Domestic Violence in Korea

I have to blog about this because a couple next door kept me up the other night. It is very common for men to beat their wives and children. I have heard three couples arguing around my building in the middle of the night.

The first couple was fighting in the middle of the street. They were both screaming at each other for about an hour! In the states that would not last longer than 5 minutes! The cops would be there telling you to take that shit in the house. Or the cops would take the woman's side and tell the man to calm down and leave. Not in Korea! You can yell and hit your significant other as much as you like.

The second couple woke me up at 4 a.m. At first I thought they were having sex because the woman sounded like she was moaning. I thought nothing of it so I tried to go back to sleep. The moaning got louder and louder so now I was wide awake and waiting for her to finish so I wouldn't have to hear her anymore. 45 minutes go by she still not done. I begin to think damn Koreans can last. I was jealous! The moaning started sounding more like sobbing and then picked up into screaming. Now I heard a second voice for the first time. It was a man screaming. This went on for about two hours. You can imagine how grumpy I was the next day!

I heard the third couple around the same time. I was woken up by another woman screaming AGAIN! This time there was glass being broken. I have lived here for three months now, so I decided to do what Koreans do and go back to sleep.

After listening to my students tell me about their parents hitting them if they get bad grades, I reconsider the grades I give them before I log them into the computer. In the states, if the child tells you they are being abused you immediately have to report it or else you can get in huge trouble. Not in Korea! The kids come in with bruises and the teachers just ignore them because it so common and there is nothing that we can do about it.

The kids have also told me that when their dads come home from work drunk and angry they hit them. They laugh about it because they are used to it! One of them told me, "When my dad drinks soju, he starts off happy, then he gets sad, then he gets angry and hits me." What was I suppose to say after hearing that?

I suppose this happens everywhere in the world. As a teacher, I am not used to hearing my students talk about abuse so freely in a normal conversation.

The next type of abuse happens in the classroom! Korean teachers are allowed to hit the students!!!! Not at private English academies! Although some kids annoy me sometimes and it would be nice to discipline some of them when they get out of hand, I can't touch them. :( LOL JK I can't see myself disciplining someone's kid with physical abuse anyways. I'll leave that up to the parents.

One of my students told me about this ancient teacher that hits the kids on a daily basis for NO REASON. This is ridiculous. I understand pulling a kid by the ear to scare him a little for not following directions or for not following along during guided reading. LOL JK But dragging a student by the hair because they didn't answer a question correctly is a little absurd. I asked my student if she reported it to her parents and she said she did. Her parents and other parents have complained about this teacher, but there is nothing they can do because it is allowed in Korea!

Mud Fest

Who said mud was for kids??? The Boryeong Mud Festival is a annual festival that takes place in Boryeong, South Korea. It took about two hours for us to get there from Daegu. Unfortunately, my coworkers and I couldn't go until the second weekend because of our work schedule. I heard the first weekend had a couple of thousand of people maybe even more! There was still a signficant amount of people that went the second weekend, but I'm sure it doesn't compare to the first weekend when all of the forenigers went.

One of the first things that we did was wait in line to get body painted. They have huge buckets filled with various colors. You can pick your colors and create a design on your body. I chose blue because I wanted to look like a smurf, which I think I achieved! LOL What is the point of getting painted? I have no idea! But I couldn't wait to get paint on me. After the paint, the paparazzi followed us all day. Photographers from local magazines loved snapping pictures of foreigners. For all I know, they were just regular Koreans doing what they do best, taking pictures! LOL JK They had professional cameras! LOL

So where does the mud come from? It is dug up near Boryeong, trucked to Daecheon beach, and dumped at Mud Experience Land. The mud is suppose to be really good for your skin! The mud is considered rich in minerals and used to manufacture cosmetics. Honestly, I was expecting my skin to feel like it does after a day at the Glen Ivy Spa, but it didn't! The only thing that I came back with was a dozen mosquito bites ALL over my body! I guess that is a lot better than Ally's painful sunburn. Ally thought he was too old for the mud so he decided to stay away. As a result, he came back with a lobster face! LOL Actually, he put sunscreen on every part of his body EXCEPT his face?!?! I don't understand either. I feel really bad for him, because his face is SWOLLEN!!! It looks like he got stung by a bee. So if you're planning on going out in the sun wear sunblock!!!

There were about 7 different slides and pools to play in! The lines were not that long, we probably waited about 20 minutes at each location. Which isn't bad compared to the wait the first weekend.

Mud Fest was a blast and I can't wait to do it again!

Night Life

For those of you who don't know what a noribang is, it's a Korean karaoke bar, except you get your own private room. Noribangs are very popular amongst Koreans. It is very common for business men to get wasted at these places. It is definitely a good way to get to know your coworkers! I revealed my inner Shakira to a few of my coworkers last weekend. I don't usually do private parties, but they begged me to sing to them, so I gave them a taste of what I do best! LOL Generally, I only karaoke in my backyard in front of my close friends and family members and that is usually after I have accidentally swallowed some Jack, Tequila, or Jager. This just reminded me of the day I started to "freestyle" and I revealed some information to my mom that she shouldn't know..."Me gusta tomar, me gusta..." LMAO You definitely had to be there to understand how funny this was! And then there was the "Abusadora" time for New Years! That night definitely went down in the books. Anyways, back to last weekend at the nori bang.

It all started with dinner at one of our favorite galbi restaurants downtown (the one with the inflatable dogs). After we got some food and beers in our stomachs the mission began! We eagerly started to look for a new bar, so we could get waisted before we let loose. Someone thought it would be a good idea to try out a new bar, so we searched for about 20 minutes in the rain and in stilettos (just me b/c everyone else was in chucks). Every place we went into was either too expensive, empty, or packed. We ended up at this pretty chill spot, but I have no idea what it is called. As soon as we sat down guess who was already buzzing the waiter..... ALLY, who blames his drinking on being British! He ordered 3 pitchers of beers and two rounds of tequila!!! We all looked at him like WTF alcoholic, we have to go to work at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow. Like always, that didn't seem to phase him one bit! He immediately responded with one of his witty remarks that we all have learned to love at CDI, "I recon it's quite early, we get to sleep in tomorrow, so we can get pissed, aye? Cheers!" At this point, we knew the clock was ticking and that we were limited on time. We were on a mission to get drunk and start singing, so we take down both shots of tequila! ughhhh The party is finally getting started, everyone is happy, I start taking pictures, but then all of a sudden we hear the bartender yell last call for popcorn!!

Ohhhh nooooo what are we going to do? Without any hesitation, I pushed down on the buzzer and ordered two more bowls of popcorn! LOL Ok, everything is back to normal. The partying continues...

The time finally came! We wobbled to the nearest Food Mart. We stalked up my Fendi with 4 bottles of Soju, two bottles of Coke, and who knows how many bags of chips. My coworkers and I find a noribang and ran inside as if our drunkenness would ware off by 3 a.m. The first thing I noticed was the rotating light ball on the ceiling! For a second, I thought I was at a club. Ally looked like this was the moment he had been waiting for all of his life. His one chance to prove he had what it took to be the next Korean Idol. Once he got a hold of the mic, he did not want to share. We had to beg him to let us sing a song. Apparently, he didn't think we were good enough, so Andy and Warren were his backup singers! Actually, I was really taken away by one of my quietest coworkers, Andy. He rarely talks, but as soon as you put a mic in his hand,s he transforms into Axl Rose. I'm really glad that I got to witness that moment! :) Ally on the other hand, not so much! He was jumping on the couch and screaming his lungs out! Who does that? I definitely did not yell until I lost my voice. The person that you are about to witness screaming like a madwoman is Andy's wife Toni. ;)

I have three videos to share, but I don't know why they are not uploading...

My Apartment

My Room is the Size of My Mom's Closet! LOL

Ok, so my Mom's closet isn't this big but you get the point. My apartment is not ginormous but it's not the size of a shoe box either. I am pleased with the living arrangement my company has set me up with. It took a while to get used to but it feels like home now! I still need to add a couple of things like a fish and a plant just so I have something to take care of. If you know me, then you know both those things are bad ideas because of all the fish and turtles I have killed over the years. OOPS! First, I should continue to learn to live on my own before I bring anything that breathes in here! LOL

I don't have a walking closet. :( Now, I can't throw clothes into my closet when someone

unexpectedly shows up (not that I did that before)! All of my things are out for everyone to see. As you can see, I brought my 62 inch TV from home. I never leave home without it! Actually, all of the furniture was provided by my company. Thank you Baby Jesus! I know that some of my coworkers in Seoul received unfurnished apartments and had to sleep on the floor the first couple of days!!! Sucked to be them.

The kitchen is tiny just like me, so it's perfect! It is the first thing you see when you walk in. I have the basic necessaries: a stove, sink, fridge, and microwave. I wish there was an oven so I could bake and make lasagna and enchiladas. Mexican food sounds soooo good right now!

The bathroom is next to the kitchen in the first room. I'm still not accustomed to the shower!!! I was not expecting the shower head to be connected to the sink! WTF?! There is no bathtub to step into and shower. You simply have to push down on the tab on the sink and it transfers the water from the sink to the shower head. This may not seem like a big deal and it's not sometimes. EXCEPT, when you forget to push the tab back down to wash your hands before leaving to work. I have been in my work clothes THREE times and gotten soaked before having to leave! Grrrrrrrr On the flip side, you can take a poop and shower at the same time! LOL

The washer is towards the back of the room through the second set of sliding doors. I love how they separated the room into sections, so it's more personal. The washer is in Korean so I had no idea what I was doing the first time I washed. I got it to work by trial and error! Truthfully, I just pushed buttons until it started to wash. It sounded like a song from Mario Brothers in the old school Nintendo. LOL There are no dryers, so the clothes have to hang dry. This leaves your clothes nice and crunchy!

I have lived here for a month and my apartment is STILL clean!!! My stepdad doesn't think I can keep it clean for another month! LOL He says that my mom is going to send me our cleaning ladies because he doesn't think I will clean up after myself. LOL Thanks Jess! Honestly, I didn't think I would either. I surprised myself along with everyone back home. I clean almost everyday (something I'm not used to)! I guess it's because I know the cleaning ladies aren't coming on Wednesday. LOL

My first month in Korea!

I survived my first month in Korea! I am surprised with how smooth the transition has been. I miss my family so much, but I am not home sick yet. Skype has definitely been a huge help in keeping me updated with all of the gossip that's going on back at home, work, and with my friends. My Mom and brother like to play with the features when we Skype. I think they are hilarious, so I thought I would share with you part of my silly family. Since I have been here, I have experienced a lot of funny, interesting, and crazy things.

The first thing that caught my attention was the food!!! You definitely have to come to Korea with an open mind, because you never know what you are going to eat. You walk by restaurants and see your dinner swimming around in fish tanks. I don't know the names of the fish I have ate or the names of the restaurants because they are in Korean. The fish I have ate have been fresh and delicious! Leaves and lettuce are a popular way to eat the fish and meat. It is definitely a lot healthier than a tortilla!

Kimchi has become one of my favorite side dishes to eat! It is a traditional Korean dish

made of vegetables with varied seasonings. It is mostly made with cabbage and other vegetables such as radish, green onion, chive, and cucumber. I think it tastes better grilled! Soooo good!

I am still getting used to my food staring at me as I eat it! I love to eat animals, I think they are deeeeeeelicious! I love eating cows and pigs! Usually, when I eat an animal, I don't know what part I am eating! I would like to keep it that way, except Korea wont let me! Let's start with the little salty shrimp that you put in the soup to give it some flavor. They are delicious but it feels like they are looking at you saying, "Don't eat me, please!" Because their eyes are still on them!!! I even made a little stupid song about them: "Little shirmp little shrimp, how salty your are, little shrimp little shrimp!" If you know me, then you know that I am a dork and that there is a dance that goes with it as I sing. LOL

The next strange thing was having the entire head of a fish in my soup! I have had fish stew, but the bones and the head were removed. I have also had an entire fish that has been grilled so the head was still attached to it. I'm defiantly not one to get grossed out easily, but when there is a huge head with eyes and an open mouth floating around my soup, I can't say I'm eager to start pigging in! Despite the floating head, the fish was really good!!!

Allow me to introduce to you to my next accidental snack, Beondegi. Beondegi

are a popular Korean snack usually served at a restaurant or bar. Beondegi mean"chrysalis"

in Korean. In other words, catepillar or silkworm pupae in cacoons! Disgusting right? I think I just threw up in my mouth! Yuck! Well, let me tell you about another blond moment I had. It was my first day in Daegu, so my soon to be coworkers had a welcoming dinner for my friend and I. I had just had a burger from Burger King (gross, I know, but my tongue needed a break from spicy Korean food) so I was stuffed and not hungry. I sit on the floor and immediately start to evaluate my coworkers. Everyone is eating, drinking and having a good time. Being the new girl, I just sat back and observed everyone and answered my curious coworker's questions. Since I wasn't hungry, I looked at the other options on the table that I could munch on. I see these small brown oval shaped things inside a small bowl. Without any hesitation, I scoop up a handful of these little things that look like nuts or candy. I place them inside my mouth and start chomping away. Immediately, I recognized that they were definitely not candy!!! They were really chewy and dry! As my taste buds and brain begin to process these strange things, one of my coworkers yells, "EWWWW you like silkworm?" of course my response was "NO! Is that what this is?" LOL Everyone began to laugh including me, but I was really thinking shit I just ate an f-ing worm!

One of the things that my co-worker Ally and I have been doing is trying the food at our local restaurants. Neither one of us speaks Korean so we never know what we are ordering, we just point at something on the menu. Luckily, everything that we have tried has not killed us or made us sick. One day, we went to Home Plus to buy our groceries. Ally loves to go through the food section and try ALL of the free samples! Most of the time we never buy anything, except for this one day. I walked over to look at this bag of sauce and immediately the sales lady packed one up for me without me even asking for it. Shopping at Home Plus is one of the funniest things to witness because EVERY product has a sales person on a microphone announcing how good their product is and the killer deals they are having (At least that's what I think they are saying! LOL) as they give out free samples. Anyways, I look over at Ally and ask him if we should try this and of course he said, "Yes!" without even knowing what was in the package. Well it turns out that it was octopus (I obviously didn't learn my lesson with the silkworm)!!! Once again, I have had octopus before in ceviche but the head was removed and the tentacles were cut into little pieces! Not the octopus at Home Plus! These little slimy things looked like they were still alive! They looked disgusting and tasted really chewy, especially the head! But the sauce was tasty! LOL

Here is a video of us cooking it! Enjoy!