Korea's Little Pleasures (by Leslie)

I have decided there are some things that I am really thoroughly enjoying about living in Korea.  Here is a list (in no particular order) of a few:

1.  Ooey gooey waffle snacks.  Often, walking down the road or even in a grocery store, you will see food stands with waffles waiting to be smothered and eaten!  They fold the waffle over and slather one half with a creamy frosting (multiple flavors to choose from) and the other half with honey, then smash together and eat!  I think I could eat one every day.  For 1,000 won (less that $1 US), you can't beat that kind of treat!

MMMMMM!!

2.  No tipping.  Here in Korea, you don't tip for any services.  Not in restaurants, taxis, hair salons, etc.  If you do, it is kind of a sign of disrespect.  They won't take it from you.  Koreans also will not let you help them do anything, such as moving a chair or opening a door.  They do it all themselves.  Kind of reminds me of myself before I met Michael. :)  Oh, another thing is the sales tax is already added into the ticketed price, so what you see is what you pay, which seriously makes life sooo much easier.  No worrying about if you'll have enough to cover the tax.  It's already figured for you.

3.  Fancy schmancy toilets.  Now, don't get me wrong, you don't see toilets of this caliber all over Korea (sometimes you just see a little porcelain hole in the floor that you have to squat over).  However, the really nice restaurants, or pretty much any of the big western chain restaurants have these special toilets in the restrooms.   I was a bit afraid of them at first, but one afternoon, in a Bennigan's in Insa-dong, I worked up the nerve to test one out and was pleasantly surprised!!  haha  So, if you look on the left side of the toilet, there is a panel of buttons to push.  WARNING:  This may contain TMI (too much information) for your liking.  I will be very tactful, though. :)
Now, look closer at the Fresh-Let.  :)  I didn't try all of the buttons, but enough to get by.  Okay, the red button at the bottom means stop.  Stop what, you might ask?  Move up one button.  It looks like a sideways rear-end with a fountain spraying.  Well, that's basically what it is!  When you push that button, a little tube mechanically slides out and sprays your behind clean, until you press the stop button!  The next button up looks like a picture of a woman.  That, obviously, is for women to use.  The sprayer extends even farther so that women don't have to use toilet paper either!  Then, the button above that one, is a flow of warm air to dry your wet backside off.  Haha  Those are the only 4 buttons I have tried.  The first time, I have to admit, it kind of freaked me out.  But since then, whenever I see one, I have to use it!  They are just so refreshing!! :)  Michael has learned that if we go into public restrooms that have these toilets, it will take an extra 2-3 minutes for me to come out.   Is that weird of me?  Many of you may have used toilets like these in the US or Europe, but this has been my first encounter with them.  They are very eco-friendly as well, since you don't need any TP!!
4.  Cute Korean kids.  I've decided that Korean babies are the cutest in the world.  They are seriously so adorable, I keep telling Michael that I wish I could have a baby in Korea that would just pop out and be Korean, since they are so stinking cute!  A lot of them have the chubbiest little cheeks, and they all have this thick, black hair.  Many times their hair sticks straight up and their parents carry them around in their little slings and they are just too cute for words!  They seem very bewildered by westerners though.  Most of them are very shy, and if we smile or wave at them, they look away or sometimes start crying.  One exception was at the beach last week, this ADORABLE little girl, who was probably maybe 3 years old, saw us and started saying "HIII!  Hello!!!" and she kept waving and smiling and saying hi to me.  I heard her say something to her parents about "miguk" (american) and so I knew she was excited to see us.  Her dad came over to me and said, "excuse me, can we take picture with you?" and of course I was all for it, so the cute little girl and I got a photo together.  Unfortunately, Michael somehow did not snap the photo in time with MY camera, and so all I have are the memories, no evidence to share the extreme cuteness of the moment.  Here is a photo of another adorable little boy we saw at the beach.  I'm getting good at sneaking photos of people.  hehe
5.  Over-the-top Koreans.  We went to see Jason Mraz-eh (as they called him) in Seoul on Saturday night.  He had played the night before there as well, and had just been here back in March at the same venue.  The Koreans LOVED him!  We had standing room only tickets, so we were amongst 1600 Koreans packed into this concert hall even closer together than sardines, or a crowded subway/bus in Seoul.  It was a little uncomfortable, but well worth the experience.  They even had little papers, "Sing Along with Jason," that had the song lyrics to 2 of his songs so you could sing along.  hehe  The silly Koreans kept screaming every two seconds and putting their arms up in the air like they were praising Jehovah!  It got a little old after a while.  But like I said, it was a once in a lifetime experience I was glad to have experienced.  Jason Mraz was WELL worth the 77,000 won tickets.  He is so talented and fun.  

6.  Socialized medicine. 

While I don't believe that it will work in every country, including the US, it certainly is pretty awesome here in Korea. I went to the doctor a couple weeks ago because I was having some flare ups with my colon. I was able to go to any doctor I wanted (they are ALL over the place, there is pretty much a doctor of some sort in every building somewhere), and thankfully, my co-worker recommended me to a gastroenterologist that is literally in the building across the street from mine (work) and he speaks very good English. His name was Dr. Choo. So, I had a doctor's visit, and wanna know how much it cost me? 3,500 won (less than $3.50 US). Then, he prescribed me 4 different medications, a weeks worth for 3 and 15 days worth for the other, and guess how much all that was??? 13,000 won! Barely $17 for a doctor's visit and prescription medication! Pretty sweet, huh? Also, if you don't have your medical card with you, they can just look you up in the computer database, which is very handy. And, the best part is, they don't give you bottles of pills. They divide your meds into little water-proof pouches (I know this because it rained all in my bag after I left the pharmacy) according to dosage, and the pouches are connected about 10 in a row. This was just 4 that I got a photo of. Not bad!

7.  Getting to spend more time with my dear husband!

One of the best things about being in Korea is the amount of time that Michael and I get to spend together outside of work. Our work is such that we really don't have to do much outside of the office, and that comes as such a relief after working as American school teachers/ministers, where we NEVER got a break from our jobs. Not that we regret having those jobs, because they certainly were part of God's plan for our lives, but it feels like right now we are able to really just rest and get to enjoy each other's company and explore new places and enjoy life without feeling like we always have some commitment to go to or other things to keep us from spending quality time together. It could not have come at a better time for us! We know that we will never regret this time that we have with each other, especially a few years down the road when we do have children and a family.

God bless!

~Leslie

My New Answer to the Perfect Week Question, or Who Could Worship a Chicken God

There’s a game I love to play with groups of people when I first meet them called 1:30 of your life. The premise is simple. For a minute and a half you ask someone questions about themselves that they have to answer. It is a great game for getting kids to open up, that I have now used on 2 continents. Most of the questions are of the what’s your favorite kind. Usually somebody will ask what your perfect vacation or day or something like that would consist of. My answer would always include a Black Keys, or Spoon or Teitur concert and a Cubs, Cardinals game at Wrigley Field, with the Cubs winning of course. That was until this last week. Now my answer will consist of the memories of being on the beach for two days, a Jason Mraz concert Saturday night and a Jason Statham action movie trilogy serving as the crushed nuts on top of the sundae, Sunday night. I won’t go into every little detail, that is what my better half is for. Instead, I will just make a top five list of my favorites about this week:

1. My Wife. In case you did not know it, Leslie Christine Rains is the smartest, sexiest, sassiest woman in the whole world. She is better and spicier than a big bowl of Momma’s gumbo to me. (My mom makes the best gumbo in the world too.) I planned our anniversary, so she planned this one. Mrs. San Diego had no choice but to take me to the beach. I was not going to complain, because when the sun kisses my wife’s cheeks and colors them a frecklely pink, I get weak in the knees. Plus, she looks good in a bathing suit too. For two days I got to walk along the sandy beaches of the Japanese sea, take cheesy pictures and just spend time with the most amazing woman in the world. The worst part about Monday won’t be going back to work, it will be not spending every minute with her. Honey, I adore you.

2. I love a good concert. Jason Mraz puts on a good concert. His exaggerated movements and facial expressions remind me of the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. He really uses his whole body, including his jazzy voice as an instrument. Each twitch of the face, each note he bellows is used to express an emotion in much the same way each word is used in a good sonnet or each brush stroke in a painting. Even if you don’t like his albums, catch him in concert.

3. Tasty food combined with sensual views. Both are pretty amazing in their own right, but combining the two raises each to all-new stratospheres. Smoked salmon, served with caviar and a side of potato soup is a humdinger of a meal, but if you combine that with a breathtaking view of the Sea of Japan you are pretty close to perfection my friends. Several times we ate exceptional meals that were made even better by gorgeous views of God’s creation.

4. Korea itself. Some quick thoughts about Korea and Koreans. They have the cutest kids in the world. No contest. They are rabid fans of things they like. The Mraz concert was nuts. Every time I breathed, another Korean would jump in front of me. They clapped and shouted like trained dogs every time anyone on stage did anything. Couples love to dress a like and take the cheesiest pictures allowed. They make the best English sentences in the world. A palace in pork hocks & Korean pickles wrapped in a large cabbage leaf like a bundle is my new favorite. Plus Koreans used to worship a chicken god whose picture stands at the entrance of this post. He is my new favorite ancient god.

5. Bad action movies and their awesome stars. I was sick with a cough most of the trip, so I took God up on his offer, and used Sunday as a day of rest. At some point that night I came across a Jason Statham action movie trilogy, Transporter 1&2 and Crank. These movies were exactly what I needed. There was no need to think, because there is no plot, just pure unadulterated good guy wins bad guy dies violence. It harkens back to the days of classics such as Blood Sport and Under Siege. The best part is Statham can actually act a little. Combine them with a Dr. Pepper and you have quite the relaxing way to end the perfect week.

Adios,
Michael

Funny sightings

This is the sign posted in the window of a store below our apartment building that went out of business and is now empty.  hehe  I didn't realize there were such devout Catholics in Korea!

This was a sign posted outside a restaurant in Gangneung.  I am pretty sure that this is the name of the restaurant.  I think it deserves an award for longest name for a restaurant that really doesn't do a thing for your appetite.

Haha, the quintessential Korean couple.

Be saf in the water!

Is that what you write on the mailing address??

July...(1 of 2)

Well, it has been a while since we've updated the blog with details about our life and what's going on around here!  We cannot believe that we've been here in South Korea for almost 2 months now!  The time has really flown by.  We've been busy teaching and exploring during our time off, and time sure does fly when you're having fun.  We've both pretty much gotten used to our new jobs and have learned most of the ins and outs of working for Avalon.  Some things are frustrating (such as the lack of communication from our Korean counterparts at times, and the fact that they like to change things at the last minute and such...a couple weeks ago I had to work until 1:15 am re-doing some transcripts (some of students whom I have never met--yet I had to give them a score) to send home with the students because I had gotten them all finished and the Korean teachers decided to change them all...that was a little bit frustrating!), but for the most part we are both really enjoying our respective "schools" and our students.  Michael is loving it because at his campus there are about 11 or so other foreign guys, so he already has a built in group of guys to hang out with, which is something he has really never had at a job before.  So, life is good.  We are still really enjoying our church as well and one of Michael's co-workers has been coming with us for the last month so that's been good.   Now, I will show photos of the past month.

One day Michael and I decided to go early to the area where our schools are and eat lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Bay.  Talk about delicious food.  Since then we have discovered an even better Vietnamese restaurant downtown and we have been back several times.  I think it is slowly becoming my favorite food! :) 

Michael really loves Pho Bay because they have cold Jasmine tea to drink.  Most other places serve it hot, but the cold is really nice.  Aren't the little cups cute?

Michael, ready to dive in.

Yummy food!!  The pho is delish also!

We went walking around Suji and had to take a photo of the Batman Bar.  No, we have not been in it, just outside of it.

That weekend we went to Bundang (a city very close by, and very nice!) on Sunday evening to go to a mall so I could find these very cute, comfortable Crocs shoes (not the standard ones, much cuter ones!).  I decided with as much walking as we've been doing, I needed more comfortable shoes (I also went to Seoul one morning and found some Chaco's sandals which are also amazing).  Michael's co-worker Jonathan went with us, and he took us to Bundang's Central Park, which was a very nice park area with lakes, some old buildings in the middle, and a "hill" that you could hike up.  Here are some photos from that.

The old architecture and the new.

There were tons of fish there that people were feeding.

We hiked to the top of the hill/mountain, and at the top was an amazing exercise park!!  It was owned by Lotte (a huge Korean corporation) and cost W 30,000 (about $30).  So cool!

We waited until we were in Korea for over a month when we finally decided to visit the Golden Arches for lunch one day.  Kung Fu Panda Chicken Nuggets!!

Michael was so amazed that they actually used nice plastic cups at McDonald's.

While we didn't get to celebrate US Independence Day with a day off of work, Michael decided to join some of his co-workers up on the roof of Charmant and let off fireworks.  He was there with them for about 20 minutes until he came running back after the security guard came up and caught them.  Gotta love Americans.  Obnoxious as always.  

That weekend, we took a trip out of town to celebrate our 3rd anniversary.  I knew we were going somewhere but had no idea where.  Michael planned the whole trip with some assistance from his Korean co-workers, and he surprised me by taking me to a city called Daejeon, south of us in another province called Chungcheong--Central Korea.  It is about 2 hrs south of Seoul by car, and took as about 1.5 hrs by train.  It is an area known for it's natural hot springs, so he took me to a Spa Hotel!  Unfortunately, we got to Seoul to the KTX station and I realized I had left my camera sitting in our apartment--so the spoiled brat that I am headed over to the nearest Lotte Mart and bought the cheapest digital camera I could find.  It was the quickest electronics purchase I have ever made!  Michael is glad because now he has his own little camera to take photos with.  

Michael cheesing it up while waiting for the train.

Sitting next to the ajoshis.

Looking for our train car.

First class, baby!  We like to ride in style and comfort.

Such comfy seats for the hour ride!

On the subway in Daejeon.

Awesome little Korean Man!  We kept seeing him in the subway station.  I loved his cane.

Our Hotel--Spapia (a mix of Spa and Utopia)!

View from outside the window of Daejeon.

Cars, parked in the middle of the road.

Spa robe!!

 Michael shaking his new swim trunks!

And yes, we now have almost "match-ee" bathing suits!  Haha In Korea, couples love to dress alike.  I was buying a bathing suit and the lady brought out the swim trunks and said, "Couple??" so I obviously insisted that he bought them.  Yes!

Before the evening in the Korean Spa....they had separate spas for men & women...we also did not need our bathing suits.  It was an interesting experience!

In our matchee robes!

We had a very nice, relaxing weekend, thanks to my awesome husband!!

We heard there was a pretty good Mexican restaurant in Bundang from one of Michael's co-workers, so we decided to check it out.  LaMerce was the name.

The inside was actually surprisingly festively mexican!  

We got chips & salsa, but there were like 20 chips, and they never brought us refills.  Sad. :(

Michael's burrito--looks like mustard & mayo on top, but it was actually cheese sauce & sour cream---similar to canned cheese whiz.

My chicken tacos were pretty decent.  We may go back.  It was the closest thing we'd had to mexican food so far!  It also was recommended by a Canadian...

View of Suji from atop our apartment.

That's all for this post.  Coming soon--Korean Soccer and much BETTER mexican food!!

We do miss everyone.  But we really aren't missing the US too badly yet. 

~Leslie