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.