Rednecks in Korea

This is going to be composed of several great stories of how "foreigner friendly Korea is" and problems that can arise for foreigners and there Korean friends in Korea.

For those who don't know, it is rude to talk to/approach people that you don't know (unless for directions or some such).
It is rude and pretty much unheard of for a worker of a store or business to stand up to a customer.
Koreans are also taught something like, not lifting a finger or speaking out in a fight or argument.... or basically doing anything that would involve them.
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Story 1:

I went drinking on Friday night. It should have been fine since my friends and I hung out in foreigner bars. The first bar we were at was great. But then my friend met some people who told her about another bar, and since she didn't want to go home, we went there: bad idea.

There were some Koreans there: the usual girls who date white guys and then some middle-aged woman and her Korean husband (two Koreans with no purpose, why there?)

The Korean woman decided to be not very Korean and came over to my friend started causing trouble. I noticed the second time, turned around and told her stop and leave my friend alone because she was being rude. So she and her husband left. However, we also decided to leave after that. That and the bar owners husband was rude as heck. (Bar owner = a Korean lady, husband = white ass)

We convinced my friend to leave and our other two friends (Koreans) went out with her while I made sure the tab was paid. The crazy Korean lady left about 5 minutes before us, but apparently she was waiting outside to attack my friend again. When I went out, there was a loud argument going on between the two. And don't get me wrong, I love my Korean friends, but they did nothing. They were just standing there watching like scared children when they should have taken our friend straight out!

So I went over and pushed my friend back and away from the crazy lady. Then I turned around and put my hands up and told her to stop, that it had gone too far. Then I turned around to calm my friend and when I looked back I realized the crazy lady was trying to take pictures of my friend on her phone! So I went over and put my hand out to block her and told her to stop. When she put her camera up again I pushed it down (making sure to only touch the phone--since it was a flip up phone I just pushed it down again hoping it would turn off). She got mad at me, but the bar owner (lady) came out and told me to stop. So I told her that she if she would keep her from taking pictures we would leave, so she talked to the woman. Then I grabbed my friend and took her to the stairs where she proceeded to go UP! After going to the top and realizing all the doors were shut and locked she sat down to breathe.

I went back down to check on things because she told me to. The crazy lady was there still and yelling at the bar owner, so I told my friends we needed to leave.
The crazy lady said "You can't leave, I'm calling the police!"
"Why are you calling the police? You started this."
"Because you pushed me and hit me, so I'll have you arrested!"
"I never even touched you and you know it, why would you lie?" Okay, I asked everyone out there, I never touched her. I only touched her phone.
*and this is the part that really gets me*
She said to me, in ENGLISH, "It doesn't matter because they will believe me. It won't matter what you say because you are a foreigner and I'm Korean, so of course they'll believe me." Which is basically admitting that, yes, she is lying. But apparently since I stopped her from screwing over my friend, I was the next best thing.

....I feel sick every time I think about this, because I've read/heard enough stories from foreigners in Korea, and Koreans with foreign friends.... It's true. There is nothing here to protect or give any right to a foreigner.

Anyways, my friend came back downstairs and we decided it was time to leave. Meanwhile, thought the owner and the guy who invited us there were trying to distract and get between us and the crazy lady, she grabbed my arm as I turned away and tried to pull me back. She even dug her nails into my hand and scratched my arm when I pulled away before we finally managed to get out.
And just to make the evening better, all the white assholes who were in the bar came out just then, because there was a fight. (I swear about 99% of foreigners here are just whores and frat boys.) They had no idea what was happening, but they yelled after us, "You whores are just causing problems just get the hell out."

Really? Is Korea just full of rednecks from all over the world?

The worst part was the idea that, since I know the crazy lady was right... since I know I have no rights or voice here, I could be arrested, fired, fined, and deported whether or not I do anything here. If some Korean just decides someday that they want to ruin my life (like the crazy lady did with my friend) they really could.

It's really ridiculous that such a thing could happen.
If Korea wants to kick me out for something I didn't do: it will be war.

I won't go home. But I also won't go down without a fight. And if I have to be one of those asses that would slander a whole country, I will. The laws here are barbaric. Not because I'm American, because no country should be able to claim it's "foreigner friendly" but then let its laws support people who would randomly start a fight and then flaunt to those foreigners that their country has no laws to protect them or even consider them in any way.

Grow up Korea.
Americans may be teenagers to the world, but what does that make this place? About 5?

Like the 5 year old student who threw a fit because the new student had new crayons and pitched a fit wanting the new student to have to leave or give over her crayons.
It's the same thing.
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Story 2:

I have an American girlfriend who is married to a Korean guy. She has lived in Korea for almost 5 years and speaks pretty good Korean. However, English is still her first language and her husband is an English teacher, so they usually talk in English.

They went out to karaoke with another Korean friend (who also speaks English). Her husband ordered the room and all in Korean, but then he turned back to her and they all talked in English. The karaoke worker jumped on them and told them off in Korean that "you are Korean and you are in Korea, so you need to speak Korean".

This is incredibly rude to do in Korea, but since they were being "un-Korean", politeness is not needed when talking to them apparently.

What this actually was is that, in Korea, they LOVE eavesdropping on everyone's conversations. When they can't, they get annoyed. It happens to me all the time. I've seen several people leaning in towards me to hear and getting annoyed when I talked too fast.
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Story 3:

My co-workers friend is a foreign guy here. He and another foreign guy were walking with a Korean girl friend of theirs on the street. Suddenly some old Korean man in front of them turned around and started yelling at the girl in Korean,

"What the hell is wrong with you, you are Korean! Why are you with these foreigners? And you are dressed like a whore! You should be ashamed!" and so on.

If she had been with Korean guys, no one would say anything even if her butt was hanging out, but since she was with foreigners...

Apparently one of the guys was really big though, so when the man saw him he ran away, but it's ridiculous.
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Story 4:

A friend was telling me that someone they knew had been out riding their bike. They went through the cross walk when it was green but they were hit by a car that ran the light (big surprise here...)

The car driver called the police and claimed it was the bikers fault; of course he was a foreigner, so the cops went with it. So he was about to be charged and fined! The only way he got out was that the place next to the light was a business and the owner (an older lady) came out and spoke on his behalf. (Mind you, nice, but not totally to be nice.) Apparently this guy ran the light every day and she knew about it. She got sick of it, so she used the situation to her advantage. Mind you, she didn't have to, so it was nice she chose to do it.
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These are only the stories I know from recently. My co-worker has heard four more like them in the last week.


Welcome to Korea: A "foreigner friendly" country!

Korea Life Blog 7.5 -- Gwanghwamun

I met with my Daejeon friend, Emily, and her sister this weekend and we toured the grand palace of Gwanghwamun~! We even did the tour of the back palace, but several things were under construction or off limits. Still, it was a lot of fun and a good experience. I will mainly just post pictures here for you.

Korea Life Blog 7 -- Bicycle and Nami-sum

So, I haven't really posted because this week is my vacation!!! Unfortunately it's almost over T_T
However, what looked like a horribly long week of doing nothing turned into an eventful, fun, and restful week~!

Last Saturday I went with my 'little sister' and saw Inception. My first movie in Korea... with assigned seating like Japan -_-. But it was fun, and the movie was really good! I actually liked it, which I didn't expect. It's been so long since Leo was in a good movie. Not since, Catch Me if you Can.
Then we had dinner and walked about talking and enjoying the decent weather (which at this time of year decent weather is good weather).

Then came Sunday... I planned to go buy a bike, but instead was stuck inside all day. However, I was able to be helpful. I helped my friend to edit her thesis paper for school and learned a little more about world events in the process. Editing is almost always rewarding in terms of gaining knowledge. :)

On Monday, I headed to Yatap and Home Plus looking for a bike. Sadly, there were no bikes to be seen. So I got on the train to go to Ori, because there are more big supermarkets there (E-mart, Home Plus, Hi Mart... they are the "big" ones). However, since it was vacation and I shouldn't be in a hurry, I decided to stay on to the last stop, Bojeong, and explore a bit. Then, at the stop before--Jukjeon, the train came above ground and lo-and-behold, there was an E-mart staring me in the face. It drew me in! So I got off the train and went to check it out.
After searching floor after floor, I finally came up the grand 'escalator' (I say this because instead of steps, it is a flat ramp escalator) and found... BIKES!!! It was bike heaven.

I searched up and down the bikes and was torn... they were SO expensive!!! The cheapest bike was 170,000 won (about $150~170). I was looking between a nice, but too girly, bike with a large basket on the front and a small compact foldable bike. Unfortunately the foldable one was 100,000 won more.... But it can be compact and convenient (and I could take it home and to Japan when I run away). So I almost paid the almost $300 for it, but then! Pure luck (or just me being a cheapskate) led me to look over the bikes again and there it was! A nice mountain bike that was only 170,000 (same as the basket bike--and the cheapest price), and what do you know, on further inspection it turned out to be a foldable one!!!!
So to my great pleasure I was able to buy a "cheap" foldable bike that I could actually fit inside my apartment~
I got it home where I was able to sit down and make needed adjustments to height (which I am SO happy to find out that it's made so I don't need a tool kit just to adjust the seat!) Then I took it out for a little over an hour and realized... it's been so long since I was on a bike! haha


Tuesday I took out my bike for a good 3 hours. Rode down to Ori and enjoyed the scenic path by the river.
On my way home I took a little detour and saw a white girl, so I pounced! haha
"Hey white person, where you from?" --my trademark line here~


So I was able to make a new friend! She is Canadian and seems pretty cool. We went to dinner together and talked for a few hours. I showed her my apartment and she showed hers, which is an AWESOME loft apartment! Of which I am completely jealous! (She also has a real shower T_T)

Wednesday I took a day trip, my island adventure, with my 'little sister'. We went to
Nami-sum. It's an "island" in the middle of a lake, so no ocean for me still~ :(
But it was SO much FUN!!!!! OMG. I don't know how I convinced myself to leave.

We took a bus, a train, a taxi, and a ferry and finally reached the island. Then we walked about looking for the bike shop. We rented bikes for an hour and rode around the island a couple of times. It was so exhilarating! My little sister isn't used to bikes, so she had a little trouble sometimes, but she seemed to really enjoy it too. Then when our hour was up, we walked about looking at all the places we'd seen, taking pictures and playing in the water.

Then around 4 we decided to look for the pool again and go swimming. We found it about 45 minutes later and many circles! haha
But before that my little sister let 3 bees commit suicide on her leg. It was painful for her, and probably for the bees. I checked for stingers but she was good. And luckily after swimming for an hour, the bumps were gone and there were only 3 small pink dots.
When we got to the pool there was one hour left, so we had to hurry, but it was a good long swim. The lifeguards were also very nice and amusing. They kept talking to me and my sis. Asking where we are from and how we met and what I do. I don't know why he kept talking to me even when he knew I didn't understand.... and it was weird, because he was a young guy... in a SPEDO! I didn't want to look at him! haha. But he kept going to get us toys, he brought us a beach ball and an extra floaty to use (even though normally you have to pay to rent them). So it was too fun~!!!
After that we were exhausted, so we left the island and found some food. Unfortunately I didn't want to try the spicy chicken, so we ate pork (but since the special there was chicken...) it was horribly tough and tasteless. Luckily, we were hungry. So we ate it.
Then back home.
I was going to sleep, but my friend called me back around 12-1, so I talked to her until 2, but it was too much for me.

Yesterday I was exhausted. I got up in the morning, but I went back to sleep about an hour later and slept until 2pm. I wasn't sure I would go out, but around 6 I was bored. So I got ready and took my bike out at 7pm and didn't make it back until 9.
I rode up to Yatap, which took less than 30 minutes, but it took me forever to get back ;_; haha
However, due to a detour, I made another friend. I did my "Hey white girl" line and stopped someone who just happens to be a friend of a friend, so I already know a little about her. And we made plans for a coffee date later today.
When I got home I made weekend plans with my Daejeon girl and her sis, so it should be a good end of vacation.

In the meantime, my butt is killing me. I'm convinced there is a bruise where the bike seat has been. haha

Korean Bikes

So, I bought a bike this week, which I am thoroughly enjoying. However, Korean bikes are... some very interesting things. Not to mention expensive. The cheapest bike I could find was 170,000 won (about $150~170).

I was torn in a debate between a cutesie bike that was only 170,000, and a folding bike that was 280,000. Now, you may be asking, "What the *** is a folding bike?" Well... it's just that. A folding bike is a bike that folds! haha
There is a kind of clip system in the middle of the bike where it has a hinge so you can rotate the bike around and fold it in half. It's very convenient for people living in small apartments.

However, if you think a folding bike is a strange idea, you obviously have no idea about Korean bikes in general. Mind you, you could run a Google search, but it isn't the same.... I shall try to take more bike pictures to share with you. In the meantime, there is...

While many Korean bikes just look old-fashioned, but are popular among the youth; some adult bikes look like large children's bikes, while still there are those that... just can't be explained with words. Such as, the "triangle bike".

You may think that many people aren't going to ride such a ridiculous contraption but.... it is used by boys and girls, young and old. Oddly, you can see them around a lot. Which I refuse to understand! haha



Now, what I don't understand about this country... the bikes are made to be small so that you can keep it inside. After all, if you keep it outside it could be stolen. STOLEN!
You have to understand... this country works on such a strong system of "trust". So why would anything be stolen?

You may be surprised the first time you go to the larger grocery store and watch as everyone just puts things right and left into their backpack while the attendants are watching. For me.... I was in shock, I was like "Hey, hey, are they stealing? Should we tell?".... No. It's the norm. They trust that you will take it all out and pay for it in the end. o_O

You can buy over $10,000 worth of something at a home goods type store and tell them you will pay by the end of the month... and they just go on trust.

But god forbid you leave your bike outside, chained or otherwise. It will disappear and you will be screwed because there isn't likely to be a creature on earth that is more lazy than a Korean police officer.

It is too strange for me to even begin to comprehend.

Anyways, on to other topics.

Notes on Korea

So, here I am in Korea... what a strange place sometimes. You don't know? Let me tell you!

NOSE PICKING: So, you will quickly learn if you come to Korea, it is perfectly fine to pick your nose in public. Yes. I'm not even kidding. No matter where you go, or what age/gender the person is (though unless they are very old or very young, it is usually men), you will see people picking their nose: on the street, on the bus, on the subway, in the restaurant. It is a local past time here and they see no harm in it.
One friend of mine interviewed for a job where the director told her that they wanted to make sure to teach the students traditions and proper manners. Her comment: "Like not picking your nose in public." His reply: *totally serious* "You mean you don't do that in America?"
Enough said.
Please note however, it is rude to blow your nose in public. This is something you should leave the room to do. No one wants to see that. But picking it is perfectly understandable.
BTW: From what I've seen in Korea, your finger will not turn green if you continuously pick your nose.

KOREAN AGE: Some people may already know about the Korean "age system", but did you know there are approximately 3 versions?
Yes, indeed. It is hard to know from one person to the next how old they really are. That is why I suggest just asking for the year they were born and doing the math yourself.
Version 1: When you are born, you are one year old already. This is the only understandable thing about their ages. It also exists in all three versions I've heard, but is the only requirement for this version.
Version 2: When you are born, you are one year old already. Then, on New Year’s Eve (even if you were born two minutes before or less), you turn two years old. Then you add a year on at every birthday as per usual.
Version 3: When you are born, you are one year old already. Then, on New Year’s Eve (even if you were born two minutes before or less), you turn two years old. Then for that whole year you are two. The next year you are three. You have a birthday, but it means nothing. Your age is just determined by what year it is and not if you're birthday has passed.
If you don't agree, don't tell me. These are all direct explanations I was given by different Korean people. In other words, if you come to Korea, or meet a Korean, the best thing to do to learn their age is to either ask them the year of birth, or ask for the American age.

BATHROOM NOISES: This is a subject with several interesting bits and pieces to it.
Apparently, it is okay for men (at least old men) to fart in public. They do it anywhere, in the train, department stores, at dinner... all over. Basically, it always happens and no one pays attention to it at all. One day a man let out a loud one on a train and no one even blinked an eye. *but I'm sure they were all thinking about it*
My friend told me this one: If you are in Seoul, feel free to fart. Apparently it is so loud in Seoul that no one is likely to notice. Also, the sewage system here sucks *especially in Seoul* and it always smells like sewage anyways. Therefore, if you stink, no one will notice, if you're loud, no one will hear. She does it whenever she feels like it and no one has ever noticed.
Woman's bathrooms are another interesting place. Since, obviously, women never poop or fart (since it is so impossible for men to comprehend our bodies work the same as theirs), there are noise machines in the woman's bathroom for just such an occasion as she might make any sound when she pees or... otherwise.
If you come here girls, no need to fear, they won't blow up! They just make some nice water/static noise for a few minutes so you can let it all out! God forbid you make a noise!

DRIVING: Though my Korean friends assure me that there are rules to the road here in Korea, I have yet to see any that might exist and actually be followed.
Standing at the traffic light you will watch as car after car and bus after bus go right through the red light. Mind you, I don't mean the way we hit the gas to make the light in America, or how a few random **** go through the light on a whim. No. I mean, at least every other person will just, mosey on through the light whenever they feel that they have waited long enough and it needs to be their turn.
I have no idea how these people live so long with the way they drive.
I have yet to see a stop sign in this country. My friend assures me that they exist, if you go far enough into the mountains and countryside, but never in a city or decent sized town. Instead you will see a white line drawn on the road where they are supposed to stop.... you won't see them stop though.
There are so many things I could point out about their driving, but you would have to see it and live it to understand. If I learned to drive in Korea, I wouldn't fear driving in any American city again. I've been to so many and never seen worse driving than here.

The greatest *in a very sarcastic way* part of the driving laws in Korea would have to be left turns. In Korea, it is a well-known fact that left turns are dangerous. They are so dangerous, in fact, that in many places, wherever there are many lanes and lots of traffic, they are usually illegal.
Now, why is this so weird you wonder...? Well, let me tell you!
This is ridiculous simply because, while left turns are dangerous and illegal, it is perfectly legal to make a U-turn wherever and whenever you damn well feel like it. I can't count the number of times we've come up to the turn and the driver said "No, no, no left turn", then about 20 feet after the light they pull a U-turn into oncoming traffic and your life flashes before you as you wonder where about the in-existence of common sense in this country.

If you think I am ridiculing my current home too much, I will simply add a link that says it all for me and leave it at that.
Fan Death
Just search any article on the reported cases of "fan death" in Korea then tell me that I'm wrong. Really! It's too much sometimes.
However, I guess it makes for an interesting Halloween costume~

Korea Life Blog 6 -- Insa-dong and Baseball

I realize I am late and early with this post. Late because I didn't post last weekend (since I've been posting one a week) and early because it's not Sunday yet. ;)

Anyways, it has been interesting. On Friday the 2nd, I woke up at about 1 am coughing and with a swollen throat. I barely made it through work and then dinner with my friend without passing out, but somehow I managed to make it home. My tonsils have been swollen since, and though I know I should go to a doctor, I am reluctant. I hate doctors when I speak the same, or basically the same, language as them. I am wary of going to a Korean doctor. In the meantime, I have learned from my friend that one of the worst things you can get here is tonsillitis, it is apparently much worse here. As it is the first time for me to have it, I will just believe her.

In the meantime, I've been busy despite my discomfort.

Last Saturday, my friend came from Daejeon and, with a new Korean friend I made last week, we toured her around Seoul before bringing her back to enjoy Jeongja at night. I walked her butt off as is my way~ :)

On Sunday, I saw her off again and continued to Seoul where I finally made it to Insa-dong, a nice traditional area (and tourist trap) in Seoul. It was very nice. I was able to buy some fun things to send home (should I ever make it to the post office).

I had some lovely and somewhat odd tea in a nice cafe with friends and enjoyed it immensely. The cafe was really lovely and the tea came out looking very decorative, so I took pictures~








Then I was taken to the stadium to watch my friends favorite team, the Twins, play some baseball! I even bought a baseball jersey to get in the mood! haha (so not me!)


The game, however, was rained out, and we lost.... very, very badly.
So then we went to an amazingly cheap place to eat some cold noodles, which are lovely too.

Then another week of teaching and.... DRAMAS! I have been spending my free time in the week watching Korean dramas and movies for amusement. They are rather funny.

Today I was supposed to meet someone... I went to Seoul (Coex) to meet them. I left early out of boredom and spent some time wandering on my own waiting. Luckily, Stefanie called me, about five minutes before I got a text that told me my plans had been cancelled.... she came over and we did some shopping.

Oddly, I spent a lot of money (a LOT) but I am happy with all my purchases.

I bought two books and a nice map of Korea to look at for plotting evil deeds... or just trips. I bought "The Little Prince" because I have never actually read it and it seems I should, and "Daddy-Long-Legs" which I have read as a Korean manga, watched as a Korean movie, and will probably watch as a Korean drama. I had no idea it wasn't a Korean story... Mind you, I started it on the train and I didn't think I would ever detach myself from it.... it took strength. It has also taken a good deal of willpower not to pick it up again tonight. I find I am enjoying the original even more, and I rather liked the take-offs. I forgot how happy a good book could make me!

I also bought a CD. Though I went in looking for new Korean music to 'study' from, the CD I wanted was sold out.... so I bought a Japanese CD. "I Am Me" Matsushita Yuuya. A very good buy oddly. I bought it because he is a cute boy and looks like a young Gackt... I was wondering if it was a good idea, but once I put it in the computer... I haven't stopped listening to it! He is a good singer. I'm very happy.

I also went clothes shopping. I went to the sales and got about 5-6 new summer shirts! I know, imagine finding clothes that fit in Korea! Though jeans are likely impossible, they do have a lot of "one-size" shirts. I didn't really think I would like them, but I got some.

Strangely, I like them all, and I am glad I bought them. It was apparently a great day for shopping for me! However, I need to start watching my money more. I have been keeping track of all my purchases and I am spending too much. However, much of it is just settling down stuff or souvenirs to send home, so it should be fine.

I will get paid next Monday and need to send half my paycheck home to pay on my loans, but it does seem to be an easy living here. Even if food is over-priced! :-p

I really love my town.

It's weird. Though I may never be happy with any job, since it is too easy to find fault when I have to deal with other people.... but I like my apartment, I like my students (usually), and I LOVE this town!!!

But no, I am not homesick. I cannot imagine missing Indiana when I have mountains and oceans within just a few hours ride. A cheap ride on the trains and/or buses, where I don't have to drive or be bothered with road rage, is nice. All in all, the children stress me out, and sometimes the boss, but I can always go home and just... relax.

I like it.