3 class (where they all shouted happy birthday to me) before heading home again. Something about the kids excitement about my birthday made it...special. One girl from A2 came downstairs and brought me a happy Birthday Santa Origami. I swear I want to adopt her. She's also my favorite student in the class. So meek and gentle and respectful. God PLEASE let me have a daughter with those characteristics.
So anyway, I go to class right? And end the night uneventfully. Looked for my family to Skype them but no dice. I did end up talking myself into sleep with one of my newfound friends. The next morning? When I went to class? Why did one of my students bring me a whole cake? Good things come to those who wait. I was most pleased! Still haven't eaten it yet! And that same day, my horseman Mark and I went to Itaewon (the part of town for English-speakers) and had Thai just the way I actually wanted it. God be praised. It's the small things that count and though it wasn't quite what I expected...it was meaningful and celebrated for two days. Next year? I'm asking God for a new iPad 3 and Cheesecake Factory Miso Salmon (since He delivers soooo well!)
So anyway, I go to class right? And end the night uneventfully. Looked for my family to Skype them but no dice. I did end up talking myself into sleep with one of my newfound friends. The next morning? When I went to class? Why did one of my students bring me a whole cake? Good things come to those who wait. I was most pleased! Still haven't eaten it yet! And that same day, my horseman Mark and I went to Itaewon (the part of town for English-speakers) and had Thai just the way I actually wanted it. God be praised. It's the small things that count and though it wasn't quite what I expected...it was meaningful and celebrated for two days. Next year? I'm asking God for a new iPad 3 and Cheesecake Factory Miso Salmon (since He delivers soooo well!)
This is pretty impressive considering I turned off my FB birthday so that people would not be notified that it was my special day. I dunno...it felt more authentic that way, like people would really pay attention or be forced to remember. The wishes were much fewer than last year (on my recently and temporarily enabled facebook wall) but they were more meaningful. Perhaps I need to do that more often...expect less and hang around children on my special day.
I'm sure there are more noteworthy things to talk about but for now, I'll just post this stunning picture that made me laugh. What's wrong with this picture?
I'm sure there are more noteworthy things to talk about but for now, I'll just post this stunning picture that made me laugh. What's wrong with this picture?
Next Up: Wait...Where am I?
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Jjimjilbang: The Secrets Dispelled. Part II
So there we were...the three Musketeers, laughing and joking at my place on the weekend I was so desperately trying to recover from my cold. I was taking prescriptions. I was taking bush remedies. You name it...I was doing it. The guys came over to help lighten my mood and assist in making me comfortable. We had talked about the Jjimjilbang for a while, but moreso in jest than seriously. I mean...what man in his right mind would want to suggest something that could raise the eyebrows of his peers?
So as Sabbath drew to a close, we got dressed and prepared to make our way to Grand Aqua 24 hr. Spa. Three train transfers and an hour of travel later, we arrived at the right stop and began heading in the general direction of the bright lights, traffic and the mall. Laughing and joking all the way, our mirth was a thin veil to the nervousness we actually felt. The word bathhouse still conjured images of hairy Greek men, perfect in body leering lasciviously at each other in some Turkish bath setting. The conversation we were enjoying was mildly indicative of my friends imagining the same thing: getting off at Gaiwei ("gay-way") station for example, among other very...err..suggestive happenstances.
We got a little lost and then went to ask directions. Turns out we were just across the street from our destination, which in turn was just across the street from a Love Motel. Blank stares plastered our faces before riotous laughter. "Que sera, sera". If this turns out to be one big gay...well...at least we'd know why so many of the local men look so metrosexual.
We enter and immediately are greeted by stares that make one feel completely alien. After paying and struggling through some Konglish (Korean + English), we're given towels, locker keys and a change of clothes. HOORAY! Clothes! There shall be no nudity here this day and we breathe a sigh of relief as smiles break out across out faces. As I stepped forward to put my shoes away, a man next to be glared through my very soul. Peering back, I wondered what his problem was until I glanced down and saw that I had crossed into the barefoot zone with my Steve Madden boots clearly still on. I gasped and scurried away from his hateful gaze to take them off and then, with bowed head, shuffled to the locker and put my shoes away before catching up with the guys.
As we entered the male locker room, we were greeted by the doorsman, a concession stand and...you guessed it....naked men everywhere. NOOOOooOOooo! Lies! Deceit! Silently we glanced at each other and smirked our way to our lockers, our eyes making four with just about everyone passing us by. Growing weary of the shifty eyed intimidation, I stripped down and asked my brothers "Y'all ready?"
So we walked...the Warriors Three...down the corridor. Peripherally observing everyone either clandestinely or directly staring at us, we reasoned that white and black men in the nude were a rare sight in this Asian country...either that or we mesmerize them 'cause we fine!
We use the restroom, hit the showers and thereafter are introduced to a sight that was part expectation, part surprise and wonder. Everybody's naked. But once in there long enough to get past that, we begin to notice things. There is nothing sexual remotely happening here. The men in here are ranging from our age to the elderly and oddly enough, there are men bathing their sons here. The whole scene looks WAY more family atmosphere than the corrupt images my mind imagined earlier.
We entered the sauna and not long thereafter began making conversation with one of the locals who had actually studied English at one of our institutes long ago. He was pleasant and the conversation helped relieve some of our tension. We then walked to one of the four heated bathing pools...the hottest one...and gradually sank ourselves in. What began as roaring fire to the touch soon became a relaxing and comforting assault to achy muscles and instantaneous relief from sinus blockage. Once comfort set in and we grew accustomed to people either speaking (or staring), we broke rank and went on our different ways: to the cold bath, the steam room and the massage jetstream respectively. I also began to make observations.
One side of the sauna, contained many men who appeared to be taking an old-fashioned, sit-down scrub-down. This perplexed me. Why would men come here to bathe especially when we passed the showers where they could do so? I did find the fathers bathing sons and sons bathing fathers nice. There were also tables where men lay and were being scrubbed by half dressed people. It would be explained later that in the locker room, where shorts indicated that a person worked there and the scrub-down bath was reminiscent of the old days where people came to bathe at the Jjimjilbang because they did not (or could not) bathe at home. Daily showers were more modern luxuries in many countries and for some, old habits die hard. It made sense. We moved from hot to cold and my sinuses sang God's praise. We met an excited local who saw us trying to scurry from the cold water. He commanded us to get back in and jump around in it, which we did. His excitement knew no bounds! He was like an older Asian Li'l Jon and hilarious. We were having a good time until an employee came over and shushed us all loudly shouting and pointing things we did not understand in Korean. We took it to mean we were too loud and boisterous (though it was our local friend who was noise-making and not us). Christ restrained my anger. I hate hate HATE being publicly embarrassed and in a different circumstance, I might have left in handcuffs.
Satisfied with the bathhouse experience, we showered and put on the clothes they gave us, venturing upstairs to see what else existed there. It was a different world! The co-ed facilities were there along with the cafeteria, play arena for children and official massage parlor (which I must return to soon!). We found an ice room, which was refreshing, several alcoves for sleeping if you want to stay overnight (which several people do), several different warm rooms for sleeping, TV watching or laying around and the jjimjilbang itself which is this wonderful stone human oven that you crawl into and cook like a Christmas goose. I don't recommend it if you are claustrophobic, paranoid, high or have bad nerves. All in all, we were definitely impressed, comforted by the women and children and all-in-all family units everywhere which changed our perception of the place and left without any reservations...except one.
While I was taking my final shower, a young Korean male came and through the mirror in front of me, I observed that he was standing not directly behind me but a little off and to the side. Staring at me. I turned around, water still cascading off me and stared him dead in the face. He smiled. He was younger than I. In this twenties if I had to guess and spoke to me a long sentence in Korean which ended in the word "big". I raised an eyebrow and responded "Anio Hangul" losely translated "No Korean (I don't speak Korean). I then asked if he spoke English and he did not respond in the positive. He moved over to the shower next to mine and I could still feel his gaze. Again looking at him, this time with a face indicating I had had enough of being the dog-and-pony-show, he spoke another sentence and ended it with "African". I had no idea where this was going but I said American and he seemed to understand. Rather than wonder what he was considering big while standing behind me and staring as long as he had been, I left the shower and dried off. Seeing my peers ready to leave, I made haste and made eye signals to them as to my "admirer" which they of course laughed about the rest of the night.
Our adventure was successful. We felt no more emasculated than first walking in and rather felt silly about irrational thoughts and empowered. It must have made a definite impression on us because at approximately $6 - $10 entrance fee, I have been back every single weekend thereafter (to a different one of course but still...good clean relaxation and fun with peers after a tumultuous work week? Sign me up!) and with my birthday looming around the corner, I fear I'll be there with some kind of expensive massage and exotic mud-and-hot-stone body rubdown.
Check it out: http://www.grandaqua24.co.kr and check out the photo gallery.
On to the next challenge...the pansori!
So as Sabbath drew to a close, we got dressed and prepared to make our way to Grand Aqua 24 hr. Spa. Three train transfers and an hour of travel later, we arrived at the right stop and began heading in the general direction of the bright lights, traffic and the mall. Laughing and joking all the way, our mirth was a thin veil to the nervousness we actually felt. The word bathhouse still conjured images of hairy Greek men, perfect in body leering lasciviously at each other in some Turkish bath setting. The conversation we were enjoying was mildly indicative of my friends imagining the same thing: getting off at Gaiwei ("gay-way") station for example, among other very...err..suggestive happenstances.
We got a little lost and then went to ask directions. Turns out we were just across the street from our destination, which in turn was just across the street from a Love Motel. Blank stares plastered our faces before riotous laughter. "Que sera, sera". If this turns out to be one big gay...well...at least we'd know why so many of the local men look so metrosexual.
We enter and immediately are greeted by stares that make one feel completely alien. After paying and struggling through some Konglish (Korean + English), we're given towels, locker keys and a change of clothes. HOORAY! Clothes! There shall be no nudity here this day and we breathe a sigh of relief as smiles break out across out faces. As I stepped forward to put my shoes away, a man next to be glared through my very soul. Peering back, I wondered what his problem was until I glanced down and saw that I had crossed into the barefoot zone with my Steve Madden boots clearly still on. I gasped and scurried away from his hateful gaze to take them off and then, with bowed head, shuffled to the locker and put my shoes away before catching up with the guys.
As we entered the male locker room, we were greeted by the doorsman, a concession stand and...you guessed it....naked men everywhere. NOOOOooOOooo! Lies! Deceit! Silently we glanced at each other and smirked our way to our lockers, our eyes making four with just about everyone passing us by. Growing weary of the shifty eyed intimidation, I stripped down and asked my brothers "Y'all ready?"
So we walked...the Warriors Three...down the corridor. Peripherally observing everyone either clandestinely or directly staring at us, we reasoned that white and black men in the nude were a rare sight in this Asian country...either that or we mesmerize them 'cause we fine!
We use the restroom, hit the showers and thereafter are introduced to a sight that was part expectation, part surprise and wonder. Everybody's naked. But once in there long enough to get past that, we begin to notice things. There is nothing sexual remotely happening here. The men in here are ranging from our age to the elderly and oddly enough, there are men bathing their sons here. The whole scene looks WAY more family atmosphere than the corrupt images my mind imagined earlier.
We entered the sauna and not long thereafter began making conversation with one of the locals who had actually studied English at one of our institutes long ago. He was pleasant and the conversation helped relieve some of our tension. We then walked to one of the four heated bathing pools...the hottest one...and gradually sank ourselves in. What began as roaring fire to the touch soon became a relaxing and comforting assault to achy muscles and instantaneous relief from sinus blockage. Once comfort set in and we grew accustomed to people either speaking (or staring), we broke rank and went on our different ways: to the cold bath, the steam room and the massage jetstream respectively. I also began to make observations.
One side of the sauna, contained many men who appeared to be taking an old-fashioned, sit-down scrub-down. This perplexed me. Why would men come here to bathe especially when we passed the showers where they could do so? I did find the fathers bathing sons and sons bathing fathers nice. There were also tables where men lay and were being scrubbed by half dressed people. It would be explained later that in the locker room, where shorts indicated that a person worked there and the scrub-down bath was reminiscent of the old days where people came to bathe at the Jjimjilbang because they did not (or could not) bathe at home. Daily showers were more modern luxuries in many countries and for some, old habits die hard. It made sense. We moved from hot to cold and my sinuses sang God's praise. We met an excited local who saw us trying to scurry from the cold water. He commanded us to get back in and jump around in it, which we did. His excitement knew no bounds! He was like an older Asian Li'l Jon and hilarious. We were having a good time until an employee came over and shushed us all loudly shouting and pointing things we did not understand in Korean. We took it to mean we were too loud and boisterous (though it was our local friend who was noise-making and not us). Christ restrained my anger. I hate hate HATE being publicly embarrassed and in a different circumstance, I might have left in handcuffs.
Satisfied with the bathhouse experience, we showered and put on the clothes they gave us, venturing upstairs to see what else existed there. It was a different world! The co-ed facilities were there along with the cafeteria, play arena for children and official massage parlor (which I must return to soon!). We found an ice room, which was refreshing, several alcoves for sleeping if you want to stay overnight (which several people do), several different warm rooms for sleeping, TV watching or laying around and the jjimjilbang itself which is this wonderful stone human oven that you crawl into and cook like a Christmas goose. I don't recommend it if you are claustrophobic, paranoid, high or have bad nerves. All in all, we were definitely impressed, comforted by the women and children and all-in-all family units everywhere which changed our perception of the place and left without any reservations...except one.
While I was taking my final shower, a young Korean male came and through the mirror in front of me, I observed that he was standing not directly behind me but a little off and to the side. Staring at me. I turned around, water still cascading off me and stared him dead in the face. He smiled. He was younger than I. In this twenties if I had to guess and spoke to me a long sentence in Korean which ended in the word "big". I raised an eyebrow and responded "Anio Hangul" losely translated "No Korean (I don't speak Korean). I then asked if he spoke English and he did not respond in the positive. He moved over to the shower next to mine and I could still feel his gaze. Again looking at him, this time with a face indicating I had had enough of being the dog-and-pony-show, he spoke another sentence and ended it with "African". I had no idea where this was going but I said American and he seemed to understand. Rather than wonder what he was considering big while standing behind me and staring as long as he had been, I left the shower and dried off. Seeing my peers ready to leave, I made haste and made eye signals to them as to my "admirer" which they of course laughed about the rest of the night.
Our adventure was successful. We felt no more emasculated than first walking in and rather felt silly about irrational thoughts and empowered. It must have made a definite impression on us because at approximately $6 - $10 entrance fee, I have been back every single weekend thereafter (to a different one of course but still...good clean relaxation and fun with peers after a tumultuous work week? Sign me up!) and with my birthday looming around the corner, I fear I'll be there with some kind of expensive massage and exotic mud-and-hot-stone body rubdown.
Check it out: http://www.grandaqua24.co.kr and check out the photo gallery.
On to the next challenge...the pansori!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Jjimjilbang: The Secrets Dispelled. Part I
The Jjimjilbang.
Synonymous with Sauna...
...Bathhouse...
Spa.
The name alone conjures images of refreshing relaxation for some and inspires nameless fear in others. Here in Korea, it is thought of as the social Balm in Gilead where people can have some well-deserved winding down after a tough day, week, life...whatever. One can go with friends, by oneself, with family, co-workers...whatever's your pleasure. This is not so back home in America. Though a brave few have pushed past the veil of curiosity and ventured into fabled establishments like Jeju Spa (in Gwinnett county, Georgia) and the like, most of us "Westerners" have an intrinsic problem starting right after we pay our entrance fees...
Nudity.
The problem becomes compounded if you are of any of the Black/ Negro subcultures (i.e. African, African American, African Caribbean, Afro-Hispanic, etc.) and especially so if you are male. The permeation and intermarriage of nudity and sexuality has become so overwhelming in these sub-cultures that it has given birth to an irrational fear that governs the actions of many a Westerner, especially in places where there is a chance of someone seeing you in the nude (or vice versa).
In a culture (or series of cultures for that matter) that demands its men to be masculine, strong and stalwart, nudity brings a sense of vulnerability; a crack in the armor. It displays our flaws to others and makes it easier for them to possibly see things that we are not happy about, thereby constituting to a look past our behavioral armor and into our true self perception: roll & beer-belly here, some flab there, scars, chests that look more like breasts and the dreaded thought of insufficient gonad size.
That's not all.
Since we've become such a hypermasculine culture, we have to defend our masculinity at all costs. This means that if someone says or suggests anything effeminate about us (chief of this being our sexual preferences), we have an obligation to respond...kinetically. Being in a room filled with other naked men outside of the sports (football/basketball/gym) locker-room makes most men very uncomfortable. Hell, it makes many more men uncomfortable IN the locker-room.This is where, at least psychologically, the predator irrationally fears becoming the prey. All forms of strange thoughts swirl in the mind as perceived threats to a man's ego, masculinity (and thus, safety) begin to arise. "What is he looking at me for?" "I hope no one is checking me out in here" "I don't get down with that" and a sea of other statement/questions that, with a gentle push, would send some of the toughest into blind rage defending their image and perception against an imagined assault.
Some cultures are lax about this in respects where social norms make allowances for this to occur. For example, the aforementioned locker room is the only place in America where nudity among most men is tolerable (especially black men). Not so in Trinidad and Tobago. The mere sight of such will send men into a Sodom-denouncing fury or running away screaming "pantyman!" lest anyone see them present at such debauchery. There are only two circumstances in which another man may see a Trinidadian man naked normally: one of those men must be a practicing medical doctor OR a mortician.
You get the point.
So here in Korea, we are told tales of wonder and promise surrounding this Jjimjilbang that the locals insist we visit. Working up my nerve to go, I asked one of my students about the nudity factor. The more I tried to explain the social discomforts of the West, the more confused he looked and rightly so for many reasons. It's hard to imagine that the worldwide mecca of Sex tapes, Britney Spears, racy Vegas shows and Porn Awards would have some idea of censorship or dare I say...shame. To the Korean, most of the West is considered Americanized and being the leader of the "free" world (and all SORTS of freedoms)...well...you can get where this is going.
Patiently waiting for me to finish, he explained that in the spa, which has been a long tradition in Asian countries, there is a separation of sexuality from nudity...a phenomenon that ends in Western life when one is old enough to bathe themselves. There is no need to prove oneself. There is no threat to one's masculinity, sexuality, social acceptance or self. This, for them, is what the beach is to Trinidadians; the place to relax, kick back and enjoy individually and socially.
I then realized just how much our Westernized thought process had been corrupted by the things we continue to see, hear and experience. I will be the first to admit that the bathhouse conjured images of muscled men lasciviously eyeing each other at some Turkish construct. It was time to step out of the way I had been conditioned (and allowed myself) to think and do something new, different and daring (yet legal). After all...I aim to teach Koreans that "all Westerners aren't the same, nor eat the same thing" (see earlier blogs about that...another one to follow) so I figured if they can stomach my cultural immersion exercises, I could stomach theirs.
Right?
Synonymous with Sauna...
...Bathhouse...
Spa.
The name alone conjures images of refreshing relaxation for some and inspires nameless fear in others. Here in Korea, it is thought of as the social Balm in Gilead where people can have some well-deserved winding down after a tough day, week, life...whatever. One can go with friends, by oneself, with family, co-workers...whatever's your pleasure. This is not so back home in America. Though a brave few have pushed past the veil of curiosity and ventured into fabled establishments like Jeju Spa (in Gwinnett county, Georgia) and the like, most of us "Westerners" have an intrinsic problem starting right after we pay our entrance fees...
Nudity.
The problem becomes compounded if you are of any of the Black/ Negro subcultures (i.e. African, African American, African Caribbean, Afro-Hispanic, etc.) and especially so if you are male. The permeation and intermarriage of nudity and sexuality has become so overwhelming in these sub-cultures that it has given birth to an irrational fear that governs the actions of many a Westerner, especially in places where there is a chance of someone seeing you in the nude (or vice versa).
In a culture (or series of cultures for that matter) that demands its men to be masculine, strong and stalwart, nudity brings a sense of vulnerability; a crack in the armor. It displays our flaws to others and makes it easier for them to possibly see things that we are not happy about, thereby constituting to a look past our behavioral armor and into our true self perception: roll & beer-belly here, some flab there, scars, chests that look more like breasts and the dreaded thought of insufficient gonad size.
That's not all.
Since we've become such a hypermasculine culture, we have to defend our masculinity at all costs. This means that if someone says or suggests anything effeminate about us (chief of this being our sexual preferences), we have an obligation to respond...kinetically. Being in a room filled with other naked men outside of the sports (football/basketball/gym) locker-room makes most men very uncomfortable. Hell, it makes many more men uncomfortable IN the locker-room.This is where, at least psychologically, the predator irrationally fears becoming the prey. All forms of strange thoughts swirl in the mind as perceived threats to a man's ego, masculinity (and thus, safety) begin to arise. "What is he looking at me for?" "I hope no one is checking me out in here" "I don't get down with that" and a sea of other statement/questions that, with a gentle push, would send some of the toughest into blind rage defending their image and perception against an imagined assault.
Some cultures are lax about this in respects where social norms make allowances for this to occur. For example, the aforementioned locker room is the only place in America where nudity among most men is tolerable (especially black men). Not so in Trinidad and Tobago. The mere sight of such will send men into a Sodom-denouncing fury or running away screaming "pantyman!" lest anyone see them present at such debauchery. There are only two circumstances in which another man may see a Trinidadian man naked normally: one of those men must be a practicing medical doctor OR a mortician.
You get the point.
So here in Korea, we are told tales of wonder and promise surrounding this Jjimjilbang that the locals insist we visit. Working up my nerve to go, I asked one of my students about the nudity factor. The more I tried to explain the social discomforts of the West, the more confused he looked and rightly so for many reasons. It's hard to imagine that the worldwide mecca of Sex tapes, Britney Spears, racy Vegas shows and Porn Awards would have some idea of censorship or dare I say...shame. To the Korean, most of the West is considered Americanized and being the leader of the "free" world (and all SORTS of freedoms)...well...you can get where this is going.
Patiently waiting for me to finish, he explained that in the spa, which has been a long tradition in Asian countries, there is a separation of sexuality from nudity...a phenomenon that ends in Western life when one is old enough to bathe themselves. There is no need to prove oneself. There is no threat to one's masculinity, sexuality, social acceptance or self. This, for them, is what the beach is to Trinidadians; the place to relax, kick back and enjoy individually and socially.
I then realized just how much our Westernized thought process had been corrupted by the things we continue to see, hear and experience. I will be the first to admit that the bathhouse conjured images of muscled men lasciviously eyeing each other at some Turkish construct. It was time to step out of the way I had been conditioned (and allowed myself) to think and do something new, different and daring (yet legal). After all...I aim to teach Koreans that "all Westerners aren't the same, nor eat the same thing" (see earlier blogs about that...another one to follow) so I figured if they can stomach my cultural immersion exercises, I could stomach theirs.
Right?
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Doin' it Seoul-Style!
Since landing in Korea, I have only seen ONE dryer. I am starting to wonder if THAT dryer was imported. This is what my dryer looks like. I be doin' it big yo!
Culture and Happenstance: Everyday Learnings Part 1
So today, I was awaken by sounds of shouting downstairs. You're about to see why...
So...yeah, car accident. The third one I have seen in a two week period where people are just about to go postal...jumping out their clothes, fighting, getting all riled up...and I am wondering "What is wrong with these people? Just call the police and let the insurance handle it." When my roommate walked in and explained the situation a little more as to WHAT the arguments were about...it made more sense. Cultural sensitivity folks...you learn something new every day.
Oh. One more thing...we learned a new word in English class last week. The word? Middle-class.
I live.
So...yeah, car accident. The third one I have seen in a two week period where people are just about to go postal...jumping out their clothes, fighting, getting all riled up...and I am wondering "What is wrong with these people? Just call the police and let the insurance handle it." When my roommate walked in and explained the situation a little more as to WHAT the arguments were about...it made more sense. Cultural sensitivity folks...you learn something new every day.
Oh. One more thing...we learned a new word in English class last week. The word? Middle-class.
I live.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Roller Coaster & the Fungus. A love Story...
Hi.
Before we start...sorry. I know I've been absent for QUITE some time, but you see...the truth is...I'm having trouble adjusting.
It's true.
I like kimchi (no, none one is holding a gun to my head), I do...but I don't like my eggs, my juice, my yogurt, my fruit and vegetables or anything else for that matter smelling like the stuff. The kimchi juice smell? Heaven help us! It's the essence of shrimp and chitterlings! I can't do it Jesus...I just...I just can't!
In orientation, we were told that there is a phase you will go through after the honeymoon period wears off where you are like "what am I doing here?" and "did I make the right decision?". I am not going through those questions. Mine sound more like "How in all that is righteous am I going to survive 2+ years of this?!"
There is something indescribable about waking up every day being unable to read, write or communicate with the general public effectively, not knowing where everything is and making incremental progress to finding out everything around you. Your food availability is limited (shrimp, octopus and pork abound) and R&R options are about as limited as the words in Korean you speak.
I've been cursed out twice since being here: about two weeks ago by a drunkard on the train telling me to "be quiet!" before rambling obscenities in Korean that caused another native to apologize to my peers thereafter and then again this week when one of my prized students blind-sided me by becoming irate about me not starting class on-time because I wait for more than just her and her sister to arrive before I start teaching. In the first instance, I played the part of dumb foreigner who didn't understand (secretly hoping he would come over and get in my face so I could massacre him) and the second time, I chose the higher path of humility and non-confrontation which I must say took everything in me. I am in a foreign country. I don't sleep enough. I eat whatever I can, the majority of which can't be healthy. I have limited access to my family and friends. I am frequently lonely, bored or hungry. I have a foot fungus (YAY!) that scorches my feet up on the daily. I hate Mondays. I hate 7am on Mondays. I left all that I was and have to come here and be scolded by a student?!...yeah...all those thoughts had to go slithering into my lockbox lest I end up on the six o' clock news. My co-ordinator (who is like a boss, but cooler) did share this good piece of perspective: It is a good thing when you overcome some character flaw that God puts you through to test and shape you but you can't help but wonder what is the boss on the next level of this video game we call life?
Am I ready for the next boss?
*blink*
*blink, blink*
Anyway, I visited another major city called Daejeon which is decidedly less jammed-packed than Seoul and is adorned with the nice buildings AND beautiful scenery in the near and far distance. I think I like it there better. Sure one would sacrifice many of the tourist attractions and conveniences but the hustle and bustle can be depressing in a city that never sleeps. Especially when you find yourself feeling alone in it. Facebook is fast becoming a drug as it is the easiest way to connect to the planet of people who can laugh, understand...even SPEAK to me.
I found the GAP the other day in the mall here by me. It was comforting to see it and even though almost NOTHING in there will fit me and several (many) items are ridiculously overpriced, it gave me pleasure to see something familiar. I have to watch spending money too. I think I've taken to buying junk food A.K.A. comfort food because I can readily identify it and when bored with nowhere to go and nothing to do, snacking hits the spot. I know it's not healthy, I know...but hey...at least it's not porn. Right?
The semester has just about two/three weeks left and I wonder...is it better to have two months of class with guaranteed breaks in the middle or how we do it back in America with longer semesters and longer breaks in between? I haven't made my mind up yet. I have made my mind up on the need to educate many people about what they consider "the West" and "Western" food. It is very perplexing. The widespread belief is that western food and westerners are generally much more unhealthy than the Koreans. When I asked just where the West was, they replied "everything outside of Asia".
:-|
So American, Indian?? the ENTIRE African diaspora, Caribbean (in all its variety), South American, Hawaiian, Central American, Arctic, Antarctic, European, Middle-Eastern, Australian...basically, EVERYWHERE ELSE ON PLANET EARTH is unhealthy compared to Korean cuisine. Umm...I'm not even going to go there. Let's just say a reality check is needed. And why would there be such a Westernization of the culture if it...nevermind.
So yeah...I'm going through it. But I am determined to not pack my stuff up and say "screw it". I will say this though. Salvation comes in the form of the Jjimjilbang a.k.a. the Korean Bathhouse. Don't be afraid. It's not what you think and I can SEE the panic written in your face. Another blog on that experience will come later. You will laugh yourself to death or be terrified and run fleeing in terror. Either way, it'll be entertaining, so pray for me, stay tuned and the occasional (lies...FREQUENT) words of encouragement, facebook message, e-mail or care-package for the generous (^_^) will be well appreciated.
Plus Side: My roommate and I occasionally play Street Fighter 4 for PS3. Someone recommend some good, yet simple two player games please...
Before we start...sorry. I know I've been absent for QUITE some time, but you see...the truth is...I'm having trouble adjusting.
It's true.
I like kimchi (no, none one is holding a gun to my head), I do...but I don't like my eggs, my juice, my yogurt, my fruit and vegetables or anything else for that matter smelling like the stuff. The kimchi juice smell? Heaven help us! It's the essence of shrimp and chitterlings! I can't do it Jesus...I just...I just can't!
In orientation, we were told that there is a phase you will go through after the honeymoon period wears off where you are like "what am I doing here?" and "did I make the right decision?". I am not going through those questions. Mine sound more like "How in all that is righteous am I going to survive 2+ years of this?!"
There is something indescribable about waking up every day being unable to read, write or communicate with the general public effectively, not knowing where everything is and making incremental progress to finding out everything around you. Your food availability is limited (shrimp, octopus and pork abound) and R&R options are about as limited as the words in Korean you speak.
I've been cursed out twice since being here: about two weeks ago by a drunkard on the train telling me to "be quiet!" before rambling obscenities in Korean that caused another native to apologize to my peers thereafter and then again this week when one of my prized students blind-sided me by becoming irate about me not starting class on-time because I wait for more than just her and her sister to arrive before I start teaching. In the first instance, I played the part of dumb foreigner who didn't understand (secretly hoping he would come over and get in my face so I could massacre him) and the second time, I chose the higher path of humility and non-confrontation which I must say took everything in me. I am in a foreign country. I don't sleep enough. I eat whatever I can, the majority of which can't be healthy. I have limited access to my family and friends. I am frequently lonely, bored or hungry. I have a foot fungus (YAY!) that scorches my feet up on the daily. I hate Mondays. I hate 7am on Mondays. I left all that I was and have to come here and be scolded by a student?!...yeah...all those thoughts had to go slithering into my lockbox lest I end up on the six o' clock news. My co-ordinator (who is like a boss, but cooler) did share this good piece of perspective: It is a good thing when you overcome some character flaw that God puts you through to test and shape you but you can't help but wonder what is the boss on the next level of this video game we call life?
Am I ready for the next boss?
*blink*
*blink, blink*
Anyway, I visited another major city called Daejeon which is decidedly less jammed-packed than Seoul and is adorned with the nice buildings AND beautiful scenery in the near and far distance. I think I like it there better. Sure one would sacrifice many of the tourist attractions and conveniences but the hustle and bustle can be depressing in a city that never sleeps. Especially when you find yourself feeling alone in it. Facebook is fast becoming a drug as it is the easiest way to connect to the planet of people who can laugh, understand...even SPEAK to me.
I found the GAP the other day in the mall here by me. It was comforting to see it and even though almost NOTHING in there will fit me and several (many) items are ridiculously overpriced, it gave me pleasure to see something familiar. I have to watch spending money too. I think I've taken to buying junk food A.K.A. comfort food because I can readily identify it and when bored with nowhere to go and nothing to do, snacking hits the spot. I know it's not healthy, I know...but hey...at least it's not porn. Right?
The semester has just about two/three weeks left and I wonder...is it better to have two months of class with guaranteed breaks in the middle or how we do it back in America with longer semesters and longer breaks in between? I haven't made my mind up yet. I have made my mind up on the need to educate many people about what they consider "the West" and "Western" food. It is very perplexing. The widespread belief is that western food and westerners are generally much more unhealthy than the Koreans. When I asked just where the West was, they replied "everything outside of Asia".
:-|
So American, Indian?? the ENTIRE African diaspora, Caribbean (in all its variety), South American, Hawaiian, Central American, Arctic, Antarctic, European, Middle-Eastern, Australian...basically, EVERYWHERE ELSE ON PLANET EARTH is unhealthy compared to Korean cuisine. Umm...I'm not even going to go there. Let's just say a reality check is needed. And why would there be such a Westernization of the culture if it...nevermind.
So yeah...I'm going through it. But I am determined to not pack my stuff up and say "screw it". I will say this though. Salvation comes in the form of the Jjimjilbang a.k.a. the Korean Bathhouse. Don't be afraid. It's not what you think and I can SEE the panic written in your face. Another blog on that experience will come later. You will laugh yourself to death or be terrified and run fleeing in terror. Either way, it'll be entertaining, so pray for me, stay tuned and the occasional (lies...FREQUENT) words of encouragement, facebook message, e-mail or care-package for the generous (^_^) will be well appreciated.
Plus Side: My roommate and I occasionally play Street Fighter 4 for PS3. Someone recommend some good, yet simple two player games please...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Real Talk #2
Ay...
I used to think Star Craft addiction was a myth or just a saying.
I used to.
And they ain't even seen StarCraft II yet.
*scurries away*
I used to think Star Craft addiction was a myth or just a saying.
I used to.
And they ain't even seen StarCraft II yet.
*scurries away*
Real Talk #1
Yo...
Real talk..
I don't see no stray dog or cats out here.
No squirrels. No raccoons.
Not even a rat (not that I'm looking for one).
(._. ) ... ( ._.)
Spooky.
Real talk..
I don't see no stray dog or cats out here.
No squirrels. No raccoons.
Not even a rat (not that I'm looking for one).
(._. ) ... ( ._.)
Spooky.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Intimacy
In Korea, hand-holding isn't taboo.
I've seen friends walking hand-in-hand...siblings walking hand-in-hand...
But what blew my mind today, was seeing a grown man and his aged father walking hand-in-hand.
I tried not to cry...
(in public).
I've seen friends walking hand-in-hand...siblings walking hand-in-hand...
But what blew my mind today, was seeing a grown man and his aged father walking hand-in-hand.
I tried not to cry...
(in public).
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Dilemma
Somehow...I have to learn to love Jesus more than I love sin.
Problem is...I've had more time (and practice) at loving sin.
Looks like some death-to-self and other changes have to occur.
With sincerity.
And discipline.
Damn, this is rough.
...
Problem is...I've had more time (and practice) at loving sin.
Looks like some death-to-self and other changes have to occur.
With sincerity.
And discipline.
Damn, this is rough.
...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
From San-F'do to Sangdo. A Memoir...
Hello to all my adoring friends and family!
I know it's been quite a while since my last blog and for that I am terribly sorry. Life adjusting here has been interesting to say the least. I just realized that I am quite under duress (as evidenced by my 15lb. weight gain and bad sleeping habits, coupled with frequent migraines) but nevertheless, I continue to press forward. I wanted to spin out of the usual religious revelation to give you a little of my day-to-day observation of life here in Seoul.
ME
I miss home. The small comforts; and sometimes I find myself looking at/for things and people reminiscent of home. Smells aren't remotely the same, and some sights are. Like I said earlier, I've put on weight and I'm hungry a lot. The weight? It's from snacking. Don't judge me yet. While some might think this is because I'm accessing comfort-foods, well you're wrong. I can't read Hangul (Korean) and because of that, buying things to cook (or eat) is difficult. There's a myriad of street vendors a stone-throw's away selling something decadent and fried, stewed and what-have-you. But I can't ask if it's eel, or squid, or sea-urchin. So though it might smell delightful, it's a no-no. Whatever I see that I can recognize, I run to...and as of right now, that looks like bread, rice, cereal, eggs, yogurt and the occasional spicy Sun Chips or can of "Cheesy Pringles". So sue me. A man's gotta eat.
LOCATION
I live in the Sangdo-dong area of Seoul. I have no idea where that is in relation to everything else, BUT I do know what it reminds me of. Queens, NY. It reminds me of Queens with a splash of Valsayn, Trinidad and some San Diego. It's very much city and the world outside my window NEVER SLEEPS. EVER. The din of traffic is incessant. In my immediate vicinity lie Mr. Pizza (downstairs my apartment), Papa John's (across the street downstairs my job) and Pizza Hut (6 buildings down). Coffee shops are littered everywhere and yes, the country is infested by even Starbucks. Little marts including 7 Eleven are spotted everywhere and public transportation is amazingly frequent and reliable. Both the train and the bus haven't failed me. I am all of 5 minutes bus ride from the I'Park Mall (a megamall that dwarfs even the Mall of Georgia with a whopping 8 floors of Mall madness, including I-Max movie theatre, wedding and banquet hall, outdoor auditorium for events like concerts and restaurants and stores galore). Don't think for a second the mall is middle-class either. It's not.
A short bus ride further takes us into downtown Seoul which is kind of strange. Here's why. In America, you know you're in the city because as you drive, the concentration of buildings and skyscrapers (particularly the more artsy ones) increases along the downtown mainstreet. Not so in Korea. There are clumps of cityscape everywhere and Seoul is sooooo sprawling that while you might think you are at the center of the megaopolis, you're not. You're in one small neighborhood/segment that beats to its own drum. Anyway, the TRUE downtown Seoul is rather reminiscent of Manhattan and Los Angeles put together with some modern flair. Add a dash of mountainous range and ancient sprawling palace complexes and voila! It is invigorating to be there and to see the marriage of the modern and the ancient. Let's not forget about the river running through the city and of course, shopping districts and the spaceship Samsung. Yeah...Samsung's headquarters look like something out of BattleStar Galactica. I stood looking up at it for 10 minutes imagining myself in the Captain's chair saying "Engage".
Also, there is an odd acceptance of "cutifying things". Smiley-faces, anime cartoon expressions much quicker produce smiles and diffuse tense situations (especially in a classroom where no one understands you) faster than a handshake, smile or anything else. Since I doodle and draw, I make great use of that but it is puzzling. The music is cutesy and seeing grown adults chuckle at a smiley face is not disconcerting, but it is different. I would expect them to be more laid back as a culture if faces like the one below tickle you so much...
I could go on forever but I need to eat and sleep respectively AND be up in 6 hours for class. We'll talk more later so look out for part two of this segment. Ciao....for now...
I know it's been quite a while since my last blog and for that I am terribly sorry. Life adjusting here has been interesting to say the least. I just realized that I am quite under duress (as evidenced by my 15lb. weight gain and bad sleeping habits, coupled with frequent migraines) but nevertheless, I continue to press forward. I wanted to spin out of the usual religious revelation to give you a little of my day-to-day observation of life here in Seoul.
ME
I miss home. The small comforts; and sometimes I find myself looking at/for things and people reminiscent of home. Smells aren't remotely the same, and some sights are. Like I said earlier, I've put on weight and I'm hungry a lot. The weight? It's from snacking. Don't judge me yet. While some might think this is because I'm accessing comfort-foods, well you're wrong. I can't read Hangul (Korean) and because of that, buying things to cook (or eat) is difficult. There's a myriad of street vendors a stone-throw's away selling something decadent and fried, stewed and what-have-you. But I can't ask if it's eel, or squid, or sea-urchin. So though it might smell delightful, it's a no-no. Whatever I see that I can recognize, I run to...and as of right now, that looks like bread, rice, cereal, eggs, yogurt and the occasional spicy Sun Chips or can of "Cheesy Pringles". So sue me. A man's gotta eat.
LOCATION
I live in the Sangdo-dong area of Seoul. I have no idea where that is in relation to everything else, BUT I do know what it reminds me of. Queens, NY. It reminds me of Queens with a splash of Valsayn, Trinidad and some San Diego. It's very much city and the world outside my window NEVER SLEEPS. EVER. The din of traffic is incessant. In my immediate vicinity lie Mr. Pizza (downstairs my apartment), Papa John's (across the street downstairs my job) and Pizza Hut (6 buildings down). Coffee shops are littered everywhere and yes, the country is infested by even Starbucks. Little marts including 7 Eleven are spotted everywhere and public transportation is amazingly frequent and reliable. Both the train and the bus haven't failed me. I am all of 5 minutes bus ride from the I'Park Mall (a megamall that dwarfs even the Mall of Georgia with a whopping 8 floors of Mall madness, including I-Max movie theatre, wedding and banquet hall, outdoor auditorium for events like concerts and restaurants and stores galore). Don't think for a second the mall is middle-class either. It's not.
A short bus ride further takes us into downtown Seoul which is kind of strange. Here's why. In America, you know you're in the city because as you drive, the concentration of buildings and skyscrapers (particularly the more artsy ones) increases along the downtown mainstreet. Not so in Korea. There are clumps of cityscape everywhere and Seoul is sooooo sprawling that while you might think you are at the center of the megaopolis, you're not. You're in one small neighborhood/segment that beats to its own drum. Anyway, the TRUE downtown Seoul is rather reminiscent of Manhattan and Los Angeles put together with some modern flair. Add a dash of mountainous range and ancient sprawling palace complexes and voila! It is invigorating to be there and to see the marriage of the modern and the ancient. Let's not forget about the river running through the city and of course, shopping districts and the spaceship Samsung. Yeah...Samsung's headquarters look like something out of BattleStar Galactica. I stood looking up at it for 10 minutes imagining myself in the Captain's chair saying "Engage".
There is a strange comfort that comes over me when taking a taxi into downtown. It feels like...familiarity. Civilization makes me feel not so alien in this place. While I enjoy the mountains and the nature that is evident, sometimes street signs, bus labels, advertisements, music, language...just everything around me can overwhelm me into feeling completely lost and disconnected. So when I see cities, when I see Outback, when I see McDonalds, Burger King, Aldo, Baskin Robbins, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme, KFC, Subway or the GAP, I know I'm not going to have the exact same experience at home, but it doesn't matter. It's a little piece of America that makes you breathe out and say "Ahhhhhh".
Another weird thing is that there are crosses (especially in red EVERYWHERE). Driving from the airport to Seoul on the first night, I was thinking "Missionary work in a country with soooo many churches?" It was like a scene out of the End of Evangelion. I was told that advertisement is everything and with buildings being so close and there being such a bitter fight for advertising space and signs, many churches resort to steeples and crosses to advertise/ make their presence known. In my immediate area there exists at least 5 other churches of other faiths.
Something that will kind of make you fall back aghast are Swastikas all over Seoul as well. Don't be alarmed! No witch-hunting here...it IS however a good lesson on perspective. In Korea, the Swastika is and has been a symbol for Buddhism so when you see it, it is saying that there is a church/ temple at that location. I had to get a little used to it at first because it was truly a "DIOS MIO!" moment.
FOOD
Koreans, being Asian, eat rice. That was a no-brainer. Rice-cookers adorn every kitchen. However, it's what else they eat that is the conundrum. Most of you know me to be Seventh Day Adventist so the list of things I won't eat is understandably long. So walking down the street and seeing eel, squid, lobster, octopus, pork galore and catfish with Manchurian moustaches is out of the question. There is a a dish here called kimchi that is essentially very spicy fermented cabbage. At first, it is a rather offensive smell (and thought) but with time (and desperation I suppose), I have begun to add little bits of this Korean delight to my meals, much to the surprise of the locals. You see, their perception of food is interesting. They think American food consists of hamburgers, fried chicken, fries and hot dogs and little else. Trying to explain Caribbean cooking might as well be Greek, as well as the understanding that there are so many sub-cultures within America so it's inappropriate to consider just one particular food American, but I digress.
Apparently, they despise peanut-butter (or so I've been told). The are NOT at all big on sweets. Juices, candies and the likes are more savory than they are sweet thus High Fructose Corn Syrup and the like have no place here. Starburst and Skittles? It's like finding a pot of gold. They do like chocolate though...and pastries in a "French" bakery. Odd. Water is plentiful and at any given building, there is a water cooler with built-in purification system that produces hot or cold water. Sweet! Aloe juice has become a favorite of mine as well. It is well priced, plentiful, tastes good and may be better for us than Juicy-Juice (in all its natural sugar glory). Now, a lot of their foods appear rich in salt though so one must be mindful. They do cook lots of vegetables and they eat a lot of soups too. Bean sprout, raddish and soy products are abundant and spicy and savory is preferred to salty or sweet. It's the exact opposite of the American palate and consequently, when you go grocery shopping, US items are far more rare and high priced because of the low demand. Of course the sister of coffee is tea and that is everywhere as well.
Now, meat is altogether a different issue. Yes, we talked about seafood before (which abounds) but chicken is the bastard child of the dinner table. Number one on the mind? Ham. I have heard that bacon is even NOT considered pig to some people because it is so delightful. Buying beef is also ridiculously expensive! I am told that this is because the land mass does not have enough place for the growing of animals for meat and so it is imported from Australia. I haven't had ice cream yet, but I hear it tastes "sugar free". I hope to God that this isn't true. Baskin Robbins wasn't disappointing but I was told to avoid ColdStone like the plague. To all my seaweed hater, don't knock it til you try it and watch your sodium intake when you do. It goes well with a lot, especially rice. However, sushi goes by a different name here and doesn't quite taste the same. It is very interesting to hear children (and grown ups) say that their favorite food is either kimchi or noodles. I always think "but they aren't that tasty!" Social culture and programming is a hell of a thing.
PEOPLE
These people are understandably all thin and not all of them are short as media would have us believe. I've met many average height (my height) and taller people while here. The women are rather beautiful in varying ways (just like the gals back home) and not many of the men are ruggedly handsome. There is a certain gentile that surrounds the men, especially the more educated, better employed individuals. Some would go as far as to call it androgyny or femininity, but to do so would be erroneous. Fashion rules in this place. Let me tell you. I have yet to see one bad suit on a human body here. The men's suits are ALL athletic-cut, single-breasted, two-buttoned, double-vented, dark shiny masterpieces that make you wonder if KOREA invented the suit. I mean all men. Married. Students. Workers. CEO. Grandpa. Pastors. Their tie and vest and pocket silks? I can't....I just...can't. The prices are rather comparable to us and I must confess...I feel VERY outdone here. Maybe God has a lesson for me as well by sending me to a place where I'm out-coiffed on the DAILY no matter HOW hard I try. I mean, I'm fabulous but I'm FAR from modelesque in a shiny tailor-fitting PRADA suit. The ladies don't half-step either. While their heels aren't the typical "stilettos, pumps, in the club", their outfits are regularly something out of VOGUE or some high-end couture fashion-mag. REGULARLY. I don't see gaudy make-up or jewelry (even though it is sold) and they make modesty and doing a lot with a little, look good. I see a lot more leg and sequinned shapes than I expected but traditional dress is all but extinct. Even grandma is put together in regal fashion on her way to market. And I've never seen so many skinny jeans (worn the way they were meant to be worn and actually not looking bad) in one area on the tough guy and fashionista alike. It starts from the teenage years and by the time you hit college? H&M, Banana Republic and Ralph Lauren models EVERYWHERE...effortlessly. Here are some interesting tidbits about interpersonal relationships:-
1. Pointing at people with the index finger is considered as rude as the middle finger is in America (guilty).
2. When you beckon someone, you do so with the palm of your hand facing down (guilty).
3. You bow to people of higher status. A deeper bow is a greater show of respect.
4. You give or receive things to or from elders with both hands. It is a show of respect (guilty).
5. When eating together, wait until the eldest begins eating to eat (guilty).
6. Do not tip at restaurants. It's disrespectful.
7. Do not speak loudly in public (or laugh loudly either). My friend was actually assaulted on the subway and told to be quiet by a geezer.
8. Do NOT call elders by their first name or their whole name.
9. Eye contact with strangers is a no-no.
10. Writing a person's name in red ink is a no-no.
11. Not being able to tell Asians apart? Yep, another no-no.
12. Wearing shoes inside the house is another no-no.
13. Firm American hand shakes are a bit much. Match the pressure of the person shaking your hand.
14. Don't ask for seconds! For God's sake...the world will come to an end!
15. If you're like me (and believe that everyone should eat from their own plate when we go out to eat), you might have a little problem eating out. They put the food ordered in the middle as to promote sharing. Ummm...I want one straw in my Sprite please. NOT two...and DEFINITELY not three!
16. If we don't work at the same level or aren't the same age, we can't be friends. Weird.
I am working on getting used to being stared at in the street. I have developed this new power to frighten children. I do it every day. You wonder how? I just walk around the corner into them and the burly, black man scares the Korean Jesus right out of their little faces. It's so insulting it's become gratifying. I hold no grudge though. I know many of them have never seen a real life moor and I can use it to my advantage when it comes time for discipline. Generally, I find the people shy yet friendly once you pierce the exterior. It will be interesting to see how life changes when I make progress on learning Hangul. The people have become a dominant economic power in Asia in the last 11 years and it is not because of America. They work devilishly hard. The good side of that is that they play hard as well (which leads to some serious drinking issues). There is no drug problem here...I know...I don't believe it either, but from what I hear...what little drug issue their might be exists around the American encampment. Many things are highly illegal here and crime is at an amazing low compared to other cities. I have NEVER seen a police man and while I see their cars on the road, their sirens are never on nor are they spotted speeding after the denizens of crime. No, the addiction therapists here only focus on video game, karaoke and smoking addiction.
Suicide, however, is at an all time high. It's considered near-socially acceptable. One would rather kill self that bring shame to the family by doing something dishonorable or being a failure. CEOs and stars seem to do it very often. It speaks to how much God is needed in daily life as the power of forgiveness (especially of forgiving yourself) needs to be ingrained on a social level. There's also a low birth rate these days. No one is telling me why though.
Toyotas and Hondas are in the stark minority. They are outnumbered by Kias, Daewoos, Mercedes, Chevys (yes, I said Chevys...and Nissans too), Audis, BMWs, Hyundais and Samsungs (yes, Samsung makes cars...and apartment complexes...and electronics...and baseball teams, just like LG and Hyundai and Daewoo who also makes buses, trains et al.). Apparently, there is a lingering sadness of the people. You see, they have been invaded by the Chinese (who wanted to annex them to mainland China) and of course Japan (in its bid to invade China). Japan did some TERRIBLE things to Korea in the past including the murder of one of its Queens, the burning of her carcass and spreading her ashes all about before having those responsible extradited to Japan and named national heroes. The list of atrocities goes on so to say that there is a rift between them is an understatement. You really see the ugly come out in a football (soccer) match. On a good note, the tax in prices is already included so no surprises at the cash register and when spending money, you just divide the price by 1000, so a Coke will cost about 1,250 W ($1.25). The people like authentic things (which would explain why Coach, Burberry and Louis Vuitton are seen everywhere and I was told that if something is free or cheap, they will shy away from it for fear that its quality is not good. Education is a big deal to them. Their children go to after-school tutoring until like...almost 8pm and it seems everyone plays a musical instrument and/or reads music/sings.
Though there are many things I envy about the Korean people, sometimes the rigidity of their life makes me sad. I wonder if I would make it in a society where I was so pressured to measure up, succeed, be the best at all times and where my self worth was tied up in those things. I can look at children and see them exhausted and still pushed and sometimes (as a person who went to tutoring 6 days a week), I hope and pray inside that their parents let them know that they love them. I would have thought that discipline would be a cakewalk here but it is not so. People celebrate their kids (especially boys) almost to a fault where you as a teacher are more likely to be wrong than the child. [MADNESS]. I haven't seen a StarCraft cafe yet although my roommate immediately saw it on my desktop and started questions with a broad grin *snicker*.
I am told that porn is distributed among friends in middle and elementary school these days, but socially-accepted pedophilia doesn't seem to be the thing of the day [like it is in Japan] thankfully. American music isn't heard often BUT K*Pop (Korean Pop) makes up for it. Most people play music beautifully (and methodically) but the musical style is something soothing to the ears most times. However, we still jump up and act foolish when we hear some Sheryl crow, Cyndi Lauper or a Korean singing a Whitney Houston number. Buddhist monks are seen commonly walking around in their garb (awesomeness) and their ladies look like their guys do. I wonder if they know Kung Fu...Also, there is an odd acceptance of "cutifying things". Smiley-faces, anime cartoon expressions much quicker produce smiles and diffuse tense situations (especially in a classroom where no one understands you) faster than a handshake, smile or anything else. Since I doodle and draw, I make great use of that but it is puzzling. The music is cutesy and seeing grown adults chuckle at a smiley face is not disconcerting, but it is different. I would expect them to be more laid back as a culture if faces like the one below tickle you so much...
One more thing that I find problematic is the attachment to mobile electronics. On the bus, on the sardine-packed subway, on the street, in the classroom...no matter where you go people are umbilically connected to their mobile devices. The phones here do a lot of mobile TV so people watch movies, football (soccer) games, they text incessantly (and apparently the Korean facebook equivalent was out and in full force use YEARS before our facebook was developed or popular so you know word travels like lightning), listen to music, have conversations and the like. I dare say that if all telecomm went dead for a day. People would NOT know what to do with themselves. It's disconcerting to see sooooo many people lost in their own little digital world. I was told though, that when Koreans like something, it is like a mass obsession until the fad dies. Right nos? The fad of the day is karaoke. There are even little booths for it in the video arcade (yes, I found an arcade. Don't judge me. I also told my roommate I play Star Craft and told him there was no way in hell I'd play against him).
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Life in Seoul Pt. 2
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| The view from church... |
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| All the songs you know and love and a 20-member congregation that lets out at noon. Praise Him! |
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| Pastor exiting the kitchen. |
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| Pastor giving the sermon. |
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| He's being translated by a former teacher, Sophia. |
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| Yes, he presented me with the flowers as he introduced me to the church and NO, this is NOT a wedding photo. |
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| The church is on the 6th floor of the SDA Language Institute. |
Life in Seoul
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| First glance into my room... |
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| This little contraption controls floor heating (on left) and hot water (on right). |
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| The bathrooms are GREAT for maximized utility... |
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| ...but privacy/ mulit-person use is greatly diminished. |
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| This is where I work, Sangdo SDA Language Institute... see Papa Johns on the 1st floor? |
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| ...and across the street, I live on the fourth floor. Mr. Pizza on the 1st floor. Help us Lord. |
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| This is the view of both home AND work. |
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| Inside my swanky, Japanese-inspired apartment... |
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| Low lighting and glass-top table? Oh yes! |
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| Sliding Asian front door. ^_^ |
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| Welcome to my room. Pardon the mess. |
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| Also pardon my Fuchsia sheets. Girls used to live here. |
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| ...and not at all cluttered... |
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| My buddy spoke these flowers into existence yesterday! |
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| My delightful wall-paper. My rooomate has a hello-kitty-Isis thing going on too. :-\ |
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| ...the view outside my window... |
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| The cool kitchen complete with fancy Samsung Fridge and door to the washer (we have no dryer). |
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| But I have no idea what to cook (besides rice). Help us Christ! |
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What a day...
What an interesting day so far!
So after I left the apartment LATE headed to morning worship filled with sour thoughts about not liking the food, accommodations, being away from friends and family, missing births of children and everything else important to me, I walked in on a worship that shared the role of Joshua and the scouts into Jericho. I was so overwhelmed with a bevy of emotions both positive (about what God wants to do through me and the need for good morale among God's people) and negative (missing home and people and sadness) that I began to cry uncontrollably. The more people that asked if I was okay, was the more I wept uncontrollably. My peers surrounded me and prayed with me and sang to me. I love them...I really do...and I love the way they rally around each other. It's amazing that 2 weeks ago, I knew not a ONE of them. I suspect this won't be the last time that I cry or even have these sorts of feelings but I am not going to side-step the vulnerabilities and the emotions that come with them.
In other news, I've been placed at the Sang-Do Institute in Seoul, South Korea. God is funny and loves Trinidadian people to place the guy from San-F'do in Sang-Do. I thank Him for loving me in spite of me...
So after I left the apartment LATE headed to morning worship filled with sour thoughts about not liking the food, accommodations, being away from friends and family, missing births of children and everything else important to me, I walked in on a worship that shared the role of Joshua and the scouts into Jericho. I was so overwhelmed with a bevy of emotions both positive (about what God wants to do through me and the need for good morale among God's people) and negative (missing home and people and sadness) that I began to cry uncontrollably. The more people that asked if I was okay, was the more I wept uncontrollably. My peers surrounded me and prayed with me and sang to me. I love them...I really do...and I love the way they rally around each other. It's amazing that 2 weeks ago, I knew not a ONE of them. I suspect this won't be the last time that I cry or even have these sorts of feelings but I am not going to side-step the vulnerabilities and the emotions that come with them.
In other news, I've been placed at the Sang-Do Institute in Seoul, South Korea. God is funny and loves Trinidadian people to place the guy from San-F'do in Sang-Do. I thank Him for loving me in spite of me...
Good Times!
Temporary lay-offs, GOOD TIMES!
Easy credit-rip offs, GOOD TIMES!
Scratchin' & survivin', GOOD TIMES!
Hangin' in a chow line, GOOD TIMES!
Ain't we lucky we got 'em? GOOD TIMES!
Easy credit-rip offs, GOOD TIMES!
Scratchin' & survivin', GOOD TIMES!
Hangin' in a chow line, GOOD TIMES!
Ain't we lucky we got 'em? GOOD TIMES!
Dear Jesus...
Hi Jesus...I'm back.
Earlier on, I asked You why, of all the people on this planet, You would choose me. I am the oldest of the bunch. I am undisciplined, stubborn, fickle, weak, grossly under-studied in your word, near faithless and ubiquitously unwise. My choices in life, behaviors, thoughts, proclivities and words all speak to my position as one who is entirely unworthy of the task that You have set before me.
Yet You have chosen me.
Despite my flaws, my fears, my insecurities, my dumb mistakes, my worries and behaviors that should rightfully classify me as downright asinine...despite all my shortcomings, You say to me in 1 Corinthinans 1:27 that You will use me, the weak, to shame the strong. You will use me, the foolish, to shame the wise. In effort to redeem Your children, You would take me as I am and use me if I let You and promise to do wonderful things in my life if I trust You enough to surrender everything to You...my wants...my needs..my vices...my failures...everything.
God, I've got to admit...this sounds a little too good to be true and there are two things I feel; an overwhelming sense of unworthiness coupled with fear, because I am afraid of failing You and of letting everything go trusting that You will take better care of all of me and my issues than everyone else who has tried and I also (kind of ironically) feel overwhelmingly honored, humbled, happy and loved that of all the better speakers, singers, thinkers, Biblical students, qualified mission-oriented personnel, healthier, younger, stronger and all-around superior individuals You could have picked, You chose me.
So here I am...scared beyond belief, confused and also realizing that part of my fear ACTUALLY is rooted in what I am capable of and who I will become if I allow You to change me. Gosh, change is soooo uncomfortable...especially now that I am just now beginning to get comfortable with myself. Oh well...I'm already here in a foreign land and having trusted You this far, I might as well see this through, right? I mean, the comforts of home are already behind me and to travel this far, see the magnitude of things I have only just now seen in a week and a half of being here and then turning around and saying "No thanks", would definitely make me the biggest moron in the universe. Besides, Your messages to me and my roommates (who I can't thank You enough for blessing me with) are unquestionably received. You ARE present. You ARE specific in answering prayer. You DO want us to know You walk with us and beside us in the good times and the not-so-fun times. I'll do my best God.
It's not much, but that's all it seems You require. So here it comes. Please be patient with me...please?
Earlier on, I asked You why, of all the people on this planet, You would choose me. I am the oldest of the bunch. I am undisciplined, stubborn, fickle, weak, grossly under-studied in your word, near faithless and ubiquitously unwise. My choices in life, behaviors, thoughts, proclivities and words all speak to my position as one who is entirely unworthy of the task that You have set before me.
Yet You have chosen me.
Despite my flaws, my fears, my insecurities, my dumb mistakes, my worries and behaviors that should rightfully classify me as downright asinine...despite all my shortcomings, You say to me in 1 Corinthinans 1:27 that You will use me, the weak, to shame the strong. You will use me, the foolish, to shame the wise. In effort to redeem Your children, You would take me as I am and use me if I let You and promise to do wonderful things in my life if I trust You enough to surrender everything to You...my wants...my needs..my vices...my failures...everything.
God, I've got to admit...this sounds a little too good to be true and there are two things I feel; an overwhelming sense of unworthiness coupled with fear, because I am afraid of failing You and of letting everything go trusting that You will take better care of all of me and my issues than everyone else who has tried and I also (kind of ironically) feel overwhelmingly honored, humbled, happy and loved that of all the better speakers, singers, thinkers, Biblical students, qualified mission-oriented personnel, healthier, younger, stronger and all-around superior individuals You could have picked, You chose me.
So here I am...scared beyond belief, confused and also realizing that part of my fear ACTUALLY is rooted in what I am capable of and who I will become if I allow You to change me. Gosh, change is soooo uncomfortable...especially now that I am just now beginning to get comfortable with myself. Oh well...I'm already here in a foreign land and having trusted You this far, I might as well see this through, right? I mean, the comforts of home are already behind me and to travel this far, see the magnitude of things I have only just now seen in a week and a half of being here and then turning around and saying "No thanks", would definitely make me the biggest moron in the universe. Besides, Your messages to me and my roommates (who I can't thank You enough for blessing me with) are unquestionably received. You ARE present. You ARE specific in answering prayer. You DO want us to know You walk with us and beside us in the good times and the not-so-fun times. I'll do my best God.
It's not much, but that's all it seems You require. So here it comes. Please be patient with me...please?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Reflections on the john...
Early morning thought. It becomes clearer and clearer to me why many adults will not receive salvation. It is very difficult to change the older you get. It is increasingly difficult to accept instruction from others, especially when you are set in your own ways (and like those old ways), when instruction comes from someone you deem inferior to you (because of age, education or experience) or you have become marvelously comfortable with the routine and expectations of your life just the way it is. A person truly has to WANT and be able to EMBRACE change and that is not easy the older you get unless a person is committed to humility and absolute SELFLESSNESS. That isn't for everyone and I am absolutely terrified of being one of those people. God knows I see those traits in myself already...what a stubborn ass I can be, and all this came from using the toilet (and refusing to toss the toilet paper).
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Food for Thought...
Devotion held on Sabbath afternoon revealed two incredibly interesting revelations.
1. James 1:14, 15 states that each person is tempted when they are drawn away by their own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when full grown, brings forth death.
It's a typical Christian premise here. We've all heard "yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin" and that the "wages of sin is death". We've known the algebra equation to be:-
Temptation (yielding) = sin = death.
Here's what blew my mind. What comes BEFORE this equation? Something has to give rise to temptation, correct? We (or at least I) cannot be tempted to kill grandmothers and bathe in their blood. I know this sounds extreme but see where I am coming from. We (or at least I) cannot be tempted to steal uranium (bare-handedly). Why? Because there is no desire to do so. There is no benefit seen in those enterprises. The things we are tempted by are things we DESIRE. Hmmm...makes sense right? Can't be tempted for something you don't want and if you look at the Devil, his first temptation spoke directly to Jesus's hunger i.e. a desire for food.
What precedes the desire then? Well...for that perplexing answer, let's look at the wonderful Garden of Eden and it's three protagonist inhabitants. God tells the darling couple to avoid the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, but have at everything else in the garden without bounds or restriction. Well, good ol' Eve goes sight-seeing and comes across a talking, golden, flying snake (I don't know about you but that sounds like a DRAGON to me...art imitates life) who says that she will not die, BUT become as wise as the God who created her and happens to be withholding advancement from her.
Why did Eve eat the fruit? Simple. Because she believed the LIE. She believed that she would not die. She believed that she would be improved. She believed that God possibly was holding something from her. Thus, the beginning of the cycle is realized. It is the belief of a lie told and thus the entire equation looks like this:-
LIE (told and believed) ---> DESIRE (birthed in the heart) ---> TEMPTATION (occurring based on the desires we possess) --->SIN (occurs when we yield to temptation, continuing to feed that desire) --> DEATH (the end result of sin i.e. separation from God, from fellow man and from one's self).
Pretty deep, huh?
2. We, the group had a discussion about what song to sing for Sabbath. It was the first time our cohesion was absolutely broken. Everyone had a different suggestion or idea and we were not corporately gracious and accommodating and in that moment, I saw what was wrong with this (and every church). Everyone has a different outlook and different favorite thing (song, verse...whatever) that is a representation of who they are and where they are [from or in life]. Everyone wants their voice heard, their desires met. We all similarly believe that our way of thought and/or action is the best. We've been living it with little reverb and see no reason to acquiesce to someone else. There's a measure of selflessness, humility and co-operation that needs to develop in us all. It takes time and as we grow in Christ, we'll get better at this. I think it was good for this little exercise to show us a starting point to move forward from because if anyone thought they were perfect and didn't need change, that mindset had to have been broken last night. Hopefully we learn from this and affect change in our own churches and communities when we leave the mission field INSTEAD of contributing to the problem. *side-eye*
1. James 1:14, 15 states that each person is tempted when they are drawn away by their own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when full grown, brings forth death.
It's a typical Christian premise here. We've all heard "yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin" and that the "wages of sin is death". We've known the algebra equation to be:-
Temptation (yielding) = sin = death.
Here's what blew my mind. What comes BEFORE this equation? Something has to give rise to temptation, correct? We (or at least I) cannot be tempted to kill grandmothers and bathe in their blood. I know this sounds extreme but see where I am coming from. We (or at least I) cannot be tempted to steal uranium (bare-handedly). Why? Because there is no desire to do so. There is no benefit seen in those enterprises. The things we are tempted by are things we DESIRE. Hmmm...makes sense right? Can't be tempted for something you don't want and if you look at the Devil, his first temptation spoke directly to Jesus's hunger i.e. a desire for food.
What precedes the desire then? Well...for that perplexing answer, let's look at the wonderful Garden of Eden and it's three protagonist inhabitants. God tells the darling couple to avoid the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, but have at everything else in the garden without bounds or restriction. Well, good ol' Eve goes sight-seeing and comes across a talking, golden, flying snake (I don't know about you but that sounds like a DRAGON to me...art imitates life) who says that she will not die, BUT become as wise as the God who created her and happens to be withholding advancement from her.
Why did Eve eat the fruit? Simple. Because she believed the LIE. She believed that she would not die. She believed that she would be improved. She believed that God possibly was holding something from her. Thus, the beginning of the cycle is realized. It is the belief of a lie told and thus the entire equation looks like this:-
LIE (told and believed) ---> DESIRE (birthed in the heart) ---> TEMPTATION (occurring based on the desires we possess) --->SIN (occurs when we yield to temptation, continuing to feed that desire) --> DEATH (the end result of sin i.e. separation from God, from fellow man and from one's self).
Pretty deep, huh?
2. We, the group had a discussion about what song to sing for Sabbath. It was the first time our cohesion was absolutely broken. Everyone had a different suggestion or idea and we were not corporately gracious and accommodating and in that moment, I saw what was wrong with this (and every church). Everyone has a different outlook and different favorite thing (song, verse...whatever) that is a representation of who they are and where they are [from or in life]. Everyone wants their voice heard, their desires met. We all similarly believe that our way of thought and/or action is the best. We've been living it with little reverb and see no reason to acquiesce to someone else. There's a measure of selflessness, humility and co-operation that needs to develop in us all. It takes time and as we grow in Christ, we'll get better at this. I think it was good for this little exercise to show us a starting point to move forward from because if anyone thought they were perfect and didn't need change, that mindset had to have been broken last night. Hopefully we learn from this and affect change in our own churches and communities when we leave the mission field INSTEAD of contributing to the problem. *side-eye*
Friday, October 21, 2011
Help me Christ! I die...
1. Yeah...been eating like this ALL week.
2. The other two Musketeers, Mark and Daniel.
3. At the Lotte Mall overlooking the city.
4. Yup, we fly.
5. Clearly standing in the middle of a fountain that looks like Neji's 64 Palm technique.
6. Snoopy was getting it in with Natalie.
7. I swear this is the Korean Manhattan!
8. You see that bag in my hand? Yeah...it's THAT store!
9. Help us Lord!
10. HELP ME CHRIST!
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