Gook, Tahng, Chiggae VS. Soup, Stew. What's the Difference?

In korea when you have soup you'll have either a gook, tahng or a chiggae. In the states if you have soup you'll have soup and occasionaly stew, but stew is still considered soup. To me, it all looks the same, it's all broth based and has varying amounts of vegetables and meats in it, to Koreans, however, there is such a difference between the three that to call a chiggae a tahng or a gook a chiggae  is an outrage and completeley unfounded. I really can't seem to figure it out though, they understand the english word "soup" but they are adamant that gook, tahng and chiggae are not soup. So this got me thinking, maybe I needed to take a moment to define soup. So I said, "soup is a broth based dish with varying vegetables and meats." Wait, I said that already...didn't I? Excuse me for being a crass, uncouth, uncultured American but isn't a broth based dish with varying vegetables and meats exactly what we are eating right now?? No? Well can you please exlain the difference to me? No? ok. So after three months of complete confusion i've finally discovered that chiggae is like a stew, really thick and that a tang is like a normal soup and a gook is broth with some seaweed or onions in it. Ok great, but this still doesn't allevite the fact that I STILL THINK IT'S ALL SOUP AND NOBODY UNDERSTANDS THIS. I guess it's just going to be one of those things where I get it, and that's the end of the story. But still...don't you think that maybe...just maybe they really ARE all the same thing??

On a side note, I needed to buy some buillion so that I can flavor the rice that I purchased, I ran into one of my co-teachers while in the market and when I asked her whether the package I was holding flavored soup (can you see my point of decline here??) she informed me that no, that would not flavor soup. That only a little was added to Chiggae to enhance the flavor. "Kind of like a flavored salt?" the answer was no, absolutely not. I smiled benignly and bought the stuff anyway. Upon returning home and opening it I discovered that it was indeed buillion. I just really really cannot win in the damn soup department.

Birthdays Birthdays Birthdays!

"Teacher! It's your yesterday birthday! Happy Congratulations!"

"You looks like a princess! It must be you birsday"

It is illegal to mail salt from the United States to the Republic of Korea. Who knew?

"I just want human legs!" I have no idea what this means but it was bellowed out of the windows of the school today no less than 4 times. Any thoughts about what my students mean by "human legs??"

~*KPOP*~

KPOP permeates every part of the lives of my kids, I mean, EVERY part. KPOP stands for Korean pop music, pop music in the USA- Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, etc are present in the lives of my friends back home but perhaps it's the age that i'm dealing with that concentrates the pop phenomena and roots it ever more firmly in the lives of my kids. I mean, I remember being in 6th grade and being head over heels in love with the spice girls, backstreet boys, and N'sync; I suppose these kids just have artists like SHINee, Big Bang, 2NE1 (twenty one), and Rain (비). I have taken it upon myself to make an effor to learn at least one KPOP song by heart before I leave Korea, not too hard of a task right? Well, I don't think it would be but I have yet to start, so today marks the official day that I begin learning a KPOP song. I thought that initially I wanted to learn "Lollipop" by Big Bang and 2NE1 but I don't think it's really popular right now so i've decided to learn: no forget it, i'm learning "Lollipop" ^.^ (Korean happy face).

Here's the video so you can get a taste of A- Korean pop music and B- what i'm endeavoring to learn....

And here are the corresponding lyrics...EEEEK!

Lollipop Lyrics
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Boy 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
막대사탕보다 더 달콤한
내 마음은 터질듯한 Dynamite
난 깔끔한 남자 T.O.P.
내사랑 Bling Bling like L E D
그댄 딱 내 스탈야
반짝반짝 스타야
색다른걸 원해?
Let me show you if that’s okay
Now come on
색깔은 Rainbow
날 느낀 순간 넌 빠져버린걸 알아
You just can’t control
날 사로 잡은 건
너와 나만이 아는 우리 둘의 Secret light
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop girl 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop
날 설레게 하는 너의 Body 너의 Move
이미 네 시선을 가둬버린 나의 Groove
식상함들은 매일 날 지치게 해
Let’s just keep You and I F.R.E.S.H
Now come on
색깔은 Rainbow
날 느낀 순간 넌 빠져버린걸 알아
You just can’t control
날 사로 잡은 건 너와 나만이 아는 우리 둘의 Secret Light
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
한 순간의 느낌이 아냐 지금 두 눈을 감아도 넌 내 앞에 서 있는걸
내가 바라던 그게 너야 그냥 이대로  너와 나 저 불빛아래
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 달콤하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 내게 속삭여줘
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 상큼하게 다가와
Lolli-Lolli-Lollipop 나를 원하잖아
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh 넌 나의 Lollipop
Lolli Lolli Lollipop Oh Lolli-Pop-Pop (Repeat x2)

A few Inspirational Conversations I Had Today. Or I Overheard. Or Possibly Made Up. hmm....

"I will kill you if you call me baby" 

One of the first things I learned in Korean was the phrase "I will kill you" (내가 당신을 죽일거야) don't ask why this was one of the first phrases I learned, I don't remember why and it honestly doesn't matter as I don't use it. I mean, why would I? Anyway, during one of my *ahem* less attentive classes my co-teacher was attempting to corral the boys into paying attention, one of them responded "yes baby!" This sweet, sweet, willowy, korean women looked him straight in the eye and said "I will kill you if you call me baby." (in Korean of course) His eyes literally crossed in agitation and he visibly moved back into his seat. I on the other hand burst into laughter, great gusto gasps of breath. WAY TO GO Hyejeong! I had to sit down and laugh for almost a full 30 seconds before I could pull myself together and finish my lesson.

"You are fashionista!"

Now, I admit that I enjoy fashion and I try to look decent but let's be honest, I'm a good 'ol girl from rural Utah who likes her t's, blue jeans, and flip flops. So imagine my surprise when one of my more fashion conscious students (actually, insert all the girls in the entire school into this category) sashayed up to me in the halls today and proudly declared, "You are a fashionista!" I looked to my right, then my left, then did a complete circle in the middle of the hall, "me?" she nodded happily and walked away. I was left standing in her wake completely perplexed, the thought that Molly doesn't comb her hair or shower unless absolutely necessary Jones as a fashionista was absurd! Surely this small child was blinded by the shininess of my hair? Apparently not as she didn't come running back screaming "joke teacher! Joke!" huh, go me!

"We find it rude to congratulate on your birthday so we will lunch you on Wednesday"

Hmm...I cocked my right eyebrow to my hairline and dragged my left eyebrow to my iris, "What could this possibly mean?" I pondered. Eunyeong looked at me expectantly. I looked back. My eyebrows slowly drew even with each other and rested about mid-forehead, my eyes widened. Surely there was some genius response I was supposed to be giving at this point...if only I knew what that statement meant... I finally decided to smile, she smiled back and turned away happily, I turned away baffled. Upon second look at this statement it is clear to me that the dinner (that was supposed to be last Thursday but that was postponed until my birthday) was apparently being cancelled all together and being replaced with a lunch on Wednesday. Splendid arrangement if you ask me!

Side note, i'm rather disappointed that my original one-person dinner invite morphed english teacher wide dinner morphed birthday celebration has been canceled. At first I was a little aghast that I was expected to host a dinner for more than one person, then I was astounded that I was expected to host this dinner on MY birthday. MY day. MY MY MY! But after speaking with Emily teacher I realized the wisdom in something she said: "Perhaps it's ridiculous of us to be expecting presents on our birthdays, perhaps we should always host people on our birthday and give them things." Like lavishing praise on them for putting up with the waygookeen (foreigner) as she attempts to come to terms with her new culture, school, lifestyle. Or like never openly criticizing my uneducated teaching methods but by gradually suggesting and helping to shape my classes so they fit well with the mold. Or like inviting me into their homes and their families. Or like always paying for the bill when we go out for dinner. Or like always having a smile ready for when we don't understand each other (insert cup theif here). Ya, maybe I should be thankful for that instead of celebrating MY birthday MY way.

Anyeong!

Picnics in the Park!!

On Friday my students and I all went out for a picnic in the park! I opted to go with Eunyeong and her class for this field trip, it definitely made me feel amazing when I was informed that all the first and second graders were complaining loudly that I wasn't going with THEIR classes ^.^ (Korean happy face!) 

The first and second grade students went somewhere else in Masan and my third graders and I went to Yongji Park in Changwon. Each child had their photo individually taken and then their photo taken with their class. I jumped into the photo with Eunyeong's class (i'm sure based off the ruckus over the field trip I attended that this will cause quite the stir. Doesn't it make a person feel great to be fought over?!) After the pictures we all had an old-fashioned picnic, each teacher brought a little something to share. Mostly kimbap- Korean sushi without raw fish, fruit, and of course beer. It was absolutely delicious! 

Following this picnic some people opted to go see a movie, I know that I certainly wasn't going to miss out on an opportunity to watch a free movie so I hightailed it to the theater with my self appointed "movie buddy." I'm sure tomorrow morning she'll be like, "Molly teacher, movie buddy! Remember?" and of course i'll respond: "Of course!" but in all reality, I probably won't remember her once she puts on her school uniform and becomes just another korean face in the crowd...oops!

I just LOVE it that the personalities of these kids is able to come out more without the confines of the school and the rules that are applied to them daily.

Anyeong!

Assemblies

We had an assembly yesterday it was extremely informative! The children all lined up in perfect rows on the soccer pitch in front of the school. Once they were all in place the teachers all lined up in a row about 20 feet in front of them. One of my co-workers grabbed the mike, stood up on the raised platform above the heads of stock-still students and began barking orders. His voice echoing off the walls of the nearby apartment building was bombarding my ears with static noise, but the result of this static was astounding! The students in varying orders (think squadrons) were squatting down and then standing up shouting "Samgye! Junehakyo!" Then the next squadron would squat, "Samgye!" then stand "Junehakyo!" and so on and so forth. I think the funniest part of this particular scene is that "Samgye! Junehakyo!" means "Samgye (my town) Middle School!" so the students are squatting and standing to the chant of their middle school. Once all the squadrons had been ordered, squat, and stood, the children, in one grand block, marched forward a few steps, turned around and marched back a few steps. This shouldn't be reminiscent of Hitler's army of perfect Arians but rather a sea of black bobs and white skater shoes scuffling about in the dirt. Talk about discipline! I think that if my teachers had asked me to do this when I was a middle school student I would have keeled over laughing!! They finally stopped marching and with a last resounding boom they all adopted a stand still parade stance and locked their hands behind their backand  the principle began to speak. The rest of the assemlby was normal by American standards and since I didn't understand a word of it a mute point but for several minutes I was still struggling to tuck my smile into my appropriate pants and act like an adult.

Tomorrow my students and I are going on a field trip! We are going to a park and then to the movies. I have never heard of a field trip quite like this one so i'm pretty excited to see what this is all about and hopefully i'll get an opportunity to relate to them on a more personal level!

Anyeong!

Please, Invite Them All.

One day two weeks ago on a whim I invited Eunyeong over to my house for dinner; I said that I would cook a traditional western meal (insert anything with a tortilla and refried beans) so that she could get a little taste of western cooking. Yesterday she came to me and asked if I was still interested in hosting dinner, I said yes of course and she informed me that the english teachers were all very excited to be coming over for dinner! The smile froze on my face and my eyebrows arched up in surprise, "the english teachers?" I repeated. She smiled and nodded happily. "How many english teachers are there total?" I asked, "8" she replied happily. My eyebrows disappeared into my hairline. So on Thursday I will now be hosting 8 Korean English teachers in my home, my two room flat where the only food to be found at this point is seaweed, rice, and soju.

Last night in a state of near panic I went to my Korean class with Helen, Helen is a Korean Ajumma which means she is married and over 30 and extremely Korean. She teaches Korean to those expats that make the effort and has proved to be an invaluable source of knowledge and advice for me as I struggle to acclimate in my new land. I arrived at her door at 8pm promptly, she let me in, and I let it out. I explained my dilemma to her and then further explained that I only own 3 plates, 2 dishes, 1 fork, and assorted mismatched pots, pans, and chopsticks. Which is perfect for a 22 year old on her first venture into the world of jobs and homes. It is less than ideal for hosting a 9 person dinner party. Helen smiled and immediately led me to the golden cupboard, inside was stacks and stacks of dishes, and cutlery, "I like plates" said Helen. "I like Helen" said Molly. Thankfully I am now proudly in possession of a sufficient number of plates and cutlery to feed my guests, I went shopping yesterday and purchased some of the easier items for Chicken Fajitas and am going on a shopping endeavour later tonight for the remainder of the ingredients.

If nothing else, this will be a multi-pronged life lesson. 1. always be careful how you phrase your invites to Koreans. 2. How to plan a dinner party for 9. Here's to hoping I don't learn anymore lessons as the dinner draws near.

Anyeong!

Who Knew Hot Water Caused Headaches?

I moved to Korea in July, and I got hot water in October; "How did she bathe?" You may wonder, i'll answer it simply: I didn't. Well maybe "I didn't" is a bit extreme, I did bathe, but I just bathed quickly. As the old Italian woman who Liz rents an apartment from in Italy says in "Eat, Pray, Love" the movie, "All the important parts" got washed. Now you may think i'm a stinking lunatic (literally speaking), but I would like to DARE anyone to try showering in frigid water in the middle of their bathroom for 3 months. As some of you have undoubtedly noticed, it WAS summer and it WAS 90 degrees with 80% humidity, but I say shut it! Until you have been showering in freezing water (under duress mind you) for 3 months you cannot reason with me.

All of this is beside the point of my story however; after I returned from China I noticed a significant drop in temperature and after my first cold shower I came to the concrete conclusion that this could not continue on. I needed hot water and I needed it before my next shower. So I did the only logical thing, I went to my landlords house to ask them to help me fix my problem, as I forgot that I don't speak Korean and they don't speak English this turned out to be the least logical thing I could do. Thankfully I was able to remedy my botched attempt at communicating by telling Eunyeong what I needed. She called my landlord and quicklly fixed the situation, apparently my landlords were extremely agitated and worried about me as what I had communicated the previous night was that I thought there was a cat stuck in my wall. I don't understand it either. I figured that everything was said and done at this point and that I should have hot water. Yay!

I was wrong, oh so very very wrong.

My landlord came over on Sunday morning as I was lounging about watching movies with my friend Jason, thankfully Jason speaks Korean and was able to help me effectively communicate precisely what it was that I needed, and to answer some questions my landlord had. Fixed fixed at last I sang in my brain as I did a happy dance. I danced prematurely.

Lucky me, at 6am the next morning I heard the pounding of god on my door and "Mohlly! Mohlly!" I stumbled out of bed, in my underwear, about had the door unlocked when I realized what I was doing. I mumbled something and trudged over to put on some pants. When I finally opened the door there were both of my landlords smiling and happy (at 6am, what is WRONG with these people!?). They trooped into my home and began fiddling with the buttons. I sat back on the bed and put my head in my hands watching them tiredly. Then the questions began. My male landlord began asking questions and gesticulating about, point at this, and then that, making the cross sign for "no!" in korean. I just nodded and kept saying "I don't know, I don't know" both in English and Korean, shrugging my shoulders helplessly. Obviously that was a failed tactic because he began to repeat himself, each time his voice rising in crescendo until he was veritably yelling at me. I, trying to respond in the nicest way possible and without actually realizing what I was doing becasue it was 6AM, was bellering back "I don't know! I don't know!" Finally my landlord began saying "Jason, Jason" and making the calling sign with his hand, I tried to explain that it was early and that we couldn't call him but it took about 5 minutes of pointing to my clock and making snoring noises before he understand. He finally smiled at me, said "ok!" and left. I slumpt on the bed, exhausted and eventually fell back to sleep.

Monday evening arrived and I was sitting on my bed doing something when I heard the knocking again, I sighed heavily and got up to open the door. My landlord traipsed in and began asking for Jason, thankfully it was past 6am this time and I felt comfortable calling him and begging him to deal with my landlord. After about 15 minutes of the landlord and I playing pass the phone we discerned that some workers would need to be called in to look at the problem (hadn't I already discerned this 3 months ago!?). Well THANKFULLY by Tuesday I had water, and my first hot shower in 3 months. I cannot begin to describe to you the joys I felt at scrubbing off 3 months worth of skin. Ah, the simple pleasures of life.

Anyeong!

Samgye- My Little Piece of Korean Heaven

Home sweet home!

This is my driveway! There is an elementary school on the right and a kindergarten straight ahead. I'm surrounded by schools and children!

Downtown Samgye! I actually buy vegetables from these women! They always giggle and make fun of me. I'm hoping its because my Korean is so ugly and not because I look funny...

More vegetable sellers! These women sit outside enduring heat and cold I feel like such a wimp in comparison with them!!

This is the main downtown area, noraebangs (karaoke rooms) abound! It's so exciting at night! The neon lights at night are definitely NOT the Utah desert but they are very pretty in their own Asian way.

Anyeong!

That One Time When I Went To China

After much writer's block and grappling with how best to approach my trip to China i've decided to just write! I suppose I didn't need a week to figure that out but whatever.

As I flew into Shanghai Saturday afternoon I looked out the airplane window and below me was just mud brown. I spent maybe five minutes straining my eyes trying desperately to discern what I was looking at. I finally located what appeared to be a boat and I realized that the brown much below me was the ocean! So needless to say, my first impression of China was a bit... muddy.

My good friend from the states Alex came and joined late Sunday evening so I had all of saturday to kick around Shanghai by myself. I walked for 6 hours, I walked so far my head hurt from standing up so long! Shanghai is an amazing city, it's packed full of people, and there is this interesting eclectic mix of new and old China. The government of Shanghai is trying desperately hard to put on the best face they possibly can as the World Expo is located in Shanghai and the government (undoubtedly) wants the world to see China as a force to be measured with and to be taken seriously. I don't blame them, but wandering around the backroads was more exciting then sticking to the designated tourist areas (not to mention 100% cheaper). I think the photo below is a great example of what i'm talking about, in the background is the Shanghai Pearl, one of the pride and joys of Shanghais' tourism industry. The Bund (the river front) is gorgeous, and the flag of China is proudly displayed and flapping in the wind. And then you look closely and you realize that the barge marring the beauty of these sights is not just any boat, it's actually a garbage boat, a perfect combination of young and old, pretty and ugly, tourism and reality.

At first the sheer amount of people in Shanghai was amazing to me, no matter where it was that I turned I was constantly being touched, pushed, shoved, talked to, talked over, or someone was trying to sell me something; but I can assure you that quickly got old! Some other dangers of the sidewalk besides the volume of people were the motorcycles, the are driven on the sidewalk so you constantly have to be aware and wary of speeding cyclists, yikes! Going back to the antiquities of China, occasionally they still toss their dirty water and garbage out their apartment windows, so you are constantly on the lookout for a trash bath, the air conditioners and buildings themselves drip dirty water on top of your head (or in your mouth if you are as unlucky as I was). The children don't wear diapers and have slits in their clothes so whenever they have to use the restroom them just squat in the gutters, or are hoisted over the nearest flower bed by their parents. So the gutter is pretty much out of the question for walking in. The busses (as with Korea) are the largest vehicles in the road so they take the continual liberty of turning any time they want, which causes the cars to respond and you frequently end up with cars driving the wrong way on the road which causes untold car jams and the honking is a incessant. So in recap, there is nowhere safe to walk, you must constantly be on the lookout for pickpockets, questionable market deals, trash baths, motorcyclists, poop, and motorized vehicles. YIKES!

Alex and I searched in futile for a bar where we could meet some locals and try some Chinese liquor but there wasn't really anything that we found so we opted to be satisfied with eating. Food in China is a bit of an adventure as they eat EVERY part of the animal not to mention a myriad of bizarre things like chicken feet and toads. Ew. Thankfully we met some really really nice people, who we didn't understand but who were understanding as we did our foreigner charades act.

The World Expo was a bit of a let down, it was like going back to my 6th grade World Fair at Helen M. Knight Elementary were we all made 3 fold board posters detailing a different country and wandered about the school trying some food and exploring out classmates hard work, except that this expo was with buidlings instead of 3 fold posterboard (Thank you Alex for that excellent depiction). We waited in line for Egypt for roughly 30 minutes to get inside and realize that there was not a whole lot inside, less than a handful of statues from early Egyptian history and a really cool white ribbon. Totally NOT worth my 30 minute wait. Ah well, you don't know this unless you embark on the journey first do you??

Anyway, I felt as though China would have been better if I had gone with some friends who speak Chinese or are Chinese because then I would have been exposed to more of the cultural and lifestyle aspects of the Chinese as opposed to the tourist. One thing is certain, I will NOT be going back to China without a Chinese person, and something that is less sure is whether I will actually ever make it back to China. There are so many exciting places out in the world to return somewhere that was not very fulfilling just seems silly; but perhaps that was a first time world travelers traveling blunder and China is where i'll settle. Whatever the case may be, i'm pretty dang pleased to be back in Korea.

Anyeong!