Bathhouse/Spa & Dr. Fish

This past Friday, for the first time, I went to a Korean bathhouse with an American friend. 

Yes, this meant I was walking around naked. (Genders are separated at the spa/bathhouse.)

I had an ostrich complex- I took off my glasses so everything was blurry so I figured if I couldn't see clearly, maybe others couldn't see me clearly (or rather weren't looking closely)... One goes there to relax anyway so there's really no space/time/place/atmosphere/need to worry about how you look. I just tried to follow what some of them were doing, such as putting one of the two small orange towels they gave us around my hair, and sitting on the other one when in the sauna rooms.

Afterwards, fish nibbled at my feet!

After hours of soaking up warm water, and get a body scrub until our skin felt like a baby's, we got dressed and went to the "Dr. Fish" pool for which we were given a separate small (blue) towel. 

We sat on the edge of this pool and dipped our feet in, as per the broken-English instructions and the picture on the wall, and little fish came and ATE the dead skin off our feet! Yes, I willingly put my feet in a pool of water for fish to eat off of! 

It was hilarious and ticklish at first! After our initial shock and resignation, we got over the crazy idea of it, and relaxed... What a cool idea! What a symbiotic relationship! We get our feet cleaned, and the fish get to eat! Some were small enough to go between my toes, and some were as big (if not slightly bigger) than my biggest toe! Did it hurt? Not one bit!

I hope to post a picture soon!

Korean Adventist Wedding

Today I attended a Korean Adventist Wedding.

One of the teachers in 4th grade got married today so he gave us three 4th grade foreign teachers wedding invitations a couple weeks ago.

Therefore, today (Sunday), I went to the school by 9am to take the chartered bus, with the other teachers and students who were invited and able to attend, to the groom's hometown (held there because his father helps run the town). The bride is from Seoul but works as a nurse in Daejeon.

The bus ride was about 2.25 hours. We stopped once on the way there and the way back to go to the bathroom, and the kids all bought snacks (like "dippin dots" ice cream, and bbq'ed fried chicken on the way back). I didn't need food because they gave us a warm rice snack (one for each rider) on the way there; yummy!

Once there, we went in, and a lot of guests stopped at a small table with envelopes in which one puts cash as a gift for the bride and groom, and then puts their name on the envelope. This was done quickly, as are most things in Korea. We then hustled upstairs, turned in our envelopes to the people counting money. They gave us our buffet lunch meal tickets which we then turned over our shoulders to hand to the people receiving tickets. Then we ate. You could get all your wanted. My gosh - I wish I had more stomachs! There were so many things to try and I have no clue what any of them were because I wasn't moving as fast as all the Koreans going through the line. 

It started with different kinds of kimchi and other sauces, then egg-veggie things, then sushi-like stuff (delicious!), then some salads, then main course things, then soup (of course!), followed by desserts of pineapple, orange, watermelon, different kinds of sweet rice cakes and mini chocolate chip cookies, and a couple French-looking cookies... Then there was a whole separate section for where you could choose your own meat slice, and have it fried for you right there fresh! You could also make up whatever meal you wanted of a combo of different fresh raw veggies (mushrooms, scallions, greens of various kinds), then fish of many different kinds, including little octopus-looking things, and lastly of course the sauces that one puts on them.

I see I've talked mostly about food so far. Lol!

After eating two plates, and drinking sprite-like stuff at our table, and then the Korea traditional rice-cinnamon drink (much more flavorful and yummy in my opinion!), we went down to sit in the wedding hall and took a simple printed (double-sided) program (not folded) from the table on our way in. The presiding minister announced we'd be starting, then the mothers of bride and groom, dressed in Korean traditional dress, walked down the aisle and sat down on either side of the stage. Then the groom in shiny black tux walked down the aisle. Finally the bride's father walked the bride- in white gown- down the aisle to the music we're used to in the U.S.A. 

 The presiding minister then said something short, and everyone started singing a hymn. (Yes, this was all in Korean.) Then the presiding minister spoke about what it means to get married, including that they were living as two individuals before but now they are one, that the husband should not take his wife for granted, that she will set the table for them every day, that they should both keep in mind their vows and what they mean, and that their faith in God can get through things together. (Yes, I had a translator for all this part next to me!)

 Apparently they were then married and turned to face their parents. First they bowed to the bride's parents, then to the groom's parents, all the way the photographer's assistant had to adjust the brides beautiful cloud-like off-white skirt. I didn't hear the bride and groom say anything other than "Hooray!" (prompted by the minister) after they were apparently pronounced married...

This was followed by the nurses the bride works for singing a song together with the caveat that the groom had to kiss the bride every time they heard the word, "love" in the song. Cute!

After, the groom's sister and brother-in-law sang a duet together. I'm not sure what the words were but they sang beautifully with strong voices- wow!

This was followed by picture time, first of the family, then bride's coworkers, then all us teachers, then all the students, each with the bride and groom.

Then we left.

It was very interesting to see how it compared to American weddings. More things that I expected were similar rather than different.

Similar:

- wedding invitation

- buffet reception

- groom's, bride's, and men of families dress/tuxedos/suits

- photographer taking pictures

- wedding march music

- father walks bride down the aisle

- bride's side, groom's side

Different:

- reception/food was before the wedding (Why?!? We went in with heavy stomachs and sleepy eyes!)

- Korean traditional clothes worn by only the women of both families

- some students wore just jeans, sneakers, and every day shirts

- give cash as a gift (which you put in an envelopes on which you write your name)

What I like about American weddings that didn't happen (maybe because of large number of guests?):

- sign guest book

- bride and groom speak their vows

- guests thank bride and groom and families

Dogs in Korea

Pet dog looking ridiculous

There are two kinds of dogs in Korea - the kind you eat, and the kinds that are pets. Apparently the kind one eats are a different breed. One of the other teachers said she saw the kind you eat in the market. I haven't seen them yet. Here's obviously a picture of one of the breeds that are meant as pets. Doesn't it look silly?!?

Spiders

I found a somewhat large spider in my bathroom last week. Being from Colorado and raised to not kill spiders unless they're poisonous and even not necessarily then- because they're good and kill other bad insects- I just trapped the spider and threw it out my fourth floor window. I watched it then land on the ground and quickly crawl away. Success.

This was NOT the fate of the same size and kind of spider in my L.A. classroom!

The spiders were about 3/4 of an inch (main body parts) and a little bigger with the legs. I asked one of the teachers at school if the spiders here are poisonous and he said, "No," so I figured I didn't need to kill it.

So what happened in my classroom? There I was in the middle of teaching and a girl pointed and screamed because she saw a spider at the front of the classroom. All the girls then proceeded to scream and run to the other side of the room. Since there's nothing in the classroom to absorb sound, their cries were loud and resonating! Even most of the boys didn't seem to want to get close to it, though they seemed curious which I was glad to see!

I told the students not to scream, and to sit down, which they did but with much hesitation. They continued to stare in the direction of the spider who was now in the corner. I tried to tell them it was as scared of them as they were of it. So class resumed for about one minute or so. Then the spider apparently moved and all the girls screamed again. I could tell class could not continue until the spider was dead. Dangit - I didn't want anyone to kill the spider! But the show (class) must go on!

Therefore, the unavoidable became obvious. 

I told the girls, who were still screaming and therefore probably disrupting all the other classes nearby, that they could go out into the hall until the spider was dead, which they promptly did. One of the boys went after it with a clunky desk, and the chase was on for a few seconds. He haphazardly caught the spider with one desk leg, and *I* ended its poor life with my indoor school shoe. Sadly, I cleaned up the body with the piece of unused toilet paper I always carry in my jacket pocket (because there's no toilet paper in the one and only bathroom in that particular building). After that, I announced to the girls in the hall that it was dead and they came back into the classroom, but the one who's desk was used to kill the spider would not sit there! Bravely, as if facing a battlefield, one of the boys agreed to trade seats with her. Finally, class resumed.

Language Barrier

Despite the language barrier, I was able to communicate with the corner store owner lady that I needed to buy more food-bucket (compost bin) stickers. The conversation went something like this.

me:  Stickers? (Translation:  Do you sell compost food bin stickers here?)

Shop owner:  %$#$*&^ )(*   )(* *&^ *^&*^%%$@#@ ?

me:  <I show her the one sticker I have left and point around the store as if looking for it. I then look back at her with a questioning hand and facial gesture.>

Shop owner:  &^%&*_)IUJ(*U ^%$%$#%^?  ^%^O(I UP(*^E%$WEDUYTR^dfjfq934, %$%^O }%$#@~@~*U *& Y&*&...  _)(*)(* ^%?

me:  Uh... 

She proceeded to show me *her* compost bin, and to demonstrate where to put the sticker on the bin when you put it on the street corner.

me:  Yeul.  (Translation:  I want to buy 10 [yeul] stickers.)

It took a while, but she seemed more patient this time than the last time I bought from her.

It reminded me too of a conversation I had with a friend a couple months ago about how Americans talk a lot, more than necessary. Further, I recalled another conversation about how most communication isn't verbal. These ideas have proven true for me. Yes, many times people have asked or said something to me and I have  had NO clue what they were saying. However, in the end, it didn't seem to matter. I thanked them politely, and tried to say, "I'm sorry. I don't speak Korean." So far so good...

Pictures of Food

Here are some pictures of food my friends or I have eaten recently.

Bibimbap - This is a typical DELICIOUS Korean dish of various veggies cut up thinly, such as carrots, zucchini, cabbage, the traditional seaweed and bean sprouts, and other things, on top of rice. Korean like their sides so pictured from top left going clockwise:  yellow pickled cabbage and sweet pickled garlic, kimchi, cabbage salad, brothy soup (miso?), and the main meal- bibimbap.

School Lunch - It costs about the equivalent of $2.50 per meal and it's all you can eat for teachers! If you want more, you can go to the teachers' food table and get more. The students eat the same thing as the teachers, just from a different line. Because the school is 7th Day Adventist, all meals are vegetarian. Clockwise from top left - kimchi, fake meat with some sort of yummy sesame sauce on it, sauted zucchini and onions, the obligatory soup (this one with cubical strips of gelatinous something that's good for you), banana, two kinds of rice (neither with flavor, hence the red pepper paste in the middle). Delicious!

The Post Office

The post office here is AWESOME! Last week I walked there with three other "foreign" teachers (all from the U.S. working at my school). It was about 3 blocks from my house and labeled in Korean and English above the door so pretty easy to find.

It's AWESOME because it provides FREE boxing tape, cheap envelopes and boxes, lots of pens and permanent markers to write with, and seemed to be running efficiently. Also, they have what most pharmacies and public buildings have here:  a water dispenser with paper cups (hot or cold water- yay!). Plus, the post office has lots of beautiful plants on the counters that are REAL!

Additionally, the middle console provides reading glasses and toilet paper - meant as tissue paper? Hm... Another similarity with pharmacies - the post office has a leather cushioned seat at which multiple people can rest their legs. There's a cubby nearby with magazines to flip through too. Yes, all the magazines are in Korean!

I love this post office!