How to get South Africans to Unite, among other things...

Howzit!

How are you all? Keeping happy, healthy and comfortable, I trust?

Well, I've reached my 6-month mark in Korea! So halfway through my contract and from here on, it's countdown time till I come home again!

And wow! What an amazing weekend I've had!

On Friday, after school, I ran a few errands downtown, and yet again, a 5min walk home took 2 hours! Country life, you know....where a quick hello! turns into an hour long kuier. I stuck my head into the optometrist's to say HI! but he practically pulled me into the shop and stuck a cup of coffee in my hand...I only got to leave an hour later! He has a good command of English, and wants to emigrate to Australia, so is desperate to practice his English! Then, 2 min down the road, I bumped into my Philippine friend, Racquel, ended up going home with her for a quick visit, which of course, became an hour-long visit! Her mother-in-law owns a farm, so she sends surplus veg to Racquel, and in turn Racquel piles free veg on me! I went home with a huge bag of eggplant, onions and potatoes! At this rate, I don't even have to buy veg! Now I just need to make friends with someone who owns a dairy! (Come to think of it, one of my students' parents own a big cattle farm! But that's just beef, not milk.) Anyway, we can't have it all, can we? Then again, we get free milk at school. So I suppose I could even stop buying milk!

Well, on Saturday, there was a South African braai in Busan, on the south coast of Korea, to celebrate Heritage Day! What a wonderful experience. When I first arrived, I was disappointed, cos it looked like each racial group just stuck with each other. Cynical me immediately thought, oh well, this is South Africa, right?! Later, someone pointed out a very valid point, which totally makes sense in this Korean context..... cos we find ourselves so far-flung in a foreign country, it's natural for people to touch base with their roots...as jou pappie 'n plaas het, dan gaan jy mos meer in kommon het met die wie se pappie ook 'n plaas het! Of course it makes sense! We have more in common with those with whom we share a cultural heritage! And once that hunger for home culture had been satisfied, add braai smoke, music and beer...and voila! things soon started to look up! We were soon mixing it up!

There were about 200+ South Africans, a handful of Americans, a Kiwi, an Australian or two, a Jamaican and even a Turkish-Russian-American! And some Koreans, too. So we truly had a good mix, just like South Africa! Everyone was dancing to everything, Kwassa, Kwaito etc.... And when the boeremusiek started, Nomvula and I went looking for Afrikaners to teach us how to sakkie. I grabbed the most Afrikaner-looking guy...turns out he was from New Zealand! LOL! (Definitely some Dutch blood there!) He fell in love with 'Shosoloza', which is ironic considering the recent All Blacks' defeat at the hands of the Bokke! So the next best bet, was a real boere ou, who was blown away by how quickly I picked up the steps. He said, "Nou voel ek rerig asof ek tuis is!" as we twirled around. He's convinced that I must have some 'boere bloed' in me cos I can sakkie so well! (Duh! It only consists of 2 bloody steps! HELLO!!!) Anyway, it was cutely innocent of him! All in good fun! Of course, everyone seemed astounded by this little spectacle....An Boer, a Coloured and a Black dancing sakkie-sakkie on a beach in Korea! We were surrounded by an audience with clicking cameras! At least I can say that's my little contribution to uniting South Africa!

There was even a repesentative from the SA Embassy to come and greet us, check up on us, to see if we were ok and behaving ourselves. And yes, we even sang the anthem, the Kiwi right in the middle, hand over heart and all! I should mention though, that the embassy guy had nothing to do with the anthem...LOL!

So...How to get South Africans to unite? Take a random demographic slice across all ethnic groups, young and old, straight and gay, remove from South Africa and place them in a foreign land where most people don't speak your language.....and voila! South Africa comes together! It was something truly amazing to be part of! Reminded me of good old UCT days. And I don't know when last I spoke so much Afrikaans!

And like all things South African, we even had a bit of crime! People started making announcements about cellphones, Nike takkies and sandals going missing! LOL! I had to laugh! Hardly ever in Korea, do you have to worry about someone stealing your stuff. You can leave your bag, phone, wallet lying around in the open. No-one's gonna take it, but get a bunch of South Africans together, and immediately something goes missing! Even that just made it really feel like we were home! :)

And of course, we even had the drunken vloeking from the Kaapenaars, which also just consolidated that warm home feeling! When the sun went down, we headed into the city to freshen up at our various hotels, and then off to Club Mix, which had been booked specially for us. Ironic? Club MIX? Just like old Galaxy days.... 

SA's Richard Branson!

 I met Richard Branson's twin, only he's South African, from PE, with ginger hair! His boyfriend, the Turkish-Russian-American fell in love with my hair. He couldn't stop hugging me just so he could rest his face on my hair! LOL! He even wanted to go home with me, so he could sleep on my hair!!! I told him I was very glad he didn't have a pair of scissors on him, to which he replied that he could always use his lighter! Crazy times, but oh so funny and memorable! I only got back to our motel at 3am...hair intact.

And now it's exam time at my middle school, so I can sit around and do as I please...no classes for me! And tonight, we have a staff dinner. Okey dokey, till next time then.....

Lots of love

Andrea

I've got Seoul!

Hi everybody!

Hope you are all well. The weather should be warming up by now, right? This side, it's finally time to start getting those light jackets out. Autumn in Korea is lovely, the burning hot summer sun has finally relinquished its hold on us. I am exceedingly grateful. One more word for me to add to my vocabulary now, is the word "FALL". They don't really use the word 'Autumn' here - yet another Americanisation (note, I spelled that with an 's' instead of a 'z', thank you very much!

Anyway, I had a LOVELY weekend. I went up to Seoul - yes! again! - I am now officially in love with Seoul. I have been known to say that Korean cities are ugly. I am under correction....Daegu is ugly. Seoul ... well, it's hosted the Olympics and World Cup Soccer, so of course, it meets international standards. (Kinda like Joburg : Cape Town).

Well, Hazel (another SA, whom I hadn't seen in almost 6 months) had invited me along to go see RENT, the musical. So off I went to meet her and Tinyiko. The Canadian, Tim, and his Korean girlfriend, Yoon, also joined us. Tim and Yoon ended up booking into the same hotel as me - pure coincidence - so had nice company.

So, I went up on Sat afternoon, checked in at this lovely hotel on a small island in the Hangang River which runs through Seoul - the theatre venue was on the same island. Before the show, we went for a buffet dinner at a restaurant called VIPS. That was such a treat, as they serve INTERNATIONAL food as well as Korean! Italian, Mexican, Vietnamese and Thai in addition to the typical Western grilled steaks and fried chicken, etc. Naturally, we rolled out of there....

Onto the theatre venue, which is a humungous building at the Korean Broadcasting Service studios. Now from here on, this email is about to get very 'theatrical'. I apologise to those of you who have little or no interest in the theatre. To my theatre friends who know the musical, RENT, enjoy this with me....

I went along to see this production with a laissez-faire attitude, mainly because a few months ago, in Daegu, a group of performers (in retrospect, they MUST have been students) were performing some songs from RENT in an open-air shopping mall. They sounded TERRIBLE! So, I was hoping that it was not the same production being done up in Seoul! Nonetheless, I was going to see my friends from Orientation, so...in for a penny, in for a pound.

OH - MY - GOSH!!!!

I was blown away! It was an all-American cast, with the leads who play Roger and Mark, being original cast members from the 1996 Broadway rendition! The live band was phenomenal! The singing! Out of this world. The guy who played the role of Tom Collins (the big black guy), had a voice like none I've ever heard. Should he record his own albums one day, I'd snap up every last cd! I shed more than a tear every time he opened his mouth to sing! The performances were powerful. I had been mentioning how much I enjoyed the last version of RENT I'd seen at Artscape and how good it was. This totally lifted the bar on that, let me tell you!

What a lovely evening! We did the whole theatre thing that we usually do back home, coffee after the show, sitting at a table on the sidewalk/pavement outside a cafe, munching away on droewors and biltong, which I had brought along for my homies to enjoy!

Breakfast with Tim and Yoon the following morning which turned into a very indepth discussion about life and the after-life! Good conversation.

And then I went to visit a delightful little gourmet deli in Central Seoul, which I had discovered on my previous trip up there. They import jams and preserves from France, so naturally, I stocked up on marmelade, apricot preserve and some other mixed fruits jam. Yummy! They also import olive oil, olives, capers etc etc etc. They even have hand-make chocolates!

Then....back home to rural Gunwi and laziness. A 28-hr round trip that took me halfway up and down the entire country! I love travelling here. You can drive the length of the country in less than a day, and still have time to play! Hey! That rhymes!

Lots more travelling and activity planned for the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled and watch this space!

Lots of love to each and every one of you reading this ....

Andrea!

Plans Gone to the Pigs!

Hi all!

Oy vey!!! The swine flu has infected the hearts and minds of Koreans with fear.

The local drama contest has been cancelled. So our kids had learnt all those lines for nothing. And the best festival in Korea has also been cancelled! The mask-dance one. We have already booked accommodation, so have decided to go ahead with our plans to visit the city nonetheless. But there's another interesting festival that we might just attend - IF they don't cancel that one too! It's an international lantern festival, with traditional lanterns from all around the world, including South Africa! Apparently, it's quite a spectacle, lanterns floating on the river, and strung up on the mountains, or something like that.

I, however, have another bee buzzing in my bonnet. Since it's gonna be a long weekend here, I'm thinking of bus-hopping along the Korean coastline! How's that for a bit of adventure? Bear in mind, that the entire country is one big peninsula. Hop a long-distance bus to the nearest coastal town, spend the night, hop another bus to the next town, and so on. Well, I'll keep you posted.

By the way, the plumbing was sorted out on the same day.....of course, it was my long hair that was clogging the drain! A build-up of almost 6months! Hence, by the time I leave to come back home, it should be clogged up again :)

I've just realised that although it's only been 5 and a half months, it feels like soooo much longer, cos I've just done and seen so much. It's hard to believe that I could have done so much in such a short space of time! Well, life is for the living, so live it up, I say! No regrets on the deathbed!

I'm also in the process of booking yet another short holiday (a weekend trip, actually) to the beautiful honeymoon island of Jeju. Jeju is a self-governing island belonging to Korea. Almost all Korean newly-weds head here for their honeymoons. It's renowned as being the most beautiful part of Korea. I've seen some photos, and yes, it looks great. There's a company here called Adventure Korea that organises trips and sightseeing tours for foreigners. It's ridiculously cheap! Return airfare (it's a 12-14 hour ferry trip one-way - so flying much better), hotel accommodation, meals, entertainment, sightseeing, etc all come to just over R2000,00. A steal! There's even an African Art Museum on the island, so hopefully, it should be worth seeing.

Speaking of money....I know things are tight for most folk back home. So, if any of you are unemployed, or just want to earn some decent bucks, live for free, save some money, if you have a university degree (not necessarily an English degree), come and 'teach' English in Korea. There are jobs galore here. The Americans here are also encouraging their friends and family in the States to do the same. Korea's the only country in the world (apparently) that has continued an upward economic growth swing through these trying times. Thanks to Hyundai, Samsung and LG, no doubt! Take my word for it....you know how I've been travelling and booking holidays, and plane tickets as if I'm buying bread and milk at Pick 'n Pay. A word of caution, though, your health is a huge factor. Diabetics, etc are not accepted.

Weatherwise, things have finally begun to cool down here. Autumn has arrived. The sun's setting earlier, there's an early morning nip in the air, but the weather's still pleasant. I have been warned that soon it's gonna get unbearably cold. Then I can finally start wearing all those winter clothes I brought along!

Anyway, other than that, not much going on....

Love to all, and enjoy Spring!

Andrea :)

Plumbing Drama

Hello...

I have a funny little story to tell you guys...I couldn't help myself, just had to share it. (Well, it was quite funny this morning, at least.)

Korean plumbing leaves a lot to be desired....this is well-known here. It is for this reason that they don't flush toilet-paper down the toilet! Hence, very smelly bathrooms, due to the bins piling up with urine-soaked loo-paper. Gross, I know, but bear with me....please.

Well, I have held onto my Western hygiene very firmly, thank you. I still flush everything. So, I was a bit concerned when I ended up with a blocked drain in my bathroom. But rest assured, it's not the toilet! Well, I hope not.... ;) On that note, another SA friend of mine clogged her toilet system, including the neighbour's. They had to get a specialist in to unblock the plumbing. And she was very firmly told to NOT flush the paper!

Anyway, this morning I had to inform the admin office about my problem. My co-teacher had to translate for me, and afterwards he had a jolly good laugh cos now the entire admin office knows about my blocked drain. Anyway, remember the new admin guy I told you all about? The one who after a beer or two, couldn't stop professing his love for me? LOL! Well, he's the one who ended up under my bathroom sink, unclogging my drain! A tad bit embarrassing, I must say! He has been back a second time, and now the head admin guy is going over to check....apparently there's "a big problem". They had to call a plumber!

I wait in suspense.....teaching away while everyone's trooping through my home, inspecting the plumbing! Here in Korea, of course, it's quite ok, cos people are supposed to be honorable and you can generally leave your doors unlocked. I'm gonna need to have a lot of security re-training when I get back home, I can tell you!

On a happier note, remember Geoff? The loud American? Well, he's going back home to the US on Saturday. The Korean English teachers in the county of Gunwi have had weekly meetings with him, but now that he's leaving they have started meeting with another American in a neighbouring town. They don't meet with me, cos I'm not available on Wednesday afternoons when they meet. Anyway, this morning one of my co-teachers told me that she struggled to understand the new guy. She has gotten so used to my South African accent! LOL! But actually, he's not confident enough, doesn't speak clearly and is deaf in one ear, so even he struggles to understand/hear the teachers. (What's going on in his classroom, I wonder?) My co-teacher told me that she really missed me yesterday! Isn't that just so sweet?

I'll let you know the outcome of my plumbing drama......Speaking of drama, I'm looking forward to getting my actors' tongues tied up in knots. It's tongue twister rehearsal time!

Ciao for now!

Much love,

Andrea

Life in Korea

The following was copied from a post someone put on facebook.....

You know you've been in Korea too long when...

#You're no longer tempted to reach into the fish tanks outside of restaurants and grab one.

# When you instinctively know which can is for trash and which is for recycle.

# All the palaces and temples look alike.

# When you don't move for the car but you will move at lightning speed for the motorcycle.

# When you know the choreography to most K-pop songs.

# When Korean women stop looking anorexic.

# When you accept Konglish and stop trying to fix it.

# Korean TV starts making sense and you actually enjoy it

# Korean cops no longer look like boy scouts

# You can pronounce ‘Hyundai’ correctly and you’re even able to spell it in Hanguel for good measure

# Going to Itaewon is a culture shock.

# When pink isn't just for girls anymore.

# When you look both ways before crossing the sidewalk.

# When toilet paper isn't just used in the bathroom and it isn’t odd anymore to see it at the dinner table.

# When you have mastered the Korean squat.

# You can actually make a clear call while on the subway, in the subway station, in the elevator, or while on water.

# When kids walking or riding the subway by themselves no longer worries you.

# When a Western holiday passes and you barely even notice.

# When you're just as comfortable eating on the floor as you are at a table.

# When you will call 여기요 (Yeogiyo) without a second thought to get someone's attention.

# When you are disappointed when kimchi doesn't come with the meal

# Seeing a woman wearing flat shoes almost looks weird.

# You leave Korea and actually miss K-pop.

# You chase the guys in suits away to sit in the plastic chairs outside of convenience stores.

#When said plastic chairs and tables at the 7Eleven, Family Mart, Buy the Way are the hottest hang-out and chill spots

# You can't remember if something is English or Konglish but you totally understand it.

# If you've ever had more than one 'dangly' accessory thing on your cell phone.

# Watching drunk ajosshis stumble down the street is a form of entertainment.

# If you no longer groan when climbing the stairs to your favorite 3rd floor bar or to your apartment.

# You miss the freedom and sensation of driving, but wouldn't dare to drive in Korea.

# Hearing any language other than Korean or English almost shocks you.

# You stare at foreigners with the Koreans.

# If you happily eat soup from a shared bowl.

# If you've figured out how to eat cake with chopsticks.

# You think fecal smell while walking on the sidewalk is normal.

# You’re no longer disgusted when you see spit on the sidewalk

# Your English has actually gotten worse while in Korea.

# You stop picking off corn or sweet potato on a pizza.

# You’ve become immune to the ajumma stare.

# You become oblivious to Koreans staring at you

# When you jostle for a subway and bus seat with the best of them

# When you think it's fashionably acceptable to wear a shiny tie with a shiny suit

# If you've ever offered a Korean directions

# Women hiking and biking in heels no longer seems dangerous

# When you drink beer while walking on the street (BONUS POINTS: while dressed in the same clothes you taught in)

# You've caught yourself about to say something in Konglish

# If you put the peace sign (V for victory) in every picture.

# A Korean ever says "you use chopsticks better than I do!"

# When women in their twenties no longer look like teenagers.

# If you can't remember life before kimchi.

# You are immune to the smell of "the kimchi breath."

# You can pick up a single strand of noodles with chopsticks.

# You ask for more hot sauce because the kimchi-chige soup is not
hot enough.

# You slurp your noodles, cake, in fact anything, as loudly as you can and think nothing of it.

#Your back and neck are sore from bowing all day.

# You walk down the street holding hands with your buddy.

#You can eat barefooted in a restaurant with a foot in your lap.

# You can cut in at the front of the line of waiting people with the best of
them.

#You can fall asleep on the city bus and wake up at your stop.

#You can shovel in an entire bowl of rice and half a course of Bulkogi (Korean marinated meat) into your mouth before you swallow.

#You only lock your door if there are lots of "Mi-gooks" (Americans) around.

#People ask if you want to go by car and you respond, "No, I'm in a
hurry."

# You realize that it is safer to "J" walk than use a pedestrian
crosswalk.

#Seeing men in dark suits wearing white socks is no longer akin to a fashion faux pas.

#You can use a public bathroom for both genders and think nothing of it.

#You crawl back into your house to get your umbrella, rather than take your
shoes back off and walk on the floor with shoes on.

#Someone says breakfast, you think of "chicken, soup, rice and kimchi”

#You'd rather sit on the floor than in a chair.

#You start believing that you can blend into a large crowd of Koreans.

#All your shoes are bent flat in the back.

#You answer the phone by saying "yoboseyo," and sometimes even at
the office.

#Someone says "mansion" and you think of a two bedroom flat in a
400-unit apartment building.

#You mutter "Aigu" when lifting a heavy objects.

#You suck in air through your teeth before saying "no" to
anything.

#You start growling and spitting inside your mouth to add emphasis to what
you are about to say.

#You can convert Hangul into English without repeating it to yourself
first.

#You select shoes based on how easily you can get them on and off.

#You answer "Nhe" even when speaking English to non-Korean friends.

#You carry chopsticks in your back pocket.

#You enjoy putting lots of red pepper sauce on your salads or French-fries.

#You don't freak out when the salad arrives with octopus tentacles wiggling on top of it.

# You hate Japan for no apparent reason

# If you take pictures of your food before you eat.

# If you take pictures of YOURSELF before you eat.

#If you take pictures of yourself at every opportunity

# If every reflective surface can be used as a mirror

# When you know that rice can be used and transformed into a million different edible (some not so edible) treats including cake!

# You’ve considered giving someone Spam as a gift

# You look forward to your morning cup of instant coffee mix

I'm almost there, guys! Of the 89 points above, I already meet 63! And it's only been 5 months! H.E.L.P M.E. !!!!!!

Howdy!

Howdy!

So it's been a while since y'all heard from lil ole me, huh?

It's a new record....after inundating y'all with my 'travelogues' I thought it wise to give your mailboxes a break for a week or two. But now I'm back with a vengeance ;)

So, post-holiday, life in Korea is back to normal....almost. But, the fun and excitement continue, of course!

A bunch of us are planning to go traditional Korean at the end of the month. Some folk are coming over from Australia to holiday here in Korea; we have booked out 3 rooms in a traditional Korean village in Andong. Andong is renowned for its rich cultural heritage. It is also THE place in Korea that Queen Elizabeth chose to visit when she came to Korea. Apparently, she told her people to find the most culturally intact place in the country. So, that's where we're headed. I have been looking forward to this since I arrived in Korea, and the time has finally arrived! YAY!

If you can't understand why on Earth I am so excited, it's cos they have a theatre festival! Dammit! A mask-dance festival. So, I'm looking forward to the mask-dance performances, as it gives me something to take back to SA, should I resume teaching drama again. :)

Back at school, I am currently directing a short play for the Gunwi county English role-play contest! And thoroughly enjoying it! I feel like a drama teacher again. I have a small cast of 6. They are some of the strongest English students in the school. I am drilling their pronunciation, etc, but really .... not that much is needed. The lead actor is a naughty little bugger in class; my co-teacher reprimanded him last week in one of her classes (without me), and then he wanted to pull out of the play. She also wouldn't mind if he leaves. But he is a FANTASTIC actor!!! I suggested him for the play, actually, cos, naturally, I could spot his 'performer' nature a mile away. So, today, I had to fight for him to stay, and encourage him by playing to his typical performer's ego......So, naturally, it felt just like the real theatre deal, working with real actors! LOL! The thing is.....my school has never won a single drama contest, and now that they finally have a drama teacher on board, the pressure's on..... If we don't win this year, will it be a reflection of my abilities? Tough-tackie!

I have a new high school principal, who was an English teacher, and is also still very involved with the English programmes in Korea. My co-teachers are nervous, cos now more will be expected of them. Already, new principal wants to start a debating society, essay-writing contests, conversation classes, etc etc etc. Which is no problem for me, as I enjoy seeing and being part of progress, but I think the Korean teachers are already so snowed under with work, that the mere thought of anything extra in itself can be exhausting.

My middle school principal, who was once my English student, but was truant for a while, has returned to my class today. Much to his surprise, I have upped the level of difficulty in order to challenge my students. They are coping just fine, but he obviously struggled today, which made our progress slower......gggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

And finally, the most exciting news yet....I have a flight ticket plus visa for my Christmas visit to my niece in the States! We are very excited, as it will be the first time in almost 3 years that we see each other.

A word about the Americans.....you all know I'm not crazy about Americans, and the last place on Earth I ever wanted to visit was the jolly ole US of A. Thanks to my niece, that has all changed. I tell myself that I'm not interested in any sightseeing, as I'm NOT going to the States, but I'm going to spend time with my niece. (Who am I kidding? Shopping, shopping, shopping! 2 x suitcase baggage allowance for the States, etc.....I'm probably also gonna blow up like a hot-air balloon after all the yummy American junk food! LOL! But at least, it'll melt away again once I'm back to my daily Korean food!). Anyway, I do believe in giving credit where it's due. Despite all the problems and stupidity in America, I have never encountered such efficiency in my life!

A week ago, I had made an appointment for an application interview at the US Embassy in Seoul via the internet. Every last minute detail was on their website, everything I could possibly need. I followed everything to the letter, and it worked like a brand-new well-oiled machine! Slick and smooth, no bumps! I arranged to take Friday off from school, took the bus up to Seoul on Thursday evening, had my interview Friday morning, and early this morning (Monday) my visa arrived via courier. This entire process, i.e. research, making an appointment, applying, interview, granting of visa, return of passport, lasted ONE week! Sorted! Over! Finish en klaar! And thus, I credit the US Embassy system.

While in Seoul, I was very cultured! I popped into the Fine Arts museum, and thought very fondly of my ex-colleagues at Battswood. Wish you guys could see some of the art. There was also a drama festival happening across the road. Replicas of popular Korean tv dramas (what we call soapies) had been erected in central Seoul. There were movie cameras on all the surrounding street corners, the public could pose for photos, walk through the movie sets, etc, etc. Nice atmosphere.

Okey dokey, not much news other than that.....

Love and miss all of you,

Andrea