While on the bus to Mugoodong (thats how it's pronounced, not really accurately how it's spelled) today to have dinner with some friends I became inspired to make notes of things I'd like to blog about. Here are the things I thought of (sort of) in order of my thinking. Enjoy.
So lets talk about that park full of penises that I visited. In case you don't know what I'm talking about go here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39001789@N05/
First things first: absolutely absurd. I still am marveling at the fact that Korea has a park created in sole dedication to the male member. OK, well I am and I'm not. Korea being the patriarchy that it is, I suppose it's not that surprising, but still, it was borderline, OK screw that, it was outright obscene having that many penis statues, benches, sculptures and so forth in one place. My friend Kelly texted me, one hungover Saturday morning (I drink too much here, it's sort of like being in freshmen year of college all over again, and that is weird--though I am tapering off a bit with that nowadays) saying "Hey want to go on a road trip" I was curious to where, then she reminded me how she had invited me to go to Penis Park with here and a few other friends, the night prior. So there I was. A park dedicated soley to the male member. The legend goes that some virgin died while her man was out at sea (pre-marriage) and they made the park as a sort of superstitious warding off of the evil that the death of a virgin implies. Holy phallic batman, there's a statue of a man holding his erect dick. No joke. I'm going to post those pictures soon. We were stunned, and acting as obscene as the setting we were in. It was great. The day ended with us eating chamchee kimbap (tuna korean sushi--think rice, seaweed, cooked egg, ham, buckwheat noodles, pickled radish and tuna in a roll) on the rocks by the sea. It was a lovely end to our day full of johnson edifices. Hehe!
So as I've mentioned before there are a crap ton of fast food places in Korea, KFC, McDondalds (of course), Krispy Kream, fucking Dunkin Donuts, for chrissakes Idaho doesn't even have one, but Korea does. I'll be damned. Anywho, the funny thing about American fast food chains here is that they are so classy. The decor inside is really in good taste for all of them. They are uniformly all trussed up in a very classy way, and the clientele follows suit. It's sort of odd to view our trash all dressed up in finery here in a foreign land because no one knows/realizes/wants to know what utter garbage it really is. Korea is a place of subterfuge of all kinds. And this is interesting. Especially when I encounter students of mine that see through the veil. They are few and prized, and I do my best to veil my favoritism, I think I fail--as all teachers do.
So here in Korea I'm a freak. Which isn't to say that I wasn't in the states. Them white people (you know as if I'm somehow not one by nature, up bringing and so forth) sure loved to stop me to comment in an exclaimatory fashion on my hair. But here it's taken to an extreme. Foreigners are always stared at and marveled at in Korea. This makes sense. Korea is a generally homogenous culture. People here are Korean. Brown/black hair, deep brown eyes, skin with a yellowed tint in varied shades (ideally paler than darker) and so forth. So any wayguk (foreigner) is somewhat of a spectacle. But I am a rare one indeed. White skin, wildly styled hair, and a lip piercing to boot, people often stop me in the street and go, "Mo-ri? blahblah words I don't understand blah Perm-uh?" and I go "Nayyyy (yes) mo-ri aniyo(no) perm-uh" Smile kindly then turn away. Some venture to ask my if my piercing hurt, but most of these questions happen with signing and noises, not actual language--though my vocabulary is increasing. Today, while riding the bus back from the beach I was sitting by the window. I looked down for a moment to the car next to my bus and saw a camera pointed directly at me. I gasped quickly, because thats freakin' weird, and saw the camera holder jerk the camera away, then regain confidence aim and shoot, flash visible from the periphery of my sight as I sat smirking looking in a different direction. I am both resentful of the attention and amused by it. Oh Korea. Oh Korea.
Lets talk about Korean men. In the America one might say that the man-bang is a dying art, perhaps justly so, but here in Korean the man-bang not only thrives, but flourishes. The man bang, the perm, the Asiana mullet (which is a personal favorite of mine, truly these boys/men make it look good) and so on and so forth, their hair is so damned straight it seems they have to find ways to have fun with it. More power to them. It's great. I must say, there's nothing so endearing to me as a little kids Korea-mullet, little faux-sideburns over their ears, and a weird longness in the back that sometimes sticks out due to accumulated sweat and so forth. This one is for you little Tom who spazzes out every time I ask him to repeat his memory homework, this one is for you (and your mullet).
OK so another thing about Korean men. I 'd been hoping to see this for some time. Hoping, and dreamin' and wishin' and hopin' and then there it was: two grown men, obviously not gay, probably University age, HOLDING HANDS IN PUBLIC. Let me repeat: not gay. There are no gays in Korea. It's a lot like Iran. Aren't they lucky? Haaaaa. Yeah, not gay my ass, or their ass for that matter! Oh snap! Anywho, people in Korea touch each other. Touch is a powerful thing, we all know this, and really, in my view, the openess of touch is a sort of relic from childhoods past. Children are all about touch, they crave it, and the connection it brings about naturally-- and I do not mean this as a condescension to Korea, rather I think it is a sort of relic from a more innocent time that they have preserved through a combination of denial and earnestness--these are complex combinations. But Korea is a complex place. So after I walked by these two men, I laughed quietly to myself, because it was kind of great to see.
So I went to the beach today: travelled out into the boonies to get to a clean shore, and a clean shore I found, but I realized that I sort of missed my highly metropolitan home whilst away. When I got back to the glowing neon lights and utterly replete stimulus of the Sam San Dong (down town Ulsan) that I know, love and live in, I felt sort of relieved. I found that odd. How is it that neon lights have become a comfort? That traffic is familiar? That chaos is respite, that the unceasing movement and stimuli are a familiarity to return to and feel safe? I found/find it odd to say the least, but at the same time I like where I am. There is so much happening all the time, and so much to see, but luckily I live far enough away to have quiet when I need it. I thought that living without forests and mountains as immediate structures that I could access would be unbearable. It seems it is not. It seems to have grown on me, and become a sort of norm. It's funny the things we can adjust to.
Funny the things we can adjust to and the things those around us cannot. I am a wayguk (foreigner) here in Korea. Most wayguks just sort of crassly yell out english words with an "uh" on the end to Konglish-ize them when they want things from Koreans--sometime said Koreans understand, most of the time they don't. In snobbish truth I find this not only disrespectful but barbaric. I am judging. How utterly barbaric to not even attempt to learn the language of the country you are residing in. As I've mentioned before I have a Korean tutor, he is really cool and has helped me immensely. I am able to use money, navigate a cab driver, and order food very comfortably largely in part b/c of the vocab/pronunciation assistance he has provided me. And one of the things I find most delightful is when I go to speak to a Korean, using only Korean, is how utterly surprised they look.
Today I was a bit lost by the beach and needed to find the bus so I stopped to talk to a Korean woman who was sitting outside her shop stuffing pillows I said, "Shillay-amida, juseyo, oh-di-yo busuh?" (excuse me, please where bus?) She points straight then to the left and I say, "Jikshee? Wento? Naaay?" (Straight, left? Yes?) She nods and I say, "Komapsumidaaaa" (Thankyou!) And the Korean woman I am communicating with nods and looks stunned. Never underestimate the power of a Korean to English dictionary, or one persons need to be able to communicate, even if only at a simplistic level.
As my Korean lessons progress I am beginning to realize that soon I will be able to at least express enjoyment over small things, and dismay over other things (like the weather, or crappy food). It's empowering. Though the words are hard to recognize because phonetically they are so utterly disparate from english, they are beginning to stick more easily. And really, learning Korean is making me wonder about the possibility of learning another language more closely related to my own, like German, Spanish, or even French. After this they seem like they would be a breeze.
So in other news the little girl who used to run to the windows of her house at the mere sound of a motorcycle passing, who would scream at the top of her lungs out the window, "MOTORCYCLEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" is currently in negotiation with a friend to buy her motorcycle when she leaves in September. BAD ASSSSS!!! Hehe! I hate the bus. I hate not having a vehicle. I hate imobility and the lack of freedom not having a vehicle provides. I miss back roads and Sunday cruises, shit I miss Tuesday cruises. I miss being able to drive. Said friend has offered lessons in riding a motorcycle, and really I think purchasing a motorcycle would be safer b/c it has enough power in it where if some psycho Korean driver is speeding towards me I can shift to a high gear and get out of said jam really quick. Naturally the control implied highly appeals to me. Once she's mine I'll post pictures and so forth. If not this one than another one. I have my heart set on owning a motorcycle here, and when I decide things, well I decide.
There are other topics I listed in my tiny little Korean Journal, but I'm tired, and I'm going to go watch an episode of True Blood--my newest obsession--then go to bed. Till next time I still miss you all. The level of comfort, honesty, and sincerity of friends from home are what I truly miss. There are lots of great people here, and lots of great experiences, but I miss everyone back home a lot. However, I realize that one year is not a very long time, and before I know it I'll see you all again. So till then, signing off this is me, I heart you all, see you soon(ish)!
~Liz
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