Have You Missed Me?? :)

Hey Everyone!

I haven't updated on this site for a long time! I'm in grad school now (as you can see from the books and general defeat in my eyes) and it's kicking my you-know-what. If you'll recall from my bucket list, I had a few things I wanted to accomplish. By 2011, I'll have checked off "get a Master's in International Relations" and "State Dept". Sweet! Anyway, I just wanted to thank you all for continuing to email me your questions and comments. I absolutely love getting them. Amidst all the spam for Viagra and "Mature Singles", your emails are a ray of sunshine. I figured I would share some good news! For one, I did a cool interview with a new online magazine called Izle (eye-zle) about life in Korea. The creator is a super-talented writer and media maven. For her first issue, she decided to lose her marbles interview me! I emailed my family and told them and my mom said, "Good interview, but why do you say "like" so much???" Hahaha...to which my reply was: I don't know, like, I just went with it. I'm working on getting my speaking skills to the level of my writing skills. They are two different processes. Anyway, here's a link. The Seoul of Joia

Exciting news part 2 is I'm headed back to South Korea!!! No, not tomorrow (I wish). I'll be there next summer for an internship in Seoul and I plan to have a fabulous time. I didn't realize how much I would miss being in Korea. I may actually continue on this blog with my personal stories (nothing work related). A year really isn't enough time to do stuff. I mean, I never went hiking or visited Seoul Tower (I know, sad) or did a temple stay! Or went to Jeju-do Island! I'm not finished with Korea yet and landing an internship there for the summer is proof positive of that. :) So, I hope you'll join me next summer when I return to the land of kimchi and drunk ajusshis morning calm. I hope to see old friends and make a whole bunch of new ones! :)

Until then,

J

Questions for Foreign Teachers

Instead of making folks email me about the questions I asked foreign teachers in Korea, I'll just post them! Save you all a little time and effort. These questions were originally posted on Daves ESL Cafe, but I've added additional ones as I've gone along.

QUESTIONS TO ASK FOREIGN TEACHERS

1 ) What are the working hours? (start time as in, the time you show up to school and the time you actually start teaching..also called "prep time" - stop time - how many breaks and how long, can you leave the school during breaks or not?).

2 ) How many classes per day, week, month are you expected to teach? Is it 30 classes a week or 6 classes a day? They can hammer out your schedule and have you teaching 9 classes in one day and then spread it out for the week...and you really don't want more than 6 classes a day, trust me!

3 ) Does your employer ALWAYS pay on time? (my Director has paid me late before, like a day or so because she forgot but in general, they should always pay on time and not have some crappy excuse. If they are lagging in payments, it's probably a bad sign...)

4 ) Does your employer pay you overtime wages earned or avoid it with creative book keeping? Yes = Red Flag

5 ) Do you get credit for classes on the national holidays or do you get the day off but still have to work your 120 hours before you get overtime?

6 ) When did your employer provide you with a health insurance card? This, along with your Alien Registration Card (ARC), should be provided within the first few days of arrival, NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Without your ARC, you are there illegally and immigration can cause all kinds of drama. Don't let your Directors give you the run around about getting it to you...it should be in your hands by day 3 or 4 at the latest.

7 ) Does your employer pay into pension? No = Red Flag (get clarification about this. You're supposed to contribute 4.5% of your monthly salary and your school is supposed to match it. So once your year is up, you have a nice little chunk of money. My school didn't pay into a pension but I've heard repeatedly that it's mandatory by law for ALL schools, public and private. I don't know what's true and what isnt. I say just ask...if they don't have it, you miss out on an extra $1000 after your year is up. If they do have it, be sure they're actually paying into and not just pocketing their portion)

8 ) Do you get paid vacation days (paid annual leave) stated in your contract? No = Red Flag (I got 10 days, which is standard)

9 ) When and how do you get your holidays? Do you get to select when you take vacation days or does the school tell you? (I chose mine, but I don't think this is normal)

10 ) What extra stuff do you really have to do mentioned or not in the contract? This includes things like staying a little later once in awhile, attending seminars/company gatherings in other cities, etc. These may not be included in your working hours, but you may be expected to do it.

11 ) Is the school having financial troubles? Yes = Don't work there...this was an issue with my school before. To tell if a school is struggling financially, you'll need to ask about the students...like, how many students have quit since you've been there? How many teachers have left? Do parents complain often? Have you always taught the same number of classes or has your class load been reduced dramatically? The answers to these types of questions can indicate if there's smoke...

12 ) Has any foreign teacher ever been fired in the 11th month? Yes = Don't work there

13 ) Does your employer have a history of being physically abusive or verbally abusive? Yes = Don't work there

14 ) Does your employer have a history of "pocketing " deductions for taxes, pension and medical insurance? Yes = Don't work there (My employer was clearly pocketing insurance deductions...not cool!)

15) What are the English speaking abilities of the Korean Teachers and your employer like? So important I think...my Directors spoke no damn English!!! It was very frustrating at times...my Korean coworkers were fine with English though.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APARTMENT/SURROUNDING AREA:

(a) Did your employer provide you with the furnishings stated in your contract? Will you have a shared apartment or a studio?

(b) What were the overall conditions of the furnishings when you moved into your apartment?

(c) How far is your apartment from the school? Important to know if you'll be on a bus or train for an hour...makes a big difference. I walked to my school so I saved a lot of money.

(d) What is the average cost of expenses? Heating/air, water, food, etc? Ask how much they spend in a month. Let me tell you, my heating bill was off the chains. They were hustling me for like, 250,000 won or more a month. I lived in a "nice" apartment in the center of town so they added in all these "maintenance fees". I was livid. My other friends were paying like 13,000 won a month for heating and I was getting bent over backwards. Be careful.

17. What are the main attractions of the city the school is in? Nightlife? How close are you to big areas like Hongdae, Gangnam, and Itaewon? I'm a bit of a party girl and I didn't like being so far from Seoul, even though I was only about 45 mins. I can tell you right now that the subways close at 12am so consider that when you're choosing a location. Taking taxis late night every weekend can rack up so I'd usually end up partying till the subways reopened at 530am. Above all, it's important to be in an area where you're comfortable so ask as many questions as you can about the neighborhood.

For Future Reference

So, I get a **TON** of email...ok, I don't but it felt good to say it. :) But seriously, I get emails from readers and they tend to ask the same questions, which I don't mind answering at all. So, I'm gonna do the sisterly thing and share my knowledge about how I got my ass from the couch to Korea and how you can do it, too! :)

STEP 1: Don't bother with TEFL/TESOL/TESL, whatever in KOREA

I can't speak of other countries and in general, I suppose this certification is good because it lets you teach all over the world. But for South Korea, they couldn't really care less about this, at least not for hagwons. I think public schools may see a small bump for having it. But I forked over almost $1700 for TEFL certification and I can tell you right now, that money didn't translate a bit into higher pay for me. Being totally new to the profession, it did give me information on lesson planning, classroom manangement, etc. But I gotta tell you, that went right out the window. My school was on-the-job training all the way. What matters is your Bachelor's degree. Hell, it could be in Mudwrestling for all they care. But it matters. With increasingly bold degree scandals sweeping the country, they're getting more suspicious of already-suspicious foreigners. So, nail down that degree then come. OR, you could always come over illegally but obviously, I'm not condoning or advocating that.

STEP 2: Narrow it down!

Look, Korea's got a lot of areas. Most people say, "Blah blah blah I wanna work in Seoul. Blah blah blah". I reckon I said something like this, too. But Seoul is huge and so are the neighboring provinces like Gyeonggi-do and Bundang. Bust out the Seoul subway map and start learning about the areas. If you're a foreigner who likes being around foreigners, you may want to be near Itaewon. If you're a foreigner who hates other foreigners, well then you can pretty much go anywhere! Hahaha...

What I'm saying is that you need to be specific. I wanted to be near Seoul but with a lower cost of living and creature comforts like gyms, malls, parks and stuff within walking distance. Hence, Bucheon. Find out what's really critical to your well-being over the course of a year. It's a long time and your first year really sets the tone for whether you wanna renew a contract.

And also, when you're dealing with recruiters and they're throwing around random ass areas like Gumi, Macheon and Cheonwang, you can look at your map and gauge, with greater accuracy, how far or close you are to big areas in Seoul. Every recruiter SWEARS their school is only "35 mins" from downtown Seoul and it ain't! So, keep it in perspective and be SPECIFIC!

STEP 2.5: Speaking of recruiters...

I used a recruiter called EnglishWork. My personal recruiter, Ashley, was okay. She served as the go-between when I had negotiation problems or any questions. But mostly, Ashley was pressed for time and wanted me to sign on the dotted line as quickly as possible. For this reason, I wouldn't suggest using a Korean recruiter unless you've gotten some stellar recommendation. In general, they are very pushy and don't give two hogs' balls about whether you'll be satisfied in that position. They just want their $1000 per head pay so they can move on to the next one. With that being said, there are only 2 recruiters that I will personally vouch for - Footprints (Ben Glickman is one of the founders) and ESL Planet (Rowan Hall). They were both started by foreigners and cater to foreigners. They will work with you to make sure a position fits you. They are very thorough and there's considerable follow-up. And they usually only work with reputable hagwons, another BIG plus. Saves you from a premature heart attack. I dealt with both of them, but there was a slight hurdle in getting me placed, presumably because of my pigment. But also, it was just kinda slow. I probably applied to 500 jobs in 2 weeks so I knew I was bound to get something. It was just the luck of the draw that I landed my job through EnglishWork.

Some of the big hagwons in Korea are YBM (with many subdivisions like YBM Sisa), ECC, CDI, SLP, and Topia. I'm missing a bunch I'm sure. Those are just the big ones but there are literally thousands of smaller, lesser known ones. But here's the important distinction, and I will put this in BOLD - IF YOU DECIDE TO WORK FOR A CHAIN HAGWON, MAKE SURE TO DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THAT SPECIFIC LOCATION!! I'll go ahead and type it again...FIND OUT ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL! This is very important. Each school is owned by different people so this is what causes friction. You apply for a position with CDI in Mokdong, thinking it's all peachy because "CDI is a good brand" and turns out the Mokdong school is bouncing teachers in the 11th month without severance and airfare. So, be certain, you need to find out how that location is run. Just because you see double G's doesn't make it Gucci, if you know what I mean.

STEP 3: Determine your non-negotiables

You will probably get a lot of offers, whether you're brown or not, and they'll start to look the same after awhile. How do you weed through the bullshit? Figure out what is non-negotiable for you. Be specific but not picky. Face the fact now that you're not going to get EVERYTHING you want in a job. Landing a job overseas requires flexibility. So, you may have to deal with slightly incompetent Directors for higher pay or you may not be able to walk to work. Maybe you have to take your vacation when the school says or you have one of those hose contraptions for a shower. Some things you can control and some you can't. The point is not to nitpick. Determine what you simply will not budge on and stick by it. Any offers that come your way with the dreaded unmentionable get nixed. You wanna work mornings and an offer is from 2-10pm? Trash! You don't want kindy and you're required to work it 2 or 3 days? Trash! No severance? TRASH!! An hour from downtown Seoul?? TRASH!!
This is how you weedle down those offers and just keep it moving. There are plenty to go around.

STEP 4: Know the standards

Slimy hagwons will beg, borrow, and steal to get around their legal obligations. I got lucky with my school and ended up in nicely moisturized, non-slimy hands. They actually had integrity, except for the whole cutting-off-my-insurance-after- 4-months scandal. But they paid me back, which is a miracle. You should know the standards for each and every contract because they are essentially the same. You are supposed to have certain stipulations and if those things are mysteriously absent from the contract, you should be throwing red,white, and blue flags all up and through there. Here's a quick run-down of what you can expect (and again, there will be variations depending on hagwon vs. public school):

- Decent pay, between 1.9 - 2.2 million won for a first year at least (this fluctuates wildly based on experience teaching and school)
- Furnished housing either paid by the school or with a decent housing allowance
- Health insurance paid 50% by the school and 50% by you (mine was like 50,000 won a month)
- Paid airfare and a return ticket home (I'd really be suspicious of a school that makes you pay upfront then reimburses you upon arrival...)
- Severance bonus after completing your year (horror stories galore about teachers getting fired in the 11th month so be careful)
- National korean holidays and between 10-14 vacation days (I could choose my vacation days which is rare but really hold them to this)

I'm sure I'm missing some things but fellow teachers, please feel free to comment and add on to these. It's been awhile since I looked at a contract so I could be wrong on some of these.

Step 5: DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!

Oh, how I love cliches, don't you?? Well this is actually steps 1-5, but this just stresses how important this factor is. And all rules of common sense generally don't apply here. For example, recruiters and schools will always need you to start "immediately". They don't but doing things at the last minute is the way of the world in Korea. You will need probably a month or more to prep for leaving with all the new rules and regulations for criminal checks and medical exams. If they really want you, they'll wait. If they're just looking for an idiot to fill the position, they'll move on. Period.

I can't stress this enough but I'll try. TALK TO THE FOREIGN TEACHERS AT YOUR SCHOOL!!! Please, please, please, and please talk to them. Ask them the tough questions about what the hell you're getting into. If you'd like a specific list of questions that I asked, email me for them. It's the only way to really gauge the financial and emotional health (yes, emotional health!!) of your school. Because no one wants to be ostracized and belittled for a year. You need to try to eliminate as many variables as possible BEFORE getting your ass on the plane. And you don't wanna walk into a situation where you get there and come to find out, the school is closing in a month. So the questions you ask before will save you a whole lot of headache later.

Many folks just starting out usually go to Dave's ESL Cafe for assistance. I certainly did, especially trying to find out what a school was like. But I found over time that I was getting too much opinion and not enough facts from them. I think they're very useful for contractual clarifications to determine if you're getting a good deal. But sometimes you've gotta take it with a grain of salt. You've got some hardened ESL veterans on those boards whose only purpose in life (aside from teaching occasionally and trolling for lonely, desperate Korean girls) is to badmouth and nitpick. They essentially hate Korea so trying to glean objective information from them becomes nearly impossible. So, just be cognizant of that as you search for answers.

Step 6: Be open-minded

This goes without saying but I'll say it because I like hearing myself type. I guess if you're considering moving to another country, you must be somewhat open-minded already. But you know, you'd be surprised how many hermit foreigners live in different countries. The most anti-social, weird, freakish people you can imagine somehow wind up in Korea. So, if you're gonna come to Korea, make a point to experience some Korean things (and not just the men!! Hahaha...ha **womp womp**). You know, um, eat some kimchi (it took me 10 months but I love it now!), wear a hanbok, travel around Korea (my only regret), make Korean friends, go to some temples, etc. Above all else, just be receptive. And try not to get too pissed off at the sheer ignorance of some Koreans. Just like all Blacks aren't gun-toting, welfare baby mommas and daddies on crack, all Koreans are NOT clueless and ignorant. So, at the end of the day, you get what you give out. If you wanna be that Korea-bashing foreigner, go right ahead. Just don't be too surprised when all you encounter are foreigner-hating Koreans. :)

I will add some links probably for useful websites to check out if you're considering the move. I'm glad you kind people have followed me all this time...it's really been a pleasure writing and getting to meet some of you! Now I'm off to the next adventure but Korea will always have a very special place in my heart...

I Came, I Saw, I Kimchi'd

Damn blogger for not loading my pictures!!! I started this post about 2 weeks ago but internet was so sporadic in the Philippines and I was so busy my last week that I didn't update. So, I apologize for the massive delay, loyal readers!! Soooooooooo sorry...

It's my last post here in Korea. Can you believe the ride is over? Seems like I just got on. Emotional, saddening, exciting, gut-wrenching...that about sums it up. My week started with tears on Monday night. I cried at the gym saying goodbye to Justin. Well actually, I didn't cry in front of him but rather quietly in the elevator. He had the saddest puppy dog face in the world as he hugged me. I'm really gonna miss our chats...and looking at his niiiiiiiice body. I also said goodbye to my other gym rat buddy, Jin woo. So adorable that kid. I didn't think stumbling through words could be cute and endearing, but he makes it work! I'll miss them both so much...and a few other gym cuties that provided constant motivation for me to stay in shape.




On Tuesday, I said goodbye to my other kindergartners. I really, really loved my Tuesday kids. They knew me better because I saw them more. I started crying when some of the kids just jumped on me and started hugging me, telling me not to go. I mean, my God, I was so close to caving and saying, "Alright, alright! I'll do another year!" just so I wouldn't have to look into their eyes. Even the Director, Grace, got choked up. She said that they'd never had an English teacher who really cared and connected with the kids the way I did. The one before me was a great teacher but not very involved, rather standoffish towards them. They always looked forward to my classes. Truthfully, all I did was just play games with them. I wouldn't even call it teaching, but it was something...and they really appreciated it. So, that made me proud. I feel like if I can walk into a room full of hollering 6-year olds and keep it together, how hard can it be with adults?! And if a vice presidential candidate can get on international TV in front of the entire world and have no idea what she's talking about, surely I can handle anything that comes my way. :)





More gut-wrenching goodbyes came on Wednesday with my smallest ones at school. Even though it was written on the calendar a month ago that I was leaving, for some reason, they didn't know. So when I wrote down their homework, it said, "1) Homework Book p. 19-21 2) Write new words 5X each 3) I love you. Goodbye! :(" So, as they're dutifully copying down the assignment, I watched as it dawned on them that #3 wasn't a homework assignment but a secret message meant to torment them. Clare's face registered sheer horror.

"Joooooiiiiaaaaa!!" she whined.

"Yes, Clare?" I said, already feeling small pools forming around my lower lid.

"Why? What? You....leave???"

"Yup! Uh huh...today is my last day..." **biting the lip, avoiding eye contact at all costs**

"But...but...no.." By this point, she's in my face, demanding an answer and shaking her head angrily. Then she wrapped her little arms around my neck and boy, you shoulda seen how fast those tears flew down my cheeks. And I think, for a child, seeing an adult cry, especially an authority figure, is quite destabilizing. So naturally, I think she cried harder when seeing me cry. And that made me cry harder seeing her cry. It was a total mess. She was clinging to my leg and not wanting to get on the bus. Heartbreaking does not begin to describe my emotions. We pulled it together enough to snap a couple of pictures. But as you see, Clare is not smiling or happy at all. In fact, I think I succeeded in really pissing her off. I will miss her the most.




So, a few weeks ago, I had lunch with Bryan...and his new girlfriend! It was kinda out of the blue because we were supposed to hang out the night of the soul food dinner, but he had to cancel because his great-grandfather passed I think. But he also said, "I have a new girl and I want you to meet her..." I wasn't sure I heard him right so after we hung up, I texted him just to be sure. And he confirmed that yes, he had a new girlfriend. I agreed to meet her, conscience be damned, because we are friends. A little awkward? Sure. She's a really nice, pretty girl though. And quite frankly, it's not like we were going to be anything but friends. I didn't understand why he wanted me to meet her and I didn't ask. I just went along with it...




For my last big night, I went out with my friends for dinner, drinks, and dancing! It was amaaaaaaaazing! Definitely my best night in Seoul because all of my favorite people came out for me. We had dinner near Seoul Tower, in Namsan, at a really cool restaurant called Space. The atmosphere was perfect, reminded me of an NYC lounge. Even the menu had NYC prices! Except the $10 can (not including 12% VAT) of Dr. Pepper. YES, a can! Mind-boggling. I even asked the server how in the hell they could possibly charge that much for a can of Dr. Pepper and her answer was, "Well, that's just what it is..." I'll tell you what it is, lady...a crime!!




So after dinner, we went to Itaewon for drinks at a cool (crowded) spot called Brixx. Free drinks will always be okay with me! And that's when everyone else showed up! I was ecstatic!!! YAY!!!







We stayed there for about an hour or so before moving on to Gangnam. We piled into taxis and went to NB, which was really poppin' for a Thursday night. So, my friend had called ahead to see if we could get a VIP section because it would only be about $20 per person. We get to the door and get DE-NIED! Suddenly, the manager/bouncer/bartender/idiot was saying that we had to pay an entry fee in addition to the cost for the VIP. I was trying to talk to the guy to strike a bargain. Didn't budge. Then a bunch of others tried to talk to him and explain how foul it was that they changed the rules once 20 black folks showed up. But whatever. People buried all that anger for the sake of my last night, paid the money, and partied til the wee hours!! I really had fun and I appreciated every, single person who came out to send me off in style!





I had more pics but Blogger is acting up so I'll add them later. But my time in Korea was incredible...I'm really sad to be leaving here because it's like leaving a family. I can truly say I have real love for the people I've come to know here and I miss them already. So, if anyone has reservations about packing up and moving across the world, if there are any voices (be they real or imagined) telling you not to go...I'd say ignore them and just jump. At the very worst, you won't like it...but at the very best, you'll unearth new dimensions of yourself and forge new friendships.

One of my favorite quotes by Todd L. Bradbury says, "Life is like a circle, and if we travel in opposite directions on that circle, we will meet again..." I hope this is true... :)

Anyeong,

J

Starting the Goodbyes...and Seoul Food...

Celebrations are in order! It's my 100th post! Never thought I'd have this much to write about honestly.

Last weekend was a phenomenal weekend! I think I'm still recovering from it, hence the late posting. So hmmm, let's see. Well Friday was the last class with my kindy crew. I didn't cry (shock!) but I did snap LOTS of pics. When the teachers explained to them that I wouldn't be coming back anymore, their faces just went south and many of them clung to my legs. I had like 5 little people pulling on my pants!! Kinda scary. But I really appreciated their love for Joia teacher! The Directors even gave me little presents, like traditional Korean wallets (I can fit about 2 quarters inside..lol) and a Korean fan, and a miniature Korean screen with some writing on it. No idea what to do with the last item, but it looks cool. So, here are my rugrats, whose names I never really learned because they didn't have English names. It's harder for Korean names to stick in my head unless I hear it a lot. But I'll really miss these little devils a lot.









On Saturday, I went to Korean class. After that, I met another one of my fabulous readers and fellow bloggers in Hongdae for lunch! (Hey T!!!) She actually just got out to Korea and is teaching English as well. We ate great galbi and chatted, totally forgetting that it was pouring outside. The rest of my day was spent napping. Let's be honest - there aren't many things more relaxing than napping in the rain. Of course, I took the wrong bus home again. Yes, even after 11 months, I'm still getting lost in Korea. Pathetic right? Saturday night, I went out for drinks with some friends in Itaewon. We bar hopped from Gecko's, a packed pub, to Caliente, a salsa dancing venue then to Helio's, the hip hop bar/club that's always overflowing with soldiers and freakishly tall basketball players. I had fun, but I wasn't too happy about dropping $25 on a cab home at 3am. I chalked it up to it being my penultimate weekend in Seoul....penultimate. Always wondered when I'd ever use that word...

Sunday though was the BEST day! My friend, Z, had a soul food dinner. She lives in an apartment building that is a stone's throw from Seoul Tower. It was potluck style and everyone brought traditional dishes like mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, greens, sweet potato souffle, cornbread, fried fish, and some vegetarian friendly dishes like tofu "chicken". We even had deserts like banana pudding and dump cake. And I, with my non-cooking self, brought the plates and cutlery! Yes, don't look surprised...I'm that one at parties. Always. So we laid out blankets and candles on the rooftop of the building and just bugged out. Wow, I haven't laughed that hard since....last week! That's all I'm doing these days is laughing, eating, and drinking. But I met some cool, new brown folks at the party. I wish I were staying longer to develop these new friendships more, but I just have to hope that we'll keep in touch across the distance!








My last full week at school went well. My Directors are really pissing me off though. I'm supposed to finish on Tuesday September 30th. They've asked me to work on Wednesday Oct 1st and Thursday Oct 2nd now. I told them I could work Wednesday but not Thursday because I had too much to do and Friday October 3rd is a national holiday. So, fine, whatever. But then yesterday, my coworker let me know that I won't have to work Wednesday because the new teacher will come by then. She's the translator since my bosses don't speak English so it came right from them. Great! So, what did I do? I made appointments and filled up my schedule because that's a whole extra day I can tie up loose ends. Stupid me....Don't you know I got a call today saying that I do, in fact, need to work Wednesday?!!? I was livid and I'm going to tell them I just can't make it. I mean, it's not my problem right?? I fulfilled my year-long contract. I was only working Wednesday as a favor anyway. But I'm also nervous to say no because I won't have all my money in hand by then. I don't think they'll pull any funny stuff but you never know. But, truly, I've made dentist and doctor appointments and I have so much to do that I can't possibly cram it into Thursday. So, what say ye, readers?? How should I handle this situation?

One week left!!! Can't believe it! My, how quickly time flies once you get outta your apartment! :)

Until then,

J

A Bus to Busan

That's Busan with a long U by the way. Anyway, I'm back from my mini-beach vacation with the girls! Busan is way down at the southern tip of Korea, normally about 4 hours by train I think. We had a really fun time just hanging out and being 8 black girls in homogeneous Korea. Talk about staring! Oh but where to begin with this laugh-packed journey?

Well, for one, this trip almost didn't happen. The night before we were to leave, I realized that folks had bought bus tickets and NOT train tickets. I didn't mind so much because I like buses but what I don't like is sitting in traffic for hours on end. Since last weekend was Chuseok, aka Korean Thanksgiving, I was imagining miles upon miles of cars, exhaust-filled lungs, and flared tempers. We'd gotten wind of a picture from someone's Chuseok trip last year and it wasn't looking so good for us. Some estimates had us on the road for 14 hours....17 hours...and my favorite jaw-dropper, 24 hours!!! I almost just said F*ck it. But we didn't...after just 6 hours, we arrived at Haeundae Beach...and the recklessness began!




Call it irresponsible, but yes, 8 people showed up in a new city with no hotel reservation, during arguably one of the busiest times of year. Not entirely smart but it worked out for us. We scored awesome rooms at The Westin Chosun...on the beach! . Aeja and her big mouth actually got us a great discount too...("Ummm, excuse me Mr. Front-Desk-Guy, how come no one carried our bags for us? I mean, this is The Westin. Even at regular hotels, they always carry your bags...) And 20 minutes later, they had knocked our price down!



After checking in and getting freshened up, we headed to dinner. Some of us wanted meat (ME!!) and others didn't so we split up. The restaurant we ended up at was practically abandoned. I was waiting for some desert tumbleweed to come rolling through there. But it was perfect because we could be as loud as we wanted to be. We ordered about 3-little-pigs worth of pork. I drank an entire bottle of wine almost by myself because it tasted like grape juice. Everyone else had soju and beers and truly, we bonded. It was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip, just kickin' back, eating, and drinking. A gal could get used to that..



Later that night, some of us (ME!!) really wanted to go out and check out Busan's nightlife. But first, we had drinks downstairs in the hotel. BIG MISTAKE! For one, the bartender couldn't make a mojito or a Long Island had you held a semi-automatic weapon to his head. Since I'm a connoisseur of both beverages, I know good and damn well what they should be. And let's just say both drinks (at $12 each) left me feeling entirely unsatisfied. In fact, that was the first mojito EVER that I didn't finish. The horror! We still took silly pictures though...



Busan nightlife is pretty lacking, too. Maybe the city was just dead, which is understandable, but I'm just so biased towards Seoul that I couldn't help but wonder what the hell anyone does here besides go to the beach. Our first stop was a "club" at the bottom of The Grand Hotel. Ironically, it was called Boracay. As we walked down to the center of the Earth getting to this place, we couldn't help but notice the complete absence of any thumping beats. No people going inside. Only an uneasy group of would-be bouncers and servers hoping to usher us in and make us spend too much money. Once we reached the front of the club, our mouths all did a simultaneous gape. The place was pretty empty but more disturbing was the slow, elevator music coming from the DJ booth. What in the hell....???? We nearly turned right around, but I was meeting a friend there. We gave it about 5 minutes and a shot of tequila and they were bumping some hip-hop. Crisis averted but very scary at first.





So, never ones to stay still, we headed to the other side of the beach. I think this one was called Gwang-alli Beach. We were looking for another club which turned out to be right near our hotel actually. But we hung around Gwang-alli Beach for a bit. It was just one row of bars and stuff, no clubs at all. We went to a pizza joint and just sat and talked really. I watched a mangy dog piss on the sidewalk and then the restaurant owners came and shooed him away. Then he did it again. We also saw a cute puppy being paraded around by two men. Total chick magnet...the puppy I mean. The guys weren't much to look at. Around 3am, we crawled into taxis and went back to the hotel.

The second day, we woke up about noon. I don't usually sleep til noon but I did one of those things where I woke up every hour for like 5 hours but went back to sleep cuz no one else was up yet. So finally, we kinda split up again because some of us wanted Friday's and others wanted Chinese food. I have a new appreciation for Friday's and their amazing Junebugs and Mac N Cheese Balls....and burgers....and Parmesan-Crusted Quesadillas. I will never disparage them! So yes, 5 of us got lit up at Friday's on a Sunday at noon and had a damn good time doing it. They let us sit outside so we had the nice beachview. We almost had a food fight, too. Or maybe just a ketchup fight. Hanging out with my girlfriends, you would think we're a bunch of guys with all the trash-talking we do. And that's just how I like it! :)

**Lu making a very difficult decision - taste or effect??**




As for me, the rest of the day was spent in bed. I was so sapped for energy. I can't even explain it. Therefore, I missed out on the afternoon's activities, but I heard about it so I will still post pics. The others went to hang on the beach and did some double-dutching. Good thing I wasn't there because I was told early on (by some especially cruel older girls) that I sucked at it. But my friends had a great time....and a new Korean fanbase!!







For dinner, we all went out together (for once!!) to a wonderful Thai restaurant. It was also very empty which worked out great! Come to think of it, maybe everyone just left when we showed up! Hahaha...I ate some pineapple/shrimp rice and yes, it tastes as good as it sounds. I also ordered some pad thai, which I didn't care for. It smelled like feet to me. For dessert, I ate some coconut milk concoction. I question the validity of this Thai restaurant though because there was NO sticky rice in sight! What kinda mess is that??? I still tore it up though. By the end of dinner, we were reminiscing about the 80s and singing just about every R&B song you could imagine. Ahhhhh, so wonderful. Only about 2 people could actually sing (Crystal and Jameelah) but we all pretended for the helluva it. Outside, it was pretty dead but we took that moment to goof off a little.






The bus ride back was equally smooth and "quick", only about 6 hours. SUCH an amazing time! Even though Busan isn't like Seoul, I think that's the point. It really felt like a getaway and I appreciated that. My only regret about this trip is that I hadn't met some of these lovely ladies sooner. :)

I was planning to make a quick trip to Tokyo at the end of the month. A friend of mine will be in town and she invited me to a concert but damn those skyrocketing ticket/gas prices!! In 24 hours, the ticket went up $100 and that's just outta my reach. Maybe it's for the best as I couldn't really afford Tokyo again, but I just wanted to see my friend and hang out. Guess I will be spending my last 2 weeks here packing and partying....and maybe having a date. I've been chatting with the random guy from Gangnam, the one whose face I can't remember. He's very nice so we'll see how that goes! Damn, I hope he's not ugly yall....but I can't for the life of me remember!! Sh*t.

Everything's all settled for Boracay, too!! I've been talking to Tony a lot and he bumped into Noeme, the little girl. She's really excited that I'm coming back....and of course, Ritchie. Ummmmm.... **swoon**

Ok, bed time for me!!

Until then,

J

When Gangnam Calls...

I should definitely be showering right now since I just came home from the gym. But I'm not. Yet. I like to just bask in the aftersweat. Ok, there really wasn't any aftersweat because I didn't go all that hard tonight. I'm feeling a little sluggish actually and maybe that's because I stayed out all night, once again, on Saturday. But I had a very special reason. I got to meet one of my readers! (HEY M!!) She hit me up just letting me know she would be in town and if we could hang out. So of course I said yes! I introduced her to other brown folks out here and we all had a really great time. We met up in Gangnam for galbi. We must've sat around chatting about all kinds of things - from Koreans' endless fascination with our hair to the closeted gay Korean population - for about 2 hours. My Korean guy friends and acquaintances can swear up and down til they're blue in the face that there aren't gay people in Korea, but EVERY population has gay people. I don't know why my friends want to argue with me about this. Denial does not equal disappearance. Just because you're not choosing to acknowledge something doesn't mean it's not there. Let's all wave and say hello to the big, gay elephant in the room, Korea. All together now!!

**climbing down from my soapbox**




So, after a satisfying dinner, some of us headed out for dancing. We ended up at Harlem club. I made a beeline for the bar once we got in there because it was SO empty! I just kept thinking what a crappy night it was gonna be. But oh was I wrong!! Out of the five of us that went, only Kayla and I stayed until the sun came up. But I was pretty impressed that M and others stuck around till at least 2 or 3am. By that point, I was fading too. Only two things really keep my engine going into the wee hours - Long Island Ice Teas and eye candy. That's really it. Lucky for me, both were plentiful. Correction - I had ONE Long Island that lasted me 3 hours. I mean, it just wouldn't go down! I'd take a sip and it was like the bartender snuck his ass behind me and re-filled it! Speaking of bartenders, Kayla and I harassed them for a good while. But they liked it! One of them was so damn pretty, like a doll or something. And the other one just seemed annoyed and angry, like he soiled his diaper and his mom wouldn't change it. We got him to crack a smile though...after about 2 hours. I spent the better part of my time waiting in the crusty bathroom line though. There were only 4 stalls and two were locked because I believe two girls passed out inside. I have no mercy for people like this though. I just want to handle my business and keep it moving!

I spotted some super cute guys. One guy I checked when I first walked in. Truly adorable. He bought us shots and partook in the festivities. And then he dropped the bomb that he had a girlfriend in Canada. He whipped out some camera pics of her. She was very cute but not as attractive as him. In between his slurring speech and my equally blurry vision, he claimed that he "really loved her but didn't trust her at all". Interesting but not for me to figure out. So I made my way to someone else to keep the party going. Lol.

By 5am, I was coming down from the interminable Long Island and just wanted to go to sleep. But we went to the neighboring hip-hop club, NB. It was actually waaaaaaay better than Harlem. I was shocked to find it packed as hell at that hour, folks still dancing like mad. I met a cute guy named Ju Hyeon. You know, truth be told, I can't remember his face or features. I know I sound the plumb fool but it's like that sometimes, yall! Damn those strobe lights. But I'm pretty sure he was cute and he was tall! Really tall. But just one small problem - he goes to school like 2 hours away! I haven't figured out if he commutes back and forth or what but that simply will not do. Honestly, I leave in 3 weeks so what's really gonna come of this?? But maybe we can have coffee or something. Then there was another guy named Chan with a cute hip-hop style, not the obnoxious gold-chain wearing caricatures that I'm used to seeing out here. He was very shy so his friend who spoke perfect English helped him out. There is something to be said for a guy who acts very shy initially. Can't put my finger on it, but it's...intriguing. His friend, by the way, was married with two young boys at home. So why in the SAM HELL are you out at the club at 3am?!?! I wish my husband would...

After NB, Kayla and I went to Burger King. This BK is pure foolishness. We rolled up in there and why did they only have chicken sandwiches??? How is Burger King not gonna have ONE, SINGLE burger?! I think this doesn't make you a burger king but rather a burger idiot. I tore up that chicken sandwich until the nausea kicked though. On our way out, saw this fine specimen on the street. Korea Sparkling...never seen someone who just sweats on his shoulders and nowhere else. Fascinating indeed...



I got home by 8am or so. I was actually in physical pain. Somewhere throughout the night, I dislocated my shoulder because that puppy was wailing when I laid down on it. I had scraped my ankle pretty badly the night before too (thank you, sangria!) and that was throbbing anew. My obliques were killing me because my gym friend made me do sidedips way too deeply. And of course, because it never fails, someone stepped on my damn foot. Some drunk girl who wanted to dance with me shoved her stiletto into my arch then laughed nervously, backed away slowly, never to return. UGH...so goes my weekend. :)

Here are some bonus pics so you can see what I've been doing the last couple of weekends...

*out at Carne Station with Jameelah and friends*


**Kevin and Arigato during our snack party** Kevin, along with about 4 others from his class, quit recently :(

**Kayla and Leslie at the Que cookout in Yongsan**


**Susannah, Kayla, Chentel, and Christina at Rhythm N' Booze**


**my favorite couple**

This weekend, I'm headed to Busan with the girls for Chuseok!!! Woo hoo, a beach!! :)

Until then,

J