FAQ part 2

A continuation of my last post about living in South Korea.

What time is it there?

I’m fifteen hours ahead of Chicago (central standard) time. That means when y’all are getting up to go to work (7am), I’m usually already in bed (10pm here). Fun fact: Korea doesn’t do daylight savings time. So when you spring forward on March 13, I’ll only be fourteen hours ahead.

What’s the weather like?

The weather here is much like it is in Chicago, although I don’t think it’s as cold as it is back home. I don’t think it’ll be getting much colder here, and I really hope the snow is finishy for the year. I hear summers are hot and humid.

Do you have a(ny) boyfriend(s)?

(Ah yes, one of the most frequent of all frequently asked questions.) No. No boyfriend, no namja chingu. I’ve been a bit preoccupied with finding the right garbage bags (and having food delivered to my apartment, still working on that one) to expend the energy required to establish and maintain a relationship with a man with whom I’d struggle to make the smallest of small talk sans Korean-English electronic translator (and that’s the only kind around small town Korea). I do have some foreign friends that are boys, and they are good friends. Great to chat with about the day-to-day living in the Twilight Zone stuff. No boyfriends. Let me work on succeeding at life first. This is not to say that Mister (English-Fluent) Right is not completely welcome to stumble along at any time… I know I’m advanced in my years according to Korean agee (Yes, I’m twenty-eight, Korean age.), but no worries. Everything in it’s right time (and in it’s right place, primero Dios).

What do you miss the most?

I miss being able to order food for delivery. It’s not something I did very often for myself back home, but not even having the option— unless I can find a Korean friend to help me— makes me want it all the more. Especially on these cold nights. Just being able to dial a number, give the person my name, address and order and have the food arrive. One of things you take for granted when it comes so easily. Sadly, I fear I’ll never be capable of placing an order by phone (by myself) here.

I miss being able to connect with strangers. It sounds weird, but I miss just being able to say more than hi, thank you and listing my favorite foods or simply smiling back at kind people that I meet.

I miss speaking Spanish and I often recall how alive and free I feel when I can speak it. (I actually got a “wrong number” on my skype last week since I have a Chicago area code phone number that rings into my Skype account. It was obviously a wrong number, but it was in Spanish. I wanted to talk for as long as possible, if only because it made me happy.)

I miss driving. I don’t miss oil changes and gas stations and maintenance and hitting potholes in the city, but I do miss the feeling of being behind the wheel (although if I had it my way, I’d never own a car ever again).

Do you cook Korean food for yourself?

For breakfast I usually have oatmeal (now that I’ve figured out how to order it from GMarket and I order mass quantities) with cinnamon, raw sugar, nuts and sometimes milk. Lunch is always Korean food and it’s always at school (I end up paying around $2 a day for this, not bad.). When I get home, depending on how big a lunch I’ve eaten, sometimes I really just want a(nother) big bowl of oatmeal. My old standbys are spaghetti or PB&J. I had this HUGE grilled cheese craving several nights ago and discovered that the store next to my apartment sells processed cheese. Absolutely perfect.

One or two nights a week I go out to dinner with friends for all you can eat MEAT (less than $14!) or another nearby restaurant. (And to think I almost went vegetarian before coming here!) I almost always have oranges in my bowl, but dinner is often a series of small dishes rather than a great big meal I cook up. And I still haven’t mastered (or really attempted) Korean cooking. It’s a little challenging cooking for one (and reading those Korean recipes), and buying all the great things I love to eat but making sure none of it goes to waste. And lately I haven’t had too many groceries in my fridge. A few weeks ago I was out of town for 5 days. This next week, Karina will be here so we’ll be spending about half the week in Seoul, and the following week we are off to Hong Kong. I’ll be stocking up again come the second week in February, but right now the fridge is pretty bare.

Will you stay another year?

There are many reasons why staying a second year is an especially attractive possibility. I’ve been here just under four months. Let me round out a few more, and I’ll keep you posted.

Could you see yourself living in Korea FOREVER?

No. Whoa, sorry that came out too quickly. Don’t get me wrong. I love my life here. And it IS life here. It’s not travel; it’s not transition. It’s not just hanging around until the next thing comes along. This is very much life, being lived, in Korea. I’m not a lost soul. I’m not drifting around the atmosphere. I get to do things I love. I like the experience. I adore it all when I’m not being shoved around grocery stores by ajummas and stared at like I’m a freak of nature. (“Yes, I’m white. I’m not from here. I speak English. And I smell really bad.” Don’t worry, I’ve never actually said this.) And even then, I can usually laugh shortly after (usually. maybe…?). There is so much I love about a lot of things here. Have I not mentioned dalk galbi lately? I think it’s time I mention how much I love dalk galbi.

I also enjoy Subway subs in Dongducheon,

Korean high fashion,

and instant drink mixes.

But I cannot see myself staying for more than a few years at most.

What do your students call you?

My students call me: 캐슬린 (sounds like Kaysoreen), 캐슬린 Teacher, and also things like Teacha and Teachor. My favorite is 선생님 (seonsaeng nim, which my kids say like seonsaeng neeeeeeeeeeeeeem in a really cute/whiny voice), which means teacher in Korean.

Do you plan to travel to other Asian countries?

Of course! In a little over a week, I will spend Lunar (Chinese) New Year in Hong Kong with some good friends (including Karina who is coming from Chicago for two weeks: one week here; one week in HK). I am considering Thailand, Malaysia or the Philippines for summer… there really are so many possibilities. Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam. Japan is also so close it would be a shame not to visit.