Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Korea continues....

Well... nothing too exciting to post about now and I don't have any new pictures, but I'm sure you are all just dying to hear from me. So, I bought myself a beer to drink in the PC bang and am updating (there is no open container law in Korea! You can drink anywhere, but you don't see a lot of people just drinking on the street).

I am rounding out my first month of teaching and getting into the swing of it. I now know almost all my students names and whether or not they are up to no good. I will be teaching the same classes next month, so not too much will change in my schedule. School has asked me to volunteer to do somethings that involve me being in school outside my working hours. I have politely declined.I am happy to do anything in my regular hours Monday-Friday, but since employment is trading time and skills for money, I don't think I should should give them extra time and skills for no money. Readingtown is a good place to work for, but if they can get you to do a little extra without paying you-they will.

Last weekend we did not do anything spectacular. On Saturday, we went downtown. It was rainy and we were kinda hungover so we went to a DVD bang. A DVD bang is place that you can go and watch a DVD in a private room with couches for less than the cost of a movie ticket. They are mostly frequented by young couples without any place to go that private, wink-make out-wink. However, Matt and I like them because you get your own room to watch a movie on a large screen with a reclining couch and you can bring in your own beer. It's the ultimate way to spend a hungover afternoon.

We also had our first norebang (karaoke room) experience. In Korea, if you want to karaoke, you don't have to do it in front of many strangers. You can rent a room for about $1 per person per hour with all your friends and sing away (also byob)! Matt has been dreading the norebang experience, but he actually loved it. I loved it too, but I knew I would. Norebang is an unavoidable aspect of Korean culture and he was going to have to face at one point or another. We spent two hours there on Saturday night. A co-worker of mine says that there are photos from that night that all include Matt singing loudly in the back. I don't know how I will get them, but I will, haha.

Ummm.... we also went to this sweet restaurant where for about $14 you can eat all the sushi you want. The best part is that the little plates move around a conveyor belt in front of your table. You just take what you want. Sushi is much cheaper here than at home. I eat it for dinner at work a couple times a week. There is good sushi in the "deli" department of big supermarkets. I love it. Sushi in Korean is chobap (조 밥).

Ps- I have learned the Hangul alphabet and can read Korean very slowly. Whether or not I know what I'm reading is another story.

Ashley Meadows in hangul is ㅐㅅ 리 멛 ㅗㅅ.
Beer is 맥 주 (maekju)
Thank you is 캄 서 함 니 다 (kamsa hamnida)
Norebang is 노 레 방.

That will be all for today's korean lesson.

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