Uuuugggghhhh

Winter. Winter in a huge dirty city. Nuff said, but I'll continue. Freezing, rainy, slippery, gray, dingy, smelly, nothing to do, huge city. I can't wait until spring.

I'm still here!

Yes, it's Katie. Been a long time, I know. Just wanted to drop a line to say hi and wish you all well for the holidays. I am spending Christmas in Seoul, Korea this year. It will be kinda lonely, but never a dull moment I always say. I have now been working here for 4 months, I have 8 left to go. It's interesting here. Quite different from the States! Fashion sucks, music sucks, everything and everyone seems to be born from this spawn of giggly, cuddly, cute teddy bears, and panda bears, and chiming noises to tell you the washing machine is finished, or the subway stop is ahead, a little digital cutesie music world that I find bizarre.

The temples and palaces are amazing here. The history is fascinating and romantic and so very old here. Some areas of Seoul have great avenues lined with delightful shops filled with traditional art and masks, and I plan to bring some of it home with me. There is mountain hiking a plenty here (I'm not much of a hiker, usually miserable for 90% of the time hiking, but the small amount spent veiwing the scenery between spasmic gasping for air somehow makes it worth while for me. It's absolutely beautiful and feels spiritual to see it in person, or else I'd just look at pictures of scenic beauty and breath better). Shopping is pretty cool, some foods are new and delicious, some not so much.

I live really close to a covered outdoor market called Yeundoungop Chi-jang. It's huge. Different vendors sell a wide range of items from spices to underwear. You could buy fermented and pickled cabbage, called Kimche, or pick a number of types of fish or squid laid out on ice for the entire day while stray cats and dogs roam around. Pigs head on display in the butchers stand (yummy), huge "Rocky punching" slabs of meat hanging inches from the walk way, and of course the delectable frozen dog bodies in the window slide freezers for viewing and choosing the best canine cuts. The market is fascinating, usually a bit smelly from all the Kimche and fish. The spices are pretty to look at, but I haven't the foggiest clue how to cook with them. Mostly foods like meats and vegetables are sold there, but they have other goods too. Blankets, granny panties, shoes.

Korea is an enigma,it is pretty incredible. It’s a society that has undergone such tremendous economic change in a short amount of time. The past 40 years has brought Koreans out of poverty and into a leading country for industry. There are a few generations of Koreans living together in the present that could not be more different in their life experiences. I see this through things like the markets. Older women called "adji-mas" (most definitely incorrect spelling, but correct pronunciation) who pull heavy carts of vegetables and other goods around all day. They can no longer stand up straight because they spent their lives carrying their lively hoods on their backs. And the women in the markets who sit on sheets of cardboard by their vegetables, sometimes napping, other times gabbing with the vendors beside them. It seems a slower more peaceful paced way of life, but a less attractive one to the modern younger generations of South Korea, that spend early morning to the late hours of night working, or studying to become successful, make more money and have more "things". Their fascination with western culture has no limits, and in my opinion they could rival any country in a stake for the most consumerism. Old traditions still taught, but new pockets of rebellion tested in clothes, gender perceptions, music, the usual starting points for upheaval of old standards.

Lets talk about fashion. Korean men and women are for the most part small and slim. The clothes sold here are a mixture of the worst 80's and 90's looks put in pot and simmered until all the colors mix into drab gray, beigie-brown mucus. This year plaid flanel is the rage. Many more mature, married women wear what I refer as sheek bag dresses, which looks fine on them because they are tiny and can get away with wearing something that looks like a potato sack. Some of the fashion is completely outrageous. Fur coats are huge here, and tacky black and white and red and white table cloth design pea coats that make me throw up in my mouth a little. Today I saw a respectable woman in her 50's wearing a hot pink coat with pink fur lining around the collar. It was hard for me not to laugh out loud.

The men, well the younger ones in their teens and 20's wear a lot of members only jackets, tight jeans, and fashion tennis shoes. Their are a lot of mullets here, but not redneck mullets, these are the retro mullets, with sleek straight black hair that seems somehow electrically charged. They still look pretty ridiculous. I’m currently tutoring a 16 year old that will be going to high school in America in January. I told him to get a hair cut. And the other day when he came in wearing a white long sleeve shirt with “Konglish” wording and a black and white “Ambercrombie and Fitch” looking photo of a guy’s stomach on it, I carefully explained that he probably shouldn’t pack that in his luggage when he goes to America. He’s a cool, seemingly heterosexual kid, like many others here, who wear things that would be perceived very differently in America. Please do not misunderstand my descriptions. I am not homophobic, it’s just that a lot of things that are considered fashion here would be seen in America as…..not “straight”.

Once the men get out of college they must get corporate jobs and at that point all of them seem to be wearing the same dark suit and tie. Except, sparkly gay ties are really popular, and I see a lot of bejeweled purple, hot pink, and red ties being worn by business men. Some of the older gentlemen who were probably the pioneers of SK's fortune, they go all out pimp style and wear white suits with the crazy ties, or purple suits with matching hats. And this is not seen as odd here, it’s a sign of power and, I think, manliness. For the most part, the white collar class all look the same. Get on the subway quittin time on any given day and see hundreds of men wearing dark suits. The blue collar guys are less discriminate and mostly work outside in the cold. They wear whatever they get their hands on it looks like to me. They are a completely different story. Another time perhaps.

Shoes. Shoes are a saving grace for reputation here. The shoes here are amazing, and they are everywhere. From department stores to subway stations, shopping is a national past time here. Not to say there aren't a lot of shoes with fake diamond looking rindstones, because there are, but there is also so many styles from Europe, Asia, sexy, rugged, retro, edgy, punk, elegant, anything. Boots are everywhere, beautiful long leather boots that make any woman look strong, curvy, and sexy. Adorable flats, pumps, heels, kitten heels, uggs, baby doll, every style, every color. I especially enjoy seeing women wearing the thigh high "ask me about my blow jobs " boots, because those are also sold right along with the “I'm fierce-sexy-independent-but not a prostitute" boots.

This leads me into my next observation. There are a lot of freakin prostitutes here. AAAAAAA LLLLLLOOOOOOOTTTTTTT. A lot. A lot of Korean and Russian prostitutes. I don’t know the Russian story, but I guess it’s pretty freakin bleak in Russia because they seem to sell their women to every country on the globe, and South Korea is no exception. I have a friend who is stationed at the Army base here. He has given me the low down on the “double barber shop poles”. Army guys are debriefed by their superiors when they get here on how to recognize prostitute “venues”, and told to stay away from certain areas. I’m sure you can visualize the image of the turning barber pole in front of a shop, well the ones with the double poles are supposed to mean haircuts “and more”. Unfortunately, instead of deterring most men from finding themselves in a “sticky” (sorry for the pun) situations, it seems that most of the base goes prostitute shopping the next town over.

Prostitutes are very busy near the base. They are also all over the rest of Korea. It’s something new to me. I mean, I’ve seen it in the States, but not so much of it. I think it’s illegal here, but so is porn, and they play that on the television every late night weekend, and have about 30 porn channels that you can pay extra for. Don’t worry, I’m not engaging in porn viewing. I wish I could get turned on, but the screaming and crying women coupled with the crazed looking, slobbering men, who then turn out to be “really wanting it” women and still more crazed slobbering men, rape porn just doesn’t seem to be my favorite television. I know, it’s crazy, who wouldn’t love it? It’s really strange here, the sexuality of the society, confusing. It’s all covered up, but oh so available.

Ok, it’s definitely time to change the subject. I’d like to address the family systems here. Children start school in daycare, they sit in class rooms and learn subjects very early in life. At age 4 many start music class and begin to learn instruments. Taekwando (again I'm sure incorrectly spelled) is a national sport here, and all children take it. They begin Kindergarten public school around 6 or 7, and by middle school they are trapped in one of the most competitive education systems in the world. Middle schoolers and highschoolers go to school and take extra-curricular and extra academic study classes from early in the morning, many times until 9 or 10 at night. There are a limited amount of Universities here, so the students with the highest averages get into the best schools. It is freakin nuts how hard kids are pushed here. Success is a mark of character and worth as a member of society and family pride. Koreans begin at a very young age to feel great shame if they aren’t the “best”. This is a large task to compete with millions of other people wanting the same thing, to be “successful”. Since there are few natural resources in Korea, the society puts a lot of pressure on education and business.

Family is a lifetime obligation here. Kids don’t turn 18 and get pushed out of the house and on their own. In most cases a man or woman lives with their parents or siblings until they marry. Parents take go to great lengths to provide their children with the most opportunity for education throughout their youth, and continue to support them until the “big break” into the biz, and the expected marriage occurs. This gives the sons and daughters more money to spend on themselves, and the time to make the grades and do some “husband shopping”. I don’t know what to think of this system. I guess it’s obvious that there is less of a society of “individualism” here, and more of a community, and respect based culture. Every move in life, every success or failure seems to be a reflection of the entire family, and it is all tied so deeply together here.

As for myself, I'm learning my way around. I walk a lot, read a lot. Teaching is easy but exhausting. I'm thinking a lot about my future when I return home, and my next goals. I'm glad for the isolation from so many other thoughts, and the ability to think about my future in a more relaxed state of consciousness. I'm enjoying my stay here. It's extremely stimulating and I hope I can do better about conveying my experiences to you all with this blog. I will try to catch you up on outings and adventures, and not so much a social commentary like this one : ) I did visit an enormous palace today. I got some picture with my new camera and will post as soon as I can get them on my computer. So I'll try to write again soon. It helps when Amy pesters me to write in this blog. Somehow she is like my alter concsience that gets tapped into when she sends me a message. I don't know what I'd do with out her : )

I’m really tired from writing now. There is so much more to tell. And I’m afraid I haven’t listed all the wonders and deserving qualities of Korea, but I will. There just so much to tell, and I had to get this out first. Next time, I promise a tour guide of the museums and pleasant restaurants : ) I’m really glad for this experience. Although I miss everyone so much, this is a really neat year spent.

Much love and holiday cheer,
Katie