Jjimjilbang: a large, gender-segregated public bathhouse in Korea, furnished with hot tubs, showers, Finnish-style saunas, and massage tables.
Noraebang: small rooms, rented by the hour, which contain microphones, TVs, tambourines, lighting, alcohol, and songbooks. Think: karaoke (but in Korean) that is only with your friends/coworkers (not in front of an entire restaurant or bar)
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
A Pre-Christmas Weekend
I think I am still a little bitter that we have to work on Christmas Eve. I mean, not bitter... but, it makes Christmas not as exciting, I guess. I shouldn't let something like that affect how enjoyable my Christmas is, but knowing I still have another day to work before I am truly on vacation is really hard. It's been a good weekend, though.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Abby in Seoul Part II: So Many Steps
I'm writing this post without seeing Chelsea's blog because she wanted to write her blog and then have me write mine and kind of compare our viewpoints. I am positive I won't be able to remember everything and in the right order, but it will be fun to see her post after I write this one. I actually won't even TRY to list everything, I think that could be kind of boring!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Seoul Lantern Festival
Today was probably one of the best Saturday's I've had in Korea. I was productive, got out of the apartment, but I was not stressed out or in a rush or hiking a mountain. This is a particularly good feeling, since the last few Saturdays I've felt were wasted by having to do one thing or another, rushing here or there, etc. Today, I allowed myself the luxury of no alarm, waking up gradually, as my body allowed. It was bliss.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Hump Day with a PELTest
Ah, Wednesday.... one of my least favorite days of the week. Thankfully, today was not a bad Wednesday!
On the way to work today, it was perfectly sunny and temperatures were in the high 70s. By the time I got to work, I was a little hot, simply from walking a mile in the sun. But, it was the kind of weather that you can't help but smile at. I enjoy walking to work now that I can go alone. I know the way, and most of the teachers go in at various times (1230, 1245, 1, etc),s so we walk alone. It's a peaceful time. I get to listen to my music and think about whatever I want. I don't have to make conversation with anyone, I can just be with myself. I like it.
An aside: Koreans don't seem to wear sunglasses. Today was bright and sunshiny, but I was the only person wearing sunglasses! Maybe that contributes to the stares I get... Maybe.
When I got to work, I felt in control. I worked on my daily lesson plan, which I really enjoy doing! I have to turn them in to Jackie Teacher every day for 2 months, but chances are good that I will continue to do them for myself. (Each class has it's own lesson plans for the month, but doing a full day of plans with each class is helpful!) I even found the quizzes for 2 of my classes by myself and made the copies solo. I felt awesome!!! I finished up report cards, and had about 15 minutes to spare before class started.
My first class is my worst. I'm kind of glad of this, because once it's over, its mostly downhill after that. The class is made up of mostly 6-year-olds whose English skills are basic and have the attention span of a gnat. To top things off, there are 10 kids in the class... 3 are trouble makers, 3 are more advanced than the rest, and 4 just zone out for the whole class period (except to occasionally look up and copy the board into their workbooks). It's frustrating and wearing on my nerves... I can't wait for February when I can get rid of most of these kids. (Classes rearrange and change in February) The only kid I love is Tommy, whom I previously described. Bright eyed, eager to please the teacher, and raises his hand for every question. I love him!
My second class is also trying, but slightly less. This is mostly due to the fact that there are only 5 students, instead of 10. However, these kids are mostly all troublemakers. Two of them try and obviously enjoy class. But even they succumb to the incessant chattering of the others, chiming in and laughing at the most inopportune times.
Third period is one of my better classes. They are helpful when I am confused, receptive to my comments, responsive to my questions, and are willing to work. Granted, they are still young and therefore do get sidetracked easily. But I can wrangle them back in fairly easily.
Fourth period is my infamous 2SAP class: 4 (now 3) little girls who laugh at anything and everything, comment on everything, and generally suck any remaining energy from my reserves. One of the girls is taking a month vacation (I'm so jealous), so we have 3 now. One of those girls is significantly behind the others, but tries very hard so it's difficult to be too frustrated at her. Today, I had Jackie Teacher sit in on my class with them, and I was very intimidated. Korean culture leans heavily to the "constructive criticism" rather than "positive reinforcement" tactic with employees. Therefore, even when I do a great job, Jackie Teacher usually has a suggestion for me. Today, I was determined not to give her anything to say. She came in as we were reading the book, and I made sure we finished on time. When we were done, rather than moving on immediately, I asked the students some comprehension questions. To my delight, Rachel answered correctly on a question that was fairly difficult (predicting future events based on things that happened in the story we read). While she couldn't articulate her ideas with much finesse, she made her point and I reiterated it in the best grammar I could. Jackie Teacher seemed pleased, so we moved on to the next section. The girls did fairly well; Jackie Teacher only interjected when she felt like they were not understanding or the girls were not responding to my questions or prompts (come on, girls! you're killin' me here!!!) Overall, Jackie Teacher gave me a smile when she left the room, and I sighed in relief.
My next class was another large one, but these kids were fairly better behaved. They had a vocabulary quiz, after which they had a practice PEL Test. PEL Tests are the Korean education system's attempts at English Language Standardized Testing. 3 days out of the month, the kids do practice exams. Today was one of those days, so for 40 minutes of my hour long class, I got to sit down. This is a rare treat, and I enjoyed it immensely. The kids, unfortunately, suffered through 40 minutes of an hour long class listening to boring recordings and circling answers in a workbook. Poor kids, lucky teacher.
My last class was repeated in much the same manner, except these kids are at a higher level, so the questions were not repeated multiple times on the recordings, and therefore the test went by in 20 minutes rather than 40. So, I had 20 minutes to kill. I let them work on Homework (illegal), talk about their weekend plans (generally unacceptable), and pack up early (totally illegal). Thankfully, Jackie Teacher did not pop-in on this class or I would have been floundering.
After classes were over, I finished up some report cards I had missed in the morning, and made my lesson plan for the next day. Tomorrow, Sean, Jamie & I are going to Immigration to apply for our Alien Resident Cards, so we have to be at work at 12:30. Lucky us! I got the lesson plan done, which took care of one thing I would otherwise need to do tomorrow. Unfortunately, I was mentally checked out after that, so I did not prepare anything else for tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have some prep time before classes...
I talked to Michelle Teacher, my Korean BFF, for 20 minutes before I left. We made plans for the weekend - Sunday, we are meeting at her church for the English service, then getting lunch together. Her husband will be there also. When we left work, I waited with her until her husband got there to pick her up. She offered me a ride home, and while I don't mind walking much, I jumped at the offer. The other foreign teachers were still at work, so I would be alone anyway. Her husband picked us up a few minutes later and took me by my apartment. He was very nice!
I am very excited to spend Sunday with them! I also want to make plans with Tab for Friday night/Saturday, so I have something to look forward to the next 2 days. I think we might go to a Korean spa, or maybe a famous cafe. Who knows! (You will, when I blog about it after it happens!)
Two more days... two more days... WEEKEND!!!!
On the way to work today, it was perfectly sunny and temperatures were in the high 70s. By the time I got to work, I was a little hot, simply from walking a mile in the sun. But, it was the kind of weather that you can't help but smile at. I enjoy walking to work now that I can go alone. I know the way, and most of the teachers go in at various times (1230, 1245, 1, etc),s so we walk alone. It's a peaceful time. I get to listen to my music and think about whatever I want. I don't have to make conversation with anyone, I can just be with myself. I like it.
An aside: Koreans don't seem to wear sunglasses. Today was bright and sunshiny, but I was the only person wearing sunglasses! Maybe that contributes to the stares I get... Maybe.
When I got to work, I felt in control. I worked on my daily lesson plan, which I really enjoy doing! I have to turn them in to Jackie Teacher every day for 2 months, but chances are good that I will continue to do them for myself. (Each class has it's own lesson plans for the month, but doing a full day of plans with each class is helpful!) I even found the quizzes for 2 of my classes by myself and made the copies solo. I felt awesome!!! I finished up report cards, and had about 15 minutes to spare before class started.
My first class is my worst. I'm kind of glad of this, because once it's over, its mostly downhill after that. The class is made up of mostly 6-year-olds whose English skills are basic and have the attention span of a gnat. To top things off, there are 10 kids in the class... 3 are trouble makers, 3 are more advanced than the rest, and 4 just zone out for the whole class period (except to occasionally look up and copy the board into their workbooks). It's frustrating and wearing on my nerves... I can't wait for February when I can get rid of most of these kids. (Classes rearrange and change in February) The only kid I love is Tommy, whom I previously described. Bright eyed, eager to please the teacher, and raises his hand for every question. I love him!
My second class is also trying, but slightly less. This is mostly due to the fact that there are only 5 students, instead of 10. However, these kids are mostly all troublemakers. Two of them try and obviously enjoy class. But even they succumb to the incessant chattering of the others, chiming in and laughing at the most inopportune times.
Third period is one of my better classes. They are helpful when I am confused, receptive to my comments, responsive to my questions, and are willing to work. Granted, they are still young and therefore do get sidetracked easily. But I can wrangle them back in fairly easily.
Fourth period is my infamous 2SAP class: 4 (now 3) little girls who laugh at anything and everything, comment on everything, and generally suck any remaining energy from my reserves. One of the girls is taking a month vacation (I'm so jealous), so we have 3 now. One of those girls is significantly behind the others, but tries very hard so it's difficult to be too frustrated at her. Today, I had Jackie Teacher sit in on my class with them, and I was very intimidated. Korean culture leans heavily to the "constructive criticism" rather than "positive reinforcement" tactic with employees. Therefore, even when I do a great job, Jackie Teacher usually has a suggestion for me. Today, I was determined not to give her anything to say. She came in as we were reading the book, and I made sure we finished on time. When we were done, rather than moving on immediately, I asked the students some comprehension questions. To my delight, Rachel answered correctly on a question that was fairly difficult (predicting future events based on things that happened in the story we read). While she couldn't articulate her ideas with much finesse, she made her point and I reiterated it in the best grammar I could. Jackie Teacher seemed pleased, so we moved on to the next section. The girls did fairly well; Jackie Teacher only interjected when she felt like they were not understanding or the girls were not responding to my questions or prompts (come on, girls! you're killin' me here!!!) Overall, Jackie Teacher gave me a smile when she left the room, and I sighed in relief.
My next class was another large one, but these kids were fairly better behaved. They had a vocabulary quiz, after which they had a practice PEL Test. PEL Tests are the Korean education system's attempts at English Language Standardized Testing. 3 days out of the month, the kids do practice exams. Today was one of those days, so for 40 minutes of my hour long class, I got to sit down. This is a rare treat, and I enjoyed it immensely. The kids, unfortunately, suffered through 40 minutes of an hour long class listening to boring recordings and circling answers in a workbook. Poor kids, lucky teacher.
My last class was repeated in much the same manner, except these kids are at a higher level, so the questions were not repeated multiple times on the recordings, and therefore the test went by in 20 minutes rather than 40. So, I had 20 minutes to kill. I let them work on Homework (illegal), talk about their weekend plans (generally unacceptable), and pack up early (totally illegal). Thankfully, Jackie Teacher did not pop-in on this class or I would have been floundering.
After classes were over, I finished up some report cards I had missed in the morning, and made my lesson plan for the next day. Tomorrow, Sean, Jamie & I are going to Immigration to apply for our Alien Resident Cards, so we have to be at work at 12:30. Lucky us! I got the lesson plan done, which took care of one thing I would otherwise need to do tomorrow. Unfortunately, I was mentally checked out after that, so I did not prepare anything else for tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have some prep time before classes...
I talked to Michelle Teacher, my Korean BFF, for 20 minutes before I left. We made plans for the weekend - Sunday, we are meeting at her church for the English service, then getting lunch together. Her husband will be there also. When we left work, I waited with her until her husband got there to pick her up. She offered me a ride home, and while I don't mind walking much, I jumped at the offer. The other foreign teachers were still at work, so I would be alone anyway. Her husband picked us up a few minutes later and took me by my apartment. He was very nice!
I am very excited to spend Sunday with them! I also want to make plans with Tab for Friday night/Saturday, so I have something to look forward to the next 2 days. I think we might go to a Korean spa, or maybe a famous cafe. Who knows! (You will, when I blog about it after it happens!)
Two more days... two more days... WEEKEND!!!!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Brunch, Shopping, and New Friends
In case you aren't caught up on all my blog posts, last night was a late one. I didn't get to sleep until 4am. Tab and I went to the Dongdaemun Night Market. It was a crazy experience and I loved it! She spent the night and we woke up with a mission to find an American breakfast.
We have both been so sick of Korean food, and in particular, not having any western breakfasts! Apparently, Koreans eat kimchi and rice for breakfast. I'm not commenting on this practice, but you can guess my opinion.
We did our research a few days ago when we made the plan, and set off to Itaewon: Little America in Seoul. It is situated right next to the Army Post in Seoul, so it caters to westerners very well. We took the subway and met the cutest little girl on the train. I wish I'd gotten her picture, but the whole thing happened quite fast.
Tab and I were sitting on the train (which is kind of a big deal, seeing as seats are prime real estate and if a young person or a foreigner (or, heaven forbid, a young foreigner) sits in a seat, everyone over 50 years of age gives you the stink eye... ) Well, we were only 1 stop away from our destination, and the cutest little Korean girl got on the train holding her dad's hand. We waved at her and she waved back. Dad saw and literally dragged her over to us and (I guess) told her in Korean to talk to us.
Tab says "Hello!" and the little girl says "Hello, my name is Julie" (honestly, can't remember her name...) and we all have a basic conversation in which we find out that she is doing "happy" and we tell her we are Tab Teacher and Chelsea Teacher. She is so bashful but speaks well enough. The dad is so excited for her to talk to us! It was both cute and weird. He wanted us to keep talking, but our stop had come so we said goodbye.
This is probably the most attention I've received in public. Before coming to Korea, everyone told me to expect a lot of attention because of my hair and eyes (being starkly different from the Korean genetic pool choices). But, thus far, most people stare and avoid being in direct contact with me (like sitting next to me on the subway). This was so precious and I didn't even mind that the dad was shamelessly using us for free English practice for his little girl.
Well, once we arrived in Itaewon, we followed the directions to Richard Copycats: All American Diner. Score!!!! We arrived and the first thing I see is a room full of 18-year-old Army boys. We avoid the room and ask for a table for 2. The waitress asks "Smoking?" and points to the sparsely inhabited larger part of the restaurant, "or Non-Smoking?" gesturing to the room full of American guys. Sighing, we head to the small non-smoking, American section.
As soon as we enter the room, we are received with a chorus of "Helloooo ladies!!" (or some variation of the same sentiment). We blush, avoid eye contact, and sit down. Thankfully I got the seat that had my back to the majority of them. As soon as we sit down, we get asked "Come here often?!" I just blush harder and look away, but Tab responds with "Oh, not really." Haha, I just think she is so ironic sometimes...
We get menus and look over all the mouth watering choices. I hear the guys at the table behind me start talking louder (in a (sub?)conscious attempt at impressing us with boasts of how much they can drink or ignorant remarks about Korea). I started to get annoyed, but for the love of bacon I just suffered through it. After we ordered, one group of guys got their bill and stood up to leave. One of these guys came over and let us know that there were guys behind us looking at us. Wow, thanks Sherlock. I would never have guessed, being the only females in a room of about 40 18-year-old soldiers.
Our food took a while but when it arrived, my jaw dropped. Both of us ordered the "Big Morning" with pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, sausage patty, hashbrowns, and toast. I sub'd my sausage for bacon, and she did the same but opposide. We each added cheddar cheese to our eggs. This was breakfast of champions if I've ever seen one. It was honestly a TON of food, but we heard "wow!"'s from the boys behind us who all got hamburgers and other lunch things. (It was after 1pm, but all day breakfast menu = heaven). Call me a glutton, but I wanted to eat every bite. I almost succeeded. I left half a pancake, and 1 whole hashbrown. Yes, I did eat several days' worth of calories in one seating, but by George, I loved every bite!
All said, including my OJ, I paid around $20. Glorious, glorious breakfast food!
After we left, Tab and I walked around Itaewon. I looked for a place to get data on my iPad, but was told to come back on a weekday when it could be activated (Korean phone activations will not go through on weekends). After that, we didn't really find any good shops (minus one street cart with "I love Korea!" t-shirts, which Tab and I both bought one of) so we decided to head to Myeong-dong, one of the best shopping districts in Seoul. She had head about their street vendors and I was on the hunt for a purse large enough for my iPad.
After looking in many stores, I finally found a store that only sold purses, and every single one was 10,000 KW, about $10. Now, the quality is obviously very poor. But that was the flat out best price I'd heard, so I found one that suited my needs: cross-body with enough room for my iPad and some papers, my wallet, hairbrush, chap stick, etc. I bought it in coral.
Along the way, we found some great deals at the street vendors. Tab and I both bought some headbands, and I got a silk scarf to use in my hair. We took a little break at a coffee shop and I got an iced chai tea latte, which was amazing.
Around 5:15pm, Tab and I said our goodbyes and boarded subway trains going in opposite directions. She was heading to her apartment and I had plans to meet some friends.
Back story: When I first told my dad that I had decided to go to Seoul, he contacted his Air Force buddy who was currently stationed in Seoul, Ed. Well, he and his family have since reached out to me several times and offered assistance in whatever I needed. Now, among the people I know, everyone says they are there if you need anything, but its just something they say. It's a passive friendship. If you need something, come to me. Thursday afternoon, I got a Facebook message from Heather, Ed's wife. She and Ed invited me to dinner Saturday and also offered to pick up some American groceries for me.
Maybe I don't have very high expectations of people, but this was something I never expected. It was not only kind and generous, they were actively attempting to help me in every way possible. These people have never met me, knew my dad several years ago, and owe my family or me nothing. And yet, they went out of their way to invite me over, offer me dinner, food, and help. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.
So, today I headed to meet up with them. They gave me directions, which of course I mis-read and almost ended up at the completely wrong gate. I managed to correct myself before much harm was done, and met Heather and her daughter at the visitors center. To sign in, I had to surrender my drivers license. No prob!
We headed to their home and they gave me a bag full of groceries she had got me: apples, breakfast bars, peanut butter, Cheerios, etc! Wow!! They also offered to take me to look at cell phones. Now, I had basically made up my mind to get data on the iPad and just get a flip phone for local use. But, I said sure, let's see what they've got on Post. I'm sure they have good deals for military members.
Well, we get there and I start looking at the contract phones aka smart phones. The guy behind the counter explained the contracts and my options being here only 1 year. I will skip the pro/con list and the deliberations and skip to the point: I got a 2 year contract with a 1 year return policy (basically, I pay the better price like a 2 year contract, but I give back the phone after 1 year). However, I am sorry to say, I could not get an iPhone. They do not have the return policy (which I could have guessed), so I was stuck with a choice between LG and Samsung. Samsung had the better deal on the phone and contract rates, and it was my preference anyway. Even though they are Apple's biggest competitor and I hate Android, at least it has unlimited data and tethering as well (basically wifi anywhere I go for my iPad!). And the price, you can't beat! $55 a month including the fee for the phone. iPhone contracts are at least $20 more a month plus stuck with 2 years. Finally, I got the phone much earlier than I expected because on Post, I could get the phone without my ARC. If I'd have gotten the plan otherwise, I'd have to wait til I had that.
After some running around to get the proper identification (my license was still at the gate, remember?) we got the phone in hand and everything signed off. I have to wait until Monday to activate it, though. Remember, Korea won't activate cell phones on the weekends.
After all this, we headed to dinner. Originally, they invited me to get some American food for me, but after my amazing brunch, I was not necessarily dying for a burger. We decided on an Indian food place in Itaewon. It was excellent, and I really enjoyed getting to know the family. Finally, I got a cab home (too many bags from shopping plus groceries. Also, I was dead tired and my feet were killing me).
Now, it's time to get my apartment set up. I am very glad I have a day tomorrow to relax and decorate before work starts again on Monday. I'm really living for the weekends now...
We have both been so sick of Korean food, and in particular, not having any western breakfasts! Apparently, Koreans eat kimchi and rice for breakfast. I'm not commenting on this practice, but you can guess my opinion.
We did our research a few days ago when we made the plan, and set off to Itaewon: Little America in Seoul. It is situated right next to the Army Post in Seoul, so it caters to westerners very well. We took the subway and met the cutest little girl on the train. I wish I'd gotten her picture, but the whole thing happened quite fast.
Tab and I were sitting on the train (which is kind of a big deal, seeing as seats are prime real estate and if a young person or a foreigner (or, heaven forbid, a young foreigner) sits in a seat, everyone over 50 years of age gives you the stink eye... ) Well, we were only 1 stop away from our destination, and the cutest little Korean girl got on the train holding her dad's hand. We waved at her and she waved back. Dad saw and literally dragged her over to us and (I guess) told her in Korean to talk to us.
Tab says "Hello!" and the little girl says "Hello, my name is Julie" (honestly, can't remember her name...) and we all have a basic conversation in which we find out that she is doing "happy" and we tell her we are Tab Teacher and Chelsea Teacher. She is so bashful but speaks well enough. The dad is so excited for her to talk to us! It was both cute and weird. He wanted us to keep talking, but our stop had come so we said goodbye.
This is probably the most attention I've received in public. Before coming to Korea, everyone told me to expect a lot of attention because of my hair and eyes (being starkly different from the Korean genetic pool choices). But, thus far, most people stare and avoid being in direct contact with me (like sitting next to me on the subway). This was so precious and I didn't even mind that the dad was shamelessly using us for free English practice for his little girl.
Well, once we arrived in Itaewon, we followed the directions to Richard Copycats: All American Diner. Score!!!! We arrived and the first thing I see is a room full of 18-year-old Army boys. We avoid the room and ask for a table for 2. The waitress asks "Smoking?" and points to the sparsely inhabited larger part of the restaurant, "or Non-Smoking?" gesturing to the room full of American guys. Sighing, we head to the small non-smoking, American section.
As soon as we enter the room, we are received with a chorus of "Helloooo ladies!!" (or some variation of the same sentiment). We blush, avoid eye contact, and sit down. Thankfully I got the seat that had my back to the majority of them. As soon as we sit down, we get asked "Come here often?!" I just blush harder and look away, but Tab responds with "Oh, not really." Haha, I just think she is so ironic sometimes...
We get menus and look over all the mouth watering choices. I hear the guys at the table behind me start talking louder (in a (sub?)conscious attempt at impressing us with boasts of how much they can drink or ignorant remarks about Korea). I started to get annoyed, but for the love of bacon I just suffered through it. After we ordered, one group of guys got their bill and stood up to leave. One of these guys came over and let us know that there were guys behind us looking at us. Wow, thanks Sherlock. I would never have guessed, being the only females in a room of about 40 18-year-old soldiers.
 |
| Incredible breakfast. Coming at least 1x per month. |
All said, including my OJ, I paid around $20. Glorious, glorious breakfast food!
After looking in many stores, I finally found a store that only sold purses, and every single one was 10,000 KW, about $10. Now, the quality is obviously very poor. But that was the flat out best price I'd heard, so I found one that suited my needs: cross-body with enough room for my iPad and some papers, my wallet, hairbrush, chap stick, etc. I bought it in coral.
Along the way, we found some great deals at the street vendors. Tab and I both bought some headbands, and I got a silk scarf to use in my hair. We took a little break at a coffee shop and I got an iced chai tea latte, which was amazing.
Around 5:15pm, Tab and I said our goodbyes and boarded subway trains going in opposite directions. She was heading to her apartment and I had plans to meet some friends.
Back story: When I first told my dad that I had decided to go to Seoul, he contacted his Air Force buddy who was currently stationed in Seoul, Ed. Well, he and his family have since reached out to me several times and offered assistance in whatever I needed. Now, among the people I know, everyone says they are there if you need anything, but its just something they say. It's a passive friendship. If you need something, come to me. Thursday afternoon, I got a Facebook message from Heather, Ed's wife. She and Ed invited me to dinner Saturday and also offered to pick up some American groceries for me.
Maybe I don't have very high expectations of people, but this was something I never expected. It was not only kind and generous, they were actively attempting to help me in every way possible. These people have never met me, knew my dad several years ago, and owe my family or me nothing. And yet, they went out of their way to invite me over, offer me dinner, food, and help. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.
So, today I headed to meet up with them. They gave me directions, which of course I mis-read and almost ended up at the completely wrong gate. I managed to correct myself before much harm was done, and met Heather and her daughter at the visitors center. To sign in, I had to surrender my drivers license. No prob!
We headed to their home and they gave me a bag full of groceries she had got me: apples, breakfast bars, peanut butter, Cheerios, etc! Wow!! They also offered to take me to look at cell phones. Now, I had basically made up my mind to get data on the iPad and just get a flip phone for local use. But, I said sure, let's see what they've got on Post. I'm sure they have good deals for military members.
Well, we get there and I start looking at the contract phones aka smart phones. The guy behind the counter explained the contracts and my options being here only 1 year. I will skip the pro/con list and the deliberations and skip to the point: I got a 2 year contract with a 1 year return policy (basically, I pay the better price like a 2 year contract, but I give back the phone after 1 year). However, I am sorry to say, I could not get an iPhone. They do not have the return policy (which I could have guessed), so I was stuck with a choice between LG and Samsung. Samsung had the better deal on the phone and contract rates, and it was my preference anyway. Even though they are Apple's biggest competitor and I hate Android, at least it has unlimited data and tethering as well (basically wifi anywhere I go for my iPad!). And the price, you can't beat! $55 a month including the fee for the phone. iPhone contracts are at least $20 more a month plus stuck with 2 years. Finally, I got the phone much earlier than I expected because on Post, I could get the phone without my ARC. If I'd have gotten the plan otherwise, I'd have to wait til I had that.
After some running around to get the proper identification (my license was still at the gate, remember?) we got the phone in hand and everything signed off. I have to wait until Monday to activate it, though. Remember, Korea won't activate cell phones on the weekends.
After all this, we headed to dinner. Originally, they invited me to get some American food for me, but after my amazing brunch, I was not necessarily dying for a burger. We decided on an Indian food place in Itaewon. It was excellent, and I really enjoyed getting to know the family. Finally, I got a cab home (too many bags from shopping plus groceries. Also, I was dead tired and my feet were killing me).
Now, it's time to get my apartment set up. I am very glad I have a day tomorrow to relax and decorate before work starts again on Monday. I'm really living for the weekends now...
Dongdaemun Night Market
I left my apartment around 1020 and headed for the subways station. Tab was supposed to meet me around 1045, so I got there a little early. I waited at the exit I told her to meet me at. I waited for like 20-25 minute and finally saw her walking up from the subway.
When we got to the exit escalator, we discovered it had started raining. (Side note - this AM I looked at the weather and since it said "RAIN" all day, I wore rain boots to work. Walking over 1 mile in rubber rain boots is not fun, and it was SUNNY! So, heading to get Tab, I wore my crochet Toms. They have holes in them!) We grabbed a taxi right outside the station and told him "Dongdaemun Market!" He understood after only repeating 3 times (success!) and we were on our way! Tab had a big backpack that was super-touristy, but who cares. It was about a 20 minute taxi ride, and cost less than $8. Wow! And, thank goodness, this area of Seoul was not raining.
We decided that the street vendors had the best stuff, so we headed back to the area where they were. After inquiring about several different wallets/clutches/handbags, I decided the original clutch I saw was the best deal and would be very useful to me. I got it for $35, and felt great! I also snagged some Tory Burch "T" style earrings for $5. And a gift for one of my friends back home. No names or description in case she is reading! I also looked for a gift for my dad for his birthday coming up, but I didn't like any of the ties (plus, he has like 200 already) and couldn't find much else.
When we got to the exit escalator, we discovered it had started raining. (Side note - this AM I looked at the weather and since it said "RAIN" all day, I wore rain boots to work. Walking over 1 mile in rubber rain boots is not fun, and it was SUNNY! So, heading to get Tab, I wore my crochet Toms. They have holes in them!) We grabbed a taxi right outside the station and told him "Dongdaemun Market!" He understood after only repeating 3 times (success!) and we were on our way! Tab had a big backpack that was super-touristy, but who cares. It was about a 20 minute taxi ride, and cost less than $8. Wow! And, thank goodness, this area of Seoul was not raining.
Dongdaemun is a huge area with something like 10 buildings containing all kinds of shopping both retail and wholesale. Outside the high-rise super-shopping complexes were street vendors. The first building we tried was kind of bad, so we left and went across the street to a much more neon-sign lit up fabulous looking building. On the way, we passed by some of the street vendors. We saw all kinds of fried foods on sticks (which, unfortunately, were not Oreos, brownies, or snickers... more like grasshoppers, seaweed, and squid), we saw knock off couture everything, we saw dancing singing stuffed animals. It was insanity.
I stopped to look at a few of the knock off tables, and a Vivienne Westwood clutch caught my eye. I asked how much and she said $14 and held up 4 fingers. I'm thinking, "WOW! Maybe I can get her down to $10 hehehe" so I said "Will you take $10?" She looked like she was thinking, laughed, and said "Okay, discount. I give for $35." -- Wait, what?! Ohhhh... she meant "$40" not "$14". Ha! Well, I decided to scout my options.
We headed into the big building, and it looked like a department store with all the different "brands" in little sections along the asile. These weren't actually "brands" like in a department store, but shops. There were some decent things, at good prices, but something at each place kept me from buying anything.
We wandered around some more, and saw a lot of interesting things. People sleeping in tents outside the buildings, specifically the wholesale market. I saw a bag in the wholesale market that was perfect for what I was looking for (something cross-body that could hold my iPad and papers for work), but alas, "no for shopping!" shouted the lady when I asked the price. Um, excuse me? What are the fifty thousand other people in here doing, then? "Wholesale!!" She shouts at me. Ohhh... damn.
I wish I'd found some clothes, but that atmosphere is not ideal for me to pick out clothes. I need low-key boutique type situation. Maybe tomorrow I will have more success with clothes!
Tab and I got a taxi back to my place around 1:30am and she is crashing here for the night. Tomorrow we have big plans, and my feet are absolutely killing me! I should get to sleep since its 3:30am now... Loving my first night in the new apartment. Can't wait to make it "mine!"
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