5 things to do on a rainy Busan day

Rain is brilliant. Let me rephrase that: rain is brilliant when you have the right shoes, a big enough umbrella and best of all - when you can stay home with a steaming cup of Ramen noodles, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” and a blanket. 

Yesterday Busan saw a bit of rain and I found myself thinking of all the things I would do under cloud-cover. If you're planning on teaching in Korea, here are 5 things to do in Busan, when it rains. #YouAreWelcome

1. Busan’s Trick Eye Museum

Aamena, Tarryn and I appreciating art. 

The museum is quite a treat if you’re looking for a chance to interact with the art. Step into, step on, stand beside, lie down and alongside the 3D images. I would advise that you go with a mate or two; somebody needs to hold the camera and/or pose with you while you're in the giant sea-monster's grip! Tip: Selfie sticks won’t do you, or the pictures justice.

• Directions: From Jagalchi Subway, exit 7, walk straight out of the subway. Take the first left. Walk one block- the Museum is in the building on your left, on the 2nd block. OR see the map here. 
• It’s open from 10:00 - 20:00.
• Admission: 10,000won per adult.

2. Spa Land

I’ve written about my scrub-experience here, but if you're looking for a day of relaxation minus the skin smarting scrub, head to Spa Land anyway! It's on the must do things in Busan.

• Directions: Take the green subway line to the Centum City stop, get out at exit 2. You will see signs directing you.
• Hours: 06:00 - 24:00
• Admission: 15,000won during the week and 18,000won over the weekend and on holidays.

3. Busan Museum

Royalty for the day. 

Stunning designs after we learnt how to Roof- Tile Rub.

I thoroughly enjoyed strolling through this museum and peeking into Korean history. There are modern Exhibition Halls filled with relics and a Cultural Experience Hall. The Experience Hall was my favourite! Here you have an opportunity to get your hands dirty by doing Roof-Tile Rubbing and playing dress-up in traditional Korean Hanboks (dresses).

I’ve found it a bit challenging to sometimes find souvenirs in Busan, but the Museum also has a Museum Shop for you to peruse.

• Directions: We got lost, but we took a cab from Daeyeon Station, exit 3. If you walk via the UN Memorial Cemetery, you’re good.
• Hours: 09:00 - 19:00.
• Admission: Free (There is a small charge if you decide to do the Roof-Tile Rubbing).

4. Cinema

Have you been to a cinema in Korea as yet madam/sir? If not, I suggest you go on a rainy day! I quite like observing and taking in my surrounds; the cinema does not disappoint. 

The first time I EVER walked into a cinema here in Korea, I was amazed by the very sweet smell in the air. It's from the different flavored popcorn you can get: caramel flavored, to onion flavored… which ended up having a sweet taste to it too! 

The seating arrangement is the same as South Africa- you are assigned seats. English movies are played with Korean subtitles.

The best moments for me, as a teacher in Korean, have been when English speakers may laugh at a joke in the movie, but we are the ONLY ones laughing because the Korean translation may have been different. Other times, Korean folk are laughing, while I’m sitting there wondering what I missed. To book tickets in advance or see what’s playing, check out CineInKorea.

5. Busan English Library

When last did you visit a library to sniff the crisp pages? It’s been ages since I’ve made my way to the Busan English Library mainly because I’m reading my own books at the moment, but I thought I'd share this gem with you. 

The library spans across one floor. There is a sitting and study area, computers, lockers for your belongings and librarians to assist. 

Signing-up is done in the library and you are issued with a card to use for each visit. Five books can be taken out for two weeks. I'd say this is a 'low-key' thing to do in Busan, but still a must. Get more info here. 

• Directions: Take the Green Line to the Buam stop. Walk out of exit 1, the library will be in the large building on your right.
• Open from 09:00 - 21:00 on weekdays and 09:00 - 18:00 on Saturdays.

What do you like to get up to on a rainy day in your town or city? 

Teaching in Korea: surviving in the classroom

The first few weeks as a teacher in Korea can be pretty hectic. I remember hanging onto as many tips as I could in the beginning of my stay here. 

Now, as new teachers arrive from all over the world, I've had some folk asking about life in Korea and about the classroom setting. More specifically, there have been questions about teaching in Korea and how to survive. 

So I asked a few friends who have been here for over a year to give me  their insider knowledge on surviving in the classroom. 

Kristen - New Zealand 

Tip 1: “I think something some people forget is that your co-teacher is in charge. Make sure to ask them what is expected of you. Sometimes you may not agree with everything your co-teacher does; try say your opinion and have your input.

If they are adamant about something, my advice is to let it go. Let. It. Go. Things will change last minute; you will be told things last minute, your co-teacher may change the rules of your activity in the middle of class. Just be flexible. It will make your life a lot easier.”

Tip 2: “Make sure you have someone supportive to talk to at the end of the day. I had a hard time settling in. Not with Korean life, but with school life. What made it harder was that a lot of my fellow EPIK teachers did not understand why I struggled to keep up with the workload and why I was so stressed.

My lifesaver was Skyping my mum at the end of each day. So find a person who is supportive, understanding and encouraging. So that at the end of the day, they will remind you of how much you’ve achieved and how well you are doing.”

Keisha - America

Tip 1: "Be friends with your students. You want to have a really good relationship with your students but on a teacher-student level. Don’t be too friendly with them as you still want to have that authority."

Tip 2: "You want to have good communication between you and your co-teachers. That’s really important."

Anonymous - America

Tip: “Be friendly and engage others. Don't be passive in thinking people will come to you. This was especially true for teachers at my school. When I first arrived, it was said that only my co-teachers spoke English pretty much. Actively trying to talk to [other] teachers resulted in me finding out that many teachers could [speak English]. This developed relationships that were wonderful and helped make my time at work more enjoyable and supported."

Me - South Africa

Tip: “Try to learn the names of your students as quickly as possible. There is something really great about your teacher/friend/colleague being able to pronounce your name correctly. 

In the beginning the kids laughed at me while I tried daily to get their names right, but they took control in trying to correct me. This helped build a rapport with my students and it showed them that being wrong in English class is ok. It’s trying constantly and not giving-up that matters.”

Do you have any tips for the new teachers in Korea? 

A close (Korean) scrub in Spa Land

During my lunch break I saw a video of Conan O’Brien going to a Korean Spa for the first time. His over exaggerated reactions in the Spa made me giggle as it reminded me of my first time. The best part of the experience was getting scrubbed from ear to big-toe by a middle-aged Korean lady in black lacy underwear. 

You might be thinking: what are Korean body scrubs? Is the Korean spa/scrub treatment intense? Well, here's my tale...  

After being persuaded my friend Aamena, Kendra (another brave soul) and I dropped our winter clothing and fears. With nothing but a hand towel to hide my bits, we stepped into the wonder that is Shinsegae's Spa Land.


You’ll hear many tales of the amazing baths, saunas and rooms you can relax in, but for me, the Scrubbing Room was the most memorable. 

After entering the public bathing area with Kendra and Aamena, I booked a scrubbing-slot and took my naked self for a soak while waiting my turn to get scrubbed.   

While trying to embrace my complete nudity (and the nudity of those around me), I was finally called for my my first Korean body scrub. I scurried towards the room and was met by a middle-aged woman in her black underwear. She took my little towel and threw it to the side as I whimpered a little and tried to stay focused. She pointed at the bed with a plastic cover and I slowly hopped on.

As I tried to not slip off the already soapy slab, a woman I had chatted to earlier was being scrubbed on the slab next to me. Her eyes were closed, she had a look of calm on her face and all the while another aunty was scrubbing her vigorously. 

I laid on my back, arms tucked close to my bare body and legs firmly closed. I felt like a sheep going in for the slaughter. My eyes darted from the methodical movements of the scrubber at the next bed, to the dimly lit lights above me and before I knew it, my friendly scrubber threw warm water over me. Were the odds going to be in my favour?

Beginning at my face, my scrubber wiped and then applied a face mask. I kept thinking that her belly button was waaaay too close to my face as I could almost see the detail lining her panties! She had seen too many naked souls to bother about my space issues and continued working. Her professional attitude and swift movements started to quieten my anxious mind and before I knew it, I started to enjoy the experience.

From my face, she began to work on my feet and legs. Her hands, hidden in hand-loofas began to scrub the surface of my body. Legs were bent and separated, toes were parted, and my tummy got a good working too. I tried to not pull away from the pressure of each hand as she scrubbed away dead skin cells and any inhibitions I had left. When it came to my bosom, neck and shoulders, I found it hard to stay dead still as this was getting more familiar than a family Christmas lunch. I think I squealed a little each time she threw my arms behind my head to scrub my sides, or when she pulled my legs apart to access the inner thigh. 

After being flipped onto my tummy, the scrubbing lady left the soles of my feet, legs, derriere, back and neck smarting. While my cheek connected with the plastic bed, I noticed small greyish, almost noodle-looking particles on the bed next to me. It then dawned on me: these were my dead skin cells. There’s something disgusting and satisfying about knowing just how clean you are, but knowing exactly how that dirt looks.  

After warm water was tossed over me once again, I was handed a new white towel by my scrubbing-pro and billed 20 000won. I left her feeling pretty proud of myself and feeling oh-so-clean! Click here for more info about Shinsegae's Spa Land, if you pluck up the courage to go! 

Have you been for a Korean body scrub? Was it awkward for you?

Mornings and memories

I love mornings. I love waking with the sun (in Summer), the crisp air that refreshes your sleepy lungs and the memories attached to this time of day.

In South Africa, waking at 5am to the gentle sunrise, the chirp of the birds and my grandfather’s gentle knock on my bedroom door, asking if I wanted to go walking with him, are some of my dearest memories.

He calls me "Sunshine" but if only he knew what a
 light he's been in my life. 

In my town, those who know our family, also know the familiar sight of my grandfather every morning, marching along briskly in his white shorts and t-shirt. His white socks are pulled up, his worn takkies (trainers) are firmly on and his cap is pulled over his short curly hair.

Growing up, you would find me (on and off) walking at his side. In primary school I would ride my bike alongside him, in high school I sometimes ran and on each return from Varsity or work, I tried to go with him a few times.

Here in Korea however, I find that I am losing my love of the early hours to being ‘busy’, or to quickly checking my phone in the evenings and then finding myself I’m exhausted after an hour or two of phone usage. I’ve slowly started making changes to my morning routine here in Korea to find my balance again.

The smartphone: I place my phone and alarm clock out of arm’s reach. I’ve been getting a little frustrated with myself lately for how much I stare at my S4 screen in the morning and evenings, so it’s been banished to the table across from my bed. The phone goes to bed at 8pm and I give it attention around 7:30am on my way out the door the next day.

My alarm clock: My fire-engine alarm-clock is also placed on the table. When it goes off in the morning I’m forced to leave my cocoon and turn it off. In the event that I dash back into bed, the back-up alarm goes off 20 mins later, and then 10mins after that on my phone. Sigh… when you can’t trust yourself. My grandfather is currently 79 and he's been waking up at 5am everyday without an alarm clock! If he can do it, so can I! 

Making my bed: After a sip of water (or the rudeness of the second/third alarm) I make my bed. I’ll never get back into a just-made bed. It’s my thing. I just can’t. I’ll sleep on top of it though! Hahaha! A made bed just makes the tiny space feel less crowded and I leave the flat a little happier. 

Breakfast is a must: I can just hear my grandfather saying to a high school me: “Nadia, we’re not leaving this house until you sit down and finish your breakfast. Don’t rush.” Sitting down with my old man and chatting about the day ahead calmed me and allowed me to give my brain fuel for the day ahead.

Living life as a solo expat here in Korea, there have been some alterations. I'll try put an egg on the stove to boil and then hop into the shower. While having a good scrub and singing session in the shower, breakfast is on the go. After the wash, creams, hair and make-up, I’m ready to sit down to my boiled-egg and toast. Add a cup of freshly brewed coffee from my moka pot and my morning has gone from ‘normal’ to ‘flipping brilliant!’ My grandfather would be proud. 

Two chores a day: There were many times back home when I would moan and complain about doing chores, but how necessary it has become when you live solo. I've been trying something new and it's working! I try and complete two chores before leaving for school. Simple. This can by anything from washing my dishes, sweeping, taking out my trash or when I’m cheating, watering my little cactus. It’s pretty awesome knowing I’ve accomplished a few things in the morning, as opposed to coming home to a mini crash-site. 

A moment to pray: My grandfather’s morning prayers were said during the first 10mins of the morning walk. During this time I knew that I was not to talk to him while he and God had a few words. With my good example marching and praying at my side, I also took this time to pray and be thankful. After his chat with the Maker, we walked, spoke, laughed or enjoyed the morning silence as our takkies hit the pavement and the sun continued to stain the road ahead of us. 

Walking to work: A walk to my school means I get to see things I would otherwise miss if I were on a bus or the train. “Hello Nadia teacher!” is a pretty great thing to hear from a tiny human on a morning walk. Sometimes there's the exchange of a deep bow and a large wave/grin with an old lady that holds a stop sign in one of the roads. About half-way to my school I’m also blessed to see a group of about 11 senior citizens sitting outside a CU-store, chatting and giggling. Sometimes you’ll see them in their hiking gear and passing around a flask of something piping hot. When I pass, we all wave at each other and again I bow and say hello in Korean. I love guessing where they are going at 7:45am, how they all met and what's in the flask!

Are you a morning person? How do you inject calm and happiness into your morning routines?Share some of your tips with me. ^^

  

New Wine Clubs and Markets in Busan

I’ll admit, I’ve been off the screen for a second, but I’m back! What better way to kick Qwerty back into action than by talking about Busan’s Wine Club which has given new meaning to my “wine o’clock” and Busan’s first Foreigner’s Market.

“LET us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words.” Plautus

The Korea Wine Club has finally arrived in Busan. The first event was held last year in Table Talk English Cafe in Kyungsung (KSU). A few friends and I made ourselves pretty and excitedly made our way to the first event. Like the rookie I am, I failed to read the details of the poster on the Wine Club’s page beforehand and I didn't RSVP. My punishment? Pay more at the door than those who were wiser. Rookie move indeed. After payment, we received a name tag and an 'ice-breaker sort of page'  to spark conversation with fellow wine-lovers. 

Throughout the evening, wine-carrying servers kept topping-up our glasses and our habits. If asked, they grinned cheerily and gave a short description of the wine they were serving. I met new faces, tasted new wines and vowed to attend the next wine event. I remember leaving the event with merriment in my heart and red-stained lips. 

The second wine club event was held over New Years Eve and food was included this time round. It was held at Namaste Restaurant in Haeundae. After learning my lesson, I sent in an RSVP ahead of time and arrived to a larger group of club members, the smell of unlimited curry and rice and of course wine! With a glass in one hand, friends on both sides and a tummy full, we brought in 2015 with some style.

If you’re looking to meet new people, break in your new heels/throw on a bow-tie and of course hold a glass of red lovingly, check out the Korea Wine Club here. They host wine events around Korea and were the hosts of Busan's two. I’ve heard there may be another event coming up for the Busan crowd in February, so remain vigilant!

You guessed it, all homemade. 

While typing this, I’m nibbling slowly on a slice of homemade brown bread, homemade hummus, lettuce, cheese and ham (the last three were made in the shop ^^). I got these homemade goodies from Busan’s first Foreigners Market which was held over the weekend. What a treat! 

The small market was held in HQ bar in Gwangan and began at 1pm. It got quite tight in the venue as people tried-on, smelled and tasted the items on display. I bought a samoosa and spicy chicken, four body scrubs, two massive slices of the brown bread, red pepper garlic hummus and a salsa. Best part? All homemade! My favourite by far was the hummus, bread and the body scrubs. 

Keen? Check out the Facebook page here for the next market coming up in Feb or find it on Facebook by typing: "Busan's Second Foreigner Market". 

Homemade body scrubs ^^

Did you go to any of these events? What did you think? And with that: stay warm, stay merry ^^.

Nadia 

Chops and trims in Korea - Busan hairdresser tales

I sat in the chair, worried. I watched my Korean hairdresser in Busan closely via the mirror as she dipped her hands into my wet fro and began to part it into sections. If this experience was new to her, she wasn’t letting on. Her movements and slightly flared nostrils indicated she was frustrated with me after our longer than necessary conversation about if I wanted my hair ‘trimmed’or ‘chopped’. Then again, we were having this conversation in broken English/Korean. I still liked this hairdresser.



Split ends finally sorted!

Section, comb, snip. Section, comb, snip. As she worked, I spotted staff in the background watching us. I also spotted them watching my mate Keisha who was next to me. Keisha, being the braver of us two, decided on a big chop. I kept thinking, 'FINALLY, we're getting our natural hair cut in a Korean hairdresser'.

A failed hairdresser attempt...

Before striking gold with Leekaja Hairbis, we had walked into another hairdresser just down the road. Shooo… that can only be termed as a complete eyeball experience. When I was called to sit in the chair, I whipped the band from my hair and let my mane burst free. The Korean hairdresser looked at my hair, and according to Tarryn and Keisha, the look on her face was priceless. In a panic, she walked away to her colleague, they discussed a few things in low tones and she came back saying in Korean and English, “No, no, sorry, sorry.” Willing to try anyway, I said in English, “it’s ok! We can try. I will show you.” Show her? Really Nadia? As if I’m skilled in the art of trimming and snipping hair the size of mine. Slightly disheartened, I pulled my hair back into a bun and we left.

The second hairdresser we tried, did not hesitate for a second. Our bags were placed in a locker, coats hung up and we were led to the wash area. My hair was washed and conditioned with a FANTASTIC head massage thrown in. Bless you Korea for that…Bless you. I then got a cut/trim. Even though they didn't moisturize or style my hair after blow-drying it, I don’t fault my hairdresser for this. I reckon she deserves a round of slow clapping considering she was willing to try. Hair-care here in Korea has been a concern for me as an expat. It was exciting to find someone ready to try after I had finally put my nerves and concerns aside.




The lovely Keisha before her big-chop.

Big-chop success!

How much is a hairdresser in Busan?

Will I go back? You bet your split ends I will. Both Keisha and I paid 20000won/R200/$20 each for the cut. Should you decide that the time has come to trim/cut/chop, here are their details:

Directions to the hairdresser we went to:

Take the Orange Subway Line to the PNU (Busan National University) stop. Come out exit 3 and turn right. Take your second left into Busandaehak-ro. Leekaja Hairbis is on your right.

Salon details: 413-16, Jangjeon- 3 Dong, Keumjung-Gu, Busan-Si, Korea 
051.583.1060- 1006.

There is a branch opening in Deokcheon! Walk straight out of exit 9, and it’s above the Starbucks.

Do you know of any other hairdressers that attempt to cut/trim/treat/style afros in Busan or around Korea? Let me know! 

Nadia

Liebster Award for the win!

. The Liebster award? Come again? A fellow traveller and blogger, Simone Armer, recently tagged me in a post on Facebook nominating me for this (is it prestigious?) award. She too was nominated for the award and answered questions about life in Japan, where she is currently based. Her beautiful photos and sharp writing come together wonderfully to form Paintings from the Cave.Thank you Simone for the nomination and questions. A suggestion from me to you, if you do one useful thing today, go check out her blog here.

Back to my newly acquired nomination. Like all ‘youths’ in my day, I sought counsel from my good friend “Google” to find out more about the nomination. From what I can gather, this nomination is a way to expose smaller blogs and to network the blogging world. The rules are simple: accept or decline your nomination, thank and provide the link to your nominator’s blog, answer their questions and finally nominate five blogs for the award while providing your own set of questions. Here goes! 

1. Knowing what you know now, if you could go back and tell yourself one piece of advice before you set out on your current journey, what would it be?

“Nadia...prepare your taste-buds for a journey of their own.” Let’s place that in context: I remember my body going into reflex mode as it was ready to gag and hurl the first silkworm larvae I had ever eaten here in Korea. When I threw it into my mouth and bit, the little bugger burst like a swollen grape and the pungent juices flowed into my mouth. One chew and a quick swallow later, I was done with it! I will never do it again. But I did it and I didn’t die thanks to a huge gulp of booze.

2. What is your biggest inner conflict when you travel?

‘Should I take this? Should I leave this? Oh but I MIGHT need this?” That gives me sleepless nights.

3. What do you tell people about your home country?

A day or two before I left Eshowe, as my grandfather’s car curved around the green hills, I remember looking at the brilliant blue sky, white puffy clouds and sugar-cane fields. It felt like my country was saying goodbye in the best way it knew how. I tell my kids that I teach about the beautiful weather South Africa has to offer and I even miss the stinking heat waves! Amazing how you only realise it when you are gone. I also tell of the different languages, cultures, foods and religions that South Africa is so blessed to contain. When living in such a homogenous country such as South Korea, you realise how you took diversity for granted in South Africa. I have become quite patriotic!

4. Which place, where you are now, serves the best food? What is your favorite dish there?

To be honest, my favourite ‘dish’ here in Korea is the chicken on a stick which is served almost everywhere in Busan! The chicken is tender, cooked on an open grill by street vendors and is usually coated either with a sweet and sticky sauce or a spicy sauce. I feel like I don’t get enough chicken in the week so when I do find my fix, I make a mad dash for the queue and wait patiently for my happiness to be served on a wooden stick. *You can find these vendors almost everywhere in Busan, I’m not sure about the rest of Korea*

5. What is something you wish you could bring from home in abundant supply?

I would love to have hugs from my family in a bottle that I could just whip out and use each time I need a big hug! I miss pap, Five Roses Tea, brown bread (I only seem to find white bread in the local stores), cheese in blocks (again, you will usually find cheese in slices! Agrrr), and I miss the awesome adverts that play on SA screens. I mean who can forget, “I love it when you talk foreign?”

6.  What is something you’d like to take home in abundant supply?

Kimchi, the sticky chicken, Korean BBQ, the sticky chicken, green tea and did I mention the sticky chicken? I’m a foodie as you may have noticed. J

7.  What is something you packed that has served you well?

My Tomy Takkies have served me well over this period in Korea! I took time choosing them before I left and I wear them everywhere. They boarded my flight out of SA with me, they kept my toes warm when I literally froze during the tail-end of Korea’s winter and they have walked kilometer after kilometer with me as I have explored my new home.

8.  What of your home country do you see in the country you live in now?

Respect for elders. There is a respect for older people here in Korea that I am able to identify with considering I had such a close bond with my grandparents growing up. I really admire a nation that is able to tend to and remember the older folk that helped build and still keep the nation alive.

Anyway! Here are my questions for the following bloggers who are either living in another country or have recently soared to new destinations:

Erica:   The Bartletts Abroad

Alex:     Ninja Teacher

Elna:    Sometimes Elna Blogs 

Kate:   Keeping Tabs on Kate

Ilze:      Ilze in Korea

a)   Why did you decide to use blogging as a way of capturing your adventures? Why not Facebook, Twitter etc?

b)   What was the scariest thing about leaving your country?

c)    I am a student leaving University. Tell me why I should travel?

d)   Describe a food (make my mouth water!) you have had on your travels that    made your eyes water from happiness (or possibly too much spice!)?

e)   Describe the moment when you knew you had made the right choice to travel?

f)     Solo travel or group travel? Why?

g)    How have you dealt with challenging cultural differences?

Nadia xo

Learning curve- Part 2

Wednesdays are my crazy days. I wake up at 5am (or rather I am trying to train myself to bounce out of bed at that time), march to school, teach the kiddies and by 3pm I need to be in my takkies (trainers/sneakers) ready to play a game of volleyball with the staff. After that I race to Ukulele class, and from there I have Korean language classes across town. One word: "Shoo"!

Let's take it back a few activities to chat about volleyball. I
wasn’t too keen to do it considering I know nothing about the game and the teachers (plus Principal and Vice Principal) take the game quite seriously. As much as I have tried, serving during each Volleyball game has not been a highlight in my Korean life. The ball just doesn’t like to go over the net. A few weeks ago while trying to serve, (EVERYONE looked at me…waiting), I heard the sports coach use English for the first time: “Power up!” The image of ‘Dragon Ball Z’ and their stocky characters came into my head and I nodded at him with a giggle dying to break free. He wasn’t smiling. Then again, when he burst out laughing during a specifically vigorous session, I honestly think that was the first time I had seen him smile in my three months here! Nice man I’m sure.

Anyway, the Vice-Principal and Principal (bless them) always make a point of reminding me to come to volleyball. If anything, I am learning to count in Korean and the Vice-Principal takes it upon herself to practice with me before every session. I love seeing the focus on her face and the broad grin she displays when I finally make contact with the ball and this time it goes where it should. I have also started to slowly get better during my service! Let it be known though, they make me stand much closer to the net now as opposed to behind the line when serving. Hey, small steps right?!

And then there are Korean classes. These have really tested me. Really tested me. It has been almost four weeks of trying to train my mouth to befriend the new vowels and consonants. It’s also been four weeks of trying to figure out the difference between the “ㅔ” and “ㅐ” sound. To me, both sound like “air” and as our Korean teacher told us, we will have to just learn that words have either one or the other. So basically, learn your vocab, learn your spelling!



*Click 'play' to hear some Korean*

I tried my new language skills on my kids during break at school. They wrote their names on the board and it was pretty awesome being able to slowly pronounce their names more accurately than before. There is always something great about someone being able to address you by your name, which is pronounced correctly. So yay for new skills!


A bonus: being able to stand outside a shop and slowly decipher the Korean alphabet. This has become my latest hobby, even if I get the odd glance from people. For now, I may be able to read the letters, but I can’t attach any meaning considering my vocabulary is minimal. I am trying to slowly build my vocab, but this is taking longer than I thought.

Anyway dear reader, I would like to share this quote by Jiddu Krishnamurti I stumbled across recently. It sums up my learning curve as an expat quite well. "There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.”

Nadia  

Read "Learning Curve- Part 1" here.

Learning curve- Part 1

It's been three months since I waved goodbye to my beloved grandparents at King Shaka International airport, since I used my new passport for the first time and then crossed the equator with one suitcase, laptop and my trusty backpack. It’s been three months filled with trying new foods, smelling unfamiliar scents, breaking old habits, meeting wonderful
people and living an expat life at the age of 23.

A yummy lunch has just settled my ravenous tummy and I'm sitting at my desk typing this post during my break. Outside, familiar sounds of sixth grade boys playing soccer filters into my classroom. Their frequent chants of “Do It!!” as they train, keeps me smiling while I plan for my next lesson. Just like that, listening to them train daily, seeing close to 300 kids a week for English and the interesting conversations with my co-teachers has now become my norm. I quite like this new normal.

I am also learning. My goodness I am learning... I have begun Ukulele classes every Wednesday and to date, I con only play the chords to ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ with gusto! My Ukulele instructor (the Musical Wonder) speaks basic English but doesn’t hesitate to physically move my fingers up and down in an attempt to teach me. Over the last couple of weeks, I have sat during the hour-long lessons feeling disheartened and tears threatening to spill over because the language barrier has been taking its toll. At the best of times I can follow instruction during the Ukulele class by watching her swift fingers and making my own notes. When the pace quickens however, my fingers feel like sausages and instead of strumming out a confident D-chord, I am still trying to figure out where we are in the song.

But miracles do happen. A turning point came during this week’s lesson! Last week the Musical Wonder gave me a Ukulele to take home and practice. I played the G7-chord over and over, trying to force my fingers to befriend the strings. During our lesson this week, I was able to keep up a little better than usual and even the dreaded D-chord didn’t kill my musical mojo. While plucking at the strings and trying to figure out some chord or the other, the Musical Wonder said something in Korean to the rest of the class and all I heard was, “Nadia seon-saeng-nim…..” (which translates as ‘Nadia teacher…). The rest of the staff grinned at me while nodding in agreement and whipping out their next page of music. Being one step behind as usual, the Musical Wonder helped me find the page. It finally dawned as to why she mentiond me to the others only when she pointed at the lyrics. She had searched for a song with both Korean and English lyrics. We were about to play and sing in my mother tongue. I made sure that each chord I played was as close to being correct as possible and we all plucked and sang a slightly off-tune version of 'Edelweiss' from 'The Sound of Music'.

I bowed deeply as I left class that day, waved and said "Ahn Nyeong Hee Ke Se Yo" (Goodbye if you are leaving the room/place). With the Ukulele swung over my shoulder once again, a large toothy grin spread across my face and humming 'Edelweiss', my learning curve didn't seem so steep anymore.

Read "Learning Curve- Part 2" here.

*Video* Hike to Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple

 

I have (unashamedly) been enjoying my new phone and toy- a Samsung S4. I am quite chuffed with the quality of the pics, videos and audio so I decided to play and see how they would look in a multimedia piece. I edited the pics, audio and video using an app called "Kine Master". This has been a marvelous app which means I just need my headphones to edit and it’s game, set, match.  

Anyway, this video is about a hike to Busan's Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple. It was quite a distance, but the sights (which you'll see in the vid) and the good company made up for the aching calves and feet.  

We began our hike on Donghae Nambu’s abandoned train tracks. We followed winding paths and stopped on the beach for a snack and toilet break. Being a summer's day it was lovely to see people flying kites, building sandcastles and enjoying family time. Traffic to the temple was insane and I kid you not when I say, for the first time in Korea, we struggled to get a cab and a bus! It was the long weekend (Buddah's birthday) so each bus/cab that passed us had someone in it or was just about holding in the hordes of people. 

If you are looking to get your Zen on when you reach the temple, think again. This is quite a popular temple and is generally busy. It was packed with people and finding peace and solitude was not even an option. The temple itself is quite a beauty and seeing water break on the rocks surrounding the temple is spectacular. There is a market and food stalls/restaurants in the vicinity. There are toilet facilities and admission is free.

Nadia

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