Christmas in Corea 2008

Christmas is a recognized holiday in Korea but is not nearly as celebrated as it is in America and other countries around the world. My Christmas started off with a light workout to allow me to stuff my face more. I took 6 of my friends for a “special” Christmas meal …. Dog Soup, Beer, and Soju … and then squeezed 12 people into my officetel for a pre-party before the traditional dinner in Itaewon. Around 5:30pm 15 of us went to Itaewon for a buffet of turkey, chicken, potatoes, stuffing, and other good stuff. I proceeded to eat way too much and went home by 10:00pm. I napped and then woke up to “open presents” with my family like every year thanks to technology (web cams). My presents were great and some were not the normal Christmas gifts – Velveeta Mac and Cheese and Chicken Soup and Taco Seasoning (for my favorite chicken recipe) but were greatly appreciated!

So Christmas 2008 was very special in many ways. It was still hard to be away from my family despite “seeing” them on the computer and I am thankful for my friends here because without them, Christmas wouldn’t have been as sweet.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas wherever you are and Santa was good to you!

Korean Trivia: Rumor has it that “Korea” was spelled “Corea” but the Japanese changed it because they were mad that “Corea” came before them in the alphabet!

Hate for Cabbies ... Love for Kimchi

FRIDAY ...

It's the middle of December and the weather is surprisingly mild compared to back home. On Friday, I went to Dr. Fish with some friends and then we sang our hearts out at the "Luxury Noraebang (singing room)." After a long night of getting our feet eaten by fish, chilling, chatting, and singing (no drinking), it was about 1:00am and we were ready to head home. We asked about 8-9 cabs to take us home and they all rejected us! And.. it wasnt just us... Korean people were gettig rejected too. So as we continued to attempt to hail a taxi, we were baffled why cab drivers drive by yet dont pick anyone up! Eventually, my friend Jared and I just started walking and 1.25hrs later, we made it home!

The good:

1. It wasnt blistering cold
2. We didnt get lost
3. We werent stumbling around
4. We didnt have to pee
5. We saved money

The bad:

1. I was in heels
2. Jared didnt have gloves
3. I caught a cold
4. We created a HATE for cab drivers in Hongdae

(Sarah, Jared, and I singing something - Greatest Love of all, The Rose, Dirrty, who knows)

Sunday ...

I went to my birth mother's house and made Kimchi and Chap Chae. It was really fun and since I made it, I figured I should eat some. I didnt throw up or run to the bathroom for a #2 right away... so it was a good day!

For Korean Cooking 101 (pics & videos) and more pictures, go to:

http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,
Meghan, Meg, Min Jin, Meghan Teacher, Shep :)

KTV Cribs - Part 2: Birth Mother's House

My birth mother lives in NE Seoul with her "boyfriend" of 6 years. Mun Hyuk has lived there on and off. Her house is similar to my birth fathers but arranged differently and she doesnt have any beds - she pulls out mats to sleep on every night.

Again, I'm thankful for my living quarters in America :) ENJOY!

Violation #3

The massage chair at the Jjing Jil Bang (Sauna Room)!!!!

I’d been relaxing in the hot steam rooms for a couple hours and was in complete chill mode. Then my friend and I decided to use the massage chairs. It was just a normal massage chair until I unexpectedly felt one of the massage arms go from my girl area up through the butt crack (sorry no way to say it politely).

Guess it’s necessary from all the Ddong-Chims people give/get around here :)

I've been VIOLATED

So.... I consider Seoul to be a very safe city to live in. The crime rate is low, people seem trustworthy, and if anyone tried to mess with me, I'd have a fair fight since a lot of the men (and women) here are short and/or skinny!

But in the past few months, I've felt the most "unsafe" in the classroom... of all places!

And here's why...

Violation #1: When I was facing the whiteboard, a 5 yr old girl put her hands together forming a gun shape and poked me in the butthole and proceed to giggle. I immediated turned around and said "no" because that is about all the Korean she knows. I learned it's called ... the "Ddong-Chim means “Shit needle” ... and that I havent been the only victim of it!

Violation #2: As we were lining up before the bell rang, another 5 yr old kindergarten girl started poking at my boobs and asking “what are??" I sputtered out, "they are woman parts" and evacuated the situation as quick as possible. I've noticed most Korean woman lack a bust size over a "B" cup so several kids have been perked with curiosity over the boob (and not just mine).

Hopefully there is not a 3rd violation anytime soon :)

Here's a picture of the "ddong chim" you can get put on a t-shirt..

Doctor Fish is WICKED Awesome!

(Fish at my Feet)

My weekend was filled with some new cultural experiences and it was wicked fun!

* Dr Fish Cafe - My friend Jaimi and I planned to have a "girls night" until 2 white guys approached us in the subway asking for directions and we ended up inviting them with us to Dr. Fish Cafe. So we drank wine, ate pizza, chatted, all while having our feet in a pool of fish that eat the dead skin off of our feet. It felt weird but good at the same time and my feet felt phenominal afterward.. The guys were two marine guys who were cool until they started acting like the typical "GI guys" .. at that point we said, "thanks for buying!" and were on to bigger and better things.. aka going to a bar w/ our friends.

* Amateur Kickboxing - After 3 hrs of sleep and 4 hours of working on Saturday, I was peer pressured to go to an Amateur Kickboxing match. After we went on what felt like a scavenger hunt to find the place, We ended up in the basement of a small gym with a rink. My friend's friend who's a girl fought some guy and lets just say she made him cry after it was over!

* Batting Cages - I found batting cages right outside a subway station in the heart of a busy neighborhood. I tried to strut my stuff but the pitches were wicked and failed to convince people girls can hit baseballs because I only made contact on a few. Oh well... after I embarassed myself, I watched my friends feed money into the crane/claw game (those are everywhere and you can win anything from a lighter to a padlock to an iron!).

* My weekend was then topped off with a lazy Sunday watching "Uncle Buck" and chilling with some friends... No birth family this weekend but hopefully next!

(Dr. Fish - Me, Jaimi, Phil Peacock, and Tai)

Black Day, White Day, Red Day, Pepero Day!

So I recently found out that November 11th (11.11) is Pepero Day in Korea... what does that mean? It is sort of like a Valentines Day invented by the creators of the candy Pepero. Pepero are long, thin, chocolate sticks and 4 of them make 11.11. Clever huh! So boyfriends buy it for their girlfriends, friends by it for friends, and everyone is Pepero-ed out by the end of the day.

Apparently there is Pepero Day (11.11), Valentine's Day (2.14) and White Day (3.14) for couples. White day is where the girls give the gifts and Valentine's day is the same as in the states...

I think I'll avoid confusion and just celebrate Black Day (4.14) which is the day for people who, "didn't give or receive gifts on Valentine's Day or White Day can get together and eat Jjajangmyeon white Korean noodles with black bean sauce (hence the name), to commiserate their singledom (from Wikepedia)." ......................Hmmm............ with this definition maybe I'll find a temporary boyfriend so I can at least have chocolate and not black bean spaghetti!

Ahhh the culture differences here in the Homeland :)

(Pepero Displays were all over Korea)

Songs, Sweat, and Sweetness

Cute Korean Boys

I found some cute Korean boys...

....too bad they only come in kid sizes!!! :)

***Halloween Costume at School***

(Sarah's a Gypsie and I'm a pumpkin)

KTV Cribs - Birth Father's Home

Here is a virtual tour of my birth father's house (not exactly the kind of Crib that MTV shows)...

Things to Note..

1. The bathroom doesnt have a sink (just a hose and bucket) and the big thing in it is the washing machine (no dryer)

2. Space is limited in Korea and millions of people live like this or in a high rise apartment. Houses with a yard are non-existent (I havent seen one yet)

3. Right now, there are 4 people living in my birth father's house (Birth Father, Half Sis, Brother, Brother's Girlfriend)

4. I stayed there Saturday night so that made 5. I slept in my half sister's room while she slept in my birth father's room. There isnt such a thing as personal space... Mun Hyuk's girlfriend came into my room w/o knocking because some of her stuff was in that room (which was fine). Mun Hyuk told me to go into my birth father's room to watch TV despite the fact that my half sis was still sleeping (which I did).

5. When we have meals, we sit on the floor in the kitchen. We've squeezed as many as 6 in there so far.

Soapbox Topic: Education in Korea

**4-5yr old American age kids - having fun and being goofy... but it wont last long!**

A discussion I had in my Elite class of students sparked my interested in getting further research. We were talking about education and how it works in Korea. The kids I was speaking to were the best students at my Academy – they come to YBM from 4:25-7:35 on Tuesday and Thursday to study CNN Current Events, TOEFL, and Debate. In addition, they play piano, violin, and study other subjects after school during the week.

Why I am not a fan of the Korean Education System

1. The Korean saying "Sleep five hours and fail, sleep four hours and pass" is taken seriously
Physical Education isnt considered a “priority” – only Math, Science, Korean, Social Studies, and English
2. They go to school every other Saturday
3. Almost every night, they go to “hagwons” to get extra tutoring in Math, Science, or English- aka they go to school all day and go to school at night as late as midnight! ---- then they have to do all their homework!
4. There are too many exams to determine futures- and thus putting too much stress on a elementary school-high school students
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in Korean Teenagers (wikipedia) to car collisions
5. You move up by grade according to your AGE not ability/skills
6. You get into college based SOLEY on the College Scholastic Ability Test (like ACT except much worse) --- each university has a score you need to get. You don’t get the score, you don’t get in… no if’s and’s or but’s about it. Apparently, some kids start preparing for it as early as Kindergarten
7. Test scores are more important that personality or skills = a world of objectivity
8. Apparently Objectivity could cause “opportunities for corruption (wikipedia)”
9. The Education Tree (American age in parentheses)
--- Kindy: 5-7yrs old (4-6)
--- Elementary 8-13 yrs old (7-12)
--- Middle: 14-16yrs old (13-15)
--- High school: 17-19yrs old (16-18)
--- College: 20-24 yrs old (women), 20-26 yrs old (men) (19-23/19-25 men go to military from 22-24 yrs old

So, I gotta wonder what kind of education I would’ve had if I stayed here. My family was/is poor and my brother didn’t go to college (apparently he didn’t think he needed to- not sure if he ever applied).

**Would I buckle under the pressure or work my tush off and become a workaholic, stressed out person at the age of 9?

**What educated me more, my “classroom hours” or my “extra curricular hours” growing up?

I don’t agree with all the education tactics in America but I sure do like its system better – gym class is required, it believes in subjectivity AND objectivity, no school on Saturday… and most important I had the ability to be a KID and have a life outside homework!

Plus, I think playing sports/extra curricular activities gives students a chance to LEARN and BE EDUCATED in other ways!

Ok … I’ll get off my soap box now :)

Kodak Moments...

If you want to see Korea in pictures because you're too lazy to read (which is understandable), I have over 150 pictures on my other nerdy website...

I dont write everything in my blog but I always post pictures of the stuff I've done.

Picture: http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09

THANKS FOR READING!

Meghan

The SHEPHERDS let loose in SEOUL

My first visitors in Seoul came and went and we had quite an adventure… they braved the subways and the 14 million people, ate weird food and lived to tell about it… and really did a wicked awesome job immersing themselves in this foreign culture!

GOOD JOB DAD, GINA, and ANGELA!

They did a bunch of stuff and we have a lot of fun memories... and here are some highlights:

Eating 뻔 데 기 (silkworm larva). It’s in a huge pot that smells nauseating and a little old lady gives you a Dixie cup of the warm, slime covered larva for only W2,000. I ate one, Angela ate one… and Dad finished the Dixie cup. He was never one to let food go to waste no matter how disgusting it tasted.

Singing Karaoke at the 노래방 (Music Room). Gina said, “All Koreans are such good singers.” That is when I realized how un-Korean-like I am because I sucked and my birth mother, her boyfriend, and my cousin were awesome!

Ice Skating at 목동 아이스릭 (Mokdong Ice Rink). Just before we stepped on the ice, the worker said, “You need to wear gloves when you’re skating.” I immediately was puzzled and asked why. He said, “It’s a safety precaution.” So I went to the little store and bought 4 pairs of gloves (like the stretchy gloves you can buy at target) and away we went. I did not feel much safer with the gloves and am still wondering and annoyed why it was needed. I think it’s so the they can make some money.

Eating 보신탕 (Dog Soup). Dad and I went on a search for boshintang just to see if it existed. We went to Yeongdeungpo Market and a side alley to ask (because I knew it wouldn’t be available on the main street since it’s technically illegal to serve I guess). A man said, “Ahhh boshintang” and led us to a restaurant. As he did, he kept saying, “boshintang” to those we passed. One old lady behind her sewing machine gave a grin that was priceless – either “you guys are daring” or “youre doing something illegal and I like it” or “you guys are crazy” – still not sure how to translate it. We went in both a little unsure of the whole situation, ordered a small bowl of soup and a couple of beers to kill the taste. The smell was bad (not as bad as the 뻔 데 기 but close. It was just regular soup. The meat was tender. It was just the psychological trauma of trying it… Dad and I sat there thinking of all the rationalizations we could for eating this food to convince ourselves we weren’t wackos. We’re both over it.. I think

Whose MY DADDY???

Imagine being in one room and calling out dad and two people answer…

Well, that’s how it was when my birth father and adopted father met for the first time last week. I was a little nervous but it didn’t last long. Both of my fathers were very easy going and were happy to meet each other. Birth father got mushy when he said “I want to thank you for taking such good care of Min Jin.” Adopted father said “Gamsahamnida (thank you… for having an illegitimate child and shipping her off to Korea).”

My Birth Father said bought CDs to learn English and said it’s really hard. My Adopted father responded with, “I did the same thing...and Korean is really hard too” --- great minds think alike I guess.

My birth father said, “I feel like we are one big family now” which I think is kinda true. My adopted father said, “Our situation is very lucky and very unique since it’s not very often adopted parents and biological parents can come together like this … and get along.”

My birth father was saying that he feels like I am his daughter and he wants to show me off. That is why he took me to Andong and Pohang, South Korea to see his family.

My adopted dad politely smiled.

After the dinner was over, I asked my dad (adopted dad) what he thought when my birth father said that. He said, “I’m not jealous or angry or anything because I know you’re coming home to me.” So in other words, he took it like a man!

And he’s right… I am so happy to have a family here in Seoul but I’m not going to ditch my family in America and stay in Seoul the rest of my life.

I am building life lasting relationships with my biological family which is awesome… and America is where my home is and where I’ll be returning after this year is up.

I Surprise Myself Sometimes

Last weekend I went out with Jackie Teacher for her last weekend in Seoul… Saturday night we were rocking out dancing and having a great time in Itaewon. I told myself I’d be home around 2am or so thinking I’m old and can’t hang all night.


Here's a picture of new teacher Sarah, me, Jackie, and new Teacher Jared @ Wolfhound Bar..

SURPRISE ... next thing I know, it’s 7:00am and the sun in shining. I was mildy impressed I did it but that soon went away since I had a hangover for about 2.5 days! No regrets but I have now learned from my mistakes.

On Sunday, I did get out of bed and Jackie and I went on the Han River Boat Cruise. It was a 1hr excursion to check out the night scenes of Seoul. It was cool despite being a wee under the weather. It’s supposed to be a “romantic” thing so Jackie and I took a picture in the “heart” of lights – when in Rome right?!?

Here's a picture of us on the cruise... and me rockin the "RAFFIA" shirt from my birth mom. Dont ask what "RAFFIA" means because I have no fricken idea! haha...

More transitions at work – Jackie leaving, 5 new teachers – all American or Canadian, 3 guys, 2 gals. All seem very cool! Which will make the next 9 months a good time :)

A night view of Seoul Tower from Yeuido Park...

Ode to the Pencil Case

Ohhhh pencil case, why must you be so fancy and attractive???

You have become so elaborate over time and are now complete with drawers, compartments, and even games. You have such great abilities and students are able to organize and store their most prized pencils with you ….

However, while you serve a purpose by holding the pencils neatly in a row, you drive all of us teachers F#&*ING crazy!!!! Each day you distract the students and sometimes you fall to the ground and need to be fixed. You take a beating and it’s painful for us teachers to watch. Your fanciness is a teacher’s tragedy ….

We cannot educate the youth of Korea and we end up taking you away and making young children cry. Please… please… re-consider your style over your purpose and go back to when life was simple.
Also, tell your pencil friends to become friends with the eraser and join together as one. Because they are separate, it makes the children use the eraser as a throwing device… hostage from another student… or they do not take good care of it and lose it.

I am not sure why the eraser takes the abuse but the truth is… it does. By joining together, the poor child who does not have an eraser doesn’t have to go around to each student asking for one when they make a mistake and the teachers will be happy because they can continue on with a lesson without distraction.

These simple things will make teachers less pissed off during the day and will reduce their discipline actions to a minimum… thus everyone is happy!!!!

Thanks for your consideration,
Meghan Teacher

(No Pencil Cases = Happy 6 and 7 year olds... and their teachers)

Australia Kindergarten Class - October Birthday Party!

Abortion -- Orphan -- American

(picture: my foster mother and I)

Today I spent 3 hours “interviewing” my birth mother to learn about my past. I was almost brought to tears a couple times but held them in. Some of the information I’ve heard before and a lot of it was new and quite intriguing… I was almost aborted, was declared an “orphan” after I was born, and then became an “American.” Crazy huh?!?

Here’s how it all went down:

* BM = Birth mother, BF = Birth father

1. My BM and BF met 2 years before they got pregnant with me. My BM worked at a restaurant and my BF came in one night and ate there.

2. When they got pregnant, my BM asked my BF’s family if they could marry but they couldn’t because she was 3 years older than him. Her and my BF ended up separating and she had to deal with the pregnancy all by herself.

3. She tried to get an abortion but she couldn’t economically and a little bit mentally. She saw an advertisement about adoption and called the number and talked to a social worker.

4. The only people who knew she was pregnant were my BF and his family. She kept it a secret from her family.

5. She was in labor 24hrs with me and when I was born, the social worker said “it’s a daughter,” let my BM give me a hug, and took me away. In my adoption papers, I was declared an “orphan” and then was put with a foster mother who gave me the name “Min Jin”

6. She was at a “dongbang” which is kind of like a salvation army a month before and after I was born. Her support system during the pregnancy were other unmarried pregnant women she met at the “dongbang.”

7. After I was born, my BM told her mother she was pregnant but “lost” the baby. My grandmother made my BM and BF move in together since they had a baby together. They got pregnant with my brother, Mun Hyuk and kept him because they were living together and should raise the baby together. People thought they were married so I guess it was more “acceptable” to raise a baby now.

8. She got pregnant AGAIN but had an abortion because he couldn’t raise another child and she thought she already had a daughter and son.

9. My Birth parents got divorced because my BF was having affairs with several women.

10. When she knew I was coming to Korea in 1994, she told everyone the truth and they were supportive of her.

From then to now, she lived with a guy, had an “arranged” marriage, and met her current boyfriend (she’s not married to him) through internet chatting

From then to now, my BF was with the woman he had an affair with, then my half sister’s mother, then another woman, and now his current woman (I don’t know if they’re married or not).

This was some crazy stuff to hear. I was shocked, happy, sad, confused, and a dozen other emotions… but this is why I came to Korea. To get the TRUTH.

I’m going to “interview” my BF so it’ll be interesting to hear his side of the story …

After they left, I wanted to ball my eyes out but didn’t. Instead, I let all of this information soak in as I scarffed down a pepperoni pizza :)

Min Jin LIVE!

Addendum:

1. It's Jessica Martin now not Jessica Composto... sorry Jess!

2. My anxiety issues are only with the Korean Language - it kind of sounded like I was having anxiety with Korea! not so much .... just speaking the language :)

Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09

Chuseok @ YBM ECC Mokdong

CHUSEOK is the Korean Thanksgiving. This and the Lunar New Year are Korea's two most celebrated Holidays... So at ECC we made "songpyeon" which is a rice cake, did a "manners class" to learn how to bow and the kids played the game "yut."

(Kindergarten - Spain Class)

(Kindergarten - Australia Class)

(Jackie, Chelea, and I)

(Anne- my boss, Hailey, and I)

(Me as a lil' tike and at 26 wearing the Traditional Korean Hanbok)

Dear Diary ....

Dear Diary,

This last week was both uneventful and eventful. Thanks to facebook.com, Wednesday I met up with a friend of a friend from High School (Shinano) because she saw me on facebook and figured I had to be a Korean adoptee like her. We had pajeon (Korean pizza) and while we chatted for over 2 hours, I picked out the squid legs from the pajeon. It was great to talk to someone here who’s going through the same stuff as I am as an “adoptee.”

We’ve both met our biological family and are here to reunite and spend time with them and we both don’t know Korean and struggle with the language barrier. Our thoughts, emotions, experiences are a bit different but same at the same time. I’m sure we’ll get together again! Now I have someone who can relate to the buttslaps and the force feeding!!!

On Thursday, I went with a Korean Teacher, Eunice, and we got our nails did! It brought me back to grade school when I would have a different color of nail polish on each nail. That’s a big trend here now so I guess I was ahead of the game in fashion for once. I toyed with many different colors and landed on a light purple. It’s different and a bit soft at the same time… after that pampering, I have a feeling I’m going to find an even bigger obsession with my nails.

The weekend consisted of Korean classes, studying, running, and going to N. Seoul Tower on top of Namsan Mountain.

I have a serious case of performance anxiety when it comes to speaking Korean. I don’t like doing things I’m not good at so it’s hard for me to practice and it sounds good in my head but when I try to speak it, it comes out horrible. So I need to use some of my athletic counseling skills… on myself!

Mun Hyuk, my Korean Teacher friend Chelsea who speaks English, and I went to N. Seoul Tower on Saturday. We took the cable car up and walked around, had a coffee and took some pictures. It was very cool and good sober fun for a Saturday night. I told my brother I wanted to fly him to the USA when I come home next July. So it’s really going to happen and my friends and family back in Minnesota can meet him which I’m excited about.

So I had a good weekend of being social and relaxing. This week is a full week and then we have a long weekend because of Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) so I’m looking forward to that!

I’m trying to do more cardio besides walking to work so I’m on a “run 2 miles every other day” kick… we’ll see how long that lasts.

Until next time,

Min Jin

More picture: http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09

* Friday I gained an appreciation for “bar close” because it tells you you’re drunk and have to go home. I had dinner with co-workers and then was drinking till after 3am. Needless to say the next day I felt like “dong.”

* Teachers are leaving, new ones are here … so it’s a sad and happy time so it was worth the hangover.

* “When in Rome” I’m not a fan of going to a restaurant with all foreigners. Despite the chicken fingers and honey mustard sauce I had to cure my hangover, I wasn’t feeling the vibe even though I was around people that I’ve been used to for the past 26 yrs of my life. Weird huh?!?!

* “Yagu” aka baseball (well softball) was introduced to my sister this weekend. I tried to show her the way… and she didn’t do half bad for a first timer. My brother showed me his skills – he had some strong points and then looked a bit uncoordinated at other times. The hardest I threw was about 60% at one point and I guess I hurt my brother’s finger. Oops! It was wicked funny though b/c I got to see more of my siblings’ personalities. Mun Hyuk was playing “catcher” and giving me signs and animating the umpire “strrriiikke.” We got through the language barrier just fine. Softball is softball no matter what country you’re in.

* After dinner w/ birth father and his wife, we went for a stroll along a stream and saw a fountain light show which was neat. Then we came back, I got a mini physical from my step- mom --- she was squeezing my arms and legs and was like “ahh good” but then she squeezed the belly and it was “not so good” ... It looked like she was reading my palm and then she started talking… Korean Korean Korean “dong” Korean Korean and gave a little poke to the top of my poop shoot. Yeah that was uncomfortable… but then my sister gave me a massage (aka cracking my back and then pound it to death) which surprisingly feels good.

* My brother and I are meeting at 7:00pm at Chungmuro Subway next Saturday to have dinner and then see Namsan Tower (Similar to the tower in Seattle). We communicated that all by ourselves! Woop woop!

* Birth mother gave me more clothes and they are becoming less hideous. Two shirts have “RAFFIA” written about 4 times. No idea what it means but that’s fashion around here.

A fun weekend to close out August and start September!

More pictures: http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09

A Typical Day ...

8:45am-9:00am Wake up and nudge myself between my hwajangshil (toilet) and sink and take a shower.

9:05am-9:30am Dry my hair and put my make-up on in my kitchen/laundry room and make achi'm (breakfast) - Cheesy eggs and ham

9:30-9:50am Walk to work; Walk by portrait studio seeing all the cute baby pics and a gauntlet of women passing fliers out who I reject everyday

10:00-11:15am Transform into "Meghan Teacher" and get ready for the first two classes (kindergarten- Phonics)

11:15-12:35pm Be impressed at the little tikes that can speak dang good English; do my best not to smack others around that are being little poopheads.

12:35-1:15pm Sit with my kidy class for lunch – listen to the girls saying they have a stomach ache and then it becomes contagious and EVERYONE has a stomach ache so they can stop eating…. At first I just let them do what they want. Now, I tell them if they have a stomach ache, they must be too sick to have playtime.. it’s amazing how they suddenly feel better. Then my student Grace will ask if she can stop eating and then she’ll say 10 more bites. Which ultimately forces her to finish her food. I watch her along w/ everyone else shove as much rice into their mouth as they can and some of them even make themselves gag. It’s so cute to see their chipmunk cheeks but not so cute when they look like they’ll throw up or try and talk with their mouth full.

1:15-7 or 8pm Prep for classes, get out of the school and get a snack (Kimbop for W1,000) review my own English skills (prepositions, adverbs, etc), teach 3-6 more classes, check my mail kushipo times (95).

8:00pm As soon as the last bell rings, I’m outta there. Walk home – it’s nice except when a guy on a bike came up and said “sexy?” – I said know under the assumption he wanted a lil’ somethin something and he rode away. If he tried harder, it wouldn’t have taken much to beat him up b/c he was just a little guy.

8:30pm I get to my door and punch my 4 digit code in (I dont carry any keys here)– open the door with hesitation b/c ONE time I opened it and dang near had a heart attack b/c my birth father was in my apartment!!!

8:31- 10pm - Turn the AC on, make some chonyok (dinner) - chicken nuggets w/ spaghetti sauce and salad (no noodles) or a chicken nugget salad – trying not to eat rice or noodles at home, teach myself hanguk (Korean), write a draft for a potential book, watch Korean TV

11-12am Put on either my pink or blue stripped mickey mouse pj’s that my birth mother sewed for me (not so sexy), put in one of my DVDs, and fall asleep eventually.

(6yr old Kindy class - field trip to Ecology Museum)

Tomorrow, I see you? 4 o’clock Miasamgeori Station? Yes ~ No

Note: No mention of bowel movements in this blog… sorry! Haha..

Even though it’s still hard to connect with my birth mother, I figured I needed to try. I need to start not relying on my cousin to communicate and I wanted to prove to myself I could spend time with my birth mother without Mun Hyuk or my cousin and feel comfortable.

So I text her on Saturday asking “Tomorrow, I see you? 4 o’clock Miasamgeori Station? Yes ~ No)” She apparently got what I was saying and we ended up meeting on Sunday.

It was just us in a car. My Lonely Planet Korean Phrasebook, a notebook, and a pen.

I am forcing to try and speak Korean even though I hate doing things I’m not good at. I asked “husband, where?” and she said he was at brother’s house. Then I asked his name since it’s been two months and I didn’t know it yet. It’s Jo, Sung Soo. My birth mother speaks limited broken English which is good. Then I asked when her birthday was because that was a homework assignment from my Korean Lessons. She told me in Korean and it’s Sept 25, 1958. She showed me my text message and all the things wrong with my hangul. I asked if she worked today and she said only Monday-Saturday. I was having surprisingly a good time.

We went to E-Mart and she proceeded to buy me $70 worth of groceries, a pair of shoes, and a shirt. Her and I are alike when it comes to grocery shopping because we both look at expiration dates and choose the longest lasting product. However, I don’t think that’s genetic because it wasn’t until after I worked at Kwik Trip (the gas station) that I cared. It breaks my heart since I know she’s poor but I think this is her way of showing she cares. I’ve tried to pay and keep saying thank you and she gives the “don’t be ridiculous look and say thank you. That’s what I’m here for” look.

Then we went to Sung Soo’s brother’s house because I think every Sunday, they go there and play this card game. “It’s custom” my birth mother said. I have NO idea what the game’s objective was but it was fun to watch. I learned my aunts’ and uncles’ names and the how names work.

Person: (Last Name, Given Name, Given Name) ---- SEE A PATTERN?

Birth Mother: Huh, Hyun Ok
Her sister: Huh, Kui Ok
Her brother: Huh, Pyeong Sup
Her brother: Huh, Rung Sup

Step Father: Jo, Sung Soo
His brother: Jo, Tong Soo
His sister: Jo, Mee Sook
His brother: Jo, Kyeong Soo
His brother: Jo, Yeong Soo
His sister: Jo, Hye Sook

Then I attempted to ask about my Korean name: Kim, Min Jin. I wrote it and circled “Kim” and said “Father” because that is his last name. Then I circled “Min Jin” and wrote “why?” She looked at my phrasebook and pointed to “babysitter” and after a horrible drawing, I THINK my foster mother gave me the name “Min Jin.” I’ll ask Aram to clarify.

This was something I knew I’d be uncomfortable with because I have always felt uneasy around my birth mother but it was something I had to do. It turned out to be a great day and I think we got to know each other. However, it still absolutely SUCKS sitting in a car with so many questions and so many things to say and just having to sit there silent.

I’m going to “interview” her with my cousin to translate and that will be incredibly valuable. Hopefully soon so a lot of questions can be answered.

Holiday Weekend

Thursday night I sat outside the GS25 (convenience Store) basically in my pajamas with my co-worker Jackie. We drank the bottle of wine I got for a present from my brother’s yeoja chingu (girlfriend), had oreo’s, pringles, and then a liter of Cass Lite (maek-ju). It was a good evening especially for only W5,000 ($5.00)!!!

Friday I went on the hunt for a pillowcase since I still hadn’t found one. I found out they don’t have cheap, cotton pillowcases like they do in the good ol’ USA. The only thing I found was W12,500 and it is a nice, fabric case and you zip your pillow in it. Out of all the hideous patterns, I found one that semi-matches my comforter… and then I realized it doesn’t matter b/c 90% of things don’t match here and it’s considered “cool.”

Then I was walking home and I ran into Jackie and another co-worker so we went to a DVD Room and watched a movie. It’s on the 3rd floor of a building and you pick a DVD and there are a bunch of rooms that seat 2-3 people and you watch it in private for W18,000. Not a bad deal. I just hoped to god that the store owner sanitizes the leather sofas religiously because who knows who or what did what one day…. We watched “Enchanted” and it was a cute chick flick. Nothing to write home about (even though I kinda am).

Saturday I ran for the first time in a while with my handy mask to cover my face from pollution. Then I met my family to celebrate my step-father’s birthday. Saeng-il Ch’uk’a Haeyo (HAPPY BIRTHDAY)! It only took me two days to practice and it came out ok :)

After dinner, I went to Insadong with brother, his girlfriend, and his chingu (who always shows up randomly – I think my mom wants to set us up or something). We went to an arcade and I outlasted everyone in a shooting game. Not sure if I’m too proud of that. Then I raced my brother in a car game and I SUCKED. It felt foreign getting behind the wheel again… cant imagine how it’s going to feel in 10 months…

Then we went to Cheonggyecheon which is a waterway that runs through Seoul. The Olympic Baseball game was playing on a big screen – Korea vs. Japan. That was cool to see the support and woo hoo for Korean winning.

Sunday I planned to do nothing when I woke up just before 11am. Then I got a text from my birth father in Korean so I spent damn near an hour trying to figure out what he was saying. I actually figured it out so I was kinda proud of myself. Then he sent another one and my confidence was again crushed because I had no idea what it meant. My cousin ended up calling and I went to his house for lunch (chopchae and bbq meat – YUMMY)

(pictures: top - Step-father's 3 brothers/1 sister and significant others, middle - Cheonggyecheon, bottom - Chingu, yeoja chingu (girlfriend), dongsaeng (younger sibling), Min Jin)

Blast from the Past

(rough translation: Min Jin, lunch eat Hongje Subway station)

When I was at my birth father’s house sitting on his floor in his kitchen with 5 other people, he took out pictures I had sent in 1994 and the scrapbook I made him in 2002. It was a blast from the past. Seeing letters I wrote him translated. Seeing what my favorites, likes/dislikes, and goals were when I was a sophomore in college. Seeing my poodle perm from the 3rd grade … it was crazy!

I got a weird feeling seeing all of that and thought it was incredibly cool that he kept everything. It was amazing seeing the pictures when I was 12yrs old wearing ugly glasses and a Charlotte Hornets t-shirt uniting for the first time with my brother who was swimming in the University of Minnesota sweatshirt we got him for a gift (because has shorter than me – which didn’t last long).

We have come so far from there and all of us have changed so much… and now we’re all sitting at a table eating a meal, scrambling to use whatever props we can to communicate (books, cell phones, hand gestures) and are getting to know the “real” people we have become.

It was great … and I didn’t even freak out when my step-mom gave me the butt slap.

(attempted translation: "lunch, I cooked")

Language Lesson: Korean's word order is backwards. Instead of saying "I want to eat lunch" (Subject --> Verb --> Object) you say "I lunch eat want to" (Subject -->Object --> Verb) ... hence why this language is a bitch to learn.

Pee-Pee vs. Shee Shee

(Hye Lim (Brother's Girlfriend) and I at Palgukjeong - top of mountain w/ great view of Seoul)

Tonight I had an intellectual conversation with my birth mother, brother, his girlfriend, and Jamie (our English speaking friend). We talked about “dong” which is “poop” in Korean and I taught them some very important English words – “pee pee” and “poop.” I phonetically broke down how to say the word “poop” which was the first time in my life I’ve had to do that. Then my birth mom was sitting saying “pee pee” and “p – oo – p” quietly to herself to practice… Needless to say we were all laughing hysterically.

In Korea to say “pee-pee” it’s “shee shee” because that’s what it sound like coming out.

I’m 26 years old (27 in Korea) and the “pee pee” and “poop” conversations/jokes still never get old :)

Anniversary Dinner

(photo L to R: girl is brother's chingu (friend), next girl is brother's girlfriend, boy standing is brother's chingu, my brother, me, cousin's husband, cousin, birth father, step mother, half sister)

So if you didn’t know, I have 2 birthdays and an anniversary I celebrate each year…

Birthday #1: March 17- that is the day in America I was born b/c of the 14hr time difference – also St. Patrick’s Day which made my Irish Grandpa very proud but he thought it was funny it took an Asian woman to give him a St. Patty’s day baby

Birthday #2: March 18 - the date on my birth certificate

Anniversary: August 4 – the day I arrived to America to start my new life

I celebrate my anniversary by going out to eat Korean food since that’s where I came from and to celebrate my arrival …

So since I’m in Korea, I thought I should continue the tradition. However, I celebrated it backwards this time. I took my Korean Family to TGI Fridays and ate American Food since that was the day I left Korea to go to America.

They thought it was my birthday and it was hard to explain that that was the day I left Korea so in fact they should be sad... but that didn’t matter. It was interesting to observe them figure out what to order and try my chicken alfredo and tell me they don’t like it. The same thing happens in American when family doesn’t know what to get and thinks things on the menu look weird. My American family would each get their own dish (in Korea you share everything) and my Korean Family ordered a few dishes and shared them all (which doesn’t happen when Americans go to TGIF).

So this dinner was cool for me because just like in America, 2 cultures collide for 1 day. I feel luck I could celebrate this day from both sides of the fence and that both my families are willing to give the other culture a try.

Butts, Bellies, and Balls in Beijing

(bare butt babies - they just go anywhere; saves on buying diapers)

(bare bellied men - cools them down but not so easy on the eyes)

(balls - the city was decked out in sport paraphernalia)

Tuesday:
1. Arrived and found our hostel after getting a taxi driver to call (using a gesture of “telephone") our hostel for directions
2. Went to an Acrobatics Show – it was wicked awesome and cheap!

Wednesday:
1. Tianamen Square – largest public square in the world; hailed to Mao and took a few photos. Nothing too exciting
2. Forbidden City – was “forbidden” due to renovation so we got sucked into shopping instead. I was told I look “Chinese” and that I’d get a special price…. What store people will do for a sale.
3. Silk Market – I got a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt, 100% silk tie, army style hat, Roxy designer t-shirt, Dolce and Gabana short sleeve shirt, and 2 other button down shirts for less than $100 …. Then I donated it to a stranger after I left my bag at the food court. Feel free to give me crap for that!
4. We ate at subway and had a beer in a sweet mug that I ended up stealing (I have an obsession with beer mugs from foreign places if you didn’t know) so that made my day a bit better.
5. Chinese Opera – only cost $15 for 1st row on the upper balcony. However, the singing wasn’t the best (in my opinion) so I give it a “C” – costumes were sweet though.

Thursday:
1. Ming Tombs – Chang Tomb; pretty but nothing to write home about
2. Jade Factory – on organized tours you get sucked into going to places so people can sell you stuff; I didn’t go for it.
3. =The Great Wall of China at Badaling – Kristen and I climbed for about 45 minutes up and down the wall. Despite the rain and the fact I was wearing flip flops and a jean skirt, it was pretty awesome! The only down side was when we got into a small fortress, it smelled heavily of URINE. I guess the signs saying “Do not relieve yourself” didn’t do very much good.
4. Olympic Stadium – couldn’t see much due to security and it being blocked off to rehearse for the opening ceremonies
5. Chinese Massage – “A” for price, “F” for ambiance. I paid about $23 for a full body and foot massage and a facial which was good. However, Kristen and I shared a room, there were at one point 5 women in the room giggling and talking. People popped in and out and just because my eyes were closed they thought I was sleeping – if they only knew I was trying to drown out their voices.

Friday
1. Journeyed to Fengtai Softball Complex where the Olympics would be held. Again couldn’t get inside but walked around. I miss softball!
2. I thought I’d be smart and save some money to get a bus back so I found one that takes me to Tianamen square. I got in and realized it went the wrong way so I got out crossed the street and got back on the same bus going the other way… or so I thought! It kept going the same way! So I gave up and got a taxi to the nearest subway station.
3. Hou Hai Bar Area – bars all around a man-made lake. It was pretty cool to people watch and it was very pretty. We went with a 19yr old English lad and a 48yr old Belgium man and had a Tsingtao beer outside on a fluffy couch. I felt young going out to the bar and then felt old after we left after one beer at 11:00pm.

Saturday
1. Panjiayuan Jiu Huo Shichang Market – I tried another shopping experience and this time left with what I bought. I went small though and just bought my birth brother a silk tie since he drove me to and from the airport.
2. A Fun Ti Carnival Restaurant – table for two; set menu of lamb, roast beef, potato salad (aka mashed potatoes in clumps with jam on top), tea, salad, etc. It was a middle eastern theme with dancing, kung-fu fan dancing, snakes, and interaction with the guests. A good last night in Beijing.

Sunday
1. Back to reality after a great week of sight seeing, reading, and relaxing

Beijing 2008: ONE WORLD, ONE DREAM (Olympic Theme)

Check out the pictures to see one of my taxi drivers, my breakfast one morning, and watch videos of acrobatics and the opera: http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09

Live from BOBO COUNTY Officetel #408 ...

Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09

Because I Grew Up in America ...

(Family Photo, December 2006)

Cultural Tidbits…

1. I giggle whenever I see a couple in public dressed in the same outfits

2. I try hard not to make fun of my brother (and other men) for carrying a purse

3. I think that wearing socks with sandals was so 10 years ago

4. I am amused when I see 5 people (high schoolers) on park steps playing an intense game of “rock-paper-scissors” (this game is huge here)

5. I am not used to sitting on the floor when I go out for dinner – my legs fall asleep quite often

6. My will power is keeping me from eating the Kraft Velveeta Mac and Cheese in my cupboard … since I only have 4 packages left! ( I ate one already due to an unsuccessful 1st time journey to the grocery store)

7. I threw a t-shirt over my pillow because for the life of me, I cannot find a pillow case in this city

In All Seriousness …

1. I am frustrated that I cannot speak the language and it’s such a task to attempt to learn even the basics … but I’m trying…

2. If I see a minority – a white, black, Indian person here – I am tempted to say something just to catch them off guard and try to meet people but I don’t since I feel like I blend in and am probably just one of the majority to them

3. I get less slack for not following etiquette since I am still Korean. True foreigners are forgiven if they forget to bow or be politically correct. So I need to learn as much as I can so I don’t offend anybody.

4. It is driving me nuts being parented the Korean – “old generation” way… by basically complete strangers ... and after 26 years!! It is very over-protective, always worrying, overly affectionate (public displays of affection especially), and invasive. I am trying to be accepting and wondering if it’s worth it to try and express my feelings or not…

what would YOU do?

(Family Photo, August 2007)

More blogs to come after my mini-vacations to Andong, South Korea and Beijing, China …. Thanks for reading and HAVE A FANTASTIC DAY :)

Immediate Family Tree...

Rainy day, limited funds, recovering from Strep ... I got bored :)

(click on pic for "readable" view)

If I Grew Up in Korea ...

**** There’s a chance I would be saving up or already had plastic surgery on my eyes. My birth mother did it to have “double eyelids” like Americans and apparently about 50% of Koreans have plastic surgery on something

*** I wouldn’t be obsessed with being tan b/c here… Pale is popular. You can go to a beauty shop and find cosmetics to make you actually look whiter!

*** I wouldn’t be shocked for only paying $8.00 to go to a doctor AND get a prescription of great drugs. I paid W3,500 for the doctor visit which took about 3 minutes then paid W3,800 for a prescription (I had strep throat and a 100.5 temp... dang those kids and their germs!)

*** I would care much more about my outward appearance since most Koreans (men and women) are very concerned with looking good all the time

*** I might have a t-shirt with random American words that make no sense (or with a bizarre saying) but that I feel cool in… my favorite so far, “I left on Vacation and came back on Probation” in big letters on a long baby-t

*** I wouldn’t think it is weird to drink “Aloe” vs. putting it on sunburn

*** I might get the “magic perm” – aka – perm for straight hair once a year to go along with my pale skin

*** I’d probably be living at home still since I’m not married (w/ my brother who’s 25)

MORE PICS: http://community.webshots.com/user/megshep09

Wicked Funny

(it's not as easy as it looks ... and according to the photo, I am not squatting correctly)

Signs I saw for the public restrooms...

Word of the Day: “gun-bae” means “cheers” when drinking and Koreans like to “gun-bae” a lot in an evening’s time

Boryeong Mud Festival 2008 at Daecheon beach (3hrs south of Seoul) was wicked awesome. The mud is apparently good for your skin so the more mud, the better. You can paint it on, go in a giant mud bath, or just go around hugging everyone to get mudded up. It was foreigner central but that was ok. We got muddy, saw some mud wrestling and people go down the mud slides, chilled by the beach, drank, swam, etc. It was a great weekend to get away, kick back and relax, and go pee in the ocean instead of the squatters. If I went to this Festival a few years ago, I’d probably have some wild and crazy stories… but since I feel like an old lady, I got nothing :)

Chicken Foot & Beer Coolers

(photo left to right: Joon Suh, Min Hwan, and me at the Garter Bier)

So my buddy Min, who I met on the plane, his friend Joon Suh, and I met for a drink tonight. We met at Starbucks and then I grabbed Burger King. I know it’s against my goals but I had a bulgolgi burger which is unique to Korea so that’s my justification! Anyway, then we went to a bar called the "Garter Bier" where on each table, there are BEER COOLERS that are chilled and keep the beer in a vase shaped glass at a chilled 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit)… dang us Koreans are smart!

Oh … and I ate a CHICKEN FOOT … that was smothered in a tangy/spicy red sauce. I asked if I had to eat it whole since all I could taste were the bones I was crunching on and thinking of the fact that I’m probably gnawing on the ankle almost made me throw up but I washed everything down as quick as I could with some Hite Beer.

It’s 12:00am and I have a sick feeling in my stomach. Let’s pray I don’t throw up!

Meghan Teacher

(photo: One of my Kindergarten classes)

By night, I’m “Meghan” or “Min Jin”… but by day, I’m “Meghan Teacher.” I have taught for 4 days and here are some details of what it’s like:

*I teach 8 different classes (71 students total)

*I teach students from ages 6 years old to 12 years old (American Age)
***When a child is born in Korea, they are 1 years old. So I am 27 in Korean age and 26 American Age. If someone asks how old you are, you say I am a 1982.

*I teach different subjects (which I didn’t know I was going to do) - kindergarten phonics, reading/writing, science, TOEFL, Debate class

*Class size: ranges from 5-12

*There are Korean teachers and native English speaking teachers. We all teach our lessons in English. The children understand English for the most part and you’re expected to point, draw pictures, etc to help the learning process

*The curriculum is set so you just follow the syllabus and can add your own activities as long as you cover the overall content of the lesson.

*Some students only come to our school. Other students come to our school AFTER they go to Korean School and my latest class starts at 7:10pm!
***This creates some bad behavior since they’ve already had a long day

So… so far it’s going ok. I am struggling with classroom management and finding creative ways to teach a lesson that will keep their attention. I know it’ll get better and I am trying not to worry about things too much since this is not my career goal and it’s just a job to get me over here.