Pohang - the East Sea

A whirlwind Sunday trip to Pohang with Carrie, Claire, and Michael. The 8 hours of bus riding was brutal, but the sea, sunshine, and company made for a quaint trip.

Daejeon Nights!

Well Intensives have been keeping us sufficiently busy each day and by Friday night, we really needed some excitement. The boys went to some mansion party in bufoo while Kim and I stubbornly declined to pay $40 for the house party. I'm pretty sure we spent more in the long run, but we made some unforgettable memories in the nearby university lanes of Gungdong. How can a night not turn out interesting with unisex bathrooms, flare bars, taro cards, magic tricks, arm wrestling and uniform acquisition. I would say Girls: 1 - Boys: 0, but the men have some ludicrous stories of their own ; )

JAPAN PICS

So many memories in so little time.

HELP US DECIDE TO STAY OR GO!

PLEASE READ THE BLOG AND THEN CAST YOUR VOTE ON THE POLL TO THE RIGHT!

It seems like everyday Jake and I are pondering the future because it is so undecided. It is exciting to have many options, but overwhelming. We could use some valuable input from those we love. The details are long so feel free to scan or just cast your vote if you don't care about the specifics.

STAY AT OUR CURRENT JOB
Due to limited vacation, this would probably involve us only returning to the US for about a week in the beginning of June and would not allow us to relax and see everyone. Jake would likely just go to Portland while I went to Illinois. That is the major negative.

On the upside, we are both feeling comfortable in our job now. We pay loans, live well, have great hours (3-9) and friendly coworkers/boss. We have decent apartments and have acquired many goods to ease our day to day living like a couch. It would be a pain to relocate because start-up usually costs about a $1,000. Daejeon itself is not an overly thrilling place to live, but our lifestyle is positive. We have lazy mornings everyday to read, exercise, and relax; something we can never get from an 8-5 job. We hang out with colleagues a lot and we are close to a university area with entertainment. On weekends, we are able to escape to nearby cities or travel when we have longer breaks. However, while Jake and I are content in Korea, we do feel like we have seen enough to move on for the right opportunity.

MOVE TO A JOB IN SEOUL
This option would allow a solid month in the states for all the weddings, hooplah, and visits to both PDX and Chicago. While detrimental to savings, this is definitely a draw as we miss our friends and family dearly. We could really use a visit, especially if we are returning for a year. Seoul would also give us more access to the expat community of Korea and events on a daily basis. But, we risk the chance of disliking our job, coworkers, etc... We also lose all of our acquired goods and would need to re-buy many things.

CHANGE COUNTRIES
Japan is another alluring country. The initial salary is higher, but the cost of living is expensive. There are less perks as you pay for part of your apartment and airfare though. We figure that it may be harder to save as much, but we could budget and experience a new culture/city/scene. This would help make another year eventful and memorable.

RETURN HOME
Being able to see friends and family regularly is undoubtedly appealing. It seems hard that you lose touch with people you care about, miss babies growing up, life events, etc. The unstable job market is worrisome though. I'm sure I could manage to find a teaching job, but it may take time and be extra frustrating. Jake doesn't have a job at the ballroom as they are fully staffed so he would be starting from scratch too. I'm sure we would make it, but it may be a financial struggle for a bit and we would likely blow any savings we have. Namely because our combined loans are $1000 a month anyways. Eventually, we will have to face these odds regardless. We do need to have jobs with retirement funds and think about the long term as well. Not to mention, a home, puppy, and family are desirable down the road. This leaves home attractive, but daunting.

OKAY, THAT IS MOST OF THE DIRT. CAST YOUR VOTE AND HELP US SEE YOUR VIEWPOINT!

Korea Plays: WHEEL OF FORTUNE!

Alas, the loved American game show - WHEEL OF FORTUNE - has found its rightful place as a cell phone drinking game in Korea! I suppose it is no surprise to hear that the tech savvy Koreans have invented yet another cell phone application that woos and wows, but this hand-phone fun was a night to remember.

On Tuesday, the big bosses came to town to hold a conference in our large computer lab. As a gesture of gratitude, our regional boss hosted us to dinner after work. Of course, we had to travel away from our neighborhood to ensure that no parents would see us act "unprofessional." Not to worry, a quick car ride later and the shenanigans began.

Dinner was the traditional, galbi sal, or rib barbecue. It is cooked at the table with endless bancheon (side dishes) to mix. The cooked meat can be dunked in various sauces, scooped with garlic and green onions, or wrapped in a crisp piece of lettuce. The meat can be fatty, but tastes delicious when combined with the right bancheon. The lucrative amount of vegetables leads to a well balanced meal.

The other course of Korean dinner is soju. Soju sips, soju one shots (throw it back), or somaek (a soju shot dropped in beer much like a Jagger bomb). I was feeling a bit off from recent food born illnesses and got to enjoy this course sober. Sometimes it is enlightening to see the other side.

The troops seemed especially rowdy after a long week of work prepping for our winter intensive courses. The Korean teachers also had lots of training and were definitely getting their R and R. The most entertaining part of Korean culture is that even the bosses get drunk with no qualms. The ones who don't care to drink regularly, still have to take the shots out of respect. It is a rough life for newbies and non-drinkers, but we Americans have learned many fascinating community drinking games this way. And so again we return to ...WHEEL OF FORTUNE.

Our vivacious coworker, Elin, busted out her phone with a giggle and announced that it was Wheel of Fortune time. Slightly confused, all heads at the table of 25 zoned into the phone in question. Vicky, a boisterous soju pushing teacher, eagerly volunteered to be the first contestant. She rose the phone in the air like a ritual offering to the gods and fervently shook the sleek black object. The wheel spun rapidly as the flashes of color ticked across the screen....yellow, orange, pink, blue, purple...gradually it began to slow and we all leaned in with curiousity. Moments later Vicky blurted with excitement, "Won jeong nim...ship mahn won!" I.E. "Boss, give me $100!"

We were shocked. Were we truly playing Wheel of Fortune for our bosses money??? Is he really going to give her $100. Vicky proudly brought the cell phone to the boss with ease so he could see the winnings with his own eyes. But as she leaned forward with glee he wacked the phone with his free hand and the wheel rippled into a second spin. Vicky gasped, but then with a lighthearted chuckle the boss handed over the loot. It was amazing.

As the game ensued we found out the tables were turned in our favor. There were definitely more "win money from the boss" spaces then there were "punishment drinking" spaces. Some teachers landed on, "make your neighbors team drink" or "do a one shot." Still the "punishment drinking" led to such entertainment as Elin shoving chopsticks in her shirt and giving shoulder pads a whole new name. Not to mention ridiculous dancing antics from all parties. In the end, Vicky had accumulated 150,000 won from all of the teachers winnings. This is probably equivalent to $125 or so and was dedicated to the after party. Noraebang (singing room)...here we come!

Korean Cartoons...I found on a foreigner's blog!

The Korean language seems especially difficult to the untrained ear. This can be overwhelming when beginning a new class where kids names are distinguished by one swift vowel sound. Here is one comic to illustrate the frustration of beginning teachers. Just attempt to say the names 10x fast. And don't forget that they are normally written in Hangul!



Another fabulous Korean trend is fondly nicknamed, "THE COUPLE SET!" Young lovers frolic about town in the most ridiculous matching hoopla that you can imagine. However, it is great for entertainment purposes. Picture plush pink hoodies with snugly bears kissing or animation socks with a girl and a boy joining hands from left foot to right. Now you have just begun to understand ^^

Gobble Gobble!

From Collages

Turkey day was an unbelievable success. I feel pretty guilty about how little work I did on the actual day. But, all the ladies kept on getting kicked out of the kitchen - so couch potatoe winos it was.

Michael, Jesse, and Jake headed over to our boss Kris' house around 10:30 a.m. Jake had the 16 pound turkey strapped in his backpack and tons of other dishes in a large red tote. It was quite the ordeal. They really worked magic in the kitchen and deserve tons of credit along with Kris and her husband Sang Hun who would not even let us touch a dish.

Kim and I arrived around 12:30 with the other Korean teachers. Carrie, Claire, Elin and her husband all joined us for fun. I made a tasty cheese platter with fruits and the Korean's brought loads of appetizers as well. We enjoyed crab crepes, tuna rolls, tofu balls, and squid pajeon with plenty of wine naturally. The fusion and sharing added to the enjoyment.

We kept things nontraditional by playing a seasoon of Friends on the bigscreen tv instead of the usual football. But, the laughs were nonstop as always. Elin brought some homemade bokbunja, raspberry wine, that she declared improved men's stamina and brought many babies to her husband's family. This was followed by Jake spitting his out and Elin coaxing her husband by shouting in a high pitch, "Drink more honey!"

Next, we semi-watched the Juno movie which shocked the Koreans in many ways. To be an unmarried pregnant mother is very shameful and not widely accepted here. Abortions are secretive or women often go into hiding. My friend told me that adoption is also extremely hush-hush and a couple will actually move for a year or two so that they can say they had the baby without faking a pregnancy. Yup, things are different. It led to some interesting discussions nevertheless. Although, my favorite was when Juno was dancing with the husband who was soon to adopt her baby. Carrie nonchalantly replies, "Oh, inappropriate relationship. They should get an apartment." Really? Would that 16 year old to 40 year old creepster relationship actually be appropriate in an apartment? Pretty sure she was joking, but it was incredulous stuff.

Next, we feasted on a very successful potluck of foods. Everyone made something from their families Thanksgiving. Jesse made mounds of mashed potatoes and the yams. The yams were especially exciting because he mistakenly bought the bright purple sweet potatoes. Now, that adds color to the plate. Michael made his mom's signature broccoli salad along with a lavish mac and cheese. Jake worked hard at homemade chesnut, apple stuffing and I opened cans for green bean casserole. Sorry mom, but I really like it. Kris made some chinese cabbage salad and other sides that added to the delight.

After dining on the floor Korean style, we decided to play an awesome 2 hour card game called head to toe. It is way to complex to explain, but it involved lots of teams, bickering, and table talk - priceless.

We stayed until after 10 p.m. without even realizing where the day went. It was a blast and we were grateful to share the goodtimes. Jake kept saying, "he was sooooo happy." And that made me even more happy ; )