Many, Many Things

On Friday, October 22nd, my cold had finally reached a point where I no longer had the strength to turn down my coteachers when they suggested I go to the hospital and get it taken care of at once.  So off I went.  Yes, I went to the hospital for a COLD.  Tis the norm here in Korea because it's dirt cheap (overall including my prescription meds everything came out to around $10) and it took less than 10 minutes.  The entire process.  See America?  See how awesome our health care could be??  Anyways, I was first taken to the doctor (who I was with for less than 5 min) and he either sprayed or sucked (not sure which) something into my nose and throat (yes yes, that's what she said, har har har).  He then sent me with a nurse to get a shot.  I was wondering why they asked me to sit on the bed and pulled the curtains around me when another nurse walked in and informed me I'd be taking the shot in my butt (more like right above it to be accurate).  I paled and asked if it was really necessary I take this shot, if I could just leave and pretend I took it.  She gave me a look that clearly said, "Are you kidding me?" and instead told me, "Even children take this shot, why are you so scared?"  She spun me around and before I knew what was happening, it was over.  It didn't hurt at all!  Korean medicine is magic, basically.

Later on that day (cause I'm a busy woman) I proceeded to meet up with friends in Seoul.  Being the poor (well at least I am) recent college grads with too many school loans to pay off (for me at least), we decided to spend the 2 nights in 찜질방s (public bathhouse with co-ed areas where people are dressed and eat and just chill).  Originally we were thinking LOVE MOTELs since there were several of us and we could split it but they were more expensive than we thought they'd be and the ones that were reasonably priced were REALLY shady.  EXTREMELY.  The first night was fine though it was very small and was basically just a hostel with public baths.  The second one, though bigger and nicer (with 만화첵s ㅋㅋ), was very crowded.  I woke up in the middle of the night to discover a sleeping pad (kind of like yoga mats) right next to mine... with an 아저시 (middle-aged Kman) on it ㅠ_ㅠ  I scooted over as much as I could without getting overly close with the 아저시 on the other side of me who, luckily (but still grossing me out) was busy cuddling with his girlfriend.  Then I woke up again because the first 아저시 had rolled over RIGHT NEXT TO ME.  Innocent?  PSH YEAH RIGHT these are 아저시s we're talking about!  So I got up.  Even in the midst of my not-fully-awake-ness I was livid.  Wtf?!  Either I was leaving and finding a hotel room by myself, ditching my friends, or something but I was not gonna take this!  Then I found a sleeping pad in a little corner all by itself so I just moved there and fell back asleep.  Heh heh.  But inbetween my two violations of personal bubble space, we were all woken up around 5AM by a group of 아저시s that walked in drunk and two of them started fighting (blows and kicks included) over a blanket.  At the time I was pretty scared (and annoyed at being woken yet again) but now that I have the comfort of looking back at it, it was actually kind of funny.  Moral of this story is, NEVER TRUST A STRANGE 아저시.  And JUST GET A FRIGGIN ROOM WHEN TRAVELLING.  It's worth it to not be surrounded by strangers.

Anyways, the point of this trip was to go to the G20 concert at Jamsil Olympic Stadium for the Asian Music Festival or something that was also a charity for UNICEF.  The tickets were free and the performers were famous singers from all over Asia that included: Rain, BoA, AKB48, 4Minute, Michael Wong, B2ST, Jane Zhang, 2AM, Joe Cheng, Bie the Star, Lee Seung-Chul and KARA.  Bought quite a few glow sticks and basically fangirled out to my heart's content.  The best part actually was the fan clubs who got there really early to hang up huuuuge banners to express their obsessive love for their respective groups.  I am now tempted to join one of these (they apparently come with lots of benefits at the small price of your sanity and 20,000 won).  Some pictures!

The stage

Bought a bit too many knick knacks in my excitement at my first non-Christian concert. 

Note the binoculars ㅋㅋ

My 2NE1 glow stick, though you can't see it. Kglowsticks are amazing.

Aka battery run XD

Hmm....  Other noteworthy things that happened on this trip...  I was sweet-talked into buying a sweater that looks good on the mannequin but not real people at 동대문 =__=  Darn you 아줌마s!!!!!!!!!  Wtf was I thinking?!?!?!  Ok, rant and post END.

Anna & Buses

Got sick this last weekend.  It's been going around to everyone what with the sudden temperature changes and heaters being turned on.  Needless to say I was feeling very sorry for myself and generally miserable all around but, being the (Korean age) 24-year-old that I am, I did not allow myself to wallow.  I had to call in sick on Friday since it'd be hard to teach English without a voice and instead I rested and ran errands.  Went to the bank to get things squared away, went to the pharmacy and got medicine (I refuse to go to the hospital for a cold as my coteachers were trying to get me to do) and, since you can't take medicine on an empty stomach, I even went to the grocery store and bought food.  I haven't really done that since getting to Korea since I'm always gone during the weekends and my aunt stocked my fridge once already.  I felt deliriously proud of myself. Delirious mostly because the world was spinning as I was doing all of this.  Not to mention I was on my bike.  Luckily I did not crash and die (obviously).  Though when I got home, I passed out (not literally mom, don't worry).  But the next day I continued my productive streak and washed the blankets and scrubbed down everywhere else.  It was a good weekend.  I haven't stayed in for a weekend probably since my first one since I'm constantly going to friends or family.  I'm actually being more social here in a foreign country than when I'm at home or New York.  It's extremely tiring.

Unfortunately being a productive citizen can only keep one entertained for so long.  Not long afterwards I convinced a friend to take a cab down here to spend the night <3  We spent the night listening to Kpop, etc.  Thanks to her, I now have 700+ Kpop songs, which I am listening to as I type.  And am thoroughly enjoying it.

The next day I went to Cheongju with her to run further errands (and epically failed in finding a 짜장면 place...).  Usually I end up taking a cab back to my place, which has a flat rate of roughly $10 but that day I was determined to once again risk the public transportation system.  Now, it's not Kworld.  It's me.  Subways I can do, no problem.  But buses...  Even in New York I only rode the city bus once in the entire 4 years I was there.  I only started taking the NYU shuttle bus by force when my dorm junior year was a bit far.  Normally in the city I rode the subway, took a cab or walked.  I somehow always screw up with buses (but not the long-distance buses like the KGreyhound which takes you from point A to point B straight through).  I like to think of it as an under-appreciated skill.  Anyways, the last time I ventured onto a bus, it took me to the wrong area of Ochang.  It was frightening.  I literally got off in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farmland, in the dark.  Luckily a bus going back the way I came from drove up soon after and I had to go through a few more transfers and a lot of walking (plus a slightly hysterical call to a coteacher) before I got home.  So this time, understandably, I was very adamant on only getting on a bus that my coteacher specified would drop me off in my neighborhood.  I walked out of my way and waited patiently.  I was soon rewarded with seeing my bus with the magic numbers on it roll up.  I climbed aboard, naively.  Twenty minutes later I reached the end if the line, still in Cheonju.  The bus driver looked at me through his rear view mirror with raised eyebrows.  I tentatively asked whether this bus would be going to Ochang.  To which he replied, handing me my death blow, that I had gotten on at the opposite side of the street.  I've done this once before (also in Korea) in the 6th grade and solemnly vowed never to make that mistake again.  FML.  Luckily he told me that there would be another bus, same number, that would start its route in the opposite direction in ten minutes.  I can forgive myself for the first mistake, perhaps the second.  But if I screw up again when it comes to buses, I give up.  I no longer deserve to be a college graduate.

In other news, I'm actually having a lot more fun teaching than I thought I would.  So much so that I sometimes catch myself thinking, dang full-time teachers are so lucky.  I'm actually envious of the 담임 (homeroom/main) teachers because in Korea they get to know their students on such a personal level.  They exchange cell numbers!  Being a subject teacher (English, science, music, etc.), I don't get as close with the kids (especially since I as the only foreign teacher teach so many grades and classes).  But since I have two extra classes, I'm more familiar with them since I see them three times a week for an hour each.  It's tiring but it's really fun getting to know them.  At this point I've given up pretending not to understand them (particularly with the younger ones who can't speak English at all) and nod or shake my head when they ask questions in Korean.  I don't answer in Korea, only English, so I think it's ok...

Anyways, this is a longer post than I originally thought it'd be...  There, little sister.  Hope you're satisfied.

Oh Kmen...

My 6th graders are learning how to compare things with something else so today as their game I had them do a competition.  Things such as "longest hair" or "oldest person" was placed in a can and a kid would draw something random.  Each table would send their best representative in that field and from there the kids would compete with one another.  So, the comparison is, who is strongest?  Two girls (yes!) and three boys step forward to represent their tables.  The girls are acting "girly" and saying things like, "There's no way we could beat a boy! Go easy on us~"  Anyways, skipping to the last 2 left, the boy with the cockiest attitude I've ever seen (which was still kind of adorable cause remember, these are just 6th graders) is left to arm wrestle the surviving girl.  She is laying it on thick with the "Oh no~" and "I can't win~" so the boy sits down and sticks out 2 fingers.  Yes, that's right, Mr. Cocky says in his silent way that he will arm wrestle her with just 2 fingers to "even the playing field."  He lost.  That girl was amazing!  As soon as the wrestling started, all pretenses fell away and she put her all into it and won.  Everyone was laughing hysterically.

Also, saw a foreigner last night for the first time in 오창 (Ochang).  I couldn't stop staring as I was walking back to my place.  He was probably annoyed...

Apparently there is a 바바리코트 변테 (pervert who wears nothing but his birthday suit under a large trench coat) lurking within the shadows here around our school.  Some 4th grade girls, being the world-wise kchildren that they are, wrote down 1 of the 3 perverts' license plate and handed it in to the police.  Two down, three to go.  One of my male co-teachers was telling me how he and other male teachers were saying they should be careful of looking suspicious when on school grounds, kkkkk~  These perverts' hang out spot happens to be at a park around midnight.  Anyone wanna join me in a little late-night excursion?