a saturday

last night, kevin and i hit downtown when classes were over. we ate sam-gyap at our usual spot, but tried the beef this time. our server struggled to teach us to be classy and taste the first cooked piece of this meat without the lettuce and extra stuff... seemed a lot like the head of the table sampling the first glass of wine before everyone is served. anyway, it was delicious, and we were feeling very ready for the weekend.... looking for a little trouble. we wandered the busy streets for a little while trying to decide where to go. i let an ajuma vendor talk me into buying a little $3 leather bracelet. kevin grabbed an ice-cream. we were on the club side of town, so we lingered in the streets watching all the people passing by excited to be out with their friends and dressed to kill. the moon was nearly full in a clear sky. a lot of the stores, restaurants, and hofs like to blare music on the streets to draw folks in, so if you keep walking, it sounds like changing the stereo. after turning down a quieter street, kevin pulled me back a few steps until we were directly in front of one shop playing an old jazz piece, and we danced in the street for a minute, under the fat moon. for lack of any plan, we wound up at the german bar, and were lucky to meet a new friend there right away who gave us good conversation for the duration of our evening. his name was cam, and he told us all about his travels and family and kept us laughing. of course, there was some karaoke and some music played before it was all over. it was a blast.

saturday morning, i was paying for the fun. i stayed in bed until 4 (though, to be fair, we didn't go to sleep until 5 or 6 am)... only to find a new refrigerator had been delivered without disturbing my slumber. our old one worked 3out of 7 days, and not on any regular schedule. plus it made the freakiest sounds. it appears the landlady took it upon herself (possibly after investigating the scary howling noises she'd heard coming from our floor) to make our lives a little better.
kevin took off to run some errands and i stayed behind watching 'flight of the conchords', then the landlady returned and retrieved me to go with her to her mother's house and pick up a television our school apparently purchased for us. the landlady has a great attitude, sense of humor, and loves to talk, so it seems not to bother her that i don't understand 90% of what she's saying.... but we both try pretty hard, so we have a little back and forth. example:
"korean, korean korean korean keb-bin korean korean?"
"no, kevin's not here. opsiyo."
"korean korean korean odie (this means 'where'!) korean korean"
"he went to eat"
she looks at me confused, then walks around my apartment looking for where our cable outlet is.
"korean korean korean"... she gestures for me to grab my keys, so i do, and follow her out, down to the basement, she grabs a small dolly, back up and out the gate,
"korean korean korean korean ama (this means 'mother') korean" point, smile, nod.
"we're going to your mother's house?"
"nay, mother house"
etc.
she's adorable, and i like her. wish i knew this language better by now. ah, well... maybe i'll get to the books again soon.
so we brought back her mother's big, heavy tv, and she helped me get it into the apartment then disappeared with a laugh down the hallway.
kevin got back soon after, and was excited to take me to yet another festival he'd stumbled upon. this was an art festival taking place at the river downtown. the bottom of the bridge was lined with art on both sides and at the fancy star-gate looking section of the bridge there was a stage where different musical acts were putting on a great show. we saw a full orchestra play some classical, followed by a five piece soft rock band using a mix of modern and traditional korean instruments, then an amazing drum troupe (now i want to learn the korean traditional drum!), and finally adorable little kids took turns singing with orchestra backing.
at one point, under the bridge, we came upon a big pile of wood and kevin was shocked, and told me when he was there earlier it was a piano, totally in tact. two young guys were hanging out nearby it, and we asked what happened. they told us it was a performance piece. they are doing it all over again tomorrow at 6: so we're going to try and make it. they let me grab hammer #5 as a souvenir.
shopping at homeplus for this and that... i got gloves in preparation for the bitter cold ahead, and we bought stuff to stick in the new fridge. then some kimbab and bi bim bop for dinner, followed by simpsons on the big happy tv at home.
it's already been a terrific weekend, and we still have a whole day to go.
and now, it's raining gently and kevin's snoring lightly; i think i'll sleep well.

Festivities and Precariousness

What have we been up to lately?

Festivals, for one thing. There have been a bunch of festivals here at the onset of fall, and they've involved lots of new foods, a sensational one-man ice-cream show, traditional Korean clothes and activities, a bowing lesson, a petting zoo, interactive art, dancing groups galore, performances I could only catch glimpses of through the crowds, fishing with strainers, fields of flowers, unbelievable cakes shaped like palaces, dragons, and such, and my favorite part- fireworks and carnival games in the streets. I won a plush heart by knocking over some cans from the kiddie spot.

Amidst the festivals, we also celebrated Kevin's 27th birthday with our closest friends here, some Mario Bros on Wii, and a handful of seedy establishments. Both branches of Jisan bought him a delicious cake from Paris Baguette, and his students made him cards and sang Happy Birthday.

Right before birthday time, Kevin's parents were visiting during our extended Chu-Seok vacation! It was so great to see them, and we made the absolute most of the visit, doing something new and exciting every day. It was refreshing to act like a tourist again, and so comforting to have some family around. We miss our loved ones something terrible, so this was much needed.

Yeah, it's been a great time lately. Lots of fun on the weekends, and lots of work during the week so that it goes by fast.

We've officially made it past the halfway mark here at the Jisan-Hangil Academy. It has been and continues to be a wonderful experience, full of positives! I enjoy my job, and feel good about the work I do here. I have more in my bank account than I believe I've ever had in the past. Gwangju is a fun and welcoming city with plenty I have yet to explore, but also little spots that make me feel at home. The apartment is becoming cozier with every passing week. Kevin is even liking his job more, and we've both made a few friendships that will last beyond our Asian time together.

The question remains, though: Will we sign on for a second year?

Just a month ago, we thought we'd made up our minds, and the answer was 'yes'. Then a week ago, with no factors changing except a big case of homesick, we switched to a definite 'no'.

So: Picture it-- since challenges are often compared to mountains, and we're halfway through this one, you can imagine us at the very top of a mountain, looking around for what to do for fun once we trek down.
But then, we can't decide-- and when you can't decide 'yes' or 'no', you're said to be on a fence, right?

So we're on fence on a mountain peak. Now that's a precarious situation if ever there was one. And that's kind of how I feel right now. I mean, all we have to do is simply climb down from the fence, on either side, really, and then just walk down the mountain- which will be much easier than it was going up- and even that wasn't very hard:
But at the moment, I'm a little overwhelmed up here...

Autumn? I hardly KNOW him!

I'm not accustomed to four seasons. From my experience, there's a really long, swampy summer, and then there's an equally long, surprisingly (surprising every time you touch the steering wheel, surprising every time you see your breath) cold winter with little or no snowfall to make up for it's harsh demeanor. These two might mention some other seasons as they pass each other coming and going, only if they're feeling chatty; and we take the plastic wrap off of another calendar and don't ask questions.

When I arrived here in April, Gwangju was late in shaking off the winter's chill. I donned my coat and scarf for a good few weeks, and kept the floor heater running all day. Soon, though, Spring caught up. Flowers and green things suddenly appeared against the grey city's construction and traffic flow. Ladies broke out their bright and high cut sundresses and children climbed out from their Kenny costumes. Then it was summer, and it was hot- let's not gloss over that fact. We complained about the heat. And yet, we were not cold; and that will be remembered soon enough as a fond memory, I'm sure. And now, timely as you please, it looks like Fall has arrived. This is weather perfection. Soon leaves will join in the fun, and the smell of the air will change: I cannot explain this, but I know it to be true. Today was September 12th; my sweet mother's 65th birthday (happy birfday, Mom)... the day felt around 73º, there was a kind amount of sun and constant cool breeze. Everyone was out, and they were all talking about the weather. At least, that's what I'll assume. I still don't know much Korean.

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Kevin and I had breakfast and pilsners around 3:00PM, at the Alleyway. Ian and Heather (an adorable Canadian couple we've met here) happened to join us, and it was a nice surprise, as that those two are al-right in my book. I then dashed to meet MiEun, my boss and buddy, in front of the YMCA. We bought cold lattes, and tickets for the 5:00 showing of Killers, then clothes shopped until the showtime: MiEun bought a sharp jacket. I helped her pick it out. The two of us have gone shopping together several times now, but I always feel guilty if I'm the one looking to buy, because I like to browse and think and compare and decide slowly- I enjoy the process. Whereas MiEun is the single most decisive person I've met in my life. I admire that. Anyway- the movie was kind of dumb but fun, and we had pasta afterward in a place decorated like the inside of Barbie's dreamhouse, then she had to go. We didn't get our fortunes read this time.... but as she pointed out, they always say the same things every time, anyway; which, by 8ball standards, would equal 'outlook not good' for her love life. It makes me so sad to see lovesick women... not so much because they don't have their love, as that the absence of someone they've never met is preventing them from truly enjoying what an awesome life they have.

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But I definitely digress.

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Point was- things are going swimmingly.

Kevin's parents are going to be here in just a few days- and we're anxious to have them here! We'll have 12 days off to play, and we have lots of ideas as to how we can spend our time.

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Meanwhile, I just completed my online TEFL course. I fooled around and lost track of time, and wound up in deep waters struggling to finish the thing before expiration. In order to truly focus on the 6 tests I was taking simultaneously, I moved into 'The Gramy Motel', just around the corner from our place, in order to work in seclusion and without distraction. The hotel was seedy as they come, but you know it only makes me love it more. And anyway, the plan worked- and though I got little sleep, I enjoyed the challenge a lot, and learned the material in the process (though I do want to keep studying to make sure I retain it). Now, I have a little bit of knowledge about what the heck I'm doing with these little communicators.

After the intense session was through, I was mentally and physically drained of every drop. I slept very well for many hours, and I must tell you I had a very long work dream. Throughout my adult life, work dreams have almost always been miserable experiences, if not simply unpleasant. I am running up and down flights of stairs, balancing heavy trays of drinks and food on both hands with my apron slowly sliding to the floor as customers are either being cruel or just taking all of my time and patience as I explain for a third time the only difference between the cheeseburger and the hamburger. However, I just experienced my first work dream featuring a large (much larger than reality) group of little koreans, and dude-- it was a blast! We were laughing and I was doing a good job teaching them, and they didn't want to leave for recess, and I didn't either, so we decided to play English games through the break. It was a glorious, glorious work dream. How bout them apples?!

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SIDENOTE: Previously, on Wendy's in South Korea-

I played guitar with Mr. Cho at Cafe Province for hours as Korean jazz talent, Youn Sun Nah, met with her fans. Then, this amazing local artist also wondered in (the one whose work I showed pictures of on FB already- female forms, sewn pictures on silk), and hung out with us. She even sketched me with my guitar. Fabulousness.

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But enough about me: let's talk about you! What have YOU been doing?

A Summer's Excerpt

So, suddenly, summer vacation once again exists. It is only a few days, but the break sounds lovely. Kevin and I were planning to explore Busan at this time originally, a rather large city by the sea, but for a few reasons we've decided instead to stick closer to home and maybe have daily excursions while saving money and allowing me more opportunity to catch up where I've been slacking in my studies. This means I have a to-do list for my vacation, and, if you are wondering, it looks something like this:

-Study Korean language (numbers, phrases of inquiry, places and people)

-Spend at least two hours each day on TEFL course

-Send 4th graders' letters to America (Include personal greetings to the grownups)

-Do something I haven't yet done each day

That last one was Kevin's brilliant idea to make our vacation interesting... Hopefully it will lead to new exciting stories soon to come... instead of something like "napped in new corner of the apartment"... "ate a new flavor of World Cone".... ; )

And anyway, last weekend was enough bliss to last me a while. We were treated to a bus ride, then a ferry ride to an island city called Wando which is just gorgeous. We made new friends, had a relaxing type of adventure, and I place this trip now high on the shelf of good memories. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had such a flawless day as this Saturday. It was warm but overcast so not too hot, and a kind sprinkle came and went with gentle rumbling. Craft hour, group net fishing, a million tiny crabs, tiny brown eggs on chopsticks, sunscreen, tourguides, bus singing, cool water, foot rinsing, a quick alley party, the prettiest kitchen window view ever. I got to know some new friends better. I got to meet some new people, four in particular, whom I seriously hope to keep in touch with. I swam in sparkling clear water. Above me was a giant shiny sky full of boastful clouds. Little islands and giant rocks surrounded me. Old wooden boats rocked pleasantly in the harbor, making little groans with the soft waves. In the starlight I heard stories from strangers. We talked about love, music, misconceptions, families, life in Korea, schools, politics, and bikes. Mostly, we laughed. I swam more. There was an otter spotting! It was just glorious.

Then, two nights ago, on a Wednesday, two teenagers helped me find my new friend and guitar sage, Mr. Cho, and his tea shop. It was small and dimly lit, smelling of incense. Eight guitars were sprawled around, an upright piano sat uncomfortably in the far corner feeling too fat for the joint. Mr. Cho ordered wings and noodles to be delivered. He took me next door and let me poke around the 100 yr. old house he is remodeling to move his business into. His woodwork is as beautiful as his songs. Mr. Cho indicated there were fish in a large, cloudy fish tank I almost kicked because it was hidden in the tall grass... but I have no doubt I will see them in two months' time swimming in a little pond once the grassy lot becomes a garden and the old shack becomes a beautiful teahouse filled with music. Ah, Korea- you don't play when it's time to get work done or make things pretty! I spent 4 hours there making and enjoying sweet music with Mr. Cho and 15 or so regulars and friends of his. His older brother, a jazz pianist, was equally impressive. A momma, a soon-to-be momma, their gents, four christians (my favorite in a fishing hat), two female artists, one interior designer and one painter, and a few older gentlemen made up the guest list-- and all we did was sing and play and eat a few pieces of chicken. Nice, nice.

It's all so nice sometimes.

lookit! videos, too! i'm purty advanced for a luzianna gal!

got a potato cooking...

it's 1:33 am, oh dear- how's time flying like this? almost another payday, too (woo-hoo)

that means we're hitting month 4? no way!

it's getting more and more fun, too. oh, and busy. i'm doing the online certification course-- although i really should spend more time on it as that it has an expiration date... but when i do get to it, i find it to be helpful for planning. i'm also taking a korean language course two days a week for 7 weeks... they call it beginner's but the teacher moves pretty quickly: fingers crossed that i can keep up.

also, summer semester just began, which means i have a few new classes and a slightly different schedule and new books to boot! today was the first day of that schedule and it was going so remarkably well, by the time i got to my final class i was all kinds of charged with energy and excitement for the lesson plan at hand... but this class happened to consist entirely of brand new students, and i think my energy level scared them more than a little. unfortunately, their somewhat frightened and somewhat bemused faces didn't dampen my teaching fit in the least, and i'm sure they'll be happy to see me on a more normal level on wednesday, anyway.

i've been able to be more social lately-- though i'm missing the german bar. i got in a trivia night, though, with a lovely group of ladies, and some one-on-two time in seoul with some friends from back home (you know, the fancy ones)... made a couple of korean friends, too, finally: helped one prepare for a big english debate (always feels cool to help out).... even made buddies with some local college students over dinner the other night, continued with them to the song room, then kevin wound up trying to carry the drunkest one home.... it was adorable.

and, of course, our new buddy tamara is keeping me all smiles-- shout out, tamz! : )

so it's a shortie- but there's your update, ya buggers. i'm going to eat my potato and call it a night.

*mwah*

on calculating the weight and mass of a mile

it's muggy enough in the apartment tonight that i am reminded of louisiana. outside it's raining a solid asian downpour, and i'm grateful that someone built a small lean-to with a tin roof right outside my window. i know i will sleep like a baby with this lullaby.

meanwhile, we're trying to eat healthy, so i'm fighting off the urge to cook and devour some potatoes right now. the refrigerator is out of order, so the rest of the groceries are unavailable... just some potatoes, some onions, lots of coffee and some spices to be had. there was a box of cereal, too- but the ants found that first. lucky bastards.

i've been terribly moody this week (thank you, kevin, for putting up with me so nicely). this situation- this living abroad thing- seems to hit me in waves. mostly, it's the size of the thing. some days i forget there's anything out of the ordinary in my life. just going to work, having dinner; the usual. then other days i realize the giant stretch of ocean and land that separates me and my last apartment, and a million other familiar things. how is it i wound up here, anyway? and where will i land next??

i've always envied those people who make decisions easily. they go to a restaurant and before they look at the menu they have some idea of what they'll be eating. they go to college and they have a plan of what to study. they graduate and begin pursuing some next step. whereas i seem more to rely on the weather to direct my steps. now, i'm not saying this doesn't work out well for me, in the end. but, man, i think it just must feel great to have some inkling of what you want before it falls into your lap.

nostalgia is a funny thing-

the details our brains choose to hold onto, the insignificant moments that never leave our memory banks... and the strip of wallpaper or the smell of a bubbling pot that suddenly transports you back to another lifetime.

my cousin dee ann has been struggling with a lung disease for a few years now, and had quite a scare with a pretty big infection recently. we're all excited to see her gaining strength by the day now- and it looks like she'll recover from this bout soon enough. hearing this news was one of those things that made the size of my move feel massive.

and anytime i picture her, her head is thrown back and she's laughing hard. she has stunning eyes... like her mother's, and her mother's sisters, and her mother's sister's daughter's, too.

another cousin whom i never got to meet passed away alone in a hotel room recently, much too young. he lived most of his life estranged from his father who wanted quite badly to be there for him, but for reasons out of his control, could not. my heart breaks for my uncle, and for his son. a good person and a loving father- this isn't the easiest thing to come by in life. i often wish that i could have grown up with this man closer by for guidance.

and every time i picture my uncle, he's wearing sunglasses and has a tan from working the boats, and he's taking me to the corner store for ice cream in his smart convertible. he is grinning, and saying wise, encouraging things to a very young me regarding one's general outlook on life; like, enjoy every minute, and, don't sweat the small stuff.

there are many reasons the distance can feel like pain. i have friends getting married and friends having babies and babies turning into children and looking and acting more and more like their parents. i have my own parents with new puppies, and my own pets out there living it up without me! i have people i love dearly going through tough times. for many, many reasons, my longing to be back in the states can be overwhelming some days.

but the other days, i am able to focus on my own present, and hopefully on my own future. granted, i might have to make some decisions for that to happen, but when the waves of nostalgia settle, i am able to think about where my travels might take me, and what opportunities may come from this new job.

i enjoy the crinkles by the eyes of the ajumas. i like shopping for fresh foods at the big market down the street.

i have made friends with some shopkeepers. yesterday, i was walking towards home after work and a neighborhood boy was kicking a soccer ball alone as the sun was setting. without words, still ahead a distance, he kicked the ball to me. i stopped it with my left foot, return kicked with the right. he smiled huge and caught the ball with both hands (guess he was playing goalie) and ran off down the road.

while at a friend's place, three kids with little instruments put on a parade for us, and then we had a water gun show down! i put my feet in a new river. i cheered for korea in the world cup.

i'm learning how to be a disciplinarian. i'm reading a decent book, and have another good one in line. i am a student again. i am not the best writer, and that's okay. i'm not the best musician and that's okay. i'm not the best artist and that's okay. i do these things because i want to... not for outside approval or votes.

life is so small, and so fast, and so incredible. it's supposed to be overwhelming. it's supposed to be elusive. it's supposed to hurt a little now and then.

and later, there will be papaya.

Muses and Musings

When I was young I would spend most summer days running around "exploring" the woods and dirt roads throughout my neighborhood in Wakefield. If you lived in the area and had woods on your property, there's a good chance I've climbed one or two of your trees or skipped a rock on your pond. My favorite spots, fortunately, did belong to my own mom and stepdad, so it was no problem spending all the time I liked down by Thompson Creek and in a particularly hilly spot on the far side of Mom's acreage. Now, 30 and in Korea, I'm back to my old tricks. Don't go worrying, Ma; there's plenty of public property for me to explore here... and besides, civilians don't keep weapons in this country. But I digress.

Anyway I have mentioned her before: Mudung Mountain. Although I keep hearing about the amazingly fresh air to be had on top, both times I've gone, either city smog or nearby fires have affected the air quality. A haze lingered in the air and the sky was overcast when I went this past Sunday- with weather just cool enough to make a fair girl forget to put on sunscreen. I was in the company of two new American buddies, Karla and Meika. They took me to a quaint traditional tea house nestled in a rural area of the mountain, only a step off the beaten path (quite well beaten, in fact- the mountain being such a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.) I learned the proper Korean way to serve and enjoy tea; taking only three or four rounds to master the finish-in-3-sips custom.

Then we walked around some small farms and down a curvy two lane road until we reached a popular traditional Korean garden: The kind created with zen in mind... where poets and philosophers have come for centuries to find harmony in their surroundings so that they can better concentrate on their muses and musings. Unfortunately, that well designed tranquil atmosphere has turned into a sideshow, which means you couldn't sit in one spot and clear your mind anywhere inside this garden today any more than you could at your local shopping mall's food court. All the same, it was pretty cool to see the old masonry, bamboo and clay and stones.... actual fire pits built under floors for heating homes. The place was special, and I particularly enjoyed how it did have a general path to follow, but not a strict one- so we were free to run up this hill or play in the stream. I hunted for cool rocks or ancient artifacts... did find two pieces of broken pottery. It's most likely they are from some bowl recently purchased from the local five-and-ten, but I'm holding on to them just in case.

Next we took a short hike to a sweet resting pavilion that was surrounded by good smelling trees and flowers and such. There was one scent in particular I struggled to place that reminded me of home; after it bugged me long enough, I ran around sniffing every leaf in sight- and although I enjoyed that experience and now feel closer to my friend, Sinoun, who's always enjoyed an acute sense of smell, alas, I never could quite place that aroma. But I did discover wild mint, white jasmine, rose stalks, ants marching sideways, wild red berries, sticky grass, and those white flowers with strong stems we would tie end to end to make jewelry with- remember?

I continue to explore the city streets, as well. When I can't sleep or just have time to kill, I will often just follow the roads downtown and see where they lead. At night you can walk along the river that runs between opposing directions of traffic high above (the swishing sounds of cars and bikes blend nicely with the flowing water) and neon lights stand firmly overhead but move excitedly when reflected. Couples hold hands and whisper, friends lean on each other and giggle loudly. Shop keepers prepare for their customers or prepare to go home, depending on the hour and the business. Dirty independent cats dart between buildings... I have yet to see a rat. I find bottles and unwanted old sandals, mirrors, dressers, and coats piled on street corners, waiting to be claimed by one of the old, bent recycling collectors. Citizens of Gwangju are never hesitant to call a curbside a trashcan, so streets are often cluttered and unkept, but night workers do sweep through regularly so that early morning looks a sight better. It works out for us, though, as that it makes it easier to locate interesting alternative canvases. Sooner or later, we're bound to create something awesome.

But for now, I'm satisfied peeking under rocks and smelling trees- soaking in those things that inspire.