The Foreigners, Street Vendors and Whales
Last night was Bingo night at Benchwarmers (not Tombstone), a foreigner bar owned by a Canadian named Troy. I've never been to Bingo night anywhere, so this was new all around. There were 6ish games before the jackpot round, and each preceeding game was worth $20 for the winner. Then the jackpot was almost $250! Each player puts in $20 to play, so winning one game gets your money back - and I won twice! Our lucky girl table won almost all the games amongst ourselves, and Kate walked with the jackpot, which was reduced to $100 since no one won in the allotted time. Bingo night happens every 2 weeks at Bench, and I'm totally hooked. While I was there I met a bunch of other teachers:
Lindsey - arrived 3 weeks ago, from Canada. She's a 'real' teacher and came out here to beef up her resume, since teaching jobs are hard to find in Toronto, where she was looking.
Vicky - has been here 4 months, is from Northern England. Has a fantastic thick British accent and is teaching me British slang. Bollocks! Oh, bugger. What a div! She also lives very near where I do, so we'll be sharing cabs and seeing a lot of each other. She's been wanting to start Taekwondo, but didn't have a buddy, so we're looking into doing that together.
Michelle - from Calgary, Canada. Cute and little, she has a funny Canadian accent and a wicked sense of humor.
Andy - friend of Vicky's from university. Also British, and very nice.
Jeff - teaches at a university for tons of $$ and gets ribbed for working the least and making the most. Kicked my butt at darts.
Phil - Vicky's friend, has been teaching here for 11 months now and also lives in our area. He's from Oregon and is a great help with questions about living here and Korean language.
Fiona - another newbie, from Scotland. Smokes a lot.
Troy - owner/bartender/host extraordinaire. Benchwarmers is his place. He's from Canada, and is a Dolphins and 49ers fan... last night he was wearing a Dolphins jersey and drinking his beer from a 9ers cozy. He learns and remembers everyone's names and is very welcoming.
Then there's Kate and Wendy, whom you've already heard of. Wendy is actually from Red Bluff, CA and briefly attended Chico State. Kate's originally from Vancouver.
Benchwarmers was described to me as a 'dive bar,' the kind of place we all adore and everyone else shuns. With a dark, rustic interior, there are tables and chairs placed at random around the room which are constantly being rearranged by growing and shrinking groups. Although the walls are decorated with sports paraphenalia and quotes, it had a distinctly Nonesuch feeling to it. I don't know if that was due more to the patrons or the bar itself, but it's very homey and comfortable. Foozeball, darts and a big screen tv playing hockey and then korean soaps provide places for different groups to socialize, and last night's music selection was perfect, with tons of sublime and dave matthews. One interesting highlight is the bathroom, which is located off of the staircase 1/2 a flight down. The girls' stall is next to the guy's stall and the two share a common sink area, and the girl's has a traditional korean toilet - over which a person has to squat. You can find it by searching on google images, or clicking here. I didn't think I'd encounter one so soon, particularly in a bar for foreigners, but it was very cool. Thank goodness for my camping/general outdoor peeing skills! Squating isn't for the meek.
After a fairly low-key bingo tourny (everyone was pretty tired, myself definitely included), Kate and Lindsey headed home and I stayed to hang out with Vicky, since we were cabbing back home together. We played some darts, and I didn't totally embarass myself. Then we took off to meet up with Phil at a bar called Route 66, complete with the highway logo in neon out front. This bar isn't far from where we live, and we intended to just stop by for a bit as it was already 3ish in the morning. But, as will happen in a place that doesn't know the meaning of 'last call,' we left at 5. Vicky, Phil and myself walked back to my apartment so that Vicky could see where I live in comparison to her. On the way, we passed a street vendor with delicious stuffed peppers that were spicy and deep fried... just how I like it ;) They were each about .50 so we all got one. Mmm! I'd been nervous to order street vendor food because I don't know how to say "vegetarian," "no meat," etc yet, so this was a good first.
Samsongdong, my section of town, is quite alive at night (or morning...), and the neon is urbanly pretty. My apartment is in a cute, quiet little neighborhood, but 8 minutes away is this pulsing nightlife. All the other teachers were so jealous that I get to live right there, since they're forever taking cabs.
*****************
Today, I grumpily got up at 11 to get ready to meet my director so that we could go to the immigration office for my resident card. Now I can rent dvds! (Because although I'm the popular dvd player girl, US dvds don't work in Korean machines - it's a block the companies put on their dvds to discourage countries with cheap labor from inundating the other markets.) Mark (the other foreign teacher at my school) came too, since he only got here a few weeks ago. After being driven by the accountant down to the docks, we came to the office only to find that it was closed for lunch. So, Director Yoon took Mark and I to a whale museum, which just happened to be down the street from us... and from a long row of restaurants specializing in whale meat. I asked Mark if he thought the restauranteurs appreciated the placement of the museum, because he said it was fairly new. The museum was cool - some great mis-translations on exhibits, one of which I photographed because it was so completely muddled. I was a bit confounded to realize that the museum actually was promoting the whaling industry and the consumption of whale meat. One sign describing the many uses for whale by-products claimed that "pencil lead, corsets, bacon and ham" all came from whales. Hm. Most of the pictures in the displays were of dead whales with proud Korean men standing on top or sawing pieces off. There were boots on display that are worn by the butchers, and they creeped me out. They look like regular tall rubber boots, but there are spikes on the bottom that put golf shoes to shame. Gross.
After the museum, we were able to get our resident cards at immigration. They printed my address on it in Korean, so hopefully now I can just show that to the cab drivers and avoid the madness of yesterday. Once we had our cards, Director Yoon treated us to lunch at TGIFriday's (Koreans call it TGI - if you add the "Friday's" they don't know what you're talking about), since the school was paying and she loves it there. Their menus are funny, with some Engrish (the alcohol menu's beer section was titled "Beer Friends"), ONE Korean dish, and a smattering of foreign foods. I had pasta, which was actually very good, and Mark had pizzadillas. Haydee also met us there (she's the foreigner who worked as a liason between myself and my school to set up my job) and offered some great tips for getting around, vegetarian restaurants, and teaching. We were also extended an invitation (read: obligation) from The Accountant (that is what everyone calls him, and I don't know his name, so he gets caps now) to his home for the Chuseok holiday, which is next week. Chuseok is the Korean Thanksgiving, and is celebrated on the lunar calendar to honor the harvest and ancestors. I had read in my Lonely Planet Korea that an invitation to a local's home for Chuseok is of great value and should be highly appreciated. I'm looking forward to experiencing a real Korean home and holiday, but am a bit nervous about the food (veg, will I like it, turning down meat/dried squid) and customs (don't put the chopsticks in the rice, don't pour your own drink, accept a poured drink with both hands, don't eat until the elders have begun, etc etc etc).
Today I discovered the joy that small Korean children find in saying "Hello!" to a foreigner and receiving a 'hello' in return. They clutch each other and fall over giggling. Now I try to say 'hello' to any friendly-looking kids I see, and watch them collapse into silliness after they automatically reply. I see kids all the time since my apartment is across the street from an elementary school. I met one of the students at my school today, Harry. He was decidely not hairy, and a bit shy, but was able to say "Nice to meet you too, teacher" after Director Yoon had introduced us.
Tonight Vicky has invited me to poker night with some friends of hers I didn't meet last night, but I may beg off due to low funds and low energy. Tomorrow Kate and Wendy are coming to my place to watch some dvds and lay low, because Saturday we're planning on going into Busan (second largest city in Korea). $5 each way for the one hour bus ride is fine for my budget, and we won't spend much once we get there. AND tomorrow I'll have a phone number, and possibly a phone card.
Oh - I also found out today that for October, Mark and I will each be teaching 10 hours a week. Yes, 10. I still have to be at the school for the full 30, but I will be able to be on the internet (for free!!) when a computer's available, and can read a little too. Hopefully I'll get started on studying Korean and can use that time for practice.
And that's it for now! There's a vendor on this street whose food I've been eyeing, and I may see what she has that I can eat .... ah, Lonely Planet, my friend:
"Kogi andurogan umshik issoyo?" (Do you have any vegetarian dishes?)
Lindsey - arrived 3 weeks ago, from Canada. She's a 'real' teacher and came out here to beef up her resume, since teaching jobs are hard to find in Toronto, where she was looking.
Vicky - has been here 4 months, is from Northern England. Has a fantastic thick British accent and is teaching me British slang. Bollocks! Oh, bugger. What a div! She also lives very near where I do, so we'll be sharing cabs and seeing a lot of each other. She's been wanting to start Taekwondo, but didn't have a buddy, so we're looking into doing that together.
Michelle - from Calgary, Canada. Cute and little, she has a funny Canadian accent and a wicked sense of humor.
Andy - friend of Vicky's from university. Also British, and very nice.
Jeff - teaches at a university for tons of $$ and gets ribbed for working the least and making the most. Kicked my butt at darts.
Phil - Vicky's friend, has been teaching here for 11 months now and also lives in our area. He's from Oregon and is a great help with questions about living here and Korean language.
Fiona - another newbie, from Scotland. Smokes a lot.
Troy - owner/bartender/host extraordinaire. Benchwarmers is his place. He's from Canada, and is a Dolphins and 49ers fan... last night he was wearing a Dolphins jersey and drinking his beer from a 9ers cozy. He learns and remembers everyone's names and is very welcoming.
Then there's Kate and Wendy, whom you've already heard of. Wendy is actually from Red Bluff, CA and briefly attended Chico State. Kate's originally from Vancouver.
Benchwarmers was described to me as a 'dive bar,' the kind of place we all adore and everyone else shuns. With a dark, rustic interior, there are tables and chairs placed at random around the room which are constantly being rearranged by growing and shrinking groups. Although the walls are decorated with sports paraphenalia and quotes, it had a distinctly Nonesuch feeling to it. I don't know if that was due more to the patrons or the bar itself, but it's very homey and comfortable. Foozeball, darts and a big screen tv playing hockey and then korean soaps provide places for different groups to socialize, and last night's music selection was perfect, with tons of sublime and dave matthews. One interesting highlight is the bathroom, which is located off of the staircase 1/2 a flight down. The girls' stall is next to the guy's stall and the two share a common sink area, and the girl's has a traditional korean toilet - over which a person has to squat. You can find it by searching on google images, or clicking here. I didn't think I'd encounter one so soon, particularly in a bar for foreigners, but it was very cool. Thank goodness for my camping/general outdoor peeing skills! Squating isn't for the meek.
After a fairly low-key bingo tourny (everyone was pretty tired, myself definitely included), Kate and Lindsey headed home and I stayed to hang out with Vicky, since we were cabbing back home together. We played some darts, and I didn't totally embarass myself. Then we took off to meet up with Phil at a bar called Route 66, complete with the highway logo in neon out front. This bar isn't far from where we live, and we intended to just stop by for a bit as it was already 3ish in the morning. But, as will happen in a place that doesn't know the meaning of 'last call,' we left at 5. Vicky, Phil and myself walked back to my apartment so that Vicky could see where I live in comparison to her. On the way, we passed a street vendor with delicious stuffed peppers that were spicy and deep fried... just how I like it ;) They were each about .50 so we all got one. Mmm! I'd been nervous to order street vendor food because I don't know how to say "vegetarian," "no meat," etc yet, so this was a good first.
Samsongdong, my section of town, is quite alive at night (or morning...), and the neon is urbanly pretty. My apartment is in a cute, quiet little neighborhood, but 8 minutes away is this pulsing nightlife. All the other teachers were so jealous that I get to live right there, since they're forever taking cabs.
*****************
Today, I grumpily got up at 11 to get ready to meet my director so that we could go to the immigration office for my resident card. Now I can rent dvds! (Because although I'm the popular dvd player girl, US dvds don't work in Korean machines - it's a block the companies put on their dvds to discourage countries with cheap labor from inundating the other markets.) Mark (the other foreign teacher at my school) came too, since he only got here a few weeks ago. After being driven by the accountant down to the docks, we came to the office only to find that it was closed for lunch. So, Director Yoon took Mark and I to a whale museum, which just happened to be down the street from us... and from a long row of restaurants specializing in whale meat. I asked Mark if he thought the restauranteurs appreciated the placement of the museum, because he said it was fairly new. The museum was cool - some great mis-translations on exhibits, one of which I photographed because it was so completely muddled. I was a bit confounded to realize that the museum actually was promoting the whaling industry and the consumption of whale meat. One sign describing the many uses for whale by-products claimed that "pencil lead, corsets, bacon and ham" all came from whales. Hm. Most of the pictures in the displays were of dead whales with proud Korean men standing on top or sawing pieces off. There were boots on display that are worn by the butchers, and they creeped me out. They look like regular tall rubber boots, but there are spikes on the bottom that put golf shoes to shame. Gross.
After the museum, we were able to get our resident cards at immigration. They printed my address on it in Korean, so hopefully now I can just show that to the cab drivers and avoid the madness of yesterday. Once we had our cards, Director Yoon treated us to lunch at TGIFriday's (Koreans call it TGI - if you add the "Friday's" they don't know what you're talking about), since the school was paying and she loves it there. Their menus are funny, with some Engrish (the alcohol menu's beer section was titled "Beer Friends"), ONE Korean dish, and a smattering of foreign foods. I had pasta, which was actually very good, and Mark had pizzadillas. Haydee also met us there (she's the foreigner who worked as a liason between myself and my school to set up my job) and offered some great tips for getting around, vegetarian restaurants, and teaching. We were also extended an invitation (read: obligation) from The Accountant (that is what everyone calls him, and I don't know his name, so he gets caps now) to his home for the Chuseok holiday, which is next week. Chuseok is the Korean Thanksgiving, and is celebrated on the lunar calendar to honor the harvest and ancestors. I had read in my Lonely Planet Korea that an invitation to a local's home for Chuseok is of great value and should be highly appreciated. I'm looking forward to experiencing a real Korean home and holiday, but am a bit nervous about the food (veg, will I like it, turning down meat/dried squid) and customs (don't put the chopsticks in the rice, don't pour your own drink, accept a poured drink with both hands, don't eat until the elders have begun, etc etc etc).
Today I discovered the joy that small Korean children find in saying "Hello!" to a foreigner and receiving a 'hello' in return. They clutch each other and fall over giggling. Now I try to say 'hello' to any friendly-looking kids I see, and watch them collapse into silliness after they automatically reply. I see kids all the time since my apartment is across the street from an elementary school. I met one of the students at my school today, Harry. He was decidely not hairy, and a bit shy, but was able to say "Nice to meet you too, teacher" after Director Yoon had introduced us.
Tonight Vicky has invited me to poker night with some friends of hers I didn't meet last night, but I may beg off due to low funds and low energy. Tomorrow Kate and Wendy are coming to my place to watch some dvds and lay low, because Saturday we're planning on going into Busan (second largest city in Korea). $5 each way for the one hour bus ride is fine for my budget, and we won't spend much once we get there. AND tomorrow I'll have a phone number, and possibly a phone card.
Oh - I also found out today that for October, Mark and I will each be teaching 10 hours a week. Yes, 10. I still have to be at the school for the full 30, but I will be able to be on the internet (for free!!) when a computer's available, and can read a little too. Hopefully I'll get started on studying Korean and can use that time for practice.
And that's it for now! There's a vendor on this street whose food I've been eyeing, and I may see what she has that I can eat .... ah, Lonely Planet, my friend:
"Kogi andurogan umshik issoyo?" (Do you have any vegetarian dishes?)
posted by pixelpulp at 3:51 AM
1 Comments:
Well i am happy you found friends, I am also very happy you found a bar you can be comfortable in. Though i dont know how safe that toilette would be after a few drinks. Whale meat huh? I knew some cultures still eat them, but they have always seemed off limits to me.
Terra
Post a Comment
<< Home