Ow! Hot tub!

I discovered a cool activity this week unlike anything I've done so far. This is a very relaxing thing to do and I'm sure it will become a weekly ritual. I don't have any pictures to show, and be very thankful for that. While this is a Korean thing to do and is worth an entry, again, be very thankful there are no pictures.

Suspense killing you? Alright, I'll alleviate your tension by relating the method for alleviating my own. Thursday night after class I decided to take a trip down the street to the Jinjo Bang. "Bang" (pronounced closer to bong than bang) is the Korean word for "room", as in DVD Bang, PC Bang, and Norae (song) Bang. I don't know what "jinjo" means, nor am I sure I even spelled it properly. However, I will tell what it is.

The jinjo bang is a sauna, or bathhouse, which is very popular among Koreans. It's a very relaxing place, albeit a bit scary at first. It costs 6,000 won (about 6 bucks) per visit and is well worth it. There are separate men and women only areas, along with a community area. On check-in, I receive shorts and a t-shirt, and a locker key. Before I get into specifics, I have to say that the first thing I saw when I walked into the locker room was a buck-naked Korean dude bending over. I believe my response was "HYELLO!!". After getting dressed and regaining my vision, I walked downstairs to the community area. This area has several different rooms of varying temperatures, so I sat in the hot room and got a good sweat. On this floor one can also get a massage, get on a computer, buy a snack, watch tv, and basically relax in any desired fashion.

After getting a nice sweat, I went back upstairs to the locker room and checked out the hot tub, shower room. I must say that there was a virtual plethora of bare Korean butts in this room. There also, however, is a variety of pools and hot tubs, combined with steam rooms and saunas. I ditched my clothes and took a bold step into a room full of naked Korean dudes. My first impulse was to grab a wet towel and start snapping away at unsuspecting victims, but I didn't think it would go over very well.

While it might seem like a very self-conscious and uncomfortable situation, nothing could be further from the truth. No one bothered me or gawked (even though I was quite intimidating...wink, wink), and everyone seemed completely comfortable in their nakedness. I actually felt invisible--since everyone is naked, they pretty much avert their eyes. Believe me, I was averting mine.

Feeling comfortable enough to make my way around the room, I spent equal parts time in the hot tubs, whirlpools, hot rooms, and cold pools. There is a pool that is really, really cold. It's quite invigorating to hop into this pool after sitting in the really hot one. I have to hand it to the Koreans on this one: They know how to chill. These saunas are a welcome respite for many people who work insane hours, as well as for spoiled, lazy English teachers. I can't adequately explain how great my body felt after this, but I can tell you that I've been back since. I went after soccer this morning, and this time I skipped the community floor and went straight to a shower, hot tub, and steam room treatment. Ahhhhh, that's what I'm talking about. (Cameras not allowed.)

When in doubt, bribe them.

Sometimes a certain class can be a real handful. This one was beginning to put me over the edge until I took charge of things. While I put my foot down, I also gave them incentive to do well. I bribed them with a pizza party, which became the proverbial carrot at the end of the stick. It's amazing how well it works.

First to introduce the girls from left to right: We have Aida, Isabel, Emily, and Ann. The girls were never the problem, which is usually the case. Aida, Isabel, and Emily were in my winter break phonics class, and I'm very pleased to say they're the best readers in the class. The phonics classes went so well that I have taken the same phonetic principles into my regular classes. The phonics students do kind of roll their eyes when I drill vowels (short and long sounds) due to the fact that they spent the first ten minutes of every phonics class doing the same drills. However, there's no denying the results. They've also been a very positive influence on Ann, whose reading has improved markedly. I'm very happy with Ann's progress, and I always enjoy the left side of the classroom.

The right side, on the other hand. Oh boy, oh boy. Or perhaps I should say "Oh boys, oh boys.". Left to right, we have: Alfred, Buzz, Brian, Harry, and Paul. I ended up threatening lives on more than one occasion, but they managed to stay alive and somehow advance. Alfred is actually a rock. He's like my Jay Novacek (glory days Dallas Cowboys reference)--the go-to guy. He is adept at coming through in the clutch. The rest of the gang, however... WOW! Buzz is a classic goofball, which I wouldn't mind if he were goofing off in the English language. I whipped him into shape pretty quickly though. I made it clear to the class that they would only get a pizza party if they received enough points, and I would take off points every time someone (ahem, Buzz) broke the rules or made me angry. This works really well because the kids police each other. They call each other out for speaking Korean and the students know that they are letting the whole class down if they step out of line. The other boys, Brian, Harry, and Paul... well, I'll just say that their attendance is good. Harry does crack me up every class when he spontaneously announces: "My name is Harry!". Brian has a different idiosyncracy. Every time I call on him, which is always a complete surprise which shakes him from his netherworld, he responds with: "I'm here.". Then I will say something along the lines of: "Thanks, Brian. I got that. Now read page 41 before I get angry!".

I have to give these kids credit: They stepped up and really improved when their pizza was on the line. They've actually turned into a really fun class for me. I no longer dread teaching them, which is nice. Also, they've become alot of fun. I taught them a little tune today called "Swinging the Alphabet". Many of you may not know the reference, but the few that do will find this very funny. The song goes like this: "B, a, bay. B, e, Bee. B, i, bickibie. B, o, bo. Bickibie, bo, b, u, bu, bickibie bo bu." After, we move on to C, then D and so on, continuing the same pattern. Let me tell you, if you think it's funny when the Howard brothers and Mr. Fine sing it, you should hear it out of the mouths of 10-12 year old Korean kids. Freakin' hilarious!

So this is how some classes evolve. What was once my most dreaded class is now one of my favorites. And all it took was a couple of pizzas.

Rediscovering my passion

Not drinking has its perks. Yeah, it's been a little on the slow side at night, but the days have been much better: particularily Saturdays. Yesterday I woke up at 6am and met my friend Ho Ki for soccer. We took a cab across town to the field where we played our last game way back in November. I was a little out of shape, but I felt better than I thought I would. I was afraid my touch would have abandoned me over the winter, but it wasn't so bad. Luckily, I'm bigger than most of my opponents, so I can just run people over or shove them out of my way. I was nice enough, though, and they invited me to join their spring team. We're getting uni's and everything starting next weekend.

The nice thing about playing so early is that I am done by 9 and have the entire day ahead of me. Being so accustomed to sleeping my Saturdays away, this is a nice turn. I thought about skipping town, but wasn't sure where to go. I decided to walk up to Suwon Station to get lunch and think about it. I ate some sushi and decided to hike around Suwon. After all, it was a gorgeous day and I still hadn't walked around the legendary wall. Pictured here is the main strip across from the station. There are restaurants and shops galore. I usually come up here on Saturday afternoons and hit baseballs in the batting cage.

Today, however, I decided to wander further down the strip, towards the mountain where the wall is. It was a fair walk, and you can see a totally different view of Suwon Station in this picture. I should note that since I hadn't played soccer in a while, that I was quite sore from the morning match. Walking up the mountain was quite a chore, but it was worthwhile to see the city from a new angle.

I continued up the mountain to the wall. The wall is Suwon's claim to fame. It was built in 1782 and fully restored in the last decade. The wall goes completely around Pal-dal San (a mountain), through the heart of the city. I walked all the way to the top of this mountain, following the wall. The vistas were pleasant, and it was great exercise. I was a little gimpy, but pressed on all the way to Na-mun (the north gate). Na-mun is a cool market area which is a shopper's haven. I decided to cut short the wall hike and walk around this area. This was the second time in the last week I had been to Na-mun. Last sunday I had Italian food there with some friends and watched "War of the Worlds" at a DVD bang. Let me tell you, if you think the hill in St. Louis has authentic Italian food, then you should try Italian in Suwon. I had a risotto which was a far cry from what my sister would make, but was good none-the-less. For me, it's nice to have something other than Korean food every once in a while. I like Korean food, but need variety.


Anyway, I wasn't hungry on this occasion, so I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I popped into a couple of stores, but didn't buy anything. At this point, I was just wandering around aimlessly, not knowing any purpose or destination. I was just following my nose, wondering where it might lead...


What do you know? I ended up at Suwon Stadium, home of the professional Blue Wings. This is an adjacent practice field, which had me drooling. The field I played on in the morning was a big, unmarked sand park with goals. which is typical. The pictured field is reminiscent of the great Soccer Park facilities in Fenton, Mo. The talent was also a step up from the morning group. I was licking my chops, thinking: "This is where I want to play!". I started shooting the breeze with one of the players on the sideline, who luckily spoke English. I asked him about the league and how I might be able to play on this field. I told him if his team ever need a player, I would be more than willing to fill in. He said he would ask his captain. So at halftime, he talked to the captain and waved me over. The captain said: "Can you play now?". Even though I was exhausted and wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes, I said: "Sure!". They put me up top and I played for an hour (This was just a scrimmage.) I saw it as an audition, so I ran as hard as I could. I ended up with a pair of assists, and they invited me to play in their league, starting in late April. They also asked my opinion on jerseys, if I preferred the blue short sleeve Nike jerseys, or the long sleeve zebra striped kits. I said: "Go with the Juventus shirts, no doubt!". Some were awestruck that an American picked up the Juventus connection.

So there we have it. After a winter of not playing soccer, I picked up with two teams in one day. Now my Saturdays will be filled with morning and afternoon soccer, and I couldn't be happier with the development. I'm also getting some really cool gear out of the deal. I should note, however, that I can hardly move today. My entire body is sore, moreso than it's been in a long time. I haven't been this worn out since I got lost in the jungle. I had to pry myself out of bed this morning, and it was painful to do so. After being idle for so long, I guess I could have expected this. I'm fully back in the swing now, though, and shoud be fit in a couple of weeks.

One big happy family

Last Friday, for those not in the know, was St. Patrick's Day. Not as if we need an excuse to get together and party, but St. Patty always seems to bring out the festive spirit. I thought it would be a good idea to capture some of my homies on camera, just to let the folks back home know that my friends aren't imaginary.

This party started in Cain's apartment, and ended up in a western pub called the Wa Bar. It's really nothing like the pubs back home, but it does attract us whities nonetheless. This is a pretty typical scene, with the players from left to right being Laura, Georgina, Gina, Barb, Andrew, Bryan, Marie (back), and Steph. Everyone in the picture is a teacher, and most of them are from Canada. The expat community here has a real university feel to it. We all get along well and it's always fun to get together and celebrate our white diversity.

Here's a couple of fellow Americans: Bryan and Steph. They were kind enough to put on their best faces for this rare photo op. If Bryan looks like he's a little loopy here, it's because he is. Bryan probably knows more Korean than any other whitie I know. He studied Korean for years before coming, and hangs out with mostly Koreans. He majored in Linguistics, so we get along pretty well. Steph and I get along great in that we are both from the midwest. She's from Oklahoma, so I always enjoy the opportunity to fraternize with a fellow Bible-belter. Steph is also a big Star Wars fan, which leaves us plenty to talk about. Marie is in the background. I have gotten in the habit of doing movie nights with Marie and friends on Sunday evenings lately, which is a nice way to end the weekends.
Here are a couple of Canadians named Francis and Laura. This is how small-town Canucks pose for pictures. These gals were introduced to our group through Cain, who ran into them on the street in Seoul. It's amazing how that happens to Canadians over here. These girls grew up in the same town as Cain and happened into him in Korea. I've seen this kind of thing happen many times in my brief stay. I seriously doubt I'll ever run into anyone from back home here, but I've learned it really is a small world after all.

The next photo is of the perpetrater of this party, Cain. Cain is from Canada, big shock, but his parents are both from Ireland. Therefore he has a Canadian-Irish accent, which is a linguistic enigma. Cain's good people. Cheers! Also in the picture is Barb and the top of Georgina's head. Too bad I didn't get a better picture of these two, as they are both lovely and kind, not to mention really cool.

This last photo is of another fellow American, Gina and her bottle of soju. She decided to pose with some strange looking fellow--I'm not sure who this guy is. He was kind of odd in that he was drinking bottled water while everyone else was drinking wine, Guiness, or soju. The explanation was something about an outrageous lent proposition. I don't know, every party has its crazies. He had a good time, though, and seemed to really enjoy everyones' company.

Lost in translation

It's getting warmer. The weather is finally starting to turn towards the better and I couldn't be happier about it. I've been told repeatedly that I came to Korea at the worst possible time--at the very beginning of winter. The only Korea I know is a bitter cold one, so I'm especially thrilled about the upcoming season. All accounts point toward the spring being extremely beautiful, both climate-wise and scenery-wise. What does this mean to you, you ask? Pictures of cherry blossoms, and festivals will certainly happen and I will also be more motivated to get out and do something.

In the meantime, I'd like to introduce my new class. They are as big a pain in the butt as they are cute, which as you can see from the picture is considerate. From the back left, clockwise we have Sally, Henry (back of his head), Lina, Sophia, Jayden (back of head), Rocky, Rosa, Calvin, Isabel, and Andrew. Oh my goodness, is this ever chaotic!! There are only two kids in the class with any reading ability and their ability to comprehend English is minimal at best. Perhaps I would do alright with a liason, someone who can understand Korean and keep them in line--no such luck. It's just me and the kids, who hardly understand a word I say. I only have these tykes twice a week, but they sap the entire week's resevoir of energy.

I've been on the same page for the last two weeks and probably won't move for a while. What's the sense of going through the book if noone can read it? We have a phonetics lesson every class where I drill vowels and vowel-sounds. Every class I go from A to J, writing three letter words like "bat", "cat", and "jab" on the board, and having them repeat. When they finally get a grasp of this, I'll move on to three letter words with the letter "e" in the middle. Oh boy, oh boy.

We've also been working on simple commands, like "look up", "draw a circle", and "point to the desk". Every time I say "close your book", little Andrew packs his books in his bag and stands by the door. I'll say: "Andrew, we have twenty minutes left! Go back to your seat.", which he hears as: "ooh bloddal dong, ark brack snaggle bog." At least, I might as well be saying that. Last week Andrew said something to me in Korean and gave a slow, deep, reverent bow, which floored me. It may have been the cutest thing I've ever seen. Often the kids will say "Teacher! Teacher!", and when I approach them they whisper something Korean in my hear. I respond by saying: "I have no idea what you just said.", which is like saying "penk algo ism haft nanny". Makes about as much sense to them.

While it is a challenge, I like the idea of having a blank (and I mean freakin' BLANK) slate. I know that sooner or later my phonics lessons will begin to stick and they'll begin reading and speaking. I'll also know that whatever they do pick up will be largely my doing. So when they do learn (and hell or high water, they will) to read, it will be especially gratifying.