Everybody Say Kimchi

No one described it better than Oliver Twist when he sung "Food Glorious Good".  I will admit, I am no food guru and don't particularly have a well trained palette, but taste buds don't lie.  My tongue is all about first impressions, therefore foods that have an "acquired taste", quickly fall by the wayside. Having said that, I do consider myself reasonably open minded when trying out exotic dishes.

"Cheese" is the tune we sing to bring out the "great white" when posing in a picture. Similarly, Koreans also reach for their big smiles with the call of one of their very own home grown dishes - "Kimchi" (or Gimchi).  Kimchi is to Koreans, as what Pap (and bread) is to South Africans. Its a spicy cabbage (reddish in colour from the red pepper powder used to season it). It is served as a side dish at almost every meal, alongside its fellow companion, Mr (sticky) Rice. I don't particularly enjoy the taste of Kimchi myself but this is probably caused by the fact that I have a specific idea of how cabbage is suppose to taste and I just can't seem to break through that wall. I'm not the only one who feels the same way.  A good friend of mine jokingly dubbed it as Korea's natural disaster.

But don't be disheartened, there are plenty of local dishes that are incredibly delicious and full of flavour. I have particularly become fond of a rice dish called "Bibimpap". It starts with sticky rice in the centre of the bowl, then it is toppled with an assortment of colourful vegetables placed in a circle around the rice and as the cherry on top - a sunny side egg. For a meaty taste, some restaurants may add shredded beef with the concoction of vegetables, always a pleasant surprise. Like a four year old, you disrupt this picturesque arrangement by taking a spoon (and/or chop sticks) and mixing it all up. Delightful.

Soup is also a firm favourite amongst Koreans. Most families serve soup with their meals everyday, winter and summer alike. The soups are not as creamy and rich as what I am used to back home, but that also makes them far more healthier. They are generally vegetarian friendly too.

I do find food is more expensive here than at home, especially fruit, but still affordable. This, however, does not hold necessarily true to dining out. Grocery shopping requires much effort on my part. I'm still surprised that I spend twice the time at the supermarket here than at Pick n Pay but come home with less than half the number of products. Trying to figure out the products can take a while. I often have to shake the packet around or look for fine print which if Im lucky may be in English. International branding does help, even without my Konglish, I can always find my Activia yoghurt.

Food is such an integral part of a country's culture and Koreans really take their food seriously.  Simple meals turn into feasts because of all the complimentary side dishes that accompany the meal. The portions are generous yet you seldom feel like sleeping after eating from over indulgence. Yes, they eat fried foods, but overall, the local cuisine has plenty health benefits and best of all the people are knowledgeable about these benefits. Every time I have been reluctant to eat something, I am quickly reminded of this and I immediately surrender.

Food is as much a part of the journey as any sightseeing you can do. It gives you so much more insight about a country's culture and its people. Dining out in Korea (whether eating local cuisine or "western" food) can also be in adventure but more on that later.

Final thoughts:

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home" - James Michener

Back to School

Be under no impression that teaching English in a foreign country is an extended holiday; in fact neither is working in any job in any foreign country for that matter.  Kudos to you if they don't even speak English in that country; it makes it that much more interesting.  Having said that, teaching can be incredibly challenging but an equally rewarding job and with my little experience in the job, I can honestly say teaching as a profession does not get half the credit it deserves. But we march on.

I teach at Daeryun Middle School, an all boys 'junior high" school in the suburb of Suseong-Gu, which my friends have rightfully dubbed "The Upper East Side". I was incredibly nervous when this news was first revealed to me since the only teenage boy I knew was my 17 year old brother. In retrospect however, this is working out pretty dandy for me. Besides the occasional punches being thrown around, my kids are well behaved.  And since I attended an all-girls high school, I have no choice but to resort to believing that all boys at that age generally behave like hooligans. The sick bay is as busy as your local home affairs and ice-packs are "the bestseller".

The school is on a hill, sharing the property with the (Daeryun) high school. The school is pretty top notch and that's not just me blowing my own trumpet, I assure you. It is located on a gorgeous campus with great facilities: sporting and academic. The performance of the students of my school in the whole city last year, I'm led to believe was excellent, so from day one the pressure to perform has been very high. Like most schools in Korea, we have a dedicated English Zone which is the specific classroom where students attend English classes. The classroom is equipped with a super cool "smart board", which is an interactive white board- totally rocks. There are also a handful of computers in the room for activities that may require research on the internet.

It can be quite daunting to realise the responsibility we have on our shoulders as foreign teachers, to help these students improve their English conversation skills, but I am quick to take comfort in the fact that Rome wasn't built in a day, right? Its all in a day's work.

Final Thoughts: "One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller

The tastes and sights, the sounds and did I mention the smells?

“I strongly believe that being exposed to a new language and culture is a vital form of education. It is eye opening…and there is no better teacher than experience.”

You best believe those were my exact words when I naively submitted my application form to teach English in Korea. I am not sure if I had envisioned this in a dream or something, but let me tell you, I am certainly being educated.

You can imagine the frustration of being in your mid 20’s, having believed that you were reasonably educated, to arrive in Korea and not be able to read, write, speak or hear according to the Koreans.  Mundane tasks such as going to the pharmacy, to get over-the-counter meds, or even going to the bank to link accounts or pay your bills become impossible without a translator with you or at least on standby over the phone.

Amongst locating your nearest bank and pharmacy (or doctor), as part of your “settling in” project, you will also need to find a church, supermarket, a working phone booth and a post office.  I am proud to announce to you all, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Now that all the admin is out of the way, and the “overwhelment” has subsided, I can finally start to genuinely enjoy my time in Korea. It’s not without its challenges. My first attempt at grocery shopping was no picnic. I couldn’t recognize more than half the products on the shelves and if my memory serves me well, I left a 3-story shop with only cereal and milk- Thank you Kellogg’s for having such a large international footprint.

The neon city lights of colourful Daegu just make you want to come out and play.  The sky line may not be my favourite by day, what, with all those high-rise buildings, but at night, I tell you, they sure do sparkle.  Whilst admiring the beauty that surrounds you, you maybe suddenly put off by an incredibly foul, sewage like, smell. I can’t explain it. It happens so unexpectedly; you may be walking merrily down the street (possibly whistling at this point) and the stench just hits you, right between your cheeks. But don’t worry, a few steps down and it’s gone again, just like that. As my friend would say, you could let one (silent) out at this point and no one would even notice. Another unpleasant aspect of Korea that you will need to adjust to quickly, is the sound of someone clearing their throat followed by, how can I put this delicately, the contents of that being excreted on the pavement, only inches away from your open toe shoes. I have recently discovered that this privilege is not reserved for the old. The only advice I have , when you hear the warning signs, I suggest you scurry along.

It hasn’t been all bad news though. Not being able to shop for food initially has meant lots of dining out. Down town has tons of restaurants and I have made it my mission not to be a repeat offender for at least the first 3 months, no matter how good the food is, there are just too many to try out.Coffee shops are littered all over the city, and these continue to support my caffeine addiction. Pastry lovers will have a field day with superb bakery franchises on the corner of every street.  More about the food at a later stage though, I would like to leave you salivating at this point.

Final thoughts

"There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign." - Robert Louis Stevenson