Mission Adventures in South Korea: November 2011

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".

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).

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...