Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival *photos*

Walking under the canopy of Jinhae's famous Cherry Blossoms was honestly, quite surreal. This marked an important moment in my Korean journey... Spring is here and Winter is no more! Having come from sweltering South Africa, I was not coping too well with the intense cold during February. Yes, it was the tail-end of Winter, but that proved to be really challenging for me. But being around masses of people during the Festival, who looked as excited to see the delicate flowers, well this made me enjoy the experience even more. 

It was fantastic to see so many Korean
people and foreigners coming out to
admire this natural wonder. 

To give you some background into the trip...I signed up with a tour group on Facebook called "When in Korea." They organised a bus to pick us up from Sasang subway station in Busan. I paid 26 000won (around R260 or $26) and this meant I was on a bus there and back. So that was really good. We also had two tour guides showing us around. They hired a photographer for the day and his pics were superb! We paid for our food and in total I think I spent at most, 10 000won (around R100 or $10) on the day. There are many ways of attending the Festival ie: taking a bus there and opting to not use a tour group. I chose this option because in all honesty it was the easiest and many of my friends were doing the same. I want to try and organise my own adventure in the future so watch this space! Below are pictures taken from the day. Enjoy!

Coconut drinks anyone? Saw these and my mind was blown!

There were food stall set up everywhere. Here I
am about to devour marinated chicken on a stick. 

The Festival only runs for a short period of time as soon as the Cherry Blossoms appear. I had to get in a shot with these beauties!

Trying to get artsy :)

 I want to ask you something? How do you show when you are in a relationship? Do you change your status? Hold hands? Or tell anyone that will listen? Well these Korean couples match their clothing. They match everything... down to their spotted socks and shoes. I have seen this a number of times here in Korea and the images just make it that more real! Here are couples wandering the Cherry Blossom Festival. Check it out :) 

"Urm, mom? Dad? Why didn't I get the memo?"

In true Festival style here, the food options were numerous!

Towards late the afternoon, my friends and I were dying to use the loo! We couldn't find one, but finally asked a shopkeeper if we could use theirs. They were amazing! Until I saw this door... and what was behind the door. Inside was a squatting toilet and for some reason I could not find the handle to flush the squatter! So I just threw water from the running tap into the loo. During the act, I giggled quite a bit while trying to balance in the VERY SMALL toilet and not being a professional squatter yet, that took all of my concentration. And to be honest, I think there is something great about squatting. You get killer legs and learn control! But anyway, I was so grateful for the shopkeeper allowing us use their private toilet. 

Towards the end of the day we climbed over 360 stairs up to the Observatory to look over the Festival and beyond. These heart-shaped structures on the way up, with the Cherry Blossoms in the background made for quite a magical moment. 

Overlooking the festival. We sat up in the Observatory watching the sun set. I remember taking a moment to be alone and just be. Seeing sights like that don't come everyday. It was also a time to remind myself of how blessed I feel to be on this adventure. 

We came down from the Observatory and wandered past the many stalls. These scarves grabbed my attention... they were so soft too!

I remember just stopping to look at this guy work. I think he was making noodles, and his skill mixed with that beautiful smile left me in awe. Dude was killing it!

 Nadia xo 

My Koreanisms

I cannot believe that my two month anniversary of living in Busan, South Korea is approaching rapidly! I stop myself every now and then to marvel at this fact. A couple of months ago I was worrying about if my application to teach here would be successful, but now my immediate surroundings are becoming familiar and I am planning lessons as if I’ve been doing it for years!

I was chatting to some mates recently about how Korea has changed us, and what we will take away from this place when we leave. Below are a few Koreanisms that I am adopting as my own.

I brush my teeth after eating lunch at school. Before I would only brush my teeth twice a day- morning and evening. Here is Korea it is quite normal for people to carry around their toothbrush and toothpaste, and get to scrubbing right after a meal. I think this is fantastic as Kimchi has some powerful ingredients and you don’t want to give your students a whiff of your lunch when you’re teaching. I bought a cute dental kit from a convenience store around the corner and now I floss like a boss! I want to now buy a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss for my bag- gotta keep it real everywhere I go! Just to give you an idea of how serious people are about keeping their munchers sparkly- I was at the cinema here in Deokcheon watching Noah with a friend and after the movie we went to the loo- as one does after consuming too much cinema coke. While washing my hands, a woman around my age (dressed to the nines!) had  toothpaste foam dripping from her beautifully made-up face as she scrubbed her pearly whites vigorously with her pink toothbrush. I stared for a few seconds and decided this chick had the right idea and it was time for me to get real with my own dental regime!

I bought these baddies for 2000won (R20, $2) at Daiso. Will
they last to the end of the year? That remains to be seen. 

I lurrrrvvv the idea of ‘indoor shoes’. Let me explain this intriguing term. We have to wear ‘indoor shoes’ at school each day. I arrive at 8am, take off my 'outdoor' shoes, and slip on shoes that I leave at the school.  These bad-boys are only worn on school property. I find it quite hilarious that these slippers are called ‘indoor shoes’ because recently, I had to meet parents in the school’s auditorium. To get there, I had to cross the school field. With the indoor shoe mentality set firmly in my brain, I panicked and asked my co-teacher, “Should I change into my outdoor shoes because we have to walk over grass?...” she replied with a giggle (probably thinking I’m an idiot), “No Nadia, your indoor shoes are fine.” So yes, the term “indoor shoes” varies with each situation and I’m sure each school. At home, I have a space by my own doorway where I take off my shoes and I expect my guests to do the same. Why? Well I don’t want your street-dirt coming into my place after having cleaned the floors. Simple.  

The start of the hike

I find that I am slowly becoming more conscious of my image and health here in Korea. Fashion is everywhere you look and men take as much effort as the lovely ladies. Recently I went on a hike with my fellow staff members and I was astounded at how focused they are regarding leading a healthy lifestyle. We were climbing that mountain (it was probably just a hill for the teachers but it resembled Table Mountain to me) at such a speed, I thought I wouldn’t be able to walk again. The Principal nearly pushed me up the mountain but I told him to go on without me in epic Titanic/Jack and Rose fashion. Before I left South Africa I had started jogging and the time has come to slip on my takkies (trainers/sneakers) once again. Watch that space...

Hard work. The Korean people I have come into contact with work so hard! However, as much as they work hard, they party hard too! After the hike, we all went out for dinner where I had my first raw fish meal. I was pleasantly surprised with how yummy the meal turned out to be and then I was even more surprised when my shot glass kept getting refilled with Soju while the other glass was being filled with beer! Teachers who had never spoken to me before were now plonking next to me on the floor to chat about the kids, schooling and how they want to talk to me more, in a bid to improve their English. And then we went to the Noribang.... the Korean singing rooms. This was amazing! More beer was flowing, the teachers were singing their favourite songs and I felt so at home! It was truly one of the best nights I have had here in Busan! I also found the snacks to be so interesting in that specific (swanky) Noribang. Chips and nuts were on the snack-menu but alongside this were strawberries and a selection of different fruits! Fast forward to the next day at work, and everyone looked as if nothing had happened. I however, felt slightly broken from the hike, good dinner experience and my off tune rendition of “Uptown Girl”. Staff here at my school are legends I tell you!

The walk back down

View of Busan from the first peak. Yay to first hikes! 

My co-teacher explained that people stack these rocks after making a wish on it. I saw a number if these 'wish-towers' on the hike. 

Nom nom nom...

Seafood porridge

Some raw fish vibes... this was most yummy when I wrapped it in a lettuce leaf and added a bit of the chunky-spicy sauce. 

There are so many courses! This was the last course. It's a seafood (spicy) soup, with sides of Kimchi, sweetened beans and veggies. 

Anywhoo... that’s it for now! More updates to follow soon :)

Nadia

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I'm living in Busan! A South African in (South) Korea

I have been living and working in Busan, South Korea for over a month. This realisation hit me last week when I saw posts on Facebook talking about the same thing that had been running over and over in my head. We did it...I did it… Shoo! I'm a South African teaching English in South Korea - yaaaas! 

Applying to teach English in South Korea

Before we get cracking, lets lay some foundations. I began the Epik process in September 2013 and officially applied to teach English in South Korea by October. I won’t run through the whole process here as it was loooonnngggg and you can check it out yourself over here and here. 

I went through a South African based recruiter, Teach Korea. After heaps of paperwork, screening, a nerve-wrecking Skype interview, MORE paperwork, flight bookings and travel insurance, next thing you know, I am in Korea attending an orientation, eating new foods, meeting hoards of new English teachers from around the world, and fighting jet-lag. The most real moment came though when my co-teacher picked me up and I wasn't with everyone anymore... It was just me and my co-teacher. Me and my new life. 

Beginning life in Busan

I remember my co-teacher leaving me in my apartment after she had helped me figure out how I was going to survive my new life in the city. I stood there for a few seconds after she had left and realized, “Ok Nadia, you’re alone and in the city. A foreign city. You can cry and feel overwhelmed or you can sort your place (and your head) out.” So, while still feeling completely overwhelmed by everything, I chose to cracking with cleaning and moving into my new home. And I guess since then, I have tried to stay focused and just keep on moving. 

I was cleaning my place again this past weekend and I thought back to those first hours I was alone. I thought about how comfortable I feel at this very moment. How I have made friends, how I can now take the subway and not panic that I may get lost. I'm ok being alone in my place and just getting on with it. I'm so grateful to God for blessing me with sincere co-workers and some very interesting children at my school that keep me active and giggling. I think I have been very fortunate with how things have started out and hopefully this continues into my second month!

A South African English teacher's observation of Korea

Now I would like to think that I am pretty observant, so, I have compiled a list of things that have intrigued me over the past month here in Korea. This hopefully gives you a glimpse into the life of an expat in Southeast Asia.

• It is so cold in winter! Coming from South Africa, Kwa-Zulu Natal, I found myself wearing four layers of clothing each time I went outside because Korea gets cold man! Yoh! I was streaming Busan English Radio the other day and I was horrified to hear the anchor say: "And today in your weather... Busan will have a high of 12 degrees Celsius and a low of 0 degrees Celsius...". I was like, "Excuse me, come again?!" So yes, I am slowly dealing with the frosty temperatures, dry legs and icy classrooms. 

• Bowing in Korea: I think the act of bowing when you greet people here in Korea is great! I generally bow to those that are older than me (that is generally everyone at my school lol) and I even bow at my kids, when they greet me! I think they think I'm strange :) I find it wonderfully respectful, and it reminds me of my home town and how I was raised to respect people older than you. So yeah, rock on Korea!  

• Public Transport in Busan, South Korea: the trains, buses, taxis etc. in this country are fantastic! I love being able to hop onto a train alone, arriving safely and quickly at the opposite end of the city. I feel independent and this is a vast change from the transport system back home in South Africa. There are four train lines in Busan: 1- Orange line, 2- Green line, 3- Brown line and 4- Blue line. There is also the Busan Gimhae Light Rail Transit line (purple line). I pay around R12. Each day I take the green line and leave my area of Deokcheon to travel one stop to school (yes, I'm being lazy, but the trains for now are still exciting for me!). 

• Korean food is.... AMAZE! Sometimes I look at something edible and wonder, “what in the world is that?” but once I take a bite/slurp/lick or whiff of the food, I am generally very happy with the outcome. I have yet to be disappointed! Buying groceries is always an adventure; I sometimes stand by the dairy isle trying to figure out where the butter is? Or how do I ask for brown bread from the cashier, who is watching me with the same interest as that of a kid looking in on a lion at the zoo? Buying groceries was the easiest thing for me back in South Africa, now I have to really consider what I need, and how I plan to get it. Veggies and fruit are slightly expensive, so I try to buy them from street vendors because the quality is really good and the prices are much better. ALSO there is something cool about supporting local traders and trying to use your beginner language skills to make conversation. 

• Coffee culture in South Korea: On my street alone, there are six coffee shops, and they are beautiful inside and out! I have only tried two of them so far and I think in the future I will dedicate a post to the coffee culture in Busan. I was happily surprised when on my first encounter with a cuppa from Korea, the Barista sprinkled cinnamon on my cappuccino and offered me Sugar Syrup. What you may ask is this Sugar Syrup sorcery? My suggestion would be for you to try it and then decide if sugar will ever have a place in your life again :)

• Men spitting in streets, sewage smells... Things I haven't been able to get used to include people (mostly men from what I've seen) spitting on the pavement if they need to, and nobody batting an eyelid! You'll see a handsome fellow walking towards you, and while you're trying to give him the cute eye, he draws his snot into his mouth (loudly) and then spits. And this happens all over. There is also a foul sewage stench that just doesn't go away in my area. The worst is when you are walking home and you need that extra gulp of air, but you take in an extra gulp of the yummy sewage-smelling air. This generally causes you to lose a few seconds of life, and then you regain consciousness when you keep walking. Not my favourite at all. Bleh...

• Being stared at in Korea: People, young and old will stare at you. Why? Well because you are different. You have a different skin and hair colour, hair texture and you stick out in a country that is quite homogenous. I think people stare mainly out of interest. I usually just smile and greet in Korean or sometimes I even wave. Take it all in I say!  

Well, that’s it for now! If you have any questions, comments or observations, please feel free to contact me  or comment below.

Nadia