Meow

One month of the year has already flown by. Time keeps speeding up, I swear. It's like, I blink my eyes and a full week has elapsed. I am completely settled into my routine, in love with all of my classes, and obsessed with my apartment.

This month I've been focusing on myself, a lot. I've been more active. I've made better diet choices, which is really difficult when you walk past countless bakeries and fried chicken joints day in and day out. I don't even like fried chicken that much. But the smell. I wish I could attach scents to blogs. You would understand the daily dilemmas I encounter based solely on my nose. 

It has been REALLY cold, per Vegas standards at least. I can't help but feel a little sting of jealousy as all my friends back home are sunbathing and eating brunch on patios in their tank tops.

I've been staying in my apartment, avoiding spending money, keeping warm. I've been reading (Harry Potter), writing more in my journal, and getting creative with crafts and watercolors and my home. Decorating and hanging up pictures and taking chairs off the side of the street. 

  My beautiful momma sent me a care package. Complete with swim suits (for Thailand), a Beatles magazine, and Phase 10 (the best card game known to man). I had a few friends over this past weekend, the first time I've "had people over". We made crock pot mac and cheese and played cards and drank honey magkeolli and wine and painted... basically all the things I liked to do back home. Hang out with good company, eat, and be creative. 

Pretty soon it will be time to resign a contract with my school. I am really looking forward to staying here. With my job and my students and apartment. With all the friends I've made. That also means that I am going to be needing a trip back home to visit. I miss everyone far too much to not come back. Thinking about it makes me feel all sorts of feelings. Being home JUST to visit. Limited time to spend with the people I love is going to feel like such a tease. I'll have to leave again, and leaving is the worst part. But, I keep telling myself it will be worth it.

Give me more JIMJIL

When my Korean coworkers invited me to a Jimjilbang with them, I was a little hesitant. I've always wanted to visit one, but with the people I work? Do I want to hang out naked with them, I have to look them in the eyes almost everyday. But, what the hell - right?

                                   

I didn't know what to expect going to a public bathhouse with my coworkers AND boss. So I decided to expect nothing. Except for being noody, that I knew was unavoidable. We drove an hour and a half outside of Ulsan to a Jimjilbang that wasn't in a mass building structure. Instead we pulled up to a quaint building across from a garden and a lotus field. Worth it. Especially because for the first 30 minutes we had the spa completely to ourselves.

You start by washing off your body and hair. No one wants to share a bath with a dirty ajumma. Or waygook for that matter. And the whole being naked thing? Got over that real quick. The whole environment was too perfect to not relax. After we hopped between to two spas (one hot and one cold) we rinsed off again and changed into our orange Jimjilbang outfits and went to meet our two male coworkers in the common area. 

They were already drenched in sweat from being in the massive hot sauna while waiting for us. We ducked our heads down to walk through the tiny door (yes, even I had to croch down a bit) and immediately broke into a sweat. Sitting in a circle and chatting it up while sweating a storm and making silly traditional Jimjilbang headwear was a highlight of the afternoon. 

To be honest, the whole afternoon was one big highlight for me... and for everyone else I think. Several times each of us exclaimed how happy we were. How relaxed we felt. How awesome our job is. HaeJoo, the boss man, brought us all sikhye while we were sitting outside cooling off. It's a transitional Korean rice drink. It's sweet and delicious and really hits the spot after being depleted of a mass amount of body water via the sauna. 

Then our group of lucky little ducklings were hearded through a "secret passage" connecting the Jimjilbang to a Korean BBQ joint - specializing in DUCK MEAT. Holy crap. I was in heaven. We didn't even have to change out of our cool attire or put shoes on. Eating is so much fun in this country. It's so interactive and fun to share and try new things. My chopstick skills, however, vary. Sometimes I'm a pro, other times I drop kimchi into my water. Hit or miss. I'm a firm believer that metal chopsticks makes it more difficult. Cop out. 

We waddled back to the spa and explored all the things they had to offer. A few sleeping rooms, where I took a quick but efficient power nap. They had massage chairs that felt like I was being pulverized. My legs and feet were at one point constrained and I couldn't remove myself from the chair. It was like a boa constrictor. Not gonna lie, it felt amazing. They also had lower tempurate saunas, or "burning rooms" as my cute Korean coworkers refer to them as. After another session of sauna and outside patio chat, we returned to the spa to shower and sit in the tub and shower some more. 

And then our perfect boss took us to dinner. Naengmeyong. Cold noodles. Perfect meal choice for the post Jimjilbang stomach. Even though I may have still been full from lunch - I did a pretty decent job keeping up with the Koreans eating pace. Their little stomachs sure can hold mass amounts of food, and they get it in there so fast! They were finished with theirs waaaay before most of us even made a dent in our massive pile of noodles. 

So, moral of the story? Get naked around the people you have to see everyday. 

There's a storm a brewin'

My apartment on the right

Normal. It's wild to me how normal everything feels. I've set my heart on being in Korea for so long that really, it just feels like I've come home. It's been relieving. I  didn't hate Las Vegas exactly, especially the last few months I was there. I was so happy spending my time with people who love and care about me, making amazing memories - because I knew I was leaving. I am so thankful for the memories I have to hold on to - with new friends and old friends alike.  If it wasn't for the people I surrounded myself with, there probably wouldn't be much for me to miss.

Coming into this experience I was most excited about my job. A REAL job hasn't been on my agenda for over a year, since before I left for Europe in  June 2013. I can't explain how ecstatic I am to finally be putting the past few years of studying in affect. I have a job that I am passionate about. A job that makes me feel like I am making an impact. One that is always challenging me to be better, for myself and for my students. Teaching English isn't just something I want to do for a year to get away - this is a career choice. A life choice. To finally be taking the first step towards my future is exhilarating. 

Edward the Snow Prince blowing out his birthday candles

And my own apartment! Which is paid for by my employers? The best. It is bare as hell right now, and will be until I get my first paycheck - but it's MINE. Soon enough it will be decorated in memorabilia from my travels and cheap furniture from Gmarket. It will really feel like home in no time. I am even sewing my own pillow cases.

I love living alone. I'm such a loner on the inside, it's nice to be able to come home and not worry about anything and to have my own space. Mine, mine, mine. Anyways, I have a friend right next door if loneliness ever creeps up. 

This week there is a typhoon headed straight for Japan, my next door neighbor. It's missing us, thankfully - but we are still getting loads of rain and lightning and thunder and I LOVE IT. It's ironic, because Vegas is having similar weather which isn't typical for them at all. The weather here, although humid, is a refreshing change from the Vegas heat.

My first month here is going to be very grounding. I don't get paid till August. I'm on a budget where won't be able to do all the things I want to or, more importantly, EAT all the things I want to. The good thing is, I have plenty of time. When I first got here I was excited about going out and experiencing EVERYTHING. I've now realized that's not going to happen all at once. I want to be here for a while, there is no rush. I have time to learn the language and discover the country, and more importantly Ulsan - my city. I have time to eat at every whole in the wall restaurant my that lines the streets of my neighborhood. I have time to travel to other Asian countries, but I'm not going to make that a priority like I first intended too. Instead, after I'm done living in Korea I would rather save money and take a chunk of time off to travel. 6 months should about do it :) A long weekend here and there simply won't cut it for me anyways. That's not enough time to fully explore a country, or even a city for that matter.

Korean Pancakes - kimchijeon and panjeon

Anyways, Japan is on the agenda for August. Let me tell you how damn exciting it is to be planning my trip and figuring out what I want to do while I'm there. I'm starting with Couchsurfing. That's the way to go. Free, number one. And you get the chance to meet awesome locals who always show you a different side of a city. Not your typical tourist agenda. Sign me up. I'm taking baby steps with Japan. It's close to my home and flights are cheap. I want to explore every nook and cranny of that country, eventually. For now I'm sticking to Osaka, Kyoto, and other places in the Western Honshu region. I definitely need to check some cultural experiences off my list.

Pinch me

 I couldn't imagine a more perfect place to live, and I've only been here a few days.

Love at First Sight

1. You can camp practically anywhere. On the beach, in the park, over here and over there. Everywhere.

2. Deawangam Park is next to Ilsan beach, a mere 20 minute walk away from me. The beach turns into a mountain park paradise. Green and trees and rocks and beach and the ocean all in one? I was tickled pink when I found this place my first morning here. I probably looked crazy to all the ajummas (little Korean women speed-walking around). I was giggling the whole time because I was so unbelievably happy that this was my new home - it was almost a joke. An awesome joke. 

3. Korea is called Land of the Morning Calm. I'm a morning person through and through.

4. The Market a few streets away gives me the chance to get delicious treats and eats for cheap, plus I can haggle! 

5. Koreans are active. They like to do things. Walk, run, swim, boat, fish, jet ski. 

6. Health is a part of their culture. They consider their food a source of energy. Their cuisine is filled with philosophy and science - it is traditionally meant to strengthen their minds and souls in addition to filling their bellies. There is so much food to try, but it's hard when I can get kimbap down the street from my school for a buck. 

7. They share. Bill splitting doesn't exist here.

8. The conversion rate between dollars and won is an easy 1 to 1. 5000 won is 5 bucks. Cake, much easier then when I lived in England.

9. Wifi is everywhere. All over. For free and you can usually find one that doesn't need a password.

10. There is a Korean man singing mantras on his morning walk behind me right this second. 

11. Respect is a priority in their culture.

12. Confucius. 

13. Hiking and camping are national pastimes. The majority of the country is covered in mountains. I LOVE MOUNTAINS.

14. Seafood. Korea is surrounded by water on 3 sides. They fish, a lot. Which is good for my belly. 

15. You can get coffee out of vending machines.

16. I think I see a jellyfish

17. My coworker/neighbor likes to do pretty much all the same things I do. Partner in crime? Yes please.

18. There isn't much crime here. Except for car accidents, I'm pretty safe.
19. Most things, as long as they aren't imported, are cheap.
20. Their flag symbolizes yin and yang and four trigrams which represent movement and harmony. It's beautiful, really. Every time I look at it I get an overwhelming sense of happiness.

I am right where I am supposed to be. That's crystal clear.

My neighborhood is awesome. I live in Dong-gu, which is a "newer" area of Ulsan. My apartment does not smell like kimchi. It's a bit out of the way of the city, but that's perfect for me. It's a quaint little block and I have everything I need close to me. On my first morning I wandered around the streets surrounding my home, checking out all the little hole in the wall restaurants and businesses. My first stop was a bakery where I found treats on treats on treats, all only 1000won (about a dollar). This little man pulls a cart around his waist collecting cardboard. I'll figure out his name one day. There are 7-Elevens everywhere. But no slushies.

Elderly Korean couple enjoying the view of Ulsan

The shipyards and industrial areas of the neighborhood aren't as menacing as I would have thought. It's actually pretty damn cool seeing all these giant ships being built along the coast and the ones already fit for water through the morning haze. Karyn, my coworker, and I are planning to your Hyndai soon. 

I am thankful for google translate and the fact that I learned the Korean alphabet prior to getting here. It's making things much easier. I spent some time my first morning translating all the symbols on my AC unit and washing machine. I WILL learn how to speak Korean, that's the goal. 

 

Oh, and they don't eat ALL the dogs. Most dogs hang outside of their owner's store front happily, like these guys that I pass every morning on my walk to the beach.