Tag Archives: Rain

He offered his umbrella?!

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I have a tendency to leave my apartment unprepared for whatever weather may be awaiting me, as I rarely look out the window (I have been known to not be very observant) and hardly ever check the weather on that app (that I no longer have, haha). You would think that growing up in Michigan would have beat this bad habit out of me, since the weather there changes every thirty minutes. I leave my house in February with my winter jacket on and it is 80 degrees outside. I am driving in pure sunshine and all of a sudden it is pouring. The difference between Michigan and Korea, is that I drove everywhere in the former. If it was raining, I just darted to my car, or from my car to whatever house/building/store. I was unprepared, yes… but it wasn’t ever too bad.

In Korea, I walk and subway and bus everywhere. This weekend, my lack of concern for the weather… well, it gave me a story to say the least! I was on my way to graduate class with my dear friend Dyanne, whom I always count on to be prepared, and sure enough… she had a raincoat AND an umbrella. I went to open up her umbrella once we left the subway when the top part kept going and fell right off the handle. Completely broken.

After class we had a birthday party to go to… it was raining even harder. As we walked from the subway station to the restaurant I was soaked through within two minutes. At one point we were standing at a cross walk, waiting for the little green walking man, when I saw this guy standing near us (foreigner) with a HUGE umbrella. Dyanne and I both smiled at him, hoping he would offer to share… when he decided to run across the street before the red hand disappeared! I thought this was a good idea at least, and ran too, only Dyanne didn’t. So, I was standing at the other side waiting for her when this other guy going in the opposite direction of me held out his umbrella and said in a voice full of sincere pity, “Do you need an umbrella?” Uh? Was he for real? This stranger was offering me his umbrella? “That’s okay!” I said and smiled. WHAT? AM I FOR REAL? I was refusing this guy’s umbrella? He looked at me with another large amount of pity, not understanding my refusal and said, “Uh… okay.” Then the green walking man showed up and he passed by Dyanne who said, “That was so nice of him!” And I was standing there like, “I know! Why did I say no???” It was at this point that I remembered I had my computer and camera in my backpack (which was getting soaked) and I mourned my refusal that much more.

(I even have a bunch of umbrellas just hanging up by my door!)

This stranger still made my day though. He offered to GIVE ME his umbrella. I obviously need to learn how to recieve. Next time (because, let’s face it, there probably will be a next time… today I walked out of my apartment in the rain, then headed straight back in, to get my umbrella) I am NOT going to refuse!

getting smacked by branches and other various related events.

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I slept through a typhoon last night.

I woke up to rain splattering my window thinking it was just another Thursday during monsoon season. I stepped outside with my umbrella and was almost knocked over by the wind. My umbrella didn’t stand a chance.

At 6:44 a.m. I got on the bus, it was crowded with high school students going to the school down the hill from mine. The bus driver proceeds to yell at his passengers (me…us) for the next two stops. I didn’t really notice the yelling to be honest, that is how a lot of Koreans communicate with each other. At first I thought everyone was just really mad, the people working in restaurants, at stores, bus drivers talking to each other during their breaks… then I had friends start translating for me and the conversations they are screaming at each other are actually about normal, every day life stuff. “I WENT TO THE STORE YESTERDAY AND GOT A REALLY GOOD DEAL ON BULGOGI!!!” reply:” REALLY? WHERE? DID YOU GO TO EMART? I LOVE BULGOGI!!!” reply: “NO I WENT TO HOMEPLUS AND I ALSO BOUGHT A DOG, IT IS SO CUTE.”

I am pretty sure I made that specific conversation up, but you get the picture. Back to the bus driver on the way to school, after he finished yelling he pulled over and I realized that everyone was getting off the bus. Correction, he was KICKING everyone off the bus. But, he only went two stops! I stand up to leave and say out loud, “well, that is just great, I have no idea what is going on because I don’t understand Korean…” and in my head I am wondering if I should wait for another bus. I decided to walk, I step off the bus and get whacked in the face by a flying branch. That decision might have been a bad idea.

As I reach my school (around 7:05ish) I see an entire section of road blocked off, well actually I can’t even see the road because it was covered with fallen trees. I wish I had pictures to show, but silly me forgot to take any, I was more concerned with getting inside a safe building and not getting nailed by anymore branches.

I walk into school and the power is out. But is school canceled? haha, NO, this is Korea people. By 9:30 a.m. (school starts at 8:10) I had 3/4 of my class and the rest stayed home, who stays home during a typhoon? Oh, and the power was back on at that point, no worries.

the best Zoo is a Safari

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I am in Japan.

I sent home a mass e-mail to the fam and friends on day one  in Osaka (probably my favorite word to say, ever) and I knew I shouldn’t send another one because well, my e-mails are not short… and that made me sad because I always have so much to say (what? shocking.) and THEN I remembered this awesome thing: MY BLOG!

For those of you who don’t read spitonthestreet regularly, first of all: shame on you and secondly: I am in Japan because Korea SUCKS or mainly the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education SUCKS and I had to leave the country because my visa was revoked. Which kind of makes me sound really cool and all bad-like, which is not the case. Meh, think what you will.

This has been my first ever solo trip, as in I haven’t seen a single person I know the entire time of travel. I have been excited to take a trip like this for a long time, but I don’t know why since I am such a people person and I haven’t had a single conversation aloud since Tuesday morning. I might just start talking aloud to myself to make sure my voice still works (okay I know it does since I have had to ask people to take pictures of me), and I think my thoughts are getting bored of me. 

Besides the fact that Japan is ridiculously expensive (especially compared to Korea) I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in this Asian country. I did so much site-seeing yesterday that my feet were black from all the dirt I collected while commuting from one tourist spot to the other. I feel as if I have seen Osaka in its entirety, though I know I actually haven’t (I tend to exaggerate, did you know?). Because I saw so many things yesterday I wasn’t one bit put off when I woke up today to a torrential downpour (that means it was raining, I like to use big words sometimes). I decided to head to the Zoo anyway like I had planned and I was happy for the weather because it helped express the mood I was in after seeing so many poor animals caged up. I am not a big fan of zoos (is that the proper plural? oooooh well) AT ALL. I don’t know why I went, maybe because the idea always sounds much more fun than the reality. It has been especially hard visiting zoos since I lived in Africa and saw so many of those animals in their natural environment. I know some zoos are helpful and treat animals well and rescue them and have good living areas, but MOST zoos arent and it makes me sad. I wish that children could all go on a safari to learn about these amazing beasts instead of walking around a dirty caged up pen and looking through glass at some of the saddest creatures on the planet.

I think I was a fan of zoos at one point. I have this vivid memory of going to the Binder Park Zoo with my younger sister, Amber, once when I was little. We went with a church friend and he was so afraid of losing us he brought along those kid leashes, you know the kids with a strap around their middle and a leash coming out of the back? Well, ours weren’t as sophisticated as that, they were strapped to our wrists with velcro and they itched.

This kid’s leash is so much cooler than mine was.

After I visited the zoo and I was feeling pretty depressed I did the only natural thing a woman who has been living in Korea for the past year would do: SHOPPING. It lifted my spirits immensely, though it is very hard to bargain shop in this country. Let’s briefly talk about the shoes though, THEY FIT ME. In Korea, the smallest size shoes for adult women is 225, in Japan that size is labeled as LL, meaning double LARGE, or EXTRA LARGE, I don’t really know… now I know officialy that my shoe size is 222. I may have skipped a meal today to buy an exta pair of shoes. 

freaking out, I am freaking out.

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I was just informed by a future co-worker that he will see me in 35 days (as in meet me because he is coming from the States to teach at the school where my new job is),  WHAT? I counted the days, holy cow, I start my new teachers orientation at APIS (Asia Pacific International School) in THIRTY-FIVE DAYS. This means that I teach my last English class (during English Camp, woot-woot!) in 32 days. This means that my very first day of school, teaching second graders, starts in 49 days. Apparently, I just discovered my bold button.

WHERE HAS THE YEAR GONE?

Of course I can easily answer that question and you could easily read about it (at least the second half) right here, on this blog. But really, time is such a crazy thing, and Korea has definitely kept me busy.

This past weekend was no different. Since Korea and the USA both made it to the second round in the World Cup my Saturday night was intense with nothing but thoughts of soccer. I don’t even remember Friday night it was so not important (okay thats untrue I had to meet up with some girls who are leaving Seoul forever so I must have just blocked the sadness from my brain). I decided that since I already had my fill of the watching the game with the entire Seoul population in the city I would invite some girlfriends over to watch the Korea vs Uruguay game at my pad. We started outside by the local convenience store (all the stores/restaurants surrounding my apartment building have huge t.v. set up for the people eating outside) and moved inside within twenty minutes when it started to rain, and I mean rain-rain, not light drops you catch in your hand and tickle your cheek. This means that the millions of Koreans hanging outside watching the game in their respective cities were dancing in the rain, and I am sure they loved it, they had so much adrenaline (and beer) coursing through their bodies.

Teaching Jennifer how to play Apples to Apples, in the downpour.

I was in my cool, dry apartment with five of my wonderful girlfriends, and I loved it. When Korea made their one goal I swear we made more noise than a thousand Koreans put together, I am surprised my apartment is still standing.

We still love you Korea. Fighting!

But it was not meant to be for Korea or the USA (they played at 3:30 am and I am sad to say the pride for my country comes after a good nights sleep, but I watched the highlights of the game first thing in the morning) ; I tell you what, there were many sad  Korean-American faces on Sunday, as they probably felt like they lost twice. I mean they did lose twice.

Another set of friends embraced the rain and watch the game at City Hall. These girls are nuts and I love them. Also, the devil horns under the poncho Bri? AWESOME.

Korean Pop! Also known as K-Pop! Also known as the greatest thing since… ELVIS. Okay, maybe they are completely different.

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The past six months have taught me many things:

The skill of using chopsticks. Kimchi, no matter what form it comes in, is not good. Never take the subway between 6 and 7 pm. Koreans really do like all food spicy. Sarcasm doesn’t exist in Korean society. Talking loudly will get you “shh’ed” on the subway. Talking period will get you “shh’ed” on the subway. People will never stop staring at you. People will never stop invading your bubble, then again in Seoul, there really isn’t room to have a bubble. Korean dramas are the greatest thing ever invented… and finally, I have fallen in love with Korean Pop (known affectionately here as: K-Pop).

Yes, yes I said it. Korean pop is, “totally awesome”. And once I began to educate myself on the ways of the pop world here and threw out names of popular bands during English class, my students looked upon me with awe, I became… ‘cool’! That being said they are still asking me if I know this band or that and I must say, Korea has more pop bands than they have bags of rice.

Yes, this is one group.

At times I feel like I finally have  a grasp, “Yes, I know Super Junior (13 member boy group pictured above), 2ne1, Rain, Wondergirls, Brown-Eyed Girls, 4minute, BigBang, 2PM, Girls Generation and Cara!”

“Teacher, you know Beast? You know Shinee? You know 2 AM? You know Rainbow?”

“Wait, there is a 2PM AND a 2AM? What?!”

All I can say is, they know how to dance… and watching them live is the most entertaining thing I have ever seen. Once a new group did an impromptu concert outside my apartment building (waking me up from a nap I might add) and it was one of the most fantastic things I have seen here.

I will now leave you with a little taste of the amazingness that is K-Pop.

Just a few example as there really are so, so  many.

This song is two of the biggest pop groups coming together and advertising a cell phone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIRW_elc-rY

This song has been the hottest song since I have been here and I saw 2ne1 perform it live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MgAxMO1KD0&feature=fvst

One of the boys from Bigbang making a solo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIt6KCwlFPw

Signing off, 멜 로 디 (Mel-lo-di)